ULTRAMagic Interval - Chapter 5
Previous | First | Next
Master Post - Patreon
At around 9 o’clock, Will looked away from the window. “Hey, Adrien? Are we going to stop at a motel or inn soon?”
“Nope.”
“Eh?”
“This is an emergency situation. We’re not stopping until we get to M.A.I.G.” He then realized the elephant in the room. “Well, excluding stops for me to grab some coffee here and there. I definitely recommend going to the bathroom when we stop for those.”
“Oh boy, gas station restrooms…” Sam cheekily remarked.
Buster had a moment of nostalgia. “To be fair, only a quarter of public bathrooms I’ve ever used were legitimately that dirty.”
Sam nodded. “Hey, Adrien? Can we get some snacks along the way?”
“I don’t see why not, just make sure you brush your teeth at some point.”
Will groaned. “Dang it, I brushed my teeth before we left and now I’m craving one of those mini chocolate pies…”
Adrien chuckled. “Save it for when you get to M.A.I.G. so you can microwave it.”
“Will, you realize those aren’t good for you, right?” Olivia questioned.
“I know, but I haven’t had one in ages.”
Faustus got out a notepad and started writing something down. “Chocolate pies, I’m sure Mira would love to try making those…”
Will went back to looking out the window, watching everything pass by. The trip was a little boring all things considered, but that monotony was preferable to dealing with Bethany. In truth the journey brought him back to his childhood, reminding him of trips to his grandparents house or an amusement park. It was an odd feeling, but it made him feel good regardless. Eventually Adrien pulled the van into a gas station parking lot. The accompanying store was fairly active and advertised fresh coffee in the windows.
The Steel Cat van did not need gas as it ran off of a miniature particle collider. This was the standard for the majority of Liger Brigade vehicles. Adrien got a kick out of telling people about it, given that they were always amazed. There were usually concerns about black holes forming, but Adrien assured them that serious singularities were unlikely due to the colliders paling in comparison to the collapse of actual stars. After getting his coffee and picking up some DVDs and snacks, Adrien returned to the van.
“Bad news: This coffee could be a lot better. Good news: the store had some movies we could watch” he announced.
Sam took the cases. “Oh wow, awesome. Wait, this van has a DVD player?”
Adrien nodded as he started the vehicle. “Well actually it’s a universal disc player used for relaying intel, but we can use it for movies. Antares won’t mind. The player’s in with the radio and whatnot.”
“Here you go then, Boyo,” Sam said as she handed the cases to Will in the front seat.
Will took a second to figure out what he was doing, followed by a display lowering from the ceiling. “Nice, but isn’t that kind of small?”
Olivia pressed a button next to her on the wall, causing another display to fold out from the ceiling in front of her. “Each seat has its own display just in case the visuals of the media are important.”
The movie they watched was a quirky, animated, western comedy that they all enjoyed. It definitely helped make the ride go a lot quicker. Sam was as happy as a clam, given that portable DVD players were mandatory for her childhood roadtrips. All of it was a nice distraction from the circumstances that prompted the current journey.
At around 1 o’clock, everyone was starting to doze off, barring Adrien and Faustus. The fire devil was a bit bored, so he went to the front of the van and quietly talked to Adrien about this and that. Finding out he was actually half-oni half-spider deity was quite fascinating. Naturally Adrien was also curious about the time when Faustus first met Will. While it would have been nice for Will to listen in, he had fallen asleep.
Mayhem had been hanging out with Dr. Reynard Woodall and Trumna Wintergate at M.A.I.G. headquarters. The former was the lead scientist and the latter was the current head of the organization. Everyone was surprised when Mayhem just appeared out of nowhere, but he quickly produced the letter Adrien had written for him. It was around 2 in the morning when Adrien verified he was nearing the base.
