Indeed, while the characters in all these series seem to be starting to show some awareness, they're evolving in different directions. I really like how each series, even though they of course also share ideas and developments, evolve in a different way. Each has its own identity.
I'm going a little off-topic here, but your comment gave me the occasion to share a positive feeling I've had in mind for a while. I hesitated to create a topic in the general section for it, but didn't dare, so if someone thinks it's more appropriate to copy-paste these paragraphs there that's fine by me.
Anyway, is it just me or does anyone else have the impression that the Board has reached a good steady pace lately - roughly since the beginning of 2020?
You mentioned the increased activity of authors in the Stories section of the Board (especially since the time trackmann has joined the fray), but I'm also thinking of the people who regularly comment on this section, such as you ( ) and meditions, and also of more occasional posters such as dummy76, themann56 (whose latest story I still need to check), torreken, cardenio, and just as I was typing this comment, micpop posted a new story... In the Pictures section, lesther and darthchloroform regularly provide the Board with fanarts. And pictures from mainstream medias or deviantart and pixiv are regularly shared by many people - such as tirepanted's uncanny ability to find new scenes in comics . Even in the Clips section, new clips are regularly found - such as reza's recent discoveries. And that's not counting the regular 'official' videos made by johnboy's team. Honestly, when I try to remember how the Board felt like when I started to truly get involved in 2018, it seems a lot more dynamic nowadays (roughly since the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020).
Hieron looked like a carefree happy-go-lucky man. And indeed, he even cultivated this image to make his enemies underestimate him. However, in truth, he was a smart calculative person. Someone who became an high-ranking member of the Rebellion, who was one of its leaders during the civil war, and who became one of the most influential politicians of the new government.
Hieron was many things, but a poor planner he was not. On the contrary. And many people who underestimated him sorely regretted it.
To him, one of the secrets of a successful plan was to have several contingency plans.
For instance, when Hieron associated himself with Clover and Posy, he knew that he was putting civilians at risk. The fact that they were willing was irrelevant. He certainly wasn't going to let them risk their lives without some precautions, as meagre as they were.
The black man was looking at his screen.
He didn't tell it to the Vigilantes, but all the equipments he gave them were bugged with a tracer. The fake accreditations Clover and Posy used to pass themselves as the environmental inspectors were no exception. There was a hidden miniature tracer inside the card – one the size of a card chip. That way, Hieron could monitor them... And see if something wrong was going on.
Currently, something wrong was going on. Clover and Posy had left the bank buiding a lot earlier than they should have, without sending him a message. And they were now moving to a different part of the town than the one they were supposed to go to.
The black man grabbed his phone. He dialed a number.
“Agria speaking.”
“Good day.” Hieron greeted her. “Agria. I have a mission for Cleo and you. A rescue mission.”
“It's about your new little protegees.” Agria answered. It wasn't a question. “I suspected that we might have to intervene the second your sent us to Southern Cross.”
“As clever as ever. Yes it is. I believe they have been compromised, probably captured. Luckily, they still have their accreditations on them. Or perhaps the enemy took the cards with them.”
“Either way, it means that we can track them by using the tracer.” Agria concluded.
“Yes.”
“Are lethal means authorized?” Agria asked.
“No, except in self-defense of course. I want you to act without...” Hieron searched his words. “...without evidences that would be admissible in front of a court. Therefore, it's best to keep the bloodshed to a minimum. Especially if civilians become involved, which is very likely if Roxane Barca is the culprit and they're taking them to her estate. Infiltration and uniform stealings are authorized, as long as you respect the protocol.”
“Understood.”
Hieron nodded. Agria and Cleo were unvaluable professionals. The last two remaining special combattants trained by Emery herself who hadn't gone rogue or missing. If someone could rescue Clover and Posy in time, it was them.
He just hoped that the Vigilantes were still alive...
**************
Catalina and her three henchwomen were crammed into the compartment of the van. Carol was driving.
“Hey, Catalina, why did you agree to do what these goodie-two-shoes told you to do?” Nataleigh asked. “Why didn't you gag the other woman? Who cares if she was asthmatic!”
“There's a difference between super-criminality and being stupid evil.” Catalina retorted. “We made her an injection to put her to sleep, didn't we? Therefore, it's not like leaving her ungagged was a threat to us. In doubt, it's best to choose the course of action that won't leave dead bodies behind. Cops tend to be slightly more lenient when it's the case.”
However, while she truly meant what she said, it wasn't the entire truth.
As befitting of a proper self-proclaimed supervillainess, Catalina didn't have many fears.
Except one.
Suffocation.
This was a fate she didn't wish to anyone, even to her worst enemy.
It reminded her too much of her father's and her mother's punishments. Any time Catalina stepped out of line, one of them fetched the plastic bag, and then...
Catalina made an effort to not shudder in front of her henchwomen. To think of something else, she checked her face in the mirror of the van's sun-visor. It was the past. When she refused to volunteer for the army, Catalina understood that this time, they wouldn't stop in time. She ran away.
In defiance, she tried to become everything her parents despised: an actress. In defiance, she chose to fully embrace her bombastic personality that her parents tried to suppress. In defiance, she chose to wear masks to hide her face. Specifically because putting on a mask almost felt like having the plastic bag pressed against her face.
By the standards of her Province, Catalina was maybe puny, but she still was from Ares. In Ares, they didn't cower in front of their fear. They fought it, grabbed it, spat on its face, and broke its spine.
Was it in defiance that she became a criminal? A way to stick the middle finger to her parents, who presented themselves as law-abiding citizens, and said that the punishments were there to make her respect the rules? Perhaps. Ultimately, she didn't care anymore.
When she was young, Katherine GreenHills escaped by reading comics and fantasizing about being one of their characters. One of these supervillains who didn't let anyone walk over them. Well, today, the fantasy was real. And soon, Catalina was going to become rich.
She still remembered the amount of zeros on the check...
**************
Amber checked the back of the van.
Maggie and Luan were still sleeping peacefully, with the sheet over their bodies keeping them warm. Their breath was regular. They didn't seem to have trouble breathing through the nose. Good.
In their sleep, the two women actually moved to be closer to the other. Their foreheads were now touching each other. It was as if, subconsciously, they wanted to cuddle each other. Amber frowned. Was there a spark between these two?
She shrugged. Ultimately, it wasn't her business.
Amber exited the vehicle and closed the door. She parked the vehicle in an empty clearing in woods near the town.
Suddenly, her cellphone rang. She recognized the number. It was Hieron's.
“Yes?”
“We have a problem. Clover and Posy have been captured. You too are in danger. I want you to stay in the van and drive to the fallback position.”
“What about the real inspectors?”
“Keep them with you. I don't want them to fall into our enemy's hands. They may torture them for information or kill them to get rid of witnesses.”
“Got it.”
Amber quickly returned inside the van, locked the vehicle's doors, and drove away.
One minute later, a car arrived in the place where Amber's van used to be parked. Inside, there were a few armed goons.
“We've missed her.” one of them commented after seeing the empty clearing.
**************
Agria suddenly stopped the car and parked it in one of the empty spaces of the public parking they were crossing.
“Look at that.”
She pointed at two nearby policewomen, who were standing next to their parked patrol car. They were chatting with each other, a donut in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other.
“If we want to infiltrate Roxane's estate, we will probably need to steal the identities of some civilians. Policewomen uniforms may help us doing that...” Agria added.
“We didn't take police uniforms with us, and I don't think we'll have the time to return to the HQ to fetch two sets.” Cleo objected.
“We won't need to.”
“Remember rule n°2 though.” Cleo muttered to her.
Agria rolled her eyes. “Yes... The rules...”
A few months ago, shortly after the two women's mission to spy on the Eudokias during which Agria mugged a flight attendant and Cleo a hotel servant, the government decided to control more directly the activities of the special combattants. Especially the infiltrations.
Therefore, they imposed a stricter regulation.
The goal was to minimize the risk of innocent casualties (and of blunders); therefore to minimize the risk of trials. Agria didn't like these constraints. However, Hieron had been clear. If they didn't want the corps of the special combattants to be dissolved, they had to play by the rules. At least as long as the 'suits' were keeping a close eye on them.
When it came to infiltration, there were 7 rules. And among them...
Rule n°2: The mugging for disguise of a non-hostile shall only be used as a last resort. Each occurence will have to be justified separately during the mission briefing. A mugging deemed unjustified by the hierarchy will lead to the immediate suspension of the concerned agent(s) and to a disciplinary procedure.
“Fine. We'll requisition the uniforms.” Agria spat.
Cleo and Agria exited their vehicle, walked in front of the two policewomen and stopped. The first woman had shoulder-long dark brown hair, with a few locks that were dyed red, a light slightly tanned skin, and dark eyes. The second was a black-haired brown-eyed white-skinned woman of average height. They were wearing similar uniforms: dark blue blue cap, a dark blue uniform jacket with a shoulder radio, a white shirt, a belt on which their service weapon and handcuffs were strapped, dark blue uniform pants, and black shoes.
“Yes?” the black-haired policewoman asked, while munching on her donut and keeping her nonchalant pose.
Agria and Cleo showed them the badges that special combattants used when they wanted to show their rank.
The policewomen immediately rectified their positions. “Sir! Do you need our assistance?”
“Yes. We will need your uniforms and your car.” Agria dryly answered.
There was a moment of silence.
The first policewoman, the one with dark brown hair, finally smiled awkwardly. “Is this a joke of poor taste?” she asked.
“Protocol 49-3.” Agria retorted.
The two policewomen shared a look.
Special combattants held a very particular place in the hierarchy of law inforcement agents. They were directly under the orders of the government and only took their orders from them. Technically, it made them above everyone else. Every law inforcement agent knew about protocol 49-3. A special combattant invoking it was given complete authority on any agent of the law, no matter their rank.
The two policewomen had no choice but comply.
“They never told us about that during our training...” the black-haired one complained.
“Can we at least get your clothes in exchange?” the other asked.
“No. We may need them during our infiltration. You will wait inside our car. There are blankets that you can use to cover yourselves. We will call your police station, so they come to bring you clothes and pick you up.”
“They NEVER told us about that during our training!” the black-haired policewoman said a second time.
Her colleague glumly looked at Agria's and Cleo's car. “At least the windows are tinted...”
**************
A short time later, the two policewomen were seated in the special combattants' car.
They were only clad in their underwear and didn't look happy at all. The black-haired policewoman was wearing a black thong and a white moulded bra. On each cup of the bra, half of a grey handcuff was drawn. Cleo suspected that the policewoman was hoping for some roleplay tonight. The one with dark brown hair had a grey t-shirt bra with black edges adorned with black little stars, and matching boyshorts.
Cleo gave them blankets to allow them to cover themselves and to protect their modesty.
“Your colleagues are on their way.” she said to them.
“Thank you.” the black-haired policewoman dryly answered. She quickly glanced at her police uniform, that Cleo was currently wearing. “Can we at least know why you requisitioned our clothes and our car?”
“State secret.” Agria retorted. She was now wearing the uniform of the policewomen with dark brown hair. “Come on, Cleo. We can't waste more time.”
******* Some time later... *******
The cell was almost empty. The prisoners didn't know where exactly the room was situated, or even the building in which they were. Each had a bag over her head when they were allowed to exit the van, though their captors took the bags away once they were in the cell.
In the room, there were only bare stone walls, two mattresses on the ground with rough sheets, and a thick metallic door locked from the outside. Given the aspect of the walls, they were probably in some kind of basement.
Posy was furious.
After their little 'trip' in Catalina's van ended, she, Piper, and Clover were brought in this cold ugly room. Then, soon after, two bodyguards grabbed Clover without a word and took her with them. They refused to tell where they were taking her, in spite of Posy's repeated questions.
Now, Posy was alone with Piper. The atmosphere was tensed.
Piper was remaining silent. Her face was expressionless and she was simply looking at her companion of misfortune.
Posy had spent a long time screaming through the door, demanding to know where her friend was and what they were doing to her.
“This is my last warning!” she yelled. “You better tell me where you took Clover! Or I swear that I'll...”
“Will you just shut up, you dumb bimbo?!” the guard finally shouted through the door. “Pester me one last time, and I'll come in and break your teeth!”
The busty woman's wrists and ankles were still zip-tied. Therefore, she chose to keep quiet – for now. If the guard carried out her threats, she wouldn't be able to defend herself.
Seated on one of the mattresses, Posy shifted angrily, but swallowed her answer.
"You bastards..." she muttered to herself.
Piper finally intervened.
“So... You finally got everything out of your system?” the security guard asked.
She was seated a few meters in front of her, at the other side of the room, on a mattress. Her wrists and her legs were also zip-tied.
Posy casted her a mean glare. “Why... You... How can you...”
The brown-haired security guard held her gaze. She was keeping a cool head.
“I need you to be able to think clearly if we want to escape.” she simply retorted.
Taken by surprise, Posy blinked. She calmed herself. “You mean...”
“It is as your friend said. Until we've managed to escape these criminals, we have a truce.”
Posy nodded. "Yes. A truce. I'm glad we can count on each other. But we're bound with zip-tied. How do you propose to escape?"
"Like that."
Suddenly, Piper rolled on her back. She raised her bound legs as much as she could, and pressed her knees against her chest. She moved her tied wrists next: she made them slide past her rear end, then past her feet that were still raised at the level of her waist, and in front of her. Breathing out, she her her legs. Now, her tied wrists were in front of them, not anymore in her back. Finally, she sat again.
"Impressive..." Posy commented.
"It's a classic escape technique."
Piper contorted her hands a little, until she could grab the laces of her right shoe.
“What are you doing?” Posy asked.
“You'll see.”
Since the zip-tie binding her legs was wrapped above the shoes, Piper could remove it without too much problem.
“I got the idea after you and your friend used zip-ties against me.” the brown-haired security guard explained, earning herself a sheepish smile of apology from Posy. “I modified the insole of my shoes to hide an object under each. In my left shoe, there's a small knife. In my right shoe...” The brunette extirpated a small wire cutter. “There's something to cut zip-ties...”
“Genius!” Posy couldn't help but say.
Piper crawled until she was next to her. Posy extended her zip-tied wrists, still bound behind her back.
“Now, stand still, I'll cut your wrists free.” Piper said. “Then, you can cut me free. Don't cut your ankles free for now though. I have a plan, but if I want it to work, the guard'll have to think you're still secured.”
In spite of her bound wrists, Piper managed to cut Posy's hands free. The busty woman wasted no time and cut the security guard free.
“What's the plan?” she asked.
Piper hid the wire cutter under a mattress, returned to her place, put her shoe back on and sat. She wedged one cut zip-tie against her shoes to make it look like she was still restrained and put her wrists behing her back to pretend that they were still bound.
