Maria's POV
"Go on a date with your French lover and stop pestering me. I know I'm incredibly sexy, and you would love to have a fling on the side, but I have three other girls penciled in before you." said Hikaru, talking to Haruhi in a tone that was supposed to come across as annoyed.
She laughed in his face.
"Sexy… you?" she said between gasps for air, then fell on the floor, laughing some more.
Kaoru began to laugh then and his brother glared at him while muttering, "I brought you into this world, I can bring you right back out."
Kaoru stopped laughing then and said, "I'm not stupid. We took Sex Ed., remember? That trick doesn't work on me anymore."
"I helped birth you, Kaoru." Hikaru insisted.
"You were born two minutes before me." Kaoru stated.
"Who do you think showed you the way?"
"…touché."
So, this is what happened at lunch that day...but you're probably wondering what happened that morning, with Joshua and Lorenzo and the whole shebang.
Well, shortly after I ghost-peed my pants (it's where you think you peed but you didn't…) I looked at Lorenzo and gasped.
"What?"
"You heard him, genius." Joshua said, and Lorenzo shushed him.
When I actually thought about it, this made sense. Lorenzo had this composure about him that was unusual for people his age. Hell, it was unusual for people in general. He seemed to be surprisingly self-efficient for a pampered rich-kid who had been home schooled all his life.
Obviously, his parents couldn't have known about him joining the Anti-Agency. They told Tamaki that he was absolutely helpless, and a bit forgetful. Plus, why would they hire an agent to look after him if his son was in alliance with the agency that was trying to take them down? They obviously had allegiance to the Agency, and if they found out that their son worked for an opposing organization…talk about family drama.
"Now, Joshua, let us not be rude to our future colleagues." Lorenzo said in his lilting way of speech. I swear, he could say he was going to kill me and dump my body into a river and it would still sound so considerably kind.
"Wait, what are you saying?" Tamaki asked, still confused. He truly lived up to his hair color.
"They're saying that our plan worked, that they trust us, and that they want to join forces, right?" I looked at Joshua for confirmation.
"Sadly, yes. This wasn't my idea." he made sure I knew. Later on, that would be very important to him.
"It was a combination of my idea and the Director's." Lorenzo informed them, "So, if you're interested in the offer meet us at this location."
Lorenzo scribbled down an address in elegant hand-writing, and then handed it to me for safe-keeping.
"I sure hope you at least consider it." Lorenzo said, as if he genuinely meant it, then he left, with Josh following close behind.
Of course, he neglected to mention what would happen to us if we didn't. We knew too much.
"So, I looked up the address and you won't believe where it's located." Tamaki said, bursting into the café where I sat ordering two cups of coffee. I already knew he was coming.
"An abandoned-" I got cut off.
"An abandoned jailhouse!" he exclaimed, which caused a couple of people to look at us inquisitively.
"Lower your voice." I whispered, gesturing for him to sit down.
"I'm not going there." Tamaki said abruptly, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Why?" I asked.
His eyes widened alarmingly, and his cheeks were turning redder by the moment. He whispered something in my ear that made me laugh so hard I saw rainbows.
"Okay, just because we're going into a mighty bad area, to an abandoned jailhouse, doesn't mean…" And then I trailed off, realizing how bad that sounded, so I switched tactics.
"Tamaki, you're not going to get raped." I deadpanned, trying my best not to bust a gut.
He noticed this and got incredibly irritable, "Don't make fun of me. Bad things happen to people like me in prison."
"You mean flamboyant pretty boys? Well, that's your fault. Go work out at the gym or something, don't take a shower for a couple of days. You smell like flowers."
"My house has a lot of floral arrangements, it's not my fault."
"Plus, it's an abandoned jailhouse." I added.
"That never stopped anybody before!" he pointed out stubbornly. Too bad it didn't even make sense.
I looked at him with disbelieve, and then I explained to him, "Okay, first off, I'm pretty sure a majority of the men at our destination are straight."
"You don't know that." he quickly argued.
I laughed some more, shaking my head at his stubbornness, "Tamaki, I'm not having this argument with you."
"Then I'm not going."
SIGH. I swear, he has a new fear every other week, but this one was by far the weirdest.
"You've been watching those crime shows again, haven't you?" I accused.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then he settled on nodding.
"Law and Order?"
"…yeah."
"The one where the guy gets molested?
"Depends. Which one? There are several."
I didn't even respond to that, I just grabbed him by the collar and dragged him along.
"After we get back from this, I'm going to your house and blocking every single station except Disney Channel."
Out of Maria's POV
Lorenzo was relishing in the new reality. The reality that he made for himself, by himself. The reality that maybe, just maybe, the Anti-Agency had a chance. They found the last puzzle piece that had been lost for years. And with this new help Lorenzo would bring it all crashing down.
