Chapter 9- Chiot

The single spotlight turned off, it was night, leaving the girls in utter darkness. Couleuvre felt her body being taken off her bindings. The lights were always on, this was strange. Nui definitely wasn't the one causing all of this.

A spotlight on the side of the room was lit, revealing a certain blue-haired boy standing under it, looking outside the window. Hoka pushed a button on an old controller, revealing a blonde-girl under it. "Oh! Lookie, Couleuvre! The doggie came to see us!"

Hoka smirked at Nonon's nickname. "I came for revenge, and to see Snake, not Couleuvre."

Nui giggled, "we'll you're not going to see her, dog. Maybe I should give you a name too," the girl mused as she backed in the shadows. Her laugh cut through the darkness. "I like Chiot! Hyup, I can call you Chiot and Couleuvre! Tee hee!" Nui's voice chimed closer to the dog, he coiled his body for an attack. Nui's voice was near the edge of the light when she rang, "but Chiot won't be alive for long!"

Nui jumped into the light with her largest needle, and stabbed him right through the heart. His body split through the pressure as Nui cut through him and landed on the other side. Before she could look back, his body had put itself back together in a flash of light.

"H-how did you-"

"You should recognize a hologram when you see one." Most of the lights turned on to reveal dozens of Hoka's. He (or they) held up a (lot of) projector (s), revealing the device he worked so hard to duplicate.

Nui's eyes widened in surprise. She tried to cut through all of the projections, unable to figure out which was the real dog. A trail of red life fiber followed her needle as she strung through each dog.

Hoka reached the table that Nonon was on. He had seen a glimpse of where she was as he had set up the projectors.

"When did you-"

All of the mouths of the dogs opened to speak, "I've been told by a certain snake that I'm hard to hear as I walk in the shadows, unlike a short, blonde girl I know." This made Nui furious.

He unbounded the body that laid on the table. It was cold and... hallow? No, that can't be right... It was hard and rough to the touch too. It was... a mannequin?! Hoka had been tricked. Nui snuck behind the dog, wrapping the fiber around his neck so he couldn't escape.

He dropped the controller, turning off all the projectors and lights, except for one. Under one new spotlight, Nonon sat bound to a chair, facing him. She was on the other side of the table.

"She's beaten you, dog... Surrender before you get hurt."

The dog raised his hands as Nui loosened her grip.

"He's a smart dog, Couleuvre! Can we please please please keep him?"

Couleuvre nodded, and Nui let go. Nui untied Couleuvre from her chair. Couleuvre raised herself and ran to Hoka. He saw she was wearing her life-fiber clothing. She flawlessly hurdled the table between them and he caught her into a hug. Couleuvre could return to Nonon Jakuzure, at least for a little bit. He rested his chin on her head.

"Ohh! How cute! Chiot and Couleuvre do like each other!" This was a false statement and they knew it. It wasn't Chiot and Couleuvre who liked each other, it was Hoka and Nonon who were head-over-heels in love with each other.

"But I'm not just going to let you stay here yet, Chiot. First you have to do something for little-ol' me!" Chiot broke the hug and turned to Nui's voice. She walked to them. "And if you don't do exactly as I say, I won't hesitate to cut off Couleuvre's head, and paint this building with her blood... And I'll let you watch the whole thing!" Chiot nodded.

*at the academy*

Hoka calmly walked into the nurses office. Satsuki and the others were consious and Gamagori and Uzu were able to roll around in wheelchairs.

"So, how'd it go, Inumuta? Any leads on Nui?" Aikuro asked.

"Say you didn't learn any thing about yours truly," rang Nui through the one-way transmitter Hoka gave her to communicate with him with.

"No, I got nothing," he answered with a shrug.

"So what're you gonna do now?" Gamagori asked.

"Say you'll look for clues somewhere else tomorrow."

"I'm going to look for clues somewhere else... tomorrow."

"Oh, you don't need a break? You've been lookin' for Nui while the rest of us been doing squat to help look," Ryuko interjected as she worked with one of Satsuke's arms.

"Say they've been helpful, and you want to keep looking alone."

"No, no. Your hands are full here. I don't require any assistance."

Mako Makanshoku entered the room with five deep-fried bags of food, bag most likely being an ingredient in the food. She passed bags to the four injured students. Hoka sat on the edge of his bed. Mako placed the bag with a pink ribbon on a counter.

"Are those allowed in the nurse's office?" Uzu asked.

"Probably not, but who cares," shrugged Ryuko.

"Go to sleep and don't bark, Chiot."

Hoka laid down, and once hi head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.