Part 12: War Begins
They'd been back in America for the last week, specifically Washington D.C. where they'd kept periodic tabs on the White House for any suspicious activity. Unusual amounts of secret service agents, panicked expressions on the employees' faces, or even a marked increase in the number of birds hanging out on the carefully manicured lawn were considered warnings that the mysterious takeover artists either had struck or were about to strike.
They'd had to ditch the WOOHP jet, obviously. Bringing that kind of thing into the middle of a city, particularly this city, would raise so many alarms that Jerry would probably hear it from the grave. They had enough money for a pair of hotel rooms a small distance away from the White House for the last week, thanks to Alex's foresight in stuffing her backpack with cash.
Clover was glad to be home again, in a way. Spending a while in luxury in the Lyrobian palace was a treat, but this place seemed far more familiar to her. She was stunned to realize she'd actually begun to miss the blaring sirens of impatient motorists, the squeal of tires, and the screams of overly cocky pedestrians who tried to beat a car across the street.
Alex and Mandy hadn't been in Lyrobia long, so to them it was just like coming back after a small trip. Queen Tassara, however, had a far harder time of it. She had never been out of Lyrobia, and it showed in her mannerisms and the way she eyed things with amazement, amusement, or distrust. Clover had spent their first week trying to coach her on acting and looking American while Alex and Mandy took turns staking out the White House. She'd met with limited success.
"I apologize Clover..." Tassara sighed, sitting on the edge of the queen size bed in the hotel room she and Clover shared at night. She pulled a pair of mirrored shades off her face, looking up at the blonde teenager. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a thick, loose fitting gray pullover sweater with a pair of strings hanging down over her chest. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that extended halfway down her back. "I don't believe I can blend in very well here."
"Awww you'll get it." Clover lied. Tassara looked and acted like an average American about as much as Clover looked and acted like a queen. Which, despite her fantasies, she knew wasn't very much. "It's not that hard, just... you know, relax." Clover flexed her arms out and walked across the room, swinging her arms comfortably at her sides. "See? Relaxed."
"I AM relaxed." Tassara smirked, leaning back on the bed and resting on her hands. Clover blushed slightly.
"Right... so..." Clover sighed. "God, who knew teaching was so hard? I'll never complain about sucky teachers again." Clover plopped down beside the queen, resting her head in her palms. "Sorry Tassara."
"I come from a different world." Tassara replied, picking up the sunglasses and turning them slowly between her hands. Clover sighed and grabbed the remote for the small TV off the nightstand, flipping it on. Of course, as one might expect, it was displaying the news.
"The American occupation of Lyrobia continues into day five, as the soldiers search for the fugitives who have taken refuge here. Let's have a word with an American soldier..." The newscaster looked around for a moment before spotting a soldier standing in front of Tassara's palace. "Excuse me, can we have a word with you about the progress of your mission?"
"It's going as well as can be expected. As seems to be typical of these terrorist leaders, they live in a desert and they crawl under the sand like snakes once it looks like they might have to answer for their crimes." The soldier laughed. Clover growled while Tassara watched with keen interest, holding her hands in front of her.
"How do you respond to the charges that the U.S. is simply doing this to exert its power over the world?" The reported asked.
"We wouldn't do this if these people weren't terrorists. And even though they are, we're careful to make sure this is a peaceful search, not a military occupation." The soldier replied.
"Peaceful my ass." Clover turned off the TV and stood up, growling. "I can't believe those damn liars! Shit, they know we're not there by now, what are they doing?"
"They're trying to provoke me into going back." Tassara replied simply. Clover looked down at her in surprise. "Show me through the news how much of a mockery I and my country are becoming... might be enough to make me come out of hiding to try to defend myself and my people." The silence was heavy as Clover struggled to find a comforting sentence. Tassara was right of course... and there didn't seem to be a silver lining there.
"Hey, let's go get something to eat." Clover suggested to break the oppressive silence. Tassara nodded and slipped her sunglasses on as she stood up and moved toward the door. Clover led the way down the hall to the streets, reaching out to grab the queen's hand. Presumably to help guide her through the city, but honestly she just liked doing it.
As they walked Clover's eyes shot over to Tassara on occasion. She stood out like a sore thumb on the crowded American streets. She was no taller than anyone else around and she was wearing normal clothes, but her regal heritage, or perhaps it was just practice at looking regal, showed through with every fluid movement she made. She radiated power, warmth, and beauty just walking down the street with her fingers entwined with Clover's.
