The Cover Up Syndrome Part 14
N folded his arms and at seeing Zed's scalded hands,
scoffed. "Look at you. The great chief of MiB himself is being
chased by a nightmare."
Zed stiffened. "I don't have time for your bullshit, N. What
do you want?"
The other just smiled coolly. "Come now, Zed. Is that anyway
to greet an old friend?"
"We're not friends N," Zed growled. "And never were. So cut
to the chase."
N paced about him, keeping his distance, as if Zed had a
contagious disease about him. "Times changed you know. And you're
not as young as you used to be." He stopped his pacing and glared at
Zed. "Everyone knows you're losing your grip. MiB is starting to
fall into decay and needs someone strong to lead them. Not some old
loon who's lost his mind."
Frank, who overheard the conversation, gaped at the audacity
of N. Zed would have skinned his own furry hide if he spoke like
that. Surely he'd fire N. It would have made Frank and the agents
happy to see N get sent packing too. The guy was one of the most
pompous jackasses anyone could ever meet this side of the planet
Pluto. Frank waited in anxious anticipation, hoping Zed would tell
the obnoxious creep off.
The fury in Zed's eyes had built, but to Franks utter
disbelief and dismay, Zed just said simply, "Please be more
specific, N. Quit beating about the bush."
N shrugged. "If you wish." His voice was dangerously soft.
He gave Zed a piercing look. "I demand that you step down as the
head of MiB and retire."
Zed stared at him in shock and stepped back. Quickly he
regained his composure. "What you're asking for is insane," he
replied between clenched teeth. "For a long time, I've tolerated
your erratic behavior. So I'm warning you."
"NO!" N interjected sharply. He fixed a penetrating gaze on
Zed. "I'm warning you. I don't care if you plan to fire me. But if
you truly have concern for the welfare of MiB, then it is imperative
that you step down from your leadership."
Zed frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? The only
danger is with you crazy seniors. I hadn't one day in which at least
one fight has broken out."
N waved an impatient hand. "That's just the beginning!" He
pointed at Zed. "You're the one who would bring an end to MiB."
Shaking his head vigorously, Zed scowled. "Now you're
testing me. I have always allowed you to explain your rash judgment
without charging it as insubordination. Yet your reasoning is
bizarre and downright eccentric. You're bordering on treason."
N's eyes flashed. "I may be committing treason against you,
but not against MiB. If I remained silent, that act would betray my
loyalty to the organization."
"What evidence can you provide to show that my presence
alone can destroy MIB?" Zed snarled back.
N shook his head. "I cannot tell you, otherwise he'll know.
I've already said too much."
Zed stared at him in confusion. "Good God, N. You're making
no sense. You act as if there's a conspiracy going on. Yet you still
do not have evidence to support such a wild claim. Who's this `he'
you're talking about?"
Frank heard someone coming. Quickly he hid behind the potted
alien plant next to the door.
It was Y, looking more confident than usual. He swept into
the restroom.
From outside, Frank could hear Y asking, "Zed, is N
bothering you?" Not wanting to miss a thing, Frank nudged the door
open a bit and peered inside.
Zed looked from N to Y. Clearly this was a spot where he did
not want to be in. He was stuck between an egotistical racist and a
paranoid freak. He shook his head. "No Y, but I just remembered that
I have a conference. So if you excuse me gentlemen," Zed walked
toward the door.
Again Frank disappeared behind the fronds until Zed left and
returned to his vantage point to watch the rest of the drama.
The looks N and Y gave each other were venomous, to the
point that Frank would have thought they attack each other.
"Well, N, seems like you've made your decision," Y said
oily. "I thought you would have changed your mind."
"You know damn well I haven't," N replied coldly. "I refuse
to sit by and let you destroy MiB. And no amount of threat will
change that."
Y let out a derisive laugh. "It's going to happen anyway,
and there's no way you'll be able to stop it. You have almost no
clue of what's going on, only speculations that give you a glimpse
of the events."
N narrowed his stormy-gray eyes. "I know enough that you're
using Zed somehow to achieve your ends. You've got him under control
somehow and I intend to expose your sick little game."
Y spread out his hands. "You give us too much credit. Zed is
not under our control. That could be tracked so easily. The problem
lies within," he chuckled malevolently.
Without warning Y found himself staring down the barrel of a
Carbonizer. Likewise, however, N found himself doing the same.
Frank gasped. Agents pulling out weapons on each other? What
the hell was going on?
Y smirked. "Don't you ever wonder why we've allowed you to
live? You could be much stronger you know, strong enough to
subjugate many alien races beneath you, say for example the
Kryterians?"
N glared at him. "You're sick, Y. You think a bribe like
that would work? I ought to shoot you for such an insult."
"You could," Y retorted. Then he let down his weapon,
unfazed to see that N had not done likewise. Still with N's
Carbonizer locked on him, Y leaned back against the wall, as cool as
ever. "But the others will avenge me. And I don't have to mention
the growing suspicion Zed would have towards you."
N scowled, but slowly lowered his weapon.
"That's a good boy," Y mocked. "You're pathetic. I don't
understand why you waste your talent for Zed and his so-called
agents. If you don't watch it, you'll find yourself in the
Psychiatric Ward in a straight-jacket."
N frowned but kept silent.
Y smiled darkly. "You know Zed wouldn't have believed you
even if you told the truth. He doesn't hold members of the Silver
Caliber in high regard. Who would? Especially if it is nothing but a
group of paranoid old-timers."
He leaned closer to N and sneered. "It's only a matter of
time before MiB is ours. The final phase of the plan is in place.
Zeeltor is unwittingly conducting it as we speak. And you're too
late to stop it." He laughed unpleasantly.
At first N looked confused. Suddenly his eyes grew
wide. "Damn you, you bastard!" He rushed to the door.
Frank had already left the scene, racing toward the
Cafeteria. He had to tell Kay.
Part 15 Zeeltor whistled a tune that only made sense to him. He felt
especially light-hearted today (though when was there a time he
wasn't?). For once he the mystery of the missing memories could be
solved, all thanks to a new device he invented.
After adjusting a few bolts and nuts, he stood back to
admire his work.
The machine looked a cross between a can opener and a TV
monitor. Wires snaked about on a coil into two helmets.
The door to the lab slid open and Zed entered. He
blinked. "If I may ask, Doctor, what exactly does that contraption
of yours do?"
Zeeltor beamed. "It's my newest medical equipment, the Neuro-
Analyzer. We don't need to use any of that messy Neuro-Clay. It
leaves such a mess and dries too quickly. Now this little baby will
do the same function as the Neuro-Clay but without the mess, and
allow the hypnotist to view their patients's recalled memories."
Zed smirked to himself. Zeeltor would do well as a
salesperson-er-alien, he thought. "Okay. Let's get this over with."
***
Kay frowned. Something was very wrong. When an agent got to
be as experienced as he was, intuition played a major role in their
decisions.
As if to confirm his belief, Klammic came rushing around the
corner. Seeing Kay and Jay, he made a bee-line for them.
"Agent Kay, the Weapons Vault, someone.someone," he panted.
"Whoa, slow down, Skippy," Jay remarked. "Where's the fire?"
Klammic glared at him and turned to Kay. "Sir, someone has
removed a large quantity of firearms from the Weapons Vault. Without
permission."
Jay, as if reading his partner's mind, asked, "Damn, who has
those weapons now?"
But Kay was ahead of him. He turned away from Klammic and
began dragging Jay by the sleeve. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Jay huffed as he followed Kay.
"Security."
***
H sat back on his chair, scratching his head in bewilderment.
All about him were the deneuralization records. Unlike
Zeeltor, he believed in those figures. He didn't toy with such
abstract ideas like hypnosis.
H reflected back on the latest bout he had with Zeeltor on
exactly that matter. After 2 hours of yelling, Zeeltor gave in and
promised not to use hypnosis for treatment.
Smiling in satisfaction, H turned back to the reports.
There. He thought the pattern was clear. The seniors, such
as his former friend Y, shown no aggression toward aliens until
after the deneuralization. It was as if their anger had been
suppressed and suddenly unbottled. And the anger lashed out in
fights. All the Psychiatric Ward has to do is force the agents to
deal with their anger.
