It's not easy, believe me. I decided to let the conversations run a bit longer than usual in this chapter, so I'm happy it worked for you. These shorter stories definitely make it easier to develop individual characters, which is the most important thing to me (apart from the USB scenes, obviously).
As you note, I tried to put a lot of emphasis on Toshiko this chapter; she's become a fun character to write and develop since her introduction as a cold villain earlier in the series. I really tried to test her family bonds here, and show what happens when she pushes Carolyn and Atsuko too much.
The Vonda scene was fun to write as well; I always enjoy having a character take the "paradigm" and go from USB victim to mugger. Glad you liked it.
As you can imagine I really liked the scene with Jenna the guard. I love how they try to convince her to willingly give up her uniform only to decide to just knock her out. Vonda delivers a quick and simple judo chop to the neck and poor Jenna is knocked right out.
And the dialogue with Jenna is terrific. And got to love Sloane's "We're pressed for time. Just knock her the hell out."
Indeed, I decided to include the security guard scene knowing how popular those are. A quick neck chop has always been one of my favorite knockout techniques - swift and efficient.
Once again, some good lines. When it comes to them, your stories are a safe bet...
"Guess it's time to give myself a promotion,"
Classic uniform stealer line.
The captain looked confused. "I don't understand..."
Toshiko nodded. "Perhaps a visual demonstration would help."
... to quote only a few of them...
"Usually I try to think of a clever one-liner when mugging someone," Adelaide told her. "But I'm in a rush right now."
... though I can't help but appreciate how you can turn the absence of one-liner into a good one-liner.
I appreciated the detail of Atsuko explaining a few of Toshiko's techniques. I like that idea of rationalizing uniform stealings.
Speaking of details, this new installment contained some of them to give more variety to the uniform stealings - the comment about the traitorous waxed floor and the unlucky deliverywoman running to Toshiko thinking she's safe only to be nonchalantly knocked out.
It's already been pointed out, so I'll be repeating what has already been said, but the scenes centered around Carolyn were great (wether it is the confrontation with Adelaide or the one with Toshiko). I really like how this offers an entirely new perspective to uniform stealings - and another point of view. In a way, it's a deconstruction of uniform stealings - showing how the process would affect someone who's the victim of it. Ultimately, in spite of her argument, Adelaide lost the debate (at least that how I interpret it); and I really appreciated this decision to give the 'bad' role to the uniform stealer by highlighting her unrepentance. Honestly, the only thing that I regret is that this conversation isn't happening with your main heroines (Bridget, Felicia and Bobbi). So much potential character development and interesting dialogues... Fingers crossed for the final 'main' story.
As a fan of lighter stories, I appreciate how you take the time to clarify the fates of previous victims with little details such as the lieutenant or the handball team. Though I'd like to ask: is she refering to the ones that the coach was contemplating selling to slavery or not at the end of To Steal a Sports Team? My memories of the story are a little blurry...
As always, storylines collide - Toshiko's and Adelaide's have merged, and Sloane is about to catch up with them. Having less storylines happening at the same time is a plus in my opinion, allowing for more fluidity and more clarity.
Esercito: Happy to see people respond well to the Jenna scene. No, the military base isn't going to be the site of any mass strippings. But I'm currently working on the outline for Volume 5, and there will probably be a few mass stripping scenes in that story. Maybe even a bodypile or two. Stay tuned.
Rufus: I did try to give Toshiko and Adelaide some "catty" one-liners for their mugging scenes; it helps show they're not as burdened by conscience as some other characters. Little details showing the nonchalance with which they mug other women is a good way to demonstrate this as well.
The Carolyn scenes were very interesting to write, to the point that I ended up making them longer than expected. I like how she challenges the expectations for a USB story, and makes the other main characters appear unsympathetic. I want all these women to feel "real" in their emotions, even when their philosophies and morals clash with one another, and even when they're not the central characters of the series. Don't worry, I have some important character development planned for Bridget/Bobbi/Felicia in Volume 5.
Yes, those are the same handball girls - I like to think the coach decided to let them free.
It is definitely easier to manage fewer storylines at once, though I still enjoy writing the longer ones as well. I will continue working on keeping my longer stories focused on a connected arc, though I do enjoy exploring a multitude of characters at once. It's all about balance.
Carolyn sighed as she leaned back in her car seat. She tried to close her eyes.
From beside her, at the steering wheel, Atsuko smiled sympathetically. "That's it, honey... just try to rest. We'll be home soon."
"I feel so bad," Carolyn mumbled. "Like I was being selfish before. You wanted to see your sister off, and I..."
