> ---------------
>
> Downtown Parrodpolis.
> The local offices' of the Federal Meta-Human Resource Center.
> One of the upper floors of the building.
> Floors off limit to the public except to those who work for the Organization.
> Shortly after 1 p.m.
>
> At the end of a long hallway, art deco styled doors of an elevator open. There inside is one soul occupant. She exits shortly before the doors close behind her. She dressed in a pale pink blouse, a dark chocolate brown cotton skirt that went to her mid calf. Under that are a pair of skin colored nylons & a pair of sensible leather pumps on. Her mousy brown hair was styled in a partly messy fashion. Slung over her right shoulder is her imitation designer handbag that she got at a street fair last year.
>
> As she walks down the hallway to her desk, she notices that there is someone that will impede this action, her boss, Agent Ruben Holcomb. The large black man was standing in front of the door that lead into the waiting where Jane Tarzania has her desk. Agent Holcomb is wearing his normal set of attire: a deep purple colored suit with a black dress suit. His tie matches the color of the shirt. His black leather shoes are buffed to a shine. His black hair is cut short & slicked back. The look on his face is one Jane has seen before. It's normally reserved for other people, it's only been directed at her once or twice.
>
> As she stood before him Jane took a big breath & then said. "Can I help you with something, Mister Holcomb?"
>
> "Yes. Yes, you can." He said in his normal deep & booming voice. There was no hint of anger or an other ill feelings in it.
>
> Jane started to look around in her purse for a pad of paper & something to write with.
>
> "You'll not need to write this down, just remember it." He said.
>
> Jane stopped looking & looked back at her boss.
>
> "You know how I feel about having your friends show up at the office unexpected, don't you?"
>
> "Yes, Sir." Jane said remembering the last time Chad & Ronnie dropped by for a visit & all the fall out from that brief visit.
>
> "You know that I have banned your boyfriend.."
>
> "Ex-boyfriend, Sir." Jane interrupting him. She knew that she was not to interrupt him when he was speaking but decided to do it anyways.
>
> "All right. You know that I have banned your ex-boyfriend & his mute friend from this establishment & any other places where we might be conducting business. Right?"
>
> "Yes, Sir."
>
> "I would like to amend that."
>
> Jane didn't reply, she was to busy thinking about what could be happening behind those large wooden doors that would cause Ruben Holcomb to leave his own office & wait in the hallway for Jane. She then noticed that he was waiting for an answer. She quickly said. "yes, Sir." Then gave a sheepish grin, he didn't return a smile.
>
> "Good. I am now banning any people from your personal life from visiting the office without prior permission. Do you understand this?"
>
> "Yes, Sir."
>
> "Good. I will be out for rest of the day, there are a few things I need to attend to. Good day, Miss Tarzania." Agent Holcomb said & walked away.
>
> Being his Secretary, Jane didn't know about any meetings that were scheduled that day. She then thought he might have some personal things to deal with but then Jane dismissed that though given that she's never known him to have anything personal to deal with. She then thought she should just let this go & let it just be anything she'll never know the answer to.
>
> Her thoughts then turned to who is in the waiting area & what's happening in there. She prepared for the worst. She always does when Chad & Ronnie might be involved.
>
> Jane opens the left door & enters the waiting room to find it just as was before she went to to lunch. There was nothing out of place. Not that was noticeable at first glance. "Why did Mister Holcomb want to amend that rule if no one was here?" Jane thought. Then the thoughts of "Is someone here?", "Are Chad & Ronnie hiding?" and "Are they in his office?" came to mind.
>
> Then she heard the sound of typing & noticed that there was someone at her desk. From where Jane stood she couldn't tell who it was, the computer's monitor was obscuring their face. There was one thing she could tell, it was neither Chad nor Ronnie.
>
> Jane slowly made her way over to her desk, she could she that it was a Female. She had short sandy blond which was pulled back & into two small ponytails, one on each side of the back of her head. She had somewhat pale skin & was also wearing a pair of black plastic glasses. She was also staring intently at the screen not noticing they were being watched. They were also talking to themselves under their breath, Jane couldn't make out what she was saying.
