A/N: Teams PASM and CPER have really helped out with Latte Love in its chaotic time, but sadly, that is not their mission. You could say what they've done is little more than community service. But of course, it was a nice thing for them to do, helping out with the Cafe that took care of Marina during her hard times. Now it's time for the real mission.
Chapter 74: Protection.
"Ever since Marina went missing, everyone has been uneased with the customers, since we all know it was a regular who did this to her. Even at the beginning of the new year, several of our customers started behaving in a perverted way with all the maids. Even started to make some moves on them, it's mostly cause of the word got out about what happened with Marina. Eventually, we started putting up strict rules about customer behavior towards our maids. We all felt safe and secure until it started happening nearly two weeks ago: Our maids started disappearing, and we decided to keep a close watch on one of them five days ago. That's when it happened."
"They've been abducted." Patrick says, his hand tightening on a glass of milk he's holding, and Mashika takes notice of his quivering.
Ayame nods. "That's right. We don't know who's responsible, but I can't help but worry if it's the same people who took Marina."
"We've reported this issue to General Ironwood, but Atlas Security and Huntsman are stretched too thin. Something about a riot outbreak happening in Mentle. So the Manager decided to post it on the mission board." Yudori says.
Marina feels uneasy hearing all this. "We have to do something." Selena says.
"B-But how?" Aria asks. "H-how are we gonna find them?"
Mashika looks at Ayame and Yudori. "Do you have any clues or leads?"
"No, we did try to do so with our last employee, but they managed to shake us, and disable the tracker we hid in her. Whoever's behind all this really knows their stuff." Ayame says.
"Then we're left with one option." Everyone turns their attention to Patrick with concern and curiosity. Then he returns those looks with a serious expression. "Live bait." And everyone is just confused. "I've got a plan on how to locate them. It's crazy and risky, but it just might work."
"I got a bad feeling about this, but...What's your plan, Mr. Aki?" Mashika asks.
"First things first." Patrick turns his attention to Aria. "We'll need Aria to dress up as a maid waitress."
Aria is shocked. "S-say what!?" Then she lets out a nervous groan. "I-I don't like where th-this is going."
While Aria is getting ready, Mashika has a meeting with Clawdia, Earnest, Selena, and Marlene in the backroom. The four of them are confused as to why they are here, then Mashika explains. "You all know what happened with Marina. Well, given what Miss Hart explained, I got a bad feeling about who these people are."
"You mean...The ones who abducted Professor Sapphire?" Selena asks.
"Yeah. Though I can't say for sure if it really is them but if they are, I'm worried they might come here after her. So I need to ask you four to handle a special mission: Keep an eye out and protect Marina." Mashika says.
Earnest speaks and Clawdia translates for him. "Don't worry. We'll purr-tect Marina if anything happens."
Mashika smiles and nods.
The next morning, the operation begins.
With everything set, Aria then makes a normal leave for Latte Love. She's all dressed up in a maid's outfit, even stripped of her gauntlet and lance weapons. During the whole time she's walking through the streets, Aria feels nervous. The maid's outfit she's wearing isn't all that revealing, yet she can't help but feel uncomfortable wearing it.
Soon enough, Aria feels an unease presence, like she's being stalked. Aria quickly walks, trying to shake off her followers. This goes on for a while, until Aria hides out in an alley to catch her breath. Only that became a mistake for her to make, for a pair of hands grabs her by the mouth and pulls her back, instantly vanishing.
Two men inside an invisible barrier are holding Aria in place, one of them trying to chloroform her. Aria struggles to break free, but soon she succumbs to the drug. "I thought we caught all the maids! How did this one slip?" The first man asks.
"She must be a recent hire. So just shut up and search her for any wires." The second man says.
"Be quiet! Both of you!" The third guy says in a loud whisper. "You'll break away my barrier if you're too loud."
