The Continued Adventures of the Gyre and Co.

Glamsterdam and the Phenomenarium

Unlike the part of the wayne housing humans, Glamsterdam was filled to the brim with bright neon signs and music. The city predominantly inhabited by vampires is conveniently home to some of the best nightlife. But there are plenty of alleyways and corners that aren't brightened by the streetlights and are left in complete darkness. It is through these dark paths that the spies yelena and masterson crept quietly.

“I'm just wondering why we didn't get him out earlier, that's all!” masterson whispered to his coworker. He was trying and failing to not look as on edge as he actually was. “Or why we didn't come at noon, while most of the vampires would be sleeping.”

“Now that prizmal isn't preventing us from getting him anymore, nothing can stop us from doing this, not even the guards.” Yelena stared intently at the corner of the alley they were in, a turn which led to the entrance of the glamsterdam prison. “This is the end of the guards’ shift, they're definitely tired by now, so they'll be easy to defeat.”

Yelena held up 3 fingers behind her. “ on the count of 3, we charge, ok?” Masterson quickly tensed up. “W-wait we're doing this now? I'm not prepared!” Yelena ignored him and began to count. “1...2…3!” They began to sprint for the corner, but they both ran into somebody as they turned the corner.

The two spies looked up and saw a familiar face looking down at them. “What are you two doing here?” Flowershirt exclaimed, he was wearing the floral patterned shirt and brown pants he usually wore. And he looked pretty clean for someone who was supposedly in jail.

Yelena tried to look mad but she was very relieved. “I was about to ask you the same question. Aren't you supposed to be locked up somewhere in a dungeon?”

Flowershirt took a quick look at masterson, who was in shock from his sudden appearance. “I, uh, got released. For good behavior.” Flowershirt stumbled on his words. “One of the guards told me Andrei gave me a room in his big mansion to stay in until i got back on me feet.”

Yelena managed to stand back up. “Well, uh, that saves… a lot of effort” she brushed herself off as Flowershirt tensed up. “I was planning to move back in with you guys! I just uh, needed enough money to get a ride back to the gates, that's all…”

Masterson finally recovered from his shock and jumped up. “Prismal was a bad person and he's dead now so we need you back!” His sudden exclamation shocked the two other spies and stopped their mumbling and throat clearing.

Flowershirt scratched his head. “Uh, ok. Just let me go pack me bags.”

-----

Olly kicked open the door to the roof of the wayne. “Here we are! This is definitely where that mysterious runner-inner is!” Olly patted himself on the back, congratulating himself for his apparent contribution.

Ansi walked out into the roof after him. “That's what you said about the faraway, and the monster ball, and the playground.” Ansi caught up with his friend and gave him an angry look. “The sun is beginning to set! Just admit we're not gonna find them and let's go home.” The lanky boy was hunched over, and he had bags under his eyes.

“It's six thirty! We have time!” Olly turned to his friend, he dug his grapvine out of his backpack and shot it upwards, to the train tracks that always loomed above the roof. “Now let's go check the phenomenarium. I'm sure our culprit is hiding there.”

Olly quickly wrapped his arm around his tall friend as the grapvine dragged them both upwards onto the tracks. Oddly, the entrance to the phenomenarium wasn't boarded up so they could just slide into the area without having to ride a cart all the way down.

The phenomenarium was as empty as apartment building below it, with no wayne phenomena to be seen.”Are-are you sure we should be intruding into julia's, um, house like this?” Ansi began to lag behind his short ginger pal and began to stim with his hands.

Olly had already started digging at drawers and piles of things that he found around him. “Yeah we're good.” Olly found some lippy glitz in one of the drawers, shoving it in his pocket. He then looked up and scanned the immediate area. “Ansi come on, we need to find some more… evidence.” Olly hopped into a gallop as he disappeared into one of the hallways at the end of the room.

Ansi realized that his friend was leaving and began to sprint after him. He turned the corner Olly disappeared into and saw that the area around it was a long, winding staircase. “Ugh, Olly! Come on! You just want to steal Julia's lippy glitz!” Ansi yelled into the stairway. But it remained quiet. “OLLY!” Ansi became nervous as he continued to call for him.

Ansi grunted and began to stumble down the staircase himself. It led into a long and narrow room that opened out to a much larger open space. The open space was similar to the lobby of the apartment building, except large plants, vines, and trees grew along the walls. Also along the walls were many other openings similar to the one Ansi was standing in, leading to similar winding staircases.

“Woah…” Ansi began to walk out into the open space when Olly suddenly appeared beside him. “Hey! My pockets are full of lippy glitz now, so let's go.” He said as he tried to wrap his arm around ansi’s

Ansi turned to his friend. “So your not going to wonder what this place is, exactly? Is this apart of the phenomenarium? Or is this another place entirely?”

Olly wrapped his arm around his buddy and held him close. “Julia's little place is an enigma. Let’s just tell saraline we couldn't find the person who had the device so we can go home and watch Leif’s movies.” Olly began to stroll back towards the stairs when all of a sudden the both of them heard a loud shake from behind them.

In the front of the open area, there was a large double door similar to the one in the entrance to the apartment building. With a loud clunk the doors swung open and Julia ran into the open area. Her clothes were slightly torn and her hair frizzy and dirty. She looked very afraid as she quickly scanned the room.

“Julia? Are you okay?” Ansi croaked as he turned toward her. She froze and looked at the two boys like she was a deer stuck in headlights. “You two.. Aren't safe here. You need to go.” She walked over to them and ushered them to the staircase.

“Hey! I still don't trust you Julia. What if your hiding something?” Olly ducked under Julia's arms and went behind her. Julia turned toward Him, keeping a hand on Ansi to keep him from moving too. “You guys can't- You don't understand. I'm in a lot of… danger right now... and if you two don't leave you'll both be in danger too.”

Ansi's eyes widened. “Wait, You're in danger? Julia, I gotta protect you! I can't just leave you in danger!” He backed away from Julia. “I bought my Zig-Zag with me! It's on me somewhere.” He began to shuffle through his pockets for his very large sword that cannot fit in any pocket.

“Ansi n-” Julia was interrupted by Olly pointing his grapvine at her. “I think she's lying! She's lied about everything else about her life so i wouldn't be surprised!”

Julia looked back and forth between Ansi and Olly and let out a nervous sigh. She focused on the stairway behind Ansi and got ready to run past him to escape when footsteps began to echo through the area, causing them all to freeze.

On one of the stairways in the room opposite to the one they were standing by, A shadowy figure stared at them with one glowing eye.

“I've found you, Wiles. You and your little consorts are coming with me.

To Be Continued