Ga Rei Hime

Eleven

"Ooooh, ow," Mai hissed as she wobbled out of the hotel room into the common area she shared with Nao and Shizuru.

"Are you all right, Mai?" Shizuru asked politely, drinking a rather poor morning cup of tea.

Mai sat, wincing. "I'm a little sore," Mai admitted. A bit dreamily she added, "Wow, that woman was relentless..."

Shizuru paused, her tea cup half way to her mouth. "Did you mean to say that out loud?" she asked dryly.

Mai realized what she said and went pink.

"Did Nao make it back?" Shizuru changed the subject.

"No, not yet. Do you want me to try calling her?" Mai offered.

Shizuru thought about it, then shook her head. "No, she's a grown adult," she said.

"So was Reito," Mai pointed out reasonably.

"So you think this town is dangerous enough we shouldn't go alone?" Shizuru asked her, a bit surprised.

Mai shifted uncomfortably, then drank some coffee. "The Agency mostly sends out Hunters solo, because we don't have many," she said. (She didn't mention they were out as a team because they were all relatively weak.) She added, "But that military srike team was wiped out by entities... and there's Reito, of course."

"You think we're underestimating them," Shizuru mused.

"Pretty much," Mai agreed.

"Well, I don't think Nao would let you follow her all night," Shizuru said wryly, "but we can ask her to check in regularly..."

Nao staggered in not long afterwards, yawning tiredly. "I need coffee..." she groaned as she stumbled to the machine.

"Morning. Have a good night?" Shizuru deadpanned.

"Fuck no," Nao complained, "the guy was INEPT. I should have put directional arrows and blinky lights on my clit!"

Mai nearly choked on her coffee.

Shizuru just sighed and drank her tea. "Nao, could you do us a favor and check in, periodically? We ARE in a town with a high number of entities," she said.

Nao instantly got it, "You think Reito dying wasn't a coincidence."

"Or at least that it's possible," Shizuru agreed.

Before they could continue, there was a brisk knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Mai moved to answer the door. She checked the spyhole, then announced, "It's Miss Rena."

Rena Sayers entered, smiling slightly, "I found you a driver!"

A tall, black haired woman followed her in, her short spiky hair standing up, a sword case over her shoulder. She saw Mai and 'urked' softly.

"Eeep," Mai made a sound.

"Da fuq?" Nao muttered.

Recovering after a moment, the tall girl bowed slightly, "I'm Mikoto Minagi. Nice to meet you. I'm only a trainee with the Agency, Miss Rena asked me to come and assist you."

"Welcome," Shizuru smiled coolly.

"Isn't that the girl who picked you up last night?" Nao murmured not all that quietly to Mai.

"SHUT UP," Mai hissed back.

Rena just ignored the background conversation as she continued, "The police chief passed a message along, she wanted to see you. It's related to Hunter business."

Part of Shizuru wanted to tell her 'No' but once needed to get along with the locals. Instead she asked what time, and they finished.

Then Shizuru turned to the fidgeting Mai and the visibly nervous Mikoto. "You've met?" she asked dryly.

Both Mai and Mikoto blushed brightly. "Uhm, yes..." Mai started.

Shizuru sighed, having already guessed something had happened. Aloud she said, "You know what, I don't want to know. Just don't let it mess with the job."

"Yes ma'am," both barked.

"So is SHE why you're walking wobbly?" Nao murmured to Mai.

"SHUT UP," Mai growled again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"So the plan is to meet the Hunters here, and talk them into not killing Natsuki," Elliot noted, the police chief sitting at her desk.

"Pretty much!" Sara Gallagher agreed, perched on the corner of her desk.

"I am concerned about this plan," Natsuki said dryly.

Elliot shrugged, "Well, Sara's right in that I can't see them starting something here in police headquarters. So there's that."

"Thanks. I think," Natsuki added wryly.

"Doesn't mean they can't ambush you elsewhere, of course," Midori noted, the other cop looking amused.

"Which is why we want to talk to them," Sara added pointedly.

The intercom on Elliot's desk crackled to life as the officer at the front desk said, "Your ten AM appointment is here, ma'am."

Elliot pressed the button, "Send them on through."

Natsuki tensed a bit as the women entered. She had encountered Hunters in her time with the military, but there women were strangers to her. 'FOUR Hunters, though? I thought they usually worked alone?' she thought.

"Ah," the brown haired, sort of elegant looking woman murmured in a sweet sort of drawl, "a newcomer."

"Miss Fujino, welcome. This is a associate of our police department, Natsuki Kasuga...," Elliot started to say.

"It's her!" the busty strawberry blonde yelped.

'Yes, I think they were looking for me,' Natsuki thought ruefully.

"Should I bind her?!" the slim redhead demanded.

"NO!" Elliot, Sara and Midori all barked pretty much at the same time.

"Ara ara," Shizuru murmured, studying them.

"I take it you are after Natsuki-san?" Elliot demanded.

"Yes," Shizuru agreed, "as a related matter in the Yomi case."

THAT got Natsuki's attention. "I've been out of the information loop... what happened with her?" she asked.

Shizuru hesitated a moment, then apparently decided to answer. "Her sister Kaguya was able to kill Yomi in battle," she revealed, "but Yomi has since been sighted as a ghost."

Natsuki cursed softly.

"That's bad, right?" Midori asked.

"Extremely bad," Sara responded deadpan.

"If you two keep doing Ghostbusters, I'm leaving," Mai snarked.

Nao snorted in amusement.

"Yomi was a extremely powerful exorcist, has a guardian beast and had that magic gem," Natsuki explained to the others, "but she had physical limitations. Now, as a ghost? No limits."

"Oh lovely..." Elliot muttered.

Shizuru met Natsuki's gaze, "As you are probably aware, we were ordered to find you and bring you back to the Agency." She looked at Elliot and the cops and added, "I suspect that is now basically unworkable."

"Pyro Girl and I could take on the local cops," Nao noted.

"NOT HELPING," Mai hissed at her.

Shizuru ignored that as she continued, "May Ah ask your intentions, Natsuki?"

Natsuki liked listening to her drawl. It was charming... she shook herself. "I think Yomi is coming here, eventually," she said flatly, "when she does, I'll strike."

"Why here?" Mai had to ask.

"This area is a naturally occurring vortex of supernatural energies," Natsuki said, "both a perfect hiding place and power source."

There was a moment of dead silence as everyone processed that. "Fuck," Nao muttered.

Shizuru made a face, "Ah think you might be onto something."

"You might want to talk to Rena Sayers in depth too," Natsuki added. "She has a pretty good handle on the area."

"So what do we do about tall dark and broody, here?" Mai gestured to Nasuki.

Shizuru got up, waving for everyone else to follow. "We leave her alone, for now."

Natsuki watched them walk away, and found herself noticing Shizuru's hips sway.

"Like what you see?" Midori teased.

To be continued...