H congratulated himself for finding out this fact. But the
happiness was gone when he remember Zed's order for him to share any
discovery he made with Zeeltor. Sighing he pressed a button on his
computer, which linked to the camera and intercom in Zeeltor's lab,
to find if the alien doctor was there.
Indeed he was, but that was not all. H clenched his teeth.
Damn that alien. He had told him specifically not to use hypnosis,
much less on Zed.
H got up and strode briskly out of his own lab, shattering
the panes of the door as he slammed it. He was going to give that
quack a piece of his mind.
***
X and Elle had breathed sighs of relief when Jay had left
with Kay. They had enough stains on their shirts without his slobber
all over it.
"So human," X smirked. "How's your salad?" As if to rub it
in, he slurped up a string of spaghetti.
"Peachy," Elle said delicately. "You know, there is one good
thing about salads."
X chewed and swallowed. "Really?" he replied half-interested.
"Mm-hmm." Without warning, Elle grabbed his plate of
spaghetti and smooshed it unto his shirt. "Salads don't leave any
stain marks," she said brightly.
X scowled and pulled off the oh-so-sticky plate off and
grimaced in distaste as he glanced at the enormous orange greasy
stain. Bits of noodles and meatballs clung to his clothing. "Damn
it, small ears. I'm already in deep trouble with Vee in Wardrobe.
She's gonna kill me when she sees what happened to my suit." He
peeled off a noodle.
Elle smiled triumphantly. "Serves you right. Besides it's
not my fault you keep getting your human disguises ripped up during
your little stunts. If anything this will be a quick fix for Vee."
"Glad to see you two enjoying yourselves," a voice said.
The two looked about to see a pot-bellied pug below them. X
and Elle gave Frank looks of disgust.
"Well, if it isn't Frank the Pig," X smirked.
Frank harrumphed and clambered unsteadily unto a
chair. "I've already heard that one, Agent Underwear."
X frowned. "Watch it, Pug."
Elle chuckled. "So Frank, what's eating you?"
Ignoring that comment, Frank told them the entire dialogue
he overheard between Zed and N as well as the face off between N and
Y.
This was a bit hard to swallow for the agents. Zed
tolerating such rudeness from N? N telling Zed to retire outright?
Zed possibly controlled? If they didn't know better, Frank might
have been telling a fictious story. What was most hardest to believe
was the plot against MiB being brought about by Zeeltor and Zed.
"Listen, Pug, you better not be making this up," X warned.
"I swear on the Staff of Soclarion that it's true," Frank
insisted.
Elle looked at him. "Wasn't that the same staff that you
swore on when you claimed that you were a Hyperion god," she asked
flatly.
Frank gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, well, this promise is
different. We've got to stop Zeeltor from doing, whatever he's
doing."
X and Elle rolled their eyes.
"Okay Pug," X gave in. "You better be right or I'll have a
new fur cover for my car mat."
"Come on," Frank led the two to Zeeltor's lab.
***
Kay flashed his MiB clearance card and the guard allowed them
to pass.
They proceeded down a long dimly-lit corridor until they
came to a utilitarian gray door simply marked `Security.'
"Manny, we need to use your system a bit," Kay said without
preamble.
The squid-alien blinked its orb-like eyes and nodded.
While Jay kept himself busy by avoiding the whitering
tentacles of Manny, Kay typed in his password and brought up the
Weapons Vault viewscreen. He rewind bit and watched the film.
There. Agent N walked up to the vault's JeeDangian metal
doors. Promptly he typed in the code and entered. Kay fastforwarded
and watched as N left with an enormous briefcase.
Kay turned to Manny. "Why didn't you inform us about this,"
he demanded sternly.
The alien shrugged. "He's an agent. All of you come and go."
Kay cursed at the incompetence of the alien. "Come on,
Slick. We've got to report this to Zed."
"Report what?" Jay copied Kay's fast stride as they went
into the corridor again.
Kay's lips tightened. "An agent has taken an unauthorized
large amount of firearms. What does that tell you?"
Jay thought about that. "It could be our boy's selling MiB
property or." He widened his eyes. ".or he's planning to use them
to."
".to create a civil war within MiB itself." Kay finished.
Jay whistled. "N was caught by security last night trying to
smuggle his gun into Housing Quarters. Knew that something was funny
with the dude. Didn't think he'd have a score against MiB."
"It's not N," Kay said as they ran through the
hallway. "It's just an imposter. I've know N for a while. He has a
limp from an old battle wound on his right leg, giving him a slight
misbalance that could easily be overlooked. Our perp was favoring
his left."
"Which means," Jay thought aloud. "Only one thing for sure,
our imposter could only be one person."
Kay nodded. "Y. Discrimination can do funny things to a man.
It drives them to do anything to hurt hose they consider lesser than
them, even if it means removing those who stand up to them."
Part 16 Agent U rubbed his sore shoulder where he had just rammed
into F with. He winced, knowing he probably pulled something.
"Mister Oxy, are you okay?" A tiny voice asked.
U nodded, causing his costume's mask to wobble. The costume
had been a hindrance and slowed his movements greatly during the
fight. Yet the stuffing had also acted as a cushion against F's
blows. Thinking fast, U used it to run into F like a football player.
"Yes, Gustelluv, I'm okay." Thank God the kids couldn't see
the pained expression on his face. He looked up. The
kids! "Children, are any of you hurt?" U asked anxiously. He
wouldn't forgive himself if one of them were injured under his
charge.
"No, we're fine." It was followed by other muttering and
chirruping of agreement.
A little alien resembling a blue teddy bear looked down at
F's fallen body. "Why did he attacked us?" she squeaked.
Why indeed? U picked up F's Carbonizer, and looked at the
gouges it left on the wall. He shuddered at the sight. Could F's
hatred go so far as to harm, no kill, alien children? The thought
sickened U.
He took out his com-link. "Security to MiB Daycare, we have
a situation down here."
U looked down at F's unconscious form, shaking his head.
What on earth is going on?
***
The same thought was going through Elle's mind as she and X
rushed after Frank. They had reached the stairwell that lead down to
Zeeltor's lab.
.when suddenly there was an explosion, and a cascade of
mechanical debri shot upward. The ground shook violently, causing
her and X to stumble.
Shit! Elle thought, we're too late!
"Elle, X!" A voice called.
***
"Now just relax. You may feel a bit pressure against your
skull, but it's not going to crush it or anything of that nature,"
Zeeltor chimed.
Zed frowned from under the helmet. "That sounds so
reassuring Doctor." Already he was having second thoughts about the
whole hypnosis procedure. And watching Zeeltor baby-talking to his
pet bacteria did not help convince Zed that he was in good hands.
"Oh, I almost forgotten the main part for the Neuro-
Analyzer." Zeeltor rushed over to his desk and opened a very
cluttered drawer. After a little rummaging, he pulled out a very
intergalactic dentist drill, which let out a shrill whine like a
chainsaw.
"So that's where I put it," Zeeltor smiled.
Zed gulped. God help me.
Zeeltor simply drilled in a loose nail on the wall that
supported a picture of Lucy. "There, much better. Can't have the
picture on crooked now, can we?"
Zed sighed in exasperation. "Zeeltor, I have an appointment
with Ambassador Hotchusi, so if you please."
Zeeltor had a momentary blank look on his face. "Oh," he
brightened. "Of course. Let's carry on shall we?"
"Now you know what you're doing right?"
Zeeltor waved an impatient hand. "Don't worry. I'm pretty
sure I can.I do it all the time!" He snapped on a pair of virtual
goggles and gloves. "Okay, here we go."
***
Jay ignored the stitch in his side. Big Z was in danger and
that was all that mattered. Y had shown his true colors at last and
was willing to do everything to achieve his gruesome ends.
