The city seemed to shimmer and sway as the sun's morning rays glinted
off steel and glass. The high executives and co-managers bustled into the
streets on their way to work or Starbucks. Each one of them held a cell
phone up to their ears, chatting away, keeping an eye on where they
stepped. Not one of them noticed a stranger walking among them.
Clad in a business suit and overcoat, a man with brown, unkempt hair, sipped on his morning coffee, ignoring those around him. A briefcase swung to and fro at his side with every step.
The man gave out a sharp whistle and a yellow taxi appeared almost out of nowhere. As he clambered inside, the driver immediately asked for a destination.
"Twenty-Sixth Street, Squaresoft Building" he replied shortly, setting his briefcase next to him. The driver nodded, and slipped into the morning traffic.
No less than four blocks away, a man of Asian heritage sat at the driver's wheel of a '98 Spider. His fingers rapped on the steering wheel in a rhythmic pattern, eyes darting back and forth behind black sunglasses.
It was not until moments later; he stopped his fingers short as a yellow taxi pulled up to the curb in front of him. The man failed to restrain a grin as the business man stepped out of the car. He put a finger to his ear and spoke softly into a hidden mike.
"He's here."
"Laroff, I want your ass in here now!"
Chandler Laroff set down his briefcase at his desk and followed his boss into his office. His palms were suddenly overcome with sweat and his body began to shake, but he managed to keep his voice steady.
"You wanted me, sir?" he replied calmly. Seeing the look on his boss's face confirmed his worst fears.
"Sit down and shut that bloody door behind you!" his boss snapped. Chandler quickly did he was told, catching glimpses of curious faces peering over cubical walls as the door clicked shut.
"Now, tell me," his boss began, trying to no avail to suppress his anger. "How long have you worked for me at Squaresoft?"
Chandler gripped the chair's armrest, knowing what was coming to him. "I've worked under you for five years, sir."
"Uh-huh and how long have we, meaning I, been working on this Einishi Account, hmm?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Since the Stone Age, sir," Chandler replied, recalling the analogy from the last Christmas Party.
"You're damn right!" his boss slammed his fists down upon the maple desk. "And we were SO close at making a multi-million deal! But as soon as that cold cash comes within a mile of my grasp, one of my idiot employee's decided to sleep with Mr. Einishi's daughter!!!!!"
Chandler's boss sent the paper on his desk sailing into the air, knocking office supplies into the wall. "You are terminated, Laroff! Get the hell out of my sight!!!!"
Chandler shot up from the chair. "It wasn't my fault! I didn't even know she was Mr. Eineshi's daughter, otherwise I would never have-"
"OUT!!!!"
There was a click and the door suddenly flew open, making a hollow ringing sound as it hit the wall. Chandler flung his keys onto his bed, furious with himself. He entered his empty, one-room apartment, carrying his briefcase and his box full of office junk.
He noticed his answering machine had a message. Setting down his stuff, Chandler hit the 'Play' button and fell onto his bedspread.
"Hey Shan-da-lier, it's Mary Buchner, Ya' know, one of your best friends from elementary school who you never call... Listen, I'm ganna' be in town and I was wondering if we could hook up or something...Look Chandler, we really need to talk about...about Bryce's...disappearance. I know you two were the best of friends. Please call me. My cell phone number is..."
Chandler hit the 'Stop' button. It was enough that he lost his job, but meeting up with old friends was not a good idea right now. He just wanted to be left alone to think things through.
He now had no job, no income, and no money for rent or for food, His life was perfect and then it became a complete mess in an instant. Well, it wasn't really perfect. He did get paid for making videogames, but he had absolutely no time for family or friends. The only person he's seen for the last five years was his boss and co-workers. Then she came along.
At first, Chandler thought the girl was drunk, but it turned out she actually had a fling for him. Yeah, preying on your dad's business associations is one hell of a living, he thought. Ugh, his life was a mess.
Suddenly a shadow moved in the corner of his eye. Chandler sat bolt upright. "Who's there?" he called out. His hand tightened around a pencil sharpener, figuring any weapon would be better than none.
The lights fluttered on, blinding him momentarily. Then, as Chandler's eyes adjusted, a government official with an earpiece and shades stood before him. The stranger gave him a warming smile that caused chills to shiver down his spine.
"Mr. Laroff, I'm so glad we could meet at last," he said slowly, as if talking to an uncomprehending child. The hair on the back of Chandler's neck prickled as the guy spoke.
"Who are you," he choked, rising to his feet. "And what are you doing in my apartment?"
The official sat down at Chandler's fold-out kitchen table and motioned for him to take a seat. "Won't you take a seat?"
"I'd prefer to stand," Chandler replied flatly, regaining his composure.
"My name is Perris, Agent Perris. I've come here to talk to you about your future." He pulled out a packet of files and placed them neatly on the table.
"What about my future?" Chandler asked curiously, taking a glance at the folder.
"You see Mr. Laroff; there are men out in that city looking for you. If they ever got to you, your life as we know it, would end," Agent Perris unraveled a string keeping the packet closed, and flipped to a certain page. "My job is to prevent these bad men from harming you, and wipe them from the face of the planet. Now if I am to do that, I'm going to need your full cooperation."
"What's in it for me?" Chandler said, sitting down at the table.
"Let's cut to the chase shall we? I want these men gone from my city and you want your life back to normal."
"How do YOU know what I want?" Chandler replied leaning across the table.
The agent began to chuckle to himself. "Mr. Laroff, Mr. Laroff, don't play games with me. I know all about your tragic dismissal today, I know everything."
"Then know this," Chandler said, leaning so close to Agent Perris that they almost brushed noses. "I will not be fucked with!"
He grabbed the pile of files and flung them to side, much like his boss did earlier. Agent Perris's face suddenly went taut, a large vein bulging on his forehead.
"You will help us whether you like it or not, Mr. Laroff," he said, grabbing hold of Chandler by the throat. Immediately Chandler felt the agent's hand begin to crush his windpipe with an amazingly strong grip. He tried futilely to pry the iron-like fingers from his throat, but to no great success.
Agent Perris flipped Chandler down onto the table with one hand, while the other hand ripped open Chandler's shirt, revealing his belly button.
Perris then plucked a little trinket from his chest pocket that began to glow and writhe around. It transformed before Chandler's eyes and became a bug-like robot with extremely long wires whipping about.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of the shadows, as if by magic, and jumped onto the agent's back, a 9mm pistol to his throat. "Release him," it said in a serpent-like voice.
Chandler felt Agent Perris's grip loosen. He quickly rolled off the table and onto the floor just as the bug robot began digging its wires into the table. Then everything became chaos.
Agent Perris's foot connected with the stranger's head, knocking him to the ground, pistol flying off into the corner. The agent cracked his neck then turned to face his adversary.
Chandler peered over the table to get a good look at his savior. The figure slowly stood up, a little shaken from the blow. He wore a brown- colored suit with a matching-colored trench coat and shoes.
His dark brown hair was worn short and curly. He wore pair of square mahogany-tinted glasses, reflections glinting in each eye. It was not until Chandler looked at the man's mouth did he gasp. Shining brightly in the light were two, overgrown canine teeth. A vampire.
"It ends now," the creature said, sliding into a fighter's stance. Agent Perris smiled and charged at the vampire, fists flying.
From that moment on, Chandler had a hard time distinguishing what was going on, it happened so fast. Holes were appearing everywhere, in the walls, in the floor, on the ceiling, once a chunk of concrete exploded next to him, forcing him to dive underneath his bed to avoid being crushed beneath the debree.
His sink suddenly exploded, sending a rainbow of water onto the carpet. Drops splashed everywhere, turning the carpet into a slushy, brown mess. He felt a hand suddenly grab his ankle and pull him out from underneath the bed.
Chandler came face to face with an Asian man. "Hurry, we have to get out of here!" he said. Chandler couldn't have agreed with him more. As they exited the apartment, the ceiling in his room suddenly collapsed, blocking the only entrance, clearly stating the battle was still raging inside.
