Cataclysm

Clarity

Ashe watched and listened carefully at the conversation between her boss and Mr. Agreste, keeping her thoughts to herself until the man hanged the phone and looked at her, smile on his face.

''I suppose that went well?'' She asked, almost stepping over the boundaries of her role. He never minded, however, and this time wasn't the exception.

''As expected, Agreste is compliant'' Said Mr. M., turning around and walking towards the bar to pour himself some wine. ''And who wouldn't be? I just had to tell him how in my thumb he and his family really are. It's not a complicated thing, you either obey or you risk getting your loved ones killed'' Ashe's boss stopped smiling as he said that last part, then drank his whole cup in one go.

''Your son, sir?'' She questioned, following a hunch.

M. just frowned and avoided her gaze, then started smiling again. ''He's fine, probably planning something behind my back as always''

It was one of those rare times when the man that hired her would do anything close to admitting he cares about his own family. It was a specially daunting situation when you knew what he did to his late wife. Ashe didn't let any of her emotions show on her face, keeping her stoicism and concentrating on what was important: The mission.

''What do you want us to do now, sir?'' She asked. ''With Gabriel Agreste, I mean''

''Nothing yet, I like him frightened and still, for now''

There was a long, charged pause while Ashe carefully chose her next words:

''And what about the reporters, sir?'' She said, almost cringing when she saw the placid expression on the man flinch as she mentioned their most recent problem.

''They still bothering us?'' He asked, his voice low and dangerous.

''There around ten tents camping outside the temple now, sir, and one of the men heard an helicopter earlier, though I doubt that's what he heard honestly, with these storms...'' She tried to reassure him, but both of them knew that didn't change the facts: Their secret invasion of the mysterious temple was not so secret anymore, and there was a limit to how much you could shut people up with bribes or threats.

''How the hell are they camping in this weather?! Those crazy bastards'' Commented her boss, letting his frustration openly show now.

''I think what's happening in Paris is motivating them, sir. People are connecting the dots between the supernatural things happening in there, and the symbols and what the apparition of this temple represents'' He already knew most of that, she was aware, but still felt the need to make him take the events in Paris more seriously. She saw one big flaw on her bosses plan and, afraid of insulting him by mentioning it directly, she prefered this method of suggestion to make him think about it.

''Paris has been a center point for shit for years, and when this temple apparead and Hawkmoth was rampant there wasn't this much fuss about it, heck we took it easily, just a few phone calls!'' He said, still not getting it. The woman let out a sigh.

''What? What is it that you are thinking and not telling me, Ashe?'' He challenged her, and she knew she had to answer now.

''When Hawkmoth was terrorizing the city, there weren't any permanent casualties, sir'' She started, relieved to see that he was more surprised than insulted by her obvious statement. ''This new villain, though, is leaving people in vegetative states and so far the heroes have not shown or said that they can fix it...''

''I see...'' He said, his eyes wide open. ''They got used to things being fixed every time something happened... it was almost like a game, before... But this woman changed everything somehow...''