"Please come home Mr. Doggie. Please come home Mr. Doggie." Anya sang softly as she paced back and forth in front of the TV. "Come home soon 'cause we're waiting on you."
"Calm down, he'll be here. And you're blocking the TV." Loid said as Anya went to the window to peek behind the curtain.
Eric was at the sink washing the dishes with Yor. He glanced at the News and saw a car crashed into a streetlamp. The car he recognized as Keith's.
'Mom does impressive work without even trying.' Eric silently praised his mother as he inspected a plate he just washed. After confirming it was clear of food residue, he handed it to Yor who took it with a smile, giggling at how meticulous he is at cleaning.
The doorbell rang, making Anya turn expectantly as Yor went to answer it.
The same agent from the day before appeared with a smile as he lead the dog and held a cat carrier in the other hand. "Evening folks."
"Mr. Doggie and Ms. Kitty!" Anya exclaimed in delight.
The agent placed the carrier down, unlatched the door and unleashed the dog. After the black cat walked out, he picked up the carrier. "Take care of them please." He closed the door, leaving the family alone with their new pets.
The cat happily padded along the smooth wooden floors until her golden eyes caught sight of Eric. The boy smiled gently as he opened his arms invitingly. She leapt off the floor and into his awaiting arms. He laughed softly as she rubbed her cheek on him.
The dog on the other hand was cautiously sniffing his new environment. "He's checking out his surroundings." Yor told them as the cat crawled around Eric's shoulders once more. Already familiar with her antics, his scratched behind her ears.
Anya threw her hands up in the air. "Wely-come to Anya's house Mr. Doggie and Ms. Kitty! And now it's your house too!" She announced to the new pets.
"You know, I think it's time to give them proper names." Loid stated since they can't keep calling them that.
"Oh, a name." Anya realized as she couldn't figure out what to name the animals.
The dog was silent as horrific memories of when he was in that lab with the other animals sprung forth. All those men in white with scary needles, painful shocks and yucky food. He thought that would forever be his life. But two things kept him going, the black cat, and the vision of the family standing before him now.
"Are you okay puppy?" Yor asked the strangely quiet dog in concern.
"You don't gotta be nervous. You just need a treat." Anya said, hoping to make the dog feel better. "Everything is okay. You're one of the Forgers now!"
Eric smiled softly while petting the cat. "Both of you are safe here. You're home."
"Home?" The white dog mumbled to himself while the cat smiled back.
"You heard the kid. We're finally home." The cat responded, happy and relieved to have found a place where they belong.
The dog padded forward as Anya launched herself at him to wrap her little arms around his fluffy neck. Laughter filled the apartment as the dog's tail wagged behind him.
They barely heard the news anchor give her report on how the summit was reaching its second day and was off to a good start.
"So we beat the bad guys and saved the world, but they won't give big brother a star?" Anya asked as father and son brushed their teeth in front of the sink.
"We have to keep the whole thing a big secret. It's the only way for East and West to stay friendly." Loid explained before he proceeded to brush his teeth. "So don't say anything about it in school. The police will arrest you, and you might never come home again." His words did the trick in convincing Anya not to say a word about their accomplishment.
'That shouldn't be a problem. We kept worst secrets than this.' Eric nodded up at his father in the mirror.
"I prefer to get my next star by getting top scores on my exams, thanks. Much safer." Eric said, his voice muffled while he cleaned his teeth. "Besides, I earned myself a therapy cat after all the hell we suffered that day." He grumbled mostly to himself as he glared at the mirror. Though it's been a couple days since that dog bomb debacle, Eric ended up with sleep anxiety again. Thankfully his new therapy cat snuggling him in bed proved quite helpful, especially when she drapes her long body over the top half of his head like a sleeping mask.
"Mmhm, now you're getting it." Loid stated before they spat in the sink at the same time.
Anya trudged into the living room. "This is how they treat world savers huh?" She asked the dog who tilted his head to the side.
"Let's just leave it alone Anya. I have more important things to worry about today." Eric followed behind her as he adjusted the red tie around the collar of the white dress shirt with the Eden symbol.
