Agents of HIME
Chapter Seven
"Mom! Dad! Takumi!" Mai called, and rapidly hugged them one by one.
"Good to see you, squirt," her father smiled warmly.
"It's been too long," Mom agreed.
"Hey, big sis," Takumi smiled up at her sheepishly. The young man looked fairly healthy, and had had pretty much recovered from his near drowning years back. They had also (FINALLY!) paid off all the outstanding medical bills from that.
"You didn't have to send us so much money, Mai," Dad noted to her quietly. "We would have managed, somehow."
"I can afford it," Mai said firmly.
Frankly, Mai was making a LOT of money working for HIME. She wasn't insanely rich, admittedly, but she was quite comfortable, and was putting aside a nest egg besides.
"Now," her father said briskly, "the important reason we came to visit."
"Huh?" Mai blinked.
"We want to meet your girlfriend," Mom added cheerfully.
"HUH?!" Mai blurted.
"You mentioned her last time you called," Takumi reminded her. "You thought Mom and Dad would miss that?"
Mai winced. She actually HAD hopped she could just slip in a mention, and they'd not notice.
"When can we meet her?" Dad pressed cheerfully.
Mai sighed, then smiled. "I was planning that we could all have dinner together, tonight," Mai explained, "after I show you around Fuka."
"I can't wait," Mom chirped.
"You are TOTALLY getting grilled about her, today," Takumi teased his big sister, as any little brother should.
Mai sighed, knowing that was true.
"Come on, show us this town you've moved to," Dad encouraged as they walked off together.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Hmm," Arika murmured in her sleep as she cuddled Nina from the front.
"Awoo," Erstin made a sort sound, holding Nina from behind.
Nina Wong, herself usually an early riser, was in that special hell of being pinned between her two girlfriends.
'I wonder if I could wiggle free?' Nina mused silently.
"MORNING!" Chie Harada banged open the door.
"Ack!" Arika came awake and clamped her arms around Nina.
"OOOF!" Nina gasped.
"Up and at 'em," Chie added. "We've got an assignment."
"Morning," Erstin said drowsily as they all got up. Her breasts bounced distractingly in her nightie, and Nina had to look away.
"Oh HO," Arika teased.
"Oh shut up," Nina muttered.
They all got dressed, grabbed a quick breakfast snack, then met with Chie for a briefing on their new assignment.
"As you know, Mai Tokhia is taking some time off," Chie noted.
"Her family's visiting," Arika nodded.
"So we'll need to cover some of her normal bodyguard work. Since Mikoto is also occupied," Chie added.
"She's meeting Mai's family. That's SO romantic!" Erstin sighed happily.
Chie just ignored that, "So we'll need to pick up the slack. They were both booked to assist a popular idol, Alyssa Searrs."
"Isn't she really spoiled?" Nina asked warily.
"Apparently. But HIME contracted to keep her safe," Chie said.
"Will do!" Arika beamed.
"Erstin, you'll be the team's driver, Arika bodyguarding, Nina support," Chie added briskly. "You'll be heading out later today."
"Short notice," Erstin noted.
"Ms Searrs moved up her appearances, apparently. She'll be meeting you at Tokyo airport," Chie finished.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I'm SO nervous," Mikoto Minagi admitted, the gangly woman dressed in a fancy shirt and dress pants.
"You'll be fine," Mai reassured her lover as they finished getting ready.
"But what if they don't like me?" Mikoto asked.
"Mikoto, it'll be okay," Mai patted her arm. Briskly she continued, "Now come on. We're meeting them at the restaurant."
"Yes dear," Mikoto said meekly and Mai laughed.
The local 'Anna Millers' knock off was a cosy family restaurant, and wasn't far from their apartment. The inn that the Tokhia family was in was also near, so that worked out well. They all met up, walking on the way there.
"Hi everyone," Mai said warmly, "I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Mikoto Minagi."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mikoto said stiffly, bowing a bit.
"Nice to meet you," Dad shook her hand.
"Hello," Mom smiled gently.
They went into the restaurant, and were seated. They ordered drinks first, then Takumi looked at Mikoto, "Are you THE Mikoto Minagi?"
