What walks and sleeps at the same time, but doesn't sleepwalk?
Alex was in two places at once. He was following behind someone in Cardopolis, while simultaneously lying in bed on Earth. He was lucid dreaming.
Since Scott had told him he was capable of this, it was his first time actually trying it. Just like Scott said, when asleep, he didn't need the help of a General to move around Cardpolis. He could move freely, and although he still couldn't touch anything, he didn't feel the need to right now. Watching her was all he needed.
Leena was walking in a garden of her estate, watching the flowers in bloom. Only when watching this beautiful girl would Alex be at ease. Near her, he didn't feel restless or annoyed.
"Staring at the stars on a cool night.
Losing oneself in their glorious light.
I find myself breaking into poetry,
but this is the limit of my verbal ability."
Alex's eyes were closed, savoring his words as they seemingly echoed in the night air. He spontaneously composed a poem, feeling proud of his accomplishment. He thought if Leena could hear his art, she would immediately fall in love.
Some distance away, Hades, Houdini, and Scott stood behind a tree eavesdropping. At the end of the poem, they looked at each other, then as if on cue, all swiftly flew into the distance.
They couldn't risk hearing more "art."
***
BOOM BANG BANG
Loud sounds were coming from Alex's headphones as he sat at his PC, playing a game.
"Shut up! I'm not feeding! I just started this game!" He was taking more damage in voice chat than he was in the game. Every minute or so he would look over at the card of Balor's eye sitting next to his PC, as if fighting hard to restrain himself from something.
'Sir, we really need to continue collecting cultivation resources to strengthen ourselves for the apocalypse.' Scott attempted to persuade him.
"We just did a job, don't act like we've already spent all of it on drugs and strippers in one day. Besides, why would I want to be turned into a chocolate M&M again, just so you can tell me I've gone from a super waste to a regular waste?" Alex would not be fooled twice.
'Sir, the next target should be able to provide you with better resources. There might even be some advanced science and technology products.'
Alex's ears perked up. "What kind of products?"
'Sir, I'm not sure what specific items they will have. I only know that this facility is currently the premier research base of high-end technology on Earth. In fact, you have likely heard of it, it is called...Area 51.'
Alex deeply inhaled as he dropped his headphones and swiveled his chair away from his computer. He was so excited he forgot to let go of the mouse, which he still held tightly midair off the table.
BANG BANG BANG
"You bastard! We're on the same team!" Low sounds continued to emit from the headphones as Alex walked away from his desk and looked out the window.
"Where did you say is the target?" Alex double-checked his hearing.
'Area 51, Sir.'
...
Several minutes later, Alex came out of the kitchen and returned to the window. He was now wearing a tinfoil hat shaped like a sailboat. "Ok, we can talk now. They can't hear us."
Growing paranoid, Alex turned on the TV to create additional noise to interfere with any listening devices.
"It's the crime of the century! Billions of dollars in gold have been stolen in a robbery yesterday at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York." A news report came on. Alex couldn't help but smile, feeling great pride.
"The robbery was a violent one. Thirteen security officers were found dead at the scene. Their bodies were so badly damaged that forensics experts could not conclusively say much about what happened to them. The FBI brought in special investigators from their department of criminal psychology." The image cut to a man with long gray hair, wearing rimless oval glasses.
"Our experts have analyzed the perpetrator's likely actions at the scene and were able to develop some hypotheses. Based on the level of violence and difficulty in examining the bodies, we cannot conclusively rule out the possibility that he sexually assaulted the victims before, or more likely after they die--"
BOOM
The tv now had a gold brick lodged in the middle of it.
"What experts?!? These guys are perverts! Don't they have cameras?!? Why ruin my reputation?!? Alex screamed.
'Sir, the Rodwells likely wiped the video footage so as not to publicize the evidence of supernatural powers,' Scott rationalized.
Sigh...Alex needed to get his mind off this slander. "Tell me the details of the Area 51 plan."
'Sir, the plan is not too different than the one to rob the Federal Reserve. You will go in invisibly and steal. It's simple.'
"You said that last time...and now everyone thinks I'm Jeffrey Dahmer. Besides, won't the Rodwells be prepared now?"
'Sir, the Rodwells have dozens of facilities all across the United States. Even if they knew you were going to attack. In a short time, they would not be able to increase security at all of them.'
"How many aliens will I have to fight?"
"Sir, there is no such thing as aliens from outer space. Area 51 is merely an underground testing site for cutting edge military technology. The UFOs you have heard of are a branch of the secret human tech of the Illuminati."
"...Not even Chewbacca?" Alex's eyes became wet as he felt his childhood dream slipping away from him.
'...I'm so sorry for your loss, Sir.