A couple of Legions, lesser ranking demon, ran into a museum. The museum had just finished its last shift and was just closing. The cashier of the day had just took out the money in the cash register to deposit it to the bank, and the security guard had just take over his late night shift. Unfortunately, the Legions managed to slip through because at that moment, the security guard had his back turned.
Legions are not exactly dangerous. Mostly, they just do normal evil everyday stuff, like terrorizing defenseless humans, or in this case, play a joke or prank on humans.
"Ehehehe." They are speaking in demon language, of course. "Did you bring it? Did you bring it?"
"Yes." The other Legion deposited a small sack onto the other Legion's outstretched hand.
The first Legion untie the small sack and dipped a hand into it to withdrew its content. Sparkly grayish black powder that seems to glitter as though it had been encrusted by tiny diamonds.
"What are you going to do?" The other Legion who gave him the sack looked uncertain.
The first Legion ran to the Greek exhibition. But then there's someone leaning against the wall of the entrance. A boy with cropped short flaming red hair and murderous amber eyes who looked bored.
"What's this? A human?" A Legion blurted.
"It's just a kid. Let's get him." The other Legion tried to pounce on Guy, but his hair grew rapidly and turned into huge fists and pound the demon into nothing.
"Booooring..." He said, yawning.
"What did you just do???" The remaining Legion yelled in English.
Guy suddenly looked murderous and said, "The powder in your hand. Give it to me."
"If you want it, then you'll have to take it." The Legion roared, sharp razor claws outstretched.
Guy smirked and his hair, which transformed into a morning star and crushed the other one with very little effort. The sack of powder flew into the air and he caught it.
"Now, what should we do about you, hmmm?" He walked into the Greek exhibition and tossed the sack playfully back and forth.
Huge stone statues from Greek mythology are placed on display in very wall. The most largest one is Zeus, the God of Mount Olympus. He's placed in between his two brothers, Poseidon, the God of the Sea, and Hades, God of the Underworld.
Guy stretched his arms and bumped into a statue of the Gorgon, Medusa. Her eyes are filled with evil and her teeth bared, her snake hair stuck out in every direction.
Guy slowly moved away from Medusa and walked towards a statue of a three headed dog, restrained by a heavy spiked collar with steel chain. This is the statue of Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the gates to Hades, to prevent those who have crossed the river Styx from ever escaping. In some legends, the three-heads each respectively see and represent the past, the present, and the future, while other sources suggest the heads represent birth, youth, and old age. Each of Cerberus' heads is said to have an appetite only for live meat and thus allow the spirits of the dead to freely enter the underworld, but allow none to leave. Cerberus was always employed as Hades' loyal watchdog, and guarded the gates that granted access and exit to the underworld.
Guy gave a grin and took out a handful of the grayish black powder and scattered it all over the statue of Cerberus.
At first, nothing happened. Suddenly, there was a deep howl from the inside of the statue and it slowly start to crack.
Guy giggled and looked around. Then he scattered another handful of powder on the statue of the Lernaean Hydra, also known as the Hydra. It guards the waters since beneath it is an entrance to the Underworld, and the Hydra was its guardian. Its many heads are outstretched, ready for the kill.
Guy had just enough time to scatter the powder onto the Hydra just as a flashlight beam glared at him.
"Kid, what are you doing down here?" The security guard frowned.
"I'm sorry. I was looking for my lost...keys..." Guy gave a very innocent smile.
"Your keys?"
"Um, yeah. Here they are..." Guy held out a set of keys which he had carried around with him.
"What's that sack you have there?" The guard had caught sight of the sack in his hand.
Guy gritted his teeth. He would've rip the guard's throat right here and now but that would only make his plans go wrong, but this guard is extremely sharp and nosy. No matter, the guard might not be alive later on.
"The pouch for my keys. It had a hole in it." Guy quickly tucked back the sack and keys into his pocket and gave another innocent look.
"Fine, I'll let you off the hook, just this once." The guard gestured Guy to move on.
Guy quietly left and after he had stepped out, the guard locked the door.
