This bomb was nothing like the cutting-edge devices they'd encountered before.

This time, it was more intricate, more cunning, with an arrangement that was both deceptive and, upon closer inspection, almost childish.

Yes, that was the word-childish.

Atop the delicate balance lay a common spherical dog toy, the kind that shouldn't be nudged in the slightest. A mere touch could set the whole thing off.

But who the heck puts a dog toy on a bomb? Especially one that squeaks.

"Vivienne, what's the situation in there?" Percival could only peer through the crack in the door, unable to see the full picture.

Vivienne held a pair of scissors in her hands, the familiar sight of the wiring giving her a sense of déjà vu.

Percival, getting no response, called out again, "Vivienne?"

Vivienne shook the scissors, "All good."

She got down on her knees, scanning the rainbow of wires before snipping one decisively.

Tick!

The toy fell off the balance, rolling across the floor and ending up under the desk with a soft thunk.

"Come on in," Vivienne said, placing the scissors on the table.

The bomb wasn't inherently difficult; it just appeared dazzlingly complex. In reality, it was still the red wire.

Percival entered, realizing he was sweating bullets. He had defused a thirty-second countdown bomb in his heyday without breaking a sweat, but this had unnerved him.

It wasn't until he heard Vivienne's voice that he understood just how frightened he'd been.

"It's not a new type of bomb, just an ordinary one with a fancy setup. Looks tough, but it's just a smoke and mirrors act."

suppressing a smirk. She looped her arms around Percival's neck, her alluring gaze

pulled her into an embrace, burying his face in her neck, inhaling

knew Percival

not like we haven't been

the students from Class Eighteen had been

flashed in

his back, "This is the enemy's tactic. I've

too well that Vivienne was the most intelligent woman on earth. And if anyone wanted

with fear. This fear was instinctual, an

tightly, their heartbeats

Tick-tock... tick-tock...

ticking broke the silence in

as she located

toy beneath the desk. It was now pressing on the actual bomb

the supposedly defunct bomb activated a countdown, rapidly ticking down to single

were caught off

her towards the door and

pounded on the door,

instant, she knew what he

the blast with his body, buying her time

damn door!" Vivienne kicked at

and lock of the TCL lab were made of top-grade materials, impervious to brute

far corner, using his body as a

wanted was to buy Vivienne a few

and kicked at the door with all

Bang!

the office, followed by a sound akin to a popping balloon. Vivienne's mighty kick had

on the floor from the momentum, charging through

"Mr. Wolf!"

with dust, his shirt torn at the chest, his hair sticking up in wild

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