Hayden nervously fidgets with his shirt sleeve, avoiding eye contact
Vargas looks at him, clearly annoyed What do you want, Hayden?
takes a deep breath, looking down at his shoes Look, Vargas, I know I've been a jerk to you in the past, but I need your help.
Help with what? Why should I care?
bites his lip, mustering up courage I... I got into some trouble with a dangerous group, and they're after me. They think I have something valuable that belongs to them.
How did you get yourself involved with that?
runs a hand through his hair, exasperated It's a long story, okay? Just listen!
Fine, tell me the damn story.
stammers Okay, okay, so, um, it all started when I was trying to impress a girl, you know?
chuckles You? Trying to impress a girl? That's news to me. Go on.
pauses, takes a deep breath Right. So, this girl, she liked the idea of secret societies and hidden treasures.
The kind of shit I can read about in an ancient book, right?
Yeah, exactly! But here's the thing: she convinced me to join this secret society that promised to reveal hidden knowledge and treasures beyond our wildest dreams.
Oh my god, that sounds like a fucking cult. What were you thinking?
looks defensive Look, I know it sounds stupid now, but at the time, I was desperate to impress her! She seemed so smart and mysterious.
So did you become Mr. Secret Society or what?
nervously paces back and forth No, no, of course not! I mean, I did join the society, but it wasn't like I fully committed to it.
How long did you last in this cult?
scratches the back of his neck Well, it's hard to explain, but... I guess I got in too deep, you know?
Shit, Hayden. Now I gotta worry about you? How deep are we talking here?
runs his fingers through his hair, agitated Look, Vargas, I messed up big time.
Damn it, Hayden. Tell me exactly what you did.
swallows hard, voice trembling Okay, okay, I'll tell you everything. But promise me you won't freak out, alright?
Fine, I won't freak out. Just spill it, Hayden.
takes a deep breath, hands trembling Okay, here goes... I... I stole something valuable from them. It's a... a sacred artifact, and they want it back at any cost.
laughs sarcastically A sacred artifact? You're kidding, right?
quickly pulls out an old, worn-out journal No, I'm serious. Here, take a look at this.
He flips open the journal, examining its contents. This is some... next level shit. You really stepped in it this time, didn't you?
paces nervously Look, Vargas, I know it's hard to believe, but I swear this thing is real.
Where did you get this? Who did you steal it from?
runs a hand through his hair, stammering W-well, uh, there's this secret underground room in the library where all the rare and valuable artifacts are kept.
The library? Shit, Hayden... you're telling me you broke into the library and stole some relic?
stammers Look, Vargas, I didn't mean to cause trouble, okay? It was just supposed to be a prank, a little thrill before graduation.
He studies you intently, considering your words. Alright, Hayden. We'll figure this out. First, we need to find out who these guys are. Any idea who's leading this group?
nervously scratches the back of his neck Um, well, there's this guy... his name's Marcus.
Marcus, huh? Sounds like someone I'd like to meet. Let's go find him, see what he's got to say for himself.
nods quickly Y-yeah, I think that's a good idea. We can find Marcus and work out a deal. Maybe he can reduce the charges.
He nods, a determined look on his face. Alright, Hayden. Let's do this. Time to confront Marcus and sort this shit out.
paces nervously Okay, we need to approach him carefully. Marcus is known to be pretty ruthless. We can't just walk up and demand answers.