Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Fan Fiction / Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Fan Fiction ❯ Contracts and Conspiracies ❯ So has the action you promised me finally started? ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The day of living positively. Ha!

Meru sneered internally as she walked down the narrow street that led to her home; her mobile phone with those numerous dangling straps tightly in her hand.

What a joke! What a simpleton! What an utter failure in acting positively! Those messages about desire, a whole lot of hot air! She would not think Teacher was capable of keeping quiet, let alone living positively.

Walk down the street she did, as she conjured marvelous, venomous and vulgar insults and taunts at Nozomu and the rest of the class in her head. If only the writer had not insist on using choice geek-culture reference for her text messages. Oh how wild and vexed those two puny agents will be at the onslaught of uncultured, fully loaded words.

Conveniently forgetting the fact that she was no larger than them children, Meru approached her home. Her house, from the distance and to the distant protest of Nami (who was quickly corrected since it referred not to her but to Meru's house [not to say that she isn't normal]), normal.

Confidently, as confidently as a girl whose loudest scream for help was but a mere pathetic squeak, Meru approached her home. Opening her gate, unlocking her door, thinking of having a relaxing bubble bath to soothe her body. She would not be having that become a reality any moment soon.

“Are you Otonashi Meru?”

Meru turned back to face two faceless persons. They had to be persons. They got the four limbs, strong and bulky looking; the large, muscular bodies dressed in black business suits; the head still attached to the thick, short neck with bulging veins.

They were humans, just without faces.

Instead, where the facial features should be was a mask of deathly white with rectangular slits for eyes and mouth. And as though they mourned what they knew was to happen, red streams of tears were painted flowing from the eyes to their mouth.

And they stunk of pee.

Our petite heroine of this excerpt made a constipated squeak of fear as she tried to hold her breath. It was too obvious that they meant bad news. Really bad news.

“Squeaks, doesn't verbally speak, ponytails, small,” one of them faceless fellows consulted a photo from his chest pocket, “It is her.”

Meru had never heard a voice so cold and devoid of personality before. Then she noticed that she was hearing no other voices. The neighborhood tended to be noisy at this time of the day. Children playing in the streets, housewives gossiping across fences, her mother welcoming her precious pipsqueak back home.

Now, there was no one else except her and the two faceless fellows standing under the setting sun.

Sensing the worst, Meru stuck her keys into the door and scrambled into the house. Just in time too. The faceless ones had started to move towards her; their rough, crass hand brushing against her uniform as she made it through the door for safety.

Slamming the door behind her, she hurriedly locked it, chained it and slammed her back against it. For the next few minutes, she could feel the pounding of fists on the door, stronger and stronger. Genuinely praying for the first time of her life, Meru kept her light weight against the door, hoping against all odds that it would hold. It was the best she could do; she was simply not strong enough to move furnitures and anything more.

The pounding stopped.

Silence.

Was it over?

She kept her position. Quiet. Not daring to make a single noise. For the next few minutes, she sat quietly, keeping her negligible weight on the door, holding her breath until she was certain the coast was clear. The silence maintained. Then gingerly edging herself up, Meru peeped through the peephole.

Only to see a single, maniacal eye staring back into the hole from outside.

She squeaked in shock and fear, falling backwards while the pounding started again, stronger and fiercer. Then with some clicking and clacking, fingers lifted the letter flap of the door from outside and one of them peered in.

Beyond the eye holes of the mask, Meru could finally see the human eyes of the fellow. Wide, wild and wicked.

“Don't try to resist; don't try to run. This simple door will not hold us back, little girl and no one will help you,” the attacker sang in mock friendliness. He giggled. Then he laughed in loud, wicked bouts as his partner attacked the door with increasing ferocity.

To the disquieting sound of gleeful laughter, Meru finally shook herself out of her petrified position and ran. It was merely delaying the inevitable and there was no where else for her to run but it was all she could do.

And behind her, the hinges of her door started to shake with each impact.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The door opened after the light rapping and Chiri entered with a plate of fruits. They had just finished dinner with her and her family. Now, the two sole agents of the Bannings Agency were resting back in the guest room, planning about what was to happen next.

From his slouched position, Gabriel shook his leg as he considered the next option. Besides him, his god-sister was blistering with impatience. She wanted action and she wanted it soon. Yet, Arisa too knew that this unfortunate first mission for her brainchild agency would not see much action.

The plan. The so-conveniently pre-arranged plan the students had done for them. It was really logical if you think about it and most likely it would work. The decision then would be: should they followed the plan.

It did feel too good to be true. Everything seemed as though it had been prepared right from the start and someone was manipulating everyone's movement from behind the scene. Once bitten, twice shy. He had swore that it would never happen to him again.

Of course, Arisa just wanted to get everything done and completed as soon as possible.

