Greetings from SeekerMeeker.

Let's begin, finally focusing on the "Phone Mo Gang."

Hint: They won't be the main characters, but more of "semi-major" characters.

Chapter 9: Quintet Time

April 3, 202X

11:55 AM

A secret Archon Corporation research complex in northern Nevada

"Why are we even trying to save them?"

"They saved us, so why not save them?"

"But Anna, this is too dangerous!"

Twig objected, as he and Anna got out of the bus.

"I know," Anna replied. "But I feel that since they gave me the card, we can't just sit and do nothing all day."

"Understandable," Twig said. "However, I am not very convinced. Sure, you did open the door, which I was unable to, but now I don't feel safe either."

Anna groaned in response, but she looked around.

They were inside of a large garage, with all of the buses parked together. Only a few lights lit the interior, so that it felt a little dim and ominous. Nobody else was inside, other than the teenagers inside of the buses. Anna realized that all of the buses had teenagers like she and Twig, and all of them were knocked out.

"Look Anna," Twig said. "I know that since we've met, you really like to help everyone, save everyone, and even take the blame. But this is going a little too far; remember back at school?"

"I know," she admitted. "I almost got in trouble for taking the blame. Fortunately, they found out, and they considered me innocent."

"All because somebody stole food," Twig continued. "And that's all. You also-augh!"

He groaned, a hand over his forehead.

"Augh," he said. "I guess...it's still lingering."

"I know," Anna said, a hand over her own forehead. "It's amazing how that mysterious gas knocked us all out. My head still hurts too."

"Whatever they did," Twig said. "This is definitely NOT the way they should treat youngsters like us."

"Augh!" three voices echoed, as the duo looked back. From the same bus that they came out, three teenagers groaned. Molly, Haddie, and Broadie almost fell to the ground, stretching and yawning. Like the duo, they still felt the pain.

"Man!" Molly roared, hands over her forehead. "My head hurts!"

"That's going to leave me traumatized," Haddie groaned. "And where are we even?"

"That hurts," Broadie grunted, shaking his head. "Oh boy!"

"You OK?" Anna and Twig both asked.

"Ugh," Molly responded. "Wha...what happened?"

"Some sort of sleeping gas," Twig casually replied. "Knocked all of us out."

"That's obvious!" Molly groaned. "Twig, you don't need to reiterate!"

Anna raised an eyebrow. Sometimes, she was confused at who was smarter: Twig or Molly?

"Hey," Twig replied. "You asked a question, so I had to answer."

"Point taken," Molly groaned. "Man, those jerks knocked us cold!"

"Agreed," Haddie moaned in agreement. "One moment we're having fun, and the next we're poisoned and trapped here!"

Both Twig and Anna blinked.

"No-no," Twig said. "We're not poisoned, just knocked out by the sleeping gas."

"Not just the gas," Haddie replied. "Remember the food?"

Anna blinked, then gasped.

"Say," Anna said. "Haven't you seen the three adults?"

"What about them?" Twig asked. "The college kids?"

"Remember how they convulsed when they ate the pizza?" she asked. "Only Dipper, Mabel, and Pacifica had a reaction!"

Twig and Haddie both blinked, then gasped.

"No way," Twig said. "They put something in the food?"

"Especially the pizza," Anna said. "But while we're fine, the trio got hit hard."

"That makes no sense," Haddie said. "Unless it's some special poison."

"Special poison?" Broadie asked, shaking his head to regain composure. "Man, I've read about that kind before on the Internet. Some conspiracy about a special poison that attacks only certain people from around the world."

"What?" the others asked, turning to face him.

"There is this rumor," Broadie explained. "I saw on the Internet about some 'men in black,' who go and put something in your drinks or food, and wait for you to lose consciousness."

The others stared, as they took in the knowledge. They did hear about it, but it was from the Internet forums, which were full of rumors and nonsense. However, seeing a rumor become true was...unsettling.

"Let's get out of here," Molly said the obvious.

"Agreed," Anna said with a nod. "But..."

"She's saying that we all should find a way to help them three," Twig said, causing the others to blink in confusion.

"The three college kids," Twig explained. "Dipper, Mabel, and Pacifica."

"What?" Molly gasped. "We're in this nightmare of a place! We need to escape!"

"But do we even know where we are?" Haddie asked, causing everyone to fall silent.

Anna merely shrugged, but her face belied her decision to help.

