), here is a little something from me as well. Originally, it came from the idea of a scene involving racing car drivers that I was desperately willing to incorporate in a story some day, but then it escalated into this... 
Not a story to be taken very seriously. Hope you'll have fun. Promise, I'll finish up Vigilante next time I venture into this world. (And I'll try to read this week's new stories during the next few days. )**************
Race to the Top
**************
Selena looked at her reflection and grimaced. She had changed her hairstyle. Instead of her usual twin-tails, there was now a tight double crown braid.
“I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for you.” the redhead said to Lucina, the one who did her hair.
“I thought you'd be glad to try something new.” her friend lightly teased her.
“Twin-tails are the fashion in my home Province!” the redhead objected. “It's a cultural thing!”
“I know, but to perform our next heist, we can't have long hair.” the black-haired woman said.
Lucina patted a small poster advertising a car racing.
“After all, it's hard to put on a racing helmet with long twin-tails.” she added.
“I know.” Selena grumbled.
Lucina checked her haircut in the mirror, to see if it was flawless. Her hair were also tied into a tight double crown braid, courtesy of Selena. “Honestly, I don't understand why we didn't think of it before.” the black-haired woman commented. “I mean, a racing helmet is the perfect tool to conceal our appearance...” She chuckled. “Stealing the prize money will be a cakewalk!”
Selena groaned. “Remind me why we have to do it?”
“'Cause we're short on money.”
The redhead shook her head. “I still think it's a bad idea. I'm sure it will be the Iron Tiger Tournament fiasco all over again...”
**************
Lilly was a journalist working for one of the country's most prestigious TV channels.
She was wearing a light brown short jacket with long sleeves, a white button-up shirt, light beige trousers, and brown shoes. A pass was tied around her neck.
Lilly had a half-up, half-down hairstyle. Her eyes were blue, her skin was light, and her midback-long hair were dark blond and wavy. She had manicured nails, and a body of average size and weight.
She also had a short temper.
“This is outrageous!” she was complaining. “I shouldn't be doing these subpar reports! I was supposed to be the anchorwoman! I can't believe they gave the post to Meredith! That fat cow!”
“You're damn right!” her assistant Millie agreed.
Millie had armpit-long brown hair with lighter tips, amber eyes, a light slightly tanned skin, and red lipstick on her lips. She was wearing light brown shoes, a striped black-and-white jumpsuit, and a black jacket.
Lily's assistant was applying some last-minute make-up. The boom operator was sitting on a low wall a little afar, with her sound boom resting against her left shoulder. Clearly, she was waiting the end of Lilly's outburst, unwilling to humour her. The camerawoman was rummaging through the back of the van. Her figure was half-hidden by the open door.
However, none of them was aware of the fact that they were being watched...
Four criminals shared a glance, then nodded.
Carol made a few gestures of the hand, and they deployed.
**************
Feeling annoyed, Julianna checked the time on her wristwatch and sighed. Lilly would keep on complaining for a long time...
Julianna was the boom operator. She had a tanned skin, brown hair tied into a short medium ponytail, and green eyes. She was wearing white sneakers, blue jeans, a brown belt, a black t-shirt, a light blue jean jacket, and black headphones around the neck.
The boom operator shook her head in frustration. Lilly was far from the worst journalist to work with. Indeed, Julianna had known far worst bosses, journalists who thought that because they were popular with the audience, they could treat their staff like crap. Lilly was many things, but she wasn't scornful towards her team. However, when she started to complain about her colleagues, her rants lasted forever...
Julianna yawned.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed the boom operator. One hand by the mouth to hand-gag her, and the other by the shoulder.
“Mphh?!”
Julianna was pulled behind the small wall by Carol. There were the sounds of a brief scuffle and muffled grunts. At the same time, Catalina grabbed the sound boom before it fell on the ground. Then, she disappeared behind the small wall.
The sounds of the scuffle stopped rapidly.
Lilly was still busy complaining and her assistant was still busy doing her make-up. They didn't notice anything.
**************
Vivian was rummaging through the back of the van. She needed a few more things to film the reportage.
However, she wasn't going to deny the fact that searching the back of the vehicle was a convenient excuse to not have to listen to Lilly's rant...
The camerawoman had a dark brown skin, hazel eyes, and curly shoulder-long black hair.
She was wearing black sneakers, dark blue jeans, a dark brown belt, a light blue shirt, and a dark blue jean jacket.
However, as she was bending forward to rummage through the equipment, she was vulnerable to a sneak attack from behind.
Maddie kicked her in the backside.
With a small 'Yeep!' of surprise, Vivian fell face first into the van.
Maddie and Nataleigh jumped after the camerawoman before she could recover from her surprise. Maddie closed the door of the vehicle.
The van rocked back and forth.
Lilly was still busy complaining and her assistant was still busy doing her make-up. They didn't notice anything.
**************
In fact, Lilly was still complaining when the four uniform stealers discreetly approached her and Millie. Her assistant was busy hiding a beauty spot with make-up.
Carol wordlessly eyed the journalist's figure and estimated the size of her waist. With her hands, she compared it to hers. She smiled. She did the same with Millie's figure, and estimated that she was Catalina's size. She did a few gestures of the hand to communicate the information. Catalina didn't seem very keen to play the part of the assistant, but Millie was the only one short enough for her, therefore she didn't have a choice.
“... And that's why I should have been the anchorwoman, and not Meredith!” Lilly concluded.
Four uniform stealers pounced on her and Millie.
**************
One short one-sided scuffle later, the unconscious journalist and her equally-unconscious assistant were dragged into the van by Carol and Maddie. At the same time, Nataleigh went to retrieve Julianna, still hidden behind the small wall.