“Simple. You lure the guard of the cell inside, and when she has her back turned on me, I knock her out. We can use her uniform to fool other guards.” she explained.
A simple plan indeed.
“Are you sure you want to do it?” Posy asked. “Aren't you supposed to... reprove such tactics?”
“Well, to guard prisoners like us, these guards must be aware of the fact that they're breaking the law.” Piper retorted. “They are criminals, therefore it is my duty to bring them down. By any means necessary.”
“Logical. And how do I lure the guard in? I can't exactly use my feminine wiles...”
“Pester her once more. You seem good at it.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny. A million laughs.”
Still, Posy then shouted:
“Hey jerkass! You still here? I asked you a question, and I want my answer! Where is Clover?!”
“I swear, this time... That's it!”
The door opened.
**************
Roxane Barca looked at Clover. The latter was tightly tied to a chair. They were in Roxane's office room, at the top of her huge manor.
The businesswoman finally raised an eyebrow. She was wearing her trademark crimson red knee-long business pencil skirt, with a matching business jacket and a crisp whit shirt, as well as red high heels and black stockings.
“So. You are the so-called leader of the Vigilantes, that pesky team who's been a bother to my business for a while now. I have to say. I was expecting someone more... impressive.”
Clover didn't answer. She simply glared at her.
Roxane shook her head. “Not very talkative, I see. It doesn't matter.” She smiled. “I'm sure that you will become more cooperative when I take the time to truly 'interrogate' you.” Her tone left no doubt about the fact that this questioning would probably involve torture. “I will give you few a few hours to think. I wouldn't want to have to damage you too much...”
Clover kept quiet.
“I bet you are wondering why I'm keeping you and your friend alive. Why I don't kill the both of you here and now.”
Clover kept quiet.
“Simple. I'm sure that Hieron will want to get his agents back. I simply wonder how much I could ask in exchange... I've been trying to find a weakness in him to exploit for months now, and you're practically sending it gift-wrapped to me! It's finally time for me to strike... and to show him his place...”
This time, and even though she swore to herself that she wouldn't address this criminal, Clover couldn't help but exclaim: “You are a fool if you think that you stand a chance against him!”
“Excuse you?”
Clover knew that she was screwed. She knew that she was going to die, and that she would also be responsible of Posy's and Piper's deaths - and also perhaps of that employee who had an asthma attack. She knew that everything was her fault: She was the one who came up with the idea, she was the one who recruited Posy, she was the one who came up with the plan ton infiltrate the bank... Still, in spite of everthing, in spite of her guilt and her fear, she couldn't help but laugh at the businesswoman's stupid idea.
“You think someone like you can win against Hieron?! The man survived Olympus' decimations. He survived the illegal bloodfight ring. He survived years of guerilla warfare with the Olympian army. He survived Arcadius Zeno and Cérès. For Goodness sake, he's the one who trained someone as monstruously formidable as Emery! Someone like you doesn't stand the ghost of a chance against him!”
Roxane slapped her.
Clover kept smiling.
The businesswoman exclaimed: “Jewel was right. You Provincials really have forgotten your place. I will not tolerate your disrespect. I am the descendant of one of the twelve founders of Olympus! A superior blood flows through my veins! I am destined for greatness and glory!”
“And what glory is left?" Clover retorted. "Most of your glorious leaders killed themselves because they were too cowardly to face defeat! Then the surviving ones turned against each other, and their in-fighting was so bloody that by the time the Rebellion's army reached the capital city, there was hardly any high-ranking politician left to be brought to justice! Most of the Major Houses have been wiped out, or have fled the country. Jewel Zeno is in prison. And she's actually the one who ended Constantin Basileus' bloodline! The Eudokias are the ones calling the shots as far as Olympians are concerned now... Not you direct descendants!”
Roxane slapped her again.
“I told you to learn your place, pig. I think I will greatly enjoy our next conversation.”
Clover took the hit without flinching.
Roxane took a breath and adjusted her business suit.
“Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to attend to my niece's birthday party.”
Clover blinked, genuinely confused. Was this woman just that self-centered and overconfident?
“Your niece's...”
“... birthday party, yes. Did you honestly think that I had a lot of time to dedicate to you? I am a busy woman. I wasn't going to cancel all my plans for you. And family is sacred.”
Roxane looked her into the eyes.
“Don't worry however. I will be back as soon as I can. Catalina delivered you alive to me... and I intend to make the most of this opportunity.”
The businesswoman then looked at Catalina and her three henchwomen.
“I will send one of my bodyguards to watch her. Guard her in the meantime. This room is soundproof, so nobody will be able to hear her. However, if she starts to cause trouble, you have my permission to be rough with her. As long as you don't damage her too much.”
She left the room, walking as if she was come kind of queen.
Yes. She is that self-centered and overconfident. Clover thought.
**************
“I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that...” Rachel said.
Emma didn't know if her companion was talking about her dress or about the party to which they were going.
While driving their car, she quickly glanced at her girlfriend.
Rachel was a woman in her early thirties, who was slightly shorter than average. She had reddish brown hair, hazel eyes, and a heart-shaped face. Her hair were tied into an elegant low bun. Currently, she was wearing an emerald green calf-long sheath dress with elbow-long sleeves, and black shoes. A blue cloth belt was tied around her waist. She was also wearing emerald earrings, a gift from her girlfriend Emma.
“I'm not like you, Emma... I can't go to this kind of party...” Rachel added.
Emma EverLand was a gorgeous-looking socialite with deep green eyes and short ginger red hair cut in an asymmetric cut. The right side was longer than the other, with a bang covering her cheek. Over the years, she tried different haircuts, but couldn't help but always return to this one. While the ginger was of average height, she had a beautiful face and a natural elegance that helped her attract a lot of attention and climb the social ladder. Her graceful bearing reminded of the beautiful blondes of the Province of Hera, which was all the more surprising since Emma actually hailed from the Province of Ares – a Province that she left as soon as she could because her soft art-and-literature-loving nature was putting her at odds with her fellow countrymen and women.
She was wearing a deep blue slim-fitting long dress, with matching shoes and a golden cloth belt. Her neck was adorned with a golden necklace and there were golden and silvery bracelets on her wrists. She also had small earrings in the shape of cherries – though the 'cherries' were actually small rubies. A gift from Rachel, who actually saved money during several months to be able to pay it to her.
“What are you talking about?” Emma asked. “What do you mean by: 'You can't go to this kind of party'?”
Rachel was looking at the trees outside through the window of their moving car. “I don't belong here. I mean... There will be a lot of rich and influential people. And I... I'm just an entertainment worker... We are not from the same world!”
Emma frowned.
Suddenly, she pulled over to the side of the road, and stopped the engine.
Rachel blinked. “Emma...?”
Emma grabbed her hands.
“Never say that again. Never!” She looked into her girlfriend's eyes. “Ever since I met you... Things have become different. I still remember how I felt when I woke up in that van... I was robbed, trussed up, and half-naked. But you were there, with me. And even though your situation was as dire as mine, you still tried to reassure me. And, with you, I was less scared.”
“Emma...”
“These past three years with you have been the happiest of my life.” the socialite added. “To me, the question isn't 'Will you be worthy of them?'. It's: 'Will they be worthy of you?'”
Her eyes teary, Rachel didn't find the words to answer. Instead, she pulled Emma closer and gave her a passionate kiss.
Eyes closed her eyes, her hands stroking Rachel's hair and cheek, Emma realized that this was the perfect moment. At first, she wanted to wait after Barca's party, hoping to offer Rachel an unforgettable experience by taking her to a party thrown by high society. But now...
Forget about the dumb party! she told herself. Grab the ring in your purse and propose to her. Now!
Emma put her hand inside her purse and ended the kiss.
She took a deep breath.
“Rachel... Now that we're alone... There's a burning question which my heart longs to ask of you...”
“E... Emma?”
Somebody knocked on the window of the car.
“Oh, COME ON! Who dares ruin OUR moment?” Emma complained.
It was a policewoman.
“Oh...”
Emma opened the window.
“Look officer, I know we're parked at the side of the road, but I can assure you that there's no problem whatsoever...”
The policewoman looked unimpressed. She had hazel eyes, a dark skin, short brown hair... and clearly looked like someone you did NOT want to mess up with. “Ma'ams. I will have to ask both of you to exit the vehicle for an ID check.” she said.
Emma looked at Rachel, thought at the box with the engagement ring still hidden in her purse. “Is this necessary?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“But...”
“Do I have to arrest you for obstruction?”
Emma and Rachel obeyed her.
There was a second police officer, a light-skinned younger woman with blond hair and blue eyes.
“This is an outrage!” Emma complained to the two women. “Your uniforms don't give you the right to do anything you please!”
The policewoman with brown hair smiled dryly. “You'd be surprised...” she commented.
Then everyting happened too fast for Emma or Rachel to react in time.
The two policewomen moved at the same time, with perfect synchronization. The brown-haired policewoman assaulted Emma from behind, while the blond-haired one attacked Rachel.
Each police officer wrapped a viselike arm around the neck and throat of her victim. She squeezed.
Emma's first reflex was actually to try to grab Rachel's hand. She actually managed to do it, and squeezed it hard. Then, she passed out.
**************
Agria and Cleo were highly-trained professionals. While their chokeholds were ruthless, they also had a surgical precision and rendered the two women unconscious with minimal pain and without influcting lasting damage.
Rule n°3: The mugging for disguise shall not inflict permanent physical damage to the victim. Non-compliance with this rule will lead to the immediate suspension of the concerned agent(s) and to a disciplinary procedure.
“How did you know that these two would be going to the party at Roxane Barca's manor?” Cleo asked her partner.
“Simple. This road directly leads to Barca's estate, and there aren't many other destinations. Therefore, I simply had to check all the fancy cars until we found one with women wearing party clothes.” her partner explained. “I'll admit that I was lucky that this one was already parked on the side of the road though.”
The two special combattants dragged Emma and Rachel and sat them in the back of the police car.
“You have what we need to neutralize them?” Agria asked.
“Yes.” her partner answered.
They weren't going to gag the women, and weren't going to bind them either. They were going to inject them a sleeping drug to put them out of commission for a while, a few hours, but without trussing them up.
Rule n°4: The victim of a mugging for disguise shall not be gagged under any circumstances because of the risk of suffocation. Non-compliance with this rule will lead to the immediate suspension of the concerned agent(s) and to a disciplinary procedure.
Rule n°5: The only authorized drugs during a mugging for disguise are sleep-inducing drugs that have been proven to cause no allergies by an accredited laboratory. All the other chemicals are prohibited because of the risk of allergic reaction. Non-compliance with this rule will lead to the immediate suspension of the concerned agent(s) and to a disciplinary procedure.
A quick shot, and the two women were off to slumberland – and would stay there for the next few hours.
Cleo and Agria then drove the police car and Emma's car away from the road, to make sure that nobody would notice them.
Once the cars were parked in the woods, the two special combattants entered the back of the police car, then methodically and efficiently stripped their victims.
Rachel's undergarments were plain and functional: a green t-shirt bra matching the colour of her dress and green control briefs. Emma's, however, weren't. She was wearing a lacy black garter belt with a leaf pattern and a matching black tanga, black stockings, as well as a black satin underwired balcony bra with eyelash lace trims.
Clearly, the socialite was planning a little surprise for her companion this night...
Cleo searched Emma's and Rachel's purses, and found the invitation cards for Barca's party, as well as the women's wallets.
In Emma's purse, there was also an engagement ring in a small box. Well, that would explain the sexy lingerie... Cleo left the box with the jewel near the sleeping socialite.
“Emma EverLand and Rachel Elisabeth Chase.” Agria said after checking the ID cards. “Perfect. They aren't part of Roxane's close circle. I don't think anyone will notice that they're missing...”
She put on Emma's dress and shoes, while Cleo slipped into Rachel's. Agria also stole the socialite's bracelets and necklace. However, they didn't take the earrings. Indeed, Agria's and Cleo's ears weren't pierced.
“We'll have to correct this mistake.” Agria commented. “Not being able to wear earrings can become a hindrance when we have to infiltrate a party.”
The special combattants left the two slumbering underwear-clad women in the back of the police car, seated side by side with their heads resting against each other. The vehicle was concealed in some bushes.
Cleo grabbed her encrypted cellphone. She dialed the number of the police station of this sector.
Rule n°6: Unless the circumstances prevent to do it without jeopardizing the mission, the agent has to call the local authorities (police or army) by using their official secret communication line to have them send a team to retrieve the victim(s) of the mugging for disguise. Non-compliance with this rule will lead to the immediate suspension of the concerned agent(s) and to a disciplinary procedure.
“Is this the commissioner?” Cleo asked.
“Yes.”
“I suppose you know what kind of agents call by using that line. Protocol 49-3. I will send you coordinates. You will send a team to retrieve two women and drive them to a safe place. Officially, they were mugged by criminals.”
“Understood.”
Cleo looked at her partner. “Now, the next step... is to penetrate Roxane's estate under the guise of two guests and find out what happened to Clover and Posy.” she commented. “This party is more a mean for her to curry favour with the high society. There will be a lot of people, and she probably doesn't personally know half of them. We'll be unnoticed.”
Agria smiled. She was glad to finally reach this part of the mission. It meant that she could finally invoke the first rule...
Rule n°1: The following rules do not apply to hostiles.
Among hostiles, there were of course the criminals and their associates. The special combattant knew that she could pretty much justify treating anyone under Roxane's direct employ as hostiles – including the staff – in the mission briefing as long as she avoided bloodshed, at least with the unarmed people.
Agria didn't even enjoy overpowering other people and trussing them up – or killing them for that matter. She simply couldn't stand the idea of the 'suits' ordering her around for the sake of PR.
“Perfect. Let's go.”
**************
The person guarding Piper and Posy was a woman. She was athletic-looking, and had neck-long black hair that were dyed blue, dark brown eyes and a fair light skin.
The sentry had a vague bodyguard-like look: She was clad in a black jacket over a white button-up shirt and a crimson red tie, black pants, and black thick combat shoes. On her head, she was wearing a red beret. There was an earpiece in her ear. A gun and a combat knife were strapped on her belt.
“I warned you!” the sentry with bluish black hair barked.
She stood in front of Posy, and raised her feet. She got ready to kick her in the face. The busty woman recoiled. She didn't need to make efforts to look scared.
She was hoping that Piper would intervene in time... or wouldn't betray her by letting the guard have her 'fun', then neutralize her...
The guard with bluish-black hair smiled, amused by her victim's fear. “Too late for that! You asked for it, pal!”
