Part 2: Strange Bedfellows
The warm water flowed over Mandy's body as she floated leisurely on top, keeping her deep violet eyes closed while her chest rose and fell with her deep cleansing breaths. Her dark hair floated outward from her head like a halo, and her deep purple one-piece bathing suit matched it perfectly. The water in her modestly sized indoor swimming pool was kept fairly warm, calming her mind as it ran through the day's events.
Clover had seemed pretty freaked out by her apology, which in itself was a little bit satisfying really. But the reason she did it was that, while she wasn't above poking fun when Clover was down, she was definitely above poking fun after someone suffered a very real loss like that. She didn't hate Clover, not how everyone thought she did. In truth, she wanted Clover around.
Since she'd moved to Beverly Hills when she was ten years old, she had been the reigning queen. M.I.G. had been started by a boy named Harry Granger back in Middle School, and its following had only grown after that. Anyone who stood up against her got flattened or teased mercilessly, depending on what they tried to do to her.
This had continued for her entire school life. Stepping over people in her immense unquestionable popularity... until Clover showed up at the beginning of High School. When Mandy had attempted to stomp her into place, Clover had fought back tooth and nail with all the viciousness of a cornered tasmanian devil. For the first time, Mandy couldn't stomp someone into place.
This had been infuriating at first, but then she realized she enjoyed the challenge. Clover was actually her peer, an equal who wouldn't be pushed aside. Not that Mandy would ever admit that. Ever since then, she and Clover had been trading mental blows to each other's egos, each trying to pound the other into quivering submission.
Mandy was jerked out of her mental contemplation when she heard the doorbell echo through her large mansion. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed it to be past nine o'clock. Who in their right mind would be visiting her this late in the evening?
Grumbling, Mandy swam to the edge and pulled herself out, wrapping a towel around her body so as not to drip on the tiles as she walked out of the pool room toward the front entrance. She marched up to the door and undid the several locks before pulling the door open.
Clover stared at her with a nervous look on her face, clasping her hands behind her back. "Hey Mandy."
"Uh... hey Clover..." Mandy put her hands on her hips, staring through the door at her. The dark clouds covered the moon, providing an almost completely dark night outside. "Do you need something?"
Clover stared at her until Mandy almost thought she was going to either kiss her or deck her, but she looked down again in a moment. "Look, this is really weird but... why were you so nice to me earlier? You totally screwed me up back there with that little display."
"We may be rivals Clover but I'm not evil." Mandy replied with a simple shrug. "No matter how much you like to think I am." She smirked. Clover's slight blush told her she was right. She had thought Mandy was evil incarnate.
"Well... why have you been such a bitch all this time if you're not totally evil?" Clover demanded. Mandy smirked, trying to decide whether or not to tell her. On one hand, she didn't really like being thought of as a bitch. On the other, it could make Clover fight her less fiercely if she knew the truth. Where was the fun in being her rival if she wouldn't fight with all her strength?
Finally Mandy stepped back and gestured for Clover to come inside. Clover looked unsure of this sudden invitation, but stepped past her anyway, never taking her eyes off of Mandy. The dark-haired vixen closed the door behind her. "Because it was fun, wasn't it?"
"Fun!?" Clover exclaimed incredulously. "What, exactly, was fun about it!? You've upstaged, attacked, and insulted me more times than I care to remember!"
"You did the same to me." Mandy reminded her, dismissing the accusations with a wave of her hand. "You decided to fight me and you were a challenge, so I took the challenge and tried to make you bow to me like everyone else."
"Okay, Hitler, let's try a new one." Clover stomped up to her angrily, surprising her with both her words and her demeanor. She jammed her finger into Mandy's chest. "I never cared about you one way or another until you started trying to sabotage everything I do. You started all this for... what? Because of some sick little game of yours? Because you were bored?"
"You just don't get it." Mandy growled, slapping Clover's accusing finger away from her. "I don't hate you, I was just having fun fighting with you." Suddenly one of Clover's hands shot out, slapping her across the cheek. "Ow! Hey!"
"Nothing personal, that was just a little fun." Clover smirked. Mandy growled and glared up at her, but she got Clover's point. She'd been having fun... but apparently Clover had not.
"Well it's not my fault if you're too weak and sensitive for a few little fights." Mandy stated defensively, glaring up at Clover's bright blue eyes.
