EyeWatch: Dollar Snap

“Ling." I turned around and looked behind myself. Spotting two old friends who had decided to join us, I smiled warmly and replied to them. “Kyro, Zander. How are you two? What are you guys doing here first of all." “Helping you out," Zander grunted, his arms crossed as he nodded with interest towards our case. “Heard you guys need helping out finding the whereabouts of the foxes…" The dragon added, I nodded in response but said nothing afterward before turning my eyes away from them. I looked upon our surroundings instead and stared at the other officers and where they all were. Zander, Kyro was with me as always since Natty and my mate had made their disappearance from the Order realm already which left me in charge of both units. I was not nervous upon hearing this order. Rather interested and excited because of several things. A larger combined unit for me to order around and meeting up with old friends.

Regardless, my unit has a mission and we intended to complete it one way or another. I turned to the building before us. Tall as it was, reaching the night skies above where the moon shines its rays and the stars twinkled in the night. The air was cool and crisp. A perfect night to sleep in with windows opened. I turned to Kyro and Zander, motioning them as they nodded. I lead them to my old unit who was split into two as of now. One pair was Doax and Quichie. The other was Lizrow and Lutica. Both of them had a conversation about the building and the R7, instead of the usual private conversation between them. As I approached them, their conversations died down and their heads turned to me. Eyes of interest while I stared at them in turn. “Alright," Doax replied, his voice calm as our eyes met. “What is the plan? How are you going to infiltrate the building before us, Ling?" “It will not be easy, however," I replied staring onto him, my tone of voice matching with him. “There are lots of traps and distractions about, according to the intel we got just from a couple of officers we threw into here." “They never gotten back have they?" Lutica asked, tilting her head to one side. I shook my head. “No."

“Regardless…" I trailed, interrupting their train of thoughts. “We are to head in and find the whereabouts of the R7, our target as of now. Intel had said that they were last seen underground. Upon the basement, to be exact. However the door there is locked and can only be opened with four clues lying about upon the mansion. Do not get distracted." I growled at the last sentence, “Do not even think about taking that money too." I warned, and they nodded afterward. Having said nothing more, I stepped back and exhaled. My eyes lowered and pointed to the grounds while I fell silent for a short moment before replying and shattering the silence for the second time, “Anyway. Everyone in my unit, including Kyro and Zander. You are allowed to pick any starting spot within the building and make a sweep. Find what you can and radio back to me or anyone else. Whatever the foxes were planning underground has to be stopped and paid for the damages done to our mansion." At the word mansion, I noticed how tensed and dark their faces were, I felt my heart beating in my chest while I watched them. Later shaking my head and continued the order, “If that is all clear to you. Go ahead and pick a room to start in, then head on inside.

In the next thirty seconds, everyone had already picked a room and headed inside. I was left alone with Kyro and Zander, both of which were grinning with their arms crossing their chest and their eyes looking at one another. Expecting them to comment on my leadership skills, I silenced them afterward and walked to the opened door of the building. Entering inside. Two hallways were in front of me. One to the left, the other straight ahead. A fish tank was adjacent to me, but no fish or anything was inside. Even the plug was taken out for some reason alone. I heard footsteps behind me and I knew that was the two. They were trying to reach me. I allowed them to do so since I cannot go about on my own and once they did, I was on the move. I decided to head straight going into the living room. It was not big compared to the room I had back at the mansion, but according to everyone's initial reports, it was bigger than their rooms combined. Perhaps this does mean that the rooms chosen were beds or bathrooms right? I wondered that sometimes as I entered the living room. Inside was a sofa and a television. Both were across from one another and at a small distance. Between them was a bookshelf that was filled with books. However, there was one sticking out from it. Curious, I walked to the bookshelf and grabbed onto the book that was sticking out. Pulled it out and the entire room plunged into darkness. Kyro and Zander flinched and closed their eyes. Wings spread out while their eyes shrank, they turned to me in silence. I turned around to them but said nothing in response except.

“What just happened?"

My walkie came to life as a voice spoke out from it. It was Doax with some background noises which I perceived to be Lutica and Quichie. “You turned on the security system, Ling. Guess this is what the intelligence was talking about after all." “The intelligence?"I questioned, interested in the name but worried about what it would do to us. “Yeah, whoever had inhabited the building had installed these due to it being robbed of all belongings and money. It was to keep whoever was stealing them out." “So what was active then?" I pestered, wanting him to get onto the point. A sign was my response but I felt a smile upon Doax as he answered me, “The computers of the security team. They are on apparently and they will attack whoever was here. Killing or capturing them, regardless of the method, their end goal is the same." “I see. So computers huh? Best be on your guard then." I informed him, Doax replied, “Affirmative." and silence the conversation after that.

