Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Viva Las Baccarat ( Chapter 26 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and never before have they seen a fanfiction so awesome!

 

“Just a bit longer and we should have the results soon,” Nusakan said, as he and Silence worked on an instrument in his lab. The trip from the sewers was amazingly short, and within mere minutes, or so it seemed to be that short, they were right back in the good doctor's lab. Blue had asked if he should straighten out the reception area, and though Nusakan didn't like the idea, he did realize it might be better for his studies if he were a bit organized. He agreed, and as Blue set to cleaning, he set to studying.

 

`I have never seen DNA react this way before,' Silence said calmly, watching as the cells of the spores split and then reform, `Doctor, are they trying to spread?'

 

“I believe they might be, but it appears certain conditions need to be met before they can,” Nusakan replied, looking into the microscope, “But what are we missing that permits the germs to divide like that?” Rouge looked down, trying to think of what could be wrong. He doubted it had anything to do with light; Nusakan's office was just as dim as the tunnels were. Then, he snorted.

 

“Maybe it needs to smell like garbage,” he joked, thinking that might be the only difference between the office and the sewers. But, Blue's suggestion shattered his joke. Blue looked up from the broom, and frowned.

 

“I don't think it's damp enough,” he stated, “It was humid in the tunnels, but up here, it's very dry, and very cold. Maybe it's a temperature issue?”

 

“Blue, I'm pretty sure the germs would die if we didn't keep them warm enough,” Rouge said flatly, “Let the grown-ups talk.” Blue glared at Rouge, and if he were any less mature, he'd have hit his twin with the broom. Instead, he sighed.

 

“You are telling me that I'm being immature? You, of everyone I know?” Blue asked, and laughed, “You're hysterical, Rouge. Now sit down. We're trying to have a serious discussion here, and your random bouts of ranting never help.” Rouge stuck his tongue out at Blue, but plopped into the chair nonetheless as Nusakan looked at Blue and smiled.

 

“Actually, Blue, you are correct in your statement,” he said calmly, “It is rather dry, and I did not foresee that. You see, I must keep my lab dry to prevent the germs from either spreading or being diluted. But, this poses a dire problem in our new case…” He looked back down at the sample he had. He was close to identifying its structure, but it was too dry, and he was too worried for his other work to open a window and let the rain in. Fuse seemed to sense this.

 

“So, how do we solve it, doc?” he asked, crossing his arms, “Bring it outside?” Nusakan shook his head as he took off his glasses. That was the worst scenario possible.

 

“No. What we must do is secure this room, and bring my other studies to the reception area, and seal the door. Then, I will open the window and we can see just what these germs do,” Nusakan replied, “Blue, is the room cleaned?” Blue popped his head into the office.

 

“Relatively speaking, it's cleaner than it was before,” Blue replied, “But I haven't wiped down the counters and the shelves still have some dust on the top.” Nusakan snorted, and picked two large jars off the shelves, heading into the reception area. He was slightly taken aback by the lack of dust, but he simply waved it off.

 

“We'll deal with that later. The jars are sealed, so they'll be safe at the very least,” Nusakan said, setting the jars on the long counter just beside the door, “We just need space to bring everything out. Silence, Fuse, would you help me with this?” He didn't even need to ask, because Silence and Fuse were both already working on bringing out the rest of the jars as Blue and Rouge set to putting them away in an organized fashion. Within twenty minutes, everything was in order, and the office was nearly bare, save for the few instruments Nusakan insisted they needed, the table with the germs, and the five of them standing around, in lab coats and masks.

 

“…why are we wearing all this shit, anyway?” Rouge asked, yanking on his latex gloves, “I feel and look like a complete moron.” Blue grunted and kicked Rouge in the shin as Fuse simply shook his head.

 

“Who cares? We're doing this so we don't get sick,” Blue replied shortly, eyeing his twin flatly, “Now stop being rude and let the doctor work.” Rouge mumbled, but obeyed Blue nonetheless. Nusakan nodded and turned to Silence.