They both search Aria, and once she's clean, they tie her up. They quickly move across the streets of Atlas, but keep quiet to try and not trigger the barrier to fall in front of the citizens of Atlas. Once they made it through, they arrived at an airship that took them to the lower city of Mentle. When they land, they quickly move until they get into a nearby parked truck, and then start driving off.
During that drive, Aria awakens from the drug and comes to a panic, finding herself in such a situation.
The truck drives off past the Mental wall and into the frozen wastelands. The drive lasts for a long while. The truck then comes to a halt when it arrives at some storage building that's covered in ice. The men come out of the truck and then unload Aria. They start pushing her towards the building.
"Move it, Bitch! You'll make a nice addition to our collection-" Just before he can finish talking, the man gets sucker punched right in the back of his head. The other two and Aria look to see it's Patrick, dashing toward the man with his Lightning Dust Bracers and punching him hard with one of Aria's gauntlets.
"What the?! Where'd you come from!? Wait! How did you-" The second man is quickly interrupted when he becomes ensnared in metal coils. Startled, he looks back to see where they're coming from. The coils only end at nothing, but a second later, Rayla's Invisibility wears off, revealing herself. Rayla lets out a single chuckle as she clenches her hands into fists and her captive becomes electrocuted by her wires. The third one is left alone in a panic. He starts running away, but Patrick loads a Gravity Arrow and fires at him. The arrow flies at an incredible speed and impacts the man, knocking him out and completely depleting his Aura.
With the enemy defeated, the three of them are able to relax, and just a moment later, Patrick lets out a sneeze, startling Aria and surprising Rayla. Patrick sniffles. "Good grief, I f-f-felt like I was hold-d-ding that one in." Patrick says, sounding stuffed.
"Everything all right, Master Patrick?" Rayla asks.
Patrick glares at Rayla. "Will you stop-AH-CHOO-calling me Master?" Patrick sniffles. "I-I'm fine. Just c-c-can't stand the c-c-cold."
Rayla works on unbinding Aria while Patrick sends a text on his Scroll: 'We've reached our destination.' Once Aria is free, she rubs her wrists from the cuff burn. "I-I know it was all p-p-part of the plan...But I-I really felt scared there."
"Well, it worked like a charm, didn't it?" Patrick asked, just before sneezing.
Aria and Patrick both think back about the plan.
First, it's when Aria is all dressed up as a Latte Love Maid. Patrick explains the plan to her: "You will act as Bait. If by any chance you feel like you're being watched or follow, put on the act like you're trying to avoid them. If you remain too calm, they might catch up on something. Rayla and I will be following you out of sight."
"W-w-wouldn't it be easier i-i-if I wear some wire?" Aria asks.
"Nope. Based on what Ayame and Yudori explained, they'll most likely search for them. This is the only way." Patrick says. "Trust me. The one thing they'll never expect is a huntsman and huntress with Semblances of Vision and Invisibility."
Just as Patrick says and plans, he and Rayla follow Aria through Rayla's Semblance of invisibility. Once Aria starts eluting her stalker, Patrick and Rayla do their best to catch up. Then came the moment when Aria was grabbed and instantly disappeared. Patrick used his Vision to see Aria's body heat and the heat of her abductors. That's when Patrick told Rayla they were using the same Semblance as her. They do their best to follow them. The hardest part was following them by airship, but Patrick just kept his vision on where they were gonna land and slow falls with Rayla on his back using his Dust Bracers. After that, they follow them until they get on the truck, and Patrick uses his Lightning Speed from the Dust Bracers to follow them.
Patrick sneezes once more, then sniffles. "I. Hate. The C-c-cold." Patrick then takes out a bag and tosses it to Aria. "Here's your c-c-clothes. G-get changed."
Aria nods. Rayla then stands close to Aria. "Allow me to provide you some privacy, Mistress Aria." And just like that, Rayla and Aria instantly turn invisible.
