Domo arigato (Mr. Roboto) for all the reviews! Indeed, they are very much appreciated. Sorry for the slight delay in uploading this chappie, but nothing in life's certain except for taxes and death...and homework, tests, and research papers if you're a student like me. :(
Aaaanyways, soldier on, good readers!
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..
Unidentified place, unidentified time
A sharp pain on her right cheek jerked Natsuki out of the blackness. She groaned in annoyance, smacking her lips against the fuzzy sensation in her mouth. An attempt to move her arms failed, alerting Natsuki to the fact that she was tied up, probably in a chair. Déjà vu much?
Her brain felt like someone had taken a hammer and bashed it against her skull, and it took all her concentration to form a coherent thought. God, it feels like spring break of college all over again.
She cracked open her eyes and tried to focus on a blurry shape looming in front of her. With some effort, Natsuki was finally able to focus onto a burly dark-skinned man smiling smugly at her. He was in slacks and a dress shirt, but the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to reveal arms completely covered in tattoos. Natsuki noticed his most prominent tattoo was of an elaborate upper-case "V," with a small black scorpion situated just above where the two lines connected to make the vertex of the "V."
The man grunted when he saw Natsuki was awake. "Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty. Boss wants to you alert when she comes in."
Natsuki glared at him. "I thought Sleeping Beauty was supposed to wake up to a handsome prince."
The man glared back, but walked around Natsuki. She realized with a start that she had been tied back-to-back with someone else. Craning her head to the side, Natsuki caught a glimpse of familiar black hair from the corner of her eye. "Mikoto?"
She received an affirming grunt in response. "Natsuki? How'd we end up here? The last thing I remember is being dragged off the casino floor by a pair of hired guns."
Natsuki let out a dry laugh. "That's better than being knocked out by a highly seductive woman. At least you had a chance to fight back."
Mikoto opened her mouth to respond, but a hard hand smacked upside the head, causing her head to jerk backwards and hit the back of Natsuki's head in turn. Stars appeared in Natsuki's vision, and she heard a gruff voice bark out. "Don't talk, don't move, don't even goddamn breathe unless I tell you to."
Natsuki gave the large man a scathing look, but he avoided her gaze and lit up a cigarette. I'll give you one more chance; don't do anything stupid.
The man seemed to read her mind, and gave her a crooked smirk. He bent slightly, putting his hands on his knees, and blew his smoke directly into Natsuki's face. She coughed but defiantly kept her eyes open, glaring at him with smoke-reddened eyes. The man began to laugh, missing the tiny smirk on Natsuki's face. Suddenly, her foot lashed out and kicked the man directly in the solar plexus. The man collapsed to his knees with a groan, clutching his stomach. Natsuki took this opportunity to viciously knee him in the face, breaking his nose and rendering him unconscious at the same time. The burly man landed on his back, the cigarette crushed in his mouth.
Natsuki grinned maliciously at the still form. After two shitty days, nothing cheered her up more than breaking someone's nose. "Smoking's bad for you."
She jerked around at hearing an amused accented voice behind her, one that was fresh in her mind. "Ara, ara, someone seems to be in a bad mood." Natsuki felt a deep sense of dread, and the tiniest, strangest thrill of anticipation course through her. With a deep breath, she turned to see Shizuru Viola leaning against an open doorway with a small smile on her face.
Dubai, 2:00 PM
The stifling desert sun shone down on the large yacht as it moored on the dock of the private island. A graceful figure in a summer dress descended the gangway, heels of her sandals muffled on the wooden dock. A polite smile was directed towards the line of crewmembers that were standing to side, and a soft voice cut through the heat. "Thank you for bringing me here so quickly. I am very grateful for your consideration."
The entire crew blushed, including the captain, but the salt-and-pepper haired man gruffly cleared his throat. "Not at all, Miss Viola, it is a pleasure to serve you."
Shizuru Viola smiled back enigmatically, her striking red eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.
