Jay looked over at K with a knowing smirk on his face. Even when K was meeting with the superior agents, he always laced his fingers and rested his chin on them. It was a telltale habit of his.
Jay and Grasshopper were the only agents at this particular meeting, so they took the chairs in front of K’s desk. A moderate-sized envelope sat in the middle of the desk. K continued to stare at it intently.
“So is this Chinese ice water torture, or are you going to start this meeting?” Jay laughed.
Grasshopper held up a knowing hand toward Jay. “Patience is like the wind – it can sting you or embrace you.”
Jay shook his head and fiddled with his sunglasses. Stinging wind…
K slowly opened the folder. “It seems our enemy has a common thread.”
Jay leaned forward. “Meaning?”
K flipped through the pages. “Global Idol… the Antarctic missile…”
“How about the aliens?”
K shook his head. “There’s nothing in here about it, but of course we can’t be sure, since Nick retrieved this before we encountered that dilemma.”
“We are the Romans… FANS is our Caesar…” Grasshopper started.
K shook his head. “Is it really necessary for you to speak in riddles among the superior agents?”
Grasshopper gave him a knowing smile.
Jay removed his sunglasses. “So, what do we know about FANS?”
K continued flipping through the pages. “Even if it’s a file from their own hands, there’s not a lot of information in it. They seem to have bases all over the world… just like us…” K stopped.
Jay lowered the hand holding his sunglasses. “K?”
“According to this, their headquarters are located somewhere in Florida.” K shook his head and passed the file to Grasshopper as he turned back to Jay. “And even without this file, we still have the issue of the aliens.”
Jay set his sunglasses on the desk and crossed his arms. “Why did you let the FBI take all the evidence?”
A small smirk crept across K’s face.
“It was you!” Jay shook his head.
K laced his fingers again. “Even if he had the wrong reaction and reasoning, Nick had a point yesterday. We do focus a great deal of our attention on America. But that really isn’t our job…” K pushed a button on a remote, and the small screen popped from his name plate again. The local news was discussing recent events, including the death of Hugh Hefner.
Jay shook his head. “It was a pretty quick cover-up.”
K set the remote down. “Too quick and smoothed over for Himitsu Takana to process in that short of time, don’t you think?”
Jay shook his head again. “I guess you’re right.”
Grasshopper closed the folder and slid it to Jay lightly. “There seems to be some commotion at a Disney-themed park…”
Jay and K turned toward the screen. K increased the volume on the small device.
The sound crackled a little. “…Reporting live from Disney World, where there seem to be many odd phenomena…” The reporter quickly shielded herself from what looked like rain.
“A hurricane?” Jay asked.
K studied the screen for a moment. “It looks like there’s snow on the ground… and maybe hail?”
“Even at the Christmas Day parade, the Magic Kingdom has never been blanketed with snow like we’re experiencing today. This is a record snowfall, everyone!”
K tapped the screen with a pen and stared intently.
Grasshopper leaned toward the screen. “I have heard of it snowing in warmer climates, but the snow melts when it hits the ground…”
The news report panned across the park, stopping at Main Street. The scene looked almost like a snow globe inside one of the many gift shops. If the picture shook, would the snow disappear?
Grasshopper put his hand on K’s shoulder, giving him a brief smile.
Jay, who had been perusing the file until that moment, stopped abruptly. He had come across the page of an almost sinister character with a ferret on his shoulder. He smoothed his hand across the page and stared at it intently.
K put his hand on the page. “There’s no name…” He turned back to Jay. “Do you recognize him?”
Jay turned away.
K pushed the paper back toward Jay. “Do you know anything about FANS?”
Jay shook his head as he set the paper back on the top of the stack. “No. I just have a hunch that we should be careful…” He sighed as he stared at the photograph once more, before sliding his seat back and standing up. “K…”
K grabbed the file again and slid it towards himself. He paused to look up at Jay for a brief moment.
“With this strange weather in Florida… and FANS having their headquarters there… I’m assuming you want to check it out?”
K stared at the photo of the man with the ferret atop his shoulder again. “Yes. I think this is why we let the FBI handle the messy end of the last mission.”
Jay grabbed his sunglasses and smirked. “Should I start calming Carter down now?”