The stairs became crowded as annoyed neighbors bustled out of their rooms to see what the commotion upstairs. Chandler pushed and shoved his way through the crowd and finally paused to take a breath once he was out in the street. The Asian guy appeared behind him, clearly out of breath from descending thirty flights of stairs.
After he caught his breath, the man motioned Chandler to follow him to his car. "Wait a minute; I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers!" Chandler demanded, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
"Listen, we don't have much time. I need to get you out of here now," the man calmly stated. "I promise I will explain everything as soon as we're safe."
Chandler thought about it a moment.
"You see Mr. Laroff; there are men out in that city looking for you. If they ever got to you, your life as we know it, would end..."
Taking one last look at the life he had, Chandler sighed and followed the man to his car.
It was moments later, high on the thirty-third floor, Apartment 3089's city-view window shattered into millions of pieces; a body caught in the typhoon of glass fell to the ground below. Staring out of the gaping scar on the building, Jackal watched the remains of Agent Perris land on some unfortunate soul's brand new Porsche. His finger went to his lips, wiping off some drops of blood from his teeth.
Lynx slammed the brakes as the red Porsche in front of him collapsed on itself in the middle of the road. "What the hell?" The twenty-two year old's eyes widen in horror as Agent Perris rose up from the crater, smoke rising up from his shoulders.
"Oh shit!" Chandler screamed, gripping onto the armrests. Using his major L33T driving skillz, Lynx put the Spider into reverse and spun the car around to face the oncoming traffic.
"Hang onto your pantyhose Dorothy," Lynx smiled, switching into third gear. Chandler's face drained of all color. The Spider suddenly lurched forward, sending Chandler far back into the seat.
Cars honked and blared as they swerved to the left and right, trying desperately not to ram into them. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Chandler cried out in horror as he saw Agent Perris gaining on them on foot.
Lynx, however, began to enjoy himself more and more as he drove the streets like a crazed-madman, swerving onto sidewalks and oncoming traffic, trying to shake off the agent.
As they neared an intersection, Lynx pressed his foot down hard on the gas and shifted into sixth gear. "What are you doing?!" Chandler shrieked, his face turning a bit green. The Asian ignored him.
"You Americans say we are such bad drivers," Lynx said sadly. "Why, I don't know." With that, he swerved to the left, making a huge 'U' turn in a No-'U' Turn Zone. "I just like to think of driving as an art, you know?"
Chandler cupped a hand to his mouth and puked out the window, spraying men and women waiting to get inside an X-rated film. He turned to Lynx wearily. "Try to think of driving as more of a PRIVELAGE than anything." Lynx shrugged off the comment.
Agent Perris saw the Spider make a 'U' turn and stop, facing him. The headlights flared, and the engine roared in a challenge. The agent smirked and stopped to face them. Puny mortals, he thought to himself. What he failed to notice, however, was the semi truck.
"Cigarette?" Lynx offered Chandler a pack, but he kindly refused. "OK then, more for me." He leaned back comfortably in the driver's seat, watching in enjoyment as the big Ralph's Semi truck rammed into Agent Perris, turning him into a hood ornament.
As the silver Spider pulled up to an abandon warehouse, drops of rain began to splash onto the pavement. "Damn it, I just got my car washed," Lynx swore. He kicked Chandler to the curb and drove off in huff, searching for some cover.
Chandler walked up the front steps and entered to find it warmer inside. Upon entering, Chandler noticed the warehouse was not abandoned after all. The warehouse was made of one great big room, obviously made for storage purposes.
In the middle of the room, an Indian rug was lied out on the floor, decorated with tigers and patterns of the jungle. Two burgundy lounge chairs sat rested their fat asses in the middle of the carpet, conversing with a coffee table and a small oven stove.
Walking closer to get a better look, Chandler noticed a Caucasian man resting in one of the lounge chairs, feet kicked up onto the coffee table. He wore a rustic-leather trench coat with a matching tie. He had ebony, curly hair with gold highlights, and a pair of circular, orange shades rested on the bridge of his nose.
Hearing footsteps draw nearer, the man quickly jumped to his feet, clearly caught off guard. "Welcome Chandler, I did not expect to see you for quite some time," he said, folding his arms behind his back.
The front door clanged loudly in the background. "Sorry Reef, we would have been here earlier, but we had a little agent problem," Lynx said, joining the men in the center of the room.
"Not too much trouble, I hope," Reef replied, cocking a worried eyebrow.
"Nope, Ralph took care of him," Lynx returned, hiding the hint of laughter in his voice.
"Good, glad to see you both made it back alive, and with all your body parts in tacked," Reef said with a sigh of relief. He turned back to Chandler. "Please, sit."
"Look," Chandler said insecurely. "I'm sick and tired of the whole sitting down, standing up business. I just want answers, and I want them now."
"Very well," Reef said, suddenly becoming serious. "I imagine you feel much like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole, hmm?"
Chandler gave him a questioning look. "I guess...?" he said, feeling uncomfortable in seeing his reflection in Reef's glasses.
Reef smiled. "I can see it in your eyes." He sat down in the lounge chair facing Chandler. "You have the look of man who accepts what he sees, because he's expecting to wake up."
Chandler sat down; hanging on Reef's every word. Of course he would need to get some deep, psychiatric help after this.
"Ironically, this is not far from the truth," he paused. "Do you believe in fate, Chandler?"
Chandler realized he was being asked a question, and sat straight up. "Uhh...No actually."
"Why not?" Reef asked.
Chandler thought a moment. "Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life." He replied, amazed at what he just realized for himself.
Reef leaned in closer to Chandler, a smile on his face. "I know exactly what you mean." He said a hint of excitement in his voice. "Let me tell you why you're here.
"You're here because you know something," he continued. "What you know you can't explain, but you feel it-you've felt it you're entire life."
Chandler was about to answer when Reef breathed out his same thought, "There's something wrong with the world-you don't know what it is-but its there. Like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad."
Chandler was completely taken aback. It was as if this man could read his mind! Crazy as the thought might seem, Chandler was beginning to think Reef could...
"It was this feeling that brought you to me," Reef said smoothly, leaning back in his chair. It was then that something on his glasses caught Chandler's attention. A crack? Why would anyone wear cracked sun glasses?
"Chandler? Chandler?" Snapping back to reality, Chandler realized he had been asked another question. Geez! What is this, Sixty Minutes?
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
Reef cleared his throat and to a drink from a water glass sitting on the coffee table. "I said, 'Do you know what I'm talking about?"
Actually, it did kind of ring a bell, but what particular answer could this man be looking for? Then suddenly, he knew.
"The Matrix?" Chandler replied, noticing Lynx step out from the shadows and stand next to him.
"Do you want to know what it is?" Reef said slowly, making sure that Chandler understood the question.
He nodded, curious as to where this conversation was going.
"The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now, in this very room," Reef began. "You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television.
"You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." Reef said, his voice becoming low.
Drawn deep into his biting words, Chandler didn't want him to stop speaking. He wanted more; he wanted to know all that Reef knows. "What truth?" he heard himself ask.
Reef's face suddenly grew dark, and taught, as if the next words he spoke angered him. "You are a slave, Chandler. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you can't smell or taste or touch. A prison...for your mind."
Having said that, Reef closed his eyes and heaved a great sigh, letting his words of truth sink into Chandler like the fangs into the flesh of weakened prey. "Unfortunately," Reef continued, his voice becoming lighter as he came nearer to his point. "No one can be told what the Matrix is...You have to see it for yourself."
A tiny, metal box suddenly appeared in Reef's hands. Opening the lid, he spilled the box's contents onto his hand, hiding whatever it was from view.
Chandler shifted uncomfortably in his seat, anxious to see what Reef was holding in his hands. Scooting forward so he was arm's length from Chandler, Reef held up two closed fists.
