Disclaimer: I do not own Kiki. Or Strike. Or anything Kirsten Miller has a claim to.

I like this chapter. It's awesomely humorous and shows how they've all grown up in their own ways.

A/N: In the beginning of the series, you learn that eighteen-year-old Ananka is telling you everything. Well, I'm fast forwarding to then, and nothing has happened since the Empress's Tomb.


Chapter 1: A Death Sentence

Kiki Strike waited with bated breath for the stinking lecture to end.

There had to be some law against keeping a superspy from doing her duty because she was in the middle of a lecture about analyzing pimples, for God's sake! Something concerning obstructing justice. Anything.

But no, here she was, in the auditorium of John Jay College from Criminal Justice, listening to a forty-year-old nerd spouting off about acne.

She looked away in disgust before hearing a quick, beeping noise.

The idiot next to her who was taking down notes like there was no tomorrow gave her murderous glare, which she responded to by giving him a disdainful look.

She pulled her (plaid black and grey) phone out of her (black) leather handbag as discreetly as possible. And no, the handbag was not counterfeit, thank you very much.

Kiki looked at the flashing screen with a raised eyebrow, finding a new text from none other than Oona Wong herself.

Now. The shop. Code RED.

If it had been Iris, or even perhaps Luz who'd sent the text, Kiki would have simply ignored the message. However, this was Oona.

Oona had sneered when Iris called a meeting because the delivery boy didn't notice her new boots; she'd shouted when Luz had called a meeting to try out a new invention that made cats live longer by two weeks. Hell, she made snide remarks even when Ananka, DeeDee, Betty, or even Kiki called an emergency meeting. Oona'd call a meeting only under a life-or-death situation.

Kiki rolled her eyes at her luck; there was no getting out of this lecture, was there? Or maybe there was...

She tapped Jerkface on the shoulder. He glanced up with beady little eyes hidden behind huge frames.

"Hey, there." She chirped, doing her best to imitate a flirtatious cheerleader. "Can you maybe cover for me- I've got, like, this huge emergency?" She enunciated yet strung together every word. She'd be able to get into the acting business this way- for a movie that wasn't all kung fu, blood, and gore.

"Cut the crap- what's in it for me?"

Or not. Jerk.

"Fine." Kiki huffed. "Um, what do you want?"

"How 'bout a date? Saturday night?" He smirked.

As if, nerd.

"Fine, but if I can't make it Saturday, I'll reschedule it."

"Deal." He said- hey, he did have a kinda cute, crooked smile.


Kiki burst into the shop, not bothering to acknowledge the indignant driver whom she'd swerved around in her good old Vespa.

"What? What happened, Oona?" she asked breathlessly, her black blouse rumpled and her tie askew. Her helmet was still in her hands.

The stunning Oona Wong was poring over the register in the front and looke up with her lips twitching and her eyes twinkling.

"I'll tell you; everyone's in the back- that's where it is. But, you still didn't need to cause a traffic jam because of little ol' me."

"If this was a trick, Oona, I'm going to murder you." She said, grabbing the coffee Oona offered to her.

"Oh, I have no doubt."

"Seriously. I know where you live."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Yes, but everyone else can't just sneak in through the window."

"Oh, that's right; the others who can are in jail."

"Hopefully...Yeah, but you know, that's not always a good thing."

"How's it not a good thing?"

"I could have a boy over, and I wouldn't tell you, and you'd come in through my window, even though we'd have the curtains dra-"

"Good God, Oona!"

"You asked for it."

"Not really."

By this time they'd reached the end of the huge hallway, and the duo entered the Oona's office, where the other five Irregulars were.

"How'd you get out of school, scamp?" Kiki fondly asked Iris, rumpling her hair as she walked by. Fifteen-year-old Iris scowled.

Teenagers these days, honestly...

Luz glared from her chair in the corner. "Can we get started? I was in the middle of something!"

The girls ignored her. Luz had been sullen and snappish since Attila and she broke up three weeks ago. He'd been cheating on her with this punk chick he'd met while he was in juvie for the third time. Oh, the irony.

DeeDee and Ananka were crowded around a piece of -there was no other word for it- parchment. Betty leaned next to the couch and Iris sat closer to the door.

DeeDee shifted on the couch as Kiki kneeled down next to the coffee table and scanned the few hastily scrawled lines.

Irregulars,

I send this letter to you in a time of utmost need.

Today, a legend was found. It's very old, indeed, dating back to the time of Ancient Greece. It regards to the old story of Athens.

To put it simply, it's a treasure hunt.

As you know, Sidonia's been biding her time and regaining her power since she last disappeared four years ago.

Well, she's back. The government, as I'm sure you know, has been a mess since the people took hold of power. They, though, still will only give Sidonia her chance to rule if she figures out a riddle and brings the supposed long-lost treasure home.

I already have my people working on finding it before Sidonia- I may be a part of the resurrected Pokrovian Royal Guard, but I have no wish to see the reigns of power go to Sidonia and watch everything become even more chaotic than it is now.

Katarina, I know you're there somewhere. And I'm sure you Irregulars know of her enough to get this message to her. We cannot do this without you all. We may be fast, but Sidonia has more resources than we have access to.

If you don't wish that Pokrovia fall into misguided clutches and fall into ruin, I suggest that you come soon.

Dmitri Molotov

There was a pause after Kiki read it out loud.

"Molotov? Wait a second..." Oona was the first to speak.

"Not Sergei Molotov, right?" Luz finished everybody's thought.

"It's a trap!" DeeDee accused, as if she didn't think anyone would dare to trap them.

"I can't believe the nerve!" Sweet Betty bristled.

Iris glared at the parchment as if it'd offended her in some way.

Only Ananka remained silent, finally glancing up at Kiki for her opinion.

"I don't think so." Kiki murmured softly.

Everybody's incredulous eyes shot to her.

"Verushka's told me about Dmitri. He was born three years before I was. She never mentioned his name- she just said that Sergei had a son. She didn't know who the mother was. Later, like all the times we encountered Sergei," Every single eye was upon her, but Kiki could care less as she kept speculating. "She always said it was odd how his son wasn't with him. She believed- well, she had a threory, anyway- that he'd resisted his father. He'd have to be strong; we all know how hard that can be... I... want to go."

Her final statement was met with stunned silence.

"Come on, guys. I have a really good feeling about this. Anyways, what do we have to lose, huh? Verushka and Iris will always be on alert if we need to escape."

"Wait- what?" Iris had found her voice. "I'm coming too! I'm older than you guys were when you took down Lester Liu!"

"Yeah, but can you get out of school like we can?" Kiki pointed out. Iris sighed and sulked, knowing she'd lost.

"So, we're going to Pokrovia, everybody! Cheer up, for Pete's sake. It's a vacation, not a death sentence."


xxx Hm. I'm really starting to like this story. But not quite as much as Roll the Dice. RTD is my baby. I cuddle it before I sleep every night. Yes, I'm aware that I'm quite insane. Deal with it.

Love,

Moi