Hey there! Wow, I'm glad people seem to be enjoying this story. It really warms the cockles of my heart...anyways, I was going to wait a few days to upload this, but I'm not going to be home for the next week, and some people seemed really eager for the next chapter, so....Enjoy!
Warning: Violence, swearing, and will probably have some girl-on-girl action in the future. All the good stuff. ;)
Disclaimer: Don't own a single darn thing, either James Bond or Mai Hime. T'is a shame, really..
Pale green eyes narrowed at the gray-haired interrogation suspect, codenamed "Blue Rose". The owner of those green eyes slammed her hands onto the metal table and scowled threateningly at Blue Rose. Brown eyes glared back at the red-haired interrogator over a pair of glasses. Blue Rose coolly leaned back into her seat as the redhead brought her face closer.
The redhead growled. "This is the last time, Blue Rose. Tell me what the launch code is!"
Blue Rose scoffed and tossed her head to the side. "I will never reveal the code. Death is preferable," she responded coldly and confidently.
The redhead smiled maliciously at her. "That can be arranged."
With a menacing snap of her fingers, the door to the interrogation room opened and two men, each wearing the prerequisite and oh so clichéd black suits and sunglasses, advanced towards the two women, holding a large steel case between them.
With an ease borne of countless hours of practice, the redhead smoothly opened the case, displaying rows of numerous torture devices. A trickle of sweat ran down Blue Rose's temple. The redhead took a needle filled with an ominous looking green liquid, and inspected it casually while Blue Rose watched the redhead warily.
"I'm, ah, rather fond of this particular venom. Comes from a rare South American spider," the redhead commented lightly. "Poison is a specialty of mine. They don't call me 'The Black Widow' for nothing."
In a harder tone of voice, she continued. "A small dosage can cause temporary paralysis for up to five hours. During that time, it will feel like someone is peeling your skin from your flesh while simultaneously pouring salt onto it." Black Widow sat down on the corner of the table. "So how about it? Wanna start talking?"
Blue Rose slowly took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes with one hand. Chewing on the arm of her glasses, she replied, "As tempting as the offer is, Black Widow, I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
Pale green eyes turned into slits. Before Black Widow could respond, however, a sudden voice blared out from a hidden intercom system.
"I'm afraid you've lost this round, Black Widow."
Blue Rose let out a little cheer as Black Widow started to curse vehemently. The redhead jumped up from the desk and glared at the one-sided mirror that allowed a viewer outside the interrogation room to look inside, but prevented the people inside the room from looking out.
"What the hell?! How the hell did Hallard win?!"
Chie Hallard grinned at the incensed Nao Zhang. "Don't be a sore loser, Nao. Some people are just naturals at this." Chie smirked triumphantly.
The door opened and Midori Sugiura, MI6's Chief of Staff, strode in on her long legs.
"There was a "cyanide capsule" concealed in the arm of Blue Rose's glasses," she informed Nao. "Hallard effectively committed 'suicide' by chewing on the capsule, choosing death over torture and preventing the possible revealing of any state secrets."
She turned to look at a victorious Chie. "Good job, Hallard."
Nao was stunned. "A cyanide capsule hidden inside the arm of her glasses?" she cried incredulously. She pivoted on her heel and pinned Chie with a death glare. "That's not fair! I don't have a girlfriend who works in the Technological Advances Department!"
Chie grinned sheepishly at Nao, while Midori shrugged carelessly.
"Rule Number 6: Make connections."
Throwing a half-pitying, half-amused smirk at Nao, Midori continued, "Memorizing those rules is an integral part of becoming a "Double-O" agent, Zhang." She turned to leave, and paused at the doorway. "If it makes you feel any better…technically, Hallard's dead." With that, she left the interrogation room.
There was a heavy silence until..."Is that poison for real?"
Nao grimaced. "No, but it does make you have to use the bathroom really badly. It's still not a pretty image."
"Oh."
"Make connections," Nao mimicked Midori in a high-pitched tone as she and Chie discussed their latest test.
She scowled. "Easy for her to say," Nao muttered as they made their way through the hallways to the cafeteria. "Her girlfriend's Youko Helene! The freaking head of T.A.D!"
She sighed sadly. "And I was all ready to apply Chinese water torture, too," she groused.
Chie winced at the thought of that particular torture technique. I'm going to have to really thank Aoi for the "cyanide capsule".
"Well, the next exam is going to be on the different assassination techniques we've learned so far. You're better at that than I am," she offered.
Nao brightened. "Hey, that's right! You're going down, Hallard." She snickered with delight at the thought of showing off her new style of assassination; steel claws tipped with poison.
They got on line with their food trays, and started to peruse the menu until frantic screams were heard in the distance.
Nao jumped and spun around, alarmed. "What the—"
"I guess Natsuki's back," Chie commented as she spied the huge gaggle of swooning girls blocking the entrance of the cafeteria.
Nao snorted. "Not THE 007? She really took her time in Jakarta," she replied sarcastically.