The spaciousness of the villa allowed for the ocean breeze to come in and sufficiently cool down the entire property to a comfortable temperature. The entire villa had been beautifully designed and constructed with the finest materials, but Shizuru ignored it all as she made her way to a pair of closed wooden doors. Stopping in front of the doors, she paused to compose herself before knocking on the door. A smooth voice rang out. "Enter."
Opening the door with a smile firmly in place, Shizuru looked at an older man with gray, nearly white hair calmly sipping a cup of tea with his eyes closed. The man's eyes opened, revealing them to be a piercing black. "Ah, Shi-chan! I'm so glad you came to visit."
Shizuru let out a little chuckle as she settled herself in the seat across from the man. "How could I give up a chance to see you, Uncle?"
Akio Viola smiled coldly. "A flatterer like always, just like your father." He let out a laugh, missing the way how Shizuru's smile froze for a split second before relaxing again. He suddenly stopped and looked serious. "But besides that, you did very well at the opening of the new hotel, last night. Those investors were eating out of the palm of your hand when you were finished with them!"
Shizuru smirked. "I learned from the best."
Akio chuckled. "Indeed you have." His eyes hardened, looking like two pieces of coal set into a weathered face. "And that spy? Did you get rid of her?"
A scoff was heard. "It was too easy. I have it under control."
"Excellent. I always thought you were more capable than Reito…"
Shizuru's eyebrows raised by a fraction of an inch. "Oh?"
Akio looked at her placidly. "Don't act so surprised, Shi-chan. That boy of mine has always been a little…extreme."
He abruptly stood up from his chair and turned his back on Shizuru, looking out on the construction crews on the nearby World islands. He leaned forward on the railing, letting the wind tousle his gray hair. "I called you here because I am planning to retire this year, Shizuru. You may have already noticed that I have withdrawn somewhat from our family's business for the past few months…"
Shizuru looked at her uncle's back warily. His retirement isn't news...What is he getting at?
She immediately let her expression go blank as Akio turned to look back at her. "I have a heart condition, Shizuru, and I'm expected to die by the end of this year."
Shizuru did not react to this revelation; Akio inwardly chuckled. He expected nothing less from a Viola.
He sat down in his plush leather chair and steepled his fingers together, a curious smile on his face. "The question is, who will take over the family business? Your father and I had considered to split control between you and Reito, as we had done ourselves…alas, I fear that you both are far too ambitious." He leaned back into his chair. "I suppose you two will have to work it out, then."
Shizuru studied her uncle's placid face carefully. If that's the game you want to play, Uncle…
She stood up and bowed to Akio. "Ara, Reito and I may be ambitious, but we are also somewhat rational. I'm sure Reito will be willing to make a compromise, Uncle. Have a good day."
She turned to leave, but paused at the door for a second to hear Akio call out, "I can't wait to see the results, Shi-chan. You do have a knack for surprises."
London, 9:00 AM
Haruka frowned and rubbed her temples exasperatingly. The day had barely begun, and already she had a headache. She gave a brief smile to Yukino as she set down a cup of coffee on Haruka's desk, but her scowl returned when her gaze settled on Yohko. Yohko gazed back with a hint of a scowl on her own face. Haruka let out a sigh and settled back in her chair.
"Are you sure you checked my office thoroughly?"
Yohko imitated Haruka's posture. "Positive. If there are still any bugs around, then they're ones I've never encountered before."
Haruka briefly considered the possibility before dismissing the thought. Yohko Helene was one of the best technologists in the world. "So you're suggesting that the bug on my lapel and the transmitter in the doorknob are only alloys?"
Yohko shrugged, her purple eyes concerned. "Decoys? Absolutely. The transmitter on your jacket was a joke; it was probably just placed there to hear the continuance of a recent conversation.
Haruka's eyes narrowed. Dai Artai.
Yohoko continued. "The transmitter concealed in the door was a lot harder to find, but not impossible. There's probably an actual person relaying information to VCS here."
A grunt of annoyance was heard. "What do you suggest we do?"
