First thing Aleksander noticed after regaining conciousness was that he was laying on some cold, hard stone. The first thing he heard were piercing, feminine screams.593Please respect copyright.PENANA1F7zGPIi31
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"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The boy slowly picked his head up and turned around. Apparently the voice belonged to nobody else than Jessica Charlize, who was staring at the wall and yelling frantically.593Please respect copyright.PENANAxAYNqUimb7
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"Nice of you to join us." Aleksander looked in the other direction and with a surprise noticed the messy-haired, Middle Eastern boy. "We were just thinking about maybe murdering Davey's little girlfriend."
"Shut up, Jamon!"593Please respect copyright.PENANATukhRXP9xg
593Please respect copyright.PENANAdJPCcFuoNg
Aleks got up and looked around.Outside of him, David and Jamon, Xi, Dagmar,Nicola and another boy from the 7th departmen were present too.. And in between them stood an unicorn.
"Is it..."593Please respect copyright.PENANAXYcZnJFWKO
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"Yeah, this is the unicorn which captured us. Then he was captured himself."
"......AAAAAAAHH!....."593Please respect copyright.PENANAO4KkVhwsJd
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"She keeps going like this since we've arrived." Nikola moaned,holding her ears.593Please respect copyright.PENANAhXyJFfv1JU
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"You are still in luck here." David replied, doing exactly the same.
"You are the computer expert here." Jamon said. "Have you thought about turning her off and on again?"593Please respect copyright.PENANA7B6qGm4FkK
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"Jamon, I swear, if you don't..."
"You are all awake now."
The teenagers turned around and saw a brown-dressed man with a balaclava on his head and a big controller in his hands looking at them from the other side of the bars.593Please respect copyright.PENANAur18ZoTxwT
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"Who are you?" David asked, coming near.593Please respect copyright.PENANAWANlbozmWK
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"You don't need to know who I am." The man replied softly " After all, you won't live long enough for this knowledge to be useful for you."593Please respect copyright.PENANAZ2xjbE4faf
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"What do you even want with us?"
"You are unwanted here." He replied calmly "You have hindered me."593Please respect copyright.PENANAqo3E9n233l
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"In doing what?" Dagmar asked593Please respect copyright.PENANAZvpKB3dWdz
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"Hunting." the man replied. He moved the stick of the controller in a few different directions and soon a metallic robot stood near him. It was only now that they saw a small stream of oil running down the robot's leg.
"So, That is where it came from." David muttered.
"You are hunting the unicorns, aren't you?" Aleksander asked
"Hunting. Collecting. Still, they don't really matter to me. What is important is their treasure."593Please respect copyright.PENANACVU9odGVLU
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"Treasure?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAt2tyKbFSPA
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"Yes, treasure of the unicorns." Dagmar responded." The greatest treasure there is. They say this treasure can get you immortality, infinite power, advance science, give you love you never dreamed of..."593Please respect copyright.PENANA5pPEWrlXBi
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"I just want some cash." The man interrupted her.593Please respect copyright.PENANAYMBQymMWuu
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"You will not get away with this." David said. "The rest will realize we are gone. They will start looking for us."593Please respect copyright.PENANAMcprHV06BF
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"I realize that." The man in the mask calmly replied "That's why I have to leave earlier then I planned. But before I do, I WILL get this treasure.
"How? You don't even have the slightest clue where it is!"
"Oh, honestly, I already found it. You see,I literally shook the ground lately... and now I know it's location. After I get it, I will return here and make sure there won't be any witnesses left. And I think, actually, I should leave already.
The man smiled at them,it seemed,from behind the mask and walked away slowly. The group of teenagers looked at each other.593Please respect copyright.PENANA2FQw0OWxKH
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"We need a plan,and we need it FAST." Aleksander emphasized,and looked towards Nikola and another boy from the 7th department "You guys are leading against us in the tests. You possibly ARE better then us. So, have any of you got any ideas?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAlR6r7HyI1Y
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"Oh,come on!" Nicola shook her head. "The only reason we are leading is because our Head Officer bribed someone from the HQ to give him this year's official list of challenges. We knew exactly what we had to do. That's it."
"What?" Jamon and Xi looked at them with disgust.
"Nikola!"593Please respect copyright.PENANAFc4UpYOkyz
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"Sorry, Thomas, but do you think that's fair? Do you...?"
