Chapter 5:Disappearing Act
"I can't believe it's been a week already," Hope says lying back on the grass. Again everyone is in the garden, but they are within earshot of each other.
"Yeah, didn't expect the mission to take this long," Ari says tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"MMmm," Hope mumbles "It's so nice out today," She sighs.
"I can't believe they escaped in the first place," Vikari says "Or that Ruscelia is still alive,"
"Yeah that was pretty surprising," Veronica says swinging lightly on the tree swing.
"I was shocked!" Hope says propping herself up on her elbows "I mean, that last battle should've killed her," She looks to the sky squinting her eyes at the bright sun.
"When did they say they'd be back?" Ruby asks
"Soon, I can hear the car," Veronica replies as the sound of an engine becomes louder before stopping. An argument can be heard from where they sit.
"Oh great they're fighting again," Hope rolls her eyes and gets up
"Are you okay stopping it?" Ari asks
"Yeah I think I can handle it," Hope replies spreading her wings and taking flight. She lands in the driveway where Ginji and Kazuki are trying to stop the argument from escalating any further.
"What are they fighting about?" Hope asks Akabane who stands off to the side looking very amused.
"Well, there was this very pretty young woman at the store. She was our cashier," Akabane replies
"They're fighting over a woman?" Hope asks incredulously "Doesn't her opinion matter?"
"Apparently not," Akabane smiles "At least not to them," He turns back to the fight
"Stop it," Hope jumps between them. They stare at her "Fighting like this does no one any good. Why can't you discuss anything civilly?" She asks looking from Ban to Shido.
"Because I don't like him," Shido says calmly.
"I'm not going to ask why because Veronica kindly explained it all to me, but you better behave or else," Hope threatens, fire crackling in her voice.
"Or else what?" Ban asks her teasingly.
"Or else I'll get Ari out here and we'll whoop your sorry asses into next week," Hope replies coldly.
"Lunch time!" Veronica calls and they all go out back
"Mind if I sit here?" Akabane asks Ruby as they sit down on the grass to eat from the basket.
"Not at all," Ruby smiles.
"You know I hate it when you fight over other women! You have me, remember?!" Ari exclaims looking rather rejected, but fierce at the same time.
"Yeah I know," Ban replies "I can dream can't I?"
"Only about me!" Ari replies "When will you ever stop arguing with him?" She sighs after a moment.
"When he stops starting shit with me," Ban replies looking at her. Anger flashes in her eyes.
"Like what may I ask?" Ari says hands on her hips "And please don't answer with your mouth full." He swallows before answering.
"Just shit, okay?" He replies. Ari falls silent, but gets up and moves to sit with Veronica.
"Alright how many people want to abolish the no opposite gender couples in the same bed rule?" Veronica asks "Because I know a few of you have broken it already," She adds looking at Hope who blushes.
"Okay then. Now that that rule is out of the way…" Ruby says smiling mischievously.
"O my god you better not do that in my house! I forbid it," Veronica says in horror.
"Awww…Come on Veronica I was just kidding…" Ruby whines.
"Well I'm not," Veronica says looking at everyone.
Later that night…
"Are you sure this is the place?" Veronica asks
"Yeah, they said we'd battle here tonight," Hope replies in a whisper. Ruby, Vikari, and Ari nod.
"Waiting for us?" Lyric appears out of the darkness.
"Well at least you didn't pick a forest this time," Ruby says taking out her whip. Ruscelia and Amon appear out the darkness next. Nicolette appears last.
"Ready Vikari?" Kazuki asks as Ruscelia comes at them. Vikari nods. Almost instantly Ruscelia is trapped by string.
"What the hell?" Ruscelia says as Vikari uses her firepowers to send the flames shooting up the string to engulf Ruscelia in a blazing inferno. Meanwhile Amon is in combat with Hope. Their swords clash and zing in the cold still air.
"If I didn't like men you would be very cute," Amon tells Hope as she blocks his attack once again "But I don't like women and Ruscelia likes you anyhow," She jumps away and a large buck hits him in the stomach with its huge antlers. The wind is knocked out of him a moment. Then Ruby goes at him with her whip and gives him a paralyzing blow to his left thigh. At the same time Veronica is in a sword battle with Lyric who doesn't seem to know much in the way of swordplay although she is using a large long-sword. As Veronica dodges an attack a large lightning bolt hits Lyric. She drops the sword seeing as it's still fizzling from the shock.
Meanwhile Ari is fighting Nicolette.
"Hmmm…Your man is very handsome," Nicolette says in her purring whispering seductress voice. "I want him for myself,"
"You'll have to get through me first!" Ari says throwing a barrage of knives at her. She doges, but a knife grazes her cheek and one hits shoulder. Angrily she pulls the knife out and looks at the blood on it before touching the trickle of blood on her cheek.
"You'll pay for that!" Nicolette screams as she jumps behind Ari and goes straight for Ban. "Such lovely eyes…" She says in awe before collapsing completely.
In Nicolettes' mind
"Why thank you," Ban say smiling "You know you're really hot yourself,"
"I know," Nicolette says seductively. Suddenly she feels a terrible burning in her legs and looks down to see that she's on fire. She screams and the entire sky turns black. Ruscelia appears before her.
"You shall never touch another man, Nicolette," Ruscelia says "You are mine forever," She enters the flames with Nicolette "Mine to burn…"
She wakes up quit suddenly drenched in sweat to see that the world around is exactly as she left it except that her comrades are gone.
"Did you have a nice dream?" Ban asks her. She looks up at him and turns away.
"It looks as if your friends have abandoned you Nicolette," Ari says approaching her cautiously.
"They know that I can handle myself," Nicolette replies angrily before disappearing into thin air.
"Wow that was weird," Hope says. They all return to the house.
Two weeks later…
"I don't think they're coming back," Hope says as another night passes without word or action from the criminals is heard.
"We should all go home for now," Vikari says.
"Hope, do you have a place to stay?" Veronica asks.
"Yes, I'm going to my smaller house closer to here," Hope replies "If anyone runs into them again please try to apprehend them,"
"We know, Hope," Ari says
"Yay! I get to go back to my forest," Ruby says happily.
That night everyone packs up and departs thinking that the mission is over…or is it?