"I'm sorry!" I hurriedly bow and apologize to Persona. Of all the people I could've bumped into, fate just had to choose the scariest one of the lot.
"It isn't safe to walk backwards like that, Karin-san." Persona scolds me. "I would suggest you refrain from doing that from now on to prevent future injuries."
"Yes, Persona-san." I say respectfully, although I'm thinking in my head, you're not my grandfather…
"Do you have business in the high school section, Persona-san?" Hana quickly changes the subject.
Persona transfers his intense glare to Hana, to my immense relief. "I actually came over here to look for you three. I have a mission for you."
"A mission?" Mitsuki blankly stares at him. The three of us cast tired looks at each other. I suppose after having so much fun lately, all three of us had begun to forget our true purpose here at the academy.
"I will explain while we walk." He begins walking briskly down the hall without looking behind him to see if we were following. "Recently, a black market has been emerging in Central Town. The most popular product right now is the blacklisted Gulliver's Candy, which can alter the consumer's age when ingested. It has been banned from being sold due to some children not being able to return to their original size. However, this candy is still being produced and distributed, and we're beginning to see Gulliver's Candy being used by spies from Russia, China, you name it. I am sure that I don't have to stress the dangerous repercussions concerning espionage if this candy is in the hands of our enemies."
"So if you eat the candy, you can become older or younger?" Mitsuki asks for clarification.
Persona nods. "Yes, that's correct."
"What is Central Town?" I ask, remembering that Tsubasa had mentioned it earlier when we were on our scavenger hunt.
"Central Town is a town that was created by people with Alices within the Academy." Persona closes his eyes, annoyed at having to explain everything to us. "Students are allowed to go with permission to spend their allowances on certain novelty items that are sold there."
"So what are we supposed to do there?" Mitsuki asks with a deadpan expression.
Persona replies testily, "I was getting to that, and I would've explained it if you children would stop interrupting me with your questions!" He closes his eyes and takes a deep, calming breath. When he opens his eyes again, he says in a more calm voice, "Previous spies have discovered that the person who is distributing the candy is connected to an organization known as Sphinx. But nothing else is known about the organization presently."
Mitsuki asks with a sharp glance, "Then, do we know who's working the Gulliver's Candy op?" I impatiently await Persona's answer, since I think most people would like to know as much information as they can before jumping into a potentially life-threatening situation.
"Yes, we do." Persona has led us to the Dangerous Ability Room, and he opens the door for us all to step inside. He leads us to another room where there is already a screen projector set up. He motions for us to take a seat in the swivel chairs set up randomly around the conference table. I see him pick up this controller, aim it at the projector, and click. A picture of a middle-aged man appears on the screen. The picture looks like a candid shot, as he's not looking at the camera and seems to be in the middle of a step. From what I can observe, he has slightly wavy messy hair that looks like it hasn't been combed in days. The black is streaked with grey, suggesting that he's getting along in years. His hair contrasts with his pale skin, although he looks like he did manage to get a somewhat uneven tan with perseverance. His pale skin makes the dark stubble on his upper lip and chin even more apparent. He has small brown eyes that look like slits surrounded by crows' feet, focusing intensely on something beyond the camera, and a long mouth set into a smirk, revealing straight, long teeth that remind me of a rabbit. His body is lean, skinny, and angular, with sharp shoulders and long legs. In the picture, he is wearing a blue jacket paired with black jeans, an outfit that showcases his stick figure.
"This is the agent that's the liaison between the manufacturer and the distributor." Persona says emotionlessly, staring at the picture of the man. "Our other agents that have been working this case have discovered this," Persona clicks his controller again, minimizing the picture and pulling up a profile sheet. "His name: Aragaki Tamotsu. His age: we're not sure, but he appears to be around forty. His Alice: metal manipulation."
A knock sounds at the door. Persona stands up and walks over to open it, letting Hayate, Tsubasa, and Natsume in. "Ah, you're finally here." Persona returns to his briefing position and explain to us, "They are the team that is in charge of gathering intelligence in the black market. All of them have found positions within the group that's in charge of distributing Gulliver's Candy." I stare at the three of them for a while, trying to focus my thoughts. It was literally only about half an hour ago that I was laughing at Tsubasa's Sailor Scout boxers, and now I have to respect him as a senior field agent.
"So, what do we have to do with this?" Hana objects. "Why do we have to go on this mission?"
"Your unique abilities are…needed." Persona says slowly. "Your Alices are some of the most powerful in the Dangerous Ability class, and your combat skills, as evidenced from yesterday…admirable." I scowl angrily at him as I remember the surprise attack, and Hana places one restraining hand on my arm.
