Chapter 4 – The Big Leagues

A vicious cycle. Not exactly, more of a traumatic cycle. Having to listen to all that screaming and moaning almost every other night. It's been two weeks, and Cravat was starting to consider buying headphones and an MP3 player to block out the noise. Maybe he should have from the beginning. Why didn't he think of that earlier? Buying a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, or earphones, whichever the hell worked, sounded nice. That would be a fine gift to receive for the holidays, and hey, it was only two days before Christmas. If only.

He slowly got up and scratched the back of his head. Cravat noticed Stocking peeking out from under her covers, staring at him, and gave her a timid wave.

"Couldn't sleep?" she murmured within earshot. She was still pretty sleepy.

"Ah, the sandlady. How she has eluded me recently." Cravat replied, adding a little sarcastic laugh at the end. Stocking let out a little yawn before saying anything again.

"You should get used to it soon, or you'll go nuts," Stocking said, slurring her words a little, her eyes only half open. Cravat smiled a little. She had this little adorable aura around her in the morning, like she couldn't even hurt a fly. Ah, but the truth was far from it. She would kill a fly and its family if it ever came within a meter of her sweets. Stocking could cut the damn wings off, and just watch sadistically as they struggled to scurry away, only to be met by overkill with the tip of her swords. But hey, who doesn't hate flies? Come to think of it, anything that came between her and her sweets would meet a violent end. Cravat let out a small laugh, imagining the massacre that could ensue.

"I'll try to get used to it, just don't expect any radical results too soon," Cravat answered back as he got up using nothing but his legs, seeing as his arms were jell-o-like since he managed to cut off their blood supply by using them as his pillow. He always managed to push his pillows off and lie face-flat on his bed. Cravat started to move them with whatever feeling was slowly coming back, flailing them at a leisurely pace until he felt the blood rush back like little tiny needles prickling his arm. Clenching his hand to make sure he could move everything again, he picked up his towel which he placed beside his bed every night by now. One thing Habit always forced on him was taking a bath before being able to play his consoles, something about irritated eyes and bathing equaling to blindness. Cravat was sure she was overreacting, but he followed her anyway, and before long it became a daily thing. He decided a week ago to continue the little morning tradition.

"I'll be going to the bathroom now," he told Stocking as he slung his towel over his shoulder. As roommates, he seemed to have gained Stocking's acquaintanceship after many nights of playing 'Guess How Many' with Panty's frequent sexcapades. He ruffled Stocking's dark hair, which she responded to with a slightly annoyed groan, and went on his way. After taking a bath, he wore the uniform that he was required to wear to school now, a uniform that Kneesocks assigned him. It looked similar to all the other ones people at school were wearing now, but his had two 'tails' that formed half-way around his waist that reached his knees. It looked like one of his coats now, which was awesome.

"You can wear whatever pants you want, just wear this to look like an actual student. It's a rrruuuru," he recited to the mirror, imitating Kneesocks' voice. He found her way of saying rules kind of endearing.

After finishing up in the bathroom, he went to fetch Habit. He stood in front of her door and called out.

"Habit, you there?"

No Response. Huh, was she sick or something? Cravat tried knocking again.

"I can smell the cookies Garter is cooking right now, they smell real good," he yelled loudly then quickly sidestepped to avoid what he thought would happen next. Sure enough, she burst through the door, but had a packet of chocolate-chip cookies in her right hand. Cravat gave her the one-raised-eyebrow look.

"So you were sneaking a little morning snack?" Cravat asked as he crossed his arms. Habit scratched the back of her head while smiling awkwardly.

"Ehehe, well, you know me. More cookies now yes?"

Cravat sighed and walked with Habit downstairs to the dining room. They met Chuck along the way and gave him a little pat on the head and a quick belly rub, which he responded to by salivating uncontrollably. He also tried to make love to Cravat's leg after they started to leave. Shaking Chuck off gently, the little zipper-dog soon lost interest and went to the kitchen to await his breakfast. Habit and Cravat followed, with Habit expecting the cookies to be ready by now. Sure enough, Garterbelt was taking a fresh batch of Snickerdoodles out of the oven. More food was already on the table, and they both sat down to eat while Garterbelt poured a slab of unknowable substance into Chuck's bowl.

