BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM C.824 The headquarters (7)

Using the flying car, Erik traveled through the city and came back to the Crystal Cross Gang headquarters.

Of course, he found June waiting for him. The clone shapeshifted into a cat and the Crystal Cross Gang guards didn't pay attention to him.

<Did something happen? > Erik asked.

<No, Master. > He said. <Are you done with your task? >

<Yes. > At that moment, Erik parked the car relatively far from the Crystal Cross Gang headquarters, but close enough so that June was in his Instability Brain Crystal Power's range.

Before approaching the place, Erik hid Gus's body in the car's trunk. He couldn't allow people seeing it, especially not the Crystal Cross Gang.

He jumped out of the car and then headed toward June.

<Turn into a human, > he said. <Gus likely always comes here with an entourage. It would be weird for him to be alone. >

<Yes, Master. >

The clone then went somewhere secluded, and after having shapeshifted again, he joined Erik.

Of course, June's master now had the appearance of Gus. The two exchanged some glances. <Are you ready, Master? >

June was worried a little. What they were going to do was to take revenge against someone that caused a lot of trouble to Erik.

He feared his master could become emotional and kill the Crystal Cross Gang's leader before they got what they needed.

<Yes. > Erik sighed. <Let's go. >

The two went toward the entrance. The guards noticed them and exchanged some nods.

Then they let them enter. After they took the elevator, they arrived at the underground chamber.

June hadn't been there, so it was the first time for him seeing the place.

<This is bigger than I expected. >

<Right? It makes you understand how really powerful these guys are. >

However, there was an icy glint in Erik's eyes. <But not for long. > He then grinned, and June replied in kind.

Then a woman, a member of the Crystal Cross Gang, approached Erik and June with a measured stride, her confidence palpable in the controlled elegance of her movement.

Erik's memory flickered to life; he recognized her from the office next to Howell's. She was his secretary.

Her approach was no coincidence; Erik surmised she had been warned by the guards upstairs about their arrival.

Her attire, both practical and stylish, spoke of a person who balanced the demands of her role with a personal flair that set her apart from the typical aide.

Her eyes, sharp and assessing, swept over Erik and June, taking in the scene with a practiced ease.

As she drew closer, her expression remained neutral and professional, yet there was an underlying intensity, a hint that she was not one to be underestimated.

"Good morning, Mr. Ridley," the woman said.

Erik was surprised by the woman's polite tone. <They are not that savage, after all. > He said to June telepathically.

<Yeah. >

"I need to talk to Howell, " Erik said to the woman.

"I will tell the boss you are here. Forgive me for my rudeness, but he has a very busy schedule. To meet you earlier, he had to postpone other meetings."

"Don't worry. Just tell him I'm here."

The woman nodded and led Erik and June into a waiting room.

The waiting room, despite the nefarious nature of its inhabitants, was designed to impress, to showcase wealth and a keen eye for aesthetics.

Luxurious velvet sofas in rich hues lined the walls, offering comfort and a hint of decadence.

The floors were polished marble, reflecting the soft ambient lighting that filled the space with a warm glow.

Despite its luxurious trappings, there was an underlying tension in the air, a reminder of the room's place within a fortress of criminal power.

"If you will, please wait. I'll notify the boss that you are here again. "

"Good. "

Erik and June looked at each other. <What the hell has a criminal boss have to do so urgently as to leave Volkov's emissary waiting? > June asked.

<Something bad, for sure. >

The duo waited for what felt like an eternity, the passage of time marked only by the occasional shuffle of feet or the distant murmur of voices from beyond the luxurious confines of the waiting room.

As the hour drew to a close, the sound of approaching footsteps heralded the arrival of their awaited contact.

The door swung open, and there, framed by the doorway, stood the figure of the Crystal Cross Gang leader's secretary, the same woman that brought them to that room.

She beckoned Erik and June to follow, leading them deeper into the heart of the organization's stronghold. After some minutes, they arrived at Howell's office.

"You are here again," he said to Gus, or better, to Erik. He then turned to look at June.

"And who is this guy?"

"This is an associate of mine," Erik said. "His name is not important.." 𝑓𝓻ℯ𝑒𝑤𝘦𝑏𝑛ℴ𝓋ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝓸𝓂

"Ah! Whatever. Why are you here again?" Howell asked, with a tint of irritation in his tone.

Here, Erik had to find a good excuse. "I talked to the higher ups. They want your associates to join earlier than a week. "

"Oh? And how should I find all the people you ask for in less than a week? Besides, why?"

Howell's reaction was unmistakably irked, his face contorting into an expression of exasperation and mild disbelief.

The corners of his mouth turned downward in a frown, his lips pressing tightly together as if to physically hold back a surge of frustration.

His eyes, previously composed, now sparked with irritation, mirroring the annoyance that tinged his voice.

The furrows on his forehead deepened, a visible sign of the mental gymnastics he was performing to comprehend with what nerve they could ask him to do that.

His gaze flicked between Erik and June, as if trying to gauge their seriousness or perhaps find a hint of jest.

"The how is of no concern to me. You must find the people. There is no time anymore."

"What? Why?"

Erik looked Howell in the eyes. <Master… > June said. He understood what he was going to say. Erik turned to look at the clone and nodded.

"I got words that Erik Romano entered the city."