"Weak and sensitive? I'll have you know I am the farthest thing from weak. In fact, I'm a hundred times stronger than you."
"Oh please, I have seven personal trainers who help me work out every day of the weak." Mandy raised her perfectly formed arm and flexed it. Suddenly it went from cylindrical to fairly bulky as her muscles pushed their way through. "My body was molded to perfection, not an ounce of ugliness or weakness. The perfect balance."
"Too bad you can't say the same about your brain." Clover retorted, though Mandy could see that she was impressed despite herself. She opened her mouth to respond, when suddenly she heard the steady beating of a helicopter hovering close to her mansion.
"What the Hell is that?" Mandy demanded. They both blinked when bright lights flooded through the windows, practically blinding them with their intensity. The beats of helicopter blades and the sound of vehicles pulling up outside the mansion floated through the windows. "Clover, what did you do!?" Mandy demanded.
"Me!? This is YOUR mansion! What did YOU do!?" Clover shot back.
A voice floated in through the windows, carried by a bullhorn. "Clover! We have you surrounded! Come out quietly!" He demanded. Mandy's eyes narrowed in victory and suspicion as she glared at Clover. The blond girl blushed and spread her hands cluelessly.
"I swear, I didn't do anything!" Clover exclaimed.
"Well then get out there and tell them that before I get in trouble too!" Mandy tried to push Clover toward the door. Suddenly something broke through the window set in the door, falling to the ground with a thud amid the glass shards. A thick plume of smoke began pouring out of it, engulfing both of the girls. Mandy coughed through the smoke, doubling over, but she felt a hand grab her arm and yank her out of it.
Mandy coughed to clear her lungs as she was pulled up the stairs, until she was pushed to the floor while Clover slammed the door at the top behind them. Mandy shook her head to clear the gathering fog, watching Clover make her cautious way to the window that looked out over the front lawn.
"What is going on here Clover!?" Mandy demanded as she pushed herself up on quivering limbs. Clover stared out the window with her back to the wall, peeking around the windowsill. Her eyes were wide, staring out at one of the helicopters that was circling around the large mansion.
"They're from WOOHP..." Clover sank to her butt, staring down at the floor in shock. "Why would they come after me? There has to be a mistake..." Mandy crawled up to her under the window and grabbed her shirt, shaking her violently to get her attention.
"Hey, you have some serious explaining to do!" Mandy shouted in her face. Suddenly a light flooded right in through the window they were huddled under, and another voice echoed from a bullhorn outside.
"You are wanted for the assassination of a high-ranking government official. Turn yourself over now." The voice boomed into the building. Mandy's eyes went wide, staring at Clover in shock. She'd known Clover could be violent and willful, but assassination... murder?
Clover almost looked as surprised as Mandy felt. "I swear Mandy, I didn't do anything!" She insisted. Mandy tried to pull away, but Clover grabbed her wrist. "Come on, trust me here. We've fought a lot, but you know I'm no murderer!" Mandy blinked and looked out the window at the helicopter hovering outside.
"I don't know..." Mandy muttered unsurely. They both paused when they heard a soft whir beginning to build up outside the window.
"We'll talk later!" Clover lunged forward, slamming her shoulder into Mandy's stomach and hefting her entire body up as she charged across the room. Mandy raised her head, looking back as a stream of gunfire cut through the room like a violent hailstorm. She screamed as the stream moved closer to them, punching through couches, chairs, and tables like so many pieces of paper. Clover finally reached the other side of the room and charged up the second staircase away from the hail of bullets, to the large attic.
She dropped Mandy to the floor again and ran to the front window, looking out at the gathering of lights and well-dressed agents gathered out front. She looked back at Mandy, who was sitting on the floor catching her breath after having it knocked out of her by Clover's shoulder.
"Mandy, is there any way out of here that doesn't involve going through them?" Clover jerked her thumb toward the window. Mandy shook her head slowly, still struggling to catch up with all this. Clover ran over to her and knelt in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. "Come on, they're not playing here. I promise when we get out of here I'll tell you everything. Just help me get out of here. Please."
Mandy stared at her blankly for a moment, then looked to the corner of the attic. There was a small box sitting on top of a tall shelf, beside a button set against the wall. "That... there's a gun in the box... and the button controls the emergency shudders. It's designed to block the attic off from the rest of the house if there's a burglar or a fire..."