"What if we refuse?" I snarl, making the temperature in the room rise a couple of degrees.
Persona reaches under the table and takes out something white. Before anyone can move a muscle, something is jammed onto my face. Luckily there're eyeholes I can see from, although it is a little difficult to breathe through it. "What the hell did you stick on my face?" I try to remove…the mask? I think it's a mask. I look around and see everyone looking at me in horror.
"How fitting." Persona smirks. "Both Fire Alices can be the White Cat and the Black Cat."
"Persona!" Natsume growls. "She didn't do anything! Take off the mask."
"I don't believe you are in a position to be making demands, Black Cat." Persona sneers. "Unless you want to wear your mask too?"
During the commotion, I try to ignite a small flame on my fingertip in the hopes of burning the mask off. It takes a little more effort than usual, but I can still do it. However, when the flame fully forms, a sharp surge of electricity jolts through my body from my face, and I give an involuntary yelp of pain and surprise, falling off my chair. Persona has stuck a damn Alice inhibitor mask on me!
"Ah, did you try to use your Alice to take it off?" Persona turns and gives me a devilish smile. "I suggest you don't. I'm amazed that you can still use your Alice with that on though. The larger the effort to take the mask off, the larger the 'punishment' is."
I do my best to convey my angriest glare at him, but considering it sounds like I have the face of a white cat right now, I don't think it's coming across the way I want it to. "Are you alright, Karin?" Mitsuki asks me worriedly, patting my shoulder.
"I can't take the mask off!" I yell. Mitsuki tries to rip it off my face too, but it doesn't work.
"Only a teacher can take it off." Natsume says quietly.
Persona walks towards me until he is right in front of my face. Sneering down his nose at my kneeling figure, he says, "I'll take the mask off. If… you agree to go on the mission. If not, the mask of shame will continue to administer electric shocks. If prolonged usage of the mask is necessary, the mask will shock you with increasing voltage even if you don't try to use your Alice. Now which sounds more appealing, going on this mission, or living with constant electricity running through your system?" Everyone is silent for a few moments. Persona says nonchalantly as he picks at his black nails, "I don't think you'll live very long with constant electric shocks…" I really just want to slap him across the face right now.
"We'll go on the mission!" Hana breaks. "So please, take off that wretched mask!"
"Hana!" I gasp, my voice muffled behind the mask.
"We'll persuade her." Mitsuki glares at Persona.
"It's a deal." Persona says expressionlessly. He waits for me to regain my footing before covering my eyes and lifting the mask off my face.
"Please, Karin." Hana pleads with me. I can't say no to her, so I stiffly nod my head in agreement.
"What's our role in this?" Mitsuki asks.
"Your job is to figure out where the manufacturer is." Persona replies, acting like nothing upsetting at all had just happened. "Our ultimate plan," he continues, "is to integrate our agents into both sides, the manufacturers and the distributers, and then crush the entire operation. Hopefully, by interrupting this operation, we can trace this back to the origin: Sphinx."
"How do you propose we do this?" I ask, fixing my hair, trying to regain my footing. "Do we have free rein on this, or do you have specific orders?"
"That depends." Persona looks over at the three boys. "I need to hear your status report before deciding how to proceed."
Tsubasa, Hayate, and Natsume look at each other, and it doesn't escape my notice that Natsume digs the heel of his boot into Tsubasa's foot. I disguise my snicker as a cough when I see Tsubasa pretend to "accidentally" smack Natsume's head as he clears his throat in preparation to give his report.
"Hayate and I have managed to find out that the meeting between the main manufacturer and the main distributer, Toshiyuki, will happen tomorrow night in Central Town." Tsubasa takes a jump drive from his pocket and jams it into the computer connected to the projector. Within a few clicks, the profile of Aragaki Tamotsu is replaced by a mug shot of a balding, fat man.
Tsubasa continues, "We haven't found out who the manufacturer is yet. The rendezvous location is located in a secret basement beneath the Howalon shop. Natsume has managed to build up a rapport with the liaison, Aragaki Tamotsu. We believe that we could crush the entire operation tomorrow night with Aragaki's help."
Persona narrows his eyes at Tsubasa, "Tomorrow night? That's very ambitious of you, Tsubasa. How can you be certain that Aragaki Tamotsu is on our side?" He turns to Natsume. "Natsume? You are the one who has established a relationship with him? Do you have anything to add to his profile?"
