"Yes, Chijinda. Squirm. Squirm like the bug you truly are."

"Please! I can't take any more of this!"

"What was that? You better not have said what I thought you said."

"N-no. I'm sorry, I misspoke Miss V-"

"Know your place, slave! You shall only speak when spoken to. Do you understand?"

"Yes-"

"And another thing. Don't call me VD. An insect of your stature has no right to look upon me. Call me, your goddess."

"Yes, goddess."

"Ahem."

"Yes, my goddess."

"That's much better. Now get to it."

It isn't long before heavy panting can be heard.

"Ooh, oh yes! That's it. That's the spirit."

"My goddess- I – I don't kn-"

"Oh fine. Here's your reward. Now come on out here."

Chijinda began crawling out. Just when he thought he would finally be free his organs stopped abruptly. Outside Mia Totsetemo while in a daze had snapped her fingers. Peering down at her nether regions she could see the miniaturized detective freeze up, then evaporate into the ether. In her left hand she could see a feather fly out of her dildo.

That about confirms it, she thought to herself.

"Duusu. I hope you're ready for your tests today."

"Oooh tests! Sounds like fun! What will we be doing today?"

"I'm glad to see you are excited, but please. Try to stay calm, my dear Duusu."

"Yahoo!"

Freeing her hands, Mia then went own to herself dressed. It wouldn't do to go around in the lab without being adequately equipped. Plus it would be quite unsightly to strut around. She had an image to uphold, a legacy to keep. Buttoning up her white collared shirt and sliding her panties back up, she then fastened her pleated gray skirt before pulling out a clipboard and jotting down a couple of notes. Finally, putting on a couple of latex gloves she pushed a button to her lower right disengaging the lock and then heading straight down the hallway. At the end of the hallway she then turned right and went down three doors before heading down a flight of stairs. Finally she came to her destination.

"Miss VD."

"That's Miss Director."

"Oh. My apologies."

"No, it's okay."

"You still miss her."

"Do I ever! But now's not the time to get caught up in the past. I trust you have all the lab equipment primed and ready to go?"

"As you requested, yes."

"Good. I don't want anyone bothering us until after we're done. If someone comes up to asking where we are, just tell them I'm very busy at the moment and I won't be able to attend to their needs until further notice. As for Erika- Just tell her I decided to take a stroll to soothe my ailing mind. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Now come along Duusu."

With a bold confidence only befitting the late Director I stepped into the Society's recently finished lab. Test tubes, gas-chambers, bullet-proof rooms. You name it. Everything I had requested was there. Turning around I locked the door. Then I faced Duusu.

"Duusu. Would you like a snack?"

"Yes!"

Smiling I then revealed a small piece of bacon, placing it underneath a cup before placing that cup inside an air-tight cube. I then produced 24 similar objects before mixing them all. After that I tossed them down the shaft.

"Go on. Go and find your treat."

"Will do!"

And with that Duusu flew and started sniffing at first. One sniff, two. He's picked the 2nd one on his right. It doesn't look like he'll be able to push through those gutter shield. Strange. It's as though he's become translucent. I wonder what sort of biology enables him to phase through solid matter. I can no longer see him looking at these gutters but it won't be long before he shows up on screen.

Wait.

How do I know for sure he's going to go there? What if he phases again and decides to go somewhere else? No. That's ridiculous. The only way to that treat is through there. Of course he'll want to go through there.

Ah well. I might as well check the monitor screens.

Strange. I thought he'd be there by now. Okay, let's check the heat differential scanners.

Nothing. So… does that mean he's the type of creature who doesn't give off heat? But if he's capable of eating, he should be giving off some heat no matter how small he may be.

This is all so strange.

A thought suddenly occurs to me. Opening the door to the next room I walked inside to check if any of the various infrared lasers have been tripped. They are all on. I then walked back outside. It isn't long until Duusu phases through the gutter looking satisfied.

"That- that was-"

"Don't speak with your mouth while your eating, Duusu."

"Mm. Yes." Duusu swallowed. "I got it."