"Trap ourselves in here? I don't think so." Clover marched to the corner and grabbed the box, yanking it open and taking out the moderately sized firearm. She pulled out the clip to make sure it was loaded before jamming it back in, looking far too comfortable with the weapon for Mandy's comfort. "They want to shoot at me, I'm gonna shoot back."
"Shoot back? They'll kill us!" Mandy exclaimed.
"And they won't anyway? Look around Mandy, they're not trying to catch me, they're trying to kill me! And probably you since you're with me." Clover told her seriously. Suddenly a bright light flooded in through the window as a massive steel helicopter floated up outside the window, staring straight at them. Mandy lurched to her feet as the massive minigun mounted on the front began to spin with the same dread-inducing whir as before.
"Stop where you are!" The voice demanded one more time even as the gun sped up to begin firing. Clover raised her pistol expertly, cradling the trigger in both hands and taking careful aim. Her one gunshot punched through the window, letting the violent wind from the helicopter blades sweep over both her and Mandy. The bullet continued beyond the window, slamming into the spotlight that illuminated them and plunging them into darkness.
Mandy gasped as the minigun reached its full speed, a spray of bullets streaking past the two girls. Clover dove for her, tackling her to the ground and holding her there by lying on top of her, making them as small as possible. The bullets tore apart the wooden attic, sending billows of dust and wood chips flying through the air until they were completely obscured by it.
Finally the gunfire stopped, though Mandy's racing heart seemed like it would never slow down again. She could see Clover's face moving just above hers through the dust and debris. She looked up when she heard pounding coming from the door over their heads. Agents were coming up the stairs toward the attic.
"Here." Clover hissed quickly, pushing something long and solid into her hand. "We need to get down to the second floor." She felt Clover push herself off of her, moving away through the debris. Mandy rolled to her stomach and pushed herself up on shaking legs, clutching what she now saw was a thick wood baseball bat she'd used when she was a bit younger.
She heard thumps and grunts from the door to the second floor as the dust began to clear. A man's body was lying at the top of the stairs, with more grunts floating up from downstairs. Mandy rushed to the stairs, stepping around the unconscious man and hurrying down.
She jumped back with a startled yelp as a burly body slammed into the wall beside the stairs, sliding to the ground. Clover leapt into another, planting her foot in his stomach before using it as a springboard to twirl, kicking him in the jaw and sending him hurtling through the window in a shower of glass. Two more men came up behind her, grabbing her arms roughly.
"Hey! Get off me!" Clover howled, trying to pull free. Mandy clutched the bat with shaking hands, rushing forward. It slammed into one skull with a sickening thud, sending its target to the ground without so much as a whimper of pain. The other man whirled, but the bat slammed into his jaw, knocking him into the wall with a heavy thud.
The bat fell to the carpet from limp fingers as Mandy stared down at the two limp bodies on the floor. The shock didn't have time to set in though, as Clover grabbed her hand.
"Come on, we're getting out of here!" Clover charged toward the window, pulling Mandy after her. They both sailed out into the night sky, hitting the grass with a heavy thump. Mandy gasped in pain when she landed on her side, rolling to a stop a few feet away. She felt Clover's hands pull her up, and almost on instinct she ran in the direction Clover pointed her.
She heard shouts and gunfire erupt around her, but it all seemed distant as Clover's hands held onto her arm, pulling her down the street. She heard the beating of a helicopter, but soon that was drowned out as Clover pulled her into a small wooden shed, slamming the door shut and leaning against it. Mandy sank to her knees, still in shock while Clover leaned against the door, panting.
"Shit... my compowder... stupid thing has a tracking device." Clover pulled out a small pink makeup kit, winding up and hurling it out one of the broken windows. She ran one hand through her hair and walked over to Mandy, looking down at her. "Are you okay?"
Mandy looked up to stare at her incredulously. "No I'm not okay!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Clover yelped and slapped one hand over her mouth.
"Shush! Quietly..." Clover whispered as she moved her hand.
"What is going on here Clover?" Mandy hissed. "Who are those men? Why did they demolish my house and try to kill us?" Clover sighed and hung her head, running her hand through her hair for a moment before looking into her eyes.
"Mandy... I'm a spy. I work for the World Organization of Human Protection." Clover replied softly. "I have for the last year... but now it looks like they're after me."
