An hour later, and Kaede's tale is almost at an end.

"…and we were all summoned to a trial to answer for our actions," Kaede continues. "As expected, we were all sanctioned, some heavier than others. Unfortunately, the others misinterpreted the reason my testimony was poor, and in secret, they agreed I needed to 'disappear', for the good of the Jade Alliance. Instead of simply hunting me down and killing me, they elected to kidnap me and… well, you found me outside. After all, you two have more than enough reason to take my life."

"Surely Chika wasn't complicit in all that?" Danny questions.

Crap. Forgot the traitor's dating their friend. "It's true she didn't come to my aid," Kaede answers, "but that doesn't mean she agreed with everything the other three decided. Certainly, she wasn't involved in my kidnapping." Not a bad save.

Danny pauses for thought. "Excuse us a moment." Danny nods to Maria and indicates they should move to the kitchen to discuss Kaede's fate.

"What do you think?" Danny asks Maria once in the kitchen.

"Honestly? Dunno," Maria shrugs. "It's a convincing story, but given the icky nasty things she's done in the past, to us especially… Then again, as a very clever chipmunk I met recently once said: 'Everyone deserves a second chance'."

"Dammit," Danny sighs. "You're right, everyone does deserve a second chance."

"I've had a few myself," Maria recalls, "and you've had a couple too."

"True." Danny looks sidelong out of the kitchen at Kaede. "Have you noticed she's not untying the ropes around her legs?"

"Which means she's not intending to escape or play any tricks." Maria pauses a moment. "Do you really think she's changed?"

"Only one way to find out."

"If this goes wrong, I'm telling Miss Spiky it's all your fault."

"Deal."

Now in agreement, Danny and Maria return to the den.

"We have decided to give you a second chance," Danny informs Kaede. "However, there are conditions. First, you will make no attempt to seduce either of us. You are not to flirt either, not even slightly. Second, you will remain unarmed at all times. Third, you will not be left alone at any time. Fourth, overnight you will be locked in the guest room. This also applies if we're both away on a mission. Fifth, any attempt to violate any of the first four conditions will result in us taking action, ranging from securing you in that crate again to taking your life. Sixth, any attempt at violence towards either of us will result in your death. Do you understand and accept these conditions?"

"I don't have a lot of choice, do I?" Kaede smiles weakly. "Yes, I understand and accept your conditions. You're giving me the chance no‑one else wants to, and I intend to make the most of it."

"Good," Danny replies, relieved that everyone's in agreement. "Maria?"

Maria cuts the ropes binding Kaede's legs. "I'm watching you," the lynx states as she cuts the last rope.

"I'd watch me too," Kaede accepts. "Can I ask just one small favour?"

"If you must," Danny permits.

"Can I use your shower?" Kaede asks. "I could really do with one. And a change of clothes if possible."

"I have to admit, you do smell a bit ripe," Danny concedes. "It's just down the hall. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." Kaede stands, stumbling a bit as her legs initially refuse to co‑operate, then heads towards the bathroom. "Oh, erm, awkward question…" she starts, halting in the doorway.

Danny and Maria exchange looks. "I think we can make an exception in this particular scenario," Danny admits. "Just leave the door open."

"I'll be as quick as I can," Kaede promises as she disappears towards the bathroom. Once out of sight, she cannot resist a smug and wicked grin. They bought it! Hook, line, and sinker! I can't believe it! My plan is working! Can't get carried away though: still a long way to go…

The rest of the day proceeds without incident. Kaede adheres to the conditions laid down by Danny so completely, by the time it comes for him to leave on his mission, he's confident that nothing will go wrong while he's away. An hour before midnight, Maria locks Kaede in the guest room then goes to bed, confident that she'll wake up in the morning and nothing will have gone wrong.

At the stroke of midnight, as sure as she can be that Maria is fast asleep, Kaede puts phase three of her plan into action. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, Kaede slides out of bed and heads to the door. After a quick analysis, she concludes the lock should be easy enough to pick. Kaede scours the room for suitable materials to improvise with, finding a couple of hairpins. Perfect! After bending them into the correct shapes, Kaede returns to the door and sets to work. It takes several minutes, but eventually she succeeds.

The mechanism clicks loudly as Kaede unlocks the door.

Kaede freezes, breathing as shallow and silent as possible, listening intently for any sign Maria was woken by the sound. After a few minutes of reassuring silence, Kaede gingerly opens the door, thankful it's well‑oiled. A quick check of the hallway reveals Maria has not been woken, a fact confirmed when Kaede picks up a faint purring. Cute. Retrieving a torch from the room, Kaede carefully pads to the den and up to the front window. Even though she cannot see Tsubaki in the trees opposite, she points the torch at the right tree and flashes it three times.

A minute later, the copper‑furred tanuki appears at the window. Slowly, Kaede slides the window open just enough to pass the vial through. Tsubaki extracts the vial from her cleavage and passes it to Kaede through the gap, who stows it in her own. Together, they slide the window closed, then retreat.

