"Whew....I'm exhausted..." Glenn threw himself on the couch and staring at Lloyd and V.V. who were eating cheeseburgers from McDonald. "So, this is the weapon that Stellar Inc. made? It's just an ordinary girl. There's nothing special about it."
V.V. gazed at him and said,"Who is this?"
Lloyd then said,"V.V., this is Glenn, my assistant. And Glenn, this is V.V. , Stellar Inc.'s weapon, sort of."
V.V. just stared back at Glenn until he said,"You got some cheese on your face, V.V."
He then grabbed a tissue and wiped her face.
"Seems like we're all going to be getting along." Lloyd said, patting V.V. and Glenn's back.
*********
Two agents were staring at the S.D.S. apartment from their car. They were trying to sneak peek at the window but the office was right at the 3rd Floor. There's no way they can climb up since it will make things awkward.
"You climb up." One of the agents said.
"Me?" The other one said in disbelief. "Why not you?"
"Cos I said so." Agent A said.
"That is unfair." Agent B said. Suddenly, an idea clicked into his head. "I know. Let's decide it with rock-paper-scissors."
"Fine by me." Agent A said. "Lets go. Rock-paper-scissors."
"Rock-paper-scissors!!!!"
"Whoops. I win..." Agent B said in a mocking tone.
"No fair!!!!" Agent A yelled,hopping mad. "That's not possible!!! I demand a rematch!!!"
"Losers whiners." Agent B said sweetly. "So, I guess you're the victim to make a fool of himself."
"Hold on a minute." Agent A said, a plan forming in his head. "They're on the 3rd Floor. We don't have any ladder to hoist me up."
But Agent B had already thought about that one. He got out of the car and opened the boot. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that..." He said rather casually, as he took a steel ladder out from the boot. It's a portable extandable ladder complete with a crank at one side of it to extend the ladder. "I brought this in case it might come in handy."
Agent A groaned. "Great. Just what I need to make a fool out of myself."
*********
V.V. was staring at the television screen with curiousity with Glenn, who was watching a Star Wars marathon on HBO. As they watched the first half of the Phantom Menance, V.V. fell asleep on the floor, snoring loudly.
"Gosh, she sure knows how to snore even though she's just a weapon without education." Glenn said.
Lloyd gave him a disgusted look and said, "She's a human, only in a sort of different way."
Glenn was staring at Lloyd with wide round eyes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Do my ears deceive me? Because I thought I actually heard my boss actually showing compassion to something that hardly qualifies as human???"
"That does it!!! I want 150 push ups and sit ups from you right now." Lloyd snapped.
"WHAT?!!!!!!" Glenn shrieked.
"Shut up and start doing, or I'll double the exercise!!!"
Agent A was clunging onto the ladder tightly as Agent B was slowly cranking the crane to make the ladder extend.
"A little more..." Agent A said as the ladder slowly reached the S.D.S. office window. "Almost...Got it..."
"Whew." Agent B said, leaning against the wall. "I need a break."
Agent A then slowly peeked at the window. All he could see was a desk piled with paperworks, a Columbia University student watching Star Wars in HBO while doing push ups, and...
"She's there!!!!" He exclaimed.
Lloyd was suddenly right in front of him.
"Aiyee!!!!" Agent A shrieked.
"OK, pal." Lloyd said snappily. "I know you are from Stellar Inc. and guess what, I want to ask you a few questions." He then yanked Agent A through the window.
"Oh my god!!!!!!!" Agent B squeaked, hopping around. "This is terrible. Hey, wait a minute..." He whipped out his walkie talkie and said, "She's here. And Agent A has been captured."
"Copy that, we'll send reinforcements right away." The receiver replied.
Agent A was pinned onto the wall by Lloyd with Glenn watching him nearby, apparently stopping at 50. However, V.V. is still sleeping soundly.
"OK, if you don't want your head chopped off, spill!" Lloyd said threateningly.
"How can you even chop off my head? You got an axe or something???" Agent A asked mockingly.
Glenn suddenly held out Lloyd's blade and put it near Agent's A neck and asked, "Wanna bet?"
"AHHHHHHHH.....OKAY! OKAY! What do you want to know???" Agent A aqueaked in fear.
Lloyd then said in a buisness-like tone. "OK, spill. What does Stellar Inc creates experimental weapons for?"
"I have no idea at that. But the only thing that I can tell you is that the experimental weapons are mostly in the form of humans and they are usually ordered by other companies who buys them."
