Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated my main fic in a while, but I promise it will happen as soon as possible! When it was storming the other day I had the idea of writing this story, and I thought it would be an interesting scenario to write about! Enjoy!

It was a dark and cloudy afternoon in New York City. Larry was performing his usual routine, as well as preparing for what he knew was going to be a long night. The exhibits had endured bad weather before, but nothing like what was forecast for tonight. Knowing of the potential dangers, he sincerely hoped they'd stay calm and follow instructions if something were to go wrong.

He leaned against the reception desk and waited, checking his watch every few moments and watching for any sign of movement from Rexy or Teddy. After a few minutes, he sighed and climbed up the step to the desk and sat in one of the revolving chairs, setting his keys on the desk. He had finished his preparations early - maybe a little too early. One can never be too prepared, he thought.

He fell asleep for a time, then was jolted awake by a clap of thunder, and noticing Teddy by his side, turned to face him.

"Are you alright, Lawrence?"

"Oh, yeah, Teddy. I'm fine." His speech was affected by a heavy yawn. "Just didn't sleep a lot today."

"It looks as though a storm is brewing."

"I know. It's supposed to get real bad tonight. There's a lot of damage reported to the east of us."

"Have you taken all the necessary precautions?"

"Oh, sure," he sighed. "I've done all that. The hard part's gonna be keeping everyone under control."

"Well Lawrence, I'm sure everything will be fine. Why, you're a natural leader! This night should go smoothly under your guidance."

"Natural leader? Teddy, you're the natural leader. I'm just a guy who, as you say, 'had greatness thrust upon him.' I know it's been a while, but I'm still not completely familiar with the whole 'museum exhibits coming to life' thing."

"I can see how you might think that Lawrence. But we mustn't forget, you've dealt with much more dire situations. I know you'll do just fine," he beamed, giving Larry a firm pat on the shoulder as the guard sent a doubtful smile back, reluctantly picking up the phone to make an announcement on the P.A.

Good evening, everyone. Whatever plans you may have had for tonight, *sigh* I'm sorry - they're gonna have to wait. There's some bad weather headed our way, and I'm gonna need everyone to stay alert... That is all.

"Well done. I couldn't have done much better myself."

"Sure, Teddy," he sighed.

A few of the signature exhibits came rushing to the desk, others congregated throughout the room.

"Larry, I heard your announcement." Ahkmenrah stepped forward, holding his tablet close. Something was obviously bothering him.

"Yeah, Ahk. Don't be scared, it usually doesn't get too bad here in New York. Besides, we're in a... pretty sturdy building..." a flash of light from the windows caught his attention, prompting the others to look out the now pitch black world outside.

Ahk bit his lip, as if he had more to say, but was interrupted by the screech of skidding tires and looked down to the source of the commotion.

"Heard the news, Gigantor." Jed stepped out of the car and slammed the door, followed by a rather nauseous Octavius from the passenger side. Jedediah's driving was a bit more reckless than usual this evening.

"Yeah. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware." He lowered his hand for the two to climb on, but poor Octavius couldn't even walk in a straight line. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just... a bit dizzy is all." He almost lost his balance and had to hold on to Larry's thumb as he lifted them to the desk.

A large bolt of lightning came from outside, bringing with it a large crashing sound.

"The animals are spooked by the lightning," Sacagawea said, pointing to a herd of zebras running about the hall.

"I expected that much," Larry sighed. "Actually, I expected a lot worse." The exhibits were surprisingly calm, even with the crash of thunder from outside. Then came the downpour.

Everyone looked to the night guard for comfort. He sat back down in his revolving chair and turned on the computer. The most comfort he can bring them at this point, he thought, is awareness of the storm's potential. He logged in, the exhibits stepping closer to look at the screen. He typed in a URL, and up popped an alarming message:

States of Emergency Declared In Three States, Extensive Damage, 6 Deaths Reported

He looked back at the exhibits, visibly concerned but doing his best to appear calm.

"That's gotta be for, like, Pennsylvania or something. Everything's gonna be fine here," he - more or less - assured them.

Each of the exhibits began to look to the ceiling as the lights flickered for a few moments, finally failing and leaving the museum in pitch blackness.

"Well, crap."

Hope you enjoyed! Should I continue with the story?

Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review, it always helps!