Agent U's Partner: Chapter 5
A Timid Start With An Unexpected Twist
After the long day's work X and Elle practically drug themselves to their living quarters. Once inside their separate rooms they each collapsed on their beds and drifted off to sleep. X dreaming about a universe where humans were nonexistent and Elle dreaming about her partner going a full 37 hours WITHOUT insulting the human race.
One floor up, U was nervously pacing in front of W's door. 'Should I go in?' he thought as he nervously held the pack of soda, 'What if it's a disaster?? She's my partner, it's not like I can just avoid her if things don't work out!'
U paced for a few more minutes before taking a deep breath and with a loud sigh, he knocked on her door.
"Coming!" came W's voice from somewhere inside.
U gulped as the door opened and revealed his partner standing there in turquoise silk pajamas with a spaghetti strapped top.
"Wow," he murmured without thinking.
W laughed and took his arm, pulling him in. "You're so cheesy sometimes U."
They both sat in her living room on the couch. U glanced around. Her living quarters were about the same size as his, a little cramped but cozy. She had decorated her bleached white walls with posters of rock bands and various artwork. He looked at a few of the sketches and in the corner of each one were the initials 'W.P.'.
"You did all these?" U asked curiously as he glanced around at the artwork on the walls. Some of it was quick sketches of agents, others were of aliens, and still more were of regions of space.
"Yep."
"What's the 'P' stand for?"
"Pomeratti. It's my last name…was my last name I guess." she added flatly.
"So what was your life like before you joined the MIB? Were you an artist?"
"You're sweet," W laughed as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. U blushed. "Before I became an MIB, I was mostly receptionist for some big record studio downtown. It got kinda dull but at least it was a steady income. My parents were these really big hotshots and I never really fit in to that lifestyle so I spent most of my time at a local orphanage. There was this really sweet brunette lady that had moved in and taken over there and she sort of became a second mother to me. When I was 18 I left and never looked back. I did visit Vicky, that was the brunette's name, but as for my biological parents, I couldn't have cared less."
"Whoa, that sounds like kind of a rough life," U said thoughtfully.
"It was sort of, I guess," W's tone changed to one less serious, "but HEY! I turned out okay didn't I?"
"Yeah," U laughed, "except for the fact that you have no discipline whatsoever and you have a very negative outlook towards any and all forms of authority."
"So---what's your point?" W replied as she got up and popped a tape in the VCR.
"Only that you have a tendency to run away from your problems," he explained haughtily.
W smiled and handed him the bowl of popcorn, "Well I haven't run away from you, have I? And you are most definitely MY PROBLEM!"
"We'll see," U shrugged as he popped open a can of soda and gave it to her. "So what's this movie called?"
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
"Aahhh…a classic."
"Wanted to impress you." she laughed as she fast forwarded through the previews.
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About two hours later the two agents were curled up asleep on the couch when a loud crash woke them up. "What the heck was that?!" U exclaimed.
"Huh?" W yawned as she lifted her head off of U's shoulder.
"That noise, it sounded like something shattered."
"Where'd it come from?"
"Down the hall, let's go check it out." U paused and looked down at his partner, she was still wearing her pajamas. "Um, you'd better let me check it out."
W made an annoyed face at him as U went out her door and towards the location of the strange sound.
At first all U could here was the quiet humming of the air conditioning unit, then, what sounded like a child crying. What was going on here?
He made his way over towards the sound and noticed an overturned vending machine. U stepped over the broken glass and scattered snacks and peeked under the machine. Underneath it a little purple alien girl sat trembling with her face buried between her knees.
"What are you doing here?" he asked after shoving some of the food items out of his way. "Here, let's get you out from under there before it falls over all the way."
She looked up and wiped a few tears off of her face. She started to reach out to U then froze. A terrified look washed over her face as a shadow swept over U's back.
He turned to find a large tan alien looming over him with a laser cannon. "I'll take that brat, dirt dweller!"
U reached for his sidearm and was knocked into the wall by the large foot of the creature. It bent down to snatch the defenseless child up from under the machine when a blast of light nailed it in the side.
