{"id":1024,"date":"2022-01-10T18:08:14","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T00:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=1024"},"modified":"2022-01-10T18:19:46","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T00:19:46","slug":"part2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode12\/part2\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 12: \u00a0Mr. Body Beautiful<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 2<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Birds twittered above their heads. The sky was crystal blue and cloudless. It was so beautiful outside that it really didn\u2019t feel to Pearl like she was working that day.<\/p>\n

The scientist was sitting comfortably at a pretty glass table out on Brian\u2019s back porch. A pair of old-fashioned rocking chairs sat in the corner, completing the homey look. Her fingers flew across the keyboard of her light blue laptop as it rested on the glass table. Beside her sat Ashavari, otherwise known as Opal Odyssey, who typed on her adjacent black computer. The two women were like night and day in appearance, but their shared love of knowledge had bound them together quicker than anything.<\/p>\n

It was the first time that Pearl had left HimTak for anything work-related in over a year. After witnessing Drums throw JC to his death at Disney World, she\u2019d retreated into her lab, surrounding herself with the only thing she could trust: technology, which never stopped making sense to her.<\/p>\n

It felt good, however, to get out again. Maybe she would accept the next mission K assigned her. It wasn\u2019t often that she was needed out in the field, but K had approved this trip because he wanted to know what the FBI had been up to since their escapades at the Playboy Mansion. Pearl and Opal had been trying for days to translate the alien language written upon the pieces of technology Pearl had stolen during that mission. The FBI had been unable to do anything with the devices they had confiscated and had enlisted the CIA\u2019s help, which was how Opal had gotten involved. Although not a cryptographer like Opal, Pearl had been able to assist her by reverse-engineering one of the devices, which she had dubbed a \u201cCone of Silence.\u201d They were on the verge of cracking the code; she could feel it. The knowledge of that excited her. There was nothing like the thrill of discovery.<\/p>\n

Opal smiled at her. Although HimTak was never supposed to be on any country\u2019s side, it was at times like these that Pearl questioned Nick\u2019s unwavering mistrust of the government. It wasn\u2019t all evil. Then again, Nick had a reason. It was a reason none except K and Jay seemed to be privy to, as he discussed it with no one. Not even her, despite their friendship. It was just a dark secret lurking within Nick\u2019s otherwise open personality.<\/p>\n

Pearl kept clicking around on files, looking for one in particular. She hadn\u2019t brought the devices with her — too much danger in possibly losing them. They were safest at HimTak, especially the one she hadn\u2019t been completely able to figure out. She had her suspicions, but until she knew for sure, she couldn\u2019t leave them out in the open where anyone could get at them. Instead, she had high-definition photos so that they could examine the inscriptions on them with ease.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be happy when this assignment is over,\u201d said Opal with a sigh, running a hand through her long, black hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you\u2019re eager to get rid of me?\u201d Pearl quipped.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, of course not! I just don\u2019t like working for the FBI. The way they operate\u2026 well, it\u2019s not\u2026\u201d Opal paused. \u201cIt\u2019s not what I\u2019m used to.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bet. I didn\u2019t like working with them either. Ugh, I can\u2019t remember where I saved that file\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that one?\u201d Opal asked, pointing at a jpeg that was only numbered rather than titled.<\/p>\n

Pearl clicked and immediately regretted it. It was an old photo taken just before Nick\u2019s hiatus and the accident that had caused it. In the photo were Drums and Nick, sparring playfully in the training area. The two of them were laughing while Lancy watched hungrily in the background. Pearl sighed. A lot had changed over the past two years since the picture had been taken. Had it really been that long? Was it only a year-and-a-half ago that Drums had gone to the other side and FANS had started haunting their lives?<\/p>\n