"For murder..." Mandy muttered.
"I told you, I didn't do it. Whatever they think I did." Clover frowned, staring into her eyes. "I don't know what they think I did exactly, but there's no way in Hell I'm going to let them lock me up for it."
"So why did they come while you were at MY house?" Mandy demanded. Clover blinked, then put one hand to her chin.
"That's a good question... I have no idea." She shook her head confusedly. "Maybe they didn't want to get Sam and Alex involved in this for some reason... maybe they figured they would side with me and help me escape."
Mandy slapped her hand over Clover's mouth. "Shut up. This is all getting way too freaky Clover. You say you're some kind of secret agent or something? Who's your leader, James Bond?"
Clover grabbed her wrist and yanked her hand away from her mouth. "Whether you think I'm crazy or not those men with guns out there aren't figments of my imagination." Clover reminded her. Mandy gulped and stared at her, trying to maintain what confidence and dignity she had left. "We have to find out what they're accusing me of... they mentioned an assassination..."
"Look, you do that, I'm cold and I'm getting tired." Mandy replied. It was the middle of fall, and she was out in the middle of the night wearing nothing but a purple bathing suit. She'd unknowingly lost her towel during their wild fight and flight back at her mansion. To top it all off, she was still wet from floating in the pool less than half an hour ago.
Clover sighed. "Alright... you get some sleep Mandy." Clover looked around for anything to use as a blanket, but the shack they'd found was as abandoned as could be. Even the inanimate objects seemed to have left. Finally she grumbled and pulled her own shirt off, leaving herself in nothing but a plain white bra.
"What are you doing?" Mandy asked.
"You need this more than I do." Clover held out the black shirt. "I'm going to stay up and make sure we don't get surprised tonight. Besides, I have to figure out why they're after me..." When Mandy took the shirt Clover walked over to the wall and sat down, leaning against it with her elbows resting on her knees in front of her.
Mandy slid the shirt on and pulled it as tightly around her as she could, lying back onto the floor. Thus far, she'd been running on adrenaline. Now that things had calmed down though, she was feeling particularly drained. It didn't take as long as she thought it would to drift off into peaceful slumber.
TO BE CONTINUED
The warm water flowed over Mandy's body as she floated leisurely on top, keeping her deep violet eyes closed while her chest rose and fell with her deep cleansing breaths. Her dark hair floated outward from her head like a halo, and her deep purple one-piece bathing suit matched it perfectly. The water in her modestly sized indoor swimming pool was kept fairly warm, calming her mind as it ran through the day's events.
Clover had seemed pretty freaked out by her apology, which in itself was a little bit satisfying really. But the reason she did it was that, while she wasn't above poking fun when Clover was down, she was definitely above poking fun after someone suffered a very real loss like that. She didn't hate Clover, not how everyone thought she did. In truth, she wanted Clover around.
Since she'd moved to Beverly Hills when she was ten years old, she had been the reigning queen. M.I.G. had been started by a boy named Harry Granger back in Middle School, and its following had only grown after that. Anyone who stood up against her got flattened or teased mercilessly, depending on what they tried to do to her.
This had continued for her entire school life. Stepping over people in her immense unquestionable popularity... until Clover showed up at the beginning of High School. When Mandy had attempted to stomp her into place, Clover had fought back tooth and nail with all the viciousness of a cornered tasmanian devil. For the first time, Mandy couldn't stomp someone into place.
This had been infuriating at first, but then she realized she enjoyed the challenge. Clover was actually her peer, an equal who wouldn't be pushed aside. Not that Mandy would ever admit that. Ever since then, she and Clover had been trading mental blows to each other's egos, each trying to pound the other into quivering submission.
Mandy was jerked out of her mental contemplation when she heard the doorbell echo through her large mansion. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed it to be past nine o'clock. Who in their right mind would be visiting her this late in the evening?
Grumbling, Mandy swam to the edge and pulled herself out, wrapping a towel around her body so as not to drip on the tiles as she walked out of the pool room toward the front entrance. She marched up to the door and undid the several locks before pulling the door open.
Clover stared at her with a nervous look on her face, clasping her hands behind her back. "Hey Mandy."
"Uh... hey Clover..." Mandy put her hands on her hips, staring through the door at her. The dark clouds covered the moon, providing an almost completely dark night outside. "Do you need something?"
