Another part. I know the climax is over, but I couldn't resist adding this last little adventure to wrap some things up. Hope you'll enjoy this little call-back to earlier adventures. Only the epilogue remains now. 
Though before the last part of the story, I'll take the time to answer Trackman's (long
) comment.
Indeed, tables are turned quickly in this part and the characters (including the heroines) pull nothing back when it comes to the fights (as Coral, Helen, Amara and Karin can attest). I especially liked the fight between Klenia, Shayna, Venia, Coral, and Helen. Rather brutal. A way to show, as you said, that the characters are all giving everything they have. Aeris and Yuki are probably the most sympathetic of the antagonists, so I enjoyed giving them a little moment in the limelight. Same for Mikani during her scene with Aeris.
Amy is indeed very unlucky, but I think she also deserves some bad karma. Same for Kjelle.
I'm happy you liked the standoff between Reka and the four main heroines. It was a tricky part to write, as I wanted it to be suspenseful but not too long either, as it's not Uniform Stealing-related.
Brigid's scene was a way to incorporate a Uniform Stealing scene in the second half of the climax, which is only action and twists.
Yes indeed, the main characters are slowly but finally getting their happy ending.
And now the next part of the story:
**************
Macha's extended family went partying – Aster would have said 'rampaging' – in another part of the town without waiting for the arrival of the police. Given the fact that each one of them was carrying at least one weapon, it wasn't a surprise. Only Macha herself stayed to remain by Hana's side.
The rest of the night was very busy.
First, they had to gather all the bound-and-gagged women that were scattered across the area. In the process, they were forced to search several dumpsters and various trash cans.
Then they had to sort out who was part of Reka's team and who was part of the Special Forces team. Given the fact that most of them were in their underwear, the task proved to be slightly harder than expected. However, luckily, they knew the faces of the members of Reka's and Lizéa's gangs.
Once they were done, two groups of bound-and-gagged women were lined up on two different areas of the ground in front of the flower shop. They were moaning and grunting in their gags. Most of them had woken up.
“Oh, quit complaining!” Clover exclaimed. “We could have piled you up!” She rolled her eyes. “Some people can be so ungrateful...”
Posy chuckled. “I'm appreciating this role more and more... I wish there were more bad girls to knock around and truss up!”
Amber smiled and added: “It sure is better than being the one who's mugged for disguise...”
They were now waiting for the police.
Hieron had also been warned. He should arrive soon to clean everything up.
**************
Mikani was sitting on the ground. Zoé was sitting next to her, holding her hand. Both were remaining silent. The child was still shocked by the entire ordeal.
They were watching the others bustle around them.
“You called me your daughter.” Zoé suddenly said. It was the first time she spoke since they saved her from Reka.
Mikani realized that, after what happened tonight, she could never give the child to the social services.
“Yes.” She looked at the girl. “I hope you don't mind it. I know that I am not your real mother...”
“My family was...” Zoé shook her head. “I'm the last one.” she answered in a flat voice. She then looked at her and added: “Jewel never called me her daughter.”
“If you want, you can stay with us – with Aster, Klenia, Shayna, and I. Do you want it?”
Zoé nodded in silence.
Mikani saw in her eyes that the child wanted something more however. She opened her arms.
Zoé jumped her and tightly wrapped her arms around Mikani's waist. Mikani hugged her. Both were crying.
"My daughter..." the black-haired woman repeated. "I'm here for you... I'll always be here for you..."
**************
Venia was looking at Reka's motionless body. She wanted to confront the criminal. Reka was part of the henchwomen who captured her and put her in the ship to Frontier.
Shayna was with her sister, to support her.
The tall black-haired woman was lying on the back in silence. She was looking at the moon. Max Shroud was sitting next to her, staring off into space.
“You deserved worst.” Venia said to the woman. “Do you know how many of the people Calypso, Sao, and you sold were killed? The ones who ended up as slaves in Frontier were actually the lucky ones! I wish your wound would hurt you!”
Reka ignored her.
Venia angerly clenched her fists.
“Why you... Say something, you b...”
Shayna put a hand on her sister's shoulder.
“She's not worth it, sis.”
Venia hesitated, but then nodded. “You're right. She's been punished. She'll spend all her life on a wheelchair while I'm free. She'll never fight or hurt anyone again.”