"Thank you for the meal~" Habit said in a sing-song voice as she got three Snickerdoodles from the tray. Her hand jerked quickly to her plate and dropped the cookies a little clumsily on it. "Ow ow ow, hot…"

"You should really let those cool first," Garterbelt suggested as he took his own seat at the head of the table.

"No no no, fresh is best, I always say," she chirped happily while nibbling on a little piece off one cookie. Garterbelt smiled, which he only did whenever Habit was there. He probably wanted Panty and Stocking to act more like her. But Cravat knew that she was more similar to Panty and Stocking than anyone's he's ever met before. That little adorable exterior hid something within that would shock even the most courageous. Her abilities in combat well exceeded Cravat's. The first ghost he managed to banish because he got lucky. The second one would've killed him if Habit wasn't there, and the only reason he managed to take out that last Ghost in Little Tokyo was because Habit started sparring with him to make him more useful. He cringed whenever he remembered her 'Protein Shake', a yellowish-white goop of extremely thick consistency. He really doubted if they had helped him get any better. But hey, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, supposedly anyway. He was nowhere near Habit's level though. He was probably far from Panty and Stocking's level too.

Ah great, he thought to himself. I'm probably the weakest one here. There goes my ego.

The two sisters soon joined them at the table and began to eat their fill, Panty was wearing a brown trench-coat, seeing as it was still cold these days, and Stocking wore a dress that looked like her normal outfit, except it had a fluffy hood attached. As they were about to finish, a loud bolt of lightning struck Chuck as he devoured the last bit of his food. Laying there charred like sweet savory barbecue but smelling like anything but, he spat out a roll of paper.

"Finally, some action," Panty said as she cracked her fingers. Garterbelt went over to Chuck and picked the little piece of paper up. In big red letters, the word 'Gift' was scrawled on. Garterbelt pondered for a while on the meaning of the enigmatic message.

"Hmmm," Garter wondered out loud. "There have been reports of a Gift-Wrap factory being haunted. A man died when he suffocated after wrapping himself. News report said he was found dead in the factory inside a box that was to be delivered to his girlfriend. The fetishes some people have, honestly." Garterbelt said, remembering a news broadcast a few days ago. He then looked at Stocking, who he knew for a fact had some crazy bondage fetish. Not that he didn't have a similar fetish himself, but they didn't have to know that. "A few days ago three personnel almost suffocated to death when they were wrapped head to toe in ribbons and sealed inside a giant gift-box. The factory had to close down when just a day after two more employees were found. This time they were dead," Chuck coughed up another piece of paper, which looked like a map. Garterbelt picked it up and handed it to Stocking, who held it by her finger-tips at arm's length. Chuck slobber, now even more gag inducing!

"I actually received a call from the company's president this morning. This finalizes things. Now go on. If this continues, think of the chaos that will spread through the city, the mere fact that people will no longer be able to wrap their presents and be able to give them to their loved ones with the element of surprise will result in catastrophe if you don't set things straight! NOW GO! GO YOU BITCHES and Cravat and Habit GO NOW!" Garterbelt yelled with his voice rising with each word, saying it with enough manly passion that behind him a volcano looked like it had erupted from the sheer intensity. A few seconds later his facial expression returned to normal and he went to clean up.

"Such manly intensity, Sir Garter. I applaud thee," Cravat called out as he got up, stretching his arms.

"Tis my job," the big man humbly replied. Garterbelt gathered a few dishes and started to wash them. Habit was left a little amazed by the Reverend's outburst.

"Wow, does that always happen?" she asked as they all walked away from the table.

"Yeah, that's afro-priest for ya. Most of the time he uses that tone when he scolds us though," Stocking whispered, stealing a few more sugar-coated donuts from a plate before she went to follow the others. Cravat grabbed his winter coat from a rack, seeing as he was only wearing the thin school-uniform Kneesocks gave him. Even Habit had a variation of her outfit that included a furry hood and long sleeves. It would be another chilly day outside. The sisters along with Habit and Cravat started to head to the underground garage.

