Thank you very much for the kind reviews! They're really encouraging to read, especially since I was in a rather lackluster mood lately…I hope it doesn't reflect in this chapter :/
Warning: Violence, swearing, and general depravity—all the good stuff in life!
Disclaimer: Don't own a single darn thing, either James Bond or Mai Hime.
Haruka was in a foul mood. First Natsuki was acting like an idiot, then Nao had interrupted her private time, and now Yohko was summoning her like she was some kind of dog? Was today some universally acknowledged 'annoy the shit out of your boss' day?
She entered MI6's laboratory with a dark scowl. "This better be good news."
Midori and Yohko glanced up at her entrance. "Well, it's news; whether it's good remains to be seen," muttered Midori.
Haruka's second-in-command was leaning over Yohko's shoulder, both pairs of eyes trained intensely on a video screen in front of them. Nao was sitting at the desk next to them, although Haruka felt momentary vindictive pleasure when she saw that the redhead was buried in paperwork.
"There's a phone call for you," Yohko informed Haruka. She gestured to the videophone; the screen indicated that a line was on hold. "The person claims to have information on VCS London."
Haruka's eyes sharpened. She sat down in front of the screen and indicated for Yohko to connect her. She couldn't see whoever was on the other side; the screen was pitch black. "This is the director of MI6. Who is this?"
The answering voice was slightly tinny, making Haruka doubt that it was real. "A friend, one might say. I heard that VCS London is proving to be quite troublesome…it just so happens, I may have some classified information that may provide to be of some help."
Haruka frowned. "And that is?"
"Tomorrow evening, the cargo ship Salacia will be arriving at the Port of London. It will have on board a shipment of sugar. It would be in your best interests to intercept the shipment before it's delivered."
Haruka looked intrigued. "Why is that?"
"The "sugar" will actually a shipment of pure heroin intended for VCS London.
"White heroin disguised as sugar? That's too obvious; the VCS aren't stupid." Haruka frowned suspiciously.
"VCS isn't, but the authorities are."
"How do I know that this tip-off is genuine?" Haruka asked suspiciously. "It could very easily be a trap."
"Of course you don't know," the figure loftily replied. "But I'll be generous. This particular piece of information will be free. In the future, though, if this association is to continue, I will expect something in return."
"What do you want?"
"You'll see," the figure replied. "Do we have an agreement?"
Midori frowned and whispered to Haruka, "We don't know what this person is going to ask for."
Haruka mulled it over. "Time's running out. If MI6 doesn't have any concrete results soon, Chairman Smith is going to force us off the organized crime cases. I think we're going to have to take a chance here." To the silhouetted figure, Haruka said, "Fine, you've got a deal. But if it turns out to be a trap…" Haruka's voice trailed off warningly.
The informant replied, "I'll call back tomorrow. Same time, same place; tell me how it turns out, won't you?" The call was abruptly disconnected.
Midori immediately turned to Haruka. "How many are you going to send?"
Haruka frowned. "Four or five. You're heading this operation, Midori."
Nao looked up. "H, let my partner and me be part of this mission. We did a good job on our last mission."
"'Good'? I need better than just good, Zhang, I need amazing! Phenomenal! So beautifully carried out that it'll make me pause and say, 'That was absolutely brilliant.' Good just doesn't cut it, Zhang." Haruka frowned. "You made mistakes on your last mission, and I can't take any chances."
Nao begged, "Come on, H, another chance won't hurt. I swear that Agent Harada and I will contribute the most to the success of this mission."
Haruka looked impassively at Nao before turning to Yohko. "Find a layout of the ship and the port's docking schedule." Looking at Midori, Haruka commanded, "Station agents around the area beforehand. I don't want any civilian security involved at all, if possible; that includes the police. I want you to check in with HQ at timely intervals. I want everyone debriefed and ready for action by tomorrow morning." Haruka stopped and smiled gruffly at her second-in-command. "In short, do everything I would do."
Nao bit her lip angrily to prevent an outburst. Haruka was right to be skeptical after Chie and she let Tomoe be killed, but she deserved another chance! She glared at the floor, not noticing Haruka glance at her and suppress a small smile.
"Save your game face for tomorrow night, Zhang." Nao jerked in surprise and looked hopefully at Haruka. The director of MI6 gave the redhead a brief nod. "Also, that paperwork better be finished by tomorrow."
