Merry Christmas Eve!

Okay, so I got a review that said something about the review not mattering because I have 400-something reviews already… so I just wanted to say that I have read every single one of those 400-something reviews, and I'll continue to do that. So please review!

Anyway. Here we go!

Brigid and Michael snuck into the same room they had been in a few days earlier, closing the door carefully behind them. Brigid moved over to the table and put down the laptop, opening it and pulling up the webcam while Michael locked the door.

"You're lucky he's late, too," Brigid griped when she saw the blank screen, sinking into a chair. "He would bite our heads off if he knew we were late. And it's all your fault, idiot."

"At least I'm not epic fail," he said cockily, sitting down in his seat and promptly putting his feet up on the table.

Brigid looked at him in disbelief. "You did fail, though. Your little arm-around-the-waist thing failed. Epically, as you put it."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "How did you know that?"

"I was hiding in the hallway," she said smugly. "Chu might not be yelling at you, but Fang sure did."

"Not as much as he yelled at you for the kiss," he shot back, causing Brigid to clench her fists. "That was way over the top. At least I know when--"

"Hello, you two."

The two of them turned quickly at the sound of the voice and found Mr. Chu on the screen, sitting in a big, comfortable desk chair with his hands folded over his stomach like always. He watched them sternly, then said, "I want updates."

"Brigid kissed Fang and he totally told her off and now they're not speaking," Michael blurted out before the other scientist could rat him out. She gave him a dirty look.

"Dr. Dwyer!" barked Mr. Chu, sitting forward in his chair, putting his face right up against the computer monitor. "You have been foolish in your mission. Your mission was to woo, not throw yourself at!"

"Michael pissed off Fang!" she said, pointing at him. He winced. "He threw himself at Max, and now both Max and Fang are suspicious."

Mr. Chu's lips tightened into a thin line; he was not pleased. "You understand that if I had other options, you'd both be replaced."

"Yes, sir," Brigid said. Michael nodded.

"Give up on the bird children," he sighed. "You've blown that part of the plan. Now let's focus on Gozen's attack. Let's go over the details of how that's going to happen."

"Okay," they agreed, knowing that they had to pull this off correctly now. And they memorized the entire sinister plan.

Dun. Dun. Dun.