A New Complication

[tirepanted3]

Hi, everyone. Here's another short story dealing with the fallout from the end of the Spacesuit saga. It introduces a few new characters and brings back some old ones (including some you may not remember, but hopefully the story will be easy to follow regardless). Enjoy.




It was a cold and quiet night.

The bank had closed hours ago, and most employees had gone home. The only sound in the vicinity was the soft beat of footsteps – the usual pair of footsteps.

Josephine stifled a yawn as she continued to pace the perimeter of the small yet well-regarded bank. She had been the night watchwoman at this bank for a few weeks already, and was beginning to get in the rhythm of her job. Namely, to keep an eye out for any vandals, thieves, or other intruders.

It wasn’t a difficult job, as far as the work was concerned. But it was often tedious and uneventful, not to mention repetitive, and the late hours of the night were not particularly to her liking. Still, it paid well, and Josephine needed the money. She had rearranged her sleep schedule to fit for the job.

Josephine was a tall and svelte woman in her early thirties, with dark skin and black hair in a French braid. She wore a dark blue button-down shirt with security tags, a matching pair of dark blue pants, and short black boots, along with blue baseball cap featuring the word “SECURITY” in yellow lettering.

Josephine finished her twelfth walk around the perimeter of the bank and checked her watch. It was almost midnight. She had paced the entirety of her route a dozen times and hadn’t spotted anything an interesting as a mouse.

Maybe the thirteenth time will be the lucky one, she mused to herself.

She adjusted her belt and began her next traversal of the building perimeter.

As she reached the shadowed alleys at the rear of the bank, her foot clinked against something. She looked down to see a small, empty glass bottle on the pavement.

Josephine shined her flashlight on the bottle, and raised an eyebrow when she saw the label. “Chloroform?”

“If you insist,” a woman’s voice chuckled from behind her.

Before Josephine could react, she felt a white cloth pad force its way over her mouth and nose. The next moment, she felt an arm snake around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

“Sorry for dropping the bottle,” the woman continued. “Just a bit clumsy, I suppose. I’ll be sure to pick it up and recycle it… Wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m a criminal, would we?” She laughed.

Josephine struggled in the woman’s grip, trying to wrench herself free. But her vision was already going cloudy… The chloroform emanating from the cloth was powerful stuff…

“Calm down, honeycake,” the woman continued. “You’ll be fine when you wake up… You’ll just have gained a headache and lost a uniform.”

Josephine could fight no longer. Her vision swirled, her thoughts grew fuzzy.

With the last of her strength, she reached into her jacket and pressed against something. Then, with a low groan, she slipped into unconsciousness.

Sierra dropped the guard and checked her watch. “Thirty-two seconds. Wow, babe. You held out longer than most of the guards I’ve chloroformed.”

She smiled down at the woman. “You’re cuter, too. But maybe I’m just saying that because you match my size…”

Indeed, the unconscious Josephine was quite similar to Sierra in height and build. Sierra, though, was light-skinned, with amber eyes and straight blonde hair that formed a perfect “V” between her shoulders.

Sierra glanced back up at the bank, and could sense the dollar signs dancing in her eyes. “What a lovely sight,” she mused. “So much money, just waiting to be stolen.”

She knelt down beside the unconscious guard. “But first, I gotta steal something else… Your uniform, of course.”

She stripped the guard quickly, her dexterous fingers – fingers that could open near any safe, climb any wall – fairly flying from one button to the next, one shoelace to the other.

Finally, Josephine was reduced to her burgundy sports bra and grey cotton panties.

“Lovely,” Sierra sighed. “A shame you need to be hidden away… but that’s how it goes.”

She used some flexible white cables to bind Josephine hand and foot, and a strip of grey tape to gag her. Then she dragged the woman to the corner of the alley and hid her beneath a red blanket.

Once that was done, Sierra got dressed, hurriedly slipping into the shirt, pants, and shoes of the guard she had overpowered.

“Perfect,” she smiled. “Now to just disable the alarm system, and see how much money I can stuff in these pockets!”

She walked to the door, a spring in her step.

The next moment, someone grabbed her shoulder.

“You’re under arrest,” a woman’s voice said.

Sierra turned in surprise. Two tall women in black body armor were standing over her.

“What…? Where did you come fr – ”

The question was interrupted by a fist. Sierra’s world went dark.

*************************

Carolyn opened her eyes and stretched, welcoming the bright sun into her bedroom window.

“Good morning, honey…”

She instinctively reached for the other side of the bed, only to discover it was empty.

A glance at the clock told her it was just after 8 AM. Atsuko must have woken up a while ago.

Slipping into her robe, Carolyn headed down to the kitchen. Sure enough, her wife was there, eating breakfast and scanning her laptop.

Atsuko looked up and beamed at Carolyn. “Hello, sunshine… How’d you sleep?”

Carolyn smiled back and sniffed the air. “Just fine… If I’d known you were making waffles, I’d have gotten up earlier.”

Atsuko chuckled. “Sometimes it’s good to get some extra rest… You’ve been working pretty hard as of late.”

“Hi, Carolyn!” came a voice from the computer.

Carolyn was startled for a moment. Then she glanced at the computer screen, to see a face she hadn’t seen for a while.

“Toshiko?”

Toshiko smiled back. “Hey, Carolyn. Long time no see.”

Indeed, it had been a while since Carolyn and Toshiko had seen each other face-to-face – not since Carolyn and Atsuko had helped her steal a plane and flee the state to escape the police.

Toshiko, after all, had been a wanted fugitive when last Carolyn saw her – and likely still was. She had previously been in league with a group of criminal women known as the Saboteuses, but that group had been forced to disband. Two of its members (Sloane and Cassandra) now sat in prison, while three others (Darla, Marina, and Whitney) had escaped. Toshiko had also escaped, with the help of Atsuko and Carolyn.

Despite Carolyn’s reservations about Toshiko – particularly the joy this woman seemed to take in mugging women for their clothes – they had parted on relatively good terms. Carolyn had no ill feelings toward her sister-in-law – yet she couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable now as the face on the screen smiled at her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Toshiko’s smile faded. “Wrong? Nothing wrong. Just saying hi to my sister.”

“We’ve been chatting over online video for a few weeks now,” Atsuko explained to her wife. “I miss her, she misses me… So this is a way to keep in touch.”

Carolyn nodded, though she still looked a bit cautious. “Chatting from where?”

“This is a secure line, so no harm in telling,” Toshiko replied. “I’m in Mexico now… It’s pretty warm, but the locals are nice. I figure I’ll stay here a few more weeks at least.”

Atsuko smiled at her sister. “Any chance you’re coming back to the States anytime soon?”

“No promises, Suki… I can’t risk the police catching me… But we’ll see what I can do.”