At that moment, a Suzuki GS500 in black and silver stopped right in front of him. The rider is dressing in leather from head to toe and wearing dark sunglasses even though it's night time.
"What? Come to give me a scolding?" Guy snapped at the driver.
The driver took off his dark sunglasses. It's Reo.
"Not exactly."
Guy snorted and said, "That's surprising."
Reo then gestured to the back of his seat. "He send me to pick you up."
Guy hopped onto the bike and as Reo sped off into the night, he said, "So, what were you doing in the museum?"
Guy just gave a grin and said, "Just wait and see."
Meanwhile, at the museum, the security guard was doing his rounds when there came a loud crash from inside the Greek exhibition.
"Who's there?" He said nervously, holding out his flashlight. His Karabiner 98 rifle is loaded with ammos, but he had left it leaning at the front desk.
"Grrrr...."
"Who's there?" The guard said once more. "I'm warning you. Stop playing around and come on out..."
"Grrrr-rowl...."
And then the guard screamed as not one, not two, but three ferocious dog heads loomed out of the darkness and struck him. At the same time, before he was surrounded in darkness, he swore he could hear a faint hissing sound as well. The flashlight dropped out of his hand and flashed madly like a spotlight before a large giant paw crushed it underfoot.
***********
"Here's to a decent meal." Lloyd said, raising his glass of beer.
"Cheers." Glenn touched his glass of margarita to his. V.V. didn't even raise her cocktail drink, she just stir the straw blankly, swooshing the fruit cocktail that was ordered for her.
The trio are celebrating their previous job success at the Isle of Caribbean Cove restaurant. As a celebration, Lloyd had took them all out, despite the fact that he haven't fully recovered. (He had argued with the hospital protocol and demanded to be let out after they have finish tending his wounds. The nurses agreed because he charmed them with his good looks but the doctor was persistent until Lloyd demanded for his blade that the doctor let him go.)
"This is all on me." Lloyd said as the waiter set down an enormous plate heaped with an assortment of appetizers.
Glenn spooned sour cream over a helping of stuffed mushrooms and jalapeno poppers. V.V. who had fried shrimps, just blankly took them all with its cocktail sauce. The weirdest part of all is she just ate it up with the same blank look on her face.
"Hello, earth to V.V..." Lloyd said, snapping his fingers right in front of her.
"Huh? Oh, right." V.V. piled a pile of discarded shrimp tails onto her napkin and reached for some crackers and crab dip.
Glenn took a bite of fried mozzarella and said, "You haven't been acting yourself lately."
"I don't know what you mean..." She scanned her menu and ordered some peppered shrimp sandwiches.
"Ever since you and that Guy guy met, you haven't been yourself lately, so spill." Lloyd prodded her forehead.
V.V.'s sandwiches, sliced into quarters on a plate, had just arrived. She paused to take a bite and said, "Trust me, you don't want to know about it. And I never expected to see him again."
"So, what's the story?" Glenn ordered fish and chips which just arrived.
V.V. sighed and helped herself to some of Glenn's chips and said, "Guy had always hated me from the beginning."
"Why?" Lloyd asked, sprinkling pepper on his lobster bisque.
"Because I was designed to be the ultimate weapon. Whereas Guy's...not."
"So, the guy's jealous?" Glenn snorted with laughter. "I thought he was like your boyfriend... Who's planning revenge after you dumped him."
"Oh, don't laugh." V.V., blushing furiously, shoved him. "It's not funny."
"Sorry, V.V. Say, that means he has a name too like you too, right?" Glenn said.
V.V. nodded and was about to reach for her sandwich when Lloyd snatched the last one and said, "Sorry, V. But the sandwiches are great."
"It's okay." V.V. reached for Glenn's chips once more.
"So, come on, spill." Glenn prodded her as she reached out for his chips.
".................B.B." She mumbled.
"Huh?"
"That's Guy's other name. B.B."
Glenn roared with laughter till the tables near them were staring at him.
"B.B.??? You got to be kidding..." He was shaking with laughter.