Llod slammed him onto the leather chair behind the desk and said, "You see those papers on the desk? Start taking a pen and a paper and write down every company who had been making deals and buying these weapons from Stellar Inc. "
"Wait." Glenn said. "I have a question." He turned to the guard seriously and said, "That top secret area facililty room, is that where you guys does all your experiments???"
"Y...Yes..." Agent A said cautiously.
"Would you mind telling me how do you guys create these weapons?" Glenn asked casually, but his eyes are full of alert.
"I don't know." Agent A said writing the names of the company down on the paper. "You might have to intergorrate those who work in the top secret facility. Only certain staff knows about this. And V.V. was the most perfect and ultimate weapon the company has ever created."
"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked.
"V.V. was created through many researches. The ultimate weapon with many unique ablities. Metamorphing her bodies into weapons, and has regenarative ablity from what I have been told. Although we actually got her through someone else." He then put the pen down and said, "There. I'm done. So, goodbye."
He was about to edge away when Glenn grabbed him by the collar and said, "Not so fast, buddy. You haven't give us that much useful info yet."
"Didn't I told you?" Agent A snapped. "You have to ask those who had been in the secret facility room. Asking someone like me who is in the Track and Stealth Department is pointless!"
"Track and Stealth?" Glenn said slowly. "That means..."
BANG!
The door burst opened and several armed guards appeared, pointing their guns at Lloyd and Glenn.
"Put your hand up." The chief said. "There's no point resisting against us. We have more backups outside waiting for us. Hand over the weapon and let our comrade go."
Glenn suddenly whipped out his gun and said, "Oh, puh-lease. Two can play at this game." He pointed his gun at Agent A's head and said sweetly, "Why don't you guys let us go and we'll let him go?"
Lloyd carried V.V. in a piggyback ride and snatched the paper on the desk and said, "Sorry, gentlemen. But we have no intention of handing V.V. back to you, and we have no intention of fighting." He then carried his blade and said, "Glenn, go!!!"
They both charge towards the guards, still holding their ally, and banged past them. On the way to the rooftop, Glenn pushed Agent A towards his knocked out comrade and said, "You can just take a hike!"
They made their way to the rooftop and climbed down a steel ladder to the fire escape. V.V. is still sleeping soundly as they an down the fire escape and pressed themselves against the walls in the dark narrow alley to avoid the guards who were just running past.
"Any ideas???" Glenn asked as Lloyd examined the piece of paper with his handphone light.
"Hold on a sec." He examined the company names that are written. There
are many company names that involves in pharmacist and chemical products, but however, the only company that does not involve in pharmacist and chemical products is Twilight Inc.
"Glenn, lend me your cellphone." Lloyd said, staring at the paper.
Glenn handed his cellphone and Lloyd typed in the company's name on the search box. Surprisingly,there are only 2 articles about it.
"This is getting weird." Lloyd said, handing back his cellphone and taking out his own and dialling a number.
"What are you doing?" Glenn asked.
Lloyd then asked, "Do you feel like going for a late-night tour in Stellar Inc.?"
"Not really." He shrugged. "Why?"
Lloyd smiled all secretly and said, "You'll see."
**********
It haven't really taken that long to Stellar Inc since Arnie, their loyal cab driver, had agreed to take them to Stellar Inc. but he drives like crazy.
"I'm an expert in driving super fast, you know." He had said earlier as they got into the cab. "The people like to call me the super speedy Arnie, you know."
And yes, he's super fast. But way too fast....He just speed pass every cars and other transports without looking. Glenn have to keep holding onto the safety strap to keep himself from flying onto the door. V.V. had happened to woke up as they were halfway to Stellar Inc. But she just held onto the seat with both hands.
When they had reached Stellar Inc. they, except V.V. all got out shaking in dizziness. Lloyd was clunging onto V.V. who was staring at Glenn, who flopped onto the pavement, saying, "Next time, we should just take the bus."
"Agreed." Lloyd said, still swaying but his eyes are steady. He walked towards a manhole and heaved it open. "I hope you guys are ready for a little sewer travelling." He then slid down onto the ladder. Glenn followed him, though he was shaking his head. V.V. just jumped down without using the ladder and landed lightly on her feet.
Sewerage waters are covered in every damp surface. Steel pipes curves everywhere like snakes, with a few chains hanging on the wall. Rats squeaked and ran everywhere.