 

“Shut the door,” he ordered, and when Silence obeyed, he walked over and opened the window. The air rushed in, and immediately, the humidity began to rise. The germs slowly went up into the air, as Nusakan had taken them out of their sample jar, and they hovered in the humidity. Nusakan was amazed! Turning to Fuse, he said, “Turn off the lights!” Fuse did so, and the germs began to glow. They were glowing a bright yellow, and Rouge stared in utter awe. It was like watching a tiny constellation of stars.

 

`What causes it to hover?' Silence asked, raising an interested brow. Nusakan narrowed his eyes. He couldn't use his microscope, since the germs wouldn't stay still, but he did have a theory on it.

 

“My guess would be some form of atomic reaction to whatever is inside of the germ itself,” he replied, “The water seems to expand something that makes the germs float. I'd say it was helium, but physically and scientifically speaking, that would make little sense. Something must have changed its structure drastically to warrant such a phenomenon.”

 

“Would radiation do it?” Blue asked, and when Nusakan gave him a confused look, he said, “Anita's old virus was steeped in radiation and particle waves created by radiating light. Would that mutate the germs the same way it mutates a living creature?” Nusakan frowned, and looked at the floating germs again. That was a possibility, but he had never heard of such a case. Nor had he read anything on it.

 

“I… suppose it might. Radiation acts as a mutation stimulus for most living organisms, that much I admit to,” the doctor replied grimly, “But to have that reaction… I do not know how your periodic tables work, but I've never seen hydrogen actually lift something into the air without the object being surrounded by water first. By floating.” Blue sighed. In a way, Nusakan was right. So, then, what was the chemical reaction? He racked his brain trying to find an answer, but none would come to him. And, judging by the flushed look on Rouge's face, he had a feeling his twin wasn't doing much better. Even Silence seemed unable to produce an answer, but just as Fuse was about to speak, his cell phone rang. Sighing, he picked it up.

 

“Yeah? What? But we don't have the results yet. Yes, I know that's what email is for, Doll. But… fine, fine! We'll be there. No, we don't have money. Yes, I can hijack a plane. Yeah, see you later,” Then, Fuse hung up the phone and looked at Blue and Rouge, “Okay, new plan. We need to get back to headquarters before our bosses blow their vessels, so let's go hijack a plane and use our authority to get away with it.” However, if he thought being the boss would make either twin move, it didn't. They both gave him flat stares.

 

“…you actually think you're going to hijack a plane and get away with it?” Blue asked, as Rouge added, “In what screwed up, gay universe does that even work!?” Fuse looked at them both, unable to believe both of them would question him. After all, he was the leader! He was their boss! They worked for him!

 

“Hey, it's not my fault we don't have any money on us!” Fuse yelled, silencing them both, “We need to get back, and if I have to break laws to do it, I'm breaking laws to help people obey them! Now shut up and get your uniforms back on!” Blue glanced at Rouge flatly, but rather than waste time arguing, they simply obeyed as they took their lab coats off, revealing their uniforms. Fuse was about to open the door, but Silence stopped him as he said, “Buddy, don't obstruct justice on me.”

 

`My friend, breaking the law is not an example you would like to portray,' Silence said calmly, though his lips didn't move, `There are other ways to get back to IRPO.'

 

“Well, if you have one, use it,” Fuse said, “Rouge's little map is out of juice, and we need to get back, so do something.” Silence smiled, and closed his eyes as he chanted something in silence. Blue felt a rush of wind, and then saw blue mist wrapping around him. Rouge screamed, grabbing Blue's arm as they were whisked straight out of Nusakan's office, landing in a heap in their own office back in IRPO. And, within another three minutes, Fuse fell flat on his face next to them.

 

“What the hell happened?” Rouge asked, looking frantically around the office, “How'd we get here!?”

