Mission 2, part 1

“But, how are you still alive?” Kayla asked, bewildered.
Ryan led them out her door and onto the street. He was armed with two Berettas at each hip a long knife and a M60 SAW strapped to his back, not to mention other weapons that were not currently visible.
“Well,” then he paused. “I’m not exactly sure, ask Laz.” He pointed to Laz Dance who was sitting on a motorcycle, parked by Kayla’s house.
Laz shrugged. “I don’t know either, in all reality it doesn’t make any sense.”
Kayla stopped and gave Ryan and Laz a strange look. “Wait this doesn’t make sense.”
“I know,” Ryan said. “That’s what Laz just said.”
“But you’re supposed to be dead!” Kayla screamed.
“But we’re not,” Ryan said, trying to soothe her. “You should be happy.”
“I am, it’s just…” she trailed off.
“She must be in shock,” Laz decided.
“Yah, you’re right,” Ryan agreed.
“Wait,” Kayla said. “If you’re not dead, then Timothius could still be alive, right?”
Ryan looked at Kayla. “Kayla, did you see us die?”
Kayla shook her head. “No one did, you just disappeared.”
Ryan nodded. “Now, did you see Timothius die?”
She nodded sadly...
“There you go,” Ryan said, crossing his arms smartly.
“It’s just so hard to take in,” Kayla said, voice trembling.
“Well you can take it in on the ride to the Emperor’s,” Ryan said. He climbed onto the motorcycle.

“Wait a second,” Laz held up his finger as if he’d just come up with something brilliant. “We can’t all fit on this bike.”
“I know,” Ryan grinned. “That’s why you’re walking.” He pushed Laz off and helped Kayla onto the motorcycle.
“Hey, you can’t just leave me!” Laz protested.
Ignoring Laz, Ryan whipped out a new, cooler pair of sunglasses and put them on.
“Nice shades,” Kayla said in a somewhat mocking voice. “Did you get those on sale too?”
Ryan nodded. “Half-off.” Then he kicked the motorcycle to life and they were off, with Laz huffing and puffing behind them.

It was about a half-hour later when Laz reached the Emperor’s private mansion. Kayla and Ryan were standing by the motorcycle, waiting. “What took you so long?” Kayla asked.
Laz glared at them. “It’s kind of hard to run as fast as your motorcycle, especially with all this gear on.” Laz was as decked out and Ryan was.
“Come on,” Ryan said. “Let’s go inside.” Ryan Cruise showed his I.D. to the security guard at the gate and the walked up the long, curved driveway to the Emperor’s mansion. The house was huge, four stories, and incredibly beautiful. They walked past a red Porsche with a blonde girl sitting in it.
“Where’d she come from?” Ryan asked.
“She comes with the car,” Laz answered, looking smart.
“I thought those girls didn’t come with the cars,” Ryan replied, bewildered.
“They do when you’re the Emperor,” Laz shot back.
When they reached the door they each had to pass an eye retina scan, a thumb print check and a voice check.
Finally, the Emperor’s butler, Russell, escorted them inside.
“What business would you have with the Emperor today?” he asked in a snobby voice, but that’s how butlers are supposed to sound.
“We’re here on secret business,” Ryan said. He leaned forward. “We’re from the IMF.”
The butler gave him a strange look. “Never heard of it.”
“And you never will,” said Laz. “Just take us to the Emperor.”
Just then the Emperor himself stepped in. “It’s okay, Russell. I’ve asked them to come.”
The butler nodded and slipped away, like butlers usually do.
“I’ve called you here,” the Emperor began. “To do a little mole hunting.”
“I hate moles,” Laz grumbled. “They tear up your lawn.”
“No stupid,” Ryan smacked Laz on the back of the head. “He means the kind on your skin.”
“Actually,” Kayla corrected them. “He means the kind that spies on you.”
“Exactly,” the Emperor nodded. “This one goes by the name M.”
“M?” Ryan asked. “I’ve heard of her, nasty villain.”
“Indeed,” the Emperor agreed. “And I think she may be hiding in my palace, watching my every move. That’s why I snuck away to here.”
“So you want us to try and smoke the mole out?” Kayla guessed.
The Emperor nodded. “To put it simply.”
“Wait,” Laz said, scratching his head. “I thought this wasn’t the kind of mole that digs up your yard, why would we smoke him out?”


