Lycaon
Random Play was bustling with activity now. PubSec officers were mildly swarming about the five bodies in the room, though the lack of lifesigns precluded any urgency. Everything was moving at the calmly busy, methodical speed of a live forensic investigation. Lycaon had seen it all before.
Lycaon felt much more satisfied stepping outside to speak with the PubSec leader now that Ellen Joe was inside Random Play. The Cunning Hares were welcome allies that had saved him today, but his sense of professionalism preferred to rely on Victoria assets whenever possible. With Ellen on hand, he didn't feel the anxiety of leaving Belle alone.
However, he was mildly mortified that Ellen had seen him lick Belle's face- that had been an impulse Lycaon wished he'd reigned in. But there was something about Belle that continually overrode what Lycaon viewed as his own normal behavior. He idly wished he had some time to reflect on his own actions, his own thoughts, his own emotions- but... he was just a little bit busy!
PubSec wanted him for their investigation now, his safe-zone for Belle was fractured open irreparably and she required relocation… somewhere; and to top it all off: Rina was apparently at wit's end with Ellen Joe.
"She's… she's unmanageable, Von Lycaon!" Rina had shout-whispered into his face in front of the ruin of Random Play. It was an angry Rina that Lycaon almost never saw. "She was fine the first day, but the second night you were to be away, she refused to return to her bedroom at her appointed bedtime, and when I reminded her of the house rules, she also called me a.- a- well, I shall not repeat it here!"
"I see," said Lycaon, not knowing what to say. Ellen was sometimes prone to displaying a reluctant attitude, but he'd never witnessed the overt disrespect that Rina was now upset about. Though, that lack of precedent may very well be a part of Rina's intensity now- she was a woman who naturally received and expected obedience and respect.
Rina's vehemence continued. "And today, she initially refused to respond to the reinforcement call. Until she learned it was from you!"
Lycaon blinked and his ears went back on his head. "That is entirely unacceptable."
"Yes!" said Rina. "Yes, it is."
She took a breath.
"I'm sorry you lost a crew, Lycaon but- as a result: you know the handler is going to upgrade your detail today. He will likely suggest myself, due to the end of my assignments elsewhere. But Lycaon, I want you to request Ellen Joe specifically. Something must be done! And I think, for her, it must come from you."
Lycaon took a deep breath. He'd heard teenagers became rebellious, and at eighteen, Ellen had almost escaped the age group before such an event as this. His plate was already full with Belle's situation, but when a necessary task appeared, what else could he say?
"Very well."
He glanced up at Random Play's damaged roof and saw Rina up there, still and ominous, like a statue. She wasn't looking at him but he could feel her attention all the same. If anyone tried to attack now, Lycaon would not count on them surviving Rina's attention. She looked ready to kill.
Yet of all Lycaon's priorities, Rina and Ellen would need to be handled last of all. Belle needed a more secure location foremost, and Lycaon could not focus on that situation before he satisfied the municipal authorities.
PubSec was mostly gathered in the center of the street, already poking around the crashed armored vehicle. The bleeding soldier was gone, presumably gathered up by PubSec medical elements. The low-ranking officers paid his passage little heed.
The leader of the chaos Lycaon assumed to be this Captain Zoo Yawn- and that person would surely be that relatively tall, athletic woman in a very tight uniform over there. Some uniformed officers were currently saluting her. He walked in that direction and quickly recognized the woman as the lead investigator of the death of that first intruder to his booby traps. That was just a few days ago.
Zhu Yuan was the accurate name, Lycaon recalled.
Just behind her was the shorter form of Qingyi. She was gazing up at the broken ruin of Random Play's top floor with an expression that seemed unhappy. A third officer stood nearby, as well: a male feline thiren with white hair and an obviously affable recognized him, too. Wasn't he the driver that brought Belle and him back from the hollow? Seth, or something?
Zhu Yuan's amber eyes locked upon Lycaon as he approached. "Ah, Von Lycaon, wasn't it? Victoria Housekeeping? S-Tier with the H.I.A.?"
"Your memory is impeccable, Captain," said Lycaon, bowing formally.
Zhu Yuan's eyes shifted from him up to the smoking ruin of Random Play's second floor. "Another attempt on your principal, I understand?"
"So it would seem," said Lycaon.
