The briefing room was already filled to the brim with people: reporters, all higher up from the company and even representatives of a few partner organizations. Everyone was buzzing in anticipation, passing around all kind of guesses of what the topic of today's discussion could be.
Lana, Tony, and Greg made their way first to the security room, where Franky was already waiting for them. He set opposite a wall full of different displays, that showed a briefing room from all angles, a corridor leading to it and some adjoined quarters.
" How it's going?" - Asked Greg, stepping into the room. Frank whirled around on his office chair and grinned at the friend.
"Angela gathered all her herd of witches from around the office in the showroom, next door. If we through a torch there we can probably experience a real medieval entertainment." - He replied pointing at one of the images, where seven or so girls were crawled around the main heroine as a cheer up group. Franky turned on the sound and a racked of women voices filled the room.
"Angela, you're so brave! I am so proud to be your friend! We're all on your side!" - cackled one.
" Yea! You need to show those monsters, that they can't do their dirty business anymore! I never thought that Mr. Wells could be so shameless! " - chimed in the second.
" You're so right, girls!" - put in the third. - "Angela is like a heroine of our time. Stepping over her own feelings and such a prospective marriage to expose the evil deeds of that bastard! You're like Joan of Arc but with a better taste in cloth!"
Angela was blushing and trying hard to cover the gloating expression on her face.
"Girls, stop it! What Joan of Arc? I'm just a simple secretary like all of you. I know that any of you would do the same if you come across such information. Yes, I loved Greg so much. But I didn't know how two-faced he was! Can I really be happy with a person who responsible for so many deaths of innocent people?!" - Angela whined, elegantly twisting her hand together as if she still was suffering from this painful turn of the events.
"Oh! Angy, sweetheart! I'm sure you'll find a wonderful person that would cherish and pamper you the way you deserve. Look at it like this, you should be glad, that you discovered the truth now! What if you'd found it after the wedding. He could very well bring you down with him."
All the girls were talking at the same time, trying to overdo each other in flattering Angela. And she was playing an innocent soul, thanking them diligently. Finnely the door leading to the briefing room opened and general Leib himself stepped in with a proud expression.
"Darling, it is time. Everyone is already gathered and only waiting for you. I think it is pointless to wait for the main hero. That bastard is probably trying to save his hid now, packing his belongings." - He said in a voice full of disgust, coming closer. Angela instantly caught him by hand and pretended all frail and scared, making other girls again start their round of flattering competition.
General shut them up with a gesture and whispered something to his daughter leading her through the doors.
The briefing room immediately hushed out upon their arrival. Everyone was staring intently at the pair heading to the area for the presentation. Angela let go on her father's hand and climbed on the podium. Her face was beautifully tragic and determined, as a small hero on the battlefield. General stopped near worriedly looking at his brave little girl.
" Gash! Those two have some superb acting skills!" - Whispered Tony in wonder to Frank. The big guy nodded, cringing.
" I'm actually glad for this weird shifter's connection side-effect. What if Greg really fell in love with this snake?" - muttered Frank in response.
Greg chuckled.
" You know, the funny thing is, that for some time now I started to recognize women faces without a problem." - said Greg, scanning the girl on the stage thoughtfully. -"And now even Franky looks more alluring to me than this ... seriously, she looks like a person, who baths in a baby seals blood and then play ping-pong with their pitiful little eyes."
Frank moved his chair away from Greg, giving him a sideways glance.
"I'm not gonna ask, why you have this odd idea in your head about seals and all. What is bothering me is why it is not me? I'm not sexy enough for you?" - asked Tony offendedly.
" Could you just shut up?!" - snarled Lana. - "They are starting."
And she was right. Angela, feeling her play took effect and the audience is ready, stepped forward and started in a firm, melodic voice.
" Dear Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for coming today on such short notice. I know that you're all very busy people. But my father and I believe that as honest and just civilians, you would be able to help me uncover an evil plot of the person we all know."
She paused, waiting for a better effect. Those present held their breath.
"Sometime ago I stumbled upon a horrifying truth about the person, who was dear to me, to all of us. But he lied to everyone and used the brightest mind of our time for the ugliest things!" - Proclaimed Angela. The display behind her back lightened up. As soon as the first slide appeared on it, all the audience exploded.
"Whoa!" - declared Tony, looking closer at the picture, on which Greg stood over a dead kid with a gun in his hand.
Lana worriedly picked at Greg's face, that instantly become dark as a storm cloud.
" That b*tch will pay for this!" - Frank hissed through clenched teeth. His expression was also quite scary.
After this image followed a series of different photos. All together they made it seems like Greg was not only doing illegal business with terrorists but also helped them out just for fun. There were pictures of him shaking a hand of some guy, and on the next one this guy was already handing some goods over to some rebels. And then the photo of Greg laying in wait at some ruins, that looked similar to the view from the previous slides with a machine gun in hands.
Lana guessed by Greg's and Franky's reaction that all the images of him in uniform were from the time they were in the military. That crazy woman actually was so cocky to use their painful memories against them like this. That can never be forgiven!
Meanwhile, Angela with a grim expression started to make some comments and answer questions, that were coming at her from all sides. General came over on the stage too. His commanding voice made the audience to lower a volume a bit.
"Dear Friends! Please understand. All of this is very hard for my brave daughter. The person we are talking about stepped all over her, breaking her heart. So please be patient with her. She is one of the many victims that he used in his blood-covered plans. But she was strong enough to come forward and reveal the truth to us today!"
Reporters instantly calmed down, looking with pity on a poor girl. A few higher-ups already tried to sneak out of the room, when the door suddenly flew open, and a sound of claps made everyone look back.
"That was one magnificent performance!" - said the girl, coming into the room applauding.
***
"Why did you let her go?" - Frank snapped at Greg, who was still standing near the displays, watching Lana enter the briefing room. She rushed off the security room so quickly that nobody could react on time. But Greg didn't follow her and only turned back to the displays.
"If I go there myself now, it'll look like I'm trying to make excuses to slip out of the sticky situation. I was ready to do so. But now..." - He smiled wolfishly. - " Look at how sexy she is, trying to protect my honor!"
"Oh My God! You're the worst!" - commented Frank, rolling his eyes. - "Can't you take a bit less pleasure in this situation?"
" When my wife playing a bad girl?! Noway!" - Greg chuckled in response.