...
After bidding Arona and Utaha farewell, I walked over to Yuuka's office to be debriefed along with those who she's sending on that mission.
"Ah, Sensei!" Upon entering the room, Yuuka's eyes light up as she realizes it's me who came in. She stands up and comes over to me.
"Hey, Yuuka." I say, meeting her halfway and wrap the treasurer in my arms, an action which she returns promptly. "I missed ya."
"I-It's only been a few days since we saw one another!" Yuuka defends, stiffening in my grasp.
"Oh, I know."
"Geez, Sen- er, Josh." She says, awkward.
Chuckling, I part from the hug, allowing me to see her face a bright red. "So what's this mission about?" I ask, changing the subject.
"You'll see. I was going to call Akane once you got here." She explains, regaining her composure.
"Go ahead." I say, giving her the okay.
Yuuka nods to my words and goes behind her desk and begins tapping on her keyboard. I watch her fingers move at a lightning-fast pace. After a short wait, a hologram appears, showing Akane.
"Hello? This is Akane of C-and-C." Akane says, politely. "How is the reception on your end?"
"All clear." Yuuka says, sighing. "I wish I wasn't having this conversation right now."
The bespectacled maid giggles. "The sound of a new commission. On the bright side, you come to us because you can trust us to get it done, right?"
Yuuka makes a face like she sucked on a lemon. "We can talk about bright sides after I'm done cleaning up the mess I KNOW you're gonna cause! Have you ever in the entire history of time ever handled things quietly like I asked?" Akane shifts nervously. "Equipment destroyed! Buildings on fire! And endless paperwork for me!"
Suddenly, I find myself envying anyone but Yuuka.
"Do you remember last month?" The fuming treasurer asks, pointing a finger at the hologram of the maid. "You exceeded your budget by almost SIX TIMES! You are my worst nightmare!" Yuuka pauses, letting out a long, tired sigh to calm herself. "Never again. I promised myself, never again. So this time, I've come with reinforcements."
"I'm sorry? What do you mean?" Akane asks, head tilted slightly.
"Please greet your new... supervisor, of sorts." Yuuka says, grabbing my sleeve and pulling me into 'frame'.
"Sensei?" Akane asks, blinking, wide-eyed.
"Yo, Akane." I greet.
"Sensei here will simply confirm if the amount of damages incurred on this commission were a necessary cost." Yuuka explains, suddenly looking very smug. "Think of it as a small, procedural check-up, nothing more. Best of luck!"
"Ahaha... But..." The bespectacled maid attempts to argue. "Fine..." She says, looking down.
"Yuuka, could you explain what the problem actually is?" I ask, wanting us to get to the point.
"Very well." The purple haired girl says. "Approximately thirty-seven hours ago, first year Kurosaki Koyuki, codename White Rabbit, escaped from the self-reflection room."
"Self-reflection room?" I ask, feeling a bit concerned.
"Think of it as a solitary time-out." Yuuka explains, worrying me even more. "She slipped out of range of Seminar's surveillance network before we realized the situation."
"Oh, dear. Her again?" Akane asks. "She simply won't allow us to forget her, will she...? What is our resident criminal's indiscretion this time?" The maid asks, seemingly fed up with this all. "Grade forgery? Deleting student's records?"
"...Issuing unauthorized bonds." Yuuka says. "Not only that, but she's issuing them in Seminar's name. If my calculations are correct, which, well, they ARE, we'll be bankrupt in three days."
Akane and I stare at Yuuka in shock.
"Fuck." I say, breaking the silence first.
"Do you understand the gravity of the situation we're in?" The treasurer asks the maid, sternly.
"Oh dear." Akane says. "This is her greatest performance yet."
"What about her can y'all fill me in on?" I ask, needing more info.
"Ah, my apologies." Akane says. "I don't believe you've ever heard her name. Please, allow me. There has been more than one arrest operation for the girl known as Kurosaki Koyuki, codenamed 'White Rabbit'. While once affiliated with Seminar, she's now it's biggest headache and a known menace in Millennium. Does she cause trouble or does trouble follow her? She's chaos itself, an absolute loose cannon."
"How does she manage to get away with this stuff so often?" I ask. "Never mind asking how she escaped this 'self-reflection room' and managed to slip past Seminar. Even most of Veritas working together only managed to fool them during our nighttime raid, and even then, only a small bit of Seminar, and their forces were available at the time."
"That's..." The maid begins.
"She has a unique inclination for it. A gift, you could say." Yuuka explains. "Her ability to compute mathematical calculations quickly and accurately is terrifying. To her, our encryptions and security systems are child's play."
"Coming from you, that's definitely impressive." I say, eliciting a blush from the treasurer. "So, instead of hacking into thinks, like Veritas, she simply brute forces passwords by doing all of the calculations herself, mentally... Fuck, that's actually kinda scary." I admit.
