by GoozX
MBL Consulting Inc.
56 Oakwood Avenue,
Puerta Mibela, La Perdita:
Five floors up the aged yet beautiful apartment complex, the sun shone through an open window, striking Sam Dawson in the face. He peeked one eye open and looked toward the clock, which read eight, eight a.m. Too early to wake up, too early to even think about waking up. With all his might, he pulled his covers over his head, blocking out the evil sunlight that woke him from pleasant dreams.
A few minutes passed, and he fell back to sleep, only to be awakened again, this time by a scream.
"FIRST I WAS AFRAID, I WAS PETRIFIED... THINKING HOW I COULD EVER LIVE WITHOUT YOU BY MY SIDE! BUT THAN IIIIIII SPENT..."
Two levels down, someone was singing at the top of their lungs.
"Are you kidding me?" Sam whispered to himself before rolling out of bed and sliding on a pair of jeans. He threw on an old, worn out baseball jersey and stepped into the hallway, where he was greeted by Tobias "T.C." Christopher and his cat, Li'l Jo.
"Are we under attack or something?" Tobias asked frantically, attempting to find out the source of the horrendous screeching coming from downstairs.
"If only," was Sam's reply. "Sounds like it's coming from Mick's place."
Even Li'l Jo crawled up into a ball to block out the noise that was coming from the lower levels.
"We gotta put a quick stop to this."
Both teammates were in agreement. They entered the elevator, where an already zombie-like Danny Hearn was going down to put a stop to the same thing they were.
"Down?" Danny asked, his eyes glazed over like he had been up enjoying the night life offered by the city of Puerta Mibela a little too much.
"Three! And fast."
The button had already been pressed. Going down one floor, Marv Velo entered, his expression much like the others. He was fully dressed and carried an envelope in his hand.
"I think I'm going to move up a few levels," Velo joked, "like maybe the roof!"
"Sounds like a plan," T.C. added.
Finally, the doors opened, and everyone rushed toward Mick's apartment. Lance Lorenzo was already banging on the door.
"Hey, guys," he greeted most of the team, who had also been awaken by the singing coming from Mick's apartment.
Finally, it stopped.
"I gonna kill Mick!" Sam said, sleep in his eyes.
All of a sudden, the stairwell doors opened, and Mick Harrison and Shirley Francis entered the hallway, surprised to see most of the team waiting by their door.
"Morning, guys," Mick said as he ate a doughnut and offered everyone one.
"Wait, if you're here, then whose...?" Before Lance could finish, Mick's door opened, and Naecken stepped out, wearing bunny slippers and a pink towel, whistling to the beat of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive.
"Thanks for letting me use your shower, Mick. I still have to fix mine." Naecken walked straight past the shock team and into the elevator.
"What just happened?" Sam thought out loud. Most of the team had been thinking the same thing. The group looked at each other, and with a few chuckles and fewer words, each went about his or her business, heading back to their apartments or to the kitchen.
Marv Velo remained where he was, watching as everyone left.
Now that he was up, Velo took that moment to take an immediate and indefinite leave. While the others were preoccupied with their own affairs, Velo slipped the envelope he was carrying through the mail slot in the MBL Consulting Inc. offices.
Within the envelope was a note explaining that he had "personal business" to take care of in Chicago. The team was used to the former government agent being this vague, and he hoped they would understand his departure. The team had increasingly relied upon his leadership as of late, but he knew others would step into the void in his absence. "They'll survive," he reassured himself as he closed the front door behind him and left the island.