Manon was dusting the buffet in the sitting room. Her feet were aching in her high heels and then she decided to take them off. She could clean the house in her pantyhose just fine. She had been a maid for the Sullivan’s now for three months and frankly it was demeaning. The maid uniform she was forced to wear while resembled the sexy maid outfits they sold at the Halloween store or a fetish shop and those heels, why on earth would you force a maid to wear those stiletto heels while cleaning?

But she needed the job, she just got into Art School and her parents weren’t about to pay for such a frivolous study. They’d rather she went to Med school or become a lawyer. She needed the money, however she didn’t need to wear her heels, right now, if she’d put them on right before Mister Sullivan would return home nobody would ever know. Or would he be watching from some hidden camera’s. She looked around the room and then shrugged. The Sullivan’s owned about every other building in town and they weren’t the most kind or compassionate people, but they wouldn’t spy on her, right?

The melody of the big bang echoed through the house, Manon put down her duster and walked towards the front door. Through the stained glass windows she only saw a silhouette of a lady. She didn’t expect anyone, she opened her door and there stood Lady N, at least Lady N was her code name for this specific project, but off course Manon didn’t know that. Manon just saw a rich lady with a tight tulip skirt, a silky blouse, satin gloves, a pearl necklace and two big black suitcases.

‘Can I help you?’ Manon asked thinking it was a cousin or a niece from mister Sullivan that would stay over for the weekend. She wished mister Sullivan had said something though, so she could’ve prepared the guest room.

Then the lady held out her hand and sprayed a dollop of reddish-pink smoke into Manon’s face. It made her cough and her eyes started watering.

‘What do you do that for?’ Manon said a bit frustrated, she was getting light-headed quickly though. The lady puffed another cloud of the reddish-pink smoke into her face and Manon head trouble keeping her eyes open, she was feeling irresistibly sleepy, she started nid-nodding and swaying, her knees started to give way and she fell forward.

The lady skillfully caught her before she would drop onto the ground. ‘Good girl,’ she said softly stroking Manon’s hair. ‘Now take a little nap while I set-up my gear.’ From a close distanced she covered Manon’s entire face in the red smoke and Manon went limp in the lady’s arms as she succumbed to the sleep.

When Manon woke-up she was tied down on a chair in the formal dining room. She tried to blink the grogginess away and to figure out what was going on.

‘Good Morning, sweetheart.’ The lady said, she had been fumbling with some canisters and hoses and now she moved to the front so Manon could see her.

‘You?’ Manon said as she recognized the lady. ‘What did you do to me.’

‘Not much.’ The lady said shrugging. ‘I just gave you some knock-out gas and I tied you down, so I could set this up in piece. The question should be: what am I going to do to you? Or an even better question would be: what are you going to do to Clark tonight.’

‘What?’ Manon said while frowning.

‘Are you a bit groggy still, love?’ The lady said. ‘Don’t worry I’m not done yet anyway.’

‘But… wait… what is going on?’

Now the lady reached out her hand and briefly squeezed Manon’s cheek. ‘You’re going to help me recruit Clark, and when he’s a minion of mine we’re going to use his wealth and influence to do some sleepy time projects all around the neighborhood.’

‘What’s a sleepy time project?’ Manon asked confused. ‘Who’s Clark?’

‘Clark Ruben Gabriel Sullivan, the man of the house off course.’ She said.

‘But how…?