The boom operator had already been stripped and trussed up by Carol and Catalina, before they went to deal with Lilly and Millie. Julianna was wearing a white tank top, a light pink bra with a flower pattern made of lace, and matching briefs. Her hands were bound behind her back with rope-handcuffs, and her wrists were tied with a second pair of rope-handcuffs. (They had prepared the handcuff knots in advance.) She was gagged with a sponge shoved into her mouth and two thick strips of tape stuck over her lips, forming an X.
Nataleigh grabbed Julianna's discarded clothes and headphones that Carol and Catalina temporarily left on the ground, then threw Julianna over her shoulder. She carried her to the van and put her inside.
Carol, Catalina, and Maddie were busy stripping Millie and Lilly.
Just like Julianna, Vivian was already stripped, bound and gagged. She was also restrained with rope handcuffs and gagged with a sponge and two strips of tape. The camerawoman was wearing a black tank top, a dark grey t-shirt bra, and dark grey boyshorts.
The four criminals finished stripping the journalist and her assistant.
Lilly was wearing a white push-up bra with a pattern of lace butterflies, matching hip-hugging panties, and white socks as undergarments. Millie was clad in a black lacy bra with red edges, a red thong, and black socks.
Both women were then trussed up with rope handcuffs and gagged with tape. Though, given Lilly's big mouth, they actually wrapped several layers of tape around her lower face instead of sticking only a few strips. They wanted to make sure that she'd stay silent.
“Perfect.” Carol commented. “Everyone, put on your clothes.”
She slipped into Lilly's light beige trousers, white button up shirt, and light brown jacket. Nataleigh put on the jean jacket, black t-shirt, and jeans of the boom operator and Maddie put on the jean jacket, t-shirt, and jeans of the camerawoman.
**************
Catalina sighed as she was putting on the assistant's striped black and white jumpsuit.
In a way, her current disguise was symbolic of the recent change in her life...
After the events at the theater, Carol decided that, while Catalina was an invaluable teammate due to her talent to plan things and craft disguises, she lacked the authority and charisma of a true leader. Therefore, she demanded a vote. Maddie and Nataleigh supported her.
And Catalina was deposed, while Carol was elected to be the new leader of the team. Just like that.
Catalina probably could have tried to impose her leadership again, or to get some leverage on them, or even to betray them to get back at them. However, ultimately, she didn't have the heart to do it. And it was for the exact same reason why she didn't try to instil fear in her henchwomen or to find some leverage on them while she was still officially the leader. She had gotten attached to these women, as they were the only ones who agreed to work for her in spite of her strange flamboyant personality.
Plus, Catalina was forced to admit it, Carol was a better leader. She was more down-to-earth, and had the natural authority that Catalina was lacking. The short woman had wanted to live her dream of being a real-life supervillainess, but she wasn't prepared to deal with the practical details of being the leader of a team of infiltrators. Much like a teacher with no authority that gets heckled by their students, she let her henchwomen walk all over her even though she was supposed to have a superior rank.
Still, accepting her new situation was the first step to her personal fulfilment.
“Here we go.” Carol concluded. “With these four's VIP passes, we'll be able to infiltrate the building. Catalina, do you have the fake photos?”
“Yes.”
“Then put them in the passes. The prize money is awaiting us.”
They left the back of the van, and the four bound-and-gagged women who were stashed inside. Nataleigh went to retrieve Julianna's sound boom, wearing her headphones around the neck, while Maddie was carrying Vivian's camera.
“Now everyone, remember to play your part. We're supposed to do a story on the racing car.” Carol concluded.
**************
When she was performing a heist, before aquiring her first disguise, Selena was always wearing the same clothes that were forming what she was calling the 'dumb tourist outfit'. A bright cap, a colourful flower shirt, and tacky trousers. Just add a camera and an ugly handbag, and her guise was perfect. Nobody would be wary of someone wearing those clothes!
Which was of course perfect for a woman about to perform a heist...
Selena's disguise was actually so good that it almost backfired on her once, when two wannabe uniform stealers looking for a cheap disguise thought that she was an easy target. The two women were however mere amateurs, small-time thugs trying to mimic real fully-trained infiltrators and uniform stealers. In fact, Selena exited the alleyway with, in her hands, the wannabe uniform stealers' clothers. The two women were left bound-and-gagged, stashed in an empty trash can, wearing only their respective sets of sapphire blue and ruby red sports bra and boyshorts.
Currently, Selena was strolling in the area of the car race.
This motor-racing grand prix was especially big and well-known. A huge crowd had gathered to witness the race.
And of course, a huge crowd meant a huge number of opportunities.
Had she been given the choice, Selena probably would have left her criminal infiltrator days behind her. However, finding a steady honest job wasn't exactly easy when one was an international fugitive, who was wanted because she associated herself with one of her country's most infamous criminals.
And whether she liked it or not, her time working for Reka honed her skills as an infiltrator. Therefore, infiltrations were her best course of action when she needed to aquire money illegally.
Selena was walking behind the main building which was hosting the administration and the VIP guests of the event. She was searching behind the garages, in the parking lots, near the dumpsters, near the back entrance, and near the portable restrooms. She was looking for an opportunity.
Until she finally found a perfect occasion near the recycling dumpsters...
The race car driver had a tanned skin, glossy pink lips, and short chin-long platinum blond hair in a bob-cut with low front bangs that covered her eyebrows. She had a small nose and a soft round face.
She was wearing a bright hot pink race car driver one-piece outfit with matching hot pink racing gloves and shoes. She was carrying her race car driver helmet under her left arm.
Selena recognized her. She was a contestant called Tabitha.
Currently, the blonde was munching on a chewing gum while briefly checking a few news on her phone. She was probably taking a break before regrouping with her team.
“Hello.” Selena said to her.
“Hi.” the blonde answered without taking her eyes off her phone.
“Can you spit your gum please?”
“Why?” Tabitha asked, still busy checking her social networks.
The redhead genially answered: “Because I'm about to punch your lights out to take your clothes, and your place. Therefore, I wouldn't want you to swallow your gum by accident and choke on it.”