But why? Was his prejudice toward aliens so strong as to
actually attack his own fellow agents? In the years Jay known him,
the guy was a complete introvert, never sharing his feelings to
anyone. He got along okay with the other agents and never stirred
trouble with aliens except giving them dirty look and the occasional
insult. Yet he was so out of character to actually do something
about his aggression towards aliens, that Jay began to suspect foul
play. No doubt Kay was thinking the same thing; yet it would affect
him more, knowing Y for so long.
Kay led the way, brushing a way for Jay to follow him
through. The crowd stared at them, offended by their rudeness.
At last, they came to the laboratory main floor.
Suddenly the floor shook as if a tremor had just struck MiB
and a thundering boom echoed through the corridor.
"Damn," Jay hissed.
Kay looked about and spotted Elle and X, led by Frank.
Apparently they were heading to the same direction. "Elle, X!" he
called.
***
The narrow corridor echoed with N's unsteady footsteps. Damn
bum leg, he thought. It just had to pick this time to start acting
up.
Though not the most roomy of places leading to the labs, it
was certainly the quickest. And N needed every second.
At last the thin beam of light from his penlight came across
the door marked "Labs" in peeling red paint.
N gripped the handle and the bolt came undone with a heavy
metallic thud. After 2 minutes in the dank passageway, light
filtered in and bathed upon him. He jerked out his Carbonizer and
entered.
***
At once Zed felt a low current of electricity flow through
his body, which suddenly gone limp. Instead of bringing up feelings
of alarm, Zed felt strangely calm as if lolling into the sleep that
he so much needed. A bizarre sensation overclaimed him and he felt
as if he was floating metaphysically; his consciousness hovering
just above his body.
"Zed?" A disembodied voiced called to him.
Zed was barely aware of the voice and only until Zeeltor
called again did he respond. "Yes, Doctor?"
"I want you to allow yourself to go back, back to your past.
Thirty years ago."
"How?"
"Recall your nightmares, face them."
Zed breathed out and closed his eyes.
A voice. A different voice was calling him. At first softly,
but now louder. "Hit him, kill him. Kill the alien! KILL!"
Zeeltor jerked back at the presence of another voice. Time
for phase two. "Zed, focus on a place that you'd like to be at."
Almost immediately Zeeltor found himself on a beach with Zed
standing beside him.
Zed blinked. "Zeeltor, what are you doing here? I thought
this was a dream."
"It's not a dream," Zeeltor looked about. "My invention
brings us to a state in which your consciousness and unconsciousness
meet. Here we'll encounter the suppressed memories."
Frowning, Zed tried to look for something unusual that stood
out from the serene surroundings. A lighthouse stood closeby.
.and there at its threshold was the face that they couldn't
identify, yet feel tat it was familiar all the same.
A man dressed in MiB attire stepped out from the shadows.
His blond hair was cut in a buzzcut but stood a bit higher than U's.
His eyebrows were bushy and matched his hair color, and a pair of
icy blue eyes stared out from beneath them, giving its owner a
predatory expression. Beneath his bulbous short nose, his lips had a
smirk on them, as if the mysterious figure had been waiting for
their arrival.
Somehow, Zed knew, he knew that here was the source of his
problems. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The blond-haired man gave them a sinister smile. "I'm
surprised you don't remember," he murmured softly. "Oh wait, you
shouldn't remember." He let out short rumbling guffaw.
"Omega has a strange plan to take over MiB. A plan that
would take years to accomplish," the man continued.
Zeeltor frowned in puzzlement of the name. Cleary though,
from the look on Zed's face, he knew what the man was talking about.
But it was unnerving to see the color from Zed's face drain away and
his countenance bearing a look of fear.
Zed's eyes widen in bewilderment. "But how." he stammered.
"It began at Flushing Meadows, which you know full well was
the site of where the Baltians first made contact. Now the story
goes saying that there were 5 agents that met them. That itself is a
lie. There were truly 6 agents that night: Kay, H, Tee, Dee, Q, and
moi."
The man smirked. "Of course, I did not know that I was
really from the future, being that Agents Kay and Jay neuralized me.
They tried to manipulate my mind to accept aliens' presence on
Earth. Then with a Quantum Time Leaper, they incidently left me at
the night of the encounter.
"I had been accepted as a member of MiB, still unaware of my
true nature. The Baltians gave me a droid, little realizing that it
contained a part of Omega. That droid released me from the spell of
neuralization."
A scowl of great intensity crossed the stranger's
features. "I wanted revenge. I wanted an end to the arrogance of the
aliens who tormented me even as I showed hospitality to them. So
Omega tried to use another agent to establish man's domination over
all aliens. This agent was the original chief, the one you knew as
Alpha. He was exceptionally bright and ambitious. Yet he was at
first hesistant to aid us. He was filled with the same bullshit of
wanting to make peace with aliens. That was until Omega revealed to
him the potential of mankind."
Then it hit Zed. "The Verudian Cosmic Integrator."
The stranger nodded. "Alpha was a failure however. Although
he eventually took to heart the belief the superiority of man over
alien, he only saw the personal benefits. We could not rely on him
to carry on our cause. Therefore I was chosen to take his place." He
glared at Zed. "Until you were picked over me."
Zed smirked defiantly. "Must have been a tough decision for
the agents to make."
Ignoring the comment, the man continued. "I thought that our
scheme had ended. But then Omega thought of plan that was.a bit
drastic." The man sniffed. "Instead of telling you, how about I show
you?"
Suddenly the entire beach landscape was replaced with the
most horrifying lab Zeeltor had ever laid eyes on. It was like
stepping into one of the human horror stories he read; inside the
lab of a mad scientist.
There was yelp and Zeeltor turned his attention towards it,
and gasped.
Sprawled out on a cold metal medical bed, a young MiB agent
strained hard against the shackles that bolted him to the surface.
Closeby, the blond-haired man stood with a sneer on his face, taking
great delight in his captive's futile struggle.
Zeeltor rushed to aid the agent from his plight. However to
his great surprise, his hands just went through. "Wha.?" He looked
at the two, but neither showed him any recognition.
Then he realized that he was only watching a memory. And
that it was impossible to help the young man from his malevolent
captor. All Zeeltor could do was watch the tragedy unfold.
"E," a computerized voice spoke.
Zeeltor jumped.
From the shadows, a crab-like machine revealed itself.
Zeeltor stared, amazed at its sleak and graceful design. It moved
with such fluidity found only in animals of great stealth. Its body
consisted of a metal that Zeeltor could not identify or recognized.
A strange illumination came from within its depths, so bright that
it shone through the metallic shell.
"Is this the human you spoken of? The one who you say will
replace Alpha?" the machine asked.
E turned to face the machine, his face scowling. "Yes,
Omega. Pathetic as it may be, MiB has chosen him as their new chief
rather than me."
The crab-machine remained silent for a few seconds. Then it
leaned over the prostrate body of the agent, as if to examine him.
"What the hell are you?" the agent demanded. "And what do
you want with me?"
The machine replied to neither question but turned back to
E. "He has such spirit, this Agent Zed has."
Zeeltor's mouth dropped. That was Zed lying there on the
table. This must have been the past, probably 25 or 30 years ago,
judging by the age Zed was now. Curiously E, as the droid had
identified the blond man, had not changed a bit.
E frowned. "He sure does. Gave me hell before I could
finally sedate him." He pointed at the black-and-blue bruise on his
face."
Zed smirked. "And there's more where that came from,
bastard." He jerked at his restraints as if to prove his point. He
was bluffing of course. There was little else he could do.
"So," E continued. "What are we to do with him."
He didn't get to finish his sentence, for the droid suddenly
snatched him within its lethal grasp.
"H.hey," E gasped as one leg was wrapped around his throat.
His eyes bulged and he panted for air. "What the hell are you doing?"
Zeeltor stared in bewilderment, as the machine hovered E
over Zed.
A metallic scrape emitted as blades protruded from a leg. E
barely let out a chilling yell before it was cut short. The scream
suddenly turned into a sickening gurgle as blood spilled from the
deep gash on E's neck.
Zed winced in horror as the blood drizzled unto him, soaking
into his clothes and filling his nose with its harsh metallic smell.
It streamed unto his face and he cringed.
Zeeltor stood paralyzed by the gore. But it was not over.