K shook his head and smiled. “No, get Emerald… and Pearl.”
Jay gave K a quick salute and left the office.
K continued to stare at the photo.
Grasshopper placed his hand on K’s shoulder again. “A man’s hunch is like the bands of a snake. If man is not cautious, he is the one in peril…”
K gave Grasshopper another smile before turning back to the screen. The white world of the Magic Kingdom was almost haunting. He shook that haunting feeling from himself.
Grasshopper smiled. “Perhaps Agent Jay could use a break this time. I hear 002 is quite familiar with the restricted access trails in the theme park.” Grasshopper gave K a slight bow as he stood, before exiting the room.
K managed a small chuckle before closing the file on his desk and placing it inside a drawer. He locked the drawer quickly and returned the key to a pocket on his suit.
± ± ±
Diamond leaned against the door of her office with a smirk on her face. “I never expected to return from my mission and see the infamous 00Carter sitting on my desk…” Her face softened into a genuine smile. “… with flowers…”
Nick picked up the vase and gave Diamond a quizzical look. “Do I really seem like the type of guy that would give you pansies when you came back from a mission where you were dressed as a Playboy Bunny?” He winked. “Be serious, Di.”
Diamond crossed her arms. “So who are the roses from then, Romeo?”
Nick shook his head before pulling the card from the bouquet. “These are from Lancy… for your phone.”
Diamond rushed at the flowers with a squeal. “I want to read the card! Let me see!”
Nick set the vase down as he grabbed Diamond’s hand and pulled her toward him.
“You know what upsets me most about the last mission?” Nick gave her a smile.
“That you know Pearl will kill you the minute you leave my office?” Diamond laughed.
Nick ran his hand down the small of her back and gripped her butt lightly. “That I didn’t get to be there with you while you were dressed as a Playboy Bunny.”
She gave him a seductive smile as she leaned closer toward him. “Who says you won’t get to?”
A wicked grin crossed his face. “You saved it?”
She ran her finger down his chest. “That was my one chance to get a real outfit. Why would I give it back?”
“Maybe you want to change into it now?”
She smiled as she slowly pulled the collar of his shirt down. “You know what upsets me most about the last mission?”
He leaned in to kiss her. “What’s that?”
She let go of his collar and ran her hand back down his chest. “In such a sexual place, I didn’t have any agents to share it with…”
Nick leaned in to kiss her again. “Desiree…”
She let out a seductive giggle as she unfastened the button at the top of his pants. She then leaned closer to him.
There was a small vibration. Nick let out a short gasp as a small moan escaped Diamond’s lips.
Nick pulled her closer to him and went to kiss her again, but the vibration changed to a loud rendition of “Mambo No. 5.”
Diamond pulled away and let out a laugh. “Pearl hacked your phone?”
Nick rolled his eyes as he pulled it from his pocket. “She changed it a long time ago, and I don’t know how to erase it.”
Diamond giggled again. “That’s Pearl for you. Is she calling to demand your presence for a butt-kicking?”
Nick shook his head as he went to put the phone on silent. “Damnit, it’s K.”
Diamond’s face dropped a little. “Maybe you should go?”
Nick silenced the phone and pulled Diamond back toward him with his free hand. “Now, where were we?”
The phone began vibrating again.
Diamond giggled as she refastened the button on Nick’s pants. “You’re being paged by your boss. You better go.”
Nick’s face formed a scowl as pocketed the phone again and stood up.
Diamond grabbed him into a hug. “Smile for me, okay?”
Nick gave her a short kiss on the lips as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sure it’s a quick meeting… probably about Pearl’s lab with a mediator or something…” He kissed her again. “We’ll finish this when it’s done, okay?”
Diamond gave him a short kiss as well. “I’ll be waiting.”
Nick opened the door and gave her a wink. “Why don’t you change into your Playboy outfit for me?”
Diamond gave him her seductive smile again. “Anything for you, 00Carter.”
Nick shook his head as he left. “Damnit, K!”
Diamond laughed as she sat down on top of her desk and pulled the card from the flowers.
Di,
Sorry to hear about your phone. Please accept these flowers and my sympathies. Also, Steve Madden is having a sale tomorrow, let’s go? I miss my Diamond!
Fabulously yours,
Lancy
She laughed again. “Oh Lancy, you know just what to say!”
