"Today we're helping Noriko and Classified on one of their missions," Karasuma explained from the driver's seat. "We're just doing a little reconnaissance for them. Nothing big, just scoping out the area." After a long silence from the back seat, Karasuma asked, "Is everything alright? You guys are being unusually quiet back there."
"Alright, brats. What happened?" Jelavic asked as she looked at the four in the back seats. Each was looking out their respective window. "Okay. Let's start simple. Fia, what happened to your cheek? Did Karma beat you up?" she asked, trying to get a rouse out of the silent pair.
"NO!" the two being questioned protested simultaneously, shooting concerned glances at the other. They kept incoherently interrupting each other in a fluster before turning back to their respective windows in an awkward silence.
"He wouldn't do that…" Fia promised quietly.
"What happened, Tsu-chan?"
"I-I got hit with a s-stage light y-yesterday while I was h-helping put the finishing touches on some of the sets. H-Hehe…" She sighed and let her forehead hit the car window. "Don't worry about it, Angel."
"I guess I just didn't notice it… Yesterday was tough. My hands still aren't back to normal," Haven laughed dryly as she brought up a slightly trembling hand.
Without breaking her gaze from the window, Fia slid her hand across the seat and took Haven's hand in her own.
"Care to elaborate?" Jelavic called from the front seat. "On anything?"
Fia bit her lip back. "W-We're all just… frustrated, stressed, and tired," she offered. It certainly wasn't a lie, but she wanted to keep their conflicts between themselves.
"Alright, you four, I feel as though you guys had it rough last night, but now's not the time for it. It was one thing when you were angsty teenagers, but you're full-grown adults. Let's show some maturity please," Karasuma requested with a sigh.
Dark eyes found four slight nods in the rearview mirror before shifting back onto the busy road ahead of them.
Noriko projected a 3D model onto the wall. "This is the Globes Hotel and Event Center. It has state of the art security. This evening, high-society is throwing a gala there. Several guests attending the event are deeply involved in the human trafficking business and an inside source has told us an exchange of money and goods is scheduled for tonight. We will be one of three teams working on the mission. Each team has the same basic instructions: Apprehend the culprits and secure the girls," Noriko explained.
"Hold up, I thought this was a reconnaissance mission," Karasuma protested.
"It is. Our team's job is to explore the building looking for the girls, keep tabs on the two suspects, and set up a situation to catch them red-handed. We have orders not to engage the enemy unless absolutely necessary, especially since you guys don't have official ties with the U.S. government." Noriko paused to make sure everyone was at attention.
"This is how we're going to do this," she continued. "Jelavic, Akabane, and Timo will infiltrate the gala as party goers to keep tabs on the culprits. Do not let them leave the party while we're locating the girls. Karasuma, Shiota, and I will be exploring the rest of the building as housekeeping staff. We're going to place hidden cameras where the exchange is to take place. Lee's in charge of keeping us off the grid. Some of the security guards have been bribed."
"Where's Classified going to be?" Fia asked curiously.
"In the van with Haven. He was one of our inside sources so we can't have him being spotted," Noriko explained. "As for code names, the only ones you need to pay attention to are Koopa Kid, Red Barron, No-Name, and Lady Luck. Now, for the people infiltrating the party, here are files with the information on your aliases," Noriko passed a manilla envelope to the three infiltrators. "And here's specs on the hotel for you," she handed Haven a thumb drive, which was immediately put into a laptop.
Fia and Karma opened their folders and exchanged glances after reading a few lines.
"Oh, Dio," was all the Italian could think to say.
Fia gently placed her hand in the crook of Karma's elbow and shyly placed her head on his shoulder. Scanning the room, she made sure that their two targets were still in sight. Fia made a mental note of where they were and continued to look around.