Natsume moves from his stupor and stands up to deliver his report. "Tamotsu has shown anti-Gulliver's Candy sentiment, but unless we reveal our true identities, there's no way to know for sure. He has expressed disgust for using Gulliver's Candy to alter children's appearances and strongly disagrees with using children for the sake of espionage." I can see the eyes of everyone in the room harden at the injustice of using children as spies, assassins, and other dirty jobs. I refuse to feel pity for myself. On a brighter note, this Tamotsu guy doesn't seem so bad. Natsume concludes his report with, "I don't know what his motives are for working as the liaison, or what his history is, as he speaks very little about himself. But I believe that given the chance, Tamotsu would assist us."
A heavy silence permeates the atmosphere. Hayate quietly breaks the silence finally by saying, "I have also managed to build up a relationship with three apprentices in the Howalon shop. They have expressed desire for more people to help them out in the shop with assisting customers and packaging product. I've told them that I know three girls perfect for the job."
Mitsuki, Hana, and I point fingers at each other in surprise, shooting questioning glances at Hayate and at each other. Hayate nods at us, giving me a sheepish smile. "I've told them that I'll bring the potential new employees over tomorrow morning."
I shrug at Mitsuki and Hana. "Hey, at least now we can find out what Howalon is."
"What we need you guys to do," Tsubasa says seriously, "is to keep the pathway to Central Town from the Howalon shop open. There needs to be a safe, efficient route for backup to rush through once we've cinched Toshiyuki and the manufacturer. We only have grounds to arrest them once we have proof that Gulliver's Candy is indeed what they are transporting. We absolutely cannot allow them to escape." His eyes soften, and he says more gently, "We cannot fail. For the sake of the children being forced into a form against their will."
"We understand." Mitsuki, Hana, and I nod in unison.
Persona glares at everyone in the room, adding to the tense atmosphere. "Know this," He hisses. "There is no room for error. If you mess this up, there is no guarantee that anyone will come to your rescue. If things turn out bad, do not reveal any information." He looks at all of us meaningfully. I understand what he wants us to do. He's basically telling us: if captured, commit suicide.
Persona continues, "If you betray Alice Academy, know for a fact that an anonymous death will come for you."
I confess; I gulp nervously. Persona really does scare me to death. His voice snaps me out of my thoughts as he asks all of us again, "Do you all understand what your roles are in this mission?"
"Yes, Persona-san!" We all bark.
"Good." He nods approvingly. "You are dismissed."
As we all line up to exit the room, Mitsuki, Hana, and I shoot each other meaningful glances. The three of us band together and start heading out to the cherry blossom tree to have a little rendezvous with Mr. Turtle.
"Hey!" We freeze and slowly turn around. The three boys had stopped outside the door of the Dangerous Ability Room and were looking at us. Natsume, the one who had spoken, continues saying, "Where are you guys going?"
"The little girls' room." Mitsuki replies. That girl is always quick as a whip!
I quickly follow up with, "Yeah, we really need to go. That was a really long meeting, you know?" I really wish they'd let us go now…
"I was wondering – well, we were wondering…" Hayate starts hesitantly. Tsubasa elbows him in the ribs as an encouragement to continue, which only earns him an annoyed swat back. "Are you guys really okay with what happened in there? I mean, I know you guys just transferred here, and to be put into a dangerous mission so soon, we understand if you guys are feeling scared or hesitant."
"What the idiot means to say is," Natsume interjects in bluntly, "you guys look really calm right now, and we want to get the emotional breakdown done with here rather than when we're out in the field. So any questions, tears, final will and testament, whatever, needs to be out right now before the mission starts tomorrow. Or if you want to withdraw, that's fine too. We'll cover for you so you don't face Persona's wrath." That kid is really snappy for someone who's only…I think he's twelve or thirteen…
I turn to Mitsuki and Hana questioningly. "Are you guys scared?"
"Yes." Mitsuki says bluntly. "After what happened to you in there, doubly so."
"Of course I am." Hana replies, looking pale and strained.
"Of course any normal person would be scared." I say, lifting my eyebrows at Natsume. "But what matters is that you don't let the fear control you." I say this for them, but also as a reminder for myself. I link arms with Mitsuki and Hana and smirk at the boys. "Don't worry, boys. You guys do what you have to do, and trust us to handle our job."
"Whatever floats your boat." Natsume snarls as he pushes past us. "Just don't make us rescue you if things go haywire."
"Knock on wood!" Mitsuki calls after his retreating figure.
Tsubasa grins at us and says, "He doesn't mean it the way it comes out, you know. He actually cares."
