"We're here," Zel stated as he brought the taxi to a sudden stop in front of a simple car garage. "Everything will be explain soon enough."
Following Zel out of the taxi, Lina muttered, "So what is here? Looks like a parking garage."
"It is a parking garage," Zel remarked as he walked in. "PIE's base of operation is built ten stories directly below this complex. We'll be taking an elevator to the reception floor."
The two stopped in front of the elevator as Zel punched in some of the buttons on the lock as Lina peeked over his shoulder. Though she couldn't see what he was punching in, Lina managed to see the screen had displayed five asterisks on it. There was a brief moment of silence as it was interrupted by a bell toll and the door opened.
Stepping inside with Zel, Lina asked, "What was the code?"
"If you must know, it was five asterisks," Zel replied as Lina face faulted. "Originally it was just a password, but then we had some security concerns and had it changed. You'd better be ready to experience some pretty bizarre things."
"Like what?" Lina asked as the elevator stopped on a floor.
The door slipped open as they looked out onto what looked like a bayou or marsh. Bugs and other wildlife flew around as Lina's mouth dropped. Floating by them on a log was a frog and weasel playing musical instruments. The frog had a banjo and the weasel was using a harmonica as they jammed up a song.
"Like that," Zel stated as he pushed the button to go down some more floors.
"That...that..." Lina had an utter loss for words on what she had just seen.
"That was a Bayou with a frog and weasel playing music," Zel stated calmly.
Before Lina could retort anything back, the music came pouring through the speakers as it played a dirge. Lina just looked at the speakers and then at Zel before she wondered what kind of mad house had she gotten into.
"This is our floor," Zel interrupted as the door opened again.
Lina prepared for the worse as she looked out of the door. What she saw was something totally strange and bizarre. It was an Intergalactic Airport as she saw numerous different aliens going through customs or trying to catch flights. She slowly stepped out of the elevator as numerous strange forms of alien passed her by. Suddenly a large shadow covered her and she turned to look at what it was.
Lina's eyes turned into dots as she took in what she saw.
It was a twelve feet tall slug.
"Hola," it said twisting its eyestalks in front of Lina.
"GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
All eyes turned toward the source of the scream as Lina had a vice grip on Zel, trying to use him as a shield to hide from the slug. The slug on the other hand merely stretched its eyestalks around to look at Lina only furthering distressing the poor girl. Zel shook his head as he started to walk through the airport with Lina still attached to him.
"He's gone now," Zel said as walked into an office.
Lina blinked a bit as she finally took a look at their surroundings. Noticing her current position, she promptly let go as she dusted herself off a bit. Her eyes finally trailed to the desk in the room where a man dressed in a priest outfit and hat sat. He had brown hair with a beard as he studied her with his blue eyes for a bit.
"So this is the new recruit," Eruk said as he studied Lina Inverse. "I must say she is quite spirited, but I don't see how she can handled it."
"I'm quite sure she is the one," Zel remarked as Lina looked between the two.
"The what?" Lina inquired as the two continued to ignore her.
"You do know the dangers of what would happen if she proved to be the one that has been foretold. We could be possibly opening Pandora's box," Eruk remarked.
"Ano," Lina waved.
"It makes no differences on how it ends. We'd better be ready for what is going to be happening soon," Zel stated as he turned and walked out of the office.
"What is going on here?" Lina demanded stomping her foot down as Eruk sighed as he shook his head.
"Patience is a virtue," he remarked as Lina snorted at the proverb. "I suppose Zelgadiss didn't tell you why you've been brought here has he? It's like him to only tell people what they need to hear and nothing more."
"What is all of this?" Lina asked pulling up a chair as Eruk merely chuckled a bit.
"This? You are now standing in the central base of operation of Paranormal Interpol Enterprise. We are a corporation that police international activity of the paranormal form. This line of work is much too dangerous for the normal government to deal with so we take care of it for them," Eruk explained as Lina took it all in.
"So how do you pay for all this?" Lina muttered gesturing to everything.
"Charging people to use the parking garage," Eruk said as Lina hit her head on his desk. Chuckling, Eruk remarked, "Actually we've get most of our income from the capture of intergalactic criminals. Though this does bring us into conflict with some bounty hunters. We usually come out on top with our superior trained operatives."
"And you want me to be one of those?" Lina asked as Eruk nodded. "You've got to be kidding me, what are you going to do? Give me fancy gizmos to blow aliens up?"
"No," Eruk coughed. "We don't always go against aliens. We sometime have to deal with Demons on this world. As for you, magic will be the tool for you."
"Magic? You mean making doves appear out of my sleeves and guessing cards?"
"No, I mean real magic. Though I warn you that it could be-" Eruk was saying before Lina seized his hand.
"I humbly request to join you," Lina bowed as Eruk blinked.
Valgaav sat in his desk as he was drumming his fingers, he hadn't received any confirmation on the Bug or his agents. With Dark Star coming down here, it was going to take everything he had to keep himself from being consumed into that creature's darkness. He couldn't let things get out of hand now, he was too close to realizing his dream. Man, he could go for a cup of Mocha right now.
"Get me a cup of Mocha," Valgaav ordered as he pushed the button to the intercom for his secretary. "Make sure that it isn't too hot and that you put in just enough sugar in it, but not too much or you're fired!"
I am afraid, you'll have to deal without the aid of your secretary.
Valgaav looked up to his office doors as they simply melted away into a puddle on the ground, allowing the darkness to come flowing into the room. All the lights started to darken to a mere shadow as a person slowly came out of the darkness before Valgaav. He was dressed in a complete, neck to toe, black jump suit. His long blonde hair trailed down his back as he gazed at Valgaav with his cold blue eyes.
"Dark Star," Valgaav choked as the being before him merely smiled. "You didn't consume my secretary into darkness did you? Do you have any idea how hard it is to find dependable work these days?"
That is none of your concern or mine.
Valgaav choked up a bit from the nausea of the entity's presence as he stuttered, "Sir..."
I will await you in the suite. Bring the key to me or face the consequences.
Dark Star turned around as he slowly walked out of the room with the darkness around them receding with his departure. Valgaav stood in his office silently before he reached for his intercom system. There was something he was going to have to do.