Kaede makes it back into the guest room and shuts the door just in time to avoid Maria, who's woken briefly to use the bathroom. A minute later, Kaede hears the lavatory flush. Using the noise to cover her work, she relocks the door using the hairpins, then returns the torch where she found it, and hides the hairpins under a pillow. Phase three complete. Tomorrow, phase four.

Kaede climbs back into bed, settles down, and drifts off to sleep, smiling with satisfaction, the vial of Kage Byōgenkin safely nestled in her cleavage.

The next morning, Maria rises early again, though not as close to sunrise as the previous day. Electing not to wear a dress initially, she makes her way to the kitchen to make breakfast, unlocking the door to the guest room on the way. Ten minutes later, Maria returns to the den with poached eggs on toast, and settles on the sofa to watch cartoons while she eats.

As she finishes breakfast, Kaede pads into the den. "Morning," the pika yawns as she flops into the chair.

"Sleep well?" Maria asks.

"More or less," Kaede answers. "That bed's harder than I'm used to."

"That mattress usually only gets used by Meanie and Fluff‑tail, and they prefer it firm," Maria explains. "Want me to make you something?"

"Nah," Kaede decides. "Just coffee, if you have any. Who are Meanie and Fluff‑tail?"

"Hanna and Rob."

"Ah, of course, should have guessed."

"Milk and sugar?"

"Straight black."

Maria disappears into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a fresh coffee for Kaede and a banana milkshake for herself. As she sets the drinks down on the table, her instincts tell her something is out of place: she looks over to the window by the door. Blondie left the window unlocked? Or maybe I left it unlocked.

As Maria goes to lock the window, Kaede makes her move. With surprising speed, she extracts the vial from her cleavage, uncaps it, dumps a quarter of the contents in Maria's drink, recaps the vial, and hides it again.

Maria returns to the sofa and picks up her drink. But just as she's about to take a swig, she notices Kaede smiling. "Why are you smiling?" she asks, suspicious.

"Have coffee, am happy," Kaede lies convincingly, holding the cup close to savour the scent.

Maria hesitates a moment, then shrugs and downs half her drink in one go.

"Must be your favourite," Kaede comments.

"Yep," Maria confirms, quickly getting her breath back.

Odd… she didn't notice a taste difference. "Just be sure you don't make yourself ill, drinking that quickly."

Maria downs the rest of her drink, then notices Kaede's smile broaden a little. Her suspicions aroused again, Maria carefully sniffs her now empty glass. "I know you've done something," she growls. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Kaede lies.

"I don't believe you," Maria contests.

"Do you feel any different than a few minutes ago?" Kaede asks.

"Well… no, but‑"

"Then I can't have done anything," Kaede asserts, putting her coffee on the table.

Maria eyes Kaede suspiciously, but she can't fault the pika's logic. "OK," she concedes.

"Except spiking your milkshake with a mind‑control virus," Kaede corrects, noticing Maria's eyes are changing from auburn to crimson.

Maria leaps from the sofa and into Kaede so hard the chair tips backwards. "I'll kill you!" she hisses.

"No, you won't," Kaede commands. "Now get off me, right the chair, and watch cartoons like a good kitty."

Maria tries to fight the mind control, but it's too strong. "As you wish, mistress," she obeys.

While Maria obeys Kaede's commands, Danny enters the den. "What is going on in here?" he demands.

"Maria, pin him down," Kaede commands.

Danny hesitates in confusion long enough for Maria to leap on him and slam him to the floor. Taking advantage of the fact Danny is dazed by the slam, Kaede takes out the vial, uncaps it, then pours the second quarter into Danny's mouth. Danny tries to spit it out, but Kaede clamps her hand over his mouth, giving him no choice but to swallow.

"I may have been at your mercy, but I didn't come alone," Kaede gloats. "And now I have you at my mercy! It really is amazing stuff, this," she continues, holding the vial up for Danny to see. "It's called Kage Byōgenkin, and it's removing your free will as I speak. In fact, by the time I finish this explanation, the process will be almost complete."

"I'll never succumb to you!" Danny spits, even as his eyes turn from silver to crimson.

"Yes, you will," Kaede commands.

Danny tries to fight it, but he too cannot resist the effects of the serum. "Yes mistress, I will," he agrees, his eyes now fully crimson.

"Maria, go outside, find Tsubaki, and obey her without question," Kaede commands. "In the meantime, loverboy here will be with me," she purrs. "Hmm, I wonder what this serum tastes like?" she thinks aloud a moment later. "How about that?" she continues after sniffing the open vial. "Smells like banana."

An hour later, Kaede and Danny finally emerge to find Tsubaki and Maria waiting in the den.

"You couldn't resist, could you?" Tsubaki asks Kaede disapprovingly.

"You said so long as you have Maria, I can do with loverboy here as I please," Kaede smirks.

"You could have waited until we got home!" Tsubaki barks.

Kaede simply shrugs.

"How long before we need to top them up?" Tsubaki asks.

"Based on the dose I gave them, I estimate three days," Kaede answers.

"Then let's go," Tsubaki decides.

"You don't want a turn before we leave?" Kaede asks.

Tsubaki doesn't answer as she leads Maria outside.

"I guess that's a no," Kaede sighs. "Pity: she really needs to get laid. Oh well. Come on loverboy."