"This is your last chance, after this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends...you believe whatever you want to believe." As he spoke, he opened his left hand to reveal a blue pill resting in the middle of his palm.
"You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland and I show you just how deep the Rabbit hole goes." Just as before, Reef opened his right hand to reveal a red pill resting in the middle of his palm.
Now I have to make a choice? Chandler thought to himself. Well, his life has just reached hit rock bottom and not even a second later, these people show up with a jackhammer!
"Ah, what the hell..." Chandler reached for the red pill, but before he could grab it, Reef stopped him.
"Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more," he stated. Chandler paused a moment, then took the red pill with a glass of water, handed to him by Lynx.
Reef smiled and nodded. "Welcome aboard, bra," he said in a beach bum accent. Chandler was stunned at Reef's sudden transformation.
Lynx leaned over to Chandler and whispered into his ear. "Don't worry, you get used to it."
Suddenly, Chandler's focus went immediately to Reef's glasses. The crack that was there moments before had vanished, leaving behind no scratch or mark indicating its existence. "What's going on?" he asked, suddenly feeling very cold.
Reef stood up and stretched. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just chill and don't wig-out, OK?"
What was he talking about? Then he felt it stronger then ever. A deep cold feeling spread from Chandler's legs, up to his chest, freezing his every muscle and bone. Looking down at his body, Chandler almost had a heart attack. What was once the lounge chair was now a freezing mass of burgundy, slithering up to his head, engulfing his entire body in the cold goo.
He wanted to scream, but his lungs were frozen, then his vocal chords. Taking one last look at Reef, Chandler noticed he took his glasses off...
Bryce?!
From that moment on, everything seemed to be a blur. But he could remember the pain, Ooohh....the pain.
When Chandler came to, he found himself submerged in thick goo. He tried to breath but could not, try as he might. He quickly sat up, punching a hole through a layer of thick film covering the goo. He pulled out a long metal contraption from his mouth and gasped in sweet, fresh air.
His lungs heaved for oxygen, straining with every breath. It was as if he had never used his lungs before...
Suddenly, a robot-looking-thing appeared before him. It had hundreds of red eyes, of all shapes and sizes. Around its egg-shaped body were tentacle-like contraptions, each ending in a pair of pinchers.
It was with one of these tentacles, that the machine grabbed Chandler around the neck and lifted him so the machine and human could face each other eye-to-eyes.
It was then, that pain exploded in his head as wires and chords exploded from his body and head. The machine dropped the useless human back into the goo and flew away, leaving him to fall into the depths of an open drain...
Bryce Feliciano, alias "Reef", stood silently above the body in front of him. Chandler lied still on the bed, eyes shifting beneath his eyelids in a deep sleep. Thousands of needles covered his body, each one feeding nutrients to a specific muscle.
Reef and his crew found Chandler shortly after he had been unplugged and brought him aboard the Ambrosia for rehabilitation. Chandler was unconscious from the cold water, and was immediately prepped for rehab.
It has been almost a month since the unplugging, and new hair began to appear on his bald body. Color began to return to his skin and every now and then would wake up, only to be told to go back to sleep.
Today was somehow different than the rest. A wave of uneasiness swept aboard the hovercraft and into the hearts of the crew members. Hair pricked the back of their necks, sweat covered their palms and feet, something was wrong. Something was defiantly WRONG.
Wedge slept peacefully in his chair, the glow of the Code's reflection shined brightly off his face. His nose twitched, and he rolled over onto his side, resting his head on his hands.
He smiled as he dreamt of his mother's baked apple pie. The smell of cinnamon and apple spices flared in his nostrils. His mother offered him a piece, which he greedily took, mouth watering. His silver fork split open the crust, and apple juices flooded onto his plate. He lifted his fork to his mouth, about to take the first bite.
Suddenly, the phone rang, sending Wedge into a start. He rubbed his eyes free of sleep and slid the headset over his ear, hitting the transmission button. "Operator," he said drowsily.
Reef sighed and looked up from his work and towards Chandler's body. Nope, still out, he thought. It's better that way; he still has two more months of recovery to go. Smiling, he turned back to his work when his hovercraft pilot, Lynx walked in.
"They got Saki."
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking up from his work. He noticed the look of concern on Lynx's face. Even though he fails to admit it, Reef knew that his comrade had deep feelings for this woman.
"Positive," he confirmed.
Reef nodded, knowing exactly what was to be done. He looked up at Lynx, mischief in his eyes. "Let's go get her."
Riley Worcester sat lazily behind the granite counter, a Playboy magazine hiding secretly beneath a book of physics. Being a security guard for Megacity's Museum of Natural History, was boring, but included plenty of reading time.
His palms began to sweat as he turned the page to Miss September, her pearly white teeth, smiling at him as she exposed her female beauty. Yes, a beautiful picture, one to have the honor of being posted on his locker door.
It wasn't until he examined her excellent curves that he noticed the bug crawling up her balloon-sized bosom. He leaned forward in his chair to get a closer look at the insect.
Strange, did crickets always appear to shine like silver? Riley squinted, at noticed something even more peculiar. The cricket's eyes were glowing a cherry red or was it his imagination? What he failed to realize was the little flashing light on its abdomen.
The whole security desk exploded into a ball of flame, consuming the guard and charring everything in a twenty-foot radius. The fire alarm immediately began to blare, lights flashing, and gases erupting from the ceiling to put out the remaining flames.
Those viewing the exhibits began to scream and panic as the whole building blared its alarm, calmly asking everyone to find the nearest exit in an orderly fashion. However, those who were to slow to realize what was going on were trapped inside exhibits as fire-proof doors sealed them in.
Back in the lobby area, two dark shadows emerged out from the foggy hysteria, weapons drawn. They ignored the mass of people pushing and shoving their way to the entrance, and fixed their eyes on the stairwell leading to the upper levels.
As the room cleared out, the two males stepped into the middle of the once polished and clean marble floor, scanning for any signs of life.
The human male wearing a brown outfit, pulled out a flip-cell and hit redial. "Wedge, where are they holding her?" he asked, back to the eastern wall.
Wedge's fingers rapped quickly on the keyboard, eyes darting between monitors. He spotted a signal on the left screen and held a hand up to the mouth piece on his head set.
"She's being held in the offices near the Triceratops Exhibit on the third floor." Reef flipped the phone closed, and faced Lynx, whose back was to the western wall, an MP40 sub-machine gun held closely to his chest.
"Third floor," he yelled above the blaring of the alarm, cocking his M90 shotgun. No sooner as the words left his mouth, he heard multiple footsteps running down the halls above. Suddenly, beacons of light pierced through the fog, followed by the sound of pistols being raised.
"Hands up!" a single voice commanded, sounding anything but threatening. A switch was heard flipped from above, causing the extinguishers, lights, and blaring to stop. As the gases disappeared, a SWAT team was reveled standing at the top of the staircase weapons drawn.
Reef looked at Lynx, who nodded, knowing full well what he intended to do. "I said put down the weapons and raise your hands above your heads!" the SWAT member nearest them shouted, his voice cracking slightly.
In a split second, Reef bounded up the steps, slide-kicking the SWAT leader in the shin, breaking his leg instantly. Before the others could react, the man collapsed to the ground, his leg failing to support his weight. Reef quickly chopped him in the throat, instantly killing him.
The others began to fire at their killer, but the bullets only tore apart the wall, where he was moments before.
One of the SWAT members spotted movement to the left. He quickly turned and fired. Bits of concrete and marble exploded, as he tore into the wall with his rifle. A sharp whistle rang in his ear. Spinning on his heel, the man met the butt of a sturdy MP40, snapping his neck.
Two more men spotted Lynx, weapons drawn. Before they could fire, however, a hand snaked around one of their necks and a resounding crack reached Lynx ears. The other whipped around to avenge his fallen comrade, when the barrel of MP90 blew a hole in his chest.