Atsuko nodded. “I miss you.”

“Miss you too, sis,” Toshiko replied. “Bye now… and bye, Carolyn.”

Carolyn nodded curtly. “Bye.”

The screen went black. Atsuko turned to Carolyn.

“Sorry… I should have told you I was in contact with Toshiko… I just didn’t want you to get upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Carolyn replied. “She’s your sister. You should have the chance to stay in touch with her.”

Atsuko smiled. “Thanks.” Then she sat back and sighed. “That was fun, wasn’t it? Back when we were helping her get out of the country… So thrilling, so dangerous…”

Carolyn made a face. “I don’t think ‘nearly getting killed’ qualifies very much as ‘fun’.”

“I guess it was just… exhilarating, you know?” Atsuko said longingly. “Getting swept up in adventure, living dangerously… Don’t you miss that excitement?”

Carolyn leaned over and massaged Atsuko’s shoulders. “I live in a wonderful house with the most beautiful woman in the world,” she said. “That’s all the excitement I need.”

Atsuko chuckled and blushed. Carolyn leaned down and gave her a kiss.

“Tell you what, honey… There’s a parade coming down Main Street this afternoon… Something to do with the city’s anniversary, I think. Why don’t you slip out from work during lunch hour, and we’ll meet up there. Would that be exciting?”

Atsuko laughed. “I suppose it would.”

Carolyn smiled. “Great… It’s a date.”

*******************

Atsuko left for work about half an hour later, leaving Carolyn alone for a while. Not that the redhead felt lonely – she appreciated the quiet time, and it made her appreciate Atsuko’s presence even more when she returned.

Carolyn herself started work late that morning – as a professional bus driver, her schedule was quite flexible. She only had one assignment that day, and it would likely be done before the afternoon parade.

So she had chosen to take a walk, and admire the fresh morning air.

She was feeling quite at ease in her casual wear, walking down a quiet sidewalk. Happy to stroll along, without a care in the world.

Regrettably, her carefree attitude was short-lived.

Before Carolyn even knew what was happening, a hand had covered her mouth, and another hand had grabbed her shoulder. She was pulled roughly into a nearby alleyway.

“Good morning, babe,” a female voice purred in her ear. “Lovely day for a uniform steal, isn’t it?”

Carolyn didn’t know what was happening. She struggled to get free, but the woman held on tight.

“Ooh, a fighter… I like that,” a second woman piped up. She leaned against the wall of the alley, casually recording Carolyn’s shocked facial expression on her phone’s camera.

This woman was tall and light-skinned, with bushy blonde hair that reached to the middle of her back. She was dressed in a yellow peplum blouse and skirt, as well as light blue flats.

“She’s like a wildcat, Wynter,” the other woman commented, as Carolyn tried twisting around to free herself. The woman holding her, she could see, had tanned skin and shoulder-length dark hair. She was dressed in a bright green button-down shirt, orange slacks, and pink high heels. The clothes were bizarre – the shirt was too large for her, the slacks too tight.

Wynter grinned as she approached, camera in hand. “Just hold her steady for a minute.”

She held the camera up and leaned in close, allowing the lens to film all three of the women. “What’s up, everyone… This is Wynter and Laverna, your two favorite Uniform Swiping Babes! Looks like another unlucky lady happened past our target zone this morning! Guess she’ll need to pay us the toll… that is, her clothes!”

She turned to face Carolyn. “Looks like our latest clothing donor has a forest-green blouse, a knee-length blue skirt, and white sneakers. Be sure to vote! Which one of us should wear which of her clothes? And be sure to like and subscribe and give us a follow!”

Carolyn managed to wrench her mouth free from Laverna’s hand. “Wh-what are you two doing?!?”

Wynter smiled at her. “We’re clothing thieves, of course… I thought that was obvious.” She gestured to her wardrobe. “You don’t think we wear this combination of clothes for fun, do you?”

“It’s part of our new streaming channel,” Laverna explained. “We play dress-up online, wear all sorts of funny and interesting clothing combos. The only rule is that we have to steal the clothes from women who pass by… Women like you!”

At that moment, Carolyn finally caught sight of the corner of the alley. Three women were lying unconscious in a heap – all stripped to their underwear, all zip-tied and tape-gagged.

“We’ve been building up quite a collection this morning,” Wynter chuckled. “And you’re about to join it!”

She pulled out a white rag and a bottle of chloroform. “Now, calm down… I’m just gonna help you go to sleep…”

“No!” Carolyn had been on the receiving end of a uniform theft before, and she did not care to repeat the experience. She stamped down hard on Laverna’s foot.

With a cry of pain, Laverna released her. Carolyn ran.

“Stop her!” Laverna cried.

Wynter had already taken off after Carolyn, sprinting her way back down the alley.

“Give up, Red,” she called with a grin. “There’s no one else around to help you… and I’m top of my college track team. You’ll never outrun me… Your clothes are mine!”

Indeed, Wynter was gaining. Carolyn felt scared. Atsuko, where are you!

She was about to cry out for help, when suddenly her foot hit the jutting edge of a sidewalk slab. She fell forward and hit the ground.

Wynter laughed as she stood over the helpless Carolyn. “No more running, dear… Hand over your clothes now!”

Carolyn braced herself to fight… The blonde looked quite strong, but there was no way she was simply going to surrender.

Wynter held up the chloroform pad. “All right, dear, time for you to – hey!”

She was abruptly grabbed and pulled off-balance. “Let go of me, what…!”

Carolyn looked up in surprise. Wynter was now in the grip of another, taller and more athletic woman, who had currently locked her in a sleeper hold. This woman had dark skin and pink-dyed hair in a crew cut. She was dressed in a black Kevlar vest over black bodysuit with elbow and kneepads, thick black boots, dark sunglasses, and a black baseball cap. On the cap, emblazoned in red lettering, were the initials “FEMME.”

“Stop resisting,” the woman ordered Wynter. “You’re under arrest.”

Further down the sidewalk, Carolyn could see Laverna being dragged from the alley by a second athletic woman, garbed similarly to the first. This woman had light skin and frizzy red hair tied in a ponytail. She delivered a swift judo chop to Laverna that knocked the woman out cold.

Wynter struggled in the grip of her assailant for a few moments, but she was clearly outmatched. After about twenty seconds, she lapsed into unconsciousness.

The taller woman dropped the unconscious girl and knelt down to help Carolyn up. “Are you all right, ma’am?”

Carolyn nodded, slowly. “Who… who are you two?”

“I’m Kendra… That’s my partner, Marlene,” the woman explained. “We’re agents of FEMME.”