"No," Atsuko interrupted. "No, don't blame yourself. I should never have gone along with Toshiko's plans. I was so caught up in the thrill of adventure, when I should have been paying attention to you."
Carolyn opened her eyes. "I don't deserve you."
"That ring on your finger says different," Atsuko said warmly. "Just relax. We'll spend a fun evening together... I'll order takeout."
Carolyn winced. "Last time..."
"What's that?"
"Last time a takeout girl came to our door, it was Zuhal in disguise. She had tied up some poor woman and stolen her uniform."
Atsuko nodded. "I remember."
"I wonder how many others," Carolyn mused. "How many other women have had been mugged, just because they were wearing the right uniform at the wrong time."
Atsuko considered. "It... has been happening a lot," she noted. "When I was working at Cerberus, I heard about a few instances. One night, a few months ago, three workers - Nellie, Marcie, and Isabella - were found bound and gagged around the factory, in their underwear. Didn't think much of it until we got caught up in our own adventures..."
"More like our own nightmares..." Carolyn leaned back again. "Let's just try to forget these last few days ever happened..."
"Deal," Atsuko grinned. "From now on, the only woman I expect you to remove clothes from is me."
The two women laughed for a bit, as Atsuko turned the car toward the freeway.
"Let's put on some tunes," Carolyn suggested. "It's a long drive."
"Won't feel that way with you here," Atsuko smiled. But she turned on the car radio.
"... And in other news, police have identified a criminal freshly escaped from medical custody. Sloane Spears escaped from Mercy Hospital last night, in disguise as a nurse..."
Carolyn rolled her eyes. "More depressing news. Isn't there a pop station...?"
"No, wait." Atsuko's eyebrows raised. "Listen."
"Spears, a former USAF pilot, has gained notoriety in recent months as the leader of an all-female gang of criminal bombers. Federal investigators have been looking for these women for some time..."
"That's her!" Atsuko blurted out. "The woman Toshiko was talking about. Her former boss!"
"I thought she was dead," Carolyn responded.
"Me too... But I guess she survived." Atsuko's eyes widened. "Oh god... Toshi's in trouble."
"What do you mean?"
"She tried to kill Sloane... and now her old boss will probably want revenge!" She tossed Carolyn her phone. "Here... call her!"
"Are you sure we..."
"Just call her!" Atsuko's voice sounded fearful.
"Okay... okay..." Carolyn dialed up her sister-in-law. She let it ring.
"No answer... She's not picking up."
Atsuko looked scared, but she took a deep breath.
"She'll be okay, right? She'll be okay..."
"Right," Carolyn tried to assure her.
"It's just... the way she spoke about Sloane... The woman sounds like a sociopath."
Carolyn could see the fear in her wife's eyes. The level of concern...
"Turn the car around."
"What?" Atsuko looked up.
"Turn the car around," Carolyn repeated. "You need to warn your sister."
"But... you want to go home..."
"What I want," Carolyn said boldly, "is for my wife to be happy. And I know that worrying that your sister is being hunted down by an evil criminal will not make you happy." She rested a hand on her wife's leg. "Turn the car around, and let's go find her."
Atsuko felt her heart skip a beat as Carolyn smiled at her. "I don't deserve you."
Carolyn smiled. "That ring on your finger says different."
Atsuko veered away from the freeway and began heading west.
******************
Toshiko twisted a lock of dark hair around her index finger. "Ugh..."
"What's wrong?" Adelaide asked, not taking her eyes off the road.
"A grey hair," Toshiko muttered, plucking a strand out from her cap. "Thirty-two years old, and here I am with a grey hair. Could my life be any more of a mess?"
Then she looked closer. "No, wait... this isn't grey, it's silver-blonde." Her eyebrow raised. "It's not mine, it's from one of the deliverywomen we mugged. Must've had a stray hair in the cap I stole from her."
Adelaide chuckled. "A common mistake."
"Really?"
"Well, no... But I've had similar issues, say, finding car keys in the pocket of my disguise and assuming they're mine. When you make a habit of stealing other women's clothes, there's bound to be an occasional mix-up."
Toshiko sighed. "Been having more than the occasional mix-up myself," she admitted. "I've stolen so many uniforms these last few years, worn so many disguises... that I'm honestly not sure what my 'true' self is anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"It's... it's complicated. I don't know if I can go into it."
Adelaide nodded. "Well, in better news - we've arrived."
The airfield loomed ahead, a long and wide stretch of land surrounded by high metal gates. The whirring of small planes told the women that the field was quite active this day.
"I've been here before... not too long ago," Adelaide remarked. "But I doubt anyone will recognize me."