She left with her sister.
Reka remained silent.
**************
Julie didn't know where to put herself. Since she did save them from Emery, the others all warmly accepted her. However, she didn't know anyone.
The intern, Mikani, and Klenia were exchanging awkward glances. Indeed, Julie was still remembering how the two women trussed her up.
“You do realize that you could have saved yourselves a lot of trouble if you had listened to me to the end instead of jumping me and stealing my clothes?” she commented.
“Yeah... Sorry about that...” Mikani answered, while still holding Zoé's hand.
“It's what we do... It has become a reflex...” Klenia added.
Julie sighed.
There was a moment of silence.
“So... Are we cool now?” Klenia finally asked.
“I guess so...” Julie commented. “Just never call me.”
“First Macha, now you. Why do all the people I meet say that?” Klenia wondered out loud.
**************
Macha was sitting next to Hana. “I shouldn't have let you go alone... I know that Mikani is your friend, but they put you in danger...”
“Macha, please, stop. It was my decision. You can't blame them for it.” Hana interrupted her.
“What do you have against them anyway?” Zia asked her.
“Well, they did mug me and Hana several times for our clothes.” the redhead explained.
Zia raised an eyebrow. “So? Is that a problem?”
Macha incredulously looked at her. “What, you mean that they mugged you too?”
“Yes.”
“And you still befriended them?”
“Yes.”
Macha shook her head. “We live in a weird world...”
**************
Hieron arrived with the police. When they saw him, Aster and her friends knew that the nightmare was over.
The police brought several vans to transport all the trussed up women. The agents were efficient. It didn't take them long to load all the prisoners. An ambulance took care of Reka.
“Cavalry's late, as always.” Aster commented to Hieron when the latter approached them.
The black man raised his hands. “It's not my fault you warned me so late!”
“Excuse us for not anticipating that we would get attacked the same day we learnt about Reka's escape!” Aster retorted.
“Also, by the way, good job for warning us about this little detail...” Klenia ironically added.
Hieron looked at them apologetically. “Cérès was witholding informations. And I suspect that her men were also doing everything in their power to delay us tonight...”
“Speaking of which. What about Cérès?” Aster asked.
Hieron grimaced.
“News are travelling fast. Too fast...”
“Spill the bean!” Klenia interrupted him.
“She has left the capital city. She has gone to her personal villa in the south.”
“What's the problem? Just arrest her there.”
“The building is on Okéanis soil.” Hieron added. “It's been built near Matilda. The Okéanis government granted her political asylum. We can't extradite her.”
**************
Hieron left them to supervise the prisoner transfer.
“It makes me sick!” Klenia complained. “After all she did, she's going to get away scot-free?”
Shayna was putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she was just as angry as her.
Mikani was even more furious. She had left Zoé under Clover's and Posy's care to discuss with Klenia, Aster, and Shayna.
“She can't be reached legally.” Aster commented. She was the only one who was staying calm.
“I know that! And it disgusts me!” Klenia answered.
“She can't be reached
legally.” Aster repeated, putting emphasis on the last word.
Klenia, Mikani, and Shayna exchanged a glance with each other.
They saw where she was going.
“One last infiltration, before we settle down?” Mikani asked.
Klenia was looking hopeful.
“Let's do it together. The four of us.” Aster answered. “It's time to teach Cérès a lesson.”
“For real?”
Aster nodded. “For real.”
Klenia beamed.
“We will need a mission control...” Mikani added.
“I'll ask Thorn. He'll probably be glad to give us a hand. Just like the good old times...”
“What are we waiting for?!” Klenia exclaimed.
******* Some time later... *******
The chauffeur was rather young, in her late twenties. She was rather pretty, with her chestnut eyes, her loose black hair down to the shoulders, and her olive skin. She was from Korê.
She was wearing a chauffeur uniform: white shirt, black jacket, small tie, black pants and black cap. Currently, she was polishing the bodywork of her black limo with a damp cloth.
Unbeknown to her however, she was being watched.
“Are you sure it's the right car?” Mikani asked.
“Do you see many other limos?” Aster asked back. “Don't worry. Thorn and I planned this carefully. Thalès and Hieron gave us all the informations we needed.”
