Joseph paces outside of Doctor Bries office door. He was waiting for the results that the doctor would find. He knew that they could not really be all that good. His pacing was getting on Madison’s nerves. Every step he took made her want to pull his hair out of his head. It was not like he was dying.
Annabelle watched with neutral feelings running through her toward his action. She knew she was getting antsy though. She didn’t want to be sitting still. She had been sitting there for the past hour…after he said it would be “5 minutes”. Natalia was still knocked out. She fell right to sleep as soon as they got in…being that she was already still sleepy.
The Doctor opens the door to his office. He seemed to be dumbfounded to the group. He motions them all to come in and Joseph picks his little sister up into his arms. He carries her in and sits her on the seat.
“So doctor?” Joseph said. “These readings are impossible. There are no readings when it came to your feelings towards the man’s death. Are you sure someone died in your life?” Doctor Bries asked raising his eyebrow. He was an untrusting man, but they had no reason to lie. He just wanted to make sure that he had all the angles before he wrote them off.
“Why would you ask me that? Of course he died.” Joseph said emotionless. The doctor was taken aback by the coldness in his voice…it made him shiver. It was an emotion he had not ever come across before…no emotion that is.
“Okay. Well, from these readings, you never knew the man. In fact, you’re not sorry nor happy that he died. There’s nothing there. NOTHING. I have never seen that before. Of course, I have studied those who have only met a person once in their life…and then others who never met the person. But each result had some emotion. Even if it was carelessness…there was a register on the scale. This…nothing. Bupkiss. How did you end up this way?” the doctor asked looking at Joseph like he was another project that he had to study.
“I’d rather not say Doctor. All you need to know is that it’s for you own protection. Tell me this, is there anything that you can do about it?” Joseph said.
“I don’t think so son. Tell me, what was your relationship with the man you said died?” the doctor asked. “He was my friend…my best friend.” Joseph said matter-a-factly. “Friend, and you feel nothing now?” the doctor asked stroking his chin.
“Not a thing sir.” Joseph answered back. “I knew Ron doc.” Madison said speaking up. The doctor looks at her. He raises his eyebrow.
“Perhaps I can see something. Come with me. I would like to put you in the machine.” The doctor told her. They are lead back into his lab. She gets in the seat and he activates the machine. She is blinded by the light. Joseph is the only one looking straight into the light making sure everything was alright.
The machine came to a stop and Madison got out. She almost staggers to the floor. Joseph catches her and she runs her hand through her hair to get it out of her eyes. She looks at Joseph.
“Thanks…oh… Those rolls aren’t agreeing with me now.” Madison said. “Nonsense, they’ve digested more than likely.” Joseph said.
The doctor takes the results and goes back into his office. It was only 20 minutes before he came out. He was baffled by the results.
“You had…you had particularly strong feelings for this Ron character from the results. And then you, who should have particularly strong feelings for your friend have nothing towards him. How is this possible?” the doctor asked himself but informing them at the same time.
“Anything doctor…anything you can do to reverse it?” Joseph asked. “I can’t sir. I can’t reverse this. The only thing I can tell you…train yourself to care. It’s the only way you’re coming back to your humanity. From what I can see, there is a chemical imbalance… You don’t mind giving me your number? I will continue to research this, and I would like to stay in contact.” Doctor Bries tells him. Joseph nods and writes his number for him. He shakes the doctor’s hand.
“Thank you for your help.” Joseph said. “I didn’t do anything.” The doctor said. “You’ve been more of a help than you believe doctor. I hope all goes well for your research. Well, be seeing you later.” Joseph said. The doctor nods to him and the group all leave.
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In the IOSTA HQ, the people were all scrambling around trying to figure who killed their beloved leader Chang Fo. Paul O’Connor sat at the top of the world looking below on the pawns that would do as he commanded with a dark and evil smile. He looks to his companion Marcia Roterez.
Marcia was not an official member of the IOSTA. She was kicked out at a young age by Chang Fo but Paul had always had his eye on her. He had some men train her and she became a lethal weapon for him. Now she was at his side…soon to be his queen, queen of the earth.
Marcia held needles in her hand making them appear and disappear. She looks at Paul watching his many pawns scrambling around questioning each other.
“They’re not fools as you believe Paul. They are world class assassins posing as Judges, Lawyers, and regular Joes. They can act and they have been trained to hide themselves from the world. Most of them are geniuses. You really think you can hide forever?” Marcia asked him getting up.
“I do. I’m of far greater intelligence than any of them Marcia. Have confidence in my abilities. I can handle them and I can handle myself. They are merely pawns in a game of war soon to come over the horizon.” Paul said.