"Alright kids it's time to go to school." Yor announced as she carried Eric's clean uniform.
Anya had a thinking pose. 'If they won't give brother more stars for that, then I gotta go back to the Friendship Scheme.'
Eric sighed quietly as Yor helped him put on his uniform. While lacking in telepathy, he knew that Anya will resort to befriending Damian to help their father's mission.
'That's right, today my sister will become a part-timer after she gets out of preschool. Great.'
The cat leapt off the couch and rubbed her body around his legs. Eric looked down and smiled down her before kneeling to scratch her back.
"You're in a good mood." Eric commented while Anya read the feline's mind.
"Ms. Kitty wants to go with you."
While Yor thought it was just Anya being cute and silly, she decided to play along. "Well we're sorry to inform you Ms. Kitty, but Eric has school, and pets aren't allowed."
Unfortunately, that sentence didn't sit well with the cat as she started to hiss in displeasure. "What?! Where the heck are you sending this kid on his own without a guard!"
"I take it she doesn't want Eric to leave without her." Loid commented as he entered the room with his briefcase ready.
Anya shook her head, "MmMm, she wants to protect Eric with her life."
If cats could pout, this one did an impressive job. Next thing they knew, she latched herself onto Eric's back. "Just try and leave without me!"
Eric groaned as he felt the claws dig into his back through the two layers of clothes. "Anya, the feather." Eric instructed through clenched teeth.
Anya saluted and quickly dashed off to get what he requested. She returned with a colorful feather toy with a bell attached to a long stick and dangled it above the cat's head. Golden eyes watched the swaying feather as though in a trance. She didn't know what it is, but it's so pretty that she just wanna...no, she has to catch it. Her claws loosened then dropped gracefully onto the floor, her eyes never left the colorful tinkling feather. She batted it when it got close, then leapt at it when it tried to fly away from her.
"You're not getting away. Come here!" Anya laughed as she kept the toy out of reach from the kitty who is determined to catch it.
Eric sighed relief as he rubbed at his back. The cat has an impressive grip.
Loid laid a hand on his son's shoulder and guided him out the door. "Let's go while the kitty is distracted." He said as Yor followed him out with Anya as the younger waved at their pets. "Bye Mr. Doggie, bye Ms. Kitty, we'll be back soon."
The cat froze from gnawing on her new toy then shot to her feet. "Hey wait! I gotta keep you-" The door locked shut as she was too late to follow them out of the apartment. "-safe." Her ears and tail fell as she tapped her little head on the wooden door.
"Don't worry, they'll be back soon." The white dog stated as he padded around the room until he found a spot that was comfortable and loafed his fluffy self upon.
"Yeah, and when is 'soon'?" The black cat deadpanned as she turned her head at her friend.
"Around the middle of the day." He said as he flopped onto his back and just laid there.
"The blonde kid could be killed if he's not careful!" The cat hissed in displeasure as she marched back into Eric's room with a huff.
Her golden eyes widened when she saw the window left open by Eric when he needed fresh morning air but forgot to close it.
With a gleam in her eye and a smirk, she leapt onto the ledge and squeezed her tiny flexible body through the crack. Smiling triumphantly, she strutted across the building's ledge and peaked around the corner just in time to see Eric enter the bus.
"Heh heh! Target sighted."
As the bus started to move, she leapt onto the power lines and transverse across until she jumped onto the roof of the yellow vehicle. Sitting proudly with a satisfied smirk, she rode the bus all the way to Eden with the intention of protecting the boy.
"You actually got yourself a cat?" Becky asked as they sat together for their first class as they waited for lessons to start.
Eric nodded, "We originally intended to get a small dog, but we ended up getting a big fluffy one instead after it was abused by its previous owner." He shrugged, "Anya developed a soft spot for him, and the cat came with the package. Turns out I'm a cat person."
Becky smiled, "Well, what kind of breed is it and what does it look like?"
"It's a female of the common domestic cat of no particular breed. Smooth black fur, and golden eyes. She's also a tad bit clingy." He sheepishly said, rubbing his back, "She really didn't want to let go."
"After where she's been, it's no surprise she would literally latch onto you."