This time, the blonde took her eyes off her phone. “What the-”
Selena ominously approached her.
Tabitha reflexively spat her gum and raised her fists to try to defend herself.
A stomach punch and a sleeper-hold later, the racecar driver was off to slumberland.
Selena dragged her in a blind spot behind the dumpsters.
She laid the blonde on the ground and unzipped her racing suit, revealing a light pink tank top and matching shorts. Before taking the one-piece garment off, the redhead unlaced and removed Tabitha's shoes, revealing her light pink socks. Then, Selena peeled off the racing suit. Since she didn't want the fabric to be directly in contact with her own underwear, she also stole the blonde's tank top and shorts. As undergarments, Tabitha was wearing a glossy hot pink t-shirt bra and matching hip-hugging panties. Selena chose to be magnanimous and let the blonde keep them, as well as her socks.
She took a few plastic zip-ties in her handbag, and bound the woman's wrists and ankles with them. Selena was also hiding a roll of tape in her handbag. She wrapped a few layers of black tape around the thighs, knees, and shoulders. Then, she shoved a small sponge into Tabitha's mouth and sealed her lips with a few layers of tape.
Selena found a cardboard recycling dumpster and stashed Tabitha inside.
The redhead checked if the surroundings were clear, and changed herself while using the cover of the dumpster to hide.
**************
Adele was another contestant. She had neck-long brown hair with a few strands that were dyed pink, green eyes, a round face, and a white skin with slightly chubby rosy cheeks.
She was wearing a mint green race car driver one-piece outfit with matching racing gloves and shoes. (She secretly hated that colour, but unfortunately had no say in the matter. It was the colour of the racing stable long before she became its main pilot.) She was carrying her helmet under the arm.
“Tabitha! Where have you been? I was looking for you, like, everywhere. You totes need to check this post!” Adele said when she finally found the other racer in the back of the main building near the dumpsters. She waved her cellphone at her.
Tabitha didn't remove her helmet. Silently, she gestured towards Adele, urging her to come closer.
“What?”
Tabitha didn't answer. With her hand gestures, she made her understand that it was important.
Adele rolled her eyes indulgently.
“Gosh, you're so weird sometimes...”
She approached her friend and looked inside the dumpster at which Tabitha was pointing.
Adele's eyes widened when she saw the content of the dumpster.
A half-naked bound-and-gagged Tabitha.
“Is this, like, an evil twin scenario or something?!” Adele couldn't help but exclaim.
A black-haired woman stepped out of the shadows.
“Nope. Just a plain old mugging for disguise scenario.” she said.
Adele recoiled in fear and raised her fists. “Back off, creep! I know martial arts!”
The black-haired woman charged.
“Yeep!” Adele shrieked.
**************
“I always find it funny when they try to fight back...” Lucina commented with a smile.
The black-haired woman adjusted her mint green stolen gloves and looked inside the recycling dumpster.
Adele was lying next to Tabitha on some cardboard, only clad in her brown full-cup bra with pink polka dots and pink trimmings, her matching cheeky panties, and her white socks. Her limbs were zip-tied and taped, and she was tape-gagged.
Lucina closed the lid, leaving it slightly open to allow some air to enter. (She was a criminal mugging other women for their clothes, not a monster.)
“Didn't I tell that it would be worth it to drop the twin-tails the time of this mission?” she asked Selena. “Now, we'll be able to enter all the VIP parts of the building. The prize money is as good as ours!”
Then, she put on the racing helmet to conceal her face.
“I still think it's a bad idea. I can hardly breathe while wearing this thing!” Selena complained.
“It's just your imagination. Now quit whining. We have work to do!”
They went inside the main building.
**************
Carol was playing the part of the confident journalist, while Catalina, Nataleigh, and Maddie were following her like the obedient little crew they were supposed to be.
The VIP parts of the building were crowded with people, members of the staff, caterers, and security guards, but nobody blew their cover.
Carol couldn't help but notice that two racers were also here, Tabitha and Adele according to the colour of their racing suits, but for some reason they weren't taking off their helmets.
Nataleigh was nimbly stealing food on the buffet tables whenever nobody was looking at her.
“Stop gorging yourself and keep playing your part.” Carol whispered to her at one point. “We're here to steal something much more valuable than appetizers.”
“Sorry.”
They kept on walking in the main room of the event, but soon they discovered that their guise of a journalist and her crew was raising a problem.
“I'm not entirely satisfied with these disguises.” Carol said. “They maybe allowed us to access the main building, but we're attracting too much attention. Everyone wants to be in our TV reports, therefore they are all trying to see where we are to be in the field of the camera... If we want to reach the safe room, we'll have to find other disguises.”
“There are plenty of opportunities for a change of clothes.” Maddie commented while eyeing the catering crew.
“Indeed. Classic ones, but these are often the best.” Nataleigh added while glancing at the security guards.
Catalina was looking at the members of the staff, eager to get rid of the assistant's clothes.
“So. Who's for a change of clothes?” Carol asked.
“Aye!” the three other women answered.
This was actually Carol's way of leading the team. Putting as many decisions as possible to the vote. Especially since this was how she became the new leader.
“Now, the remaining question is... which ones?” Carol added.
“Catering crew.” Maddie said.
“Security guards.” Nataleigh objected.
“Staff members.” Catalina retorted.
Carol sighed. This was the downside of trying to be democratic in a team of uniform stealers... Though, in that case, it was her duty as leader to settle the argument.
“We'll see what opportunity arises, then-”
She interrupted herself when she saw one of the racecar drivers, Tabitha according to the hot pink colour of her outfit, leave the main room to isolate herself.
“You know what? Why can't we start with a little racecar driver outfit? I've always thought that these helmets would be perfect to conceal one's face...” Carol commented.
The other three women agreed.