“Here,” Chiri knelt down, playing the role of humble, hospitable host, “have some fruits.”

Taking the sliced apple, Gabriel chewed quietly in thought. Arisa ate hers hurriedly, anxiously. Chiri, immaculate perfectionist she was, ate hers in small, delicate bites, each one chewed and swallowed properly. Then she retreated to read a book, or at least a comic she had gotten.

Negi Magi Magister, the title.

“We do it,” Arisa finally declared as she put down her toothpick, “We take the help those students offered and finished this once and for all.”

“Oh,” Gabriel mumbled in nonchalant reply.

“Yeah, oh,” the hot-tempered child grumbled, her little pigtails bouncing angrily at the sides of her head, “Nothing to be excited about. Just a simple job. Nothing to show or boast about.”

“You don't find it suspicious?”

“Yes. Everything is suspicious about this place, this town, especially the school. Which is why I want to finish up and get done with it,” Arisa threw her hands up in exasperation.

Gabriel thought so. There was no real reason for them to stay longer in this town. Since she wanted to go with the plan, why not? He was not particularly enthusiastic about the whole mission or agency in the first place; part of him was glad that Arisa was feeling the same way. But then there was the whole uneasy feeling he couldn't shake off.

The thought was broken by a simple ringing sound. Excusing herself, Chiri picked up her mobile phone and stared at the incoming message. She frowned in annoyance before tapping her reply back furiously, punctuating the air with beeps and boops.

“Something improper?” the boy asked.

Chiri nodded as she set down her mobile phone.

“Just a little issue, nothing much.”

- - - - - - - - - - - -

HELP EVIL MEN ARE AFTER ME

BITCH

Evidently, even when danger was close, old habits die hard.

It was dark in the closet but it was the best place she could find at the moment. She could hear the crashing door as the men finally broke in; their heavy, smug footsteps as they strode around her house without care or concern; the taunts they threw at her to jeer her into revealing herself.

Make no noise. Don't move. Don't alert them. Get help.

How?

The comforting feel of plastic, rubber and metal in her hand.

Her mobile phone. Her only way of communicating for help.

Who could she trust to send for help?

Chiri. Her bitchy, nosy classmate would do things properly. She would call the police or something. Anything as long as she could be safe.

Footsteps approaching. Slow and deliberate. They were in no hurry, no problem. The men were confident. They knew they had cornered her. It was only a matter of searching the house. No matter how small or midget-like Meru was, there was only that many places she could hide in her own house. They got all the time in the world.

Meru couldn't risk taking a peek. Just keep quiet and hope. She could feel the stepping sound outside the room loud enough, close enough.

“Here, little, little girl. Come to us,” the masked man taunted as the sound of overturned items crashing to the room by sweeping rough, thoughtless arms continued.

Hush. Stay calm. Or failing that, at least panic in silence.

“Mail! Mail!”

Meru dropped her vibrating mobile phone in shock, before scrambling to silence it. It was too late. There was a sudden pause of activity, then the noise renewed with fury. Approaching her hiding place. Closer. And closer.

To say that, assuming Meru can say it out despite her lack of a voice actress, 'This had better be good' would be an understatement. Meru quickly opened the newly arrived message on her mobile.

From Chiri:

Use proper punctuation when messaging! It irritates me!

She should have expected that. It was a running joke from her first interaction with her strict proper classmate in the manga. She should have expected the writer who had ran out of jokes, despite a hiatus for a couple of months, to re-use that.

This was not time for jokes!? The joke was not even funny! This chapter was not supposed to be funny. It was supposed to be tense! Didn't the title say 'action'?! The vocally-challenged girl screamed abuse internally in fear and anger. This was not even time to relax or laugh! The cruel, evil footsteps were approaching, gaining in speed and urgency. They had guessed her location. Her time was up.

There was just enough time to bring up another number to her mobile phone. A number that she had recently messaged.

The door to the closet was torn open, flooding florescent light into the insides of the closet, blinding her. Meru pressed the call button just as her vision finally returned to her.

The two men in masks stood before her, leering mockingly through those white, cruel masks. They made no move towards her.

They did not need to.

She had been caught.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Arisa placed her mobile phone closer to her ears, trying to catch for any sound. Shuffling. Dragging. Bumps and thumps. A particularly loud thud as the phone at the other side fell to the ground.

Then the line went dead.

Strange call. Arisa took a look at the number that had called her. It had belonged to the minute girl who insulted her parents via messaging. Perhaps it was a prank call. It did seem like the thing that the electronically sharp tongued girl might do. What was her name? Arisa did not recall catching it.

“Is it Sameshima?” Gabriel asked from his corner.

She shook her head, looking at the number again, “Just a prank call, I think. From that midget who insulted us the day before.”

“Otonashi Meru?” Chiri interrupted, “That is not fitting of her character trait. She is not supposed to speak. I will have to give her a proper lecture tomorrow.”