Opal gave her a questioning glance.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust\u2026 weird memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can\u2019t be easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl took a deep breath. \u201cNick and Justin\u2026 Drums\u2026 were close once. The three of us were recruited at the same time, went through basic training together,\u201d she explained. \u201cI thought I had deleted all the photos from\u2026 before\u2026 off of here. Has that happened at the CIA? Where one of your agents goes to the\u2026 dark side?\u201d She laughed dryly. \u201cGod, I sound like a Jedi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal shook her head. \u201cI haven\u2019t dealt with anything like that, though I\u2019m sure Brian has. You and Nick must have taken it hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe deal better now because he\u2019s not that person anymore. He\u2019s more machine now than man, twisted and evil.\u201d Pearl sighed heavily. \u201cJustin\u2019s dead, you know? All that\u2019s left is Drums. But it\u2019s why Nick\u2019s so determined to bring Dr. Rough down. He wants revenge for what happened, for everything. It\u2019s personal and has been since the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is your deal with Nick anyway?\u201d Brian asked as he walked outside, a plate filled with tiny sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade in his hands. He grinned as he sat between them. \u201cI know he chases any female that breathes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFriends. We\u2019re close, but that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo much of a womanizer, huh?\u201d He grinned and took a big bite out of one of the sandwiches.<\/p>\n

She shrugged; she really didn\u2019t want to think about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know Jay was talking about you with Leo,\u201d Opal chimed in. Pearl was thankful for the topic shift as she clicked out of the old photo and deleted the file. Some memories were better left buried.<\/p>\n

She laughed, unaware that a new window had appeared on the screen of her laptop. \u201cLeo? He\u2019s cute, sure, maybe not as cute as Nick, but pretty. Leo\u2019s too cocky, though. I tend to not think about that stuff much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPearly! I knew you thought I was cute! Maybe\u2026\u201d Nick\u2019s voice yelled out happily. The noise caused her to jerk with surprise. She stared down to see K on her monitor with Nick trying to peer in behind him. Sometimes she regretted making the paging system two-way on her laptop. She only hoped they hadn\u2019t heard much.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, be quiet!\u201d K said sternly.<\/p>\n

Pearl smirked. \u201cCute like a puppy, in that \u2018aww\u2026 he\u2019s so adorable but still wets the carpet\u2019<\/em> sort of way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake that, Carter,\u201d she heard Leo say somewhere off-camera.<\/p>\n

\u201cShut it, Di-Crapio; I told you that you didn\u2019t have a prayer with her.\u201d He sounded all too smug. Ugh, perfect.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of you shut it before I demote you!\u201d K snapped impatiently before smiling charmingly up at the two women and Brian. \u201cBe glad you\u2019re away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything okay?\u201d Pearl asked. Normally, her superior had more patience with Nick\u2019s antics.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther than the fact that Dr. Rough seems to want my head on a platter? No,\u201d Jay replied dryly, his face appearing next to K\u2019s.<\/p>\n

As K pushed the camera back to fit more people into the frame, Pearl realized they were in her lab. She spotted Leo, Lancy, Red, and Styx standing in the background. Leo glowered at Nick before he walked away. Pearl watched him wander around her lab, inspecting certain devices carefully, and frowned. She was going to have to talk to Jay about everyone being in her lab while she was away. She still hadn\u2019t forgotten the machine gun bra incident. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

K quickly filled her in on the latest of FANS\u2019 plots. She couldn\u2019t believe Dr. Rough had somehow managed to implant him with a microscopic bomb. Besides the obvious threat to K\u2019s life, the implications of such a breach frightened her. How could one of Dr. Rough\u2019s henchmen have gotten past HimTak\u2019s supposedly impenetrable security to reach their leader? She didn\u2019t voice her concerns aloud, as K hadn\u2019t. She wondered if he was waiting until Styx went away. \u201cYou want me to come back?\u201d she asked instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. You should stay there. We just need your brainpower here. And your technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl sighed. \u201cI\u2019m thinking\u2026\u201d Her mind raced through possible solutions. \u201cRed, you can\u2019t operate on it, can you?\u201d She was sure the answer was no; if surgery was a possibility, they would have tried it already rather than seeking her help.<\/p>\n

