The rays of evening sun began shining through the windows of the hotel room. Noriko sat at a desk, leaning over a sack of papers. Every so often, she would reshuffle them or mark one up with a red pen. Next to her lay a notepad, various figures written on it. She had just turned a page when she heard a colossal sigh from the girl laying on the bed, looking at a laptop.
"Why did we get the boring job?" Haven grumbled as she scrolled through the digital wall of numbers in front of her.
"I'd rather be here than in the field," Noriko replied as she wrote a few figures down on a pad of paper next to her.
Haven huffed. "But counting cards is fun."
Noriko turned to look at the pouting girl. "You are something else." She shook her head, ruby eyes sparkling with silent laughter.
A few moments later, Karasuma walked in. Haven jumped up immediately. "Do I have to stay here? I wanna go to the casino!"
Karasuma gave her an appraising look. "If you really want to go that badly, then you can. The field team hasn't left yet."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! I'm not going through all this paperwork alone!" Noriko protested.
"Then, I'll join you," Classified called from the door. "We haven't had any quality bonding time for so long!"
"I guess that works," Noriko sighed as she turned back to her work. She tossed a folder onto the bed. "Look through those."
Haven practically skipped out of the room, closely followed by Karasuma.
"Try not to get caught and thrown out," Noriko called after her.
"Yo, Chief." Karma looked at his handler with confusion. "Why is Lee coming with us? She's not exactly great at field work."
The girl in question stood with the others still getting prepped for field work.
"As you know, she's probably somehow connected to Corp X," Karasuma replied quietly. "It felt better to keep her out of the financial records, just to be safe."
Karma was about to respond when the girl in question sprung up next to them and pulled Karma aside. He noticed a very particular bluenette giving him a look he could only describe as somewhere between confused and hurt.
"So," she began, oblivious to the bluenette watching her, "You seem like the person most capable and willing to collaborate with me on this. Wanna cheat the casino?" The girl gave him a smile, devil horns visible. After a few moments without a response, the horns faded. "Well, do you at least wanna count cards?"
The unnoticed tension in his shoulders dropped, and Karma fought back the urge to cause immediate chaos. "Sure, why not? But only after we're done with the job."
The Vegas strip was positively bursting- bursting with bustling people, brilliant lights, and the beautifully bewitching choreography of the Bellagio fountain. Across the polished obsidian asphalt and the lush line of towering palm trees, a dizzying kaleidoscope of replica landmarks and fluorescent lights housed a parade of colorful personalities, including a gorgeous woman with golden locks that cascaded down her back.
Irina Jelavic, the quintessential bombshell blonde, wore a floor-length scarlet gown with a plunging neckline and an elegant silver loop belt draped across her waist. The fabric glimmered as she crossed a leg over the other, highlighting her considerable curves and the sharp, tapering point of her stilettos.
She sat between Liz, for whom she had paired an elegant bodycon dress with a charcoal smokey eye that brought out the crimson hues in her heated look, and Fia, who wore a peach cocktail dress that was mostly sheer fabric petaled between floral lace. Spicy and sweet, she had both in her arsenal to work with- if only she didn't feel like she was babysitting.
"So what's the deal with you and the redhead?" Liz asked Fia the question as she reached for a cosmopolitan, which Jelavic promptly passed to Fia.
"Look, I for one would love to let you have this," Jelavic explained dryly, "but Karasuma, not to mention Koopa, would have my head for letting you drink underaged. I'm the adult here, and only adults get to drink beer."
"What's the point of this fake ID, then?" Liz sighed agitatedly.
"The job," Jelavic replied coolly. "But seriously, what is up with you and Karma these days? And don't hold back on any of the hot, juicy details~!"
The Italian sweat-dropped and took a long sip of her pink negroni. "Seems like everyone is asking me that these days." Fia looked at Jelavic with apprehension. "But wouldn't talking about that be weird? You're my teacher."
"I think we're past that, Fia." She waved her hand dismissively. "Now spill the tea, sis!"
The green-eyed woman groaned, polished off her drink, and started nursing the cosmopolitan. "I can't believe you just said that. Ugh."