Patrick waits in the freezing cold. A minute later, he sees something coming from the snow dust. That's when Mashika and Peter arrive in a Speeder. Mashika dismounts, and she approaches Patrick with a hanky and a hot chocolate container. "Here, Love. I figured you would be suffering in the cold."
Patrick takes a hanky and blows his nose into it, then takes the hot chocolate. "Y-y-you know, it's-s-s annoying how you r-r-read me like a b-b-book." Patrick then gulps down the hot chocolate, not even flinching from the burning heat, and then lets out a heavy exhalation after drinking. "But I suppose it can be a good thing." He says, speaking normally. Not long after, Rayla's invisibility fades, revealing her and Aria who is now in her regular clothing. Patrick then hands Aria her gauntlets. Everyone then turns to the abandoned building. "Let's get to work."
Meanwhile, back at Latte Love, business is slow late at night, but nothing the remaining teams can't handle. Marina and Yudori are working together at the bar. Marina just offered their customer a drink. "Thank you for coming to Latte Love, Master."
Yudori sits next to Marina. "A year and a half later, and you've still got it, Miss Marina." Marina chuckles. "You know, it's a funny thing that you were rescued by that boy in black."
"Oh? Do you mean Patrick? Did you know him?" Marina asks.
Yudori shrugs her shoulders. "Well, sort of." Yudori starts pouring a drink into the shaker and shakes it. "Do you remember when I told you I was once abducted and was being forced to become a slave?" Marina nods. "Well, during that time I was refusing to serve them, even after they forced themselves upon me. But then that's when he came in, just dived right in beating up those criminals."
"Patrick was the one who rescued you? Talk about a crazy coincidence." Marina says. "Did he say anything to you?"
"Hmm. Not really. He didn't even seem to care to notice me at all. He was all over those guys being all:" Yudori puts on her own Patrick impersonation. "'Tell me where he is and I may spare one of your lives!'" Yudori then speaks normally. "I must admit, he was very intimidating."
Marina laughs. "That sounds like him all right. Mr. Aki can be intense, but he isn't so bad once you get to know him."
"Well, then I guess I'll have to get to know him." Yudori says. "And speaking of getting to know, now tell me. What's going on between you and that Huntress?"
Marina looks at Yudori, surprised. "W-what do you mean?"
"Aww, come now. You're not fooling me." Yudori says with a smile. "You've been staring at her and daydreaming while she was all dressed up as a waitress. You like her, don't you?"
Marina's expression looks shocked as she blushes. "W-w-what? Me? Like her?" Marina nervously waves her hands in front. "D-Don't be ridiculous. I-I don't have any feelings for her."
Yudori only looks at Marina suspiciously, then speaks in a stern tone. "Oh? Well then, maybe I should claim her for myself then."
Marina lets out a shocked gasp hearing that. "W-wait! What?"
Yudori then puts on a cheerful smile. "Just kidding. You know, you're not very good when it comes to romantic feelings. Have you even told her?"
Marina looks down in shame. "N-No. I haven't. Honestly, I'm afraid to. I mean, people have mocked me for how oblivious I've been when guys were crushing on me. Plus..." Marina's silent for a moment, then shakes her head. "No, it's nothing." Just then, a customer sits on the bar stool in front of Marina. Marina then focuses her attention on the customer instead. Only she speaks to the customer with her eyes closed. "Welcome to Latte Love. What kind of drink would you like?"
"Actually, there's only one thing I want:" Marina is then horrified. She recognizes that voice, and then she opens her eyes to see who that customer is. And it's just as she feared: Even under the blonde hair disguise, it doesn't hide the look of insanity in her eyes and the wicked smile. "You!"
At the abandoned hideout, Aria punches the doors open, breaking them open and sending them flying. Inside the building are several tied-up maids, and about half a dozen men. "What the?! We've been discovered!" Mashika, Peter, Aria, and Rayla charge in and attack, while Patrick stays by the doors, shooting his arrows at the enemy. The enemy fights back, only they aren't very effective in combat, and they are easily overpowered.