"And you are still unwilling to share the circumstances surrounding your assignment to… Miss Belle?"
Lycaon kept his face carefully impassive. The question reminded him that Belle and Wise were involved in potentially illegal proxy work and Captain Zhu Yuan was reasonably suspicious of his assignment to them- as Victoria Housekeeping was a rather expensive service and Bell and Wise were not exactly financial big shots with their second-hand video store.
Working down the chain of logic, Zhu Yuan likely saw him as an indirect threat to the safety and peace of her territory. Not that Lycaon would cause trouble himself, but maybe, perhaps, possibly… someone would try to kill his principal by firing off military-grade ordinance on Sixth Street.
If Lycaon were Zhu Yuan, he would consider this attack his own failure and would try to remedy that by pursuing his suspicions with more force, reasoning that: If Belle was arrested, the threat to Sixth Street would vanish because the target of aggressive action would no longer be present.
"I am unable to share the specifics of my clients, Captain," said Lycaon evenly. He now saw something of himself in this PubSec officer. That made him wary. "But I am more than happy to share what I know of the attack."
Zhu Yuan sighed in a small way, no emotion on her face. "The details seem obvious, Mr. Von Lycaon. However, the questions they raise are troublesome." She jerked a thumb vaguely off behind her.
"There is a dead woman back there who seems to have fallen off a high rise balcony. The balcony in question is identified by some tell-tale ether corruption. Do you know how that might have happened? Outside a hollow?"
Lycaon knew that ether-based weaponry would do that. It was rather rare and expensive- and mildly illegal. A dead woman away from Random Play must be the shooter, whom supposedly Nicole Demara had handled. Perhaps Nicole possessed some form of an ether weapon. Lycaon didn't know. Regardless, it was nothing he wanted to reveal to PubSec.
"I do not," said Lycaon.
"On that balcony," Zhu Yuan continued, "we found some rather serious hardware. I am now obligated to report to our government liaison. That will escalate this investigation to a federal level and you and your principal will not be able to leave the area until the government agents are satisfied…"
Zhu Yuan went silent for a moment, watching Lycaon's reaction. He realized immediately she was trying to leverage early departure as a motivation for him to reveal all that he knew to her. It was somewhat clumsy, but it might have worked if Lycaon was not already aware that her role ended as soon as she made that call- she was a lame duck investigator at this point.
"I understand. You must do as your duty demands," said Lycaon. He returned Zhu Yuan's stare.
"Seth!" said Qingyi suddenly, reminding everyone that she was there. "Start tracing that weaponry and that armored car. I want to know everything you can find on all of it."
Seth blinked out of a revere and saluted Qingyi in surprise. "Yes, sir!" And he ran off, tail billowing behind him.
Zhu Yuan blinked down at Qingyi but the gaze was not returned. Qingyi didn't look at her own nominal superior and instead returned to her thoughtful brooding of Random Play. Zhu Yuan returned her attention to Lycaon with a small frown.
"All right, then," she said with a sigh,"Please wait a moment, Mr. Von Lycaon. I will discuss the situation with my liaison and relay their instructions for you."
Zhu Yuan stepped away from them a short distance, took out a cell phone, and dialed a number. After a second, a cell phone began ringing in Qingyi's vest. She took it out emotionlessly, flipped it open, and said: "Hello, Captain Zhu Yuan."
"Q- qingyi?!" said Zhu Yuan, turning around to look at Qingyi, a cell phone still to her ear. "I must have dialed the wrong contact…"
"No, Captain," said Qingyi, turning to face Zhu Yuan, lowering her own phone. She flipped it closed. "You didn't call the wrong number. The time for my partitioned roles is over, I think; and we three have some things to discuss."
"No," said Lycaon, recognizing a change in Qingyi's intent. "Four. 'We' shall not discuss my lady's fate without her being present. Come with me."
Lycaon turned and walked back towards Random Play. He did not need to check if the PubSec officers were following. Belle was the center of everything: the True Client and Qingyi wanted what was in her head; their mysterious foe wanted her dead to keep it out of reach; Zhu Yuan was something of a question; and Lycaon only wanted Belle…
..to get out of it all alive, of course.
But Lycaon was not a leader. If anything, he was the chief of specialized followers. If Qingyi wanted to discuss matters, she would do so with Belle, and Belle would decide what Lycaon would do.