“No. There was no speech...” Arisa said as she pocketed her mobile phone, “Just some random sounds. Something was happening...”

“What is her character trait?” Gabriel asked, propping himself up.

“She is shy and cannot talk in person but sends vicious, insulting messages through her mobile phone,” Chiri explained as she showed them her own mobile phone, “Usually in improper punctuation and grammar. It irritates me so much.” the prim girl added.

Gabriel and Arisa shifted themselves to take a closer look at the screen of the phone. Chiri had brought up a sample of Meru's messages on it. The most recent one she had.

HELP EVIL MEN ARE AFTER ME

And Arisa could not help notice the second phrase that was added almost like an afterthought.

BITCH

That was not the point anyway. Arisa ran through the information in her head. 'Evil men' after Meru. A phone call with nothing but the sound of shuffling, dragging and such... As though someone on the other end of the line was captured and dragged away... A call for help?!

Like a coiled spring under the pressure of inactivity and non-excitement, she sprung into action.

Someone (probably) needs saving and they are on the job.

“Chiri-san, do you know Meru's address?” Arisa could feel the adrenaline rush in her as she prepared for action. Finally! Some possibility of action! Not boring whines of despair. No sitting in classroom settings. Time to save someone! Get ready! Her katana. She ran towards her custom made katana-broomstick she had left leaning against the wall.

With a sigh of tiredness, her brother extracted his wand from his pocket. He could guess what she had in mind. Pointing the wand towards his staff in a swift, snapping action, his staff came flying into his waiting hand.

Show-off.

Arisa huffed in scorn as she opened the window, ready to leave in her school uniform.

“No special outfit?”

It came almost as a growl from behind them.

The two children turned back.

Chiri towered over them, glowering in disapproval. And the aura, the unseen but strongly felt aura of violence, malice and painful death.

“Both of you are technically magical boys and girls and you don't have transformation or special outfits. That is so improper,” she spoke slowly, veins of irritation and annoyance visible on her forehead.

“But I can fly,” Gabriel replied hastily.

“But you can fly,” the elder girl repeated with deliberate drawl.

“We can change along the way,” Arisa suggested hesitatingly, looking towards Chiri with hope.

“I will not expect something half-done; you will either not go or go in full magical dress; nothing or all.”

The boy sighed before he pointed his wand towards his luggage. With a simple magical command, his robe, filled with various equipments inside came flying into his open arms. Draping the robe over his civilian outfit, he was complete in his dark wizardry outfit. Ready for magical action and more importantly, looking the part.

Arisa rolled her eyes. Show-off. Though she would like to be able to do that too.

“What about you?”

Chiri continued to glower at her, impatient with her lack of magical transformation.

“I can't really transform magically...” Arisa pleaded. Seeing no good response from their insistent host and under the sympathetic look of her god-sibling, she stormed towards her own luggage and took out the outfit. The designer outfit which she had chosen as her official costume.

A quick dash into the bathroom and back, she emerged in her magical outfit, somewhat disheveled due to her hastiness. Adjusting her loose-fitting gloves and tucking the scarf in, she took up the broomstick again and faced her appraiser.

Chiri the perfectionist tilted her head and frowned.

“That is not very magical. I was expecting exploding clothes, tastefully-done bright light and materializing outlandish outfit.”

“We can deal with that properly later,” Gabriel interrupted, “It is not proper to delay our actions any further.” Placing extra emphasis on 'proper'.

“Oh yes,” the older girl answered, “We can deal with that properly later...” She nodded in thought.

After receiving directions from their host, the boy mage put a foot onto the window ledge to prop himself up. Then supporting himself, he pushed himself upwards, diving out of the window.

With a shocked gasp of seeing someone apparently making a leap of faith into the air, Chiri dashed towards the window. Arisa did not bother; she had seen him done that many times.

Seconds later, Gabriel hovered into view, balancing himself precociously on his staff, leaving just enough space at the hind end of the staff for one more person. Excusing herself, Arisa lifted herself up from the window ledge and made her own leap of faith.

Trust. That was the most important part of this move. She could not exactly fly despite the broomstick disguise she had for the katana. She would have to trust in her god-brother.

Reaching out her hand, Arisa felt Gabriel grab onto it and gripped her tightly; his staff taking a dive in altitude due to the sudden increase in weight, slowing down her fall before halting. No matter how many times they had done it, she still felt the sudden gush of fear before Gabriel was able to get their descend under control. Then Gabriel pulled her up onto what space he had left on the staff.

Gripping the thick staff tightly, Arisa balanced herself on it as Gabriel struggled to bring the staff back into proper flight position. One last confirmation of the directions to Meru's home.

To Chiri's shouts of good luck, they left the compounds of her home, flying on the staff over the neighborhood. Holding on to her half of her staff, Arisa felt some nauseas of exposed flight without her control.