"I knew I shouldn't have tell you..." V.V. moaned. "Don't laugh. It's not funny."
"Cut it out, Glenn. At least she answered our questions." Lloyd said, taking a bite of lobster bisque, then whisking one of her sandwiches.
"Sorry. Sorry." Glenn said, finishing the rest of his fish.
When they had finally finished their meal, they were just about to leave when Lloyd's cellphone beeped.
"Hello, Supernatural Demon Slayers. This is Lloyd Anderson speaking. Er.... what?"
"So then, where did you and Guy actually met?" Glenn asked teasingly.
"Oh, stop asking about Guy." V.V. moaned. "The guy is a psychopath. He enjoys killing..."
"Er...no. We don't deal with thefts." Lloyd is saying into his phone. "No, we deal with the supernaturals. What? You're serious? Okay...Okay..We'll stop by. Yes... Okay... Thank you. Goodbye." He snapped his phone shut.
"Who was that?" V.V. hastily asked, changing the subject.
"The curator of the museum downtown. Apparently, there has been a murder and a break in. Or so they thought." He shrugged.
"Who would want to steal dusty old relics from the museum?" Glenn said, shaking his head as he got into the front.
"Who knows?" Lloyd said, starting the ignition.
***********
When they reached the museum, the first thing that caught their eyes is the police car, its siren flashing red and blue. The museum entrance is being blocked by yellow police tape that reads caution and keep out all over and over.
"So, what was it again we were suppose to do?" Glenn asked, staring at the police who were trying very hard to barricade the entrance from nosy passer-bys.
"The curator just ask us to check it out..." Lloyd muttered, turning the ignition off.
As they got out and approached nearer, they could hear the police yelling, "Quiet!!!! This is an off-limits area!!!"
They pushed their way to the front and one of the officer said rudely, "And who are you people?"
Lloyd held out his ID and said, "Lloyd Anderson, Supernatural Demon Slayers. We got called by the curator to check this place out."
"Listen here, sir. No one goes in and out til we figure out this case."
"Let them through." A voice said.
The police turned to see the curator, a scholarly-looking man in his sixties or so, with horn-rimmed glasses and balding white hair.
"Excuse me sir, but you're not allowed to let outsiders in." The officer said.
"I called Mr Anderson a little while ago so he has permit to enter." The curator gestured. "Please, come in."
As Lloyd passed the officer, he hissed, "Next time, I won't be lenient."
Glenn suddenly whisked behind the officer, causing to let out a startled yelp.
"Next time, I hope I don't run into your face." He then left, with V.V. following him closely.
"So, sir, what exactly are you calling us for?" Lloyd said as the curator led them to a door.
"Have you heard of Greek mythology?" The curator asked.
Both Lloyd and V.V. said, "No." But Glenn surprise them all by saying, "Yes." When Lloyd threw him a glance he said rather defensively. "What? I don't sleep all the time, you know."
The curator then pushed one of the door open and said, "We are actually going to open our Greek Exhibition tomorrow to the public but with the circumstances right now, we might have to delay the opening."
They had stepped into a huge room with displays all sort of Greek Gods and creatures. There's also assortments of Greecian pots and other equipments that were used in their times. There's also a white outline of a human lying on the floor. A murder.
"Here we are." The curator said. He then caught sight of them staring at the outline on the floor. "That is where the body of one of our security guard was found."
Glenn stared at the outline with such concentration till V.V. poked him hard on the ribs to get his attention.
The curator gestured at one the huge stone slab that stood beside Medusa, the Gorgon. A carving says, CERBERUS, GUARDIAN OF THE UNDERWORLD.
"This is one of the pieces missing." The curator said. "And the other one is the Lernaean Hydra."
"The Cerberus and the Hydra... Interesting..." Glenn murmured.
"I will leave you here. I hope you can solve the whereabouts of the missing statues pieces." He then left.
"Okay, this is definitely weird." Lloyd said.
"What's weird?" V.V. asked.
"There doesn't seem to be any traces of it being stolen."
