The room looked ransacked. Papers were strewn from one end of the room to the other and chairs were overturned. He heard a noise behind him and whirled around to find Agent_London standing there.
Setting the large jelly she was holding next to the piece of omelette, she asked, �What happened here?�
�I just got here,� Clay said, shaking his head. �Did Ezra leave to play pyramids yet?�
�I don�t know,� Max replied. �Do you think whoever did this, hurt him?�
The ixi shook his head and glanced around at the destruction. �Ezra?� he called. �Are you in here?�
A soft moan answered his call and both agents turned in the direction of the sound. The blue aisha stood up from behind the desk he�d be concealed behind and said, �Clayton?�
�Oh dear Lord,� Max breathed, repeating the phrase Ezra so often spoke.
Clay glanced at her and then bounded over to his partner�s side. �Are you hurt? What happened?�
Agent_Standish leaned against the desk and shook his head. �Just a little dazed,� he answered softly. �I was preparing to leave, so that I could enjoy a game of pyramids and increase the sorry coffers of this agency, when I was attacked.�
�Attacked!� Max gasped softly.
�By who?� Clay asked gently.
Ezra sighed. �The pant devil. He burst in through the window and swooped down on me before I could react.�
Clay�s eyes narrowed dangerously. �The Pant Devil,� he growled. �Then he made off with something.� Turning to Max, he said, �Check the ordinances. Ezra can check the food supply and I�ll check the, um�specialty items.�
The shoyru nodded and flew over to where their weapons were stored. �Looks like everything is here,� she announced a moment later.
Ezra opened the cold box and glanced inside. �Nothing appears to be remiss,� he told the others. �We have all the food we had yesterday, in addition to what you were able to obtain today.�
�Well,� Max said. �That�s something anyway. Clayton?�
�Why that dirty�� the ixi grumbled. �He took our bouncy spiky ball!�
�The snake,� Ezra growled. �That�s your favorite item, is it not?�
�Yeah!� Clay replied, his ears going back in embarrassment.
Max sighed. �Bouncy spiky balls aren�t too expensive. Maybe the director will requisition another for us,� she reasoned.
�That�s not the point!� Clay shouted. After taking a deep breath, he continued in a more subdued tone. �It�s the principle of the thing. You can�t just run around stealing people�s items.�
�You do if you�re the Pant Devil,� Ezra pointed out.
�Yeah, well, he deserves to be trounced then,� Agent_Webb stated firmly.
�Clay,� Agent_London said evenly. �You aren�t cleared to fight in the battledome yet. Your weapons and defense levels are too low.�
�Don�t you think I know that?� Clay snapped. �It�s just�� Clay broke off with a sigh. �It�s not fair!� he said softly. �That was my favorite toy!�
�If we can�t fight him in the battledome,� Agent_Standish said softly. �Perhaps we can beat him at his own game.�
�What do you have in mind?� Clay asked, becoming more serious.
An evil glint shown in the aisha�s eyes. �He stole from us,� he answered softly. �Let�s steal from him.�
�I like the way you think,� Clay said softly. �But we can�t just sneak in and steal something. We need a plan.�
�A distraction, so that we don�t get caught,� Ezra replied softly. He turned to Max and shrugged. �Go to the stone dome and challenge him,� he said.
�Me! Why?� Max argued.
�Your stats are the best,� Clay pointed out gently. �You might be the only one who can distract him long enough for us to get into his lair.�
Max looked a little dubious, but agreed to the plan. A short while later, the three agents entered the Stone Dome in Tyrannia. Agent_London boldly stepped forward and told them that she�d like to challenge the Pant Devil in a fight.
While she entered the arena to face her opponent, her partners crept back to where the pant devil kept his belongs while he fought. Even from where they were, Clay could see that it was not an even match. �This�ll be a quick fight,� he moaned. �Max is gonna get creamed.�
�Then we must act quickly,� Ezra said softly.
Clay watched the action on the floor of the arena, while Ezra sneaked in to steal something, anything from the evil Pant Devil. Max charge forward with a mighty yell and Clay covered his eyes as the Pant Devil blithely blocked the blow and countered with some sort of blast that left the young shoyru lying on the floor unconscious.
Clay hissed between his teeth and mumbled, �Yeah, really quick fight.� Turning to his partner, he said, �Ez, you better hurry, �cause he�s coming back.�
�Right,� came the muffled reply.
A moment later, the aisha emerged, grinning slyly. Clay eyed him warily and said, �Let�s get out of here.�
Ezra nodded and the two agents hurried to where their injured friend was waiting. �Max,� Clay gasped when he got close enough to see her. �You look awful!�
It was true. He head was bandaged, as were her wings and one of her legs. �I�ll live,� the shoyru sighed.
�You should take her to the healing springs,� a young gelert suggested helpfully.
�We were there this morning,� Clay said softly. �She gave us a healing potion VII. That should fix her up fine.�
�Thank you for your concern,� Ezra added gratefully.
As the three agents left the Stone Dome, Max whispered, �Please tell me that wasn�t all for nothing.�
Ezra grinned and held out his pack for them to inspect. Nestled inside were a bunch of dried prunes, a wet snowball, a bagguss, a bottle of noxious necter and their bouncy spiky ball. �I believe we did quite well,� he purred.
�You conniving little thief,� Clay said grinning. �How you work so quickly will never cease to amaze me.�
�Why, Clayton,� Ezra purred. �I do believe that is the nicest thing you have ever said to me!�
�Come on, boys,� Max said softly. �Let�s get back to the office before the Pant Devil realizes that he was set up.�
�Right!� Clay agreed softly.
End