Although it was clear that E was indeed dead, the machine held the
lifeless corpse, and downpour of crimson continued to fall upon Zed.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the machine
moved. Still holding the body, it lifted up another leg. The tip of
the raised appendage split open, like a blossoming flower, revealing
pink flesh-like material within the metal. The machine hover this
over E's chest. And suddenly a blue-white orb hissed and hummed like
electricity, before the let carried it over to Zed.
Zed's face paled and he strained against the chains. So
desperate he was that he ignored the bloody cuts produced by the
chaffing of the shackles against his skin.
Zeeltor and Zed yelled when the orb was forced into Zed's
chest.
Suddenly, the scene disappeared and Zeeltor found himself
back on the beach with Zed next to him, shaken but unharmed. Both of
their breathing was fast and short and their faces reflected their
reaction to the previous horror.
The stranger, who they know now as E, watched them, with the
same look of amusement he had on his face when he watched Zed being
chained down.
"That little play I showed you was the price I must pay for
my loyalty to Omega," E said coolly. "I lost my own identity and had
to take yours, Zed. Omega and I worked quickly. We purged every
memory there is of me. I had to play behind the scenes of the most
illustrious and secretive agency in the world. For 6 months I wasted
away in MiB's Archive Vault, practicing your persona, waiting for my
shining moment. It came and I got everything ready. However," he
snarled, "One of your agents unwittingly trapped me inside your
subconscious. I lost control of your body. And I waited until my
liberation came with the mind-link you had, Zed. Yet I could only
float in and out of control. Tonight however, my men had set the
stage and only await for Dr. Zeeltor's cue."
Zeeltor was devastated. He.played a role in the part,
unwittingly, but just the same?
Zed glared at the stranger. "What men? 30 years is a bit too
long to wait patiently."
"Fool," the other admonished. "My men have laid in wait for
the deneuralization, from whence they would awaken ready for my
coming."
Zed's eyes widen. "But that would mean."
The stranger let out another round of laughter. "You thought
right, old man. The very men you count as friends, who lived with
you, the ones you swore to watch over, are the very ones that will
turn around and destroy you. Only now are their true natures shown.
The deneuralizations released them from their false personas that
you've long since remembered and known. I have set them against your
younger agents, who are outnumbered and unaware. I have accomplished
what Alpha had failed to do, destroy MiB, but doing so from within."
Zed automatically reached for his hidden sidearm, but his
hand grabbed at nothing. Damn, this was only a dream.
"Here," E smiled darkly. "Let me show you how it's done." He
extended his arm and a Carbonizer Cannon appeared in his hand.
Zed ran and grabbed Zeeltor, barreling themselves behind a
shipwreak on the shoreline. The spot they had just stood suddenly
became an enormous crater.
The hum of the Cannon meant it was charging for another
pulse. Zed dragged Zeeltor behind another wreak. Damn, Zed thought,
that weapons too powerful. But wait.if I could just get close.
Zeeltor get to safety, I got an idea."
"But."
Another explosion nearby cut off Zeeltor's protest. To
Zeeltor's great surprise, Zed had began to run towards the armed
stranger.
The man looked up from the crosshair on his gun in surprise.
Zed caught him with a sharp right hook, sending him to the
ground. The weapon in his hand was dislodged and Zed took it.
"Did you forget," Zed smirked, directing the weapon at
E. "That the Cannon takes a few seconds to recharge right? Oh, guess
not. Now answer my question, who are you?"
"Moffat," the man said as he spat a gooble of blood from his
cut lip. "Edmund Clark Moffat."
Something triggered in Zed's mind. That name sounded
familiar. "Listen close buddy. Get the hell out of my head," Zed
growled.
Moffat grinned. "I love to really, but it's not my choice.
You remember when I told you about me being forced into your body?"
Zed gripped his gun tightly.
"You see," Moffat continued. "I'm not alone."
"Zed, look out!" Zeeltor yelled.
But it was too late. The ground split opened and from a
sandy pit emerged a spider-like machine. Before Zed could target it,
it scuttled at lighting sped across the dunes and seized the chief
of MiB. The gun dropped to the ground and Zed struggled to get out
of its iron grip.
Moffat got up and simply dusted the sand from
himself. "Sorry, Zed. But we no longer find you.useful."
From the mouth of the spider came a gruesome hypodermic
needle. Zed screamed as it was inserted into his left clavicle.
"Zed!" Zeeltor rushed to save him. When suddenly the beach
and everyone there disappeared. All he could se was the green visor
of the helmet.
Tearing the helmet off, Zeeltor glanced anxiously at where
Zed laid.
Zed screamed and his body twitched violently. By Judenia's
Crown, he's going into shock, Zeeltor realized.
Zeeltor snagged a syringe from a stand and began filling it
with a sedative. He just had to calm him down. As the fluid from the
bottle went into the needle, Zeeltor did his best to ignore the
rapidly beating heart monitor. The neural activity monitor blared
madly and the line on the screen jerked spasmodically.
.suddenly, the brain monitor flatlined.
Zeeltor's heart skipped a beat. No, it just can't be.Zed
couldn't be.His eyes darted to the heart monitor, which indicated a
steady rhythm. That's odd. The heart monitor showed life signs, yet
the brain activity was.
Zeeltor placed his needle unto the surgical tray and pulled
off the helmet from Zed's head.
With baited breath he waited.
.and the neural activity monitor began to beep steadily.
Zeeltor sighed in relief. "Zed, Zed. Wake up," he called
urgently. He would never forgive himself if the chief of MiB was
brain damaged. Zeeltor wiped the cold perspiration from his brow and
a few drops fell unto Zed's face.
Zed grimaced and stirred. His eyes opened.
"Oh, thank the cosmos," Zeeltor exclaimed.
Suddenly Zed sat up and wrapped his hands around Zeeltor's
thin neck. Zeeltor looked at Zed in shock. But it was no longer Zed.
The eye lost their fatherly and wise sparkle, only malevolence
dwelled there. A lust to kill burned within them.
Zeeltor looked about the lab. There has to be something to.THERE! He
frantically reached for the sedative-filled needle, all the while
his vision became blurred from the lack of oxygen. His fingers
fumbled about and the needle dropped to the ground, too far out of
reach.
Zeeltor gasped and pried at Zed's hands. Oh, Quetzalcoatl, he was
going to die. Zed's hands tightened, wringing the very life from
Zeeltor.
Suddenly a shot rang out and Zeeltor felt the grip about his
neck had relented. He dropped to his knees and fainted.
Zed howled in pain as blood spilled from the cut on his hand.
"Freeze it, big guy." N glared at Zed from behind his gun.
Then he fingered his gun setting to stun. To Zed, "Keep your hands
where I can see them," he hissed.
Zed sneered but complied. "You call yourselves protectors if
Earth yet you allowed the aliens to come and exploit our resources
and for what? Despite the favors you gave them, they insist on being
called superior than us. We are merely their colonies to them." He
let out a derisive laugh. "Well, you can go to hell with them for
all I care."
What the hell is he babbling about? N thought. He tightened
his grip on his gun.
Then came voices from outside the lab, and the door slid
open.
N sighed in relief when he saw they were not Y's agents,
rather they were the younger agents. Then he realized, the agents
had their weapons.trained on him.
An agent whom he recognized as Janice stepped forward, her
MiB Special Issue was still trained on him. "N, just put your weapon
on the ground.slowly." An expression of sympathy appeared on her
face, as if to plead that he do so for his best interest.
N shook his head. "No you don't understand. Zed is being
controlled."
"Give it up N," another agent called. "Your attempt to
assassinate Zed was revealed to us by a reliable source."
N gritted his teeth. Who would.of course, Y.
"Disarm him," Zed ordered. "And get Zeeltor to the
Infirmary."
N scowled in disgust of how the impostor had managed to play
Zed's authoritive charisma flawlessly.
Janice approached N to take his Carbonizer. That's when it
happened.
N sensed the trajectory of the shot, which to the other
agents was silent and non-existant. "Get down!" N pulled Janice unto
the floor with him. One of Zeeltor's inventions exploded violently
and N felt his ears pop.
scoffed. "Look at you. The great chief of MiB himself is being
chased by a nightmare."
