437 – Silence
The next day was possibly the single most confusing. Ever.
It started in the morning when Proton and Archer went into Crest and Felicity's rooms respectively, only to find their beds empty.
With a sigh of relief, both Executives relaxed until almost three hours later no one seemed to know where either girl was. Not even the Admin who was assigned to watch them if they left the HQ.
That's when mass panic ensued. The two girls that terrorized and caused mass hysteria and chaos for the entire Rocket HQ were missing. No one was safe. Especially the Executives that both girls loved to torment.
"Think they're reduced to crying yet?" Felicity asked popping a candy into her mouth and savoring the sweet taste.
"I don't know take a look!" Crest said searching for something in one of the many boxes that they had stacked against one wall. Felicity sighed and rose from the white beanbag to check the laptops that lined the desks against the opposite wall.
Each had a picture of one area of the mansion. Live feed from the little video cameras the girls had placed around for this purpose.
"Nope nothing yet. Not even a tear!" Felicity said sadly.
"Though they do look slightly scared." Crest added thoughtfully, turning to look at the screen with a box of computer parts they had 'borrowed' from the underground facility.
The plan was to turn this side of the Mansion into their secret base, instead of using the attic, like they had when they were kids. The best part was the only access ways into the wing was through Crest and Felicity's rooms. They had opened more 'doors' into the Executive's rooms for easy access when pranking, and the rest of the mansion making it far easier to get around without being seen.
For the entire week no one would see them; they woke early, brought breakfast into the forgotten wing and worked on making their new base a proper base. By Sunday the main room had a complete wall of surveillance computers devoted solely on capturing every movement in the mansion from the Grunts that lounged around to the scientists working in the Underground facility to the Executives that patrolled the halls if they weren't occupied on a mission.
Both Crest and Felicity had their own rooms as well just in case they needed to escape the wrath of the Executives when a prank went wrong, or a Pokémon decided it needed a new chew toy.
Felicity was currently in her room studying the surveillance footage from the previous days looking for something. With a sigh she threw the disk she had just finished watching on the bed replacing it with the next days.
"What are you doing?" Crest asked appearing in the door. She glanced at the black painted walls of her friend's room and located each can of neon paint that Felicity had splattered on the black backdrop.
"*Someone* keeps stealing the books in my room and I'm trying to figure out who it is." Felicity said keeping her eyes glued to the screen in front of her.
"Which books?" Crest asked coming to sit on a chair Felicity had commandeered and placed in her room.
"History of Origins, Personal Guide to Treating Pokémon Attacks, Grimm's PokéTales. Just books at random. It's aggravating!" Felicity huffed letting her eyes drift towards Crest, before darting back to the screen.
"THERE! He comes, takes a book, sits in the lounge and reads it before coming back and dropping it off, but I can't ever get a look at his face! And it's always at the same time."
"What time?" Crest asked looking at a paint splattered clock.
"About noon, why?"
"Half an hour until he takes a book. You could go catch him?" Felicity stopped and looked at her friend.
"You are brilliant. Thank-you!" Felicity raced off toward the door that opened in her wardrobe and Crest just laughed.
The door to Felicity's room opened and a Grunt stood in the doorway. He looked around carefully before walking in and over to the bookcase.
"Who the hell are you?" Felicity asked pushing the door closed and stepping out from behind it.
"AH! Oh… um…I was just borrowing a book!" The Grunt fumbled.
"I guessed that, why are you in here, this is *my* room, what gives you the right to come in here?"
"I was going to ask you if I could at the start of the week but no one could find you! And I got tired of everyone panicking so I figured if no one saw me come in here I could just return the book and no one would be the wiser." The Grunt said tiredly.
"Alright." Felicity said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"What?"
"Feel free to borrow the books, I rarely have time to read them anyway, I just have them for when Moon steals my bed. Just let me know if you've borrowed something; write a note or tell me if you see me. And why did you read 'History of Origins' and 'Personal Guide to Treating Pokémon Attacks'?"
"I've always loved history and unfortunately most of us grunts are constantly subjected to Pokémon related injuries. I figured if I knew something about treating them I could move up or at least get a little more respect."
"Wow. I never knew you lot cared so much. Look if you need any help in understanding something then I'm willing to help if you're willing to learn." Felicity said pulling out a box of books from under the bed.
"These are the books I was assigned to read in College. Feel free to look through them too. I should get going now, I'm starved and it's my turn to get the food." Felicity said walking out of her room leaving the Grunt speechless.