Reynard was making his way through the busy halls of M.A.I.G. to garage 11A, being followed by Mayhem and his dog, Hannah. The lead scientist was upright and radiated charm and positivity. His gray business suit was neat and tidy, his light brown hair was well kept, and he had put on a new pair of professional-looking sunglasses. Even though the employees were a little tired this late at night, they immediately perked up when Reynard walked by, stopping what they were doing to greet him. They also gave Hannah some pets that she greatly appreciated.
“Curiously, where did you get Hannah, Doctor?” Mayhem inquired.
“She was a security dog who started winding down at age 11, then retired at 13. Personally I really like Shepherds and took a fancy to her.”
“I see. She’s quite vigorous for a dog her age.” Hannah gave a happy bark in response.
Reynard chuckled. “Guard dogs have to be kept pretty healthy, but I’ve also been slipping a little magic into her food here and there.”
“Ah, indeed. I can’t fault you there, but do you plan to keep doing this?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to make it so she can live with me forever. Keep this on the down-low though.”
They then approached the entrance to the garage where a guard saluted them. “Dr. Reynard!”
“Top of the morning to you, Howards.”
The guard then quickly entered a password into a keypad, causing the door to open. “You’re clear to enter.”
The three stepped into the massive garage and were greeted by fluorescent lights, the smell of car oil, and the sound of machines being worked on. It appeared that some of M.A.I.G.’s vehicles needed some late night maintenance. The Steel Cat van then pulled in, causing some of the mechanics to pause what they were doing to see what was up. After a moment of Adrien waking up his passengers, they all got out and made their way to the catwalk up against the wall of the garage.
“Welcome to M.A.I.G., everyone!” Reynard said with a clap. The group gave somewhat drowsy greetings. “Don’t worry, we’ve already got sleeping arrangements set up for all of you. Sam, Will, come with me.” He then snapped a few times for one of the guards to come over. “Meyers, could you escort Adrien, Buster, and Olivia to their quarters?”
“Yes sir.” The three followed him out of the garage, thanking Reynard on the way out.
“Everything go alright, Faustus?” Mayhem asked.
He yawned. “Swimmingly. Not a single hitch.”
“You two are free to roam if you want,” said Reynard. “Just remember that this is technically a military base. And Umuka should be in lounge 2B, assuming he’s not out exploring.”
Faustus nodded. “Right. I’m curious to see if he’s found out anything.”
“Then follow me, my friend,” Mayhem replied as they wandered off.
Sam was petting Hannah. “Who’s a good girl…”
“That’s Hannah,” Reynard pointed out. “She’s a retired guard dog I took in.”
Will smiled and also gave her a pet. “Great to be here, Dr. Reynard” he said with a yawn, causing Sam to yawn too.
“I’d dare say you two need to get back to bed…”
Reynard took them to his living quarters. It differed from the utilitarian nature of the base, being comparable to a full blown house. It was a mix of 1920s and mid 2000s home design with an emphasis on the art deco aesthetic. Will and Sam were shown to one of the guest rooms where there was a nice, comfy, queen-sized bed for them. Normally they would have stayed up a little bit to talk about their new surroundings, but the couple immediately fell asleep once they were comfortable.
Will and Sam woke up at around 8 in the morning and felt weird. They needed a moment to process where they were. Once the pleasing atmosphere set in, they got up and went to clean up a little in the side bathroom. Once ready, they left the guest room, being greeted by the smell of pancakes and bacon.
“Hey, you’re just in time for breakfast,” Reynard said as they approached the kitchen, taking a seat at the island countertop.
Will looked at the shiny counter for a second, the morning sun gleaming off of it. “Good morning, Dr. Reynard. Thanks for the food.”
“No problem, you two. I figured I might as well since Jack and Mary are also here. Speaking of which…” he whistled for the two in question. Hannah immediately walked up to him. “No, not you. You already have your food, you little stinker.” This made Sam and Will laugh.
Coming down the stairs was a muscular, brown-haired man who was handsome in a modest way. He was wearing a casual M.A.I.G. uniform and went right over to Will. “Hey, it’s the weatherman!” he said as he put his arm around him and ruffled his hair.