Red Jewel came into the foreground, shaking her head. \u201cEven if I had the right equipment and people I\u2019d need to attempt to remove it surgically, I couldn\u2019t — not without triggering it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl nodded. It was as she had expected. After some thought, she was struck by another question. \u201cHow did you find this out anyway?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Jay smirked. \u201cDr. Rough was able to crack into the system enough to get on the paging line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWHAT?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh shit, Pearl\u2019s pissed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s kind of hot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opal rolled her eyes at Leo\u2019s remark before giving the blonde beside her a look of sympathy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, hell<\/em> no! No one cracks through my security walls and gets away with it! That twitchy son of a–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we refocus?!\u201d K hollered.<\/p>\n

All the agents in the laboratory looked sheepish. Brian smirked around a mouthful of sandwich with some morbid amusement. He was worried about his cousin, despite knowing that all the agents at Himitsu Takana were very capable of taking care of him. The laughter he fought back was out of nervousness more than anything else. But he couldn\u2019t go to Nevada. He was about to go on assignment again himself, as the CIA was currently trying to track down FANS\u2019 headquarters in an effort to bring all of Dr. Rough\u2019s madness to an end.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, K.\u201d Pearl stroked her chin, deep in thought. Suddenly, she said, \u201cI\u2019m thinking the shrink ray\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian blinked. \u201cY\u2019all have a shrink ray?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, I wanna be the one to use it, Pearly!\u201d Nick said with the most charming of grins.<\/p>\n

Pearl suppressed a smile. \u201cI can walk you guys through it. We could shrink a few of you and\u2026\u201d She sighed. \u201c\u2026my car, which has water capabilities. Then have them\u2026\u201d She knew K would hate what she was about to suggest. \u201c\u2026go inside you and defuse it.\u201d<\/p>\n

K visibly paled. She couldn\u2019t blame him. But she had to hand it to their leader: he sure knew how to stay calm in a crisis, even when it was his own life in danger. \u201cI don\u2019t like it, but the deadline we\u2019ve been given is in less than ten hours, and it might be the only viable option we have. Do you think it would work, Red?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Jewel\u2019s eyes were wide. \u201cIt\u2019s risky,\u201d she said, \u201cbut it just might work. Dr. Rough said the bomb is rigged to detonate if we try to extract it from your tissue, but if we could disarm it first, then removing it would be no problem. We\u2019d have to be almost microscopic, though, like the bomb itself must be\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy shrink ray can do it,\u201d said Pearl with confidence.<\/p>\n

K nodded with grim determination. \u201cThen here\u2019s what we\u2019re doing. Jay, you and\u2026\u201d He swallowed hard, and Pearl knew he was wishing Emerald wasn\u2019t out with Diamond on a mission. \u201cCarter,\u201d he choked out, \u201cprepare to be shrunken down. Take Styx with you, too. Red, I\u2019ll need you to monitor these three inside me from the outside and make sure nothing goes wrong. Lancy, you help her. Pearl, I need you to be on call and walk them through everything they need to know. Will that be alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem. You know me — computer nerd, always online.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVitruvian–\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo looked up from the device he was holding. It wasn\u2019t much bigger than the palm of his hands and about six inches thick, with strange lettering. He set it down, and Pearl breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was him setting off something she wasn\u2019t sure how to operate yet. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHold down the fort here until the other agents get back. Then I want you to go to Las Vegas. They\u2019re expecting Jay. See if you can track down or capture any of them. We need all the information we can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo gave a single nod, accepting his mission without question.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone, both at HimTak and Brian\u2019s house, nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. Let\u2019s get to work and get this thing out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

For the past hour, Pearl had been walking Nick through the specifics on how to work the shrink ray. He was tired of listening now and was just eager to try it out. He\u2019d used to love that movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids<\/em> when he was younger, and now he was about to reenact it. Just another cool thing about the life he lived. He sighed deeply as his friend\u2019s voice continued from the monitors. He knew he could handle it — come on, a baseball managed to get the machine to shrink stuff in the movie! Surely, he could press a few buttons just as simply. The beauty of this was that K wasn\u2019t there to yell at him. While they got the machine ready, K was in the infirmary, being prepped for the bomb-removal procedure.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, make sure everything is calibrated correctly before you start; otherwise, it won\u2019t do anything but–\u201d<\/p>\n

He grinned at the feed. \u201cI got it; I got it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

