Simon wasn’t entirely wrong. If anything, Hazel would have gladly gone to her grave never having seen the man sitting across from her again. For a man who was probably pushing 40, she couldn’t help but think he looked so worn down and tired. Almost like a man twice his age. Still, even under all that Hazel could believe that if the glass and his restraints weren’t there he would be a very dangerous individual, capable of doing serious damage before he could be taken down.
Which was why she had been sent out here in the first place, unfortunately.
“Fine, consider pleasantries skipped.” She said tersely, pulling a data pad from her bag. A small thin window opened up in the glass, setting the pad on it as a Peacekeeper stepped forward and took it from her. They then proceeded to hold it out for Simon to read, a scrolling text of mission reports and after action logs. Each one mentioning an all too familiar word: Apex.
“One-One, the algorithm, the TAF, whoever in their ‘infinite wisdom’ were the ones who decided that since we share a history,” Her tone indicated that she would laugh at the idea if she were more inclined at the moment. “I would be the best one to come down here and extend to you an offer from the Train and those who run it.”
Hazel turned to the Peacekeepers on her side and nodded, the glass between them rising into the ceiling and opening up the room entirely. The ones on Simon’s side, stun batons still at the ready stepped forward and unlocked his restraints, handing him the data pad to keep reading.
“You’re to be offered a consultant position, regarding the current Neo Apex situation. I’m sure even back here in the IRC you’ve heard things with how many of their members wind up here. The TAF has reason to believe they’re starting to rally again after they got scattered during the Runaway Train Incident.”
She stepped closer to the unrestrained man, part of her daring him to try something. “In return for your cooperation, pending the completion of the investigation, you’d be granted 1. amnesty for all past crimes against the Train and it’s Denizens. 2. the freedom to travel wherever you wish on the train. 3. A more… manageable number and eventual departure from the Train.”
Hazel had dangled the carrot, now to see if he took it or if the stick would need to be applied.
Simon squinted as he read over the reports on the datapad, and his eyebrows raised as he took in what he was reading. He’d definitely heard it mentioned here and there while he’d been in the facility, but he wasn’t aware it was that widespread. It was kind of funny, in a way, that his and Grace’s influence had spread so far as to still be causing ripple effects in the current day.
He snorted in response to the ‘infinite wisdom’ comment, and rolled his eyes. Even so, she had caught his attention. His gaze rose from the screen back to her, and he listened carefully to what she was saying, growing all the more curious as to where this was going.
And then, he was released from his restraints. Shifting his position slightly, he rubbed at his wrist for a moment before taking the data pad, though his attention remained primarily on Hazel. His expression changed to one of mild surprise, and he blinked. He was genuinely a little shocked that they’d trust him to get involved, given that he was the former leader of the Apex as it had been in it’s prime, and had never really formally denounced them.
But he supposed that was the point. He knew more about them than anyone else that was still on the train, although he had no way of knowing how closely these new so-called Apexers were following their old protocols. It was always possible that some of the old members of the Apex were involved. There was no guarantee that all of them had left their old ways, afterall. He’d seen little of what had happened after Grace had disbanded their formal group, and had no idea how much resistance she’d had to deal with.
But he supposed he might be tasked with finding all of that out, if he was to accept the offer. Out of all the things Hazel had offered him, it was the prospect of being free again that interested him the most. He didn’t care one way or the other whether One-One considered him a criminal, nor did he care about his number being manageable. Even after so many years, he still had no intention of leaving the train. If it would’ve been hard for him to readjust when he was young, it would only be worse now that so much extra time had passed.
He was no longer hellbent on raising his number (there would be little point to that anyhow, for obvious reasons), but didn’t care for it to be lowered either. And thus, that part of it didn’t interest him. But if he was going to live on the train, he wanted it to be on his own terms. And being locked up in a facility most definitely wasn’t that.
“Alright. I’m listening.” He replied, letting the datapad fall flat in his lap. He shifted so that he was sitting up straighter, and met Hazel’s gaze. “But I’d appreciate it if you’d elaborate. What exactly do the all-knowing One-One and his army of peacekeepers want me to do?”
There was a clear sarcastic edge to his voice when he talked about One-One. He made it no secret that he disliked the conductor, whether he be the rightful conductor or no. He never would have even considered doing anything to help him, was he not offered something that would be worthwhile enough to do so. And luckily for Hazel and the TAF, Simon was sick and tired enough of being held down (both figuratively and literally) by the powers-that-be on the train that the prospect of going free would be more than worthwhile to him.
And if all he had to do was help them wrangle a few Apex copycats, then he supposed that wouldn’t be the end of the world.