Chapter 2: Mission: Operation Annoyance

Chapter 2: Mission: Operation Annoyance

The Peugeot’s engine ticked softly as it cooled, the only sound in the concrete tomb of the parking garage besides the distant hum of ventilation. For a moment, Léo sat frozen, staring at the impossible blue rectangle hanging in his vision. The mission was absurd. A potato. The reward was a skill called [Petty Larceny] and something called a [Lucky Coin]. It was the logic of a video game, not real life.

But the crushing weight of his certain failure in Professor Moreau’s class had been replaced by a wild, electrifying current of adrenaline. Real life had failed him. Maybe video game logic was exactly what he needed.

[Time Remaining: 04:48]

The timer was already counting down. Léo didn’t hesitate again. He slipped out of his car, moving with a newfound purpose. He kept his rust-bucket Peugeot between himself and the cagole, using the concrete pillars as cover. Sandrine was still engrossed with her reflection, running a hand through her stiff, bleached hair. She was a dragon guarding her treasure, and Léo was the world’s most unlikely—and under-equipped—knight.

His sneakers, worn thin at the soles, made almost no sound on the oil-stained floor as he scurried towards the garage exit. The sunlight at the top of the ramp was blindingly bright. He squinted, his eyes darting across the street to the little Franprix. It felt miles away.

He broke into a sprint, jaywalking across the quiet street with a recklessness that was entirely out of character. Inside the store, the air conditioning was a cool shock. Fluorescent lights hummed overhead. He located the produce section immediately, his gaze locking onto a bin of unassuming potatoes.

This was the part his law-abiding brain struggled with. He’d never stolen anything in his life, not even a paperclip. His fingers trembled as he reached for a medium-sized, dense-looking potato. It felt heavy and solid in his palm—a worthy weapon of destiny.

He glanced towards the checkout. An old woman was slowly counting out coins. There was no time. He took a deep breath, shoved the potato into the pocket of his hoodie, and walked out, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. No alarms blared. No one shouted. He’d done it.

A new notification popped up on his screen.

[Skill Acquired: [Petty Larceny] Lv. 1]

• You’re no master thief, but you can now palm small, mundane objects with a 5% reduced chance of being noticed. Congratulations?

A grim, breathless laugh escaped him. The System had a personality. A sarcastic one.

He was back at the edge of the garage entrance, peering into the gloom. Sandrine had moved. She was now on the phone again, pacing back and forth beside her precious SUV, her voice an angry buzz. This was his chance. Her back was to the rear of the vehicle.

[Time Remaining: 02:17]

Léo’s mouth was dry. He ducked low, moving from pillar to pillar, the rough concrete scraping against his hoodie. The garage amplified every sound—the scuff of his shoe, the frantic beat of his own heart. The Nissan X-trail loomed larger and larger, its flawless black paint reflecting the dim overhead lights. It looked alien here, a piece of showroom perfection dropped into Léo’s gritty, imperfect world.

He reached the back of the SUV. He was so close he could smell the woman’s acrid perfume. He crouched, pulling the potato from his pocket. The exhaust pipe was gleaming chrome, wide enough to be obnoxious. It was perfect.

He held his breath, listening to Sandrine’s angry tirade. “No, I told you I’m here! At the bottom! Just come get the bag, Chloé, my manicure is still drying!”

Now.

With a quick, decisive movement, Léo shoved the potato into the pipe. It was a perfect fit, sliding in a few inches before lodging itself firmly. He gave it a final, satisfying push, ensuring it was snug and deep. Objective complete.

He started to pull back, a wave of triumphant relief washing over him. But before he could even retreat a single step, the blue screen flashed again with an urgent update.

[Mission Objective Updated!]

[Bonus Objective 1: Loosen the valve stem cap on the rear passenger-side tire. Do not remove.]

[Bonus Objective 2: Apply a discreet smear of grease to the underside of the driver's side door handle.]

[Bonus Objective 3: Flip both front windshield wipers into the upright position.]

[Bonus Rewards: +15 Karma Points, +1 Agility Point.]

Léo’s eyes widened. The System wasn't just about a single act of vengeance. It wanted to orchestrate a symphony of petty annoyances. This was diabolical. This was beautiful.

[Time Remaining: 01:03]

He didn't have time to question it. He shuffled on his knees to the rear passenger tire. The little black plastic cap twisted easily between his fingers. He gave it three full turns until it was loose enough to rattle, but not fall off. The slow, inevitable leak would take hours to become noticeable. A parting gift.

Next, the door handle. He glanced at his own fingers, still bearing the stains from his morning’s work on the Peugeot. He wiped his thumb against a particularly greasy spot on his jeans, collecting a thick, black smudge. Creeping along the side of the SUV, staying below the window line, he reached the driver's door. He could hear Sandrine’s footsteps just on the other side. He smeared the grease thickly on the underside of the handle, in the recess where her fingers would curl.

Two down, one to go.

[Time Remaining: 00:29]

The windshield wipers were the most audacious part of the plan. It would put him in plain sight of the street. He had to be fast. Sandrine seemed to be wrapping up her call. “Fine! I’m coming up! Don’t move!”

Her footsteps began to move away from the car, towards the elevator bank.

This was it. Léo darted to the front of the SUV. He reached over the hood, grabbed the first wiper, and pulled it away from the windshield until it locked into its upright, service position with a soft click. He did the same with the second. They stood at attention like two black arms raised in a gesture of utter surrender and ridicule.

[All Objectives Complete!] [Mission: Operation Annoyance - SUCCESS] [Return to a safe observation point. The show is about to begin.]

The timer vanished. Léo didn’t wait for an invitation. He spun around and sprinted, not back to his car, but up the ramp and out into the street. He didn't stop until he reached the small café on the corner, the one Professor Moreau’s teaching assistants favored.

He slipped inside, his lungs burning, and slid into a small, wobbly table by the window. From here, he had a perfect, panoramic view of the parking garage exit and the gleaming black SUV that now sat there, a monument to arrogance, ticking like a time bomb he had just set. His heart was still pounding, but for the first time that day, it wasn't from anxiety or despair. It was from pure, unadulterated anticipation.