The remaining two men took one last farewell glance at each other before running down separate corridors. Reef ran after one heading towards the Ice Age Exhibit, a knife in his free hand, while Lynx followed the other, his sub-machine gun nice and warm.
The two rogues meet on the third floor, at the entrance to the Triceratops Exhibit, both with a concerned look on one another's face. "This is it," Reef said, shotgun at the ready. "It's just-"
"-seemed too easy?" Lynx finished. He replaced the magazine to his MP40."Don't worry, I felt the same thing."
Reef shook his head. "Well, we can't stand here all day now can we? If it's a trap, there ganna be hell to pay."
"You said it," Lynx replied, eyes scanning the room. "Let's just hope they haven't interrogated her yet-cuz man, if they did..."
"What would you do?" Reef asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Lynx turned to face him, and smiled. "There's ganna be hell to pay..."
The Triceratops Exhibit was remotely new to the museum, having had a grand opening less than a month before. The wooden floor was still glossy, but marks and scratches appeared her and there on the floor. The manager of this exhibit was pissed when he found graffiti on the remains of his beloved Triceratops, tie-dye colors danced and flowed around its rib-cage and tail.
This whole wing was brand new and in less then a month, carelessness and immaturity resulted in disaster. But on the plus side, employees had begged the owner of the building to make new offices behind the exhibit and to get rid of the rat-infested cellar offices they nicknamed, "The Dungeon".
It was in these very same offices that were finally constructed, Saki lied hostage. It was also these very same offices that Lynx and Reef were trying to access.
"Damn man, look at the paint job on that bitch," Lynx cried in awe. Having once been a graffiti artist himself, he came to appreciate the miracles that spray paint can do. Of course, having been unplugged, his appreciation reached out towards ANY type of art created by trapped minds.
"Yeah, well I've seen better," Reef muttered, clearly unimpressed. "The slugs that did this, obviously have no appreciation towards fossil fuels." The giant Triceratops hovered above them, in the center of the room, as if watching their every move.
"Hey Reef, over here!" Lynx called. Reef found him standing in front of an "Employees Only" door, wedged tightly between two displays of fossils.
"Is it locked?" Reef asked, checking to see if anyone was following behind them.
"I don't know," Lynx rested his sub-machine gun against the display case to free his hands. He wiped his hands on his jacket before reaching out to turn the knob. Suddenly, the door burst open, breaking his arm and knocking him to the floor, blood seeping out of a gash in his forehead.
Agent Perris pointed a pistol at Lynx's forehead. "Don't move," he commanded. The agent lifted his head and scanned the room. Nothing but darkness and dust.
He turned back to the wounded man, whose head rested in a pool of blood. "Come with me." He latched his iron grip on Lynx's arm, causing him to cry out in pain, and dragged him to his feet, gun still pointed at his head.
Before the agent could bat an eyelash, Lynx's foot collided with Agent Perris's face in a crescent kick, crushing his sun glasses, before he dropped to the floor.
The agent roared in rage, finger pulled tightly over the trigger. It was then he saw the flash of orange in the darkness beyond. He quickly ducked as the wooden doorway exploded.
Reef emerged from the darkness, shotgun blasting metal slugs towards Agent Perris. The agent backed up into the office cubicles beyond, dodging round after round as Reef stepped closer to his fallen companion.
Agent Perris stood up straight and fixed his tie, a smug look on his face. "Well-well, Mr. Feliciano, I haven't seen you in a long time. Here to bust out another one of your friends I see." He looked at Lynx. "Too bad you arrived too late, she would have LOVED to see you again, Mr. Yung."
Seeing the Asian's face lose all color in his face, the agent pressed on, enjoying every word. "She struggled at first, like all those before her, but eventually the serum took hold of her. She's now nothing more than an empty-husk-of-rotting-flesh."
Lynx eyes grew wide in horror, as each word penetrated through his heart like a hot knife. Then, slowly at first, a flame of pure hatred and anger swelled in the black pits of his eyes, quickly becoming a mass inferno of fury.
Before Reef could stop him, Lynx was on his feet, throwing his fists in a wild blur at Agent Perris. "NO!!!" Reef screamed trying to grab his coat and yank him back, but missed. It was then and there, right before his eyes, Reef watched in slow motion as Agent Perris grabbed Lynx fist, and twist it onto his back. Lynx gasped in pain and shock, from the quick maneuvers.
Reef held the barrel aloft to his eye. "Let him go!" he shouted. Agent Perris smirked and held his pistol to Lynx's head.
Suddenly, the agent collapsed, releasing Lynx, as a wooden chair shattered on his head. Saki stood in the doorway, her red, flowing hair now matted and clinging to her forehead. Her clothes were in rags, exposing her undergarments, and her wrists bled from where handcuffs had been. "Never underestimate the opposite sex, you Nazi!"
Relief flooded the room, as both men went to her aid. She was indeed under the influence of drugs, causing her walk to become more of a limp, but the effects should wear off in a few hours. Lynx and Saki embraced in one big hug, tears filling their eyes. Reef, feeling a little bit uncomfortable, scratched the back of his head and gave the couple some room.
He disarmed Agent Perris, sliding the pistol into the depths of his trench coat, when the man began to stir. Then, a muffled ring of a telephone echoed from behind the down agent. Noting the increasing danger of sticking around, Reef helped sling Saki and Lynx around his shoulders and hustled through the doorway beyond.
A hand grabbed his leg at the last moment, causing all three to go down, hard. Agent Perris clung onto Reef's foot, refusing to let go. "GO! GET OUT OF HEAR!" Reef cried. The couple scrambled to their feet, but hesitated. "GO!" he urged them again. The two nodded, and left, leaving him to deal with Perris.
The agent flung him backwards, sending him crashing into the Triceratops skeleton. The whole body collapsed on top of Reef, minus the skull, which dangled by two remaining support cables.
Agent Perris stood up and cracked his neck. "You really are bothersome, Mr. Feliciano. I'm slightly impressed at your determination to save these people. But my question is why?" He walked over to the pile of bones, spotting Reef pinned down by the fossil's rib cage.
Reef coughed, thick, pale dust hung in the air, covering his clothes and hair. He tried to sit up, but the bones kept him down.
"You didn't answer my question," the agent said, suddenly growing angry. "Are you even listening to me?!" With that, he latched onto Reef's leg again, pulled him out of the wreckage and flung him across the room.
A display case filled with fossilized footprints, shattered as Reef's back broke through the glass case, slate falling on top of him. He felt his ribs and new they were immediately broken.
Blood splattered out of his mouth as he went into a fit of coughing. "You seem always eager to help, but yet what's in it for you? Why would you go through so much trouble to save complete strangers?" Reef heard the agent's shoes step closer and closer. "Unless..." there came a sudden gasp of understanding." Unless they're not strangers after all..."
"Maybe...just maybe...I should find these friends of yours..." Anger seeped into Reef's veins. "...and pick them off...one...by...one." Suddenly, the pile of slate and glass exploded, slicing through Agent Perris's suit and face.
When the dust settled, Reef stood in a low fighting position, with blood soaked clothing and white-knuckled fists. "You bastard won't touch a single hair on their head!" he cried through clenched teeth.
With pure, primal rage, Reef charged at the agent. Perris smiled to himself in amusement. Shooting out his hand to grab Reef's fist, he was suddenly taken aback as the man was no longer there.
Whipping around, Agent Perris connected with Reef's foot, breaking the his jaw and sending teeth flying. The agent fell to the ground in a spin. Reef grabbed Perris's arm and flung him to the side, pulling out the agent's pistol from inside his jacket.
The bullets shredded through what remained of the agent's tattered clothing in mid-air, where he finally collapsed in a heap against the opposite wall.
The vibration from the impact shook the support cables holding the dinosaur's skull, causing one of them to snap. The skull swung forward and pinned the agent against the wall as he stood up.
