The Genius System

In Lassen's villa, later that night…

Lassen was sprawled out on his couch, a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and an absurdly luxurious blanket, probably stolen from a five-star hotel, draped over his legs.

[You know, I thought freaking out a highly trained American agent would be more fun than that]

"I swear, he was wound up tighter than a sniper's trigger. I thought he was going to stroke out just from hearing me say his name."

[And you let him go without planting a virus, a bug, or even a tracking chip. We're getting old, host. Losing our edge]

"Or maybe I'm becoming soft. You know, enlightenment, forgiveness, inner peace…"

[Stop, I'm going to throw up in your cortex]

Lassen burst out laughing and took a slow sip of his chocolate.

"Honestly, I wonder what they'll do now. Think I'm harmless? Or panic because I'm letting them watch without doing anything?"

[ I vote panic. It's more entertaining. Did you see how much Jason was sweating through his shirt ? He looked like a am failed deodorant commercial]

"Poor guy… I almost liked him."

[Almost?]

"Yeah. If he wasn't trying to spy on me for a paranoid superpower, we might've been friends."

[You don't have friends]

"I have you"

[System error. « Friendshuip » unit not suppoerted]

________________________________________

The sun was slowly rising over Lassen's villa, casting a warm orange glow across the glass walls. The spacious dining room bathed in this light, contrasting with the sleek, high-tech minimalism that dominated the rest of the home.

Lassen was already seated at the table, barefoot, dressed in a simple black T-shirt and comfortable pants. In front of him sat a half-eaten croissant, a steaming cup of tea, and a floating screen scrolling through Macro's morning headlines.

[A croissant, seriously, You, doomsday engineer, the most unpredictable man on the continent, and you're eating a croissant.]

"I feed on chaos and butter. Let me have my moment" he muttered under his breath.

[You have no dignity]

He looked up as footsteps echoed down the hallway.

A young woman appeared, her hair slightly tousled, drawn from sleep by the smell of coffee. She wore an oversized shirt, clearly borrowed from some random closet, and surveyed the room with a cautious, almost self-conscious gaze.

"You locked me in a room with an electronic lock and a discreet camera. Charming."

Lassen gestured toward the coffee machine.

"Standard protocol for guests who try to hack a military base. Want coffee, or would you rather decrypt the coffee maker yourself?"

She rolled her eyes but sat down without another word.

"My name's Kaela, by the way. Kaela Myris. Just in case you'd rather call me something other than 'the hacker'."

Lassen raised an eyebrow.

"Kaela Myris… The one who hacked into three multinational databases before turning twenty, and humiliated a corrupt general by posting his secrets on an anime forum."

"Someone's done their homework, huh?" she replied, feigning flattery.

[And to think she almost got you. Cute and dangerous. Your type, right ? Oh i forgot you don t have a type, you spend both of your lifes single. ]

"Shut up."

Kaela looked at him, intrigued.

"Did you just say something?"

"I talk to myself. It's a habit. Very healthy. Especially when you live with a sarcastic inner voice."

She stared at him for a second, then decided not to press. She grabbed a piece of toast.

Kaela bit into it in silence, eyeing Lassen from the side. The man seemed relaxed, almost too relaxed for someone holding secrets capable of shaking global power balances. His calm, his casual air… it was both irritating and fascinating.

"Do you always do this?" she asked, chewing thoughtfully "Invite people you've captured to sleep in silk sheets and have breakfast with you?"

Lassen looked up from his floating screen and smiled

"Only the ones who manage to hack into an ultra-secure military base. It's my way of saying 'well done'."

"And if I'd gotten one step further? Extracted everything, without getting caught?"

He leaned forward slightly, as if offering a silent nod of respect.

"Then I probably would've come to find you myself, and this conversation would be happening in reverse."

Kaela raised an eyebrow.

"Chained up in a basement?"

"No, no." He shook his head as he poured himself more tea

"At the same table. Maybe with French toast instead of croissants. I'm not a monster."

[Though, considering your track record, that's definitely up for debate.]

Lassen ignored the inner voice and leaned a little closer to Kaela.

"Why did you try that hack? Honestly. You knew it wasn't just any base. You knew the risks were huge. And still, you did it."

She was silent for a moment, eyes lost in the rising steam of her coffee.

"Because something changed. That base had been there for years, fine. But recently… something shifted. New security protocols, activity day and night, strange movements. And then…"

She hesitated, then locked eyes with Lassen.

"Because I wanted to know if the rumors were true. That behind Macro's shining lights… there was a project that could change the world."

He nodded slowly, appreciating the sincerity.

"And now that you know it's true?"

"Now I want to understand. And maybe… be a part of it."

A brief, mutual silence settled between them.

[She's serious. Not just curious. She's choosing a side. Congratulations host, we found a women as crazy as you]

"I have to find a way to mute you for real" Lassen murmured softly.

"Did you say something?" Kaela asked.

Lassen raised his cup toward her.

"Just that the coffee's good."

She smirked, amused despite herself.

"It's the only normal thing around here, I guess."

"For now" Lassen replied with an enigmatic look.

Kaela froze for a moment, her cup halfway to her lips. She stared at him, half amused, half serious, her brows slightly furrowed.

"You know you sound like a spy movie villain right before triggering the apocalypse, right?"

Lassen didn't move, merely shrugged as he spread a bit more jam on his croissant.

"And yet, look at me. I'm barefoot, wearing a t-shirt with a discreet hole under the shoulder, and I spent the night reading webtoons. I'm probably the least impressive global threat right now."

Kaela gave a slight smile, but her gaze remained wary, as if waiting for the mask to drop at any moment.

"That's exactly what's most terrifying about you. You look harmless. Chill. Like… the kind of guy who'd burn the world down in the background while making pancakes."

[She understands you better than most of your associates. How touching.]

"Keep going and I'll reinstall you in calculator mode."

Kaela blinked.

"Sorry, what?"

Lassen let out a light laugh.

"Talking to myself. Told you, very healthy habit."

She watched him a few seconds longer, then relaxed back in her chair and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Okay, Mister X, or whatever is your name. I'm still not sure if I should be flattered or terrified. But I'll eat your toast, it's a start."

Lassen raised his cup in a toast.

"To gradual trust, then. And toast."