 

“Relax, soldier. Silence just used his own magic to bring us here,” Fuse replied grimly, “Damn idiot seems to think dropping me on my head is funny, though. I'll make sure I rip off his little wings later.” Blue snorted as he helped Rouge up, and Fuse simply laid there, looking at the ceiling. Rouge walked over to his computer, and looked at the email they had received while they were gone. One was from Joker, thanking them for their help, and the other was from the bosses upstairs, detailing their new mission. As Blue looked over, he noticed the grim expression on Rouge's face.

 

“Rouge, are you okay?” Blue asked, frowning, “What does it say?”

 

“We need to head to Baccarat. Apparently, someone's docking the workers' salary and there's a strike going on,” Rouge replied, raising an eyebrow, “There've been fights, too. I guess that's why they called us in.” Blue nodded, but Fuse hummed, and the two brothers looked down at him. He seemed to be having other ideas in his head about the situation, and as he slowly sat up, he explained them all.

 

“Baccarat is owned largely by a group of gnomes living in the underground tunnels,” Fuse replied, “If anything, what's going on falls to them, and if it doesn't, then there's something really suspicious going on in the ranks over there. We're not usually called in to solve physical bouts. We're sent in to investigate something. If this were really about a docked paycheck, all you'd need to do is speak to the board of organizations on it. No, I'd bet my badge that this is about something underneath the money.” Rouge narrowed his eyes, and for once, actually did agree that Fuse might have a point. Brawls simply weren't important enough to warrant a squad like theirs. And, judging from Blue's expression, he also seemed to agree.

 

“So, we're to investigate the matter?” Blue asked, looking from Fuse to Rouge, who read the rest of the email. Rouge shook his head.

 

“According to the bosses upstairs, we're to speak directly to the gnomes on this, and if they refuse to help, then we can investigate why,” he replied, and frowned, “But they ask that no weapons be used unless absolutely necessary. Why're they asking us to be so gentle? If this is a crooked organization we're dealing with, shouldn't we break them up?” He looked at Blue, but both twins seemed unable to think of the reason for their orders. Fuse, however, had much more experience, and again, surprised them with what he knew.

 

“Baccarat is one of the main centers for commerce on our continents. If we go in there and bust the place apart, the amount of friction we cause will probably attract attention from Trinity,” Fuse told them seriously, managing to stand up, “Commerce is a delicate thing here, boys, and we can't go messing with it unless we want to get hurt. If we go in carelessly and turn Baccarat inside-out too quickly, that'd be like blowing up a cave. Everything would come crashing down and the mess would be too catastrophic to be able to fix.”

 

“So this is about keeping Trinity out of our hair?” Blue asked, and when Fuse nodded, he said, “It's sad that your world is run by such a corrupt legislation like that. Maybe that's why so many magicians refuse to come here.” Rouge snorted, and grinned smugly as he made a mock salute.

 

“Almost makes me proud to be from the Magic Kingdom,” he said sarcastically, “Except, you know, I'm absolutely pissed with everyone there.” Blue rolled his eyes as he logged off of Rouge's computer. Rouge made it apparent again and again that the Magic Kingdom was deemed the worst place to live in his mind, and Blue had no patience to listen to his brother's rants again. Especially with their newest mission looming on them.

 

“Yes, Rouge, we all know you hate our homeland,” he stated bluntly, opening his desk to retrieve a blaster for the trip, “Now stop ranting and pack some supplies. I'm not going to hold your hand forever.” Rouge stuck his tongue out at Blue as Fuse nodded approvingly and left to get his own supplies, but the brown-haired magician packed his supplies nonetheless. When the two were adequately prepared for their journey, they went down to the quad… only to find Fuse, four suitcases, and a large mug of coffee in his hand. Both brothers blinked, unable to understand why Fuse needed so much stuff, or what he actually did bring with him.

 

“…boss, you're not planning to move to Baccarat, are you?” Rouge asked, as Blue raised an amused brow at the sheer amount of luggage. Fuse sipped his large coffee and grinned.

