"Damn, man...." Danny continued, "...why aren't you coming with us?"
Sam sighed, rubbing his somewhat-tense neck, as the two made their way down the hallway towards the elevator.
"I don't know.......just don't have my heart into it right now, you know?" he tried to explain.
Danny shook his head.
"Well, it's not like I really want to do it, either....." Danny replied, "but, it is our job..."
Sam frowned.
"No it's not! It's not like we have a responsibility to the rest of the world....." he replied with a hint of irritation. "....I mean, have you forgotten what this century is like? They don't like us out there, man. They don't want us...."
Danny held his hands up in a surrendering position.
"Hey! You're preaching to the choir, here! I know all this!" he exclaimed. "But, I mean, we stay here.....eat the food.....get paid.....it's a job. If a few people get saved along the way, what's the harm in that?"
"Nothing!" Sam stopped, just in front of the elevator, hitting the button. "You're misunderstanding me! I'm all for a positive effect of the world. God knows, they need it. But, after all we've sacrificed....to have them STILL hate us....."
"Fear us."
"What?"
"Fear. They fear us. That's where the hate comes from...."
"WHATEVER!" Sam exclaimed. "What I'm saying, is that if I don't feel like risking my neck for once to help their ungrateful asses out......if I need a bit of rest......then, why not let somebody else take care of them for awhile.....you know?"
Danny sneered a bit, turning fully to face him, held his hand out in a greeting.
"Hi, asshole......I'm somebody else...." he drolled.
Sam just rolled his eyes.
"I have NO idea why I'm having this conversation with you....." he sighed.
Danny studied him for a moment, then turned back towards the elevator.
".....it's what you get for those fucking 'fish-sticks'......" he replied quietly.
There was a brief pause, as the two said nothing.
Sam: "Bite me."
Danny: "Tool."
Both began cracking up with bouts of sighing laughter.
///There///
Danny's head jerked back a bit.
What?
///To your immediate left. Look.///
Danny slowly turned his head to the left, staring down an empty hallway.
What? I don't see anything?
///The same man from the kitchen is staring at you///
AGAIN with this?
///Take three steps to the left, and reach out quickly///
....HAL....
///Take three steps to the left, an--///
OKAY, okay
Danny slowly stepped, as nonchalantly as possible, three steps over, reaching his hands slowly up into a fake yawn. Then, as quick as possible, he snapped his hand out into the air.
"AAAHHHH!" Danny yelled, jumping back with a start.
"WHAT?!" Sam yelped, Danny jerking him around with wide eyes.
His eyes darted around the empty hallway, an almost terrified look about him, trying to find the cause of Danny's wide-eyed stare.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" Danny yelled outloud at HAL.
///He stepped back from you.....you barely touched his garment///
"Danny?!" Sam asked, still trying to find what Danny was staring at. "What the fuck's wrong, man?"
The elevator finally arrived, the doors beginning to open with a 'ding'.
///He's stepping towards the elevator....he knows you are detecting him///
Danny immediately pushed Sam out of the way, jumping in front of the lift doors, trying to block them.
"Dammit, Danny! What the hell--"
"A GUY!" he stammered. "There's something here with us! Shit! I felt it! There's someone here!"
Sam's eyes narrowed.
"Where?!"
"I don't know! HAL can see him though!" he replied.
Sam spun around towards the intercom panel on the wall, slamming the button.
"Everyone converge on the main elevator hub......we have an intruder in the building..."
"YOU HEAR THAT?" Danny yelled. "I CAN SEE YOU!"
Is he still here? What's he doing?
///He is standing directly in front of you. He seems to be contemplating a course of action.///
"We don't want any trouble...." Sam said aloud.
"As do I."
Sam lurched as he realized that merely seconds ago, where there had been nothing but air, a tall, bald man, cloaked in a gray robe stood before him. Danny, so tense, merely lost his balance falling back into the elevator at the appearance.
"Who are you?" Sam began, cautiously.
"My name is---", he paused, casually holding his flat palm up to his right, perfectly catching a fist flying at nearly fifty-six-miles-per-hour.
"whOA!" Tobias exclaimed, suddenly standing there, his fist being held by the strange man.
"---Turkish Stringfellow...." he continued. Then, with a bowing glance towards the speedster, he released the fist, Tobias backing away a bit, still somewhat shocked.
"Well, Mr. Stringfellow.....tell me one good reason why I shouldn't have you arrested for breaking-and-entering, eh?" Kit Piper suddenly announced, walking up. Behind him, Pete, Mick, and Larry all followed, coming from the stairwell.
"Dude!" Larry began. "They can see him!"
"Yeah, Kit!" Mick glared at the man. "I thought you said you were going to throw our roots away!"
"....hogging them all for themselves, more likely...." Larry continued.
".....we would've shared...." Mick shrugged.
"QUIET!" Kit barked, his hands on his hips, still staring at the large enigma before him. "Well?"
"Sir..." Turkish replied with a tone of respect, his hands folded under his robes, "....I am in need of your services..."
"Then make an appointment like everyone else." he responded curtly. "We are already on a case.....one that is paying more than what it looks like you can offer...."
Turkish shrugged.
"I...have no means of payment...."
"I thought so...." Kit sighed. He turned towards the comm, leaning into the speaker. "Shirley, call the authorities---"
"....but, perhaps, in exchange for your assistance, I can peform needed tasks....?"
Kit stopped, suddenly. He slowly turned towards the man, curious.
"Services?" he asked.
"Yes." Turkish nodded. "It appears to me that each of you have specific...'talents', shall we say...."
Kit released the comm button, turning fully towards the man.
"Annnnd......you have....ummm...'talents'.....yourself?"
Turkish paused for a moment, then, turned towards the far wall.
".......if you don't mind....." he asked.
"Mind?" Kit responded. He looked at the same wall, and then back to Turkish. "Mind what?"
Turkish glanced a neo-purple eye his way, a devilish smile on his face.
"I was not talking to you...."
Suddenly, the wall began to vibrate. Then, with a slick, wet sound, the entire complete first-layer of paint seperated from the wall.....floating out like a liquid sheet.
Sam's jaw dropped.
Then, the second layer repeated the action.
Mick and Larry grinned. "Coooooool..."
The solid bricks of the wall began to move, as well. Seperating with a sound of granite-on-granite, large blocks released themselves, floating a few inches out from the moorings of the iron-cast-metal underframe of the building.
Kit Piper stood, his eyes gleaming with amazement, as the wall sat, in its' component parts, floating in the air before him.
"Talents such as these, perhaps?" Turkish asked.
Kit just nodded, still dumbfounded.
Turkish looked back towards the parts, nodding his head.
"......thank you...."
The wall immediately re-sealed itself, as if it had never happened in the first place.
Mick and Larry broke out into applause.
"You are the coolest hallucination we've EVER had, man!" Mick exclaimed, shaking his hand.
"Do me next! Do me!" Larry waved his hands in the air.
"Mr. Piper, I have the authorities on the line. Do you want to talk to--"
"Cancel that, Shirley...." he quickly said into the comm.
Kit Piper gained a very naughty grin on his face, pushing through the pair, walking up to Stringfellow with dollar-signs in his eyes and a outstretched hand.
"Stringfellow, was it?" he began, grasping the man's hand. "Welcome to the MBL....."