Lorenzo liked breaking things.
He remembered how lost he had been. How he had lived in an existence with no purpose and no meaning. He was simply a novelty toy, only existing for display. He just had to smile and look pretty, sit back, and inherit an unbelievable fortune. No one cared if he actually had any brains. If he could think; if he could feel. For all they knew, he had no heart at all…
He had been claimed by a family to whom he did not belong— a notion he had since he was a mere toddler—had been locked away in his own private world, which he thought was made of steel.
Then he met her. He realized that his world was made of glass. That he could see out, and that others could see in. And at the time, he thought it was a good thing.
He remembered a road somewhere in France, leading to God knows where, and a smile. A simple smile, and a saccharine voice.
"You're lost." she observed. She meant it in every sense of the word.
He stopped in his tracks, nodded. Because back then he was incredibly stupid and helpless.
"Well, you're obviously a tourist. I'm a native of France." she said, extending her hand to shake his.
Lorenzo couldn't help but think how convenient it had been that she happened to show up, "How did you know I was lost?" he asked.
"You simply looked lost." she said.
"And why are you helping me?" he asked again.
"Out of the goodness of my heart." she laughed, leading him away into a new, exciting world. That was the first lie.
Maria's POV
I called Connor and told him what we found out. He felt very upset that all of the interesting stuff was happening without him. He warned us of the dangers, and insisted that Stephanie tagged along.
"I'm not sticking around with you losers, I have bigger fish to fry." she said to me in a voicemail when I proposed the idea. Also, she mentioned something about going to Thailand to participate in the world's hugest water fight. So, naturally, we had to truck it alone.
This was our first real mission together (the first one didn't count) where we had no assistance at all. It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.
When it was midnight, we both met up and walked to the address, because the instructions said all motor vehicles that are taken would be left behind. Tamaki wasn't willing to give up his new car just yet.
I've never been much of a fan of the unknown. It was too mysterious for my liking. Yet, here I was, barreling head-first into the biggest mystery of my life. Maybe it would all be in vain. Maybe I'm not supposed to find out anything, and it was all pointless. All my efforts were pointless.
On the walk there, I really thought about the situation, and why Tamaki was so reluctant to go to this jailhouse. He had been kidnapped by these people; nearly killed by them. And if that wasn't scarring enough we were walking right into their hands; giving them what they wanted. Hell, I'd be pissed too.
"If you don't want to go we can just…" I started, but he cut me off abruptly.
"No. We're doing this. I'm not a child, I understand the importance of this to both of us. This may be our chance to take down that vile agency, and I might actually find…" he stopped talking, didn't dare to say the word aloud.
I admired Tamaki's strength. People viewed him as weak just because he was always so gentle and fragile and kind. And to think we live in a world where there is actually something wrong with that.
God, if I were him I'd be terrified. I mean, besides the fact that Joshua and I aren't the best pals, and that I was held captive with Tamaki, I hadn't been through as much. Yet, that idiot was always trooping on, with that everlasting optimism—"Hey, look! We should go to that new diner after this is all over, with the Host Club. Wouldn't that be fun?"—and that never-ending smile.
Out of Maria's POV
The two arrived at the jailhouse as instructed, and were greeted with two people in all black-clothing. They were instructed to put their hands behind their backs. Once they did, they were promptly tied together. Maria's heart nearly leaped out of its chest. The situation was too familiar.
They were then blind-folded.
"We're going to take you to meet someone very important." They heard someone say, and recognized the voice as Lorenzo's.
"But, as we agreed, in two separate cars, and on two separate routes. There is always trouble when you two are together, and that way if one of you sells us out we'll have the other one hostage." Joshua's menacing voice explained.
"My associate and I will be taking Tamaki." Lorenzo explained, letting Tamaki breathe a sigh of relief.
"And I'll be taking Maria." Said that damned voice. Maria's heart dropped.
Maria's POV
I was practically shoved into the backseat of a car before it zoomed off. I tried my best to keep track of turns, but I got confused after a while. Plus, I had a feeling we were going in circles anyhow, for the sole purpose of keeping me ignorant and dependent on them to get back home.
"So, you drive around these parts often?" I said, jokingly, to break the silence. I'd rather argume.
"Can you just be quiet? It's repulsive enough to know you're in my car, tarnishing my leather. But having to be reminded about it every five seconds because of your voice is torture." Joshua seethed.
"Sheesh, can't we just get along? Aside from the fact you tried to kill me, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you are." I told him; sarcastically.
"I recline you're offer." He said.
Well then.
Out of Maria's POV
"I'm really looking forward to having you join us, Tamaki." Lorenzo admitted, "It'll be great working with you."