Zed stiffened. "I don't have time for your bullshit, N. What
do you want?"
The other just smiled coolly. "Come now, Zed. Is that anyway
to greet an old friend?"
"We're not friends N," Zed growled. "And never were. So cut
to the chase."
N paced about him, keeping his distance, as if Zed had a
contagious disease about him. "Times changed you know. And you're
not as young as you used to be." He stopped his pacing and glared at
Zed. "Everyone knows you're losing your grip. MiB is starting to
fall into decay and needs someone strong to lead them. Not some old
loon who's lost his mind."
Frank, who overheard the conversation, gaped at the audacity
of N. Zed would have skinned his own furry hide if he spoke like
that. Surely he'd fire N. It would have made Frank and the agents
happy to see N get sent packing too. The guy was one of the most
pompous jackasses anyone could ever meet this side of the planet
Pluto. Frank waited in anxious anticipation, hoping Zed would tell
the obnoxious creep off.
The fury in Zed's eyes had built, but to Franks utter
disbelief and dismay, Zed just said simply, "Please be more
specific, N. Quit beating about the bush."
N shrugged. "If you wish." His voice was dangerously soft.
He gave Zed a piercing look. "I demand that you step down as the
head of MiB and retire."
Zed stared at him in shock and stepped back. Quickly he
regained his composure. "What you're asking for is insane," he
replied between clenched teeth. "For a long time, I've tolerated
your erratic behavior. So I'm warning you."
"NO!" N interjected sharply. He fixed a penetrating gaze on
Zed. "I'm warning you. I don't care if you plan to fire me. But if
you truly have concern for the welfare of MiB, then it is imperative
that you step down from your leadership."
Zed frowned. "What the hell are you talking about? The only
danger is with you crazy seniors. I hadn't one day in which at least
one fight has broken out."
N waved an impatient hand. "That's just the beginning!" He
pointed at Zed. "You're the one who would bring an end to MiB."
Shaking his head vigorously, Zed scowled. "Now you're
testing me. I have always allowed you to explain your rash judgment
without charging it as insubordination. Yet your reasoning is
bizarre and downright eccentric. You're bordering on treason."
N's eyes flashed. "I may be committing treason against you,
but not against MiB. If I remained silent, that act would betray my
loyalty to the organization."
"What evidence can you provide to show that my presence
alone can destroy MIB?" Zed snarled back.
N shook his head. "I cannot tell you, otherwise he'll know.
I've already said too much."
Zed stared at him in confusion. "Good God, N. You're making
no sense. You act as if there's a conspiracy going on. Yet you still
do not have evidence to support such a wild claim. Who's this `he'
you're talking about?"
Frank heard someone coming. Quickly he hid behind the potted
alien plant next to the door.
It was Y, looking more confident than usual. He swept into
the restroom.
From outside, Frank could hear Y asking, "Zed, is N
bothering you?" Not wanting to miss a thing, Frank nudged the door
open a bit and peered inside.
Zed looked from N to Y. Clearly this was a spot where he did
not want to be in. He was stuck between an egotistical racist and a
paranoid freak. He shook his head. "No Y, but I just remembered that
I have a conference. So if you excuse me gentlemen," Zed walked
toward the door.
Again Frank disappeared behind the fronds until Zed left and
returned to his vantage point to watch the rest of the drama.
The looks N and Y gave each other were venomous, to the
point that Frank would have thought they attack each other.
"Well, N, seems like you've made your decision," Y said
oily. "I thought you would have changed your mind."
"You know damn well I haven't," N replied coldly. "I refuse
to sit by and let you destroy MiB. And no amount of threat will
change that."
Y let out a derisive laugh. "It's going to happen anyway,
and there's no way you'll be able to stop it. You have almost no
clue of what's going on, only speculations that give you a glimpse
of the events."
N narrowed his stormy-gray eyes. "I know enough that you're
using Zed somehow to achieve your ends. You've got him under control
somehow and I intend to expose your sick little game."
Y spread out his hands. "You give us too much credit. Zed is
not under our control. That could be tracked so easily. The problem
lies within," he chuckled malevolently.
Without warning Y found himself staring down the barrel of a
Carbonizer. Likewise, however, N found himself doing the same.
Frank gasped. Agents pulling out weapons on each other? What
the hell was going on?
Y smirked. "Don't you ever wonder why we've allowed you to
live? You could be much stronger you know, strong enough to
subjugate many alien races beneath you, say for example the
Kryterians?"
N glared at him. "You're sick, Y. You think a bribe like
that would work? I ought to shoot you for such an insult."
"You could," Y retorted. Then he let down his weapon,
unfazed to see that N had not done likewise. Still with N's
Carbonizer locked on him, Y leaned back against the wall, as cool as
ever. "But the others will avenge me. And I don't have to mention
the growing suspicion Zed would have towards you."
N scowled, but slowly lowered his weapon.
"That's a good boy," Y mocked. "You're pathetic. I don't
understand why you waste your talent for Zed and his so-called
agents. If you don't watch it, you'll find yourself in the
Psychiatric Ward in a straight-jacket."
N frowned but kept silent.
Y smiled darkly. "You know Zed wouldn't have believed you
even if you told the truth. He doesn't hold members of the Silver
Caliber in high regard. Who would? Especially if it is nothing but a
group of paranoid old-timers."
He leaned closer to N and sneered. "It's only a matter of
time before MiB is ours. The final phase of the plan is in place.
Zeeltor is unwittingly conducting it as we speak. And you're too
late to stop it." He laughed unpleasantly.
At first N looked confused. Suddenly his eyes grew
wide. "Damn you, you bastard!" He rushed to the door.
Frank had already left the scene, racing toward the
Cafeteria. He had to tell Kay.
Part 15 Zeeltor whistled a tune that only made sense to him. He felt
especially light-hearted today (though when was there a time he
wasn't?). For once he the mystery of the missing memories could be
solved, all thanks to a new device he invented.
After adjusting a few bolts and nuts, he stood back to
admire his work.
The machine looked a cross between a can opener and a TV
monitor. Wires snaked about on a coil into two helmets.
The door to the lab slid open and Zed entered. He
blinked. "If I may ask, Doctor, what exactly does that contraption
of yours do?"
Zeeltor beamed. "It's my newest medical equipment, the Neuro-
Analyzer. We don't need to use any of that messy Neuro-Clay. It
leaves such a mess and dries too quickly. Now this little baby will
do the same function as the Neuro-Clay but without the mess, and
allow the hypnotist to view their patients's recalled memories."
Zed smirked to himself. Zeeltor would do well as a
salesperson-er-alien, he thought. "Okay. Let's get this over with."
***
Kay frowned. Something was very wrong. When an agent got to
be as experienced as he was, intuition played a major role in their
decisions.
As if to confirm his belief, Klammic came rushing around the
corner. Seeing Kay and Jay, he made a bee-line for them.
"Agent Kay, the Weapons Vault, someone.someone," he panted.
"Whoa, slow down, Skippy," Jay remarked. "Where's the fire?"
Klammic glared at him and turned to Kay. "Sir, someone has
removed a large quantity of firearms from the Weapons Vault. Without
permission."
Jay, as if reading his partner's mind, asked, "Damn, who has
those weapons now?"
But Kay was ahead of him. He turned away from Klammic and
began dragging Jay by the sleeve. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Jay huffed as he followed Kay.
"Security."
***
H sat back on his chair, scratching his head in bewilderment.
All about him were the deneuralization records. Unlike
Zeeltor, he believed in those figures. He didn't toy with such
abstract ideas like hypnosis.
H reflected back on the latest bout he had with Zeeltor on
exactly that matter. After 2 hours of yelling, Zeeltor gave in and
promised not to use hypnosis for treatment.
Smiling in satisfaction, H turned back to the reports.
There. He thought the pattern was clear. The seniors, such
as his former friend Y, shown no aggression toward aliens until
after the deneuralization. It was as if their anger had been
suppressed and suddenly unbottled. And the anger lashed out in
fights. All the Psychiatric Ward has to do is force the agents to
deal with their anger.
