Unclassified; Zero and Still Standing

Two days ago...

The elevator came to a smooth stop. The doors slid open.

The three bodyguards stepped out immediately.

Bertram followed after them. He took a few steps into the hallway before glancing back.

Apollo and Xenon were still inside the elevator.

"You're not leaving?" Bertram asked.

Apollo didn't move.

"Something just came up." He said.

Calmly, he reached toward the control panel and pressed the button marked TOP FLOOR.

Before anyone could react, the doors slid shut.

The bodyguards didn't even make it back in time.

The elevator began climbing again.

Inside, Xenon looked at Apollo in surprise.

"You just never cease to amaze me." He remarked. "I honestly wasn't expecting that."

Apollo kept his eyes on the display above the door. The numbers continued climbing.

"You're supposed to be an agent." He said plainly. "Isn't the unexpected part of your job?"

A brief silence.

Then Apollo sighed.

"Of course." He said, as though only just realizing something. "You've been preoccupied with babysitting."

Xenon let out a short laugh.

"Her Excellency's wishes are my command."

Apollo's gaze remained forward.

"I don't think Her Excellency would make use of the word wish."

His voice was quieter this time.

Xenon studied him carefully, searching for any trace of emotion.

He found none.

The elevator continued upward.

"What exactly do you intend on doing when we arrive?" he asked.

Apollo took his time before answering.

"Nothing."

Xenon raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

Apollo gave a slight nod. "I'm merely paying a visit."

A frown clouded Xenon's features for a moment.

Then he laughed.

"Come on." He folded his arms. "What's the plan?"

Apollo finally glanced at him.

***

The elevator chimed and the doors opened.

They stepped into a quiet hallway.

Unlike the lower floors, there was only a single door at the very end.

Two security guards stood outside it.

Apollo and Xenon walked toward them without haste.

The guards noticed them almost immediately.

Elias frowned.

"Who are these two?"

Ron narrowed his eyes as well, instinctively adjusting the arm secured in a sling.

"Probably lost or something."

Elias continued studying them. His eyes lingered on Xenon.

"That guy's wearing a really fancy suit. Doesn't seem lost to me."

By then, Apollo and Xenon had reached the door.

"State your business." Ron said.

"We've come to make a few inquiries." Xenon replied pleasantly.

"This is a no-inquiry zone." Ron answered almost immediately. "You'll have to leave."

Xenon smiled.

"Just a moment."

He reached into his pocket and produced an identification card. He held it out.

Elias and Ron leaned in.

Their serious expressions shifted almost instantly in surprise.

Then apprehension.

"Xenon Montego." Xenon said with a deliberate smile for more effect. "Agent of the Blue House."

He slipped the card back into his pocket.

Ron straightened and cleared his throat.

"I apologize for my bluntness." His tone became noticeably more respectful. "But even so... we're not authorized to let you in."

Xenon nodded.

"I know that." He said. "Although, my intention isn't to trespass. I simply came to inquire."

Ron bit down hard on his lip. His eyes darted around uneasily, as though searching for a way out of the conversation.

"Inquire about what?" Elias asked.

Ron shot him a sharp look.

Elias ignored it.

"If it isn't too confidential," he continued. "I'm sure we can help."

Xenon's smile widened.

"This penthouse..." He looked up at the door. "Is it purely domestic?"

Ron's eyes narrowed further.

"No." Elias answered. "It isn't."

Ron jerked his head to him.

Xenon stole a brief glance at Apollo before looking back at the guards.

"Is it privately owned or..." He let the question hang.

Ron's face was set hard, his jaw tightened.

"State." Elias replied.

Ron turned to him again, disbelief written plainly across his face.

Xenon nodded, looking satisfied.

"That will be all. Thank you for your time."

He turned away.

Apollo followed.

They were halfway back to the elevator when Xenon spoke.

"Was that enough information for you?" He asked.

"For now."

Xenon tilted his head in astonishment.

"For now?" He echoed. "Are you planning to follow this case?"

Apollo thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "It's actually none of my business."

A brief pause.

"Besides, I already have another case on my hands."

Xenon glanced sideways at him. "And what would that be?"

"A break-in at the school library."

They stopped in front of the elevator and waited for the doors to open.

Xenon's brows rose.

"Break-in?" He smiled. "Sounds intriguing."

"It is."

***

Doctor Heckman walked down the dim corridor with his hands tucked into the pockets of his lab coat.

His protective goggles still rested on his forehead.

Two CCD officers walked beside him. Another led the way several paces ahead.

The Executive Office Complex was unusually quiet. Most of the staff had already gone home for the evening.

They passed office after office, their open doors revealing dark rooms, abandoned desks and stacks of unfinished paperwork.

Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.

The escort turned toward a staircase.

Doctor Heckman groaned.

"Another one?" he muttered irritably. "My legs are aching. What on earth happened to the elevators?"

No one answered. They simply continued climbing.

At the top waited a large reinforced door.

An officer pushed it open.

A dimly lit office lay beyond.

The two officers ushered Doctor Heckman inside before quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Long time no see, Doctor."

A calm voice drifted through the room.

Without turning his head, Doctor Heckman's eyes swept the office.

Tresilles Quintin stood beside an enormous bookshelf, lazily smoking a thick brown cigar.

Dark sunglasses covered his eyes despite the poor lighting.

Doctor Heckman slipped both hands back into his pockets.

"Care to explain why you sent officers to bring me here like some common criminal?"

Tresilles took another slow drag.

"I would've preferred soldiers." He replied. "But you know Central City." He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Too many journalists these days."

Doctor Heckman's expression remained unchanged.

"State your business." He said. "I have work waiting."

Tresilles coughed once and strolled behind the large desk.

"State Subject." He opened a thin file. "Yesuin Kaelitha." His fingers tapped the folder. "Handed over for study a few weeks ago."

He looked up.

"Results."

"None yet."

"None?" Tresilles repeated.

"What I said."

A quiet chuckle escaped Tresilles.

"Interesting." He leaned back in his chair. "Despite the... creative experiments you've been conducting, you've produced nothing?"

Doctor Heckman remained silent.

"Any new observations then? Developments?" Tresilles probed further.

"If there were," Doctor Heckman replied evenly, "you would've received my report."

Tresilles watched him for several seconds.

Then nodded.

"Of course." He rested the cigar in a crystal ashtray. "But the State can no longer afford to wait on you alone."

A faint smile crept onto his face.

"We've decided to assign another scientist to assist in the project."

Doctor Heckman's eyes narrowed.

"You're talking about—"

"Yes." Tresilles cut in, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Exactly who you're thinking."

Doctor Heckman's frown deepened.

"You're making a mistake."

Tresilles stubbed out the cigar.

"Trial and error, Doctor." His smile lingered. "Trial and error."

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