“But what if it's not the right car?” Mikani insisted.
“It's the right one. Now, prepare yourself. Klenia and Shayna will arrive with the van.”
As soon as she finished her sentence, the sound of an engine resonated in the parking. It was a large grey van.
The chauffeur didn't pay attention to the van, even though it parked in one of the vacant parking spots in front of her position.
Aster decided that it was time to act. She quickly grabbed her cellphone. “Thorn. How's the situation?”
“You're on time. They haven't left the building yet.”
“I'll start the operation. Warn me if they leave the building too soon.”
“Got it.”
Aster closed the cellphone. She was feeling the same thrill that her missions for the Rebellion used to make her feel...
“Mikani, it's up to us. Be quick.”
The operation was carefully timed.
Some members of the government chose to send in secret a negociator and her bodyguard to try to convince Cérès to return to the Federation in exchange of a remission of sentence. Apparently, some of the big shots were fearing the revelations Cérès could make. They didn't want their dirty laundry to be exposed. Unfortunately for them, Hieron learned about their plan.
Thanks to Thalès' and Hieron's intel, Aster knew the exact time of rendez-vous between the chauffeur and the emissary.
“Put your hood on!”
Aster and Mikani took the black hoods they had hidden in their handbags. The two women had already attached their hair, but they didn't want to take any unnecessary risks of being recognized later.
Aster looked around her one last time, to make sure that the underground parking was still empty. It was.
Mikani and she put their hoods on and quickly approached their unsuspecting prey.
The black-haired chauffeur was too wrapped up in her work to notice the danger in time.
Aster and Mikani grabbed her. The woman's brown eyes widened.
“What the?” she exclaimed.
Aster handgagged her with one hand and, with the other, she threatened her with the small flick knife she was hiding in the pocket of her jacket.
“Not a noise!” she ordered, sounding as intimidating as she could.
The chauffeur let out a muffled shriek of fear when she saw the blade. At the same time, the doors of the van opened.
“Move!”
Mikani pushed the woman to the vehicle.
The chauffeur didn't try to resist. She was too surprised, too afraid.
Klenia was waiting there and grabbed the driver's shoulders. The unlucky woman disappeared inside the van. Mikani stepped inside the back of the van and closed the door. The abduction only took them a minute. Aster quickly put back her hood in her handbag and leaned on the vehicle.
The van rocked back and forth a few times, and she heard a few grunts and muffled screams.
Then the silence. Someone knocked on the back door. Three knocks. The signal.
Aster opened the doors and stepped inside the van. At the same time, Shayna stepped outside and took her place, leaning on the van to watch the area.
**************
“It brings back so many memories...” Klenia commented.
Aster nodded in silence. The only difference was that Aaria was with them back then... Her eyes were suddenly a little moist, though she chose to not share her feelings with her two friends.
Inside the van, the driver was lying on the floor, out cold. Her black hair were somewhat messy now.
With a syringe, Mikani was carefully injecting her a dose of Agent Moonlight – the drug would make her sleep a good chunk of hours –.
Aster observed the unconscious woman, quickly estimating her corpulence. She was nearly Mikani's size, as she was slightly shorter than average.
“Okay, girls. Strip her.”
Klenia eagerly complied, with Mikani's help. They were fast and diligent. The jacket and shirt were removed, then the shoes and pants. Soon, the black-haired driver was down to her underwear, a starlight caramel side suppport bra with matching hip-hugging panties, and light grey socks. Sleeping peacefully from the effects of the drug, she wasn't able to complain about her current state, lying on the floor in her most intimate garments.
“Mikani. This set of clothes is for you.”
While Mikani was donning her new uniform, Klenia and Aster started to bind the unconscious driver.
They tied up her wrists behind her back with plastic cuffs. They used another plastic cuff to bind her ankles. Then they wrapped several lengths of tape around her wrists, ankles, elbows and upper thighs, just to be sure. Finally, as a gag, they filled her mouth with a few handkerchiefs and sealed it with a few strips of tape. A sleeping mask was used as a blindfold.
Mikani put on the driver cap, then smoothed her jacket and pants. The uniform was a rather nice fit. It was the advantage with those standardized uniforms was that they were made with rather elastic fabric, conceived to adapt to several sizes under and below their official size.