"So I guess that means we're playing hooky today?" Cravat asked. It was his first time to actually skip school since he got here, Kneesocks being strict with attendance and all. But if he were to tell her he was sick, he'd probably be able to weed his way out of her long monologue about the rrrruuurus.

"Yeah, I guess so," Habit replied as she started to get on See-Through. They all started their respective vehicles up, their engines rumbling in the vast underground passage. See-Through exited first, bursting out of the exit while Lash-Out followed closely behind.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Nothing that day was really of note. It was still snowing slightly as they sped through the highway to their destination. Cravat reflected on how the fight would go down. Would it be an easy kill? Would he need to rely on Habit to banish it? Given the Anarchy Sisters were there, maybe he wouldn't have to do all the work. But he knew for a fact the sisters still liked to push him around. What if they made him fly solo and watch from afar how it went down? Would he be able to fend for himself? Did he leave his console on before he left? Should he have eaten that last slice of pizza on the table even though he would be the one to look like a douche? He was still pretty hungry. All of these thoughts raced through his mind as the factory slowly showed itself in the distance.

It was near the outskirts of the city, and didn't really have any other buildings surrounding it, but a mall was relatively nearby. Makes sense, as this factory probably supplied it with wrapping paraphernalia for occasions like birthdays and all that crap. It was in a big empty lot, with wired fences and a toll-gate before you could actually get into the lot. It was almost deserted however, as no one was to go near it until that Ghost was dealt with. As they approached, they saw a relatively tall, lanky man, his hair slicked back with gel, wearing earmuffs and a thick wool coat. That must've been the president. They parked just before the toll, and the president walked up to greet them.

"Thank you for coming," he sputtered, his voice having a little panicky tick to it. "I wanted to let Walter pass on peacefully, but I guess he just didn't want to let go yet."

"Yeah yeah, we'll take it from here," Panty interrupted. She started walking off in the direction of the factory, which was a brick-red, three storey building powdered with white here and there in the light snowfall. Panty's cat-walk like stride gave the president a little doubt on whether they would be able to complete the mission or not, but Cravat gave him a pat on the shoulder. Stocking and Habit followed, leaving Cravat to promise the president they would get the job done.

"You should know if you called in yourself that they're good at what they do," Cravat reassured. Their gaze turned back to Panty, who was busy trying to bash the door in because it was locked, but to no avail. Cravat could feel that giant, oversized sweat-drop appear above his head right about now.

"Ah yes, the key," the president shifted as he put his hands into his pockets. In a moment, he handed the key to Cravat, whom he told to hurry before Panty damages the building any more. Before Panty's heel collided once more with the entrance doors, Cravat grabbed her leg.

"I have the key, so you can stop mutilating the poor door now."

Cravat unlocked the door and turned the knob. As he opened the door he saw that the inside looked pretty much how he expected it to look. Dark, bleak, and lacking life. In short, it was one hell of a place to make a B-Rank horror flick. Power to it must've been cut off when it closed down. Ah sheezus, Cravat thought to himself, I hate the dark. Being alone in the dark. Dark dark dark. Why couldn't it have been someone who choked on air in an open field?

"Erm, ladies first," Cravat said as he made a 'go on in' gesture with his arms. Panty just shrugged and entered, but Stocking and Habit were a little suspicious. Habit took a peek inside and realized what Cravat's odd behavior was about.

"Awww, Ravvy, You don't like the dark right?" Habit said out loud, snickering a little. He forgot Habit knew about his phobia. Cravat tried to act calm and collected and thought about the most plausible reason for his actions.

"Ooof course nooot, I was just thinking of, uh, guarding the rear. Yeah, that's it, ahaha… heh…"

"Alrighty then Mr. Bigshot. You better guard our rears good m'kay?" Habit replied to his ever so obviously awkward statement before entering herself. Stocking was left to make sense of it all. Her face didn't register any emotion, or maybe it did, the blank face of 'no shit, seriously?' Needless to say, she really tried to process the information, based on his past actions.