Glenn went near one of the stone slabs and said, "You're right. There's no traces of it being moved or stolen."
V.V. was staring at the statue of Medusa, making funny faces at it.
"V, don't do that..." Glenn said, pulling her away.
"She looks like a hag..." V.V. protested.
Lloyd was focused on the stone slab, his eyes scanning the slab with concentration. That was when he saw it. A strand of hair, coarse and dark like a dog's, which he now held in between his fingers.
"What's that?" Glenn came over. "A hair???"
"It looks like a dog's hair." Lloyd murmured.
"What??? Does this mean we're catching a pooch?"
"Grrr..."
All three of them jumped as they heard the growl.
"What was that?" V.V. yelped, nearly tripping over her the hem of her dress.
"A dog?" Glenn said meekly, loading a fresh ammunition clip into his SIG Sauer P226.
"Dogs aren't that fierce..." Lloyd said.
"Grrr-ROWL..."
V.V. was the first one to notice. "Um, isn't it getting a little...hot?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah..." Glenn said, feeling the sweat on his forehead.
All together, they slowly turned and yelled in fright.
A vicious dog with three heads towered above them. Each head is exactly the same. With dark eyes as dark as a bottomless pit, and with yellow salivas drooling from its razor sharp fangs, it looks like a nightmare out of a fairy tale.
"RUN!!!!!" Lloyd yelled running for the door. The other two followed, but Cerberus proved to be faster than any of them could imagine despite the fact that it's huge. It leapt over them and blocked the entrance, growling madly.
Glenn was given credit for making the first move. He took aim and shot its paw, causing it to yelp in pain as the bullet found its target.
"Good job." Lloyd said, taking out his blade.
"You didn't think I was slacking all the time, do you?" Glenn said, shooting at Cerberus's paw. V.V. had just transformed her hair into a mallet and was bringing it down onto Cerberus's head. One of its head yelped whereas the other two growled menancingly and tried to snap at her. It did snap at the hem of her dress, causing it to tear with a silt at one side.
"That's my favourite dress." V.V. gasped in outrage.
"V, a little help here." Glenn was cornered to the statue of Medusa by a new companion of Cerberus. A bluish-grey serpent was slithering towards him, hissing with the truimph of a prey being cornered.
V.V. was about to run to him but Cerberus suddenly lunged at her, narrowly missing her head. Fortunately, Lloyd did a flip in midair and sliced the serpent's head cleanly off its neck. Its body fell limply onto the floor, with green blood oozing out of the stump.
"That's it?" Lloyd said as Glenn run past the serpent's body.
"No, Lloyd. We seriously got to get out of here." Glenn panted, covered in dirt. "The three-headed dog, that's Cerberus. And that is the Hydra, a serpent with many heads that can be regenerated no matter how many time you chop it off."
"Wha-"
Even as he spoke, the headless body suddenly slithered towards them, at the moment, the stump that which it's neck suddenly sprouted out a new head together with another head, thus making two heads.
Lloyd cleaved another of its head, only to have the same result, except instead of three, there's four heads lunging for them.
"Darn it, Lloyd! That's only making things worse." Glenn yelled, dodging one of the heads, which struck the statue of Medusa, causing it to fall onto the ground and shatter into chunks of stones.
"I am NOT paying for that!!!" Lloyd avoided cleaving off its head but gave it a ferocious snap kick that caused one of its head to snap back. Thankfully, it did not sprout another head.
"I think I know how to deal with them both." Glenn gave it a nice jab with his fists and said, "I'll need to go and check on my textbook back at the flat."
"Right then." Lloyd then said to V.V. who is busy throwing blows on Cerberus. "V, we're going to run."
"Alright." V.V. said. "But how?"
Lloyd ran to the other corner, dodging the Hydra's heads as he snatched a fire extinguisher from the corner. Using all of his strength, he threw it at the Hydra. One of its head struck the extinguisher, causing fumes of nitrogen and potassium chloride erupted into the air, blinding the Hydra which hissed madly, thrashing around wildly, and Cerberus, who growled in anger.
