Workplace Relations By Michael Barnes

Chris Foxx is owned and copyrighted \xA9 by Chris Yost. Amy Squirrel and Sabrina are copyrighted \xA9 to Eric W.Schwartz. James Sheppard is copyrighted \xA9 to James Bruner. Michael Taillong, Eric Taillong, Erica Taillong, Rachel Maximillion, Angela Markson, David Bateson, Michele Fawn, Lara Justain, Jake "Jazz" Phillips, Christina Landry are owned by me. Anthony Maximillion is copyrighted to his player Anthony Lanuza. Bryce Landry is copyrighted \xA9 to Bryce Landry. ZigZag, Brandy and Maxwell are copyrighted to Max BlackRabbit and are also used with permission. Ertai Maxwell is copyright \xA9 Roland Bloodthunder.

Chapter 13

Goodbyes

”Sabrina what are you doing?” Sabrina looked up from a paper. “Checking computer stocks…. I got some as a gag gift and they somehow were actually worth something”

Eric takes off his shades and cleans them. “Knowing you, you probably want to sell them for parts for a new computer or a gift for Chris” Sabrina wasn’t listening anymore.

”Sorry page from ZigZag… BTW did you guys have anything to do with that major fire and explosion at the harbor?” Eric calmly replied.

”No and I hope you understand that you cant be involved” Eric was whapped upside his head by a heavy purse from behind and nearly fell into Sabrina.

”Well I don’t know why you lied to me! I care you can tell me at least why you do crazy things!” Eric sighs and leers at Angela.

”Hey you got kidnapped are you happy? That fight was insane… Um Sabrina you didn’t hear that” Sabrina walked away giggling.

”Hear what?” Eric sighed and tried to calm Angela down meanwhile.

”Ertai why do you think you can get with ZZ? James is still in the hospital and she has not shown up at the office in days… From what I hear she has guests at her house”

Ertai smiled and was about to speak when Jake said. “Not those kind of guests!” Ertai grabbed a bottle of water and smiled his eyes closed as he drank from it.

”So its my chance to get closer to ZZ she doesn’t need an ex killer… Me im friendly and non-threatening”

”Save it for someone who cares Ertai” Lara said walking over making Bryce sweat profusely.

“Hello Lara care to join us men in conversation about our employer?” Bryce backed away from Lara as she faced Jake and Ertai as they leaned against an unused set.

”Listen ZZ needs friends not boyfriends other than James she sees no interest in other guys in whatever way you were thinking” Ertai smirked.

”Oh so I guess she likes you better than me eh?” Lara blushed. Bryce butted in.

”HEY you don’t need to cause trouble… Just calm down or you will get Eric on your case!” Ertai shoved Bryce out of his way.

”Listen kid just because your ZigZag’s new pet doesn’t mean you can say what you want to me. Besides who cares what that blind man thinks or says?” Eric tapped Ertai on his head with his cane and Ertai looked to his left and smiled nervously.

”Oh hello… Nice weather heh heh…” Ertai inwardly cursed Eric’s stealth and backed away then left Studio A. Eric held a stack of papers in his other hand.

”Listen up as of now we have this to film. Bryce was kind enough to run off copies of it for you all. But first things first, get Michele in here and David. Also I want you Bryce to get Lara’s equipment out of the storage area and take it to the dressing room. Its finally finished. Now move people I have never directed before and I hope this won’t be a regular thing”

Everyone went off to do what they were told while Eric read through the script. “Ugh… But it is what she wanted done… Bleh ZZ I wonder what the hell went on here before I ever showed up?”

Eric sat in the directors seat as everyone set up the scenery. “You could help!” Eric did his imitation of ZigZag’s smile and Bryce gulped.

”Okay okay we can do this on our own”

At ZZ’s residence.

”So what do we do now? And what do we do?” Brandy brushed her hair with a vengeance trying to get the kinks out of it from the events of two days ago.

”Stop being redundant Maxwell… But what I don’t understand is…” ZigZag handed Brandy a fax Eric sent over before her sister could even get her question out.

”Oh so I see you just had your fur pattern tampered with while we got the full deal…” Maxwell blinked as Brandy and ZigZag sighed thinking “He never pays attention” at the same time.

”When we were experimented on ZigZag was lucky… I guess mom must have found out what dad did and got her… But we were not so lucky… I guess dad just got who ever to tamper with ZigZag to start over with us for more money… That explains why her fur is like that and she got the rest of her abilities from Eric’s blood… That cat is weird anyway… pretending he’s blind”

Maxwell scratched his head. “I don’t care I just want to go come on Brandy we can get out of here and just try to start over…” Brandy shoved Max’s hand off of her shoulder and looked at him seriously.