It wasn't hard to find Jelavic, draped on a man she was coaxing information out of, in a flashy, royal purple and gold gala dress. Fia shivered subconsciously; she didn't know how Jelavic could be comfortable exposing that many triangles of skin. She already felt awkward in her open-back emerald evening gown, even if it was modest in every other way. Shifting uncomfortably, Fia grabbed Karma's hand and hid her flustered face in his neck.
"There really are a lot of famous people here and everything is so… luxurious. I'm getting a little self-conscious…" she confessed.
"Wow, Chem, you're doing great. I'm almost convinced you're actually his fiancee," Noriko called over the radios. The Italian blushed profusely and stepped away from Karma in her embarrassment.
"Mr. President, you're being a bit… frigid towards the love of your life," Classified commented.
"No-Name, I'll throttle you if you keep commenting on my performance." Karma gritted his teeth.
"Honestly, I'm not opposed to switching places with you. It's been forever since I've done good old recon work. Besides, I'd make sure your fiancee doesn't catch frostbite."
Fia blushed and wrapped her arms around herself. "I-I'm fine, thank you though."
"No-Name -" he began threateningly.
"Just a friendly reminder from Ice Queen, we're on tape."
Sighing softly, Fia tugged on Karma's arm. "Honey, maybe we should socialize a little bit." She looked furtively towards their targets who were socializing but slowly getting closer to the doors. She sweat-dropped, trying to show Karma that they needed to get closer to their targets just in case they made an attempt to sneak out.
Slowly, Karma relented and put his arm around her waist. "Alright, sweet cheeks, lead the way."
Fia's face turned red and she bit back an embarrassed complaint. Taking Karma's elbow, Fia began leading the way towards a couple across the way. "You must be that beautiful, famous actress that everyone is talking about! I'm quite the fan."
The redhead forced a smile and placed a hand over Fia's. What might have appeared as a simple gesture of affection between lovers was an encouragement for her good cover.
"Oh, my," the woman began bashfully, "I suppose I am. Who might you be, darling?"
Green eyes found Karma and he extended his hand to the woman and her partner. "My name is Hisoka Himura, and this is my fiance Julia. We're visiting on behalf of my father from Himura Tech Industries."
Fia picked up a drink from a passing waiter and feigned a sip. Smiling sweetly, she asked "Would you tell me about yourselves?"
"Ice Queen here, I have eyes and ears now. No-Name, where do we need to go?"
"The girls are probably in one of three possible locations: room 315, room 630, or the loading dock. Their rooms will definitely have personal guards."
"Okay… This place's security is truly impressive… Getting into any of those locations may be difficult…"
"But you can do it, right, Ice Queen?"
"Of course I can, Lady Luck."
"For the loading dock, it's pretty easy to access if you're an employee. Chief can probably set up surveillance in that area just fine and it's unlikely you'll be questioned in that security guard uniform." Classified said.
"Got it. I'm heading out," Karasuma confirmed over the radio.
"Monroe, come in," Classified called.
"Yeah, what is it?" Irina responded.
"I need you to lead the guard in front of room 315 away for awhile."
"Alright. Mr. President, Chem, I'm leaving the ballroom infiltration up to you."
"Notebook, when the guard's gone, enter that room."
"Understood."
"And, Lady Luck, change into civilian clothes and go up to the 7th floor. Be sure to bring rappelling gear with you."
"Rappelling gear?! Why do I need rappelling gear?"
"Because room 630 is being protected by three well-trained guards while room 315 only has one buffoon," Haven explained.
"Also, you have till twenty hundred to get this done," Classified added.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Noriko exclaimed.
"Yes. That's when the exchange will take place."
"Koopa Kid, Red Barron, did you know about this?"
"Yes," two unfamiliar voices answered.
"But it's already eighteen thirty now!"
"Well, then, get to work," a very deep voice replied with an audible smile.
"Didn't need to be told, Koopa Kid," Noriko sighed.
"You sure about that?" a different gruff voice snapped.
"Leave my partner alone, Red Barron," Classified sighed.