"And you tried to kill me in a dressing room-" Liz added.
"Which I apologized for!" she interjected.
"- So I think we're past the formalities here."
"We're just friends for now. Between this job and graduating, we have a lot to work out. But yes," she answered under their intense, scrutinizing gazes, "I do like him."
"Bo-ring." Jelavic sighed. "Where are all the raunchy details? The midnight trysts and rendezvous?"
"I-I'm not sharing those with you!" Fia stammered embarrassedly.
"You mean, you would actually have stories to tell?" Liz teased.
Jelavic pursed her glossed lips thoughtfully. "Whatever you kids decide, think it through first. Feelings are difficult to kill, but they're a lot harder to resurrect."
Fia and Liz exchanged glances, before the raven-haired woman grinned. "Wow, Ms. Jelavic actually said something profound for once!" she declared, and Fia couldn't help but laugh.
"Why you-" Jelavic started, ready to unleash her wrath, until a flash of red, white, and blue caught her eye. "Look alive," she said, bringing her drink to her lips. "The other team is on the move." She made eye contact with Karma over the rim of her glass and gave him a subtle nod.
Karma turned away from Jelavic and towards his shorter mission-mates. He draped his tuxedo jacket casually over his shoulder and slipped his other hand into the pocket of his pressed tuxedo pants. Despite the crisp white shirt and dapper vest, he still looked roguish as his gaze swept over their surroundings in a predatory fashion.
"Remember, the Chief asked us to search the floor and to keep our eyes out for anything suspicious." Karma gave Haven a pointed look and turned to Nagisa. "Well, Notebook, you're the most observant. Anything?"
Nagisa nodded, fixed a crease in the cerulean handkerchief of his suit, and began to speak thoughtfully. "On our way in, I noticed minimal security, mainly cameras and a few guards. There was also a table in the poker room with some suspicious businessmen. I think I spotted a CorpX ID when we passed them."
Karma nodded. "Let's go there then. We'll follow your lead, Nagisa."
"May we join your table?" Nagisa asked a group of men in suits.
"Sorry, this is a game between colleagues." One of the business men gestured to a "Reserved" sign sitting atop the table.
"You wouldn't happen to be from CorpX?" Haven inquired at point-blank.
"Who's asking?" another man sneered.
Karma quickly stepped in. "Hey, no need to get all worked up! What my colleague means to say is that we're from the Asia branch, and we were told to check this place out, if you know what I mean. We're practically coworkers!" The redhead grinned winningly, so much so that the seated men couldn't help but be compelled to believe him. "How about a few friendly hands?"
"I guess it couldn't hurt." One of the men nodded to the empty seats across the table. "Have at 'em."
Nagisa pulled a chair out for Haven, who moved to the furthest end of the table and took a seat. While she took a quiet interest in her cards, Nagisa turned his attention back to Karma, who was shedding his black silk jacket and already striking up conversation with the other poker players.
A few rounds (and many drinks) in, suspicions were dropped and the business men were all but gossiping with the three younger people at the table.
"Stand," Nagisa said to the dealer, waving his hand over his cards. Satisfied, he took the opportunity to glance at Karma and Haven as the dealer went around the table.
Karma scoffed with distaste next to him and moved his hand almost imperceptibly, as if to fold, when he reconsidered. "I'll raise," he said coolly, pushing a small stack of chips towards the dealer, who accepted with a nod.
He must not be happy with his hand, but he's doing the best with what he's got, Nagisa thought to himself. "I'll call," he responded, moving his chips to match Karma's. The redhead stuck his tongue out playfully at Nagisa, who chuckled to himself. He wouldn't let Karma win the pot that easily.
Haven silently looked at her cards, brow creased. She could be nervous, or she could just be concentrating, difficult to tell from this angle. She still put two chips in the center.
The azure-eyed agent turned his attention back to the men, who were laughing jovially. "So," he began, "any advice for us rookies/new hires?"
One of the men rubbed a stubbled chin. "Not really, just do your job and your supervisor will stay off your ass."
Karma spoke up. "We wouldn't want that," he agreed. "I gotta tell you though, since I've been hired, my supervisor has been pretty hands-off, grumpy. He says things just aren't like they used to be."