Upon seeing the puzzled look on Carolyn’s face, she clarified. “FEMME – Female-Exclusive Military Muscled Enforcement. We’re a team of all-women security agents – a task force designed to bring peace to people who need it. The new mayor bought us recently – she pays for us to use our skills against criminals on the street… especially uniform and clothing thieves.”

“We keep a sharp lookout,” Marlene added, stepping forward. “These two idiots made our job easier… They were live-streaming their muggings. I was able to trace the signal, and we showed up to arrest them.”

Carolyn looked surprised, then relieved. “Th-thank you.”

“No need to thank us, citizen,” Kendra replied. “We’re just doing our job. Come on, Marlene, let’s get these two secured.”

Marlene held up some zip-ties and black duct tape. “Way ahead of you.”

With alarming swiftness, the two FEMME agents tied and gagged the two luckless clothing thieves. Before a minute had passed, Wynter and Laverna were the picture of helplessness.

Kendra and Marlene carried the two unconscious women over to a nearby black van – also emblazoned with “FEMME” lettering along the side – and tossed them in the back.

“Will… they be okay?” Carolyn asked.

Kendra chuckled. “They just tried to mug you, ma’am… I wouldn’t worry about them.”

“They’re going to be locked up now,” Marlene added. “Safely away where they can’t harm any helpless girls like yourself.”

At this, Carolyn felt a pang of insult. “I’m not helpless,” she muttered.

But the two FEMME agents didn’t hear her. They were already heading back to the alley to free the other women that Laverna and Wynter had mugged.

Kendra turned and looked back at Carolyn. “Oh, yes… You could probably use this in the future.”

She tossed Carolyn a small device. Carolyn caught and examined it. It looked to be a black key fob with a red button on it.

“What’s this?” she asked curiously.

“An alert system,” Kendra explained. “The next time you’re threatened by someone who wants to steal your clothes, press the button, and any FEMME agents in the vicinity will receive a signal and come to your rescue.”

Carolyn raised an eyebrow. “The… next time? I mean, I hope there won’t be a…”

“It’s a dangerous world out there, miss. Lots of dangerous women. But we will protect you.”

Carolyn was silent for a moment. Then she nodded and pocketed the device.

“Anything else, miss? Can we get you some water?”

Carolyn shook her head and smiled politely. “No, thank you… I’m fine.”

She glanced back at the FEMME van, curiously.

A task force of women, assigned by the mayor herself to stop uniform stealing. Carolyn couldn’t help but find this fascinating.

But would it work?

*********************

“Of course it’ll work,” Claudia scoffed.

Jenna raised an eyebrow. “How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve seen the numbers. FEMME is effective.”

The two women were sitting in the City Hall employee break room, preparing for the day ahead. Claudia was casually sipping a cup of coffee; Jenna was preparing herself a morning tea.

“Mayor Hargrove was elected to end the threat of uniform stealing,” Claudia continued. “And the way to do that is to be tough, while also ensuring the safety of women everywhere. FEMME is an outstanding organization filled with strong and capable women, proficient in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. It was only natural that Hargrove would enlist their services.”

Jenna nodded, though she didn’t seem entirely convinced.

Following Hargrove’s electoral victory, the new mayor had given prime spots in her administration to the women of her campaign team. Claudia had been made Chief of Staff, while her friend Zephyr had been given the spot of Communications Director. Jenna was now an Executive Assistant, giving her more direct contact with Hargrove than most of her team did. But she had reservations about some of the mayor’s plans.

So it was with the latest plan, with the regulating of FEMME as the city’s official anti-uniform stealing combat force.

Jenna’s schedule this morning had called for a meeting with a FEMME representative at their own headquarters, in order to finalize the terms of the agreement. Needless to say, she was feeling ambivalent.

“I just… Isn’t FEMME known for being overly tough?” she inquired. “They employ former military women – real hard-edged fighters. Do we want to project that type of image?”

Claudia took a final gulp of her coffee. “Look, Jen, do you want to fight uniform stealing or don’t you?” she asked. “This is a tough process. We’re up against some crazy women, and we need to fight fire with fire.”

Jenna was silent.

“Besides, it’s good to have a team – even an army – of strong female fighters on our side. Lord knows the men aren’t gonna help us.”

Claudia checked her watch. “Look, I got a meeting to attend… Some boring thing about zoning plans or whatever. If you have issues with FEMME, bring it up when you meet them, okay?”

Jenna nodded. “I certainly will.”

**********************

Despite her harrowing mid-morning experience, Carolyn was already starting to feel better by the time she reached the bus lot and her mind began to shift focus to her work.

She had been given a high-profile transportation job by the bus rental company today – to drive a group of wealthy industrialists to a conference upstate. The corporation sponsoring them was willing to pay a lot of money for the transportation, and Carolyn was determined not to disappoint them.

Carolyn was now dressed in her usual driving uniform of black jacket over light blue shirt, dark blue pants, black driving boots, and peaked black cap. She had tied her hair back into a professional bun, the better to look presentable to her clients.

A glance at her watch told Carolyn that she had some twenty minutes before she needed to head out to pick up her clients. Just enough time to check over her usual bus – make sure it was clean and in good working condition for the long trip ahead.

She stepped into her assigned garage, which was currently empty – most of the other drivers had already gone out on their own assignments. Carolyn usually liked chatting with some of her coworkers before heading out on a job, but today, she was fine with a little peace and quiet.

Carolyn smiled when she saw her usual coach bus, parked in its usual spot at the corner of the large garage. She approached it and admired the shine of its surface.

“Glad we got this washed recently,” she murmured.

A sound of clattering behind her. Carolyn whirled in surprise, to see that some hubcaps had fallen over. A cat scampered from the shadows and quickly ran out the garage door.

Carolyn caught her breath, then shook her head and smiled. “Easy, girl… No use getting freaked out over every little noise.”

She was still obviously a little on edge, but she had a job to do. And she didn’t need to rely on the women of FEMME to protect her while she did it.

Carolyn inspected the bus, admiring her reflection in the polished metal surface.

Then her smile faded, as she noticed another reflection right behind her.

“Hey… Mmmmppphhh!” Before Carolyn could turn around, the other person had looped an arm around her neck and clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Hhhrrrppphhh!” Carolyn didn’t need to be a genius to figure out she was being mugged… again. She tried fighting back, but her assailant proved to be quite strong.

“Sorry about this,” the woman whispered. “But I need your uniform.”

Of course she does, Carolyn thought.

At once, she felt angry – another peaceful experience interrupted by a reckless uniform thief! Carolyn tried kicking out at something to attract attention, but the woman dragged her away from the bus. Besides, there was likely no one else within earshot.

Carolyn felt her strength ebbing. This woman was strong… too strong…

Then she remembered the button.

She had casually tossed the FEMME alert button into her uniform pocket while getting changed earlier that day… but now she needed it, and fast.

