Alternative Care

Chapter 1

The final year of Mali-U classes for Sam, Alex, and Clover was in full swing.  At the incredibly beautiful Malibu university was an equally stunning penthouse dorm which they shared together for yet another year.  It was built especially for them, in fact, by an organization shrouded in mystery which had been such a vital part of their lives.

Sam, a young woman with long red hair, wore a long sleeved black turtleneck with blue jeans. She was seated at the tidy desk in her room, focused on notes for an upcoming presentation for business management. The student took a long swig of her chai latte, then stood for a quick stretch. Satisfied with her memorization, she decided to switch over to her advanced biochemistry reading, and enjoyed the mellow mood of the instrumental music that played from her computer's speakers.

In her own room, Alex, a Latina student with black hair in a pixie cut, was on a video call with Martin Mystery. She'd finished her assignments and studies before their agreed time for the call. Today she wore a red-black sweatshirt with grey slacks. After she typed and used the mouse a bit, she looked hopefully to her computer monitor at a handsome young man with wildly tall spiky blonde hair.

"So, when can you come visit?" she asked the ace paranormal investigator of the Center.

The athletic student leaned back a bit in his comfortable desk chair.  Behind him was his dorm room: a small bed with a heavy green blanket, a large window off to the side, and a few shelves of books and collectible sci fi and fantasy memorabilia.  He looked off in thought, closed his eyes for a moment, and smiled back at the screen. "How 'bout Saturday night?" he asked excitedly.

"Perfect," she replied, "let's do it!" She was thankful he could use the amazing technology of the Center in Sherbrooke, Canada to travel across the continent to Malibu instantly.

In the living room entryway, the front door unlocked, and Clover entered. She hummed as she walked to the kitchen and put her backpack on the seat of a chair. A young lady with short blonde hair with a unique center forelock, she wore an open pink business coat, a white shirt, as well as a matching skirt.

She poured some filtered water, sat on the living room couch, then took off her shoes, retrieved  her phone from her bag, looked over the screen, and typed for a bit.

A nearby electronic sound caused her to finish, put the phone down, and dig a metallic lavender compact out of her backpack. This device, known as an X-Powder, was actually a high-tech gadget from the World Organization of Human Protection (WOOHP). She opened it, then a holographic image of the upper body of a balding distinguished older man in a suit appeared.

"Ah, you've returned," he greeted Clover with a distinct British accent. "Incoming WOOHP-ing, if you could gather in the usual spot."

"Hey Jer. Sure thing," she said, not surprised that he knew she'd returned. The spy agency's surveillance was unmatched, as Jerry had demonstrated over the years by tracking his top three spies and bringing them to his office in downtown L.A. instantly.  It seemed they were being summoned for yet another mission to the secretive international espionage agency.

Sam and Alex had received the same call on their own X-Powders and joined Clover in the living room. After everyone had their shoes back on, they stood on the small blue and white rug expectantly.

Until fairly recently, the girls had been together more frequently, and were brought in from the most outlandish locations around town in the most bizarre ways imaginable.

This time, the portion of the rug under their feet merely split open, after which they plummeted down into a large, blue-hued tunnel.

"Aaah-!" all three yelled as the adrenaline of the sudden drop kicked in.

They slid down an impossibly long tunnel, and in moments, were transported from the dorm to a familiar destination.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading.  Please vote and comment if you enjoyed this!