"The?" Mai asked
"She was Japan Kendo Champion three years in a row," Takumi said eagerly.
"Yes, that was me," Mikoto admitted a bit sheepishly.
"My girlfriend, Akira, was a huge fan," Takumi admitted. "Why did you quit competing?" he asked curiously.
"Well, that was when my growth spurt hit," Mikoto admitted, "I went from four foot to nearly six in a year. It badly threw me off, fighting wise."
"I can imagine," Dad blinked.
"So how did you two meet?" Mom asked curiously.
"She saved my life, actually," Mikoto admitted.
"I did NOT," Mai protested.
"Close enough," Mikoto said.
They then told a (edited) version of their first meeting. Overall dinner went well, and Mom and Dad seemed to take to Mikoto. Takumi, amusingly, seemed to think she was awesome.
One Mikoto got up to use the bathroom, Dad noted, "I like her. And she sure seems to think the world of you."
Mai blushed.
"Agreed, she's a sweetheart," Mom nodded. She smiled at Mai, "Are you two going to formalize things, eventually?"
"MOM," Mai groaned.
"If you do, we want a wedding invitation," Dad added cheerfully.
"Of come on," Mai groaned again, but she was smiling.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Alyssa Searrs disembarked from the private plane, the gorgeous blond woman catching everyone's eye. Her assistant Miyu Greer kept pace, her almost steel grey hair combed down forcefully.
"Ah, Japan, how I hate you," Alyssa sighed.
"Please don't let the fans hear that," Miyu noted mildly.
The two went through customes, then out into the airport were they saw three women, holding up a sign reading 'Welcome, Alyssa!'
"Well, that's... kind of sweet of them, actually," Alyssa blinked. "The HIME security, I guess?"
"Hmm," Miyu frowned, "let's confirm first."
They did the security password thing, confirming the three were from HIME. They introduced themselves, and Alyssa introduced Miyu.
"We checked over your car, no one's tampered with it," Nina said briskly, "Erstin will bring it around, while I and Arika go with you to collect your luggage."
"You're assuming there's going to be trouble?" Miyu asked curiously.
"We ALWAYS assume there'll be trouble," Erstin offered, "goes with the job."
"Let's go," Alyssa nodded, impressed.
To be continued...
Notes: MOSTLY just wanted to do the Mai/Mikoto bits. I also need to decide if Alyssa is related to the Kugas like in canon, or not.
Agents of HIME
Chapter 8
Nao Yuuki smiled up at the young man, who visibly blushed at how close she was. "Pleeease?" she batted her eyes.
"I really shouldn't," he said, blinking down at the redhead dressed in a tank top and scandelously short shorts. The top hugged pert breasts and was very skimpy, and the shorts looked nearly painted on...
"I'd be SO grateful," Nao toyed with his tie.
He gulped, turning and unlocking the door to the facility.
"Let's find somewhere private," Nao said as she sauntered in, hips swaying sexily. He followed like a willing puppy.
"The office here..," he gestured.
"Perfect," Nao said as they both went in.
"I...," he started.
The sudden palm strike to his chin sent him staggering back. She struck a few more times, dropping the stunned man unconscious.
"That'll teach you to think with your dick," Nao noted as she used his tie to secure his hands, then his belt to secure his legs.
"That's a bit harsh," Rena Sayers noted, having followed her in.
Nao shrugged as she addressed the taller, brown haired woman, "He's lucky this was us, and not some bastard that'd kill him after breaking in."
"Point," Rena conceded.
"Okay, he shut the security system down when we went in," Nao noted briskly and asked, "where's the target?"
"Main labs, on a lower level," Rena noted.
"Right," Nao nodded as they left the office, "we have to dodge cameras?"
"SUPPOSEDLY the system's been hacked, but we want to try to minimize any video records," Rina said.
"Got it," Nao said, knowing this would be a pain in the ass.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"FUCK!" Nina Wong yelped.
"Language," Arika chided.
"Ooof!" Alyssa grunted as they took a hard turn, the blond falling into her assistant.
Miyu caught her, for a second enjoying feeling Alyssa pressed against her. 'Mind on business, damn it,' she chided herself.