Shayna didn't knock on the door of the van. So it meant that the coast was clear.
Mikani quickly left the vehicle to take the driver's place.
Aster and Klenia remained inside the vehicle, with the prisoner.
**************
A few minutes later, two women arrived in the parking.
Aster was watching through the tainted window of the back door of the van. Her eyes widened when she recognized one of the newcomers.
“Zoë!” she exclaimed.
“Zoé?” Klenia asked. “What's the kid doing here? I thought she was with Clover and Posy...”
“Not our Zoé. Zoë. With an 'ë'. As in Zoë Eudokia.”
“What's she doing here?”
“I don't know. I guess we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Her family must be up to something, if they schemed to have her be the negociator of the government sent to engage in dialogue with Cérès...”
Klenia shrugged. “Too bad for them, we have our own project.”
They watched Zoë and another woman, probably a bodyguard, briefly salute Mikani. The red-haired heiress even gave her a tip.
Aster realized that they were lucky: had she or Klenia been the ones playing the part of the chauffeur, Zoë would most likely have recognized them. However, she didn't know Mikani, as the latter didn't take part in her mugging.
Zoë and her bodyguard entered the limo.
Good.
While Mikani was starting the engine of the limo, Shayna sat behind the wheel of their van. She was going to follow the limo.
“You know, I think things are becoming very confusing... There are too many Zoés in our lives.” Klenia couldn't help but comment.
“Constantin's mother was called Zoé – or Zoë depending on the translations of the texts. It's the most popular girl name in Olympus.”
**************
The back of the limo consisted of two rows of seats facing each other. A partition was separating the passenger seats from the driver's seat. In order to communicate with the chauffeur, they had to use an intercom.
Zoë's bodyguard, started to speak:
“You know, when your mother told us that we were going to take the place of the two emissaries sent to meet up with Cérès, I didn't think she meant that she would use her influence to have us sent in their place. I thought she meant that we would steal their identities and their clothes.”
Zoë Eudokia, youngest child of House Eudokia, rolled her eyes. She was glad that her chauffeur didn't hear this awkward statement.
“Ever since you were tied up by these two criminals Sao and Reka, you have developped some weird fetish, Nora...” she commented.
Nora, her bodyguard, was a woman with brown hair, green eyes and a tanned skin. Her hair were tied into a tight bun. She was wearing black shoes, black pants, and a black jacket over a crimson red button shirt.
“I'm just saying...” she justified herself.
“I'm not in the mood to talk about uniform stealings right now, Nora.” Zoë said to end the conversation.
Indeed, the copper-red-haired woman was in a bad mood.
Irene Eudokia, her mother, schemed to have her take the place of the official sent by some members of the government to negociate with Cérès. The big shots were fearing the revelations their disgraced colleague could make, and were hoping to convince her to return to the Federation in exchange of a remission of sentence. Of course, Irene had ulterior motives. She was hoping to strike an alliance with Cérès. She wanted to convince her to reveal all the dirty laundry of her former allies, which would therefore strengthen the power of House Eudokia.
Zoë herself disapproved her mother's choice. She couldn't stand Cérès, who was the instigator of her father's murder. The mere idea of associating with her, even as part of an insincere alliance to make other heads of the government fall, was unbearable for her.
However, she didn't have a choice. The head of her House had spoken, and she had no other choice but obey.
Absent-mindedly, Zoë smoothened her light grey knee-long pencil skirt and her matching light grey business jacket. There were white stripes in her jacket and pants. She was also wearing a crisp white button shirt, light brown pantyhose, and black low-heels. Her copper red hair were tied into a loose neck bun.
“Still, I find her choice of words very confusing...” Nora insisted.
“Goodness... This journey will be long...”
**************
Shayna was following the limo from afar. In the back of the van, Aster and Klenia were studying a map of the region. Her cellphone at hand, she was giving instructions to Mikani. Thanks to the partition between the back and the front of the limo, the passengers couldn't hear what their (fake) chauffeur was saying as long as the intercom was off.
Next to them, the bound-and-gagged (real) chauffeur had woken up. However, because of her blindfold, Aster and Klenia were confident that she couldn't recognize them. They ignored her muffled attempts to be heard.