Will laughed incredulously. “Jack, please don’t call me that…”
“Jackson, what did I say about picking on Will?” Reynard chided.
“Aw come on, it’s all in good fun” he said as he sat down next to him.
“It’s because I get nervous over thunderstorms,” Will said to Sam. “Oh, Jack, this is my girlfriend, Sam.”
Jackson reached around the back of Will. “Pleasure to meet you, babe.”
“Er, yeah, you too…” Sam replied as she nervously shook his hand.
Reynard sighed. “Don’t let his demeanor fool you, he’s one of our best agents.”
“Oh, neat…” she replied, secretly a little skeptical.
Someone else came down the stairs. This time it was a woman in a 1920s tuxedo. She had green eyes and reddish-brown hair in a charleston-style bob cut. What stood out to Sam was that she appeared to be a living cartoon… in the sense that they were all witnessing an animated character in the third dimension. Sam did her best not to stare, but it was driving her nuts.
“Good morning, dad!”
“Morning, Mary,” Reynard replied. “Will’s here, safe and sound.”
“Excellent. Good to see you again, Will,” Mary said as she shook his hand.
“Hey, Mary. Sam, this is…”
“Boyo, no offense, but what am I even looking at here?”
The other three were confused, but then they put it together. “Right, this is your first time meeting her…” Will realized.
Reynard cleared his throat. “Sam, this is Mary Pickford, my daughter. She’s a… she’s a second dimensional entity who became third dimensional. Back in the 20s I was showing an animated film to some friends at a speakeasy when she just walked right out of the film itself. It got a little strange when she just seamlessly blended into the party, ha. I’ve been looking after her ever since.”
That was strange to hear, but Sam accepted it. “Oh, well nice to meet you, Mary.”
“You too, Samantha. I must say you are very pretty.”
Sam blushed. “Thank you.”
“While she’s not an agent for M.A.I.G., she helps us out as a bounty hunter that takes on special cases for us,” Reynard stated.
“A bounty hunter?” Sam questioned.
“Like she’s an actual mercenary, not one of those second hand cops you see on TV,” Jackson answered.
Mary looked a bit proud over that. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. I primarily specialize in digging up intel and dealing with behind the scenes threats. Naturally dad wants me to see what I can find out about what’s going on right now.” She then sat down next to Sam. “Oh, Will, you won’t have to worry about Shark. I sent him on an all expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas…”
Jackson banged the countertop. “Aw come on! It’s so much fun when he’s around!”
“NO,” Mary shot back. “This is shaping up to be a sensitive situation and I’m not going to have that hooligan around messing things up.”
“While his abilities would be a boon to us, I’m going to have to side with Mary on this one,” Reynard added. “Sorry, Jack.”
“Shark?” Sam asked Will.
“Shark-X. He’s another bounty hunter who has a weird fixation with me. He’s also a clone of someone, with heavy shark DNA inside him. You can see why I never told you about it.”
“Ah, classified stuff?”
Will nodded. “Big time.”
“Jeez, just what do you get up to, Boyo? You’re not seeing other girls, are you?”
“Absolutely not!”
Mary giggled. “He’s said a lot of good things about you, Sam.”
“He’s even had a couple of lovely ladies put the moves on him, only for them to be disappointed when he talks about you” Jackson continued.
Sam was amazed. “Maybe I should join M.A.I.G. or something, so I can go on these adventures with you, Boyo.”
Reynard snapped his fingers. “Hey, we’d love to have you if you think you got the stuff for it. Ellen’s been speaking highly of you, Sam.” He then began serving food. “At 1 o’clock there’s going to be a meeting hosted by Trumna where we’ll tell you guys about what we know so far.”
“Good, good,” Sam replied as she began cutting into her pancakes. “I’ve been worried sick for Will.”
Jackson chuckled. “I hate to say it, but this isn't the first time Will’s been in danger, and it won’t be the last.” That was not the most reassuring statement…
Next: Chapter 6
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Master Post - Patreon
At around 9 o’clock, Will looked away from the window. “Hey, Adrien? Are we going to stop at a motel or inn soon?”
