Chapter 89: The Bank

He opened the faceplate. He saw the silhouette of a humanoid dinosaur with a broad chest, muscular arm and legs and a long tail.James thought he needed more aliens or monsters with strength. 

His body was engulfed in a brilliant, pulsating light. The air crackled with energy. James' body distorted, his limbs elongated. In a surge of radiant energy, James` features reshape, and his form took on a colossal, imposing stature. His height increased, his limbs became more robust, and his head changed into a massive, reptilian head. 

"Humungousaur," Humungousaur said as he picked up the perk machine with his two hands. He walked out of the bar with a perk machine in hands.

"Dino is back," Shizuka exclaimed, as she watched Humungousaur approach. "He still looks cuddly," she added with a playful grin.

Yuriko glanced at the machine Humungousaur was carrying and then at the Humvee. "Another one?" she asked. She eyed the growing collection of perk machines and items now strapped to the vehicle.

Lois crossed her arms.. "It's going to be tough getting all that to the tower," she remarked, though she ended with a shrug.

Humungousaur carefully placed the Stamin-Up Machine on top of the Double Tap Machine, already secured on the Humvee's roof. The vehicle's suspension creaked and groaned under the additional weight, the chassis lowering noticeably.

"It's definitely going to struggle," Saya observed, as she handed out the Stamin-Up bottles to Lois, Yuriko, and Shizuka.

Yuriko looked at the bottle. "Is this going to taste awful as well?" she asked.

Rei nodded. "It was," she confirmed.

"But she chugged it down anyway," Saeko added with a small smirk. 

Rei looked back. She thought she french kissed him. She needed to french kiss him.

Lois sighed, bracing herself as she uncapped the bottle. "Here goes nothing," she muttered before taking a tentative sip. Her face contorted briefly in disgust, but she forced herself to swallow. "Horrible," she remarked. 

Yuriko followed suit, pinching her nose as she took a sip. "I've had better, but I suppose if it helps us survive, it's worth it," she said, as the liquid went down.

Shizuka took a swig without hesitation. "Why do all these perks taste like they were brewed in a cauldron of bad ideas?" she asked, shaking her head.

"You did not ask what it was?" Saya asked. 

"We trust James," Shizuka replied, wiping her mouth. 

"Thank you for trusting me," Humungousaur replied. He looked at the Bank. "Let's go inside that," he added.

"Why do we need money now?" Rei asked, as she watched Humungousaur look around. The idea of gathering cash seemed out of place in their current situation.

"We don't have space for it," Yuriko added, gesturing toward the already overloaded Humvee. The vehicle was packed to the brim.

"It's not the money we're after," he explained. "There's something else which could be useful for us inside that bank," he added.

"Oh, that makes more sense," Rei muttered, feeling a bit relieved. The thought of stuffing bills into their already cramped space had been daunting.

"You guys go ahead, we'll guard the vehicles," Lois said. Her hand rested on the grip of her weapon.

Humungousaur, Rei, Saya, Jasmine, and Saeko exchanged quick nods before turning their attention to the bank and entering. 

The heavy front doors creaked loudly as they pushed them open. The bank had clearly been ransacked long before their arrival. Papers littered the floor, desks were overturned, and shattered glass on the floor. 

"What a mess," Saya remarked.

Rei moved ahead, her M4W raised as she looked around the room. "Stay close," she instructed.

Jasmine followed, her Red Hawk drawn and ready.

"Let's make this quick," Saeko said. "The longer we stay, the more likely we'll attract attention," she added.

Humungousaur took the lead. They followed him deeper into the bank. Broken cameras dangled from the ceiling, their wires frayed and exposed, while the walls were scarred with deep gouges, as if something—or someone—had clawed its way through.

At the end of the hallway, they came to a large metal door. The word "Vault" was written above. The door was in a rusty condition. A massive lock, resembling a cheap wheel, held the door in place.

Humungousaur approached the lock, his massive hands dwarfing the wheel as he gripped it tightly. "It's behind this," he rumbled. He ripped the lock apart as if it were made of paper, the steel snapping with a loud crack that echoed through the hallway. The heavy door groaned in protest as it broke free, the hinges squealing before finally giving way under the immense pressure.

As the door clattered to the ground, the girls exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of awe and relief.

"Impressive," Rei remarked.

Saeko smiled softly, as she added, "That's Danna-sama for you." 

He carefully set the door aside, revealing the entrance to the vault beyond. The room inside was dark and musty, the air thick with the scent of old, decaying paper and stale, stagnant air. The vault had clearly been untouched for years.

"Is there something here?" Saya asked.

Humungousaur scanned the room, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something out of place. The passage to the back of the vault. He let out a low growl of frustration. "I forgot to put the turbine down at the Power Station," he admitted.

The girls sighed in unison. "Do we need to go back?" Jasmine asked.

Humungousaur shook his head. "No," he replied firmly. "It's not that important. We can live without it," he added, though the thought of missing out on the chance for a second Pack-a-Punch nagged at him.

"Let's leave," Humungousaur said. They all nodded and left the Bank and met with everyone else. 

"Nothing back?" Lois asked.

Humungousaur turned back into James. "No, forget one thing so it was not open but not the end of the world," James said.

"We are close, there is now the final place to go and we should be almost there," James stated. 

"Finally," Saya said.