Chapter Text
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Oh, come on. They may as well have sent a ‘we’re fucking’ message right to the work text-chain.”
“Kai-“
Agent Smith and Agent Rivera sit there watching the two in question, a ditzy blonde who Kai could only recall ever seeing twice before now, and the other, a certain brunette who he probably knew better than himself at one point. Not this point, though.
“Seriously, could they make it anymore obvious?” Kai grumbles under his breath as he takes another scalding gulp of his coffee, incorrectly guessing that it had cooled down from the last sip he’d taken approximately seven seconds ago. He grimaces, although that had less to do with his now twice burnt tongue and more to do with the scene in front of him. They both watch as the blonde giggles softly, the bangles on her wrist clinking together as she hits the boy opposite her. Lightly, on the shoulder, and probably an attempt at flirting.
A pathetic one, at that, Kai thinks to himself.
She’d only been a secretary here for about a week, and she was already trying to make a move on the agents. If she hadn’t already. And guessing by the way the brunette in front of her ducked his head slightly and the slight tinge of pink across his freckled cheeks, he’d say she had already succeeded.
“What’s it to you, anyway, Smith? Are you upset because she’s trying to sleep with your co-workers, or are you upset because she’s not trying to sleep with you?” Rivera questions, a lazy smile shot in Kai’s direction as he looks over, already glaring daggers.
”Watch it.”
Kai had been working in this specific division of the FBI for about two years, and three for the FBI as a whole. Rivera, on the other hand, had been only been here one year, but it was long enough that Kai’s disapproving glares no longer had any effect on her. The easy smile stayed on her lips as they both look back to the two in front of them, the girl finally picking up the cup of coffee she’d spent the last five minutes ignoring to seemingly flirt, before heading back to her desk. The boy in front of her rubs the back of his neck, almost sheepishly, as he turns his attention to his own mug that was now surely cold. He picks it up before making his way to the other side of the break room, walking to the only table with a free chair.
”Oh, hey, Rivera. Smith.” Agent Walker nodded in greeting, a mildly awkward tone to his voice that was generally always there. A smidge more than usual, though.
Kai straightens up as Walker sits down, his fingers curling around his cup almost defensively as he chooses the chair opposite his. Now, it wasn’t that the blonde secretary had chosen to make a move on someone that wasn’t him that had irritated him. It wasn’t even that she had rejected his advances when he’d flirted with her earlier that week. It was.. well, truth be told, Kai didn’t really have a good reason as to why he still held this unwavering animosity against the boy in front of him. Sure, he had dated his sister, and sure, he’d broken her heart, but that was years ago.
That still didn’t stop him from rolling his eyes internally (and sometimes externally) whenever the boy did anything.
”Walker. Congrats on closing that last smart home hacker case the other month, man. Pretty impressive, what you did with those servers.” Rivera comments, Kai purposely keeping his eyes trained on the mug in front of Jay, instead of the boy himself. He was mixing his sugar in with his tea as he spoke to Rivera, the spoon clanking obnoxiously. He was the only one in the office who preferred it to coffee. Freak.
“Oh, dude, thanks. Yeah, it was crazy. I mean, those hackers were out of their minds. Locking people into their houses, hacking into their security cameras? Even messing with their cars. I don’t think even I … “
Kai zones out as Jay goes on an unnecessary spiel about his most recent case, one that involved a group of teenagers, albeit extremely smart ones, who had started hacking into people’s smart home systems. At first, it had been categorised as harmless pranks, but it had quickly escalated into targeting the higher-ups in the city, such as politicians, even a police captain at one point. Kai had desperately wanted the case, but of course, Walker had gotten it. Figures, since he’s such a suck up. Kai had been working in the Cyber division for four months longer than he had (and boy did he bring it up any chance he got), and still it seemed like the Special Agent in Charge of the unit preferred Jay to him. But that wasn’t Kai’s fault. SAC Wu was just a dick who preferred an ass kissing teacher’s pet than an actual good agent. Not that he’s biased.
