+Fukamachi, we’re at the last checkpoint now,+ Agito warned. +Make no mistakes.+

Sho nodded wordlessly, stepping closer to Agito and the crate that held Mizuki. The elevator doors opened almost soundlessly, revealing two jumpsuited Zoanoids standing in front of them. Sho breathed in deeply through his nose, trying to calm himself down without being too obvious about it. The two Zoanoids didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, so Sho thought he had safely managed it.

"We’re carrying the experimental materials requested by research manager Odagiri, of the basement," Agito said, and Sho was surprised to realize that he could barely recognize Agito’s voice. "This is our shipping manifest, you will find the letter of attorney attached as well."

Sho hadn’t even seen Agito slip the voice-changer into his mouth. As the Zoanoid standing in front of them and to their right took the shipping manifest and looked it over, presumably making sure everything was in order, Sho took the handle of the crate in his gloved hands and started to push it out of the elevator. The Zoanoid on the left, the one who hadn’t been doing much, moved to intercept him.

"Wait. I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to inspect the contents of that container," he said.

"We’re in kind of a hurry here," Agito said calmly. "Could you just pass us through?"

"Sorry, no can do," the Zoanoid said, sounding genuinely contrite. "It’s regulation down here at the final checkpoint. Jonsey would have my balls on a platter if I let you guys get through without a thorough inspection."

"Jonsey?" Agito asked, echoing Sho’s own silent query.

"Yeah, head of security for this area. If you haven’t had at least a run in with him by now you should consider yourself lucky," the Zoanoid shuddered slightly. "Guy might be just a puny little human, but when he starts going off on you that’s kind of an easy thing to forget."

"Oh yeah," the other Zoanoid piped up. "Psycho drill-sergeant guy. I swear, if he didn’t somehow manage to stay on Dr. Balkus’ good side I’d rip out his entrails and make confetti out of them."

"Yeah, well I think a lot of us feel that way about him," the first Zoanoid said, chuckling. "Especially right after we’ve been chewed out by him. So, sorry kids, Uncle Gregole’s going to have to have to see what’s inside that container so he doesn’t end up getting his head bitten off by Aunt Jonsey."

The other Zoanoid started laughing raucously once Gregole had finished speaking. "That’s a nice way to say the man’s a nagging bitch, Greg."

Gregole grinned. Agito swore inwardly, knowing that he would have to think very quickly to avoid having Mizuki discovered by these two Zoanoids.

"So if one of you would just open up that container and let us have a look, you guys can be on your way and we can get back to our boring lives," Gregole said.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you to open this container," Agito said smoothly.

"Why not? You guy’s carrying something in there that could get you in trouble here?" Gregole asked.

"Like maybe a woman?" the other Zoanoid suggested, his voice positively dripping with lewd innuendo.

Gregole chuckled, as inside the case Mizuki shuddered. "Well, if it is a woman you have in there, can you do us all a favor and let Jonsey have first crack at her? The man needs a good boinking to get his head on straight."

That sent the other Zoanoid into a fit of laughter again.

"Heh. All jokes aside, though, this is a rush job," Agito said calmly. "Besides, we’ve both been strictly cautioned not to expose the inside materials to air. If the contents of this container are spoiled, we’re the ones who will end up taking the heat for that."

"Hold on a sec, I’ll contact the basement," Gregole said. "Just don’t go trying to run off on me."

He’d meant it to be a joke, Agito could tell, but he probably didn’t know just how close to home his little joke had hit for them. Sho was a bit more nervous than Agito, having gotten used to the way all of the other Zoanoids stationed at the other checkpoints would just have a look at the shipping manifest when he or Agito handed it to them, and then pass them through.

"What’s the matter with you?" the other Zoanoid asked, managing to sound genuinely concerned.

+Fukamachi!+ Agito shouted over the Guyver-link.

"What?" Sho asked, deliberately pitching his voice a few octaves lower.

"You’re shaking," the other Zoanoid said. "And you’re dripping with sweat. Don’t tell me it was Jonsey that gave you your orders not to open the crate."

"Him? Oh yeah, it was him," Sho lied.

"I swear, that guy is desperately in need of a personality," the other Zoanoid commiserated. "But he sure does make an impression."

"Yeah, if you consider having combat boots rammed up your ass ‘making an impression’," Gregole grumbled. "Anyway, I had a talk with old man Odagiri. And he says you’ve got stuff for him that can’t take being outside in the open air, too. So I guess you boys get a free pass-through. Nice cushy job you guys managed to land yourselves there. Old man Odagiri might be a bit of a crackpot, but I’d rather work for him than for Jonsey."

"Thanks," Agito said flatly, nodding.

"All right, you guys can get on your way now," Gregole said, waving them through.

Agito nodded, then he and Sho stepped out of the elevator and calmly walked past the two Zoanoids. Inside the container, Mizuki tried to calm her racing heart. That had been close, but now that they had all managed to make it through the last of the checkpoints the danger was most likely over. In fact, Mizuki was hoping to meet up with Tetsuro soon so she could tell him how much she had missed him.

The sound of their footsteps mingled with the sound of the wheels rolling on the metal floors, a sound Sho was quickly becoming bored with. But he knew that once they were all inside the basement of Relics Point they would probably start planning ways to restart their attacks on Chronos, something that would most definitely not be boring in the slightest. And after all the close calls he had had while trying to get down into the basement in the first place, Sho was perfectly happy just to be bored for awhile.

The doors to the checkpoint slid open easily once they passed the sensors in the floor, and Agito and Sho continued on their way. Sho could now see that their destination was yet another elevator.

+Is this the last elevator we’re going to have to use?+ Sho asked.

+We will be able to see all of them again very shortly,+ Agito said calmly.