Lowering my walkie, I fell to silence. My eyes stared at the carpet below my feet and I felt something on my shoulder. Turning around, I spotted Kyro and Zander. Their claws pointing onto something in the distance. I blinked and stared upon wherever they were pointing to. It sparkled in my eye, drawing me in. Something in the back of my mind was tempting me, but my body refused it as my mind knew what was there. Saying nothing in response, I motioned Kyro and Zander towards the next room. The kitchen. But before I could go around explaining what was here, my walkie came again to life. Lutica was screaming and talking fast, “I got it. I got it!" “You got what?" Responded Doax as I heard running across the floor upstairs. “The password of the computer." “Was it not on the yellow slip that Lutica gave to you?" Silence came after that and I found myself staring down onto Kyro who was straining a laugh yet his smile and his lightened face tell me otherwise. I scowled at him but said nothing else in response as a door slammed upstairs and more voices came up once again.

“Ling." The voice from the walkie came up again, addressing me. “Yes?" I responded without hesitation, “I need you to go to the generators in the garage. There are four lights there." “Do you know where the code is?" I questioned the silence of hesitation before a confirmation. I said nothing but turned to Kyro and Zander, both of which seemed ready as we turned around. Backtracking to the living room towards another door that somehow we had missed before exiting outside. Indeed, here was the garage. There was nothing else here besides four other lights. “I am here." I acknowledged, “Alright. Will be telling you now." Responded the voice as I waited in silence for the code. The code was in six capital letters. I was surprised to hear six. They were in order from left to right; R B O B R Y. I turned my attention towards the four lights, Red, Blue Orange, and Yellow. “Alright," I responded again after a pause in silence and waved my free claw around as Kyro and Zander took it and ran towards the respective lights. Luckily, I never had to explain to them what was the order. They memorized and copied it in a snap. I was impressed with them that I found myself unknowingly smiling just as they arrive back towards me. With that done, I turned around and grabbed onto the doorknob. Opening it back, the three of us exited from the garage and entered the living room.

“Once everyone is done with their tasks. I need you all to reappear upon the basement door." I remarked and heard a volley of fast footsteps that entered my ears. I blinked in response yet was surprised by it however as I walked across the living room and back onto the kitchen. Towards my right was a pair of doors, one leads to the basement. The other was unknown. Lutica and Doax seemed to have opened that door anyway as they peered inside in question, wondering what was inside. I stepped to them and their eyes to me. A wave of mixed feelings reappeared before me as I watched their faces but stayed silent nonetheless. With a claw pointing to the basement door, I allowed Quichie to grabbed onto it and pulled it from the frame was when it revealed what was inside. For with everyone shaking and me and Kyro staring intensely down the corridor, we all walked together as one and entered with the door slammed behind us.

The corridor was narrowed and small. Short even as the basement floor appeared before our eyes. The walls were smooth and painted pale maybe orange as we all started down the steps, towards the ground floor below us. Once stepping forth towards the grounds, we rose our heads high to the horizon and glanced at our surroundings. It was not what we had expected at all. A single empty room. At the center stood one final puzzle for us and it seemed to be familiar to me, Kyro and Zander only. As the three of us approached slowly, we felt a wave of memories washed over us and our hearts pounding together as one, closing in onto the puzzle. However, we did not expect a grid of nine squares that perhaps make up the first and second floors of the building itself. As we stared, we looked up from the grid and towards each other. Unaware and uncertain of what we were supposed to be doing. Luckily, someone stepped forward and tapped onto my shoulder. For I turned around in response and spotted Lizrow, she smiled faintly at me before tapping onto my side and handing me a note before settling back to her position. I responded with a nod and a smile of my own before I turned around and set the note at the center of the grid. That activated it.

Kyro and Zander were surprised to see the grid come to life. Four aqua lasers popped in out of nowhere and ran across the dug lines already made towards its end and thus created a grid. The note at the center of the grid suddenly flew towards my claw. It slapped onto the surface of it. It was a loud sound as I turned to it suddenly and blinked when words started appearing in the same color as the grid. All in aqua letters, I read the note out loud to everyone.

“'Congrats on making it this far into the game. I would have never suspected anyone to complete it except maybe a few. Regardless of the acknowledgment that I had given to all of you, here is your final. On the screen below you are a grid of nine squares, highlighted in aqua to make things easier. There are three 'X's all located in three random locations of the grid. All you have to do is guess which floor it is on." At the mention of the Xs, I turned my attention towards the grid again and there I spotted three of them imprinted upon the spaces therein. One at the bottom left corner, the other top right, and the last adjacent to the top right. I stayed silent. I was like this for a while. My mind was nagging urging me to speak towards my unit knowing full well that Kyro and Zander also never knew what those Xs meant. As I stared at the grid, I exhaled and bite my tongue before turning to the others at the sidelines. “Guys. Have you all see Xs around the rooms?" Everyone shook their heads. I grunted, cursing underneath my breath that only Kyro and Zander could only hear. For their ears flickered as I muttered, they frowned in response. Their eyes to me.

