May, Max and Bonnie make it out of the long hallway and got in a secret room.
There, they find huge machines, blueprints and a jail cell.
The three were speechless with what they saw. They knew he was hiding something, but something like this? What was it all about?
Max carefully approached a green button attached on the wall.
"Fake wind and leaves generator?" Max read from the signage beside the button. "Could use a better name."
May and Bonnie followed him. Bonnie noticed the blueprints and picked it up.
"I guess it's like a huge cannon that releases winds and such...wait...there's something written at the back." Bonnie said as she flipped the blueprint. "Says here that this is located in the function hall. And...whoa."
May looked at what was written from behind Bonnie. "Wait...he used this to fool the people at the gala so that they'd think the creature was attacking them? Wow."
"Looks like it worked too since they were running as if they were really in danger that night." Max commented.
"Now I really feel bad." Bonnie added. "The creature really didn't do anything wrong to them, and yet those townspeople hate him for it."
May then carefully looked at the other machine in the room. She saw something that was quite familiar.
"Hey, is this the actual Power Booster?" May said as she looked at the machine. There was another set of blueprints beside it. May took it and observed. She saw the notes written there and she was suddenly filled with a mix of shock and sadness.
"What's that, Cady?" Max asked as he approached his sister. Bonnie decided to check on another machine.
"This...this was a 'Tech Me Later' invention. It was submitted by Anthony Hayden, Drew's father." May replied. "However, it also says here that it's a modified version since Hayden refused to submit the final product. It also mentions here...'tested on The Experiment'? Exactly what is The Experiment?"
Bonnie came back to them, holding another set of blueprints. "Check this one out. This also said tested on 'The Experiment'. This is the Cell Fusion thingy."
"I wonder...do you think this creature is linked to The Experiment?" Max wondered.
Bonnie looks at the jail cell. "Maybe The Experiment was supposed to stay there?"
May examined the blueprints further. She noticed that the original blueprints were a bit different compared to the final output. "The one we see here is the revised version of the fusion machine. The one in the original version, the one made by someone named Bill, did make a cell fusion machine. However, he did make a Cell Separator. We don't see that here."
"I assume the Cell Separator is used to reverse the effects of the fusion machine." Max said.
"I think that's everything here. Should we head out before we're caught?" May asked. The two nodded.
Before leaving, May kept the blueprints they found inside her bag.
--
Clemont still waited on his seat. In the waiting room, it was just him and the flirtatious woman. He felt uncomfortable. At this point, he was much more bothered by the woman beside him than with his upcoming confrontation with Ross.
He then sees the purple-haired guy who was beside him a while back leaving the office.
"Calling number 9, Mr. Lester Howell. Please proceed to the main office." The PA announced.
Clemont still stayed on his seat. The woman poked him.
"It's your turn, Lester. You don't want to keep him waiting." The woman told him. "But please, make it quick. Ross and I have very important manners to talk about."
Clemont looked surprised. He looked at his number card and sees the number 9.
"Mr. Lester Howell? Please proceed to the main office now." The PA repeated.
Clemont fixes his shirt and makes his way to the main office.
As he entered the room, he sees a commanding figure in front of him – Harold Ross.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ross." Clemont greeted.
"Ah, welcome. You must be Lester Howell. Please, take a seat." Ross replied as he pointed to the seat in front of the desk.
Clemont sat still as Ross looked at him.
"Well? Aren't 'cha gonna show me the blueprints? I was informed that you're here to enroll for the Tech Me Later program." Ross said.
"Oh right. Sir, may I first know what the Tech Me Later program is about?" Clemont asked.
"Ah...you know you could've asked the receptionist before you came here."
"See, I came all the way from the Kalos region. I heard that getting an appointment with you was very difficult to time, so I had to just come here since I managed to get the appointment."
"Is that so?"
"Besides, I think it would be much clearer if the program was explained by the man who made it."
"Ah, you're a smart one. But okay, I will explain the program to you. Tech Me Later is a program designed to help inventors make top quality inventions. Of course, not all inventors are prepared with the money they need to make such inventions. Basically, we are here to help you by giving you the money you need. Not only that, we're also making sure that the quality of the products is of the best kind. We don't want our consumers to use low-grade products, now don't we?"
"That is true. But sir, are you really going to provide the money? Isn't that a bit too much?"
"Well, I wouldn't say that it's a gift. It's more of a loan. You have to pay us back eventually. There is a catch, though. You need to pay us back by the deadline or else we put an interest. If you cooperate, that shouldn't be an issue."
"Oh, I see." There was that word. Loan.
"Are you still interested? It'd be a shame if you came all the way from Kalos to just walk away without anything accomplished."
"Of course, sir." Clemont said as he opens his briefcase. He brought out a bunch of blueprints.
"That's quite a lot, but we can manage."
"I have 4 different inventions here, sir. You may just choose your favorite."
"If I like 'em all, I'll take 'em all. Lemme see those prints."
