Phantom X

As the wind grew stronger, the trees danced to the beat of the wind, splashing rain onto cars and other exposed spots where roofs could be seen being removed.

Cars sped through the wet road, splashing water on billboards and pedestrians rushing through it. With the splash, more raindrops kissed the ground, generating an endless stream of splashes.

The rainfall filled the empty gutters with water, causing debris to float on top, and the portholes to fill as well.

A youngster stumbles across the slick floor, whimpering and clutching his damaged ankle with his hand.

A man strolling by with a black umbrella gave him a quick glance, offering him a helping hand before continuing on his way.

*******

Arnold is seen lying aimlessly on his white bed. The loud alarm clock that sounded across the room jolted him awake.

He quickly pressed the snooze button, closed his eyes for a few moments, and inhaled deeply.

The table near his bed vibrated, "Beep."

"God damn it," he murmured sluggishly as he moved his hands to the table and then turned his head from the left side of the bed to the right to look at the contact on his phone's screen.

“Oh my God! I'm running late for work! " He screamed and leaped from his bed like a man who had been shot in the head by a sniper. He dashed into the room without hesitation.

He was ready in thirty minutes. He wore a green T-shirt with a white 'X' on the front and blue khaki shorts as he made his way downstairs.

Arnold entered the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, got a can of milk from the shelf, and brought it up to his nose.

His eyes quickly expanded in surprise. He shouted, "Yuck!" "This milk is spoilt," before rushing to the kitchen and pouring the contents into the sink.

"Why is the electricity not up yet?" After emptying the milk cans into a dustbin next to the sink, Arnold wondered to himself.

He placed the pot on the stove and turned it on, allowing the contents of the pot to simmer.

He gets a plate and places some of the leftover rice on it for himself. He then strolled over to the dinner table, sat down, and gobbled down some rice with his enormous, open lips.

Arnold gave a glance at his wristwatch. He quickly dropped the spoon onto the plate and wiped his mouth with a tissue. He jumped to his feet and dashed to the refrigerator to retrieve a bottle of water.

"Hey X 23!" While drinking some water, Arnold remarked this. He put the water bottle back in the fridge after closing it.

"Indeed, Mr. A!" Arnold's watch responded with a synthetic voice.

"Take me to headquarters," he stated more authoritatively.

"You have to deal with that!" A voice responded.

With a perplexed expression, Arnold questioned, "Take care of what?"

"The food you left on the table," responded the artificial female voice.

"How long have you been telling me to clean up?" Arnold inquired.

"Since you joined Tech Corp," she responded softly, and Arnold's watch displayed a smiling emoji.

"Perfect!" He quietly exclaimed. He went on to say, "I would clear the table." Arnold walked over to the dining table, grabbed the dish, and tossed it into the kitchen sink.

"I guess we are good to go," he said with a wink.

"No!" The robotic female voice declined instantly.

"Oh my God!" Arnold screeched in irritation. "What’s wrong now?" he scoffed.

"You have to wash the plate and pick up the particles of rice on the rug," x23, the female robot replied.

"What sort of rubbish is this?" Arnold yelled.

“It’s not rubbish, master, A." The voice said nonchalantly. "I’m designed to follow protocols. I can only follow your rules after you learn personal hygiene. "

Arnold took a deep breath and proceeded to the kitchen. He was well aware that the bizarre artificial voice would not change its mind. It took him less than ten minutes to wash the plate, place it in the dish basket, and sweep up the rice particles on the floor.

"Please, may we go now?" he said to the watch after he was finished. with a more plaintive tone.

"Yes, mister," answered the cheery voice.

With a grin, Arnold added, "Analyze protocol 201."

"Permission granted!" retorted the female robotic voice.

Arnold vanished into thin air after transforming into blue dust.

The location is unknown. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Agents in tech uniforms were seen in a massive underground headquarters. They're dressed in white and blue metallic armor with a large gauntlet that extends from their elbow to their hand.

