The Undoing of Sidekicks | ✓

twenty six

twenty six

I STEPPED around the corner, then froze immediately, eyes plastered on the source of the vacuuming noise. I had imagined a cleaner — a bleary-eyed, tired person who begrudgingly swept the floors, most likely with earphones plugged in and eyes half-closed, slouching by one of those industrial floor cleaners.

It was not one of those people. It actually wasn't something I'd place in the group known as 'people' at all — because it was small, square, propped on wheels and made of metal. Decidedly not human, and a very much metallic being.

An exhale rushed out of my, relief breathing new energy into my tired body. My heart had drummed a steady rhythm, but it was soothed by the realization that both Josh and I had almost run headfirst into an automatic robot-cleaner.

Taking a step back, I lifted a finger and beckoned Josh forward. I smiled lightly as he stepped forward cautiously, but as he noted the relaxed slouch of my posture he hurried around, and abruptly froze in the same manner as I had.

The realization that we were both idiots was a sad, truthful one.

"I think we're good to go," I whispered, the words barely audible. A shadow shifted across Josh's face as he slowly shook his head, disbelief crossing his expression. Then a small smile lifted the edges of his lips, and he slid a sly glance my way.

"Yeah, no, shit." was what Josh finally replied, "Let's keep going."

And so we did. We passed another robot cleaner, though neither of us froze in deer-like fashion as we had done before, but merely crept by it on silent feet. It hummed pleasantly as it kept buzzing across the flooring, brushing it with automated sweeps until both Josh and I could spot our reflections in the floor.

Efficient little buggers. I wish I had that tenacity.

Shoving my thoughts aside, I continued through another hallway, rushing beside Josh as we ascended another round of stairs. It felt as if the space between the recycling building and Dr. Hyde's lab stretched on forever, but in reality it was most likely because Josh and I were being extra careful whenever we moved throughout a hallway lacking adequate hiding spaces. If we were caught, that was that. No matter if it was just some night janitor doing his or hers job — we wouldn't be able to study the samples, nor catch Mistress.

Not before it's too late.

With that in mind, I kept my focus laser-sharp. As we rounded the final bend of the hallway, approaching the double doors to Dr.Hyde's lab, I felt my breathing grow even more shallow. Suspense knotted itself into a ball in my chest, a brief flicker of pain turning my eyesight dull as I realized we'd made it.

We made it. Step one out of a million, complete!

Josh reached for the doors to the lab, unsurprised to find them locked as he wrangled the doorknobs. Seconds later, the keypad beneath the door beeped as he tapped in the code we'd been given by Dr. Hyde.

"Is this code just for us?" Josh had asked, way back when when Hyde first gave us the code.

"Yeah. We never switch it out, which is probably our bad. Still - " Cassandra Hyde had laughed, throwing her head back, " - it's no big deal if you have it. You're not a couple of crooks, as far as I know."

Oh, Dr.Hyde. If only you could see us now.

Josh opened the doors to the lab, and then both of us slipped inside like a duo of shadows. It was eerily quiet, save for the hum of a few machines, the whirr of an AC. As Hyde's lab boasted enormous ocean views, the wide expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows meant an endless array of views — which really didn't benefit us as we were trying to be sneaky.