Clemont hands the blueprints for the inventions to Ross. While Ross examined the blueprints, Clemont took the time to look for anything suspicious in his office.
There wasn't much there. It just looked like a typical office.
Clemont looked back at Ross. He sees the older man smirking.
"I'm intrigued with the Brain Writer and the Private Folder. I don't really like the other two." Ross told Clemont.
Clemont wanted to take back the blueprints for the other two inventions, but Ross just inserted them in the paper shredder.
"Care to explain these two further?" Ross continued.
"Uh...the Brain Writer allows thoughts to be converted as data. I was hoping that this could come with its own word processing program so that the converted data can be seen as words. As for the Private Folder, it may seem like a normal looking folder, but its contents can only be accessed by the owner. It should come with its own fingerprint scanner."
"I like 'em. I'll just scan these blueprints so I could have a copy. You may leave, Mr. Howell. Thank you for choosing Tech Me Later."
"Thank you for considering, Mr. Ross." Clemont said. After that, he left the office.
As he left, he sees the woman from a while ago already in front of the door. She just pushes Clemont away and proceeds inside. Clemont falls on the floor, causing his wig to drop. Luckily for him, no one was around to see him in that state. He quickly picks up the wig and puts it back on.
He returns to the main lobby and sends a text to Bonnie.
Bon, tell May and Max that I'm done with my meeting with Ross. I'll be waiting for you at the lobby. Unfortunately, I didn't see suspicious things over at his office.
--
The woman enters the office in a quite seductive manner. It appeared that Ross was already familiar with her, as seen by his smile. He knew exactly why she was here.
"Oh honey." He greeted. The woman sits on his desk.
"That black-haired boy took a very long time. I'm sorry if I just got here now." She said while twirling her hair.
"Let me just fax these to the lab, and then I'll deal with you."
Ross turned on his monitor, revealing the CCTV footage. He checks the lab if the files were printed there. He then notices something else in the laboratory. He was not happy.
"Who the hell are these people and how did they-" Ross said angrily as he took out a remote with a big red button. He pressed the button and the alarms were set off. Meanwhile, he leaves his seat and he brings out a key card, revealing another hidden doorway.
--
Milani and Jace noticed that the alarm started to ring.
"Uh-oh. That's not good. C'mon, we need to get them out of there." Milani said as she took hold of the laptop, making sure that the footage was still being recorded.
Jace swiftly started the car and drove back to the headquarters.
Milani brings out her phone, sending a message to the others that they needed to hurry.
--
May, Max and Bonnie making their way out of the hallway as quickly as they can.
They heard metal doors dropping one by one from behind them.
May was running in front, trying to lead Max and Bonnie.
As she made her way back to the exhibit room, the hidden door just closed on its own. She looks back and notices something.
"MAX?! BONNIE?! Where are you?! Oh no...NOOOO!!! MAX!" May yelled as she banged the hidden door.
She sees the others running in panic. However, she didn't want to leave without her brother.
Clemont notices that May was still there in the exhibit room.
"May, you need to get out of there! C'mon." Clemont yelled as he grabbed May's arm.
"But Max and Bonnie are-" May said.
"Let's just get out of here. Maybe they're already outside." Clemont replied.
May knew that they weren't. Clemont, however, took May with him and ran swiftly. Normally, Clemont couldn't run that quick, but the adrenaline running in his body was allowing him to do so.
Soon, the two made it out of the headquarters. They see that Jace's car was already there waiting.
"Guys! C'mon! Hurry!" Milani called to the two.
Clemont and May ran towards them.
"Where's Max and Bonnie?" Jace asked.
May dropped on her knees as tears fell from her face.
"I'm sorry, Clemont. Max and Bonnie were behind me when the alarm sounded. I thought they were just behind me, but it turns out that they were locked in already. They're still in there and who knows what Ross could do to them." May cried.
Clemont remained silent. He now gets why May almost had to stay behind. But then, would it really be wise if all of them just stayed there?
Milani reaches her hand to May. "May, just get in the car. We'll think of our next plan once we get back to your boarding house."
May and Clemont hops in the car. Milani returns to her laptop and ends the recording on the cameras.
"Unfortunate that the cameras were not with either of them. We didn't really expect such thing to happen." Milani said. "I know it's tough for the both of you, but we have to stay strong. We'll get them out of there...somehow."
May continued crying while Clemont refused to speak a word.
--
Yoo...now what happens.
What happens to Max and Bonnie? Will they be alright? All will be answered in due time.
As for Clem Clem's inventions, I just took 'em from one of my oneshots (Elemeno's Pokemon Oneshots Book 2). Shoutout if you remember that oneshot. It was one of my faves.
Question of the day: Someone stole Barry's pants. The suspects are Professor Sycamore, Misty, Daisy, Hilda and Tierno. Who did it?
I just took the question from an old book of mine (CPCQ). I used the bag of names that I use for SWTPP2 to select the characters.
Okay...see ya in the next chapter!