"Yeah." He then sighed as he stared at his desk with a look of worry.
"What's wrong?" Becky asked when she caught his expression.
"My little sister will be attending this school today. " Eric answered to a surprised Becky.
"Oh, little Anya will be joining us?" Becky asked as she remembered the cute little girl who clung to her brother at orientation.
"As a part-time student." Eric added, "This is a trial run Professor Henderson proposed to help her get accustomed and see if she is fit to be an Eden Student next year."
Becky laughed under her breath, "That's very nice of him considering you're the teacher's favorite."
Eric scoffed at that, "Please, I'm hardly anyone's favorite, let alone Professor Henderson's."
"You truly underestimate your worth Mr. Forger."
Eric looked up to see the older gentleman they were just talking about appear in front of them. "While it is unbecoming as an educator to play favorites, I do make sure all of my students reach their highest potential, and that includes you. Besides, favoritism equals extremely high expectations for the person. No pressure. It's inelegant."
"Right." 'Though given my current mission and after what I went through to get a dog, I am far beyond 'pressure'.' Eric thought to himself as Professor Henderson gave him a badge with Eden's symbol.
"Make sure you give this to you sister when she arrives, it will show other staff members that she has been given special privileges to attend our school. Make sure she doesn't lose it." He instructed the young Forger who carefully took the badge and bowed his head. "I'll be sure to tell her that. Thank you."
"Favorite." Becky said softly in a sing-song voice.
"Am not."
Professor Henderson chuckled before he began today's lesson.
Unbeknownst to the class, golden eyes watched Eric Forger from the edge of the window, keeping him within her sight while she stayed hidden.
Anya entered the school around break time as she entered the first-year building.
'Alright, now we officially put Plan B into mot-ian!' Anya thought to herself as she looked among the students going this way and that until she caught sight of the blonde head of her brother with that Becky girl.
She waved at Eric who immediately looked at her and raised a hand in greeting. "Looks like you found me." He said as she excitedly trotted up to her brother and hugged him.
She pulled away and stood like a soldier ready to receive her orders. "I am ready to start my lessons, sir."
Eric laughed lightly and petted her head, "I'm sure you are. Anya, you remember Becky?" He said as he glanced at his friend who smiled at the little sister in greeting.
"Nice to see you again. I hope we can be friends." Becky greeted, putting her plan into action, if she can be a guiding figure to Eric's little sister, show her the ropes, be her mentor in all things stylish and feminine, it is one step closer to becoming Eric's wife. Plus, Anya is perfect practice material for when she becomes the mother of Eric's children. Just imagining herself and Eric all grown up and swinging their first child between them on their walk is enough to make her swoon and blush.
Anya, after seeing all that in the girl's head, well her facial expression was just too funny to even describe.
"My brother carried you when your foot got 'hurt.'"
Becky nodded, "It is thanks to him that I made a swift recovery."
Even though Anya knew Becky wasn't actually injured, she decided to play along since she didn't sense any malicious intent coming from the girl.
"Anyway, now that you're here, let's start the tour. But first," Eric said as he fished out the badge from his bag and clasped it to Anya's shirt. "Make sure you keep this on you while you're here. Even if you're not an official student, you still need to follow the rules and conduct as everyone here. Understand?" He sternly and patiently said, giving her mental warnings about wandering off and causing trouble.
Anya gave a salute, "Sir, yes sir."
Becky laughed at Anya's response. 'She's really cute.'
"Let's lay down some ground rules." Eric began, "You will be attending afternoon classes with me and are to never cause disturbances of any kind no matter how bored you are. I learn the lessons, you learn from me."
"Got it."
"Secondly, you are never to leave my side for any reason while we're both here. This is to get you comfortable for next year should you be accepted. However, if for any time I am called somewhere, you are to stay with Becky if and whenever I am not present." He added since Becky offered to help watch over Anya.
"You can count on me Anya." Becky said, happy that Eric is giving her the opportunity to bond with her future sister-in-law.