Yohko tapped her chin in thought. "Now that the transmitter is gone, the person is probably going to have to be a more active participant…just keep your eye out for anyone who seems be hanging out here more often."
At the mention of the possibility of a double agent, Haruka's stoic façade broke. She ran her hands through her blonde mane. "Shit, Yohko, if only we found out about this earlier! We lost contact with 002 earlier this week in Serbia…he's the third agent this month! My spies are dropping like flies!"
Yohko blinked. "'…Your spies are dropping like flies?'"
"Shut up. This is serious."
Yohko cleared her throat. "Sorry. Midori tells me about every spy that goes missing; she takes it personally, you know. I'm sorry about your loss."
Haruka wearily waved away her apology. "The funny thing is, not all of the spies who disappeared were on VCS-related missions. 002, for instance, was investigating one of the politicians in Serbia."
Yohko sighed. "If that's true, then maybe VCS is selling information to other parties? Or maybe another organization is selling it to them?"
A weary sigh was heard. "I don't know what to think anymore."
Yohko stood up and put her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "I have to return to the laboratory, but I'll call if I hear anything. Keep a sharp eye out, H."
Haruka let her head fall onto her desk after Yohko left the room. She immediately raised it when the door opened, but let it drop back onto her desk when she saw it was only Yukino.
"Haruka, training-agent Marguerite just dropped off the most recent trainee file updates."
Haruka's voice was muffled by the desk. "Marguerite? The rookie who always volunteers to do stuff around the building?"
Yukino nodded. "Tomoe Marguerite. She says delivering messages and whatnot helps her make connections with different departments."
Haruka lifted her head and nodded approvingly. "That's actually not a bad idea. T.A.(1) Marguerite isn't among the best in her class, but at least she's showing invitation."
"Initiative."
"That's what I said!"
Dubai, 6:00 PM
Shizuru, now clad in an attractive white business suit, shuffled the papers on her office desk. The city of Dubai was beautiful in the falling night, with the lights twinkling in the distance and the stars just beginning to appear in the sky, but it was a common sight for Shizuru. For someone who had an office located in high-rise building in nearly every major city, Dubai's night sky was just one among many. Shizuru looked at her $20,000 Blancpain watch that had been specifically designed for her, a present from her father. Six o'clock.
She smirked and stood up from her desk to languidly stretch her sore body, tired from sitting too long. Time to visit the prisoners, she thought with some mirth. She walked out of the spacious office, taking some time to give a smile and nod to the two bodyguards standing outside the door. The entire building was empty, as no one was allowed back into the building once it had closed for the night. One of the perks of being the owner is being able to do whatever I want, Shizuru mentally gloated. She stepped into the elevator and inserted her identification card, pressing the button labeled "B." The basement was only accessible to members of VCS.
The elevator opened with a tiny "ding." Two women holding mini-Uzis immediately stopped talking and trained their guns on the elevator. Shizuru stepped out with an easy-going smile in place, and the two women relaxed.
The darker haired woman spoke out. "Miss Viola, we didn't expect to see you."
Shizuru let out a polite chuckle. "I'm afraid it's my fault, Nina, I didn't call beforehand. I'm here to see the British agents."
The blonde women smiled at Shizuru. "You have impeccable timing, Miss Viola. Hassan just went to wake them up."
Shizuru smiled back at the two bodyguards, whom she had handpicked to be part of VCS Dubai's security. "It's a natural gift, I believe, but thank you anyways, Erstin."
She continued through a set of glass doors, which parted automatically at her presence. Shizuru reached a room with a two-way mirror and noticed her two captives tied back to back. Hassan had just smacked the black-haired woman in the face, causing it to collide with head of the navy-haired woman. Natsuki Kruger.
Shizuru studied the profile of the British agent that Reito had informed her about. Reito didn't mention how beautiful she is! His contact in MI6 provided him with information about this supposedly talented Kruger, but obviously failed to inform him about the second woman. It was just through chance that the shorter woman had been seen in the same vehicle as Natsuki Kruger, and Shizuru thought it was prudent to take her along with Kruger.