"Yeah, a few years back, apparently there was a huge change in management, but almost nothing else has changed."
"A change in management?" Karma reiterated. He leaned in with interest as the man continued.
"Well, a few people took the opportunity to fast track their careers. Like our boss," he explained with a conspiratorial whisper. Then, he added, "He's always complaining though. Apparently his superior, the big boss, is a real prick."
"Doesn't want any of us doing anything risky." The other men nodded in agreement.
"Risky how?" Nagisa shared a fleeting glance with Karma.
"Who even knows." One of them threw a hand up in surrender. "I don't see the harm in playing a few rounds with the guys. And, uh, gal," he added as Haven's obsidian eyes bore into him.
"It's why the boss decided to bring us all here." Another man shrugged.
Nagisa's brows furrowed. "Then, why isn't he playing with us then?"
The man next to him guffawed with bemusement. "How messed up would that be? He's the one paying us. Nah, he's relaxing in the VIP lounge."
"Well, then he's missing out! How about a round on me?" Karma offered to the group.
Nagisa took the chance and, finding some quick excuse, asked the dealer to deal him out. The bluenette walked briskly by the bar, slipping a napkin under the glass of a gorgeous blonde woman and her two laughing companions.
She emptied her glass and set it down on the napkin, framing the words VIP lounge scrawled in black ink.
Jelavic held up three glimmering cards with a smirk. "Guess who's Diamond elite?" she asked. She passed a card to Liz, who rolled her eyes, and the other to Fia, who nearly fumbled the card. Sulking, as she had been hoping they would be more impressed, she led the two women into the VIP lounge, where soft jazz and mood lighting cascaded from glass fixtures over an expansive bar and a sea of tables.
Liz scanned the room, occupied with extravagant high-rollers looking for a thrill. Crimson eyes narrowed at the sight of a silver-haired man in a luxurious tuxedo. He was sitting on the other side of the room, laughing obnoxiously as he collected a pile of chips.
"I think I recognize that man…" Liz muttered to the two women with her. She nodded subtly in his direction. "I thought he was just some mid-tier goon, but his clothes suggest otherwise… He has a weakness for women with certain gifts." She eyed her companions' ample chests.
"This should be fun," Jelavic smirked. "Watch and learn, ladies. This is how you bewitch a man." She winked over her shoulder with a small wave as she sauntered over.
Soon enough and true to her word, Irina Jelavic, the world-class assassin turned secret agent, sat perched in the man's laugh with her arms draped around his neck as she laughed at a terribly humorless joke.
"I'm pretty much babysitting," the man complained loudly, with no regard for the other players at his table. "I was even directly told not to come to the casino. Who does he think he is, ordering his elders around like that?! So, I brought all my coworkers with me just to get on his nerves."
"Oh, wow. You're so bold. Look at you taking charge!" Irina cooed. "And who is this boss of yours? I'd like to give him a piece of my mind for disrespecting such a strong, handsome, upstanding man like yourself!" She pouted cutely at him.
"Well aren't you a sweetheart," the man leered, unabashedly soaking in the attention. He opened his mouth to speak then paused. "No, no, no. My boss likes their privacy. And I like my paycheck. But I will say- No, I shouldn't..."
"Aw, you can tell me," Jelavic replied invitingly. She batted thick lashes and fixed him with her azure eyes. While she wore an innocent smile, she drew her hand slowly up her body and put a finger to her lips. "I'm great at keeping secrets. I know how to be very discreet."
The man chuckled, a dark look in his eye. "It would be rude of me to refuse the company of such a beautiful woman. Here, let me treat you to a drink-" He grabbed his coat and offered Jelavic his arm.
"What a pig," Liz spat. She mimicked gagging and turned to Fia. "You ready?"
"When someone tells you to 'break a leg,' in an audition," Fia murmured, staring absentmindedly at the sparkling decor, "it's because they want you to end up in a cast!"
Liz sharply elbowed Fia. "C'mon, Space Case! They're finally moving." Liz grabbed Fia and towed her towards the emptier side of the lounge.