“Even if you could keep your ruse my dear…how will you get that agent to keep her mouth quiet? She will be a problem and you know it well. You can see the fire in her eyes.” Marcia said.
“She is an issue isn’t she? She will not let the matter rest and she will try to dethrone me. She would perhaps be successful in her endeavor to take me off the high seat and thrown into a prison hole.
Still though. She is one of our greatest assassins. Her skills with the blade and her ability to hide in plain sight make her an asset.” Paul said debating with himself.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCneiOY9fFy
“You should take her out. You would make me a very happy woman Paul. I’ll do it myself. No one will ever know what happened to the little agent.” Marcia told him. Paul looks at her with a raised eyebrow and a smile on his creased aged face.
“You would really do that for me? You would take out any opponent against my power?” Paul asked of her. “For you anything.” Marcia said. Paul kisses her and nods at her.
“She is in Chicago about to complete a mission I sent her on. You will go there and end her. Bring me her head and evidence that it was Joseph Arlington’s hand that had done her in.” Paul told her. Marcia slips away from him and steps on the elevator. Paul places his arms behind his back and returns to looking over the pawns in his hand.
“The power is mine to wield…” Paul said.
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Back in Sentry City, Texas, Joseph had taken everyone to the theme park. Joseph was off to the bathroom all alone. Madison and Annabelle were instructed not to leave without him…being his overprotective self.
Annabelle looks at Madison. She wanted to say something and fought with herself to do so. “So, when did you and Joseph first meet?” she asked her. “That?” Madison asked, “Well, that’s easy. The first time I ever saw Joseph Arlington was in ’98. I was young and getting into show business.
He was the only one that didn’t want to play with me after I had done a commercial and everyone had seen it. They all wanted to be around me. They had thought I was cool.
I got mad at him, that he wasn’t there giving me adoration. He refused to do so and played by himself much rather. Before I was to do my next commercial, he came up to me one day and told me in my face that none of the other kids were my real friends, they were backstabbing jerks.” “In those words exactly?” “More or less. He left me there alone. The kids stopped hanging out with me. I had gotten old to them. Then, then I did another commercial…embarrassing one. I was called Wet-Wet Maddie for a long time.”
“Really? I’ve heard that before. They call people that if they’re bed-wetter’s.” Annabelle said. “Yeah, I know. The commercial I was doing was advertising a bed-wetter mat. I was the bed-wetter and I got made fun of, by everyone except…” “Joseph.” “That Arlington kid didn’t seem so weird or mean now. He got up and walked to me. He put his arm around me and dragged me to the sandbox. He told me this ‘We’re friends now Madison. You just needed to see it before I could tell you. Joseph Arlington at your service. Would you like to help me build this castle?’ And just like that we were friends.” “And you remember everything he said?” “You have to have a good memory to be an actor. I remember it word for word.” “He was a bit assuming wasn’t he?” “I needed that. He told me that he was my friend, and I guess I liked it. At least he hadn’t turned his back on me. So, I looked over it.”
“Nice story. You two are very close.” Annabelle said. “Yeah, we are. We’ve known each other too long.” “Annabelle…you’re nosy.” Natalia said knowingly. “What are you talking about Natalia?” Annabelle said.
“I’m not stupid…I’m the child of two genius parents. It isn’t hard for me to grasp things.” Natalia said. “Except maybe this…” Joseph said holding his hand behind his back. She turns to him and tilts her head wondering what was behind his back.
“What’s behind my back?” Joseph asked. “Cotton Candy?” Natalia said. Joseph shook his head. “Something soft though.” Joseph told her. “A TOY!” Natalia said. Joseph nods and smiles. He gives the bunny to Natalia. She takes it with wide eyes, as if she had fallen in love with one look.
“I’M GOING TO CALL IT FLUFFY BOTTOMS!” Natalia said loudly. She squealed and spun around with the stuffed bunny in her arms. Joseph laughed and messed with his sister’s hair. “I’m glad you like it princess.”
“Come on Nats. I think you need a cheesy snack.” Madison said taking Natalia’s hand. She drags the girl off. Annabelle looks at Joseph.
“You’re very kind to your sister.” Annabelle said. “Well, I haven’t got anywhere else I can put that kind of kindness. Plus, siblings deserved to be spoiled a little bit. I love seeing her little spoiled face light up.” Joseph said looking at the cutie act mischievously, “Though she is a little impish in her antics.”
“I don’t get you Arlington. One second, you’re imposing, the next easygoing and compassionate. Who are you?” She asked smiling. “There’s not much to get about me except I’m always going to do the right thing Annie.”
