“These people are assholes.” Kaleb stated simply.

  “I thought they were your people?” Jar-lock asked smugly.

  “My people would be more forthcoming with their research.”

  “Would they?” Vivienne asked.

  “They would if I was asking for it!” Kaleb growled, knowing he was being stupid.

  In retrospect, he didn’t know what he expected. A lot of these scientists and researchers were studying animals for their bosses or companies. Why would they share that data with an outside observer? Even if they were a Hero. In fact, Kaleb’s status as a Freelance Supe seemed to hurt his conversations more than it helped. So much so that by the fifth person he talked to, Kaleb stopped bringing it up.

  They had been all over the building and while there were some areas open to the public, most weren’t. Those that were, were little more than petting zoos and science-themed play areas. Some of the labs had large windows looking into a testing enclosure. But those were also mostly performative. Like the lab was saying ‘Look! We’re being humane.’

  Now the three of them were sitting in a rest area on the third floor. The recent fire had made Kaleb think that he’d have an easier time on this level. But he was quickly proven wrong. Campus security and the lab technicians were guarding the floor with prejudice. Kaleb saw no less than three school groups get turned away at the entrance hall to level three. Thankfully, he and the others had a ready built excuse to help, but…

  “This is boring!” Kaleb announced, sitting back on his plastic chair.

  “What did you expect them to do? Let us wander around and ‘help’ put the fires out?”

  “Yes! Otherwise, why even let us up here?”

  “Because,” Vivienne explained. “This way they can warn off other heroes who got the call. If they already have three Supes on the scene, they don’t need anymore help.”

  Kaleb glanced at the scorched and foam-covered hallway of the third floor. The fire suppression had done a great job and the lab workers were doing fine for cleanup. He could see why they didn’t want some unknown Supe trouncing around. Even if it did undermine his plans to ‘help.’

  “Besides, the only reason you offered to help was so you could get a look at what they are working on back there.” Jar-lock said, scowling.

  “A peek would’ve cost them nothing.” Kaleb sniffed.

  “Not true, exactly.” Cut in Vivienne. “Depending on who they were doing the research for, a peek would probably cost them a lot.”

  “Which is why they took our help and then shoved us into this resting area.”

  Kaleb waved his arms at the large open space. It was in between the staircase leading up from the second floor and the hallway going further into the floor. It had large windows on either side and was full of round tables and hard plastic chairs. The three of them were seated almost exactly in the middle of the square room, right where their guard had placed them.

  Kaleb sighed. “Fine. Then if they don’t need our help. I think we should make another circuit of the building. There has to be something here that’ll help us.”

  “Help you, you mean.”

  “Jar, if you were going to bitch the entire trip, then why did you come? Also, the serum is going to enhance the NPCs of the hangar. Which helps all of us.”

  “I just think there are better things you could be working on.”

  “Maybe. But you’ll excuse me if I play my game my way.”

  “Guys?”

  “But it’s not just your game right now, Professor! You're part of a guild now.”

  “That means I should stop having fun?”

  “It’s not about fun!”

  “Then you’re playing wrong!”

  “GUYS!!”

  Vivienne’s voice broke through their argument and Kaleb finally heard a loud alarm blaring through the room. It was accompanied by small flashing silver lights at the entrance to level three. But there was also a third noise that Kaleb couldn’t identify.

  “What is that?” Kaleb asked as the three of them stood.

  The noise was coming from the hallway entrance and the guards over there were facing away from them.

  “It sounds like… monkeys?” Jar-lock said, runes on his skin glowing.

  Kaleb looked around for a weapon. The best he could find was a chair. He reached for one as Vivienne drew her wand from her sleeve. Biting back the comments that filled his head about them getting to keep their weapons, he raised the chair up and waited. The squawking sounds were getting louder and an additional layer of grunts was layered over them. Kaleb was beginning to think that Jar-lock was right. Whatever it was sounded like monkeys. And they were getting closer.