**************
They followed Tabitha, who went to an empty part of the building, unaware that she was being followed.
The building hosting the VIP guests, and the buffet, was also the administrative building used to run the racing car business and organize its different events. Therefore, there were a lot of office rooms. However, due to the VIP party and the upcoming race, most of them were currently empty.
Tabitha was apparently searching for something, or someone, as she was opening several doors leading to empty office rooms.
At one point, she entered one of the rooms.
Carol shared a glance with Nataleigh, Catalina, and Maddie. The three other women nodded to show their approval. They entered the room.
However, as they were about to try to grab her, the driver did something strange.
She removed her helmet.
“Ah! Fresh air! Goodness, I can't stand this thing anymore! Lucina was mad to think that the helmets were a good idea!” she said to herself.
“Uhm... When did Tabitha become a light-skinned redhead? Isn't she supposed to be a tanned-skinned blonde?” Catalina couldn't help but comment out loud.
The other woman heard her and turned to face them.
Carol resisted the urge to dope-slap Catalina. It wouldn't look very professional in front of another uniform stealer. Indeed, she knew the woman wasn't the real Tabitha, therefore the redhead could only be another infiltrator who had stolen the blond driver's outfit and identity.
Well, that explains why she wasn't removing her helment in public...
The auburn-haired woman tried to start the conversation, but the rehdead proved to be faster than her.
“Hey, I know you!” she commented while pointing at Catalina. “I've seen your blog. You're that failed wannabe supervillainess! What's the name again? Catalina the Showwoman? Never thought I'd meet you and your team though.”
Carol frowned, a little annoyed. “Uhm. Hello. I'm standing right here, in front of her.” she said.
“Though I must say that your team looks a lot more street-smart than you, no offence.” the redhead added.
“I'm standing in front. Clearly 'cause I'm the leader!” Carol intervened again, now very annoyed.
Catalina shifted nervously.
“Well... I'm more something akin to an evil genius now.”
The redhead raised an eyebrow. “Evil genius?”
“You know, the one who comes up with the plans and the gadgets.”
The redhead was looking skeptical.
Catalina couldn't help but explain the situation, to justify herself: “Let's just say that after a heart-to-heart conversation with my associates, I realized that I was not cut out to be a leader... So now, we're teammates.”
“And I'm the new leader!” Carol intervened.
**************
Selena rubbed her forehead. “I miss Reka. Things were simpler when I was working for her. More serious, less full of...” She looked at Catalina. “... weirdos.” The redhead hadn't forgotten the embarassing events of the Iron Tiger Tournament... She was sensing the same bad vibrations around Catalina as around Aisha.
Suddenly, the door of the room opened once more and Lucina entered the room.
“Selena! What are you doing? We don't have much time to-”
Lucina interrupted herself when she saw the four newcomers.
“What are you doing with Catalina the Showwoman and her team?” she asked.
**************
This time, Carol lost patience. “Come on! I'm clearly standing in front! Isn't it that hard to see that there's been a change of leadership?!”
Lucina raised her hands. “Sorry. Sorry. Didn't want to hurt your feelings! Jeez! Oversensitive much?”
Maddie and Nataleigh snickered.
There was a strange awkward moment during which the two teams of uniform stealers looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Selena finally shrugged. “So. What do we do now? Do we fight each other?”
Taking advantage of everyone's moment of hesitation, Lucina regrouped with her.
Catalina tapped Carol's shoulder and said to her: “I think I recognize these two. They're called Selena and Lucina. They used to work for Reka BlackHills.”
“THE Reka BlackHills?” Carol exclaimed.
“The very same.” Selena intervened.
Not the kind of people you'd want to fight head-on. Carol thought to herself.
“I think that people like us have enough enemies as it is. We don't need to fight each other on top of everything.” she said out loud.
“What do you suggest then?” Selena asked.
“Each group goes their separate way.”
“Sounds fair, but there's one problem. I bet you're also trying to grab the prize money of the grand prix.” Lucina retorted.
“However, if we fight each other, no one will have it.” Carol objected. “Security would probably hear the commotion.”
Lucina nodded. “A race then? The first group who grabs the money wins? Of course, no group has the right to warn the security about the other, no matter what disguise they have.”
“Sounds fair.” Carol said.
“Then you better leave first.” Selena said. “So that we can make sure you won't try to attack us in the back.”
**************
The situation was a little surreal, but Carol's team left the office room without a fuss. They were walking in the corridors.
“I didn't think there would be so much competition in the Uniform Stealing market...” Maddie commented.
“A good idea is often stolen.” Carol absent-mindedly answered. “Though now I understand why the government is trying to pass laws to stop uniform stealings.”
“So, what do we do now?” Nataleigh asked her.
“We find a new set of clothes, of course.”
On their way, in a corridor, they came across a pair of women. Both were wearing the clothes of the mechanics working on the racing cars: black work shoes, mechanic trousers, a long-sleeved mechanic jacket over a white t-shirt, black work gloves, and a cap.
The first woman was slim and of average size. She had light brown hair that were swept over the left side of her face and tied into a low ponytail at the back. Her skin was white and her eyes were hazel green. Her work trousers, jacket and cap were hot pink.
The second woman had a slim build, a white skin, brown eyes, and black hair tied into a neck bun. Her work trousers, jacket, and cap were mint green.
“Wait a second and look at that.” Carol muttered. She was having an idea.
The two mechanics approached her group.
“Miss! Sorry to bother you, but have you seen the contestants called Tabitha and Adele?” the first woman asked.
“We're mechanics of their teams. We need them to prepare the cars for the race.” the other added.
Carol smiled. “Of course, I did see them. They're over there.” She gave them the right direction.
The two women thanked her and hurried up.
“I thought we were supposed to have a fair competition.” Catalina commented once they were out of earsight.