Nao grinned broadly, not even minding that the stack of papers on the desk was at least two inches thick. "It'll take a miracle to finish, but I'll give it a shot. Thanks, H."
"For what?" Haruka scoffed. "This is to make sure you keep your mouth shut about the earlier incident."
"What incident?" Nao said with a straight face.
Haruka nodded approvingly. "Good—and next time, knock. You'd think MI6's training program would review basic etiquette, but apparently not…" The blonde walked out of the laboratory, grumbling to herself.
Midori smiled cheerfully at Nao. "Welcome aboard, Agent Zhang. You and Harada are on refreshment duty for tonight's debriefing. The coffee better not be that sludge from the cafeteria."
Nao could barely contain her glee. Chie was so going to owe her for this.
Dubai, UAE
Akio Viola sighed contently. He was sitting out on the veranda overlooking the calm waters, being able to enjoy the breeze while avoiding the strong Dubai sun. The alarm on his watch went off, reminding the former VCS leader to take his medication. He reached for the bottle of pills and popped off the cap, swallowing two dry.
Akio heard footsteps to his left. Through his peripheral vision, he could see a gray-haired man of similar age dressed in khakis and a loose cotton shirt. The retired crime boss sat up with a smile. "Norio, what a surprise! To what do I owe this pleasure? Have a drink." He passed a beer to the man.
Norio Hattori grinned at his former leader. He had been a valuable lieutenant to Akio when VCS had just begun to expand, but now he was retired and replaced with someone younger, just like Akio. "I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by to catch up on old times. What have you been up to, boss?"
"Nothing much happens now that I'm retired. It's actually been a bit boring," Akio commented.
Norio nodded sympathetically. "That's too bad. I've been keeping myself busy with a bit of investing here and there; it's actually turning out to be amusing. I'm on a business trip right now, as a Hong Kong businessman named Rong Chen."
Akio looked unimpressed. "Hong Kong? That's nice."
Norio let out a booming laugh. "Don't tell me you're still sore about the Triads cutting off your finger? You even managed to reattach it! If you're still holding a grudge over what happened twenty years ago, then it's amazing how VCS has kept its treaty with the Triads for so long."
Akio scowled. "It's a matter of principle. Besides, it was Kenji who made the treaty with them. I had nothing to do with it."
"Ah, I apologize being unable to attend Kenji's funeral. VCS has suffered a great loss with his death," Norio said contritely. "Have you found the assassin yet?"
"It wasn't your fault you couldn't make it. You were in some Korean prison, weren't you?"
Norio grimaced. "For two years. I had the sentence reduced from fifteen after I bribed a few officials and a judge, got rid of a few witnesses. Still, prison is an unpleasant place to be."
"No doubt. And no, I found no leads on Kenji's assassin. I've decided to let the matter go, since it's almost been a year. It was probably a retribution hit by one of our rival syndicates, anyway." Akio rubbed his eyes tiredly.
Norio nodded understandingly. "It's just like when Kenji's wife was killed by some rival of her father's Russian mafia branch."
"How true. I sincerely hope this doesn't mean that Shizuru will meet the same fate as her parents," Akio morbidly joked.
"I had heard your niece entered the business. Kenji would have been proud."
"Would he really?" Akio murmured. "I don't think Kenji wanted Shizuru to join VCS, God knows why. He sent her to school under a fake name and encouraged her to pursue a degree; it was rather pointless, if you ask me."
"Well, apparently she's adapted well to her position, then. I've heard only good things about her leadership."
"She has a talent for heading criminal enterprises," Akio acknowledged. "No doubt a trait she inherited from her father. I'm just glad she decided to forget her stupid law degree or whatever and focus on her true calling."
"That's good news for us. Isn't it amazing how much VCS has expanded since the beginning? I think I care more for this syndicate than I do for my own children," Norio laughed.
"I know the feeling." Akio smiled darkly.
Norio hesitated before asking, "By the way, how is your son?"
"Reito?" Akio snorted. "He's managing VCS's western branches, but the South American drug cartels have been giving him some trouble recently. I tried to give him a smaller part of VCS to manage, but he's adamant on being on par with Shizuru. He's ambitious, but he's not as good as Shizuru is."