"It is rather impressive, isn't it? She can hack our best security systems faster than a computer." Akane muses.
Yuuka sighs for the nth time. "We originally brought her to Seminar because of her astounding abilities."
"Who would've thought she'd instead become such a thorn in your side, as she like to call herself." The maid says with a giggle.
"She's more like a giant guillotine hanging over my head right now." Yuuka grumbles. "If not for her Seminar affiliations, she would be rotting with the Corrections Bureau already."
Corrections Bureau? Right, that's who were holding Wakamo after she was arrested. Along with the six other of the supposed 'Seven Prisoners' who I've heard neither hide nor hair of, much like everyone else.
"But, with the amount of confidential information she's accrued, I can hardly send her away." Yuuka explains. "Anyways, please follow the usual procedure."
"Of course." Akane says, professionally. "As usual, C-and-C is at your service."
"To be clear, I just don't have any other options." The purple haired girl clarifies. "Our biggest issue her is that automata and drones are out of the question."
"I was rather confused about that particular detail." Akane admits.
" 'Cause Koyuki could hack into them and turn them against you." I point out.
"Not only that, but... the White Rabbit's fled somewhere we can't exactly send automata to." Yuuka explains. "She's gone beyond Millennium and DU entirely to a different school district. We can't exactly send a small army worth of machines to another school, else they might think we're assaulting them. To top it all off, the school she's ran off to is one made of several dozen ships of varying sizes, known as the Odyssey Maritime School."
Odyssey? Greek myth this time? And- wait. "Hang on, there's a school out at sea?"
"Indeed, it's quite far from the DU, which makes it all the more impressive that she managed to cover that distance and commit the acts she has in such a short amount of time. Specifically, she's fled to a ship called the Golden Fleece." Yuuka continues. "Thankfully, we keep cordial relations with Odyssey, so I did send a personal inquiry. From their information, the Golden Fleece is an old ship they've left half for dead. From what we've heard from Koyuki, she won't say what she's doing there or why she escaped, only that she'll make money her own way."
"That's... worrisome." I add.
"It looks like the problem child has boarded a problem vessel." Akane supplements. "What could she possibly be attempting to accomplish issuing fake bonds? A coup d'etat?"
"That was my concern. If she's trying to graduate from petty crimes to an entire revolt, and to fund it using bonds issued in Seminar's name." Yuuka groans. "Ugh, I think my headache is coming back. Anyway, it may be neglected, but the Golden Fleece is still Odyssey's ship. We would be violating the rules if we tried to send a drone after her."
"And so, you need people to get her. In this case, C-and-C." I surmise.
"Yes, and I would like to emphasize we need SECRET agents!" Yuuka snaps, looking at Akane sternly.
"A... Aha..." Akane laughs awkwardly.
"That's the entire briefing. I expect C-and-C to act in accordance with the gravity of the situation." Yuuka warns. "You CANNOT mess this one up, okay? I won't be able to help this time if you do."
"No callsigns, no uniforms. We're just normal civilians passing by." The maid says.
"Normal civilians who will not be caught on this mission. WILL. NOT. BE. CAUGHT!" Yuuka reiterates. "This isn't our school, so all of your actions will hold weight. So, quietly! Without being caught! Did I say quietly already? BE SMART ABOUT IT! Please..."
"V-Very well..." Akane says, recoiling back. "Akane out." She says as the hologram disappears.
As the call ends, Yuuka flops down and slumps into her desk's chair.
"Yuuka." I say.
"Y-Yes?" She asks, seeming ashamed of her previous actions.
"You wanna hang out for a little while? Maybe just chill on the couch and watch a movie?" I offer.
"...That would be nice."
—————
Two days later, aboard the Golden Fleece.
"Infiltration successful."
"We're clear. No enemies spotted."
"Excellent."
Feminine voices speak to one another, hidden in the dark corners of the ship.
At the engine room of the ship, a few maids and one Sensei step out, all of them up to no good. Though, considering we're trying to stop Millennium from going under, I'd say we're up to good.
Neru, looking a bit too calm sighs. "What was that? I expected way worse."
"It was significantly easier than I projected to sneak aboard a moving cruise ship..." Karin adds, deflated. "And a ship belonging to another school, at that."
"Let's just hope security is as lax in other places." I say, hoping for the best, but knowing it isn't gonna be that easy.
"Indeed. We've slipped right in without anyone noticing." Akane says. "It's all perfectly going to plan, isn't it?"
The tomboyish sighs, annoyed. "You don't seriously mean that. This whole thing's a disaster. I hate every single little thing about this!" She shouts. "We're following orders! From the Seminar treasurer, of all people! And sneaking around like a bunch of robbers!"
"Why's that so bad? Y'all are supposed to be secret agents, right?" I ask, a bit dumbfounded by her annoyance.
