Chapter 65: I Bought a Whorehouse (Part 18)

"So you're sure you know where she is? This is going to be a pretty awkward state of affairs if we go busting down someone's door and it turns out we've got a cold trail or faulty lead. I doubt my professional pride could handle it."

"I've seen and heard you get shamelessly rescued by other people enough times that I think you're lying when you say you have 'professional pride', Cayman."

The Surveyor smirked at Hatsukaze's blunt remark as he slipped his feet into a pair of combat boots, dismissing the notification of

+10 AFC with Tosca [30/100]

with practiced ease as he affixed the Yatagarasu sisters with a more pointed expression.

"Still have the basic problem of needing to actually be able to find this chick. That's why I'm making triple certain before we go out and start up a bunch of trouble."

Minasaki rolled her eyes, boredly responding, "Yeah yeah, don't worry about it, we can find her. And not just from second hand sources or a brief glance either, we stumbled across her a few times trying to get good information on some easy targets but she's such a miser. And people say we're bad with money!"

"I get the distinct impression you are."

Getting flipped the bird by the duo - something that felt thematically appropriate given their race - Hatsukaze nonetheless said, "She's in Tokyo Kingdom, dead certain."

"Perfect, we've got a nice and sneaky way into that place without tipping anyone off."

It'd been a while since he'd had a reason to make use of the Yggdrasil gates Rossweisse and Odin had showed off to him a while back, that particular adventure now paying off nicely.

Rolling his neck as he stepped back into the clasps of his armor stand Cayman took a short breath, grabbing onto the handles of the whole contraption as with a mechanical hum the device sprung to life, moving the exoskeleton forward and aligning it with his back before beginning the streamlined process of affixing the whole ensemble with his body, mechanical limbs and sensitive electronics coming together into one complete package as his implant connected with the onboard interface and caused him to take a short breath of surprise.

He wasn't sure what a bit of circuitry woven into your brain completing its bluetooth connection was supposed to feel like but to his perception it felt a bit like vertigo and a bucket of ice water to the face. The sensation passed and he relaxed, a brief chime from the rig announcing its completion as he took an experimental step forward, noting just the tiniest bit of resistance to his movement as the exo enhanced his strength, not a whisper of noise leaving the device as he nodded in satisfaction.

Moko had said the real good stuff didn't even feel like wearing anything at all but for a rank novice like himself he appreciated having a bit of pushback, it helped remind him that he was working with a hefty and powerful bit of machinery strapped to his body and that he probably shouldn't go for casual high fives unless he wanted to dislocate someone's shoulder.

Slipping on a pair of gloves and grabbing his helmet he attached the headpiece so it was a snug fit, implant connecting to that too as several overlays appeared on the visor before with a simple thought he dismissed them, the room returning to crisp and perfect detail as the pair of Demon sisters checked him out with clear interest.

"A lot more intimidating than how you usually look, I'll say that much."

"I would hope so, this thing wasn't cheap."

Motioning for them to follow him he strode into the main room where Felicia, Lilim, Kuroka, Natsume, Yukikaze and Jinglei were gathered, the Nekoshou giving a whistle as she purred, "Not a bad look, nya~! So does the armor stay on during sex?"

"As long as you don't mind a bit of Terminator roleplay. Everyone set?"

He received a bevy of nods, Felicia skipping around him with a pleased expression as Cayman ignored her experimental slap on his metal ass while stating, "Just to make sure we're on the same page, no lethals. I want her alive and intact for questioning."

"Hey I can do more than one thing successfully!"

He offered the Vampire a flat gaze as to his surprise Kuroka chimed in with, "Yeah, as much as it curls my tails to agree with psycho over there a little bit of motivation never hurt anyone, nya."

"While I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm when it comes to kicking the shit out of people my orders stand until otherwise noted. Ready to start this field trip?"

"Ugh, finally a chance to show off how awesome I am!"

Yukikaze either missed or ignored the bevy of unimpressed looks she got from the more veteran members of the group, Cayman lightly smirking as he motioned for everyone to fall in.

"Hmm…aaaaaand done~!"