“This is where we will lead the limo to proceed to the exchange.” Aster said, while pointing at a location on the map.
“Nicely isolated.” Klenia commented. “You two did a great job at planning this!” Of course, she wasn't going to use Aster's and Thorn's names when the chauffeur could hear her. “It really brings me back in the past...”
“We sure were good at this gig.” Aster admitted.
“You're sure you don't want to keep doing it?”
Aster shook her head. “There wouldn't be a point. The civil war is over, and once Cérès is arrested, there will be no threat to us anymore. And things will never be the same as they were back then. Not without Aaria and Dimitri..."
"I understand. For you, it's not the same without them."
"Yes..." Aster admitted. "Besides, if Mikani is going to settle with a kid and if we're going to help her, we won't have anymore the time to travel up and down, mugging people here and there for their clothes.”
Aster looked again at her map.
“We're getting closer.” She grabbed her cellphone. “Mikani, get ready!”
**************
“Why are we stopping here? We're in the middle of nowhere.” Zoë said in the intercom.
“A problem with the engine, ma'am.” the chauffeur said to her through the vehicle's intercom.
“It shouldn't take long.”
“Great...” Zoë commented to herself.
“I'll help her.” Nora said.
Her bodyguard exited the limo.
Zoë waited.
Then she heard the sound of a punch and an “Ouch!”. It was the voice of her bodyguard.
She groaned and rolled her eyes.
Really? So easily?
A woman entered the vehicle and sat in front of Zoë. The latter immediately recognized the newcomer.
“Aster Demeter!”
There was an awkward moment of silence.
Aster scratched her head. “Oh... You still remember me...”
“Of course! How could I forget?” Indeed, she was the woman who left Zoë bound and gagged in her underwear when the latter foolishly tried to kill her in the resort, while Aster was trying to capture Calypso Callianass. “And what exactly are you trying to accomplish here?” the copper-red-haired woman added.
“There's nothing personal. I'm on a mission.”
Of course. For what other reason would she hijack my limo?
“A mission? I see...” Zoë said out loud. “How many people have you already mugged?”
“What makes you think we've already mugged people?” Aster asked back.
Zoé gave her a meaningful look.
“One, for now.” Aster finally admitted. “Your chauffeur.”
The copper-red-haired woman sighed. “I take it that my bodyguard and I are supposed to be victim number 2 and victim number 3.”
“Well... Yes.” Aster bluntly admitted.
“I see.”
“You're not going to try to resist?”
Zoë bit her lips. “I guess I do owe you my life. You could have killed me when I tried to kill you at the resort, but you didn't. I am in debt to you. And you're not the ones who was giving the orders during the assassination of my father. Cérès was.”
Aster hesitated. “So... Are we cool now?”
“In a way.”
“Well, I hope that the fact that I'm about to steal your clothes won't ...”
“Are you going to teach Cérès a lesson?” Zoë asked, interrupting her. “I mean, there's only one reason why you would try to hijack my limo...”
“Yes.”
“Then you are forgiven.”
**************
They left Zoë and her bodyguard in the back of the van, alongside with the mugged chauffeur. Both were stripped down to their underwear: a purple bra with a lacy floral pattern and matching panties for Zoë; black melange sports bra, light grey boyshorts, and red socks for Nora.
They bound the two women with plastic handcuffs and tape, and gagged them with tape. Like with the chauffeur, they used sleep masks as blindfolds.
Zoë didn't complain when they trussed her up. She didn't want to be suspected of having helped them. Her bodyguard, on the other hand, couldn't complain. She was still out cold.
They closed the backdoor of the van.
Aster was now wearing Zoë's black low-heels, light brown pantyhose, crisp white button shirt, and light grey pencil skirt and jacket with white stripes.
Unfortunately for Klenia, the bodyguard's clothes were a better fit for Shayna. Therefore, it was the blonde who put on Nora's black shoes, pants and jacket, and crimson red button shirt.
Mikani, still disguised as a chauffeur, returned behind the wheel of the limo.
“By the way... Where do I hide?” Klenia asked Aster and Shayna.
“You'll come with Shayna and I in the back of the limo. When we'll be about to reach the villa, we'll stop and put you in the trunk.”
Klenia's smile faded away.
**************
Cérès' villa was an austere building. Plain grey façades with no embellishment.