The youngest woman took a seat just within earshot to Jelavic and the target, and she whipped her phone out to feign interest in its content just as he turned to look around.
Fia parked herself another few feet further, taking refuge at the corner of the bar. She reached for the purse and found a small vial in the lining. She winked at Jelavic.
"What are you looking around for? C'mon, there's a gorgeous babe right in front of you!" The blonde woman protested this as she pulled the man into a cozy loveseat with her. She crossed her legs and angled her body towards him. Resting her head on a hand, Jelavic gave him a catlike smile.
Her voice dripped with honey as she pulled him closer, her finger trailing enticingly down his chest, along the silk fabric of his tie. "Now, what were you saying about that boss of yours?"
He clasped her hand in his. "Ah, you don't actually want to hear about him. Here, let me pour you a drink." So he did, but Jelavic poured the next one, and the next, one, and the next two after that.
"C'mon," Jelavic implored him, pouting. "Just one secret~. I'll give you something in return. The best of the best, like you've never had before." She smiled, the sweet promise of seduction playing on her lips.
"Well, I guess I can say this," he began to slur, "My boss owns this casino. Not legally, but there's an arrangement," the man bragged with boisterous arrogance.
"Oh, you must be so important~."
He nodded, eager to impress, until his face darkened. The tuxedo-clad man, clothes eschew and hair disheveled from his drunken antics, sulked, scorn etched into his aged features. "Yeah, well, apparently not important enough!" he exclaimed, dropping his glass roughly onto the countertop. "Not important to invite to L.A."
Jelavic had tensed momentarily, ready to grab her hidden weapon, and forced herself to relax. "You poor, baby." Jelavic folded the man into her arms and brought his head to her chest. "I hate to see you so upset. What's happening in L.A.?"
The man muttered. "Why d'ya wanna know? We could talk about anything else. Like you and me, my hotel room-"
"Oh, darling," Jelavic said, eyes teary and face flushed. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to know more about this handsome guy I met, and maybe I just thought…" She trailed off, "We could have vacation of our own there? Stick it to your mean boss? What do you think?"
The man began to smile lecherously. "Oh, trust me, I'd love to stick you any day, sweet cheeks." The honey pot made sure to only gag inwardly. Of all the crusty old men she had taken down, this one was an especially annoying halfwit.
He picked up his drink again, groggily swirling the drink inside. "There's a meeting in three days, at the main headquarters. Ha! Maybe the brats will finally get their comeuppance! Let's see how far they get without me."
As he chortled, the women exchanged glances across the room. Irina nodded to Fia, who sprinkled a dash of power from the vial into a fresh whiskey. She slid it to Liz across the counter just as the barkeep turned around. Fia smiled sweetly at her. "One more strawberry daiquiri, please!"
Jelavic, cupped the man's cheek. "They don't know what they're missing, darling! Besides," she added, "if you were there, you wouldn't be here with me. How about another round?"
He grinned, his face flushed. "Well, who am I to refuse such a beautiful woman?" Absolutely giddy and flat-out wasted, he didn't notice Liz walk by and pass the drink to Jelavic, who brought the cold glass to his lips.
"Bottoms up~" she chimed cheerfully. She watched as he downed it, began to sway, and slowly slumped over in his seat. The blonde woman patted his cheek a few times to make sure he was out cold then scowled disdainfully. "What a pig." She collected her purse and was quickly joined by the two younger agents as they strode towards the door.
"Excuse me," Fia smiled politely at a security officer. "I think that man had too much to drink-" she whispered, as if telling him a scandalous secret.
The officer just shook his head and grumbled forlornly as he turned towards the man. "They don't pay me enough…"
"Geez, Fia, what the hell did you put in his drink?" Even as Jelavic said it, Liz was already snickering.
"Better if you didn't know," she admitted embarrassedly.
"That was almost impressive," Liz said to Fia.
"You should have seen the paralyzing lip gloss," she returned with a little laugh.
"I still think I could have knocked him out just fine," Liz offered, to which Jelavic and Fia shared a smile.