Piper suddenly jumped on her feet. She wrapped an arm over the woman's throat, and gagged her with her free hand.
“Urfff!”
The guard panicked. She reflexively tried to grab and loosen the arm choking her with her hands, but she had lost balance and it hindered her movements. She was making a mistake. A better-trained sentry would have grabbed her knife to stab her attacker in the thigh. However, the guard wasn't thinking straight. She was too panicked for that...
“GUUUHHH!”
Piper was well-trained and athletic. Attacked by surprise and in the back, in a disadventageous position, the sentry couldn't break free.
“Hnnnggg... Urf!”
Finally, the bluish-black-haired sentry's body gave up. Her eyes rolled back. She relaxed and went limp.
“You're quite good!” Posy commented, in awe, while the brown-haired security guard was laying the henchwoman on the floor.
Piper stared at her. However, since the busty woman was genuinely impressed and admirative, and since the compliment was sincere, the security guard couldn't find the strength to get angry.
“I was trained in hand to hand combat.” she explained while unbuttoning the sentry's black jacket. “That includes techniques mostly used by infiltrators. If you want to defeat your enemy, you have to know how they fight.” Piper pulled off the jacket, then removed the red tie.
“Enemy. Isn't the word a little too strong? You know, you and I aren't so different. We both fight for justice!” Posy said while her ally was unbuttoning the white shirt before taking it off.
“That woman who nearly died because of an asthma attack will probably disagree... if she was rescued in time.” Piper retorted while unlacing the sentry's shoes.
Posy lowered her head. She was feeling shameful. “It wasn't supposed to end this way. I truly thought that we would never inflict long-lasting harm to anyone. We... we didn't anticipate she would... I didn't want to hurt her! I didn't want to hurt anyone! I thought she would simply spend a few uncomfortable hours at most, then be rescued and go on with her life... Just like all the times we had to... mug innocent people to try to bring down Roxane. I just hope she's alright...”
Piper pulled off the sentry's black pants by the legs and sighed. “Listen. I'm not questioning your sincerity. I believe you when you say that you didn't think you would inflict long-lasting harm. I also believe you when you say that you thought you were doing it for the greater good. And perhaps you did some good on the way. But you have to accept that the days when freelance infiltration and uniform stealings were the weapons of the good guys are over. The civil war is over. Law inforcement is no longer on the side of a violent authoritarian government. You can't substitute yourself to them. Infiltration and uniform stealings are now supposed to be supervised practices, only used while following a strict set of rules and only by authorized government agents.”
Piper looked at Posy in the eyes.
She added: “Infiltration isn't what you think. It isn't supposed to be a fun glamorous game. It's a war tactic. In essence, it is meant to hurt someone, either a person or an organization. After Olympus' fall, the teams of infiltrators active before and during the civil war benefitted from an impunity, the same way a soldier wouldn't be accused of murder if they killed someone during a battle. Because that's what they were. Soldiers. And the truth is, people also got hurt during these infiltrations. Some infiltrators even used lethal means. And even at the hands of those who didn't, there's bound to be at least some victims that were inflicted long-lasting harm – at least psychologically.”
“The point wasn't to harm them. We were trying to bring down Roxane Barca.”
“You can't substitute yourself to the justice system.” Piper concluded.
“If the justice system did its work, then Roxane Barca wouldn't still be free!” Posy retorted. “She helped terrorists who tried to bomb my city, and who kept Clover and I captive! I can't stand the idea of her getting away with that!”
“Then I guess you remember how you felt when you were their captive? The women you mugged probably felt the same way.” Piper said.
This time, Posy didn't answer directly. She muttered to herself. “But we didn't keep them captive for days to humiliate them every day...” Still, she couldn't help but agree that Piper had a point. Her argument was rather weak. Still, she decided that she would wait until after they were safe to deal with her conscience, and to settle her dilemna. She was going to talk with Clover about it.
Please, let us rescue her in time...
The bluish-black-haired sentry's undergarments were a cream white lacy push up bra that she probably used to try to make her breasts look bigger, absinth green hipster panties, and white socks.
Piper used the defeated sentry's combat knife to cut a sheet.
They used the makeshift bonds to tie the woman's wrists and ankles, as well as to tightly hog-tie her. Then, Piper filled the woman's mouth with a few strips of sheets, and cleave-gagged her.
Finally, the bluish-black-haired sentry – who was starting to come to her senses – was left on the stone floor of the cell.
“Let her enjoy the cold floor. It'll serve her right for trying to beat up a bound prisoner.” Piper said.
The brunette then quickly took off her security uniform to put on the sentry's clothes.
“And why are you the one putting on her clothes?” Posy asked.
“Because I'm a better fighter and can neutralize someone without them raising the alarm.” Piper calmly retorted while buckling the black pants. “Also, I don't fully trust you.”
“I don't see why... I certainly wouldn't abandon anyone under the clutches of Roxane!” Posy indignantly retorted. "I thought we had a truce!"
“Well, you say that you're on the side of good, right?” Piper said while buttoning up the white shirt. “Then prove it by leaving an official defender of the law handle things.” She put on the red tie and slipped into the black jacket.
“You're working for a private security company, not the police...” Posy couldn't help but mumble.
Piper's cheeks reddened slightly. She avoided Posy's eyes by putting on and lacing the black combat shoes. The subject was clearly touchy.
“Well... I... I tried, but failed the...Um! Anyway!” She shook her head and looked seriously at the busty woman. “I chose this work because I wanted to protect people, even though I couldn't become a policewoman. And this is what I'll do. Trust me. Between you and the people who kidnapped us, I know who are the worst criminals. I won't leave you in their hands and if I can, I will try to help you save your friend. But first, I need to explore the place we're locked in – and to find a way to break you out with me.”
She was sounding so sincere, Posy couldn't help but give up. She bit her lip and nodded. “I trust you...”
**************
Carol and Maddie were busy admiring the decoration of Roxane's office room. Clearly, they were having a hard time resisting the temptation to pocket some of the gold ornaments... Nataleigh was looking at the party through the window. Given her hungry expression, she was probably eying the buffet... Catalina was checking herself in the mirror.
Discreetly, Clover was trying to size up the solidity of her bonds. However, she had no illusion. Alone against four, she stood no chance.
“I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed...” Catalina suddenly commented while looking at the black woman. “I thought that you heroine types were a little more resourceful. Capturing you proved to be a lot easier than I thought...”
“And you. How can you work for her?” Clover interrupted her.
Catalina raised an eyebrow. “Uh?”
“How can you work for Roxane Barca?” Cloved asked her. “You're a Provincial too. In her eyes, you are a mere attack dog. Aren't you put off by her superiority complex?”
The self-proclaimed supervillainess shrugged. “I'll show you why I work for her...” Catalina grabbed a check in her wallet and put it under Clover's nose. “Just look at the amount. That's a lot of zeros...”
Clover couldn't help but be surprised. “She spent so much?”
“For you, yes. Pretty weird, uh? She does have this strange hate-boner for you.” Catalina commented. “I mean... Why do you think she didn't just have you shot?”
“That woman's sick...”
“Probably, yes.”
Clover looked her in the eyes. “Do you really want to be the accomplice of what she's about to do?”
Catalina shrugged. “Heh. It's a living.”
Clover changed of angle of attack. “You said that you thought capturing us was too easy. Well, I can swear to you that you simply got lucky. Posy and I, we could provide you with a decent challenge!”
The other woman raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Of course. A good supervillainess needs a few nemesis. We could be yours...” Clover improvised when she saw that that angle was working. "Don't you want a few heroines to fight you?"
Catalina suddenly looked pensive. “Well, now that you put it that way...” She scratched her chin.
The self-proclaimed supervillainess then moved behind the chair to grab the bonds.
Clover was flabber-gasted. Did it truly just work?
Then, she heard Catalina snicker.
Of course not...
“Fooled you!” Catalina exclaimed. “How can you be so naive? The fact that I live up to my fantasy doesn't mean that I live IN a fantasy...”
The door of the office suddenly opened. A woman wearing black pants and a black jacket, a white shirt, a red tie, and a red beret entered.
“And here come the relief troops.” Catalina exclaimed. “Come, my henchwomen. We'll grab a few appetizers on our way!”
Nataleigh smiled brightly.
“I swear, Catalina... One of these days...” Carol mumbled to herself.
**************
The birthday of her niece took place outside the manor, in the huge garden behind the building. The estate was isolated, built away from the pollution of the Province of Smog's industiral cities, with a small forest and an artificial lake to serve as scenery. A huge white marquee was set up in the middle of the lawn, with several smaller marquees to protect the tables of the buffet. A numerous catering crew was there to attend to the needs of the many attendees.
The guests were arriving one after another. Roxane was greeting the most important ones. While in theory the party was supposed to celebrate her niece's thirteen's birthday, in truth it was a way for Roxane to boost her PR with the high society. The teenager herself was looking rather glum, and didn't leave her parents' side. Of course, Roxane couldn't exactly blame her. Her niece didn't choose the guests, she didn't choose to have a huge party with hundreds of attendees and she certainly didn't choose to put her birthday at the service of her aunt's glory.
Bah! She's too young to understand.
Roxane was the head of the Barca family. What was good for her was good for all of them.
The party was lavish. As a casino owner, Roxane chose to make it 'deck of cards'-themed. While the members of the catering crew handling the buffet, the bar, and the supplies were wearing traditional caterer uniforms (comfortable sneakers, black pants with black belts, white button up shirts with black bowties, red waistcoats); this wasn't the case with the people carrying the trays and bringing the refreshments and the food to the guests. They were wearing 'card game figures' outfits: jokers, kings, queens, and jacks. The businesswoman hired entertainment workers, and she didn't regret her choice. She absolutely adored the result.
Between two exchange of pleasantries, Roxane couldn't help but regularly glance at the top floor of her manor, where her office room was situated. At first, when Catalina called her to inform her that they just captured the Vigilantes – or at least two of them –, the businesswoman thought that the timing couldn't have been worst. Then, she understood that Hieron and the Vigilantes probably planned their heist on purpose, scheming to have the inspectors they were impersonating sent the same day as Roxane's huge party. (It would be easy for Hieron to influence the administration.) They probably reasoned that it would be best to strike while her attention was focused on something else. Still, Roxane ordered Catalina to bring her the prisoners anyway.
And she wasn't regretting it. Now that they were here, Roxane wasn't feeling worried anymore. No. She was feeling thrilled. Ecstatic even! The idea that her prisoners were there, in the building, right under the noses of her distinguished guests, but with none of them being aware of it... It was making her feel powerful and superior. And she was loving the feeling! The businesswoman didn't take herself for a risk-seeker, but the truth was here.
Still, Roxane was confident. She was the descendant of one of the twelve founders of Olympus, while these pathetic Vigilantes were mere provincials. She was simply... superior to them. It was in her blood.
What could possibly go wrong?
**************
While she knew that their time was precious, Piper still took the time to carefully search the basement in which Posy and she were locked. She had to locate all the sentries of this part of the building.
Playing the role of a uniform stealer was definitively a new experience for the brown-haired security guard. Luckily, the training she received to fight against infiltrators was also helping her in this situation... Because she knew the tactics used by guards to recognize an impostor. Therefore, she knew how to counter them.
For now, her priority was to explore the basement in which she and Posy were locked, and if possible to neutralize an other sentry and carry her in the cell. However, she had to be careful to not directly be seen by the other guards – from a distance or in the darkness, her disguise would work. But it wouldn't if they saw her face.
A quick careful exploration allowed her to notice several things. First, the basement was vast – the kind of basement that only huge manors had. Second, there seemed to be only one sentry – outside of the one watching the door of their cell and who was now safely bound and gagged. This second sentry was guarding a door, which was probably leading to the stairs allowing to leave the basement.
The sentry guarding the door was also a woman, though she seemed younger than her colleague. She had reddish strawerry blond hair, blue-green eyes, and a light skin. She was wearing the same unifom as the guard of their cell: a red beret, a black jacket over a white shirt and a red tie, black pants, black thick combat shoes. There were a gun and a knife strapped onto her belt, and an earpiece in her ear.
Another woman? Well, it looks like Roxane should have learned a few tricks from our company's policies... Piper thought to herself.
The sentry with strawberry blond hair was comfortably sitting on a chair, reading a magazine.
Not very professional...
Yep. Roxane definitively should have learned a few tricks from our company's policies.
Piper tried to approach her from her blind spot.
However, the woman noticed her out of the corner of her eye. Thankfully, Piper's disguise fooled her during the few seconds she needed to put her target within range.
“Janette. What do you want?” the sentry asked, her eyes still focused on her magazine. She licked her finger and turned the page. “This isn't the time to change shift yet, and I want to know the end of this article...”
Piper didn't give her the time to raise her head and recognize her as an impostor. Just like with the previous sentry, the brunette attacked her target by surprise, and applied a vicious sleeper-hold.
“Gak!”
The sentry with reddish blond hair gurgled. She dropped her magazine and tried to get up, knocking down her chair. She desperately flailed her legs, kicking the ground, while trying to loosen the viselike grip around her throat and neck with her hands. But to no avail.
Piper noticed that her victim was even crying of fear. She couldn't blame her though. Being choked was a terrifying experience – especially since the sentry didn't know that her attacker didn't intend to make it a lethal chokehold.
Though the henchwoman's choice to embrace a criminal carreer was preventing Piper from feeling too sorry for the girl, she whispered in her ear. “I won't kill you. Just give up.” to try to reassure her slightly. The sentry was younger than the previous guard. She seemed even younger than Piper. Perhaps she didn't fully realize the gravity of her actions when she chose to work as the muscle of a criminal...?
“Uhhhhhh...”
The sentry with strawberry blond hair finally stopped fighting, as the lack of oxygen was making her pass out. Her grip on Piper's arm loosened. She stopped kicking the ground. Her legs went still and her arms fell on her sides. Her head slumped forward. Her body slumped in Piper's arms. She was unconscious.
Piper wrapped her arms under the guard's shoulders and around her chest. She dragged the unconscious woman across the corridors to the cell in which Posy was waiting, then inside the room. The guard's heels scraped against the floor. Her head was slightly wobbling.
Piper opened the door and entered the cell.
“That was fast” Posy commented.
“We can't waste time.” Piper answered.
And indeed, they didn't waste time divesting the woman of her uniform.
They stripped the sentry down to her blue panties with light pink polka dots and a light pink little bow, red t-shirt bra with white polka dots, and black socks with red polka dots. Then, they cut another sheet into makeshift bonds and gag.