Holding their breath, they ran past the vicious three-headed dog and slammed the door behind them, though it's no use locking it because there's no lock nor any barricades they can use.
"Good heavens, what's going on?" The curator was running towards them. "I heard a lot of noises in there."
Lloyd grabbed the curator and said, "You know what, get out of here. Change your job and don't go into that room. Seal it if you have to. But trust me, you do not WANT to go in there."
The curator whimpered as he let him go as they ran past. Perhaps, he should really get another job, like a librarian or something. Something that doesn't involve artifacts.
***********
Guy was laughing madly as he watched the television news.
"What are you laughing at?" Revarie asked, looming out of the darkness.
"Well..." Guy wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "It's just that... You should've seen V.V.'s face."
Reo, who was working out by using a weight stack, went, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, I just took a little something from a couple of very good demon friends." He then held out the pouch of sparkling glittery grayish black powder.
Revarie glared at it as though it had offended him. "What's that suppose to be?"
"Sand of Inanimus." Guy said, pocketing it. "It allows inanimate objects to come to life. I just made absolutely good use of it."
"By what?" Revarie snapped. "Pulling pranks at the museum?" Guy's eyes widened in surprise as he presses on. "You think I don't know what you were doing?"
Guy's hair suddenly turned into dual blades, about two feet long with its blade wickedly sharpened. "I'm warning you, stay out of it. If you mention anything to Dario, I'll cleave your head out of its neck. Which is the second way to kill a vampire besides throwing you into the sunlight."
"You-"
One instant Reo was at the weight stack, next moment he's in between them, saying, "Hey, cut it out, gentlemen. My obaasan used to tell me to never lose my temper."
"Then why don't you just go back to your native land?" Revarie sneered.
Reo didn't seem to take any offence. Instead he just went, "You know why."
Guy's hair turned back to normal and said, "You Minamio, for your sake, I won't pick a fight with him. But next time-" He threw a glance at Revarie. "- Don't expect to be lucky, vampire."
He then left the room.
"Omore, why did you stop me?" Revarie roared at Reo, who didn't even flinch, despite the fact a vampire was using his native tongue to insult him.
"I personally saved your life, kyūketsuki." Reo said, his voice calm but his eyes hardened. "You should be grateful."
"I don't need your help, ningen. Personally, I think you should mind out of my buisness."
Reo picked up a towel lying on a chair, threw it around his neck and said, "Sūtsu jibun, kyūketsuki."
***********
"Oh man, where is it?"
Glenn was tossing his books onto the floor, looking for his Greecian textbook which seems to have gone missing. "It has to be here... I was using it for my Greecian project. It has GOT to be here!"
"Glenn, are you done yet?" V.V. is hopping up and down as though she's standing on hot coals. "We have to hurry up and head back to the museum."
"Just a sec, V." Glenn was throwing his Chemistry book aside. "Oh man." He exclaimed as realization hits him. "Mahler."
V.V. frowned. "Mia?"
"I borrowed it to her."
"Vy idiot." V.V. said to him.
"Sue me, I didn't expect us to run into Greek mythology." Glenn said, running out of the room and throwing the door open and running to the door across him.
"Mahler!!!!" Glenn was hammering on the door rapidly. "Open up!!!"
That was when he saw the note tacked onto the door.
Hi,
I'll be out till 8 p.m. Please leave all letters at my mailbox or pass it to Mrs. Harris next door.
Mariah Mahler
Glenn snapped his fingers in frustration just as Lloyd poked his head out. "Let me guess, bad news?"
"Mahler won't be back till night time. And there is absolutely no point asking Mrs. Harris next door because she doesn't have the keys to Mia's."
"Well..." Lloyd said, gesturing him inside. "You can always Google."
Glenn gave him a look of sarcasm. "You didn't pay the bill for the last one. They cut it off. I have to head to the town to use the Internet cafe."
Lloyd mimicked Glenn's finger snapping. "Damn."
"And now reporting to you live, it seems that a large ferocious beast is sighted at the museum."
That caught their attention.
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