Her fingers fumbled around in her jacket… Where was the button?

“Stop moving, please,” the woman said sternly, tightening her grip around Carolyn’s neck. “This will be over fast if you just pass out.”

Carolyn felt herself getting weaker. Her fingers brushed against the button in her pocket. She tried to grasp it, but the room began to swirl…

A moment later, everything went black.

*********************

The main offices of FEMME were located downtown, a posh two-story building that shared its office space with a large gym – perfect for its employees to train in and keep themselves physically fit.

Jenna parked her car in the building’s backlot. She took a deep breath.

Mayor Hargrove had tasked her with meeting with the head of FEMME and having them sign a contract that underlined the fine details of their partnership. Specifically, Hargrove explained, ensure that FEMME understood their chief focus – to patrol the streets on the lookout for crimes, and uniform-stealing crimes specifically.

Jenna certainly hated uniform stealing, more than any other woman she knew. She figured that she and FEMME were ultimately on the same page… but she still had her reservations.

As Jenna walked towards the building, she saw a large black van with “FEMME” signage pull into the parking lot. Two women in FEMME patrol uniforms hopped out of the front.

“Good morning, miss,” the driver smiled at Jenna. “Marlene, mind fetching our two passengers from the back of the van?”

Marlene frowned. “I always fetch the ‘passengers,’ Kendra… Why don’t you get them?”

Kendra shrugged. “How about we can each carry one.”

This seemed to satisfy Marlene. She flung open the rear doors of the van.

Jenna watched in surprise as the two FEMME agents dragged a pair of bound-and-gagged women out of the rear of the van, with each agent tossing one over her shoulder.

“Time for some questioning,” Kendra grinned.

“Er… excuse me,” Jenna piped up. “May I ask what you’re doing?”

Kendra smiled at her. “Sure, hon… These two losers are a pair of USBs we’ve just caught. Before we take them to the jail, we’ve brought them to headquarters to interrogate them… Get information about where we can find their fellow uniform-stealing friends.”

Jenna looked surprised at this. “Is that… legal?”

Marlene eyed her strangely. “Who are you?”

“I’m from the mayor’s office,” Jenna said. “I’m here to meet with your boss about incorporating FEMME as the city’s official security force.”

Kendra grinned. “Awesome. Once we do that, it’ll be legal.”

Jenna bit her lip as she eyed the two struggling captive women. “You’re… not going to hurt them, are you? They look scared…”

Kendra rolled her eyes. “These two ‘scared’ little women have been responsible for at least three muggings so far today,” she retorted. “You’ll excuse me if I don’t have much sympathy for them.”

Marlene nodded. “Uniform thieves everywhere should all be scared… now that FEMME is coming after them!”

The two agents laughed as they carried their squirming, struggling prisoners toward the building.

Jenna hesitated for a moment, but then shook her head and followed them inside.

*******************

Slowly, Carolyn’s world came back into focus.

As she regained her senses, she became aware of her predicament – and was not surprised by it.

She was seated on the floor of the garage, her back against the wall. In this position, she wore nothing other than her white T-shirt bra and maroon bikini panties. Her wrists and ankles were bound with white cords, and her mouth was covered with black tape.

Nearby, her assailant was finishing the process of dressing in Carolyn’s uniform. Carolyn got a better look at her now – the woman was of average height and build, with light skin and shoulder-length brown hair. She had already donned Carolyn’s shirt, jacket, and pants, and was now lacing up the black driving boots.

Carolyn had been in a situation like this before – back when she had been bussing a handball team to their competition, and Adelaide had ambushed her and stolen her uniform. Adelaide had since apologized for that incident, and the two women had grown friendlier, having taken part in more than one escapade together since. The incident had helped Carolyn come to terms with the fact that – although she loathed the concept of uniform stealing – not all of its practitioners were truly evil.

Still, Carolyn couldn’t help but feel a flash of anger as she watched this other woman don a bus driver uniform that did not rightfully belonged to her.

“Mmmrrrgggghhhh!” She pulled against her bonds – but unsurprisingly, they were tight.

The woman turned, and looked surprised to see Carolyn awake already. Carolyn glared at her.

The brunette paused, and seemed to be wrestling with something within herself. Then she approached Carolyn and knelt down beside her.

Instinctively, Carolyn began to shrink back – but she didn’t want to give the impression that she feared this woman. Instead, she scowled at her defiantly.

The brunette sighed. “Look, I’m sorry about this… I wish there were another way.”

Carolyn was surprised at her soft tone, but tried not to let it show.

The brunette glanced down at the nametag on Carolyn’s jacket. “You’re… Carolyn, aren’t you? That’s a pretty name… and you’re obviously a pretty girl.”

Carolyn raised an eyebrow. Was this woman trying to flirt with her?

The brunette caught sight of her expression and blushed. “Sorry, I’m not trying to flirt with you… I just… Well, I feel bad stealing the uniform of such a pretty woman.”

Of course, Carolyn thought. And if I were ugly, you wouldn’t feel bad at all.

The brunette gave her an uneasy look. “I know you probably think I’m some kind of monster,” she said. “But I promise I’m not. I’m a reporter… I’ve been trying to get a good story for months now, something that will get the men at my workplace to take me seriously… I heard about this industrial conference, private and exclusive… I figured if I could get an interview with some of the people at this conference, that would really impress people. But the only way I could get close to these people is disguised as someone like… well, their bus driver.”

She absent-mindedly adjusted her uniform cap, then extended her hand. “My name’s Tandy, by the way..”

Then, upon realizing that Carolyn’s wrists were bound and thus unable to take part in a handshake, she withdrew it.

“Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly. “I’m new to this whole uniform stealing business… I tried mugging someone else a few weeks ago, but it didn’t go as well. You’re actually my first successful mugging.”

I’m honored, Carolyn thought dryly. She was beginning to grow annoyed at this woman. If only she could signal for help…

Tandy sighed. “You know, the last woman I tried to mug… She turned the tables on me. Tied me up and stole my clothes. It was definitely an unpleasant experience…

“But she told me… She told me not to give up. That sometimes, journalists need to use unusual means to get a story, and that I shouldn’t feel discouraged about mugging women for their clothes…”

She sighed.

“…but I also shouldn’t treat those women like disposable trash. They also have jobs, they have lives. They matter.”

Carolyn was quiet.

“You matter, Carolyn,” Tandy said. “I know you have a life of your own, someone that loves you.”

Carolyn immediately thought of Atsuko’s smiling face.

“I… don’t like hurting people,” Tandy continued. “I just… I needed to do something to help me get my life on track… even if it means inconveniencing a woman who was just living hers.”

Carolyn studied Tandy’s face. She seemed genuinely remorseful. A sharp contrast to Wynter and Laverna from earlier that day.

