Special Agent Dana Scully tried to listen to the updates on her earpiece over her partner's incessant complaining. Mulder had been moaning all evening so far and would probably do so until they left.
'This shirt is too tight. It's rubbing my neck raw, Look.' He pulled the side of the collar down, exposing a red stripe of raw flesh on his neck. Scully gave him an unsympathetic smile.
'I told you to launder it before you wore it. It's your own fault. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll survive.'
At that moment the PA system boomed.
'Ladies and Gentleman, the President of the United States.'
The crowd assembled in the hall rose to the Star Spangled Banner as the President strode onto the stage and took his place behind the podium.
'Another last attempt to win back public favour, after his last 'little mistake', eh Scully?' Mulder said in a wry undertone.
The President cleared his throat. However before he had formulated his first word there was a gasp of astonishment and fear from the gathered multitude. Both agents spun, their eyes scanning the crowd. Unbelievably, hanging from the stage curtain pelmet was what appeared to be a person. With long silvering hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing some sort of brown robe.
'Crack-pots of the world unite, you've nothing to lose but your strait jackets,' quipped Mulled as he draw his service revolver. Scully followed suit and they both began to move towards the front of the auditorium.
The material began to give way, the person let go of the fraying fabric and began to plummet towards the stage below, a good twenty feet.
'He'll never survive that fall.' Scully spoke and then gasped as the person, now obviously a man, bearded, performed an unbelievable back flip to land on his feet, his back to the orchestra pit and the multitude of FBI and CIA agents clustered there to protect the President.
He was, or appeared to be 'eyeballing' the President. A Close Protection Officer threw himself over the President, shielding his body from the possible threat. A sniper in the wings ordered. 'Freeze!' The man began to turn towards the noise, his right hand moving across his body towards a silver object on his belt. A single shot rang out. He fell to the stage floor, blood pouring from a head wound.