Earplugs with a long metallic antenna protruding from them and a little straight micro-hearing aid affixed to their ear were visible through transparent glasses.

Arnold in his tech gear was revealed by blue rays of light. He, too, was dressed in blue.

He landed on a massive metallic circular board that was fastened to the ground and marked with an X. Another metallic board, although with different labels, is right next to the X mark.

The surroundings astounded Arnold. Different rows of technological equipment could be spotted. not to mention cars, planes, and other interesting stuff. Every quarter included holographic portions. Before returning to their different tasks, the tech agents exchanged a few glances with Arnold.

Arnold tapped his watch and yelled, "Hello X23!" not knowing where he was headed.

The female robotic voice replied, "Yes, sir."

"What are our plans now?" Arnold inquired.

"You're traveling to quarters 609 using the map and appointment shown on your settings."

"Where is quarters 609?" he inquired once more.

"Take the left lobby, and an elevator should be up ahead," X23 instructed Arnold.

It takes less than a minute to go to the lobby after following X23's directions. The foyer was unusually quiet, and no Tech Corp operatives were visible. He moved carefully to the elevator, taking a big breath.

When the elevator door opened automatically, Arnold was engaged in inspecting the lobby's interior decoration. As a white girl emerged from the elevator, he shouted in terror and jumped back.

She was standing inside the elevator, staring at Arnold as if a ghost had appeared to her.

The female finally breaks the silence after a moment of stillness and looks at the competition. "Your presence scared the hell out of me," she said.

"I apologize; I didn't expect anyone to be in here," Arnold said, walking into the elevator. shutting it instantly.

"Yeah, me too," the girl answered, her dimples and white teeth showing through her sneaky smile. "So, my name is Cupcake Valentines," she said, her soft and lovely smile lingering on her face.

"Cupcake!" Arnold was taken aback and almost burst out laughing. "My name is Arnold Jay," he says.

"Nice. I'm from Connecticut," she said, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"That's nice. I’m from Nigeria," Arnold simply stated, followed by a long period of silence in the elevator. It was broken, however, when Arnold looked at the wall and discovered that there was no elevator button.

"With no wall button, how are we going to quarter 609?" Arnold inquired, his attention now fixed on his wristwatch. However, she didn't reply,

"X23, where are the buttons?" Arnold asked again. Yet, he got no reply. He held his wrist up to the length of his forehead. "X23! X23!, X23!" he called out, but he was met with silence.

Arnold was about to yell again when Cupcake's voice stopped him. "Stop bothering yourself." I have already asked my tech watch but it didn't reply either. " She sighed deeply and rubbed her hair.

"Why did you think you saw me here, standing without any destination?" she muttered.

"So, this is also your first day on the job, huh?" Arnold muttered with a scoff.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm sure this is also your first day, isn't it?" She continued while fixing her gaze on the floor.

"Yes, Perhaps the elevator is computerized. " He proposed

She shrugged as she took a peek around the elevator. It was starting to feel strange.

"Comrades, please hold on tight; the pilgrimage will start soon." A weird voice penetrated their ears through the intercom on the wall.

Arnold boasted, "I told you it was automatic."

The elevator immediately descended at a breakneck speed. Arnold and Cupcake clutched each other firmly while cursing at one another. A dribble could be seen running down Arnold's chin, indicating anxiety and trepidation. They both shouted nonstop, praying the plummeting would come to an end soon.

The elevator finally came to a halt after what seemed like an eternity. As they let go of each other's hands, both entities breathed a sigh of relief.

They both apologized at the same time.

"This elevator requires some adjustments," Arnold grumbled angrily. The temptation to vomit was strong as he felt his stomach rumble.

"Please don't do it here," Cupcake begged as she saw this. It was, however, too late. Cupcake turned away as Arnold puked. "Yuck!" she exclaimed, disgusted.