“Look, I… shouldn’t be unburdening all this on you,” Tandy said, getting to her feet. “Someone will find you soon. I need to go now. But like I said… I’m sorry.”

Carolyn watched Tandy turn and walk away, back in the direction of the bus.

Once at the bus, Tandy reached into her pocket. “Now, where’s the key to open this…”

She found what appeared to be a small key fob in the jacket pocket – black in color, with a red button on it. She held it towards the bus and pressed it.

Nothing happened.

Not that she could sense, anyway.

********************

Jenna glanced around the FEMME building as she entered. Despite her reservations, she was impressed.

The first floor had a few offices, but was mostly taken up by a large gymnasium. Jenna peeked through the door’s window and saw at least a dozen women using the gym – running on treadmills, lifting weights, doing acrobatics. They all looked fit and determined.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” said a voice from behind her.

A familiar voice, in fact. Jenna turned and was surprised at the sight of the tan-skinned blonde woman behind her.

“Desirée?”

“Hi, Jenna,” Desirée smiled and embraced her old friend. “Been a while.”

Jenna and Desirée had previously been coworkers, security guards working at an airfield in Sarasota. Following a harrowing experience in which they and their friends had been mugged for their uniforms and nearly killed, a shaken Desirée had told her associates that she was retiring from the security game.

Yet here she was now, with a FEMME badge clipped to her shirt.

“How’s everything?” Desirée asked. “You keep up with Harper and Evelyn?”

Jenna bit her lip. She had not spoken to Harper or Evelyn in several months – not since the night they had all escaped from Gina Caldwell’s mansion. She and Harper had parted ways under a particularly dark cloud, and she hadn’t felt like attempting contact again.

“I’ve… been busy,” she said truthfully. “Working for the mayor’s office now.”

“Ah, that’s right. Congrats on winning the election!” Desirée beamed. “I just know that Mayor Hargrove’s office and FEMME will do great work together.”

Jenna looked surprised. “But… since when did you join FEMME? Last time we talked, you sounded like you wanted out of the security business.”

“I did,” Desirée replied. “All the stories I’d heard about female security guards getting mugged for their uniforms really got under my skin… especially after it happened to us! But a couple of months ago, I saw an ad for FEMME – they’re not just any old security firm, they’re dedicated to protecting women. And they’re particularly invested to fighting the main problem threatening women in America today – the threat of getting knocked out and robbed of their clothes.”

Jenna nodded. “So you’re working with them now?”

“Yep. I’m a recruiter – been hiring plenty of skilled and athletic women to join our cause. And now that the mayor has agreed to incorporate our business into her agenda, we’ll get more funding and recruits than ever before! And we’ll be dedicating all our resources to fighting uniform and clothing thieves. We won’t stop until uniform stealing is a thing of the past.”

At that moment, two FEMME agents walked past. Both women were fully clad in black body armor. Jenna eyed the large guns strapped to their hips.

“New uniforms,” Desirée explained to her. “The mayor is upping our weapons budget.”

“But… guns?” Jenna raised an eyebrow. “FEMME isn’t authorized to kill uniform thieves, are they?”

Desirée patted her shoulder reassuringly. “We only use lethal force as a last resort,” she explained. “It’s preferable to knock out and tie up uniform thieves, anyway… Give them a taste of their own medicine.”

She laughed and stepped to her office. “Come on, let’s finalize the paperwork.”

Jenna followed Desirée, giving a last backward glance at the armored FEMME agents, who disappeared through the door.

*******************

Kendra and Marlene carried the two bound-and-gagged figures of Laverna and Wynter down a stairwell and a long basement corridor.

“Stop squirming,” Kendra said tersely. “I swear, you uniform thieves turn into such cowards the moment the tables are turned.”

“Makes our job more fun, though,” Marlene remarked.

They stopped at a metal door near the end of the hallway. Kendra unlocked it, and Marlene lugged Laverna inside. Kendra shut the door and continued down the hall with Wynter to the next room.

The room Laverna now found herself in was small and dimly lit, with furniture consisting only of a metal table and two rickety wooden chairs. A cracked mirror was embedded in one wall.

Marlene bent down beside the squirming Laverna and used a finger to remove her gag. “Now, my dear… You will tell us where we can find your Uniform Swiping Babe friends.”

Laverna spat. “Screw you. I won’t tell you a thing. I… Aaaugh!”

She let out a cry as Marlene grasped one of her fingers and bent it sharply backwards.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Marlene said coolly.

Laverna bit her lip. “I’ll never betray my sisters! Uniform stealing forever! I’ll never talk… aaugh!”

Tears sprang into her eyes as Marlene bent another of her fingers.

“That was your second chance,” Marlene continued. “You’ve got eight more chances, by my count… Then we move on to your elbows.”

Laverna winced. “Please…”

“Talk,” Marlene said sternly.

Laverna blinked back more tears. “Greenlawn Road… and Seventh Street. The abandoned theater…”

********************

Carolyn sat idly in the corner of the garage, juggling several thoughts in her mind.

Nearby, through the bus windows, she could see Tandy checking the various controls of the bus to make sure everything was in its proper working order.

On the one hand, Carolyn felt angry at Tandy – as she did over every woman who had ever mugged her for her clothes. It was only natural to feel repelled and antagonized by such women, after all.

Still, Carolyn had never forgotten her experience with Adelaide, a woman who had once mugged her for her uniform – cruelly joking as she put Carolyn to sleep with chloroform. Yet over time, Carolyn had formed something of a friendship with Adelaide, who had (to some extent) seen the error of her ways.

This new woman – Tandy – seemed genuinely remorseful about what she had done to Carolyn, yet still seemed to think it necessary enough to carry it out. Almost as though she felt… pressured to do it, pushed by social norms that had made uniform stealing more viable among women.

Carolyn wished she wasn’t gagged. She wanted to talk to Tandy, help her see the error of her ways. Help her discover that there were ways for women to succeed in the world without resorting to mugging other women for their clothes. Perhaps she could help Tandy understand that –

WHAM!

Carolyn’s thoughts were interrupted as the garage doors burst open. Two women in black body armor burst in, brandishing guns at the ready.

One of the women immediately spotted Carolyn, bound and gagged in her underwear and seated in the corner of the room. She clearly could tell what was happening.

“Uniform steal confirmed,” she told her partner. Then she pointed to the bus. “Possible culprit sighted.”

Her partner nodded and ran towards the bus, aiming her weapon. “Hands up!”

Startled, Tandy raised her hands. “Wh… What…”

“Open the door and step out. Slowly,” the armored woman repeated.

Tandy obeyed. Nearby, the second armored woman knelt down beside Carolyn and pulled a gleaming knife from her boot.