She pulled the delivery truck up to the south gate and smiled at the guard. "Howdy."
The guard, a tall blonde woman in light brown uniform, smiled at her. "Good day, ma'am. May I help you?"
"Yes, we were asked to deliver some spare parts to the field today... Have some boxes in the back." Adelaide had had the foresight to put a few of the boxes from the military base back on the truck as cover.
Vonda glanced at the truck. Having replaced the real security guard, she could not know if the airfield had arranged for deliveries that day. She nodded, slowly.
"Of course. Go on in."
Adelaide nodded, squinting at the woman's nametag. "Thank you, Jenna."
"Oh, my name..." Vonda caught herself. "Yes, of course. No problem." She waved the delivery truck through.
Once the truck had entered the base, Vonda let out a sigh of relief. "Close call." As a first-time uniform thief, Vonda could tell that assuming the identity of another woman would take some getting used to. Still, she wouldn't make that mistake again.
Vonda paused in thought... Something about the truck looked familiar... Not the driver, but the woman in the front passenger seat. A tall Japanese woman, with a menacing glint in her eye.
She was wearing different clothes, but Vonda remembered this woman...
"Toshiko!" she whispered. She reached for her radio.
Over at the north entrance, Olive's radio crackled to life. "Girls, Vonda here. I think Toshiko's at the base."
Bianca's voice came in to respond. "You recognized her?"
"Of course I recognize her. She held me at gunpoint three nights ago, forced me to strip off my uniform. She and her thugs tied me up and gagged me and hid me in the bushes. I was cold, I was scared... I was stuck there for hours." She grimaced. "The point is, I don't forget someone like that."
Olive spoke into her radio. "Which way is she headed?"
"She's in a delivery truck with another woman... they're heading for the east sector."
"That's where I am," Sloane replied. "I'll take care of them."
"Need backup?" Olive asked. But Sloane had already shut off her radio.
**********************
Adelaide steered the delivery van beside one of the smaller hangars, a fair distance from the airfield, and turned off the engine.
"What now?" Toshiko inquired.
"Well, we need to find you a good plane," Adelaide thought. "But we can't wander around the area dressed as we are. People might start asking questions."
Toshiko nodded. then she looked out the window. "I think I see a way to fix that."
From a nearby office building, two women emerged, chatting pleasantly with one another. Both of them wore dark shirts and pants, black sneakers, and bright orange vests, and both sported a headset with earpiece. The taller woman was tan-skinned, her sandy hair done into a tight bun; her friend was porcelain-skinned, her blonde hair in a bob haircut.
"Air traffic controllers," Adelaide grinned. "Interesting choice. I've never mugged one of them before."
"Me neither," Toshiko replied. "But there's always a first time."
The duo exited the van and stood casually beside it.
The air traffic controllers were, rather fortunately, headed in their direction, presumably en route to one of the nearby runways. One of them had a clipboard under her arm, the other carried a pair of handheld light signals.
They rounded the corner of the hangar, obscuring them from the view of anyone who happened to be glancing out the windows of the office building. It was an opportune moment, and Adelaide and Toshiko took full advantage.
They stepped behind the two women and struck in unison, each aiming a perfect judo chop to the back of a woman's neck.
THWACK! THWOCK! "Ugh!" "Urgh!"
The ATCs froze for a moment, then fell back into the waiting arms of their aggressors.
"Come to momma," Toshiko grinned.
"Nice move," Adelaide observed. "She was out like a light."
"Nice move yourself," Toshiko replied. "Seems we have a lot in common."
Adelaide nodded. "C'mon, let's get these ladies inside before someone notices."
Opening the back doors of the delivery van, Adelaide dragged the sandy-haired woman inside. Adelaide followed with the blonde, shutting the doors behind her.
The van idled for a few minutes, only occasionally wobbling as its occupants worked to relieve the traffic controllers of their new clothes.
Finally, the doors reopened, and Adelaide peeked out.
"This is ground control, we are cleared for landing," she quipped, speaking into her hand as though it were a radio. She stepped out, now dressed in her new disguise.
Toshiko followed, straightening her orange vest. "I swear, we'll stick out like a sore thumb in these bright clothes."
"Trust me, we'll blend right in with the other personnel," Adelaide assured her. "Are you sure the real traffic ladies are secure?"
Toshiko gestured back into the van. "Take a look for yourself."
Seated on the floor of the van, gagged with green packing tape and bound back-to-back with blue cable cords, were the real air traffic controllers. The sandy-haired woman wore a seafoam bralette and purple triangle panties; the blonde had a yellow sports bra and hot pink tanga panties with rose-red trimming.
