Red Mercury

Fire alarm, dress racks and Velcro straps

Noah's point of view

Alex is standing on a table, flapping a polka dotted towel at the fire alarm. I have told Miles so many times that he is not allowed to cook, so many times, today even, due to the mango fiasco. Why doesn't he ever listen?

Monroe pulls the alarm off the roof, obviously annoyed by Alex's flapping, "Where is he? I'm going to kill him!" Monroe shouts as he pushes the chairs and table out of his way and stomps over to Miles bed. He pulls the covers and pillows away, throwing them on the floor. When he doesn't find Miles in bed he goes on to check Miles' wardrobe doors open. Monroe opened the door so forcefully that I broke off its hinges.

Alex and I run to contain him, we manage to push him back over to the kitchen table, when Miles walks into the room. Immediately I am thrown to the ground. In a matter of seconds, Monroe has Miles pushed up against the wall with an arm to his throat. Miles tries to break free but stops struggling when he gets a knee to the groin.

Miles tried to shout but couldn't as Monroe pushed down harder on his windpipe . "Monroe!" Me and Alex shouted in unison.

"Let him go!" I shouted over Alex's bribes, which he used to try get Monroe to stop, "I'll give you twenty dollars if you don't kill him." And "I'll do the dishes for a week." but Monroe didn't listen.

Crash, the sound of metal hitting flesh echoed throughout the apartment, silencing us all. I look to the ground to see Monroe rubbing his head in pain and Miles holding his throat while gasping for air.

When I look to my right I see a pleased Liv throwing a saucepan between her hands. She breaks the silence, "What the hell is going on?" Monroe is not going to be happy with her now.

"Miles was cooking." Alex answered flatly. He glared at Miles who shot a toothy grin in his direction. Does he have a death wish?

Monroe stood up, fists clenched and moved towards Liv. She didn't cower in fear but stood straighter ready for the fight. She is quite beautiful, she could be a model if she wasn't an agent. Sub consciously, I put my arm out to stop Monroe, which he slapped away, fiercely. As he lifted his fist up to punch, there was a knock at the door.

We all turned our attention to the door. Liv glanced down at her watch. "The stylists. Huh! Right on time." She said with a in a happy tone.

Alex walked over to the door, opening it for them to come in. A tall women, around the same height as Liv, with shoulder length blond hair entered first. She pulled behind her a clothing rack, with dresses and suits hanging from it. The next to enter was a shorter women with long red curls, she also wheeled a case behind her, I couldn't tell what was in it but I guessed from her own make up that she could be the make up artist.

Finally, a rather skinny man wearing a blue stripped suit entered, carrying a hair drier and pulling a suitcase behind him. I guessed that was where the rest of him equipment was. The man went over to Monroe, "oh, Hello handsome." He turned to Liv pulling some of her hair between his fingers, "oh honey, you need to get something done about these split ends." Liv's mouth dropped open, she was about to argue, when the red headed women pulled her to the closest table and began pulling mountains of make up from her case.

"Right," the blond women pointed to Miles,"you first. Time to get measured, take off everything, apart from your underwear." Most people would argue against it, but sadly Miles is not one of those people. Monroe was standing by the door, while the hairdresser, ruffled his fingers through his hair and then pulled him towards the table that Liv was sitting at.

"So, do you all work for the agency?" I asked, standing awkwardly in the kitchen. I filled the kettle with water.

"Yes we all work for the agency. I'm Jeremy, the hairdresser, the make up artist over there," he pointed to the red headed women," is Karen and wardrobe is Charlotte."

They waved towards me. "I'm Noah," I pointed to the rest of my team introducing them as I did so, "who wants coffee?" Almost everyone raise their hand except for Miles who was told to keep his hands by his side.

"Me!" He shouted as an alternative.

********************************

"Agh!" Yelped Miles.

"What, did I hurt you?" Charlotte asked concerned.

"No, no your hands are cold." She looked at him angrily, she had fitted him with a light grey suit, black shoes and a purple tie. Surprisingly he looked good, I've never seen Miles in a suit before, to be honest I thought he would look a bit weird in one but he's surprised me.

Next it was Alex's turn, he was fitted with a black suit, which had silver cuff links on the sleeves and black shoes, plus the bow tie. The hairdresser, Jeremy, had sweeped his dirty blond hair, to the right side of his head, it was neat and tidy, kind of preppy really.

Then it was Monroe, his alias Cyrus Marteli, is an Afilla security guard. He is dressed in a black suit same as Alex except his hair isn't slicked back neat and tidy but looks as it usually does, a bit messy but not too messy. The top button of his shirt was undone and he didn't wear a tie. He still had his silver studded ring. He fitted the part well.

Now Liv is in the bathroom with Charlotte and Jeremy, getting changed and her hair done at the same time while I am changing into my suit. It's navy from top to bottom, with a red tie at my neck. My hair is brushed back in a quiff and has been cut shorter than it was before.

Alex is pacing back and forth in the kitchen, stressing himself and reading over his alias, "dude," I say walking over to him," your going to do fine. All you have to remember is that you're Daniel Hayes, you're 19, from Queens and are part of the Afilla's acting society." I smile at him, hitting him on the shoulder, "only the important information." I remind him

"Why do you know more about me than I do?" Alex shakes his head, "Never mind, I just want to get it over and done with, what's taking her so lo-" he got cut off when Liv walked out of the bathroom. She looked beautiful, wearing a long, floor length navy dress, with silver heels, her eye makeup made her green and gold eyes pop.

I was snapped back to reality by Alex, "Wow. She looks beautiful." I don't know why but I felt embarrassed when he said it. Why would I be embarrassed it's not me he is calling beautiful. But she does look beautiful. "Yes, she is."

The look on her face broke Alex and I out of our day dream, she was sad, almost angry. She noticed us staring and folded her arms across her chest, embarrassed by our staring. "Sorry." I say looking to the floor, "are you OK?"

She walks over to the table picking up her dagger and gun. "Where am I mean't to put these? I can't put them in this stupid bag, it's too small for, well anything really." she said tossing it on the table.

"We have these velcro straps, you could wrap them around the gun and strap it to your leg. So that they are hidden under the dress." I offered.

She smiled. "Good idea, where are they?" She questioned, pulling the chair out from the table.

"Oh, over here, I think." I rummaged through a cupboard in the kitchen, finding them in the back corner of the bottom cupboard, "found it!" I shout, walking over and setting them on the table.

Liv went to sit down, "No, No, No, don't sit down you will wrinkle the dress." Charlotte pulled her up again.

"How am I meant to put these on if I can't sit down." Liv argued.

"I don't know but don't sit down unless in the limo because the seats are softer in there, it won't wrinkle the dress as much." Charlotte explained, pulling the rack of clothes to the door. The stylists left, leaving only the team in the apartment, except for Monroe who went to put extra weapons in the limo.

"Fine. Noah," She turned to me, "can you help me? I'll hold the weapon in place and you wrap the straps around my leg."

I looked to Miles who was making love hearts out of his hands and blowing me kisses from across the room. I rolled my eyes at him, picking the straps off the table.

"Yeah, OK." I answered moving around the table towards Liv.

"Noah," Alex said moving towards the door, "Miles and I will go down to the car. Be quick, you know how Monroe gets when we're late."

I nod in understanding and watch the door close slowly behind them.