*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
(I WANNA BE DOWN)
CHAPTER━━ ONE
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 恋人┊͙✧˖*°࿐
LISA STEPPED out of the taxi and gazed up at the towering museum with a feeling of awe. It had been years since she stepped foot in any museum, let alone the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. She was excited to visit her friend Elena who had been interning there for the past few months. She had heard from her on calls and seen pictures from letters but actually seeing her best friend would be a treat.
Lisa's heart pounded with excitement as she walked towards the entrance. She could hardly wait to see Elena. They've been friends for over a decade, but Lisa joined the Air Force right after high school and had to move away. They kept in touch over phone calls, texts, and emails, but due to Lisa's deployment, it had been a few years since they laid eyes on each other.
As Lisa walked through the entrance, her eyes darted around the spacious foyer, taking in the different artworks that adorned the walls. Lisa eagerly scanned the crowd for Elena's face. Though they hadn't seen each other in years, she could still remember her friend's curls and colorful lipstick like it was yesterday.
Spotting her friend in the distance, Lisa couldn't contain her excitement. She snuck to the back of the museum where most employees were and then closed the distance between them quickly, approaching Elena from behind.
"Excuse me miss, do you know where Elena Wallace is?" Lisa said in a playful tone, tapping Elena on the shoulder.
Elena quickly spun around, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw Lisa standing in front of her.
"Lisa?" Elena squealed, nearly dropping the falcon statue in her hand. Lisa eyes widen in amusement at the sight. Elena carefully put it back on the stand. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're here!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around Lisa in a tight embrace.
The two friends held each other for a moment, both overjoyed to finally be reunited.
"I know, it's been too long," Lisa said, her voice filled with emotion.
They pulled back from the hug, and Elena took a step back to get a good look at Lisa.
"You look amazing," Elena said, grinning. "Being in the Air Force seems to be treating you well."
"Thanks, it's been hectic, but I'm glad I could come and see you," Lisa replied, smiling.
As they were catching up, Lisa noticed how Elena's eyes would every now and than glance at the falcon statue that she almost dropped, making it clear her curiosity was piqued. Lisa noticed her friend's interest but before she could say anything, their conversation was interrupted by a woman's voice behind them.
"It's pretty neat, right?" The woman said, approaching them. It was Elena's boss, Jillian.
Elena and Lisa agreed that it was fascinating, and Jillian started to explain the history of the piece. Lisa was impressed by her knowledge and passion for the artwork, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Jillian wasn't the nicest person.
After a few moments, Jillian turned to Lisa and asked, "And who are you?" There was a hint of suspicion in her voice, and Lisa knew she had to be careful with what she said next.
"I'm Lisa, Elena's friend. We haven't seen each other in a while, and I wanted to come surprise her," Lisa explained, trying her best to sound polite and friendly.
Jillian raised an eyebrow, sizing Lisa up, before saying, "Well, you two better hurry with the catching up, Elena here has a job to do." She gave them a fake smile before walking away, leaving Lisa and Elena alone.
"Uh, Jillian." Elena calls out, while trying to catch up with her boss who walked away into the Laboratory Techs Only room. It was clear she wanted to know more about the falcon state that was taken away into the same room, but the door shut in her face.
Elena turned to Lisa with an exasperated look on her face. "Sorry about that, Jillian can be a bit...difficult," she said, rolling her eyes.
Lisa couldn't help but agree. "Yeah, she seems like a bit of a bitch."
Elena laughed and nodded in agreement before she looked at the falcon statue once more and took out a sharpie from her pocket to write down the symbols that was on the falcon statue on her palm.
"Did you notice the symbols on this statue?" Elena asked, pointing at her palm with the markings. "They're so intriguing, like some sort of ancient language."
Lisa leaned in to examine Elena's hand. She had always been fascinated by history and symbolism, so she couldn't help but feel the curiosity bubbling within her as well. "Yeah, they look really interesting. I wonder if they mean something important."
Elena shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I can't seem to get them out of my head. Maybe we can do some research together and try to figure it out."
Lisa grinned. "Count me in. I'm dying to know what those symbols represent. It's like a mystery waiting to be solved."
But they had to wait some more because Lisa isn't an employee and had to the leave the museum at the same time other museums goers do which is at ten o'clock.
