202, Work Hard

"Hey, Carl, are you still working overtime?" V's voice came through the phone with a faint electrical crackle, while the sizzle of a frying pan could vaguely be heard in the background.

"Oliver's actually cooking for once. He's working on that premium Angus steak and says he's going to show you an authentic American pan-seared recipe, with asparagus and black truffle mashed potatoes on the side.

What time can you get back? If you really can't get away, we'll pack it up and bring it over. Oh, right, Hanako and her people have all been taken under control now, so things should be a lot easier on your end, shouldn't they?"

Carl tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder, her gaze sweeping over the flashing information on the computer screen before her. She rubbed the back of her aching neck, fatigue in her voice. "I'll have to wait a little longer. The person replacing me—the guy named Akechi—is already on the way. Once we finish the handover, I can go home. Come to think of it, after I slipped away from the banquet yesterday, how did things go between you and Hansen?"

"Hansen's banquet?" V paused for several seconds on the other end of the call. Carl could hear Oliver humming a tune in the kitchen behind him. "There wasn't any real progress. Reid laid out Rosalind Myles's terms, but that old fox Hansen..."

V sneered. "The way he stood there holding his wineglass, it was like he was listening to some ridiculous fairy tale. I'd guess either he didn't think much of the proposal, or he simply didn't believe Rosalind could deliver on her promises. But—"

The communicator suddenly filled with the crisp clatter of tableware, along with Jack telling Johnny not to move. Once the noise died