Carolyn twitched instinctively.

“Please keep still,” the woman said. She reached behind Carolyn and began cutting her bonds.

“Are you hurt?” the woman asked.

Carolyn shook her head. The officer removed her gag.

“Is that the woman who attacked you and robbed you of your vestments?” she asked, pointing at Tandy.

Tandy stood, her hands still raised, as the other officer frisked her. She looked pale and frightened.

“I…” Carolyn wasn’t sure what to say.

“Found it,” the guard searching Tandy announced, holding up an ID pass. “This woman is an imposter… The ID belongs to that woman in her underwear.”

The officer freeing Carolyn turned back to her. “Good thing you were able to signal us. FEMME will take it from here.”

Carolyn realized that Tandy had accidentally signaled the FEMME agents while trying to open the bus doors.

“Give the nice lady back her uniform,” the FEMME agent ordered. “Can’t handcuff you until you take off those clothes.”

Tandy suppressed a sob as she began unbuttoning the bus driver uniform she wore.

Carolyn watched her strip, and couldn’t help feeling sorry for her.

“She… didn’t really mean anything by it,” Carolyn told the FEMME officer. “She’s not one of those USBs, she…”

“It’s all right, ma’am, we’ll handle it from here,” the dark-haired officer replied. “You can resume your daily life, as soon as she gives back your clothes.”

Tandy had by now stripped down to her white underwire bra and orange tanga panties. She was quickly handcuffed and gagged with a cloth.

The dark-haired officer handed Carolyn her uniform back. “Here you go. Do you need anything else?”

Carolyn slowly shook her head. “I… I’m okay. But…”

“Best of luck to you, ma’am,” the FEMME officer told her. “Call us if you need help again. Come on, Ronda, let’s move out.”

Her partner nodded. “Way ahead of you, Carmen.”

The two officers exited the garage, dragging the cuffed-and-gagged Tandy behind them.

Carolyn caught a glimpse of Tandy’s frightened face, just before she was dragged around the corner. Moments later, the sound of an engine filled the air.

Carolyn glanced outside the garage to see a black van with FEMME signage pulling away.

********************

Jenna gave a slight jump in her chair.

Desirée looked up at her. “Something wrong?”

“Nothing, I… just thought I heard someone scream.”

Desirée shrugged. “Must be one of the alley cats. They can get so annoying.”

She removed a document from her desk and slid it across the table to Jenna. “Here… As representative of the mayor, you just need to sign this. It authorizes FEMME as being under the authority of the city, and able to carry out its duties of tracking down and arresting uniform thieves with full permission from the mayor.”

Jenna looked over the document silently.

Then she glanced back up at Desirée. “Does FEMME plan to arrest… all uniform thieves?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… not everyone who mugs women for their clothes is necessarily evil, right? I mean… some of them may have important reasons for it…”

Desirée gave her a strange look. “Jen… I don’t know if you forgot, but we were mugged for our uniforms a few months ago… and almost died because of it.”

“I… I know,” Jenna replied. “I just…”

“I’ve had nightmares about that day,” Desirée continued. “There we were, tied up and gagged in our underwear… Poison gas was all around us… I tried to stay conscious, but I could tell it was hopeless… I was never going to see my mom, my sister again… I was so scared…”

She let out a shudder.

“We were lucky someone came along when they did… Another thirty seconds, and neither of us would be alive to have this conversation right now.”

Jenna said nothing.

“Maybe not all uniform thieves are ‘evil’ in the traditional sense,” Desirée said, staring at her desk. “But they put women in such vulnerable positions… all to steal their clothes! They need to be stopped.”

She looked back up, and Jenna could see tears in her eyes. “They need to be stopped.”

Jenna nodded. “Of course.”

She took a pen and signed her name to the document. Then she slid the paper back towards Desirée.

Desirée smiled and wiped her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Jenna replied. “Let’s get to work.”

*********************

The theater had been abandoned for about two years, and condemned for demolition for nearly as long. But the city hadn’t yet gotten around to it – which suited the Uniform Swiping Babes just fine.

The group was less an “organization” than a social media phenomenon – an identity for young women formed by viral online videos. But a few of the original “founders” of the movement enjoyed hanging out at this abandoned locale and discussing their escapades over pizza and video games.

Currently, two of the USBs were active in the hangout. Eudora, a tall, thin college girl with alabaster skin and straight shoulder-length dark brown hair, sat on one of the couch cushions in front of the TV, playing the latest Zelda game. At the table nearby was her friend Priya, an athletic girl with tanned skin and a ponytail of black hair, munching on a piece of reheated pizza.

“Any idea where Wynter and Laverna are?” Priya asked between bites. “They said they’d join us here after their morning livestream.”

Eudora shrugged, not looking up from the TV. “Maybe they got carried away and lost track of the time.”

Priya grinned. “I suppose there are worse things to get carried away with than mugging women for their clothes.”

There was a knock at the door – the usual coded knock that heralded the arrival of one of their friends and fellow USBs.

Priya approached the door and opened it. In walked a smiling young lady with light skin and sunny-blonde hair. She was dressed in a yellow reflector vest, black pants, and a white baseball cap.

“Hey, Lexie,” Priya greeted the newcomer. “I thought you were Laverna or Wynter.”

“I’m just me!” Lexie smiled and walked inside. “How do you like my outfit?” She held up a small handheld STOP sign.

Priya looked her over as she shut the door. “Interesting fashion choice… Where’d you get it?”

“A crossing guard who just went off duty,” Lexie explained. “Cute lady. She was polite enough to stop for me when I asked for directions. You shoulda seen the look on her face when I hit her with the chloroform.”

She held up her phone. “Check out the pictures I posted.”

She displayed a photo of a young woman with light skin and bright red hair, sitting unconscious in an alley. The woman wore a bright yellow bandeau bra, and green cotton panties.

Underneath the photo was a caption: “Look both ways before you cross the USBs! #UniformStealingForever”

“Pretty good, eh?” Lexie asked.

Priya studied the photo. “I don’t think the joke works unless the reader knows she’s a crossing guard.”

Lexie’s face fell. “Oh, come on…”

“You need to post a photo of yourself in her uniform too,” Priya said. “Give the first picture some context. Trust me, you won’t go viral unless people understand what they’re looking at.”

Lexie shrugged. “It’s a picture of a woman with her clothes stolen. What’s hard to understand about that?” She eyed the photo again. “Look at those colors. She kinda looks like a traffic light! I should post a joke about that…”

At that moment, another knock came at the door – this time louder, and with no discernible code.

Lexie and Priya exchanged a glance. Eudora finally looked up from the TV.

An authoritative female voice boomed out from behind the door. “We know you’re in there. Open up.”

The three girls exchanged a glance.

