THE ELEMENT GUARDIANS

Chapter 14: Reptilious Agrees

r. Reptilious, welcome aboard,” concluded General Grossman. “Whoever this Angel of Peace was, the suggestion they made for you to use your immense intelligence to assemble this weapon that does not kill is one I am in full support of. This is all, and I hope my plan becomes your plan as well.”

“Wow, incredible presentation, General Grossman!” said Reptilious. “May I please have a strong drink? You’ll notice that I normally refrain from drinking alcohol, but after those demonstration tapes, I may need one…or maybe two.” He laughed rigidly, recovering a little more.

“Thank you for your confidence in me and for the offer of working for you,” he continued. “You have exposed a serious problem at hand and presented an intriguing solution to resolve it. I’m honored to have been chosen to aid you. Your plan, with some variations concerning the purchasing of the material, is doable. In particular, I applaud your fictional demonstrations that will be broadcasted to Element following your casualty-free attack. The second demonstration presenting a large city where millions of habitants reside was brilliant. To look into the screen and realize what would happen in a real situation if Element did not surrender makes one tremble.”

“Thank you, Dr. Reptilious,” said the general. “I will inform Trigger Finger that he will be your assistant for the construction of a weapon. He doesn’t know what it is, but it’s better for security to keep you shielded from curious eyes. My husband is only interested in his spying activities; therefore, it’s only you and I that will need maximum protection.”

​On his way to the assigned lodging place, Doctor Reptilious’s body was trembling like a leaf.

“My god, what have I done?” he was saying to himself. “I must see Master Ribbit as soon as possible and find a way to stop this sick woman. If I don’t, I fear she will kill Sax-a-Lar, Trigger Finger, and myself as well. Her destructive power is as immense as this weapon she speaks of...”

***

In the underground library of the Guardians’ temple, Master Topaz was practicing with the 3DHMS to get a feel for the device. She was minding her own business when suddenly she was hit with a hoard of images. What she saw was three people: a girl in black and two men. When it was over and her head was done pounding, she got up and left the library with haste. She headed to Master Ribbit’s quarters.

She knocked on the door and Master Ribbit allowed her entrance. “Master Topaz, what brings you to my quarters at such an early hour of this good morning?”

“If I may, Master Ribbit, may we go to a secret location to speak alone so I can explain the matter that brought me to you today?” asked Master Topaz breathlessly. “I feel it might be urgent.”

“At once, if you believe that it could be important,” Master Ribbit said. The two transported themselves to the room where Master Ribbit and the Guardians had been training.

“So, Master Topaz, what made you come to me so urgently?”

“I had a vision of three people, but I could only make out one of them.”

“To clarify this matter, we must create a 3D image of what you saw in your vision, which is possible with the device I gave you.” Master Ribbit took his friend to a small room where there sat a table and a machine. “This machine, when hooked up with the 3DHMS, will take what’s in your head and create the images we need.”

He turned on the device and held out his hand for the small 3DHMS. Master Topaz handed it over to Master Ribbit and he attached it to a cord dangling from the machine.

“Now lie down and let the device do the rest,” he told his friend.

Master Topaz lay down on the table and allowed Master Ribbit to do what was necessary. In a couple of minutes, it was done. When Master Topaz woke, she saw a 3D image of the vision she had had. She watched as Master Ribbit absorbed what he was looking at.

“What can you make of the images you gathered from my head?” asked Master Topaz.

“Well, I have to get clarification from Dan’s wife, but I also recognize someone in this group of three, one I thought I was finally rid of.”

He left the room in a hurry after that. In a matter of minutes, Master Ribbit returned with Queen Frenzy. After looking at the 3D picture, Queen Frenzy confirmed Master Ribbit’s thoughts.

“Yes, that is my sister,” she said. “That’s Grossman.”

After sending Queen Frenzy back to Element, Master Ribbit rejoined Master Topaz.

“She was the figure you recognized, but the one known to me is different,” he told her. “The other man in this image is an archnemesis of mine. His name is Reptilious, and like me, he’s a scientist known throughout the galaxies, but his methods are not to my standards. I thought I would never see him again, so I didn't bring it up. Though the fact that I’m seeing him right now makes me feel that something is coming. This could be the opening we’ve been waiting for to send our spy in.

“The thing is, I fear that Quincey may be gone for some time, so I shall send a group of undercover agents to secretly secure a place for her to stay. In the meantime, we need to alert her of the situation, but we will give her a day or two to spend time with Quester before she is deployed.”

The two masters returned to Element from the secret location. They were in the upper part of the temple when one of Master Ribbit’s agents came to them to inform them that Quincey’s mission location had been secured.

“Great, now bring me Jason, and I’ll have him find Quincey and Quester.”