Clover turned them into a restaurant with a picture of a chicken-wing above the entrance. She had eaten well in Lyrobia, but she still craved a good, wasteful, fattening American meal. She pulled Tassara to one of the booths and sat down, letting go of Tassara's hand so she could slide into the other side of the booth. When the waiter came Clover ordered two plates of spicy chicken-wings.
"Interesting." Tassara muttered, looking around as the waiters brought meals to the other patrons. "Everyone is treated like royalty here."
"I guess you could think of it like that." Clover replied with a shrug. "That's America, land of equality if you're not black, female, or gay." Tassara gave her a strange look.
"Gay?" She asked. Clover stared at her. Was she serious? Clover supposed so... Lyrobia was a small traditional country outside of its high-tech information network, they probably hadn't had to deal with the gay issue as much as other countries did.
"Yeah... it's when you're a woman who has romantic feelings for other women..." Clover told her.
"Interesting..." Tassara said again, looking out across the restaurant. A small TV hanging over the front door was displaying images from the same newscast they had seen before leaving the hotel. "Is that fairly normal here?" She asked.
"Well..." Clover thought about it, but frankly wasn't sure. It was normal enough to be a problem for extreme conservatives, but not normal enough for them to rise up and make themselves be recognized. "I guess so... yeah, it's fairly normal. Lots of people still don't like it though."
"I see." Tassara watched the waiter bring two large plates of chicken wings and set them in front of each girl. Clover thanked him and he left, letting Clover dig into her food while Tassara picked up one wing to examine it curiously. She took a bite, rolling the food around in her mouth. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she grabbed her drink.
Clover lowered her own drink to the table after having a similar experience. "Whew..." Clover chuckled. "That is one spicy chicken wing." Tassara laughed, shaking her head and watching Clover bravely take another bite of her chicken wing. This time she managed to go for a full minute before pouring the contents of her glass down her throat to stop the terrible burning.
Clover wanted to start a wing-eating competition, but a stir among the restaurant's occupants drew her attention away from her royal friend. The TV was now showing images of the white house, with a frantic looking reporter standing in front of it as people ran every which way behind him. The sound was down, but the images of chaos needed no explanation.
Clover and Tassara exchanged a dark glance before jumping from the booth and running out the door. "Damnit! Where are Alex and Mandy!?" Clover shouted, pumping her legs toward the White House as fast as she could. They slowed as they neared the gates, where mobs of reporters were frantically asking a group of bodyguards unanswered questions.
Beyond the gates, the White House was flooded with secret service agents, rushing about the grounds with some pretty heavy weaponry. Clover's eyes went wide when she spotted a few WOOHP agents among them, distinguishable from the secret service only with a lot of experience dealing with them. "Shit..." she muttered softly when another WOOHP agent emerged from the white house, pushing a handcuffed Mandy in front of him.
"They must have gotten too close." Tassara stated. Clover looked up worriedly, staring up at the windows.
"There's too much chaos here... it would be way too easy for someone to use it to take out the president." Clover stated. "Especially if WOOHP is under the control of whoever's doing all this."
"There's no way we could get in to protect him." Tassara reminded her, staring up ad the windows. "There's nothing we can do even if he's in danger." Clover followed her gaze to the uppermost window, crossing her arms over her chest. She blinked when she saw a familiar purple head appear in the window, staring down at the courtyard where Mandy was being pushed toward a nearby black van.
"Madison..." Clover muttered thoughtfully. "Quick, Tassara, give me your sunglasses." Tassara handed her the pair of mirrors, which Clover held up to the light. She angled carefully between the sun and Madison, in a moment managing to get the light to shine right in her face. Madison squinted and turned to look right at her. Clover waved.
"Are you sure she won't tell the guards about us?" Tassara asked.
"I know she will." Clover watched Madison disappear into the White House to fetch help. "Come on!" Clover grabbed Tassara's hand and pulled her into the crowd of reporters, vanishing into the throng moments before more guards flooded out of the White House toward the crowd. The reporters were shocked to suddenly find the CIA agents pushing through them in search of Clover and Tassara, but Clover kept low to the ground and rushed past the net of agents.
They broke out of the crowd, charging toward the black van parked on the front lawn. Clover yanked it open, finding Mandy sitting inside. She looked at them in surprise. "Clover!?"
"No talking! Running!" Clover yanked Mandy out of the van and ran toward the White House. They ran inside and made their way through it, running up to the second floor before they got tired of running and leaned against a wall. The hallways were empty, as Clover had hoped. All the agents were out front looking for them.
"So... we're completely trapped with no way to escape..." Mandy panted. "Great rescue Clover."