“Of course we are having one. And sending an obstacle on their way is only fair game.” Carol answered with a smile. “After all, I didn't call the security.”
“Besides, I don't think these two will have a hard time dispatching two mechanics.” Maddie intervened. “In fact, they may even welcome the change of clothes.”
“Speaking of which, we also need our own change of clothes.” Carol concluded. “Though we still have to decide which outfits we will steal...”
“Catering crew.” Maddie immediately said.
“Security guards.” Nataleigh objected.
“Staff members.” Catalina retorted.
Carol muttered to herself, complaining about the downsides of democracy in a team of uniform stealers.
**************
Selena and Lucina barely had the time to put on the helmets when they heard someone approach the door of the room in which they were.
Two mechanics entered the office room. One was wearing hot pink clothes; and the other, mint green clothes. Selena and Lucina immediately realized that these two women were trouble.
“Tabitha!” the first mechanic shouted.
“Adele!” the second mechanic added.
“You're here!” they both exclaimed together.
Each mechanic grabbed the hand of the woman she thought was the driver of their racing stable.
“Come here, and quickly!” the mechanics added. “Everyone's waiting for you! We need to do the final tests before the race!”
Selena and Lucina exchanged a look.
They were caught off guard by the sudden arrival of these women. Therefore, as they were too flabber-gasted, they let the mechanics lead them out of the empty office room.
They were even panicking a little, as they didn't know how to drive a racing car.
Then, when they saw a secondary corridor leading to a maintenance closet, they remembered who they were and how they could deal with that kind of problem...
Each infiltrator released her hand at the same time and, in one swift motion, hit a very specific spot between the shoulder and the neck of her mechanic with the edge of her hand. A perfect neck-chop.
The two mechanics grunted and froze, staggered, then fell backward. They were out cold.
Lucina and Selena caught the falling women under the shoulders, and carried them out of sight in the empty secondary corridor.
They laid their burdens on the floor in front of the maintenance closet's door and removed their racing helmet.
“Told you that impersonating the pilots was a bad idea!” Selena commented.
Lucina groaned. “Fine. We can't impersonate Tabitha and Adele now that everyone's looking for them anyway. We'll find something else.”
She double-checked the size of the two women they just knocked out.
“In fact, I have just found something else.”
“Mechanics?” Selena said with a frown. “How are we going to justify the fact that we're roaming the administrative building dressed as mechanics?
“Remember. Everyone is looking for the missing Tabitha and Adele... unaware that they are spending some quality time together in the recycling dumpster.” Lucina said with a smile.
Selena was starting to understand. “It means that they probably won't be found before a few hours.”
“And in the meantime, their loyal mechanics will be looking for them in the entire building.” Lucina added.
The two friends exchanged a knowing glance. They were on the same page.
They unzipped the jackets of the two mechanics and pulled them off while lifting their upper bodies. Then they grabbed the white t-shirts the mechanics were wearing underneath, and pulled them off as well while lifting the women's upper bodies. They unlaced and removed the work shoes, then they unbuckled the mechanics' belts and shimmied them down their work trousers.
The mechanic with light brown hair was wearing a white tank top, a faded blue t-shirt bra, matching knickers, and white socks. The mechanic with black hair was also wearing a tank top, which was light red, but there was no bra underneath. (Lucina couldn't help but whistle and comment: “Bold choice!”) The mechanic was also wearing light purple boxer briefs and black socks.
Selena opened the door of the maintenance closet.
A quick search inside allowed the two uniform stealers to acquire a few rolls of thick black tape.
Therefore, several layers of tape were wrapped around the two mechanics' hands and fingers, wrists, ankles, knees, and shoulders. Each woman was stuff-gagged with a clean rag from the closet, which was held in place by tape wrapped around the lower face.
Selena and Lucina stashed the two mechanics inside the maintenance closet. They then quickly removed their racing car driver outfits, and hid them and the helmets with their stripped bound-and-gagged victims before closing the door of the closet.
The two partners-in-crime slipped into the mechanics' clothes and put on the gloves and caps. Selena was wearing the hot pink uniform; and Lucina, the mint green one.
“Now that we got that detail out of the way, let's get going.” Lucina said.
“And let's be quick.” Selena added.
Indeed, the race was on with the other group of uniform stealers, and she knew that they would have to change clothes at least once more to have an excuse to go to the office room in which the safe was located.
**************
Carol and her team were hiding in a supply room of another part of the building, the one reserved for the staff.
“Get ready Nataleigh, I think this one is your size...” Carol commented. The auburn-haired woman was observing the corridor through the slightly half-open door.
She was referring to a security guard.
“Yes!” Nataleigh whispered to herself.
“This is so unfair!” Catalina complained. “Why did she get what she wanted and not me?”
“Because the only woman of your size who came across was a caterer.” Carol patiently retorted.
Indeed, Catalina was now disguised as a caterer. She was wearing a white long-sleeved button-up shirt and a black sleeveless button-up waistcoat, a black bowtie, white trousers with a black lower body apron, and black shoes.
The real caterer was seated in a corner of the supply room. She was a petite chestnut-haired woman with a heart-shaped face and hazel brown eyes. Her waist was slightly pudgy and her cheeks were chubby. Currently, the short caterer was only wearing her cerise pink support bra, fuchsia control briefs, and light pink socks. Her hands were bound behind her back with strong strings and tape that Carol's team found in the supply room. The woman's thighs, knees, and ankles were also tied with strings and tape. A coil of string was wrapped around her arms above and below the breasts. She was stuff-gagged with a small rag and cleave-gagged with a bigger thicker rag. The short caterer was watching her captors in fear.
