Stay with me 'till the world ends

~5~

Iris, Addison, Cilia, and Ms. J were standing on a big hill overlooking the bottom 14 levels of Bridger Industries. Iris hadn't been there in years. It was exactly how she remembered it. Covered with screens that showed Isaac Bridger's face and advertising the business and windows.

"We just need to get to Bridger's assistant who's currently running this place now that Bridgers at Ionic." Ms. J said. "We just need to get past the metal detectors."

"We have a plan." Cilia said. "Just do as we tell you." Iris and Addison followed the two down the mountain and towards the doors of Bridger Industries. When they reached the entrance Cilia disappeared into the crowd.

"Keep walking." Ms. J said. "Don't be suspicious."

"That's impossible." Iris said.

"Just keep walking." Ms. J ordered. There were shouts of 'hey!' and 'stop her!'. Iris assumed it was Cilia who was causing the trouble. And as the three neared the entrance, she found out she was right. Ms. J pushed her and Addison through the metal detectors. The beep of detected metal wasn't heard over the noise Cilia had started.

Cilia meets them on the fifth floor (the fifth floor is the one where the elevator starts).

"Thanks." Ms. J said, hitting the button for the highest floor where Bridger's office was. The metal doors slid open and the four stepped into the little room. The elevator shot up.

One long elevator ride later, the little room stopped moving and the doors opened to reveal a hallway. Ms. J and Cilia led the teenagers towards big double doors at the end of the long hallway. Ms. J handed Cilia what looked like a pistol. Iris found out later that it was. Bridger's assistant was facing the windows that covered one wall and didn't notice the four creeping in. Cilia and Ms. J creeped around the desk towards the man. He turned just in time. And got two gun barrels in the face. The man stepped back with his hands in the air. Iris saw him eyeing the security button. Before any of his attackers could say anything, the man lunged for the button and received a bullet in the leg. But he hit the button. Now, it was only a matter of time before a dozen or more armed security guards ran into the office and blasted them to bits. Bridger's assistant collapsed to the floor. His face was etched with pain from the bullet Ms. J had put in his leg.

"What do you want?" He gasped. Iris could make out a dark patch growing in the man's suit. It was blood.

"We want Bridger." Ms. J said.

"Bridger's at Ionic." The man said, sweat coating his face.

"And we're going there next." Cilia said. "Now, open the vault."

"I-I don't know how." The man said.

"Yes you do." Cilia said. "Only you and Bridger can open it. Now open it before you get another bullet in the leg. The other one." The man shakely got up and hobbled over to a bookshelf. He pushed a book in and stepped back. The bookshelf opened to show a stone tunnel. Ms. J pushed Bridger's assistant first into the tunnel.

"Lead us." She ordered. The man stumbled forward and led the group through a maze of passageways.

Finally, the man stopped in front of the metal door. He clicked at a keypad and the door swung open.

"Wow..." Iris said as she followed the others into the room. Bulletin boards filled with pictures filled the wall space that wasn't taken up by electronics and science stuff. Different color liquid bubbled up from glass vials and dead animals floated in jars. Bridger's assistant was ordered by Ms. J to lead them to the armory. He walked over to the solitary bookshelf and pulled a book down. The bookshelf swung forward to show a door with another key pad. The man hit the correct numbers and opened the door. He was pushed into the room by Cilia. The gigantic room was lined with all types of weapons. Guns, knives, swords, grenades, tasers, and much, much more.

"Please tell me you two know how to use a gun." Cilia said to Iris and Addison. Addison nodded.

"I can use a gun." He said.

"I kind of can." Iris said.

"That's good enough." Cilia said. "Go get a gun."

"" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" ""

"There's Ionic." Cilia said, breathless. Cilia, Addison, and Iris had just been running as fast as they could towards Ionic. Ms. J had stayed back to make sure Bridger wasn't alerted about their presence. "You two ready?" The two teenagers nodded. "Come on." Cilia beckoned them towards Ionic. "We need to sneak in this time. Let's take the vents." She found a vent and opened it. Addison went in first then Iris. Cilia followed and closed the vent behind them. Addison led the way to what Cilia instructed to be the way all the way up to the one hundred and first floor. What's with Bridger and his offices being on the highest floor? Iris thought.

"Stop!" Cilia hissed. Addison stopped in front of a vent. There were voices coming up into the dark shaft.

"I heard that Bridger's assistant set off the emergency alarm by accident." One voice, clearly male, said.

"By accident?" A second male voice.

"Yeah, you heard me." The first voice said. "By accident."

"Didn't Bridger train his assistant's really hard to try and avoid touching the button?" A third male voice said.

"He did." The second voice said. "I heard 'im talking about it." Iris' hand slipped and her elbow hit the metal bottom of the vent shaft.

"Wa was zat?" The first voice asked.

"I don't know." The third voice said.

"It sounded like it was coming from the vents." The second voice said.

"Strange..." The first voice said.

"Move! Quickly!" Cilia hissed. Addison crawled forward over the vent.

"I saw something!" The first voice exclaimed. Iris quickly followed Addison and she was followed by Cilia.

"Go, go!" Cilia whispered.

"Something's in the vents!" The second voice said. The vent stopped. Addison looked back at Cilia.

"Open the one in the ceiling." Cilia said. "Better up than down." Addison opened the vent opening and thankfully no one was walking in the hallway. Addison led the way up into the hallway. Cilia led them towards the elevator but not before she closed the vent.