 

“Nope, but I need a vacation soon, so I decided that if we're going to a casino, I'm crashing on the couch for a day and doing whatever the hell I want,” he stated, “Oh, I put in time for you two, too. Seems you both are getting a name here, because everyone agreed you needed a rest.” Blue snorted, and Rouge practically danced for joy at the thought of a vacation. Until, of course, he remembered they had nothing with them. When he relayed this to Fuse, the older cop simply said, “Well, go home and pack, then.” Rouge glanced at Blue, who nodded.

 

“If you have the power for it, by all means, warp us home, Rouge,” Blue said approvingly, crossing his arms. Rouge nodded, and took out his map. He had just enough power to warp them there and back, and as he pressed on a button marked for Devin, he and Blue were quickly thrust into space for but a moment, only to warp into their apartment a second later. It was as they left it, with nothing out of place. Rouge practically threw himself onto their couch, hugging a pillow happily.

 

“Oh, happiness! I thought we'd never see this place again!” Rouge said, throwing the pillow into the air, “Ah, man, I missed living here!” Blue simply laughed as he walked into his room to pack a small suitcase for the trip to Baccarat. He didn't need much at all; a hairbrush, a small mirror, some hair ties, two changes of clothing, a few books, and the DS that Red bought him last year was all he needed. He came out within five minutes, and saw that Rouge was still trying to pack. Slightly irritated with that, Blue waited on the couch. Only when Rouge screamed in outrage, did Blue move.

 

“Damn it, close up already!” Rouge explained, sitting on his suitcase as Blue rushed in, wondering if Rouge might have been hurt, “You can fit all my shit in you, you know!” Blue's eyes narrowed flatly as the case burst open, throwing Rouge off. He saw that, clearly, Rouge was following Fuse's lead and packing way too much for the amount of time they were leaving. Robes of all kinds now littered Rouge's floor, as well as video games, crossword puzzles, a cell phone, a teddy bear, a Magic Eight ball, a camera, notebooks, an abacus, and various jigsaw puzzles. But, nowhere did Blue see any form of hygienic care packed alongside Rouge's junk. He sighed.

 

“Rouge, we're not moving,” Blue pointed out, picking up the robes and folding them neatly, “We're going for a few days, but not for a month. Can't you pack a little lighter?” Rouge looked up at him, and frowned as Blue set the robes down, placing just two in Rouge's suitcase.

 

“But, bro, I need all of that!” Rouge exclaimed, “What if I get bored?” Blue gave him another flat look.

 

“Then look out a window and count clouds,” he replied bluntly, “Look, you don't need twenty books full of crosswords. You certainly won't need an abacus, or a jigsaw puzzle. Get rid of the useless stuff and pack the necessities.” Rouge opened his mouth to protest, so Blue added, “Pack what will fit, or I'll pack for you.” Rouge grumbled, but obeyed. He brought only two robes, his own DS, his phone, camera, and two notebooks. With a plead, he managed to get Blue to put his teddy bear inside his suitcase, and soon, they were all set to go. Rouge warped them back to the quad, where Fuse actually managed to fall asleep while waiting for them. Rouge simply snorted.

 

“Think we could leave without him?” he asked, kicking Fuse's leg. Blue chuckled. That might've been possible, but he didn't think it was a smart idea. Neither of them knew how to fly a plane. That, and Fuse stirred just slightly, opening an eye.

 

“Leave me here and I'll show you what a blaster tastes like, even if I shove it up your ass to do it,” he growled, and Rouge shivered, knowing it was a dumb idea to disagree. Fuse stood up, and picking up all of his luggage, practically threw it onto the plane as Rouge and Blue boarded with their suitcases, setting them both near the door. From that point on, the trip was fairly peaceful, save for the fact that yet again, Fuse was driving at least three times the speed limit to get to wherever he wanted to go. Blue looked out the window, and was very glad that they were in the air as opposed to on the road. They'd have most likely crashed if they were driving. Either Fuse really wanted to solve this case, or he really wanted to get to Baccarat to play the slots.

 

“So, have you ever been to Baccarat before?” Rouge asked Fuse, as the land gave way to ocean in a matter of second. Fuse nodded, and grinned.