"Thanks. I'm glad you think so highly of me."
"I'm a bit of a douche to you, yet you haven't yelled at me. Why is that?" Lorenzo asked, suddenly.
Tamaki pondered this. It was true that whenever Maria got particularly annoying he wasted no time calling her out on it. Yet, this guy would downright insult him, and he wouldn't so much as say a derogatory word against him.
"I guess it's because I know you don't mean it." Tamaki said, truthfully, "it's you're nature. You're painfully honest."
"What if I told you I meant every word of it; that I say what I say with the full intention of hurting you?" Lorenzo countered.
"Then you'd be a liar." Tamaki said, in an admonishing way.
I wouldn't lie, anyhow. I'm too transparent. Nowhere near as brilliant in the art of disguise as…as Vivienne, Lorenzo thought, flinching at the painful memories her name brought up.
"We're only as flawless as our lies…"
Maria's POV
Finally, I felt the car had stilled. Joshua was being unusually quiet as he opened the passenger seat of the car to allow me to walk out.
Then the moment I walked out he pushed me to the ground.
"You didn't think you'd actually join the agency, did you?" Joshua said tauntingly, "Just the mere fact that you've lived this long is a miracle."
My heart sank, and I was rendered speechless as I heard the click of a gun. Yet, nothing came out. Thankfully, he had ran out of bullets.
I used this opportunity to get back on my feet and kick him down, at the same time trying to untie my hands. They would have been a lot of use to me in that instance.
As I heard him get up off the ground, I fumbled around aimlessly. I was still blind-folded, and only had my legs to assist me. He went into the car, because I heard him open the door. I tried to run towards the car, maybe lock myself inside, but I could not since Joshua had swung what seemed to be a knife. It nicked my arm, but besides that I was okay.
"We're on your side." I spoke calmly, trying to rationalize with him, attempting not to sound like I was begging, "You don't have to do this."
"Oh, but I do." he argued, "We only need one agent. Suoh will be sufficient."
My instinct told me he'd try to take another jab at me, while thinking I was distracted. I dodged. He missed.
"Tamaki won't work with you once he's found out you've killed me." I countered, nearly stumbling over a shell that I hadn't anticipated. The ground felt sandy. Maybe we were at a beach.
"And who will tell? You?" he said, and his words were followed by hideous laughter. He lunged again, I dodged.
Something inside me broke at that moment. I knew he was serious. There was no one to come rescue me this time.
"Please," I resorted to begging, while dodging his lunges. Why be a prideful fool, as opposed to being alive and ashamed? He could easily have killed me, but he decided to taunt me, "Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?"
Fucking pitiful. That's what I was.
"I just want you dead, Maria. There's no way around it." He assured me, voice chillingly calm, with a trace of amusement, as I dodged another one of his lunges. He and I both knew I would get tired soon.
"Any last words?" he asked, grabbing my sleeve to stop this pitiful game of cat and mouse.
He lunged, and at one last attempt to cling to life I kicked in the general direction of the knife. To his (and my) sheer surprise, it flew out of his hand.
He pushed me with brute force, knocking me down as he went searching for the knife in the night. He cursed profusely. Despite the situation I grinned.
While on the ground, I felt some sort of metal near my hands. I gasped at my luck. There was the knife! Right next to me in my grasp! Adrenaline pumping, I tried my best to pretend like I was too hurt to move, while grabbing the knife at a weird angle and attempting to cut myself loose.
After breaking free, I pretended to be tied up as I heard footsteps approaching me. When I was sure he was near enough I yanked off my blindfold, and punched him square in the face.
He was on the ground; unconscious I think. I thought about leaving him there, but I figured I'd never hear the end of it. So, I simply tied him up, and threw him in the backseat. Luckily, there was a GPS in the car with the destination already plugged in.
I tried my hand at driving a car for the first time.
Out of Maria's POV
Tamaki made it to their destination before Maria did. He was assured by Lorenzo that Maria would catch up and that there were more important matters to attend to.
"I have to introduce you to the Anti- Director." Lorenzo said, leading his still blind-folded friend up a twisting stair-case.
He arrived in a room, and then the blindfold was taken off.
"Hello, Tamaki."
Tamaki's voice stopped working, and the room grew faint. He fell to the ground, but not before seeing a flash of radiant gold.
A/N: I liked this chapter :D. Idk why, it was just fun to write. And finally some plot developement! I'm way off my schedule for moving the plot along, and I'm trying not to drag the story out. This story will probably be as long as the last one, maybe two or three extra chapters. SO, its time to get this show on the road :DD. I'm excited. Can't you tell by the smiley facey?
Thanks for the support. Much love to you all 3.
-Your new bestfriend.