However, around, there was a beautiful and well-maintained park, with bushes and trees. Indeed, Cérès lived during a good part of her life hidden in the Flora Forest. Therefore, maybe even unconsciously, she wanted to surround herself with plant life.
Piper and Annabeth were patrolling the estate.
After the incident at the Skiron manor, and even though it wasn't their fault, Drake Skiron refused to employ them anymore. Their only luck was that the private security company that was employing them accepted their explanation, and agreed that they didn't make a mistake. They couldn't be blamed for succumbing to the effects of sleeping darts. At least, they managed to keep their job – their only source of income.
The events of the Skiron manor also brought them closer as friends. Being mugged together sometimes did that to people...
Piper was a fit young woman in her mid-twenties, with light brown skin and eyes that were a mix of green, blue, and brown. While not muscular, she still had an athletic-looking body. Her slightly bushy brown hair were a little unkempt and shoulder long, with the exception of a long braid down one side with a blue bird feather in it. Annabeth was slightly taller and fitter than Piper, had blond hair and grey eyes, as well as a slight tan given the fact that she enjoyed going to the beach during her free time. Her hair were also a little messy and frilly, and were tied into a high ponytail.
Both women were wearing thick black boots, dark grey military-like pants, a dark grey shirt, a black tactical vest with a flashlight in one of the pockets as well as several gun magazines in others, and a black cap. They had a handgun in a holster. Strapped on their belt, there were also a few plastic zip-ties, a small can of pepper spray, a retractable nightstick, and a walkie talkie. A badge with their name was pinned on their vest.
Today was a boring day.
“By the way, Hazel called me this morning.” Piper said to her partner.
“How is she doing?”
“Fine. She's still working with Leo. But you'll never guess what she told me.”
“What?”
“One of her friend, a policewoman, told her about a strategy to counter uniform stealing tactics. She realized that most of the teams of infiltrators were all-female. So, she advocated for mixed patrols. Men and women.”
Annabeth's eyes widened. “That's... That's...” she started. “That's genius! Plain and simple! We should tell Cérès immediately and...” The blonde interrupted herself. “Oh, yes, that's right... I forgot... Cérès wants an all-female guard team.”
“The second our shift is over, we'll call our director.” Piper said. “We must tell him! We must spread this idea! It could revolutionize the fight against uniform stealers!”
“Piper, Annabeth!” a voice suddenly said in Piper's walkie talkie. It was Cérès' servant.
“Yes?”
“Cérès' guests are about to arrive. Go greet them.”
“Roger.”
**************
Aster and Shayna were waiting in the back of the limo.
“So... I heard that things are becoming serious between Klenia and you... A marriage, eh?”
Shayna blushed and smiled lightly. “Yes...”
Aster chuckled. “I'd never have thought that she would settle one day...”
"The heart has its reasons that the reason ignores."
**************
Mikani parked the limo outside the property, as they weren't allowed to park inside the walls. Two guards were waiting for them. One had bushy brown hair, the other had blond hair. According to the badges on their uniforms, the first woman was called 'Piper' and the second, 'Annabeth'.
“You're the guests Cérès is awaiting?” Piper asked while opening the door of the vehicle.
“Well, do you see another limo?” Aster asked back, adopting the attitude of a snobby politician.
The two guards exchanged a quick glance.
“Of course not...” the brown-haired guard answered.
She and her partner were very good at hiding their resentment and scorn.
Since the two guards couldn't see their hands, Aster and Shayna took their sprays of sleeping gas they were hiding in Aster's handbag. They left the vehicle.
Piper and Annabeth moved to give them more space.
“Cérès is waiting for you. Please follow us.” the blond-haired guard said.
“Thank you. Also, by the way...” Aster started to say.
“Yes?”
She and Shayna sprayed the two guards with a generous dose of sleeping gas.
“Gah!”
“Ah!”
Piper and Annabeth gasped, coughed, fell on their knees, failed to grab their walkie-talkies, and blacked out. They landed face down on the ground with a 'thud'.
“Sorry about that.” Aster said.
Shayna opened the trunk of the limo.
“Finally!” Klenia exclaimed.
Her future wife helped her exit the trunk.
Klenia stretched her back, then looked at the two unconscious guards. The blond-haired woman was already snoring.