“And even though they layered those VPNs to hell, I didn’t … “
”Give it a rest, Walker, huh? At least let me get through this first cup of coffee before you hit a thousand words in one minute.” Jay peers over at the brunette in front of him, Rivera not even batting an eye at the interruption. Even if this wasn’t an office full of the best agents in the country, they’d be able to pick up on the tension and weird loaded history between the two. Not that anyone questioned them about it. Not after Agent Holden had made a joke about it to a tipsy Kai at the office Christmas party and he had ‘accidentally’ pushed him right into the champagne tower.
”Oh, sorry. Right. My bad. I forgot me solving cases is a sore subject for you, considering SAC Wu has got you on desk duty doing paperwork. Maybe I could put in a good word for you?” Jay remarks with an easy smile, seemingly not holding the same grudge his old friend had against him. Rivera lets out a good-natured laugh as she flips through the newspaper in front of her, Kai scowling at the both of them as he takes another sip of his coffee. Still too hot.
”Maybe you could take that good word and shove it right up your — “
”Smith, Walker. My office, now.”
There’s no chance for anyone to find out where exactly Agent Walker could shove it because both of them stand up upon hearing their boss ask them to his office. Special Agent in Charge, or SAC, Wu had been their boss ever since SAC Turner had stepped down a year ago. Retired, to spend more time with his grandkids. Kai couldn’t ever imagine leaving his work to spend more time with kids. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was a bit of a workaholic.
Okay, a major one.
His sister Nya had used the phrase ‘Fear of missing out on work’ more than once, on the several occasions he’d had to leave during dinner if anything happened in a case he was working.
Or run out of the movie theatre.
Or that one time he’d forced a plane to land because his suspect was spotted in a nearby city, which Nya would never let him forget. FOMOW strikes again, she’d said, as they stood there on the freezing cold runway (with about 70 other pissed off passengers) while Kai made a call about his suspect who had been misidentified. Oops. He’d had to deal with every passenger giving him dirty looks on the way down the aisle to the bathroom once they were back on the plane. One had even tapped his shoulder with a ‘Way to go, hero’. As if it was his fault everyone else was incompetent.
Either way, they both walk into the minimally decorated office of the new SAC, sitting down on the two chairs opposing his own. Kai had only been here a handful of times. He chalked up the limited interactions he had with Wu to the man simply not liking him. It’s not like he particularly liked anyone, though he seemed to have a soft spot for Walker. God knows why, Kai thought, his eyes drifting to the boy besides him as he fiddles absently with the arm on his chair, seemingly distracted by the peeling wood. With Kai’s attention on Jay and Jay’s attention on the chipped chair, both of them failed to notice the rather serious expression on Wu’s face as he took a seat in his own chair, letting out a heavy sigh as he waits for them to turn their attention to him.
”So. First things first, I didn’t get a chance to congratulate you on closing that case the other month, Agent Walker. That smart house hack was a hell of a solve.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Kai rolls his eyes subtly, his fingers scratching at his temple briefly as he wonders if he needed to be here for this.
”It was a tough solve. Those hackers … “ he let out a low whistle, shaking his head as he flips through the file in front of him. “They were slippery as hell. If you keep this up, you could be looking at a promotion soon. Supervisory Special Agent Calloway just got transferred to the VCAC division, and we might be looking for a replacement.”
“Great. More paperwork, I love that.” Jay half-smirks, but he can’t hide the pleased look on his face at the idea of a possible promotion.
