+Fukamachi, we’re at the last
checkpoint now,+ Agito warned.
+Make no mistakes.+
Sho nodded wordlessly, stepping closer
to Agito and the crate that held Mizuki. The elevator doors
opened almost soundlessly, revealing two jumpsuited Zoanoids
standing in front of them. Sho breathed in deeply through his
nose, trying to calm himself down without being too obvious
about it. The two Zoanoids didn’t seem to notice anything out of
the ordinary, so Sho thought he had safely managed it.
"We’re carrying the experimental
materials requested by research manager Odagiri, of the
basement," Agito said, and Sho was surprised to realize that he
could barely recognize Agito’s voice. "This is our shipping
manifest, you will find the letter of attorney attached as
well."
Sho hadn’t even seen Agito slip the
voice-changer into his mouth. As the Zoanoid standing in front
of them and to their right took the shipping manifest and looked
it over, presumably making sure everything was in order, Sho
took the handle of the crate in his gloved hands and started to
push it out of the elevator. The Zoanoid on the left, the one
who hadn’t been doing much, moved to intercept him.
"Wait. I’m sorry, but we’re going to
have to inspect the contents of that container," he said.
"We’re in kind of a hurry here," Agito
said calmly. "Could you just pass us through?"
"Sorry, no can do," the Zoanoid said,
sounding genuinely contrite. "It’s regulation down here at the
final checkpoint. Jonsey would have my balls on a platter if I
let you guys get through without a thorough inspection."
"Jonsey?" Agito asked, echoing Sho’s own
silent query.
"Yeah, head of security for this area.
If you haven’t had at least a run in with him by now you should
consider yourself lucky," the Zoanoid shuddered slightly. "Guy
might be just a puny little human, but when he starts going off
on you that’s kind of an easy thing to forget."
"Oh yeah," the other Zoanoid piped up.
"Psycho drill-sergeant guy. I swear, if he didn’t somehow manage
to stay on Dr. Balkus’ good side I’d rip out his entrails and
make confetti out of them."
"Yeah, well I think a lot of us feel
that way about him," the first Zoanoid said, chuckling.
"Especially right after we’ve been chewed out by him. So, sorry
kids, Uncle Gregole’s going to have to have to see what’s inside
that container so he doesn’t end up getting his head bitten off
by Aunt Jonsey."
The other Zoanoid started laughing
raucously once Gregole had finished speaking. "That’s a nice way
to say the man’s a nagging bitch, Greg."
Gregole grinned. Agito swore inwardly,
knowing that he would have to think very quickly to avoid having
Mizuki discovered by these two Zoanoids.
"So if one of you would just open up
that container and let us have a look, you guys can be on your
way and we can get back to our boring lives," Gregole said.
"I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to
open this container," Agito said smoothly.
"Why not? You guy’s carrying something
in there that could get you in trouble here?" Gregole asked.
"Like maybe a woman?" the other Zoanoid
suggested, his voice positively dripping with lewd innuendo.
Gregole chuckled, as inside the
case Mizuki shuddered. "Well, if it
is
a woman you have in there, can you do us all a favor and let
Jonsey have first crack at her? The man needs a good boinking to
get his head on straight."
That sent the other Zoanoid into a fit
of laughter again.
"Heh. All jokes aside, though, this is a
rush job," Agito said calmly. "Besides, we’ve both been strictly
cautioned not to expose the inside materials to air. If the
contents of this container are spoiled, we’re the ones who will
end up taking the heat for that."
"Hold on a sec, I’ll contact the
basement," Gregole said. "Just don’t go trying to run off on
me."
He’d meant it to be a joke, Agito could
tell, but he probably didn’t know just how close to home his
little joke had hit for them. Sho was a bit more nervous than
Agito, having gotten used to the way all of the other Zoanoids
stationed at the other checkpoints would just have a look at the
shipping manifest when he or Agito handed it to them, and then
pass them through.
"What’s the matter with you?" the other
Zoanoid asked, managing to sound genuinely concerned.
+Fukamachi!+
Agito shouted over the Guyver-link.
"What?" Sho asked, deliberately pitching
his voice a few octaves lower.
"You’re shaking," the other Zoanoid
said. "And you’re dripping with sweat. Don’t tell me it was
Jonsey that gave you your orders not to open the crate."
"Him? Oh yeah, it
was
him," Sho lied.
"I swear, that guy is desperately in
need of a personality," the other Zoanoid commiserated. "But he
sure does make an impression."
"Yeah, if you consider having combat
boots rammed up your ass ‘making an impression’," Gregole
grumbled. "Anyway, I had a talk with old man Odagiri. And he
says you’ve got stuff for him that can’t take being outside in
the open air, too. So I guess you boys get a free pass-through.
Nice cushy job you guys managed to land yourselves there. Old
man Odagiri might be a bit of a crackpot, but I’d rather work
for him than for Jonsey."
"Thanks," Agito said flatly, nodding.
"All right, you guys can get on your way
now," Gregole said, waving them through.
Agito nodded, then he and Sho stepped
out of the elevator and calmly walked past the two Zoanoids.
Inside the container, Mizuki tried to calm her racing heart.
That had been close, but now that they had all managed to make
it through the last of the checkpoints the danger was most
likely over. In fact, Mizuki was hoping to meet up with Tetsuro
soon so she could tell him how much she had missed him.
The sound of their footsteps mingled
with the sound of the wheels rolling on the metal floors, a
sound Sho was quickly becoming bored with. But he knew that once
they were all inside the basement of Relics Point they would
probably start planning ways to restart their attacks on
Chronos, something that would most definitely not be boring in
the slightest. And after all the close calls he had had while
trying to get down into the basement in the first place, Sho was
perfectly happy just to be bored for awhile.
The doors to the checkpoint slid open
easily once they passed the sensors in the floor, and Agito and
Sho continued on their way. Sho could now see that their
destination was yet another elevator.
+Is this the last elevator we’re
going to have to use?+ Sho
asked.
+Yes. This will transport us directly
into the basement of Relics Point. Why do you ask?+
+I was just wondering when we were going
to be able to meet up with Tetsuro, Mr. Murakami and the others,
that’s all.+
+We will be able to see all of
them again very shortly,+
Agito said calmly.