>
> Draped over the back of Jane's chair was a greying black Hoodie. On this woman's wrists' a few bracelets, on a few of her fingers' were a few rings. One Jane noticed was a ring with what appeared to be a silver Waffle on it. Jane had seen a ring like that before, but where?
>
> The mystery woman's fingernails were painted black, the polish was cracked & chipped in places. On her main person was a body hugging, strapless bright hot pink dress that went down to her mid thigh. On her feet were a black & red stripped socks that went up to her mid thigh, her shoes of choice where blue Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
>
> This woman, who was some how using Jane's computer even thought she had logged off before going to lunch, only began to notice Jane once she was standing a few feet from her. She looked up form the screen. She look at Jane, Jane looked back at her. A smile spread across her face the mystery woman's face. Her emerald eyes sparkled in the office's lighting a mix of both natural & unnatural.
>
> "Jane!" she said.
>
> Jane knew that voice from somewhere. But she didn't have a lot of time to think who it was before they jumped up from the chair & gave Jane a big bear hug.
>
> "Hello?" Jane said a bit surprised & a bit scared.
>
> After the woman released Jane from the hug, she noticed that Jane wasn't exactly who she was. She took off her glass & then said "It's me!"
>
> That wasn't helping all that much.
>
> "It's the hair, isn't it?" She said.
>
> Before Jane could reply, the woman continued on. "I know it's different, well.. actually this my original coloring. I was born with this color but have been dying it darker for the last couple of years. Not sure why but I felt like I needed a change so I decided to not re-dye it this time. Plus, I got my hair cut shorter just to complete the change."
>
> There was some glimmer to recognition.
>
> The mystery woman saw this & then said "Hmmm..." Tapping her right index finger against her lips. She looked at the ceiling, like she was thinking about something.
>
> "Ok. How about this: We met for the first time at a Police station."
>
> Jane began to look a bit more worried.
>
> "It was after Chad was released from jail for being suspected in a series of murders."
>
> Jane began to remember then said. "Catherine?"
>
> The now identified woman smiled & said "Looks like you just hit the jackpot, Tiger." Then, Catherine had a small fit of giggling.
>
> Jane vaguely knew where that comment came from but decided to let it pass.
>
> "What are you doing here?" Jane asked.
>
> "I had some business I need to get done downtown. I also knew you'd be at work, so I stopped on by."
>
> "How'd you get up here? I need a few passwords to get past the public floors?"
>
> "Information!"
>
> "What?"
>
> "Yeah. I just talked to the lady at the Information desk, told her I knew you. She looked you up on her computer, gave me this visitor pass thing." Catherine said as she turned back to the desk & picked up a credit card sized pass. She turned back, holding the card up (It had the word VISITOR printed it in big black text) & continued on. "So, I swiped it at the card reader near the Lobby's elevators, it got me all the way to this floor. I got off the Elevator, walked down the hallway & walked in here. You weren't at here, so I waited."
>
> "When did you get here?"
>
> "I don't know." Catherine said with a shrug of the shoulders. "Maybe 20 minutes to a half hour ago."
>
> "Ok." Jane replied. That was about the time she left for lunch, she must of just missed her. "Go on."
>
> "So, I was just waiting, entertaining myself. Sidenote: You know you might want to get some new Magazines, the ones' you got here are pretty old." Catherine said. She paused then said. "Hmmm... seems like I've said that before but I don't know where."
>
> Catherine shrugs it off then goes back to her previous line of thought. "So, I just waiting around for you, your Boss comes out of his office, I guess he didn't think you had gone since he looked a bit shocked to see you weren't here at your desk. He then noticed me, but how could you not with this dress I'm wearing." Catherine said & paused. Then said. "I bet you've been wondering about the dress, haven't you?"
>
> "Sort of."
>
> "It's the only somewhat normal dress I own & the people I was meeting wanted me in a dress for some reason. So, I wore this."
>
> "You didn't have anything other dresses?"
>
> "Well, yeah. But they are more costumey then this. Also, some are a bit of a hassle to get on. This was the most normal one I own. Well, I did once use this for a Totally Awesome '80's party but this is the most normal dress I own. Plus they didn't seem to mind." Catherine said with a mischievous smile. "So, getting back to your Boss. You do know he's kind of creepy?"