This time, they chose to not hog-tie their victim. Instead, they grabbed one discarded sheet, and wrapped it around the strawberry-blond-haired young woman's body, like some kind of cocoon. They tied a few of their makeshift ropes around the sheet cocooning the woman – at the shoulders, at the waist, and at the calves, to make sure that the sheet wrapped around her would properly restrain her movements.
They left the young sentry with strawberry blond hair lying on her back on the bed.
The hogtied sentry, who had woken up by now, looked at them indignantly. Clearly, she was furious to see that her colleague was getting a preferential treatment!
Posy mockingly winked at her. While she was questioning herself and her motives because of the incident with the bank employee earlier today, she certainly wasn't going to feel sorry for a henchwoman willingly working for a criminal and who was perfectly okay with the idea of beating up a bound prisoner!
In fact, she couldn't resist crouching down in front of the sentry with bluish black hair, and condescendingly pinched her cheek. “This is why you should always treat your prisoners with kindness and respect, dearie. That way, if they escape, their first instinct WON'T be to enact swift revenge on you...”
The busty woman then put on the young sentry's uniform. “Gosh! Her clothes are too tight around the chest!” she complained.
Piper put the red beret on her head. “Hurry up. If we want to rescue your friend, we can't waste time.”
Posy couldn't help but grab her wrist.
"What?"
"Thank you for helping me. Thank you a lot. I wouldn't be able to do it without you."
Piper looked a little uneasy while confronted with this simple outburst of sincerity. "You... You're welcome." she finally said.
The two unlikely teammates then left the room, after quickly blindfolding the two sentries with strips of sheet to hinder their attempts to help each other.
**************
As they were expecting, Agria and Cleo only needed to show their (stolen) invitation cards to be allowed to enter the estate. They simply changed the names on the cards to used fake identities.
However, their purses and clothes were thoroughly searched by competent guards. Of course, the two women weren't stupid. They made sure to get rid of any weapon before approaching the estate - including their syringes of sedative however.
All the more reason to invoke Rule n°1... Agria smiled.
Currently, she and Cleo were walking among the guests in the garden, playing the part of socialites. The blonde grabbed a cup of champagne.
"We are now in the garden. However, our goal is to explore the manor - and I don't think that guests are allowed in many parts of the building." Cleo whispered to her accomplice.
Agria looked around her. She looked at the guards - some of them were women. She looked at the female members of the catering crew. She also looked at some of the women serving drinks and food, while wearing these ridiculous 'deck of cards-themed' costumes - some as 'queens', others as 'jokers'. A good chunk of them were a decent fit for she and Cleo.
The special combattant grabbed an appetizer.
"In this crowd, I think we'll easily find a way." she commented while munching on it.
Last edited by rufusluciusivan on Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A nice introduction to Hieron, I do understand why he's being cautious with this fantastic trio as they are infiltrators after all.
Well having abusive parents such as Catalina's certainly explains things although I was quite surprised with Nataleigh's response, but that's what makes a great villain.
I enjoyed Amber's scene afterwards, her sense of wonder over Luan and Maggie's potential hidden love gave me a smile, plus it was nice to see that the inspectors will be kept out of harms way as Hieron was correct, who knows what might of happened to them.
This seven rule idea, seems really cool and it's a great way to show that infiltrators do have structure and don't just walk on it and hope for the best, it added a sense of structural order, needless to say it was great and I hope I can get to know what the other six are as you have me very curious.
Loved the second part of the scene as well, the idea that certain women have the power to just walk up to police women and basically say, they outrank them and need their clothing. Pure genius, I tip my hat to you, the idea's you come up with are sheer brilliance.
I liked piper's escape technique, very clever.
The following scene with Roxane and Clover was very well done, the whole time I was thinking of how I'm looking forward to clover eventually turning the tables on her, it's going to be great. The scene itself had incredible dialogue, though I did like Roxane's cocky attitude as it just builds up her pride even more before the fall, I really enjoyed that scene.
HAHAHA.......Aaahhh God, poor Emma, that's just cruel Nicely done.
Also I'm pleased I got to see a few more of those rules, again I'm really liking this.
After reading all their rules, I need to ask, are they almost a different branch of infiltrators because all their rules seem to different compared to usual infiltrator methods, such as no gags and the authorities should always be notified of their location, I know these rules do not apply to hostiles but usually infiltrators don't mind if it's a hostile or a civilian as all they want is their clothes. This structure is truly an intriguing one and I'd just like to learn a bit more about it.
Ah, the short temper that seems to afflict all guards outside the main characters cells. Piper and Posy's interactions with each other after this were really good, it's nice to see them reflect on that previous Asthma attack incident, it shows that even the best infiltrators can stumble every now and then.
The way infiltrator's are now perfectly sort of guided is an interesting, all infiltrators now must follow these strict rules or face the consequences is a fresh and very interesting take, I see that infiltrators like Posy wish to go back to the way things originally were and who could blame her, I mean technically infiltrators are incredibly skilled and the things they do require an incredible amount of planning and execution, but then when you keep them on leads, it can take away some of that. Shall we say "power"..........I think the best way to describe it, is like seeing a great white shark in an aquarium, I mean yeah it looks powerful and all that but it isn't really scary because of where it is. But seeing a great white shark out in the open ocean while your swimming is absolutely horrifying and it's something I'd never want to happen to myself.
Just my little input on how I'm viewing life as an infiltrator for this awesome trio at the moment, this is just my view.
I see Nataleigh and I have one thing in common and that's whenever you enter a party, always make sure you can see the buffet.
Also why do I have this feeling that Catalina shouldn't of done that as when Clover eventually breaks free it wouldn't surprise if she managed to grab Catalina's check and ripped it in half right in front of her eyes.
Yeah her eyes smiled at the thought of getting appetizers, it's official Nataleigh is an awesome character. Saying that as well I still really like Catalina, I like the way she thinks, the way she acts and she doesn't really let her reputation become her downfall of where she thinks she's unbeatable purely by stories alone, it's a really neat concept and I for one really like it.
This entire chapter with Posy and Piper has truly been awesome, the idea that of an anti-infiltrator and an infiltrator herself working together in great, with Piper making Posy aware of the protocols that will be followed to spot infiltrators and how to both counter and avoid them is a great concept and it worked wonderfully in this chapter. Plus that little cheeky pinch Posy gave to the guard a great little insult.
Well this has been another fantastic chapter, the writing and the detail of everything and everyone was simply perfect, your descriptions really set the scene such as when Piper dragged the second guard into a cell while her heels scraped across the floor, it's little things like that what really makes your world come to life. The plot itself has still got me hooked and right now I'm thinking of all the different ways you could potentially take this in the next chapter. It sounds like things are about to really get heated in the next coming chapter and I just simply can't wait.
This Arc of yours has got so many interesting characters that I'm really enjoying getting invested in (both old and new) and I'm always pleased when I see that a new part has been posted.
Well, I definitely did not expect to see Rachel and Emma again. Really love your penchant to bringing back characters, even minor ones, from prior stories. And there scene together was quite adorable... until they were mugged, of course.
Good interaction between Piper and Posy. I like how the two of them play off each other and how Piper comes to (reluctantly but soon willingly) embrace clothes-stealing tactics. And I did chuckle at the "preferential treatment" given to one of the security guards.
The scenes with Agria and Cleo (characters I quite enjoyed in "Rescue Operation," so I was glad to see them return) were good fun, as they follow the various protocols of government-approved uniform stealing. Still, I'm interested in seeing what happens when they drop the rules and have to resort to less legal tactics. Can't wait for the next chapter.
Trackman: Much like Thorn or Dimitri, the character of Hieron is a remnant of the first version of the story - before it became a Uniform Stealing story. Even though he's irrelevant as far as uniform stealings are concerned, and some people might dislike his prominence, I really like writing this character and I'm happy to see that he left an impression on you.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, at first I wasn't going to detail so much the rules on which the 'official' uniform stealers were operating, but then tirepanted pointed in one of his comments how he liked the idea, so I decided to dwell on it more and I really liked the result. (And given your reaction I'm not the only one, so it was doubly worth it.) These rules apply to all the infiltrators working for the government (basically, the special combattants such as Agria); though the infiltrators themselves weren't the ones who came up with them. As shown by Agria's monologue, these rules were imposed by officials from the government to reduce the risk of blunders. Though on the other hand, this strict protocol is also what gives them the authority to simply demand agents of law inforcement to give them their uniform, so...
Though I have to correct your assumption that Posy is actually aware of these rules and wishes to go back to the way things originally were. She actually wasn't even aware that these rules existed, so she can't long to go back to the gold old days. Like everyone, she simply knows that it's illegal to assault a woman to take her clothes. As for her point of view on things, her conversation with Piper summed it up perfectly: Posy discovered during her previous experiences that she was something of a thrill-seeker and she sees uniform stealing as a fun glamorous game, without being truly aware of the potential negative consequences of her actions. As she said herself, she never thought she'd ever truly harm someone outside of making them spend a few uncomfortable hours at most. The question is now to see how she will react after that grim reality check...
Catalina is a character I really like to write, so I was glad to be able to add more depths to her character. Nataleigh is indeed colder than her boss. At heart, of the group, she's the one who's the closest to a true criminal. A hungry criminal, but a criminal nevertheless.
Indeed, characters like Roxane or Catalina are acting as if they're just begging for the story to give them some comeuppance...
As far as minor characters go, Emma is indeed unlucky. Two times she appears, two times she's mugged by a special combattant. I couldn't help but bring back Luan and Maggie as well. It appears that their experience is helping them sort out some things between each other... Who knows? Maybe we'll learn more in a next installment?
To me, the highlight of this part were the moments between Piper and Posy - both when it came to the dialogues and the takedowns of the sentries.
Tirepanted: Well, you hoped to see other minor characters that aren't part of Primrose's team to return. Your wish is granted. I like bringing back minor characters from time to time, it makes the job of describing them easier. And I admit that it was fun to imagine how their lives evolved after their first mugging, though they are indeed unlucky.
Piper's and Posy's interactions were the part I found the most interesting to write, as they discuss the crux of this story's moral dilemna.
I suspected you'd like Agria's and Cleo's return. Imagining various rules that a government would invent to restrict uniform stealings was an interesting experience and I like the result as it helped provide slightly different scenes. (As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn't have detailed it that much as I ultimately did if you didn't point out the idea in a previous comment of yours.) I hope the next part will live up to your expectations. Withoout having to respect the protocol, Agria's and Cleo's tactics are a lot more classic - basic infiltrators tactics.
Roxane's mansion was designed to be able to host gigantic feasts. Therefore, some of its rooms wouldn't have looked out of place in a public festival hall: restrooms that could accommodate several people with distinct stalls, a huge kitchen, and so on.
Some parts of the ground floor of the manor were thus open to the public, others were open to the staff. Most notably, each group was given access to one of the big restrooms.
The restroom reserved for the staff was a vast room with two sinks, three stalls, and a maintenance closet in a corner isolated from prying eyes.
Mae was angrily mumbling under her breath. With a wet towel, she was trying to get rid of a stain on her jester outfit.
It was a stupid accident. She stained her costume while serving food.
“You'd think that the jester outfit would be more comfortable than the queen outfit and wouldn't restrain the movements...” the former dancer was mumbling to herself. “But no! I think it's actually worst!”
The costume consisted of a jester hat, a jester top, jester tights and jester boots. The right side of the jester hat was black and the left side was white. The right side of the jester top was white with a pattern of black clubs and the left side was black with a pattern of white hearts. The right side of the jester tights was black with a pattern of white diamonds and the left side was white with a pattern of black clovers. Mae was supposed to be part of the black-and-white jesters; the other half of the jesters were red-and-yellow.
Of course, the stain just HAD to be on the white side of her outfit...
"I swear... A 'deck of cards'-themed party has to be one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard... Who disguises their waitresses as card game figures?"
Mae herself was a short woman with a light skin, dark blond hair and grey eyes. Her hair were tied up into two low ponytails, in order to make them fit under the costume. The tips of her twintails were dyed pink.
Luckily, with her wet towel, she was able to remove most of the stain.
“Mae, you need a hand?” a female voice suddenly asked her.
It was Sophia.
Sophia was a woman in her early thirties. She had a light skin, copper red hair and amber eyes. Currently, her shoulder-long hair were tied into a tight neck-bun as she was wearing a wig as part of her costume.
Indeed, Sophia was wearing one of the 'queen' outfits. Queen of Hearts to be more precise. Therefore, her outfit looked like a regal dress: a crimson red calf-long pinafore dress adorned with black hearts, with elbow-long slightly puffy sleeves. The lacy edges of the sleeves and the collar were white. A black cloth sash was tied around her waist. She was walking in black ankle boots and was also wearing a red mid-back long wig and a fake golden crown adorned with a red stone looking like a heart.
“Sophia! Why did I let you talk me in to this?” Mae complained. “These outfits are so unpractical!”
“C'mon!” Sophia playfully retorted. “At least they're different from what I usually have to wear... Personally, I kinda like them!”
“Well, you're used to wear this kind of costumes. Need I have to remind you that I'm a dancer by training? I used to work for...”
“... for Carnela herself in the biggest shows Okéanis had to offer. I know.”
“I'm not used to outfits that restrict the movements so much...”
“Well, you saw how much we would get paid for this one-day job, right?” Sophia retorted.
Mae couldn't help but smile. “Tell me about it! Roxane Barca truly has a lot of money to spend... Not that I'm complaining of course!”
“I know, right? I mean, just look at these restrooms. Three toilet stalls. They look like the ones you'd find in a public building. And the guests' restrooms are even bigger.”
“I heard that all the manors of the descendants of the Twelve founders of Olympus shared this specificity.” Mae gossiped. “It's made so that they can hold gigantic feasts at their own estate.”
Because they were chatting, the two women didn't realize that they were being observed...
**************
Agria decided that if they wanted to sneak into the estate, looking like members of the staff was probably a safe bet. Of course, she wished she could get her hands on caterers wearing 'normal' clothes... However, beggars can't be choosers.
She and Cleo entered the room, after checking that nobody was coming, and closed the door.
The woman dressed as a queen, called 'Sophia' from what Agria could gather of their conversation, finally noticed the two women.
“I'm sorry, but guests aren't allowed in this part of the manor. This restroom is reserved for the catering staff.”
“Apologies. I think we got lost.” Cleo said with her most charming smile.
Her non-threatening innocent-looking 'cute' appearance was actually her biggest advantage during a mission. Nobody would suspect that she could mean harm by looking at her.
“However, I think you can help us.” she added.
“Well, it's not like we don't want to...” Sophia started.
“... but we don't have much time. We're supposed to return to the garden.” the jester, Mae, added.