"I know." I grin, remembering how Natsume stepped up to defend me from Persona and the creepy cat mask.
"See you later at dinner, then." Tsubasa waves as he leaves.
"Everyone!" Hayate stops us before we turn to go. "I'll meet you guys tomorrow morning at eight in front of the high school section. The bus will come to take us to Central Town, and then I'll introduce you to your new employers."
"Got it. See you tomorrow, Hayate-kun." I wave at him.
Hayate touches my arm to stop me from leaving again. "I'm sorry about what happened to you today." He says worriedly. "Persona punishes those who don't listen to his orders. He tortures and threatens ruthlessly."
"Nothing that I can't handle." I tell him bravely, though inside, I shudder at the thought of wearing that cat mask again.
He smiles uncertainly at me, then finally turns and leaves. When I'm certain he's gone, I gush to Mitsuki and Hana, "Those boys are so cute! Being worried about us."
"They think we're newbies, that's why." Mitsuki says, a smile of relief on her face at seeing me return to normal.
Hana sighs and cups her cheek in her hand. "Hopefully they'll never find out that this is actually our 100th mission together."
"100 already?!" I exclaim. I begin to smile. "Our special 100th mission. I got a good feeling about this one. Something interesting is going to happen, I just know it!"
We hurry out to the cherry blossom tree before anyone else can intercept us. Before Mitsuki calls Mr. Turtle out however, I ask Hana and her not to say anything about the cat mask and the electrical torture.
"Why not?" Hana asks me gently.
"It's for Joel and Kay's peace of mind." I say sadly. "Joel and Kay love us like their own children. If they find out that the people that are supposed to be our allies are torturing us, they'll do anything in their power to terminate our mission. And I have a feeling that this mission cannot end until we succeed, or until we die. I don't want them to worry about us more than they already do."
"We understand." Mitsuki nods sagely, and then calls Mr. Turtle. He plops over a tree trunk, looking very happy to see us again. He quickly sets up a connection back to America.
"Hello girls." Kay has picked up the phone. "This is a pleasant surprise. It's only been three hours since your last check-in. What happened?"
"We got assigned a mission over here, Kay." Hana replies.
"We're supposed to help stop people in the black market that are selling something called Gulliver's Candy." Mitsuki adds in.
"Gulliver's Candy?" Kay gasps. "Oh my goodness, that's an illegal substance!"
"I've never heard of it in the United States though." I say.
"Our version is called Alice's Wonderland Cake, which is also illegal," she stresses, "although we are allowed to use it for espionage. It's made the same way as Gulliver's Candy, the only difference being the cake changes your size instead of your age, which seems to be safer." Kay pauses. "Joel is out at the moment, but I'm pretty sure he would agree with what I'm about to say to you girls. Cooperate with Alice Academy on this mission. But absolutely do not compromise yourselves. Report back to me as soon as you are able to."
"Understood." The three of us chime together.
Before we hang up though, Kay's voice bursts out from the turtle's mouth once again. "Wait, girls!"
"What is it, Kay?" Hana asks.
"Have you seen any sign of Agents 004, 005, and 006?"
"Not yet." I reply. "Not since this morning."
"We'll keep you posted." Mitsuki says.
"Keep your eyes open, girls." Kay sighs. "Joel really wants to know what Phil and Lucia are up to. They refuse to tell us ANYTHING, saying they don't want to jeopardize the covers of their operatives. In my opinion, they are just being STUBBORN! I mean, we're all working for the same team-"
"Kay!" I interrupt her tirade. At times, she can get a little carried away, especially when the subject is cooperation. "Is there anything else?"
"Oh, dear me, there I go again." Kay chuckles. "No, there's nothing else, girls. Stay safe, and hope to hear from you soon."
"Bye. For real, this time!" Mitsuki says meaningfully. After hanging up, she gives Mr. Turtle one last pat before he tramples away into the undergrowth of the forest.
"Gosh, I'm tired." Hana groans, stretching out her back.
"Me too." I agree, slouching. "Today was just too hectic. Too many things were going on!"
"I just want to go flop on my big, soft bed and SLEEP." Mitsuki mimes falling into bed.
"Let's go get some dinner, and then sleep." I propose. As we walk to the cafeteria, the feeling I had from earlier, the feeling that something interesting would happen tomorrow, came back and hit me with a heady rush. I feel almost giddy with the adrenaline.
"You guys." I look at both of them with a spirited smile. I turn to watch the sunset, causing them to follow my lead. "I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be an exciting day."