"How is it that you can stare a burning tanker of doom in the face and laugh, not go mentally insane after hearing Panty's O – scream every other night, eat the mystery meat on Hazmat Fridays in the cafeteria and ask for seconds, but you can't handle the dark?" she asked, her tone having something along the lines of empathy and mockery at the same time.

"Okay, one, I feel very awesome when I'm on Lash-Out the confidence boost just comes naturally, two, I have slightly gotten used to. The scars are currently scabbing over. Three, you should really try it. It bites back a little, but it's got this unique flavor-"

"I'd rather kick the bucket happily of diabetes." Stocking interrupted. Cravat laughed as he lost his train of thought while looking at Stocking, but quickly found it again.

"… fair enough, finally I don't mind the dark per se, just the dark where I know something can kill me at any moment. That as well as I can't see and I don't know where the hell other people are," he explained, crossing his arms and avoiding making eye contact. "Maybe if there was a way I could keep track of you while I wade through the dark…"

"What, do you want me to hold your hand or something?" Stocking suddenly offered. A moment of silence passed and she offered her hand to show she meant it. Cravat was a little unsure of the consequences. "We will not talk about it after this, there will be no questions asked. Come on then," she continued to coax. Cravat let out a disgruntled murmur and grasped her hand.

"Really now, you're such a dork, Otakun."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The very cloudy sky really didn't help in getting any light in the building. It was eerily dark. The minimum illumination only showed the outlines of some machines here and there, conveyor belts, stray wrapping paper that was left when the place was evacuated, and various doors and stairs that winded through all three floors stuck to one side, all in one giant, spacious, rectangular room. As Cravat and Stocking climbed a flight of stairs, they ended up on a catwalk-like path, only about two meters wide. He could barely make out the railing that kept people from falling to the machinery below. They passed by rooms that were offices just a few days ago, now deserted and devoid of anything friendly.

"Where'd Panty and Habit get to…?" Cravat whispered, no longer holding onto Stocking's hand. There were a few windows on the second floor which lit the place up a bit, and he calmed down. Stocking turned to face him, her face also a little puzzled.

"Wow they're fast. Might be on the top floor," she suggested as they walked on. The metal catwalk they were traversing made their footsteps echo in the empty building, making his hair stand on end. A sudden sound from above made Cravat practically rip his pseudo-neckties off.

"FREAKING…!" he muttered through gritted teeth as both of his Ghost Kiras materialized in his hands, sending off a bright blue glow before dissipating. Cravat had a crazed look on his face, more like paranoia actually, as he breathed heavily and scanned his surroundings. Seeing nothing wrong, he dematerialized his weapons and tied them back around his neck. While this was happening Stocking just stood there and stared at him, not knowing what to say. Cravat just shrugged and laughed awkwardly, motioning them to go on. Stocking complied and followed him up the next flight of stairs. They reached the final floor, and they could barely make out a door at the end of the catwalk. As they approached it, something brushed against Stocking's leg, and she squealed in surprise then fell forward as she lost her footing. Cravat acted quickly, grabbing a hold of her shoulders before she fell too far.

"What's wrong?" Cravat asked as he looked around. There was nothing there.

"S-something, like a piece of string… my leg… eck…!" she stammered, regaining her footing. When she calmed down, they both decided to go on and enter the door. The site sent chills down their spines. Two neatly wrapped boxes in the distance were illuminated by a single light bulb, swinging back and forth on a suspended lamp-post. The creaking it made didn't help ease their nerves.

"Did the Ghost do this…?" Cravat wondered out loud, starting to go closer to the packages. One of the packages suddenly hopped and jerked to the right, making a loud thud as it landed. "What the hell…?"

Stocking suddenly screamed. Cravat whirled around, trying to see what had happened. The faint light was enough to let him see what went on. It looked like various arms were wrapping around Stocking's body, eventually suspending her in mid-air. The Goth-Girl shrieked, helpless as the 'arms' wrapped itself around her. A black, humanoid form with blood-red streaks outlining its shape manifested itself just below the suspended light bulb. It looked like a mummy wrapped in bandages, with one, menacing yellow eye showing and a small slit that looked like its mouth. This must've been the Ghost. The wrappings around him must've been the ribbons he used. The ones that suspended Stocking retracted back to the Ghost, and now she was side-by-side with it, struggling to wriggle free. The slit formed into what could be made out as a smirk.

