by Nowhereman
After leaving Mandelovia at the earliest opportunity, Nowhereman returned to the Nowherecave somewhere beneath the streets of Chicago.
"Okay, Cap, what'd you guys find out?" Nowhereman said.
Captain Howdy and Jack Nasty were seated around the circular table in the middle of the communications room. Nowhereman took a seat facing them both.
"I'm not quite sure!" replied Howdy. "Initially you asked us to investigate who had written that note about destroying the MBL, and then you asked us to check out why reality seems to be completely changed! I ain't bein' funny, but me 'n' Jack ain't known for our investigating skills!"
"Fair enough," said Nowhereman. "Maybe I was asking a bit too much!"
Jack laughed. "You ain't kiddin'!"
"Anyway," continued Howdy, "what we decided to do is split the tasks. Jack took the note; I took the reality assignment!"
Jack said, "The note didn't give me much to go on, but I traced the owner of the warehouse we found the thugs and the note in -- his name is Arnold Julius Reiner, owner of AJR Innovations!"
Howdy said, "Okay, here's where things start to get strange! I wasn't really sure how I was gonna investigate a reality shift, so I turned to the computer! I used the chrono-scan, which came up with a strange energy field emanating from the AJR Innovations building in Chicago!"
Nowhereman: "So the two would appear to be linked!"
"That'd be my guess," agreed Howdy, "but we haven't been able to get any closer to Reiner to confirm anything!"
Nowhereman stood and addressed his allies. "Looks like we got a job to do, boys!"
The dark sports car pulled up outside the AJR Innovations building in Chicago. For the next five minutes, the vehicle sat with its engine idling softly as the three men inside it watched the building with examining eyes.
Nowhereman whispered, "Right -- we'll try this the easy way first. We'll go in the front door and ask for an audience with the main man himself!"
"Come off it," said Captain Howdy. "What makes you think he'll just see us like that?"
"Yeah," agreed Jack Nasty. "When we tried seeing him, we got shown the door!"
Nowhereman grinned. "I'll appeal to his better side!"
"I still fucking hate you, you know that!" grumbled Howdy.
The three men quickly exited the vehicle and walked into the lobby of the huge skyscraper.
"Hold on guys," said Nowhereman to the other two. "Lemme deal with this, okay?"
Nowhereman approached the receptionist. "Hi. My name's Nowhereman, and me and my colleagues would like to see Mr. Reiner!"
The receptionist looked at the fully costumed Nowhereman and, seeing absolutely no one else with him, raised an eyebrow and looked at her computer screen. Within seconds, and with a rather startled look on her face, she turned back to Nowhereman.
"Errr... Mr. Reiner has been expecting you," she said finally. "Please take the elevator at the end of the hall and press the gold button!"
Trying not to look as equally shocked, Nowhereman turned to Captain Howdy and Jack Nasty and said, "I told you I'd get us in!"
"How the fuck?" muttered Howdy. "Nah, I don't think I wanna know!"
The three men entered the elevator, pressed the button, and within moments they were on the penthouse floor.
They stepped from the lift into a huge room, where computers and various screens filled the walls, and at the far side of the room a man sat behind a huge desk.
"I've been expecting you!"