Nodding in satisfaction as a few final programs reached 100% completion - ensuring that any and all traces of her activities over the past few days were long gone - Sharia ejected a few USB drives from her workstation and tossed them into the back of her throat, specially designed and engraved storage seal - she used her throat on a fairly regular occasion, after all - sucking them down and keeping them nice and safe as she stretched her arms overhead with a contented moan.

Ordinarily she would do a better job of erasing her presence than a simple electronic wipe - there was a lot of different ways to skin a cat, after all - but the local scenery had gotten a bit too hot for her tastes and she was more than eager to get clear of the ensuring chaos that was almost certainly going to unfold.

"Aww…and this was a really nice place, too."

Gazing around the penthouse suite Sharia regretfully kicked off her fuzzy slippers and replaced them with her boots, already missing the room service, large TVs, baths and other amenities that came with the locale.

"You were a big help, mister. Let's do this again sometime~!"

Sending a flirty wink towards the dazed and drained head of building security as he listlessly lay in a boneless sprawl atop the bed they'd shared for the past few days - the adulterous man had been an easy target for her charms, wife forgotten with nothing more than a minor application of her powers - the Succubus checked her purse and nodded in satisfaction at the various passwords she'd written down and recorded, permissions to enter the various security systems and administrative records of the suite she was occupying.

Perhaps not the sexiest or most exciting of scoops but information was information and there was money to be made if one knew where to present their services…lots of shady people went in and out of Tokyo Kingdom, there was always the possibility someone wanted to know if someone else had gone somewhere.

Tedious and prone to wasted effort? It might seem that way to some but to Sharia it was a constant and always entertaining balancing act that made her a lot of money.

Look no further than her latest catch. A few basic facial identification programs fed into the Tokyo Kingdom security network and she'd had a plethora of eyes and ears that would alert her if any of the many wanted individuals across the many realms was in the vicinity, provided she was able to spot the diamonds in the rough.

Lo and behold, a small time and completely forgettable Succubus who at any other point wouldn't have been worth a second's bit of attention since the reward for her capture was both small and from a variety of unconnected persons. A petty criminal who simply wasn't worth the expenditure of focus and resources…except out of the blue a rather substantial reward had been posted for that very same Succubus from an unknown client. An unknown client who had apparently been willing to pay a lot of money.

Yet she was nothing if not careful and knew full well that leaping headfirst into suspicious and too good to be true contracts was a fine way to end up way in over one's head. A little bit of independent digging and she had discovered that it was some mid-tier individual in Kamadeva's faction who had anonymously posted the request, no doubt working as an intermediary for the real mastermind. And with that extra layer of removal from any possible fallout she had gone ahead and happily passed along the information, receiving her paycheck and not looking back.

…Except not more than a few days later it became unfortunately clear that she might not have dug deep enough. A battle had broken out in the middle of the city and following up on events had revealed that - despite her caution - she'd gotten a bit more involved with the whole debacle than desired. That very same Succubus she'd supplied the info on had been in the company of a stupid Surveyor as well as a Taimanin info broker - she'd recognize Natsume Amadare even on a bad day - as well as an unknown young woman.

And it was upon that realization that she'd started to prepare her departure from the Tokyo area. Sanctuary and whatever unknown employer she'd gotten that info for were organizations that she was far too small to cross and hope to survive, never mind pretend that she was innocent or free from blame. Thus her next, immediate destination was the USF and away from the clear and present danger.

"Ugh, two and a half weeks on boat…beggers can't be choosers, I guess. You owe me for this one, Mirielle."

While she would have preferred to either fly or outright teleport both means of transportation came with risks. Flying was prone to 'accidents' and teleporting was very carefully patrolled and watched by independent factions, always on the lookout for esoteric means of persuasion or skullduggery. It may take a lot longer but it was a lot harder to make a giant passenger boat disappear and the security was nowhere near as tight.

"So long, big guy. Thanks for all the fun~!"