>
> "Yes. You get over that feeling eventually." Jane said. but added in her mind "Hopefully."
>
> "Ok. So, we talked for a moment about who I was, what I was doing there, etc., basic interrogation questions. He said our goodbyes then left he room & stood outside for some reason."
>
> "He wanted to tell me an adjustment to a guideline of his regarding me."
>
> "You have personal guidelines?"
>
> "Yes. Along with the FMRC guidelines, this is a Government organization after all!"
>
> Catherine laughed a bit. She then think that might of been the first joke Jane has ever made since he's known her.
>
> "So after I had flipped through all the interesting looking magazines & it being kind of boring in here: I came over to check if I could use you computer."
>
> "How did you get on to my computer? I had logged out."
>
> "The Post-It note you left on your desk. Plus, you need to come up with a better password, I could have guessed what it was after a few tries."
>
> "I know but I've remembered this one. I'm also kind of afraid I won't be able to remember a new one."
>
> "You don't know this one, you have it written down on a Post-It note."
>
> "True."
>
> "So, I'm just doing a few thing on your 'Puter when you came in."
>
> "Like what?"
>
> "Not much. All the interesting labeled things need a secondary password to get in to look at. You didn't have a Post-It note for those. So, I was just surfin' the web."
>
> Jane looked at the screen, it displayed a site she'd been to a few times before.
>
> "You've got some interesting bookmarks there, Miss Tarzania."
>
> Jane started to blush a bit.
>
> "I noticed that a large chunk of them are Ronnie centric." Catherine said suspisouisly.
>
> "Yes. It started out innocently enough."
>
> "That's what they all say!" Catherine interrupted.
>
> "All right. But I was amazed at how much there is this following to them."
>
> "So, you've found out about the Cult obviously?"
>
> "What?"
>
> "Yeah. I was surprised to find out about that, too. Out off all the people to devote a cult to why them? Well, they don't call themselves a cult per say but a lot of what they doing comes off as being cultish. On the upside it's one few places that Chrismahannaqwanza is celebrated outside of the Chad & Ronnie's apartment." Catherine said with a smile.
>
> "So, you've been to this cult?"
>
> "Yeah. Chad told me about it. He was stopped once on the street by one of their missionaries, very Hari Krishna. They give you a bag of Jelly Beans & they ask if you've accepted the Sacred Duo as your personal saviors. They have a holy book which seems to be mostly hymns recited along to Accordion music. They sing about about Chad, Ronnie, Little Cat, Accordions & such. No mention of either of us, sadly." Catherine said & then frowned for a bit.
>
> "Did they know who Chad was?"
>
> "No. He wasn't in the holy form or something like that."
>
> "Which is what?"
>
> "Long flowly robes, light emanating from their person, floating in mid air, carrying the sacred instrument. Very Jesus except for the Accordion part." Catherine said & smiled. She then added. "2 Side notes: Ronnie is always depicted in the traditional red & yellow with this humongous glowing red afro & Little Cat is always held in his right hand."
>
> "Ok." Jane said a bit weirded out about the whole idea of the thing. Then asked. "Do they have meetings?"
>
> "Yeah. Every week in an old church that they have made over. It's even right here in Parrodpolis, which might be their only location at the moment but then cult is small, it might spread or it might not." Catherine said with a shrug of the shoulders.
>
> Jane was thinking over all this & was having some trouble taking it all in. Then she noticed that it had been a few minutes & nothing had been said. She had also noticed that Catherine was staring at her.
>
> "What?" Jane asked.
>
> "Oh Nothing. Just wandering if you wanted to go & check out a sermon?"
>
> Jane thought about it for a couple moments.
>
> "Well? It's ok if you don't, the meetings due tend to air on the side of the hyper-weirdness, maybe even for Chad & Ronnie."
>
> "Sure. Why not?"
>
> "Because you have something better to do?" Catherine said with a mischievous smile.
>
> "True. But as I've found out it's hard to escape from anything related to Ronnie."