"Now that's what I call a traffic jam," Toshiko chuckled, shutting the doors.
Adelaide winced. "I see you're better at disguises than at puns."
"Sorry... a coworker of mine could never mug any woman without making some dumb pun." Toshiko chuckled. "She kind of rubbed off on me."
"Good to know I'm not the only one," said a woman's voice from behind.
Toshiko froze. She knew that voice.
Though honestly, it was still a pretty bad pun," the woman continued.
"No..." Toshiko slowly turned around. Standing there was a blonde woman in security uniform, hand on her hip holster.
"Hello, Suzuki," Sloane said quietly.
Toshiko's face turned pale.
Adelaide looked confused. "Who are you?"
"Ask your friend," Sloane retorted. "I'm sure she has a doozy of a explanation."
Toshiko could feel her heart pounding. "S... Sloane... how..."
"...did I survive?" Sloane finished. "Sheer willpower, dearie. I saw the gleeful look in your eyes as you watched me plummet to what you thought was my doom. I heard your laughter in my ears. You felt so certain... so confident that you were finally rid of me. But I couldn't... I wouldn't let you have that satisfaction." Her face was a crooked sneer. "I survived because I knew you had to die."
"Well, it looks like I've stumbled into the middle of something," Adelaide remarked. "Not sure what's going on, so I'll just..."
Sloane lunged and dealt Adelaide a swift fist to the jaw. The black woman fell to the ground, unconscious.
"I so dislike being interrupted," Sloane continued, turning back to Toshiko. "Where were we?"
Regaining her composure, Toshiko made a grab for Sloane's gun. But the blonde was too quick. She sidestepped Toshiko and dealt her an elbow to the neck.
Toshiko lay on the ground, dazed. Sloane knelt down and pressed the gun to her chin.
"Please..." Toshiko's eyes were wide with fear as she felt the cold metal against her flesh. "Please, don't..."
"Hearing you beg," Sloane chuckled. "It's music to my ears. And you thought you had the stamina to supplant me as team leader."
"I..." Toshiko swallowed. "I just wanted what was best for the team..."
"Bullshit, honey," Sloane replied. "You wanted what was best for yourself. You never cared about anyone else."
Toshiko wanted to respond, but she didn't know how. Images of Atsuko flashed in her mind... of Carolyn...
"As you told me," Sloane chuckled, "you won't be missed."
Sloane could see Vonda and Bianca approaching as well. She smiled.
"Yes... she put up quite a fight, but it was no contest in the end." She reholstered her gun.
Vonda and Bianca grabbed Toshiko and hoisted her up. "No funny moves," Vonda cautioned her.
"Wait, listen to me," Toshiko said nervously. "Sloane's not a real security guard. She's a - mmmpppphhhh!"
Bianca covered her mouth with one hand. "We know, we know... she works for the government," she explained. "In fact, none of us are real guards. But we can't have you blowing our cover. Vonda, you have a cloth I can gag her with?"
"Use my handkerchief," Vonda offered.
"No, she's - hmmmmmpppphhh!" Toshiko was gagged again, more securely.
Olive looked down at Adelaide. "Who's that?"
"Her accomplice," Sloane explaimed. "Take them both to the guard booth. I'll phone my boss at the Agency."
Olive lifted Adelaide. "Got it. Come on, girls."
Vonda and Bianca followed her, a squirming Toshiko in their grip.
As she watched them leave, Sloane's face curled into a cruel grin.
All of these women would have to die - no witnesses allowed. And she had planned for such a scenario. She had planted a small but powerful poison gas bomb in the guard's booth before exiting it earlier.
Sloane clutched the detonator in her pocket. Soon, very soon - all her troubles would be over.
*********************
Atsuko squinted in the distance. "There it is, up ahead."
"Already?" Carolyn looked up to see the sight of a plane touching down at a field beyond a metal fence. "Wow. You make good time."
"Where family's concerned... I do my best." Atsuko smiled. She drove up to the entrance.
"No security guard... that's a stroke of good luck," she noted, driving inside.
"Does that mean the place is open to the public?" Carolyn asked.
"Those signs saying 'No unauthorized personnel' suggest not," Atsuko noted. "But at least we're inside." She steered the car behind a nearby warehouse and shut off the engine.
"And in our cadet uniforms," Atsuko gestured at her wardrobe, "we certainly look out of place."
"So what are you..." Carolyn's eyes widened. "Oh..."
Atsuko nodded. "We need new clothes... Is that a problem? I completely understand if..."
"No... no problem," Carolyn responded. "I know you care about your sister, and I want to help you. If this is the way to do it... let's do it."
