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Dominiqueanne: I love Natsume and Mikan moments too! 100 hehehe

Chapter 8 – My job

Everyone had a good time last night, opening presents, swimming around the pool, drinking liquor for the very first time inside the academy without being punished. Now, they were all wasted, with hang-over, lying around in the Sala room. The girls are fast asleep on the couches while the boys were all around the floor, snoring. Ruka and Hotaru managed to sleep on the guest room. Natsume was fast asleep in their bed. Where is Mikan?

Mikan is taking a cold shower to wake her; it is already 5 in the morning. It's a good thing its Sunday, no classes for them. She doesn't want to wake her friends, she too also has a slight headache but she has high tolerance to alcohol, thanks to her training for socializing without being drunk in missions. So she can pretty much do normal activities for the day, as she finished taking a cold shower, she walked slowly, trying not to make a single sound into the cabinet as she observed Natsume sleeping, it looks like he is knocked out to notice her movements. She went inside the cabinet, looking for her usual attire for missions, before she went to class yesterday she was already informed of her missions for this whole week. She looked around her cabinet; she then took her black laced bra and matching panty and put it on. After that, she grabbed her black long sleeves blouse and a black leather pants. She wore it then grabbed a leather jacket too. She zipped the leather jacket up to her neck after placing a gun in the pocket inside. She was now all dressed in black. She fumbled around a box under the cabinet for her Shiro Neko Mask. She wore it, then she silently walked out of the room and gently closing it, hoping not to wake Natsume up. She already wrote a letter that she will be on a mission today and left it on the bedside table. She went downstairs and smiled as she saw her friends slumped in their places. Their home still smelled alcohol.

She took her katana on the table and placed it around her back with a black cloth tied to her body to hold it in place. She quietly left the house and went to her car. She opened the engine, hoping not to wake them up, after the car warmed up, she quickly drive away.

Back at the house

Natsume was wide awake the moment he heard a car moving. He looked around the bed and found no Mikan. He saw a letter beside a glass of water and a pill of medicine. He then read the letter:

Natsume,

Here's a pill for your headache, I know you will have a hang-over the moment you will wake up. There's also a glass of water so drink it now already. Don't be stubborn. And also, I am out for mission, it may take me awhile, don't wait for me for lunch or dinner, so please just feel at home together with the others.

Love lots,

Polka (although I still prefer it to be my name)

He can't believe it; she left without telling him personally. She could have at least waked him up. And then what never let her leave? Maybe that's why she didn't wake me up. He sighed, it's like they had switched positions. Before, he is the one who is always away, and the idiot is the one who is waiting. And why the hell does she have a mission while he don't, they are partners right? That should mean that they should do this together.

He pushed himself out of bed and drank the medicine, he still feels a headache but after 30 minutes, that pill should kick in. He washed himself on the sink; he badly wanted to take a shower but no clothes available for him. He walked downstairs and noticed everyone is still out in their own worlds. He chuckled at their site, he didn't see Ruka and Hotaru, and then he just shrugged it off. Who cares? He went to the kitchen and prepared a cup of coffee. While preparing for his coffee, he thinks if it is possible for him to live in this house permanently since only Mikan has this freedom. But he's sure to at least stock some of his things here. He sipped his coffee and observed the backyard, it's still dark and cold, and the cherry blossoms are swaying with the wind. He opened the glass door connected to the backyard. He loved the smell and the sound of its leaves moving. He inhaled the fresh air. He wondered what kind of mission Mikan has. And it is Sunday! He never did mission on Sunday. I bet she does missions everyday. Before he closed the glass door, someone moved in the backyard and he caught sight of it. Its presence makes his blood boil. He was sure it is Persona. He went to the backyard.

"Come out, I know you're there somewhere. What do you want?" Natsume said coldly.

"Still sharp eh Kuro Neko? It's been a long time, too bad I'm not in charge for your missions anymore, but your Youichi is doing great too you know." Persona said with a malicious while standing beside a cherry blossom tree.

"I already told you not to let him go to missions without me, right?" Natsume threateningly said to Persona.

"But I already told you, you are not under my command anymore. But I have to say this, you should practice and improve your skills as well as your stamina, you are far left behind by Shiro Neko or should I say the popular Messiah, I know you heard of Messiah before in your missions, she can kill hundreds of men within a minute without hesitation. She was known to wiped out AAO headquarters in just a night without any traces." Persona said then disappeared in an instant as if carried by the wind.