The elevator door automatically opened, displaying a '609' door. Arnold, still silent and startled by the elevator's speed, stepped out hurriedly, followed by Cupcake.

They exchanged shocked looks at the door. There was a lot of recognition.

Arnold and Cupcake were shocked to find so many tech agents seated on floating chairs as they ventured farther into quarter 609.

A man dressed in a full general tech corp uniform, which included a purple metallic suit, approached them.

He stood in front of a holographic projection and addressed Cupcake and Arnold directly. He began by accusing them of being late. "Anyway, sit down." In a deep voice, the general said With a wave of his hand, two hovering chairs grabbed Cupcake and Arnold off their feet and sat them comfortably.

"Many thanks!" At the same moment, they chorused

The man started "Well, my name is General Stone. As you can see, this is quarter 609 of the Tech Corp organization, which was created in 2006. We were made to put an end to evil. Especially anything involving supernatural beings. "

General Stone paused, then looked them in the eyes to make sure they were paying attention. "Well, quarter 609 was put together to rid the world of wicked spirits and ghosts." He kept going.” We will ask each of you to join our forces and swear an oath of allegiance to us. We hope that you will fight alongside us until your last breath. You weren't dragged here; you chose to come, and turning back is not an option. "

General Stone hesitated to observe the faces around him. With his expression, it was clear that he expected someone to ask different queries. They did not, however, respond.

"We know all of you here must have gone through a lot because of the supernatural," General Stone said when they didn't react. His harsh features are softening. “I, too, am a victim. That indicates I understand how you feel. "

He came to a complete stop, and the soft smile on his face had hardened. “With that wrath comes a series of challenges that put your faith against real ghosts and spirits. You will be put on a quest with each of your five teammates. "

The general took another breath to analyze their features. It was, however, void. "The team that survives the exam will join quarter 609," he stated, taking a deep breath.

He came to a halt as the two let out a loud, irritated sigh, and he knew why. "Before you ask, the answer is yes. You will be provided guns and equipment. The same test has been administered to all real 609 agents previously.

The two followed General Stone's lead and stood up. “Your weapon can be found inside the tech watch you were given. You're probably wondering why your tech watches were turned off. It was for a specific reason.Your timepieces are being updated. Your tasks will be provided to you after it has been upgraded. " he concluded

Several minutes later,

Arnold moved through the foyer, staring at different quarter doors with everything labeled in Tech Corp. In Tech Corp, about 800 sections are reviewed. Arnold moves quickly. attempting to locate the restroom.

He collides with a red-haired boy who is wandering in the opposite direction as Arnold.

He was so preoccupied with all the magnificent sights that he forgot he was walking.

"Sissy, keep an eye on where you're going!" the redhead scorned.

"I'm sorry..." First, Arnold apologizes. "Wait a sec, who are you calling sissy?" Arnold inquired, irritated.

"Well, the next time you go for a walk, remember to concentrate on one direction!" The boy teased as he walked away.

"Jerk"

Arnold walks into the demon section by mistake, thinking it was the bathroom. For some reason, this didn't require face recognition.

Both males One was in his late 60s and the other was much younger than Arnold sat quietly.

Several holographic monitor screens were projected on the wall, each displaying a different image. The older man wore a black metallic suit and sat with his whole attention on the television, while the younger boy wore an orange metallic suit.

He moved quickly behind the keyboard with his fingers, like a pro. Both were focused and unaware of Arnold's presence.

"Sir, in Ocean Bay, we just picked up an unknown alert signal of a demon aura!" The middle-aged man seated in a floating chair was informed by the young boy dressed in an orange metallic tech corp suit. (Well, the floating chair is enabled when electrical magnetic fields are considered.)

"Where in Ocean Bay?" The man muttered softly as he snatched a cup of soda from the table.

"Pearl-like eyes!" he murmured, his gaze fixed on the screen.

"Don't be concerned. Simply dispatch a strike force to investigate the crime scene," he remarked, sipping from his soda cup."Wow, great soda!" He was complimentary.