“Someday, I'm going to figure out how to fly myself,” she mumbled.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“You know?” Gabriel answered Arisa's self mumble, “I think it might be possible for you to do so using air currents.”

Flying on the staff with an extra passenger was both slow, awkward and a squeeze. He was used to fast flight that allow him to move fast, swerve fast and stop fast. Flight that allowed him to fight or escape any danger fast. Arisa's additional weight was causing them to go slower and lower than he liked.

Not that he can mention it to her without it ending up as another quarrel.

The neighborhood was surprisingly quiet. The lit lights could be seen from the windows of the houses below them but the streets were empty. Devoid of human activities.

All to their benefit since they needed to avoid discovery. They did not need another Chiri at their back.

“How?” his god-sibling questioned back. There was discomfort in her voice as she tried to hold back her uneasiness.

“It is not exactly flight per say but being blown around by really strong air currents,” he explained, keeping his eyes open for a house that fitted Chiri's description.

“Wind, you mean?”

“Yes,” he continued, “By controlling the air currents using alchemy, you can direct them to carry you wherever you want. It might lack proper control but it should work.” After all, he had used air currents himself to slow his own fall before. He also decided not to mention how the technique he was telling her felt more like being catapulted through the air rather than flying.

“Maybe,” Arisa replied before pointing towards a house, “I think that is it.”

Confirming her statement, Gabriel directed the staff lower as steady as he could, landing it at one of the darker nearby alleys. On the ground, the silence was even more disquieting. Still no sign of human activities other than the lights from the houses. Then there was no sound from the houses either.

No sounds of talking or of laughter. Not even the sound of blasting radio or television from the inconsiderate neighbor next door. Just silence of a town holding its breath.

In the silence, each footstep they took became more obvious and louder. There was no point in trying to mask themselves as they emerged from the alley. There was simply not a single soul on the street.

Giving the surroundings a good survey, Arisa stepped confidently out, marching towards Meru's house. Walking cautiously out of habit, Gabriel followed behind, constantly taking furtive glances to the back. His hands patting his various pockets in the robe to confirm the presence and condition of his equipments. Deck of cards, check. Wand, check. Holding tubes, check...

Meru's house was quiet. Just like every other house in the neighborhood. Walking past the ajar fence, they ended up before the door. It looked new.

Before he could stop her, his brash god-sibling knocked on the door. The loud knocks reverberated through the silent night.

There were footsteps from behind the door as someone approached to get them. To the squeaking of freshly-replaced hinges, the door opened wide and welcoming. Meru, the short, pony-tailed girl who insults people through mobile messages stood quietly before them, staring at them with shocked surprise.

She opened her mouth. Then she stopped herself. Then digging into her pockets, the silent girl took out her mobile phone, keyed something into it and lifted it up for them to see.

Why are you here?

“You called us,” Arisa answered, cranking her neck to see the insides of the house. The inside was as standard as living rooms could be. Neat, tidy and everything in place. No signs of struggle or anything that hinted of danger.

Meru half-opened her mouth again before she stopped. Then she started to press into her mobile phone again for them to see what she wanted to say. The many mobile phone straps jingled as she thrust the screen forward in their faces.

Welcome. Would you like some tea?

“No. That won't be necessary,” Arisa replied forlornly.

Gabriel could tell that Arisa was getting the sinking sense that it was just a hoax. Her hopes dashed once more and her spirits down. Peering into the house, he could see a man approaching them. Tall and burly but normal. Probably Meru's father.

Stopping just behind his vocally-challenged daughter, he looked down curiously on the two strangely dressed visitors. Then he turned towards Meru and asked about their presences. Meru shook her head in reply.

Turning back towards the two children with an arched eyebrow of surprise, the man smiled warmly. “Do you want to stay for a while?” he said.

“No...” Arisa answered, “Why did you call and-

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

Before Arisa could finish her question, Gabriel cut her off and accepted the invitation for the both of them. There was something he wanted to investigate. Ignoring his god-sibling's glare, he stepped inside the house. She would soon follow behind.

Inside the house and seated comfortably, the living room was just as standard as before. Everything in place; everything straight. Their hosts welcomed them politely and entertained them well. They did not even ask awkward questions such as their reason to be here or their 'magical' outfit. The tea was good and so were the cookies. Nothing was out of place and nothing suggested a reason for Meru to call them.

Nothing but for the strange, faint stench in the air that you could only catch in occasional whiffs.

It marred the scent of the tea and cookies. Which was a real pity because those were really good.

After a delightful conversation about the town and the attractions around, both children were left to their own. The father had retreated to the kitchen while Meru returned to her room to make a phone call.