Norio shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sure he and Shizuru will make good leaders, just like you and Kenji."
"Don't lie to me." Akio's voice was harsh. "I know that Kenji was a far better leader than I was, and it's the same way with the children. I always knew Kenji was the better leader; Reito doesn't—can't—see it's the same with Shizuru. That boy is going to end up doing something very stupid."
"Like what?" Norio asked curiously.
"Don't ask me what, how would I know? It takes a stupid man to think of something stupid," Akio grumbled. He lit up a cigarette. "What do you want, anyway? I know you didn't drop by to just chat."
"You're right, I didn't. A few weeks ago, Reito asked me, his father's old friend, for a favor." Norio gazed neutrally at Akio. "It was quite a large favor, and a curious one, too."
Akio gave Norio a sharp glance. "What was it?"
Norio made a face. "He wanted 10 million American dollars worth of bismuth. It's a metal commonly found in various cosmetics, medicines, and the like. Seeing that China is the world's leading bismuth producer, he thought I would be able to help—he was right, of course—but I had to use up two of my own favors, and it cost me 7 million dollars in the end. Anything for my friend's son…except now, your boy has disappeared." Norio shrugged.
Akio looked furious. "Seven million dollars on worthless metal? I often find myself questioning that boy's capability to lead. What the hell is he planning to do?"
Norio shrugged. "It's probably from his mother's side. Anyways, if he were any other man, I would've hunted him down for my money already. But since he's your son, I thought I should let you know first."
Akio stood up. "Let me take care of this. I'll get you your money back and beat some manners into Reito in the process."
"If you insist." Norio hesitated before continuing, "Reito did leave a message to pass onto you, though. He said to tell you that the British agent is still alive." The former VCS lieutenant looked curious. "What does that mean?"
Akio paused and looked incredulous. "Shizuru lied to me?" His expression turned deadly. "Why is it that children have no respect for their elders nowadays?"
Norio frowned. "I though VCS was in good hands with Shizuru. Is this a concern? Should I gather the old crew? I know Daisuke is still around, although I'm not sure about Kentaro—"
"This is a family matter—stay out of it," Akio snapped. "I'll get your money."
Norio, used to Akio's short temper, held up a placating hand. "You're the boss."
Akio laughed bitterly and turned to stare out into the blue waters. "No, Kenji was the boss. I was the replacement." Norio's silence spoke volumes of his tacit agreement.
Akio stubbed out his cigarette on the table. "I've gotten lazy. My worthless son abandoned his position in the west, which isn't that surprising, but now I'm not even sure I can trust Shizuru. It's time to intervene."
"Be careful that you don't strain your heart," Norio cautioned.
"I've done enough damage to it already; a little more won't hurt," Akio snapped. "I spent my entire life dedicated to the Viola Crime Syndicate. I will not hesitate to kill anyone who threatens its existence."
Norio grunted. Akio's red eyes, so identical to his brother's and niece's, held uncontrollable rage. Perhaps father and son were more alike than he had thought…
Tokyo, Japan
Natsuki brooded, thoughts running though her head at light speed. She would have to ask Jimenez about Operation Four Horsemen, Kanzaki had to be found, soft lips pressed against her own—Natsuki shook her head vehemently. Gah! Focus on Jimenez!
Natsuki shifted in her seat and looked through the tinted backseat windows of the car. Unlike the many flashy, eye-catching establishments in Roppongi, Garderobe was obscured from view of passerby by stone walls. Natsuki sighed and leaned her forehead against the glass.
A chuckle broke Natsuki out of her reverie. The agent turned questioning green eyes to the other woman in the backseat. "What's so funny?"
Shizuru looked amused. "Natsuki hasn't stopped fidgeting since the trip started. What has her so jumpy, I wonder?"
"I hate the backseat." Natsuki shot a withering glare at the darkened window between the front and the backseat, hiding the driver and a VCS goon ensconced in the passenger seat from view.
Shizuru looked apologetic. "Akane was adamant that I at least take a driver and bodyguard for the ride."
Natsuki scoffed. "Who needs a bodyguard when you have a Double-0 agent by your side?"