Reef dropped the pistol and smiled. "Who's da' biaaatch now?" Clutching his side, Reef went off to answer the ringing phone in the background.
Clad in a business suit and overcoat, a man with brown, unkempt hair, sipped on his morning coffee, ignoring those around him. A briefcase swung to and fro at his side with every step.
The man gave out a sharp whistle and a yellow taxi appeared almost out of nowhere. As he clambered inside, the driver immediately asked for a destination.
"Twenty-Sixth Street, Squaresoft Building" he replied shortly, setting his briefcase next to him. The driver nodded, and slipped into the morning traffic.
No less than four blocks away, a man of Asian heritage sat at the driver's wheel of a '98 Spider. His fingers rapped on the steering wheel in a rhythmic pattern, eyes darting back and forth behind black sunglasses.
It was not until moments later; he stopped his fingers short as a yellow taxi pulled up to the curb in front of him. The man failed to restrain a grin as the business man stepped out of the car. He put a finger to his ear and spoke softly into a hidden mike.
"He's here."
"Laroff, I want your ass in here now!"
Chandler Laroff set down his briefcase at his desk and followed his boss into his office. His palms were suddenly overcome with sweat and his body began to shake, but he managed to keep his voice steady.
"You wanted me, sir?" he replied calmly. Seeing the look on his boss's face confirmed his worst fears.
"Sit down and shut that bloody door behind you!" his boss snapped. Chandler quickly did he was told, catching glimpses of curious faces peering over cubical walls as the door clicked shut.
"Now, tell me," his boss began, trying to no avail to suppress his anger. "How long have you worked for me at Squaresoft?"
Chandler gripped the chair's armrest, knowing what was coming to him. "I've worked under you for five years, sir."
"Uh-huh and how long have we, meaning I, been working on this Einishi Account, hmm?" he said through clenched teeth.
"Since the Stone Age, sir," Chandler replied, recalling the analogy from the last Christmas Party.
"You're damn right!" his boss slammed his fists down upon the maple desk. "And we were SO close at making a multi-million deal! But as soon as that cold cash comes within a mile of my grasp, one of my idiot employee's decided to sleep with Mr. Einishi's daughter!!!!!"
Chandler's boss sent the paper on his desk sailing into the air, knocking office supplies into the wall. "You are terminated, Laroff! Get the hell out of my sight!!!!"
Chandler shot up from the chair. "It wasn't my fault! I didn't even know she was Mr. Eineshi's daughter, otherwise I would never have-"
"OUT!!!!"
There was a click and the door suddenly flew open, making a hollow ringing sound as it hit the wall. Chandler flung his keys onto his bed, furious with himself. He entered his empty, one-room apartment, carrying his briefcase and his box full of office junk.
He noticed his answering machine had a message. Setting down his stuff, Chandler hit the 'Play' button and fell onto his bedspread.
"Hey Shan-da-lier, it's Mary Buchner, Ya' know, one of your best friends from elementary school who you never call... Listen, I'm ganna' be in town and I was wondering if we could hook up or something...Look Chandler, we really need to talk about...about Bryce's...disappearance. I know you two were the best of friends. Please call me. My cell phone number is..."
Chandler hit the 'Stop' button. It was enough that he lost his job, but meeting up with old friends was not a good idea right now. He just wanted to be left alone to think things through.
He now had no job, no income, and no money for rent or for food, His life was perfect and then it became a complete mess in an instant. Well, it wasn't really perfect. He did get paid for making videogames, but he had absolutely no time for family or friends. The only person he's seen for the last five years was his boss and co-workers. Then she came along.
At first, Chandler thought the girl was drunk, but it turned out she actually had a fling for him. Yeah, preying on your dad's business associations is one hell of a living, he thought. Ugh, his life was a mess.
Suddenly a shadow moved in the corner of his eye. Chandler sat bolt upright. "Who's there?" he called out. His hand tightened around a pencil sharpener, figuring any weapon would be better than none.
The lights fluttered on, blinding him momentarily. Then, as Chandler's eyes adjusted, a government official with an earpiece and shades stood before him. The stranger gave him a warming smile that caused chills to shiver down his spine.
"Mr. Laroff, I'm so glad we could meet at last," he said slowly, as if talking to an uncomprehending child. The hair on the back of Chandler's neck prickled as the guy spoke.
"Who are you," he choked, rising to his feet. "And what are you doing in my apartment?"
The official sat down at Chandler's fold-out kitchen table and motioned for him to take a seat. "Won't you take a seat?"
"I'd prefer to stand," Chandler replied flatly, regaining his composure.
"My name is Perris, Agent Perris. I've come here to talk to you about your future." He pulled out a packet of files and placed them neatly on the table.
"What about my future?" Chandler asked curiously, taking a glance at the folder.
"You see Mr. Laroff; there are men out in that city looking for you. If they ever got to you, your life as we know it, would end," Agent Perris unraveled a string keeping the packet closed, and flipped to a certain page. "My job is to prevent these bad men from harming you, and wipe them from the face of the planet. Now if I am to do that, I'm going to need your full cooperation."
"What's in it for me?" Chandler said, sitting down at the table.
"Let's cut to the chase shall we? I want these men gone from my city and you want your life back to normal."
"How do YOU know what I want?" Chandler replied leaning across the table.
The agent began to chuckle to himself. "Mr. Laroff, Mr. Laroff, don't play games with me. I know all about your tragic dismissal today, I know everything."
"Then know this," Chandler said, leaning so close to Agent Perris that they almost brushed noses. "I will not be fucked with!"
He grabbed the pile of files and flung them to side, much like his boss did earlier. Agent Perris's face suddenly went taut, a large vein bulging on his forehead.
"You will help us whether you like it or not, Mr. Laroff," he said, grabbing hold of Chandler by the throat. Immediately Chandler felt the agent's hand begin to crush his windpipe with an amazingly strong grip. He tried futilely to pry the iron-like fingers from his throat, but to no great success.
Agent Perris flipped Chandler down onto the table with one hand, while the other hand ripped open Chandler's shirt, revealing his belly button.
Perris then plucked a little trinket from his chest pocket that began to glow and writhe around. It transformed before Chandler's eyes and became a bug-like robot with extremely long wires whipping about.
Suddenly, a figure appeared out of the shadows, as if by magic, and jumped onto the agent's back, a 9mm pistol to his throat. "Release him," it said in a serpent-like voice.
Chandler felt Agent Perris's grip loosen. He quickly rolled off the table and onto the floor just as the bug robot began digging its wires into the table. Then everything became chaos.
Agent Perris's foot connected with the stranger's head, knocking him to the ground, pistol flying off into the corner. The agent cracked his neck then turned to face his adversary.
Chandler peered over the table to get a good look at his savior. The figure slowly stood up, a little shaken from the blow. He wore a brown- colored suit with a matching-colored trench coat and shoes.
His dark brown hair was worn short and curly. He wore pair of square mahogany-tinted glasses, reflections glinting in each eye. It was not until Chandler looked at the man's mouth did he gasp. Shining brightly in the light were two, overgrown canine teeth. A vampire.
"It ends now," the creature said, sliding into a fighter's stance. Agent Perris smiled and charged at the vampire, fists flying.
From that moment on, Chandler had a hard time distinguishing what was going on, it happened so fast. Holes were appearing everywhere, in the walls, in the floor, on the ceiling, once a chunk of concrete exploded next to him, forcing him to dive underneath his bed to avoid being crushed beneath the debree.
His sink suddenly exploded, sending a rainbow of water onto the carpet. Drops splashed everywhere, turning the carpet into a slushy, brown mess. He felt a hand suddenly grab his ankle and pull him out from underneath the bed.
Chandler came face to face with an Asian man. "Hurry, we have to get out of here!" he said. Chandler couldn't have agreed with him more. As they exited the apartment, the ceiling in his room suddenly collapsed, blocking the only entrance, clearly stating the battle was still raging inside.