H congratulated himself for finding out this fact. But the
happiness was gone when he remember Zed's order for him to share any
discovery he made with Zeeltor. Sighing he pressed a button on his
computer, which linked to the camera and intercom in Zeeltor's lab,
to find if the alien doctor was there.
Indeed he was, but that was not all. H clenched his teeth.
Damn that alien. He had told him specifically not to use hypnosis,
much less on Zed.
H got up and strode briskly out of his own lab, shattering
the panes of the door as he slammed it. He was going to give that
quack a piece of his mind.
***
X and Elle had breathed sighs of relief when Jay had left
with Kay. They had enough stains on their shirts without his slobber
all over it.
"So human," X smirked. "How's your salad?" As if to rub it
in, he slurped up a string of spaghetti.
"Peachy," Elle said delicately. "You know, there is one good
thing about salads."
X chewed and swallowed. "Really?" he replied half-interested.
"Mm-hmm." Without warning, Elle grabbed his plate of
spaghetti and smooshed it unto his shirt. "Salads don't leave any
stain marks," she said brightly.
X scowled and pulled off the oh-so-sticky plate off and
grimaced in distaste as he glanced at the enormous orange greasy
stain. Bits of noodles and meatballs clung to his clothing. "Damn
it, small ears. I'm already in deep trouble with Vee in Wardrobe.
She's gonna kill me when she sees what happened to my suit." He
peeled off a noodle.
Elle smiled triumphantly. "Serves you right. Besides it's
not my fault you keep getting your human disguises ripped up during
your little stunts. If anything this will be a quick fix for Vee."
"Glad to see you two enjoying yourselves," a voice said.
The two looked about to see a pot-bellied pug below them. X
and Elle gave Frank looks of disgust.
"Well, if it isn't Frank the Pig," X smirked.
Frank harrumphed and clambered unsteadily unto a
chair. "I've already heard that one, Agent Underwear."
X frowned. "Watch it, Pug."
Elle chuckled. "So Frank, what's eating you?"
Ignoring that comment, Frank told them the entire dialogue
he overheard between Zed and N as well as the face off between N and
Y.
This was a bit hard to swallow for the agents. Zed
tolerating such rudeness from N? N telling Zed to retire outright?
Zed possibly controlled? If they didn't know better, Frank might
have been telling a fictious story. What was most hardest to believe
was the plot against MiB being brought about by Zeeltor and Zed.
"Listen, Pug, you better not be making this up," X warned.
"I swear on the Staff of Soclarion that it's true," Frank
insisted.
Elle looked at him. "Wasn't that the same staff that you
swore on when you claimed that you were a Hyperion god," she asked
flatly.
Frank gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, well, this promise is
different. We've got to stop Zeeltor from doing, whatever he's
doing."
X and Elle rolled their eyes.
"Okay Pug," X gave in. "You better be right or I'll have a
new fur cover for my car mat."
"Come on," Frank led the two to Zeeltor's lab.
***
Kay flashed his MiB clearance card and the guard allowed them
to pass.
They proceeded down a long dimly-lit corridor until they
came to a utilitarian gray door simply marked `Security.'
"Manny, we need to use your system a bit," Kay said without
preamble.
The squid-alien blinked its orb-like eyes and nodded.
While Jay kept himself busy by avoiding the whitering
tentacles of Manny, Kay typed in his password and brought up the
Weapons Vault viewscreen. He rewind bit and watched the film.
There. Agent N walked up to the vault's JeeDangian metal
doors. Promptly he typed in the code and entered. Kay fastforwarded
and watched as N left with an enormous briefcase.
Kay turned to Manny. "Why didn't you inform us about this,"
he demanded sternly.
The alien shrugged. "He's an agent. All of you come and go."
Kay cursed at the incompetence of the alien. "Come on,
Slick. We've got to report this to Zed."
"Report what?" Jay copied Kay's fast stride as they went
into the corridor again.
Kay's lips tightened. "An agent has taken an unauthorized
large amount of firearms. What does that tell you?"
Jay thought about that. "It could be our boy's selling MiB
property or." He widened his eyes. ".or he's planning to use them
to."
".to create a civil war within MiB itself." Kay finished.
Jay whistled. "N was caught by security last night trying to
smuggle his gun into Housing Quarters. Knew that something was funny
with the dude. Didn't think he'd have a score against MiB."
"It's not N," Kay said as they ran through the
hallway. "It's just an imposter. I've know N for a while. He has a
limp from an old battle wound on his right leg, giving him a slight
misbalance that could easily be overlooked. Our perp was favoring
his left."
"Which means," Jay thought aloud. "Only one thing for sure,
our imposter could only be one person."
Kay nodded. "Y. Discrimination can do funny things to a man.
It drives them to do anything to hurt hose they consider lesser than
them, even if it means removing those who stand up to them."
Part 16 Agent U rubbed his sore shoulder where he had just rammed
into F with. He winced, knowing he probably pulled something.
"Mister Oxy, are you okay?" A tiny voice asked.
U nodded, causing his costume's mask to wobble. The costume
had been a hindrance and slowed his movements greatly during the
fight. Yet the stuffing had also acted as a cushion against F's
blows. Thinking fast, U used it to run into F like a football player.
"Yes, Gustelluv, I'm okay." Thank God the kids couldn't see
the pained expression on his face. He looked up. The
kids! "Children, are any of you hurt?" U asked anxiously. He
wouldn't forgive himself if one of them were injured under his
charge.
"No, we're fine." It was followed by other muttering and
chirruping of agreement.
A little alien resembling a blue teddy bear looked down at
F's fallen body. "Why did he attacked us?" she squeaked.
Why indeed? U picked up F's Carbonizer, and looked at the
gouges it left on the wall. He shuddered at the sight. Could F's
hatred go so far as to harm, no kill, alien children? The thought
sickened U.
He took out his com-link. "Security to MiB Daycare, we have
a situation down here."
U looked down at F's unconscious form, shaking his head.
What on earth is going on?
***
The same thought was going through Elle's mind as she and X
rushed after Frank. They had reached the stairwell that lead down to
Zeeltor's lab.
.when suddenly there was an explosion, and a cascade of
mechanical debri shot upward. The ground shook violently, causing
her and X to stumble.
Shit! Elle thought, we're too late!
"Elle, X!" A voice called.
***
"Now just relax. You may feel a bit pressure against your
skull, but it's not going to crush it or anything of that nature,"
Zeeltor chimed.
Zed frowned from under the helmet. "That sounds so
reassuring Doctor." Already he was having second thoughts about the
whole hypnosis procedure. And watching Zeeltor baby-talking to his
pet bacteria did not help convince Zed that he was in good hands.
"Oh, I almost forgotten the main part for the Neuro-
Analyzer." Zeeltor rushed over to his desk and opened a very
cluttered drawer. After a little rummaging, he pulled out a very
intergalactic dentist drill, which let out a shrill whine like a
chainsaw.
"So that's where I put it," Zeeltor smiled.
Zed gulped. God help me.
Zeeltor simply drilled in a loose nail on the wall that
supported a picture of Lucy. "There, much better. Can't have the
picture on crooked now, can we?"
Zed sighed in exasperation. "Zeeltor, I have an appointment
with Ambassador Hotchusi, so if you please."
Zeeltor had a momentary blank look on his face. "Oh," he
brightened. "Of course. Let's carry on shall we?"
"Now you know what you're doing right?"
Zeeltor waved an impatient hand. "Don't worry. I'm pretty
sure I can.I do it all the time!" He snapped on a pair of virtual
goggles and gloves. "Okay, here we go."
***
Jay ignored the stitch in his side. Big Z was in danger and
that was all that mattered. Y had shown his true colors at last and
was willing to do everything to achieve his gruesome ends.
But why? Was his prejudice toward aliens so strong as to
actually attack his own fellow agents? In the years Jay known him,
the guy was a complete introvert, never sharing his feelings to
anyone. He got along okay with the other agents and never stirred
trouble with aliens except giving them dirty look and the occasional
insult. Yet he was so out of character to actually do something
about his aggression towards aliens, that Jay began to suspect foul
play. No doubt Kay was thinking the same thing; yet it would affect
him more, knowing Y for so long.