"Ara, Natsuki wants me all to herself? How selfish! I so generously offered some of my own time to accompany Natsuki, but it seems her desire for my presence is insatiable." Shizuru dramatically sighed.
"Don't go blaming this on me. If you had just given me the information on Xavier Jimenez, I probably would've had this over with by now." Natsuki scowled.
"I beg to differ; Natsuki is quite easily distracted. And Garderobe can prove to be a very effective diversion." A fond, absentminded smile appeared on Shizuru's face.
"I know I have a reputation for being good with girls, but you have to wonder who the real playgirl is," Natsuki grumbled.
The door on Shizuru's side suddenly opened. The VCS bodyguard offered his hand to Shizuru. "We are here, Viola-sama. Shall I accompany you and Kruger-san throughout the premises?"
Shizuru flashed a polite smile. "That will not be necessary, thank you. If Higurashi-san asks, tell her I am in capable hands with Kruger-san."
"As you wish."
Natsuki waved away the bodyguard's hand and followed Shizuru into Garderobe. Natsuki was impressed by the opulent surroundings; the place reeked of money—obviously, only the rich were welcome.
The agent visibly brightened at seeing two girls clad in very short-cut kimonos walk by. She flashed a charming smile. "The scenery is amazing."
The girls giggled and waved coyly at Natsuki. Natsuki grunted in pain when Shizuru elbowed her in the side. "What was that for?"
Shizuru looked displeased. "Like I said before, Natsuki is easily distracted. Don't mix business with pleasure."
At that moment, another girl spotted Shizuru and shrieked, "Shizuru onee-sama!" As if on cue, dozens of girls seemed to pour out of the various side rooms.
"Shizuru onee-sama is here?"
"We missed you so much, Shizuru onee-sama!"
"Mou, why don't you visit us anymore? Don't you miss us?" A scantily clad girl pouted at Shizuru.
Natsuki's jaw dropped. A group of attractive, scantily-clad young women surrounded them, squealing Shizuru's name. What just happened?
"Ara, unfortunately I've been a bit busy lately. Would I miss a chance to see my favorite girls otherwise?" Shizuru winked. The women all blushed and sighed.
"Who's the hottie next to you, Shizuru onee-sama?" The group seemed torn on being in love with the mysterious, attractive stranger and being jealous that the said stranger was with Shizuru onee-sama. Natsuki smirked, causing half of them to look lovestruck.
A stern voice was heard over the excited shrieks and giggles. "I don't pay you to stand around! Get back to work!"
The young women gave each other frightened looks and scattered as quickly as they came. An older woman, perhaps in her late forties, pushed through and stopped before Shizuru with a ferocious scowl. Her hair was styled in odd spirals.
The strange woman poked Shizuru hard in the shoulder. "You!"
"Hello, Shiho-san." Shizuru looked strangely guilty for a few seconds before composing herself. "How are you?"
The woman scowled. "Viola, I thought I told you not to come here anymore! The last time you dropped by, half my girls refused to work because they claimed they were "in love" with you. I nearly went out of business!"
"My sincerest apologies, but I can't help that your girls are the most beautiful in the entire city. You know I don't mean any harm; I just flirt with them out of boredom." Shizuru gave an apologetic smile.
Shiho was unmoved. "If you have no business to discuss, go be bored somewhere else."
"Actually, not my business, but that of Natsuki's." Shizuru gestured to Natsuki.
Shiho appraised Natsuki openly. "Oh, this one's a looker. Is she for sale?"
Shizuru laughed loudly at the look on Natsuki's face. "Ara, it depends on how much you are willing to offer."
"Of fucking course not!" Natsuki barked out. "We have business with Xavier Jimenez."
"Oh? That's too bad, then." Shiho sighed. "You're talking about the South American foreigner, yes? He'll be in his usual room; one of the girls will take you there. Do you have a weapon on you?"
"My gun," Natsuki warily answered.
Shiho frowned. "I usually have a strict no-gun policy for Garderobe, but since you're with Viola, I trust you won't wildly shoot it around? The rooms are soundproofed, but gunfire would still be clearly heard and I don't want to take any chances."
Natsuki shrugged. Shiho gave Shizuru a stern look. "Don't kill anybody. Disposing the bodies from last time was a real hassle for me, and I don't want my clientele to be scared off or my bathhouse's reputation to be tarnished by violence."