"I didn't come to rescue you." Clover snapped. "I just opened the van as a courtesy. We're here to find and protect the president. Heck, maybe we can convince him that I'm not guilty." Clover pushed herself away from the wall.
"Yeah. Good luck. He wouldn't even listen to me, his own daughter." Mandy stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. Clover looked at her in surprise, but she simply nodded. "Yep, you heard right."
"Either way we still have to protect him. Where's Alex?" Clover asked.
"I have no idea. Last I saw she was running across the lawn outside, then the agents grabbed me and threw me in that van." Mandy replied. Before anyone could say anything else a gunshot echoed through the building, carrying with it the certainty that their mission here had failed miserably. "Dad..." Mandy charged down the hall, followed by Clover and Tassara.
They made their way through the White House until they found their way to the Oval Office. The president was sitting in his chair; his arms sprawled out across the desk with a pool of blood spreading underneath him. "Oh my God! Dad!" Mandy rushed to his side, putting his arms on his shoulders and shaking him desperately. "Come on, wake up! Say something..."
"We're too late..." Tassara muttered softly. "And the perpetrator is already gone."
"If anyone sees this..." Clover trailed off when she heard a soft squeak behind her. Clover and Tassara both turned to see Madison staring at them with wide, horrified eyes. "Madison..." The little girl's gaze turned toward her, tears running down her cheeks as her mouth hung halfway open. "Madison it wasn't us..." Slowly her expression changed from shock to fury.
The preteen clenched her fists and let out a piercing scream that was sure to bring every guard on the grounds swarming toward them. "Shit! Tassara, climb out the window to the roof!" Clover exclaimed. Tassara nodded and ran toward the window behind the president's desk. Clover ran to Mandy's side, grabbing her shoulders. "Come on Mandy, we gotta go!"
"No no!" Mandy shouted back, clinging to her father desperately. "He'll be fine, he..."
"He's DEAD!" Clover shouted in her face. "Now if you don't want to follow him, come on!" Finally Clover tore her away from the body, pushing her to the window. Tassara's arms reached down to grab Mandy's and help pull her onto the sharply domed roof. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway as Clover grabbed Tassara's arms to be pulled up after them.
They scrambled to the top of the roof, looking around to see a sea of guards on the ground below them. They could also hear the guards in the office scrambling to climb up onto the roof after them. "Damnit... we're trapped!" Clover exclaimed.
"Maybe if you'd been a little faster we wouldn't be in this stupid mess!" Mandy shouted back, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Maybe we could've saved him!"
"None of that." Tassara put her hands on each of their shoulders, standing up straight on the precariously angled roof. "Stand up." Clover and Mandy pushed themselves to their feet, standing beside Tassara as one of the agents pulled themselves onto the roof, gripping his weapon once he was on his feet. He pointed it at them quickly, but suddenly the weapon split in half with a flash of sparks before something silver whizzed by the girls' heads heading behind them.
"What the Hell!?" Clover looked back to see Alex floating above the roof with her Jetboots. She caught the Boomerang Buzzsaw Barrette in one hand and winked at Clover. She flew over their heads and turned off the boots, slamming into the guard with enough force to send him hurtling off the roof to the backyard. "And just where have YOU been?"
"Looking for a chance to save Mandy. Didn't know you needed saving too." Alex set down on the roof and approached them.
"Whatever. Do you have any gadgets to get us all out of here? Or can those things carry four people?" Clover asked.
"I might, hold on a second." Alex pulled her backpack off and knelt down to dig through it. "Earring Communicators, no... Stuntan Lotion, no... Tornado in a Can of Hairspray, no..."
"Wait a second, give me that." Clover demanded. Alex shrugged and handed her the can. The blond ex-spy flipped it in one hand, looking down at Alex. "We're getting off this roof, but we need you to cover for us while we get down. Use the Stuntan Lotion if you have to."
"Got it." Alex pulled the tube out of her bag and slung it over her shoulder again. The heels of her boots drew up to reveal the jets again and she prepared to take off over the White House courtyard. Clover walked up to the edge of the roof with Mandy and Tassara walking up behind her.
"Okay, what are we doing again?" Mandy asked. Clover turned toward them urgently.
"We're jumping, and using the Tornado in a Can of Hairspray to break our fall." Clover replied.
"A tornado!? Are you insane!?" Mandy exclaimed.
"We don't have any other choice." Tassara cut in. "If we stay here, they'll overwhelm us. If we jump without it, we'll die." Mandy stared at her, then took a deep breath and closed her mouth before she could protest any more.
