{"id":385,"date":"2014-12-30T07:33:07","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T07:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=385"},"modified":"2021-12-20T11:40:47","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T17:40:47","slug":"part2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode11\/part2\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

A 00Carter Christmas<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Act I: Twelve Hours Before Christmas<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2018Twas\u00a0twelve hours before Christmas, and all through HimTak,<\/em><\/span>
\n All the agents were snoozing; even me, with a snack.<\/em><\/span>
\n Stockings were hung by the dorms with great care,<\/em><\/span>
\n Even though K really didn’t want them there.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nick found himself falling asleep easier than normal these days. He wasn\u2019t sure why; nothing had changed much. He blamed the weather — it seemed to make him snooze better than anything else. He\u2019d never been a fan of the cold; it was the reason why he preferred living in sunny Florida or the Nevada desert, where he currently resided. The freak snowstorm that had hit Nevada had made them all suspicious, but after some recon, they had concluded the weather was a legitimate result of a bipolar Mother Nature rather than a weather machine. He\u2019d slept soundly the night before and awakened early that morning, which was far from normal for him. Most agents got up around six a.m., but Nick enjoyed abusing his 00-rank by sleeping in late any chance he could.<\/p>\n

Because of this abnormality, Nick finally got up from his snug, warm bed before sunrise, brushing a few fallen pieces of popcorn from his late-night snack off his bare chest. Wearing nothing but red silk pajama bottoms, he walked to his dresser and picked up a red cap with a green bill, which had a sprig of mistletoe hanging from it. He plopped it onto his head and happily bounded out into the hall, which showed his handiwork from the previous day. Despite K\u2019s protests, he had decorated each doorway with a string of garland, a bright red stocking, and a giant candy cane to commemorate the coming holiday.<\/p>\n

\u201cJingle bells, Dr. Rough smells! Drums just laid an egg! The Cartermobile lost its wheel, and damn, FANS got away\u2026 hey!\u201d<\/em> Nick sang as he prowled the hall, armed with more mistletoe to hang outside his Carter Girls\u2019 dorms. He knew they would appreciate an early visit from \u201cSaint Nick.\u201d \u201cHmm\u2026 new song now. Deck the halls with K\u2019s bushy brows! Fa la la la la\u2026 la la la la\u2026 These pants show how well I\u2019m endowed! Fa la la la la\u2026 la la la la\u2026 Don we now Jay\u2019s tight apparel! Fa la la, la la la, la la la\u2026 For HimTak\u2019s world-saving carol\u2026 Fa la la la la\u2026 la la la la\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite his Christmas spirit, he couldn\u2019t help but yawn as he hung the final mistletoe above the door leading to Red Jewel\u2019s office. Why didn\u2019t I have a cup of coffee first?<\/em> he wondered as he stepped back to admire his handiwork.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the door opened, and out stepped Red Jewel, already donning her lab coat over a dark green sheath dress. Nick quickly cornered her against the door. What perfect timing, especially with the way she looked. Nick smirked at the thoughts popping into his head. \u201cJewel!\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head, laughing as her fiery hair fell into her face. \u201cMorning, Nick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick pointed coyly upwards. \u201cLook up\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Raising a brow, Red simply smirked. \u201cUm\u2026 Nick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSaint Nick!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m Jewish, remember? I don\u2019t think mistletoe applies to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course it does! It\u2019s like the law! Plus\u2026\u201d He pointed at the one hanging from the hat he wore. \u201cIt\u2019s a double mistletoe, and denying them both can lead to terrible things. It\u2019s like putting a curse on us all!\u201d Nick ran his hands along her arms, his lips getting dangerously close to her neck as he murmured, \u201cBesides, don\u2019t you wanna know what Saint Nick is gonna give you for Christmas? Saint Nick loves all his babies\u2026 Jewish or not\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, Santa\u2026 was I a good girl this year?\u201d Red played along as their lips met. They wrapped their arms around each other, deepening their kiss under the mistletoe until they finally had to pull apart for air.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah, you were definitely a really good<\/em> girl this year. In fact\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNiiiiiick!\u201d Nick turned to see Lancybassy in the frilliest pink elf outfit he\u2019d ever seen. He suddenly regretted not putting a shirt on before wandering the halls when he saw the way Lancy\u2019s eyes lingered on his bare chest. \u201cYou\u2019re up early! And looking good, too, I might add! I see you got your beauty sleep.\u201d He winked. Nick cringed, whipping the mistletoe hat off his head before Lancy could come any closer.<\/p>\n