"We'll try to be discreet. Thanks, Shiho-san."
Garderobe's mistress rudely waved Shizuru off and disappeared through a door. Natsuki glared at Shizuru. "I thought you didn't sell girls."
"Technically, I don't. Shiho-san was just joking; I don't receive any profit from bringing girls here," Shizuru replied. "Garderobe is sort of a haven for ex-prostitutes; not many people are willing to hire them, you know. Here they're required to work as attendants, like giving massages or providing towels and refreshment, but the mingling with clients is an option. Some girls choose to do it for extra money; some girls never want to do it again. Shiho's fine with either one, since she doesn't take any money from the girls who do sleep with the clientele. Her honesty is one of the reasons why VCS Tokyo bestows Garderobe with its patronage."
"Well, she doesn't seem too pleased to see you…but she seems to be alone in that regard." Natsuki cocked an eyebrow. "I forget, who was it that said 'Don't mix business with pleasure?' Was it you, Shizuru onee-sama?" The agent sarcastically emphasized the last word.
"In this case, Nat-su-ki, pleasure is my business," Shizuru shot back.
"It can be mine, too." Natsuki shot her a mischievous grin.
"Is that a fact?"
A nervous cough interrupted the light banter. Natsuki and Shizuru both turned to see a heavily blushing young woman shyly waiting for them. "Ah—Shizuru onee-sama, if you would care to follow me to Jimenez-san…"
Shizuru smiled and leaned into the girl's face, making her blush even more. "Lead the way."
"You're just a regular Casanova, aren't you?" Natsuki grumbled.
"Jealous?" Shizuru returned playfully.
The two continued to bicker as the girl led them through the hallways, but Natsuki paused to observe her surroundings. They passed by numerous hot springs and sauna rooms. They were all beautifully designed with ceiling-to-floor glass walls with a door leading to an atrium and exactly identical to each other.
Natsuki idly commented, "The rooms look all the same."
"Garderobe has communal baths, saunas, and massage areas," the girl dutifully recited. "However, the clients who want to be alone in the bath, or those who want extra services," she emphasized suggestively, "can book a private room. We have some very high-profile clients who use those rooms, so if anyone tries to follow them—journalists, for example—they wouldn't know which room to barge into."
The girl came to a stop right before turning into another hallway. "Jimenez-san's room has the two guards outside. Enjoy your stay." She bowed and left the two alone.
Natsuki peeked around the corner at the two bodyguards. "Should we use diplomacy or force to get through? I prefer the latter, but it's up to you."
Shizuru also peeked around the corner. "I would rather try to talk our way through first. They are VCS members, so I don't want to hurt them too badly…I suppose we'll improvise. Let's go." She stepped out into the hallway.
The suited man and woman stiffened at their approach.
Shizuru smiled politely at them. "I would like to speak with Jimenez-san. It's urgent."
"Who the hell do you think you are, asking to see Mr. Jimenez?" The man asked rudely.
Natsuki and Shizuru exchanged glances. Shizuru said, "You are members of VCS, are you not?"
"VCS Caracas," the woman affirmed. "Now fuck off."
Natsuki looked at Shizuru. "Okay, your way obviously didn't work; it's my turn."
The man looked at his partner in irritation. "These bitches just won't take a hint—"
His growling turned into a squeal when Natsuki kneed him in the crotch. He bent over, retching, and Natsuki knocked him out with a neck chop. The remaining bodyguard scrabbled for her gun and started to raise it. Natsuki grabbed the woman's wrist and twisted her hand hard, causing the bodyguard to drop her gun with a cry of pain. The agent kicked away the gun and slammed the bodyguard's face into the wall twice. She lifted the woman's face and chided, "You know, telling your own boss to 'fuck off' definitely won't raise your paycheck."
The woman spat out blood and glared at Natsuki through her good eye. "What are you talking about? Xavier Jimenez is the boss." Natsuki shrugged and slammed her face into the wall once more, leaving a streak of red on the wallpaper. The unconscious woman slumped to the floor, her face a mess of blood and broken teeth.
Shizuru grimaced. "Charming."
"Whatever works," Natsuki replied wryly. "Strange that they didn't recognize you, though. I thought you would've had a portrait of yourself hung in every VCS branch."