Kai, on the other hand, wished he was those hackers they’d locked up, because even prison couldn’t be as bad at this. Walker hadn’t been here for as long as him - four months less - and already there was talk of a promotion to SSAC. He rubs his face in mild frustration, slumped down in his chair. “Sorry, do I need to be here for this? I have a lot of paperwork — as I’m sure you know, because it seems like it’s the only thing I ever … “
His rant is cut off before Wu can tell him to stuff it by the door opening, both agents looking back to see Assistant Director Saunders walking in. Kai straightens up in his seat, Jay letting out a sharp breath of air at the sight of their boss’s boss. Kai had only ever met the man once, at an official ceremony where Agent Palmer, another Special Agent in their division, had won a Shield of Bravery for intercepting an active shooter that had gone berserk in a nearby office. I could’ve done that, Kai had thought to himself as he watched him receive the award.
Either way, this man was a big deal. He wouldn’t be here just for kicks. Or at least Kai hoped so. If he had to listen the Assistant Director of the FBI congratulate Jay for the third time today on a case that Kai probably could’ve cracked in half the time, he might hand in his resignation right then and there.
”Gentlemen. Wu, have you briefed them on the case?” He questions, his voice deep and booming. Kai wasn’t exactly the type to be intimidated, but he was certainly sat up a lot straighter than before. He adjusted his tie as both Jay and him watched the AD as he walks over to Wu’s desk, slapping a case file down as the man sat behind it shakes his head.
“Too busy promising undeserved promotions.” Kai mutters under his breath, none of them hearing his snarky comment as Saunders continued.
”Right, I’ll take care of it then. Walker, is it? And Smith. You’re both about to get a case well above your pay grade,” he starts, flipping to the first page in the file in front of him, “New Ninjago City. Ever heard of it?” He asks, the two in front of him shaking their heads as they both lean in, looking at the picture in front of them. A relatively simple looking city, nothing special, and certainly not one that would ever be of interest to the FBI.
”No, neither has anyone else. It was completely off the radar for years. Small, quiet, never made national news. Hell, it barely had its own news. Until now.” He states, flipping to the next page. If he hadn’t just been told, Kai wouldn’t have thought this was the same town. Skyscraper upon skyscraper, holographic signs, residential towers that looked more like prisons than homes. It looked clean, too clean.
”Oh, damn. Good for them. It looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Is that a drone?” Jay marvels as he leans closer, inspecting the pictures with a squint. He has always been a bit of a geek over these things, so it was never a surprise to anyone that he’d specialised in Cyber after completing the FBI academy.
“No, Walker, it’s not good for them, and it’s not good for us, either. This tech that they’ve been using, it’s not like anything we’ve ever seen before. Hell, some of it is better than our own. We’re talking about AI-driven systems running every aspect of their lives. Transportation, business, even their homes. It might look like progress, but something’s off.”
He continues. “We’ve received reports of multiple disappearances — individuals who have either gone missing for good, or turned back up … different.”
”Different how?” Kai questions, his eyes drifting from the picture in front of them back up to Saunders who had a grim look on his face.
”We don’t know exactly. We don’t have a lot of information. Reports have claimed that individuals who came back seemed more compliant. Eerily calm. No longer questioning what they might have been before. Now, we don’t know exactly what’s happening here. We don’t have enough to go off on. Some people think these disappearances may be coincidental, but we think otherwise. And that’s where you come in.”
Kai had been relatively quiet throughout the briefing, trying to figure out what they needed them for. He raises a brow, scanning the AD’s expression and Wu’s for a hint as to what they needed them to do here.
”So what’s the angle here, then? What do you think we’re dealing with?”
“Hackers? Corporate espionage? Some kind of brainwashing?” Jay rattles off suggestions, Saunders shaking his head as he closes the case file.
”No, we suspect it’s a lot worse than that. This is deeper than a typical case. We don’t know how, exactly, but our suspicions are that the AI that has been implemented is becoming too advanced. It’s taking over, and not in a good way. We need to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it, before this thing spreads any further.” He states, a grave tone to his voice. “The residents, most of them anyway, seem fine with it. Some even seem to prefer it. It’s almost like they’ve lost the ability to have their own thoughts and opinions.”
