Pawns
by Quicksilver
Part Four
Maron sat at her desk listening to the sensei lecture about functions, taking copious notes. Math was her worse subject. She didn't see the point in most of it, and doubted that she would ever use it. Still, she had to pass if she was to graduate.
That didn't mean she had to like it.
Beside her, Chiaki was spacing out, occasionally returning his attention to the lecture long enough to jot down a few notes. It was infuriating, but he was the smartest student in the class. He hardly needed to study this, and occasionally he'd nod as he listened to Pakkyamlamao-sensei, as though he was mentally ticking off a list of points. Then again, everything thing about Chiaki was infuriating.
She nibbled on the end of her pencil as the numbers swirled in front of her. She was going to need help. Perhaps she should arrange a study session with Miyako. Miyako would want to invite Chiaki, and he would, she grudgingly admitted to herself, patiently help her get it through her thick skull.
She was just about write a note to pass to Miyako on the subject when she saw Fin Fish pounding at the window urgently. Her eyes widened and she rose to her feet. "Kusakabe Maron! I have a headache!" she announced to the teacher, then hurried out of the room.
The other students, used to Maron's "headaches," ignored her but Chiaki glanced around and noticed the little angel at the window just before she flew off. "Nagoya Chiaki!" he declared, shutting his book and gathering his bag. "Sore throat!"
Miyako watched as he took off after Maron, and she wondered. What was he up to?
Maron quickly raced to the infirmary, where Fin Fish was waiting for her. "Couldn't this wait?" she demanded. "I have an extremely difficult math test coming up, and I really can't afford to miss class!"
Fin, rather then start her usual lecture, just looked at her with large emerald eyes. They looked almost feverish in her waxen face. "I don't think so," she whispered.
Maron looked at her close friend, and a surge of concern swelled in her breast. "Fin, are you okay?" she demanded, holding out a hand for Fin to sit on.
The angel almost collapsed in relief. "No," she whispered. "I found another demon."
Maron raised an eyebrow. "So? We'll just send a notice and I'll Checkmate- no biggie," she said.
"Maron… I've never felt a demon like this. This demon is strong. I'm not sure if you can Checkmate it…"
Maron gave her an unconcerned smile. "Fin, I'm Kaitou Jeanne! You know, strong and serious, matchless and marvelous? Trust me, I can handle this. What's the target."
"Tokyo Tower," Fin whispered.
"Tokyo Tower!" Maron yelled in shock. "You're kidding, right?"
"No- the demon has possessed the building itself. It's a wonderful place for it- all those pure hearts, admiring the city. It's accumulated a remarkable amount of energy- so much that I doubt you'll be able to contain it in the pin."
"Well, I have to try!" Maron said stubbornly. "Send a notice- say, for five o'clock. I'll go pull up some information on the net, and we'll figure out a plan of attack."
She quickly stood up and started towards her apartment, mentally making a note to call Chiaki and Miyako over later to help her with what she had missed.
Outside of the infirmary, Chiaki lurked in the shadows as he thoughtfully reviewed what he had overheard. He, too, took off for his apartment after waiting for a few minutes so Maron would have enough time to get a decent distance ahead of him. There was no way in hell he wanted to blow his cover.
Miyako normally got pissed off whenever a notice arrived. She would usually be downright livid when both kaitou targeted the same object, since Sinbad and Jeanne had a way of making the detectives trip over each other when they arrived that was humiliating. This time she couldn't bring herself to feel anger.
Shock, yes. Amazement, and a certain amount of respect at their sheer gall. How the hell do the kaitou plan on stealing Tokyo Tower? she wondered.
She looked at her father, who had been fretting ever since receiving the notice two hours ago. She had gotten herself excused from class to help him, but none of them were exactly sure what to do. How were you suppose to protect a building from being stolen? Particularly one of the most famous landmarks in the city?
The others milled around as they established a perimeter. The city was taking the threat deadly seriously. They had given the Kaitou Jeanne Task Force extra back up, and they were told that any measures would be acceptable to capture the thieves- or at least prevent the theft of the Tower. Jeanne and Sinbad, between the two of them, had never missed a target before, and even though it sounded ludicrous that they would succeed this time around, no one was taking any chances.
Miyako glanced at her watch. Ten minutes until they came, and she had no clue what to do. Usually they rested a few days between each one of their heists, giving her a chance to think, but this was the third one in less then three days. She was starting to run out of ideas, and seriously questioning if she was wasting her time pursuing Jeanne. No matter what she did, the female kaitou was a good three steps ahead of her.
And if that hadn't been bad enough, Kaitou Sinbad had changed his hunting grounds to where Jeanne was, rather then remaining in his own ward of Tokyo. He seemed to take a gleeful delight in driving Jeanne nuts, challenging the other thief (and by, by extension, Miyako), and Miyako half-hoped that Jeanne would put him in his place. They already had one thief to deal with- why should Sinbad come over and bug them? Wasn't there enough for him to steal somewhere else?
Which made her wonder. The thefts by Jeanne and Sinbad didn't follow any normal pattern. Both of them sent notice before they came, given the police a chance to prepare. The stolen goods never turned up on the black market. Sometimes Jeanne or Sinbad wouldn't even touch the item, and it would vanish. No matter where the item was hidden, Jeanne always was able to find it. Often times the owners, who had previously been obsessed with their possession, would shrug off its loss as though it was not a big deal. Miyako knew something was not right, and she was determined to get down to the bottom of it. So many mysteries danced around the kaitou.