“Allow me to correct your assumption...” Agria said.
She suddenly lunged forward.
Mae blinked.
There was now the blade of a knife pressed against her throat.
“... We are not giving you the choice.” the special combattant added.
Agria had stolen a knife on one of the tables of the buffet. Nobody saw her.
Sophia opened big round eyes. Reflexively, she moved to run away.
“Take one more step and I slice her throat wide open.” Agria said.
She didn't even raise her voice. She knew by experience that threats were more effective when they were stated matter-of-factly and with a calm cold voice.
Sophia remained still. “D... Don't hurt her please...”
“Then keep quiet and remain still.” Agria said. “If you do what I say, I don't promise that things will be pleasant, but at least they won't be painful... or fatal.”
The woman dressed as a queen complied. As for Mae, under the threat of a knife, she didn't dare move a muscle. She was gulping nervously. Her face was pale.
Cleo looked inside the maintenance closet of the restrooms, that was located in an isolated corner of the room. She found a few coils of strings, though they didn't look very sturdy, as well as a cutter and a few rolls of thick grey tape, which looked a lot more sturdy. The special combattant also noticed that the closet was big and high enough to contain human bodies.
Sophia was worriedly observing her. However, since Agria was still holding Mae hostage, she didn't dare to move or talk.
Cleo approached the woman dressed as a queen... and applied a precise nerve-pinch between the neck and the shoulder. Sophia was barely able to understand what was happening. In record time, she passed out. Cleo caught the woman by the waist mid-fall, both to prevent her from hurting herself and to avoid damaging her costume.
“You... Why did you kill her?!” Mae exclaimed. “She... she obeyed you!”
“She's not dead.” Agria interrupted her.
“She's... not...?”
“Have you never heard of nerve pinches?”
Speaking of which... Agria sent her hostage to dreamland with one well-applied pinch. Mae slumped into her arms.
“Amateurs...” the infiltrator commented while rolling her eyes
Cleo laid Sophia on the floor. She then gave her accomplice a roll of tape and a coil of strings.
Agria let her grab Mae under the shoulders, as the blond-haired woman dressed as a jester was closest to her size. Then, she grabbed Sophia under the shoulders.
Finally, each special combattant dragged her burden in one of the toilet stalls and closed the door.
Once they were hidden from prying eyes, they started to swiftly strip their unfortunate 'outfit donors'.
**************
The ground floor of Roxane's manor was vast. A lot vaster than what Posy and Piper were expecting after their exploration of the basement, with huge impressive-looking and highly decorated halls.
“Just how big is this mansion? I bet you could fit several houses in the building!” Posy whispered to her unlikely teammate.
Luckily, the building was mostly empty. Everyone, including the staff and the guards, seemed to be outside.
Through the windows, Piper and Posy could see that some kind of huge party was beind held in the garden. There were guests in fancy suits, a huge buffet, and big white tents.
“Is Roxane seriously throwing a party while keeping us hostage?!” Piper couldn't help but comment.
“That woman's ego is as big as her mansion...” Posy added.
They chose to ignore the party. If Roxane was overconfident enough to give them an advantage during their escape, they weren't going to complain.
“If we want to look for your friend, I think that the top floors are our safest bet.” Piper reasoned. “Guests are probably allowed to wander in some parts of the ground floor, especially to use the restrooms. Therefore, the risk that one of them could stumble by accident onto Clover would be too big if she was locked in the ground floor.”
Posy nodded. “It's logical... The top floors it is, then. We should be looking for the rooms in front of which guards are stationed.”
“Why?”
“Guards are always guarding a place for a reason. If we spot one watching a room, there's good chance that it's because Clover's inside.”
“It's logical.” Piper agreed.
Posy noticed how she and the brown-haired security guard were complementing each other well when it came to think of their plan.
“You know, I can't help but think that we're making a rather good team, don't you think?”
Piper frowned. “Perhaps... But it doesn't mean that I've forgotten about what you did at the bank... or at the charity gala for that matter. Once we're done, you'll still have to face justice.”
Posy sighed. “I know... And I don't care. For now, all that matters is rescuing Clover. I just hope that Roxane Barca will also face justice for what she did...”
This time, it was Piper who remained silent, as she couldn't retort anything.
However, suddenly, the security guard grabbed Posy's arm.
“What?” the busty woman asked.
“We have to hide. Quick!”
At first, Posy didn't understand her worry.
Then, she heard the voice of a woman who had a flare for the dramatic.
Catalina.
She and her three henchwomen were coming their way! Luckily for them, Catalina liked to talk loudly, allowing them to notice her before she could spot them.
The two fake guards shared a quick look, then went into a nearby corridor, though they didn't run to not arouse suspicion. They simpy turned and walked as if they were supposed to patrol this corridor. Posy and Piper heard the women's conversation when they passed near the corridor. The criminals didn't suspect anything. They could only see them briefly from the back and the sentry uniforms – as well as the berets slightly hiding their hair – were enough to fool them.
“In this garden, there's a great culinary experience awaiting for us!” Catalina was saying. (And they could even picture her making grand gestures with her hands.) “Are you ready, my friends?”
“Yeah!” three voices answered.
Piper and Posy waited until after the four women were out of sight.
“How did we get captured by this buffoon again?” Piper commented.
“No time to dwell on that! Let's go to the top floors of the mansion!”
**************
Since there weren't many toilet stalls, and therefore people would easily notice if two of them were constantly occupied, Agria and Cleo chose to hide their victims in the maintenance closet instead.
“Hurry up, Cleo. We don't know when someone will come to use the restrooms. It would be awkward to have to explain why we're carrying a half-naked unconscious womn to stash her inside a maintenance closet...” the first special combattant said to her partner, who was dragging the unconscious Mae by holding her under the shoulders.
Agria had already stashed an unconscious Sophia inside the closet. Stripped of her costume, the copper-red-haired woman was left wearing only a black full-cup bra and scarlet red hip-hugging panties with matching socks. Apparently, she even chose underwear matching the theme of her costume. Luckily for her, Agria didn't care about such details since they weren't needed to complete her disguise, therefore Sophia was allowed to keep some clothes to protect her modesty.
The unlucky woman was resting against the right side of the closet, standing up. She was bound with a mix of the tape and strings Cleo found in the closet, plus strips of Agria's stolen dress that she cut with her stolen knife. Her wrists were tied behind her back. Her legs were restrained with various makeshift bonds composed of tape, strips of cloth and tape from the ankles to the thighs, and similar makeshift bonds were wrapped around her upper arms above and below the breasts. Several layers of tape were wrapped around her mouth, lower face and neck to prevent her from spitting the strips of party dress gagging her. The restraints were looking mismatched, but they would effectively immobilize her.
“She's heavier that I expected...” Cleo commented while lifting Mae's unconscious body.
The latter was clad in a comfortable light pink t-shirt bra and matching boyshorts and socks. Her undergarments were matching the pink dye applied at the tips of her twintails. She was also already bound and gagged with tape, strings, and strips of Cleo's stolen dress, restrained in the same way as Sophia.
Agria gave her partner a hand, and the two of them shoved the trussed up Mae into the closet in front of Sophia. There wasn't much space, therefore the two women's bodies and breasts were pressed against each other, and their faces were almost touching.
Agria closed the door of the maintenance closet, concealing Sophia's and Mae's figures.
The two special combattants were already disguised: Agria as the queen and Cleo as the jester. They changed clothes while in the toilet rooms, after stripping and trussing up their respective victim.
“Now, let's go pick up some trays outside, so we can play the part of the nice little waitresses... then we can try to go upstairs and pretend that we were sent to 'bring some drinks' to the guards...” Agria said.
**************
The top floors were as vast as the ground floor, but there weren't big halls anymore. Instead, there was a maze of more narrow (but still highly decorated) carpeted corridors, leading to various doors.
Piper and Posy were indeed making a good team: They were instinctively covering each other's back while trying each door. Posy was especially impressed by Piper's methodical approach. Ironically, the training the security guard received to counter infiltration tactics was also making her a very good infiltrator, since she knew all the tricks. From her part, Piper was appreciating Posy's ability to quickly learn by observing and to anticipate her needs. Even though she didn't agree with the busty woman's vigilantism, Piper was happy to know that she had someone she could rely on to cover her back in their enemy's stronghold.
It took the two unlikely teammates some time to find something of interest.
But when they finally did, they realized that they had probably hit the jackpot...
Piper and Posy observed the guard, concealed behind the corner of the corridor.
The sentry was stationed in front of a particularly fancy-looking door. She was wearing a 'bodyguard-like' uniform almost identical to the ones worn by the two unlucky sentries the escapees mugged and replaced: Black jacket over a white button-up shirt, a crimson red tie, black pants, black thick combat shoes, a red beret, an earpiece, and a thick belt onto which a gun and a combat knife were strapped. There were however a round golden pin on her red beret and another similar pin on her red tie. Posy reasoned that this slight difference with her uniform was probably here to show that she held a higher rank, which would explain why she was trusted to guard the top floors of the mansion – which included Roxane's office room.
Indeed, the guard also looked older than Janette and her strawberry-blond-haired colleague. She had probably been under Roxane's employ for several years, which would give credence to Posy's theory that the golden pins meant she held a superior rank.
The senior guard was tall and fit. She had a black skin, brown eyes with gold flecks, and coarse shoulder-long black hair that were braided into numerous small braids. A few of these braids were dyed red.
“Let's bluff our way through with our uniforms.” Posy whispered.“We'll approach her from the side though. We have to make sure she doesn't notice our faces until the last moment.”
Piper nodded.
It took them a few minutes to reach the corridor they were looking for by making a detour. When they did, Piper put a hand on Posy's arm.
“Watch my back. I'll deal with her.” she whispered.
“Got it.”
Piper walked fast towards the sentry watching the door, imitating the attitude of a guard in a hurry but in her place. She was using the red beret to hide her face.
“What are you doing here?” the guard asked. She was sounding intrigued, but not alarmed yet. Piper's disguise was able to buy her the few seconds she needed. “I'm the one supposed to guard this part of the – Wait! You're not-”
Piper didn't let the senior sentry finish her sentence.
She lunged forward and kneed the woman in the stomach.
The sentry bent double.
Piper then hit her with a neckchop.
Out like a light, the sentry crumbled on the floor. However, the carpeting absorbed her fall and she didn't make enough noise to alert anyone.
Piper was about to grab the doorknob.
Posy grabbed her arm.
“Wait. There's probably another guard inside.” she intervened.
Piper nodded. She knocked on the door.
“What is it?” a voice asked through the door.
“We have a problem. Come outside.” Posy said, hoping that the wooden frame of the door would disguise her voice.
The door opened.
A sentry with chestnut brown hair looked outside the room. She had a white slightly tanned skin, hazel green eyes, a square jaw and an aquiline nose.
Piper's fist greeted her.
**************
Roxane almost choked on her champagne when she saw Catalina and her three henchwomen exit the manor and approach the party in the garden.
She made up a quick excuse and went to stop the four women before the guests could see them up close.
“What do you think you're doing?” she asked them through greeted teeth.
“Take a snatch, of course!” Catalina answered.
“At my party? Are you nuts?!”
“I'd be nuts to miss all this delicious food!”
Nataleigh enthusiastically nodded.
“I'm hosting a party for the richest people of the country... With your clothes, you'd stand out like a sore thumb! And do I have to remind you that I don't want to be linked to criminal activities?”
“Oh. I didn't think of that...” Catalina said. The worst thing? She actually was genuine.
“Obviously.” Roxane rubbed her forehead. She was wondering why the most efficient people were also the most annoying to deal with. Though she knew that she was also partly to blame. She should have taken the time to dismiss Catalina and her cronies before going to the party... “Look... Just go to the kitchen.” the businesswoman finally said. “Part of the buffet is stored there. Indulge yourselves!”
“Yay!”
**************
PUNCH!
“Ugh!”
Knocked out cold, the sentry with chestnut brown hair grunted and fell on the back.
Clover's eyes widened. “What the?!” She tried to see what was going on, but was still restrained to her chair.
A brown-haired tanned-skinned woman dressed as a sentry of the estate entered the room, strode over the unconscious body, and grabbed her by the arms to drag her further inside the room and move her away from the doorframe. Clover recognized Piper, the guard working for Primrose Security who was kidnapped along with Posy and her. She got out? How? What's going on? Clover was so surprised that she couldn't speak.
Then, a second brown-haired woman also dressed as a sentry of the estate, though bustier than Piper, entered. She was dragging by the legs another senseless guard with black skin and braided black hair.
Clover recognized her.
“Posy!” she exclaimed, overjoyed.
Her friend rushed at her side.
“Thank Goodness! You're okay! Did they hurt you?” Posy asked while checking her friend's body, looking for injuries. A few tears of relief were rolling down her cheeks.
Clover almost cried of joy as well. “Nothing I won't be able to survive..." she reassured her friend. "What about you?”
Posy shook her head and started to unknot the ropes binding her friend. “We didn't give these losers the opportunity to try...”
“We?”
“Piper's helping me.”
Cloved glanced at the security guard, but the latter's face was remaining neutral.
Once free, Clover massaged her sore wrists. Then she embraced her friend.
"Thank you..."
Posy looked at the ropes that were used to bind her friend, and were now lying discarded on the floor of the office room. “They really did a number on you... Look at the amount of ropes they used! Roxane must have a fetish...” The busty woman then glanced at the two unconscious sentries. “Though in a way it was a blessing in disguise... There will be way enough ropes for our two friend here.”
“I guess it's time for me to disguise myself as a guard as well...” Clover said. “I'll take the brunette's clothes, she's closer to my size.”
“We don't have much time.” Piper suddenly intervened. “Posy. Quickly help you friend disguise herself so we can leave this wretched place! I'll watch the corridor”
Posy nodded.
The security guard went outside.
“I didn't think she'd help us...” Clover commented once she was out of earsight.
“We have a truce. Sort of. Though it will only last until we're safe and sound...” Posy explained while grabbing the wrists of the black-skinned black-haired sentry to bind her. “I don't think we will be able to get off lightly this time...”
Clover was removing the other sentry's jacket, tie and shirt, revealing a plain dark grey sports bra. “We'll keep our priorities straight.” she said. “First, we escape this place. Then, we'll see what happens. Hieron may be able to pull a few strings to help us.”
“Clover... After what happened at the bank, I don't know if I'll be able to keep doing things the way we did... Not with innocent women at least...” Posy said while trussing up her sentry's legs. “I've talked with Piper... I'm a bit confused right now...”
“I understand.” her friend said while pulling down the pants of the chestnut-haired woman after removing her shoes and socks. Under them, the sentry was wearing matching dark grey boyshorts.