The moment the coast was clear, Gabriel tabbed Arisa's shoulder. Placing a finger to his lips in a hush signal, he stood up and walked lightly around the living room. Bending down, he peeked under the sofa and table. That was enough. He had seen what he had to see.

Then, getting back up, he signaled his sister to leave.

“Why?” Arisa whispered as she took up her disguised katana, “What did you see?”

“The new door was the first problem. Then, the place is too neat,” Gabriel explained, “It was a perfect replica of what you would expect to see. But few houses are like that. Possibly only Chiri's house would be like that and that's because of her perfectionist, obsessive personality.”

Arisa was obviously not paying attention. Instead she was looking all around the place herself. Undeterred, Gabriel continued, taking childish pride in his own deduction.

“When I checked under the furnitures, I realized that there were certain areas without dust. Thus my conclusion that the furnitures were actually moved or replaced. If there had been a struggle or something that cause the original Meru to call you, this would be proof that they had undone the damage.”

“All circumstantial and I think you just made that up just now,” Arisa countered as she checked under the furnitures herself, “But there did not seem to be a point staying any longer.”

Gabriel raised a palm to stop her. There were footsteps behind them.

“Leaving already? Why not stay for a while longer?”

The father had returned from the kitchen with another plate of cookies. He smiled warmly as he placed the plate on the coffee table. Despite the overt warmth in his smile and his voice, there was also an underlying firmness in it. It was not a question or a suggestion. It was meant to be a command to be obeyed.

Not that Gabriel ever really cared for obeying anything.

“No, we really got to be leaving,” he whined theatrically, “or we will be late for our curfew. Our place of lodging locks up after eleven. We cannot afford to be locked out.”

At the side of his sight, he could see Arisa playing along. Tiny, round crocodile tears was already glistering at the corner of her eyes as she acted like the little girl she was. That was great acting. At times, the young mage was actually impressed rather than annoyed and bothered by her.

Gabriel always felt that it was better to do things quietly and in the shadows to avoid detection. Better to avoid conflict than to seek it. He had plenty of scars to attest to the undesirability of conflict. Strike fast, strike hard and retreat. Plan and think for yourself. If rules constrain you, don't follow them. All lessons that Dante had either taught him or he had learnt through experience.

Brash, rash, hot-tempered, intrusive, loud and proud. Arisa was very different. But like him, she was not below acting against common rules or other peoples to get what she thought things should be. She just tend to be a lot more flamboyant and blatant than him when she did so. And she liked it loud and flashy. Like the Black Hawk crash. It looked nice and a little cool, he admitted, but it was not his style.

His forced acceptance as her new brother. No amount of ignoring her or shouting her away then managed to get her off his back. In the end, he just accepted her self-declared sister status. It was Mother's final wish anyway. He was still resisting her declaration of being the elder one but it was just one example of Arisa getting her way with things; she will act in what she thought was best and to hell with what others think. He had seen so much of such behavior in the past few years together.

“Being locked out would be the last problem you had,” the father grinned widely in an amusement of sorts.

“But, but, but...” Arisa whimpered, covering her face with her hands, “We had to go back. We promised our parents so...”

“Little children should not lie. I know your parents are not around. Why not just stay for a little while longer here? I have got ice cream and chocolate chips. And chocolate chips ice cream.” His eyes kept glancing towards the door, noticed Gabriel, and how did he knew Arisa was lying when they never mentioned about parents?

“It is cold outside. I did not bring enough warm clothings,” Arisa wailed. It was a really good wail, loud and forlorn done so to draw sympathy. Yet, it was not enough to move the father. Time for another approach.

“Oh really?” His voice silky, drawing for more time.

“Ya, really,” Gabriel interrupted. The father turned his attention towards Gabriel, only to face the end of his staff directly.

Without any warning, Gabriel brought his staff down as hard as he could. There was a satisfying crack as hardwood met head. The father blinked in surprise. Then he stumbled back hazily. His eyes rolled back and he fell backwards.

“Do you have to do that?” Arisa scowled at the inappreciation of her stellar acting after rubbing the crocodile tears away from her eyes, “I could have convinced him to let us go.”

Ignoring her, Gabriel knelt down to check the father's pulse. Still present. Not dead yet. Good enough.

Walking towards the unconscious figure of the man, or at least the man who claimed to be Meru's father, he dug his hands into the pockets, feeling for anything that would provide a clue to his real identity.

Nothing except for something. It was hard paper, curved to fit one's face snuggly. Rectangular holes cut at where the eyes should be. Another rectangle to represent the mouth and the red smudge of tears.

A mask. Something that he had commonly worn in the past.

“Hamasho,” Gabriel read the fine prints at the back of the mask.

It did not sound pleasant, whatever it stood for.

There was a shocked gasp from the side. A thud as Meru dropped her mobile phone. How else could someone interpret a scene where her father was slumped on the ground, surrounded by children with long, blunt instruments?