“Nope.”
“Eh?”
“This is an emergency situation. We’re not stopping until we get to M.A.I.G.” He then realized the elephant in the room. “Well, excluding stops for me to grab some coffee here and there. I definitely recommend going to the bathroom when we stop for those.”
“Oh boy, gas station restrooms…” Sam cheekily remarked.
Buster had a moment of nostalgia. “To be fair, only a quarter of public bathrooms I’ve ever used were legitimately that dirty.”
Sam nodded. “Hey, Adrien? Can we get some snacks along the way?”
“I don’t see why not, just make sure you brush your teeth at some point.”
Will groaned. “Dang it, I brushed my teeth before we left and now I’m craving one of those mini chocolate pies…”
Adrien chuckled. “Save it for when you get to M.A.I.G. so you can microwave it.”
“Will, you realize those aren’t good for you, right?” Olivia questioned.
“I know, but I haven’t had one in ages.”
Faustus got out a notepad and started writing something down. “Chocolate pies, I’m sure Mira would love to try making those…”
Will went back to looking out the window, watching everything pass by. The trip was a little boring all things considered, but that monotony was preferable to dealing with Bethany. In truth the journey brought him back to his childhood, reminding him of trips to his grandparents house or an amusement park. It was an odd feeling, but it made him feel good regardless. Eventually Adrien pulled the van into a gas station parking lot. The accompanying store was fairly active and advertised fresh coffee in the windows.
The Steel Cat van did not need gas as it ran off of a miniature particle collider. This was the standard for the majority of Liger Brigade vehicles. Adrien got a kick out of telling people about it, given that they were always amazed. There were usually concerns about black holes forming, but Adrien assured them that serious singularities were unlikely due to the colliders paling in comparison to the collapse of actual stars. After getting his coffee and picking up some DVDs and snacks, Adrien returned to the van.
“Bad news: This coffee could be a lot better. Good news: the store had some movies we could watch” he announced.
Sam took the cases. “Oh wow, awesome. Wait, this van has a DVD player?”
Adrien nodded as he started the vehicle. “Well actually it’s a universal disc player used for relaying intel, but we can use it for movies. Antares won’t mind. The player’s in with the radio and whatnot.”
“Here you go then, Boyo,” Sam said as she handed the cases to Will in the front seat.
Will took a second to figure out what he was doing, followed by a display lowering from the ceiling. “Nice, but isn’t that kind of small?”
Olivia pressed a button next to her on the wall, causing another display to fold out from the ceiling in front of her. “Each seat has its own display just in case the visuals of the media are important.”
The movie they watched was a quirky, animated, western comedy that they all enjoyed. It definitely helped make the ride go a lot quicker. Sam was as happy as a clam, given that portable DVD players were mandatory for her childhood roadtrips. All of it was a nice distraction from the circumstances that prompted the current journey.
At around 1 o’clock, everyone was starting to doze off, barring Adrien and Faustus. The fire devil was a bit bored, so he went to the front of the van and quietly talked to Adrien about this and that. Finding out he was actually half-oni half-spider deity was quite fascinating. Naturally Adrien was also curious about the time when Faustus first met Will. While it would have been nice for Will to listen in, he had fallen asleep.
Mayhem had been hanging out with Dr. Reynard Woodall and Trumna Wintergate at M.A.I.G. headquarters. The former was the lead scientist and the latter was the current head of the organization. Everyone was surprised when Mayhem just appeared out of nowhere, but he quickly produced the letter Adrien had written for him. It was around 2 in the morning when Adrien verified he was nearing the base.
Reynard was making his way through the busy halls of M.A.I.G. to garage 11A, being followed by Mayhem and his dog, Hannah. The lead scientist was upright and radiated charm and positivity. His gray business suit was neat and tidy, his light brown hair was well kept, and he had put on a new pair of professional-looking sunglasses. Even though the employees were a little tired this late at night, they immediately perked up when Reynard walked by, stopping what they were doing to greet him. They also gave Hannah some pets that she greatly appreciated.