The stairs became crowded as annoyed neighbors bustled out of their rooms to see what the commotion upstairs. Chandler pushed and shoved his way through the crowd and finally paused to take a breath once he was out in the street. The Asian guy appeared behind him, clearly out of breath from descending thirty flights of stairs.
After he caught his breath, the man motioned Chandler to follow him to his car. "Wait a minute; I'm not going anywhere until I get some answers!" Chandler demanded, planting his feet firmly on the ground.
"Listen, we don't have much time. I need to get you out of here now," the man calmly stated. "I promise I will explain everything as soon as we're safe."
Chandler thought about it a moment.
"You see Mr. Laroff; there are men out in that city looking for you. If they ever got to you, your life as we know it, would end..."
Taking one last look at the life he had, Chandler sighed and followed the man to his car.
It was moments later, high on the thirty-third floor, Apartment 3089's city-view window shattered into millions of pieces; a body caught in the typhoon of glass fell to the ground below. Staring out of the gaping scar on the building, Jackal watched the remains of Agent Perris land on some unfortunate soul's brand new Porsche. His finger went to his lips, wiping off some drops of blood from his teeth.
Lynx slammed the brakes as the red Porsche in front of him collapsed on itself in the middle of the road. "What the hell?" The twenty-two year old's eyes widen in horror as Agent Perris rose up from the crater, smoke rising up from his shoulders.
"Oh shit!" Chandler screamed, gripping onto the armrests. Using his major L33T driving skillz, Lynx put the Spider into reverse and spun the car around to face the oncoming traffic.
"Hang onto your pantyhose Dorothy," Lynx smiled, switching into third gear. Chandler's face drained of all color. The Spider suddenly lurched forward, sending Chandler far back into the seat.
Cars honked and blared as they swerved to the left and right, trying desperately not to ram into them. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, Chandler cried out in horror as he saw Agent Perris gaining on them on foot.
Lynx, however, began to enjoy himself more and more as he drove the streets like a crazed-madman, swerving onto sidewalks and oncoming traffic, trying to shake off the agent.
As they neared an intersection, Lynx pressed his foot down hard on the gas and shifted into sixth gear. "What are you doing?!" Chandler shrieked, his face turning a bit green. The Asian ignored him.
"You Americans say we are such bad drivers," Lynx said sadly. "Why, I don't know." With that, he swerved to the left, making a huge 'U' turn in a No-'U' Turn Zone. "I just like to think of driving as an art, you know?"
Chandler cupped a hand to his mouth and puked out the window, spraying men and women waiting to get inside an X-rated film. He turned to Lynx wearily. "Try to think of driving as more of a PRIVELAGE than anything." Lynx shrugged off the comment.
Agent Perris saw the Spider make a 'U' turn and stop, facing him. The headlights flared, and the engine roared in a challenge. The agent smirked and stopped to face them. Puny mortals, he thought to himself. What he failed to notice, however, was the semi truck.
"Cigarette?" Lynx offered Chandler a pack, but he kindly refused. "OK then, more for me." He leaned back comfortably in the driver's seat, watching in enjoyment as the big Ralph's Semi truck rammed into Agent Perris, turning him into a hood ornament.
As the silver Spider pulled up to an abandon warehouse, drops of rain began to splash onto the pavement. "Damn it, I just got my car washed," Lynx swore. He kicked Chandler to the curb and drove off in huff, searching for some cover.
Chandler walked up the front steps and entered to find it warmer inside. Upon entering, Chandler noticed the warehouse was not abandoned after all. The warehouse was made of one great big room, obviously made for storage purposes.
In the middle of the room, an Indian rug was lied out on the floor, decorated with tigers and patterns of the jungle. Two burgundy lounge chairs sat rested their fat asses in the middle of the carpet, conversing with a coffee table and a small oven stove.
Walking closer to get a better look, Chandler noticed a Caucasian man resting in one of the lounge chairs, feet kicked up onto the coffee table. He wore a rustic-leather trench coat with a matching tie. He had ebony, curly hair with gold highlights, and a pair of circular, orange shades rested on the bridge of his nose.
Hearing footsteps draw nearer, the man quickly jumped to his feet, clearly caught off guard. "Welcome Chandler, I did not expect to see you for quite some time," he said, folding his arms behind his back.
The front door clanged loudly in the background. "Sorry Reef, we would have been here earlier, but we had a little agent problem," Lynx said, joining the men in the center of the room.
"Not too much trouble, I hope," Reef replied, cocking a worried eyebrow.
"Nope, Ralph took care of him," Lynx returned, hiding the hint of laughter in his voice.
"Good, glad to see you both made it back alive, and with all your body parts in tacked," Reef said with a sigh of relief. He turned back to Chandler. "Please, sit."
"Look," Chandler said insecurely. "I'm sick and tired of the whole sitting down, standing up business. I just want answers, and I want them now."
"Very well," Reef said, suddenly becoming serious. "I imagine you feel much like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole, hmm?"
Chandler gave him a questioning look. "I guess...?" he said, feeling uncomfortable in seeing his reflection in Reef's glasses.
Reef smiled. "I can see it in your eyes." He sat down in the lounge chair facing Chandler. "You have the look of man who accepts what he sees, because he's expecting to wake up."
Chandler sat down; hanging on Reef's every word. Of course he would need to get some deep, psychiatric help after this.
"Ironically, this is not far from the truth," he paused. "Do you believe in fate, Chandler?"
Chandler realized he was being asked a question, and sat straight up. "Uhh...No actually."
"Why not?" Reef asked.
Chandler thought a moment. "Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life." He replied, amazed at what he just realized for himself.
Reef leaned in closer to Chandler, a smile on his face. "I know exactly what you mean." He said a hint of excitement in his voice. "Let me tell you why you're here.
"You're here because you know something," he continued. "What you know you can't explain, but you feel it-you've felt it you're entire life."
Chandler was about to answer when Reef breathed out his same thought, "There's something wrong with the world-you don't know what it is-but its there. Like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad."
Chandler was completely taken aback. It was as if this man could read his mind! Crazy as the thought might seem, Chandler was beginning to think Reef could...
"It was this feeling that brought you to me," Reef said smoothly, leaning back in his chair. It was then that something on his glasses caught Chandler's attention. A crack? Why would anyone wear cracked sun glasses?
"Chandler? Chandler?" Snapping back to reality, Chandler realized he had been asked another question. Geez! What is this, Sixty Minutes?
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
Reef cleared his throat and to a drink from a water glass sitting on the coffee table. "I said, 'Do you know what I'm talking about?"
Actually, it did kind of ring a bell, but what particular answer could this man be looking for? Then suddenly, he knew.
"The Matrix?" Chandler replied, noticing Lynx step out from the shadows and stand next to him.
"Do you want to know what it is?" Reef said slowly, making sure that Chandler understood the question.
He nodded, curious as to where this conversation was going.
"The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now, in this very room," Reef began. "You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television.
"You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." Reef said, his voice becoming low.
Drawn deep into his biting words, Chandler didn't want him to stop speaking. He wanted more; he wanted to know all that Reef knows. "What truth?" he heard himself ask.
Reef's face suddenly grew dark, and taught, as if the next words he spoke angered him. "You are a slave, Chandler. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you can't smell or taste or touch. A prison...for your mind."
Having said that, Reef closed his eyes and heaved a great sigh, letting his words of truth sink into Chandler like the fangs into the flesh of weakened prey. "Unfortunately," Reef continued, his voice becoming lighter as he came nearer to his point. "No one can be told what the Matrix is...You have to see it for yourself."
A tiny, metal box suddenly appeared in Reef's hands. Opening the lid, he spilled the box's contents onto his hand, hiding whatever it was from view.
Chandler shifted uncomfortably in his seat, anxious to see what Reef was holding in his hands. Scooting forward so he was arm's length from Chandler, Reef held up two closed fists.