"GUYS!" Aleksander stepped in between them "We don't have time, and I sadly am not speaking metaphorically. We need to get out of here!"593Please respect copyright.PENANAI4VeNZp41a
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"Maybe Dagmar should have a chat with the unicorn?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAt9GHQNZqNl
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"You know what, Jamon?" David said "...Well,maybe she should."593Please respect copyright.PENANAQS01SEQYO8
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The girl nodded her head and calmly walked towards the unicorn.593Please respect copyright.PENANAQfzjH2UXVJ
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"Hello." She said, coming near it, and the creature responded with a neigh. Everyone looked at each other stunned - with the exception of Jessica,who was still screaming. " I realize it is tough to ask right now, but we NEED to know where the Secret of the Unicorns is."593Please respect copyright.PENANAqy2QDmgfE7
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"Hey, what?" Jamon asked, but Aleksander stepped on his shoe and hushed him. The creature meanwhile neighed some more, only this time more aggresively.593Please respect copyright.PENANAG2K6o56IIz
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"I know." Dagmar said "I know it is supposed to be a secret. But we just want to stop that man from stealing it. Think - would you rather let us help you and also see the treasure, or do you accept him taking it for himself?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAkooKmc4f7V
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The unicorn was silent for a few seconds, before neighing with resignation.593Please respect copyright.PENANAo2J5fPdPRX
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"What is he saying?" Aleksander asked.593Please respect copyright.PENANA5EqQcIRGwl
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"Get out of my sight." 593Please respect copyright.PENANAEZozxZLSl6
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The girl shook her head and moved away from the creature - just as the unicorn stood up. In an blink of an eye, it run towards the bars with amazing speed, and forced them down. The unicorn looked at Dagmar expectingly and neighed again.
"Wow." Jamon said stunned.593Please respect copyright.PENANA6CktMqOVI6
593Please respect copyright.PENANAg2W7x6PFED
"It wants us to get on his back." The Swedish girl said "But we can not all fit ..." She interrupted, as suddenly they heard a noise, like another steel bars were being broken, and soon after many more creatures arrived. "... on one unicorn." She finished.
"We don't have that problem now, have we?" The middle eastern boy asked rhetorically and got up at the back of the tallest creature.593Please respect copyright.PENANAlQKr4ZdTkE
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"Wrong." David facepalmed.593Please respect copyright.PENANA4c76bC9SXx
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"What?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAaythZ9kPdj
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"You are sitting the wrong way."593Please respect copyright.PENANAasFXTapLIW
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Jamon was, indeed, sitting on the unicorn backwards, and facing it's tail rather than it's head. It took him, however, a few moments to understand. 593Please respect copyright.PENANAdRKfd6z1yv
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The Unicorn seemed insulted.593Please respect copyright.PENANAQitVt0r9yh
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"We don't have time!" Dagmar got up on the unicorn she just spoke to eariler and commended it. "Go."593Please respect copyright.PENANAekUi18M7BC
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The first unicorn neighed and ran with great speed,far greater then any horse could, followed by the rest. They ran upwards through the corridor (apparently they have been kept under the ground) and as soon as they entered the jungle, the creatures ran even faster. The teenagers found it hard to stay on the animal's back - especially Jamon,who did not manage to correct his position.593Please respect copyright.PENANAoFW1ZYrtEq
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The middle eastern teenager found great comfort, however, seeing he was not the only one scared of the "ride" - next to him, another male was facing the same dillema as Jamon did, perhaps maybe even bigger, as he was "sitting" only with one leg and arm, and the rest of his body was not in contact with the creature.593Please respect copyright.PENANAJMBUBC8AXq
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Although the man seemed more like 60 years old, then 16.593Please respect copyright.PENANAq9ddJlpvnz
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"Hey." Jamon decided to risk "You... some kind of 7th department... boss?"593Please respect copyright.PENANA6EgxP5NNKr
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The other man looked at him terrified and shook his head.593Please respect copyright.PENANAF9EvH6kYzb
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"Me not." He replied in broken English. "Mustafa got here vacation. Mustafa not knows what the happening. Me scared..."593Please respect copyright.PENANAuSitDk3eeH
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The man cut off mid sentence, as his unicorn neighed, turned around and ran into a completely different part of the forest than the rest.593Please respect copyright.PENANAjvOUQ3ROrY
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The teenagers rode for a few more minutes, until the creatures suddenly begun to slow down and finally stopped in front of a huge cave.
"We're here." Dagmar said and patted the Unicorn. "Good job, Nafik."593Please respect copyright.PENANA6RUhLyl8pa
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The rest of the teenagers also got out of their respective unicorns, some of them feeling dizzy and stupifed.593Please respect copyright.PENANAAczdESQrgQ
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"Use the flare Aleks." Dagmar ordered,and the boy nodded his head . Soon, the sparks filled the sky. "Now Aruta knows we are here. Let's enter."
