He grinned back at me like he had just invited me to a casual barbecue.
"We need you to be the next World President," he repeated.
I blinked. "You—" I let out a sharp exhale, rubbing my temple. "You're joking."
I scoffed. "You do realize the same government you work for has been actively trying to kill me and prosecute me, right?"
Anthony waved a hand. "Oh, that's the other side."
I narrowed my eyes. "Other side?"
"Yeah, see, the governments across the world are kinda... split on this whole thing." He leaned back against the bench, stretching his arms behind his head like we weren't discussing something completely absurd. "On one hand, you've got the people who follow the current World President—the guy who holds absolute authority because his job is literally designed for it. And on the other hand, you've got the people who think you should be in that seat."
I let out a sharp breath, still trying to process. "Why the hell would anyone want me in charge?"
Anthony gave me a look. "Dude, seriously? You're capable of having multiple jobs."
"So?" He scoffed. "Since the dawn of society, people have measured each other's worth by the jobs they can do. By how much they can contribute to the world." He gestured vaguely at me. "And you? For whatever reason—frankly, we don't care—you have the ability to gain multiple jobs, multiple skill sets. You are, objectively, the single most capable person on the planet."
I rolled my eyes. "That's a stretch."
"Is it?" He raised a brow. "In a world where power is dictated by skills and ranks, you're the most versatile asset that's ever existed. If there's anyone fit to lead, it's the guy who can literally do everything."
I frowned, crossing my arms.
Anthony sighed, flicking another cigarette out of his pocket. "Look, you don't have to like it. But this rift? It's real. And if you lose this fight, you're not the only one who's screwed." He gave me a pointed look. "Everyone on your side? They'll be taken out for treason."
Slowly, I let out a breath. "And let me guess—me and Evelyn are 'Team Vale'?"
Anthony grinned. "Bingo. Though I was thinking of calling it Team Rey."
I shot him a flat look. "No. Only 3 people get to call me that."
He laughed. "Okay, okay. Team Vale it is."
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "And what happens now? I just... declare war on the current World President?"
Anthony chuckled. "I mean, we'd prefer you didn't. Politics is all about the long game. This isn't a battle you win in one day."
I rubbed my temple. "Of course it isn't."
Anthony grinned. "But hey, on the bright side—you've got allies. And you're the boss now."
I narrowed my eyes. "You're already my subordinate?"
He smirked. "Would 'advisor' make you feel better?"
I sighed. "Not really."
"Too bad. I'm calling you boss anyway."
I ignored that. "Then explain something to me. If Evelyn is so loyal to our side, why the hell did she rat me out before my Mars mission?"
Anthony chuckled. "Oh, that? That was a genius move on her part."
I scoffed. "You do realize Mark and the government knew about me because of that, right?"
"Yeah, but Mark likely knew even before then, and the rest of Team World President would of figured out eventually." Anthony leaned forward, tapping his temple. "Think about it. By announcing the existence of the Masked Syndicate, Evelyn made them believe it was an organization. A powerful, hidden group instead of just you."
Anthony grinned. "Which means they don't know the truth. Mark? Yeah, he probably figured it out. But to the rest of the world? They think they're fighting multiple people—not a single individual."
I exhaled slowly, realization settling in.
"So Evelyn created two narratives. One side that supports me, who knows I'm just one person... and one side that sees me as an entire movement."
"Exactly." Anthony winked. "Genius, right?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Great. Now I owe her three favors."
Anthony tilted his head. "Three?"
"One for saving me during my jury duty. One for the trial we just did. And now this." I sighed. "I am never telling her that."
Anthony stretched. "Alright, boss, you buying this yet?"
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I took a breath, focusing.
A familiar hum passed through me as Anthony's profile unfolded before my eyes.
Espionage (Lv. 7) – Enhances infiltration, disguise, and information-gathering abilities. Stealth Mastery (Lv. 8) – Lowers physical and auditory presence, making detection significantly harder.
Deception (Lv. 7) – Increases ability to fabricate convincing lies and manipulate perception. Lip Reading (Lv. 6) – Allows understanding of conversations from a distance by observing mouth movements.
Combat Intuition (Lv. 7) – Predicts an opponent's next move in close-quarters combat. Poison Resistance (Lv. 5) – Reduces the effects of toxins and enhances ability to identify poisoned substances.
Cipher Decryption (Lv. 8) – Enhances ability to break coded messages and encrypted files.
Everything checked out. He was legit.
I sighed. "You made the phone call, didn't you?"
Anthony grinned. "What, the creepy one? Yeah, that was me. Thought it'd be fun."
I closed my eyes. "Of course you did."
He reached into his pocket, tossing something at me. I caught it on reflex—a burner phone.
"My number's in there," he said. "Use it to contact me if you need anything."
"Emergencies, missions, going out for drinks—hell, even if you just wanna rant about how stressful this is."
I eyed the phone warily. "Missions?"
Anthony smirked. "Come on, boss, you know we need you to actually lead. That means delegating. That means using your assets." He gave me a lazy salute. "Unfortunately, I happen to be one of them."
I sighed, pocketing the phone. "Lucky me."
Anthony just grinned.
I checked my main phone. 5:30 AM.
I exhaled. "Alright. I'm heading back."
Anthony nodded. "Cool, cool. You know where to find me."
I started to turn away—then paused.
I glanced over my shoulder. "I already have a mission for you."
Anthony's brows rose. "Oh?"
I met his gaze, my voice even.
"Investigate every company that crashed on Mars."
Anthony blinked. Then, his grin widened. "Now that's interesting."
"Find me everything," I said. "Who was involved. What they were hiding. All of it."
He gave a two-finger salute. "Consider it done, boss."
I nodded once, turning away.
The moment I stepped back onto the sidewalk, the weight of the conversation settled over me.
A war I didn't even know I was part of.
I shoved my hands in my pockets, glancing up at the sky.
So much for a peaceful break.