Bump in the Night

Disclaimer: Same as before. Fear not, I will have a chapter in the next three weeks, but I'm going away, so this short installment shall have to suffice.

"Don't you worry, Firefly, we've got reinforcements coming along." Maurice said.

"Thank you, they won't be neccessary, Maurice, because COBRA's sending me their finest warriors, their best experts at infiltration and..."

"Evenin' Firefly, what's up?" Ripper said, walking in.

"Oh God, can this not get any worse?" Firefly said as he saw the Dreadnoks walk in, "I might've known COBRA Commander was getting cheap. Where's Zartan?"

"He couldn't come, according to Mystique..." Torch replied.

"Torch, Buzzer, Monkeywrench..." Firefly mused, "They might as well have sent me Larry, Moe, and Curly. Where's Zarana and Zanya."

"Oh, COBRA Commander sent them on a mandatory therapeutic picnic with Zartan and Mystique..." Monkeywrench replied, picking his nose.

"Mama mia." Firefly groaned.

"There, now Misfit Manor is effectively infiltration proof..." Shipwreck said as he nailed another couple boards across the front door.

"Shipwreck, what are you doing?" Cover Girl asked, "You're starting to make this place look like the set for Night of the Living Dead.

"It never hurts to be prepared..." Shipwreck said, "Now where did I put that bag of nails?"

Shipwreck started walking around the living room looking for the nail bag and went to sit down on the couch. Suddenly he jumped into the air screaming, "YEOWCH!"

"Shipwreck, I guess you found the nails." Cover Girl quipped.

"Ha ha ha..." Shipwreck laughed.

"(kschk.) The bats are boarding up the cave. (kschk)." Maurice said, from across the street.

"Roger that." Firefly said, he was disguised as a repairman and was hanging on the telephone pole, about to cut the power line. He used the bolt cutters and then saw the power in Misfit Manor go out.

"Alarm system has been deactivated, out." Firefly said.

"(kschk) Roger that (kschk)." Maurice replied.

"You do not need to make the (kschk) sound with the radio, it already does that. Out." Firefly replied.

"Copy that, I'm not gonna make the (kschk) sound after I say stuff from now on." Maurice replied, "Maurice Labarre over and out, (kschk)."

Belatedly he added, "That was the last one."

"Copy that (kschk)." Firefly said. "Oh God help me, now I'M doing it."

"(kschk) Firefly, come in Firefly. (kschk)." came the call.

"Identify yourself." Firefly replied.

"(kschk) This is Party Wagon. (kschk)." Torch said, using the call sign for the stolen power company van that was the small group's nerve center.

"Quit it with the (kschk) sound already!" Firefly said, his left eye twitching.

"(kschk) Roger that (kschk)." Monkeywrench said, the other Dreadnoks were tittering like schoolgirls.

"Aw lighten up, Firefly. I mean you're already tense enough as is." Road Pig said.

"Ow Road Pig, you're squashing me! Quit it! Quit it!" Torch said.

"(kschk) Guys, SHUT UP!" Firefly shouted.

Camille watched as Pietro, Fred, Wanda, and Lina were debating what movie to put in the VCR. Her cameraman, Damien, was throwing his two cents in as well.

"No no no no no, monsieur, I think we should watch Freaky Friday..." Damien began.

"No! I think Princess Diaries is a much better choice." Pietro replied.

"Pietro, about the only reason you even want to watch that movie is because you think the lead actress, Anne whatever her name is, is cute..." Wanda said, rolling her eyes.

Pietro hadn't even heard his sister. He and Damien were too busy shouting at one another as to which movie to watch.

"Freaky Friday!"

"Princess Diaries!"

"Uhm, is anyone else freaked out by the fact that those two are guys arguing over a chick flick?" Lina asked.

"Actually no." Fred began, "You see, both of them appear to have an overcompensating overly masculine personality. The feminine side of their natures to balance it out has few avenues in which to manifest itself, therfore it does so through avenues such as taste in movies."

"Really..." Lina began.

"Oh GOD! Please don't encourage him...." Wanda groaned.

Camille turned toward Demerest, "I would think you would have a lot more to worry about than a movie choice. COBRA is planning an attack, right?"

"Yes, but they want us to be tense, and paranoid at all hours of the day to wear down our vigilance. As soon as we get tired, we'll start slipping up, and then they'll attack us." Demerest replied, whisperring, mouthing the word, 'Bugs'.

"Now, just try to relax, get some rest. We'll have this handled shortly." Demerest replied.

Despite herself, Camille sat down next to Demerest on the nearby couch to watch the agreed upon movie, the Princess Diaries. It really had been a stressful day, to say the least. She felt her eyelids get heavier and heavier and as much as she tried she couldn't keep them awake and let herself drift off to sleep.

Demerest watched her fall asleep. In reality the house looked like it had only taken token precautions, but every single handler and Misfit was ready to go, with a force of Green Shirts stationed in hiding just down the road. Demerest's job was to keep an eye on Camille, stay within a few steps of her until the threat had been resolved.

'Well, I've got that little part of the mission covered.' Demerest thought to himself. Camille was leaning against his side, fast asleep and for the first time in a long time he let himself feel the warm fuzzy feeling that crept in. As he felt his own eyelids growing heavy, he checked to make sure the Browning 9mm was secure in the shoulder holster under his shirt and that it had a round properly chambered. He fell into a light sleep afterward...

TBC...