The concert had gone well, and today Alyssa was doing a signing/fan event. Again, went well, but once they left the venue, they realized they were being tailed. Worse, once Erstin tried to lose them, someone SHOT at them.
"Can't you shoot back?" Alyssa demanded as Erstin took them around another sharp corner.
"Weapons laws in Japan are somewhat restrictive," Nina said.
"No," Arika summarized.
The SUV was equipped with a very boosted engine, and they were getting ahead of the other car. But they'd either hit traffic or other obstacles and have to slow, letting the other car catch up. And, of course, there was whatever weapon they were using.
"How in danger are we?" Miyu had to ask.
"The SUV windows and sides are armored," Nina told them, "but not enough to stop high powered rounds. If they have rifles and such, we could be in trouble."
"Thankfully, they're not common in Japan," Arika added. "Unless you've pissed off the Yakuza recently."
"Not that I'm aware of," Alyssa said dryly.
"Okay, Erstin, can you find us somewhere deserted that we can confront this guy?" Nina asked her briskly.
"Will do," Erstin started fiddling with the GPS.
"Are you crazy?" Miyu blurted.
"Our training makes handling a confrontation better than dealing with a running car chase," Nina pointed out.
"Plus this nut could try to run us off the road," Arika offered. "Out Erstin IS a ace driver, but stuff can happen."
"Point," Miyu conceded.
They ended up at a neighbourhood park, where things ended up being... kind of anti-climatic. Erstin parked, the other car pulled in, and a somewhat older woman emerged. Arika and Nina went out, pretending to talk to her, then jumped the lady.
"Is that... a real gun?" Alyssa had to ask.
"Yes," Nina was frowning, "low calibre, but... how did she get it in Japan?"
"ALYSSA-SAMA! I LOVE YOU!" the woman sobbed, struggling in the zip ties the girls had secured her with.
"Does this kind of thing happen often?" Arika asked Miyu curiously.
"Annoyingly, yes," Miyu sighed. "Crazy fans, I mean. Less shooting."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"So, the stolen item wasn't there?" Shizuru sounded annoyed. The agents had been ordered to find and retrieve a stolen piece of tech that was being studied at the lab...
"Correct," Rena said, "we searched the whole lab." As it had been a illegal lab, it wasn't that huge of a setup. Thankfully.
Nao, who was also part of the video call, noted, "Might be Kazahana got bad info, or maybe it was meant to be a trap."
"I understand security forces responded faster than expected?" Shizuru noted, having already gotten a bare bones report.
"They responded nearly ten minutes faster than any of our estimates," Rena nodded seriously. "If we hadn't had a solid extraction plan, we might have been nailed."
"As it was, we had to dump the car we escaped in," Nao noted. No one liked torching a car, even if they had acquired it illegally...
Shizuru asked, "Did they get any good video of you?"
"Can't promise they didn't," Rena admitted.
"Take a few days off, then come back via a evasive route, just in case," Shizuru said. "Thank you for your efforts."
Nao sighed as the call ended. "I HATE not succeeding on a mission," she grunted, getting up from where she was sitting and walking up to Rena.
"We made it out alive," Rena noted, the older agent adding, "sometimes that's the best you can expect to do."
"Maybe," Nao made a face.
"Now," Rena smiled as she said, "we have a unexpected few days off. Any suggestions on what we could do?"
Nao grinned up at her, "I have a few ideas."
Rena pulled her close, kissing her lingeringly. "Maybe you can put that disguise back on," she suggested, "and I can take it off you, slowly."
"I THOUGHT I saw you checking out my ass," Nao teased.
"But it's SUCH a nice one," Rena defended herself, laughing.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After a week of guarding Alyssa Searrs, the three young woman had gotten used to the singer/model. It was mostly standard bodyguarding work, and thankfully no serious threats had emerged. Mind you, they'd had to handle three crazed fans so far...
"I wonder if all idols have these problems?" Arika wondered.
"Probably," Nina agreed. The trio were staying in a suite next door to the rooms Alyssa had rented for her stay, and were on stand by.
"Miss Searrs was vague about her plans," Erstin noted, "should we be concerned?"