"I already know that." Natsume sadly whispered. Then he heard noises from the inside, it looks like they are awake. He went back inside; pretending he didn't had a conversation with Persona.

Back to Mikan…

"I have a bad feeling about this mission, I may meet my mother, and darn I don't know what will happen, if we can even fight each other. Did the middle school principal and my uncle really confident enough to think I can bring down one of the AAO's huge hideout by myself? I still had my plans for the future of the Alice Academy, I can't die in this mission. Not yet." Mikan thought while driving away from her house. When she arrived at the school gate, she noticed a silver-haired boy standing in the gate with Persona. Persona waved, so I stopped my car and opened my side window.

"What do you want now? Don't ask me for any favors since you are one of the people responsible for my father's death. I want to kill you if I can, so thank yourself that I have this fucking curse in me, it prolongs your life." Shiro Neko sarcastically said, her facial expression not seen on her mask.

"If you want to kill me, be my guest if you can, but I am here to inform you to include my best student in elementary division in your mission for training for him, since you took up all the missions of the middle school division students, I'm afraid they are inexperienced." Persona explained.

"What made you think I will agree to take a child in a dangerous mission? You know very well that if I have power to control on the management of the elementary division, I will ban those children from doing missions." Shiro Neko snapped back.

"But you don't have that kind of power, at least not yet. I have the permission from the middle school principal to let my student go with you, he can be a help as well, you can't do anything about it, so meet my favorite student, Youichi." Persona motioned behind him as a small figure came out of the shadows.

Mikan was shocked that Youichi does mission now. It was 5 years ago that he is still a child and is unstable in controlling his alice. She was silent; she didn't notice Youichi entered her car as she was so deep in thought about Youichi.

"I am Youichi, I am here to learn and to help." Youichi announced which brought Mikan back to reality.

Mikan looked outside but Persona was already gone. She started to drive again away from the academy.

"Do you really use your real name? Didn't you have an alias?" Shiro Neko said as she drives slowly, she want to take her time to brief Youchi and scold him first.

"What made you think that it is my real name?" Youichi said while wondering.

"It's because I know you, does your onni-chan Natsume know about this?"

"Not yet, hey how did you know me? Wait, no one calls onni-chan without a "sama" except onne-chan, Ugly Mikan is that you? When did you come back?" Youichi asked as he faced Mikan now he observed that she has the same color of hair, only if he could see her face.

"I see, you're still bright as ever huh? No use for me to hide. I came back last two nights; I was sort of busy, sorry for not visiting you yet."

"Did onni-chan already know you're here?"

"Of course, I was with him as well as the others last night but I think, we should talk about this later, we should focus on the mission."

"I was told to follow your instructions."

"Okay then, stay here in my car while I do the mission."

"No! I want to help, I want to learn!"

"But I don't want any harm for you or else Natsume will kill me, is this your first mission?"

"For offensive type, yes, this is my first, I usually defend the higher ups but I never been into a battle yet."

"I see, then I want you to just watch our backs while I do the mission. Do you know the mission?"

"You are going to bring down the hide-out…can we do this? We are only two."

"Do you know my alias?"

"Nope, Persona just told me I can learn a lot from this mission."

"What you may see in this battle will never get out. Understood? Especially to my friends and Natsume."

"Why? And why are you on missions now? You went away, who are you now?" Youcihi asked too quickly and he catches his breath.

"I am known as Shiro Neko or Messiah, we still need 30 minutes to get to hideout but I will park the car a good distance outside to avoid us being seen, then we are going to infiltrate the hide out by walking. Remember your mission, you are only going to watch our backs and observe. Promise?"

"Okay." Youichi agreed, he can't do anything about it but he was shocked that his one-chan was the known Messiah. She is really famous in the agents, he thought that Messiah was American to be a top agent in America, but he was extremely wrong.

Back to the gang…

After 3 hours of cleaning the place up, the gang decided to call it a day and go home to their own dorms to rest and do their homework from Jinno-sensei, how could they forget that?! They will be punished if they don't make it in time.

Natsume closed the door's house and locked it. All of them had a copy of spare keys, thanks to Mikan. But his copy is quite different. It has orange stones for design. Just like Mikan's nullification alice stone. He decided that he will only get a few clothes and his uniform as well as his bag for school then he will come back to the house. He wants to wait for Mikan come back from her mission.