“You seem less shaken than me about what happened at the bank...” Posy remarked as she was using a final rope to tightly hog-tie her guard.
Clover hesitated. “This is a possibility I've always had in a corner of my mind. But I preferred to ignore it, because I didn't want fear to paralyze my resolve...” she finally admitted. “I thought that we would never encounter that kind of situation.” She looked at her friend in the eyes. “I apologize. I should have shared my thoughts with you...”
Posy couldn't help but chuckle slightly. “You're truly a better thinker than me... Not the planner of our team for nothing, eh? I should have thought of it by myself. Guess I was too naive.”
Clover started to truss up the sentry she just stripped. “For now, you're still in shock. We'll talk about this later, when we're safe. With a clear head.”
Posy nodded. “You're right. I just hope that woman's okay...” she said, referring to the asthmatic bank employee.
**************
“Look at that. A guard stationed in front of a door.” Agria commented.
“Usually, it means that there's something – or someone – worth guarding at the other side of the door...” Cleo said with a nod.
“Let's play our part. Let's offer her some drinks and food.”
The two impostors took the time to grab a tray of appetizers and a bottle of champagne in the garden before going to the top floors of the manor. It was a way for them to have a cover story in case a guard noticed them.
The sentry in front of the fancy door had a fit body, a light brown skin, eyes that were a mix of green, blue, and brown, and slightly bushy shoulder-long brown hair. The way she was standing clearly showed that she was trained and competent.
“Excuse me. What are you two doing here?” the guard warily asked the two special combattants when they approached her.
Cleo made her most charming and innocent-looking smile.
“Lady Barca sent us to bring some refreshments to the guards upstairs.” she said.
At the same time, Agria showed her the tray.
“This place is supposed to be restricted.” the guard commented. “And I don't think Roxane would allow strangers around her office room.” Her eyes widened. “You can't be members of the catering staff!”
But Cleo was too fast for her. She took advantage of the tray that Agria was holding to conceal her hit. She punched the brown-haired guard in the stomach to knock the wind out of her. The sentry doubled over.
“W... Wait!” she tried to gasp. “I... I'm not...”
However, the special combattants knew that in a combat, it was best to NOT let your enemy talk.
Cleo moved behind the dazed guard, wrapped her arms around her neck and throat, then applied a carotid chokehold to render her unconscious.
“A smart guard. Happens so rarely.” Agria commented while, after a few spasms and grunts, the brown-haired sentry was passing out.
**************
Clover and Posy jumped when the door of the office room opened. Clover had just finished putting on her victim's uniform. The two hogtied sentries, gagged with their own socks shoved into their mouths and transparent tape from a tape dispenser on Roxane's desk, were still lying in plain sight in the middle of the room.
“Piper?” the busty woman asked.
It wasn't Piper.
However, it wasn't a guard, nor Roxane, or Catalina and her henchwomen either.
It was a woman wearing a strange constume of 'Queen of Hearts', a crown and a red wig.
Mesmerized by this sight, the two friends didn't know how to react. Sure, in the course of their carreer as vigilantes and uniform stealers they learned to expect many unexpected turns of events... But this?!
They couldn't even respond to it!
The newcomer seemed a little surprised to see the prisoners free and disguised as sentries, while two real guards were lying trussed up, gagged and unconscious at their feet – with one of them stripped down to her dark grey underclothes. However, she quickly recovered from her surprise.
“Well, it looks like you've been busy.” she dryly commented.
“I... I think I recognize you... I saw you during Klenia's and Shayna's wedding...” Clover finally said. “You're working for Hieron, right? You're a special combattant...”
The woman nodded. “Yes. Name's Agria. Hieron sent Cleo and I to rescue you two.” The special combattant looked at the two defeated sentries. “Though it looks like you already did part of the work yourselves... Good job. How were you able to knock out two guards without alerting the one watching the door?”
“The one watching the doo-” Posy's eyes widened when the realization dawned on her. “Piper!”
While Agria was talking to them, Cleo dragged by the legs a motionless woman with brown hair and a light brown skin inside the room.
“What have you done to her?!” Posy exclaimed. She rushed at Piper's side, fearing the worst. The busty woman knew about the special combattants' licence to kill.
Agria frowned. “What?”
“She's not a true guard! She's with us!” Posy exclaimed, trying to check the security guard's pulse.
“And how were we supposed to know that?” Agria retorted.
“She's only unconscious.” Cleo said to reassure Posy and Clover. “I used a sleeper-hold targeting the carotid arteries. She should wake up soon.”
Posy sighed in relief.
“Anyway, we don't have time to waste.” Agria interrupted Cleo. She looked at the two Vigilantes. “You two, come with us.”
The busty woman frowned.
“What about Piper?” she asked.
Agria looked at the unconscious woman and thought briefly.
“She'll have to fend for herself.” she decided.
“Absolutely out of question!” Posy retorted.
“What?!” Agria exclaimed.
The busty woman crossed her arms and faced her down. “I refuse to abandon Piper here! If you leave her behind, I refuse to follow you.”
Agria glared at her. A tense silence fell.
Posy suddenly feared that the special combattant might decide to simply knock her out and carry her on her back.
And perhaps she would have already done it, had she not been wearing an unpractical dress...
Clover stood next to her friend. “I agree with Posy.” she said firmly. “That woman has done nothing wrong, and it's because of us that she's here. Either we leave with her or you leave without us.”
“Oh, for Goodness sake...” Agria looked at Cleo. “How long will she take to wake up?”
“With the chokehold I used? A couple of minutes. Five to ten, at most.”
“Five to ten minutes may mean the difference between life or death.” Agria warned the two Vigilantes.
“You heard us. We won't change our mind.” Posy retorted.
Agria shook her head. “I don't have time for pointless arguments. Cleo, calm these two.” She looked at the bound sentry with black skin and hair. “I'll take this guard's uniform in the meantime. To at least do something slightly profitable while we waste our time...”
She grabbed the sentry with black skin and dragged her a little further away from the others. Then, she untied the woman's limbs and proceeded to remove her uniform.
**************
Amber wasn't happy at all, to say the least.
Hieron had called to tell her that she had to keep driving to lose eventual pursuers – wether they were Roxane's goons or the authorities. Sure, the man explained to her why she had to do it: Since he was helping the Vigilantes behind the back of the other officials of the government, he had to make sure no one would be able to trace back to him.
Still, Amber was furious to be left out. She was worried sick and couldn't get any news about what happened to them. All she could do was wait seated behind the wheel of her van and pester Hieron on the phone every couple of minutes thanks to this marvelous invention called the 'hands-free kit'.
Unfortunately, Hieron didn't have much informations for her. He had sent his best agents to rescue Clover and Posy, but they couldn't communicate during their mission.
Her vehicle hit a small bump.
**************
“Mhgghh!”
Maggie!
Luan woke up, only to realize that Maggie was lying in front of her. In front of her... and very close. Their faces were almost touching, and it was as if their bodies were cuddling.
“Mhh?!”
Strangely, her first reaction wasn't one of fear or anger, caused by her mugging and the fact that she was now trussed up and gagged while wearing one of her goofiest sets of underwear – the yellow ones with white dots and orange edges. No, her first reaction was one of embarassment.
The bound-and-gagged environmental inspector blushed brightly when she realized that Maggie's breasts were touching hers, with only the fabric of their bras separating them. But at the same time... At the same time, she didn't want to move her body. How many times had she dreamt to share a tender moment with Maggie? And she was almost mesmerized by this set of dark purple panties and bra that her friend was wearing...
Focus Luan! You have to figure out what happened to you!
She could hear the engine of the vehicle and, suddenly, there was a bump. Apparently, the van in which they were locked was moving...
Well, we were mugged by women. The voice of my assaulter was clearly female. We were supposed to inspect a bank today, and they stole our clothes, so I guess the reason we were mugged is fairly obvious...
Still, Luan found slightly reassuring the fact that their muggers took the time to lay them on a sheet and to cover them with another sheet, so that they wouldn't get too cold. They wouldn't be so considerate if they wanted to truly hurt us... she reasoned. The ropes the muggers used to tie her weren't too tight either. Luan remembered that the woman said she didn't want to have to hurt her. She sounded genuine. Hopefully, this means that we will only have to spend a few uncomfortable hours before being set free or rescued... She could only hope so.
Maggie suddenly stirred.
Luan quickly crawled a little away from her.
Maggie opened her eyes.
“Lummnnh!” she tried to shout.
She calmed herself however when she saw that Luan was safe and sound in front of her, save for being bound-and-gagged of course.
The two women looked at each other.
Suddenly, another bumb on the road.
Luan was projected onto Maggie.
Hey! Drive more slowly, you jackass! Luan tried to say, though the sponge filling her mouth and the cleave-gag muffled her sentence.
She blushed when she realized that, once again, her body and Maggie's were pressed against each other.
Luan noticed however that Maggie didn't try to move away. She didn't seem to mind the fact that their bodies were touching each other, even though they were half-naked. In fact, she was actively moving to make sure that they remained together.
Luan looked in Maggie's eyes.
The two women didn't need words to convey their feelings.
Suddenly, Luan was a little less afraid.
**************
When she regained consciousness, Piper sensed that several people were around her.
When the security guard realized she wasn't tied up, her first instinct was to try to fight them. She didn't know who knocked her out, but they most likely weren't friends. Had they also captured Posy? And Clover?
Well, if she wanted to do something, she'd have to escape first...
Piper rose up, raising her fists, ready to fight.
“Calm down! It's only me!”
That voice!
“Posy?”
Piper calmed down and looked around her. Posy was on her knees next to her, and grabbed her shoulder to reassure her. Clover was standing near her friend.
There were also two women that Piper didn't know. The first one was tall and athletic, had a dark skin, short brown hair, and hazel eyes. She was wearing the uniform of a guard of the estate. The second woman had blond hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a weird jester costume. The security guard was wondering if she was hallucinating.
“What happened? Did I faint?” Piper asked.
“There was a...” Posy searched her words. “... misunderstanding.” The busty woman pointed at the two women Piper didn't know. “Agria and Cleo are special combattants working for the government. They have been sent...”
Agria cleared her throat.
“... Anyway, they are on our side. But since you were wearing a guard outfit, they thought that you were a sentry of the estate.”
“Special combattants...” Piper commented to herself. She then harshly asked Posy: “Do things always tend to become THAT complicated whenever you're involved?”
“You should better thank her.” Agria intervened. “She's the one who insisted that we put our mission in jeopardy, just to take you with us.”
Piper blinked and looked at Posy. She was surprised. Then, she casted a severe glare at Agria and Cleo. There was a moment of silence.
Finally, Piper said: “I was expecting more from agents of the law.”
Agria rolled her eyes. “Why do everyone always make that mistake? Special combattants are not agents of the Law, we are agents of the State. We are black ops, remember?”
The special combattant looked Piper in the eyes.
“Criminals and threats to the State don't play by the rules, therefore neither do we. We are the people who get their hands dirty so that people like you can afford the luxury of having a strong moral sense and of judging us.”
She and Piper faced each other down.
Posy was feeling a little uneasy.
On the principle, she agreed with Agria. The fact that Roxane and other similar criminals were untouchable by legal means was even the exact reason why she became a vigilante. However, Posy wasn't sure that she wanted to share the same viewpoint as a woman who was cold enough to leave an innocent behind to her probable death or to kill a person without batting an eye...
One thing was certain though. She didn't want to become like Agria!
“We should move. Now.” Cleo intervened to defuse the situation.
“You're right.” Agria said to put an end to the conversation. “We've wasted enough time.”
She took the lead.
In spite of their mixed feelings towards her, Piper, Posy and Clover followed her, as they knew she was their best chance to escape the estate alive.
The five unlikely teammates exited Roxane's office.
They left behind two underwear-clad defeated sentries, tightly hog-tied with rope and gagged. A brunette wearing a plain dark grey set of sports underwear, and a woman with black hair and black skin wearing... a definitively more raunchy feminine set of undergarments: a lacy white demi-bra with frilly edges and a floral pattern, and a white g-string.
**************
Now that they were five, being discreet was a lot more difficult. Thankfully, the inside of the manor was still mostly devoid of human presence.
“What's the plan to leave the estate?” Clover asked.
“A change of clothes.” Agria answered. “Our sentry uniforms are very useful inside the estate, but they don't give access to a vehicle that we can use to leave this place.”
“This doesn't give us the plan.” Piper retorted. “Can you be a little more specific?”
“The catering crew has vans.” Agria explained. “We'll use one.”
“So, the idea's to mug a few members of the catering crew?” Clover asked.
“Pretty much.”
“Ironic. Not too long ago, we've infiltrated a catering crew without mugging anyone for once. I guess fate had other plans for us...” Posy commented.
“No need to remind me.” Piper dryly commented. “I was there, remember?”
Posy avoided her eyes. “Sorry.”
“Do we really have to do that?” Piper then asked the two special combattants. “Is there no other way?”
“We can mug a few guests and steal their cars.” Agria proposed.
“This is not what I meant!” the security guard retorted.
“Then, the answer is no. If we want to leave this place alive, this is our best course of action.”
“This is wrong.” Piper said. “I mean, mugging sentries knowingly working for a criminal is one thing... But mugging innocent women? I don't want to do that!”
“Then stay here. And die.” Agria concluded.
Piper tried to retort something, but Agria ignored her and kept moving. Cleo casted a sorry glance at her, but then followed her partner.
“This is wrong...” Piper couldn't help but repeat.
“We're sorry.” Clover said. She followed the two special combattants.
Posy was about to follow them.
“Wait.” Piper grabbed her arm.
“What?”
The security guard was looking hesitant.
“I wanted to thank you. For not leaving me here after they knocked me out.” she finally said.
“Why would I have...” Posy interrupted herself mid-sentence when the realization dawned on her. When Piper was unconscious, she had a golden opportunity to get rid of her. All she had to do was leave the security guard behind, at Roxane's mercy, and the only witness of her and Clover's heist at the bank would have disappeared...
Posy put a hand on Piper's shoulder.
“The thought didn't even cross my mind.” she said with a serious expression. “For better or for worse, we're in this together.”
Piper smiled slightly, almost in spite of herself. "Guess you're right. Until we leave the estate, we're in this together..."
**************
The five unlikely teammates were now back in the manor's ground floor, walking across the corridors reserved for the staff of the mansion. Compared to the huge halls of the other parts of the floor, this part was narrow and a lot less luxurious. The kitchen and storage rooms were nearby; as well as the service entrance of the manor.
“I think I hear something...” Cleo suddenly whispered.