"Are we ready?" she asked her father, trying to hide the nervousness.
"As ready as we'll ever be. We're going to keep them away from the building proper."
"Are the helicopters all up there?" Miyako asked. She looked up and saw only one hovering nearby.
"No air traffic is being allowed within a mile of the building except for emergency vehicles. They've divided the area into separate patrols."
Miyako looked at all the security men swarming over the building, plus the guard dogs, lights, and other high-tech contraptions. She sighed at the high security, recognizing that most likely it would be futile. Jeanne wouldn't have sent notice if she didn't think there was a way she could succeed.
Then they heard it. "Game Start!"
Jeanne stood silhoetted in the setting sun, and Maron thought, not for the first time, that the thief timed her notices so she could have the best possible entrance. Melodrama was something Kaitou Jeanne (and Sinbad for that matter) had down pat.
An impish smile dance on Miyako's face as she ordered the first line of defense out. This force was comprised of the bulk of the extras the city had sent. She knew that had no real chance of napping ththief, but that wasn't their primary purpose. If she could wear Jeanne down, she might-just might- make a mistake which would get her caught, tied up, and in prison where she belonged.
"Kaitou Sinbad is here," another voice said, appearing from around the same area as Jeanne.
Jeanne shot him a dirty glance. "Can't you go bug someone else for a change?" she asked.
"This isn't a good idea, Jeanne. You don't have the strength to complete this Checkmate."
Miyako watched as the two theives deftly wove through the crowd of rookie cops as they argued fiercely. "And I suppose you do?" she asked, kicking out at him.
Sinbad dodged swiftly, catching her foot. Jeanne kicked him with her other foot in an incredible display of agility."Do you know I just saw the best American film?" she asked Sinbad, her voice turning teasing.
The other kaitou threw the rookie who had been going for him at HER, and she cheerfully decked the man hard enough to give him double vision.
"A Sandra Bullock film... Ms. Congeniality. It taught me how to SING! Solarplexus, instep, nose, groin!" she said, hitting yet more rookies as she explained.
Miyako giggled. She'd seen that movie too, with Maron at the theaters, and they'd both like that part. All the woman in the audience had, but the men had been wincing.
Sinbad seemed to agree as he cleared the last of the first line. "Jeanne, sometimes you are too much."
She gave him a "V for Victory" sign, then continued towards the building. "I wonder what our charming detectives have for us next?"
Miyako laughed and hit the button which signaled the release of the canine units. "Oh, shit," Sinbad cursed under his breath. "Shit, shit, shit!"
Jeanne seemed to agree, and started to back away. "Nice doggie... how about you go after the guy with blue hair? He has more meat on his bones..."
Now it was Sinbad's turn to give her a dirty look. "You're real helpful."
Jeanne grinned back at him nervously, then produced her petit clare. Holding it up, she summoned her rebound ball mentally. "Rebound Ball- GO!" she yelled, pitching it with unerring aim at the helicopter that was hovering above them.
Miyako almost didn't believe her eyes. The ball raced towards the copter with blinding speed and hooked onto the bottom. Jerking her wrist, Jeanne started to ascend. Sinbad jumped at her and wrapped his arms around her waist, something the little theif clearly wasn't happy about. "Let go of me!" she shrieked, trying to shake him off.
Miyako sighed as she called in her third, and final, line of defense. The Four Seasons and her father looked at each other, nodding grimly. They had been told any means, and if that meant hurting Jeanne, they would do so. Tokyo Tower was a national treasure.
Akita threw a knife at them to sever the rope. The two kaitou were hovering a good three stories off the ground, so when they fell, the fall would hurt.
The knife separated the rope and they tumbled to the ground. Sinbad, at the last second, shift his body so he took the brunt of the fall. Jeanne pulled herself to her feet. "I don't need your help!" she yelled. Haruto shot a net at her, which she avoided. "You, demon borne in darkness-" she began.
"Jeanne!" Sinbad yelled, "you can't do this! You aren't strong enough!"
"I seal you here! Checkmate!"
With unerring accuracy she cast forth a white pin. Miyako wanted to scream in frustration- she knew that this meant the thief would succeed in her theft.
The lights in the Tower went out, and everyone blinked as a wail rose up from the very foundation. Jeanne stood firmly as lights began to flickered, then one by one, burst, sending glass everywhere. Police officers took to the ground, shielding their faces from the sharp shards that sprayed everywhere. Miyako watched in horror as Jeanne began to scream as well.
"Jeanne, stop it!" Sinbad yelled. "You're not strong enough!"
"Never!" she yelled back.
"Jeanne!" he called, rushing to her side.
She went to her knees, fierce eyes still on the place where her pin was stuck in the metal. "Strong and serious..." she panted, staring at it, "matchless and marvelous... cheerful and courageous!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
Miyako watched at the last light blew, and an eerie silence descended upon the Tower.
Then Jeanne collapsed.
"Someone get her while she's down!" she yelled, and Fuyuta happily obliged, racing towards the prone girl.
Sinbad, though, beat the police there. Scooping the other thief up into his arms, he cradled her against his chest. Then he vanished- literally. One second he was there, the next, there was nothing but air.