Clover stared at her until Mandy almost thought she was going to either kiss her or deck her, but she looked down again in a moment. "Look, this is really weird but... why were you so nice to me earlier? You totally screwed me up back there with that little display."
"We may be rivals Clover but I'm not evil." Mandy replied with a simple shrug. "No matter how much you like to think I am." She smirked. Clover's slight blush told her she was right. She had thought Mandy was evil incarnate.
"Well... why have you been such a bitch all this time if you're not totally evil?" Clover demanded. Mandy smirked, trying to decide whether or not to tell her. On one hand, she didn't really like being thought of as a bitch. On the other, it could make Clover fight her less fiercely if she knew the truth. Where was the fun in being her rival if she wouldn't fight with all her strength?
Finally Mandy stepped back and gestured for Clover to come inside. Clover looked unsure of this sudden invitation, but stepped past her anyway, never taking her eyes off of Mandy. The dark-haired vixen closed the door behind her. "Because it was fun, wasn't it?"
"Fun!?" Clover exclaimed incredulously. "What, exactly, was fun about it!? You've upstaged, attacked, and insulted me more times than I care to remember!"
"You did the same to me." Mandy reminded her, dismissing the accusations with a wave of her hand. "You decided to fight me and you were a challenge, so I took the challenge and tried to make you bow to me like everyone else."
"Okay, Hitler, let's try a new one." Clover stomped up to her angrily, surprising her with both her words and her demeanor. She jammed her finger into Mandy's chest. "I never cared about you one way or another until you started trying to sabotage everything I do. You started all this for... what? Because of some sick little game of yours? Because you were bored?"
"You just don't get it." Mandy growled, slapping Clover's accusing finger away from her. "I don't hate you, I was just having fun fighting with you." Suddenly one of Clover's hands shot out, slapping her across the cheek. "Ow! Hey!"
"Nothing personal, that was just a little fun." Clover smirked. Mandy growled and glared up at her, but she got Clover's point. She'd been having fun... but apparently Clover had not.
"Well it's not my fault if you're too weak and sensitive for a few little fights." Mandy stated defensively, glaring up at Clover's bright blue eyes.
"Weak and sensitive? I'll have you know I am the farthest thing from weak. In fact, I'm a hundred times stronger than you."
"Oh please, I have seven personal trainers who help me work out every day of the weak." Mandy raised her perfectly formed arm and flexed it. Suddenly it went from cylindrical to fairly bulky as her muscles pushed their way through. "My body was molded to perfection, not an ounce of ugliness or weakness. The perfect balance."
"Too bad you can't say the same about your brain." Clover retorted, though Mandy could see that she was impressed despite herself. She opened her mouth to respond, when suddenly she heard the steady beating of a helicopter hovering close to her mansion.
"What the Hell is that?" Mandy demanded. They both blinked when bright lights flooded through the windows, practically blinding them with their intensity. The beats of helicopter blades and the sound of vehicles pulling up outside the mansion floated through the windows. "Clover, what did you do!?" Mandy demanded.
"Me!? This is YOUR mansion! What did YOU do!?" Clover shot back.
A voice floated in through the windows, carried by a bullhorn. "Clover! We have you surrounded! Come out quietly!" He demanded. Mandy's eyes narrowed in victory and suspicion as she glared at Clover. The blond girl blushed and spread her hands cluelessly.
"I swear, I didn't do anything!" Clover exclaimed.
"Well then get out there and tell them that before I get in trouble too!" Mandy tried to push Clover toward the door. Suddenly something broke through the window set in the door, falling to the ground with a thud amid the glass shards. A thick plume of smoke began pouring out of it, engulfing both of the girls. Mandy coughed through the smoke, doubling over, but she felt a hand grab her arm and yank her out of it.
Mandy coughed to clear her lungs as she was pulled up the stairs, until she was pushed to the floor while Clover slammed the door at the top behind them. Mandy shook her head to clear the gathering fog, watching Clover make her cautious way to the window that looked out over the front lawn.
"What is going on here Clover!?" Mandy demanded as she pushed herself up on quivering limbs. Clover stared out the window with her back to the wall, peeking around the windowsill. Her eyes were wide, staring out at one of the helicopters that was circling around the large mansion.