"Oh come on," Broadie said. "It never hurts to help. I mean, to help them. Anna is the kind who wants to repay kindness."

"What happened that you want to save the three college students?" Haddie asked. "And all of a sudden like this?"

"We..." Anna explained. She talked about how friendly the college kids were, and how they were so easy to connect with. She also noticed how the blond-haired girl, Pacifica, trusted her with the strange card. Finally, she explained how the card worked.

"You know," Haddie responded, now more understanding. "If that blond girl gave you the card, and that card helped us to get out, then we should do something about it."

"I am not sure," Molly said. "Even my bro agrees with me."

"Point taken," Twig replied. "But even I could not open the door. It was tight shut, until Anna used the card."

"Can I look at the card?" Broadie asked. "I am curious about it; I think I saw something like it on the Internet."

"Sure!" Anna replied, and showed them the card. They all looked:

It was white, except for a few red lines and a single blue square. There was one sticker on it:

It was a strawberry cake sticker.

"Huh," Broadie noted. "This one looks weird. On the Internet, some guys posted pictures of cards that allegedly belonged to these 'men in black' secret agents of sort. But this one...looks like a mundane card."

"Have any idea of this card?" Haddie asked.

"How about we use this card," Molly shouted, as she jumped around, apparently looking for something. "And get the heck out of here?!"

"Great point," Anna said. "Let's just find a door or something. If we can save them AND escape, then let's do it."

"Alright," Twig said. "But remember: escape first."

Anna groaned, but nodded in agreement. All five then went around, looking for a door. However, they stuck close to each other, peeking between buses for anyone. Twig looked around, looking for any security cameras.

"Huh," Twig noted. "There aren't any cameras here."

"Are they hidden?" Anna asked.

"No," he replied. "I know what they look like. Normally they're-"

"Hey guys!" Haddie shouted, pointing at something. "I see a door!"

They looked. It was a trapdoor, wholly made of solid steel.

"A trapdoor?" Anna asked.

"Inside of a garage?" Molly joined in.

They approached it. Sure enough, it was a trapdoor, but it was strange. It blended very easily, so that it looked almost like a part of the floor.

"Can this open?" Twig noted.

"Only one way to find out," Anna said, looking up to find a card swiper. She swiped it.

Click!

The trapdoor slowly opened up, dust appearing out. The teens coughed, as they looked in.

It was a short entranceway towards what looked like a brightly lit room.

"What's here?" Anna asked, coming down.

"Wait!" the others replied, as they followed her.

"Anna!" Twig called. "Don't just rush in!"

"I know what I am doing!" Anna called back, as she ran through the corridor. Soon, she entered the room, and gasped.

"What the heck?" she gasped.

Her friends soon joined her, and they gasped with her. It was a surveillance room, the type with a large number of CCTV screens. However, in addition to that, there was a pedestal table, with strange markings on top.

"Well," Haddie said, as they walked around the room. "Although it's not an exit, it is very useful."

"Let's use this!" Molly said enthusiastically, as she hopped into a seat. "Anna, let's activate this!"

"Is the power even on?" Twig asked, as he looked down. "Huh, I don't see-wow!"

Anna swiped on a swiper, and the entire system lit up. All screens showed various live video streams. Some were focused on rooms, while others focused on hallways. However, only one showed the outside world, apparently watching a gate.

"Is this even a security room?" Molly groaned. "We don't even see a way out of this!"

"Hang on," Twig said, looking at something. "Wait, what's up with that screen?"

They saw it, and gasped.

"No way..."

As the trapdoor closed behind them, none of them noticed a bony hand appear from behind a bus. It grabbed the corner of the bus, and peeked out.

"Hungry..." a voice whispered, as a strange face appeared. However, its entire head was hidden by the shadows, but it was triangular with mandibles.

"Hungry Ghost," a robotic voice echoed.

The creature hissed, as two robotic arms appeared from the ceiling, blocking the way between the trapdoor and the creature.

"Leave them alone," Red commanded.

"Go and find someone else to eat," Blue added.

The skeletal creature hissed, then ran away from the sound of the voice. It ran like a dog, but its silhouette was not that of an animal, but a skeletal human-dog hybrid.

"So," Red said. "They have found it."

"Yes," Blue replied. "Are they the ones?"

"Plus the trio?" Red asked.

The two silently nodded, and went back up into the ceiling.

Alright, it's time to put a spotlight on the quintet. I hope to try and tie them together.

Sincere Seeker.