Chapter 10:
In the near darkness of Doctor Claw's office, the party labeled by some of the grunts and specialized agents, as "the doomsday bash". Had been going on ever since they'd shown up in the room with their flashlights. Aimed at the ceiling, the portable simple devices acted as the office's only illumination. All of them were taking the time to reflect on their work and accomplishments. Some not only that, but also at the same time speculating how their one Elite agent, Terry. Could be working with the HAPPY agents. Below them, with out gutting out their throats with his claws, or destroying them utterly with his energy cannon. Also in conversation, to which they all feared, but couldn't help but once in a while bring up. What if the oddly mixed team of their one co-worker and HAPPY agents couldn't fix what was wrong? What if they failed, and MAD's main complex became doomed to vanish into another dimension?
"This isn't right guys. HAPPY is nothing but trouble. They shouldn't even be down there trying to figure this out." A specialized agent named Adams commented. Leaning with his back against Doctor Claw's desk. Staring out at the damaged entrance to the office. His gaze not fixed on anything in particular, as he looked out at the darkness which laid beyond where he was.
"Adams, you're afraid to check out the problem same as any of us. Who better than the prozac agents to deal with this trouble and keep us in safety. They'll die if worse comes to worse, not us. We'll just handle it that way for now. Till one of you shows more backbone about the matter." Louis answered him, not looking up from his hands cuffed over his face. Elbows resting on the desk, as he sat in the chair normally used by their boss.
"Louis, your dick head of a friend is down there with them. Terry might go down with them." Ivan, an employee still finding his position within the organization's ranks, told the larger man.
As Louis stayed slumped in the chair, still refusing to look at any of his co-workers. He heard noises that made him worry about a new event taking place, that had nothing to do with MAD on the blink of partial destruction. Some one was shaking and hitting an object that Louis couldn't quite identify in the room. That to whatever it was he pondered with his eyes shut. He couldn't be the only one present who didn't find the sounds annoying.
"Bruce, knock it off, this isn't the end for real. We'll get out of this. Besides if we do get out of this. When Claw returns he'll have your head for busting open that liquor cabinet." Conformation to the thoughts Louis was having. Squirt just requested that one on their same rank level quit his idea of party time action.
Lights snapping on, everyone stopped what they where up to in the same heartbeat. Bruce finally letting go of the liquor cabinet. Louis opening his eyes at hearing his co-workers exclaim about the existence returning of light and seeing better again.
"I wonder if they made any progress." He exclaimed as he took his hands off his face and looked around him. The sight he then got greeted with being of his friends and co-workers. Gathering up the flashlights they'd taken into the room, and turning them off. Plus also the sight of his frequent partner in the combat training & gym room, Bruce. Staring longingly at the liquor cabinet, he'd just been bashing.
Once the collection of battery powered torches was finished. None of them left the office. All of them, each one curious about the same thing. They'd for the most part not talked about in the darkness, they'd all been in a minute before. All looked now to Louis, and to the intercom that was installed into the desk which rested just to the side of his right hand's current placement. The device started to blink within seconds of their attention being fixed on it. Louis then obliging it's silent voice. He knew would soon have a voice come from it, pressed it's talk button down.
"Largoe, are you there?" Came John's questioning voice over the device.
"Yes," Louis answered, sounding a little gruff.
"This place has to be abandoned. I have a solution." John stated, sounding determined about his words.
Suddenly upset and pissed off, Squirt couldn't contain his thoughts about the inspector. "You dumb moron, abandoning this place is no solution! Stupid quote un quote do-gooder, mother f-ing jacka -." The grunt shouted off until getting punched in the gut by the senior in their shared ranking, Pops.
"I'm sorry, but we can't leave this place. It's more than where we work it's also home for some of us. Besides what could force us in leaving that would mean such a high cost has to be paid?" Louis questioned the HAPPY agent, ignoring his peer's rage at what was taking place.
"Do you want to be blown up?" John answered Louis, with presenting the grunt with a question that held a harsh reality in it's implications.
The last words given by the HAPPY agent, put all of the listening in MAD agents, in shock. That even though they knew they were facing bad times. The man's words now confirmed how bad those times really had become. They were now facing doom any which way it could be put.
"Hello?" John questioned the other end of the intercom in Doctor Claw's office. Having heard nothing but silence for the last minute and a half from the place.
"Would the invisible people be to blame for the explosion or you?" Louis asked slowly into the receiver of the communications device.
"HAPPY would be responsible in a sense. Largoe, it's either this or this hell place. Do you want to stay, and go to another realm which thrives on hate? Or leave and face justice? I swear you won't be without places to stay for long in either case." The inspector answered back, now wondering with a touch of doubt in his mind. That the grunt would take the more logical road about the matter he'd just been presented with.