  He kept an eye on the guards to see if they moved to engage the threat. But campus security stayed firm as the sounds echoed everywhere. Soon, a male voice broke over the noise. Although its words were completely unnecessary.

  “They’ve broken containment! Run!”

  Kaleb rolled his eyes at the obvious and readied himself. The hallway leading into level three was starting to turn bright red, and the noise was almost deafening. Soon eleven red two-foot monkeys came spilling out of the hallway. Their bodies were on fire and they tossed fireballs everywhere as they ran. Campus security was quickly overrun as their clothes were set on fire. Spells flew everywhere as Jar-lock and Vivienne added their own magic to the guards, trying to fight. Kaleb glanced at his plastic chair and immediately discounted it as a weapon.

  He tried to glance around for something to fight with, but the monkeys were getting closer. His brain raced as he searched the open space. Tables were being set on fire and the monkeys charged the windows, making their way toward daylight. That’s when Kaleb saw it. Piles of fire suppression foam were everywhere. The staff had been cleaning the stuff up with a device, some kind of vacuum cleaner. Kaleb scanned around for the thing as he ducked a wild fireball and he found it across the room closer to the hallway. He made a run for the machine while the others were fighting.

  Fireballs flew everywhere as ice spells and bodies were flung about. The fireballs hit their targets with the speed of a truck, sending the unlucky bastards spiraling. Meanwhile, the ice spells were mostly melted away by the fire surrounding the monkey’s bodies. Only a few of the guards could manage higher-tiered spells. Which Kaleb thought was a gross oversight as he jumped and rolled over tables. He was five steps from his goal when a monkey leaped between him and the machine. It screeched as the fire around its body crackled, a fireball ready in its palm. Kaleb drew his robotic arm back to punch the little shit in the face, but a ball of ice caught the small creature in the chest and sent it flying.

  “You’re welcome!” Jar-lock shouted, sounding smug.

  “You’re welcome.” Kaleb repeated sarcastically as he slid the rest of the way toward the small vacuum.

  It was little more than a three-foot barrel and a hose. But Kaleb figured he could do something with it. He found the device’s control panel and searched its interface for something that would help. Unfortunately, the vacuum didn’t come with an ‘expel contents’ button. So he was going to have to improvise. He was tearing off a side panel when Jar-lock’s voice spoke up again.

  “What are you doing, Professor?”

  Kaleb snorted as he looked up. Jar-lock and Vivienne had rushed over to give him cover. “Well, since I don’t have any damn weapons. I am trying to find another way to help!”

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “Oh yeah! Cause I fucking knew something like this would happen.” Jar-lock snapped.

  “We’re Heroes! Shit like this always happens!” Kaleb snapped back, getting to his feet.

  “Shut the hell up, both of you!” Vivienne shouted as a pale-blue spear of ice appeared in between them.

  The spear hung in the air for a few seconds before it shot forward like a missile, impaling a fire monkey. Already they had killed a good number of the things and Kaleb was sure they’d be done before he finished his work. But that didn’t mean he was going to stop. He crouched back down and started to work out the wiring in the vacuum when a new sound resounded in the room. It sounded like a deeper, more guttural monkey, and Kaleb spun around to find the source.

  Toward the center of the room, one of the red monkeys was clawing at its own face. Snowballs and ice missiles evaporated around it as its flames exploded in all directions. The lab tech and guards went nuts with excitement as Kaleb heard one of them shout.

  “It’s Morphizing!”

  The tiny monkey’s body bulged in all directions before it caved back into itself. Its arms grew into massive red cylinders of muscle and its legs elongated. All the while, the thing was pelted with ice spells that it simply ignored. Kaleb forced himself to go back to work as the screeching and cawing of the monkeys grew to a fever pitch. It was like the smaller ones knew what was happening and they were all for it. Jar-lock and Vivienne tossed their best spells at the creature, but nothing happened.