“Cool.” Jay breathes out without thinking, the other three looking at him with mixed expressions. “Sorry. Not the case, I mean, and the missing people, obviously. That’s terrible. But the technology, I mean … wow.”
Saunders refocuses on the briefing, nodding a little as he continues. “Now, we don’t know how far up this thing goes. The government is essentially untouchable. There’s no proof of any wrong-doing, and too much interaction from the FBI could alert them to our investigation before we get the proof we need. That’s where you two come in,” he says.
”So what do you need us to do, then? Hack into their systems? Figure out what the tech is?” Kai questions, figuring they wouldn’t be asking the Cyber Division if it wasn’t Cyber related. But the AD shakes his head.
”No. No, we’ve already had our best hackers on it. We’ve never seen anything like this. It can’t be accessed remotely. The system shuts us out whenever we get too close, we can’t get to it. No, we need boots on the ground. We want this quiet — no tactical teams, no direct confrontation. We want you to go in, do this the old-fashioned way.” He explains, both Jay and Kai still not connecting the dots as to how exactly they were going to do this.
”You want us to what? Walk in and just ask for a tour?” Kai asks expectantly, looking from Wu to Saunders. “I doubt they’re exactly friendly to outsiders.”
Wu sighs, nodding a little as he shifts in his seat. “No. No, they’re not. You two know you’re two of my best agents … “
Kai raised a brow at that. Did he know that? Wu had never said that to him before. Walker, on the other hand …
”So when AD Saunders came to me with this case, I recommended you both. And the angle we’re taking with this, is.. well, you’re going undercover together. As new residents, blending in with the citizens. You observe, investigate, and find out who — or what, is pulling the strings. Before it’s too late for us to do anything.”
There’s a moment of silence between the four at this statement, Kai and Jay looking at each other properly for the first time since Wu had called them in here.
”Yep. Yes, so, get comfortable with each other, because you’ll be going in as a married couple. Newly married couple, actually, so get excited, honeymooners.” AD Saunders grins, tapping the case file in front of them. “All the information you need is in there. Your cover story, your new names, identities, all those details. Study it, then study it again. This is your new life now. For the next month, if not longer.”
“Wait, what?” Kai stutters out, at the same time that Jay blurts out, “Huh?”
”Undercover as a married couple? That’s crazy. Sir, I really don’t think that’s necessary. I mean, we could always go as just roommates. Or, even better yet, avoid this awkwardness and just send me in alone. This doesn’t need to be a joint mission,” Kai insists, starting to feel panicked at the thought of spending all day every day with Jay. As if that hadn’t been his life at one point.
”Sorry to say, Agent, but your personal comfort is not a priority. We can’t risk sending in just one agent, you need some sort of backup. And as for the marriage aspect, the data we’ve received has shown that the last 10 cases of people moving to this city have been newlyweds. We don’t want to stand out.”
Jay opens his mouth to speak at the same time that Kai does, but they’re both shut down before they can complain. “This isn’t up for discussion, gentlemen. On behalf of the FBI, I’d like to thank you for your service.” He nodded, giving them no room to argue any further, before shaking Wu’s hand and exiting the room. There’s a lapse of complete silence for about ten seconds before Wu finally speaks up.
”Look, I know it’s not ideal. I’m aware you two … aren’t the closest of friends. But these are your jobs, agents, and you’re damn good at them. Don’t make me regret recommending you both for this case,” he says sternly, looking at the two of them with an expression that clearly indicated that they weren’t to argue with him either.
”Yes, sir. Thank you.” Jay nodded as he stood up, Kai not saying a word but nodding similarly as the boy besides him picked up the case file.
”Alright, agents. You start Monday, so start going through that case file, and learn it like the back of your hand. Understood?” They both nod again. “Alright. Dismissed.”
He waves them away, and they both exit his office. There’s a moment of awkwardness between them, looking at each other and Kai doesn’t know what to say. Jay looks at him expectantly, as if he’d just asked him a question.