She quirked a brow when she saw Hassan blow smoke into Agent Kruger's face. Must you smoke indoors, Hassan?
However, her other eyebrow rose to join the other as she witnessed the British agent knock out one of security's more promising trainees within five seconds. I guess her talent wasn't exaggerated, after all. She shook her head and composed her face into a neutral expression. As fascinating as the smirk on Kruger's face was, it was time to end the fun.
"Ara ara, someone seems to be in a bad mood." Natsuki turned her head in time to see Shizuru push off from the doorway she was leaning on and glide into the room. She stopped directly in front of Natsuki, her eyes scrutinizing Natsuki carefully. Natsuki also took the opportunity to properly observe this enigmatic figure named Shizuru Viola. The pristine white business suit she was currently wearing contrasted with her red eyes, making them seem even more vibrant.
Viola was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman she had ever encountered in her short-yet-fulfilling life, and her aura was alluring…but at the same time, dangerous. Right now, she was not very happy, judging from the displeased glances she gave to the motionless body on the ground.
She tipped Natsuki's chin up with a perfectly manicured finger. "That was quite the impressive beating you gave to my subordinate there, Miss Kruger. However, I would suggest that you don't do it again." Cold eyes bore into Natsuki's.
Natsuki felt a chill go up her spine. Geez, if looks could kill…
Leaning back in her restraints, Natsuki cast a critical eye over Shizuru. Hot on the outside, cold in the inside, she thought with a wry snicker.
Shizuru raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't see the humor of the situation. Perhaps Miss Kruger is still delirious?"
Natsuki shook herself out of her internal ramblings. She opened her mouth to return a sarcastic reply, but became suddenly aware of just how dry her mouth felt. I suppose I'll have to settle with visual intimidation. Meaning, Natsuki gave Shizuru the dirtiest look she could muster.
Shizuru let out a melodious chuckle, relishing in Natsuki's momentary surprise at her reaction. "Come now, Agent Kruger, can't we all be friends here?"
She walked out of Natsuki's line of vision, presumably going behind Natsuki to come face-to-face with Mikoto. Natsuki heard the unique accent voice out, "Ara, my apologies, English agent, but I'm afraid I do not know your identity."
There was no response in the expectant silence, and Natsuki could easily imagine the obstinate look of Mikoto's face right now. Nearly 30 seconds passed before Shizuru gave out an exaggerated sigh. "No matter. I will find out soon enough."
Natsuki stiffened as Shizuru came into her sight again. The brunette had the smallest of smiles on her face as she studied Natsuki. "Please do not take any offense, English agent, but my primary interest is in Miss Kruger."
She punctuated this declaration by giving Natsuki a flirtatious wink. Natsuki blinked rapidly. Whaaat…? Usually criminals would flirt with her before they found out she was an MI6 agent, not after.
Before Natsuki could puzzle this out, two men and a woman entered the room.
Shizuru spoke out in a stern voice. "You two," she pointed at the two men, "take Hassan to the infirmary." Shizuru looked at the blonde woman. "Untie our guests here."
The woman flipped out a switchblade and twirled it several times with her fingers. Natsuki noticed the woman gave a hopeful glance to Shizuru, but Shizuru either didn't notice or wasn't impressed. Natsuki internally laughed at the disappointed look on the woman's face. What an amateur.
Natsuki immediately schooled her face when Shizuru turned that piercing gaze on her. Any hint of flirtatiousness was now long gone. Natsuki furrowed her brow in confusion. Holy crap, she's freaking bipolar!
The blond VCS member grudgingly cut through Natsuki's ropes. The binds loosened from around Natsuki's arms and torso, and she stood up, feeling stiff and bone-weary. She exchanged a swift glance with Mikoto, but before they could do anything, the blond woman placed her hand threateningly on her hip, drawing their attention to her gun.
