Chapter 11: No More Peace and Quiet
Seven Stars and seven Hosts walk down a dirt path in a dark forest wearing casual clothing. Some look around uneasily with slight fear in their eyes. A few of them have bored, inattentive looks on their faces. Ryuu, on the other hand, looks overly confident.
"How are you the only Star who knows where Melissa lives?" Rin asks. Ryuu grunts. "Fine, I won't pry" Rin says. "Besides, it's none of my business what the two of you do in your free time anyway." She smirks.
"It's not like that, okay?" Ryuu growls. "Melissa got sick and called me up. You know you can't say 'no' when she begs you with that baby voice of hers."
"You mean the, 'Pleeeeease?' that she uses when she really wants something?" Rin asks.
Ryuu nods. "That's the one."
"Are we there yet?" Suzume whines.
"My feet are killing me" Tamaki adds.
"Quit complaining, Senpai" Haruhi says.
"It's so far away from the rest of the world" Chiyo comments. "Why doesn't she just live with the rest of us at the Yukimura Estate?"
"She probably enjoys the peace and quiet" Masato says bluntly.
"Have you met Melissa? That girl is anything but peace and quiet" Rin counters.
"What can we be expecting of Miss Momozono's home?" Kyoya asks Ryuu.
"Uh…" Ryuu stops abruptly, causing the group to bump into one another.
"I probably should've told you earlier" Ryuu says with a nervous chuckle as sweat drops down the side of his face. "Her place is under pretty high security."
"What?!" Everyone exclaims.
Ryuu lifts his hands up in surrender. "Hey! I'm sorry, okay? Anyway, we're real close now, so keep it down. I'll disable all of her traps."
"You can do that?" Hikaru asks.
"And not get killed?" Kaoru adds. Ryuu scoffs.
"Of course I can. I've been here before, haven't I?"
"Point made" the twins say.
He motions for everyone to stay put, then he runs into the forest and disappears. Moments later, loud gunfire echoes through the trees, and several other war-like noises join in. The group watches in horror as explosions go off in random areas, and sparks appear out of nowhere.
"I hope Ryuu's okay" Kazumi whimpers softly as Kazuki wraps his arms around his fragile little sister.
"I hope the forest will be okay" Suzume quips. Suddenly, all of the noise and chaos stops, and the forest falls deathly quiet.
"That was freaky" the twins remark.
"Yeah, no kidding" Haruhi says, her voice cracking slightly. The female host is trembling.
"I'm scared, Takeshi" Honey whimpers. Mori picks his cousin, who immediately clambers up and onto his shoulder.
"It's safe" Ryuu says, reappearing from the trees.
"Kya!" Suzume screams, jumping onto Satoru's back in surprise.
"Oof!" Satoru staggers under his friend's unexpected weight.
"Follow me." Ryuu starts walking again, and everyone cautiously follows (Suzume still on Satoru's back).
"I don't believe it" Rin mutters as Ryuu stops to open a set of large, cast iron gates. Behind the gates is an even larger country-house mansion; bigger than the Yukimura Estate. It was around five stories tall, with British, Victorian-style architecture. Gardens surround the building, and an expansive yard around it creates a beautiful, picturesque scene.
"That's what I said when I first saw it too" Ryuu says, ushering everyone through the gate before closing it behind them. "You wouldn't expect something like this from her, would you?"
"Actually, it's exactly how I imagined it" Rin says dryly. "She's totally the type to go overboard in design."
"From what I read" Kyoya says, "she also inherited this when her former trainer died."
"Stalker" Haruhi comments flatly. Ryuu leads the group up to the front door and presses a modernized doorbell with a speaker. It buzzes, and they can hear the mic turn on, but no response from the other end.
"It's the Stars and Ouran gang" Ryuu says into the doorbell. "We're here to -" He's cut off when the light on the doorbell turns off. They look at each other; how odd. A minute passes, then two, then five. Suddenly, the door swings open and Melissa runs out, hustles everyone inside, and slams the door shut. They watch in amazement as Melissa locks four locks and a deadbolt, then presses her back against the extravagantly carved door with a frantic expression on her face.
"What in blaze's name are all of you doing here?!" She shouts. Everyone (except for Masato and Kyoya) cower in fear.
"Everyone was worried about you" Kyoya says calmly.
"You weren't at school. Nor were you with the agency." Masato adds, equally calm. "I called your cell phone; twice. Why didn't you pick up?"
Melissa's eyes dart around the room, then whispers, "Because there might be more of those frickin' bugs! I can't risk anything."
"Bugs?" Tamaki tilts his head.
Melissa sighs in exasperation. "Yes, bugs. As in 'spyware'? Being such high-society people, I'd have expected you to know what I'm talking about. Don't you guys have to be aware of that stuff too?"
"I guess so" Tamaki admits.
"So you think you're being watched?" Kyoya clarifies.
"Not think" Melissa corrects. "I know."
"What would lead you to believe that?
"Well…" Melissa looks down at the ground.
"Is there something you aren't telling us, Miss Momozono?" Kyoya asks, raising an eyebrow. The little ninja looks nervously around the group.
"I may or may not have gotten into trouble the last time I was in America" she says vaguely, avoiding all eye contact.
