Mai Otome Fan Fiction ❯ Sounds in the Night ❯ Chapter 4: Cloak and Dagger ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Cloak and Dagger

 

(Chrysant Manor, Aries)

 

“I swear if it's those damn terrorist wannabes again I'm going to pinch them. Come on Hallard get your squad up here too.” Haruka said slamming her fists together her metal gloves clashing.

 

“Its punch Haru-chan,” Yukino corrected as Haruka pushed her behind her.

 

“That's what I said.” Haruka said tapping her GEM, “Echo report.”

 

“General scans show there are seventeen of them.” Jenna said across the GEM.

 

Imari called her elements back both of them turning back into swords. “If you want me in this I have to have your clearance Madam President.”

 

“Onee-chan I can help too but you need to ask for Garderobe's help first.” Irina said knowing that legally Aries had to ask for help before Garderobe could directly assist. Even though Irina was a citizen of Aries she was bound to Garderobe as an Otome and like the columns could infer unless requested.

 

“Imari-chan, I'll thank Tokiha-sama myself. Irina-chan, get the principal on the phone, even though your bound to the director I don't want to make any slipups” Yukino said also knowing Garderobe's policy.

 

“Haruka, take the Hallards and go, Irina can protect me.” Yukino said leaning over Haruka's shoulder kissing her shoulder the blonde blushing before she ran down the hallway.

 

Irina tapped her GEM connecting to Garderobe using a direct line to Natsuki “Principal the president is under attack and requesting Garderobe's assistance; requesting clearance to assist.”

 

“Granted, but don't get yourself in over your head. You have had half the combat training the others have had.” Natsuki said over the communication line knowing that Irina worked more in the labs then in the field.

 

“Hai, I've been running the simulations with Youko-sensei.” Irina said she had spent quite a few hours running the simulations. Her job mostly was to repair the system and someday take over the position of director. Usually the director of Garderobe was a civilian but several times before it had been an Otome. The last one had been Sophie Fahn over a hundred years ago.

 

“You are cleared to certify now go.” Natsuki said then cut the connection hoping Irina would be alright. Still Natsuki phoned down to the labs and asked Youko to monitor Irina's stats. Like she said before even though Irina had been out of school a few years she spent most of her time in the labs.

 

“Materialize!” Irina said as metal plating appeared on her arms and then her legs wrapping around her. Then a plate appeared before and behind her sandwiching her in the middle binding to her. The metal was a dark red and had a flaming bird printed on the chest. “Phoenix rise!” She shouted as the ground in front of her burst into flames a fiery mechanical bird coming out of it.

 

“Sugoi…” Imari said using the Zipangise word for amazing. She had heard stories about the new GEMs Irina had been working on and had seen Shie's GEM but she had yet to see Irina's GEM in use.

 

“Imari-chan, go help Haruka I'll protect one-chan.” Irina said causing Imari to nod and fly lowly though the halls. Until she reached the outside seeing the others fighting off several people in black suits much like they had been the night before though now there seemed to be quite a few more.

 

“Captain they've breached the inner perimeter!” Chie said as she fought one of the attackers with her cane. She looked around the grounds wondering who was behind these attacks.

 

Shie waved her hand at a few of them knocking them back except one who came at her from the side knocking her to the ground and placed a bug on her GEM causing her robe start to waver as she stood up. “Chie!” The man got to his feet just as quickly as Shie did and was several feet away with his gun aimed at Shie waiting for her robe to drop before he shot her.

 

“Shie!” Chie said as smacked the guy she was fighting across the back of the head with her cane then called her hat punching though it grabbing the bug. “Captain there are too many we need to fall back get on better grounds!” Chie shouted as the gun was fired. The bullet came within inches of Shie before she used her powers to stop it and send it flying back at the man.

 

“I…I... The Lt. Col is in command here. I know I'm disobeying a direct order and I'll take responsibility for it. Chie is in command.” Shie said as she nodded at Chie knowing that Chie had more experience then she did and she had to admit she was a little freaked out with the bullet coming so close to her.

 

“No this is your show just give the commands I tell you. Pull everyone back up stairs make them come to us funneling them in the stairway.” Chie said still fighting with her cane.

 

“Belay that, form a line upstairs. The General and Meister Tokiha can pick them off and herd them in!” Shie said falling back with the others.

