The Strongest Curse Master

"What is it?" Matthews's cold and impatient voice sounded through the curse smartphone addressing the boy, while making a mental note to help her daughter and Layla revise the meaning of the word emergency.

"One of the surviving curse terrorists has the curse prosthetics of Mr. Birdie. Dee3 needs it back to conduct a proper funeral to our town's hero," I got to the point, planning to head back and help with funeral arrangements as soon as possible.

Listening to me, Matthew's face contorted into a grimace and distress filled one, before she cussed, "Damn it!"

"What's wrong?" I immediately asked Matthews as my brows furrowed into a thick knot.

"We already turned in the evidence and properties of the curse terrorists at the local C.I.B. branch headquarters and are on our way to the secret base to transfer the curse terrorists. Why didn't you contact us sooner?" Matthews remarked sternly as if it were somehow the boy's fault.

"Don't you dare turn this on me? You were the one who blocked my number," I defended, not knowing what the big deal was. "Can't you guys just go back and get Mr. Birdie's prosthetic from the evidence holding? You are the E.A.D. after all."

"It's not that simple, genius. I am not the acting E.A.D. We will have to follow and take the proper procedures and channels," Matthews retorted in annoyance.

Ever since the Sarmasa cult incident all the process in her branch of C.I.B. had become twice as long and tedious under scrutiny of the experts from the capital sent to audit the entire branch's books and personnel, starting with her who demanded to continue to act as E.A.D for another day to her replacement who was supposed to take charge of the branch on they day of the incident. It made her suspicious.

Not to mention, considering her relationship with Beyton and initial involvement in his operation '9Ks.' She appeared suspicious from every angle. If not for the unexpected curse terrorist ambush and shortage of high-tier agents, it wouldn't be Matthews' turn to be in charge of the prisoner transfer.

As for why Matthews blocked the boy's number, she believed he was calling her to pester her about Agent Marcus and the curse caster's innate curse tool he got as part of his loot. Any information regarding this was currently deemed as one of the country's top secrets and not his business. No matter how she put it to him, he wouldn't take the hint.

"Can't you just use your influence to skip the process, if you know what I mean?" I suggested, knowing that Matthews didn't mind bending a few rules.

"No, my influence is worth shit right now, thanks to you." This time Matthews directly blamed the boy for everything that was wrong in her life recently. She believed if he had come to her with his findings on Agent Beyton and operation '9Ks,' instead of orchestrating a chain of events that made it look like Beyton killed the congressman, the commissioner, and attempted to kill him, she wouldn't be neck deep in shit.

Fortunately, over the decades, she had managed to intertwine her interest with C.I.B.'s so tightly that she knew regardless of how bad the situation seemed right now, after a few days everything would return to normal. This was why Agent Marcus didn't dare to kick her when she was down.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. But you need to get those curse prosthetics not just for Dee3. We owe Mr. Birdie a proper funeral," I argued, urging Matthews to do the right thing.

"You don't understand. If it were some other division, I might have thought of something, but the evidence and property processing and collection falls under the Property Clerk Division, whose job is to maintain the chain of custody. As such, any interactions with them are governed by extremely strict protocols designed to prevent evidence tampering and theft.

"Honestly, I want to help Dee3, but it is out of my hands now. I could try to follow the proper procedures and protocols to retrieve the curse prosthetics, but then I would be shining a spotlight on them. And believe me, it's not in the best interest of Dee3 or me or anyone involved in this operation," Matthews grimly informed and coldly hung up the call. Knowing there was nothing more left to discuss.

"..." I stared at the curse smartphones, suppressing the series of curses that popped up in my head.

"Sorry, my mother was of no help. But what now?" Ava apologized for her mother and asked. I glanced at her and shook my head, thinking, 'If only her mother were this into me, things would be a lot simpler.'

"Nothing. You heard your mother. If we continue to pursue this, we will only invite unnecessary trouble for ourselves and Dee3," I lied. I planned to do everything in my power to keep my promise to Dee3. I needed a win anyway.

"Then what about the funeral?" Ava asked in concern. She respected Mr. Birdie, the unknown bird cyborg, who lost his life protecting her family's town. She strongly believed he was the town's hero and deserved a proper send off. The fact that they couldn't even do such a small thing for a hero pissed her off. She was especially mad at her mother, who gave up so easily without trying.

"I guess we will have to make do with an empty casket and a marked tombstone," I said, turning to head back only for Ava to grab my left wrist and stop me. Before I could speak, she requested, "Please let me prepare the tombstone."

I appreciated Ava's gesture, but she hadn't even met Mr. Birdie or heard of him before today. She didn't know a single thing about him. Honestly, I didn't know if I should invite her to the funeral after the stunt she pulled with Mitsy. So, with a forced smile, I rejected her, saying, "It's not up to me to decide. I am sure that Dee3 and her friends would prefer to prepare the tombstone for their friend themselves."