"This is your last chance, after this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends...you believe whatever you want to believe." As he spoke, he opened his left hand to reveal a blue pill resting in the middle of his palm.
"You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland and I show you just how deep the Rabbit hole goes." Just as before, Reef opened his right hand to reveal a red pill resting in the middle of his palm.
Now I have to make a choice? Chandler thought to himself. Well, his life has just reached hit rock bottom and not even a second later, these people show up with a jackhammer!
"Ah, what the hell..." Chandler reached for the red pill, but before he could grab it, Reef stopped him.
"Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more," he stated. Chandler paused a moment, then took the red pill with a glass of water, handed to him by Lynx.
Reef smiled and nodded. "Welcome aboard, bra," he said in a beach bum accent. Chandler was stunned at Reef's sudden transformation.
Lynx leaned over to Chandler and whispered into his ear. "Don't worry, you get used to it."
Suddenly, Chandler's focus went immediately to Reef's glasses. The crack that was there moments before had vanished, leaving behind no scratch or mark indicating its existence. "What's going on?" he asked, suddenly feeling very cold.
Reef stood up and stretched. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just chill and don't wig-out, OK?"
What was he talking about? Then he felt it stronger then ever. A deep cold feeling spread from Chandler's legs, up to his chest, freezing his every muscle and bone. Looking down at his body, Chandler almost had a heart attack. What was once the lounge chair was now a freezing mass of burgundy, slithering up to his head, engulfing his entire body in the cold goo.
He wanted to scream, but his lungs were frozen, then his vocal chords. Taking one last look at Reef, Chandler noticed he took his glasses off...
Bryce?!
From that moment on, everything seemed to be a blur. But he could remember the pain, Ooohh....the pain.
When Chandler came to, he found himself submerged in thick goo. He tried to breath but could not, try as he might. He quickly sat up, punching a hole through a layer of thick film covering the goo. He pulled out a long metal contraption from his mouth and gasped in sweet, fresh air.
His lungs heaved for oxygen, straining with every breath. It was as if he had never used his lungs before...
Suddenly, a robot-looking-thing appeared before him. It had hundreds of red eyes, of all shapes and sizes. Around its egg-shaped body were tentacle-like contraptions, each ending in a pair of pinchers.
It was with one of these tentacles, that the machine grabbed Chandler around the neck and lifted him so the machine and human could face each other eye-to-eyes.
It was then, that pain exploded in his head as wires and chords exploded from his body and head. The machine dropped the useless human back into the goo and flew away, leaving him to fall into the depths of an open drain...
Bryce Feliciano, alias "Reef", stood silently above the body in front of him. Chandler lied still on the bed, eyes shifting beneath his eyelids in a deep sleep. Thousands of needles covered his body, each one feeding nutrients to a specific muscle.
Reef and his crew found Chandler shortly after he had been unplugged and brought him aboard the Ambrosia for rehabilitation. Chandler was unconscious from the cold water, and was immediately prepped for rehab.
It has been almost a month since the unplugging, and new hair began to appear on his bald body. Color began to return to his skin and every now and then would wake up, only to be told to go back to sleep.
Today was somehow different than the rest. A wave of uneasiness swept aboard the hovercraft and into the hearts of the crew members. Hair pricked the back of their necks, sweat covered their palms and feet, something was wrong. Something was defiantly WRONG.
Wedge slept peacefully in his chair, the glow of the Code's reflection shined brightly off his face. His nose twitched, and he rolled over onto his side, resting his head on his hands.
He smiled as he dreamt of his mother's baked apple pie. The smell of cinnamon and apple spices flared in his nostrils. His mother offered him a piece, which he greedily took, mouth watering. His silver fork split open the crust, and apple juices flooded onto his plate. He lifted his fork to his mouth, about to take the first bite.
Suddenly, the phone rang, sending Wedge into a start. He rubbed his eyes free of sleep and slid the headset over his ear, hitting the transmission button. "Operator," he said drowsily.
Reef sighed and looked up from his work and towards Chandler's body. Nope, still out, he thought. It's better that way; he still has two more months of recovery to go. Smiling, he turned back to his work when his hovercraft pilot, Lynx walked in.
"They got Saki."
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking up from his work. He noticed the look of concern on Lynx's face. Even though he fails to admit it, Reef knew that his comrade had deep feelings for this woman.
"Positive," he confirmed.
Reef nodded, knowing exactly what was to be done. He looked up at Lynx, mischief in his eyes. "Let's go get her."
Riley Worcester sat lazily behind the granite counter, a Playboy magazine hiding secretly beneath a book of physics. Being a security guard for Megacity's Museum of Natural History, was boring, but included plenty of reading time.
His palms began to sweat as he turned the page to Miss September, her pearly white teeth, smiling at him as she exposed her female beauty. Yes, a beautiful picture, one to have the honor of being posted on his locker door.
It wasn't until he examined her excellent curves that he noticed the bug crawling up her balloon-sized bosom. He leaned forward in his chair to get a closer look at the insect.
Strange, did crickets always appear to shine like silver? Riley squinted, at noticed something even more peculiar. The cricket's eyes were glowing a cherry red or was it his imagination? What he failed to realize was the little flashing light on its abdomen.
The whole security desk exploded into a ball of flame, consuming the guard and charring everything in a twenty-foot radius. The fire alarm immediately began to blare, lights flashing, and gases erupting from the ceiling to put out the remaining flames.
Those viewing the exhibits began to scream and panic as the whole building blared its alarm, calmly asking everyone to find the nearest exit in an orderly fashion. However, those who were to slow to realize what was going on were trapped inside exhibits as fire-proof doors sealed them in.
Back in the lobby area, two dark shadows emerged out from the foggy hysteria, weapons drawn. They ignored the mass of people pushing and shoving their way to the entrance, and fixed their eyes on the stairwell leading to the upper levels.
As the room cleared out, the two males stepped into the middle of the once polished and clean marble floor, scanning for any signs of life.
The human male wearing a brown outfit, pulled out a flip-cell and hit redial. "Wedge, where are they holding her?" he asked, back to the eastern wall.
Wedge's fingers rapped quickly on the keyboard, eyes darting between monitors. He spotted a signal on the left screen and held a hand up to the mouth piece on his head set.
"She's being held in the offices near the Triceratops Exhibit on the third floor." Reef flipped the phone closed, and faced Lynx, whose back was to the western wall, an MP40 sub-machine gun held closely to his chest.
"Third floor," he yelled above the blaring of the alarm, cocking his M90 shotgun. No sooner as the words left his mouth, he heard multiple footsteps running down the halls above. Suddenly, beacons of light pierced through the fog, followed by the sound of pistols being raised.
"Hands up!" a single voice commanded, sounding anything but threatening. A switch was heard flipped from above, causing the extinguishers, lights, and blaring to stop. As the gases disappeared, a SWAT team was reveled standing at the top of the staircase weapons drawn.
Reef looked at Lynx, who nodded, knowing full well what he intended to do. "I said put down the weapons and raise your hands above your heads!" the SWAT member nearest them shouted, his voice cracking slightly.
In a split second, Reef bounded up the steps, slide-kicking the SWAT leader in the shin, breaking his leg instantly. Before the others could react, the man collapsed to the ground, his leg failing to support his weight. Reef quickly chopped him in the throat, instantly killing him.
The others began to fire at their killer, but the bullets only tore apart the wall, where he was moments before.
One of the SWAT members spotted movement to the left. He quickly turned and fired. Bits of concrete and marble exploded, as he tore into the wall with his rifle. A sharp whistle rang in his ear. Spinning on his heel, the man met the butt of a sturdy MP40, snapping his neck.
Two more men spotted Lynx, weapons drawn. Before they could fire, however, a hand snaked around one of their necks and a resounding crack reached Lynx ears. The other whipped around to avenge his fallen comrade, when the barrel of MP90 blew a hole in his chest.