Blowing a kiss the insensate man's way and silently offering an additional thanks to his credit card for its heroic sacrifice Sharia shouldered her purse, made sure her whip was securely attached to her side and quickly left the room without a backwards glance, striding down the ornate and carpeted hallways until she came to the elevators, softly dinging open before she could press the button as she prepared an innocent and guileless smile for whoever stepped out…and blinked as no one appeared, the hallway deathly silent and empty aside from her.

"Well that's lucky."

She froze as an artificial and synthesized voice abruptly broke the silence, a pair of figures manifesting from thin air as her breath caught in her throat.

One was adorned in an older generation exoskeleton, expressionless helm reflecting her own shocked expression right back at her and the other was-

Shock quickly turned to outright panic as it was none other than the famed criminal Kuroka Toujou, the Nekoshou smirking at her and offering a friendly wave.

"Okay, we've got a few questions to ask-"

The Succubus didn't wait to hear said questions, instead hitting the concealed panic button on her purse as the suited person's hand dipped towards a mean looking pistol, an inaudible hiss filling the hallway as Kuroka abruptly doubled over, violently sneezing as Sharia turned on her heel and sprinted back towards the suite, privately amazed that the mixture of paralytics and other gasses had even worked on the Yokai to begin with, knowing that she barely had a few seconds if that and hoping that the armored guy wouldn't shoot to kill.

Bursting through the suite's door - and desperately trying to ignore the heavy pounding of feet that sounded like it a hairsbreadth behind her - the pinkette kicked it closed as her whip struck the tempered glass of the room's window, cracking it as a spiderweb of fractures appeared before another flick of her wrist destroyed it entirely, her sensitive ears hearing the door smashed off its hinges and vengeful cry of, "That's foul play, nya!" causing her to take a flying leap out the window with her wings unfurled-

-and a bolt of electricity struck her center of mass, the Succubus landing hard on her back and wordlessly thrashing on the ground, nerves ablaze and muscles spasming as she desperately attempted to suck air into uncooperative lungs.

A ragged and stuttering breath finally forced the world into a modicum of focus as she weakly tried to regain her feet-

-and found the pistol digging into her chest, an angry Nekoshou wiping away tears and snot with a disgusted expression as she growled, "Guess sparky can shoot after all, suppose she wasn't all talk, huh?"

"Better expect to hear about it for a long time to come."

Her Heart Watcher ability informed her that the armored being was a man, Sharia making a last ditch effort to focus enough to influence his mind-

-and stopped short as Kuroka placed her foot on her throat, nastily smiling as she purred, "Now now, don't go getting ahead of yourself, nya…we've got so many things to ask you~!"

The Succubus couldn't help but reflect that she really should have done more research as the Yokai criminal grabbed a fistful of carpet and performed some kind of strange technique that morphed artificial fibers into long and braided lengths of rope, sadistically grinning the entire time.

"Nice to see someone is enjoying themselves."

Cayman's pointed words didn't do anything to diminish Yukikaze's smug and satisfied aura, humming to herself as she idly played with her pistol and leant against the penthouse's wall in a poorly disguised attempt to seem cool and aloof.

"Cat that ate the canary. I would know, nya."

Kuroka's teasing comment coincided with her blowing her nose and wiping away the last remnants of whatever Sharia had gassed her with, the Nekoshou wrinkling her face as the Surveyor turned his attention to the rest of the room, all of them entertaining themselves in one fashion or another as an increasingly nervous and terrified Succubus dithered helplessly, tossed into the center of the room's bed as the guy who had been there previously was summarily booted into another room and put into a deep slumber until they could shake him down for info later.

…And as much as he wouldn't mind staring at Kuroka's binding work on the tiny Succubus for a fair while longer - the impromptu restraints highlighting her pleasantly sized bust and silky smooth skin - they should probably get this over and done with sooner rather than later. Kuroka may have used a healthy amount of Youjutsu to get them inside the building without being noticed but he'd rather not have to deal with curious staff if it could be avoided.

Without any fanfare he unclasped his helmet and set it on a nearby countertop, Sharia's eyes locking on his own as recognition blazed within, promptly followed by escalating nervousness as she no doubt realized he wasn't here to compliment her work ethic.