"I did tell Miyu-san that we need to know if she goes out, for her own safety," Nina frowned. Having a client sneak out was a bodyguard's worst nightmare.
"I think she said she wanted to get away from the city, now that the preformances were over," Arika offered, having gotten close to Alyssa. She was so friendly, she just kind of bowled people over more or less...
"Morning," a yawning Alyssa smiled at them, her normally neat blond hair scraggly and dressed in surprisingly plain pajamas.
"Coffee, ma'am?" Nina offered the sleepy woman.
"Oh god, please," Alyssa sighed.
"So what's the agenda this weekend?" Arika asked brightly.
Alyssa drank her coffee as she noted, "Actually, I want to go visit my aunt, though I'm told she lives out in the country somewhere."
"Oh, where?" Erstin asked, wondering if she'd have to drive, or they could take the train, she suppossed...
"Some remote town called Fuka," Alyssa muttered.
All three young ladies nearly choked on their coffees...
To be continued...
Agents of HIME
Chapter 9
"Alyssa!" Rena Sayers beamed, pulling the smaller blonde woman into a hug.
"Aunt Rena!" Alyssa hugged her back warmly.
"Isn't that special," Nao Yuuki muttered.
"Be nice," Nina jabbed her with her elbow.
"So Searrs is actually a variation on Sayers?" Erstin mused as the two chatted.
"Yes, Miss Alyssa uses Searrs as a stage name," Miyu explained calmly.
"I guess that makes sense," Arika nodded.
"So why didn't YOU bodyguard her?" Nina asked Rena curiously as they drove into town. Erstin was driving the bus, a modified Hummer with four rows of seats.
"Conflict of interest," Rena explained.
"Huh?" Nina blinked.
"If something DID happen to Alyssa, I'm in line to inherit. It was probably decided I'd be a poor choice to body guard her..," Renna noted.
"That's REALLY cynical," Arika offered.
Rina just shrugged.
"Miss Alyssa, there's not a lot to DO in Fuka," Erstin warned the young woman.
"I'm just happy to get away from the press for awhile," Alyssa said frankly. She turned to where Nao was sitting, "Is it true you're dating my Aunt?"
Nao froze. She wasn't sure how Rena would want her to answer... was she keeping it a secret from her family?
"I'm so happy for you two!" Alyssa added cheerfully.
"Huh?" Nao blinked.
Arika pointed out, "Didn't you know Miss Alyssa is pro-LGBTQ?"
"As a singer, but that doesn't always extend to personal stuff," Nao had to point out. "Lot of stars say one thing and do another."
"Harsh," Nina scolded mildly.
"Actually, Alyssa has been rooting for you two," Miyu said mildly. She chuckled, "She sais she doesn't want Miss Rena becoming a loveless old spinster."
"Hey!" Rena yelped.
"Don't quote me like that, Miyu," a blusdhing Alyssa said as her Aunt scowled at her.
Nao just shook her head and laughed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I'm not happy about having Ms Searrs here," Mashiro noted disapprovingly, the young woman sitting in her wheelchair.
They were in Shizuru's office, and the brown haired woman calmly sipped her tea. "We knew she was related to Rena when we took on the bodyguard job," she said calmly.
Mashiro waved that off, "I did not expect her to visit..."
"Frankly, we should be offering Fuka up as a vacation spot for other high end celeberties," Shizuru teased as she pointed out, "we're very remote, we can guard them, and no annoying photographers will sneak in."
Mashiro just frowned at her, very un-amused.
Her attendant, Fumi, was hiding a smile though.
Shizuru just shrugged then asked her employer, "Anything else you'd like to discuss?"
Mashiro sighed as she asked, "Do you think Dr Kuga is stalling?"
Shizuru frowned. They had rescued the biologist from captivity, and the woman was developing a process to boost cellular regeneration. She asked, "You think she is?"
"I NEED that serum," Mashiro said flatly.
Shizuru looked at her sympathetically. "I've seen the test animals," she said. She paused, "More accurately, I've seen the test animals riddled with tumours."
Mashiro winced. She had seen the remains too...
