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 into an embrace, burying his face in her neck,
knew Percival
like we
Felix kidnapped the students from Class Eighteen
flashed in Percival's eyes, "I'm
patted his back, "This is the enemy's tactic. I've
the most intelligent woman on earth. And
wavered with fear. This
other tightly, their heartbeats slowly
Tick-tock... tick-tock...
broke the silence
narrowed as she located
eyeing the spherical dog toy beneath the desk. It was now pressing
activated a countdown, rapidly ticking down to single
off guard, with no time to
the door and quickly
door, "Percival, open up, OPEN
she knew
to shield the blast with his body, buying her time to
damn door!" Vivienne kicked
of the TCL lab were made of top-grade
the bomb in the far corner, using his body as
buy Vivienne
kicked at the door with all her
Bang!
enveloped the office, followed by a sound akin to a
from the momentum, charging through the
"Mr. Wolf!"
his shirt torn at the chest, his
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