The remaining two men took one last farewell glance at each other before running down separate corridors. Reef ran after one heading towards the Ice Age Exhibit, a knife in his free hand, while Lynx followed the other, his sub-machine gun nice and warm.
The two rogues meet on the third floor, at the entrance to the Triceratops Exhibit, both with a concerned look on one another's face. "This is it," Reef said, shotgun at the ready. "It's just-"
"-seemed too easy?" Lynx finished. He replaced the magazine to his MP40."Don't worry, I felt the same thing."
Reef shook his head. "Well, we can't stand here all day now can we? If it's a trap, there ganna be hell to pay."
"You said it," Lynx replied, eyes scanning the room. "Let's just hope they haven't interrogated her yet-cuz man, if they did..."
"What would you do?" Reef asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Lynx turned to face him, and smiled. "There's ganna be hell to pay..."
The Triceratops Exhibit was remotely new to the museum, having had a grand opening less than a month before. The wooden floor was still glossy, but marks and scratches appeared her and there on the floor. The manager of this exhibit was pissed when he found graffiti on the remains of his beloved Triceratops, tie-dye colors danced and flowed around its rib-cage and tail.
This whole wing was brand new and in less then a month, carelessness and immaturity resulted in disaster. But on the plus side, employees had begged the owner of the building to make new offices behind the exhibit and to get rid of the rat-infested cellar offices they nicknamed, "The Dungeon".
It was in these very same offices that were finally constructed, Saki lied hostage. It was also these very same offices that Lynx and Reef were trying to access.
"Damn man, look at the paint job on that bitch," Lynx cried in awe. Having once been a graffiti artist himself, he came to appreciate the miracles that spray paint can do. Of course, having been unplugged, his appreciation reached out towards ANY type of art created by trapped minds.
"Yeah, well I've seen better," Reef muttered, clearly unimpressed. "The slugs that did this, obviously have no appreciation towards fossil fuels." The giant Triceratops hovered above them, in the center of the room, as if watching their every move.
"Hey Reef, over here!" Lynx called. Reef found him standing in front of an "Employees Only" door, wedged tightly between two displays of fossils.
"Is it locked?" Reef asked, checking to see if anyone was following behind them.
"I don't know," Lynx rested his sub-machine gun against the display case to free his hands. He wiped his hands on his jacket before reaching out to turn the knob. Suddenly, the door burst open, breaking his arm and knocking him to the floor, blood seeping out of a gash in his forehead.
Agent Perris pointed a pistol at Lynx's forehead. "Don't move," he commanded. The agent lifted his head and scanned the room. Nothing but darkness and dust.
He turned back to the wounded man, whose head rested in a pool of blood. "Come with me." He latched his iron grip on Lynx's arm, causing him to cry out in pain, and dragged him to his feet, gun still pointed at his head.
Before the agent could bat an eyelash, Lynx's foot collided with Agent Perris's face in a crescent kick, crushing his sun glasses, before he dropped to the floor.
The agent roared in rage, finger pulled tightly over the trigger. It was then he saw the flash of orange in the darkness beyond. He quickly ducked as the wooden doorway exploded.
Reef emerged from the darkness, shotgun blasting metal slugs towards Agent Perris. The agent backed up into the office cubicles beyond, dodging round after round as Reef stepped closer to his fallen companion.
Agent Perris stood up straight and fixed his tie, a smug look on his face. "Well-well, Mr. Feliciano, I haven't seen you in a long time. Here to bust out another one of your friends I see." He looked at Lynx. "Too bad you arrived too late, she would have LOVED to see you again, Mr. Yung."
Seeing the Asian's face lose all color in his face, the agent pressed on, enjoying every word. "She struggled at first, like all those before her, but eventually the serum took hold of her. She's now nothing more than an empty-husk-of-rotting-flesh."
Lynx eyes grew wide in horror, as each word penetrated through his heart like a hot knife. Then, slowly at first, a flame of pure hatred and anger swelled in the black pits of his eyes, quickly becoming a mass inferno of fury.
Before Reef could stop him, Lynx was on his feet, throwing his fists in a wild blur at Agent Perris. "NO!!!" Reef screamed trying to grab his coat and yank him back, but missed. It was then and there, right before his eyes, Reef watched in slow motion as Agent Perris grabbed Lynx fist, and twist it onto his back. Lynx gasped in pain and shock, from the quick maneuvers.
Reef held the barrel aloft to his eye. "Let him go!" he shouted. Agent Perris smirked and held his pistol to Lynx's head.
Suddenly, the agent collapsed, releasing Lynx, as a wooden chair shattered on his head. Saki stood in the doorway, her red, flowing hair now matted and clinging to her forehead. Her clothes were in rags, exposing her undergarments, and her wrists bled from where handcuffs had been. "Never underestimate the opposite sex, you Nazi!"
Relief flooded the room, as both men went to her aid. She was indeed under the influence of drugs, causing her walk to become more of a limp, but the effects should wear off in a few hours. Lynx and Saki embraced in one big hug, tears filling their eyes. Reef, feeling a little bit uncomfortable, scratched the back of his head and gave the couple some room.
He disarmed Agent Perris, sliding the pistol into the depths of his trench coat, when the man began to stir. Then, a muffled ring of a telephone echoed from behind the down agent. Noting the increasing danger of sticking around, Reef helped sling Saki and Lynx around his shoulders and hustled through the doorway beyond.
A hand grabbed his leg at the last moment, causing all three to go down, hard. Agent Perris clung onto Reef's foot, refusing to let go. "GO! GET OUT OF HEAR!" Reef cried. The couple scrambled to their feet, but hesitated. "GO!" he urged them again. The two nodded, and left, leaving him to deal with Perris.
The agent flung him backwards, sending him crashing into the Triceratops skeleton. The whole body collapsed on top of Reef, minus the skull, which dangled by two remaining support cables.
Agent Perris stood up and cracked his neck. "You really are bothersome, Mr. Feliciano. I'm slightly impressed at your determination to save these people. But my question is why?" He walked over to the pile of bones, spotting Reef pinned down by the fossil's rib cage.
Reef coughed, thick, pale dust hung in the air, covering his clothes and hair. He tried to sit up, but the bones kept him down.
"You didn't answer my question," the agent said, suddenly growing angry. "Are you even listening to me?!" With that, he latched onto Reef's leg again, pulled him out of the wreckage and flung him across the room.
A display case filled with fossilized footprints, shattered as Reef's back broke through the glass case, slate falling on top of him. He felt his ribs and new they were immediately broken.
Blood splattered out of his mouth as he went into a fit of coughing. "You seem always eager to help, but yet what's in it for you? Why would you go through so much trouble to save complete strangers?" Reef heard the agent's shoes step closer and closer. "Unless..." there came a sudden gasp of understanding." Unless they're not strangers after all..."
"Maybe...just maybe...I should find these friends of yours..." Anger seeped into Reef's veins. "...and pick them off...one...by...one." Suddenly, the pile of slate and glass exploded, slicing through Agent Perris's suit and face.
When the dust settled, Reef stood in a low fighting position, with blood soaked clothing and white-knuckled fists. "You bastard won't touch a single hair on their head!" he cried through clenched teeth.
With pure, primal rage, Reef charged at the agent. Perris smiled to himself in amusement. Shooting out his hand to grab Reef's fist, he was suddenly taken aback as the man was no longer there.
Whipping around, Agent Perris connected with Reef's foot, breaking the his jaw and sending teeth flying. The agent fell to the ground in a spin. Reef grabbed Perris's arm and flung him to the side, pulling out the agent's pistol from inside his jacket.
The bullets shredded through what remained of the agent's tattered clothing in mid-air, where he finally collapsed in a heap against the opposite wall.
The vibration from the impact shook the support cables holding the dinosaur's skull, causing one of them to snap. The skull swung forward and pinned the agent against the wall as he stood up.
Reef dropped the pistol and smiled. "Who's da' biaaatch now?" Clutching his side, Reef went off to answer the ringing phone in the background.