Then again, it was exactly as it seems.

“Oh shi-,” Meru mumbled before she turned to run away from the assailants of her father.

“After her!” Gabriel shouted, stumbling back to his feet as he attempted to give chase. The Meru's vocal mumble was the final clue to his deduction. She had been too polite anyway. According to Chiri, Meru cannot speak vocally. Many times, this Meru almost did and now she had finally gave the game away.

This Meru was a fake.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The room was empty. Disquietingly empty. Deliberately empty. So evilly empty.

Except for the presence of a single person. A person so magnificently evil that he defied the rules of villainy of having the occasional break to remain in the evilly empty room. What a maverick!

The Leader smiled sinisterly to himself as he was bathed in the sickly green glow of the green neon screen of useless information. The conspiracy was going according to plan. Just as planned, he thought again as he put on headphones to look more evil.

A beep. Followed by the buzzing sound of receiving fax. Surprisingly low tech but effective. Swiping the emerging paper from the machine and using the pale green light from the screen, the Leader read the latest reports update about the conspiracy and smiled insidiously to himself. Just as planned, he pressed the microphone at the side of his headphones, just as planned.

On the piece of paper were photos. Rows and rows of mugshots of the students of class 2-A. Many of them were covered with smudges due to the bad printing by the faulty fax machine. Those whose faces could be seen, many had big red circles drawn over it. The latest of which was that of the little girl with child-like face and ponytails.

One by one, their field agents were infiltrating the class. Replacing them one by one. Only a few left. Just a few. The Leader's eyes fell on a particular girl's photo. She would be a difficult target to emulate but his elite field agents should be able to do it. They were all genetically chosen and modified for the most accurate results.

Using his evilly red pen, he made large ticks on the next round of targets for the next day and returned the fax. Then he laughed to himself at the joy of having ordered the mass commitment of evil deeds.

The plot had been prepared. The machine was ready. It was now just a matter of time.

They had planned and waited for years. The combination of all the right elements. The invention of the doomsday device. All the outside funding through donations, patronage and brownie sales. Everything for the conspiracy. Everything for the organization's conspiracy. When both of their main targets are together and captured in one large swoop, the conspiracy would be near completion. The Leader liked that deliciously villainous thought. More laughter. More very disturbing laughter.

Buzzing noise as the fax machine spitted out another piece of paper filled with hastily scrawled words. Another report coming in. Snatching the report into his hands with the frustration of being interrupted when laughing disturbingly to himself, his beady eyes scanned the newly received reports.

Sightings!

Their target had presented himself right to them!

It was unexpected. They had put in such an elaborately evil plan to get him into their clutches and yet he just walked into their recently secured grounds. How evilly smart of him to catch them unprepared!

And how evilly lucky of them to catch him unaware!

Grabbing the telephone which he should have used in the first place for reports, he hastily dialed his various minions and lackeys and did much evilly loud and harsh shouts. He also spoke politely, respectfully and courteously at times because he was a maverick and evil maverick villains were not bound by any rules, good or bad.

Within minutes, a dark black van with many masked agents cramped into it exited the secret base and sped haphazardly towards Meru's home. All of them inside the van with a target in mind.

Capture him.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Arisa was already moving before Gabriel's exclamation. Closing the distance between the both of them, she swung the broom cover at the impostor.

The impostor did not filch. Taking a light step forward, she turned back and held up her arms to block the blow. The blow struck square against her arm. Despite the cracking sound of painful impact, there was no change in the Meru's facial expression. To be more precise, the children could not see her facial expressions anymore.

On her face, she had put on a mask. A plain mask of white with rectangular slits for eyes and mouth. And the tears of red like flowing blood. Just like the one they found on the father. Beyond the mask, the eyes were grim but that was all they could make out.

Without letting off the momentum, Arisa thrust the end of her broom forward, aimed towards the Meru's stomach. The Meru reacted quickly and caught the thrust directly in her palm, standing firmly on her ground. For the impostor's sake, Arisa winced at the idea of the resulting pain but there was no visible response from the Meru.

The fake Meru had taken the chance to advance her own attacks instead. Pushing the broom forward, she pounced onto the girl, pushing her towards the ground. Pushing herself back up despite the bruises, Arisa managed to roll away in time to avoid the attack.

The punch smashed the wooden floor platform and sent splinters flying onto Arisa. Another punch, another roll to get out of the way.

“Use your sword, stupid.”

Gabriel threw himself at the Meru, tackling her away from his sister before getting thrown off by a forceful kick.

That bought enough time for Arisa to shed the broomstick sheath from her katana. Throwing the sheath aside, and turning the sharp end of the blade away to avoid seriously injuring anyone, she advanced carefully, waving the blade in a light motion to warn the enemy.

