A long white hallway stretched out ahead ahead. It was draped here and there with portraits of former masters, living greenery, and broken weaponry. Enzeru took a deep breath and began her walk, having only been back just long enough to get a shower and a change of clothes. She wore white sweats and running shoes and looked nothing like the warrior who fought zombies only a few hours ago. Her still damp hair was loosely held up with a hair clip. She reached her master's office door and knocked.
"Come in." The voice of an elderly man replied.
Enzeru opened the door and entered, closing it behind her. The room no longer looked like an office, but rather an interrogation room. "How is it going?"
"I have tested it, I have observed it, and it confuses me." The master replied. "It sleeps, has no need of eating, and no amount of light seems to bother it. If we would have allowed them to prosper they could have destroyed a lot of property and killed a lot of people."
"So you have learned everything you can?" Enzeru asked.
"I have but others may still benefit from learning. I will be sending it to a private research lab to allow a paladin of incredible repute to finish my research. He is known as the leader of the Sons of Solomon so I know he will do a great job." The master took a deep breath, "My task for you is to do the paperwork from the mission and for the transfer of this thing." He pointed to a pile of paperwork. "It's mostly reading and review."
Enzeru nodded, "I'll get started if you get someone to move it to my office."
"The interns will meet you there." The master replied.
Enzeru nodded, "Thank you." She bowed lightly and left the room quietly.
No sooner had she left then a voice got her attention, "Hey, Enzeru, I've got us some snacks and stuff. Let's pull a couple all nighters to get a head start, like we did in the old days," Lisa called out as she caught up to Enzeru, carefully juggling a couple of large bags.
"Sounds like fun." Enzeru began, "Let's get this stuff done before Christmas."
"Ah, do you have plans with a certain necromancer?" Lisa giggled and pushed a bag into Enzeru's hands.
Enzeru took the bag and laughed, "No, we're not like that. It's more like having that one girlfriend you grew up with and you can tell anything to except she is a he."
"Oh, that's cool. It's like us only you've known him longer and don't get to see him every day." Lisa skipped down the hallway. It was hard to tell she was anywhere near a battle ground hours before. She was always so full of energy and that energy seemed to resonate through everyone she met.
"Yeah something like that," Enzeru laughed and joined her in skipping to the office they kept at he other end of the hall.
When they opened the door they were met with towers of paperwork and two interns that bowed themselves out as they left. Enzeru frowned and Lisa's jaw dropped.
"We have a lot of work to do." Enzeru whispered and then made her way to her desk. She set the bag she was holding on Lisa's desk.
Back at the Venture compound Brock Sampson was taking a walk. As he approached the hole in the ground that had been made the night before his nose wrinkled in disgust, "Sulfur?"
"What kind of fur? Bunny? Dear? Do we have poachers on our land?" Hank asked as he joined Brock beside the hole, closely followed by his brother, Dean.
"What reaks?" Hank asked once had had got close enough to smell it. He quickly plugged his nose.
"Eww, I know that smell. That jerk that kidnapped Treana made that smell. Do you think he's going to do it again?" Dean pointed at the hole.
"Well, he did make the hole but I don't know why he would attack Enzeru and White. He's not their arch." Brock smirked, "Hey, what do you boys say we fill up this hole, huh?"
"Sweet, I'm going to go get a shovel," Hank raced off.
"Can't you just use that thing?" Dean asked and pointed to a dozer.
"That was my plan. Why don't you catch up to your brother and tell him about it?"
"Right O," Dean replied and hurried after Hank.
Brock jumped into the dozer seat and quickly covered the hole.
A few weeks later at Alliance headquarters. Lisa and Enzeru were still hard at work.
"Why don't they make a single booklet for this kind of thing?" Lisa asked Enzeru who was pausing for a break.
"Well, this is a very unique, and just plain strange circumstance. Not every day someone else's archenemy blasts a hole in the ground to reveal a hidden den of science made zombies. Then there is the matter of time. No one takes the time to make things easier on others." Enzeru rubbed her eyes, "We're out of coffee aren't we?"