She pointed at a nearby half-open door. The five women discreetly took a look inside the room.
The kitchen of the manor was as big as Roxane's ego, and looked more like the kitchen of a restaurant. Currently, it was occupied by four women, who were conscientiously eating the food stored in the room.
One of them had found a radio, and they were playing their music loud.
Now take it in but don't look down...
'Cause I'm on top of the world, 'ey! I'm on top of the world, 'ey!
Waiting on this for a while now... Paying my dues to the dirt...
I've been waiting to smile, 'ey! Been holding it in for a while, 'ey!
Take it with me if I can... Been dreaming of this since a child...
I'm on top of the world!
“This song suits me a lot, don't you think?” Catalina commented. She was sitting on a table of the kitchen, absent-mindedly carressing the pocket in which her wallet (containing the precious check Roxane gave her to pay her) was.
Carol rolled her eyes and wordlessly grabbed another appetizer.
“Of course...” Maddie said, so that their leader would let them eat in peace.
Nataleigh was too busy wolfing down the food to answer. She was probably trying to eat as much as she could before the guards of the estate would figure out that she and her pals were basically robbing the entire pantry and would kick them out.
“They're the ones who captured us!” Piper whispered.
“Them?” Agria raised an eyebrow. She was unimpressed. “Well, I can't shoot them wthout alerting everyone in the building...” she finally commented with a dead-serious expression. “Forget about them, and take a look at that instead.”
The special combattant was pointing at a group of women at the other side of the corridor.
Three caterers were talking to each other in the corridor leading to the entrance of the kitchen. They were standing in front of the service exit, and were expressing their dismay at the whole situation in the kitchen. Apparently, they didn't dare to enter the room to confront the four squatters.
The first woman had a pixie bob cut, with a long pointy bang over the left side of her face. Her hair were jet black and her eyes were dark brown. Her bang was dyed red. She had a pale white skin and was slightly shorter than average.
The second caterer was a tan-skinned brunette with a shoulder-long feathered haircut and hazel green eyes. A few locks of her hair were dyed blue.
The third one was a white-skinned blonde with a chest-long wavy haircut and piercing blue eyes. She was tall and curvy.
All three women were wearing a traditional caterer uniform: comfortable sneakers, black pants with a brown belt, a white long-sleeved button up shirt with a black bowtie, and a red sleeveless waistcoat.
“You three, watch the door of the kitchen in case the jokers inside hear us.” Agria ordered to Clover, Posy, and Piper. “Though given how loud they are, I suspect they wouldn't hear us even if we blew up half of the building...”
“You're saying that the two of you can knock the three of them out before they can raise the alarm?” Piper said to her and Cleo. She was doubtful.
Agria scoffed.
Then, without deigning to answer, she grabbed Cleo by the collar of her jester outfit and pretended to be roughly pushing her.
“Hey, you three!” she called the caterers.
The women turned to look at her... and were clearly intimidated by her bossy expression and her sentry uniform.
“Is... Is there a problem?” the blonde finally asked.
“Yes. I found this member of your crew sneaking inside the manor and stealing things.” Agria said while still holding Cleo by the collar of her costume. Thanks to the jester hood, she was able to hide her hair and part of her face, preventing the caterers from recognizing her as an impostor. “Care to tell me where your manager is? I'd like to have a word with them.” she added.
“She... She's outside... with Hattie...” the brunette answered.
“Perfect.” Agria said.
The three caterers were now within her and Cleo's reach.
Suddenly, Agria let go of her partner.
The two special combattants made a lunge for their victims.
The blonde and the brunette barely had the time to understand that they were in danger. With one neckchop each, Cleo and Agria dispatched them.
The third caterer, the one with jet black hair, remained frozen during a few seconds because of the shock and the surprise.
Agria jumped her while Cleo was grabbing the falling unconscious bodies of the caterers they'd just knocked out.
When the black-haired caterer finally opened her mouth to scream, Agria was wrapping her arm over her throat. Her victim's calls for help were reduced to muffled gurgles. After a few moments of futile struggles, she passed out.
Agria smugly looked at Piper while holding her unconscious victim.
"I think it answers your question."
“Do you know how to do a proper sleeper-hold?” Cleo asked Posy, Clover, and Piper.
They nodded.
“Perfect. Agria and I will check if the coast is clear. If it is, drag these three outside to the bushes and green spaces around the estate. If they wake up, put them back to sleep. Be careful to not compress the carotid arteries for too long, or you'll cause permanent brain damage.”
Piper grimaced and shared an awkward glance with the two Vigilantes. While Cleo was a lot nicer and more approachable than her partner, she still had a blunt unglamorous way to present things.
“We'll capture their manager and this Hattie woman.” Cleo concluded. "Then, we'll have enough uniforms to disguise all of us."
**************
The manor's service entrance was used for the deliveries. The vans and cars of the catering crew hired by Roxane Barca for her niece's birthday were parked nearby.
Lynn was complaining.
“I can't believe how difficult working with Roxane Barca is! And now she's allowing these four uneducated delinquents to loot the kitchen, as if we didn't have enough problems already!”
Lynn was one of the managers of the catering crew, though she was wearing the same uniform as them. She had shoulder-long auburn hair with curtain bangs and a shag haircyt, grey eyes, a lanky body, an oval-shaped face, and a light skin.
She looked at Hattie.
Hattie was a caterer. She had dark auburn hair and brown eyes, a burly figure, and a dark skin. Currently, she was unloading the desserts from one of the vans.
“And where are Sophia and Mae? The crew serving the guests have been complaining non-stop for 30 minutes now! These two slackers cannot be found anywhere. And we're so busy, we can't even send someone to look for them...”
Hattie shrugged, but ignored her manager's outburst. Lynn was simply looking for someone to complain with her, and the other caterer wasn't in the mood for that. She went to take another plate in the back of the nearby van.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulder. Hattie's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream, but was swiftly hand-gagged.
Lynn was too busy mumbling complaints to notice that a hand was suddenly clamped over the mouth of her colleague.
Or to see that Hattie was suddenly pulled out of sight at the other side of the van.
Or to hear her faint muffled shriek.
Or to hear the brief scuffle as a quick sleeper-hold was applied.
No. When Lynn finally stopped complaining, she could only realize that her colleague had suddenly disappeared.
“Hattie? Are you hiding from me?” she asked out loud.
The manager approached the back of the van.
“Come on! Don't you start in, too! I'm not in the mood!”
She walked around the van.
Agria grabbed her by the collar and pulled her forward.
“Hey!”
A quick neckshop put an end to her complaints.
**************
The five escapees carried their knocked out victims away from the backyard, into the bushes and green spaces surrounding the manor.
Each woman stripped one caterer to don her uniform: Posy was stripping the blonde, Clover was stripping the brunette, Piper was stripping the one with the black hair, Agria was stripping Lynn and Cleo was stripping Hattie.
Soon, the five unconscious caterers were down to their undergarments: a mauve push-up bra and plum v-kini panties for the blonde; an olive balconette and ochre tanga panties for the brunette; an electric blue balcony bra and a matching string for the black-haired caterer; a grey full-cup bra and white control briefs for Hattie; and a set of striped light blue and white knickers and t-shirt bra for Lynn.
Strangely, in spite of the variety of their underwear, all the women wear wearing similar-looking plain white cotton socks. It was as if the socks were part of the uniform, even though the pant legs were covering most of the ankles. Agria muttered something about the 'stupid dress code' and didn't bother stealing them. The others followed her lead.
Then, obeying Agria's instructions, the escapees removed their sentry outfits (or jester costume in Cleo's case), and cut the clothes into strips that were going to be used as makeshift bonds. The special combattant also grabbed a couple of rolls of tape in the van Lynn and Hattie were unloading.
The five caterers were bound similarly. Using the strips of cloth, the escapees tied the women's wrists, knees, shoulders, and ankles. A few layers of tape was wrapped over each makeshift bond as a safety precaution. They filled each woman's mouth with strips of cloth, sticked a strip of tape over their lips, and ended with a cloth-gag tied over the mouth. Finally, each woman was seated against a tree. Tape was wrapped around each caterer's waist to pin her against the trunk in a seated position.
Posy, Clover, Piper, Agria, and Cleo were all swift and precise. However, they were feeling differently about the process.
Piper was looking at the discarded caterer uniform she was stealing and the makeshit bonds she was using as if they were poisonous. Clearly, she was hating every second of it.
Posy sympathized with her. She couldn't help but share her sentiment, at least partly. After what happened with the asthmatic bank employee, she definitely wasn't feeling the same carefreeness as before when she was binding and gagging an innocent woman. She couldn't help but worry about the damage she might inflict to her victim.
Agria and Cleo were professional, acting with no unnecessary cruelty but also with a certain coldness and lack of empathy.
Clover's face remained neutral, and didn't show her emotions.
Once their uniform donors were secured, the five unlikely teammates slipped into their new clothes.
A few minutes later, they were now looking the part of real caterers.
Save for the fact that Agria, Piper, and Cleo were keeping on themselves the guns stolen from the sentries they mugged.
Posy looked at the blond-haired caterer taped to a tree, sighed and adjusted her shirt. As often, it was slightly too tight – even though she was given the bustiest caterer.
Clover was giving her an encouraging look, and Posy smiled lightly to reassure her that she was fine.
Cleo was watching if the coast was clear.
Piper was looking disgusted with herself.
Agria was checking the gag covering Lynn's mouth. Apparently, she wasn't satisfied, as she tightened the knot behind the manager's neck.
“Are you sure your gag won't be choking her?” Posy asked her.
“Why do you care?” Agria asked back.
“Why do you care that I care?” Posy retorted. “Just answer me!”
“Bah! She shouldn't have problems breathing through the nose. We are professionals.”
“But have you considered the fact that one of them could have a medical condition preventing her from...”
“No. However, I have considered the fact that if I leave her ungagged without sedating her, she will call for help before I can be out of reach.” an exasperated Agria retorted. “Therefore, the alternative is to break her neck, replacing a very unlikely risk of death with a certain death.”
Posy bit her lips.
Sure, Agria was not Emery. But she still was a special combattant to the core. Cold, professional, and merciless. Clearly the kind of person you didn't want to cross.
“It doesn't bother you, the fact that you risk harming innocent people?” the busty woman still asked.
“I wouldn't be very good at my job if it did.”
“But...”
“Are you seriously discussing morality with me? I'm a government black op. Infiltration and uniform stealings are only one of the many weapons at my disposal. And yes, while there are rules to try to minimize casualties when innocent people are involved, the success of the mission is still my priority.”
“Posy, it's no use debating with her.” Clover intervened. "Let it go."
This conversation strengthened Posy's resolve however. No matter what path she'd choose, she would never end up as uncaring as Agra.
Warning! Second part of a two-part update. And a very spoiler-y one at that. If you used the link directly displaying the latest post, read the previous post before that one!
**************
Agria opened the backdoor of one of the vans with keys that she found in Lynn's pocket.
Outside of empty metallic trays, there was noting. The special combattant grabbed one. They were circular, and Posy couldn't help but think of a metallic frisbee.
“This van was probably used to bring the buffet...” Agria commented.
“Perfect. We can use this vehicle to leave the estate.” Clover intervened. "We'll hide in the back of the vehicle."
“But why would you want to leave us so soon?” a voice suddenly said behind them.
They all froze.
Posy paled.
She knew that voice.
The five companions turned to face the person who just talked.
Catalina was standing in front of them, surrounded by her three henchwomen. They were holding guns.
The red-haired self-proclaimed supervillainess was smiling. With one hand, she scratched the birthmark on her right cheek.
“So I was right to investigate when I noticed that the caterers in the corridor had disappeared...” Catalina said. “Looks like you managed to escape. I tip my non-existing hat to you.” She raised her handgun. “However, I'm afraid I can't let you leave. You are worth a lot of money, and I'm sure that Roxane will pay me an extra for your two companions. I assume that they are special combattants. Only people of their caliber would be able to infiltrate the estate so easily...”
“Careful!” Cleo said to Posy, Clover and Piper. “I know this woman. She's a dangerous criminal.”
Posy was about to answer that they already knew that thanks to Piper, but Catalina didn't let her the time to do it.
The self-proclaimed supervillainess was smiling brightly. “So, you're telling me that special combattants have heard of 'Lil Ol' Me? I'm flattered!”
“Yes.” Cleo answered. “You started to draw our attention a few months ago. A notorious supervillainess and identity thief... I didn't know that Roxane had hired you though, 'Blender'.” she concluded with a straight face.
Catalina's satisfied smile turned into a grimace, as if she just suddenly swallowed something very bitter while being promised sugar. “What did you call me?!” she exclaimed.
Cleo frowned. “'Blender'. Isn't it your alias? That's what your strawpoll said...”
Catalina's face became bright red and turned her head to glare daggers at her auburn-haired henchwoman. “Carol! I told you to remove 'Blender' from the strawpoll!” she said through gritted teeth.
“It's not my fault! I asked Maddie to do it!” Carol exclaimed.
“Hey! I told Nataleigh to deal with it!”
“Stop talking rubbish! I asked Carol to...”
“Enough!” Catalina exclaimed. “I will simply-” She couldn't finish her setence however.
The four criminals indeed made a crucial mistake. They underestimated Agria and Cleo. They forgot that special combattants were deadly fighters, trained to use any object as a weapon. People against whom you should never allow yourself a moment of distraction, even if it was to bicker about the work that needed to be done.
Agria threw the tray she was previously discussing at Catalina's face, as if it was a frisbee.
There was a dull metallic sound and a few seconds of hesitation, as everyone but Cleo was surprised by the special combattant's sudden assault.
“I'm hit! I'm hit!” Catalina shouted.
However, her shrieks actually distracted her three henchwomen, who couldn't help but glance at their leader.
Agria and Cleo moved at the same time.
The two special combattants grabbed Maddie and Carol, and threw them to the ground with a martial-arts hold. In a way, the two henchwomen were lucky that the special combattants chose to not use their firearms, as they feared that the noise could be heard from the estate's grounds where the party was taking place. If not, Agria and Cleo would have shot them dead without any hesitation.
However, the special combattants underestimated Nataleigh's reflexes. She actually was the most dangerous of Catalina's group. Even more dangerous than her boss.
The tall muscular henchwoman took a step back to put herself out of reach, and aimed her handgun at Cleo.
Piper jumped Nataleigh and tried to disarm her, to prevent her from shooting her target. The two women scuffled for the gun while Cleo and Agria were still dealing with Maddie and Carol, and Catalina was still shrieking. Piper managed to make the henchwoman drop her gun by twisting her wrist. Nataleigh retaliated with a headbutt that left Piper dazed. She then raised her fist to crush the brunette's nose and face with a powerful punch, but Posy grabbed her arms from behind to block them, saving Piper in the process.