Despite the snide tone, a glimmer of respect and fondness shone momentarily in her pale green eyes; she would never admit it, even if you tortured her, but deep, deep down, Nao actually cared for Natsuki.
A sophisticated voice rose above the loud voices of the screaming fan girls.
"Excuse me, ladies."
The sea of girls parted to let an impressive figure through. The figure stopped in a beam of sunlight and struck a heroic pose. Chie and Nao swore they heard music playing in the distance. Then the figure moved towards them, while a huge crowd of girls trailed after her.
"And how are my favorite agents-in-training?" Natsuki smirked at Nao and Chie.
That infamous smirk caused half of her group of fan girls to faint dead away. Nao and Chie stared in disbelief, at the downed females, while Natsuki just ignored them.
"Doing just dandy, Natsuki," Chie replied. "Nice job in Jakarta! The entire training class was buzzing about how you killed that separatist guy…with an olive." Chie emphasized the last three words excitedly.
Nao scowled. "But don't hold that 'agents-in-training' crap over our heads, Kruger. Just because you got to skip ahead of us in 'Double-O' training doesn't mean you're immune to an ass-kicking." She shifted her left foot back slightly, ready to attack or defend at the slightest provocation.
Natsuki returned a challenging smirk. "No, but it does mean that I have a license to kill." She pointedly looked at Nao while resting her hand on her favorite gun, the Walther P99.
Chie laughed nervously. "Hey guys, try not to start another fight in the cafeteria. H really flipped out on us last time…"
Both Nao and Natsuki paled at the memory. Turning to a cafeteria worker staring at her adoringly across the counter, Natsuki leaned towards the girl and placed her hands on the counter. The girl blushed.
With an unintentionally seductive voice, Natsuki stated, "I'd like a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred…" She paused to think for a moment. "…With a side of mayonnaise." The swooning girl nodded frantically and rushed off, eager to fulfill Natsuki's desires.
Chie glanced incredulously at her watch. "Natsuki, it's eleven in the morning."
Natsuki accepted the martini with one hand and raised one eyebrow at Chie. "It's 5 o'clock in Jakarta."
A melodic three-note beep caused all three to look at each of their personal communicators dangling from their belts. Natsuki held hers up.
"Duty calls. H probably wants to debrief me…" She shot a dazzling grin at the fan girls hovering behind her, generating another round of loud squeals. "…But then again, who doesn't? See you guys later."
Downing the martini in one gulp, Natsuki sauntered out of the cafeteria, obsessive fan girls in tow.
Chie gaped. "Damn, if she doesn't get killed in a mission, Natsuki's going to die from liver failure."
Nao agreed. "Either that, or one of her spurned one-night stands is going to strangle Natsuki with her own lingerie collection."
Chie's eyes glazed over with envy. "Yeah, Natsuki's such a player! If I could have half the girls she could get—"
"You'd better end that sentence very carefully," a dry tone interrupted.
Chie and Nao turned around to see Aoi Senoh, Technological Advancement trainee and Chie's girlfriend, glaring at Chie with her arms crossed.
Chie rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Eheheh, I was going to say, 'I would harshly reject them all for my lovely girlfriend, Aoi.'"
Quickly she produced a blue rose out of nowhere and handed it to a blushing Aoi.
Nao made a whipping sound, complete with hand motions. "You're sooo whipped."
Chie just scowled at her while Aoi beamed in delight.
Natsuki cautiously poked her head into the office. Scanning the room, she sighed with relief when she noticed that only Yukino Chrysant was present; the door to Haruka's office was closed.
She opened the door fully and walked over to the auburn-haired secretary's desk, sitting herself down on the corner of the desk.
"Hello there, Miss Chrysant." Natsuki gave her a cheeky smile.
Yukino looked up from her computer with a smile. "Agent Kruger. Glad to see you're back, and in one piece this time."
Natsuki chuckled and absent-mindedly picked up a photo frame. Turning it over in her hands, she looked up and waggled her eyebrows mischievously at Yukino.
"You know I'd always come back to a beautiful woman," she drawled, staring deeply into Yukino's eyes.
Yukino blushed, and opened her mouth to respond when the intercom on her desk suddenly crackled to life, causing them both to jump.
"KRUGER!" The extremely loud voice boomed through the intercom...and was also audible through Haruka's office door. Natsuki winced.
"STOP SHIRKING WITH YUKI—I MEAN MISS CHRYSANT—AND GET IN HERE!"
Natsuki looked at Yukino, puzzled. Yukino sighed and looked away with a small blush. "She means 'flirting'."
"Ah." Natsuki nodded sagely and mock-saluted the intercom. "Right away, H."
Waving a jaunty goodbye to Yukino, Natsuki gingerly opened the door and stepped over the threshold. "And to what do I owe this pleasure, H?"
H glared at her from behind an impressive ebony wood desk cluttered with papers. She stated without preamble, "I have a new mission for you."
Dun-dun-dun! A small cliffie! Oh no!...until next time!