The device was tall (more than half Nick\u2019s height when placed securely upon its tripod stand), silver, and a lot sleeker than the one in the infamous movie. While the mini touch monitor looked simple enough, Pearl had repeatedly tried to remind him over the live feed to DC that it wasn\u2019t. He scoffed to himself. She should<\/em> have faith in him. He could totally handle anything her mind cooked up. Look at how he\u2019d been with his car — well, that was Canada\u2019s fault for using kilometers instead of miles like normal people. And the machine gun bra was glitchy to begin with. But everything else he\u2019d handled alright! So he knew he could deal with this.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure!\u201d He aimed at the first thing they\u2019d grabbed as a tester: an orange on a little side table. \u201cI got this. This doesn\u2019t look hard at all\u2026\u201d He aimed, fired, and within seconds, the orange exploded beautifully across the walls of the lab.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re cleaning that up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo rolled his eyes. \u201cHe\u2019s got us under a death wish; that\u2019s what he\u2019s got.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be fine this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not standing in front of that thing until we know what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Jay said dryly, adjusting his shades. He was dressed like he was going on a vacation instead of a mission inside his boss\u2019s body. The Hawaiian shirt he wore was blue with pink hearts floating in round, red innertubes, interspersed between big, spiky, white balls. Nick wasn\u2019t sure what those were supposed to be. Clouds? Blowfish?<\/p>\n

The blonde scientist nodded her head in complete agreement. She bit her lip, looking around as much as the camera in her lab would allow her. \u201cTest it on my couch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind the desk, surrounded by the many monitors, was a bright blue, worn, and comfortable-looking loveseat that Pearl used when trying to take a break or keep a close eye on the security feeds.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweet,\u201d Nick said, swirling around and aiming.<\/p>\n

\u201cShit! Let me get up first!\u201d Styx scrambled off the couch, where he\u2019d been lounging with a recent copy of Weekly World News<\/em>. Nick saw the headline \u201cAlien Playboys!\u201d<\/strong> printed in bold font across the cover.<\/p>\n

\u201cTabloids, really?\u201d<\/p>\n

His trainee shrugged. \u201cThe crazy stories make me laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, focus!\u201d Pearl snapped. \u201cNow, this time, be sure everything is entered correctly. You overshot it last time. The energy level was too high, and rather than shrinking, everything combusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem.\u201d Nick took more time this go around, not wanting to blow up something he knew would upset his friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, now be sure to enter the right sequence of commands.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, trust me!\u201d Nick reassured her as he did as he was told. He grinned and aimed again. A bright, almost blinding, white laser shot from the gun and hit the couch directly. It consumed the object with its light, and, within seconds, the couch had disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly shitballs! That was awesome!\u201d Nick glanced at the ground. \u201cWhere\u2019d it go?\u201d He walked forward. \u201cI didn\u2019t explode it, did I? Pearl will kill me if–\u201d Feeling a tiny crunch beneath his foot, he jumped back.<\/p>\n

Stepping over, Jay kneeled down and examined the almost microscopic remains of what had been a full-size piece of furniture. \u201cShe still will, Carter; you crushed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit! Pearly, I\u2019m sorry–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved that thing! You owe me another couch, Blondie! First the machine gun bra\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t my–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen your car\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBlame Canada!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now my couch. Ugh, I swear, Nick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled at her. \u201cYou still love me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay rolled his eyes, fighting back the faintest beginnings of a smile. \u201cAre we done, children?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, though I don\u2019t know why.\u201d Pearl smiled. \u201cI\u2019m behaving, boss, no worries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Leo fetched her keys from the drawer where Pearl had said he would find them and pulled the fabric cover off her car. The bright yellow Volkswagen Beetle, decorated with blue flower decals, fit her sunny personality perfectly. He chuckled to himself when he saw it. \u201cHippie in a past life?\u201d<\/p>\n

She chose to ignore that comment, rolling her eyes at something Brian said in the background where she was. \u201cHey, shush!\u201d<\/p>\n