"Miss Kruger, English agent, if you would please follow me." Despite the "please," Natsuki noticed it was more of a command.
Shizuru gazed at both of them placidly in a mock thinking pose, resting her chin on one hand while supporting her elbow with the other. "Ara, there is no time to waste. Night will fall very soon, and I have a very busy organization to run."
Natsuki and Mikoto followed Shizuru into a small, sparsely decorated room, flanked by two gunmen. There was a small office desk located at the far end of the room with two chairs in front of it. Shizuru went behind the desk and took off her white blazer, draping it on the chair. The top few buttons of her gunmetal gray dress shirt was open, revealing just a hint of perfect cleavage.
Natsuki looked at the people around her. On her left, the two henchmen were positively drooling, even at this casual move. On her right, Mikoto's eyes were bigger than Natsuki had ever seen them before. Natsuki shook her head sadly. Poor kid. Doesn't have an immunity to hot women yet. Although to be fair, Natsuki herself could only just barely resist the temptation of ogling Shizuru, and once again wondered whether she should curse or admire the crime leader.
Shizuru settled down gracefully, motioning Natsuki and Mikoto to do the same. She looked to the two men. "Leave us."
The men gave her a nod of the head and left, leaving Shizuru alone with the two British agents. Or is it the other way around? Natsuki mused.
Shizuru steepled her fingers, unconsciously mirroring her uncle's posture of only a few hours ago. "So. What were two British Intelligence officers doing at my family's hotel, may I ask?" A polite smile graced her face, belied by the dark gleam in her red eyes.
Natsuki scoffed. "You're crazier than I thought if you think we'll give up the answer to that at the snap of a finger."
Shizuru gave her a sardonic look. "Oh? Perhaps at the snap of a neck, then, Miss Kruger?"
Mikoto flinched almost unnoticeably, but Shizuru caught it anyways. She turned her predatory gaze to the younger British agent. "Ara, English Agent, surely you're not afraid of me?" She gave Mikoto an unsettling smile, causing the young agent to pale slightly.
Natsuki growled. "Cut the crap and leave the kid alone, Viola."
Shizuru ignored Natsuki and leaned towards Mikoto. Natsuki nearly choked on her tongue; Shizuru was damn near crawling onto the desk towards Mikoto!
"'Kid'? Is this, perhaps, one of your first missions? How sweet…" Shizuru cooed. Natsuki suppressed the urge to groan and let out a little sigh instead; the color of Mikoto's face resembled a lobster. I tried…
Shizuru placed a finger under Mikoto's chin; crimson eyes peered into golden ones. "I cannot keep calling you 'English agent', or as Miss Kruger so eloquently put, 'Kid'. It would be an insult to one such as cute as you, Miss—?"
Mikoto blurted out, "Minagi!" Shizuru and Natsuki blinked at the suddenness of her reply, but Mikoto paid them no mind as she looked down the bridge of her nose at Shizuru's lips hovering only an inch away from her own. Natsuki winced when her gaze fell on Shizuru's lips; they were a sudden reminder of last night's events.
Shizuru chuckled lowly. "Alright, Miss Minagi, here's the deal. You, as far as I know, haven't done anything but attend the opening of one of my family's newest hotels. I apologize for taking such extreme action, but you must agree that your presence was highly suspicious to a person such as I, and I sincerely hope that for the future, you will consider possible…consequences of coming to an event hosted by my family."
Shizuru sat back in her chair and turned her burning gaze on Natsuki. Natsuki stared straight back, refusing to be cowed. Shizuru held her chin in a mock thinking position.
"As I've said before, Miss Kruger is my main interest here. If you will wait outside, Miss Minagi? My employees would be more than happy to get you a drink, if you'd like."
Mikoto opened her mouth to argue, but Natsuki sharply nudged Mikoto's foot with her own and nodded. Mikoto gave Natsuki a worried glance, but did as she was told and left the room.
Shizuru turned to Natsuki. "Alone at last."