His expression changed when he spotted Diamond behind Lancy, wearing an equally skimpy Santa\u2019s Helper costume. Torn between wanting Red, wanting Diamond, and not wanting Lancy, Nick wasn\u2019t sure just what to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid we interrupt something?\u201d Diamond asked as she approached, giving him a knowing grin. Nick wanted to think she was jealous, but he knew better.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d he answered, glancing back at Red, who had returned to the professional manner that she typically tried to maintain. Damn.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Nicky!\u201d Lancy did a little spin, happily showing off his outfit as the little bell hanging from his hat jingled merrily. \u201cYou like?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick made a face, realizing nothing<\/em> was hidden by the sequined, skin-tight costume his secretary wore. \u201cDo I want to know where you got that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI made it, of course!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI shouldn\u2019t be surprised,\u201d Nick muttered as the two beautiful ladies beside him simply giggled at his discomfort. \u201cWell, I\u2019m off to take a nap.\u201d He waved at Lancy, blew a kiss to Diamond, and mouthed \u201cExpect me tonight\u201d<\/em> at Red before he turned to head back to his room.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I thought you just woke up!\u201d Lancy cried in protest as Nick walked away, jamming the cap back onto his head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now the agents were bustling all through the hall,<\/em><\/span>
\n While Diamond and Lancy made plans for the mall.<\/em><\/span>
\n Jay with his fedora, me with my mistletoe hat,<\/em><\/span>
\n Had just parted ways so I could take a nap\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On his way back to his room, he passed Agent Jay, who was examining his latest fedora. The man had enough to open a store. \u201cNice hat,\u201d Jay said, nodding at Nick.<\/p>\n

Nick grinned. \u201cThanks!\u201d he replied, flicking the mistletoe. \u201cYou too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, he made it back to his room and lay down on his comfortable bed once more. Why had he gotten up early? This was far better.<\/p>\n

Before he could fall back to sleep, however, he was startled by a large crash coming from the floor below. Nick grinned; there was only one place that could have come from: Professor Pearl\u2019s lab.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When down in Pearl\u2019s lab there\u00a0arose\u00a0such a clatter,<\/em><\/span>
\n I sprang from my bed to see what\u00a0was the matter.<\/em><\/span>
\n Away to the lab, I ran like a flash,<\/em><\/span>
\n I tripped down some stairs, but avoided a gash\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

That was reason enough to forget the nap. He raced out of his room and down to the level below, where he knew she\u2019d be with what he hoped would be the best Christmas decoration HimTak had ever seen.<\/p>\n