As Leo fired up Pearl\u2019s car and pulled forward, the other blond agent\u2019s eyes lit up. \u201cA yellow submarine!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay gave Nick a warning look. \u201cDon\u2019t even start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo rolled his eyes at him as he parked the Bug closer to the shrink ray and climbed out. \u201cIt\u2019s a car.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat can turn into a sub! So ha!\u201d Nick turned the shrink ray towards it. \u201cOkay, now to shrink Jay and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t it make more sense if I do it? Then we only have to do this once,\u201d Leo suggested. \u201cI watched you do it both times. And I actually listened to Pearl while she explained what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? No!\u201d Nick protested. \u201cYou\u2019ll just–\u201d<\/p>\n

Their superior sighed deeply and, in a rare moment, resembled K. \u201cIf he wanted to kill you, Carter, he\u2019d have done it by now. Now get over here.\u201d He glanced at Leo. \u201cAfter we\u2019re in K, get straight to Las Vegas. No delays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick didn\u2019t miss the haughty smirk Leo shot his way as a result of Jay\u2019s words. \u201cFine,\u201d he muttered and begrudgingly did as he was told.<\/p>\n

Lancy stood next to Leo, not wanting to miss a thing. \u201cOh, now Nick will be Nicky Pocket! I can just tuck you away and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaning over towards Jay, Nick sighed. \u201cCan\u2019t I get a new secretary?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay snickered. \u201cNo way. Besides, Lancy\u2019s good at what he does and keeps quiet about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClearly you\u2019re not around him enough,\u201d Nick grumbled as he gathered with Jay and Styx in front of the car.<\/p>\n

Being on the receiving end of it this time was almost impossible to describe. One moment, everything seemed normal, and the next, they were practically consumed by the blinding light Nick had seen when he shot the couch earlier. In an instant, everything around him was enormous and overpowering. It would have been enough to really unnerve him if his adrenaline hadn\u2019t already been so high.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a fuckin\u2019 trip,\u201d Jay mused. \u201cOkay, Pearl said the wetsuits were in the trunk for when we\u2019re in his bloodstream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick laughed as he opened the trunk and pulled out three scuba diving suits. \u201cI think I\u2019ll put my spacesuit on, so I can jump into my rocket!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Jay raised a brow at him as he removed his wacky shirt and put his own suit on. \u201cWhat are you singing now?\u201d<\/p>\n

A shrug. \u201cJust something I made up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another eye roll. If there was a dollar for every time Nick had made that happen, they\u2019d all be millionaires. \u201cLet\u2019s get in so we can get this done and over with,\u201d said Jay, pulling his Hawaiian shirt back on over the suit. \u201cTo the Bug!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright. I prefer the Beatles anyway.\u201d As he climbed into the passenger seat, Nick started singing a new song. \u201cIn the town where I was born lived a man who sailed to sea\u2026 and he told us of his life in the land of submarines\u2026\u201d<\/em> He wished he could drive, but Pearl had made it clear that under no circumstances was he to get behind the wheel of her car.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs he gonna sing the whole mission?\u201d Styx muttered to Jay, who flipped the driver\u2019s seat forward so the shadow agent could squeeze into the back.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing Nick? Probably,\u201d replied Jay as he put the seat back into position and slid behind the wheel of the yellow Bug. \u201cSeatbelts, everyone!\u201d He buckled in and prepared himself for what would probably be one of the strangest missions he\u2019d ever been on. And that was saying something.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we sailed on to the sun\u2026 \u2018til we found a sea of green,\u201d<\/em> Nick sang on next to him. \u201cAnd we lived beneath the waves\u2026 in our yellow submarine\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Finally, Jay gave up and started singing along, the way he always did when he was paired up with 008. \u201cWe all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Red Jewel looked up as Lancy strolled into the infirmary. \u201cWhere have you been?\u201d Her voice sounded unusually sharp.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust getting all gowned up,\u201d he replied, doing a little twirl to show off the outfit he\u2019d put together for the occasion. \u201cYou like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lying on the bed in front of him, K lifted his head to get a better look at him and groaned. \u201cGod, Lancybassy, what are you wearing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lancy glanced down at the pink-and-white-striped pinafore he had put on over his crisp, white shirt and slacks. \u201cWhat? I was just trying to look the part!\u201d He patted the matching white nurse\u2019s cap perched jauntily over the frosted tips of his hair, making sure it was still in place.<\/p>\n