"Ugh..." Glenn moaned. "I wish we could've brought out the Land Rover instead of using Arnie and the sewerage system..."
"If you wanna get shot, then leave." Lloyd said, fishing out the map he managed to snag from the desk with the paper. He eyed it and said," All we have to do is go all the way up and we'll probably reach one of their sewerage system."
"The sooner, the better." Glenn said. He then turned to V.V. "Hey, you know the company better than us, right?"
V.V. shook her head. "Not really. I have been lock up in a cell for as far as I can remember." She stared at the sewerage system and said, "I don't know anything that much. All I know is to fight and fight and fight without stopping..."
"Hey, V.V." Lloyd said as they made their way through the sewer with only a torchlight to guide them. "Have you heard of a girl called Serenity?"
V.V. sighed with experastion. "I told you already. I don't know any person called Serenity. And I'm not her. I am myself."
"Hold up." Glenn said, as they turned around a corner. "Who is this Serenity person you guys are talking about?"
"Serenity is my childhood friend." Lloyd said rather quietly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." He then stopped and stared at a manhole. Beside it, a small smudged sign reads, Stellar Inc. Sewerage System. "Bingo!" He then tried to open it. Damn...It's locked. "Okay, problem number 2."
"What's problem number 1?" Glenn asked.
"The sneaking in part." Lloyd said.
"I think I can break it." V.V. said unexpectedly.
Lloyd and Glenn exchanged glances. The agent did say that her body can be transform into weapons, but what does he mean by that???
Glenn shrugged and said, "It wouldn't hurt to let her try."
Lloyd nodded and stepped aside as V.V. took a deep breath and her hair became a long metal spike and banged the manhole open. V.V. gave a small smile and said, "Well..I guess I overdid it a little..."
"Bravo!!!" Glenn whooped. Lloyd was applauding politely and said, "If this was just a judging competition, I'll give you a 10 out of 10 score."
V.V. gave a polite bow as her hair turned back into normal. The trio then climbed up to find themselves in what looks like the basement. Storage crates are piled up at every avaiable surface but none that shows anything strange. In fact, they're just normal stuff.
"If we're gonna get proof, we need the evidence." Lloyd said, frowning. "Does anyone know where are the evidence?"
"Miss Erica's office???" Glenn suggested.
"The lab?" V.V. said.
"Good thinking, why don't we try the office first?" Lloyd asked thoughtfully.
"Shhh...." Glenn said, pointing at the door.
"We still coudn't find the weapon." A voice said.
"Doesn't matter. The entire guard are searching for her. In the meantime, help me get one of those crates out." Another voice said.
Lloyd ducked behind a pile of crate and beckoned Glenn and V.V. towards him, who both sneakily hid behind the crates. A guard entered the room and flicked on the lights. As he grabbed a crate, Lloyd pounced out from behind him and knocked him out.
"What on earth are you doing?" Glenn asked with confusion as Lloyd stripped the guard's clothes off him.
"Well, it doesn't hurt to blend in a little." Lloyd dragging the guard to a corner and begin to change. "Find an empty crate big enough to hold 2 people inside."
"Wait, do you mean I HAVE TO SQUASH IN WITH HER??????" Glenn looked peeved.
"Yup." Lloyd said, fully dressed. The uniform fits him well around the body but it's a little tight around the arms. "Gosh, this uniform it's really stiff."
"Here." Glenn said to V.V. as he carried her into a large empty crate filled with styrofoams. "Make sure you don't make a sound in there."
"I won't." V.V. said as he placed her inside the styrofoams. "These are pretty bouncy and soft."
Glenn hopped inside and squeezed into the styrofoams and pointed at the box lid which was right beside the box. It was covered with small holes which he shot holes to enable him and V.V. to breathe.
Lloyd grabbed the box lid and shut it firmly on the box and whispered, "Ready?"
"Just make it quick..." Glenn's voic sounded muffled, as though he was squashed. "V.V., you're squashing me..."
"Sorry..." V.V.'s voice also sounded muffled. "It's just that you, Glenn, is extremely big size..."
"I only weight 68 kg, not because I'm fat, it's because I play tennis and basketball."
"Shhh..." Lloyd said, putting the crate on the trolley and said, "Just bear with it til we reach the office."
Lloyd pulled the cap firmly down on his face and pushed the trolley out. Another guard was outside, saying, "What took you so long?"
