The X-Citing Entry Syndrome

Part Two: Extermination

Inside the lab Dr. Zeeltor hummed a cheery tune while his pet bacteria Lucy roared from her petri dish nearby. The good doctor had already settled into his new laboratory and was happily tinkering with a new device for the agents to field test.

"They should be down here any minute now Lucy," he informed his pet.

Sure enough, the agents approached his counter, the Jee'Dangian he'd traveled with arguing with his new human partner. Zeeltor found it particularly funny that X had been partnered with a female after having grumbled the whole way about getting paired with an incompetent male.

"Ah agents, glad to see you could make it," Zeeltor exclaimed, "And just in time too. I've just finished my latest invention. I call it the Bug Zapper!" Zeeltor proudly held up a miniature ray gun which resembled a weapon off a typical cheesy sci-fi show.

"Hmph, dude isn't too original is he?" Jay muttered to Kay.

"Originality's overrated," Kay replied, "what matters is effectiveness."

Elle and X were still locked in their argument over X's opinion of humans and their law enforcing methods.

"We can't just disintegrate everyone who breaks a law X!" Elle shouted, "The Alien Rights Commission would slap us with so many suits that we'd have interstellar wars with every planet within ten light-years of Earth!"

"In the JeeDang Galaxy we know how to handle criminal scum," X insisted, "show some backbone and keep the criminal element in check."

"Show stupidity and get thrown in a rival planet's prison." Elle countered.

"Do you two mind?" Jay interrupted, "We're kind of on a case right now."

Elle spun around on her heel and poked Jay in the chest as she spoke, "Don't even get me started on you Flashy!"

"Humans are so melodramatic." X stated.

"Ahem," Zeeltor intervened, "to operate the Bug Zapper you must first choose a setting then use the eye scope on top to aim, figure in your rage, and-"

"And ZAP!" Jay concluded, "No more bug problem."

"Uh, something like that, yes Agent Jay." the doctor nodded.

"I think we grasp the concept," Kay stated, "Time to try this weapon out. C'mon agents, we've got exterminating to do."

******

Inside the hotel a maid was preparing to clean out Room 409. She hated working on this floor, it was rumored to be haunted or something. Personnel and guests went up here and never came back. But then again, those were only rumors…right?

She entered leaving her cart just outside the door. Taking out a rag and some furniture polish she started dusting the chest of drawers and kitchenette counter.

A sudden noise from the bathroom caught her attention. "H-hello?" she called, "I-is someone in there?"

There wasn't supposed to be anyone in this room. In fact, she was supposed to be cleaning it up for the next occupants that wouldn't arrive until later that evening.

Cautiously she turned the handle to the bathroom door and sighed with relief when she found the room empty. The trashcan beneath the sink had overturned, "Darn things are always turning over." she mumbled to herself.

As she was putting it back in place a shadow fell over her back. Eyes wide she reluctantly turned around…

…and screamed!

******

Five minutes later the hotel manager came rushing off the elevator, "Ms. Ermano? Are you alright?" he called as he entered the opened room, "The guests below heard screaming and-"

He paused upon entering the bathroom. There were obvious signs of a struggle. A torn shower curtain, scattered trash, and a fully unrolled roll of toilet paper, even the complimentary soaps had been scattered about the floor. "Oh dear."

The manager continued to search the room without any luck. Ms. Ermano was nowhere to be found. In fact, the only thing he did manage to find was a can of furniture polish behind the toilet bowl.

******

The scene was virtually the same when the agents entered to investigate the latest bug attack. Kay picked up the polish and studied the scratches on the side.

"Looks like she used this as a defense," he surmised, "bugs must've pried it right out of her hand."

"Talk about viscous." Jay mumbled.

Elle and X were inspecting the rest of the room. "These bugs might actually be of a more intelligent breed than Edgar's." Elle suggested, "It was like they knew the maid's schedule and were laying in wait of her approach."

"Hmph," X scoffed, "like it's hard to outsmart a human."

"You wanna find out just how hard Cowboy?" Elle threatened narrowing her 'beady' eyes at her partner.

"Don't get cute with me Little Ears," X smirked, "I'm not above using you for bug bait. The way I hear it, you're a delicacy to them."