K closed his eyes and sighed as he slumped back onto his pillow. \u201cGod help me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRelax,\u201d said Red in a soothing tone, rubbing his shoulder. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna be alright. We\u2019ll get that thing out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course we will!\u201d Lancy cried with confidence, remembering how he had helped Diamond disarm the bomb on that Zamboni at the Olympics. \u201cWe won\u2019t let mean old Dr. Rough blow up that beautiful bod of yours.\u201d He couldn\u2019t help running his eyes down the length of K\u2019s body, unaccustomed to seeing his boss in so little clothing. K\u2019s usual black suit and white shirt — one of seven identical outfits that hung in his closet — were folded neatly on the counter in the corner of the room. His bare chest was wired with electrodes, which would allow Red to monitor his heart rhythm throughout the mission. Lancy felt his own heart flutter as he followed the thin trail of hair from K\u2019s toned abs to the waistband of his tight, black boxer briefs, which left little to his imagination. \u201cIs it hot in here, or is it just me?\u201d he asked, fanning himself with his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s a little stuffy,\u201d Red replied innocently, rolling up the sleeves of her white coat. \u201cHey, Archie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Archie?<\/em> Lancy looked around in confusion as a young man with red hair and goatee came out of one of the back rooms, rolling a red cart full of equipment. \u201cSorry,\u201d he apologized to Red. \u201cI couldn\u2019t find it at first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d said Red, taking the cart from him and parking it at K\u2019s bedside. \u201cCan you turn the air up? The thermostat\u2019s over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d The redheaded man hesitated. \u201cTurn it up as in make the temperature higher, or\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red stared at him for a second. \u201cNo, turn the air conditioning up, so it lowers the temperature.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 right!\u201d He blushed, his face blending in with his beard as he hurried to follow her instructions.<\/p>\n

Lancy watched his back as he retreated. \u201cIs it Bring Your Brother to Work Day or something?\u201d he asked Red.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? No!\u201d she laughed. \u201cHe\u2019s not my brother. That\u2019s my new assistant, Archie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNew assistant?\u201d Lancy couldn\u2019t believe he had missed hearing about a new hire. His secretarial gossip ring had failed him! \u201cWhat happened to the old one?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to let her go. She was never here when I needed her! Always calling in \u2018sick.\u2019\u201d Red rolled her eyes as she made air quotes with her fingers. \u201cTerrible work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh wow, that\u2019s too bad. I hope Jay or K wiped her memory before she left — don\u2019t want any of our secrets getting out!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d K said quietly from the bed. \u201cWe did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid what?\u201d Archie asked as he returned.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d said Lancy quickly, turning to him with a smile. \u201cI don\u2019t believe we\u2019ve met yet — Archie, is it?\u201d He held out his hand. \u201cI\u2019m James Lancybassy, secretary for 00Carter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDouble-O\u2026 Carter?\u201d The look of confusion came back across the new guy\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

K cleared his throat. \u201cAgent 008. Although his actual<\/em> code name is–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 00Carter!\u201d As if on cue, Nick\u2019s voice rang out through the room.<\/p>\n

Looking around for the source of it, Lancy finally spotted his flawless face filling half the screen of one of the monitors mounted on the wall of the infirmary. On the other side of the split-screen, he could see Pearl, her blonde hair in pigtails. It looked like she had left Brian\u2019s back porch and was sitting somewhere inside now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems our three-way video call is working,\u201d Pearl said, laughing. \u201cThis will allow us all to stay connected throughout the mission. Red, you\u2019ll be able to see what Jay\u2019s team is seeing inside K so you can help guide them through his body–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat,\u201d muttered K, grimacing.<\/p>\n

\u201c–and when they get to the bomb, Brian and I will try to talk them through how to defuse it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot \u2018try,\u2019\u201d Brian interjected, his face appearing next to Pearl\u2019s as he leaned in front of her camera. \u201cWe will<\/em> talk them through how to defuse it. You\u2019re gonna be just fine, cuz.\u201d His blue eyes blazed with a fire Lancy had never seen in them before.<\/p>\n

