DISCLAIMER: No, no, no…I do NOT own it.
A/N: Part three
Japan
China
PRESENT
Chie watches Shizuru staring out her window and contemplates her fellow agent.
'Duty is just as powerful as love? Not always, Beguiling Stranger, right?'thought Chie.
Shizuru, feeling Chie's eyes upon her, turns and looks at Chie.
"Right," says Shizuru as she flashes her most beguiling smile.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO
Natsuki and Chie opted to use C.O.D.E.'s private apartment in Beijing, while Miyu and Alyssa stayed in C.O.D.E.'s private residence outside the city. After Natsuki and Chie settled in, they strategized. After coming up with a game plan, they went their separate ways in search of The Red Spider.
Chie checked with her most reliable source and received a lead on where Nao was staying. When Chie arrived at the address she was given, she had to check it twice. It was a modern apartment building.
'Very clever Red Spider, hide in plain sight. Either you're very smart or my source is wrong for the first time,' Chie thought as she cautiously made her way to the correct apartment.
After making sure the hallway was clear, Chie tentatively tried the apartment door knob. It was locked. Chie picked the lock and entered slowly. She gave one last check in the hallway before gently closing the door.
'Damn, it's eerily quiet in here. Odd, I can't hear the noise outside. It's so quiet, I could hear a mouse fart,' Chie thought as she carefully listened for any noises.
Chie cautiously looked around before moving further into the apartment. From the look of it, someone was definitely living here, but they weren't home right now. She made sure not to touch anything, just in case there were any traps. Chie winced at the memory of learning that lesson the hard way.
'This place is completely devoid of personality,' Chie thought and wondered why.
Chie slowly made her way into the bedroom. More of the same generic decorations, with the exception of a picture frame on the nightstand. Chie knelt down and looked at the photograph in the frame. She could tell this was not the photograph that came with the picture frame, so she pulled out her special communicator and snapped a photo of the photograph. Chie moved into the bathroom to find it even more devoid of personality. All the toiletries looked new and could be purchased at the local pharmacy. Chie knelt down and checked the floor for signs of human life. She found some strands of short red hair.
'Gotcha! Thank Kami cleaning people aren't always thorough,' Chie thought.
Chie stood up, turned around, and found the barrel of a very large gun in her face.
"Look what I found on my web," Nao hissed.
"The Red Spider," Chie spat.
"The one and only," Nao said with pride and added, "To what do I owe this pleasure, Blue Rose?"
"You know why I'm here," Chie said.
"Ah…yes…that little Naicho bitch," Nao hissed and motioned with the barrel of her gun for Chie to move out of the bathroom.
Nao led Chie to sit on the bed.
"Why don't you…," Chie began.
"Turn myself in? Forget it!" Nao spat, cutting Chie off.
"They know it was Tomoe, so…," Chie said trying to keep Nao calm.
"So they'll understand?" Nao said sarcastically.
"Perhaps," Chie offered.
"That bitch ruined me," Nao said and her face softened a bit with sadness as she absently touched her scar.
Chie watched Nao intently, wondering what "bitch" Nao was referring to and waited for her moment to strike.
'That large ugly scar on her right forearm must be from The Ice Wolf's bullet. Knowing The Ice Wolf's choice of ammunition, it probably shattered all the bones and severed nerves. No wonder The Red Spider is using a gun and not her usual weapon of choice,' Chie thought as she watched Nao's eyes.
"How did you find me?" Nao asked.
"I have my ways," Chie said smugly.
Chie caught Nao's glance over at the photograph on the nightstand.
"Her?" Chie asked.
Intense anger flashed across Nao's face and she backhanded Chie across the side of her head with the butt of the gun. That was the last thing Chie remembered.
Chie woke to find she was lying on the bed with her wrists and ankles bound. She listened for sounds. When she didn't hear any, she sat up and activated the saw ring on her Omega Seamaster wristwatch. It cut through the bond on her wrists.
'I have to thank Koto for installing that little gem,' Chie thought as she freed herself.
After freeing herself, Chie glanced over at the nightstand and noticed the photograph had a bullet hole through it.
'Whoever she is, I hope she's safe,' Chie thought as she cautiously escaped from the apartment.
Miyu followed up a lead her most trusted informant gave her. It led her to a large warehouse. According to her informant, this was where The Red Spider is conducting business. Miyu snuck in through an open back door. She could hear voices coming from a small office inside the warehouse.
"That bitch is crazy! There is NO fucking way I'm taking on those guys!" Tate complained to Takeda.
"She's the boss. We do as she says," Takeda said.
"Not when the bitch has obviously lost her mind," Tate moaned.
"She hasn't steered us wrong before," Takeda defended.
"Yeah, but C.O.D.E.?! The bitch wants to take on C.O.D.E.!" Tate yelled. "It would be easier to storm the Imperial Palace."
As Miyu listened to the men's conversation, she didn't hear the person sneaking up behind her.
"The Merciless Ghost," Nao hissed.
Miyu spun around startled and faced Nao, who had her gun pointed in Miyu's face.
"The Red Spider," Miyu said.
"Hear anything interesting?" Nao smirked.
"Nothing I didn't already know," Miyu said sarcastically.
"Oh…really?" Nao said.
Nao yelled for Tate and Takeda. Both men came running out of the small office.
"Tie her up," Nao instructed.
Tate and Takeda tied Miyu to a column.
"Boss, who is she?" Tate asked.
"Boys, this is The Merciless Ghost, a C.O.D.E. agent," Nao answered.