Meru launched herself viciously at Arisa again, clawing ahead of her. Taken aback by the speed, Arisa slashed her blade blindly, hitting Meru in the chest, ripping up her blouse. The impostor fell back from the impact, her arms swinging gently above the ground as she just stood silently there for a while, swaying drunkenly.

Gabriel had recovered and helped himself to Arisa's side, using his staff as a support while his other hand clutched his sore stomach. Then both children stared.

And stared in horror at Meru's ripped blouse.

There was something wiggling on Meru's stomach. Or the fake Meru's stomach, Arisa corrected herself. It was impossible to think the impostor as even human anymore. Her torso was dark shiny black and there were tiny appendices in neat rows waving frantically on it.

Like that of an insect.

The monstrosity lurched forward, snarling, growling and drooling behind the faceless mask in a disgusting guttural manner. Gross, Arisa suppressed a building retch in her stomach. The time doing so might cost her precious seconds. She would never see bugs the same again.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“So has the action finally started?”

“Yes,” Chiri answered Nozomu through the telephone, “And neither of us are supposed to know that since we are technically unaware of what was happening else where at the moment. Is that the only reason for your uncalled call?”

“That will be a cliffhanger, won't it?” Nozomu clenched his fists as he felt inspiration and despair swept over him. He had a quota to meet and he knew what to say, “They were supposed to be helping me escape from this depressing place so that I can despair more!”

“The story left hanging in the middle with only the promise of a resolution at the next chapter,” his student defined the term, sounding frustrated and angry, “Why can't they just round everything up within one chapter rather than resort to cheap tricks to keep readers in suspense? It irritates me!”

“That's because humans have a habit of suspending things. Readers suspend their beliefs to enjoy a fictional, fantasy story. Holy mans suspend themselves in mid air. Nasty shows get suspended from air. Electoral campaigns suspended (but only for a while). Suspension of shows in support of suspension of electoral campaigns suspended. Things can and will be suspended because of human instinct to keep things on hold.”

He looked right. He looked left. Then Nozomu readied himself, took a deep breath, held it for a while to create more suspense.

“Despair! Human inclination to suspense have left me in despair!” he wailed in heartfelt anguish over the topic of despair for this chapter.

“This is as unforgivable as a half-baked chocolate mint cake. I am going to make the story continue!” Chiri declared angrily over the line, “Things should always be in whole. Things must end properly! Leaving things half-done, half-told, half-explained just isn't proper!”

There was a moment of pause. Followed by much action at the end of the line. There was, for a moment, suspense for Nozomu as he tried to figure out what was happening. Then he realized.

“STOP! That will only meant the suspension of our conversa-

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The transformation from girl to bug monster was so fast, so twisted. A mish-mash of insect appendices and human limbs twitching in spasms as viscous drool dripped from behind the mask. The mask was still on, thankfully. For the sight of a half-insect, half-human face would have been an indescribably horrible sight to witness.

She knew she hate bugs.

Arisa could see Gabriel reaching inside his robe. The cards were out. Turning the sharp end of her blade facing the enemy, the young agent too prepared to defend against the staggering monster ahead. All odds were off.

With a final growl, the insectoid lunged ahead at her targets. Then it stumbled back from the impact of hit projectiles. Staggering on its grounds, the monster fumbled at its injuries, tearing out what had hit and hurt it. Just normal poker cards but hard enough to pierce through its thick carapace. Even grasping the card left deep cuts in the creature's claw. More cards were still embedded into its torso, drawing greenish-blue blood. Stranger still, the cards were warm and growing warmer by the seconds.

Gabriel drew another handful of cards from his robe, brushing his fingers across the carefully drawn symbols at the corner. It was a move he devised from the events four years ago. Supposed to emulate some cool moves he had once seen. Touching and transmitting some of his inert magical power to activate the alchemic symbols to harden the card and start the explosive reaction.

The cards exploded. Mini concentrated radius of destructive force tore apart what natural armor the tough insect carapace provide. Blew apart the claw that held the cards it had removed from the injuries, leaving only a dark stump. The insectoid stared dumbly at the damage dealt to its guts before falling back, gurgling in an unfathomable language.

Taking the chance, Arisa leveled her katana and made her dash. The sharp blade pierced through the soft insides of the monster. She put down another wave of nausea as she felt the squishy innards of the monster through her katana. Quickly planting her foot on the bug-Meru's stomach, or whatever it should be called, Arisa pulled out her weapon swiftly while kicking the monster to the ground.

Then she plunged her blade into the monster again. The spurting blood stained her blade, the surrounding carpet and her outfit with the disgusting color and stench of green-blue.