 

“Yup. That's actually where I met Silence,” the older cop replied, “He was getting his ass kicked on Roulette, so I decided to see if I could help him out. I ended up winning him over 20,000 credits.” Rouge's eyes widened. Twenty thousand credits!? That was more money than he had ever owned in his life. Baccarat started to sound even better to him now.

 

“Dude, we could totally try and pay off our debt there!” Rouge exclaimed, tugging on Blue's arm, “Think about it, bro!”

 

“I did, and it's not happening,” Blue replied simply, taking out a book to read, “Places like Baccarat rely mostly on luck in order to win anything big, Rouge. We're already in enough trouble; I'm not letting you spend our money trying to win something when we need it for other things.” Rouge grunted, and slunk into a pout. Blue never let him do anything fun. Fuse just snorted, and shook his head.

 

“Besides, it's not like we'd take your money, anyway,” Fuse added smugly, “We prefer you work off your debt so you learn some form of responsibility.”

 

“But I'm responsible!” Rouge whined, throwing his hands up, and when Blue laughed, he glared at his twin and yelled, “WHAT!?”

 

“Rouge, I hate to point this out, but if it wasn't for me, you'd be setting the Magic Kingdom on fire,” Blue stated, amused with his brother's outburst. Rouge's eye twitched, and finally, he blew his top.

 

“THOSE SONS OF BITCHES DESERVED EVERY BLOODY LIMB THEY LOST!” he screamed, “Why, if they weren't mostly dead, I'd go there and beat them all myself!” Blue simply narrowed his eyes and let Rouge continue to rant on about their homeland. Thankfully, the trip was short, and within two hours, they were already getting off of their plane and walking to the elevator that'd take them inside of the grand casino. Rouge looked around, but saw no signs of any gnomes.

 

“So, where are these gnomes, boss?” he asked, as Blue pressed the button to call the cart. Fuse took out a cigarette and lit it before answering.

 

“Either on the top floors of the place, or underground,” Fuse said, and raised an eyebrow, “Rouge, I thought you collected the cards for Arcane magic already.” Rouge bit his lip, and blushed. He technically did, but he ran out screaming out of every single dungeon immediately afterwards, and therefore, never actually saw anything of remote interest. He laughed.

 

“Okay, so I forgot that detail,” he said, “Point is, I just don't see them.”

 

“Nor should you go looking, Rouge,” Blue warned, as the cart finally came, admitting them inside as it went upwards, “We shouldn't cause trouble here, and if you run around in a crazed panic, we're going to be busted.” Rouge glared at Blue again, but didn't say anything as the elevator finally stopped at the reception desk for the hotel. Fuse stepped out, and with the two twins behind him, walked over to the counter to request a room. As soon as the woman there gave them a key, Rouge practically ran into their room, with Blue following in muted disapproval. Fuse just snorted as he walked inside.

 

“Man, this is snazzy!” Rouge exclaimed, jumping on one of the three beds, “Not even the inn near Shrike is this awesome!”

 

“Nor is it as expensive, either,” Fuse grumbled, putting his wallet back in his pocket, “Over one hundred credits a night to stay in this joint! This job better be worth it.”

 

“Hey, we can just take whatever we want after we bust those gnomes apart, right?” Rouge asked, “Problem solved, boss!” Blue gave him another flat look, and this time whacked Rouge over the head with his book, causing the magician to fall flat off the bed and on his face. Fuse snorted again, and opened the window to let some air inside.

 

“That's extortion and theft, soldier,” he reminded Rouge calmly, “Even with my authority, we can't get away with that.” Blue looked at Fuse in disbelief. He was actually considering Rouge's idea! Blue didn't know whether to be surprised or furious with it; after all, Rouge and Fuse were slowly becoming more and more alike. He simply returned to his book.

 

“Am I the only one sane here?” he asked flatly, “Really? Is it me?”

 

“Sanity's for people who hate free thinking,” Rouge said confidently, opening the door again, “I'm going for a walk. I want to scope the place out for potential baddies.” Blue looked up as Fuse waved the request off.