Natsuki's mind was suddenly flooded with different situations that those words could be applied to, most of them sexual. She shook her head to rid herself of those (delightful) images and decided to try to gain an upper hand over Shizuru by speaking first. "How do you know my name?"
Shizuru's head tilted. "Ara, I should be the one asking the questions. First of all, Miss Kruger, what were you doing at my hotel?"
Natsuki glared. "That brings about the question of how you noticed my presence in the first place."
Shizuru looked irritated. "Very well, Miss Kruger, since you insist on being so uncooperative. My dear cousin Reito gave me a call after a certain British spy broke into the building of one of his businesses in Buenos Aires. Perhaps you've heard of this?"
Natsuki ignored the blatant sarcasm in the other woman's voice. "Why would your cousin warn you, when both of you are vying for dominance in your syndicate?"
An eyebrow was raised. "You've done your homework."
At Natsuki's silence, Shizuru gave a slight shrug and continued. "Blood is blood. Besides, there is no point in arguing over who controls what if there is nothing to control in the first place, is there?"
She looked at Natsuki coldly, continuing, "My family's business empire…the "Viola Crime Syndicate," as the newspapers call us, takes an enormous amount of time and effort to run. Ensuring its continuance and smooth operation is infinitely more important than a petty family disagreement."
Shizuru leaned slightly forward, placing her hands on the desk. "So I ask you again, for the last time: what were you doing at my hotel?"
Natsuki matched Shizuru's glower with an equal intensity. A fierce mental debate waged inside her head. Should I tell her the truth? Wait, no, that's crazy! 'Oh hey, I was just sent here 'cause your family has serious issues, and one of you needs to be taken before one of you starts a war.' Yeah, that'll go over SO well. Let's feed her some bullshit, then.
"I was investigating the disappearance of one of our agents, 002."
Shizuru sat back, her face reverting back to a polite smile. Natsuki let out an inaudible breath of relief. And froze when Shizuru calmly stated, "Lie to me again, Miss Kruger, and I will cut your throat and pull out your tongue."
Natsuki blinked. Colombian necktie?…At least now no one can accuse her of being too soft.
Natsuki shrugged. She could tell Shizuru at least a partial truth, and even if Shizuru tried to kill her, Natsuki was confident that she would be able to present a challenge.
"Alright, Viola, you got me there. Kanzaki is buying up a shitload of nuclear power plants. The higher ups in office," here she made a vague gesture with her hand, "were getting a little jumpy, so I was told to investigate and stop him if necessary. Then someone had to rat me out to Kanzaki, so here I am in Dubai." She gave Shizuru a mocking smile.
Shizuru stroked the side of her face in thought. "Ara, is that so? Reito did not tell me this…and an inside man at MI6? Shocking." She looked at Natsuki with a smirk. "See, telling the truth wasn't so hard, was it?"
Natsuki scowled.
"I suspect you aren't telling me the entire story, Miss Kruger, but no matter; you'll eventually tell me once you accept my offer."
Natsuki narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What kind of offer? I only take the ones that involve me gaining some relative benefit."
Shizuru chuckled. "Trust me when I say this will be beneficial for us both." She intertwined her hands and rested her chin on top. "You would appreciate some help in bringing down my cousin, no?"
Natsuki's ears perked up; her interest was definitely piqued. "Go on…"
"I help you stop my psychotic cousin with whatever he's doing…"
Green eyes looked back skeptically. "And in return?"
Red eyes sparkled like rubies. "…And in return, you help me find my father's killer."
1. T.A.: no, not teacher's assistant; It stands for "Training Agent!" Namely the people like Nao, Chie, Tomoe, etc.
2. Hark! Is that a Nina and Erstin cameo I see?
3. It was a bit hard to write in Shizuru's P.O.V... I shan't be doing it again any time soon.
4. The Columbian Necktie is a bloody, bloody, violent gruesome gory etc etc mess. Perfect for a crime lord trying to make a good first impression, no?
'Til next time, kiddies.