”And get grabbed by some crazy insane nut who would want to dice us up again?” ZigZag grabbed Maxwell’s shoulder as he tried to walk out.

”You don’t know what was done to you two… I know someone can tell you what was done and how… But the question is just who?” The phone rang and ZigZag ignored it.

”Yea well I said I don’t care… Just leave us be you did your part when you got us out of that ‘house’ a few years back and well that is enough help… I will not be helpless again…” Maxwell left and Brandy went after him.

ZigZag was torn between too many thoughts and just slumped in a chair hoping they would come back as she picked up the phone and called the hospital.

The sky opened up and brought forth lightning and rain as Maxwell walked with Brandy. “So back to gramps for some cash then we go off on our own again? And do what?”

”Brandy relax I have it in control… Just as soon as I pay back that Anthony jerk then we leave…” Brandy rolled her eyes at her brothers macho attitude.

”You don’t need to do that! Let’s just go back sis can help!” Maxwell laughed as the rain soaked into his fur and slid off his eyelashes as he blinked it out of his eyes.

”So what if she has money I don’t like how she has gotten it… In fact if it weren’t for dad she would not look that way… Everyone thinks it’s because of some silly old gene from one of our grandparents… You saw how dad and mom treated her they thought of her as some freak… When it wasn’t even her fault… It was theirs”

Maxwell stopped under a bus stop shelter and sat and patted the spot next to him. Brandy sat wondering what they would do. They were not even able to prevent their own capture. And she also thought about what ZigZag said about what had been done to them.

”We don’t know the extent of what was done to us… We haven’t even transformed once!” Maxwell closed his eyes and said.

”And? The problem here is you care too much chill have fun… Sorry about your hair… Looks nice wet though” Brandy laid her head on Max’s shoulder and smiled. Max put his arm around her and they both for once in a long while enjoyed peace.

But it wasn’t to last.

”Max, Brandy!” ZigZag ran up to them holding an umbrella and wearing.

”A dress… And a sundress at that! Whoa who would have thought it…”

”Shut up Max… So how are you feeling right now? I mean we sort of caused you more stress… We can do well on our own”

”Yea but a couple of extra dollars from you would do nice also” Maxwell said as plainly as possible. ZigZag sat next to her younger brother and sister who stared at her meticulously like Eric did almost as if they were searching for weaknesses.

”Well? Don’t just sit there say something!” Max said with a slight growl. ZigZag could not understand it but she felt closer to them now than ever and replied with.

”Fine since we are in the same boat I guess I can give you money but what will you do with it”

”Explosives” Brandy hit Maxwell with her elbow.

”Food and stuff” She said as Max stuck out his tongue at her.

”And that stuff would be explosives!” ZigZag couldn’t help but laugh at Maxwell’s humor. “Unless he means it” she thought.

”You don’t really mean that? I mean whom would you hurt… Never mind him just leave Anthony alone… Eric can handle him… In due time” Max stared at ZZ unblinking then smiled and said.

”Fine if a blind guy can save us im sure he can take on Anthony… If not I will be back to do it for him… No one messes with my family… I was weak before sis but never again!” Maxwell started walking as the rain started to lighten its bombardment of the pavement.

Heading towards a road that met an interstate ramp Maxwell kept on walking not really worrying about Brandy and if she would follow because she always did. “She stays by my side… I don’t know why but maybe I am all she has… We are the same in a sense”

Maxwell thought as his sisters said there goodbyes.

“Bye ZZ I guess we can get the money from you via money order at the next town over… Good bye it was nice seeing you again… We will call you when we can” Brandy hugged her sister tightly and ZigZag hugged back noticing Brandy squeezed her a little to strong.

Then she was gone… Gone were the two runaways that always had a place in her heart always…

ZigZag got up and went back home smiling to herself.

”That was nice of her to dress like she always was a casual sort… Um that came out wrong heh so Brandy what do you think? Should we come back and see her?” Brandy smiled.

”Yea I guess one day… So where to next?” Max pulled out a palmtop he had gotten recently.

”There’s a nice little town on the eastern seaboard that has a gang problem… Some kid in an Internet chat mentioned the problem and well we can always handle it?”

”I thought you said you never wanted to be a hero? That suggestion is skating awful close to that profession” Max shrugged.