 

“Rouge, don't arrest anyone, and do not look for the gnomes,” Blue said sternly, but Rouge simply flipped Blue off before going out, shutting the door behind him. Blue blinked, and then looked at Fuse as he asked, “Think we can trust him?” But, Fuse didn't respond. He simply snored, and Blue sighed as he realized Fuse had fallen asleep, albeit a bit too quickly to be convincing. He simply returned to reading.

 

Meanwhile, Rouge was walking toward the elevator, thinking about a decent way to go about their mission without pissing Blue off. He wanted to go looking for gnomes, but Blue specifically told him not to, and even though he almost never listened to Blue, he knew not doing so could result in an Energy Chain. Or death. He sighed. This trip was supposed to be fun, and Blue was successfully ruining it.

 

“Doesn't he trust me?” Rouge asked himself, as the elevator went up to take him to the casino, “I mean, I'm responsible enough to care for myself! I'm almost twenty years old! So why does he still treat me like a baby?” Rouge looked down, unable to find an answer. Maybe Blue was just being a big brother. Technically, he was a few minutes older. As the doors opened, Rouge let the thought slide as he walked into the casino. People everywhere were betting money on the slots, Roulette, cards, and many other games Rouge wasn't familiar with. He blinked, looking at them all.

 

“…wow, and Blue says I'm addicted to games,” Rouge commented, as one guy practically screamed a plead to play again, even though he was currently in more debt than he could ever pay off, “There's one thing I'll give the Magic Kingdom. They taught us some discipline.” He walked past the tables where people were playing poker, and right past all of the slot machines, heading up the stairs. This time, he was in the bar, and it was much quieter than down below. Rouge simply smiled. The atmosphere was perfect for him as he sat in a stool, with the bartender glancing at him.

 

“What's your poison, mate?” he asked, as Rouge looked around the room, “We got some nice Ritas here, if you like the strong stuff.”

 

“Actually, sir, I kind of want information,” Rouge replied, “Have you seen anything suspicious lately?”

 

“You mean besides yourself?” the bartender asked, polishing a glass, “Not really. I've been serving drinks most of the day, mate. Nothing suspicious during the day.” Rouge looked over at him curiously, not liking that impression. Did that mean something happened at night? When Rouge asked, the bartender nodded, “Yeah, I hear talking upstairs. Not sure what it's about, but more and more of our waitresses are quitting every day, and we don't know why.” Rouge hummed, and turned back to the room. That indeed was very suspicious. He grinned a bit, remembering what Fuse had said beforehand about docked payments. This bartender seemed to know what was going on, so perhaps he knew something about that as well?

 

“Are the wages being docked?” he asked, and the bartender gave him an odd stare, “We… we heard that there was a strike here.” The bartender blinked, and then shrugged, putting the glass away.

 

“First time I ever heard of it,” the bartender stated, as a Mystic woman came and ordered a drink for her human companion, “If anything, it's probably got something to do with the new support we bought. The gnomes up top needed some financial aid. Seems they spent too much on their ale and they need to pay the bills to run this dump, so they bid off the deed.” Rouge's grin widened. This was the lead he needed, and now, he was ready to run back and laugh at Blue for telling him to not search around. He had to keep himself from laughing.

 

“Who owns the deed now?” he asked, hoping he wasn't sounding too interested, lest someone figure out what he was up to. The bartender seemed none the wiser as he filled the woman's order.

 

“Not sure. Some high-rise Mystic,” he replied, “Anyway, it's nearly happy hour, so unless you plan to order, mate, I have to go.” Rouge nodded. That was all the information he was going to get, anyway. He bid the bartender farewell and slid off the stool, stalking off toward the stairway leading to the top floors. The gnomes were up there, but he saw the sign saying `For Employees Only,' which he certainly was not. He sighed. He had to get up there and see what was going on. He had to know what Mystic owned the deed and if that was what the strike really was about.