No one else.
Belle
"Nekomiya… why did you bring that?" said Nicole with mild irritation. "I said one of my shirts and one of Anby's skirt-n-shorts."
Nekomiya looked at Nicole with half-lidded eyes and a mischievous grin. "You told me to get some clothes for Belle. So I did."
Wise was trying to hide a wide grin behind a closed fist as he stared at Belle while she finished dressing in her borrowed… item.
Belle clipped the waistband, fiddled with a large pearlescent button, and frowned down at herself. The long, formal dress-suit might just be the most pink thing she had ever worn. Perhaps the most pink thing she had ever seen in her life. "Nicole. The real question is: why did you buy this?"
"Nya-haha!"
"It- it was in clearance! And on sale! A sale-clearance! A 92% mark down!"
Belle took out her phone and looked at herself. The pink skirt-suit hung on her form heavily, and while she lacked some of the body curves that Nicole flaunted,the dress still accented Belle's hips and bust slightly, even if it was a little big on her. Still, curves or no, Belle thought it looked like she was going to Sunday picnic with all the old ladies in the neighborhood… in the Cotton Candy Kingdom.
"I think it looks great."
"Shut up, Wise."
"There'zz another question, I think, nya?" said Nekomiya, purring over her words slightly, tails weaving chaotically in excitement. "How did Belle get caught out in those kind of panties?"
Belle felt her heart go into her throat. She glared at Nekomiya, who only smiled wider at her. Meanwhile, Wise's expression immediately went blank and he averted his gaze and said nothing. Nicole seemed uneasy and eager to quell the sudden tension in the office.
"H- hey now, I wear those kinds of panties all the time," said Nicole with an embarrassed laugh.
"Only since you began visiting Random Play privately," said Nekomiya, turning a gremlin gaze upon her own leader.
"Nekomiya! Y- you hush!" said Nicole, blushing almost as pink as Belle's borrowed dress. "You are reading too much into-"
The staff office door opened again and Belle watched Wise, Nicole, and Nekomata all look left to see who was entering through the door. It took longer for Belle to see them, but the first person to enter was Qingyi, then the PubSec captain from the other day, Zhu Yuan; and finally, Lycaon.
Qingyi and Zhu Yuan took an uneasy position on that side of the room, Nicole and Wise edging over a bit to give them room. Meanwhile, Lycaon made eye contact with Belle and strode in her direction. He passed very closely by Nekomiya, who had simply stood still in the center of the room and stared at the new arrivals with wide eyes.
As Lycaon passed Nekomiya, Belle witnessed the cat thiren's nose vibrate suddenly and she leaned in to sniff at Lycaon's torso. Belle thought that simply rude for a moment, but an instant later the ramification of that act hit Belle like an ice block in her stomach. Nekomiya would smell her, Belle, on Lycaon!
Nekomiya was a notorious gossip. If she smelled what Belle feared… her single act of intimacy with Lycaon would likely be immediately public to everyone in her entire social network! Gah!
Was Belle ashamed of dry humping Lycaon in the privacy of her own bedroom? Well- No… not exactly. Not totally. And a tiny part of her craved others to know: I'm alive! I'm sexy! I can get with big, sexy men like that. See? Hu, hu, hu!
Belle told that inner gremlin to shut up. Did she really want everyone in her social circle to have a live-journal update of her sex life? No!
Belle's fears manifested when; sure enough, Nekomiya's sniffing turned into a wide-eyed look of shock, her dual cat-tails stiffening out behind her. Nekomiya's expression then changed from surprise to mischievous glee. Her fangs peeked out under her lips in a small smile, her tails relaxed and began weaving complex patterns in the air behind her once more. Nekomata turned a half-lidded gaze at Belle and said nothing at all, but her look spoke volumes.
Belle stiffened her jaw and gave Nekomiya an intense look of conspiracy. She made negative hand motions and insinuated an opportunity for a deal. Nekomiya's fully toothed grin further widened on her face, but she nodded and remained silently smug.
"Wow, look at this," said Qingyi, eying up Belle's pink dress with a sardonic smile. "I didn't think I would be having tea with the bubblegum princess today."
Belle leveled Qingyi with what she hoped was a serious stare. How to frame a response? She wanted to say something snarky back and show the green-haired little-
"I could prepare tea, if you wish it, Lady Belle," said Lycaon suddenly.