Atsuko squeezed her hand. "You're amazing."
The two women exited the car. Atsuko put a finger to her lips and peeked out from behind the warehouse.
Leaning against the side of the warehouse, back turned as she drank a cold soda, was a light-skinned woman in a dark green flight suit. She wore a brown woolen jacket and thick-soled black boots. Over her dark brown hair was a helmet with goggles, currently pulled upwards.
"Must be one of the aviators," Atsuko whispered. "I'll take care of her quickly."
"Just don't hurt her too badly," Carolyn whispered back.
"I won't. I promise."
Avoiding the small branches strewn across the ground, Atsuko began tiptoeing her way behind the unsuspecting aviatrix.
The redhead finished her drink, then dropped the can on the ground and crushed it with her foot. "Ahhh... that hit the spot."
"And so will this," Atsuko said from behind.
The pilot began to turn. "Who... uuugggghhh!"
Atsuko's judo chop hit the spot on the woman's neck just below the vagus nerve - exactly as Toshiko had taught her. The aviatrix's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed into Atsuko's arms.
"Oof, you're heavy." Atsuko dragged the unconscious woman back behind the warehouse. She deposited her at Carolyn's feet.
"Looks about your size," she told her wife. "Get into her clothes... I'll find myself a disguise as well."
Carolyn looked a bit upset, but nodded. "Sure."
As Atsuko disappeared around the corner again, Carolyn knelt down beside the unconscious pilot. "Okay, Carol... you can do this... it's for Suki..."
She propped the brunette up and eased her arms out of the jacket. As she did so, a small photograph fell from the jacket and landed on the ground.
Carolyn glanced down at the photo. It was a picture of the pilot, smiling, dressed in casual clothes and cradling a toddler in her arms.
Great, Carolyn thought to herself. it's bad enough we're attacking innocent women... Now I'm attacking a mother. Some hero I am...
Sounds of a scuffle alerted her. Peeking around a corner, she saw Atsuko struggling with another aviatrix in similar uniform. This pilot had dark hair and black skin, and was clearly none too thrilled about the prospect of parting with her clothes.
"Please don't make this difficult," Atsuko said softly. "I don't want to hurt y... oooofff!"
The pilot suddenly pushed backwards, knocking Atsuko into the wall. Atsuko groaned and sank to the floor.
The aviatrix raised her foot, intending to stomp on Atsuko's head. Atsuko's eyes widened. "No please, wait..."
"Hey!"
The pilot looked up to see Carolyn rushing at her.
Before the pilot could react, Carolyn had tackled her to the ground. A swift karate chop put her out of commission.
Carolyn got up off the unconscious pilot and helped Atsuko to her feet. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Atsuko rubbed her back. "That... that was amazing. I didn't know you had that kind of fight in you."
Carolyn nodded. "I just... I saw she was about to hurt you, and... I guess I kind of freaked out. Sorry."
Atsuko hugged her. "Don't ever apologize for caring about me."
She looked down. "Come on, let's get this woman out of sight."
"I didn't hurt her too badly, did I?" Carolyn asked.
Atsuko grabbed the pilot by the armpits and dragged her behind the warehouse. "Think she'll be okay. Maybe a headache, but nothing more."
Carolyn nodded. Although this woman had tried to attack her wife, it was only in self-defense. Carolyn still felt sorry for her.
"Come on, let's get stripping," Atsuko cajoled. "We're on a time budget."
Carolyn nodded. "Of course." She knelt down and resumed her process of divesting the brunette of her clothes.
It was an uncomfortable task, but Atsuko helped her along by humming a few jaunty tunes. Carolyn smiled at her wife every so often.
Pretty soon, the two pilots were down to their underwear. The brunette wore a beige comfort bra and chartreuse boyshorts. The dark-haired woman had a grey T-shirt bra and zebra-striped black-and-white panties.
Atsuko and Carolyn dragged the two women in through the back door of the warehouse, where Atsuko quickly located some discarded white ropes and washcloths. These were used to secure and gag the two pilots before they were safely stashed in a nearby closet.
Atsuko and Carolyn dressed in the flightsuits, with each woman helping the other pull on the tight boots. They donned the jackets and helmets, tucking their hair beneath.
"Ready to roll?" Atsuko asked.
"Just a second," Carolyn told her. She stepped outside and retrieved the small photo on the ground.
The brunette pilot was just beginning to stir. She looked groggily up as Carolyn stepped into the closet and knelt down.
The pilot looked up at the woman who now wore her uniform, confused and frightened.
"Shh... it's okay, honey. It'll all be okay. Someone will find you and your coworker eventually."