"Not everyone has an ego the size of yours." Shizuru leaned down to examine the man's forearm and saw that he had a "V" tattoo. "He has the tattoo that marks VCS membership." She looked troubled. "So they think Xavier Jimenez is their leader? I wonder if this is happening in other VCS branches…"
Natsuki shrugged. "It hasn't happened in Tokyo. Besides, Venezuela is under your cousin's jurisdiction, isn't it? It's his fault the VCS branches are breaking off; they probably recognized what a psycho Kanzaki is and decided to get away."
"Perhaps." Shizuru still looked doubtful, but Natsuki ignored it, barging into the room. Shizuru entered in a calmer fashion, closing and locking the door behind her. There was an enormous bath set into the ground, occupied by a man being straddled by a young woman. Xavier Jimenez looked up in shock at Natsuki's dramatic entrance. "Who the hell are you?"
"Kruger. Natsuki Kruger," Natsuki said coldly.
The gangster glared and motioned to the girl straddling him. "Get out of here! Can't you see I'm busy? I'll have you know that I'm part of VCS and I can have you killed at the snap of my fingers."
Natsuki drew her gun and lined it at Jimenez's shocked face. "Can you snap faster than I can pull the trigger?"
Shizuru stepped out from behind Natsuki. "Good evening, Mr. Jimenez. I am Shizuru Viola."
Jimenez paled. "V-viola? As in—"
"—As in your boss." Shizuru looked displeased. "Congratulations, you're not as stupid as you look. For a second there, it almost seemed like VCS Caracas forgotten who its benefactor is. Perhaps a little reminder will refresh your memory?"
"Oi, we're not here to see how famous you are, we're here for information," Natsuki snapped.
"Fine. This conversation isn't over," Shizuru threatened the gangster.
Jimenez looked confused. "Miss Viola, what—"
Natsuki waved the gun. "Out. Now."
Jimenez blanched. "What?"
Natsuki sighed. "Don't make me repeat myself."
The gangster reluctantly pushed off the girl and stood up. He was completely naked and it was blatantly obvious what they had been doing before Natsuki and Shizuru interrupted. Natsuki snickered. "Put that thing away before you poke someone's eye out."
"You're done here for tonight," Shizuru serenely told the girl. The girl nodded and quickly left.
"What the fuck—"
"Shut up." Shizuru looked coldly at him. "We are going to ask you questions. You are going to answer them honestly. Lie to me and you'll wish you were dead. Also, put on a robe before my eyes are permanently scarred."
Jimenez flushed angrily. He reached for a robe and put it on. There was a sudden banging on the doors. "Mr. Jimenez, is everything alright in there? Open the door!"
Natsuki swore and glanced at Shizuru. "We forgot to hide the bodies."
Shizuru raised her eyebrows. "'We'? If I recall correctly, it was Natsuki's mess."
"Yeah, but you were the last to come in. You should've brought the bodies in with you," Natsuki argued.
"Help!" Jimenez cried out. The banging on the other side of the door increased at the sound of Jimenez's plea; the door was close to breaking down.
Natsuki rolled her eyes. "I'll take care of them. You get the information."
"Try not to use your gun." Shizuru grabbed Jimenez by the collar. She opened the glass door leading to the courtyard and dragged him outside.
Natsuki stood there calmly as the door was broken down. Three men rushed into the room and stared at her in confusion. "Where's Mr. Jimenez?" One of them asked dumbly.
The agent smirked. "Up your ass. Need some help finding him?"
The man lunged for her.
-000-000-
Shizuru paused to listen to the sound of fighting in the room before turning to Jimenez. "Now, Mr. Jimenez—"
She froze when the other gangster plunged his hand into his robe pocket and pulled out a revolver. "Now, Ms. Viola, what were you going to say?" He mocked.
Shizuru frowned at the gun before looking at Jimenez. "Careful, that's loaded."
Jimenez sneered. "Well obviously, you traitorous bitch—"
A body flew threw the glass door in a shower of glass shards. Jimenez instinctively ducked, giving Shizuru the opportunity to pull out her own gun. "Give me the gun, Mr. Jimenez." She held out her patiently, as if taking a toy away from a misbehaving child.
Natsuki stuck her head out of the broken glass door. "Everything all right, Shizuru?"