But Lisa wasn't just gonna leave like that.
She came to the museum at 12'o clock for Elena to sneak her back in due to Elena paging her saying that she was the employee in the museum at this point (with her boss Jillian going to a gala) and it was now safe for her to sneak Lisa in.
Lisa entered the museum and Elena led her to the Laboratory Techs Only room, this time having badge to swipe so they can enter. Lisa looked at her friend in amusement.
"You stole her badge?" She whispered while walking into the laboratory.
"She technically gave it to me." Elena downplayed. She and Lisa walked closer to the falcon statue placed on a table. "Hey. Let's see what you really are." Elena said to the statue before her and Lisa put on the lab coats hanging on a coat rack nearby.
Lisa couldn't believe they were actually doing this. Sneaking around a museum after hours and potentially tampering with an artwork was not something she thought she'd ever do, but the excitement of solving a mystery was too much to resist.
As Elena put the falcon statue on a scanning device, Lisa couldn't help but feel anxious. "Are you sure we should be doing this? What if we get caught?" She whispered.
Elena smiled reassuringly. "Relax, we're just going to do a quick scan. We won't damage anything, I promise."
Lisa took a deep breath and nodded, trying to calm her nerves.
While Elena and Lisa were taking notes as the machine was scanning the statue. The statue started to crumble. The girls look at each other in shock as the statue fell apart.
But as the dust cleared, Lisa immediately noticed something strange. Beneath the surface of the falcon statue, there was a metal part with yellow crystals inside.
"Lena look!" She nudged her friend who was busy being worried about going to jail and losing her job for destroying an artifact.
Elena and Lisa stared at each other in disbelief. "What the hell is this?" Lisa asked, reaching to touch the crystals.
Elena swats her hand away. "Don't touch it!"
"Damn." Lisa hissed at her.
"Sorry," Elena apologized before taking a seat and turning on the computer to do some research. Lisa stood behind her, peering over Elena's shoulder. Elena murmured, "There has to be something on this thing."
Lisa nodded in agreement; her curiosity piqued by the unusual findings. After finishing her research, Elena began writing notes while Lisa approached a metal object, examining it closely. Suddenly, all the lights went out. Elena tried to turn on a lamp, and Lisa attempted to flick a light switch, but neither worked.
"Hello?" Elena and Lisa called out into the darkness simultaneously.
"Lee, we need to leave," Elena said urgently, collecting her belongings.
"I'm right behind you," Lisa replied, removing her lab coat. Elena followed suit and put on her backpack, ready to go. "Wait, Elena!" Lisa whispered, motioning towards the metal.
"Oh no," Elena muttered, debating whether to leave it or take it with them. "Take it!" Elena impulsively decided. "If I leave it here, I'll be in big trouble for damaging it."
Lisa nodded, grabbed the hot metal, and hurried towards the lab door, with Elena close behind. Just as they reached the door, it swung open, surprising Lisa and causing her to stumble back.
"Hey, are you okay?" The raspy, heavily accented voice caught Lisa's attention. He was unlike any man she had encountered in high school or the Air Force; his beauty seemed to be the work of Aphrodite and Adonis themselves. His cheekbones were high and adorned with freckles that looked like they were crafted by expert hands. Lisa couldn't help but notice his short, curly hair with thick spirals.
Elena quickly stepped in front of Lisa, shouting, "Back up! Back up! Back up!"
Lisa regained her footing, and the man explained, "I didn't think anyone was in here." His gaze lingered on Lisa, and she felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach. She was grateful for her choice of a green sundress. He noticed the metal in her hand and commented, "That's it."
"Who are you?" Lisa inquired, clutching the metal tightly. The man hesitated, searching for a plausible response. "I'm, uh... the Janitor," he finally replied.
There was a brief silence. "Security!" Elena screamed, as she and Lisa attempted to move in the opposite direction, but the man blocked their path.
"No, no, no! You don't have to do that! It's not what it looks like," the man pleaded.
"It looks like you're trying to steal museum property," Elena pointed out, finding the irony in their own intentions.
"It's a little bit what it looks like," the man admitted. Lisa and Elena exchanged worried glances, unsure of their next move. They didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the situation seemed suspicious. So, they did what anyone would do: they tried to run away again, but the man continued to block their paths and chase them through the lab. "Just stop!" the man pleaded, approaching Lisa, causing her to back up into Elena, who was trailing behind her.