“So, it's finally my turn?”
“Try to temper your enthusiasm. We have nothing against these two.” Aster commented.
Klenia winked. “Don't worry, I'll be nice when tucking them in...”
“Shayna will take the blonde's place. You will take the brunette's clothes.” Aster added.
Shayna was smiling.
“Love, I think you look way too smug...” Klenia commented.
“I've mugged one more woman than you during this mission.” the blonde lightly teased her.
Klenia pretended to be hit in the heart. “Low blow!” she joked.
She and Shayna then stripped Piper and Annabeth.
They started with the lower part of the uniforms. They unlaced and removed the boots, unbuckled the belts, and slid down the pants. Then they continued with the top part of the uniform: unzipping and removing the tactical jackets, and took off the shirts while lifting the women's upper bodies and arms. They also stole the thin white tank tops that the two guards were wearing under their uniform shirts.
The brunette was wearing apple blossom green briefs with white edges and a spring green padded bra with little lace trimmings; while the blonde was clad in cobalt blue cheeky panties and a cyan triangle bra with white lacy edges. Both were wearing black socks, which were probably part of their uniforms, but they weren't stolen as their muggers didn't need them.
Since they didn't want to lose time, Shayna and Klenia used the plastic zip-ties strapped on the two guards' belts to bind their wrists and ankles. Just to be sure, they wrapped a few layers of thick grey tape around the two women's legs, hands, and shoulders. Piper and Annabeth were also silenced with a few other layers of tape wrapped around their lower faces, and blindfolded with sleep-masks.
The two slumbering guards, now trussed up and divested of their clothes, were finally seated in the back of the limo.
“Enjoy the comfy fancy seats...” Klenia said to the two women with a wink.
She closed the door. The tainted windows of the vehicle would conceal the presence of the two captives.
While Aster and Mikani were watching the surroundings, Shayna and Klenia disguised themselves.
“Let's go!” Aster said once they were done. “Klenia, Shayna, you'll pretend to be our escort.”
She quickly sent a text to Thorn. 'We're entering the estate.'
**************
There didn't seem to be many guards patrolling the estate. Apparently, Piper and Annabeth were the only ones in charge of the southern part of the park. Two other guards were dealing with the western part, two with the northern part and two with the eastern part.
Therefore, nobody was there to stand in the four friends' way. They entered the main building.
The inside of the villa was as austere as its façades. No decoration, no painting.
And, most importantly, no mirror.
Only potted plants.
There were no guards however. All of them were probably outside.
“How the mighty have fallen...” Mikani commented. “To think that Cérès used to manage a nation's budget... And now that her assets have been frozen, she barely has enough money to afford a meager security team...”
On their way to Cérès' office, they came across a servant. The maid was wearing a dark blue uniform: knee-long dress with short sleeves. The collar of the dress and the edges of its sleeves were white. There was also a white apron covering her lower body. She was wearing black shoes and black stockings. She had a fair skin, auburn hair and chestnut eyes. She was slighly shorter than average, but with generous curves.
Aster eyed the woman as she was passing. Once she was out of earshot, she whispered: “Mikani... You know what to do...”
The shorter woman nodded. “I'll also try to find something we can use to... carry our target.”
“Meet us at Cérès' office.”
**************
The auburn-haired maid was oblivious to the fact that someone was silently following her.
She entered a storage room, in which cleaning products, among other things, were stored. Mikani entered behind her.
She quickly ran to the servant and put her in a sleeper-hold, wrapping her arm around her throat and carotid arteries. Her victim tried to scream for help, but to no avail. She couldn't make a peep due to the chokehold.
“Ghh! Ghhh!”
Mikani contained the struggling auburn-haired woman until she passed out.
“Easy now...” she commented.
The black-haired woman laid the unconscious servant on the floor.
She wasted no time and injected her with a small dose of sleeping drug. Then she swiftly stripped her. Mikani started by removing the shoes and the stockings, first lifting the right leg, and then the left, to slide the garments. Then she unknotted the white apron. Finally, she removed the dark blue servant dress.
The auburn-haired maid was left wearing only a cerise support bra and comfortable cream white high waist panties.