Elle's eyes widened, only one way X would know about that. "JAY…!"

"What'd ya do now Junior?" Kay asked cocking an eyebrow.

"No telling," Jay gulped. Elle was going to kill him before the week was over, he just knew it.

Elle was stomping past the open door towards the bathroom when she spotted a bug rushing past. "Kay! Jay! Bug making a break for it!"

Elle darted out the door after the alien with Kay and Jay close behind. X was still in the back of the room scoffing at the bizarre articles listed on the front of one of the human magazines by the television. His large ears picked up on the commotion even beneath his human mask and sent him off in pursuit of his elusive partner.

The bug tore down the narrow hallway towards the window at the end with the four agents closing in. He wasn't going to let some puny MIBs take him down. It was bad enough that they'd ruined his meal plans. Why did Uvark always get to pig out just before the authorities showed up?

"Freeze!" Elle shouted pulling out her icer. "MIB!"

"Like I didn't know that." the bug hissed over his shoulder, he was almost home free now, the window was less than a few yards away.

Elle fired and froze the glass. "You're trapped vermin, give up!"

"How'd you know my name?" the bug questioned turning around, it was then that he got a good look at her. "You're that chick that offed Edgar!"

"News travels fast among galactic roach colonies huh?" Elle smirked.

"Yeah," the bug--Vermin--unhunched himself to stand at his full height (eight feet), "now let's see how you like getting squashed!"

"Don't try it garbage eater," Kay warned aiming his gun at the pest.

"Yeah ya overgrown centipede," Jay added, "we're about to book ya on a one way trip to the Depclap 5 maximum security prison where the roaches check in but they don't check out."

Vermin rolled his eyes. "Where do you humans come up with these clichés?"

The bug whipped his tail around disarming the agents and piercing Jay's hand with his stinger. "OW!" Jay screamed dropping the Noisy Cricket.

"That's gonna leave a mark." Kay responded glancing at where his weapon had been knocked down a laundry chute.

Elle started backing away wishing her icer hadn't fallen so close to Vermin's four feet. "Um, I'm sensing the need for some backup here guys."

"Love to help ya Elle but we're all about to become bug chow." Jay panicked.

Vermin reared his form back to chomp down on Elle but just as he lunged forward a large blast sent him busting into bits splattering his guts all over the stunned blonde.

Whipping around all three agents spotted X blowing the smoke away from the barrel of the Bug Zapper. "This thing works pretty well." he stated cockily.

Wiping the green goo from her face Elle flew towards her partner, "Could you cut it any closer?!"

"Just wanted to see ya sweat a little." X snickered, "That'll teach you to go running off without alerting your partner first."

Elle was about to strangle him when Kay and Jay held her back. "Let me go! I'll show him protocol!!"

"No time for that now Elle," Kay insisted, "Vermin's history but he's got a whole swarm of bugs on this level ready to avenge him. It's time we split up."

"I'm sticking with you Kay." Jay said quickly, he knew he didn't stand a chance of surviving this case with an armed and angry ex-partner nearby.

"Great, stick me with Ms. Moody." X grumbled.

"You're partners X," Kay let Elle go and stared at them both as if daring them to try something, "you two had better get used to working together. You're all you've got in the field."

"Did you hear something?" Jay suddenly asked.

"Sounded like a cart overturning, we'd better head back and check it out." Kay suggested, "Elle and X, you two head down the other hall and do some pest control on that end. Zed's gonna want a full report on our progress soon. I don't intend to disappoint him."

Elle and X nodded and grudgingly trudged down the hall in the direction Kay had specified. "You just wait until you're the prey," Elle whispered to X, "I'll show you what a real close call is like."

X yawned and rounded the corner, "Are you going to make these empty human threats a part of every case we go on?"

As their bickering continued Uvark peered out from behind the potted plant where he'd witnessed Vermin's demise. The MIB would pay for exterminating his buddy. And right before lunch too! 'Hm…lunch, maybe Vermin's death wasn't a total loss.' Uvark thought slyly, 'He did manage to attract some very interesting dishes before he split.'

________________________________________________________________________

*There's part 2, sorry it took so long. Writer's block kept getting in the way of my creativity. Don't ya hate it when that happens? Reviews are encouraged! ^_^ *