She tucked the photograph inside the woman's bra. "Your daughter's a lucky girl. She's got a beautiful and amazing mom."
She kissed the woman on the forehead. "Get some rest. I promise you'll see her again very soon."
Leaving the helpless woman to stare in confusion, Carolyn shut the closet door.
"That was amazing," Atsuko said. "You have such a good heart."
"And it beats a little faster whenever you're around." Carolyn took her hand. "Come on, let's find your sister."
*****************
"Get in there."
Toshiko grunted as Bianca shoved her hard in the back, forcing her to stumble into the guard's office booth. Her hands were tied behind her back, so she could not stop herself from sprawling onto the ground.
"Don't try to get up," Vonda ordered.
Lying on the cold floor, Toshiko could hear noises - muffled, mewling noises. She squinted in the darkness and could see four tall, muscular women seated against the far wall. All of them were stripped to their underwear, gagged with tape, and bound with nylon rope.
Toshiko did not need to be a genius to deduce that these women were the real security guards, and the prior owners of the uniforms that now adorned the bodies of her captors. Judging by the disappointed looks on their faces, the helpless guards had been hoping that the new arrivals would be willing to rescue them from their predicament.
Bianca smiled sympathetically at the four guards. "So sorry, girls... But you'll be happy to hear that we accomplished our goal... And we couldn't have done it without the help of your uniforms!"
Judging by the glares that the four guards were giving her, they were in fact not happy to hear that.
Bianca shrugged. "I guess good news is relative."
Olive entered the office, an unconscious Adelaide slung over her shoulder. "That was easy... but fun! And so liberating to take down a wanted criminal."
"Tell me about it," Vonda nodded. She glared at Toshiko. "I want to interrogate her, though. Ask her where I can find her friend Marina. That bitch stole my clothes twice in the last two weeks!" She clenched her fists. "I'd love to get my hands on her..."
"Time for that later," Olive assured her. "For now, Sloane's contacting her superiors. They'll know what to do with Suzuki."
"Hrrrmmmpphh!" Toshiko shook her head from side to side, trying to dislodge her gag. No use.
"Not much fun when it happens to you, is it?" Vonda said snidely. "Too bad."
She turned to Bianca. "This has been fun. I'm glad I decided to join you guys."
"Glad to have you along," Bianca grinned.
Vonda glanced at the four security guards struggling on the floor. "So... like I said, I'm kind of an amateur at this whole 'uniform stealing' business. What do we do with them? Do we just leave them tied up, or...?"
"Well, we can't free them," Olive mused. "How would that conversation go? 'Sorry we stripped you and tied you up, here are your clothes back, have a nice day!'" She chuckled. "Someone else will come along and free them."
Vonda nodded. "Of course, of course. Sorry, dumb question. I guess you guys have gone through similar scenarios before?"
"Of course," Bianca smiled. "I think you'll find that stealing uniforms is like eating potato chips... You can't stop at just one."
Vonda laughed. "I can't stand potato chips... but I hear your point."
Olive looked around. "Say... any idea when Sloane is getting here? She was supposed to follow us after a quick phone call."
"Mmmmpppphhh!" Toshiko struggled for attention.
"She doesn't shut up, does she?" Bianca sighed.
At that moment, the door to the office slammed shut.
Bianca jerked her head up. "What the..?"
From behind the door, they women could hear the sounds of cold, cruel female laughter.
"Sorry, girls," Sloane said. "But I'm afraid our time together has reached its end."
"Sloane?" Olive tried the door, but it had been bolted from the outside. "What are you doing? Let us out! This isn't funny."
"Sorry, Olive," Sloane replied. "But I'm not your Forbidden Love anymore."
She pressed the small detonator in her pocket.
An explosion resounded from beneath the office desk. Immediately the small room began filling with noxious gas.
Vonda gasped. "Sloane, what's going on?"
"I'm afraid our partnership is at its end," Sloane said coldly. "My main plan was to eliminate Toshiko, but unfortunately for the rest of you... I'd rather not leave any witnesses."
Already the girls were finding it difficult to breathe. Bianca tried breaking a window, but they were reinforced with shatterproof glass.
"Au revoir, girls," Sloane chuckled. Her footsteps swiftly faded away.
Olive, Bianca, and Vonda fell to the floor, all feeling woozy.
"No... this can't..." Olive felt the strength drain from her.
Toshiko, too, was feeling woozy. She had blundered into a trap - and now she, and eight other women, were about to pay the price for it.
********************
"This place is huge," Carolyn remarked as she and her wife strode across the airfield. "How are we going to find your sister?"
Atsuko's brow furrowed in thought. "When we entered the base... there was a guardpost... but no guard."