"Okay, everyone close together." Clover instructed. Tassara walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around Clover while Mandy grabbed her arm, still handcuffed. Clover took a deep breath, staring down at the crowd below them. Finally she leaned forward, bringing Tassara and Mandy with her until they were plummeting toward the ground.
Clover pointed the can at the ground and closed her eyes, pressing down on the nozzle. She felt the wind whip at her body instantly, halting her downward momentum and hurling her around the vortex like a doll. Tassara and Mandy clung to her tightly, and she could hear the spectators on the ground screaming and running for their lives. She could also hear gunshots, and blasts from Alex's Stuntan Lotion echoing faintly from outside the walls of wind.
The roar was deafening, and she could feel shards of the ground battering her body in every direction. Mandy screamed as her hands slipped, but Clover managed to grab her handcuffs and pull her back in. The sound of the White House gate being shattered and torn apart told them they were outside of the premises.
Finally the tornado began to subside, dropping the three girls to the paved street with groans of nausea. Clover pushed herself to her hands and knees, looking back at the path of destruction the tornado had carved across the once perfectly manicured lawn. There were at least a dozen CIA and WOOHP agents frozen around them, but still more were pouring out of the White House though Alex tried valiantly to hit them all with her weapon.
"Alex, get out of here!" Clover climbed to her feet and turned to run away from the White House, trailed by Mandy and Tassara behind her. Alex fired a few more shots, then followed after her, flying straight over their heads toward the hotel they'd been staying at for the last few days. Clover ran inside, stopping in the lobby as everyone turned to look at them.
Clover cleared her throat and walked more calmly toward the back, flanked by Tassara and Mandy like a pair of bodyguards. They made their way up to the rooms and went in the one shared by Clover and Tassara, where Alex was already waiting, having flown in through the window. Tassara sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching the side. Mandy collapsed against the wall, panting and staring down at the floor.
"Okay... today was a disaster." Clover started to pace across the bedroom, putting her hand on her chin. "But it's okay, it's not like they'll appoint a new president from a handful of candidates. If the president dies, the Vice President takes over right? But... why would they bother killing the President then? Shit..." she stopped, staring at Tassara in fear.
"Unless the Vice President is involved in all of this." Tassara confirmed with a nod. "That would explain who was able to cover up all of these deaths, and how they were able to operate in such classified organizations as WOOHP."
"Damnit..." Clover growled, marching back and forth across the bedroom. "We played right into his hands didn't we Tassara...?" She stopped and stared down at the queen steadily again.
Tassara nodded solemnly. "The Vice President will take office... and because we were there, he will have cause to go to war. First against Lyrobia because I was involved, and then he'll probably expand to other 'terrorist nations' until America has conquered all of the smaller countries. Then he will probably expand even further... all because we failed to protect the president."
"Oh shut up." Mandy growled angrily, pushing away from the wall to march up to her. "'The President' this and 'The President' that. He wasn't just the president! He was a human being! He was my father!"
"And Jerry was mine!" Clover shouted back, standing toe-to-toe with Mandy. "But I can't bring him back either! Deal with it on your own time, but we have a job to do! We have to save the country, and possibly the world!" Mandy blinked in surprise. "Why would someone go to the trouble of taking over the American government and institutions so thoroughly? They've taken all of the key positions now that would let them wage a war Mandy! We're talking World War 3 here!"
"Uh, girls..." Alex said softly. Clover, Mandy and Tassara looked back at Alex, who had turned on the TV. "The Vice President is making an announcement." All eyes turned to the TV, with all of the girls falling silent.
A somewhat balding man with a sharply pointed hawk-like nose was staring out across an obviously hastily gathered crowd. His face was strong and confident despite the wrinkles that spread across it, and his hands made sharp gestures as he spoke. His dark blue eyes shined with charisma. A line at the bottom of the TV read 'White House Ruckus, Vice President Chambers Speaks'. "People of America... I regret to inform you all that... yes... our beloved President has been assassinated."
He paused a moment to let a gasp run through the crowd. "Of course... this is a sad day for all of America... and indeed the world. Because he was a great leader, and a wonderful man." His sharp eyes swept across the crowd. "But rest assured, that I will use my new responsibility to seek out those responsible. Justice will be served quickly. It will be served harshly. And it will be an unforgettable lesson to all terrorist nations in the world."
Alex looked back at the others worriedly. "Is this what you guys were talking about...?" She asked.
"Exactly..." Clover muttered, staring the new President Chambers' face coldly. He waved at the gathered crowd as if he'd just won some kind of award, his face a stone mask, hiding the demon she knew was hiding underneath. He was going to lead the world into another war... and just like all others, it couldn't end any other way but in a disaster.