“We may have to go back upstairs and find the X marks." Suggested Lutica, a guilt feeling in her tone of voice as everyone else agreed as their eyes turned to one another. Kyro Zander looked at me in silence, I shrugged in response as sorrow was upon my eyes. However, while my unit left. Kyro and Zander grabbed my shoulders turning me around. “Do not worry," Zander remarked, winking at me as he grinned. He held up another device, I blinked at him in worry before shaking my head. Turned around and started backtracking up the stairs again and entered back onto the first floor was when I noticed things were a lot different. The entire two floors had gotten dark, screams and terror were upon the tones of my comrades from my walkie as I stepped back and shut the door behind me. “Kyro! Zander!" They both ran up the stairs in panicked, widened eyes, and surprises were written onto their faces as they stared at me. “Look at this," I remarked and opened the door again. A bright cyan laser appeared before us and faded in the mists afterward. I turned my eyes towards them again as Kyro and Zander looked at one another before running down the steps. I followed them and reappeared upon the basement floor just in time to see both dragons trying to turn the grid off. But to no avail. I sighed and shook my head, seeing nothing pleasant about the way things had turned out and had decided for things to flow, we went up the stairs again and back upon the first floor. I whispered to my two teammates something before I opened the door. Exiting out.

Outside was an eerie silence. The atmosphere was tensed. I frowned in response and became worried. With thoughts filling my brain, I stepped away from the door and allowed Kyro and Zander to pop right out from the door behind me. The door slammed on its own, startling Zander. Kyro teased the black dragon a bit while he growled in response to him, I ignored both of them and went on my way. First, the living room. The place was changed completely. The walls were black, dry blood sinks towards the grounds. Painted eyes were looking directly at us. I felt nervous but ignore those feelings as my eyes shifted about and glance, staring at the surroundings in silence pondering where I could find an X. But nothing reappeared upon my eyes. Seeing nothing here, I motioned Kyro and Zander with a three-finger signal on my claw. They nodded and withdrew, splitting up as they each went to the rooms adjacent to the living room we were all in. As a result, they left me alone.

I stared at the surroundings again. Keeping an eye for a letter, but at the same time trying my best to ignore the eyes staring back. I was completely still with my head just turning about. Yet in the time of silence, I still cannot find it. On this note, I had decided to move onto another room and that was what I did. I walked across the living room and entered back towards the kitchen, Zander Lutica and Quichie were there. Their conversation was quiet and hard to hear, although the way that they were facing was what made it awkward too. Regardless, I never said anything to them to catch their attention and move on from the kitchen towards the short corridor where the front door was. To my side were two other rooms. A staircase was adjacent to where I was standing and in the middle of the two rooms too. I stared at the rooms than at the staircase in silence, a thought entered my mind. I was curious about the floor above me. Though without knowing, my feet were on the move, and up the steps, I go towards the next floor above.

Here, I spotted Kyro. He was together with Lizrow and Doax. The trio was moving across the halls and from one room to the next. Their faces were mixed with concerns, unaware of my approach. They seemed preoccupied with their thoughts and my face brightened after that. With a ponder that they might find the three Xs we were looking for all this time. I ran up to them and called after, they turned in response and blinked. Only Kyro grinned before waving me down, “You guys got those Xs yet?" “There are not many in the rooms," Lizrow reported, my face frowned. “Well, what about the room you guys are going into…" I trailed, raising my claw towards the door just a few inches away from them. “We were about to. And there is a third floor, Ling." “Got it," I responded with a nod before we split off from one another. Returning to the stairs, I turned my eyes towards the other way. It leads towards a dark section of the second floor. To where I would not be too sure. I walked and followed the way, turning and heading straight later until I found myself in front of a mirror whose reflection was staring back. I blinked for a moment before shaking my head, ignoring my thoughts as I turned to my right and left sides. Expecting to see something there.

Nothing but dark hallways. But in the distance of those halls, I saw the end. A wall was there. Painted upon the wall were huge X's, there were two. One on either side of me. I was surprised to see this but at the same time curious and worried. Deciding to test out whatever was on my brain, I walked close towards one of the X's and rose my claw high. Grabbing onto the wall, I placed my claw flat upon it before pressing hard onto it then popped right out. Imprinted upon my claw was paint. I growled, clenching my claws while storming away from the wall and backtracks to the stairs.

In the later minutes of looking and searching for the letters. We all gathered in the basement. Yet none of us had any information about the Xs found. I was shocked. But kept it wraps while I listened to everyone's explanation. After they all talked was when the silence invaded our room, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling it all. Calming my nervousness down, I opened my eyes and directed them to the puzzle at the center of the room. I rose my claw and motioned Kyro and Zander once again. The two nodded and moved forward, joining me with the puzzle directly below us. A wave of anxiety washed over me as my body shook and vibrated with worry. Once again, we were at a dead end. What would we do now with that information out of the bag? “More importantly…" I suddenly say as Kyro and Zander looked at me, I rose my eyes high to them and whispered “How are we going to solve this…"