Arisa was about to pull the blade out again when the monster reacted unexpectedly, grabbing the katana by the blade. Its head tilted upwards, looking directly at Arisa through the rectangular slits of the mask. Desperately, the girl tugged at her katana, trying to free it from the bug-Meru. Yet, it held on firmly despite the seeping blood from its hurt hand. Then with its other claw, it grabbed hold onto Arisa's hand, holding it tightly and leaving blood stains on it. It trembled as it stared, making a condescending noise.

It is laughing at her, Arisa realized in both anger and fear, it is laughing at her.

Grasping the blade firmly, keeping the blade in its body, the monster started to lift itself towards the girl. Arisa's struggles could not free herself. Panic was starting to creep up to her.

A single spark of fire burst in the air beside her.

“No,” Gabriel said as he swept his hand across the monster's arm that held on to Arisa. The hardened card sliced through the bug-Meru's arm easily and slickly, detaching it from the rest of the body. The monster gave a piercing scream before Gabriel jammed the card into its face.

The card was already glowing warmly.

Gabriel then grabbed her katana by the handle and pushed her to the ground. Together, Arisa and Gabriel fell, hitting the floor hard as the card exploded behind them.

Turning back cautiously, Arisa could see that the monster's head had been completely blown apart by the card. The headless and limbless body laid motionless on the ground, save for an occasional twitch of an appendix that did not seem to have received the signal of death yet. Then as though as death had brought relief, there was a sweeping sound of cascading sand before the body disintegrated before the children. First like a black sand structure breaking apart naturally; then the black sand itself dispersing into the wind.

Before they knew it, nothing was left of the monster. Not even a trace. Not even the disgusting blood that seemed to get everywhere. It was as though the bug-Meru they just defeated never existed.

They stared at where the body was in silence before Arisa broke the silence.

“Do you know what was that... thing?”

Gabriel shook his head.

Grasping her sides and hugging herself, Arisa shivered. For that moment, she had panicked. She did not know what to do. Faced with danger, she could not save herself but had to be saved.

She was use-

“Let's go,” her god-sibling said, breaking her chain of thought. Turning away, he walked back towards the living room. The unconscious body of the man, the masquerader of Meru's father was gone. He must have regained consciousness and sneaked off.

“Search everywhere. The real Meru might still be around,” Gabriel said softly as he continued to stared at the space where the man should be.

Arisa ran upstairs, obeying her 'younger brother' without questioning. For a moment, forgetting that she should be the domineering one and glad that Gabriel was taking action.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Looking around the room, Gabriel could not see any other places where Meru could be hidden. He then took out the mask they had removed from the man. The featureless mask of bloody red tears. Arisa came down soon. Meru could not be found. She was gone.

“What are we going to do?”

Gabriel shook his head. Perhaps they should just leave and return to Chiri's for now. The monster was easier than he expected. He had fought worse battles before. But where is Meru now? What did the monster do to her? Who is behind everything?

Hamasho. What could it be? What was going on? Whatever it is, Gabriel thought grimly as he pocketed the mask, they will get to the bottom of it.

“What about the real Meru?” Arisa asked as she did another sweep around the room.

“No point,” he answered in his ever pragmatic method while stifling a yawn, “Someone must have taken her. We got no clues as to where. We would be wasting our time searching. It would be better for us to investigate further with Chiri regarding what Hamasho is.”

Soon after they left the house, flying unsteadily on Gabriel's staff (with a knob at the end) back to Chiri's home, a dark van arrived and pulled over in the gardens of Meru's house. Many burly men, grunts all of them, in the deathly pale mask of blood-stained tears burst into the house led by an angry, equally burly man with a painful bump on his head who just an hour ago was 'Meru's dad', only to find an empty house.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The children had arrived back at her home exhausted and quickly collapsed on the floor. They were not sleeping in the arrangement she had properly arranged for them.

That annoyed her immensely.

Despite shaking them somewhat violently, the children persisted on remaining asleep. They were totally asleep. Totally exhausted. And they totally did not tell or ask her anything yet.

The totality of everything made her feel satisfied.

Dragging the children by their foot to where they should be sleeping, the phone rang again. It was Teacher Nozomu.

“I see that you have made the cliffhanger move on, Kitsu-san,” Teacher Despair said.

“And they are totally out now. You can only have that much action for a comedy-based fandom” Chiri answered, “Is that all you have to say? If you got a message, say it in full. Don't hid it through small talk!”

There was a sigh of despair from her teacher. “Please tell my agents that Kino-kun had arranged for a boat to help me escape. My sister, Rin will be accompanying me. The boat will leave at ten in the morning.”

With the message passed on properly, the telephone conversation ended. Chiri turned her attention back to the children. Neither of them were doing a proper job of monitoring her, preventing her from revealing their magical secret to anyone else. The children being totally asleep and all.

Children will be children, Chiri sighed, their punishment can come later. Probably immediately after they finally wake up. Then returning to her room for the night, she wondered what had happened and will happen to them.

The great escape for Teacher will start tomorrow.