 

“Damn, now would be a stellar time for Blue to show up and either drag me downstairs or pull off something totally awesome,” he grumbled, and then heard someone storming down the stairs. Glancing around, he quickly dove behind a potted plant. He couldn't be seen here, or he might be thrown out, something he had to avoid. He waited silently as three waitresses stormed past.

 

“I can't believe those sons of bitches expect us to whore ourselves off to some Mystic!” screamed one blond waitress, ripping her bunny ears off, “I'd rather be back in prison than sleep with one of them!” Rouge silently agreed, and was glad to know at least one Mystic wasn't into men. But, the next waitress to speak, he recognized.

 

“Annie, I know you're angry, but there's nothing we can do,” it was Emelia, “The gnomes are being greedy, and the only way to keep the casino is to win the Mystic's favor.” Rouge blinked, biting his lip as Annie turned back to Emelia angrily.

 

“Tell someone who gives a shit! I'm quitting and that's final! There is no way I'm sleeping with a Mystic!” she screamed, and then seemed to reconsider as she said, “Unless he's hot like that green-haired one that visits Asellus sometimes.” Rouge snorted. There was no way Ildon would ever go out with a human, unless Rastaban himself turned into one. The three waitresses were about to leave, and that's when Rouge made his presence known. He needed help, and with Annie quitting, he had an idea as to get inside the boss's lounge, though he hated it all the while.

 

“Hey, Emelia!” he called, jumping out of the potted plant. Emelia turned around, and smiled as Annie raised a confused brow, their third friend tapping her foot.

 

“Rouge! How are you?” Emelia asked cheerfully, and then frowned, “More importantly, where's Blue? And what're you doing here?”

 

“Another mission. Basically, we were called to investigate why there's a strike going on. The poster said it was over docked wages, but I'm beginning to think it's about this Mystic,” Rouge explained. Annie laughed, ripping the ribbon around her neck off.

 

“Of course it's about that sex-driven demon!” Annie yelled furiously, “What the hell took you morons so long to get here, anyway!?”

 

“Hey, keep that attitude up and I'm arresting you!” Rouge exclaimed, and Annie simply grinned.

 

“Fine. Anywhere is better than this piece of shit we call a resort,” she stated smugly, crossing her arms, “So, Captain McStupid, are you going to cuff me or do I need to beat you up to get there?” Rouge growled angrily; he had no time for Annie or her antics. He turned back to Emelia, promptly ignoring Annie.

 

“I need to get in there and get some answers. Can you help me?” he asked her, “If Annie's quitting, I could use her uniform to go in undercover and see what's actually happening.” Emelia smiled as Annie ripped off her suit, and Rouge was glad she was wearing her normal clothes under it, or he might have killed himself from such a sight. She shoved it into his hands, and snorted again.

 

“So, you're really going to cross-dress?” she asked him, grinning again, “Funny. I didn't think you would after Ciato's little interest in you.” Rouge nearly choked on his saliva, and his eye twitched. That was a terrible memory, and he couldn't even understand how Annie knew about it! When he asked, she laughed and said, “I have my ways, Mr. Mystic-Lover.”

 

“I HATE CIATO!” he screamed, as Annie laughed and walked away. Emelia wished him good look before joining Annie, and their friend simply ran off, too afraid of what Rouge might do next. He glared at the suit, which was nothing more than an outfit for a cocktail waitress, complete with bunny ears. He shivered. If Ciato were there, he'd have been all over Rouge, no doubt. But, he wasn't, and that was something Rouge was thankful for. Sighing, he walked back behind the plant and began to change into his new uniform, trying to down out what he thought Ciato's reaction would've been.

 

“…Cross-dressing is so evil sometimes. There'd better be no Mystics up there or someone dies.”

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

And so, after reaching their vacation destination, Rouge decides to do some searching as Blue and Fuse unwind a bit. But, now, Rouge must encounter his worst nightmare in order to follow the one lead they have: he must dress as a woman and deal with men thinking him as such. Can he survive such a plight, or will it drive him to the brink of insanity? What will Blue do when he does find out? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!