U looked over to the light's source and saw Agent W clad in a navy bathrobe with her 097dk laser riffle aimed at the malicious being. "Freeze or I'll put this baby into disintegration mode!"
The alien regained its composure and glared hatefully at the human. "Just gimme that kid!"
"Not a chance in Galapose creep." she replied angrily.
"Fine! Then I'll just blast you into the next galaxy and take her!" the creature screamed as he lunged towards Agent W. She powered up her weapon but the creature was shot by the blast from U's sidearm.
It fell to the ground and began to moan as Elle, X, Kay, and Jay rushed up the stairs to see what was going on. Kay quickly assessed the situation and pulled out his icer. With one shot he froze the criminal and then turned to U and W.
"Everyone okay?"
"Fine, just a brief struggle with a Cyphler." W replied.
"Hey W, nice threads!" Jay laughed. "Didn't picture you as the feminine type." He let out an approving whistle and U barged over to him to punch in his face.
Elle did the honors for him by reaching over and slapping Jay upside his head. "HEY!"
"You were asking for it." Elle scoffed.
W turned and walked over to the vending machine and peered under it.
"What is it?" X inquired.
"A little Raqui child," W answered as she got up and showed them the scared little girl cradled in her arms.
They all stood in shock for a moment before Kay broke the silence, "Guess that Cyphler made her it's next target."
"But those are political assassins," Elle began, "Why would they be after a little girl?"
"Maybe because my father's an ambassador that's making a treaty with their neighboring planet." the child explained.
"That could a possibility," Jay commented.
"If the treaty falls through then the trade between their neighboring planet and mine will cease and both planets will have no choice but to barter with them," she continued.
"So they sent an assassin to kidnap the ambassador's child and use her as leverage to destroy the treaty negotiations," Kay concluded, the girl nodded.
"What's your name?" W asked sweetly.
"Tammy."
"Well Tammy, don't worry you're safe here with us."
The little girl smiled up at W. She had pretty bright yellow eyes, purple skin, and short jet black hair that was pulled back in pigtails. She was also attired in a black suit (complete with a skirt) that resembled a smaller version of what most of the female MIB agents wore.
"If the Cyphlers sent out this dude to kidnap the girl and he doesn't deliver, then won't they just send someone else to finish the job?" Jay asked. The young girl quivered at this, which earned Jay an angry look from W.
"Maybe," Kay thought for a minute then decided, "W, you and U should watch over her tonight. She seems to trust the two of you the most and if one of those things DOES come back, then we'll all be close by downstairs where we can come help."
"Okay," W said as she glanced back at her partner. U got to his feet and stood next to her, "So how did you get all the way to the living quarters undetected?"
"My dad sent me down here for MIB protection while he negotiated the treaty. It was pretty crowded when my transport arrived and I got separated from one of the agents that was taking me to Zed's office. That's when that Cyphler came after me so I ran out through some doors and hid in the back of a black car. I was in there for a while until someone got in and drove here. They went inside so I followed them and I stayed by those machines until that thing found me again. And then you and this lady came and rescued me." she finished.
"Whoa," Jay chuckled, "talk about a ROUGH NIGHT!"
"Not funny Jay!" Elle replied through clenched teeth. It was way too late at night to put up with any of his half witted jokes.
"I'll contact Zed and let him know where she is," Kay stated.
"Great, now can we all go back and get some sleep?!" X grumbled.
"I'd hate to see X 'grouchy' tomorrow morning," Elle laughed as she stared at his astronaut pajamas.
"My mother got me these!"
"Did ya save the receipt?" W snickered.
"Oh VERY amusing! Let's all laugh at the alien!" X shouted then turned and stormed off down the stairs.
"I REALLY hope he trips!" Elle muttered.
"I HEARD THAT 'LITTLE EARS'!" X screamed. Elle sighed and went over to the stairwell.
"I doubt that dude ever wakes up on the 'right side of the bed'!" Jay chuckled.
W, U, and Tammy watched as Kay and Jay went back downstairs. W turned to U, "Well partner, grab your pajamas. Looks like you're sleepin' over tonight."
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*Loving the reviews guys/gals! So do ya like the 'twist'? ~_^ *