The Junior Officers entered the cave, followed by a parade of unicorns.593Please respect copyright.PENANAbRF23AYNG6
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The masked man was standing above what seemed like a small hole filled with water, and with a golden box near his feet. He turned around, hearing someone entering the cave. At first, he seemed surprised, but now he was smiling.593Please respect copyright.PENANA60QfS7WT7P
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"You are too late." He said, pointing at the box. "Do you know what this is?"593Please respect copyright.PENANA6iitNI9M1Y
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"Probably the Treasure of Unicorns." Jamon muttered.593Please respect copyright.PENANAb9HBnRVldP
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"Correct, young man!" He clapped his hands "Why don't we take a peek inside before you die?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAjNy51VSok2
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Dagmar steed forward.593Please respect copyright.PENANACveq1HqHtu
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"Just put it back where you took it from. You have no idea what you're doing."593Please respect copyright.PENANA9rAENlHn61
593Please respect copyright.PENANAMKEz787KUH
"Of course I don't." The man responded "That is why it's so exciting."593Please respect copyright.PENANAiqJpmVwVHq
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He bent down and reached for the box.593Please respect copyright.PENANAhOvkIIpKfR
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"Now, what do we have here?" He smiled ever more and opened the box. "Huh... that's weird."593Please respect copyright.PENANAeEgLpPdbTU
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The man looked up and stopped smiling. He did not even manage to blink when the unicorn's hoofs send him to the ground.
"Wow. Nice, Nafik." Dagmar said,smiling at the unicorn.593Please respect copyright.PENANAYhRhnu6wGK
593Please respect copyright.PENANAGaYF134wpi
"We saw the flare!" Aruta, Jens and Robert ter Maan entered the cave, panting.
"What's going on?" The PISF president asked.
The 5th department Head Officer looked around and, noticing the masked man laying on the ground, unable to get up and the unicorn in front of him, responded:593Please respect copyright.PENANAtZCMGcnLjP
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"We may never know."
Aleksander and David moved towards the man who tried to steal the tresure of the Unicorns.593Please respect copyright.PENANA5M5v7rbEW9
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"It's time to see the face behind the mask." The blonde boy said.593Please respect copyright.PENANAQQ0vHXwixq
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"NO!" The man screamed "Please, don't! Don't unmask me in front of...!"593Please respect copyright.PENANA8pR1wqoy4X
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His pleads were not listened to. David quickly pulled the mask out of his head, and everyone froze on the spot.593Please respect copyright.PENANAMJZmpHBL6Y
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"How about that" Jamon said. "He is a she."593Please respect copyright.PENANAGhxw3pr20e
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Everyone's glares turned towards Robert ter Maan,who paled.593Please respect copyright.PENANAfKJO8Lpvzn
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"Julia?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAc997nNgAmc
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***593Please respect copyright.PENANAhAFEiUgQxF
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"So it's Julia Cruz who was trying to steal the treasure of the Unicorns, and gave Jens Hans Bernhardt von Himmischenkriegmann the trials' plan in exchange for money. " Robert ter Maan sighed, after the teenagers explained the situation. "After all, she compiled them herself.593Please respect copyright.PENANA2RcnGw02HL
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"Yes, sir." Nikola nodded her head. "Turns out all the time she has been excusing us during the trials, she was just continuing her search. She made a sort of underground lab and used a robot to search the area, so probably she was planning this for a long time. Probably that's also why she wanted us to spend two or three days here. She hoped that while we were busy with the trials, she could continue what she was doing and nobody would notice.593Please respect copyright.PENANAOHfzQCnIBe
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"Is that so?" The president asked and looked at her "Is this why you choose this place, Julia? Because this is the only place on earth where Unicorns truly live free?593Please respect copyright.PENANAJEHOnUqT8E
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"YES!" She shouted, struggling with two officers which were holding her hands behind her back "And I would have gotten away with it too,if not for you meddling kids!"593Please respect copyright.PENANA8XlEr84Yr6
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"So, about the Tests... Ayumi, it seems like your department won by being fair, so, up to the finals you go."593Please respect copyright.PENANAcXNw3yMLk0
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"I have a better idea, Robert."The woman smiled "I have told you about Aleksander Jennsen, haven't I?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAfJviVwmnwo
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The boy looked at them surprised, hearing his name.593Please respect copyright.PENANAWbfp64Yg24
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"You most certainly have..."593Please respect copyright.PENANA831AshU6ri
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"Well, as you see, he is absolutely capable of fairing for himself. How about we won't make him take full trainings, only the shorter session and see how it goes?"593Please respect copyright.PENANARdxjCu3ase
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"Do you agree, young man?"The President asked.593Please respect copyright.PENANAaqdleHCr0K
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"Well... I suppose I could give it a try."593Please respect copyright.PENANAG5TJaMSxaf
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"Wonderful. So it's settled then, isn't it Robert?" The woman asked and he nodded her head.593Please respect copyright.PENANAdKCU6E9cMm
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"I am sorry, but I do not understand one thing, though." David said "The Treasure of the Unicorns was empty. Why?"593Please respect copyright.PENANA9fuhbmmcwx
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"Because this was not the Treasure." Ayumi replied.593Please respect copyright.PENANAl0bbiaCaLE
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"Yes, really did you think that creatures such as Unicorns would keep their treasure in a box hidden in a cave for everyone to see? This was a fake, created to confuse a potential thief. Where the real Treasure is and what it is, hasn't still been discovered yet." Robert explained.