"They're from WOOHP..." Clover sank to her butt, staring down at the floor in shock. "Why would they come after me? There has to be a mistake..." Mandy crawled up to her under the window and grabbed her shirt, shaking her violently to get her attention.
"Hey, you have some serious explaining to do!" Mandy shouted in her face. Suddenly a light flooded right in through the window they were huddled under, and another voice echoed from a bullhorn outside.
"You are wanted for the assassination of a high-ranking government official. Turn yourself over now." The voice boomed into the building. Mandy's eyes went wide, staring at Clover in shock. She'd known Clover could be violent and willful, but assassination... murder?
Clover almost looked as surprised as Mandy felt. "I swear Mandy, I didn't do anything!" She insisted. Mandy tried to pull away, but Clover grabbed her wrist. "Come on, trust me here. We've fought a lot, but you know I'm no murderer!" Mandy blinked and looked out the window at the helicopter hovering outside.
"I don't know..." Mandy muttered unsurely. They both paused when they heard a soft whir beginning to build up outside the window.
"We'll talk later!" Clover lunged forward, slamming her shoulder into Mandy's stomach and hefting her entire body up as she charged across the room. Mandy raised her head, looking back as a stream of gunfire cut through the room like a violent hailstorm. She screamed as the stream moved closer to them, punching through couches, chairs, and tables like so many pieces of paper. Clover finally reached the other side of the room and charged up the second staircase away from the hail of bullets, to the large attic.
She dropped Mandy to the floor again and ran to the front window, looking out at the gathering of lights and well-dressed agents gathered out front. She looked back at Mandy, who was sitting on the floor catching her breath after having it knocked out of her by Clover's shoulder.
"Mandy, is there any way out of here that doesn't involve going through them?" Clover jerked her thumb toward the window. Mandy shook her head slowly, still struggling to catch up with all this. Clover ran over to her and knelt in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. "Come on, they're not playing here. I promise when we get out of here I'll tell you everything. Just help me get out of here. Please."
Mandy stared at her blankly for a moment, then looked to the corner of the attic. There was a small box sitting on top of a tall shelf, beside a button set against the wall. "That... there's a gun in the box... and the button controls the emergency shudders. It's designed to block the attic off from the rest of the house if there's a burglar or a fire..."
"Trap ourselves in here? I don't think so." Clover marched to the corner and grabbed the box, yanking it open and taking out the moderately sized firearm. She pulled out the clip to make sure it was loaded before jamming it back in, looking far too comfortable with the weapon for Mandy's comfort. "They want to shoot at me, I'm gonna shoot back."
"Shoot back? They'll kill us!" Mandy exclaimed.
"And they won't anyway? Look around Mandy, they're not trying to catch me, they're trying to kill me! And probably you since you're with me." Clover told her seriously. Suddenly a bright light flooded in through the window as a massive steel helicopter floated up outside the window, staring straight at them. Mandy lurched to her feet as the massive minigun mounted on the front began to spin with the same dread-inducing whir as before.
"Stop where you are!" The voice demanded one more time even as the gun sped up to begin firing. Clover raised her pistol expertly, cradling the trigger in both hands and taking careful aim. Her one gunshot punched through the window, letting the violent wind from the helicopter blades sweep over both her and Mandy. The bullet continued beyond the window, slamming into the spotlight that illuminated them and plunging them into darkness.
Mandy gasped as the minigun reached its full speed, a spray of bullets streaking past the two girls. Clover dove for her, tackling her to the ground and holding her there by lying on top of her, making them as small as possible. The bullets tore apart the wooden attic, sending billows of dust and wood chips flying through the air until they were completely obscured by it.
Finally the gunfire stopped, though Mandy's racing heart seemed like it would never slow down again. She could see Clover's face moving just above hers through the dust and debris. She looked up when she heard pounding coming from the door over their heads. Agents were coming up the stairs toward the attic.
"Here." Clover hissed quickly, pushing something long and solid into her hand. "We need to get down to the second floor." She felt Clover push herself off of her, moving away through the debris. Mandy rolled to her stomach and pushed herself up on shaking legs, clutching what she now saw was a thick wood baseball bat she'd used when she was a bit younger.
She heard thumps and grunts from the door to the second floor as the dust began to clear. A man's body was lying at the top of the stairs, with more grunts floating up from downstairs. Mandy rushed to the stairs, stepping around the unconscious man and hurrying down.