Kay led the way, brushing a way for Jay to follow him
through. The crowd stared at them, offended by their rudeness.
At last, they came to the laboratory main floor.
Suddenly the floor shook as if a tremor had just struck MiB
and a thundering boom echoed through the corridor.
"Damn," Jay hissed.
Kay looked about and spotted Elle and X, led by Frank.
Apparently they were heading to the same direction. "Elle, X!" he
called.
***
The narrow corridor echoed with N's unsteady footsteps. Damn
bum leg, he thought. It just had to pick this time to start acting
up.
Though not the most roomy of places leading to the labs, it
was certainly the quickest. And N needed every second.
At last the thin beam of light from his penlight came across
the door marked "Labs" in peeling red paint.
N gripped the handle and the bolt came undone with a heavy
metallic thud. After 2 minutes in the dank passageway, light
filtered in and bathed upon him. He jerked out his Carbonizer and
entered.
***
At once Zed felt a low current of electricity flow through
his body, which suddenly gone limp. Instead of bringing up feelings
of alarm, Zed felt strangely calm as if lolling into the sleep that
he so much needed. A bizarre sensation overclaimed him and he felt
as if he was floating metaphysically; his consciousness hovering
just above his body.
"Zed?" A disembodied voiced called to him.
Zed was barely aware of the voice and only until Zeeltor
called again did he respond. "Yes, Doctor?"
"I want you to allow yourself to go back, back to your past.
Thirty years ago."
"How?"
"Recall your nightmares, face them."
Zed breathed out and closed his eyes.
A voice. A different voice was calling him. At first softly,
but now louder. "Hit him, kill him. Kill the alien! KILL!"
Zeeltor jerked back at the presence of another voice. Time
for phase two. "Zed, focus on a place that you'd like to be at."
Almost immediately Zeeltor found himself on a beach with Zed
standing beside him.
Zed blinked. "Zeeltor, what are you doing here? I thought
this was a dream."
"It's not a dream," Zeeltor looked about. "My invention
brings us to a state in which your consciousness and unconsciousness
meet. Here we'll encounter the suppressed memories."
Frowning, Zed tried to look for something unusual that stood
out from the serene surroundings. A lighthouse stood closeby.
.and there at its threshold was the face that they couldn't
identify, yet feel tat it was familiar all the same.
A man dressed in MiB attire stepped out from the shadows.
His blond hair was cut in a buzzcut but stood a bit higher than U's.
His eyebrows were bushy and matched his hair color, and a pair of
icy blue eyes stared out from beneath them, giving its owner a
predatory expression. Beneath his bulbous short nose, his lips had a
smirk on them, as if the mysterious figure had been waiting for
their arrival.
Somehow, Zed knew, he knew that here was the source of his
problems. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The blond-haired man gave them a sinister smile. "I'm
surprised you don't remember," he murmured softly. "Oh wait, you
shouldn't remember." He let out short rumbling guffaw.
"Omega has a strange plan to take over MiB. A plan that
would take years to accomplish," the man continued.
Zeeltor frowned in puzzlement of the name. Cleary though,
from the look on Zed's face, he knew what the man was talking about.
But it was unnerving to see the color from Zed's face drain away and
his countenance bearing a look of fear.
Zed's eyes widen in bewilderment. "But how." he stammered.
"It began at Flushing Meadows, which you know full well was
the site of where the Baltians first made contact. Now the story
goes saying that there were 5 agents that met them. That itself is a
lie. There were truly 6 agents that night: Kay, H, Tee, Dee, Q, and
moi."
The man smirked. "Of course, I did not know that I was
really from the future, being that Agents Kay and Jay neuralized me.
They tried to manipulate my mind to accept aliens' presence on
Earth. Then with a Quantum Time Leaper, they incidently left me at
the night of the encounter.
"I had been accepted as a member of MiB, still unaware of my
true nature. The Baltians gave me a droid, little realizing that it
contained a part of Omega. That droid released me from the spell of
neuralization."
A scowl of great intensity crossed the stranger's
features. "I wanted revenge. I wanted an end to the arrogance of the
aliens who tormented me even as I showed hospitality to them. So
Omega tried to use another agent to establish man's domination over
all aliens. This agent was the original chief, the one you knew as
Alpha. He was exceptionally bright and ambitious. Yet he was at
first hesistant to aid us. He was filled with the same bullshit of
wanting to make peace with aliens. That was until Omega revealed to
him the potential of mankind."
Then it hit Zed. "The Verudian Cosmic Integrator."
The stranger nodded. "Alpha was a failure however. Although
he eventually took to heart the belief the superiority of man over
alien, he only saw the personal benefits. We could not rely on him
to carry on our cause. Therefore I was chosen to take his place." He
glared at Zed. "Until you were picked over me."
Zed smirked defiantly. "Must have been a tough decision for
the agents to make."
Ignoring the comment, the man continued. "I thought that our
scheme had ended. But then Omega thought of plan that was.a bit
drastic." The man sniffed. "Instead of telling you, how about I show
you?"
Suddenly the entire beach landscape was replaced with the
most horrifying lab Zeeltor had ever laid eyes on. It was like
stepping into one of the human horror stories he read; inside the
lab of a mad scientist.
There was yelp and Zeeltor turned his attention towards it,
and gasped.
Sprawled out on a cold metal medical bed, a young MiB agent
strained hard against the shackles that bolted him to the surface.
Closeby, the blond-haired man stood with a sneer on his face, taking
great delight in his captive's futile struggle.
Zeeltor rushed to aid the agent from his plight. However to
his great surprise, his hands just went through. "Wha.?" He looked
at the two, but neither showed him any recognition.
Then he realized that he was only watching a memory. And
that it was impossible to help the young man from his malevolent
captor. All Zeeltor could do was watch the tragedy unfold.
"E," a computerized voice spoke.
Zeeltor jumped.
From the shadows, a crab-like machine revealed itself.
Zeeltor stared, amazed at its sleak and graceful design. It moved
with such fluidity found only in animals of great stealth. Its body
consisted of a metal that Zeeltor could not identify or recognized.
A strange illumination came from within its depths, so bright that
it shone through the metallic shell.
"Is this the human you spoken of? The one who you say will
replace Alpha?" the machine asked.
E turned to face the machine, his face scowling. "Yes,
Omega. Pathetic as it may be, MiB has chosen him as their new chief
rather than me."
The crab-machine remained silent for a few seconds. Then it
leaned over the prostrate body of the agent, as if to examine him.
"What the hell are you?" the agent demanded. "And what do
you want with me?"
The machine replied to neither question but turned back to
E. "He has such spirit, this Agent Zed has."
Zeeltor's mouth dropped. That was Zed lying there on the
table. This must have been the past, probably 25 or 30 years ago,
judging by the age Zed was now. Curiously E, as the droid had
identified the blond man, had not changed a bit.
E frowned. "He sure does. Gave me hell before I could
finally sedate him." He pointed at the black-and-blue bruise on his
face."
Zed smirked. "And there's more where that came from,
bastard." He jerked at his restraints as if to prove his point. He
was bluffing of course. There was little else he could do.
"So," E continued. "What are we to do with him."
He didn't get to finish his sentence, for the droid suddenly
snatched him within its lethal grasp.
"H.hey," E gasped as one leg was wrapped around his throat.
His eyes bulged and he panted for air. "What the hell are you doing?"
Zeeltor stared in bewilderment, as the machine hovered E
over Zed.
A metallic scrape emitted as blades protruded from a leg. E
barely let out a chilling yell before it was cut short. The scream
suddenly turned into a sickening gurgle as blood spilled from the
deep gash on E's neck.
Zed winced in horror as the blood drizzled unto him, soaking
into his clothes and filling his nose with its harsh metallic smell.
It streamed unto his face and he cringed.
Zeeltor stood paralyzed by the gore. But it was not over.