"Just peachy." Shizuru never took her eyes off of Jimenez, who reluctantly handed over his gun and raised his hands.
"That's good. I—" Natsuki was suddenly jerked backwards into the room by a pair of hands around her neck. Shizuru was momentarily worried before she heard Natsuki say, "Let go, you moron—"
Shizuru turned to Jimenez. "Sorry for the interruption. Where were we?"
"Ah—"
"Oh, yes. You had a gun pointed at me." Shizuru frowned indulgently. "You're proving to be too much of a hassle to keep alive, Mr. Jimenez. I noticed you brought many of your subordinates with you today; I wonder if they would be more cooperative?" She pointed the revolver at his forehead. Jimenez wordlessly shook his head in fear.
Shizuru examined the revolver. "Do you like gambling?"
"Y-yes."
"Good. Then you'll love this game." Shizuru idly spun the revolver chamber. "It's called Russian roulette, perhaps you've heard of it?"
The man's eyes widened in fear.
"Oh good, you have. Then you should know that you have a 1-in-6 chance of being shot. With each successive shot, your chances of surviving diminish. You have five chances to tell me what you know—if you're lucky and don't get shot beforehand." Shizuru took out five bullets and let them fall to the ground. "Let's begin."
She spun the cylinder and pointed it at Jimenez's forehead. "What is my cousin planning?"
"You can't kill me, Mr. Kanzaki would—"
"Wrong answer." Shizuru pulled the trigger. Jimenez jerked with a sob when the hammer came down with a click. "It would be wise to tell me what you know, Mr. Jimenez; you now have a one-in-five chance of being shot." Shizuru cocked back the hammer.
"Shit! I don't know anything!" Jimenez looked panicked. "Please, Mr. Kanzaki didn't tell us anything—" He squeaked when Shizuru pulled the trigger again. The empty click was deafening in the silence.
"One-in-four."
"Uh, he's been trying to expand our drug smuggling operations—" Shizuru pulled the trigger. At the sound of the empty click, he fell to his knees, cowering in fear.
"One-in-three. Your luck has held out so far, Mr. Jimenez; it would be wise not to test it any further. You know very well that's not what I'm talking about." Shizuru looked bored. "Am I wasting my time here? Should I just get this over with?"
"I can't tell you, he'll kill me!" The man's eyes were anguished, but Shizuru was unsympathetic.
"That wasn't an answer to my question. All you need to do is start talking. I get my information, you get to live, and we both go our separate ways. What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could die," Jimenez emphasized frantically. His eyes widened when Shizuru rolled her eyes and pulled the trigger twice. The crotch of his robe noticeably darkened.
Shizuru ignored the growing puddle. "Ara? Of all the people I've played this game with, you're the first to survive all five shots unscathed, congratulations. But now there's only one shot left—now you will die if you don't start talking."
The man whimpered. "Okay—all right. Kanzaki owns nuclear power plants in major countries near important cities—New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, you name it. He's converting bismuth at those power plants."
"Bismuth?" Shizuru looked skeptical. "How in any way is that useful to me?"
"The information is all in a briefcase I carry around! It's with the rest of my stuff in the locker room. You can take the briefcase, or ask Kanzaki himself, I heard that he's in Japan. Please don't shoot me."
Shizuru stared emotionlessly at the pathetic man before raising the pistol. The cowering man shut his eyes. Shizuru paused to consider something before drawing back her hand and ramming the butt of the revolver into his temple. Jimenez crumpled to the ground.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Jimenez." Shizuru tossed aside the revolver and walked back inside the room. There was no sign of Natsuki, although five brutally beaten men were on the floor. Shizuru assumed Natsuki had led her remaining attackers somewhere else since there was no British corpse anywhere. She sighed and decided to look for the wayward agent.
Shizuru relaxed her clenched left fist as she left the room. The sixth bullet fell from her hand and landed on the ground with a quiet clink.
-000-000-
Natsuki dodged a fist and rammed her elbow into her opponent's throat. The man began to cough uncontrollably, giving Natsuki the opportunity to strike his temple with the metal pipe she had picked up along the way, knocking him out in an instant. Natsuki barely had any time to celebrate her victory before someone crashed into her back. Both the agent and attacker careened into a bath.