"So! Have an idea or three why we're here?"

The Demon's gaze briefly flicked Lilim's way-

-and with a quick application of her power she shifted between her awakened and 'base' form, Sharia's already deer in the headlights expression turning even more alarmed.

"I-I didn't know I was giving information on a Demon Noble! If I had I totally wouldn't have bothered and minded my own business-"

"Too late for that. Besides, as of this moment we're less interested in what you didn't know and more in what you do know."

Leaning forward and resting his chin on his fingers he had the Succubus' full attention as he continued with, "What we want is everything you told to Kamadeva's faction, bells and whistles included. As you can no doubt tell we've got a bit more than a passing interest in the contents of that information."

He let a patently false smile cross his lips.

"As well as if you're a loose end that needs closing."

He'd give the girl credit, she didn't immediately fold despite the obviously shit position she was in, hastily replying, "I can give you some of that stuff - I've already been paid and nobody said don't say a word, right - but client confidentiality is a thing, you know? I have a reputation to keep in mind!"

"How good is that reputation's quality if you never make it out of this room?"

"I, well…I can give you all of this stuff for free! Several years of service, no charge or interest!"

Jinglei crossed her arms, unimpressed with the offer as she scoffed, "And you're assuming we won't get what we want 'for free' anyway?"

Showcasing her talent as a former intelligence offer the Taimanin idly added, "Because we have ways of getting quite the bargain."

Right on cue Felicia skipped into the room, cheerily announcing, "Did a check of the rest of the rooms, nothing interesting and just a bunch boring rich people sleeping-hey, did you start the fun without me?! No fair!"

With an affronted cry the Vampire threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around Cayman's neck, Sharia's already pale expression turning positively translucent as she saw just who had graced them with her presence.

"Ooh, so this is the cutey we're going to be getting answers from, huh? She looks good enough to eat~!"

A noise not unlike a whistling tea kettle left Sharia as she tried and failed to wriggle away from the grinning Vampire, Cayman deciding to take advantage of that fact as he bluntly said, "Well? You've got both the carrot and the stick, what's your answer? Bear in mind as a Surveyor of Sanctuary I can sweeten the deal even further, you don't have to walk away from this operating a perceived loss."

While she looked like she was on the verge of giving in the Succubus nonetheless held her ground, ducking her head and remaining silent as the male wondered at her commitment to being a proper information broker.

Unfortunately, he kind of wanted what she knew.

"Alright, everyone but Natsume out unless you want to see the show."

"Huh? What show? And what do you mean we-"

"Now now, no need to get your panties in a twist~! C'mon, let's leave them to it."

Yukikaze and Jinglei were promptly grabbed by Lilim as she guided them out of the room, Kuroka lazily stating, "He's gonna do some sex magic stuff, just in case you were wondering, nya."

"W-w-what?! He's got another one?!"

"Don't go worrying your pretty little head about that, let's see if some of the empty rooms have a bunch of drinks or snacks we can steal!"

Kuroka gave Lilim a deadpan look, wryly inquiring, "Aren't you a super rich and influential Demon noble now?"

"Mmm, old habits die hard, I guess~!"

The door closed shut behind them, leaving just himself, Natsume…and a scowling Felicia.

"Why do I get kicked out? Nuh uh, I'm getting in on this action! No more clamjams for Feli!"

A bit caught off guard by the Vampire's pout he turned his attention to Natsume, a raised brow prompting the Taimanin to demurely reply, "I have no such objections. If past performance is anything to go by I will doubtlessly be in no state of mind to complain about others joining in."

A subtle and telling movement of her legs as they rubbed together gave credence to that statement, Felicia grinning as she purred, "Good to see you're not tapping out early, I owe you a little bit of payback for when you were mind controlled or whatever."

Rolling his eyes at the Vampire's inability to let things go Cayman nonetheless disengaged his armor, rising from his chair as Sharia watched with increasing unease.

"Alright, time to learn a few things with today's sex ed class."

Eyy, e-mail notifications are back. $5 says it goes offline for a month again in 7-8.