"So why is Miss Natsuki fine?" Fumi wondered aloud.
"Luck? Some unknown genetic factor?" Shizuru shrugged then made herself add, "Or she just hasn't gotten cancer yet. No way to know."
Mashiro nodded, her expression grim.
"If you actually want to risk being a test subject, I can lean on her to do so," Shizuru offered. "I REALLY do not advise it."
Mashiro sighed, "I don't want to be crippled AND cancerous."
"I believe we have another appointment," Fumi noted. "Excuse us."
Shizuru sat back with a sigh. She made a note to go see Ms Kuga... and her daughter, Natsuki.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Miyu Greer was in love with her boss, Alyssa Searrs. She didn't know this (hopefully).
"You should tell her!" Arika said cheerfully, the group sitting in the main room of Alyssa's Presidential Suite hotel room.
Miyu sighed, "I don't even know how you figured it out."
"It IS kind of obvious with how you look at her," Erstin noted.
Miyu whimpered softly.
Ms Alyssa was off having dinner with Rena and Nao, as a 'meet your Aunt's new wife' dinner, with Nina along to shadow them in case something happened. Mind you, the REAL reason Nina was there was (ideally) to keep Rena from killing her niece for an inheritance.
"Does Shizuru really think Rena would do something?" Arika asked.
"I doubt it," Erstin admitted, "but our contract with her Record Company demands she be protected at all times."
Miyu dryly remarked, "Even from family?"
"I guess," Erstin shrugged.
The three were eating take-out from the fake Anna Millers in Fuka. Was decent food, as far as it went, but there wasn't much they could do while waiting for Alyssa to get back.
"I noticed you two were really... close," Miyu noted as she sipped her drink, "but you both are like that with Nina too."
"We're a triad!" Arika said cheerfully.
Erstin, amusingly, was blushing very hard.
"Isn't that difficult to manage?" Miyu had to ask.
"Nah!" Arika beamed, "We do jobs together when we can, and Nina never hogs the covers..."
Miyu REALLY wondered about these women.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Natsuki Kuga was trying to decide if she liked bodyguard work. The black haired woman looked good in a business suit, steel grey, a mans one that had been tailored to fit a slim woman. The suit jacket also made it easy to hide the holsters for her twin pistols.
Haruka Suzushiro had announced her marriage to Yukino just after New Years. It went down like a lead balloon, and a lot of board members on her family company were upset. Worse, there were actual threats on their lives, hence HIME getting involved.
"Please stay behind me," Natsuki said as she swept the hall.
"I really think this is excessive," Haruka sighed.
"The crazies did threaten to kill you, dear," Yukino noted.
"So, as I understand it, there's one more meeting then we get you out of here?" Natsuki asked as she opened the door to the meeting room.
"Correct," Haruka nodded.
"I understand some of the executives pissed at you will be there?" Natsuki checked.
"Yes, but I don't think they'll try anything directly. Too public," Yukino observed.
Natsuki wasn't so sure of that. Bigots could get very irrational. She warily watched the executives arrive, keeping a eye out for anyone twitchy. They were mostly older men, a few women and a few assistants to take notes.
"Welcome everyone," Yukino said. "The President will say a few words..."
Natsuki watched as Haruka got up, walking to the head of the table. The young man behind the Personnel manager... he looked squirrelly, somehow.
"You defiled Haruka-SAMA!" the boy drew a blade then lunged towards the startled Yukino.
BLAM!
Natsuki drew and fired almost without thinking, firing a stun round into the boy's forehead. The non-lethal but still painful round knocked the attacker backward, as blood splurted from the wound.
"WHAT THE FUCK," one executive blurted as the crowd screamed and panicked.
"Yukino! Are you all right?" Haruka ignored the chaos to rush to her side.
"I'm fine, I'm fine...," Yukino reassured her. She looked at the stunned boy and asked, "What did he say I did...?"
(The police, after searching his PC and social media posts, found out the man had a unhealthy obsession with Haruka, interestingly enough. In fact he ran a unofficial fan page for her, with a disturbing number of stalker photos. It was VERY creepy...)
"Good work, Natsuki," Haruka added, holding Yukino close.
To be continued...