Belle blinked, startled out of her thoughts. "No, Lycaon!"
She took a deep breath. "No, thank you."
"I see," said Lycaon, clearing his throat. "The officers wished to discuss your situation, Lady Belle."
Belle's gaze went from Lycaon back to Qingyi. She snatched up the folder of documents that she had left downstairs last night, thank goodness. She tucked them into her lap and raised her eyebrows expectantly at Qingyi.
"Yes," said Qingyi. "Belle, I'm sure you're worried about our next steps of your protection and-"
"No, I'm not," said Belle, feeling confidence flush back through her again now that Lycaon was standing behind her. All eyes were on her in this moment as she sat in the Random Play office, in her own territory. Harried, in a pink suit, but very much alive. And very much getting angry…
"Er- " said Qingyi, immediately off balance and blinking in confusion.
Belle took another deep breath, steadying herself mentally. Lycaon was behind her. Her brother was nearby, and Nicole of the Cunning Hares was informally joined with him.
Belle suddenly felt it all instinctively: She now had her chief guard, her loyal kin, and his consort: the captain of a little army. They were all Belle's. Meanwhile, Qingyi and Zhu Yuan were foreigners who desperately wanted what only she, Belle, possessed and could provide them.
So… no. Tonight, they were going to listen to Belle.
"Those bastards blew up my home," said Belle, and she lifted the file folder of locations Nicole and Wise had attained for her. "So tonight, we're going to talk about how we're all going to blow up something of theirs. And if you want the data in my head, Qingyi: you're going to help us."
Behind her where Belle could not see, the small corner of Lycaon's mouth curled up into an almost imperceptible smile.
Meanwhile…
Ellen Joe sat on the edge of Random Play's roof, having taken over for Rina who was keeping her distance and watching the neighborhood from another vantage. Rina was pointedly staying away from Ellen, and that suited Ellen just fine. She wasn't in the mood for more of Rina's passive aggression.
Below her, the android man from the Cunning Hares was reading a magazine at Howl's News Stand. PubSec was still crawling all over the wrecked armored car. The sound of a tow truck reversing was echoing off the sides of nearby buildings.
Suddenly- a lithe woman in skirt, green jacket, and white hair hopped lightly up onto the roof nearby. A large sword was sheathed on the small of her back.
Ellen's grip on her scissor-spear tightened. She hadn't heard this girl coming. Ellen scolded herself, but then she recognized the new arrival as one of the Cunning Hares fighters. So: a nominal ally, for the moment. Ellen relaxed.
Anby looked over at Ellen with a calm glance. Neither greeted the other.
"Smells a little like almonds," said Anby suddenly, her light amber eyes focused on Ellen.
"Huh? Almonds?" said Ellen, surprised and curious despite herself. "What do you mean?"
"The explosives," said Anby. "Almonds."
Ellen blinked and sniffed uselessly. She could smell every damn thing on someone's body in a pool or in the ocean, but out here in the wind?
"...I can't smell it," said Ellen.
Andy nodded. "Oh."
Ellen blinked up at Anby, suddenly recognizing the young woman. Wasn't this the girl who had fought her to a standstill in the subway station the other day? Ellen hadn't met very many people who could do that.
That had been kind of fun…. Kind of exciting.
Anby looked at Ellen steadily in turn, her expression unreadable. Their eyes danced back and forth between each other as they held the shared gaze. Anby slowly raised a hand, took out an audio earbud from one of her ears, and offered it to Ellen.
"Want to listen?"
"Uhh…," said Ellen, again surprised and off balance. "What is it?"
"Light music."
Ellen made a non-committal grunting noise, but after Anby continued to offer the earbud, Ellen eventually took it. She placed it in her ear. She frowned.
It sounded like the entire world was now inside an elevator.
Ellen looked over at Anby who had turned away and was now looking out at the twilight sky above the ruins of Random Play. Ellen raised her eyes skyward, too. A long, slow and mildly interesting saxophone was now playing softly in her left ear. It somehow went well with the look of the purpling horizon and the darkness descending on the city before them both.
Well…
Ellen begrudgingly decided it was a kinda cool elevator. She glanced at Anby again.
And she wasn't alone for the ride.