Cravat then realized. The last two victims were found dead in a box all wrapped up. Habit and Panty were still missing. There were two boxes in front of him right now.

"Shit… You didn't…!" Cravat growled, realizing what had been done. That would explain why they were nowhere to be found. Habit and Panty were caught off-guard, silently, in the pitch-black, then wrapped and shoved in a box. Helpless. Dammit, Cravat thought to himself. Not good.

"Another one…?" the Ghost suddenly spoke out. It seemed rather amused. It chuckled melancholically then grabbed the other two boxes with its ribbons. The boxes jerked and shifted as they were suspended in mid-air. "Isn't it wonderful…?" the Ghost started. "Offering yourself as a… metaphorical gift to someone…"

"What are you talking about?" Cravat asked firmly as he once again materialized his weapons.

"She refused me the first time… and the second… but maybe it was because it was too early in our relationship…" It had a lazy way of saying his words, almost slurring them. "So maybe… if I showed her how serious I was… Maybe she'd accept me..." there was a pause in its sentence, thinking of what to say next. It started again.

"… Do… Do you know if she would have accepted me…? It's too late to know now… All I know now is… I must share my pain… with everyone… abosolutely… everyone..." after it let go of the last word, more ribbons from behind it suddenly appeared, this time stiffening and sharpening into blades. Before it could make a move though, Cravat already deployed his whips, swinging it in a wide arc forward. The trails of light wrapped around the ribbons that held Habit and Panty's boxes in place, and with a fierce motion he pulled the whips back. The tension it caused sliced the ribbons in half, and the boxes fell to the ground. With a ticked-off roar, the Ghost lunged forward with its sharpened ribbons at the ready. Cravat also lunged forward, but at the last second slid below the spikes and between the Ghost's legs. As he slid under, he swung his whips to grab onto the sharpened ribbons, and tugged hard, severing those as well. It roared in pain and escaped through the door, bringing Stocking with it. With no time to spare, he tore open one of the large boxes and found someone wrapped tightly. Cravat found the knot and undid it, revealing Panty underneath, gasping for air as her head escaped confinement.

"ABOUT FUCKING TIME!" she barked angrily as she tore the rest of the restraints off herself. "Where's Stocking?"

"Ghost got her, go on ahead, I'll catch up when I free Habit," Cravat stammered as he ripped open the other box.

"Don't take too long!" Panty yelled as she basically smashed down the door. Undoing the knot, Habit's head jerked up as she gasped for air. Cravat cut off the rest of her restraints with Ghost Kira's bladed edge, and she threw the ribbons aside, aggravated.

"That bastard's gonna get it from me…!" Habit grumbled as she reached for her knives with her left hand on a belt wrapped around her upper leg. With her right she reached around her back and withdrew a throwing hatchet and ran after Panty. Cravat stood there pretty stunned. Hell hath no fury over a woman wrapped and shoved in a box. He shook off any other thoughts and ran after the girls. The Ghost had already reached the first floor with Stocking in tow as the ribbons around her just got tighter and tighter. The sun was barely breaking through the clouds, now lighting the building enough so he could see clearly. Stocking looked like she was breathing heavily.

"At this rate she's gonna suffocate…!" Cravat muttered, before having an idea. Deploying the whips again, he swung the whip on his right to latch onto the railing of the second floor just bellow. Without over thinking it, he jumped off the third floor and readied a kick. His pendulum-like momentum ended when his foot collided with the Ghost's face, knocking it down. It still had a hold on Stocking, and Cravat aimed for the tendrils that were trapping her. Before he could even attempt to do what he planned to, a wall of ribbons that felt like they were made of metal slammed into his right side, sending him flying into a conveyor belt. He hit it chest first, knocking the wind right out of his lungs. He should've been paying attention more, now the wall that smacked him threatened to finish the job. Another swing was directed at him, and he could barely move his body. Instead of crashing into him however, the wall of steel-like ribbons was suddenly pinned to the machine beside the conveyor belt by a large hatchet. A figure jumped towards the hatchet and used it to suspend itself while making a fierce, upward cutting motion with the blades in its hand. The wall of ribbons was severed, and the pieces that were still attached retracted back to the Ghost. Habit just saved his life again.