 

“Lt Col status!” Haruka said from the top of the stairs throwing her mace down hitting a man towards the back with a rifle aimed up the stairs.

 

“This is the Captain's command not mine General!” Chie said dodging a swing from a man too close to use his riffle.

 

“We need you to herd them into the house like cattle.” Shie yelled even though they were speaking through their GEMs the fighting was quite loud.

 

“Good plan once inside they won't have room to maneuver. Tokiha with me lets ground these guys up!” Haruka said with a laugh jumping into the air flying over Chie and Shie with Imari behind her.

 

“It's Round up Haruka-chan.” Yukino said into her ring correcting the blonde even in the middle of a battle as Haruka and Imari landed behind the attackers.

 

“Not now Yukino I'm busy!” Haruka said swinging her mace around every so often hitting someone but mostly just pushing them into the Hallards and the house where Echo squad caught them in some netting.

 

(Upstairs, Chrysant Manor)

 

As Yukino paced the room Irina held her ground in front of the door using thermal imaging in her helmet to monitor the progress on the other side. So far none of the attackers had made it past the blockade. She quickly spun around hearing the window break and saw a man jump at Yukino knocking her to the ground. When the man stood up he held a knife to Yukino's throat.

 

“You are surrounded by several Otome, let her go.” Irina said using her heads up display to calculate the best way to disable the man without hurting Yukino.

 

“Let me pass or I kill her. I'm willing to die today are you Otome?” The man said foolishly mistaking her for Yukino's Otome. Most everyone knew Haruka Armitage was President Chrysant's Otome and should have know that the Otome before him wasn't the Continental Topaz.

 

The man's knife began to heat up to the point that it forced him to drop it as two pink blurs came up behind him turning his back to shreds. As the man fell to the ground Yukino fell forward into Irina's arms. She then grabbed tight to Yukino and flew out the window; Irina's phoenix flying below them blocking them from anything on the ground.

 

“Onee-chan I'm sorry I'm so sorry.” Irina said closing her eyes though with her helmet on you couldn't tell.

 

“It's ok Irina-chan.” Yukino said holding tighter to her sister not out of fear but in the hopes Irina could feel it through the suit and that it would reassure her.

 

“Now I know why the principal keeps me in the lab. “Irina quietly said as the phoenix flew next to them poking Irina and making an electronic chirp.

 

“Don't think like that; let's go back before Haruka gets worried.” Yukino said.

 

“Yukino, where the hell are you?” Haruka yelled into the GEM on queue.

 

“She's with me Haruka-Onee-chan. We're heading back.” Irina said as she flew down and into the room.

 

“This wasn't a random attack someone planned this and knew the President was here. I thought that was classified information and we leaked that she would be staying on the base until repairs and security enhancements were complete.” Chie said as all of them stood still in their robes. As soon as Yukino hit the ground she ran to Haruka's arms hugging the blonde.

 

“Seems to me that this was an inside job,” Imari said making her way to Shie and putting her arm around her.

 

“To be honest I wasn't expecting to find you here. I thought since my transport came in late I would sleep here and see you tomorrow.” Irina said remembering that she was a little surprised to see so many lights on. Usually at least one of the maids stayed at the house whether Yukino was there or not and Irina had also heard the rumor of Yukino staying on the base.

 

Kazue and Jenna came into the room dragging the last attacker between them bound and gagged. They tossed him on top of the others. “That's the last of them. A unit should be here soon to pick them up.” Kazue said as they heard a phone start to ring.

 

“Somebody's ringing. What should we do?” Imari asked as they began searching the men for the phone. All of them surprised that one of them had a phone that wasn't on vibrate.

 

Shie was the one to find it and held it up staring at it. “I don't know.”

 

“Give me that.” Haruka said then grabbed the phone flipping it open. “Who the hell is this and why....”

 

Before she got a chance to say anymore Chie quickly reached out grabbing the phone from Haruka then cleared her throat talking in a voice far deeper then her normal husky voice. “The job went bust. The bitch is still alive.”

 

“What was that before you answered?” A computerized voice said into the phone.