"I'm thinking." Louis answered calmly after a few moments of thinking over the choices he had of living in a hell-like realm or a jail cell.
After having recovered from the punch he'd taken, and then checking the ammunition in his gun to make sure the weapon was loaded. Squirt, storming out of the office shouted his added new but brief thoughts about the inspector. Plus what he wanted to do to the man, viva the clicking of his pistol, loading a bullet into place for firing.
"I'll give that freak a choice!"
While every specialized agent and grunt agent a like. Watched Squirt leave them to try and murder the man trying to help them. None of them knowing if in action to them being the right course to take in a strange circumstance such as this. Pops broke the silence, by saying, "that doesn't sound normal for HAPPY. Exploding a mountain would mean destroying Warland at the same time. Town isn't a very large place."
"The people in the town, they'd be evacuated too." John answered having heard the goon speak up. Even though the man wasn't as near to the intercom as the other of the man's rank, he'd mainly been talking with.
"This is the end isn't it?" Louis questioned John again.
"For this place it is. MAD is done for." The inspector for HAPPY answered bluntly.
After taking a few moments to let the bionic man's words sink in, and then speaking in a soft tone. Louis asked him, "care to explain?"
"A matter from way back that has been effecting all of you over the years. I - I don't want to explain this right now. I have to contact people at HAPPY to get this underway. But I will say your hatred of HAPPY, the world, myself, is part of the problem here." John answered the question, knowing for sure that without going into further detail. The reply had to have raised new questions in the MAD agent's mind, about what was taking place.
"I'll comply," Louis answered him back after a pause in feeling defeat about what it was he was facing. Even if he didn't fully understand why it made sense to give into the counter organization's solution.
Having had enough of what was taking place around him. Not caring about what his co-worker thought about it. Or his boss, if he ever returned, would think about it. Bruce finally found way to success in his effort against Doctor Claw's personal liquor cabinet. By having packed one of his hands into his taken off shirt, for safety, in smashing open it's glass door face.
"Why couldn't you do that earlier? Was it because the incentive wasn't strong enough?" Ivan questioned the large grunt. Now holding a bottle of metaxa, grinning at it, swishing around the liquid inside it.
"Lightly I guess, plus not that much lighting." Bruce replied, as he attempted to pull the cork out of his stolen bottle. While also walking towards the shattered entrance of the office.
"Are you going to try and kill them too?" Louis questioned his workout partner friend. Now almost in the once intact doorway to the office of their mutual boss.
"Nah, I'm going outside this whole place for a good long drink." Bruce answered looking as melancholy as Louis inwardly felt. Before turning to switch his attention in between his other co-workers in the office. Continuing with saying, "any one care to join me?"
Some of the agents simply followed Bruce out the entrance. While of the man's other comrades, they grabbed up more bottles of liquor from the cabinet he'd opened for them, by force. Before then also joining him, in heading for the outside of the complex. Towards the high mountain cold air and sunlight which awaited them beyond it. Louis after letting it sink in he'd failed in his job completely. Plus feeling the only upshot to it, being his boss oddly enough couldn't kill him for that fact. Then got up from his superior's favorite chair, to slowly walk out after his buddies & associates. To join them in a second reflection that day on what was taking place. Now with a bonus added in this time, contained in clear and brown bottles. That would drown out some of it's depth of thought.
Nikki O'Momenta sat and stared at the rain pattering down on the cars. She could see from her office window in the 21st Precinct's station in Stanley. She really didn't have anything better to do at that moment besides that, and turn her attention between the sight & her shared office wall clock. Looking to the clock, she noted it was now fifteen minutes past when her expected visitor was to come in. Hopefully with good news, she needed that right now.
After a knock on her door, followed by intrusion without words. Her visitor then entered, shaking off his umbrella after entering the office. Seemingly without regards for the office space that was not only her's, but a co-worker's as well, the station's Master Sergeant. As the visitor took a chair, after closing his brolly. Now taking notice of Nikki, with his voice only sounding of mild sincerity.
"Sorry," was the only thing he could say for his action which had just spattered outside drizzle, indoors, on papers, books, folders, two computers. Nikki, dared not think of the whole list that rang to mind. She needed a cool head right then, about the man.
"What is this meeting about? You didn't explain it over the phone, but I have the feeling it has to do with my application? I couldn't help but note the area code you called in from." She asked and noted to him. Slowing up in her speech towards the end. Hopeful she was right about her guess.
"Those of us working for the correctional penitentiary in Rio Gallegos, thought you should hear this news first hand." He answered blandly, not really showing much emotion at her beyond a slight raising of his eyebrows. She knew could mean anything.
Choosing to take the man's words in the most positive light she could. Forgetting the underlying attitude he was showing towards her. Getting up from her chair a little to lean across the desk to him. Nikki then burst out with her hope in asking, "I got the job?!"