Once they're defeated, Rayla and Aria work on untying the maids. During the whole time, Patrick feels unease. He just stands in place wondering. And Mashika takes notice. "Is something wrong, Love?"
"Something's not right...This feels too easy." Patrick says. Mashika is confused. "These Abductors are supposed to be guarding these women, yet they are hiding out in a remote place, just out in the open. Not to mention they aren't even fighters."
"Hmm...Now that you mention it..." Mashika is interrupted when she is approached by the maids. "Oh, are you all alright?"
"We're fine, but honestly, we're more worried about our Cafe." One of the maids says.
"What do you mean?" Mashika asks.
"There was this insane woman who worked with the men who kidnapped us." The second maid says. "She said something about heading to the cafe to reclaim what was stolen from her."
Both Patrick and Mashika are horrified, and in unison, Patrick says "Vanessa!" in anger while Mashika says "Marina!" in worry.
There's chaos happening at Latte Love. The remaining customers start running out of the building in fear. Earnest and Marlene bursts right out of the kitchen to see what is happening. Yudori is on the floor, groaning in pain with a hand on her shoulder, and Selena and Clawdia are standing against the blonde customer, who's really Vanessa in a wig, and she has Marina over her shoulders.
All four of them ready their weapons. "Put her down!" Clawdia barks.
Vanessa only chuckles deviously. "Pathetic." She then takes out a remote and pushes the button, causing several gas explosions around the cafe. Everyone starts coughing and then collapsing. Everyone tries to get up but can't.
"Why. Can't. I move?" Selena says, fighting to get her words out.
"Forget about. That. My body...Feels. On fire." Marlene says.
"You like my Burnalayzing Gas? It's my own speciality." Vanessa then rushes to the door and kicks it down. She steps out but looks back in. "Give my regards to your defective leader." Vanessa then makes a run for it. Vanessa then sees how crowded the city is. "Hmm...A bit ways from the airship. Guess I'm gonna need a boost." Vanessa holds Marina in front of her. "I rather not do any harm to your sexy body, slut, not yet at least. But it seems you'll have to do."
Vanessa gives Marina a wicked smile, before opening her mouth, revealing her bat fangs and biting them deep into Marina's shoulder, who groans and shouts in pain. Marina's shoulder is bleeding, but Vanessa is sucking up the blood. Once she's done, Vanessa stands still for a moment, and an empowering aura shines on her. That's when Vanessa opens her eyes, which turn glowing bloody red, and she lets out a wicked chuckle.
Vanessa dashes her way through the city in superspeed. Everyone is pretty startled by a sonicboom, no one are able to see who or what it was. In no time at all, Vanessa reaches an airship. She gets on board, having Marina tied up in the co-pilot chair. Vanessa activates the airship and takes off immediately.
The whole time, Marina can only sit by and watch in fear, her body still under the effects of the Burnalaysis. Her worst fears are happening. She can't even help but think back about the nightmares she's been having, then when she was crying telling Mashika about them. At the same time, a happy memory flashed, Mashika hugged her.
"That will never happen." Mashika says in an echoing voice. "No matter what happens, no matter who or what comes at us, I'll protect you. That's a promise."
Marina struggles to her the words out. Vanessa doesn't even bother to pay any attention to her, just focusing on her escape. Marina's eyes water, until finally she's able to blurt it out: "Save me! MASHIKA!"
In that instant, there's a sudden heavy rumble on the airship, and an alarm blares. Vanessa struggles to keep control of the ship while she's also frustratingly pressing buttons. Eventually, the airship crash-lands in a frozen wasteland just far out of Atlas. The area around the airship is charred and enflamed, not even the cold snow can cool it.