“Annabelle.” She said her voice coming out in a manner that made him cringe a little. She really did not like to be called Annie and he was trying to get it in his thick skull but he couldn’t.
“So, you and Madison…you ever think about that?” Annabelle asked of him. “Me? Madison? Uh, what do you mean by that?” Joseph asked walking with her towards the other two.
“Being a couple. She knows you well enough and you know her well enough. There’s nothing holding you back.” Annabelle said to him. “Me & Maddie? Uh-uh. I don’t think so. That’s not happening ever. All those years ago, I picked Madison out to be my friend, never anything more.”
“So you planned to keep her in that area for the rest of your life?” Annabelle asked of him. “Of course I did. Madison…Madison is perhaps the only person who knows me better than anyone. But I know her in the same manner. We can’t deal with each other’s crazy. I hate the media and being with her would tear me down on that front. Now, I know it’s one excuse but that is a major one. And the other, I love her, but like a sister.” Joseph told Annabelle.
“Oh? Are you sure, completely sure that there are no feelings for her that you are simply trying to deny Joseph?” Annabelle said. “I’m completely sure Annie…crap. Annabelle. Sorry.” Joseph said staring ahead at the both of them.
“Then I draw back.” Annabelle said. Joseph stops at a booth and buys a necklace for Annabelle. It had the Sentry City Symbol on it. He hands it to her. “A little souvenir of Texas.” He told her. “Thank you.” She said putting it on. “Let’s catch up with them and hit some of these rides, huh?” he said to her.
They start running and join the other two. Natalia had cheese all over her hands. She was licking them happily with the bunny buckled to herself speaking to it when no one was looking…or when she thought no one was looking.
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In Chicago Syntyke stalks her way into a building quietly. She ends up on the window sill on the outside not even looking below. Fear was an enemy and she had no fear of falling. She looks in the window of her target and sees him sitting. He was in the perfect spot to be assassinated. She could slip in and out without anyone ever knowing.
She opens the window ever so slowly. The man was still not paying attention. Syntyke sees 3 young children run in the room screaming Granddaddy. She was about to run the man through with her poisoned tip. She stops however on seeing the children laughing at him telling a joke.
She blinks a few times. She wondered why in the world she was doing this…why she was about to kill a man who for all she knew, was innocent. Paul was running the place now and he could not be trusted. But the children really did it for her. She was not going to do him in front of children.
She slips back out of the window, still unnoticed and leaps to the ground. She lands and sheathes her two blades. She knows something is wrong in the Neutral Reality. She slides to the right and needles fly past her. Marcia comes around the corner and takes off her gloves and smiles at Syntyke.
“This is going to be quick… Try not to fight it agent.” Marcia said. Syntyke takes a stance. “I knew you were going to try and kill me eventually you disgusting cow.” “Cow? I don’t really think you said that.” “Oh I did.”
Marcia runs at Syntyke and they start to fight. Marcia gets Syntyke against the wall and starts beating her against it. Syntyke was surprised to see Marcia surpassed her skill. She jabs Syntyke and she feels her muscles start to lock up. Syntyke spins and kicks Marcia into the wall and Syntyke runs into a crowd damaged by Marcia’s attack.
Marcia pushes off the wall and looks into the crowd. Syntyke was gone and Marcia was not trained to speed find her. Syntyke had gotten away and Marcia was angry. She frowns and disappears herself…waiting for a better time to do her in.
Syntyke kept running through the crowd and her legs locked up. She stumbles forward. She falls into a man’s arms. She looks up and blushes slightly. The man lifts her up and smiles at her.
“Watch your step ma’am.” Miqueas Trent says to her. “I’m no ma’am. Sorry.” She said smiling at him. “Well, just watch your step. I don’t want to find you in the sidewalk next time I see you.” Miqueas says.
“Next time?” she asks of him. “Sure. It’s not often a beautiful woman falls in my arms. I think it’s my duty to asks for a coffee with the woman…if you don’t mind?” he says to her. “Uh…” “Here, put your number into my phone and I’ll call you up sometime.” he said with a soft smile.
She takes his phone and puts her number in. He takes it back and says goodbye to her. He continues walking on. She blinks a few times wondering how in the world did she end up with a date prospect on a mission. She threw her mind off that and to her not locking up again…this time crossing the street.
She was going to have a few words with Paul O’Connor. He was trying to have her killed and she didn’t appreciate that at all. Very few people got away with assassinating another in the IOSTA, much less trying to do so.646Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uAAdFPyxm