  “I-frames.” Jar-lock hissed.

  “Focus on the little ones.” Vivienne said.

  Kaleb finally found the intake and exhaust hose connection and detached it. The sucker was a huge insulated thing that ran the length of the barrel’s insides. Which made getting to the connection a nightmare. But once he had, it was a simple thing to detach and flip the connection. He also found a limiter placed on the machine’s engine that he ripped off. He didn’t know what that was for, but he wanted maximum horse power. Kaleb did a quick check of his work and then sealed the thing back up and stood.

  The fight was still going on, only now a five-foot barrel chested monkey was tossing around beachball sized fireballs. It also looked like a few other monkeys were going through the change. Steam was rising everywhere. Jar-lock had a shield of ice protecting them as Vivienne kept throwing icicles. The guards and lab techs had taken to protecting themselves as well, with only Kaleb’s group going on the attack. Which had the added effect of making them the center of the monkey’s attention. Kaleb grunted as he picked up the vacuum’s massive hose and started moving. He wasn’t sure how well it was going to work, but he was going to do something.

  Aiming at the tall monkey that Vivienne was attacking, Kaleb left the safety of Jar-lock’s shield and flipped the vacuum’s switch. Its engine roared to life, adding to the cacophony already echoing through the room. With surprising force, the foam the vacuum had already sucked up went spewing forth toward its target. The fire monkey was mid-throw when a wave of white hit it in the face. It screamed as a loud hiss signified its fire going out completely. In a matter of seconds, the human-sized creature was covered in foam and Kaleb moved on to his next target, dragging the small vacuum with him.

  Vivienne and Jar-lock handled the smaller monkeys as Kaleb waited for the bigger ones to finish their transformations and then doused them. It was mid-way through his second monkey that the vacuum rattled ominously. Memories of his first freeze ray doing the same thing made Kaleb pull the vacuum forward and kick it toward the final humanoid monkey.

  “What the hell?!” Jar-lock shouted over the noise.

  But Kaleb ignored him as he grabbed Vivienne’s shoulder and flipped over a table. Already he could hear the vacuum rattling dangerously. The fire monkey roared and grabbed for the vacuum, melting its metal surface and making the rattling worse. Kaleb covered his ears and waited before a loud FWUMP filled the room. The table he was using as cover shifted slightly as a wave of suppression foam hit it and exploded everywhere. The hissing sound of fire going out seemed to triple as the sweltering heat of the room was suddenly muted.

  Getting to his feet, Kaleb scanned the room for targets. But every thing was covered in the foam. A few of the monkey’s bodies were laid all around the room. Some were dead, impaled or bludgeoned by ice spells, while others just seemed knocked out. Kaleb spun on the spot, taking in the large sheets of foam covering the windows and floor.

  Scratching his head in thought, he said. “There must have been a size-enchantment on the inside of that vacuum.”

  A pillar of foam sputtered as Jar-lock’s voice emerged from it. “You think?”

  Kaleb tried like hell to keep the smile off his face. “Maybe.”

  “You two…” Vivienne grumbled as she picked herself up off the floor.

  She was mostly uncovered by the foam, having been behind the table with Kaleb. But the rest of the waiting area was a massive winter wonderland now. Except with monkey bodies. Feeling brave, Kaleb went over to the large fire monkey variant that had picked up the vacuum. It was laid out on its front, its arms and shoulders bleeding a bit from the explosion. But as Kaleb got closer, he could hear the thing breathing.

  “It’s alive!” Kaleb called over his shoulder. “Do we kill it?”

  Before Jar-lock or Vivienne could answer him, another voice spoke up in a shrill tone. “Don’t you dare! We need to get them back in containment as quick as possible!”

  Kaleb glanced to his right and found a small squad of foam-covered people. Their features were obscured completely, but they were quickly wiping themselves off and marching about the room. In fact, multiple foam-covered people were scouring the room now. Kaleb briefly wondered where these people were before. But a foam arm wrapped around his shoulders and distracted him.