Natsuki and the attacker came up sputtering at the same time. Natsuki acted first and pushed the man's head underwater. At this point, she didn't care if they lived or died; there were just too many goddamned VCS goons. Why the hell did Jimenez bring so many?
The man underneath Natsuki struggled, his hands flailing in the air and sending water everywhere. The agent ignored the wet hair in her eyes and redoubled her efforts, putting all her body weight on the man's head. Finally, his struggles began to become weaker and weaker before stopping completely. Natsuki sighed in relief and hoisted herself out of the bath, ruefully wringing out her wet shirt.
She picked up her bloody metal pipe and went out into the hallway, silently closing the door behind her. Her wet shoes made unpleasant squishy noises with each step. The agent wearily tried to find her way back to the original room, but after five minutes of walking it was evident that she was hopelessly lost.
"Stupid rich people with their stupid vices and their stupid need for privacy—"
Natsuki turned the corner only to sigh again as she spotted two of Jimenez's bodyguards at the end of the hallway. She brandished her pipe half-heartedly. "Come on, then, I haven't got all day."
All her fatigue evaporated when the two men pulled out guns with silencers attached. "You've got to be shitting me."
She quickly dove out of sight when the men opened fired. The guns made small "pfft" noises, but the bullets that impacted the wall were no less deadly than bullets from a regular gun.
Natsuki took off down the hallway and veered left, bursting into a random room. A few girls looked up in shock; the agent had strayed into their sleeping quarters. Natsuki desperately looked around for a place to hide.
Another door to the side opened. "Ara, has anyone seen Natsuki—"
"Shizuru!" Natsuki leapt forwards and grabbed Shizuru by the shoulders.
"Natsuki? Why are you wet?"
Natsuki looked over her shoulder at the sound of running footsteps. "Quick, take off your shirt!"
"What?" The honey-brunette looked shocked.
"No time to explain, just do it!"
Shizuru quickly unbuttoned her shirt. Natsuki threw off her wet jacket and grabbed Shizuru by the shoulders, pressing her against the wall.
"What—"
The door burst open. Natsuki panicked and pressed her lips against Shizuru's. Shizuru immediately responded, tangling her fingers in midnight blue hair. The agent was dimly aware of two figures rushing past her, but was immediately distracted when Shizuru nibbled her bottom lip—
Natsuki was suddenly jerked off of Shizuru by a pair of brutish hands. Shizuru would have laughed at the look of almost comical shock that replaced Natsuki's dazed expression if the man hadn't placed a pistol at the agent's temple.
"This ends here," he sneered.
"Yes, it does," a voice interjected. A glass vase was smashed onto the man's head. His eyes rolled backwards in his head and he collapsed to the ground in a heap. The other bodyguard was in a similar situation; a pile of shards rested near his head.
Natsuki whirled around and whistled. "Nice going, Munakata-san!"
Shiho pinned Natsuki and Shizuru with a deadly glare. "You two have created the biggest mess I've ever seen. Twenty bodies to clean up! They may not be dead, but they're near it. As long as I live, you two will never be allowed inside Garderobe again!" The mistress of Garderobe stormed off in a huff.
"She'll get over it. She said that the last time, too," Shizuru told Natsuki.
"As if I want to come back after nearly being drowned in a bath," Natsuki muttered. "Do you have what we came for?"
Shizuru held up the briefcase. "Briefcases are so convenient."
Natsuki sighed in relief. "I'm so glad I wasn't nearly killed for nothing."
Shizuru suddenly realized her state of undress and began to button her shirt, scowling. "And why did Natsuki have me take my shirt off?"
"Like I said, I fell into a bath before."
Shizuru glared at her. "So? Seeing me shirtless doesn't make Natsuki magically become dry."
"I didn't want to get your shirt wet?" Natsuki said unconvincingly.
Shizuru's glare intensified, but she nearly gasped when Natsuki stepped forwards and trapped Shizuru against the wall with her arms, pressing against Shizuru. Her body was a solid, but not uncomfortable, pressure against Shizuru. Natsuki idly trailed her fingers over Shizuru's side and smirked at hearing Shizuru's breath hitch. "Sorry, am I getting you wet?"
Shizuru couldn't tear her gaze away from smoldering emerald eyes. You have no idea.
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