As they crossed the threshold of the VIP lounge and found themselves safely uninterrupted by security, the busty blonde threw her arms around their shoulders and squeezed Fia and Liz face-first into her chest with a squeal of delight. "I am so proud of you two!"
Noriko's eyes were alight with intrigue as she poured over the spreadsheets again. With a satisfactory sweep of her pen, she circled three companies and finally set the papers down, all aligned of course, on the hotel desk. She smiled triumphantly, and waved the sheet in front of Classified's face.
"I've found it! These three companies all have the same address in Los Angeles. It makes no sense! This company," Noriko pointed to one red circle, "is a financial consultant. And this company," she points to a second circle, "is an interior design firm. And this company," she prodded a third circle with extra vigor, "is a catering service! We're in Las Vegas! And these three companies are owned by a parent company that also happens to own the casino."
"Nice work!" Classified gave her a thumbs up. "Your ability to process huge amounts of information has always been amazing."
"I'm called the human computer for a reason!" Noriko gave him a cheeky grin as she put the papers down. After a moment, the smile dropped, "At least I was…" She shifted in her chair, unsure about bringing up their past.
Amidst the silence, Classified was the first to speak. "Hey, Noriko, I know how uncomfortable you are with leadership, so I am sorry for putting you into so many of those situations," Classified gave his partner a sheepish look.
"It would help if you actually took charge every once in a while," Noriko grumbled.
"Now, now, leadership's pretty new for me too," Classified protested lightly. "On our old team, I was the comic relief!" When she didn't laugh, he sighed. "Look, I know we don't always see eye-to-eye anymore-"
"If ever," Noriko interrupted. She was still tense, but her voice carried a hint of bemusement. It wasn't often she could tease Classified instead.
"Hey now," Classified protested. "But I've been meaning to tell you, be sure not to let Koopa's and Rosalina's untimely injuries get to you."
"I have no idea what you mean." She crossed her arms, turning away from him.
"I know your leadership tends to become a bit… overbearing when you're stressed, and they're going to be okay. I'll also try to take lead more often from now on as well."
"Hey, what's up with this?" Noriko demanded, flustered. "What brought on this uncharacteristic seriousness?"
"Just try to remember to lead with compassion; I know you can." Classified gave her a genuine smile before leaving the room.
There was a moment of pause. Then two.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Noriko yelled at the now empty room.
A phone buzzed quietly and quickly. Karma pulled his phone from his pocket and stole a quick glance at the screen as the suited men laughed and groaned around him- One of them must have lost another huge hand.
Chief: "We have our next lead. Rendezvous back at the room in an hour."
Karma smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. Well, if he was no longer needed for the current mission, then he could have some fun, right?
Haven noticed, and they shared a conspiratorial glance.
"No mercy," Haven whispered as she smiled maliciously.
After wandering around various rooms in the casino for a while-and not finding any other suspicious activity to report-Nagisa decided to circle back to the poker room. Whatever concerns he may have had about the mission or his teammates in the VIP lounge stopped, however, within seconds of entering the poker area. He could spot his friends immediately. Both Karma and Haven had devil horns and miasmic purple auras as they sat behind a miniature mountain each of poker chips.
"Oh my, look at this," Haven motioned to the pile in front of her. "Just what happened?"
Karma smirked, eyes glinting. "Looks like you guys really need to step up your game."
Nagisa could feel the annoyance coming off the other players at the table in waves. He couldn't honestly admit that the scene didn't stir up some annoyance within him as well.
He approached the table from a distance and waved to get their attention, but Haven didn't notice him as she turned to high five Karma. They both laughed, and Nagisa gave the table one last glance before turning away, his fist clenched tightly at his side.
"Excuse me, but I think you've been counting cards," the dealer said coolly to Haven and Karma.
"Who, us? Never! If you've got time to point fingers, then how about using your head to figure out what you want to do about it?" Karma said, grinning arrogantly.
"I need to ask you to leave the casino." This time, the dealer said it with finality, gesturing at security.
Karma, arms still behind his head, paused thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Hey, we're all law-abiding citizens here. Just trying to have some fun. There's nothing illegal about that," he smirked.