After waiting for my new friend to finish digesting I held out my hand.

"Hey little guy. I know we've been doing a lot of tests on you but there's about one more thing I want to confirm. You won't me holding you, alright?"

"Uhh, would I get a treat?"

"Oh, you'll get more than a treat. Now about we say come on?"

"Alrighty."

"Good."

Duusu floats up to my hand. With tiger-like reflexes I snatched him.

"Remember. If at any point you opt out you won't get your treat, you hear me?"

"Yes."

At this I closed my grip around his 10 cm body.

His body… it feels… like it's just ether. As if there's nothing there. I look at his face. He's not gasping for air. Then that confirms it. Whatever his internal structures are, he somehow doesn't have a skeletal structure nor does he require air to breathe. Now onto to the next part of this test.

Walking over to one of the gas chambers I open the hatch before placing Duusu inside.

"25 minutes. I want you to stay in there for 25 minutes."

I closed the hatch. He doesn't realize this, but I'm going to have him poisoned. If he tries to phase out I will be able to detect him.

25 minutes passed.

Incredible! He's still doing fine. With the poison now safely negated I take a hold of him again.

"Alright. We're almost there."

"Yeah!"

His eagerness really pleases me.

Taking his 10 cm body up to my mouth I decide to take a bite.

Nothing. No taste and not even the sensation there's anything there at all. It's as though I'm eating a hologram. I jot down some more notes. Taking him outside my mouth I grin at him with a smile.

"How are you doing, little guy? Don't cha worry. This one will be the last test."

"Yahoo!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down. There's no need to get that excited."

Lowering him down I then point at my stomach.

"Go in there. I know you are capable of phasing through solid matter by nowl"

He did exactly just that.

"Don't leave until I tell you can. If at any point you leave before I tell you can do so, you won't get your treat."

"Noo!"

"Can I trust you?"

"Yes, Madame Director."

"Good."

Turning my head up I looked at my biometric watch. The numbers are fluctuating, though this is just the normal basal rate. I'll have to wait until my little friend starts digesting within me. In the meantime I'll have a look at these magazines. Mm. Ah. This one. I think that would look nice on me.

3 hours later…

"Um, Madame?"

That voice startled me.

"Oh! Oh yeah. You can come out now. Sorry I just kind've forgot about you there."

Phasing out of my body, I could see Duusu was completely unharmed.

"As I promised you, here's your treat. Where would like to go?"

"Mm.. how about… the beach!"

"The beach, eh? Okay. I'll arrange one of my underlings to bring you-"

"No!"

Taken aback I asked him

"What's wrong?"

"I- I get really lonely!"

Erika. Just what has she been teaching him.

"You'll be fine. Now which of these locations would like to go to?" I said while point at my monitor screen.

A few minutes later I exit the lab with Duusu. Passing a small slip of paper to a research member staff I instruct her to send one of C-rank members to act as a chaperon for my new friend, Duusu. Within 15 minutes a C-rank member comes to pick him up. As she walks outside the facility I can't help but admire the glint of the sunlight as it ruffles through the leaves.

"Camembert! Good old, juicy Camembert! Where is it?! Where is it?! I swear I can smell that good ole cheese somewhere around here!"

A small cat like creature flies around in a frenzy.

"Hey V-D!"

"That's Madame Director, Erika. I see you two have really made off."

"Yeah, like totally! Plaggs taught me quite a lot."

"Oh? Such as?"

"Those jewels that we found? There's more of them. And they all grant superpowers!"

I can see the excited in my best friend's eyes.

Superpowers? That sounds like the stuff of fantasy…

"Here! I'll show you."

"Plagg, Claws Out!"

Transforming before my eyes I see that Erika has developed two cat ears.

"Cataclysm!"

Her right hand starts coursing through with a black ether. She then places it one of the many steel alloys we have hanging around. It instantly disintegrates.

"Plagg, Claws In"

Now back to her civilian self she walks over to me give me a smile. I smile back.

Yes… our new friends… these kwamis may be just the ticket to our ascension!