"Maybe I could do it." Lisa looked at the coffeepot and nodded, "Yeah, we're out again."
"You can give it a shot but those old people on the council don't like to agree on anything but disagreeing." Enzeru sighed and stood a moment to stretch.
"So about your necromancer friend," Lisa began.
"Not this again. I told you that we're just friends." Enzeru sighed.
"So, did you meet anyone interesting at the party?"
"Why is everyone so interested in my love life?"
Lisa shrugged, "Everyone loves a good mystery. They pretty much think you don't date or even go out anywhere. You're always locked in this office working."
Enzeru sighed and fiddled with a pen on her desk. "Don't tell anyone, but I did meet someone."
"Oh, this is more like it. So tell me about him. Is he a mage?"
"Nope."
"Necromancer?"
"Nope."
"Healer? Paladin?"
"No and no."
"Oh my goodness, he must be a scientist!"
"Of sorts."
"You don't like that Dr. Venture weirdo, do you?"
"Hades no."
"Then who? Tell me already!"
"He's a computer Tech I met the first time I was in college."
"Is he hot?" Lisa paused a moment, "Silly question, I guess?"
"Yes, I have to get back to work."
"Alright, I'll get some coffee and get started on that shortened form. I sure hope they accept it quickly."
"Same here."
"By the way, the US is celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. Want to go see the parade?"
"No, I'll pass. Got to get done by Christmas."
"Going to watch it on TV?"
"Sure, why not."
There was a knock on the door.
"Too many interruptions." Enzeru grumbled. "Come." She barked.
Byron Orpheus entered the room with a wide grin on his face, "I brought you something." His sing song voice told the women he was in a good mood.
"Oh, come on in. I didn't know you were coming in today or I would have cleaned the place up a bit." Enzeru motioned to the piles of papers.
"I thought I'd surprise you with some of this bottled coffee product my daughter enjoys so much." Byron shut the door behind him, "Hello Lisa, helping Enzeru with her paperwork?"
Lisa laughed, "Something like that."
"Lisa is trying to concentrate all of this," Enzeru motioned to the piles around her, "into a single booklet."
"I think it might be possible. If you initial at key points and only sign once," Byron stroked his beard.
"But will the council go for it?" Enzeru wondered outloud.
"Well, I for one will be doing everything I can out there to help you both."
"Thanks, I appreciate that. How is Treana?"
"Treana?" Lisa was lost from this conversation.
"My daughter. She's still a little rebellious. She didn't want to come here with me today, something about being scared of magic."
"That's sad, I'd like to show her how much fun magic can be if used responsibly." Enzeru sighed.
Lisa busted out laughing, "You sound like our master."
"You're right," Enzeru laughed a little.
"I'm going to get going, I have to teach a conjuring class in a few minutes. Take it easy. See you at Christmas time," Byron said before he hurried off, leaving the coffee for the two women.
Somewhere near the Venture compound a villain was testing his new mechanical limbs.
"It's a start. If it wasn't for your distraction I never would have been able to get this far. I'm going to go get revenge on the first of many people who have wronged me in the past." Phantom Limb began.
"Well, I've got one person I want to get revenge on. I missed her with my first shot but the next one will hit and it will be torrid." Torrid began his own revenge spill.
"I shall start with the Manotaur and work my way around. I must be careful. Very careful. Bowie will be looking for me. I will need a wingman."
"No, I've got to keep arching Orpheus and his losers. Then I'll get on to arching my cousin. She will pay."
"What did she do to you anyway?"
"Her father took the entire family fortune for himself, leaving my family nothing."
"And her father?"
"I killed him and he left her everything."
"Then join me and I promise you revenge."
"I'll support you but I'm not going to do so openly. Bowie would kick me out of the guild, literally. I like my full dental and partial health coverage."
"Suit yourself, I'll return here eventually. Goodbye Torrid."
The two men walked away in separate directions knowing the next time they saw each other would likely not be on friendly terms. No one turned down a partnership with Phantom Limb without experiencing some kind of suffering.