"No, we'd like it if you didn't contact us further about this. Madam, trying to get our attention through emails, and traveling to our faculty. Plus and openly stating your thoughts about how we deal with our inmates is unacceptable." He answered her, scowling at her.
His thoughts, she guessed as she sat back down. She guessed to his look, meant how dare she even think she could land a job where he worked. Looking down to her desk for a moment, before looking back to the man. She then questioned him, "you came all this way to deliver that one message to me?"
"We didn't want you contacting us again in person at the penitentiary, sorry. Also you haven't been reading your emails. If you had, you wouldn't be contacting asking about seeking employment. Also another reason is I haven't gone fishing on the Herbert stream in ages, and I've dieing to catch some good trout and mullet for a while." The representative told her, grinning.
The look of satisfaction stayed nailed on his face as he sat watching her have his words sink into her head. Her disappointed face, told him he'd been successful in his job. She'd no longer be bothering the Rio Gallegos correctional penitentiary ever again. Although now, beyond her expression, he knew it needed conformation. Waiting to hear her say what he wanted to hear. The phone on her desk rang.
Eager for her answer, but still knowing that the woman must have other business she had to attend to. He motioned to her to pick up the phone's receiver. That then in fast motion, she grabbed it. Now giving him a look, he couldn't understand in it's meaning.
"Hello?" She asked after putting the receiver next to her ear. Ready to start drumming her nails on her desk out of habit. Before then holding them in place raised in the air. Now listening to the voice on the other end of the line.
"It didn't work, remember that project was worked on for years. You acted as it's clean up. That is a point, yes there have been advances in weapons sci -." She started replying to the other end of the line, before remembering her company forcing her to think about her words. Words the representative shouldn't be hearing at all.
Looking at her visitor, she then continued speaking into the phone's receiver, in saying, "Inspector Heyward, before we talk about this further. I need to have a guest leave my office while we talk."
Eyebrows now pricked up a second time, the representative didn't want to leave. He knew he'd just been clued into her want of it. But he knew that just like her, he could be stubborn as well. She noting this attitude they shared, wasn't something best put into practice at that moment. Then set down the receiver she'd been holding, to the desk, not hanging up on it's other end.
"Give me a few minutes you prat." She then snipped at him. Clues taken by force, he then left the shared office looking back at her before leaving.
"Weapons science has improved a lot in the last 13 years, scarily so. So what? Oh, but I don't have the connections I used to. A few of the engineering teams at HAPPY? What is Riverton, Minnesota like this time of year? Yes yes, I have heard HAPPY is primarily underground. The internet. Of course I won't talk about this, but that is a tall order considering the destructive power. Oh, a less powerful version? Yes, that might just only blow up a mountain. You've got it." She then continued after lifting the phone's receiver back to her ear and her mouth.
The call after hang up having felt like a 180 on her day so far. Had her shout to the main room of the 21st Precinct station. The room in which she knew that just against it's far wall. That connected to her sharred office, likely leaned her rude visitor.
"You can come back in now."
Expectant, and returning to looking at Nikki, smugly. The representative entered the office again, to a point. Now making it in so far as it's doorway, before the room's normal resident finally gave him an answer. Her razzing him, before then laughing lightly, was not what he had expected.
Having just been jokingly handed a bag of pop corn from Martha. Kayla thanked her before presenting it's open front to Fletcher, so he could take advantage of the snack too. After he accepted the offering, it then in turn got presented to Penny.
None of the kids had budged an itch away from watching Brain remotely control the holographic android as the event unfolded. It was interesting entertainment to two of them, but not so much to Penny. The relayed visual feed by open window on the computer screen before the dog. Penny didn't feel the same excitement as her friends watching it. The pop corn, as inviting as it's smell was, wasn't feeling as appetizing as she knew it should have.
"No thank you." She told Kayla as she waved away the presented snack bag.
"Come on Brain, 500 points to hit the MAD agent." Fletcher poked at the dog, hoping the K-9 would see what was going on, same as him. A real life video game-like situation.
Brain glared at him for the prompt. The image on the computer screen in the window open, showing the dog's control of the artificial agent. Now showing the gadget's reemergence into HAPPY headquarters. One MAD agent present, but now being for the second time that day, surrounded by people that wouldn't let him even try to do harm to anyone. This was not the not right time for giving him a fun butt kicking. Being where he was, the holographic android, and living HAPPY staff. This acted as a signal to the staff also watching the live feed. That the dog's mission was over. It had lasted longer than it should have by their opinion, and now it had to end.
"The holographic android is needed no more. They've done all they can for now." Von Slickstein commented as he removed the main control device. Which Brain had been in part using as a collar, from the dog's neck.