Seated next to her, with her head resting on her shoulder, there was an other unconscious underwear-clad woman who had light blond hair, a soft white skin, a tall but lanky body, a thin face with sunken cheeks, and a pointy nose. Her shoulder-long hair were braided and she was wearing a rubin plunge bra, mellow yellow tanga panties, and white socks. She was bound and gagged in the same way as the short pudgy chestnut-haired woman. The blonde was actually another caterer. In fact, Carol and her team grabbed her at the same time as the short caterer. And since she was proving to be difficult, they decided to knock her out. Which had the side-effect of making the short caterer very compliant when they asked her to strip.
Maddie was currently putting on the blonde's uniform.
“This one's both too tall and too tight for me!” she was complaining.
Her partners were ignoring her. Maddie often complained when she had to disguise herself, wether because the new clothes were itching her, or because she didn't want to put on a mask, or because the clothes weren't a good fit...
Unaware of the events taking place in the supply room, the security guard was whistling and merrily walking in the corridor. She was spinning her truncheon.
The guard had coarse black hair, a tanned copper-coloured skin and dark hazel almond-shaped eyes. She was tall and muscular. She was wearing thick black shoes, dark blue uniform trousers, a matching dark blue security uniform jacket over a grey t-shirt, and a dark blue security cap. Her unused weapons were strapped onto a black belt.
The second the guard was within reach, Nataleigh took action.
She leapt out of her hiding place, pounced on her prey, and grabbed the security guard.
“What in the-?!”
Nataleigh pulled her into the supply room.
“Unhand me, you brute!” the security guard exclaimed.
SOCK! “Ouap!”
Carol closed the door to conceal the upcoming noises.
**************
The excuse that they were looking for Tabitha and Adele worked several times when Lucina and Selena came across a few male employees or guards, but the two accomplices knew that they needed less loud clothes.
They searched the building, knowing that it was a race since Carol's team was also probably busy aquiring a new set of clothes allowing them to approach the safe.
They knew that they had an advantage, as they only needed two sets of clothes while Carol's team would need to acquire four, but they had also lost time with the mechanics.
It took them some time, but they finally found an opportunity in one of the corridors.
The two security guards were sharing an uncanny family resemblance. They were most likely sisters. Their hair were the same shade of reddish blond. Their eyes were the same shade of green. They had the same round chin and tall nose, the same round-shaped face, and the same light skin with a few freckles. One was slightly taller than the other though, she was probably the older sister – in her mid thirties – while the youngest sister was in her early thirties. The older sister had a bob cut, the younger sister's hair were tied up into collarbone-long ponytail.
They were wearing the same dark blue security guard uniforms and caps, with black shoes and belts, and grey t-shirts.
“Gotta go back to the classics sometimes.” Lucina said while eyeing their security uniforms.
“Guards who are also sisters?” Selena grimaced. “I'm having traumatic flashbacks of the events of the Iron Tiger Tournament. I swear, if I hear these two mentioning a betting ring about uniform stealings, I'll make them eat their own socks...”
“Let's find out.” Lucina said with a smile.
They approached the pair of guards.
“Excuse me.” Selena said. “We're looking for two pilots, Tabitha and Adele. Have you seen them?”
The older sister shook her head. “No, ma'am.”
“Sorry.” her younger sister added.
“Maybe they've been mugged for disguise...” Lucina slyly commented. “I heard that in some competitions, there are people betting on which contestant will be mugged by uniform stealers trying to steal the prize money.”
The older sister frowned. “Ma'am. Is this a joke? What kind of moron would bet on such a ridiculous thing?”
“THANK YOU!” Selena exclaimed. “And here I thought I was the only one who found it stupid! It almost makes me want to find another pair of guards...”
“Pardon me?” the younger guard asked.
Lucina put a hand on her mouth. “Oops. Looks like we said too much.”
She and Lucina jumped at the same time.
Before the two guards could react, they realized that the blade of a small knife was held near their throat.
“Please don't make this more difficult than it has to be.” Selena calmly commented. “We seem to be on the same page, and I wouldn't want to hurt you.”
The two sisters were maybe security guards, but they were also working for a company that purposefully selected safe risk-free contracts. Therefore, its agents had never been confronted to real criminals or uniform stealers before.
They surrendered.
“Good. Now, we're going to need your clothes.”
“Is... Is this still a joke?” the younger guard nervously asked. “You're still joking, right?”
“I'm afraid not.”
The older guard's eyes widened. “So it's true... You're truly uniform stealers...”
“Boss said we would only be sent on assignments without risk of uniform stealings!” her sister added.
“Well, in that case, sue him.” Lucina said with a wink.
“Though in his defense, I'd like to say that he could never have been able to protect your forever.” Selena added. “Now that some security companies are purposefully training to counter uniform stealings, we are of course starting to target places we didn't target before because they're protected by security companies that aren't trained to counter us.”
The two sisters nervously gulped.
“Oh come on, it's not THAT bad. Just uncomfortable.” Lucina commented.
“How would you know?”
“Well, I was once- I... I mean. I'm speaking hypothetically here, of course.”
Lucina was certainly not going to admit that she ended up stripped, bound, gagged, and locked inside a box for several hours like a rookie guard!
**************
Wearing her new still-warm uniform, Nataleigh stretched with a satisfied smile.
“'Brute'?” the muscular woman commented to herself with a chuckle. She glanced at the unconscious guard. “She's got to be the most precious security guard ever!”
The security guard, still unconscious, was seated next to the two caterers. She had been stripped down to her black tank top adorned with a big printed yellow police star, her navy-blue sports bra, her cyan boyshorts, and black socks. She was stuff-gagged and cleave-gagged, and bound with strings and tape. Nataleigh also used the guard's pair of handcuffs to secure her wrists, since she was stronger than their other two victims.
The short plump caterer was now watching them with even more fear.
Catalina was watching Maddie and Nataleigh with a jealous expression.
Carol was still watching the corridor.
Come on little victims... Hurry up, I don't have all day... She knew that Selena and Lucina were somewhere in the building, probably aquiring a new set of clothes that would give them an excuse to reach the safe. She also knew that her team had a disadventage: they were four while Selena and Lucina were two, which meant that even if the mechanics were able to make them waste time, they'd still need less time to find disguises granting them access to the safe room.