"And third, and most important rule of all the known universe..." Eric held Anya firmly by the shoulders and lowered his face so he as eye-level, "...never talk to Damian Desmond." He said with all the seriousness in his tone, "Don't look at him, don't hold his hand, and don't let him breathe in your direction. Got it?" 'And don't you dare listen to his thoughts. You should never allow his filth inside your head.'
Anya caught the last Eric practically blared at her. One side wanted to obey her brother, but the other more heroic side wanted to achieve world peace by befriending Damian. That's the sole reason for her being here, to fulfill their father's mission by being the Plan B while Eric works as Plan A.
Anya had a thinking look then spoke, "How about if you're with me whenever I talk to him. As supervision."
Eric still had that patented stern look that shockingly resembled Loid's. "Fine, you can interact with him, but only when I am present." He knew she wants to befriend the Desmond brat for the sake of world peace. While Damian doesn't have any hostility towards Anya, Eric would rather risk war than allow Damian to touch his sister.
Becky covered her mouth as she shook from silent laughter, 'If he's like this with Anya, I wonder how he'll act if we ever have a daughter.' She thought as she found Eric's overprotective side endearing and funny. Immediately her thoughts went to a possible future of them having a lovely daughter together.
"Deal." Anya immediately said as Becky projected her thoughts and dreams for the future. It was just downright weird for the girl to listen to all that.
Eric straightened himself up as he took Anya's hand. "Okay, let's begin the tour."
Becky took Anya's other hand as the youngest walked between them. "Remember to always stay by our side."
Even though Anya knew Becky is doing this to be Eric's future wife, she can't hate her since this girl is the only person other than herself that makes Eric feel comfortable enough to express his own emotions.
"Okay." Anya said as she squeezed Becky's hand, putting her trust in the girl who can keep her brother safe.
The trio toured the library, courtyard, cafeteria, infirmary, and gym before they went to their next class. The first one Anya will attend with her brother.
Seated between Eric and Becky, she listened to the other childrens' thoughts as they stared at the strange new girl. They were all mean and judgmental, while this wasn't the first time she's heard cruel things directed at her, it still hurt knowing she can't block them out.
Sensing his sister's discomfort, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry, they'll get over it very soon. I've been through the same thing myself; you can do this." 'Don't give them the satisfaction of a reaction.'
"That's right, he proved himself in that dodgeball game and came out on top. It is how he earned their respect." Becky assured her remembering how cool and nimble Eric was in that game. "Your opportunity will come; you just need to be patient." 'And if they have a problem, I'll punch them.'
Anya felt calmer as she listened to Becky's thoughts and words. To Anya, she felt her trust in Becky begin to strengthen despite meeting her. "You're very smart Milady."
Becky smiled at the title and compliment, "Not as smart as your brother, but smarter than these guys. And please, call me Becky." She'd rather be on a first name basis with the sweet girl.
"Okay, Milady." Anya said as Becky laughed lightly as she patted her hair between the horn-like ornaments.
Eric gave her a soft smile of gratitude which she returned with a wink. No way was she gonna let anyone bully her future sister-in-law.
Class began as Anya tried to follow the history lesson, her eyes forced wide open as she struggled to take notes. Thankfully, Eric gave her the simplified version inside his head, one that Anya was able to follow as she wrote down everything Eric learned.
Next came science class where Eric gave her a demonstration of how photosynthesis works as patiently as possible while painting the picture in his head for his sister. Anya, being the cute little girl she is, decided to create a diagram of the process with crayons. When the teacher saw her work, he was surprised and impressed by how a little girl younger than his students could grasp the concept. While the spelling was painfully incorrect, like photo-sin-tesis and caban doxid, he decided to give her points for the effort it took her to understand.
Anya sighed as they ate in the cafeteria, "That was hard. My brain hurts."
"Good, it means you're getting smarter." Eric stated as he praised his sister. "You're doing good on your first day. Even Professor Moris was impressed by the drawing."
Anya smiled before she gasped when she sensed thoughts coming from the bushes outside the window.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Eric asked when Anya paused in eating.
Anya whispered, "Something watches from the bushes."
Eric followed her sight and noted how the hedge lining the window moved on their own.
Standing up and gathering his plate, he said, "I'll take care of that. You stay and finish your food."
