Halloween Havoc
Part Three: A Fright in the Night
Up in Zed's office the remaining agents (the pros) were just finishing with their briefing. A new agent stood in the back, she had been transferred from a southern branch of the organization. Agent Lucy shifted in place against the wall. She'd been the head of medical department back at her old location. Giving up ordinary life to become an MIB agent was difficult in more ways than one, you never really knew when a certain branch was going to need you more than another.
"And that's why we feel that Alpha will be 'haunting' all the local haunted houses and trails in town. He just keeps moving inward from beyond the city limits. The next Halloween set up in his path is down by the new mall construction site. There's sure to be a crowd this close to the holiday and that means more victims for Alpha to use for spare parts." Zed continued.
"If you ask me it's about time that humans were good for something," X murmured.
Elle glared at him, "Maybe Alpha'd fancy those ears of yours to pick up all his favorite radio stations?"
"Agents please, this is serious, Alpha's sure to strike again this evening and we can't risk another civilian's life." Zed spoke up earnestly, "I'm sending all of you out to track him down before he decides to add any more 'borrowed' limbs to his new body."
"He's sure to have alien parts mixed in with whatever he's taken from his human victims." Kay pointed out, "For all we know he's twice as powerful as he was before."
Zed nodded in agreement, "As always, I'm advising all of you to use extreme caution."
"Wimps." X muttered, Elle pressed her heel down on top of his shoe.
"Dr. Yazmine and I have recently developed some technology that might come in handy when battling Alpha." Zeeltor offered cheerfully.
"If you'd all make a brief stop by the lab on your way out we'd be happy to equip you with the latest crime fighting gear the MIB has to offer. Agent Val herself helped us design the handheld weapons." Yazmine added.
"Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated doctors." Zed said from behind a folder that he was skimming through.
"Why won't this Agent Val be accompanying us?" Aileen inquired.
"She's swamped with intergalactic weapons treaties right now," Zed answered, "the Ixllarian case alone should keep her tied up for weeks."
Another agent stood across the office from Agent Lucy. This blonde agent was preoccupied with pulling back her hair as Zed chatted with the other agents. She was a season professional at this, being the first female agent recruited by the MIB. Alpha and his evil plots to take the organization over were nothing new to her. Just another trivial annoyance that the MIB had to worry about.
Agent S glanced over at the new agent leaning against the wall. She seemed bored by the whole briefing. S smiled, it was nice to see another agent getting into field work and excited about saving the world. She'd get used to the briefings eventually, it'd had taken S a while to tolerate the long speeches of caution too.
A blue-point Siamese cat brushed against S's black pants. Elle may have Orion, but S has Anna, one smart Felonoid from Purmagia. Much like Frank in his dog disguise Anna (who already resembles a typical Earth cat) is able to fool humans into thinking that she's nothing more than what she seems. Occasionally she slips up and hisses an insult in front of a civilian but overall she's pretty good at keeping up her rouse.
"Now if you'll all follow Dr. Zeeltor and Dr. Yazmine down to the lab and please remember, no matter how powerful your weapons, Alpha's intellect can prove formidable." Zed spoke these last words of warning before dismissing the agents.
"Ready to roll?" Aileen asked Kay as they headed for the door.
Kay half smirked as he answered, "Always ready to defend Earth from scum like Alpha."
S watched the couple leave and sighed, Lucy noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder. S hadn't even heard the new agent approach, "Who-oh! You startled me dear."
"Sorry," Lucy apologized, "something wrong?"
S gave Lucy a weak smile, "Nothing I can't handle. Just dealing with old memories."
"You and Kay used to have something?"
"You could say that," S blushed, "but I think I've been replaced. MIB agents should focus on their duties anyway."
Lucy patted S's shoulder affectionately, "No one said it was an easy job. And I'll admit, it does get lonely. I've had some experiences back at my old lab. Truth be told, I was glad to get transferred up here."
"Looks like someone's made a friend." Anna purred in her usual, I'm always right on the money, tone.
"She talks?" Lucy asked, looking down at the smiling cat.
"Yes," S sighed, "and sometimes I'm tempted to borrow Frank's muzzle."
"Ugh," Anna shivered, "if there's anything worse than humans it's dogs."
Lucy gave S a questioning look. "She thinks humans were put on this Earth to serve cats." S laughed.
"Ack-hem," Zed coughed from his desk.
"Oops," S blushed, "guess we'd better hurry to the lab."
"Yeah," Lucy agreed, "maybe Zeeltor has a muzzle we could use?"
******
Chase and R grumbled over their costumes and pulled at the fabric which they claimed was chaffing their skin.
"There's just no pleasing some people." V shook her head.
"Hey, NOBODY'S got it worse than me!" Jay shouted, "Just look at these tights!"
Delia pulled back a bit of the plastic from her costume, "Great---a grim reaper---this'll remind X of my nightgown and then he'll laugh his freaking green socks off."
Lee was disappointed in her costume too, she was so embarrassed that she'd kept it concealed from the other agents. She figured even the kids would get a good laugh out of seeing her in it. "Hey Del, I'd be happy to trade with ya."
"Sure, nothing could be worse than this." Delia agreed and exchanged costumes with Lee.