"So?"
"So that's a bit suspicious for a supposedly high-security base, don't you think?"
Carolyn considered. "Do you think... someone mugged the guard and took her clothes in order to prowl around the base?"
Atsuko smiled. "Atta girl... now you're thinking like a pro. Follow me."
They headed to the east end of the field, where the guard base was located.
"Doesn't seem like anyone's inside," Carolyn remarked as they approached.
"No, but..." Atsuko pressed her ear to the door. "I hear sounds... Muffled, whimpering sounds..."
The door had been locked, but the bolt was secured from the outside. It did not take much effort for Atsuko to work it open.
Her mouth dropped open as she swung open the door. "Oh god..."
Five women were lying unconscious on the floor - including Toshiko. Another four women, bound and gagged and stripped to their underwear, were seated against the far wall - still semi-conscious, as they had been positioned further away from the gas bomb.
Opening the door allowed for a rush of cool air to replace the gaseous air within. Slowly, the women began to stir.
Atsuko knelt down by her sister. "Tosh... Toshi, speak to me!"
"Mmmmrrrpppphhhh."
"Oh! Sorry..." Atsuko removed the gag.
Toshiko coughed. There were tears in her eyes, though whether it was from the gas or the sight of her sister was unclear.
"You came back," she said softly.
Atsuko nodded. "It was Carolyn's idea."
Toshiko looked at Carolyn, who smiled sheepishly. "I... it wasn't... I just knew Suki would want it..."
Her eyes trailed over to the sight of Adelaide, who was beginning to wake up.
"You!" Carolyn gasped. "What the hell is she doing here?"
Adelaide looked around. "What? What's going on?" She saw Carolyn glaring at her. "Oh great... again?"
"She's the woman who helped me get into this base," Toshiko explained. "Do you know her?"
"Know her!" Carolyn stamped her foot. "I wish I didn't!"
"Nice to see you too, Red," Adelaide grumbled, rubbing her neck. "Who are all these people?"
"Not sure." Toshiko glanced at Vonda. "Although I may have met this one before..."
"Time for explanations later," Atsuko said. "For now, let's get you out of here."
"Not so fast."
Bianca had regained consciousness and was pointing her gun at Toshiko.
"I don't know what's going on, but I know this woman is a criminal. We're taking her in."
"But... but..." Atsuko began to stammer.
"Quiet, or I'll book you as well. You're the sister, aren't you?"
Atsuko nodded. "How did you...?"
"You've got a lovely house," Bianca smiled. "But anyway, I'm afraid Toshiko is under arrest."
Atsuko glanced at her sister helplessly. By now, Vonda was also training her gun on Toshiko.
Carolyn groaned. "We came all the way here... tied up all those poor women... for this?"
Bianca shrugged. "Sorry, girls."
"Not so fast."
The women turned to see Adelaide, fully awake and now training her own gun at Bianca, Vonda, and Olive.
"What..." Bianca began.
"Shut up. And drop the guns."
Faced with no choice, Bianca and Vonda obeyed.
"You girls," Adelaide addressed Toshiko, Atsuko, and Carolyn. "Get moving."
Toshiko blinked. "You..."
"Are you deaf? Get out of here." Adelaide glanced at Carolyn. "Hey, Red... now we're even."
Carolyn wasn't sure what to say. Then Atsuko grabbed her sleeve.
"Let's go, Carol honey."
The two of them, plus Toshiko, quickly headed out the door.
"You can't do this!" Bianca growled.
"Of course I can," Adelaide smiled. "I'm holding the gun."
"What do you want?" Vonda said angrily.
"Right now? I want to find the blonde bitch who dealt me that haymaker," Adelaide admitted. "Do you know her? Yay-high, scar on her eyebrow..."
"Sloane?" Olive asked.
"Yes, I believe that's her name."
Bianca clenched her fists. "Sloane set us up... She nearly killed us."
"Interesting..." Adelaide thought. "So who would you rather get your hands on... Sloane or Toshiko?"
Olive, Bianca, and Vonda exchanged a glance. Olive spoke.
"You guys, I... this is my fault. I had no idea Sloane was so evil... I trusted her... I should've known better."
Bianca smiled at her best friend. "Hey... you were hungry for adventure. That's totally understandable."
"I'll make you girls a deal," Adelaide said. "I'll let you go, but only if you promise to leave Toshiko and her friends alone. Cool?"
Vonda grimaced. "I still owe Toshiko for last time..."
"Take it or leave it, girls," Adelaide said. "I'm pretty sure Sloane in handcuffs will be a more valuable prize."
