Too Smart for Your Own Good
Files. Where did Leader keep the files? Not the employee files, but- well, shit. As Assistant thought about it, having a closer look at the employee files might help in connecting the dots, too.
The number of casualties was increasing at a slope too steep for Assistant’s liking. First it was Sidekick, then Hero herself. Then Other Hero, and yet another, all within a measly two weeks. Four deaths in fourteen days.
It was unusual, wasn’t it? Usually when there was a death within the organization, members were instructed to train harder, but also to grieve. They weren’t sent back onto the field without a second of notice, nor were they so deliberately egged on to fight for vengeance.
No one even knew Leader had a connection with Sidekick until the day of their...passing. Leader had made an announcement from the intercom- surprising Assistant greatly since he usually made her do this- for all members of the facility to gather in the auditorium. Secretaries rushed to set up a podium before the crowd became too large.
Leader, of course, told everyone in the building about the unfortunate killing of Sidekick. His face was red as he spoke, and little could tell whether it was pain or anger until he screamed that if he didn’t have Villain’s head by the end of the month then he...then he would break down. He would quit his job.
The teams couldn’t afford losing Leader, and anyways, they were a bit pissed off at hearing Villain killed one of their own. Villain was an evil scrooge, one who made threats, but never acted on them- at least not until now that he killed Sidekick and was now butchering the rest of the organization.
Oddly enough, though, Villain was spotted creeping through street fairs in town, head down, tucked into his shirt. News reports said he was desperate, asking camera men to point the cameras away. Usually, he was very public, not caring who saw him where, yet never spoke aloud for the public didn’t deserve his attention.
Maybe he was scheming something and didn’t want his location to be known, but Villain was craftier than to walk out in the open, in crowds. This was something different. Villain was trying to hide. Not because various heroes of the organization were after him- he wasn’t frightened of them. He’d fight them- every single one of them- tooth and nail. Right now, though? Villain was scared, and it couldn’t be without a great reason.
Where Leader was at now, Assistant was only somewhat aware. He was downstairs, having another rally, detailing another death within the organization by a man who was hiding in crowds and begging newsmen to keep his location secret. It didn’t add up, not in the slightest, and yet Assistant was the only one who thought to sneak into Leader’s office to hopefully uncover the greatest scandal of all time. She wasn’t sure what the scandal was yet, but she knew Leader was up to...to something.
Two filing cabinets were left. Being Leader's assistant, she had the key to open them. Employee files had to be in here. Assistant had already checked the trash beforehand since several of the employees were supposedly killed. Maybe he would have no need for their information anymore. But they weren't in the overall company's trash cans, or even dumpsters, and they weren't in Leader's can by his desk. All that was left was these two filing cabinets.
With slightly trembling hands, Assistant pushed the key into the first's lock. It eased open with a series of clunks Assistant tried desperately to avoid. There was no way for filing cabinets to ever be silent, even if one were to grease the tracks. As a sign of caution, Assistant tossed her head back to make sure the door was as ever still as it had been before.
Within the cabinet laid a golden treasure- the employee files. And stacked right on top? Those who were just killed. Assistant wasted no time in pulling them out, pushing the cabinet shut, and locking it back up. She would read the files in the bathroom, where no one would suspect her, and when she was done, she’d sneak them back into Leader’s office. Hopefully, she wouldn’t find anything worth further investigation, but if she did...Assistant shook her head. If it were worthy of further investigation, then she would figure it out later. For now, she made her way to the door with the files tucked beneath her arm.
“Assistant?” The voice questioned her before she even opened the door all the way. She nearly slammed it shut in theory of being caught. Instead, she only sucked in a surprised breath and clutched the files closer as she eased the door open more.
“Leader, I- I hope the speech went well?” She followed his eyes to her arm and then past her- undoubtedly to the filing cabinets. “I took the liberty of cleaning out the clutter. Figured it might help- uh- relieve some of your stress, you know?”
Leader hummed, stepping into the room, and therefore causing Assistant to back awkwardly into the doorframe. So, she was dismissed?
“I presume you have a minute?” Leader had already rounded the desk himself, sitting in his office chair.
No, not really. “Of course, Sir.” Assistant walked away from the open door but was quickly asked to close it. She grimaced as she turned her back on Leader to do so. Keeping the files tucked beneath her arm, Assistant took a seat across from him like she intended to do with the door open. “Was there something you needed handled differently or...?”
This might be my only moment. Assistant grabbed the files, setting them in her lap. “Oh?” Flipping the top folder open, she continued, “I only took them because I saw-” Assistant gasped despite her previous efforts to remain calm. What she saw only confirmed any suspicion she had about Leader’s sudden and suspicious behaviours.
“The others didn’t suspect a thing.”
She looked up at the same time she stood from her seat, the remaining files sliding from her lap and onto the floor in a scattered mess of papers. The paper which sent her into such a frenzy stayed clutched in her hand. Assistant couldn’t help but to glance between the written word “terminated” and Leader himself. “You did it,” she said, and tears burned brilliantly in her eyes. “You killed them, all of them.”
“Too smart for your own good, Assistant.” Leader stood from his own seat, although much calmer than when Assistant had. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he stepped forward. “Clever of you, to clean out the garbage, but you see”- he gestured to the messy pile on the floor- “these files are the closest I have to trophies. A day will come when I die, and who would ever know that I single-handedly fooled an entire company into thinking I was the good guy if not for these papers? How would my legacy ever be known?”
“You’re sick,” Assistant said. “You’re sick, but- but it’s fine. I’ll speak to the head nurse and she’ll know what to-”
“What a shame! I really did like you, you know that? Such a selfless girl, one so willing to do anything- almost- and under any stressful time crunch.” Leader took another step forward and frowned as his assistant froze. “It’s a shame your file will be added on top of those- and I can’t even hire another assistant to pick them up from the floor where you tossed them. Say,” He smiled, reaching a hand towards the trembling girl. “Why don’t you pick them up for me? One last task before I lay you down? Do you prefer that term? I’ll put you down like a dog- how about that?”