Catalina had finally stopped whining. Furious, she pointed her gun at Agria. The only reason why she wasn't shooting immediately was because the special combattant was still holding Carol, and she didn't want to hurt her henchwoman by mistake. When she saw an opening, Catalina smiled.
Clover kicked her hand and sent her gun flying. However, just as she was about to press her advantage, she was distracted by Posy's scream of pain.
Nataleigh had violently moved her head back to hit Posy in the face with the back of her head. While it didn't wound her seriously, it was still painful. The busty woman was forced to let go of the henchwoman. Piper was still dazed because of the muscular henchwoman's handgun.
Clover hesitated between helping her friend or pushing her advantage with Catalina.
The self-proclaimed supervillainess saw an opening and took advantage of Clover's moment of distraction to make a dash for her dropped handgun.
Agria immediately let go of Carol, even though the latter wasn't unconscious yet, and ran to intercept Catalina. Maddie was almost unconscious, passing out because of Cleo's sleeper-hold.
Carol was still on the ground, but when Clover saw Nataleigh turn to hit Posy, she didn't hesitate and rushed to her friend's rescue.
When she jumped Nataleigh from the back, she was joined by Piper. Together, the two women tried to make their enemy lose balance.
However, Nataleigh was the tallest and most muscular woman of Catalina's team. Even with their combined strengths, Piper and Clover couldn't bring her down.
She even laughed at their attempt.
Suddenly, Posy jumped back into the fray. Literally. She jumped Nataleigh, driving her head into her stomach.
“OOOFFF!”
Her intervention weakened the henchwoman. Together, Piper and Clover made her lose balance. Nataleigh fell on her stomach. Banding together, the two Vigilantes and Piper were able to finally pin the henchwoman on the ground.
Nataleigh was cursing and ranting, until Clover silenced her by hitting a precise spot between the shoulder and the neck with the edge of her hand, knocking her out.
Looking behind her, Clover saw that Maddie was out of action too. She had the bad luck to be pinned on the ground at the beginning of the fight, and against a special combattant she stood no chance in such a disadventageous position. Cleo's sleeper-hold got the better of her.
At the same time, Agria grabbed Catalina just as she was about to reach her gun, and twisted her right arm behind her back. With her free hand, the special combattant used her own handgun (the one she stole along with the sentry uniform she used to wear) to threaten Catalina.
However, Carol had managed to take back her gun while everyone else was busy with subduing Maddie and Nataleigh.
The special combattant noticed her just in time. She turned to face her, using Catalina as a human shield.
“Drop your gun.” she ordered Carol. “Or your boss gets it!” She pressed the barrel of her gun against Catalina's head.
“No way! I'm calling your bluff!” Carol retorted.
“What?! No we're not calling her bluff!” Catalina exclaimed with a high-pitched voice.
“Yes we are! They won't have the guts!”
“This is my life that's in the balance! I'll make the decision!” Catalina shrieked. “Carol! You wouldn't let me die... would you?”
The auburn-haired woman pondered the pros and the cons.
“Carol...” Catalina whined.
The latter rolled her eyes. “Ugh. Fine.” She dropped her handgun.
Now, Catalina had stars in her eyes. “My henchwoman! I knew you it! You do care about me!”
Carol looked like she was contemplating taking back her gun. “For the last time! Stop calling me that!”
“Minion then?” Catalina proposed.
"Cat'!"
“Hey, the comedy troupe!” Agria interrupted them. “Not that we don't appreciate the spectacle, but we have an escape to finish. You, Carol, raise your hands.”
The auburn-haired henchwoman complied.
Posy sighed in relief, and shared a happy glance with Piper and Clover.
They had won!
“Now, what do we do with them?” the busty woman asked.
Agria opened her mouth.
“We don't kill.” Clover intervened.
The special combattant grimaced. “And what will we use to bind them?” Agria asked. “We don't have the time to cut makeshift bonds.”
Clover shook her head slightly, and glanced at each member of Catalina's team. “These women are infiltrators and uniform stealers. I'm sure that at least one of them has a few spare bondage tools to share with us...”
**************
And indeed, Carol and Maddie were actually carrying zip-ties on them.
“The best binding tool an infiltrator can find. Sturdy, quick to tie, and almost impossible to remove without help. I commend you for your professional conscience.” Clover dryly commented with a small mocking smile.
Carol shot her a nasty glare.
The four criminals were swiftly zip-tied hand and foot, including the unconscious Maddie and Nataleigh. Then, they were loaded in the back of the van the escapees were going to use to flee the estate.
Because, as Cleo put it best, why call the police if you can deliver the criminals yourselves?
“Cleo and I will drive the van. You three, you stay in the back of the vehicle to watch the prisoners.” Agria instructed Clover, Posy, and Piper. “Feel free to gag them with the roll of tape we brought inside. I don't want them to sound the alarm when we'll cross the estate's gates. Go wild and have fun.”
Carol and Catalina exchanged a worried look. Nataleigh and Maddie were still unconscious, their heads resting on Carol's shoulders - Nataleigh on her left and Maddie on her right.
“I was expecting a thank you for our help.” Piper dryly commented.
“Then wait until after we're safe.” Then, the special combattant closed the back door of the van.
Piper groaned in annoyance.
“You want to vent with me by gagging our four criminal friends?” Posy proposed.
Piper pondered the proposition for a few seconds. “You know what? Yes. Yes I want.” she finally said.
“Oh, come on!” Carol exclaimed. “That is so petty!”
"Let's start with that one." Piper said while glaring at the auburn-haired henchwoman. She even had a slight smile.
Posy chuckled. "After you." She was appreciating this moment of complicity, even though she knew it was going to be brief. Piper was temporarily her ally, but not her friend unfortunately.
“Save Catalina for last. There's something I really want to do before she's unable to talk.” Clover said to her friend and to Piper.
“You mean... with me?” The self-proclaimed supervillainess was now looking very uneasy.
Clover approached Catalina and put a hand in the pocket of the woman's jeans.
The self-proclaimed supervillainess paled slightly. “You're not going to molest me, aren't you?” she asked warily.
Clover smiled devilishly. “Of course not. I will simply do that.”
She took the woman's wallet.
Catalina's eyes widened. She understood what was going to happen next.
Clover opened the wallet.
“I take back what I said! I'd rather have you molest me!” Catalina hastily exclaimed.
Clover took Roxane's check in the wallet.
A now restless Catalina started to stir and fuss. “Come on! Don't be too hasty! There was nothing personal! It was just good business!”
Clover looked at her in the eyes. “Because of you, I almost died. Because of you, my best friend and an innocent woman almost died. For me, it is very personal.”
She ripped the check in several small pieces right under Catalina's.
The self-proclaimed supervillainess looked at the pieces of paper as if they were the remnants of her newborn baby. "You monster!”
“Be thankful that I didn't make you eat it. Or that I'm not giving you a knuckle sandwich and busting out a few teeth.” Clover said. “You're getting off lightly.”
Wisely, Catalina chose to keep quiet.
She was silently mourning her lost money.
**************
“Still no trace of Mae and Sophia.” Melanie was commenting while entering the restrooms of the manor reserved for the staff of the catering crew. “I don't understand why they left. They're not the kind of women who would slack off and let the others do all the work...”
“Tell me about it.” her colleague Annie answered. “Something strange is going on. Lynn and her team aren't answering either. And-”
BUMP!
“Did you hear that?” Melanie asked.
“Hear what?”
“Some... bump...?”
BUMP! BUMP!
“I heard it again.” Melanie said.
“Whatever it is, it looks like it's coming from the maintenance closet...”
BUMP!
A little warily, the two women approached the maintenance closet.
BUMP!
The door was indeed slightly moving, as if something was hitting it from the inside.
BUMP!
Mhhh... Mphh... Mhhh...
And what were these muffled sounds? Human cries for help?
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" Melanie asked, though she felt a little stupid talking to a door.
BUMP! Mhhh... Nggghh... Mhhh.. Mffhhffhh....
Melanie grabbed the knob of the closet's door.
“Well, here goes nothing...” she said.
She opened the door.
Two bodies fell from the inside of the closet and at her feet.
Two underwear-clad bodies.
Two underwear-clad bound-and-gagged bodies.
The two trussed women that were hidden in the closet fell on their shoulders, and started to squirm on the floor. They were mewling in their gags. “Mphhh! Mgghh! Mffff! Mhhhh!”
The first had copper red hair, and was wearing a black full-cup bra and scarlet red hip-hugging panties with matching socks. The second was a blonde with twintails of which the tips were dyed pink, clad in a light pink t-shirt bra and matching boyshorts and socks.
They looked pleadingly at their two colleagues.
"Plmmmhhh! Hhlp hs!"
“Sophia?! Mae?!” Melanie exclaimed.
**************
The party was in full swing. A champagne cup in her right hand and a delicious appetizer in the left hand, Roxane was revelling in the attention she was receiving, ignoring her niece's sulky expression.
Suddenly, a sentry hurriedly approached Roxane, and whispered something in the businesswoman's ear.
“What?!” she exclaimed, dropping her glass of champagne, momentarily forgetting that she was at a social event.
Surprised by her outburst, the nearby guests stared at her.
The businesswoman blinked, aware of her faux pas.
“My apologies. But there is an urgent problem I have to attend to.” Roxane excused herself.
She left the guests and followed the sentry inside the manor.
“You're saying that the two sentries guarding the basement were found bound and gagged, as well as the two sentries watching my office, and now the prisoners are nowhere to be found.” Roxane asked once they were out of earsight.
“Yes, ma'am.”
The businesswoman rubbed her temples.
She was now very pale and felt sick in the stomach.
No! It can't happen to me! I am Roxane Barca, the descendant of one of the Twelve Founders. I can't have made a mistake! I can't be bested by mere Provincials! I am their superior! They are mere pigs! A superior blood flows through my veins! I AM THEIR SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY!
“But how could they escape? They must have received outside help! Someone must have -”
Suddenly, the door of the staff restrooms bursted open. A panicked woman exited the room while shouting: “Call the police! Mae and Sophia have been mugged! There are uniform stealers in the manor!”
Surprised, Roxane wasn't able to stop her before she could go outside and draw a crowd of caterers and guests.
The businesswoman clenched her fists.
Through the window, she could see her niece. That bratty teenager was actually smiling! She seemed very satisfied to see the party that her aunt hijacked for her own gain spoiled...
The social even Roxane organized to boost her PR with the high society was indeed ruined because of these Provincial scums... She was going to make them pay!
The businesswoman looked at her guard. “The prisoners... I want a team to give chase to these whores and kill them! Now!”
Goodness, these uniforms just keep getting sillier. The "deck of cards" theme is certainly unusual, though it's so humiliating for Mae to be dressed in a jester outfit that Cleo and Agria are probably doing her a favor by stealing her clothes. Might be less humiliating for her to spend the day tied up in a closet than parading around in a silly costume.
Speaking of Cleo and Agria, I like their tough-as-nails approach, even if it feels a little abrupt after all the rules they were following in the last chapter. I admit that I viewed them as very sympathetic characters in "Rescue Operation," since they were the only two "good" women on Emery's team. I suppose everything's relative. Their personalities contrast nicely with Posy, Clover, and Piper. When those storylines converged, I thought the misunderstanding would last a lot longer than it did after the special combatants knocked out Piper. Thankfully, it was resolved fairly quickly.
The scene with the caterers was the highlight of this chapter. I like how the quintet of infiltrators initially comes across only three caterers, and the one of the unsuspecting women lets them know about thefourth and fifth. It's always nice when would-be victims supply the uniform thieves with more opportunities. And I enjoyed the little exchange between Lynn and Hattie, before they joined their coworkers among the ranks of USB victims.
I laughed at Clover tearing up Catalina's check. A nice exchange between the two women, and a good way to put Catalina in her place.
I randomly got the idea of the "deck of cards"-themed clothes and decided to roll with it. Glad you thought it was funny. Poor Mae indeed: she returns all the way from Rescue Operation just to be given a stupid outfit, that she loses almost immediately after her return. The costume indeed has to be really silly when being mugged for disguise and spending some time half-naked in a closet can be regarded as an improvement... Blame Roxane's bad taste: it's as foul as her personality.
The transition was supposed to be abrupt, as a way to highlight the dangerousness of black ops like Agria when they don't have to follow rules (though maybe too abrupt?). Their ruthless approach is also a good way to fuel the moral dilemna that the main heroines have to confront, by highlighting an approach in infiltration that they don't want to follow. Agria at least was never supposed to be a sympathetic character, even back in Rescue Operation: she's professional, but cold and ruthless. The key difference was that she was loyal to Hieron, not Emery. Her interactions with Posy, Clover, and Piper are a delight to write.
The scene with the caterers was actually a lot harder to write than the ones with Sophia and Mae or with the guards, because I had to introduce and describe five new characters and then narrate their uniform stealing without interrupting the flow of the story.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, Clover tearing up the check was Trackman's idea. I liked it so much that I couldn't resist adding it.
After Piper being knocked out numerous times as a guard, it was fun to see her being the bad ass. Albeit she managed to still get knocked out on guard duty.
I was impressed with Piper's dealing with the two women guarding the office. Getting the one with the good old knee to the stomach to double the woman over followed by a good old neck chop. And then the trick the guard inside to open the door only to be met by Piper's fist. Impressive that Piper knocked her out with one punch.
Also liked the image of the blonde and brunette caters being taking out with simultaneous neck chops.
I also enjoyed Cleo's comment . If they wake up, put them back to sleep. Be careful to not compress the carotid arteries for too long, or you'll cause permanent brain damage.” Those kind of comments always add a bit of fun.
) and meditions, and also of more occasional posters such as dummy76, themann56 (whose latest story I still need to check), torreken, cardenio, and just as I was typing this comment, micpop posted a new story... In the Pictures section, lesther and darthchloroform regularly provide the Board with fanarts. And pictures from mainstream medias or deviantart and pixiv are regularly shared by many people - such as tirepanted's uncanny ability to find new scenes in comics 
. Even in the Clips section, new clips are regularly found - such as reza's recent discoveries. And that's not counting the regular 'official' videos made by johnboy's team. Honestly, when I try to remember how the Board felt like when I started to truly get involved in 2018, it seems a lot more dynamic nowadays (roughly since the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020).
Saying that as well I still really like Catalina, I like the way she thinks, the way she acts and she doesn't really let her reputation become her downfall of where she thinks she's unbeatable purely by stories alone, it's a really neat concept and I for one really like it.