TO BE CONTINUED
They'd been back in America for the last week, specifically Washington D.C. where they'd kept periodic tabs on the White House for any suspicious activity. Unusual amounts of secret service agents, panicked expressions on the employees' faces, or even a marked increase in the number of birds hanging out on the carefully manicured lawn were considered warnings that the mysterious takeover artists either had struck or were about to strike.
They'd had to ditch the WOOHP jet, obviously. Bringing that kind of thing into the middle of a city, particularly this city, would raise so many alarms that Jerry would probably hear it from the grave. They had enough money for a pair of hotel rooms a small distance away from the White House for the last week, thanks to Alex's foresight in stuffing her backpack with cash.
Clover was glad to be home again, in a way. Spending a while in luxury in the Lyrobian palace was a treat, but this place seemed far more familiar to her. She was stunned to realize she'd actually begun to miss the blaring sirens of impatient motorists, the squeal of tires, and the screams of overly cocky pedestrians who tried to beat a car across the street.
Alex and Mandy hadn't been in Lyrobia long, so to them it was just like coming back after a small trip. Queen Tassara, however, had a far harder time of it. She had never been out of Lyrobia, and it showed in her mannerisms and the way she eyed things with amazement, amusement, or distrust. Clover had spent their first week trying to coach her on acting and looking American while Alex and Mandy took turns staking out the White House. She'd met with limited success.
"I apologize Clover..." Tassara sighed, sitting on the edge of the queen size bed in the hotel room she and Clover shared at night. She pulled a pair of mirrored shades off her face, looking up at the blonde teenager. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a thick, loose fitting gray pullover sweater with a pair of strings hanging down over her chest. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that extended halfway down her back. "I don't believe I can blend in very well here."
"Awww you'll get it." Clover lied. Tassara looked and acted like an average American about as much as Clover looked and acted like a queen. Which, despite her fantasies, she knew wasn't very much. "It's not that hard, just... you know, relax." Clover flexed her arms out and walked across the room, swinging her arms comfortably at her sides. "See? Relaxed."
"I AM relaxed." Tassara smirked, leaning back on the bed and resting on her hands. Clover blushed slightly.
"Right... so..." Clover sighed. "God, who knew teaching was so hard? I'll never complain about sucky teachers again." Clover plopped down beside the queen, resting her head in her palms. "Sorry Tassara."
"I come from a different world." Tassara replied, picking up the sunglasses and turning them slowly between her hands. Clover sighed and grabbed the remote for the small TV off the nightstand, flipping it on. Of course, as one might expect, it was displaying the news.
"The American occupation of Lyrobia continues into day five, as the soldiers search for the fugitives who have taken refuge here. Let's have a word with an American soldier..." The newscaster looked around for a moment before spotting a soldier standing in front of Tassara's palace. "Excuse me, can we have a word with you about the progress of your mission?"
"It's going as well as can be expected. As seems to be typical of these terrorist leaders, they live in a desert and they crawl under the sand like snakes once it looks like they might have to answer for their crimes." The soldier laughed. Clover growled while Tassara watched with keen interest, holding her hands in front of her.
"How do you respond to the charges that the U.S. is simply doing this to exert its power over the world?" The reported asked.
"We wouldn't do this if these people weren't terrorists. And even though they are, we're careful to make sure this is a peaceful search, not a military occupation." The soldier replied.
"Peaceful my ass." Clover turned off the TV and stood up, growling. "I can't believe those damn liars! Shit, they know we're not there by now, what are they doing?"
"They're trying to provoke me into going back." Tassara replied simply. Clover looked down at her in surprise. "Show me through the news how much of a mockery I and my country are becoming... might be enough to make me come out of hiding to try to defend myself and my people." The silence was heavy as Clover struggled to find a comforting sentence. Tassara was right of course... and there didn't seem to be a silver lining there.
"Hey, let's go get something to eat." Clover suggested to break the oppressive silence. Tassara nodded and slipped her sunglasses on as she stood up and moved toward the door. Clover led the way down the hall to the streets, reaching out to grab the queen's hand. Presumably to help guide her through the city, but honestly she just liked doing it.
As they walked Clover's eyes shot over to Tassara on occasion. She stood out like a sore thumb on the crowded American streets. She was no taller than anyone else around and she was wearing normal clothes, but her regal heritage, or perhaps it was just practice at looking regal, showed through with every fluid movement she made. She radiated power, warmth, and beauty just walking down the street with her fingers entwined with Clover's.