Although it was clear that E was indeed dead, the machine held the
lifeless corpse, and downpour of crimson continued to fall upon Zed.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the machine
moved. Still holding the body, it lifted up another leg. The tip of
the raised appendage split open, like a blossoming flower, revealing
pink flesh-like material within the metal. The machine hover this
over E's chest. And suddenly a blue-white orb hissed and hummed like
electricity, before the let carried it over to Zed.
Zed's face paled and he strained against the chains. So
desperate he was that he ignored the bloody cuts produced by the
chaffing of the shackles against his skin.
Zeeltor and Zed yelled when the orb was forced into Zed's
chest.
Suddenly, the scene disappeared and Zeeltor found himself
back on the beach with Zed next to him, shaken but unharmed. Both of
their breathing was fast and short and their faces reflected their
reaction to the previous horror.
The stranger, who they know now as E, watched them, with the
same look of amusement he had on his face when he watched Zed being
chained down.
"That little play I showed you was the price I must pay for
my loyalty to Omega," E said coolly. "I lost my own identity and had
to take yours, Zed. Omega and I worked quickly. We purged every
memory there is of me. I had to play behind the scenes of the most
illustrious and secretive agency in the world. For 6 months I wasted
away in MiB's Archive Vault, practicing your persona, waiting for my
shining moment. It came and I got everything ready. However," he
snarled, "One of your agents unwittingly trapped me inside your
subconscious. I lost control of your body. And I waited until my
liberation came with the mind-link you had, Zed. Yet I could only
float in and out of control. Tonight however, my men had set the
stage and only await for Dr. Zeeltor's cue."
Zeeltor was devastated. He.played a role in the part,
unwittingly, but just the same?
Zed glared at the stranger. "What men? 30 years is a bit too
long to wait patiently."
"Fool," the other admonished. "My men have laid in wait for
the deneuralization, from whence they would awaken ready for my
coming."
Zed's eyes widen. "But that would mean."
The stranger let out another round of laughter. "You thought
right, old man. The very men you count as friends, who lived with
you, the ones you swore to watch over, are the very ones that will
turn around and destroy you. Only now are their true natures shown.
The deneuralizations released them from their false personas that
you've long since remembered and known. I have set them against your
younger agents, who are outnumbered and unaware. I have accomplished
what Alpha had failed to do, destroy MiB, but doing so from within."
Zed automatically reached for his hidden sidearm, but his
hand grabbed at nothing. Damn, this was only a dream.
"Here," E smiled darkly. "Let me show you how it's done." He
extended his arm and a Carbonizer Cannon appeared in his hand.
Zed ran and grabbed Zeeltor, barreling themselves behind a
shipwreak on the shoreline. The spot they had just stood suddenly
became an enormous crater.
The hum of the Cannon meant it was charging for another
pulse. Zed dragged Zeeltor behind another wreak. Damn, Zed thought,
that weapons too powerful. But wait.if I could just get close.
Zeeltor get to safety, I got an idea."
"But."
Another explosion nearby cut off Zeeltor's protest. To
Zeeltor's great surprise, Zed had began to run towards the armed
stranger.
The man looked up from the crosshair on his gun in surprise.
Zed caught him with a sharp right hook, sending him to the
ground. The weapon in his hand was dislodged and Zed took it.
"Did you forget," Zed smirked, directing the weapon at
E. "That the Cannon takes a few seconds to recharge right? Oh, guess
not. Now answer my question, who are you?"
"Moffat," the man said as he spat a gooble of blood from his
cut lip. "Edmund Clark Moffat."
Something triggered in Zed's mind. That name sounded
familiar. "Listen close buddy. Get the hell out of my head," Zed
growled.
Moffat grinned. "I love to really, but it's not my choice.
You remember when I told you about me being forced into your body?"
Zed gripped his gun tightly.
"You see," Moffat continued. "I'm not alone."
"Zed, look out!" Zeeltor yelled.
But it was too late. The ground split opened and from a
sandy pit emerged a spider-like machine. Before Zed could target it,
it scuttled at lighting sped across the dunes and seized the chief
of MiB. The gun dropped to the ground and Zed struggled to get out
of its iron grip.
Moffat got up and simply dusted the sand from
himself. "Sorry, Zed. But we no longer find you.useful."
From the mouth of the spider came a gruesome hypodermic
needle. Zed screamed as it was inserted into his left clavicle.
"Zed!" Zeeltor rushed to save him. When suddenly the beach
and everyone there disappeared. All he could se was the green visor
of the helmet.
Tearing the helmet off, Zeeltor glanced anxiously at where
Zed laid.
Zed screamed and his body twitched violently. By Judenia's
Crown, he's going into shock, Zeeltor realized.
Zeeltor snagged a syringe from a stand and began filling it
with a sedative. He just had to calm him down. As the fluid from the
bottle went into the needle, Zeeltor did his best to ignore the
rapidly beating heart monitor. The neural activity monitor blared
madly and the line on the screen jerked spasmodically.
.suddenly, the brain monitor flatlined.
Zeeltor's heart skipped a beat. No, it just can't be.Zed
couldn't be.His eyes darted to the heart monitor, which indicated a
steady rhythm. That's odd. The heart monitor showed life signs, yet
the brain activity was.
Zeeltor placed his needle unto the surgical tray and pulled
off the helmet from Zed's head.
With baited breath he waited.
.and the neural activity monitor began to beep steadily.
Zeeltor sighed in relief. "Zed, Zed. Wake up," he called
urgently. He would never forgive himself if the chief of MiB was
brain damaged. Zeeltor wiped the cold perspiration from his brow and
a few drops fell unto Zed's face.
Zed grimaced and stirred. His eyes opened.
"Oh, thank the cosmos," Zeeltor exclaimed.
Suddenly Zed sat up and wrapped his hands around Zeeltor's
thin neck. Zeeltor looked at Zed in shock. But it was no longer Zed.
The eye lost their fatherly and wise sparkle, only malevolence
dwelled there. A lust to kill burned within them.
Zeeltor looked about the lab. There has to be something to.THERE! He
frantically reached for the sedative-filled needle, all the while
his vision became blurred from the lack of oxygen. His fingers
fumbled about and the needle dropped to the ground, too far out of
reach.
Zeeltor gasped and pried at Zed's hands. Oh, Quetzalcoatl, he was
going to die. Zed's hands tightened, wringing the very life from
Zeeltor.
Suddenly a shot rang out and Zeeltor felt the grip about his
neck had relented. He dropped to his knees and fainted.
Zed howled in pain as blood spilled from the cut on his hand.
"Freeze it, big guy." N glared at Zed from behind his gun.
Then he fingered his gun setting to stun. To Zed, "Keep your hands
where I can see them," he hissed.
Zed sneered but complied. "You call yourselves protectors if
Earth yet you allowed the aliens to come and exploit our resources
and for what? Despite the favors you gave them, they insist on being
called superior than us. We are merely their colonies to them." He
let out a derisive laugh. "Well, you can go to hell with them for
all I care."
What the hell is he babbling about? N thought. He tightened
his grip on his gun.
Then came voices from outside the lab, and the door slid
open.
N sighed in relief when he saw they were not Y's agents,
rather they were the younger agents. Then he realized, the agents
had their weapons.trained on him.
An agent whom he recognized as Janice stepped forward, her
MiB Special Issue was still trained on him. "N, just put your weapon
on the ground.slowly." An expression of sympathy appeared on her
face, as if to plead that he do so for his best interest.
N shook his head. "No you don't understand. Zed is being
controlled."
"Give it up N," another agent called. "Your attempt to
assassinate Zed was revealed to us by a reliable source."
N gritted his teeth. Who would.of course, Y.
"Disarm him," Zed ordered. "And get Zeeltor to the
Infirmary."
N scowled in disgust of how the impostor had managed to play
Zed's authoritive charisma flawlessly.
Janice approached N to take his Carbonizer. That's when it
happened.
N sensed the trajectory of the shot, which to the other
agents was silent and non-existant. "Get down!" N pulled Janice unto
the floor with him. One of Zeeltor's inventions exploded violently
and N felt his ears pop.