“Curiously, where did you get Hannah, Doctor?” Mayhem inquired.
“She was a security dog who started winding down at age 11, then retired at 13. Personally I really like Shepherds and took a fancy to her.”
“I see. She’s quite vigorous for a dog her age.” Hannah gave a happy bark in response.
Reynard chuckled. “Guard dogs have to be kept pretty healthy, but I’ve also been slipping a little magic into her food here and there.”
“Ah, indeed. I can’t fault you there, but do you plan to keep doing this?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to make it so she can live with me forever. Keep this on the down-low though.”
They then approached the entrance to the garage where a guard saluted them. “Dr. Reynard!”
“Top of the morning to you, Howards.”
The guard then quickly entered a password into a keypad, causing the door to open. “You’re clear to enter.”
The three stepped into the massive garage and were greeted by fluorescent lights, the smell of car oil, and the sound of machines being worked on. It appeared that some of M.A.I.G.’s vehicles needed some late night maintenance. The Steel Cat van then pulled in, causing some of the mechanics to pause what they were doing to see what was up. After a moment of Adrien waking up his passengers, they all got out and made their way to the catwalk up against the wall of the garage.
“Welcome to M.A.I.G., everyone!” Reynard said with a clap. The group gave somewhat drowsy greetings. “Don’t worry, we’ve already got sleeping arrangements set up for all of you. Sam, Will, come with me.” He then snapped a few times for one of the guards to come over. “Meyers, could you escort Adrien, Buster, and Olivia to their quarters?”
“Yes sir.” The three followed him out of the garage, thanking Reynard on the way out.
“Everything go alright, Faustus?” Mayhem asked.
He yawned. “Swimmingly. Not a single hitch.”
“You two are free to roam if you want,” said Reynard. “Just remember that this is technically a military base. And Umuka should be in lounge 2B, assuming he’s not out exploring.”
Faustus nodded. “Right. I’m curious to see if he’s found out anything.”
“Then follow me, my friend,” Mayhem replied as they wandered off.
Sam was petting Hannah. “Who’s a good girl…”
“That’s Hannah,” Reynard pointed out. “She’s a retired guard dog I took in.”
Will smiled and also gave her a pet. “Great to be here, Dr. Reynard” he said with a yawn, causing Sam to yawn too.
“I’d dare say you two need to get back to bed…”
Reynard took them to his living quarters. It differed from the utilitarian nature of the base, being comparable to a full blown house. It was a mix of 1920s and mid 2000s home design with an emphasis on the art deco aesthetic. Will and Sam were shown to one of the guest rooms where there was a nice, comfy, queen-sized bed for them. Normally they would have stayed up a little bit to talk about their new surroundings, but the couple immediately fell asleep once they were comfortable.
Will and Sam woke up at around 8 in the morning and felt weird. They needed a moment to process where they were. Once the pleasing atmosphere set in, they got up and went to clean up a little in the side bathroom. Once ready, they left the guest room, being greeted by the smell of pancakes and bacon.
“Hey, you’re just in time for breakfast,” Reynard said as they approached the kitchen, taking a seat at the island countertop.
Will looked at the shiny counter for a second, the morning sun gleaming off of it. “Good morning, Dr. Reynard. Thanks for the food.”
“No problem, you two. I figured I might as well since Jack and Mary are also here. Speaking of which…” he whistled for the two in question. Hannah immediately walked up to him. “No, not you. You already have your food, you little stinker.” This made Sam and Will laugh.
Coming down the stairs was a muscular, brown-haired man who was handsome in a modest way. He was wearing a casual M.A.I.G. uniform and went right over to Will. “Hey, it’s the weatherman!” he said as he put his arm around him and ruffled his hair.
Will laughed incredulously. “Jack, please don’t call me that…”
“Jackson, what did I say about picking on Will?” Reynard chided.