"But then why did the Unicorns brought us there?"593Please respect copyright.PENANAkqGmDoGbC0
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"Because you wanted to stop the man who INTENDED to steal their Treasure, and that's where he... um, she went." Aruta replied." They brought you after him and..."593Please respect copyright.PENANAcBlbcDqZ1u
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"DAVID!!!"593Please respect copyright.PENANAqm5dl7nSlB
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Everyone turned around, to see an eighteen year old girl come out of the forest, covered in grass, leafs and with a scar coming midway through her face. A bird chirped happily and flied off the top of her head.593Please respect copyright.PENANAXKUIijrl8I
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"Jessie?" The boy paled.593Please respect copyright.PENANAdAEPlYPM3M
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"You left me there! You left me there, you bastard!"593Please respect copyright.PENANA2iRw0Qb3e3
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"Jessica, I... There were unicorns,and..."593Please respect copyright.PENANAa5V63ZYKGg
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"SILENCE!" She shouted and the spider fell out of her head. "I am breaking up with you!"593Please respect copyright.PENANAcMzXdgZCfv
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The girl, still with an angry face, passed by the rest of the group and joined her friends, beggining to talk with them and seemingly forgetting about the whole situation that just happened.593Please respect copyright.PENANAD2KxdakZua
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"Okay..." whispered David.593Please respect copyright.PENANAYJAYLu6bgu
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The PISF President laughed and patted him on the shoulder.593Please respect copyright.PENANAKLNhdJlLi3
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"You know,I had a similar situation in Bangkok in 1964. I left the girl in an morgue, and the next day..."593Please respect copyright.PENANADA8WmybOgu
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"Well, I guess, it's time to go for us." Aruta decided and,with what looked like a bit bigger hand watch, estabilished a tunnel to the 5th department.593Please respect copyright.PENANAISZxaGxzn0
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"Hey, wait." Bianca asked "What about the 7th department Head Officer? You won't just let him get away from all this,will you?593Please respect copyright.PENANAnQrbMcmI1R
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"No worries, young lady." The president smiled. "I have a very aproppiate punishment coming for him."593Please respect copyright.PENANAmby6i8vV5V
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Everyone looked towards Jens, who paled dramatically and took a few steps back, gasping.593Please respect copyright.PENANAPsDTjv1Hzo
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"No..." he pleaded "Not the..."593Please respect copyright.PENANAHytKzl1JwO
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****593Please respect copyright.PENANAcWrmCm7aYC
Robert ter Maan's office was a big, diamond shaped room, filled with elegant furniture, bookshelfes and paintings by world's most famous modern artists. The president choose a book, which happeneed to be "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and sat in his desk, which was placed exactly in the middle of the office. He begun to wonder how any of the events from the novel could ever possibly be inspired by real world incidents.593Please respect copyright.PENANAZQHfq37jdL
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"Hello?" A voice from a nearby cupboard said "Please! I think I learned my lesson!"593Please respect copyright.PENANAynTrolfdUv
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"No, you did not, Jens!" the president ignored the screams and pounding on the door.593Please respect copyright.PENANAq8rBvdpFaj
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"Please, sir! I'll be good, I promise! It's dark in here and I think I have claustrophobia! Please,sir!"
"Be quiet or you will wake up Spidey!"593Please respect copyright.PENANAjuBoAODXOb
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"What...?AAHH!!! YUCK!!! THERE IS A SPIDER HERE!" The pounding got more intense "Let me out! LET ME OOUT! HEEELLLP!!!
A/N So that's it for this chapter - hope you enjoyed :D Stay tuned, we will be returning to the main plot next time!
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