She jumped back with a startled yelp as a burly body slammed into the wall beside the stairs, sliding to the ground. Clover leapt into another, planting her foot in his stomach before using it as a springboard to twirl, kicking him in the jaw and sending him hurtling through the window in a shower of glass. Two more men came up behind her, grabbing her arms roughly.
"Hey! Get off me!" Clover howled, trying to pull free. Mandy clutched the bat with shaking hands, rushing forward. It slammed into one skull with a sickening thud, sending its target to the ground without so much as a whimper of pain. The other man whirled, but the bat slammed into his jaw, knocking him into the wall with a heavy thud.
The bat fell to the carpet from limp fingers as Mandy stared down at the two limp bodies on the floor. The shock didn't have time to set in though, as Clover grabbed her hand.
"Come on, we're getting out of here!" Clover charged toward the window, pulling Mandy after her. They both sailed out into the night sky, hitting the grass with a heavy thump. Mandy gasped in pain when she landed on her side, rolling to a stop a few feet away. She felt Clover's hands pull her up, and almost on instinct she ran in the direction Clover pointed her.
She heard shouts and gunfire erupt around her, but it all seemed distant as Clover's hands held onto her arm, pulling her down the street. She heard the beating of a helicopter, but soon that was drowned out as Clover pulled her into a small wooden shed, slamming the door shut and leaning against it. Mandy sank to her knees, still in shock while Clover leaned against the door, panting.
"Shit... my compowder... stupid thing has a tracking device." Clover pulled out a small pink makeup kit, winding up and hurling it out one of the broken windows. She ran one hand through her hair and walked over to Mandy, looking down at her. "Are you okay?"
Mandy looked up to stare at her incredulously. "No I'm not okay!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Clover yelped and slapped one hand over her mouth.
"Shush! Quietly..." Clover whispered as she moved her hand.
"What is going on here Clover?" Mandy hissed. "Who are those men? Why did they demolish my house and try to kill us?" Clover sighed and hung her head, running her hand through her hair for a moment before looking into her eyes.
"Mandy... I'm a spy. I work for the World Organization of Human Protection." Clover replied softly. "I have for the last year... but now it looks like they're after me."
"For murder..." Mandy muttered.
"I told you, I didn't do it. Whatever they think I did." Clover frowned, staring into her eyes. "I don't know what they think I did exactly, but there's no way in Hell I'm going to let them lock me up for it."
"So why did they come while you were at MY house?" Mandy demanded. Clover blinked, then put one hand to her chin.
"That's a good question... I have no idea." She shook her head confusedly. "Maybe they didn't want to get Sam and Alex involved in this for some reason... maybe they figured they would side with me and help me escape."
Mandy slapped her hand over Clover's mouth. "Shut up. This is all getting way too freaky Clover. You say you're some kind of secret agent or something? Who's your leader, James Bond?"
Clover grabbed her wrist and yanked her hand away from her mouth. "Whether you think I'm crazy or not those men with guns out there aren't figments of my imagination." Clover reminded her. Mandy gulped and stared at her, trying to maintain what confidence and dignity she had left. "We have to find out what they're accusing me of... they mentioned an assassination..."
"Look, you do that, I'm cold and I'm getting tired." Mandy replied. It was the middle of fall, and she was out in the middle of the night wearing nothing but a purple bathing suit. She'd unknowingly lost her towel during their wild fight and flight back at her mansion. To top it all off, she was still wet from floating in the pool less than half an hour ago.
Clover sighed. "Alright... you get some sleep Mandy." Clover looked around for anything to use as a blanket, but the shack they'd found was as abandoned as could be. Even the inanimate objects seemed to have left. Finally she grumbled and pulled her own shirt off, leaving herself in nothing but a plain white bra.
"What are you doing?" Mandy asked.
"You need this more than I do." Clover held out the black shirt. "I'm going to stay up and make sure we don't get surprised tonight. Besides, I have to figure out why they're after me..." When Mandy took the shirt Clover walked over to the wall and sat down, leaning against it with her elbows resting on her knees in front of her.
Mandy slid the shirt on and pulled it as tightly around her as she could, lying back onto the floor. Thus far, she'd been running on adrenaline. Now that things had calmed down though, she was feeling particularly drained. It didn't take as long as she thought it would to drift off into peaceful slumber.
TO BE CONTINUED