Priya put a finger to her lips. She pointed to the rear exit, an emergency escape the girls had devised for just such a situation.

Before anyone could move, though, a thick-heeled black boot slammed into the front door, splintering it from its hinges.

The three USBs gasped as two women in black body armor entered the room, weapons at the ready.

“Agents of FEMME,” Kendra declared, holding up a badge. “You’re all under arrest for assault and uniform theft.”

Lexie and Priya raised their hands in surrender.

Eudora, however, was close to the emergency exit -she made a break for it.

“Stop!” Marlene called.

But Eudora was fast and light of foot. She was out the door within moments, slamming it behind her.

“Crap, crap, crap,” she muttered as she dashed out the door and into the adjoining alley. “Gotta get away…”

Fortunately for her, she knew these alleys well, and was able to weave in and out of them, taking corners and squeezing through passages that larger women could not.

Unfortunately, the agents had likely gotten a good look at her before she fled, and would be on the hunt for her.

She stopped at the edge of one alleyway, trying to catch her breath. As she did so, the sound of music filled her ears.

Peeking out of the alley, Eudora was surprised to see what looked like a parade coming down the street. A marching band consisting of a couple dozen musicians in fancy uniforms and wielding classy instruments – clarinets, trombones, drums – filling the air with music. They appeared to be heading in the direction of Main Street.

Normally, Eudora loved a parade. But she wasn’t in the mood of music right now. She had to get away from those FEMME agents…

Then she saw her opportunity.

Bringing up the rear of the parade was a young woman with light skin and sandy brown hair. Like the other marchers, she wore a standard uniform – a royal blue jacket with gold trimming, white skirt, a blue shako with gold pluming, and knee-high white boots. The young lady was walking a few paces behind the other marchers, twirling a baton and tossing it into the air.

Eudora did not know how to twirl a baton, and had never been part of a marching band before. But how difficult could it be? The only thing that mattered at this point was that this woman was just about her size.

She waited till the rest of the band had passed by the alley, the young brunette following, still twirling her baton. Then Eudora sprang from her hiding place.

The baton-twirler was concentrating on her work, and thus never saw Eudora coming, until the determined woman’s hand had clapped over her mouth.

With a “Mmffgrh?!?” that was drowned out by the musical instruments of her cohorts, the brunette was pulled off balance. Eudora quickly grabbed the baton out of the air before it could clatter to the ground. Then she dragged the squirming band girl and her instrument back into the alley.

The baton-twirler continued to struggle, her hat falling off. This left her head unprotected – an inviting target.

THONK!

Eudora bounced the weighted end of the baton off the brunette’s head. The girl’s eyes opened wide for a moment in shock. Then they rolled back into her head as, with a groan, she lost consciousness.

Like her fellow USBs, Eudora typically only stole clothes for the fun of it. But now she had a more pressing concern – she needed the disguise. Thus, she worked quickly to strip the baton-twirler of her uniform, too focused to even think up any snide or humorous quips.

Soon, the poor baton girl was down to her pink triangle bra and lavender bikini panties. Eudora had some spare zip-ties in her pocket, and used them to quickly tie the girl up, before finishing the work with a white handkerchief as a gag.

Then she quickly slithered into the marching uniform, hat, and boots. Scooping up the baton, she hurried to join the rest of the parade.

She caught up just in time. Moments later, one of the FEMME agents rounded the corner, still on the search for the escaping USB.

Kendra watched the band suspiciously. Eudora did her best to blend in with the others. She twirled the baton once or twice, praying she wouldn’t drop it.

The FEMME agent scanned the crowd, when Marlene’s voice came in over the radio.

“Kendra, did you find her?”

“Just give me a minute,” Kendra replied.

She adjusted her sunglasses, scanning the marching band. The spectacles allowed her to zoom in on the uniforms. Most of the band women’s uniforms were, as expected, neatly pressed and ironed. But one girl near the back wore a more wrinkled uniform… oddly wrinkled, as though it hadn’t been made for her… or been stolen in a fight… or both.

Kendra grinned. “Target acquired.”

She charged at the baton-twirler. Eudora froze, then turned to run again.

“Not this time, honey.” The FEMME agent crashed into Eudora, tackling her to the ground. The other marchers stopped, jarred by the sudden commotion. A few screamed.

Before Eudora knew what was happening, the FEMME agent had slapped the cuffs on her.

“Sorry, gal,” Kendra said with a smirk. “Your uniform stealing days are over.”

******************

Atsuko reached the parade and mingled in with the crowd.

In the distance, she could see a marching band approaching Main Street. It looked like one of the bandmembers was being led away by a woman in black body armor.

“What’s going on?” she asked a man standing nearby.

He shrugged. “Some troublemakers trying to ruin the parade, I guess.”

Atsuko’s further inquiries were interrupted as the crowd let out a cheer. The marching band had regrouped and approached the street, blasting on their instruments.

“What a lovely display,” Atsuko heard one older woman remark. “Too bad they don’t have a baton-twirler. I love that part.”

Then a younger woman’s voice sounded behind Atsuko. “So, what did I miss?”

Atsuko turned and smiled at Carolyn. “Hi, hon!” She embraced her wife. “You missed nothing. The parade’s just started.”

“Amazing.” Carolyn managed a brief smile.

Atsuko took another look at Carolyn, and her smile faded. “Babe, you okay? You look a little shaken.”

Carolyn gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. “I’m fine. Just… had a bit of a… hectic morning. I’ll tell you all about it later.”

She glanced over at the parade procession now passing by. “Look, here come the floats!”

Atsuko turned and smiled. “Wow, they look amazing!”

Carolyn caught sight of Atsuko’s smile and immediately felt better.

This was the life she wanted – standing beside Atsuko, enjoying the finer things in life. Keeping away from the more dangerous women in the city.

Nevertheless, she found her fingers absent-mindedly brushing against the small signal-button in her pocket.

She would hold on to it.

She only hoped the women of FEMME knew what they were doing.

THE END

[esercito sconfitto]

at last, they are back!

the USBs!

hey, but wasn't Wynter and Summer?


many thanks for bringing back these characters... and for my preferite type of uniform, the marching band majorette!

[tirepanted3]

Yes, they're back. I felt the USBs were the right characters to use for this type of story, which deals more directly with the issue of uniform stealing run rampant in society.

To explain, there were two USB "duos" in the last Spacesuit volume - one was Summer and Autumn, the other (appearing near the end of the story) was Wynter and Laverna. (I tried to keep the "season" theme for all the names, with "Laverna" referring to spring.)

Glad you liked the marching band uniforms - it had been a long while since I featured majorette-type characters in a story, and it seemed like they had reached their turn again.