Clover turned them into a restaurant with a picture of a chicken-wing above the entrance. She had eaten well in Lyrobia, but she still craved a good, wasteful, fattening American meal. She pulled Tassara to one of the booths and sat down, letting go of Tassara's hand so she could slide into the other side of the booth. When the waiter came Clover ordered two plates of spicy chicken-wings.
"Interesting." Tassara muttered, looking around as the waiters brought meals to the other patrons. "Everyone is treated like royalty here."
"I guess you could think of it like that." Clover replied with a shrug. "That's America, land of equality if you're not black, female, or gay." Tassara gave her a strange look.
"Gay?" She asked. Clover stared at her. Was she serious? Clover supposed so... Lyrobia was a small traditional country outside of its high-tech information network, they probably hadn't had to deal with the gay issue as much as other countries did.
"Yeah... it's when you're a woman who has romantic feelings for other women..." Clover told her.
"Interesting..." Tassara said again, looking out across the restaurant. A small TV hanging over the front door was displaying images from the same newscast they had seen before leaving the hotel. "Is that fairly normal here?" She asked.
"Well..." Clover thought about it, but frankly wasn't sure. It was normal enough to be a problem for extreme conservatives, but not normal enough for them to rise up and make themselves be recognized. "I guess so... yeah, it's fairly normal. Lots of people still don't like it though."
"I see." Tassara watched the waiter bring two large plates of chicken wings and set them in front of each girl. Clover thanked him and he left, letting Clover dig into her food while Tassara picked up one wing to examine it curiously. She took a bite, rolling the food around in her mouth. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she grabbed her drink.
Clover lowered her own drink to the table after having a similar experience. "Whew..." Clover chuckled. "That is one spicy chicken wing." Tassara laughed, shaking her head and watching Clover bravely take another bite of her chicken wing. This time she managed to go for a full minute before pouring the contents of her glass down her throat to stop the terrible burning.
Clover wanted to start a wing-eating competition, but a stir among the restaurant's occupants drew her attention away from her royal friend. The TV was now showing images of the white house, with a frantic looking reporter standing in front of it as people ran every which way behind him. The sound was down, but the images of chaos needed no explanation.
Clover and Tassara exchanged a dark glance before jumping from the booth and running out the door. "Damnit! Where are Alex and Mandy!?" Clover shouted, pumping her legs toward the White House as fast as she could. They slowed as they neared the gates, where mobs of reporters were frantically asking a group of bodyguards unanswered questions.
Beyond the gates, the White House was flooded with secret service agents, rushing about the grounds with some pretty heavy weaponry. Clover's eyes went wide when she spotted a few WOOHP agents among them, distinguishable from the secret service only with a lot of experience dealing with them. "Shit..." she muttered softly when another WOOHP agent emerged from the white house, pushing a handcuffed Mandy in front of him.
"They must have gotten too close." Tassara stated. Clover looked up worriedly, staring up at the windows.
"There's too much chaos here... it would be way too easy for someone to use it to take out the president." Clover stated. "Especially if WOOHP is under the control of whoever's doing all this."
"There's no way we could get in to protect him." Tassara reminded her, staring up ad the windows. "There's nothing we can do even if he's in danger." Clover followed her gaze to the uppermost window, crossing her arms over her chest. She blinked when she saw a familiar purple head appear in the window, staring down at the courtyard where Mandy was being pushed toward a nearby black van.
"Madison..." Clover muttered thoughtfully. "Quick, Tassara, give me your sunglasses." Tassara handed her the pair of mirrors, which Clover held up to the light. She angled carefully between the sun and Madison, in a moment managing to get the light to shine right in her face. Madison squinted and turned to look right at her. Clover waved.
"Are you sure she won't tell the guards about us?" Tassara asked.
"I know she will." Clover watched Madison disappear into the White House to fetch help. "Come on!" Clover grabbed Tassara's hand and pulled her into the crowd of reporters, vanishing into the throng moments before more guards flooded out of the White House toward the crowd. The reporters were shocked to suddenly find the CIA agents pushing through them in search of Clover and Tassara, but Clover kept low to the ground and rushed past the net of agents.
They broke out of the crowd, charging toward the black van parked on the front lawn. Clover yanked it open, finding Mandy sitting inside. She looked at them in surprise. "Clover!?"
"No talking! Running!" Clover yanked Mandy out of the van and ran toward the White House. They ran inside and made their way through it, running up to the second floor before they got tired of running and leaned against a wall. The hallways were empty, as Clover had hoped. All the agents were out front looking for them.
"So... we're completely trapped with no way to escape..." Mandy panted. "Great rescue Clover."