“Aw come on, it’s all in good fun” he said as he sat down next to him.
“It’s because I get nervous over thunderstorms,” Will said to Sam. “Oh, Jack, this is my girlfriend, Sam.”
Jackson reached around the back of Will. “Pleasure to meet you, babe.”
“Er, yeah, you too…” Sam replied as she nervously shook his hand.
Reynard sighed. “Don’t let his demeanor fool you, he’s one of our best agents.”
“Oh, neat…” she replied, secretly a little skeptical.
Someone else came down the stairs. This time it was a woman in a 1920s tuxedo. She had green eyes and reddish-brown hair in a charleston-style bob cut. What stood out to Sam was that she appeared to be a living cartoon… in the sense that they were all witnessing an animated character in the third dimension. Sam did her best not to stare, but it was driving her nuts.
“Good morning, dad!”
“Morning, Mary,” Reynard replied. “Will’s here, safe and sound.”
“Excellent. Good to see you again, Will,” Mary said as she shook his hand.
“Hey, Mary. Sam, this is…”
“Boyo, no offense, but what am I even looking at here?”
The other three were confused, but then they put it together. “Right, this is your first time meeting her…” Will realized.
Reynard cleared his throat. “Sam, this is Mary Pickford, my daughter. She’s a… she’s a second dimensional entity who became third dimensional. Back in the 20s I was showing an animated film to some friends at a speakeasy when she just walked right out of the film itself. It got a little strange when she just seamlessly blended into the party, ha. I’ve been looking after her ever since.”
That was strange to hear, but Sam accepted it. “Oh, well nice to meet you, Mary.”
“You too, Samantha. I must say you are very pretty.”
Sam blushed. “Thank you.”
“While she’s not an agent for M.A.I.G., she helps us out as a bounty hunter that takes on special cases for us,” Reynard stated.
“A bounty hunter?” Sam questioned.
“Like she’s an actual mercenary, not one of those second hand cops you see on TV,” Jackson answered.
Mary looked a bit proud over that. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. I primarily specialize in digging up intel and dealing with behind the scenes threats. Naturally dad wants me to see what I can find out about what’s going on right now.” She then sat down next to Sam. “Oh, Will, you won’t have to worry about Shark. I sent him on an all expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas…”
Jackson banged the countertop. “Aw come on! It’s so much fun when he’s around!”
“NO,” Mary shot back. “This is shaping up to be a sensitive situation and I’m not going to have that hooligan around messing things up.”
“While his abilities would be a boon to us, I’m going to have to side with Mary on this one,” Reynard added. “Sorry, Jack.”
“Shark?” Sam asked Will.
“Shark-X. He’s another bounty hunter who has a weird fixation with me. He’s also a clone of someone, with heavy shark DNA inside him. You can see why I never told you about it.”
“Ah, classified stuff?”
Will nodded. “Big time.”
“Jeez, just what do you get up to, Boyo? You’re not seeing other girls, are you?”
“Absolutely not!”
Mary giggled. “He’s said a lot of good things about you, Sam.”
“He’s even had a couple of lovely ladies put the moves on him, only for them to be disappointed when he talks about you” Jackson continued.
Sam was amazed. “Maybe I should join M.A.I.G. or something, so I can go on these adventures with you, Boyo.”
Reynard snapped his fingers. “Hey, we’d love to have you if you think you got the stuff for it. Ellen’s been speaking highly of you, Sam.” He then began serving food. “At 1 o’clock there’s going to be a meeting hosted by Trumna where we’ll tell you guys about what we know so far.”
“Good, good,” Sam replied as she began cutting into her pancakes. “I’ve been worried sick for Will.”
Jackson chuckled. “I hate to say it, but this isn't the first time Will’s been in danger, and it won’t be the last.” That was not the most reassuring statement…
Next: Chapter 6
ULTRAMagic Alternate © 2022 William Ford II (ChaoticTempleKnight)
Comments
Post a Comment