”Im bored so sue me besides the kid lost a sister in a shooting and well… Maybe we can make a difference… Something I should have years ago when I kept quite about Dad…”

Brandy took Max’s hand in hers and squeezed it as they continued walking. Max smiled and looked up.

”Im so glad to have you here”

”Me too”

Eric meanwhile was resting in his janitors closet/office when a knock came from his door.

”Enter” Angela came in with Eric’s lunch and he rubbed the bridge of his nose blinking his eyes his faint pupils glinting in the light from over his head.

”Here’s what you asked for… By the way how much did that whole entire scene cost today inside the studio and the one outside?”

”About five hundred… Given the fact I had to rent a van for that scene with Michele and Ertai…. You know what?”

”What?” Angela said rubbing Eric’s shoulders making him purr slightly.

”I am never directing again in my life unless it’s my science fiction drama Bound To Earth” Angela kissed Eric’s forehead and put his shades on for him.

”Enjoy lunch director Taillong” Eric glanced at the door just as Angela’s ringed tail followed her out of it and it closed behind her. Eric thought for a moment about what Angela had said.

”Director funny it does sound like an interesting option to follow. Should I continue doing this directing bit?” Eric started eating in silence as the glow from overhead faded as he turned out the lights and sat down holding his sandwich.

”Bryce here hold this” Bryce was handed a box and he balanced it carefully in his hands as Michele got some more things out of her locker in the dressing room and came back and put them in the box Bryce was holding.

”Michele was it fun doing what you did today? I mean it looked… Interesting”
Michele, yawned.

”Are you not supposed to be in school?” Bryce swallowed hard trying to keep from passing out.

”My classes are at night… I get about six hours sleep a day… And I am not needed in the lab much anymore since the explosion… Um No im not” Michele smiled and ran a finger down Bryce’s muzzle.

”Good oh and put that in my car for me it’s open” Michele said leaving Bryce who looked down and sighed.

”Oh and call me my numbers on top maybe we can get together and talk” Bryce stifled a cheer and a thank you god as he went to put Michele’s things in her car.

Ertai stopped Michele in the hall. “What about me?”

”And what about you? We’re actors nothing more so will you get out of my way?” Ertai moved and did a fake bow.

”And people say I am a jerk… I guess we have a new pretender to the throne…” Michele said as she walked out to the front after stopping by ZigZag’s office and sliding a note under her door.

Inside a hidden valley in central Asia a conversation goes on between two people inside of a very advanced laboratory.

“Well Krystal what now? I saved my brother and oh boy I know that look” Krystal looked at Michael and shook her head.

”More problems it seems that our spy’s have located dozen’s of family’s with children who are what we call GAA’s in them” Michael guessed what that meant and replied with a shake of his head.

”Genetically Altered Assassins? Wow who would have thought? So that means that we are not the only ones out there?” Michael said rubbing his arm where Krystal had drawn blood.

“Yea it’s a program that was funded by your government… Test families were chosen at random and told a cover story for the tests being done on their children. The money always blinded them… Only a few actually knew that their children were being used for. That being experimentation into the world of gene programming. Your parents perfected the technology but you were not the first to have it used on…”

Michael stood and looked around the advanced lab. “Yea well whatever the case is we meaning myself and my twin siblings were definitely the first to be perfected as weapons… Right?” Krystal grabbed a note pad handed to her and signed something and handed it back to the messenger who left in a hurry.

”Yes as far as I can tell your parents cared enough to actually wait for the results from previous experiments… Course the full extent of the programming and if the children were able to transform would not be known till after puberty… ZigZag’s siblings should be able to change… They may do so if they get angry enough… But still im not sure what triggers the first transformation… Adrenaline or this artificial gland that was implanted in the entire group of test children except for you…”

Michael smiled. “Yea I remember my first change… If it was my first change…”

Krystal typed up something on a keyboard attached to a table and a holographic image appeared. “No it wasn’t… Your memory as you can see was altered… Right after puberty was the first time… Hmmm strange I see something here but I should clarify some things before you send Eric that email with the correct info on Anthony’s plans”

Michael sat down on a stool as Krystal smiled and started to speak. “Anthony’s real intent was not to actually infect people… No he wanted to contaminate them with a virus designed after Eric’s DNA encoding. It would prepare them for later transformation but not really change them… The key is the GAA’s Anthony was going to use them to actually do the attacking of major water supplies and that would be the final piece of the puzzle which would transform most of the population into sleeper GAA’s”

Michael scratched his head. “So what your saying is Anthony needed an army and so… Um anyone could become a solder after he carried out his plans?” Erica nodded

”Yes Anthony from what our spies have gathered held fake meetings to make his underlings and partners think he wanted to do something totally different… Mostly the ones pulling his strings are none other than your mother and father…”

Michael laughed, “So that whole contaminated spooge tapes thing was just a lie?”
Krystal shook her head.

