"Riley, you are officially clear of the nanobots."
...
"Mac's nanobot count hasn't moved."
...
"Something's wrong with Mac!"
...
"Mac, wake up!"
...
"Don't leave me...not like this."
...
"Don't leave me..."
...
"Don't leave me..."
...
It's been months but she remembers it all vividly. His blue eyes blurred with questions and a hint of panic, while hers trembled with tears in fear of the worst. Then he spoke and she released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Then he embraced her, while all he gave her was a smile.
"This is where we must terminate all contact with you." Matty's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Do you understand?"
Riley nodded and pushed herself up from her seat. "I'll pack up my things." She said, starting for the door. "Thank you for everything, Matty."
The smaller woman gave her a small smile. "Good luck, Riley."
Φ Persona Non Grata Φ
"Whatever," She rolled her brown eyes and stood. "I'll go buy more beer."
As soon as the door closed behind her, Bozer turned to his best friend. "Have you heard anything from Riley yet, Mac?"
Mac frowned and leaned back in his seat. "No, she hasn't been showing up for skee ball, either." He sighed, running a hand through his blonde locks. "You?"
"No, and I'm starting to get worried." Bozer admitted. "Riley quit the Phoenix two months ago and not one peep!" He paused. "Maybe she just doesn't want to see you anymore."
"What- Hey!" He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? And why me and not you? She's not talking to either of us."
"I mean, it can't be me." He said, throwing his hand on his chest. "She's not in love with me while I'm dating one of her friends!"
Mac threw his hands up. "That can't be it!" He said, sitting up straight. "I tried to talk to her about it but she kept shutting me down. "He mumbled. "We've been okay since then."
Bozer shrugged. "Maybe she got sick of pretending and just decided to up and leave." He paused. "Y'know, like the movies."
"Riley wouldn't do that." He replied confidently. "She loves her job and she loves the Phoenix." He said. "She wouldn't leave like that."
Before another word could be said, their phones rang and a familiar name popped up.
"Matty needs us."
The two men walked through the familiar frosted door, awaited by their colleagues.
Desi gave them a wistful smile. "I got the beer." She said plainly, arms crossed in front of her chest. "It's in my hot car, but I got the beer."
"Sorry to interrupt your weekend plans," The usual tone of sarcasm laced Matty's voice. "But DHS is putting pressure on the Phoenix after their declaration earlier today."
Mac frowned. "I thought we were done working for the government."
"We are." Russ began. "We aren't going to be doing any sort of work for them. Not after what we've learned about their involvement with the nanobots."
Before anyone else could speak Matty cut them off. "This isn't voluntary either." She turned to her screen. "As an agency operating on US soil, they have the right to put our entire operation under a microscope with probable cause."
"Wait, so we're being assessed?" Mac asked, earning reluctant nods from Russ. "With what probable cause?" His voice had a hint of anger.
The door behind them opened. "The fact that just 2 months ago, you were working closely with someone the state has just declared 'Persona Non Grata.'"
The team turned to their speaker with furrowed brows.
The woman pulled up her badge as she closed the door behind her. "Agent Grace Carson, DHS."
"What do you mean 'Persona Non Grata?'" Mac's heart sank at his revelation. "And why?"
Grace moved in front and faced them. "Artemis 37."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"That's Riley..." Was all Bozer could utter.
The DHS agent took over the screen and showed a picture of Riley and her hacker alias. "Artemis 37." She repeated. "Also known as, Riley Davis."
Mac stood straight and waived his hands, unaccepting. "No." He said simply. "No way Riley would go back to...doing what she used to do."
The older woman frowned. "She never stopped." She deadpanned. "Evidence shows that as early as Phoenix had been DXS, MS. Davis had been doing her fair share of hacking illegally into top US government networks." She paused, adding more information onto the screen behind her. "All done from within the Phoenix, and at least four other places." She turned to Mac with a pointed look. "One of them being your home, and her most recent apartment."
"What does any of that have to do with us?" Desi spoke, breaking the silence. "I mean, you're looking for Riley, aren't you? Like you said, it's been 2 months since we've last seen or heard from her?"
"What this has to do with us is the fact that Riley has had access to our network long before Russ even bought the Phoenix." Matty said. "Meaning she has had access to top secret and encrypted government files for the last several years she's been working for the Phoenix." She paused and frowned. "And Riley has the skills to decrypt them."
Grace nodded. "Exactly. Since then, Artemis 37 has had connections to a group you are familiar with, I heard." She paused, giving Mac another look. "Codex."
The eerily familiar red symbol showed on the screen.
"With Artemis' help, Codex has since began to rebuild. And with her help, they have completely disappeared." Agent Carson looked over the team. "After Codex's last attempted assault on US soil, the DHS recognized their threat level to be high enough to be on alert. And with her help," She looked up to Riley's picture on the screen. "It has been decided that Artemis must be taken down immediately."
Mac shook his head. "That's impossible! We know Riley. She wouldn't do any of the things you're saying."
Agent Carson's dark brows furrowed. "Evidence shows-"
"Evidence can be tampered with and faked. Your evidence is flawed."
"Mac-" Matty's scolds fell unto deaf ears as her agent left the room.
Everyone was left speechless at Mac's walk out, but the DHS agent was unfazed.
"Everyone in this room is grounded until told otherwise." She began. "No missions and you will be monitored until you are cleared." She paused as two more DHS agents entered the room. "They will collect all of your devices. That means, cellphones, ipods, ipads, any tablets, and your computers. You will only get them back once they have been scrubbed for bugs or anything Artemis 37 could have planted."
AN: Maybe it shows, but I haven't written in a while lol xD
Creative commentary would be greatly appreciated!
I will try my best to update as soon as possible, or every Monday. Thank you everyone :)