“Well, well, well... Would you look at that?” she finally commented.
A sharply-dressed woman was approaching their hiding place. She was wearing black high-heels, black tights, a hematite grey pencil skirt with white stripes and a matching long-sleeved business suit over a crisp white button up shirt, a black tie, and a gold wristwatch as well as small gold earrings. Her reddish brown hair were tied into a tight neat high-bun. Her eyes were amber and she was wearing oval-shaped glasses. She had a sharp bossy-looking face with a pointy chin and a beauty spot on the right side of her chin.
She was a member of the staff overseeing the race. A passcard was tied aroun her neck. However, she was too tall to be Catalina's size. She was, however, a close enough fit for Carol.
“Oh, come on!” Catalina complained.
“What can I say? You can't always win.” Carol said.
When the sharply-dressed woman passed near the door, Carol clamped her hand over her mouth.
“Mph?!”
The staff member disappeared into the supply room.
**************
The staff member tried to call for help, but a quick sleeper-hold fixed everything.
Four pairs of hands swiftly undressed the woman with reddish brown hair, removing all her outer clothes including the tights, leaving her clad in a rainbow-coloured bustier and matching knickers.
“Well, who would have guessed that the sharply-dressed woman had a fun-loving inner-self...?” Carol commented.
The short plump caterer was now watching them with EVEN MORE fear.
“Oh, stop giving us the puppy eyes!” Nataleigh said to her. “We're not going to eat you or to brutalize you now that we have stolen your uniform.”
“It's always the same thing when it's their first time... You'd think that, by now, they would all know the drill.” Maddie added.
“Enough with the quirky remarks.” Carol intervened. “Don't forget that we're having a race. Selena and Lucina are probably heading, or about to be heading, to the safe room.”
While Catalina, Nataleigh, and Maddie were quickly trussing up and gagging the staff member, Carol slipped into her tights, pencil skirt, button up shirt, and business jacket. She renounced putting on the high-heels or taking the jewelries though. She knew that she would have to run in the next minutes.
The woman with reddish brown hair was seated next to the security guard. She fell on the side, and her cheek ended up resting on the guard's shoulder.
**************
Selena and Lucina made the two reddish-blond-haired security guards walk into an empty office room. Then, they ordered her to take off their uniforms.
To prevent them from trying something, they chose to have the two sisters strip one after the other. That way, they could hold one sister as hostage while the other was removing her dark blue security uniform jacket, her grey shirt, her back shoes, her black belt, and her dark blue uniform trousers.
The older sister, the one with the bob cut, was wearing a cherry red lacy demi bra and a black thong. The younger sister, the one with the ponytail, was wearing a plain green padded bra and lemon green bikini panties.
Selena and Lucina cuffed each woman's wrists behind her back with her own handcuffs. They didn't have much tape left, therefore they used their rolls sparingly: They made the two women sit, then wrapped a few layers of tape around the ankles and calves, and around the lower face as a gag.
Selena stared at the two sisters. “Well, now we're facing a dilemna. You see, on the one hand, we really appreciated your cooperativeness.”
“However, on the other hand, we can't risk having you break free too soon.” Lucina added. “So...” She mimicked the gesture of pinching something.
“We advise your to stay still. It will only sting a little.” Selena concluded.
Bound and gagged, the two security guards couldn't do anything but wince and obey.
Applying a nerve-pinch to an immobilized foe was easy. Selena grabbed a specific nerve between the older sister's shoulder and neck, Lucina did the same with the younger sister. They pinched.
The reddish-blond-haired security guards shivered briefly, without a sound, then went limp. They were out cold.
Selena and Lucina threw away the mechanics' clothes, and slipped into the security uniforms.
With these clothes, they would have an excuse to approach the safe room.
The two accomplices abandoned the security guards in a corner of the room. The two sisters were seated next to each other, as if they were huddling.
“Let's hurry up.” Selena intervened. “Don't forget that we're having a race. Carol's team is probably heading, or about to be heading, to the safe room.”
**************
Two groups of uniform stealers were hurrying up, racing to reach the safe room first. They were running now, only walking when they were coming across someone, in order to not arouse suspicion.
They were so in a hurry that they didn't notice that the door leading to the safe room itself wasn't guarded.
They should have...
The two groups of uniforms stealers arrived within sight of the safe room's door at the same time.
They faced each other, in the same intersection. The room was at the end of the corridor in front of them.
There was a short moment of silence.
“First to arrive wins!” Catalina suddenly shouted.
Six women made a beeline for the door of the office.
They were running as far as they could. The final stage of the race was on!
Suddenly, Lucina leapt to the side, hitting Carol with her shoulder. The latter fell, making Nataleigh and Maddie fall with her. Lucina was also unbalanced, but she knew that her friend would keep on running.
Unfortunately for the black-haired woman, Catalina used her small stature to her advantage, and avoided her falling partners. She sped up to compensate her shorter legs.
Selena had a small lead on her.
Catalina leapt forward and touched the door at the same time as the taller redhead.
“I won!” Selena exclaimed.
“No way! I touched it first!” Catalina retorted.
“Now, that's just cheating!”
They started to bicker.
Carol, Maddie, and Nataleigh approached them while rubbing the body parts on which they fell.
“Stop screaming you two! You will alert security.” Carol said.
Lucina approached as well. She quickly assessed the situation.
“I guess we haven't the choice. Let's call it a draw and share the money.”
Carol, Maddie, and Nataleigh hesitated.
“Unless you prefer to fight.” Selena added.
She and Lucina had already grabbed the handguns of their security uniforms.
“Fair enough.” Carol agreed. “Sixty-forty?”
“Fifty-fifty.” Lucina retorted.