”The meetings may have been untrue, but some things were really being set up during them… The tapes will get first part of the virus out… In fact since Anthony had your studio destroyed his sales went up enough for him to implement this… It’s too late to stop the first part of his plan… Or rather your parent’s plan… Only thing left to do is to get to GAA children and stop them from completing their missions when told to do so by either radio or TV… Michael understand?”

Michael was frantically typing out an email that had every word Krystal had said in it to his brother Eric when he suddenly stopped and slammed the enter key sending it on it’s way.

”I guess you do so do you want me to arrange another high altitude air drop or will you be normal and not the preprogrammed commando killer you are and let me fly you in, in a stealth plane we have?”

Michael laughed “Normal ha a stealth plane is far from it!” Krystal walked over to Michael scratched between his ears.

”Aww how cute you’re purring just like that cat I used to have” Michael growled.

”Now your acting like Bowzer my dog from when I was a kid” Michael mewed and stepped back from Krystal.

”Yea well heh I can’t help it… So… Dinner at Mario’s sound good? Or does this hidden city have a nine pm curfew now?” Krystal giggled and took Michael’s arm in hers and exited the lab.

”No silly but we do have a law against loud noises so I guess later we have to keep it down a bit” Michael’s brain clicked.

”Um im not… Oh the hell with it… I will not pull an ET”

”Hmm what’s that?” Krystal asked knowing the answer.

”An Eric Taillong”

The next day

Eric was sitting in front of everyone who worked at the studio they were all seated around a meeting table.

”I would fist like to thank Jazz’s cousins for finishing the carpet work on the few extra recent additions to the studio at a reduced rate for us” Jake nodded while David rolled his eyes.

”Now down to business… I would like to present James, ZZ’s boyfriend as her new bodyguard and main security guard… Since I am no longer able to stay at night and fill that position”

Eric expected laughter but no one dare laughed as James looked around. “I run a clean operation… Cameras will be everywhere… And I expect you to perform extra hard since I am around… Got it?”

Bryce passed out and Michele rushed to his side. Lara played with her ponytail and Sabrina read her stock report. Eric smiled and thought.

”Finally we are officially back in business! And that new sign out front proves it! Muwhahahahahaha!” Everyone looked at Eric with shocked expressions.

”Damn it I said that aloud?” Eric asked taking off his shades and cleaning them as they steamed up from his sudden temperature increase.

”No but we heard it in our heads… Eric just what the hell are you?!” Bryce asked as Michele helped him up. Eric smacked his forehead.

”Okay newbies here’s the deal” And Eric related the events of the past former decade and how he came to have his powers. Ertai was the first to speak as Bryce and Christinia tried to keep from running screaming from the studio after such a tale.

”So James was really just an old softie at heart when he took Erica and trained her? Awww” Sabrina just sipped a cup of water and read a magazine on gardening the supposed stress reliever hobby.

”Eric I think I should quit… I mean my life is in danger! Just cause I work for ZigZag! Damn it I cant take it!” Christina sighed.

”Bryce think of the money and your bills then try and understand that even if you quit Anthony will still get you on the principle!” Bryce looked at his older sister.

”Your right… Though I should have stayed in bed today!” Bryce whimpered and Eric sighed.

“Okay now that the major things are out of the way did you know our sales are back up? But it was too late… While we were out of commission Anthony went ahead with his plan! So I guess all of those who are not already what my brothers girl have dubbed GAA’s you’re screwed”

ZigZag coughed. “But Eric… Doesn’t that mean that we will also be controlled when the time comes?” Eric blinked.

”Um I’ll get back to you on that…” Eric put on a directors cap and flipped it around. “Now we need to finish this film!” ZigZag read a script copy and beamed.

”Bedtime Tales… Awww you used one of mine!” ZigZag hugged Eric who pushed her away.

”The artist needs room to work!” Eric said winking behind his shades.

End of Chapter 13

Contact me at Mike_Charger@hotmail.com also visit the workplace relations homepage at my site. If a chapter is missing from this archive it is sure to be on my main site. http://www.angelfire.com/journal/mikecharger