Nao stood close to Miyu, who just glared at Nao. Miyu had blood in her eyes.
"First The Blue Rose and now The Merciless Ghost. Who else is here?" Nao hissed.
"No one," Miyu answered.
"I bet The Ice Wolf is here," Nao said.
Miyu remained silent and her face was devoid of emotion.
"Tell me who else is here!" Nao demanded.
Miyu continued to silently glare at Nao.
"Tell me, damn you!" Nao yelled and slapped Miyu across the face.
Miyu's face turned slightly to one side from the impact. She turned back and continued to silently glare at Nao. A slight trickle of blood seeped out the side of her mouth.
"This one will never talk," Nao said frustrated and added. "Boys, it's time to get the hell out of town. Blow this place…and her along with it. Meet me in Japan."
After Nao left the warehouse, Tate and Takeda set the explosives and started to head out when Takeda looked over at Miyu.
"What about her?" Takeda asked.
"The boss said to leave her here," Tate reminded Takeda.
"Boys, do you really want my blood on your hands?" Miyu asked.
"Sorry lady, the boss said so," Tate answered.
"That's really too bad," Miyu smiled as she released her special knock-out gas charges.
Tate and Takeda immediately fell unconscious. Miyu activated the laser in her thumb ring and sliced through the rope binding her wrists. She made quick work of her ankle rope as well and dashed out of the warehouse a few minutes before it began exploding. As soon as she got outside, she removed her special breathing apparatus.
'That little Koto is a genius,' Miyu thought as she tucked the special breathing apparatus into her pocket.
Miyu pulled out her special communicator and slid it open. She contacted Alyssa, who had no luck with her leads and was heading back to the residence. Miyu updated Alyssa on the warehouse incident and told her she would meet her back at the residence. She contacted Natsuki.
Natsuki was growing impatient and frustrated. All her leads were dead-ends. She hoped the others were having more success. As Natsuki headed back to the apartment, the special communicator in her pocket violently vibrated. Natsuki reached into her pocket and pulled out her special communicator. She glanced at the display and slid it open.
"Yes," Natsuki said.
Miyu updated Natsuki on the warehouse incident.
"Nothing? There's absolutely nothing left?" Natsuki asked incredulous.
"Yes, blown sky high," Miyu replied.
"Okay, divert and meet me at the apartment. Bring The Golden Angel with you," Natsuki instructed and closed the communicator.
Before Natsuki could return the special communicator back to her pocket, it violently vibrated again.
"Yeah," Natsuki began and her eyes widened when she saw Chie's bruised face looking back at her, "What the…?"
"Guess what I found? Or rather what found me," Chie joked.
"Where?" Natsuki demanded.
"Secure?" Chie asked.
"Yes," Natsuki answered.
"Meet me at this address. I'll contact the others," Chie said and the internal Global Positioning System displayed on the screen.
Natsuki arrived at the address and met up with Chie.
"DAMN! What the hell happened to you?" Natsuki asked.
"Stupid spider, large gun, oh yeah…real fun party. Sorry you missed it," Chie quipped.
"You're too much. If you were hanging upside down over a pool of piranhas, you'd still find something humorous," Natsuki said shaking her head.
"Hey, if you can't laugh at what life throws at you, you might as well be dead," Chie flashed her most charming smile.
"Is that where she's been hiding?" Natsuki asked staring incredulously at the apartment building.
"Clever little spider…hiding in plain sight," Chie smirked.
"Let's go!" Natsuki said and started for the apartment building.
"Not yet," Chie said and grabbed Natsuki's arm to stop her. "We should wait for the others."
A few minutes later, Miyu and Alyssa joined them.
"Oh wow. Does it hurt?" Alyssa asked Chie as she lightly touched the bruise on the side of Chie's head.
"Only when it's touched," Chie winced and replied sarcastically.
"Now that we're all here, let's move out," Natsuki commanded.
After making sure the hallway was clear, Chie put her ear against the door and listened for any noises inside. When she didn't hear any, she picked the lock and all four agents cautiously entered the apartment. Before anyone could speak, Chie held her index finger to her lips to silence any conversation.
"Listen, you can't hear the outside noise in here," Chie whispered.
The others listened and Chie motioned for them to fan out. Miyu searched the kitchen. Alyssa searched the living room. Chie returned to the bathroom to finish her earlier search. Natsuki searched the bedroom. As Natsuki searched the bedroom, she found the same things Chie did earlier, with the exception of the picture frame, which was now missing. Natsuki and Chie completed their searches and returned to the living room.
"I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary in the kitchen," Miyu stated as she entered the living room.
"Same with the living room," Alyssa added.
"What about the bathroom?" Natsuki asked Chie.
"Nothing more than what I found earlier," Chie answered.
"And nothing in the bedroom," Natsuki said.
"What about the photograph?" Chie asked Natsuki.
"What photograph?" Natsuki asked confused.
"The one in the picture frame on the nightstand," Chie said.
"I didn't find a picture frame on the nightstand," Natsuki said, looking at Chie in disbelief.
Chie walked into the bedroom and checked the nightstand.
"I swear there was a picture frame on the nightstand. The stupid spider went into a rage when she thought the woman in the photograph was my informant. She obliterated the face with a bullet," Chie stated.
All three agents looked at Chie incredulously.
"I'm telling you the truth," Chie sighed deeply.
Chie shook her head and then remembered. She pulled out her special communicator, slid it open, and pulled up the photo she snapped earlier.
"Here," Chie handed her communicator to Natsuki.
'Oh…shit,' Natsuki thought and staggered back a bit.