They walked back to their dormitories and bid goodbye's. Natsume went back to his room with Ruka along with him.

"You should head back to your room, I'm fine. I'll just get a few clothes and I'll be going back to our home." Natsume said as he packed his things into a duffel bag.

"I know you are worried about Mikan's mission, I'm also kind of worried. I'm still not used to the idea of her fighting or getting injured. First, she is so little - so fragile. Second, she's a girl. Third, she's alone." Ruka shared to Natsume.

"And now you are telling me I am worried? Ruka, I'm worried because of what may happen to her but do you know that, she is the one who led our mission? I'm telling you she is skilled as an agent more than me. To tell you honestly, I'm a little insecure. I feel like she doesn't need me to protect her anymore." Natsume dementedly admitted.

Ruka watched as Natsume sat on the floor and looks so defeated. He understands what he feels. But he also doesn't know what to say.

"Anyway, I have to pack. I also want to check out and buy something in Central Town, wanna come with me?" Natsume asked Ruka. He was planning on buying at least a small gift for Mikan, and he was planning to look for things and equipments he could use to improve himself.

Ruka just nodded in agreement and smiled.

Back to Mikan and Youichi…(Youichi's POV)

Youcihi can't believe in what he is seeing, Mikan is killing everyone who gets in their way in infiltrating the hide out. He doesn't know how many Mikan had already killed in just one minute by only passing the men while she is running. She strikes her katana so fast and those who get near her either has amputated limbs or decapitated head. He was so shock to see death just as swift as that, he can't even hear their chance to scream in pain. He was amazed to himself that he was still able to run confidently behind Mikan.

They are already inside the hideout, they infiltrated it easily with Mikan's invisible and nullification alice. We have to get to the computer and get their files before crushing this place down but they are now fighting since they came inside, he bet they already killed a hundred of men but they are far from over. They are running towards the tower where the computer was located. He was already getting tired, he watches Mikan fight, kill and use her alice to shield them and to attack those who are behind us too like she has eyes on her back too. Youichi thought that Mikan was godlike; she can accomplish this mission alone!

It was already 7pm and yet the mission is not yet accomplished… few more floors and we are nearly there.

Back to Natsume

It is already passed 9 in the evening, and there is still no sign of Mikan, now he was really worried. He sits on the sofa, waiting for her return as he stared outside into the highway. It's already so dark.

He bought dinner for them earlier in Central Town. It's already set in the table but he doesn't have the appetite. He is expecting Mikan to return at least before dinner. He bought many things earlier. He bought First-aid kit, he was then laughed at by Ruka saying that he is like a 'mother' worried about her daughter. He also bought a new set of gun and bullets and a small sword for him to practice later on. He was kind of disappointed of not finding a car or even a motorcycle for him to buy. However for Mikan's gift, he bought a locket, he asked Hotaru to place a transmitter inside it where Mikan could never notice. And she immediately agreed, and for a first, without payment.

Flashback…

"Where have you been?" Hotaru asked Ruka without emotions. Ruka and Natsume just came back from Central Town and are now in Hotaru's laboratory.

"Well, Natsume and I went to Central Town, he has a favor to ask of you though." Ruka said as he waved at Natsume to come closer.

"I bought Mikan a welcome back present, it's a locket, I wonder if you can put a transmitter device inside this locket that she won't notice, you know, in case we need to find her, I know you know what I'm thinking." Natsume explained.

"Very well then, give me the locket, give me at least three days to finish it. You can leave now. Both of you." Hotaru said, she is somehow worried after waking up earlier and learning that Mikan is away for mission.

"Wait, you're not asking for Rabbits?" Both Natsume and Ruka asked.

"You can't afford it." Hotaru lied but she was glad Natsume thought of this, so she was happy enough to help without payment. It's for her best friend. Then she pushed them out of her laboratory so she can start working on it.

End of flashback…

Natsume was stopped by his thoughts when a familiar sound of a car came close to his hearing and he saw the Ferrari parking in the garage. He went outside the house and ran towards the garage. He saw Mikan's car quite dirty. She opened the door and went out. I immediately looked at her body, looking for any wounds and I saw that she has a few cuts and scratches on her face, arms and legs but nothing looks like serious, I was going to walk to her side to aid her but the passenger door opened, I saw Youichi coming out!