"I didn't come to rescue you." Clover snapped. "I just opened the van as a courtesy. We're here to find and protect the president. Heck, maybe we can convince him that I'm not guilty." Clover pushed herself away from the wall.
"Yeah. Good luck. He wouldn't even listen to me, his own daughter." Mandy stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. Clover looked at her in surprise, but she simply nodded. "Yep, you heard right."
"Either way we still have to protect him. Where's Alex?" Clover asked.
"I have no idea. Last I saw she was running across the lawn outside, then the agents grabbed me and threw me in that van." Mandy replied. Before anyone could say anything else a gunshot echoed through the building, carrying with it the certainty that their mission here had failed miserably. "Dad..." Mandy charged down the hall, followed by Clover and Tassara.
They made their way through the White House until they found their way to the Oval Office. The president was sitting in his chair; his arms sprawled out across the desk with a pool of blood spreading underneath him. "Oh my God! Dad!" Mandy rushed to his side, putting his arms on his shoulders and shaking him desperately. "Come on, wake up! Say something..."
"We're too late..." Tassara muttered softly. "And the perpetrator is already gone."
"If anyone sees this..." Clover trailed off when she heard a soft squeak behind her. Clover and Tassara both turned to see Madison staring at them with wide, horrified eyes. "Madison..." The little girl's gaze turned toward her, tears running down her cheeks as her mouth hung halfway open. "Madison it wasn't us..." Slowly her expression changed from shock to fury.
The preteen clenched her fists and let out a piercing scream that was sure to bring every guard on the grounds swarming toward them. "Shit! Tassara, climb out the window to the roof!" Clover exclaimed. Tassara nodded and ran toward the window behind the president's desk. Clover ran to Mandy's side, grabbing her shoulders. "Come on Mandy, we gotta go!"
"No no!" Mandy shouted back, clinging to her father desperately. "He'll be fine, he..."
"He's DEAD!" Clover shouted in her face. "Now if you don't want to follow him, come on!" Finally Clover tore her away from the body, pushing her to the window. Tassara's arms reached down to grab Mandy's and help pull her onto the sharply domed roof. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway as Clover grabbed Tassara's arms to be pulled up after them.
They scrambled to the top of the roof, looking around to see a sea of guards on the ground below them. They could also hear the guards in the office scrambling to climb up onto the roof after them. "Damnit... we're trapped!" Clover exclaimed.
"Maybe if you'd been a little faster we wouldn't be in this stupid mess!" Mandy shouted back, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Maybe we could've saved him!"
"None of that." Tassara put her hands on each of their shoulders, standing up straight on the precariously angled roof. "Stand up." Clover and Mandy pushed themselves to their feet, standing beside Tassara as one of the agents pulled themselves onto the roof, gripping his weapon once he was on his feet. He pointed it at them quickly, but suddenly the weapon split in half with a flash of sparks before something silver whizzed by the girls' heads heading behind them.
"What the Hell!?" Clover looked back to see Alex floating above the roof with her Jetboots. She caught the Boomerang Buzzsaw Barrette in one hand and winked at Clover. She flew over their heads and turned off the boots, slamming into the guard with enough force to send him hurtling off the roof to the backyard. "And just where have YOU been?"
"Looking for a chance to save Mandy. Didn't know you needed saving too." Alex set down on the roof and approached them.
"Whatever. Do you have any gadgets to get us all out of here? Or can those things carry four people?" Clover asked.
"I might, hold on a second." Alex pulled her backpack off and knelt down to dig through it. "Earring Communicators, no... Stuntan Lotion, no... Tornado in a Can of Hairspray, no..."
"Wait a second, give me that." Clover demanded. Alex shrugged and handed her the can. The blond ex-spy flipped it in one hand, looking down at Alex. "We're getting off this roof, but we need you to cover for us while we get down. Use the Stuntan Lotion if you have to."
"Got it." Alex pulled the tube out of her bag and slung it over her shoulder again. The heels of her boots drew up to reveal the jets again and she prepared to take off over the White House courtyard. Clover walked up to the edge of the roof with Mandy and Tassara walking up behind her.
"Okay, what are we doing again?" Mandy asked. Clover turned toward them urgently.
"We're jumping, and using the Tornado in a Can of Hairspray to break our fall." Clover replied.
"A tornado!? Are you insane!?" Mandy exclaimed.
"We don't have any other choice." Tassara cut in. "If we stay here, they'll overwhelm us. If we jump without it, we'll die." Mandy stared at her, then took a deep breath and closed her mouth before she could protest any more.