Grabbing away the collar-like control unit away from the elderly engineer. Fletcher snapping it around his neck, then tried to activate it. Quickly learned he couldn't, and had it ripped away from him by the man he'd taken it from.
Trying to keep from laughing, Kayla taking her attention away from Fletcher, now noted Penny's appearance better. The look the friend had to her was one, Kayla had not been witness to in months and it worried her. Something, was deeply bothering the transfer student from South Carolina, and she wanted to know what that was.
"Is something wrong?" Kayla asked Penny, concerned.
"We're going back to the beginning here. Old memories, Kayla." Penny replied, grabbing the pile of homework she'd been presented with earlier. Before then leaving the room with it, as not only her peer friends watched her leave, but also everyone else in the lab.
Not wanting to deal with them, and what was going on around her. Studying and work felt like the best way to handle it. Flipping open her given book to a page marked for her by sticky note, which dog-eared it. Penny then started attempting to read part of her extra home work assignment. The book didn't help the thoughts she was trying not to think about. Not it's contents, but it could have been a more exciting read. The commotion beyond it was what was exciting. Part of the very thing she was trying not to think about.
Entering her range of hearing followed by then being able to see what was taking place. Her uncle, his work partner, and Elite MAD agent in tow. Were now in the section of HAPPY she was most familiar with. Being surrounded by guards, that to Terry, looked trigger happy. The MAD agent wasn't up for dealing with again. Had the man shouting at them at the top of his lungs and presenting his claws to them.
Keeping her distance, and closing her book to watch. She had to see how the verbal battle with indications of possible violence was going to turn out. Some distance watching the conflict as well, she caught sight of Eda doing the same. She broke eye contact fast with the woman the moment, the doctor noticed her.
As Eda gave the guards, Penny's uncle, Alan, and especially Terry, a wide berth in making her way to the teenager. Penny when seeing the surgeon doctor had come into earshot of her, and needn't to shouted to be heard. She finally told the woman, words that she'd been feeling for a while, needed to be said.
"I'm sorry."
"What has been going on, aside from what happened at your school? I know you had a bad dream? What else is happening?" Eda queried to the girl, deeply concerned.
Coming in closer to the doctor, Penny replied to her without looking at her. Her face downcast as she spoke. "The dream was about my parents. You know, that's why I've decided to pursue."
Eda coming closer to Penny, then closed the gap between them. Her hug helping the teen, had Penny continue her words in a different direction then she'd started in. That of not why her father's death had made her want to take an interest in practicing medicine. The child now laughing and crying at the same time as she told the doctor in brief a little of what she knew.
"Uncle John, his idea how to save MAD is blowing up their headquarters."
"That sounds weird." Eda told her in reply, thinking that what she'd just heard. It had to be the oddest solution to a problem she'd ever heard for HAPPY supporting it. Or for even that matter any one supporting it. Destruction to save lives outside war.
"He believes it's a better idea than letting it continue becoming a bigger pit of hatred. He contacted Ms. O'Momenta. She should be here soon. Her and the engineering teams. They're going to try, and successfully make a Trinity Bomb." Penny then explained, still in Eda's hug.
Taking in the girl tighter, Eda upon realization to what was fully going on. Then voiced aloud her thoughts about the matter at hand. "That bomb, the Trinity Bomb, finding it was your uncle's first mission with HAPPY. When this was all new to both of you. You hadn't been living with your uncle very long when that took place."
"This has been a bad day." Penny replied, crying into the woman's right shoulder.
Smiling, Eda moved Penny out and away from her before telling her, "Well unlike old times. This time with that nasty piece of machinery getting resurfaced. Your dog acted as an agent for HAPPY, and not an agent for MAD."
"Fletcher tried to use the collar after Brain was done with it, thanks to Von." Penny told her, smiling in turn.
Breaking the hug, but continuing her support to her student. Eda asked her, "care to tell me about how heroic your dog took to dealing with evil deep inside MAD's HQ?"
"He didn't do much." The teenager stated, looking sideways a little. Disappointment clear on her face about what she'd been witness to in the lab.
"Well tell me anyway." Eda requested, as she proceeded to guide Penny away from the workspace lab, and away from the commotion surrounding her uncle.
The scene being walked away from having now grown in it's size. Now it had the whole team for Launched Bug present, and a few other engineering teams Penny didn't know well. The Redstone Risers, The Diamond Coats, and The Womp-bats, teams all present. That, and more guards, although with the guards who'd first entered into the greeting of the returning team, now back from MAD's headquarters. They were now keeping their distance from the reason they had been called in.
Making sure that everyone could see what he was up to. Even though he knew he couldn't truly get away with firing it. Terry held the underside of his right arm. It was his way of making sure they all knew it's cannon was permanently loaded, and always ready for firing.