"Don't rush into things, you'll only get killed," she suggested in a very concerned tone. She retrieved the hatchet that was lodged into the machinery, and the cut off pieces of ribbon flopped to the floor, limp. "Think you can free Stocking from here?"

"Yeah… Yeah I can," Cravat replied, taking deep breaths. He was really short on it right now. Habit engaged the Ghost again, throwing the knives in her left hand, impaling the Ghost on various parts of its body. The reaction was to be expected. It roared in pain and knelt, weakened by the holy metal. This was Cravat's chance. He swung both whips at the ribbons that held Stocking. The trails wrapped itself around the ribbons, the hook grabbing hold of the seemingly soft part of it. With a violent heave, the ribbons were severed and Stocking staggered forward as she tried to land safely on the ground. Her knees buckled, and she let out a small cry.

"Th… That was… the best I've had in a while…!" she said, talking to no one in particular. Best what in a while now? Cravat didn't want to know. Panty stood next to her sister as she heeled the Ghost in the face, sending it flying in the other direction.

"It's time to take this guy out Stocking," Panty told her sister, who looked like she was in a different world right now. "Now stop climaxing and help me already."

"Oh alright… S-such a waste though, hahaha…" Stocking sighed as she readied herself. She stood right next to Panty, and suddenly a stage with flashing tiles and two poles on it came out of nowhere. Music also started to play in the background.

"What the hell…?" Cravat wondered in both curiosity and the feeling something was about to happen that would make him feel very uncomfortable.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Oh wicked spirit, born of a lost soul in Limbo,

Receive Judgment from the garb of the Holy Virgin,

Cleansed of worldly impurities,

Return to Heaven and Earth,

Repent!

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Pole dancing? Really now, pole dancing? What the hell is that about? And did they just say Holy Virgin? HA. HAHAHAHA. HA," Cravat wondered out loud. Of course they could've been referring to someone else with the Holy Virgin thing, but hey. When they said it, he just couldn't take it seriously. On a side note, he just mentally scarred himself. Now he's seen both of them pole dance. Joyous day.

All that aside however, once they both materialized their weapons, Panty with her gun Backlace and Stocking with her Stripe 1, the power and skill they showed him was amazing. They both evaded all incoming attacks, stabby-go-lucky ribbon extensions, spiraling, bladed, ribbons of death, a giant ribbon wall that was supposed to crush them. All rendered useless by their grace and technique. A few precise shots from Panty and the Ghost was barely standing. Stocking finished it off with a series of slashes that he couldn't even begin to fathom how many there were before the Ghost was obliterated into dust while screaming SUCH A WONDERFUL GIFT!

As the dust settled, Panty and Stocking stood there, their faces still looking as pure as ever, highlighted by the streams of light that were now invading the inside of the building as the clouds outside parted slightly, letting the sun shine through. There was barely a scratch on their clothes, disregarding a cut here and there. The ghost garnered three Heavens, and Stocking picked it up, flipping one of them then putting the rest into her pocket.

"Eh, not bad today I guess," Stocking said, already turning to the exit. Panty followed, yawning as they exited the building.

"I'm hungry. Let's get lunch."

Habit followed the two of them and motioned for Cravat to come along already. As he exited through the door, he looked at the thankful face the president had as Panty told him the news of their success, while suggesting that they should at least get some money for food out of it. As they all kept arguing about the amount they were to receive, Cravat scratched the back of his head. Them femme fatales were deadly. He'd have to push himself if he wanted to keep up.

Author's Notes:

Yay, another chapter finished. I'll be posting it already, but since it's late here I may not be able to spot anything wrong with it. Please forgive me if there were any mistakes, I'll get to fixing them as soon as possible. Until next time then~

Small edit: I didn't really get to see how it looked like when it got posted, but for some reason the entire thing became in bold and italicized. Sorry about that, it's fixed now.