"What kind of trouble?" Kazuki asks, narrowing his eyes.
"I didn't say that I actually did!"
"Okay" Kazuki sighs, "what kind of 'hypothetical' trouble?"
"Gangs…?" She says, almost like a question. Melissa shakes her head. "It's none of your concern. And none of you" she looks pointedly at Kyoya, "are to get involved. This is serious business."
"Miss Momozono" Kyoya begins, "my family -"
"I'm well aware that your family owns a secret service - or what-not - police force" Melissa says. "But I don't need it. I can take care of it myself."
"Melissa-senpai, we're here to help" Rin cuts in. "Wasn't it you who told me to rely on others?"
"I told you that because you're still learning how to rely on others" Melissa replies. "I know how to, but I'mchoosing not to."
"Same thing, isn't it?" Rin counters. Melissa scoffs.
"Melissa, I don't care about the risks" Kazuki says, walking up to Melissa and towering over her. "I want to help."
"I would like to help too" Mori says. The other Hosts looks at him in shock.
"I know you guys want to help, but I can't get you guys involved" Melissa says, smiling weakly up at the two men.
"Get us involved" Tamaki says resolutely. "You've become part of our family; just like Rin. We want to do everything in our power to help." Melissa looks around at everyone's willing faces.
"Pleeeease?" Suzume asks, imitating Melissa. Kazumi joins Suzume with large, shining eyes; Melissa sighs in resignation.
"Well, I guess I should start from the beginning." Melissa motions for them to follow, and she leads them to a black, elegantly gothic-designed sitting room. In fact, the whole mansion seemed dark and gothic.
"I was in America last month" she begins once everyone is seated. "Obviously, it was before we joined Ouran. I have permission from Daichi-san to leave the country when I need to, because I have my own business to attend to, besides the Yukimura Stars Project."
"Anyway" she continues, "while I was there, there was a group of New York thugs who were attempting to sexually abuse a girl who I recognized as one of my one-night-class students. Of course, I wasn't going to let that happen if I could do anything about it, so I… intervened…"
"You mean, you smashed the guys' heads together, and punched the last one standing in the gut" Ryuu translates.
Melissa shakes her head. "Nope. There wasn't a 'last one standing'."
"So, you just knocked their heads together?"
"Precisely."
"I think I'm going to be sick" Haruhi mumbles. Melissa smirks at the female host, then continues her story.
"The day after I returned to Japan, I received a letter in the mail from America. Come to find out that the guys I ran into were part of a large, New York mob. They call themselves The Fire Ants."
"Pfft." Hikaru and Kaoru attempt to muffle their laughter.
"I agree, it's a ridiculous name" Melissa says. "But, they're ridiculous people. Their letter informed me that they want their pound of flesh."
"You mean, they want you to go back to America so they can have their way with you?" Ryuu asks; she nods.
"Could you be a little more discreet about those types of things?" Chiyo asks, pulling a face. Melissa chuckles wryly.
"It's not exactly what you think it means" she says. "Having 'their way' just means that they can do what they want to me. They can do… that… or, they can beat me to a bloody pulp, skin me alive, use me as a punching bag, or a moving target. They can even -"
"Alright, Miss Momozono. I believe we understand" Kyoya cuts in. Melissa stops and blinks, then looks around at all of the sick faces.
"Oh, sorry. Guess I went a little graphic there, huh?" Her bubbly personality was a thing of the past; the girl in front of them was completely serious. Any attempted jokes came off as cynical.
"Will you go back to America?" Mori asks after a long pause.
Melissa shakes her head. "Not now; not when they want me to or expect me to, at least. I'll go back on my own time, but first, I need a game plan."
"Melissa, why weren't you at Ouran today?" Tamaki suddenly asks. "If you've been in danger all this time, why stop coming now?"
"Oh, well, that's because of this." Melissa stands and leaves the room, returning moments later with a petrie dish.
"You see it?" She says, holding it out so everyone can look inside.
"That looks like a whole bunch of metal dust to me" Honey says, peering inside with wide eyes.
"That's because it is" Melissa replies. "It was a spyware bug. I found it under my bed today, and -"
"- And you promptly smashed it to pieces" Chiyo concludes.
Melissa nods sheepishly. "I would've kept it for examination, but I had already found one in my shower early this morning. I disabled that one, and it's currently in my lab."
"You have -" Hikaru begins.
"- A lab?" Kaoru finishes.
"Mhm. I've got some people looking at it right now."
"Miss Momozono?" Everyone turns to see a tall guy with curly red hair, nerd glasses, and wearing a long, white lab-coat.
"What is it, Conrad?"
"We've got a lead on the bug."
Melissa springs out of her seat. "Why didn't you say so?"
"I just did." Conrad smiles at the girl, then turns around and starts walking out of the sitting room.
"You guys can come too" Melissa says over her shoulder as she follows the red-head.
"What've we got to lose?" Rin says. "Let's go, you guys."
"Who is he?" Mori asks, walking alongside Melissa.
"Who, Conrad?" Mori nods. "Oh, he's my head scientist."
A lot of these next chapters are going to seem centered around Melissa. Don't worry; special ship chapters to come ;) Stay tuned.
~ Melissa-Disney99