Jelavic peeked around the hall corner at the guard standing in front of room 315. He was built like a tank and his hardy expression resembled that of a wall, but this would be a piece of cake for her - she was a professional. Running through her plan and her six contingency plans once again through her head, she fixed her dress to accentuate her curves more fully and stepped out from around the corner.
She let her blue eyes roam the hall innocently as if she were lost and ran her hands through her hair, letting them float down towards the locks framing her curvaceous breasts. Jelavic caught his eyes when they finally lifted from her body but quickly looked away and bit her lip in a sexy smile. Tucking her hair behind her ears to show that she wanted to be open to him and batting her eyelashes, she slowly made her way over towards the guard, making sure her legs would flash him an occasional peek at tantalizing amounts of skin with each stiletto-clad step.
"I, erm, can I help you, miss?" he asked gruffly.
She paused and tilted her head, looking awfully embarrassed. "Well, you see, sir, I got a little tipsy at the party and got lost finding my room." He raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms. Jelavic cursed in her head, not liking the 'closed' body language he was giving her. She lightly ran her fingertips down his arm and smiled worriedly. "Couldn't you help little ol' me find my way to my room? Just for a minute? It won't take long… Unless you want it to be," she promised with a coy smile.
Scratching at a pink cheek with a finger, he turned hesitantly towards the door he was guarding. "Uh… I don't know."
Jelavic stepped closer to him and feigned curiosity at what he was doing when she was really positioning herself for the snare. She reached across his and touched the plated numbers on the door. "315? Oh, I believe I'm in room 357 but I really have no idea where that is," she pouted helplessly.
When the guard tried to turn back towards her, he accidentally more than grazed her chest. Jelavic pretended not to notice and began to tear up as she clasped her hands in front of her to accentuate her breasts even more. "Oh, won't you help me? I'm sure I can get back to my room safely if a big, strong man like you were to escort me!"
Stiffly, the guard nodded and awkwardly began down the hall. "Sure, but just for a minute, okay?"
"Okay!" Jelavic smiled happily. "You're a lifesaver, thank you!" The tall man guided Jelavic to the decoy room where she pushed him against the door in fluster. "You're so strong and handsome! Please, I just want to be with you!" He looked down at her in alarm but she draped her arms around his neck.
"No other man would be as kind as you. Other men would have tried to take advantage of me," she put on a pained and teary expression, hiding her mouth behind a delicate hand as she made eye contact with him. "I just want to repay you."
"I -"
"Shh…" she put a finger over his lips. "You don't have to say anything, just follow me." Jelavic pushed open the door behind her and lured the man in with a hand on his cheek. As soon as the door closed behind him, however, she struck him with taser and moved as his heavy body hit the floor. Looking unamused, she stepped on him and brought the comm to her lips. "Guard detained… Except for that hot and bothered thing in his pants," she muttered disgustedly.
"Did NOT need the details, NOT AT ALL!" Haven and half a dozen other people groaned. A few snickers could also be heard over the radio waves.
"You're giving your poor fiance hypothermia, Mr. President," Classified teased.
"Are those children even qualified for this type of work?" Red Barron scoffed.
"Second warning, Red Barron. Please leave my subordinates alone."
"You know, Mr. President, commenting on your fiancee's attire would definitely make you two seem more like a couple," Haven said.
Electricity shot through Fia's nervous system and she stiffened, having heard her teammates' comments.
Karma's cheeks flushed. It wasn't as if he didn't think Fia looked great in her dress, but with all the trouble he'd caused, he wasn't sure if she would want to hear it from him. "You look… not half-bad," he offered rigidly. There was a scoff in his ear.
Fia paused and turned her head to look over her shoulder at Karma. Olive eyes softened and she smiled tenderly at her partner. "Thank you…" she murmured, looking away and back towards the table their targets were sitting at alone.
The redhead ran his hands through his hair and took a step towards her, all while cursing himself. Shoving his comm temporarily into his pocket, he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her back towards him. "I meant to say…" he began, tucking her loose bangs behind her ears and covering her comm, "that you look beautiful."