"Okay, everyone close together." Clover instructed. Tassara walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around Clover while Mandy grabbed her arm, still handcuffed. Clover took a deep breath, staring down at the crowd below them. Finally she leaned forward, bringing Tassara and Mandy with her until they were plummeting toward the ground.
Clover pointed the can at the ground and closed her eyes, pressing down on the nozzle. She felt the wind whip at her body instantly, halting her downward momentum and hurling her around the vortex like a doll. Tassara and Mandy clung to her tightly, and she could hear the spectators on the ground screaming and running for their lives. She could also hear gunshots, and blasts from Alex's Stuntan Lotion echoing faintly from outside the walls of wind.
The roar was deafening, and she could feel shards of the ground battering her body in every direction. Mandy screamed as her hands slipped, but Clover managed to grab her handcuffs and pull her back in. The sound of the White House gate being shattered and torn apart told them they were outside of the premises.
Finally the tornado began to subside, dropping the three girls to the paved street with groans of nausea. Clover pushed herself to her hands and knees, looking back at the path of destruction the tornado had carved across the once perfectly manicured lawn. There were at least a dozen CIA and WOOHP agents frozen around them, but still more were pouring out of the White House though Alex tried valiantly to hit them all with her weapon.
"Alex, get out of here!" Clover climbed to her feet and turned to run away from the White House, trailed by Mandy and Tassara behind her. Alex fired a few more shots, then followed after her, flying straight over their heads toward the hotel they'd been staying at for the last few days. Clover ran inside, stopping in the lobby as everyone turned to look at them.
Clover cleared her throat and walked more calmly toward the back, flanked by Tassara and Mandy like a pair of bodyguards. They made their way up to the rooms and went in the one shared by Clover and Tassara, where Alex was already waiting, having flown in through the window. Tassara sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching the side. Mandy collapsed against the wall, panting and staring down at the floor.
"Okay... today was a disaster." Clover started to pace across the bedroom, putting her hand on her chin. "But it's okay, it's not like they'll appoint a new president from a handful of candidates. If the president dies, the Vice President takes over right? But... why would they bother killing the President then? Shit..." she stopped, staring at Tassara in fear.
"Unless the Vice President is involved in all of this." Tassara confirmed with a nod. "That would explain who was able to cover up all of these deaths, and how they were able to operate in such classified organizations as WOOHP."
"Damnit..." Clover growled, marching back and forth across the bedroom. "We played right into his hands didn't we Tassara...?" She stopped and stared down at the queen steadily again.
Tassara nodded solemnly. "The Vice President will take office... and because we were there, he will have cause to go to war. First against Lyrobia because I was involved, and then he'll probably expand to other 'terrorist nations' until America has conquered all of the smaller countries. Then he will probably expand even further... all because we failed to protect the president."
"Oh shut up." Mandy growled angrily, pushing away from the wall to march up to her. "'The President' this and 'The President' that. He wasn't just the president! He was a human being! He was my father!"
"And Jerry was mine!" Clover shouted back, standing toe-to-toe with Mandy. "But I can't bring him back either! Deal with it on your own time, but we have a job to do! We have to save the country, and possibly the world!" Mandy blinked in surprise. "Why would someone go to the trouble of taking over the American government and institutions so thoroughly? They've taken all of the key positions now that would let them wage a war Mandy! We're talking World War 3 here!"
"Uh, girls..." Alex said softly. Clover, Mandy and Tassara looked back at Alex, who had turned on the TV. "The Vice President is making an announcement." All eyes turned to the TV, with all of the girls falling silent.
A somewhat balding man with a sharply pointed hawk-like nose was staring out across an obviously hastily gathered crowd. His face was strong and confident despite the wrinkles that spread across it, and his hands made sharp gestures as he spoke. His dark blue eyes shined with charisma. A line at the bottom of the TV read 'White House Ruckus, Vice President Chambers Speaks'. "People of America... I regret to inform you all that... yes... our beloved President has been assassinated."
He paused a moment to let a gasp run through the crowd. "Of course... this is a sad day for all of America... and indeed the world. Because he was a great leader, and a wonderful man." His sharp eyes swept across the crowd. "But rest assured, that I will use my new responsibility to seek out those responsible. Justice will be served quickly. It will be served harshly. And it will be an unforgettable lesson to all terrorist nations in the world."
Alex looked back at the others worriedly. "Is this what you guys were talking about...?" She asked.
"Exactly..." Clover muttered, staring the new President Chambers' face coldly. He waved at the gathered crowd as if he'd just won some kind of award, his face a stone mask, hiding the demon she knew was hiding underneath. He was going to lead the world into another war... and just like all others, it couldn't end any other way but in a disaster.
TO BE CONTINUED