 

“I just had to hop over a fence. That retarded blonde slut tried to catch me.” Chie continued. Haruka started to snap at Chie but Yukino covered her mouth with her hand silencing the blonde knowing exactly what Chie was doing though she thought that calling Haruka a retard slut was a bit much and would have to have a chat with the Otome later.

 

“Status?” The computerized voice asked.

 

“All the others have been captured. You sent us into an Otome nest. Five of those super bitches! This was not part of the deal!” Chie hissed into the phone.

 

“And here I thought General Super Bitch was too arrogant to listen to the advice for more security.” The computerized voice said.

 

“I don't care. I want my fucking money! You set us up I'll tell the boss and you can hash it out with him.” Chie barked into the phone.

 

“You aren't getting anything until she's dead. Ensure that and if none of your men don't talk.” The computer said.

 

“They won't make it to the detention center. We need to meet. This has gotten out of hand.” Chie said trying to get any information out of him. It would be even better if she could set up a meeting where whoever was behind this could be ambushed.

 

“I was told you were the best and you've already failed twice.” The voice said.

 

“Contrary to popular belief, Otome are not pushovers. We doubled the unit and so did they. You're fucking me around.” Chie said, “You didn't give us enough intel I'll give you to them if you don't agree right now.”

 

“One hour in the usual place.” The voice said.

 

“The last guy you saw isn't alive anymore that little clone of Colonel Hallard killed him. We need to change the rendezvous point.” Chie said.

 

“Fifth and Anders, back alleyway,” the voice said.

 

“Make sure your there, or I march right back to general barbarian!” Chie said as she hung up the phone.

 

“Blonde slut? You're treading on thin Ice Colonel.” Haruka said fuming as she clinched her fists ready to hit Chie.

 

“I had to make it believable.” Chie said looking at the general hoping that was enough then looking over to the president who patted Haruka on the shoulder getting the blonde's attention. Yukino shook her head gently then looked over to Chie giving her that we'll talk later look.

 

“Chie-sempai can I have the phone I can hook it to my computer and trace the call, I can find out who it was that the phone was registered to.” Irina said taking the phone from Chie and hooking it to her laptop.

 

“I can do your job for you it's most likely that Johnson bastard. He's been after Shie and me for a while now” Chie said leaning over Irina's shoulder though she wasn't completely sure what Irina was doing. The computer screens were flashing faster then she could read them and Irina's fingers moved on the keyboard so fast they were just a blur.

 

“Colonel I'm not exactly fond of the man either but that's a strong accusation.” Yukino said still playing the politician. Johnson had been a strong opposition when she was in the lower council and then ran against her during her first time in office. Since then he had tried two other times neither time being able to take the vote away from her. The people loved Yukino Chrysant and showed it when they voted.

 

“It's true. He tried spoofing the line I had to track through seven different provinces. The line is his home line.” Irina said looking at her computer surprised that even with bouncing the line around that Johnson would be stupid enough to use his home phone. A smart person would have at least used a disposable cell phone.

 

“So the question is do we get him at home or the meeting place?” Shie asked already thinking of ways to break into his home. Shie had to admit she had thought about this several times before. Everyone knew Johnson was crooked but no one could tie anything to him. Shie had to admit she was more biased then most but that had something to do with him placing her on an execution block and ordering her death.

 

“We get him at the meeting place. Shie get your ass back to base, use the tunnel under the mansion, no GEM comm. Find who you can in the barracks and bring them. General and the president you stay here with Irina and Imari.” Chie said spurring Shie into action she had been the leader of Delta Squad long enough to plan a mission in short notice.

 

“Colonel, who put you in charge?” Haruka said looking at the younger Otome.

 

“No offense, but you are a loud blonde beacon. Patience is not one of your virtues ma'am.” Chie said bracing for the blow Haruka was about to give her but was surprised when Haruka just huffed and turned to Shie.

 

“I'm still your boss. Captain take the tunnel back to the barracks get both squads, no using your GEM in case Johnson is motoring them. Colonel you will go to the meeting place with the rest of the squads positioned them on the roof. Tohika, Irina you can't be involved this is a matter for Aries. You'll remain here with myself and pull rear security.” Haruka said repeating what Chie just said.

 

“I just said that.” Chie started to argue but Yukino patted Chie on the shoulder and shook her head.

