Luckily, it was voice-operated. “Computer, phone,” Frink said clearly. The system beeped and Frink yelled, “Lab!” That was his common greeting.
“Agent Frink, this is Agent Johnson,” began the voice on the phone, “Notify Agent Andy. We’re having a team meeting.”
‘Where?” Frink asked. The apartment building didn’t have any common rooms other than the hallways, the kitchen, and the bathrooms.
“In the meeting room,” Johnson answered. After a pause, he continued on to say, “In the basement. Take out one of the storage tables and set it up. Agent Johnson out.” With that, he beeped out.
Frink sighed and put down the beaker he was holding. What now, he thought.
***
Just as Agent Andy took a seat on the foldable chair, Agent Johnson rushed down the stairs and took his seat. The suited agent then asked formally, “Is everyone in attendance?”
“Yep,” Andy answered. “Well, except for Bionic. But he’s in Florida.” Johnson glared at Andy. The suited agent then stood up and began.
“As you may or may not know, Agent Bionic and myself have recently experienced what some may deem an impossible chain of events. These events included pursuing felons through what seemed to be another dimension. Agent Bionic told our superiors what we experienced and was admitted to a rehabilitation center. I denied these events and instead sought console from a priest. This priest provided a plausible explanation for these events. I still had my doubts.”
Andy coughed, and then nodded for Johnson to continue.
“I have just been approached by several agents that work for a bureau similar to ours. While at an undisclosed secluded location, two federal agents approached me from seemingly nowhere. I at once drew my sidearm, but was intrigued by what they told me.” Johnson abruptly stopped and glanced around the room. “Forgive me,” he said, “but in my haste I neglected to search the room.” he looked at Frink and asked, “Is the area secure from all means of espionage?”
“I have this place wired against sonic detectors and we have a security system. I should hope it is,” Frink responded.
“Good.” Johnson continued his story. “After I lowered my weapon, they said to me, ‘You still believe, don’t you?’ I answered truthfully when I told them I did not believe. They then said, ‘Then you still have doubts about Father McKinley’s explanation.’ I once again answered truthfully when I told them I did have doubts. They then looked at each other and –”
“So you’re saying that the MIB or ‘The Matrix’ agents came to you? I think you might have been, y’know, on drugs,” Andy interrupted.
Frink nodded his head in assent. “Your story about ‘traveling to another dimension’ does seem a bit like ‘Buckaroo Banzai,’ Mark.”
Johnson seemed to expect this doubt. He produced something from his suit pocket in his clenched hand and said, “Gentlemen, this will prove to you beyond any doubt that what I am talking about actually exists.” With that, he opened his hand.
On his palm was a small, black comb.
The two other agents stared at it blankly. Then Andy reached into his pocket and pulled out the same style comb and held it in his open palm. “Amazing, isn’t it?” he said sarcastically.
Johnson snatched the comb out of Andy’s hand and bent it until it snapped in half. He then gave the comb he was holding to Andy and said, “Do exactly what I did to your comb.”
Angrily, Andy took Johnson’s comb and bent it. It didn’t break. He bent it further. It didn’t break. He bent it with all of his might. Still, it did not break. Frink then snatched it from Andy and bent it and twisted it in many different ways. It did not break.
Johnson snatched it back and pointed to the word ‘UNBREAKABLE’ welded into its handle. Johnson then mumbled something and the letters broke apart and rearranged themselves to form the words ‘MAGICALLY ENHANCED’ in smaller print.
The other two agents were stunned. “Impossible,” Frink said as Johnson pulled out two ID badges from his coat’s inner pocket. These cards weren’t for the agency Andy and Frink currently worked for, however.
Johnson threw them on the table for all to see. “Gentlemen,” he proclaimed as the other two men examined the badges, “welcome to ‘The Bureau.’”
Sure enough, the badge in front of Andy had Andy’s title, face, and name on it and the badge in front of Frink had Frink’s title, face, and name on it. They both also had the name of an agency on them. An agency neither agent had heard of before.
The agency called “BUREAU 13.”
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