K may be fine, but his cousin\u2019s even hotter when he gets mad,<\/em> Lancy thought, shuddering as a little thrill shot through his body. So intense!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Pearl added quickly. \u201cDon\u2019t worry; we\u2019ve got you, K.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a tight-lipped smile, K nodded. \u201cThanks, guys. I know I can count on you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just hope we can count on Di-Crapio to get us to you without dropping us,\u201d Nick said. \u201cHe\u2019d never find us if he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard that, Carter.\u201d Leo\u2019s voice joined the others as he shuffled into the infirmary, carrying an empty petri dish. At least, it appeared empty at first glance.<\/p>\n

But on closer inspection, as Lancy leaned over it and peered inside, he could see something small and yellow sitting in the center of it. Realizing what it was, he gasped. \u201cThe shrink ray worked?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Lancybassy!\u201d Lancy glanced back up at the monitor to see Jay waving on the screen. \u201cDown here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking down into the dish, Lancy blinked in disbelief. Pearl\u2019s Beetle had been reduced to the size of a flea. The people inside were too tiny to see. But to Jay, Nick, and Styx, he must have looked like a giant.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you pluck your nose hairs, Lancy?\u201d Nick asked. \u201cBecause you have way less nose hair than Leo-nasty<\/em>-o here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCareful, Carter,\u201d Leo warned, glaring at the petri dish. \u201cRemember, your life is literally in my hands right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, so is K\u2019s. You wouldn\u2019t risk killing your boss, would you?\u201d Nick retorted.<\/p>\n

Leo just smirked and said nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the record, Nick, I did do a bit of manscaping this morning,\u201d said Lancy, batting his eyelashes. \u201cI\u2019m so flattered you noticed!\u201d<\/p>\n

Red cleared her throat. \u201cUm, guys? As important as this discussion of your daily grooming habits no doubt is, I want to remind you that there is a literal ticking time bomb<\/em> inside K\u2019s chest right now! Can we get a move on already?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick chuckled. \u201cOoh, I love it when the fiery redhead comes out of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s right,\u201d said Jay. \u201cI\u2019m ready whenever you are, Red! Let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYo, how are we getting inside K, anyway?\u201d Lancy heard Styx ask. Turning toward the video monitor, he could see the trainee\u2019s face peeking between Nick\u2019s and Jay\u2019s from the car\u2019s back seat. All three of them were wearing wetsuits. Lancy wished the camera were further back so he could see more of their bodies. He loved the way Nick looked in skin-tight neoprene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve thought about it, and I think the best course of action would be to insert you into his nose,\u201d said Red.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy nose<\/em>?\u201d K repeated, wrinkling it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry — I\u2019m gonna give you something to help you relax before we get started,\u201d she said reassuringly, patting his shoulder again. \u201cOtherwise, you might end up sneezing them right back out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEw.\u201d On camera, Jay made the exact same face as K.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. It\u2019s not going to be pleasant for any of us, but consider the alternatives. The mouth would put you closer to his heart, but I would worry about him accidentally swallowing you… and I don\u2019t think you want to end up in his digestive system for a multitude of reasons. Obviously, the rectal route isn\u2019t the best option either–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRectal?!<\/em>\u201d Now it was Nick\u2019s turn to look nauseated. \u201cNo way! That\u2019s the worst<\/em> option!\u201d<\/p>\n