He went outside and pushed aside the hedge leaves and was greeted by glowing golden eyes before it leapt out and knocked him back. Eric landed on his back with an 'oof' as a weight settled on his chest. He looked down and was flabbergasted to see what was perched on top of him.
"You?" Eric exclaimed as the black cat meowed at him in greeting.
He sat up, causing the cat to slide down into his lap. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he scratched behind the feline's ear, causing her to purr.
"What did you find Eric?" He turned at the sound of his sister's voice as she and Becky approached.
"Oh, it's Ms. Kitty." Anya exclaimed as she sat in the grass to gently pet her fur.
"Wait, that's your cat?" Becky asked as she remembered Eric description of his new pet.
"Yep, I guess she followed me all the way over here?" Eric stated as he frowned at the clinging kitty.
"She was just worried about you since you were gone by yourself." Anya explained while listening to that cat's thoughts.
"How'd she get out of the house?" Becky asked, laughing when the cat flopped onto her back and stretched out to receive belly scratches.
Eric groaned when he remembered and facepalmed, "Stupid me, I forgot to shut the window in my room." He dragged the hand down his face in frustration.
"So, what's her name?" Becky asked, getting confused looks from the siblings. "Oh, come on, don't tell me you didn't give her a name."
"Well, to be honest, we just got her and the dog, so we didn't really think of a name throughout that fiasco." Eric explained, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Seriously, you gotta call her something, and 'Ms. Kitty' isn't gonna cut it." She directed that last part at Anya.
"Yeah, but, I'm not sure what I can call her." Eric looked down at the cat, "She probably went by another name before we found her. I don't wanna confuse her by messing up her identity."
"Papa says she's still young, so she never really got a name before." Anya stated to her brother.
"Why don't we figure it out together?" Becky said as she thought it about a name. "How about Hunter? Since she tracked you down so easily."
"That's more for a dog, and a male one at that." Eric said, not feeling that name. "There's gotta be one that best describes you." He said to the cat in his lap.
"Oh, what about Latch, she is very clingy." Becky stated.
"Yeah, I can't call her that. It sounds like someone throwing up."
"It does." Anya said as she started making retching sounds, "Latch...Latch!"
"Yeah, that's gross." Becky laughed at Anya's antics.
"Oh, I know," Anya raised her hand, "Princess Honey."
This made the cat hiss, "Do NOT call me 'princess'."
This caused Anya and Becky to flinch back. "Uh, never mind, she doesn't like to be called 'princess'." Anya translated the cat's thoughts.
"She doesn't look like a princess." Eric stated as he rubbed her head to calm her down. "But her eyes are golden like the honey I put in my tea. She's quite agile and stealthy." He noted as he went down the list of qualities the cat displays.
"She also moves around like a shadow; you never notice her." Becky added.
Eric mulled over the list of attributes that fit the cat; despite her feistiness, her eyes are kind and tender, sweet like honey. She's sneaky, enjoys shadowing people, has this keen ability to find him anywhere. No different from a spy. But there was another word for spy in an Eastern culture where operatives dressed in black who perform maneuvers with incredible feet...
Eric's fist landed in his palm as an idea came to him. "Honey Ninja."
"What?" The girls exclaimed.
"Her name is Honey Ninja." Eric repeated.
"Seriously, how did you come up with that?" Becky asked incredulously.
"Her eyes are like honey, that's the first thing that came to mind when she looks at me. You remember when the other kids called me a ninja after that dodgeball game, well I did my research on them, and apparently, they love to dress in black and are masters of espionage. Ninja is basically another word for spy." Eric said as he made eye-contact with Anya who brightened up at his logic. "She has black fur and moves with darkness. Nimble and agile like a ninja."
"Huh, that actually makes a lot of sense. Honey Ninja it is then." Becky said after Eric's reasoning behind the name.
Eric looked down at his cat, "What do you think, you like being a Honey Ninja?"
The cat stared at him with a blush as happiness welled up inside her. No one has ever given her a name with such a meaning. The only other name she was called was 'Black' by the white dog since she was as she appears.
Honey Ninja meowed in happiness as she climbed up and settled her long body around his shoulders.