  “Fine hero-ing, my son. Jolly well done. You managed to subdue the little blighters with nary a problem.”

  Kaleb glanced at the talking pile of foam before looking at one of the dead monkeys. It was one of the smaller ones that looked like it had taken an icicle through the chest. The foam person followed his gaze before snorting and waving a hand at the body. Sending foam flying toward it.

  “Bah! Those Igsimia are a dime a dozen. We can get them anywhere. However, the metamorphized versions are much more rare.”

  Kaleb nodded slowly. “Oookay, glad I could help?”

  “Yes, yes. You were a big help. Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t charge you for the equipment you destroyed. But we can talk about that, yes. For now, I must get these samples into my lab as quick as possible.”

  “Samples?” Vivienne asked, somewhat coldly.

  She had been helping Jar-lock wipe off, but now she was staring daggers at the foam-covered scientist. Kaleb surreptitiously moved a few steps away from the man. At the mention of charging him, all of Kaleb’s camaraderie with the man had evaporated.

  “Why, yes! The Igsimia have been vital to our research into magically burning flames. While occasions like this happen, and are unfortunate, we are still making great strides.”

  “And what about their humane treatment?”

  “Humane treatment? My lady, they have three meals a day, a wonderful enclosed space to roam, and are even allotted ‘personal time.’ Believe me, it doesn’t get much more humane than that.”

  At this point, Kaleb circled around the doomed scientist and arrived at Vivienne’s side of the room. He could practically feel the woman’s ire as she questioned the scientist about all of his practices. Jar-lock continued to de-foam himself as Kaleb kept an eye on the conversation. Vivienne was clearly passionate about the treatment of the animals. The scientist, however, seemed accustomed to answering such questions. Each answer was given succinctly and with little elaboration. So much so that Vivienne was clearly getting upset. Finally, the scientist lost his patience with the questioning and flung his hands up, sending waves of foam onto Vivienne’s body.

  “You lady, now see here. I thank you for your help in apprehending our SUBJECTS. But that is all these creatures are! They are kept safe and free from pain as we work and I’ll thank you not to insinuate any different!”

  “Can I assume, then, that you won’t have any issue with my companions and I taking a tour of your facilities to prove that fact!?” Vivienne snapped back.

  “Of course not! We have nothing to hide!” the scientist practically yelled before he stomped off.

  He shouted something about getting them passes as Vivienne turned a small thumbs up in Kaleb and Jar-lock’s direction. She skipped and slid back in their direction as Kaleb raised an eyebrow.

  “Was that all on purpose?”

  Vivienne smirked as she started helping Jar-lock again. “Not really. I do want to see the animal’s living conditions. I don’t think he realizes I’m on the HTOMA board.”

  “HTOMA?” Jar-lock asked.

  “Humane Treatment of Magical Animals. A few of us players got it formed and we’ve been auditing most of the magical colleges.”

  “On whose authority?” Kaleb asked.

  Vivienne shrugged. “Ours? I mean, we have the schools go-ahead and we keep things above board as much as possible. But mostly when we find someone abusing magical creatures, we toss them to the court of public opinion and watch them get fried.”

  “And that works?”

  “Most times. The colleges don’t want bad press, so they change their tunes fairly quickly.”

  “When have you been doing all this?” Jar-lock asked, confused.

  “Hey, I don’t spend every waking moment at the hangar, you know. I have things I want to do in-game as much as anybody.”

  She gave the mage a significant look before she turned to Kaleb and shot him a smile. “But now we’ve got our in onto the third floor, Doc. I hope we can find what you are looking for.”

  Kaleb smiled back before looking around the foam-covered room. “I sure I will, Viv.”

  His eyes fell onto the hallway, where all the guards and scientists were having their own conversations. His answers were just down there, he knew.

  “I’m sure I will…”