Not always,<\/em> thought Lancy with a wistful sigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree, dude,\u201d said Styx, his eyes wide. \u201cAt my old job, we were never expected to drive up someone\u2019s asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I was trying to say,\u201d Red replied patiently. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t make sense to go in that way. But if you go in through K\u2019s nasal cavity, you can travel through the nasal passages to his trachea and take that down into his lung. From there, you can cross into his bloodstream, which will carry you into his heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sounded like she was giving driving directions — which, Lancy supposed, she technically was. But this time, the road map was a diagram of K\u2019s anatomy.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to my research,\u201d Pearl chimed in, \u201cthe bomb is likely to be found near the sinoatrial node, the part of the heart that controls its rate, like a built-in pacemaker. That would explain how Dr. Rough has been able to make K\u2019s heart speed up and slow down at will. If it\u2019s truly as destructive as he claims it can be, it must be some type of atomic bomb to be able to pack that much power into a microscopic casing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Archie\u2019s eyes widened behind his glasses. \u201cMaybe I should have stayed home today,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHm,\u201d said Leo, his brow furrowing as he looked at Red. \u201cDr. Llewellyn? Do you concur?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red raised her eyebrows, clearly caught off-guard by his question. \u201cWell… I don\u2019t know much about explosives, but what Pearl just told us about the SA node is correct. As for whether or not that\u2019s where the bomb will be, I guess we won\u2019t know for sure until the team gets there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leo nodded. \u201cVery good, Dr. Llewellyn. Very good point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrick<\/em>,\u201d Nick coughed. Giggling, Lancy looked at the video monitor to see him making the same disgusted face as before. But, this time, it was directed at his latest nemesis, the new 009.<\/p>\n

K cleared his throat. \u201cUh, Red? Can you go ahead and give me that sedative now? Y\u2019all are making me kinda queasy here.\u201d He ran his hand up and down his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Red replied, her voice softening as she glanced up at the heart monitor that was mounted over his hospital bed. It seemed to be beeping faster than before, the little green waves spiking across the black screen with every heartbeat. Following her line of sight, Lancy watched the number in the top right corner climb from ninety-seven to one hundred fifteen beats per minute in a matter of seconds. \u201cJust try to relax,\u201d Red told K. \u201cWe don\u2019t want your heart rate to get too high. That will only make it harder for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

K took a deep breath, and the number dropped back down to one ten. \u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning her back to him, Red drew up a syringe full of clear fluid from a small vial. She held it up to the light, looking closely at the lines on the side of the syringe, and flicked it with her finger to get rid of any air bubbles. \u201cThis should help,\u201d she said as she injected it slowly into the IV line she had inserted in his arm. \u201cIt won\u2019t put you all the way under, but it\u2019ll make you sleepy enough to doze off while we do this. When you wake up, you probably won\u2019t even remember what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

K nodded, but Lancy could see the fear in his eyes. \u201cGood luck, agents,\u201d he whispered. \u201cGet the job done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t let you down, boss!\u201d Jay called from behind the wheel of Pearl\u2019s car. His voice projected through the television screen, too tiny to be heard in person.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you can count on us!\u201d added Nick from the passenger seat. It was no surprise Pearl wouldn\u2019t let him drive after what he had done to the last car she\u2019d loaned him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all praying for another successful mission,\u201d said Brian as Pearl nodded along next to him. \u201cWe love you, Kev.\u201d<\/p>\n

The others echoed the same sentiments as they stood around K\u2019s bed, watching him while they waited for the drug to take effect. Gradually, his heart rate dropped, and his breathing slowed down as his eyelids began to droop.<\/p>\n

\u201cK?\u201d Red asked quietly when his eyes were finally closed. There was no response. Raising her voice, she called him by his real name: \u201cKevin?\u201d<\/p>\n

This time, he let out a low groan but did not open his eyes.<\/p>\n

With a nod of satisfaction, Red turned back to the others. \u201cOkay — it\u2019s go time,\u201d she announced as she took out a tiny pair of tweezers. \u201cVitruvian, if you could bring our little friends over here, please.\u201d She positioned herself at the head of K\u2019s bed. With a steady hand, she used the tweezers to carefully pluck the minuscule car out of the petri dish. Bending over K, she placed the tip of the tweezers inside his left nostril.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2026 we\u2026 go!\u201d Lancy heard Jay\u2019s voice shout. Despite the stress of the situation, he almost sounded excited.<\/p>\n

As Red released the car, all eyes turned to the video screen to watch the mission unfold.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 3<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 12: \u00a0Mr. Body Beautiful Part 2   Birds twittered above their heads. The sky was crystal blue and cloudless. It was so beautiful outside that it really didn\u2019t feel to Pearl like she was working that day. The scientist was sitting comfortably at a pretty glass table out on\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1005,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1024","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-gw","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1024"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1026,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1024\/revisions\/1026"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}