Cheeks darkened. "O-Oh, you d-don't -"
"I do. That looks nice on you and… That dress at the dance… You looked great then too. Um…" Karma's face reddened significantly and he stepped away from her before replacing his comm in his ear.
Nimble hands shyly fixed Karma's tie then hid behind Fia as she looked on with glowing ears. She hadn't realized that he'd noticed her at the Spring Fling at all. Furtively glancing at Karma, Fia had to wonder if he had already caught onto her feelings and where she should go from there. This whole ordeal had only made her want to be with him that much more.
"That was much more convincing," a voice called in over the comms.
This time, neither Karma nor Fia contested the commentary.
Noriko took a deep breath as she looked down. The wind whistled around her. Why had she gotten the rappelling job?
"I'm in," she heard Shiota say over the comms.
"Right. How's it going, Lady Luck?" Classified asked.
"It's my lucky day," Noriko shook her head ruefully as she started her descent.
"Just calm down. You know what you're doing. Remember the first time you went rappelling?" he reminded her.
"I recall you carried me over your shoulder and went out a window, saying, and I quote, 'protocol shmotocol.'"
"It can't be worse than that, and I don't think you can scream any louder either," Classified chuckled.
"At least I'm actually strapped in. That time I swear you were going to drop me, and we were ten stories up!"
"Oi, Lady Luck. Less chit chat, more work," a deep voice interjected.
"I'm going, I'm going, Koopa Kid." Noriko lowered herself to the balcony below. "Okay, I'm on the balcony. Now what?"
"Working on unlocking the door. Stand by," Haven said.
"Took you long enough to get down," another voice scoffed.
"Not sure how she could have gone any faster," Classified replied. "Third warning, Red Barron."
"Door unlocking in 3… 2… 1… now," Haven said. "I love completely automatic systems."
Noriko walked into the room silently. It was a spacious suite, typical of a place like this. She began setting up the cameras and bugs throughout the room, making sure they were well hidden and secure.
"Ice Queen here. Eyes and ears in each location have been confirmed. Satan and Chem, go to the hallway on the backside of the room. You have orders not to let anyone pass you guys for the next ten minutes or so," Haven reported through the comms.
Classified checked his watch. "Notebook, Chief, Lady Luck, hurry up and get out of there. The meeting time is approaching."
"I'm done," Karasuma informed him.
"Perfect. Go to room 730 and collect the rappelling gear once Lady Luck gets out," Classified replied.
"Got it." There was a shuffling as Karasuma sprung into action.
"You've been quiet for awhile now… Are you thinking about what happened yesterday?" Karma asked quietly as he leaned against one of the hallway walls.
Fia shook her head slowly and glanced down the hall. Seeing some nondescript people nearby, she responded with "No, as your fiance, I know we have our problems and disagreements, but as I said then - on the day you agreed to be my partner - I want to support you."
Karma couldn't help but smile, thinking back on the paintball fight at the Timo household. "Who knew that you would be the one to put a ring on it," he joked.
The Italian girl blushed but laughed as she looked down at the engagement rings they were wearing as part of their disguises.
"Do you like it?" Karma asked. He moved to stand in front of her as he took her hand and peered down into the faux diamond. "It took forever for me to pick out, you know."
"If passing a gadget along from Monroe to me required a lot of thought, maybe I'd believe you," Fia giggled. "I can't believe this little thing can hold so much… value?" she said, trying to find the hidden camera in the jewel.
"Keep staring at it like that and people might think you're only marrying me because I'm the heir to some rich -"
Fia pouted and interjected with "It's not that! I really, actually -"
Karma's eyes widened as Fia covered her mouth and dropped her gaze. Sighing softly, she glanced at the hall entrance again and tugged on Karma's sleeve. He looked over without turning his head to see their targets looking at them, shifting anxiously as if deciding whether or not to go through.