 

“Just go with it Chie-sempai.” Irina said knowing it would be best if Chie just smiled and went along with it thinking mostly Haruka had been planning the same thing it was just Chie that spoke first.

 

(Fifth and Anders, Capital City, Aries)

 

Chie stood in the shadows as a figure entered the alley. A man with gray hair walked into the alley wearing a long coat and a hat pulled over his face. He looked down at his watch his other hand in his pocket.

 

“I'm here. Let's talk business.” Chie said keeping her face in the shadows even though she wore a mask trying once again to keep her voice low to disguise it.

 

“Who are you? Your voice is familiar but I don't recognize you take the mask off.” The man said looking around the alley.

 

“I'll ask the questions here. Why did you send us into that trap?” Chie hissed reaching out and forcing the man to look at her. He stared into her brown his unable to help but think he knew those eyes.

 

“Bad information, no one expected Armitage to pull in reinforcement.” The man said pushing Chie's hand away. “The oaf is usually such a blockhead who would have thought she got something right.”

 

“My boss is getting antsy. He wants some payment for this fiasco.” Chie said, “We lost a lot of good men today.”

 

“You'll get double payment when Chrysant is dead.” The man said.

 

“He wants some now. Or the job is off and a nice little package gets dumped into her lap.” Chie said, “Trust me I have enough information to have you buried Councilman Johnson.”

 

“How much do you value your life?” Johnson said reaching into his pocket but stopping as Chie started chuckling. Johnson looked up at the roof seeing several figures standing there.

 

“You can't scare me. We know your address and can have your wife and kids in five minutes flat. You got into this and now you are going to pay.” Chie said.

 

Johnson pulled an envelope out of his coat handing it over to Chie “That is all you are getting now the rest will come when she is dead. There is a tunnel under the manor it is monitored but I can have the cameras put on a loop. You can enter it at a portion of the old subway on Twentieth Street. In that envelope is a map of the tunnel.”

 

“Excellent and one more thing,” Chie said smirking as Johnson started to walk off.

 

“What?” Johnson said turning back.

 

Chie stepped out from the shadows taking her mask off and then members of Delta on the roofs charge their rifles. “You're under arrest.” Shie said coming out from behind a dumpster and forced Johnson into the wall with her powers holding him there.

 

“Fools!” Johnson said pulling a remote from his pocket and pressing a button though nothing happened.

 

“Never under estimate Otome, have we taken care of your boys before you go here.” Shie said.

 

“You really are stupid” Chie said placing a pair of cuffs on Johnson. “Did you really think you could get away with this?”

 

“I'm a respected member of the council no one will believe the two of you.” Johnson said pulling on the cuffs.

 

Chie tapped her GEM and took the bug off of her coat, “You get that Irina?” Chie asked.

 

“She's right you are stupid,” Shie said taking him from the wall.

 

“Every last incriminating detail,” Irina said.

 

(Interrogation Room, Undisclosed Military Location, Aries)

 

The door to the room open and Chie dragged Johnson in a chair in an interrogation room with Yukino and Haruka standing in front of him. “How long have you been planning this? Since you lost the presidential bid in the primaries?” Yukino asked.

 

“Fuck you and your loyal attack bitch. People like you shouldn't be in office. Perverted bitch!” Johnson said standing up and spitting on Yukino until Chie pushed him back down.

 

“General, what is Aries' stance on acts of terrorism?” Yukino asked ignoring that he had just spit on her.

 

“Zero exception policy.” Haruka said pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and handing it to Yukino.

 

“After a trial of course, I hope you enjoy sitting on the other side Johnson.” Yukino said, “Don't worry I assure you it will be a fair trial.”

 

“This will not be the last you hear of me. The council will not allow you to execute me.” Johnson said trying to stand up again but both Chie and Shie had their hands on his shoulder.

 

“Unlike when you put my sister and me up on trial you're actually guilty. Hope you have a good lawyer.” Chie said.

 

“Get him out of my sight Captain before I do execute him.” Haruka said putting her hand on Yukino's waist leading her to the door.

 

“With pleasure ma'am,” Chie said picking him up by the collar and dragging him to his feet. “Tell me councilmen have you ever been in prison?”

 

“I should have shot you both myself and mounted your heads on my den wall.” Johnson said being pulled from the room.

 

The end….