He ran into her laboratory, skidding across the floor like he always did. Pearl had threatened to set up an air mattress with his picture on it for him to land on anytime he excitedly ran in there. Catching himself with her main work table, Nick looked around for her and the source of the noise. He spotted Pearl first. She was wearing a cheery Santa Hat with blinking Christmas lights on it and looking up proudly at her latest creation, which was hidden beneath a large sheet. \u201cNick! I was just about to page your watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want one that tells time for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stuck her tongue out at him, placing her hands on her hips. \u201cDon\u2019t wanna hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome closer, Pearl\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTry that mistletoe hat on me, and you won\u2019t like it, Nick,\u201d she replied, smirking. Nick knew she didn\u2019t mean it. \u201cAnyway, you want to see it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHell yeah! See, when we\u2019re together, we\u2019re geniuses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl laughed, her blonde curls bouncing beneath her Santa hat. \u201cAnd trouble, of course. I have to admit, this was one of your better ideas I put into action.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, come on, show me our brainchild!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlrighty. I give you\u2026 the K-Bot!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And there by the table, I saw standing tall,<\/em><\/span>
\n My boss, Agent K, not like himself at all,<\/em><\/span>
\n Decked out like St. Nick while a happy tune blared,<\/em><\/span>
\n I was shocked when he smiled instead of just glared.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She pulled away the sheet. Before him stood a twelve-foot-tall replica of Agent K. It looked so lifelike, it blew Nick\u2019s mind. It could pass for K, if not for the height or the fact that it was completely decked out in a Santa outfit and matching beard. The K-Bot\u2019s cheeks were rosier, and it had a far happier expression than he\u2019d ever seen on his boss\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Pearl smirked at his amazement. \u201cI know, I\u2019m good. I\u2019m starting to scare myself, honestly. Watch this.\u201d Out came a small remote, similar in style to the one Nick possessed for his Hornet. The K-Bot sprang to life, light appearing in its robotic, green eyes. In true style, it began to shimmy as music played. Then, in a voice that was unmistakably Nick\u2019s, it began to sing.<\/p>\n

\u201cK just got run over by a reindeer,<\/em>
\nWalking down to HimTak, Christmas Eve.<\/em>
\nYou may say there\u2019s no such thing as Santa,<\/em>
\nBut as for me and Jay now, we believe.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d been driving Santa crazy,<\/em>
\nBossing him around like an old lady,<\/em>
\nBut the elves weren\u2019t on vacation;<\/em>
\nThey got revenge with a reindeer named Grady.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you get that?\u201d he asked in panic, turning to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, I get all the video feed. I happened to catch that number and program it into his song list.\u201d She gave him an impish smile. \u201cCouldn\u2019t resist. Now, let\u2019s set this baby loose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the fact that he should have been more horrified at his own parody coming out of the robot\u2019s mouth, Nick laughed and nodded. \u201cOh, hell yeah. Wait, K\u2019s gonna be pissed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, it has a sensory system; it should be able to spot and avoid K. I say \u2018should\u2019 \u2018cause, obviously, I couldn\u2019t test that feature without getting caught.\u201d Pressing a button, Pearl sent the robot wobbling its way out of the lab. She and Nick followed, snickering to themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cRemind me to find you come Valentine\u2019s Day\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCupid Jay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

The robot caused quite a stir as it sang and danced its way down the halls. With the press of a button, Pearl even made it move backward in a sort of moonwalk to the tune \u201cRockin\u2019 Around the Christmas Tree.\u201d She and Nick couldn\u2019t stop laughing as they hid behind doors to observe the reactions to their latest prank. From 00-ranking agents to lower-ranking shadow agents and even their secretaries, almost everybody came to check out what was causing such a stir.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you believe this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cK\u2019s gonna kill Carter\u2026and hey, that\u2019ll be fun to watch.\u201d Nick rolled his eyes when he heard Emerald.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis shit is hilarious!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cK\u2019s gonna bust a vein when he sees it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The next voice they heard came from directly behind them. \u201cIf only you two used your powers for good\u2026\u201d Nick and Pearl jumped and turned to see Jay just behind them, scoping out the scene Pearl\u2019s new toy had caused. Meanwhile, the K-Bot had started trying to do the Macarena to Nick\u2019s voice singing his version of \u201cDeck The Halls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick grinned because Pearl had inadvertently jumped back into his arms. Pearl pushed Jay playfully, rolling her eyes as she moved away from Nick. \u201cYou scared the crap out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I liked it,\u201d he replied, smirking at her.<\/p>\n

She smacked his shoulder. \u201cYou perv.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay raised his eyebrows. \u201cYou two better get that back to the lab before K gets a load of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s K sensitive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pearl looked almost insulted as she turned back to Jay. \u201cOf course I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