± ± ±
The small smile still playing in his lips, K left Grasshopper behind and strode out of his office. He walked down the corridor and stepped into the elevator, still pondering which agents to take with him for the Disney World mission, under the name of a so-called vacation.
The thing was, he quite agreed with Grasshopper on who should tag along. He was certain that 00Carter should be a part of this mission, if you called it a mission, of course – he knew Nick was still upset for not being a part of the previous one. Agent K was sure there was something going on, but he couldn’t really put his finger on what could be done once they arrived to Florida.
Much to his amusement, K realized he had already made his way out of the elevator and down the hall, almost reaching to Pearl’s lab. Yeah, Pearl was a must-have gadget for the mission; he knew full well that whatever was going down in Orlando had something to do with some evil machines. And Emerald, she must be in their presence as well; it just wouldn’t hurt to have some strong woman who would keep the other two agents in decency.
The two agents being none other than 006 and 008.
Just as he was about to knock on the door of Pearl’s lab, he noticed a dark figure coming from the opposite side.
“Right on time, 006,” he murmured, as the fellow agent nodded in response. Following a light knock on the door, JC and his superior walked inside the magnificent laboratory.
Emerald was leaning against the huge, metal desk where Pearl was sitting behind a computer, her eyes darting from one screen to another, and typing continuously at the same time. Bored with her companion, Emerald’s eyes literally shone at the sight of JC and Agent K. What she wouldn’t give to have a high-speed, full-of-action type of mission now. After the latest of hers, being dressed up as an effin’ Playboy doll, she was fully determined to get some more adrenaline.
“Hey there, boss,” she said, straightening up and walking towards the pair. She placed her hands in her jeans’ pockets. “What’s the news?”
Agent K’s green eyes wandered around the room. “Isn’t 008 present yet?”
“When is he ever at a place at the right time? Why should now be any different?” JC replied promptly and grinned stupidly when his point got approved by a chuckle from Emerald.
“Looks like you’ve been working on that sentence for a couple of weeks now, 006, haven’t you?” said a voice that belonged to none other than the blonde sitting behind the computer screens.
Sending a glare towards the two agents and a more meaningful one towards Pearl, Agent K took out his phone and called Nick for the second time since he’d left his office, feeling the familiar sense of impatience boiling inside him. No matter what Nick meant to him, Agent K was a man of discipline and good timing, the two qualities 008 lacked the most.
“So anyways, just start to fill us in about what we’re up to this time, K,” Emerald continued impatiently. “008 can be filled in later on. He needs special tutoring because of his lack of comprehension anyway.”
K threw another angry glare towards Emerald. She sure was a beacon and a hell of an agent, but then again, he could never understand why she was full of spite towards Nick. If there was any other rebel in the agency besides Nick, it was her. For some reason, Agent K saw a lot of similarities between the two agents, more similarities than their so-called differences, but maybe that was what made them conflict so much.
Shaking his thoughts away and agreeing with Emerald at some point, Agent K decided to blurt the news.
“Actually, guys-” He was cut off by a loud cough coming from Pearl. “Well, agents…” K eyed the blonde, who smiled in satisfaction and continued, “I’m not here to call you in for a mission, but for a different occasion.” He looked at all three of his employees’ faces, now all looking confused.
“We’re going on a vacation.”
“On a what??” Emerald and Pearl replied in unison.
Pearl had finally darted her eyes from the computer screens. If there was one thing that could draw her attention while working, it was the word ‘vacation.’ “I’m starting to believe that you actually are a human boss who needs a break as well,” she said, chuckling. “I didn’t know you had the word ‘vacation’ in your vocabulary.”
Oh, little did she know.
“Yeah, we’re going on a vacation-” He was interrupted once more, by Nick’s sudden burst inside the lab.
“A vacation?” Nick replied. Late as always, he had only heard the last words of K, who just looked at him and nodded as a response before talking again.
“We are going on a vacation, to Disney World.”
“To where?!” came an outburst from Emerald. She just wanted to make sure she had heard it right. Who could actually consider going to that whole annoying fake world with stupid stuffed mascots everywhere, annoying the hell out of everyone, as a vacation?