”What?” He asks sharply, reaching to grab the case file from Jay’s hands, walking over to his own desk. Jay follows suit, much to Kai’s dismay. Although he figured he would have to get used to him around, considering what this assignment consisted of.
”Nothing. Although, you might want to be a little nicer to your husband.” Jay laughs, seemingly unaffected by Kai’s attitude, leaning against the side of his desk as the boy sits down and pulls open the file.
”Shut up.” He mutters, taking another look at the comparison photos of the city, one taken two years ago and the other three months prior. It was crazy how much it had changed. He flips to the next page, information about their covers on the page, a list of details such as their new names, birthdays, occupations, and the like. Jay leans over to take a look, the boy besides him giving him a slight nudge at the invasion of personal space, something Jay had always struggled with, but Kai had never minded. Well, up until a certain point. Jay ignored him.
”Oh, hey, I’m a … “ he pauses as he reads the brief of his new identity, clicking his tongue in concentration. “Public relations specialist? What the hell is that?” He questions, picking the file up to read in more detail, Kai huffing at the interruption as he tried to read his own cover.
”Hey, dude, I was in the middle of reading that — “
Jay suddenly laughs, his eyes drifting down as he read the page. “Says here you’re gonna be a stay at home husband. Trophy husband, huh? That’s a little embarassing for you.”
“What? Fuck off — “ Kai jumps up, snatching the file from Jay as he skips down to his own section, seeing the words ‘Communications Director’ under occupation, looking back up to see Jay snorting at his abrupt reaction.
”Come on, man, relax. Seriously, it’s not that deep. What’s your issue? You’ve been tense since the morning.” Jay insists, sitting down at the chair next to Kai’s desk as he too sits down, the boy peering at him questioningly. “You’re seriously that worried about having to pretend to be married to me?”
Kai looks over at him, the boy’s expression one of genuine confusion and Kai wonders how he could be so oblivious. Tense since the morning? Kai had been tense his entire life. He wasn’t a good liar, and he didn’t know how to act other than exactly how he was feeling. He was a ‘act first, think later’ kind of guy, and it was definitely going to interfere with this mission. How was he supposed to pretend to be married to a person he hadn’t spoken to properly in years? A person he had so much history with? It seemed like Jay wasn’t worried in the slightest about it being Kai, out of everyone, that he was paired up with.
”What are you trying to say? That I’m gonna be bad undercover? I can pretend just fine. Maybe you should work on your own undercover skills, buddy. I’ve seen you try to lie, and it’s not pretty.” He says pointedly, getting up to photocopy the case file so they didn’t have to keep going back and forth with this one. Jay follows him with an indignant sort of expression at the claim.
“What? Rude. I’m a great liar, and improvisor, at that. I’m great undercover. Test me right now. Ask me anything, go on.”
Kai rolls his eyes as he reaches the photocopier, slotting the case files one by one as he tries to think of something to ask Jay. Why was he even engaging in this? He should just tell him to fuck off while he copied the case file. Or better yet, take the file and tell him to go to Wu for a new one.
”Alright then. Okay. What’s your favourite part about being public relations specialist?”
Kai can’t help the slight upturn of his lips into a lazy grin as Jay’s face goes blank for a second, obviously knowing next to nothing about this new occupation of his.
“Well, um.. well, that’s a tough one.” He lets out a hesitant laugh, scratching the back of his head as he thinks. “Um.. well. I love the public. Man, I love crowds. There’s so many people and I love — interacting with them. And don’t get me started on the relations part. I just love engaging with people and specialising in publicly relating with those crowds. Yeah — “
”Oh, shut up. Go read up on your new job before they figure us out the second we get to New Ninjago City. You’re gonna get us killed.” He insists, handing him the new copies of the case file before picking up his own from the top of the machine. “And maybe practice on your improv skills, improvisor.”
“Whatever you say, husband.”
God, this was gonna be a long month.