But sure enough, K had spotted the K-Bot as he headed down the hallway, and his face was red enough to match both Nick\u2019s pajama bottoms and Pearl\u2019s hat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With a look on K\u2019s face so enraged and inflamed,<\/em><\/span>
\n I had a bad feeling it was me who\u2019d be blamed.<\/em><\/span>
\n He stared us all down, and the crowd quickly scattered,<\/em><\/span>
\n Though he called a few back, ones he must have thought mattered.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jay snickered at the horrified look on their faces and nodded. \u201cWhat\u2019d I tell you? I\u2019m out.\u201d And with that, he ducked out the back entrance before K got any closer. All the agents who had gathered scattered quickly, like a bunch of pigeons about to be hit by a car.<\/p>\n

\u201cCARTER! PEARL!\u201d<\/p>\n

They peeked around the corner, both looking at K sheepishly. The vein on his forehead was throbbing. Nick was sure he was going to finally make it pop. Nothing could bulge that much without bursting. Hey, at least I\u2019ll know I accomplished something before he kills me.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNick made me do it, K, I swear!\u201d Pearl blurted.<\/p>\n

Nick blinked. \u201cAre you kidding me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Blondie, but every woman and man for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need you two downstairs in your lab NOW. But do not think I\u2019m going to forget this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two blonds\u2019 gazes met again before looking back at K, who was beyond fit to be tied at this point, as his larger and jollier robot double had begun twerking to \u201cJingle Bells.\u201d They were both unsure of whether they\u2019d infuriate K even more by laughing at the insanity of it. Wisely, they kept their giggles to themselves and quickly made their way back down to Pearl\u2019s lab without another word.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCome Diamond, come Lancy, come Pearl,\u00a0come Red\u00a0Jewel!<\/em><\/span>
\n I\u2019ve got some big news about crimes most cruel!<\/em><\/span>
\n Come Jay, Leo, and Emerald, I\u2019ll be needing you too,<\/em><\/span>
\n And Carter — don\u2019t think I\u2019m done dealing with you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

They found the lab full of people. Apparently, K had called Jay, Emerald, Diamond, Red, Vitruvian, and Lancy down as well. \u201cWhat is this, an audience for our public execution?\u201d Nick muttered to Pearl as Lancy, still in his festive outfit, wiggled his fingers in a flirtatious little wave.<\/p>\n

Once they had all gathered, K nodded. \u201cNow that we\u2019re here and acting like mature adults<\/em>\u2026\u201d He shot a look towards Pearl and Nick while the others chuckled. K blinked and looked around. \u201cWait, where\u2019s that damn robot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I used the remote to command it to come down here\u2026 but I think it may have a bug in it,\u201d Pearl said, frowning. \u201c\u2018Cause it started moonwalking again — at warp speed — and singing like one of the Chipmunks. I need to track it down and disable it manually. I would have, but you seemed pretty serious about me coming down here\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The vein pulsed again. Nick was just proud that it wasn\u2019t he who had caused it this time. \u201cGo\u2026 do\u2026 that\u2026 NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026 what about the\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJay\u2019ll debrief you, Pearl. Just get that damn thing to stop before I lose what control I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

She raced off out of the lab, and Nick stayed quiet. Maybe if he didn\u2019t say anything, K would forget he\u2019d had a large hand in it as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarter, don\u2019t think I\u2019m done dealing with you. Now, Jay, will you handle the monitors, please?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay smirked, trying to hide a snicker, and nodded. \u201cSure.\u201d Displayed on the screen was New York City — or more specifically, Rockefeller Center, with the Christmas tree in all its glory. Nick raised a brow at the screen and saw the others give it the same curious look.<\/p>\n

K cleared his throat. \u201cWe think\u2026 well, you won\u2019t believe this\u2026 but we believe FANS is about to make their next move.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are they gonna do?\u201d Diamond asked while texting furiously on her Blackberry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think Dr. Rough plans to steal Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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

A 00Carter Christmas Act I: Twelve Hours Before Christmas     \u00a0\u2018Twas\u00a0twelve hours before Christmas, and all through HimTak, All the agents were snoozing; even me, with a snack. Stockings were hung by the dorms with great care, Even though K really didn’t want them there.   Nick found himself\u2026<\/p>\n

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