[Cecil's P.O.V.]
"Anti-teleportation field? Who knew that was even possible on this scale." I muttered under my breath as the high-altitude wind whipped against my trench coat.
I stepped out of the GDA stealth helicopter and onto the pristine landing pad. The blades roared above me, but the sound felt muffled by the imposing presence of the building I was standing on.
'The Tower of Chaos.' I repeated the name circulating through the intelligence circle.
It was a massive monolith of black glass and concrete that had sprouted in the very heart of New Chicago. It completely dominated the skyline, casting a literal and metaphorical shadow over everything the Global Defense Agency had sworn to protect.
But the architecture was not what had me grinding my teeth together. It was the fact that my global teleportation grid had failed. The most advanced rapid-response network on the planet had completely bounced off the building's perimeter like a tennis ball hitting a brick wall, and for the first time in a decade, I had to take a damn helicopter to the front door like some common civilian.
It was a subtle power move to remind us who actually held the cards in this city.
The elevator doors slid shut behind me with a quiet hum. Beside me, Donald stood perfectly rigid in a military posture, but I could hear the faint tapping of his finger, probably nervous of facing Neelesh Kumar six months after that conference. The online world calls it the biggest advertisement of the century.
"Sir, my sensors are returning complete static." Donald reported quietly, keeping his glasses fixed on the elevator floor numbers as they rapidly went down. "Whatever material this tower is constructed from, it is completely absorbing the radar and thermal imaging. We are flying blind on this one."
"I know, Donald. Just keep your hand near your sidearm and let me do the talking." I replied.
Just then, the elevator chimed with a pleasant sound that felt entirely out of place for the lion's den we were entering. The doors parted smoothly, revealing the penthouse lobby.
As I stepped onto the plush carpet of the office lobby, I froze in my tracks. My hand instinctively drifted toward the concealed weapon in my coat.
Angstrom Levy was casually strolling out of the adjacent room.
My good eye narrowed into a sharp glare. I knew what the other Levy was capable of. A maniacal, multiversal terrorist who had just unleashed a horde of dinosaurs and a giant Kaiju into the downtown sector not even an hour ago.
But this man was completely different. Well, for starters, he didn't have that giant bulbous head of the terrorist. He was wearing a tailored corporate suit, holding a caramel latte in one hand, whistling a happy tune and casually spinning a shiny brass key from its hoop on his finger, looking like a salesman who'd just successfully made the biggest deal of his career.
This Levi saw Donald and me standing near the elevator and kept walking, so relaxed that even his stride didn't flinch. He gave us a polite smile, nodded his head in greeting, and continued walking down the hallway.
'What the hell is going on here?' I thought, my mind racing.
"Ah, Director Stedman! What a pleasant surprise. Welcome to my humble office. What can I do for you today?"
I forced my grip to loosen from my gun and turned my attention to the main office.
Neelesh Kumar, CEO of Chaos Incorporated, was sitting behind a massive mahogany desk. The young man was the picture of corporate excellence and fine etiquette. He was leaning back in a plush leather chair with his fingers steepled together, looking far too young to hold the kind of terrifying geopolitical power he currently wielded across the globe, yet there he sat, radiating confidence as if everyone and everything was under his control.
"Don't be too modest, Neel. It doesn't suit the CEO of the world's largest monopoly." I stepped fully into the room, refusing to break eye contact.
"Aw shucks. You're gonna make me blush, Mr Stedman." A boyish, entirely fabricated grin spread across Neel's face. He tapped a small button on his desk and pointed at the two sleek and expensive-looking chairs in front of his desk. "Please, take a seat."
I took a seat, but I did not let myself relax against the backrest. Donald remained standing right at my shoulder, an intimidating statue. I decided to cut straight to the point.
"Enough of the charades, Mr. CEO. We need all the information on the dimensional refugees your company's been hiding. And on top of that, I need you to hand over the hostile variant of Angstrom Levy who just unleashed hallucinatory hell on Chicago."
"Oh? Is the GDA suspecting something?" Neel asked playfully, tilting his head like a curious child. "Have we missed a customs declaration?"
Donald did not play along as he quickly pointed a finger at the massive, floor-to-ceiling glass window behind Neel's desk. The New Chicago skyline was clearly visible outside, with plumes of smoke still rising in the distance.
"It hasn't even been an hour since the dimensional breach occurred and those monsters flooded into the financial district," Donald stated, his voice a bit too angry for his usual cold attitude.
I looked out the window and took it all in.
The destroyed city center that was sitting in ruins a few minutes ago was magically rebuilding itself. Massive roots and thick vines grew directly from the cracked pavement, moving with intelligent purpose, physically lifting crushed cars out of the way and stitching the damaged concrete and steel back together like biological sutures. The plants were secreting a rapid-hardening resin that perfectly mimicked building materials.
In a matter of minutes, an entire city block that had been leveled by a prehistoric beast was fully restored. Citizens were already walking back onto the streets, casually drinking cans of Pepsi, completely unbothered by the apocalyptic event that had just occurred.
"Not to mention the gaping hole in your own office building that your workers fixed in what, ten minutes? Impressive, honestly." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Your efficiency makes my disaster relief teams look like a joke."
"Alright, no need to make a fuss. I thought we reached an understanding six months ago." Neel folded his hands on the desk.
"Ever since we got to know of the Flaxan dimension and began documenting refugees from other dimensions like Kaisen..." I kept my tone level, maintaining my grip on the conversation.
But as I was saying those words, I knew I made a mistake as I saw Neel's playful demeanour vanish in an instant. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the mahogany wood.
The air in the room suddenly grew heavy. He was no longer the boyish corporate face. He instantly took on the cold, calculating role of a titan who owned a quarter of the planet.
Neel still smiled, but it was a completely hollow expression. He opened his eyes fully, fixing me with a terrifying gaze that made my blood run cold.
"It would be better if you addressed the Chairman with the respect he deserves," His voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of an executioner's blade.
Donald visibly gulped beside me, but I just smirked, refusing to back down. I had dealt with Omni-Man for decades. I was not going to be intimidated by a kid in a suit, even if that kid was working for the most powerful man in the world.
"I've been talking to John as I saw fit since before you were ever in the picture," I shot back, my voice dripping with belittlement. "Don't sit behind that desk and play the loyal attack dog with me. I was cutting deals with him when it was only him and his girlfriend."
Taking a breath to calm myself and seeing no reaction from Neel, I continued.
"Kaisen promised us all the intel and the technology related to other dimensional matters when he first came to this world. The terms were clear that issues regarding dimensional breaches would be handled strictly by the Global Defense Agency." I reminded him, tapping my finger on his desk. "Not to mention we have come to know of another variant of Mark Grayson roaming around this planet. You are hoarding multiversal assets, Neel."
"I am afraid that without the Chairman's direct approval, I cannot meet your demands. That is not the real issue why you are here, Mr Stedman. Seeing as the heroes had the monster situation handled before your choppers even arrived on the scene." Neel countered smoothly.
That was it. That was the spark that hit the powder keg. All this frustration I had been holding back for six fucking months finally boiled over. I slammed both of my hands onto his polished mahogany desk, leaning into his personal space.
"I know exactly what Chaos Corp has been doing all over the world!"
[A/N]:
If you want to read up to 10+ Chapters in advance, check out my P@treon - Max_Striker.
If you wanna hang out, join my Discord server- https://discord.gg/XxGEYk2PM5