Lisa brandished the metal, warning, "I will swing this thing at you, boy. Don't come any closer!"
"Hey, hey! Relax, relax, and let me explain!" the man implored as Lisa pointed the metal threateningly at him. "It belongs to... these giant robots from space," he finally revealed.
Lisa and Elena exchanged unimpressed looks before turning their gaze back to the man. "Really?" Elena replied skeptically.
"Look, I'm going to need that," the man persisted, moving closer to Lisa in an attempt to grab the metal from her hands. In response, she delivered a right hook to his face, causing him to groan and lean back against the table. "Damn!" he exclaimed.
The security guard entered the laboratory, shining his flashlight on the three of them. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey! What's going on here? Don't move," he commanded sternly.
"Man, it's about time you showed up!" Elena remarked. Suddenly, an explosion occurred, throwing Lisa, Elena, and the man backward.
Elena coughed as she got up, brushing off the dust, and Lisa did the same, picking up the metal from beside her before approaching Elena. "Lena, are you okay?" she asked, concerned. Elena nodded, still coughing from the dust. Lisa glanced over at the man, who was also getting up and appeared to be fine. They walked over to the massive hole in the museum caused by the explosion, which now revealed the outside world. To their astonishment, they saw towering robots standing across from them.
"You were telling the truth," Elena realized, her gaze fixed on the giant robots.
"Yeah," the man confirmed, "but those ones aren't with me." He revealed.
Outside, they noticed robot-like spiders running towards the museum. Lisa's eyes widened, and she immediately thrust the metal into the man's hands. "It's yours!" Lisa declared before swiftly making her way towards the exit, with Elena following closely behind. The man chased after them, and they narrowly dodged blasts from the giant robots as they closed the laboratory door. Just as the robot spiders arrived, they peered through the window of the door, their faces filled with confusion and fear.
"What the hell are those things?" the man voiced the question on all three of their minds. Elena nudged Lisa, signaling for them to continue their escape, and they left without the man initially noticing. "Are you both okay?" he asked, looking around and then realized their absence. Lisa and Elena were already running down the staircase, and he followed suit.
"Hey! Stop following us!" Elena shouted.
"I'm not following y'all! I'm just escaping in the same direction," he clarified.
As Lisa and Elena reached the first floor of the museum, they continued running while the man closed the door behind them and followed suit. Within seconds, the robot-like spiders broke through the closed door, prompting the three of them to find hiding spots. Lisa found refuge behind a glass case, Elena positioned herself behind a nearby pillar, and the man sought cover behind a counter farther away.
Unbeknownst to Lisa and Elena, the man noticed an exit sign not too far from his location. He contemplated making a run for it but hesitated upon seeing Lisa and Elena hiding in fear. Crouching down, he narrowly avoided being spotted by one of the robot-like spiders while trying to get Lisa and Elena's attention without alerting the spiders. Unfortunately, his attempts went unnoticed.
Lisa glanced upward, surveying the spiders' whereabouts, before locking eyes with Elena, who was already staring at her in fear. "I'm going to distract them," Elena silently mouthed to Lisa. Lisa shook her head, realizing it was a risky idea, but Elena proceeded anyway. As expected, one of the robot spiders detected Elena and lunged towards her, but the man intervened, knocking it back with a vase. Lisa swiftly stood up and rushed over to them.
The three of them resumed their escape as more robot-like dogs closed in. "Run! Go, go!" the man shouted as they sprinted towards the exit. However, a robot dog leaped in front of them, forcing them to change direction and head towards another exit door. "Go, go, go, go, go!" the man urged as he closed the door behind them. He struggled to keep the door shut as the robot spiders relentlessly attempted to break through.
Lisa and Elena halted their progress towards the second exit door that would have led them outside. Thinking quickly, Lisa broke open a fire extinguisher box and used the rope inside to securely wrap it around the door handle, relieving the man of the burden of holding off the robot like spiders. "Thanks," the man expressed his gratitude to Lisa.
"The metal!" Lisa pointed out, urging him to grab it. The man swiftly retrieved the metal, and together with Lisa and Elena, they ran out of the exit towards the outside.