"All right, sir," responded the young kid speaking over the intercom.

"Now get down to business on that project!" The man insisted,

"Yes, sir!"

Arnold experienced a severe headache.

He exclaimed, "Ah!"

"Who do we have here?" Sargent Dan quickly turned, detecting Arnold's presence through the small exclamation.

"How did you end up here, boy?" "The Sargent inquired."

"He's a recruit, sir." Jason, the younger agent, was the one who responded.

"I see, what quarter are you, boy?" Sargent Dan inquired now, his gaze fixed on Arnold.

"... section 609," Arnold answered.

"So you're part of the Stone gang?" Sargent Dan smirked

"What exactly are you doing in Sector 5?" Sargent added

"Sorry, sir, I was looking for the restroom."

"It's directly across from sector 1," Jason replied, his gaze fixed on the massive monitor in front of him.

"OK, thanks," Arnold said as he turned around and walked out the door, which closed automatically.

Several minutes later,

water was streaming from Arnold's body as he exited the bathroom.

"Upgrade is finished!" X23 responded right away.

"What?" Arnold spoke up and turned his gaze to X23.

"Hello, Mr. A! "

"Oh, X23, you've returned."

The robotic female voice answered, "Yes, mister." "The dashboard for your team has been published." She informed him.

"Who are my teammates, then?" Arnold inquired, his mind racing.

"The position, coordinates, and objective have all been updated and accumulated on the dashboard."

"Can you please speak in human language, X23?" Arnold exclaimed angrily.

"We require teleportation instead," X23 responded.

"Why is it required?" Arnold inquired, irritably.

"Give the order, and your team mission will begin."

“How will I be able to begin my team task without a team? That's completely ridiculous. You appear to need repair." While hitting the watch, Arnold said

"Sissy, it's not broken." While leaning against the wall near the restroom door, the red-haired boy said

"Please don't refer to me as a sissy. Why are you following me around, anyway? " Arnold struck back.

"Well, I came here first, so close your pipe hole." The youngster exploded. "Your Tech X wants you to issue teleportation commands."

“But why? Furthermore, I never asked for your assistance! " Arnold continued.

“Well, don't you want your teammates? Teleport ." With his hand on his waist, the red-headed guy remarked, his eyes fixed on Arnold's face.

"Why exactly are you telling me this?" Arnold inquired, his tone skeptical.

The boy just replied, "Just assisting."

"Are you also a recruit, like me?" Arnold scoffed.

"Sissy, not everyone here is a recruit." He went away after retorting.

Arnold was suspicious of the boy's demeanor. He cocked his head and looked around.

He looked at his watch after raising an eyebrow. "Let's see if a guy with red hair is correct." Arnold peered into his watch with one eye closed.

He said, "X23 Analyze Protocol 201."

"Analyzing," said the robotic voice.

Arnold was instantly swallowed by a blue ray of light.

Unknown location

Arnold emerged from an unknown location right away. He took a peek around and was shocked to see that he recognized the location. He had arrived in Paris. Arnold was dumbfounded as he stared at the stunning scenery in front of him.

Traveling around the world is the finest part of working for a tech company. It was fantastic. He pondered.

One by one, rays of light appeared, exposing Arnold's team members.

Arnold's watch vibrated, signaling the arrival of a new message. Arnold examined it and noticed

X23 Jenny Davis, X24 Golden Corral, X25 Lake Sylvester, X26. X27, Clinton Adukpo's

mission: Find the nun's spirit and capture her. Nun ghosts are quite harmful. Please exercise caution. They can inhabit humans and induce hallucinations. In just thirty seconds, they can kill more than twenty people. They are, however, helpless without a host.

Location: Paris, France

The Dark Nun can be found in the John Embers Museum in Paris.

After viewing the notes on his X23, Arnold stated, "Now this gives me the goosebumps."

Finally, he focused his attention on a burning structure.