Not bothering to hear the dealer out, Karma sent them a wink over his shoulder with a friendly, but somehow just-a-little-menacing, "Until next time~."
"Bye bye," Haven waved with the same malicious smile she had earlier before following Karma away from the table.
As the pair exited the floor and stepped into the elevators leading back up to the hotel, Haven cheered. "That was so much fun!"
The redhead smiled, almost to himself. "Yeah, it was."
"Welcome back, group," Classified announced as the seven field agents crammed into the hotel room. "Noriko found us a possible lead! Noriko, if you would."
The orange-haired woman stood. "Someone in the financials department was super sloppy. I found three companies linked to the casino that all claim the same address. It's in LA, but I doubt the location is an actual building." Noriko reported.
"Let me see." Liz approached quickly and took the paper from Noriko. "I know this place. It is a building, but not for any of these companies." Liz pulled up a map on her phone to show her teammates and pointed to a distinct building. "This is where one of my mother's offices was located. There was always an annual meeting there. The heads of the various branches would meet and talk about their plans."
"Oh, is that the meeting our target mentioned?" Fia piped up.
"Probably," Liz replied.
"I'll alert Red Baron," Classified concluded. "Group dismissed until further notice. Have fun kids." Classified left the room, shortly followed by Jelavic and Karasuma.
"I'm going to get some sleep. All this analysis has made me tired," Noriko excused herself with a yawn.
"So want to go swimming? I saw an awesome pool downstairs," Nagisa suggested.
"Sounds fun," Karma replied, reaching for his suitcase.
Haven and Fia looked at them with horror in their eyes. Simultaneously they protested. "I AM NOT GOING SWIMMING!" Liz jumped at the sudden noise.
"Why not?" Nagisa asked, bewildered by their shared outburst.
"Pools are disgusting! They're like oversized, public bathtubs," Haven insisted.
Fia grimaced and nodded adamantly. "The ones in Vegas are notorious for being super disgusting. If you want a biochemical explanation for what would happen to your body-"
"Uh, no need, Fia! Thanks, really!" Nagisa sweat-dropped. "We'll just rest here for the night, then"
"Good morning," Classified grinned at the group of young adults sitting in the breakfast area. He sat down with them. "I thought I would update you all while Karasuma and Jelavic check out. So, how'd everyone sleep?"
Noriko gave him a suspicious glance. "I have no complaints."
The rest of the group muttered their agreement, some more or less sleepily than others. Liz took one look at Classified's sunny smile and abruptly stood, making a beeline for the coffee machine.
Karma, despite the dark circles under his eyes, smirked. "I had a dream that Nagisa was wearing one of those casino bunny costumes."
Nagisa groaned. "Karma! Where do you even come up with these things?"
Liz sat back down at the breakfast table, proceeded to dump a load of sugar and creamer into the black liquid, and stirred, the clinking of metal on glass filling the silence as they watched her. "Okay, now."
Classified chuckled. "Great. Now, you know we sent Red Barron's team to investigate the location in LA; However, they haven't checked in. It's been over five hours, so while nothing's set in stone, they're being treated as MIA. If we don't hear from them within 24 hours, we'll be heading in ourselves, so prepare yourselves."
Left Brain: It should be noted that the government actually works very hard to keep organized crime out of casinos. This is a work of fiction and although it draws inspiration from reality, it does not reflect reality. I felt a disclaimer was needed on this.
Right Brain: Aaaaand card counting is /usually/ not illegal, so long as there is no external help, device, machine, or otherwise buuuut, LIKE, DON'T DO IT. YOU CAN GET KICKED OUT. Ahem, this has been a PSA from Right and Left Brain ( o 3 o*)
Haven: But counting cards is fun!
Right Brain: I said what I said. Anything else to say, Leftie?
Left Brain: So, we got a review and Right Brain said (and this is a quote): "Omg. My heart. My heartu. That's all I ever wanted." But seriously, thank you so much for your support!
Right Brain: -/3/- You're making me blush. My heart's going to soar!
Narrator: Next time, get ready for some airplanes. We're finally traveling in style.
Noriko: Seriously Arthur, what was that? It felt like a death flag!
Classified: Still didn't get my name right!