Anya laughed, "She likes her name."
Eric laughed under his breath as he reached up to scratch under her chin. "Like I said, sweet as honey."
The warning bell rang, making them stand up. "Class is about to start soon." Eric said as he brushed the leaves off of him.
"But what about her?" Becky pointed at the cat, "We can't just bring her to class."
Eric turned to face the cat on his shoulder, "Honey Ninja," Her ears perked up at the sound of her new name, "I have to return to my lessons now, so I can't bring you inside. But you can still watch us from the windows until classes are over. Can you do that for me?" Honey Ninja stared at the boy's reassuring green eyes for a long moment.
"I don't think-" Becky cut herself off when the cat leapt off his shoulder and prowled around before launching herself in the trees then onto the window ledges and practically strutted.
"How?" Becky exclaimed as she turned to the Forger siblings.
"The cat is a special case." Anya answered as all three went off to their next class.
Loid put down the scope as the kids made their way back into the building. He came here wanting to make sure both his kids were okay since this is Anya's first day as a part-time student. He was relieved to know that Eric is keeping a watchful eye on his sister as ever. But he was surprised when he saw their new cat had snuck into the school to follow his son. The fact that Loid never noticed until now didn't sit well knowing something slipped by him.
"Meow."
"Huh?" Loid turned to see that same black cat perched on the edge on top of one of the towers he staked out in.
"Now where did you come from?" Loid asked as the cat approached him.
He ran his glove covered fingers along her spine, drawing out and appreciative purr.
"I take it you were worried about them too." Loid smiled as he scratched under her chin. "How'd you know I was up here?"
Honey Ninja's eyes gave off a smug glint, "Hmph, it's simple, I can find anybody with a single touch or smell that came from that person. Afterall, I myself am an experiment like the kids and White. And finding you is just too easy." The cat Honey Ninja gained the ability that allows her to track just about anyone associated with an object or smell. It is how she is able to know where Eric is and see where he's going within the building.
"Well, you shouldn't have to worry so much about Eric. He's more than capable of handling himself in this school." Loid stated as he looked through the scope into the window where his children were located. He could see Anya struggling to keep up in writing notes as her brother helped her. "It's Anya I'm more worried about." Loid sighed, "Relying on one kid to complete this mission is difficult, especially when they don't have prior training. But I wonder if it was too early to send Anya in as backup to help with Plan B. After all, the kids here are not kind." He said, knowing how cruel the children from affluent families are to those on a lower level than them. One of Eric's best points is his ability to not be bothered by other people's words. Anya, however, is more emotionally sensitive than her brother.
Honey Ninja gave him a deadpanned look, "Are you an idiot or something? Look I know you can't understand me like Anya can, but they're more capable of handling themselves than you give them credit for. They worked well together to save your sorry hide from getting blown up by that bomb happy prick. If they can handle that, they can handle a few brats as well." She assured him as she leapt onto Loid's shoulder the way she did with Eric and rubbed her cheek against his. "Besides, if anything happens, the big fluffball and I will protect them."
For some strange reason, Loid felt as though the cat was trying to reassure him, to tell them his kids will be fine.
Loid allowed a small smile to grace his face. "Thank you."
Honey Ninja purred in response.
"Why am I talking to a cat?" Loid asked himself as he began to question his sanity.
First off, I would like to thank Johnny Spectre for tossing out the idea of a cat with Psychometric abilities. This in turn makes Honey Ninja a very lethal tracker. I know many of you consider Eric to be more Yor's son in terms of personality, so I thought him having a cat for a partner to help him find the targets would be perfect for him and his powers.
Also, I am very excited for Spy Family: Code White, and the upcoming second season with the Cruise Arc. I consider it my personal favorite given the lengths the family goes through to maintain their secret while saving everyone and completing their missions.
I know none of you were expecting Eric to name his cat Honey Ninja, but you can't argue with that kind of logic, especially if it fits with the show's theme.
Anywho, thank you to all who read and reviewed this story thus far. I also apologize for keeping you waiting for so long. I couldn't find the motivation until recently.
As always, leave a review and tell what your favorite part in this chapter was.