>
> "Yeah. So, when I find out the next meeting is happening, I'll call you & we'll go. Ok?" Catherine said as she picked up her hoodie & put it on.
>
> "ok."
>
> "cool." Catherine said. "See you then."
>
> She turned & then headed out. Just before he left, she waved goodbye. Jane waved back. Then she was alone, she took off her purse & sat down to get back to work. As she did a thought popped into her. "Drat. I found i forgot to ask why she was downtown. I know she said a meeting but what was it about? I guess I'll have to remember next time. But knowing me, I'll probably forget."
>
> Jane laughed to herself & then went about the rest of her afternoon.
>
> ---------------
>
> THE END.
>
> ---------------
>
> The Return of Footnotes!
>
> It's been awhile since I've added Footnotes to any story but I think there might be a few things referenced here that People might not know, so on with the Notes.
>
> The Federal Meta-Human Resource Center (FMRC) first appeared in the Semi-Tranparent Lad series & is/was a major catalysts to many of the events from the series. The Organization was founded by Herbert Garrick during the waning years of Clinton presidency (Bill, not Hillary). The public face of the FMRC is there to help the emerging Meta-Human population. If this is actually the reason for the organization is yet to be seen. It had been long stated that Jane worked as a Secretary, where she work was unrevealed until it was shown in the story "Thursday Morning Meeting".
>
> This story takes place a few weeks after the events of "Catherine meets The Man with Glass Breasts" which has allowed her hair to go through the change. It had been stated a few times & seen in the Moderatorverse (MV) that Catherine's hair color is that sandy blond & not that of the black she had been dying it. During her transition between the MV & the normal Parodyverse: she had made some mention of wanting to have her natural coloring once again. But She doesn't know this due to the fact that she doesn't know about the Moderatorverse or he involvement in it.
>
> Jane & Catherine meet for the first time in what is actually Catherine's first story appearance the concluding chapter of "The Chad & Ronnie Murder Mystery". The murderer was revealed to be Chad's Satireverse counter part Chadwick, who is currently dead. As is his companion Ronald (Ronnie's Satireverse counterpart), they died at different times.
>
> Catherine has uttered the line given by Mary-Jane Watson once before when she first meet & was interviewed by the IOL Robot double of Lee Bookman, who believed it was Lee. It was attempting to fully understand Chad & Ronnie, this activity had driven the robot slightly insane.
>
> Catherine has wondered about out of date magazines before. She did so in the Moderatorverse epilogue story entitled "In Transit". She was told by a cosmic being that having out of date magazines brought balance to the Universe & having new magazines would through this off. Catherine doesn't remember this due to the fact that she doesn't know about the Moderatorverse or he involvement in it.
>
> Catherine does own a variety of costumes (She has a whole closet full of them) & some are dresses (She loaned Jane a Dorothy costume when they foursome attended the CSFB's wedding on Halloween). Another dress that she wore on a few occasions (that same wedding & a funeral) is a gothic dress. This is the first & maybe only appearance the hot pink dress.
>
> Jane had been seen searching the the Internet for info on Chad & Ronnie in "Thursday Morning Meeting", which is also the first of the handful of story appearances so far of Catherine's Father.
>
> This marks the second mention of a Chad & Ronnie cult, in an early story there was an appearance of tribe in South America who worshipped giant stone statues in Chad & Ronnie's images so I guess you could consider that course of action cultish. The items mentioned in relation to the Parrodipolis based cult have been mentioned before:
> - Chrismahannqwanza is the winter holiday that is by the duo & apparently this cult.
> - Ronnie is never without some jelly beans & has a per chance for sticking them up his nose. All of Ronnie's clothing are in one of two colors: Red or Yellow. Some items (like his socks) have both colors. He has a large afro of bright red hair.
> - Chad is almost never seen without his accordion. Two times he was with it was when he was in Jail & being held hostage in the back room of a Wally-World store.
> - Little Cat is the hamster shared by the two & appears to survive off a diet of Jelly Beans.
>
> This is not the first time that Catherine has taken Jane out to do something. In the 2 part story "Girl's Night Out" Catherine took Jane out for a Meal on a Friday night.
|
|