Meanwhile on top of the roof a young woman was spying on them, listening in on their conversation with an electronic eavesdropping device.
She laughed. “They have no idea.”

Ryan, Laz, and Kayla sat outside the Emperor’s mansion, testing out their gear. “See this?” Ryan asked Kayla. She nodded. “This is just an ordinary watch, right,” he held up a rather ordinary looking watch, if you could call a Rolex ordinary.
“Apparently not,” Kayla answered.
Ryan sighed. “You’re not making this very fun.”
“Fine,” Kayla threw up her hands and tried to look irritated, but she couldn’t keep the smile from coming to her lips. “What does it do?”
Ryan grinned, eager to explain. “This watch can trigger bombs. You see you just take a bomb that is set to the watch’s frequency, set it and run away as fast as you can.”
“Obviously,” Kayla said.
“Yah, but once you’re away you just turn the dial on the watch and, boom!”
“Cool,” Kayla said, trying to sound interested.
Next he handed her sunglasses.
“Hey,” she said. “These look like yours.”
“Right,” Ryan couldn’t contain his smile. “They’re exactly like mine, they’re used for tracking people. You spray some of this on the target,” he held up a bottle of what looked like perfume. “And it leaves a mark on them that you can see for miles. If you’re wearing these sunglasses.”
“Very cool,” Laz chipped in, hating to be left out.
“Laz,” Ryan turned to Laz. “Do you want to take this next one?”
“Sure,” Laz replied, eager to explain. “This is just and ordinary stick of gum, right?” He held a stick of gum that was half green and half red.
Kayla rolled her eyes, but decided to play along. “Right.”
“Wrong,” Laz corrected. “It’s highly explosive, we at IMF like to call it, ‘red light, green light.’”
“I used to love that game,” Ryan commented.

Laz glared at him and then continued. “You smash the red end into the green end and in five seconds, kaboom!” He paused. “Just don’t chew it.”
Suddenly, a small boy ran up to them. “Hi guys,” he exclaimed, all bubbly with excitement.
“Hi,” Ryan answered. “Buzz off.”
“Guys don’t be rude,” said Kayla, chastising them. She turned to the boy. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Expendable,” he replied. He looked at Laz who was holding the stick of gum, and snatched it out of his hand and held it away from them. “Ooh gum, strawberry and lime. My favorite.”
“No don’t!” Kayla warned. But he didn’t listen, he shoved the whole thing in his mouth and five seconds later, poor little Expendable was disposed of.
“Stupid boy,” Ryan shook his head.
“That was horrid,” Kayla gasped.

“Look at this way, Kayla,” Laz offered. “He was expendable, he would of died eventually anyway.”
An hour later Ryan and Laz were informed that they would be going to the Emperor’s palace. There they were to meet Christophear. “Just make sure it’s really him,” the Emperor warned.
“What about me?” Kayla asked.
“You’ll stay here, and make sure that the mole hasn’t made it here yet,” the Emperor replied.
Kayla tried to persuade him to let her go with Ryan and Laz, but the Emperor wouldn’t budge. “Yes, Emperor,” she finally said.

Ryan stood outside the helicopter, hair flying in every direction. “Sorry we won’t be working together on this one, Kayla.”
“We’ll still be working together,” Kayla replied. “Just not in the same room.”
“Hey, Cruise!” yelled the helicopter pilot, Jordan. “I’m leaving in ten seconds!”
“Gotta go,” Ryan called.
“Bye,” Kayla waved. Ryan took a running leap and tried to catch the helicopter as it took off but he missed and fell flat on his face on the ground. “I’m okay,” he groaned. Laz leaned over and pulled him onto the helicopter as Jordan swept back over the ground.