Salvador and Georgia stepped into the apartment dining room, dripping blood. Salvador was supporting Georgia's weight, keeping her ankle from scraping the floor.
“FRIDA! WE NEED YOU!” shouted Salvador.
Frida marched into the room, grumbling. “No need to burst my eardrums, you know.”
Miss Robot appeared and rapidly punched the two. In a flash, the teenagers turned to robots. With one quick swipe, Miss Robot knocked everything off of the dining table. Georgia and Salvador climbed onto the table, slowly lying down. Frida began repairing the two, re-attaching wires and replacing some broken parts with junk she had in her lab coat pockets. Harry walked into the room.
“So, I take it the mission didn't go well?” sighed Harry.
“Oh, the mission went fine,” said Georgia. “The next hint was in the form of this feather.”
Georgia took the blue feather out of her jacket pocket, and handed it to Harry. Harry turned it over in his hands, staring at the glittering golden ring-shaped pattern.
“Ohhh…” marvelled Harry.
“I think it's just a circle, actually,” said Salvador.
Dalia leapt up from under the table, biting the feather out of Harry's hand.
“Hey! Get back here, you twerp!”
Harry chased Dalia into the apartment kitchen.
“So tell me, Georgia…” said Frida, “When you found the feather, would you say it was in a ‘modern wheel’ of any kind?”
“No, it was just under a rock.”
“I thought so. Which means... that ‘modern wheel’ clue must refer to another location. It's possible this ARG is an entire web of hints across England, and we're only just starting to scratch the surface.”
“So, where do you think the next hint is hidden?” said Salvador.
“After considering it for some time, I believe our next stop should be Piccadilly Circus. A ‘circus’ is a circular road junction, and Piccadilly certainly qualifies as being ‘modern’. But Harry…”
“Harry disagrees,” said Harry, walking back in. “I believe that ‘modern wheel’ refers to the London Eye. When it opened in 2000, the Eye was the world's largest ferris wheel – so I believe it's our best bet for both ‘modern’ and ‘wheel’ while sticking to England.”
Frida snapped her fingers. Georgia and Salvador's bodies returned to their normal human forms, now completely healed.
“Hmm... I think Frida's idea makes more sense,” said Georgia. “Like, when I think of ‘modern London’, the first idea I have is Piccadilly Circus.”
“Plus, it's a chance to do some shopping!” blurted Salvador.
“Hmph. Well then, it's settled,” said Harry. “Georgia and Salvador, you go to Piccadilly Circus. Frida, come with me to the London Eye.”
“What?! Why do I have to come with you?!”
“So I can see the look on your face when I prove you wrong. Now, let's move out!”
The four left the apartment, as everyone but Harry grumbled. Dalia sat on the back of the couch, batting around the blue feather.
= = = = = = = = = =
A cab arrived in front of the London Eye. Harry and Frida exited. Frida chugged from a large bottle of water, picked up from a corner shop along the way. Harry leaned over to the driver's side window, and handed a penny to the cabbie.
“A bonus for you, my good man,” said Harry. “Use it to buy your family a nice supper!”
“Buzz off.”
The cab drove away.
“I guess he didn't want it,” said Harry. “Anyway, Miss Dynamo – onwards, to the ticket stand!”
Frida grumbled as the two walked up the street.
“Why do you always boss us around?” groaned Frida. “It's not like you're... uh... important, or anything.”
“The book Taming the Inner Beast by Ras B.B. advises that to achieve success, simply act like you have already accomplished it. My goal is to become the richest man on Earth – so, I assume everyone I meet works for me. After all, they all will someday.”
“Wait... Ras B.B.? That guy who was on the news for advocating crystal suppositories?”
“I mean... not all his advice was the best. That one in particular is kind of a sore spot.”
“Yes, I imagine it was.”
A bearded man walked past the two, bumping into Harry. A weird rubber mass the size of a hand fell out of the bearded man's pocket, flopping to the ground with a wet slap. Harry bent down to pick it up.
“Oh, excuse me sir, you dropped your…”
Harry and Frida looked down and saw that the rubbery mass was some sort of living creature. The beast was a mass of oddly-colored tentacles, writhing around in a panic.
“It's an enemy stand!” shouted Frida.
“Quick, Frida, kill it!”
Miss Robot appeared and stomped on the stand rapidly. The tentacles were blasted apart. The stand stopped moving – it was dead. The two looked up, but the bearded man was gone.
“Odd,” murmured Frida. “I wonder who that was…”
“Well, it doesn't matter now. Forward march!”
Frida groaned as the two continued to walk. Once the pair were a few meters away, the tentacles on the ground started writhing. Suddenly, all of the destroyed tentacles re-grew, larger than before. The stand stood up on its tentacles, and ran wildly down the street.
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