“Come on!” the auburn-haired woman exclaimed. “You just tried to cheat during the race! Besides, we are four and you are two! Our individual shares are going to be smaller than yours!”
“Sharing is done per team, not per head.” Selena objected. “Besides, I'm pretty sure you're no strangers to the two mechanics who came bothering us.”
Carol decided to avoid the topic. “Fine, fifty-fifty.” She knew that the amount of money for the prize was still huge. Even half of it was a pretty big sum.
**************
They entered the office room in which the safe was located.
They were so excited in fact, that they still didn't notice the odd detail: There was no security guard to protect the room, neither outside or inside.
Lucina opened the safe.
"Jackpot!"
Six women eagerly looked inside.
There was a small note. And nothing else.
Six women let out a groan of anger and disbelief.
“What the- Where's the money?!” Carol exclaimed.
Maddie grabbed the note.
“It says: 'With the compliments of Murmur. Professional Uniform Stealer.'” she read.
“Murmur?”
“Another uniform stealer?!” Selena complained. “Goodness! It's the Iron Tiger Tournmant fiasco all over again! Come on! How many uniform stealers still exist in our country?”
“The jerk!” Catalina intervened. “She got the cool supervillainess nickname, while I'm stuck with the 'Showwoman'!”
“Not now, Cat', please.” Carol intervened while rubbing her forehead.
They were suddenly interrupted by a muffled sound. The kind of muffled sound that a gagged woman makes when waking up after having been knocked out and trussed up. (They were familiar with that sound.)
It came from under the desk.
Carol moved the rolling chair blocking their view.
Under the desk, there was a seated blond-haired blue-eyed tanned-skinned woman only wearing her skivvies: a black bandeau bra and black cheeky panties. Even her socks had been stolen for some reason.
She was ball-tied with ropes, with her knees almost pressed up against her breasts, blindfolded and cleave-gagged with colourful scarves.
The six women were maybe professional uniform stealers, but even they couldn't help but stare blankly at this sight.
The blonde mewled louder and louder in her gag to catch their attention.
Lucina finally ungagged the underwear-clad woman.
“Hey you, what happened? Who are you?” she asked her.
“I'm... I'm one of the security guards... A... A woman came...” the half-naked woman stuttered. “She... She stole my clothes, my pass, and my keys... And then she stole all the money!”
“Bummer.” Nataleigh commented.
The defeated security guard tried to shake off her blindfold to see the women she thought were her saviours. “Can you untie me, please? We have to sound the alarm!”
There was a short moment of deafening silence.
The blindfolded guard's smile of relief disappeared, replaced by an expression of worry.
“You ARE going to untie me, right?”
Lucina absent-mindedly shoved back the gag into her mouth and knotted it behind her neck.
“Now, that's just great! All this planning, and for what? Just so that some upstart could reap the fruit of our hard labour?!” she complained.
The half-naked security guard was also complaining, even though nobody cared about what she had to say anymore. “Nmph! Plhhsh! Thhs hs sh hnfhr!”
Lucina rolled her eyes. “Oh, grow up a little! All guards are bound to go through what you're experiencing right now at least once in their career.”
Catalina snickered. “Heh... Heh... 'Bound'.”
“And now, what do we do?” Carol asked, ignoring her partner's intervention.
The six women shared an awkward glance.
**************
Sick of everything right now, and especially of their lives, Selena, Lucina, Carol, Nataleigh, Maddie, and Catalina left the building, went back to the vehicles they had used to come here, and put on their casual clothes.
They left the motor racing behind and wandered the city like lost souls during several hours.
Then, they all went into a bar-restaurant, and got plastered.
During the first round of drinks, they were complaining about the upstart who stole their money.
During the second round of drinks, they were swearing revenge.
During the third round of drinks, they were proposing to make an alliance the time to deal with 'Murmur'.
During the fourth round of drinks, they were singing drinking songs.
During the fifth round of drinks, Nataleigh finished her second bottle of peanuts, and Maddie was complaining that the back of the seat was itching her neck.
During the sixth round of drinks, Carol was tearfully hugging Catalina while admitting she was like the annoying younger smaller sibling she had secretly always wanted, and that it was the reason she was never able to ditch her.
During the seventh round of drinks, Lucina was confessing the shameful secret that she had always been mugged by uniform stealers before while doing Selena's haircut, giving the redhead back her beloved twin-tails.
During the eighth round of drinks, a waitress came. She was dressed in a light blue long-sleeved calf-long waitress dress with a white collar, a striped dark-blue and white apron with pockets, white long socks, and grey sneakers. She had wavy shoulder-long brown hair, chestnut eyes, a curvy body, and a light skin. She told them that the bar was closing and that they had to pay.
There was a short moment of silence.
Then, six drunk uniform stealers pounced on her and on all the staff members they could grab. One bar brawl later, four waitresses and two cooks – all women – were left bound and gagged in the kitchen. Their captors used everything they had on hand to bind their limbs and gag their lips: copious amounts of tape from the maintenance closet, clean mops, rags, napkins and hand towels, strips of tableclothes... They left their six victims lying on the floor, completely mummified from toes to shoulders with various restraints, and with thick gags covering all the lower face.
And of course, the six staff members were divested of their uniforms and socks. The brown-haired waitress was clad in a frilly black bodysuit with hot pink trimmings. The others were wearing plainer underwear, simple t-shirt bra and knickers that were either white, blue, black, cyan or grey. Except for one ashen-blond-haired blue-eyed cook who was clad in a navy blue corset with lace trimmings and matching tap pants with frilly edges under her white cook jacket and trousers.
Dressed either as a waitress or as a cook, Selena, Lucina, Carol, Nataleigh, Maddie, and Catalina plundered the place.
They stole the till, the alcohol, and the appetizers. Then they called it a day and disappeared into the night before the police arrived, called by the neighbours because of all the noise they made.
**************
END