Mikani grabbed a roll of brown tape that was on a shelf next to some cleaning producs. She wrapped the servant's wrists, her legs, her thighs and her shoulders. After finishing the first roll, the black-haired woman used another to tape-gag and blindfold her victim. Mikani then dragged the auburn-haired woman in a corner of the room, seated her against the wall, and wrapped more tape around her body to ball-tie her. Since the maid's body was flexible, she wouldn't have too much cramps.
Mikani took off her chauffeur uniform and hid it under a shelf. Then she disguised herself with the dark blue servant dress, white apron, and black stockings and shoes.
While Mikani was donning her new uniform, the unconscious servant stirred and woke up.
“Mhhh?! Mhhhh!”
“It's no use.” Mikani gently told her. “Just be patient. As soon as we're at the other side of the border, we'll call here to warn the guards about you. It's a matter of one hour or two at most.”
“MHHHH!”
Mikani sighed.
Should have given her a bigger dose...
Mikani searched the room and found a big wheeled suitcase. Big enough to carry a woman.
Perfect!
The black-haired woman grabbed the suitcase and left the storage room, turning off the light and locking the door behind her. She ignored the servant's muffled calls for help.
**************
Aster, Klenia, and Shayna were actually waiting for her in front of the door leading to Cérès' office.
Mikani raised an interrogative eyebrow.
“We will do it together. The four of us.” Aster answered to her silent question.
Mikani was moved by the attention. “Thanks...”
“So, everyone is ready?” Aster asked.
“Yes.” the three other women answered.
“Then let's do it.”
They opened the door.
**************
“I was wondering when you'd be coming...”
Cérès was sitting behind her desk, facing them. She had a glass of alcohol in her hand.
On the desk, there was one photo. It was showing Cérès, back when she was still the leader of her resistance network in the Flora Forest. Behind her, there were a bunch of guerilla fighters. At her right, Hieron, and at her left the late Kora, who was sadly lost during the civil war.
The disgraced politician glared daggers at them. “You ruined everything.” she spat.
“You ruined everything yourself when you tried to cover Reka's escape, hoping that she would kill us.” Aster retorted.
"You ruined everything when your threatened our friends and our family." Mikani added.
“We could have done so much together, had you just accepted to follow my instructions and play along in front of the medias.” Cérès shook her head and threw her glass on the floor. “I should have known better! I should have known to not put my hopes in a common thief, a moronic pervert, a pipsqueak from Smog, and a spineless wimp with no ambition!”
Klenia smiled coldly. “We're already very angry at you, Cérès. You shouldn't push our buttons...”
“You fools... This nation could be the greatest in all the World, but I'm the only one with the vision to see it...” Cérès barked at them.
Shayna rolled her eyes. “Superiority complex, much?”
“I made this country!" Cérès barked. "The Number One, the leader of the Rebellion, spent all his time hidden in our main base in Rift's mountains! Who do you think was out in the field to coordinate everything?! Who did make us win the civil war?! It was I! It's my work! I made this country!”
“You weren't alone.” Aster interrupted her.
“Excuse you?”
“You weren't alone. Hieron did as much as you.”
“And Kora died for the cause.” Klenia added.
“And so did Aaria. And Dimitri. And many others.” Aster continued.
“There were also Emery and all the special combattants.” Mikani intervened.
“And in the Province of Naïad, you didn't do anything. It was Morgan and his network.” Shayna said.
“Thalès was the one providing us with informations.” Klenia added.
“So stop pretending that you did everything. It was a teamwork.” Aster concluded.
“But enough chit-chat.” Klenia said. “There's a wheeled suitcase waiting for you. It might take a little folding for you to fit, but I'll be glad to help...” She cracked her knuckles.
Cérès scoffed disdainfully. “Just try.” She grabbed a handgun hidden in a drawer of her desk.
“Look out! She's got a gun!”
Aster didn't take the time to think.
She grabbed the metallic canister of sleeping gas she still had on her... and threw it at Cérès' forehead with all her strength.
“Ow!” The woman shouted in pain and dropped her gun.
Klenia and Shayna ran around the desk and grabbed Cérès' arms to immobilize her.
“Original use of a spray of sleeping gas.” Mikani commented with a smile. “A little eccentric though.”
Aster smiled back. “Perhaps, but it's effective...”