"Remember," Lee chuckled, "no take backs."
Delia removed the plastic from her new costume and screeched, "I was wrong, this is TEN TIMES WORSE!"
"What?" Agent Jay, momentarily forgetting what V had told him, curiously peeked over Delia's shoulder and saw her new attire. "TINKERBELL?" he smirked before falling to the floor in a fit of laughter.
"VERY FUNNY JAY!" Delia yelled with clenched fists, "Or should I say---PETER PAN!"
Lee laughed and held up her new costume, "Cool. Just my style."
"Glad you like it." Delia said sarcastically.
"Sorry," Lee fought back more laughter, "but could you blame me for wanting to switch?"
"Settle down everyone," U addressed the classroom, "we need to practice for the big night."
"Practice?" Di questioned, "What's to practice?"
"How to hold a flashlight?" Chase joked.
"Now kids repeat after me," U instructed, "Trick-or-treat!"
W rolled her eyes, "I don't believe it. He's actually reached a NEW level of lame."
"Trick-or-treat!!!" the students shouted, a few purposefully chiming in late.
"Now the candy buddies," U went on.
"Candy buddies?" R asked, "Could this get more pathetic?"
"Yes." Jay answered, standing next to the alien in his green Peter Pan tights.
"What's U supposed to be anyway?" Di whispered to W.
W tossed V a sly grin, "A mime."
All of the other agents within earshot snickered.
"TRICK-OR-TREAT!" U repeated.
"Ah ah ah," Delia whispered, "he's not supposed to talk."
U's Halloween costume sat unopened on the desk behind him. He wouldn't bother unwrapping it, and risking getting it dirty or wrinkled, before Halloween night. Then Commander Killjoy would get a real taste of the Halloween spirit.
******
The sun was setting behind the tall buildings of the New York skyline. The air was brisk and a few fall leaves blew across the sidewalk and onto the construction site for the Mega Mall that would be completed by next spring.
Faint screams were heard behind a fence where a haunted maze was set up in a vacant lot. The screams grew shriller as the first group made their way into the center of the maze.
Wicked laughter followed.
"Wow, Cory's getting really good at his mad scientist impression," Lizzy, one of the volunteers at the haunted maze stated to the next customer.
"Yeah," the young woman murmured, "it almost sounds like he really IS deranged."
A little boy clutched the woman's arm, "I'm scared sis. I changed my mind," he stammered, "let's go home."
"There's nothing to worry about," Lizzy assured the little boy, "they're all just students at the local college. Nothing's real and no one's in there to hurt you."
The woman and her brother entered the maze moments later. The path they followed was fraught with coffins, sticky goop, and cobwebs. Eerie music played and colored lights flickered as they walked. It was near the middle of the maze where the little boy slipped and fell.
"Tim are you alright?" his sister asked, helping him to his feet.
Tim didn't say a word, he just looked down at his jeans. A red streak of blood came up to his hip. "Eww…"
"Don't worry, Tim. It's fake."
Two pale yellow eyes fell on the pair. They were in for the fright of their lives. Neither human had very impressive anatomy so he wouldn't bother extracting anything from them. He'd just set back in the shadows and watch the fun.
Tim and his sister continued on past the center of the maze. That's when they found the little surprise that he'd left them.
"Whoa," Tim whispered, "that looks so real!"
"What does?"
Tim pointed ahead to a severed arm that was laying in their path, "Gross," his sister winced, "this place has gone overboard."
The sound of tearing fibers came from above them and a fake spider web fell in their faces. As if that wasn't frightening enough, this spider web contained the dismembered body of a male…missing his left arm (among other limbs).
"AAHHH!!!"
"That's gotta be Alpha." Aileen turned to Kay.
"We'd better get up there." Kay agreed.
The two agents dashed through the maze following the sounds of human screaming.
Back at the entrance Lizzy was getting worried, she took her walky-talky back out of her holster, "Charlie, you sure no one's come out yet?"
"Not a sign of anyone." came the concerned response of the man working at the exit.
"That's three groups I've sent in." Lizzy mumbled to herself.
"We'd better get in there fast," S whispered to Lucy.
Lucy nodded, "Uh ma'am." Lizzy turned around, "We're safety in spectators from uptown--Inspectors 29 and 34--and we were sent down here to look over your facilities and make sure there are no fire or other safety hazards. So if you'd kindly allow us to get to work."
"Of course," Lizzy stepped aside and ushered them in, "but I think we may still have a few groups wondering around in there."
"We'll handle it," S assured her.
Inside the two women rushed through the maze, when they reached the center S let out a gasp.
"What is it?" Lucy swirled around.
"Kay's gun," S stooped down and picked up the weapon, "he'd never leave it behind."
"So you think something happened to him and Aileen?" Lucy questioned.
S gritted her teeth and stood up, nearly slipping on the blood spilt on the path. "If anything DID happen to him I'll disassemble Alpha myself! Piece-by-piece."
"Is that so?" a crude voice chuckled from behind them.
The agents barely had time to look behind them when-
BAM!
…darkness.
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*Getting into more suspense now, yay! I told you Alpha'd be back. ^_^ Don't forget to review and let me know what you think about all this. Thanks!*