[Praetorian]

The idea of the USBs (that acronym still cracks me up) live streaming their muggings online is such a cool idea. I've had similar ideas myself in the past, though they were more TV game shows than social media.

Tandy is interesting. She might be sorry about mugging another woman for her uniform, but that doesn't take away from the fact that she still did it.

FEMME is a very competent agency, though I'm wondering how useful their alert system will be once it starts to become public knowledge. If uniform stealers know about the buzzers, then techniques and methods to disable them can be developed. Are we going to see FEMME try to establish a police state?

[Torreken]

Due to a lack of time, I have missed many installments of your saga and other stories, but it is easy to enjoy this one nonetheless.
The world-building is really remarkable. It feels very organic how the society evolves and adapts to uniform stealing being so pervasive.
I loved the first scene: it was very funny how you subverted the chloroform trope and it worked very well in terms of suspense. The reader knows what is going to happen but it is inevitable!

[tirepanted3]

Praetorian: The idea of the USBs livestreaming their escapades for social media clout was partly inspired by a character in one of Trackman's stories. I decided it would be fun to take it to the next level and turn the concept of "uniform stealing" into a social media fad.

Tandy (who made a brief appearance at the end of the final "Spacesuit" volume) is the latest in a long line of guilt-ridden USBs, though her actions are less out of pure necessity than out of the drive to get ahead at her job and seeing no other way to do so.

FEMME's tactics and the complications that arise with them will definitely factor into future stories. As you imply, their actions will spur some complicated (and strategic) reactions among uniform thieves. As to how far FEMME is willing to go to combat uniform thefts... well, stay tuned as always.

Torreken: Thanks. I'm happy to hear that you can still follow and enjoy this story even without having read all the previous ones.

It's been very rewarding to evolve and adapt the world these characters inhabit over the last several years. It just felt rational that a series in which women so frequently engage in uniform stealing would eventually come to grapple with the implications of this on society.

The first scene was very fun to write - a "traditional" setup that subverts expectations. Demonstrating to readers that things aren't the way they used to be.

[tirepanted3]

For those wondering, this is the (very amusing) Trackman story I referenced above:

viewtopic.php?p=17647

[rufusluciusivan]

Sacrebleu! Looks like France took part in the think-tank that came up with FEMME's anagram!

Now, I see why you meant the mayor's subplot would be fleshed out in this part. And yes, I think I see where things are going with this task force... While they are on the side of the law, we already have clues they are a very dangerous threat - and not exactly on the side of 'good' either. They would be interesting antagonists. I think you did a good job portraying where their reasoning come from (they want to pay evil unto evil, give uniform stealers a taste of their medicine), but also how they go too far (using illegal torture techniques).

In a way, the narration was also careful - choosing the right uniform stealers for the job, so to speak. What I mean is that the USBs - while callous - are more a recurring annoyance than true evil villains in this saga. And Tandy is portrayed as a sympathetic character. (Debate is on about how much sympathetic she really is as far as readers are concerned - personally I don't have much sympathy for her - but that's besides the point.) The point is Tandy is portrayed as empathic. Therefore, the FEMMEs going all out on her or the USBs feels like overkill - a good way to highlight they're callous in their own way. Had the "uniform stealers" of the day been on par with Chen's or Kamila's team, the effect wouldn't have been quite the same, and the FEMMEs would have looked more heroic... So that was a good narrative choice.

In general, this story was an interesting change of pace - to show muggings for disguise plots being foiled by FEMME (though obviously after the clothes were stolen - this is the Uniform Stealing Booard after all ). Plus, it's a good way to showcase the threat this task force will be towards the saga's main characters. Their raids on Tandy or the Uniform Stealing Babes showcase just how efficient they are - especially the part when they recognize Eudora in spite of her disguise. (Baton-twirler - haven't seen a musician / parade member in a USB story since a while...)

I don't know if this was deliberate, but I found it amusing Atsuko and Carolyn made their return almost at the same time as Adelaide. If memory serves me right, the last time they were featured was in a story with Adelaide.

About the return of the USBs, please allow me to recycle an old joke of mine:

And the USBs are also back... I swear every time I turn my back, these gals sneak back into the story, trying to become main characters! Amateurs...

Joke aside, bringing them back was an efficient narrative tool. They're already part of the saga's lore, and FEMME's agents effortlessly defeating them shows the high level of menace of the new antagonists.

Nothing more to add. Just like the previous two one-shots, I appreciate how this short story is building up the saga's lore. These independant one-shots aren't connected plot-wise, but they are connected lore-wise.

[tirepanted3]

I admit I hadn't realized that "femme" was a French word. I just thought of it as an obscure English term. Live and learn.

This chapter was definitely intended to develop the mayor's side of things (even though she doesn't appear), and FEMME seemed like a good element to throw into the mix. Morally grey in their tactics (not unlike uniform thieves themselves), but can and should complicate the lives of the main characters in interesting ways.

This was also a good story to put the USBs front and center in, since while they do indulge in malicious activities, they generally present more as a nuisance than a serious threat. Tandy was meant as something of a sympathetic counterpoint to them, although I can understand not finding her that sympathetic, considering what she does to Carolyn. In Volume 5 of the "Spacesuit" saga, FEMME was contrasted with Chen's team of henchwomen, and came off as more heroic (though ultimately hapless); this story was an attempt at showing them in a more complicated light.

The story as a whole was a nice change of pace to write, considering the unusual perspective and subject. One of the perks of short stories is being able to experiment more. But of course, even the more experimental USB stories will feature a reliable share of uniform steals - and I don't think I had ever seen a baton-twirler mugging before.

Yes, Carolyn and Atsuko were both last featured in "Strange Bedfellows," as was Adelaide. As I wrote that story back in 2021, it was past time for all of them to make a reappearance.

I can't say the USBs will be major protagonists going forward - they're not as deep or complex as many other characters, with their goals and motives being quite shallow. But I think they work well within this story and within the larger tapestry of the saga.

Good point about the lore connection. I like to think these short stories can be enjoyed on their own, but they definitely tie together and probably can be better appreciated when taken in aggregate.

[rufusluciusivan]

I don't think I had ever seen a baton-twirler mugging before.

I guess it depends if one counts cheerleaders/majorettes as baton twirlers.

I can't say the USBs will be major protagonists going forward - they're not as deep or complex as many other characters, with their goals and motives being quite shallow. But I think they work well within this story and within the larger tapestry of the saga.

And there was much rejoicing! Though they are starting to grow (a bit) on me. Like some sort of USB wart. They have this "Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines"-appeal. The loser antagonists whom you love to see always lose.

Tandy is quite possibly the unluckiest uniform stealer on the Board - even the USBs have a better success rate. At least, she won an award... That must count for something... I anticipate we'll see more of her, so I'm holding my thoughts for now.