Jackie now tried to calm herself as she approached Ann's office building. Yes she looked exactly like Ann, she even knew most of what Ann knew. Still her nerves were getting the best of her.
"What am I doing," she thought as she entered the building. "I'm not a spy! What am I going to do once I see these things?"
Approaching the night guard, Jackie smiled nervously as the guard nodded. "Evening Ms. O'Toole," he said. "Wasn't expecting to see you til Monday."
"I needed to double check something in my office," Jackie said. "Its not a problem if I go is it?"
"Of course not," the guard smiled. Jackie thanked him, making her way towards the elevator as the guard began reading a newspaper. Breathing a small sigh of relief, Jackie entered the elevator.
"Okay," she whispered, pulling out Ann's security card. "Let's hope this goes smoothly."
Swiping Ann's security card, Jackie now watched as one of the elevator buttons illuminated. Pressing it she could now feel it moving down. As it came to a stop and opened, Jackie stepped out onto the R&D floor.
The floor was deserted, the researchers and scientists having left for the day. As Jackie made her way through the floor she could see various unfinished projects the company was working on. "Wonder if these have anything to do with Project White Knight," she thought. "Which reminds me, where are these suits Ann was talking about?"
Jackie's ring now began to glow, seeming to point her towards what she wanted. "Huh didnt know you could do that," she whispered. "Okay, point the way."
Jackie now watched as a narrow beam of light now pointed towards a large door at the far end of the floor. Slowly Jackie approached, apprehensively looking around as she scanned the security card before opening the door. "Whoa," she gasped.
Ann wasnt kidding when she said they were alot of them. Jackie could see close to 100 suits bow lined up, all in various ranges of completion. Jackie now studied them closely, noticing their seemed to be several different models of suits that Ann was developing.
Jackie could see a heavily armored suit armed with crowd suppression armaments, a more streamlined suit that appeared to be for the infantry, even a suit that appeared to be for the Air Force. Taking out her cellphone, Jackie now began taking pictures of the suits. "Wish their was a way to get some of these to the Magic Shop," she whispered. "Love to be able to study these things and see what we're dealing with."
Once more Jackie's ring began to glow. Confused the disguised teen now pointed the ring at three of the suits, her eyes growing wide in astonishment.
Somehow the ring opened a portal underneath the suits she had been studying. As the portal grew wider the suits simply vanished before the portal vanished once more. In seconds it became impossible to tell that there suits were now missing. "Solves that problem," she shrugged. "Maybe I should poke around a little more before leaving?"
As Jackie weighed her options she was startled to see the suits now spring to life, the sounds of the machines turning on alarming the teen. "What's going on," she thought. "Why is everything turning on?"
Jackie now experienced an odd feeling, feeling light headed she braced herself against the wall. Trying to clear her head, she paused as she looked herself over.
Ann's business suit that she had borrowed seemed to be growing baggier on her. Curiously she studied herself before gazing at her reflection in a nearby window. Jackie gasped, the spell that had transformed her into Ann's doppleganger was fading. Jackie's hair was lengthening returning to it's original brown while her body was losing its adult curvature. Even Jackie's face was returning to its previous teenage appearance. In only a moment Jackie found herself 16 once more, dressed in a now ill fitting business suit.
"We knew it was only a matter of time before one of you entered here,"
Jackie felt her blood run cold as she gazed out into the darkened room. "Who are you," she exclaimed. "What do you want?"
The voice did not answer, causing Jackie to become anxious. Someone was here and she needed to get out of here quickly. As she turned to run, she screamed as she ran headlong into something.
The creature before looked dead. Rotting, graying flesh covered in tattered red robes, a beauty mask made of gold covering the creatures face. Before Kackie could act the creature grabbed Jackie's face, the teen attempting to scream as the lich Selene siphoned her life force.
"Do not kill her Selene."
Selene released Jackie, the pale teen falling to the floor unconscious. "What is the meaning of this Casseus," she screamed. "She trespassed, her life force is mone for the taking."
Casseus scowled as he gazed at the unconscious teen. "She could be a source of valuable information," he said. "That the wizards can now shapeshift is surprising. Still, it appears the anti magic dampeners installed in the suits did their job."
"So what shall you do with her then," Selene asked.
"Take her Dyson," Casseus grinned. "Let's see if he can loosen her tongue."
***********************************
Ann had been pacing anxiously ever since Jackie left. She had told her she thought it was a bad idea, yet Jackie had convinced her. The womans apprehension had only grown worse when Jackie's daughter Angelica had arrived along with the future Lynne and Morgan.
"I still dont understand why you three didnt return to your own time," Ann sighed.
"With everything that's happened it probably wouldnt be a great idea to go back Aunt Ann," Morgan said. "We want to make sure everyone is okay first. We dont know if we can make a return trip if we have to."
Ann sighed in annoyance before glancing at Jackie's future daughter. "So can you tell me what me and Jackie are like in the future?"
"Best not to ask Aunt Ann," Lynne stated. "Think weve screwed up the timeline enough."
Before Ann could respond a flash of light illuminated her apartment. Curiously Anjelica approached, crying out in shock and sadness. "What's wrong," Morgan exclaimed.
Anjelica now held a small object in her hand, her eyes filling with tears. "Its moms ring," she whimpered. "Somethings happened to my mom."