Chapter 421

He stood there for a long moment, not saying anything. At his side, Dagger started to move forward, but James stopped him with a slight twitch of his hand. Fel was dangerous, James knew that. When she switched to her ‘R’ persona, it was like she was a completely different, extremely deadly, person. And now, standing before him, was her mother. The same mother, James knew, that had forced Fel into the intensive training that had created ‘R’ at a young age. The same mother who headed, and ran, Phoenix Down. In other words, if Fel was dangerous, this woman before him, had to be so much more.

“A pleasure to meet you, James.” The woman said, offering him a slight nod and a smile. She was dressed in a pant suit, the dark material splashed with tasteful bits of red here and there. It was professionally fitted, James could tell that much, and she seemed completely at ease, and natural, in that outfit. If James didn’t know any better, his mind would say she was just a high-ranking government official, or perhaps the head of a successful corporation. Not, you know, a James bond level super-agent.

“Uh,” James glanced between Fel and her mother. “Likewise?” He immediately winced at that. He had better manners, normally. But he was out of his element. And, he was really getting tired of meeting such dangerous and powerful people, in such strange places. At least Steve and his wife had met with him in a virtual mansion. A step above the sewer meeting with Hades, and now, the abandoned warehouse meeting with Fel’s mother.

“As Felecia mentioned,” she continued, her eyes seeming to be taking in every bit of James’s features, lingering as she spoke on Dagger. “I am her mother. Which, given what I know you’ve been through in the last 48 hours, means you know exactly what that means.”

James nodded, not sure if he was supposed to vocalize her true identity. Her smile spread a little more across her face at his response, and it seemed she approved of his decision.

“That being said, for obvious reasons, its prudent I don’t go around speaking of such matters so casually. For now, please, call me Marissa.” Fel’s mom, no, Marissa, motioned for him to come closer. “Felecia and I were just discussing our current situation, and she said you’d be keen to be a part of this conversation. And what type of mother would I be, if I ignored my daughter’s opinions?”

James wasn’t trained in any way shape or form similar to Fel and Marissa. However, even he noticed Fel stiffening as her mother spoke, and could tell, there was a tension between the two. If memory served him right, Fel did not get along with her mother. Something about hating what she’d had to go through. Part of the reason Fel had become such a high-ranking member of Phoenix Down, had been to ensure her price of service was so high, no one could afford her. She’d purposefully overqualified herself, to escape the very world she had been brought up in.

He wasn’t happy about it, but he walked closer to the two, practically feeling the tension between them as he drew nearer. Quickly, he sent a message to Dagger. As much as he wanted to test out, he dog’s abilities, he figured now wasn’t a good time. Instead, he simply messaged the robot to be on guard, in case the situation turned sour.

“How can I help?” James asked once he was closer to the two.

“Patience, my dear.” Marissa twisted a ring on her finger, and the air around them shimmered. Dagger let out a low growl, but nothing more. However, a message from the dog informed James that Marissa had activated a high powered, government level anti-spying device. Something that would not only ensure they couldn’t be listened in on, but powerful enough that it would also block, for a small amount of time, their government chips from interacting with the network. For this brief moment, they no longer existed as far as the world of government surveillance was concerned.

“That’s better.” She eyed Dagger once more. “He truly is quite impressive up close.” She knelt down, holding her right hand out to Dagger, her left hand, where her chip would have been implanted, staying a decent distance away from Dagger. This close, James could tell she was wearing bracelets under her suit, and he wondered if she had countermeasures already in place, to prevent ‘skimming’ of information from her. It made sense, given the world she operated in. Still, such things were not cheap, and he wondered if they’d even work against Dagger. His companion, after all, was as far as he could tell, a one-of-a-kind technological marvel.

“Mother.” Fel said, her voice tight. “We aren’t here to admire his dog.”

Marissa clicked her tongue, but stood, turning to face James completely once again.

“Felecia is right. As tempting as it is to see just what your dog is capable of, I must put that off for a different time. Right now, there is a much more pressing matter to deal with.”

James glanced between the two as silence once again filled the air.

“Hades?” He asked quietly. That figure was the only unknown that still existed in his world. Fel had personally taken care of Dwight, prior to him being arrested. Xander, as far as James had been told, was now incapable of causing him any harm, and Cyb3ru5 had just been dismantled. The only figure left, was the mysterious hacker Hades, the previous head of Cyb3ru5. He’d been instrumental in helping bring the hacking group down, but James knew he’d only done it to serve his own interests. And whatever those were, James knew it involved DCO.

“Him? Gods no.” Marissa chuckled. “I’m not a fool. Going after him is like willingly sticking your hand into a pit viper nest. As far as I’m concerned, Hades doesn’t exist. And the price to make him exist, is one only the very heads of the government could afford to pay.”

“Oh.” James couldn’t help but tremble. That chuckle had caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. And her comment hadn’t made him feel better about the Hades situation. Just who was Hades? And more importantly, what was he, that would command such a high price? The wealth of those at the top of the government, was unfathomable. If that was what was needed to prompt Phoenix Down into action, James could only speculate just how dangerous Hades was. He made a mental note not to cross Hades in the future and tucked away the quip he’d been saving regarding the whole ‘almost mind controlled’ fiasco Hades had put him through.

“And trust me,” Marissa said a moment later. “If we were going after Hades, you wouldn’t be in the loop. Only those with a need to know, would be involved. This little matter of ours, is completely different. And even so, the only reason you’re privy to it, is because of Felecia’s insistence.”

“Right, well then.” James glanced at Fel. She’d been unnaturally quiet. Which was unnerving. Normally, no one could cow Fel. “What is it you’re interested in?”

Marissa smiled. The smile of a predator capturing its prey.

“We are here to discuss the situation surrounding your friend Alexander, of course.” Her eyes flashed. “And quite frankly, the time for negotiation is shrinking. So, we should begin, while I’m still feeling kind.” With that, her demeanor shifted, very similar to the way Fel shifted into ‘R’. Gone was the façade of professionalism and kindness. In its place, a cold, calculated, killer.