“To Disney World,” K repeated. “I thought this would be a great opportunity to just take our minds off of all the recent stuff.”
“That sounds pretty good, boss,” JC said and motioned towards the lab’s door. “I better go and let others know.” Before he could proceed, K took his arm and stopped him.
“Nope,” he said softly and placed a smile on his lips. “The Disney World vacation is only for the five of us. We can’t leave the headquarters all empty, so we’re taking vacations one group at a time.”
“Aww, that’s too bad,” Pearl spoke from her seat. Her genuine sadness could be easily recognized. “It would be nice to have Red and Jay and the others with us…”
“Yeah, it wouldn’t hurt to tag along Jay in that damned fake world…” Emerald grumbled. “What’s up with Disney World anyway? Couldn’t we go somewhere like Hawaii or Barbados or something? I wouldn’t even say no to the Alps.” She was truly pissed off that they didn’t have the chance to choose where to go, and she knew pretty well that when you had a boss like K, you didn’t have the luxury to object.
Utterly surprised and even more disappointed about the fact that his favorite agent wasn’t included in the trip – and totally forgoing the fact that his least favorite was present, as always – Nick looked at K like he’d just betrayed him.
“K, come on, can’t we replace this sorry-ass Shazam with Di?” Nick almost pleaded. He knew he sounded weak, but he couldn’t care less. Considering the fact that he had just enjoyed a few steamy moments with Diamond, he wasn’t thinking with his brain anyway.
“Shut up, Carter; I wouldn’t mind trading you with Di, either. I’d prefer her any time of the day to your whiny little sorry ass!” JC spat back.
“In your dreams, Chasez; in your fucking wet dreams.”
“Hey, enough, both of you,” K growled. He walked towards the door and out to the corridor, but his stern voice could still be heard clearly inside the lab. “The jet’s leaving in an hour. Start packing.”
Rolling his eyes, Nick followed his superior outside the lab. K was walking down the corridor on his right. Sighing and knowing he just couldn’t protest, Nick went in the opposite direction, only to come across Diamond, leaned against the wall seductively.
“Hey, big boy.” A small smiled played on her lips as Nick got closer to her. “So you’re on your way to Disney World for a vacation, huh?”
“Di, you know…” Nick trailed off, as now she was standing right in front of him, her face only inches away from his and her hands moving slowly but firmly on his chest and, well, down his chest… “I’d prefer staying with you here.” As Diamond’s hands moved down to his belt and pulled him towards her body, he let out a soft moan. “We can still finish what we started, you know; I still got an hour.” He wiggled his eyebrows, companying his half smile that he knew Diamond just couldn’t resist.
Diamond pulled firmly on his belt one more time. This time, her body was touching his fully. “Nah...” she said. “Go and pack up, big boy; there’s always another day.” Letting go of him, she placed a soft peck on his lips. “Just don’t get too intimate with Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella.”
She turned her back and started walking away from a totally disappointed Nick before saying, “Too bad for you, Carter – I was just in the mood!”
Torn between walking left or right, Nick looked at Diamond, who turned just in time to give him a wink, and then glanced the other way to see K’s disappearing silhouette.
Nick shook his head as he turned to his right. “Damnit, K!”
± ± ±
Just as he was about to turn the corner down the hallway, Lancybassy heard K’s orders.
“The jet’s leaving in an hour. Start packing.”
He stopped in his tracks and decided not to be seen, which, obviously, happened to be a great decision, since soon he heard Diamond’s voice, possibly talking to his boss. Lancy knew that Di didn’t call any other guy “big,” unless it was that dreamy, yummy boss of his.
A hand placed on his chest, Lancy sighed dreamily. He shook his head slowly; only he could be the witness of his boss’s greatness.
“So you’re on your way to Disney World for a vacation, huh?”
So his boss was on going on a vacation to Disney World then. Clapping his hands happily, Lancy took another second to hear Nick’s muffled voice. “Di, you know…”
Having proven for sure that it was 00Carter who was going to be leaving for sunny Florida, Lancy headed back to his office. If his boss was taking a little break, why couldn’t he? And he had to give props to K for choosing Disney World as the vacation spot. Half walking, half jogging, he tried to keep his giggles under control.
He only needed to find where he’d put his pink tutu. Then he was good to go.
± ± ±