"We need to guard this hall," he mouthed to her.
"But how?" she mouthed back, biting her lip in concern.
He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her waist. "Don't move," he whispered as he pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth, far enough not to be considered a kiss but close enough to look like it to their targets. He pulled back and began gesturing to the hall as he spoke. "Our wedding can be in a reception hall just like this one."
"Y-Yeah…" Fia squeaked. She covered her pink face behind trembling hands. "T-That could be nice…"
"Don't be shy," Karma said as he sweat-dropped and moved to guide her along with him to the center of the hallway. "You're my fiance afterall. What do you think? Art or flowers on the walls?" he asked, gesturing towards a Rococo painting on the wall. He tried to portray themselves as a lovestruck couple with no intention of leaving any time soon as they planned their long, wonderful, gushy-mushy future together.
After exchanging a few hushed whispers, the two men turned and went back into main room. Karma sighed in relief and shot a concerned look at Fia, who was still paralyzed in shock.
"Not a terrible job, Satan, but you and Chem need to stay alert for another couple of minutes. There's a chance that the targets could come back… Chem, are you okay?"
"Ah, young love. I bet you guys aren't feeling so cold anymore, right?" Classified laughed before clearing his throat more seriously. "Lady Luck is out. Thanks for collecting the gear, Chief."
"No problem" Karasuma sighed. "Ice Queen, please call people by their official code names."
"Fine… but I think we all know who I was referring to," Haven muttered.
"It was not appreciated," Karma snapped.
"And yet you responded. It must be your true calling."
"Cut it out you two. Don't fill the airwaves with personal banter," Koopa Kid reminded them.
Fia squeezed Karma's arm and gave him an apologetic smile. He just sighed and shook his head. "Sorry about -"
"Don't worry about it," she said a little too curtly.
Realizing that the other had become awkwardly quiet, the both of them sighed to themselves, wondering if they'd done and said the right or wrong things. "How did -" both began, interrupting the other.
Karma rubbed the back of his neck. "You first."
"I know that… you're the heir to your parents' legacy… but is that what you want? I saw the books on our counter…" Fia said slowly, trying to convey her message through the farce of them being fiances.
He smiled wryly. "So you saw them… Yeah, I know I always said I hated my parents but…" Karma sighed. He had left his econ. textbooks in the kitchen while making himself a late dinner. Fia must have seen them when making breakfast the next morning.
She gently took his hand. If he wanted to be a bureaucrat and economy politician, she knew he could do it. "You'll be great. That's just the kind of person you are."
"You sure have a lot of faith in me," he said skeptically.
"I do. I trust you. You're one of the reasons I'm not afraid." She interlocked her fingers with his.
"You're… getting more direct," he noted quietly.
"Communication and socialization are keys as the fiance to someone of your high status, isn't it?" Fia giggled. "I go to these types of parties all the time," she joked more sarcastically.
Suddenly, the couple could see nothing and a scream rang out.
Fia: Waaaah! Who turned off the lights?
Karma: (Whispering) Don't grip my arm so hard - I'm sure our team will have them up and running again in no time. Trust us, okay?
Fia: (Nods slowly) O-Okay… Sorry, guys. We lost sight of the targets.
Noriko: I'm outside. I'll keep an eye out for any suspicious activity here.
Karasuma: Is everyone alright so far?
Jelavic: Man, am I glad to hear your voice. What the hell is going on?
Classified: Ice Queen, I need eyes and ears!
Haven: I'm working on it. Where's Notebook?
Classified: Come in, Notebook. What's your position? Notebook? Notebook!
Haven: (Quietly) Please come back safely...
Left Brain: Um… Just a note. I've reorganized where the chapters and spin-offs go. If you are logged into FanFiction, please do not leave a review on the spin-offs as their location will keep changing as the story progresses. If I've already told you this information, sorry to keep bringing it up.
Narrator: Next time, we get to see the boys in action and some teammates fall off the radar?