"Sorry." Lloyd said, stopping the trolley. "This is too heavy."
"Well, you can deliver it to the 7th floor." The guard said, shrugging. "Just make sure you don't mess up the boss's office."
"Oh, yeah. Sure..." Lloyd said, pushing the trolley. He then set off towards the elevator and pushed the up button. As the elavator doors opened, Glenn asked, "Are we there yet?"
"Not really." Lloyd said as he pushed the trolley in as the elavator door close. "We're just in the elavator." He then pressed the 7th floor button and the elavator went up.
*********
"Anything yet?" Erica asked.
"No, not yet." Gavett said, staring at the monitors. "There's no one except the late night guards."
Erica checked her watch. It's almost 11.00 p.m. before the next day when she have to give V.V. to Darkmatter. If she gets her back, that is.
Lloyd reached the 7th floor and entered Erica's office. It's well-furnished. Most of the furnitures are made of dark wood. A large orimental carpet covered the entire floor. There's a shelves of books and files in a corner with some potted plants. A large desk was near the large transparent glass window, so that the person at the back of the desk can watch the entire view of Manhattan from there, even the people in the front can see the view as well, despite the fact that they are sitting in front of the desk. The desk is preety clean. All there is a computer monitor complete with CPU, mouse, keyboard, printer complete with fax, photocopy and scanner, high speed internet, some stacks of files and a phone.
Lloyd opened the box lid and out popped Glenn and V.V. Glenn climbed out and gasped for breath. "Next time, remind me to take out all the styrofoams..."
"But they're so bouncy." V.V. said, straightening her gown.
"I can hardly breathe." Glenn snapped.
"Alrigt, you two." Lloyd said, standing in between them. "Just stop bickering and help me look for clues."
"I'll check on the shelves." Glenn said, heading for the shelves.
"I'll check on the computer." Lloyd said, turning on the CPU.
"Then that just leaves me with the drawers." V.V. said, opening some drawers.
There was silence for few minutes, except some muttering and he sound of the monitor beeping until Glenn said, "There's nothing in the books."
"There's nothing in the drawers as well." V.V. said, shutting the last drawer. "She only have documents on buisness."
Lloyd was frowning as he checked every files. So far, there's nothing. Or so he thought when he accidently clicked a random file.
"Whoa." Lloyd said. "Check it out."
Glenn and V.V. leaned over and went, "What is it?"
Lloyd clicked on a file that says List of Experimental ProWaiting To Be Sold and a list of every experiment that Stellar Inc. has sold. V.V.'s name was among them. But her name was only a codename. And there's more, the fact that she's the only one being sold to Twilight Inc. whose buyer's name is Dario Darkmatter.
"Hey, V." Lloyd said as he scroll down. "You aren't exactly being honest. See, the document stated that you're found in Japan during World War Two. In fact, you haven't told us your real name."
V.V. was silent for a few minutes. Then she said, "All I can remember, is pain..."
Actually, the truth is I still remember, V.V. added silently to herself. But it's better for you not to know.
"There's more to that." Lloyd said, scrolling down. "They actually use real human as their experiments by injecting them with demonic genes. Majority of their experiments has failed. But V.V. is the only one who is the most perfect and successful. Darkmatter had bought her for a very high price."
"You mean he has already bought her?" Glenn asked, staring at V.V. who is not looking at them.
"No. They just signed a contract a week ago." Lloyd said, clicking on the contract. "Apparently, the guy was away in France for a buisness trip and just came back to the States."
"Well, well, well." A voice said. "As expected of someone who works as a supernatural demon slayer, not only are you skilled in fighting, but you are also skilled in stealth as well."
Lloyd looked up from the monitor to see Erica face to face. She was with a whole lot of armed guards, including her assistant Joe. She caught sight of Glenn and said, "You are one of the Columbia students...Am I right?"
"Nice of you to remember me." Glenn said sweetly. "I guess you remember every people who comes for the tour."
"Not really." Erica said in an even more sweeter tone. "It's just that your cellphone ring in the middle of the trip, but I let you off easy."
"Listen up, Miss Giovanni." Lloyd said, standing up from his seat. "If you honestly think we're just gonna let you take us custody then you're sadly mistaken."
Erica gave a short laugh and said, "No, I won't be taking you to custody, instead, I'll be killing you." She gave a smalll shrug and said, "After all, I can't let you running around telling my little secret."
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