There's loud banging from the inside, and after the third one, Vanessa is able to kick the door down. She and Marina are coughing as she drags Marina out. Vanessa just dumps Marina onto the ground, and she checks the boosters. She finds one of them is shot. Vanessa reaches in to pull something out. She gets a good look at it to see a metal arrow.
"The Defect!" She says in a growl, while crushing the arrow in her hand. Vanessa then turns to Marina in bitter behavior. "Looks like I'll be taking you on foot, Slave."
Vanessa reaches down to grab Marina, but in an instant, Mashika shows up, wearing Lightning-Enhanced Dust Bracers, delivering a massive punch right into Vanessa's Face with Aria's Gauntlet loaded with Gravity Dust. Everything's all slow like upon the impact for Marina, she can't believe it is happening before her own eyes. Vanessa is sent flying from the impact and crashes into the snow.
Mashika then kneels down to Marina. "Are you all right, Marina?"
Marina is speechless. "You...came...for me."
Mashika smiles. "Of course I did. I promised, didn't I?" Mashika helps Marina sit comfortably against the airship. Vanessa comes stumbling towards to, and Mashika glares right at her.
Vanessa is rubbing her cheek, right where Mashika punched her. "No one's ever pulled off a hit that hard on me." Vanessa forces her jaw back into position, then chuckles delightfully. "You've actually impressed me, bitch."
Mashika cracks her knuckles, positioned to fight. "I'm just getting warmed up, Vanessa." Vanessa lets out a wicked smile, before vanishing instantly. This surprises Mashika. "What the?" Vanessa reappears behind Mashika and strikes her. Mashika quickly turns around to deliver a punch, but she hits nothing but air. Vanessa reappears several feet away and then starts throwing dozens of knives. Mashika quickly takes out her lance to deflect the knives.
Unbeknownst to both of them, Patrick, Peter, Aria, and Rayla are dashing in on Speeders. They arrive and immediately dismount and take out their weapons. "Rayla. Take Marina and hide."
Rayla nods and obeys. She carries Marina in her arms and then activates her Semblance.
Vanessa knocks Mashika off of her, she turns to see more enemies have arrived, but not only that Marina has vanished. Vanessa growls angrily and starts dashing towards Patrick, Aria, and Peter at incredible speed. Patrick is surprised by this. "She didn't..."
Vanessa makes her first strike on Patrick. Aria throws her swift attacks, but only Vanessa dodges easily and delivers a strong kick to Aria's stomach before she can even react. Vanessa then goes after Peter, who activates his Semblance. Vanessa delivers strong punches to Peter's Iron Body. After three punches, Peter's body breaks.
"W-what is with this lady? I-I can't even d-d-dodge her." Aria asks.
"She must have drank someone's blood." Patrick says.
Hearing that freaks Aria out. She even swallows hard. "D-d-d...Drink b-b-blood?"
Patrick looks at Aria. "Her Semblance is Sanlayn. She bites people with her Bat Fangs, drinks their blood and it greatly enhances her speed, strength, and senses. Like a Vampire."
Vanessa shakes off Peter and Mashika. With them out of the way, she then looks around. "I can't see you, slut, but I can smell you." Vanessa sniffs all over the area in the air. In the end, she does a deep sniff. "Gotcha!" Vanessa sends four knives flying. They pierce through Rayla's invisible barrier and send her flying, leaving the helpless Marina behind on the snow ground, and the knives pin Rayla on a giant block of ice.
Vanessa dashes towards Marina, ready to grab her. Marina can only feel fear when she sees Vanessa coming at her. Just before Vanessa can grab her, that's when Aria dashes in and grabs her. Vanessa fights to break free from Aria's grasp, but Aria then lifts her over and slams Vanessa to the ground from behind. A Take-Down. The two of them are stunned by the impact. Mashika then charges in, she leaps, positioning her lance to strike. Mashika does a diving strike that deals a heavy impact on the ground, sending Vanessa flying.