There was silence for a few moments. Then Vonda nodded.
"Deal."
"Perfect." Adelaide smiled. "Now get moving."
"Just who are you, exactly?" Bianca asked.
"Just some woman who cares too much," Adelaide said dryly. "Come on, move those pretty asses."
Bianca, Olive, and Vonda exited the office.
"We could still go after Toshiko," Bianca whispered. "That woman won't know."
But Vonda shook her head. "Sloane is the bigger threat right now. We find her, and maybe sort out the rest later."
Adelaide watched the women depart with a smile.
"What a weird day it's been," she muttered.
"Mmmppphh!"
She glanced at the far wall of the office. Jenna, Harper, Desirée, and Evelyn were looking at her, eyes pleading to be freed.
"Sorry, girls, I've already done too many good deeds today," Adelaide told them. "Enjoy the afternoon."
She exited the office booth and shut the door, leaving the four security guards to mewl amongst each other in the darkness.
Not a USB scenes, but the highlight of this latest part for me was the discussion between Atsuko and Carolyn. A very natural discussion showcasing the affection they have for each other, and it continues the story's theme of slightly deconstructing uniform stealings by showing its negative side / how it affects the victims. The little touches during their own mugging of the aviatrix were also a good way to showcase their mentality - and it brings a new perspective to uniform stealings. Carolyn and Atsuko definitively are characters I enjoy following.
Same remark with the discussions between Adelaide and Toshiko, or Vonda's inner monologue. It's interesting to see uniform stealers at different stages of their business discuss/ponder about their experiences.
THWACK! THWOCK! "Ugh!" "Urgh!" Just love this kind of descriptions from time to time - concise and leaving a lot to the imagination.
"Now that's what I call a traffic jam!" Call the fun police! The puns are out of control!
The long-awaited confrontation with Sloane finally arrived, and I wasn't disappointed. As tense as expected, with the added bonus of Sloane having to also be wary of her own allies. Nice way to immediately raise the suspense by telling us about the gas bomb beforehand. The rescue came quickly, but it was a well-paced tense moment.
Finally, I appreciate the little touch of Adelaide helping Carolyn, Atsuko and Toshiko get out, then striking a deal to bring down Sloane. I'll be honest and say that her previous appearance made her very unsympathetic (according to me), and it was a good way to make her more three-dimentional. On the one hand, I find interesting your idea of showing a uniform stealer that's not a clear-cut antagonist under a negative light, and I really like how you manage to make a character unsympathetic not by making her evil, violent or cruel, but by making her apathetic to the sufferings she might cause. On the other hand, I think that this kind of touch is important to make characters more complex.
I have to agree with rufusluciusivan that the seen with the two controls was really great. Not only the sounds of the judo chops connecting but the two "ugh's" the women let out but the image of the two women freezing for a moment and then falling back into the waiting arms of Toshiko and Adelaide.
And you got to feel bad for Jenna, Harper, Desirée, and Evelyn. Not only do they get tied up (and in Jenna's case knocked out) and their uniforms stolen, but then they get gassed. On top of that, while everyone else leaves, they leave the poor girls still tied up! However, they were lucky Atsuko arrived when she did or it would have been much worse for them.
Rufusluciusivan: Indeed, I decided to make this chapter a bit more character-focused and less USB-centric, simply because I enjoy writing Atsuko and Carolyn so much. They certainly help bring a fresh perspective to uniform stealings, and contrast with some of my more villainous characters. I also enjoyed writing the other dialogues as well; it's fun to explore the different tropes of the USB genre.
Sloane's scenes were built carefully into this chapter, as she is one of the coldest characters in my stories. Focusing on the other characters makes their peril in the gas bomb scene more palpable, and their rescue more liberating.
I see Adelaide as perhaps my most morally ambiguous character (except maybe Zuhal) - she's not good or evil per se, but simply doing her job (even if it often involves hurting innocent people) and knowing when to listen to her conscience. I enjoy stories about morally complex characters, which is why I've tried to include a lot of women with "shades of grey" in my stories.
Meditions: I think the double neck chop scene was partly inspired by the "Romance of Hua Rong" scene I posted in the Clips section recently. I try to take notes while watching other USB scenes.
I decided to bring back Jenna and her friends for an encore, since their scene was quite popular in the last chapter. They were relatively fortunate compared to Sloane's plans, though they're still in a rather humiliating predicament. Such is the life of a security guard, at least in these stories.
I decided to let the conversations run a bit longer than usual in this chapter, so I'm happy it worked for you. These shorter stories definitely make it easier to develop individual characters, which is the most important thing to me (apart from the USB scenes, obviously).