Vanessa slowly gets back on her feet. She looks to see the group that stands against her, all protecting Marina. Laughter builds up within Vanessa, and soon enough she bursts into a wicked, maniacal laughter. Her insanity overtakes her.
Patrick puts on a serious expression. He loads an arrow onto his weapon and fires at incredible speed. But it's not fast enough. Vanessa sees it come and catches it with her mouth. Vanessa throws Patrick a smartass expression with the arrow in her mouth, but Patrick only returns it with a sneering smile.
By the time Vanessa realizes it, it's already too late. The arrow explodes into a massive explosion.
Once the smoke clears, it reveals Vanessa barely standing, wounded and exhausted. She still has that pleasant smile on her face. She then stares right at Patrick. "Not...bad...Defect." In that instant, Vanessa's Aura completely depletes then she collapses.
A lot has happened for the rest of the day. Rayla, Peter, and Aria take Marina back to Atlas while Mashika and Patrick stay behind to handle Vanessa and the maids until Ironwood's forces arrive. The captured maids were returned to their homes, Vanessa is now in custody. However, Patrick was thoroughly demanding that Ironwood let him know if she talks about anything related to Rufus.
Later at night, everyone gathers at Latte Love, making a big celebration. Yudori starts handing out the drinks, laying the tray on the table and passing them out with her one good arm.
"Yudori, you shouldn't be working. Your arm." Marina says.
"I'm fine, Marina." Yudori says with a smile. "It's only just a bruise. I'll be all right."
"I can't thank you all enough for everything. First, you rescued and took care of Marina, and now you've saved my maids from a terrible fate." Ayame says.
"It's really nothing." Mashika says. She then takes a drink from her glass and comes to a surprise. "Uh. Miss Yudori?" Yudori looks at Mashika. "I ordered the Liquor. This is a soda."
"Hmm? That couldn't be. I'm sure I did the order right. But then, who-" Yudori's comment is cut short when Patrick suddenly passes out on the table.
Everyone is pretty startled. "Patrick?! Are you okay?!" Selena asks.
Rayla turns Patrick's head to see his face, revealing it to be drunk. "Master Patrick appears to be drunk."
Mashika faceplams. "Oh no, not again."
Hearing that alerts Clawdia. "Again? Has this happened be-fur?"
"It's a long story." Mashika says. Yudori feels sheepish, realizing she mixed up the drinks.
Mashika then decides to take an early leave to place Patrick somewhere to rest, while everyone else is enjoying their time at the cafe. Selena, however, decided to take a step outside. She is sitting on the rooftop of the cafe. For a while, she looks at the sky, and then her eyes find themselves staring at the Atlas building. Her expression is hardened with sorrow. Even looks at her scroll, seeing there are no new messages since the text she sent upon their arrival in Atlas: "We are arriving in Atlas for a mission. How is she doing?"
"Hey, Selena." Selena is startled and looks to see Marlene climbing up on the rooftop. "You should come back in, Marina is singing in Karaoke. Her voice is really beautiful."
"Oh, really? Uh...Sure, I'll be down in a few." Selena says.
Marlene approaches Selena. "Is everything all right? You seem off."
Selena looks back at Atlas. "Y-yeah. I was just..."
Marlene looks right at Atlas, and she knows what's going on. "It's about Akira, isn't it?" Selena doesn't say anything, just putting a hand on her aching chest. Marlene looks back at Selena and sees the pain on her face. "I know. I miss her too."
"It's been six months since it happened. I can still see that horrifying image. When she..." Selena doesn't say anything else, but Marlene can tell what it's about.
"Don't blame yourself for anything, Selena. Akira only did what she believed was right." Marlene says. "Do you want to pay her a visit?"
Selena thinks for a bit, but then shakes her head. "No. If I visit, I'll probably just lose myself like I did during that incident of Patrick's Imprisonment. Besides, Plumette is with her. She's in good hands."
Selena and Marlene return to Latte Love.