Neru eyes me suspiciously. "And the cherry on the cake... The absolute worst thing about all of this is having a babysitter! And why is it Sensei?!"
"Oh, fuck you too." I curse, half-heartedly.
"Now, now. That's not how we see Sensei at all." Akane says, chastising her leader. "Let's not get too upset about an unfortunate situation."
"It may not have been Sensei's intention, but it definitely was Seminar's." Karin adds.
"Exactly! I'm seriously pissed off!" Neru shouts, forgetting we're supposed to be SNEAKING. "What did I do to deserve this?"
"Going over the mission budget too many times." I say, deadpan. "You already read the debrief."
The short maid just sighs, her posture downcast in annoyance. "Didn't I say I could handle to myself? Why didn't they just leave it to me and let me do my job?"
Akane nervously laughs.
"Well..." The sniper-bearing maid begins. "I do believe you're not entirely faultless here."
"Dammit! I can't believe those Seminar jerks would stoop so low!" Neru curses. "And Yuuka! Over budget this! Infirmary is flooded that! Isn't dealing with that kind of stuff her job?! I'm just doing the same thing, just getting my job done!"
"From how she looked, it seemed like you 'getting your job done' is causing her job to be more difficult." I explain, earning a glare from Neru. "Kind of like how 'getting her job done' is causing your job today to be more difficult."
Neru levels her glare at me for a long while, before averting her gaze and sighing yet again. "Fine. Let's just go in."
"Please, Neru. Let's evaluate and be reasonable." Karin begs her leader.
"I think we'll be in a bit of trouble if we're reckless at another school." The bespectacled maid points out.
"Well I think it's worth the trouble!" Neru argues. "If I cause conflict between schools, so be it. If you're scared, that's fine. I guess I'll just have to take care of everything myself." She says, beginning to walk away from us.
Okay, I've had enough of this.
"Neru." I say, in a cold voice, which causes the maids all to freeze. "Millennium and Odyssey are on supposed good terms. I ain't gonna let you ruin that just so that you can have an easier job. We're going to sneak in, apprehend Koyuki and leave. We're going in quiet, not loud. I am not gonna let you jeopardize this mission, got it?"
"You..." Neru turns her head to look at me and give me the gimlet eye, but it withers as she looks at my stone-like face. I'm not fucking around with this.
"You read the debrief. Three days before Millennium goes bankrupt, at best. I'm not going to abide by your selfish desire and let it fuck up the economy of Kivotos." I say, not budging on my stance.
The short maid and I continue to glare at one another for a long while, before she eventually relents. "I- AGH!" She growls out in frustration, before sighing. "Okay. Fine. I'll stay put."
"That's all I ask." I say, my visage and voice returning to the epitome of calm.
"To be clear, I still don't like any of this." Neru adds, pointing a finger at me.
"Whoa..." Karin mutters, staring at us in shock, her golden eyes wide. "Akane, a-are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I believe I am, Karin. It seems the Seminar treasurer's questionable methods may have actually been rather effective." Akane admits. "Even the president can't say no to Sensei. In fact, this may have been Yuuka's ultimate goal from the beginning."
"All of you shut up!" The tiny maid roars. "I'm in a bad mood now, so not a word out of any of you!"
The bespectacled maid giggles in response, before offering a mock "Yes, ma'am.", followed by turning to me. "Anyways, Sensei, our goal today is to complete our mission quickly and quietly. Regardless of why, you'll be with us for today."
Footsteps approach, causing me to tense up, but my worries are unfounded as Asuna bounds over. Her smile grows many times over upon seeing me. "Are my eyes seeing correctly? Master?!"
Asuna then rushes over and glomps me in a big hug, before pulling away. "You're coming to play with us today?" She asks, innocently.
"I'm with y'all for today, yes." I confirm.
"Master's going to be on our team!" The bubbly maid cheers. "C-and-C's newest member!"
The other three maids stare at Asuna like she's grown a second head.
"Huh?" Akane breaks the silence.
"Eh...?" Neru follows up.
"Sensei... as C-and-C's newest member?" Karin asks. "I guess that's one way to look at it."
"Oh dear, no complaints here!" The bespectacled maid adds with a giggle. "Sensei's one of us now. What an exciting turn of events. Doesn't that make you hate this a little less, President?" She asks, looking down at Neru.
"Well..." Neru muses, before a big grin pops up on her face. "Sensei's certainly no pushover, at least from what I've gleamed of him. I suppose if we had a sixth member, it would be Sensei."
"I ain't wearing a dress." I say, seriously, causing the three taller maid to laugh, before something Neru said clicks in my mind. "Wait, sixth member? Wouldn't it be fifth?"
"Well... There's a rumor of there being a fifth member of C-and-C, but no evidence exists to even suggest a thing." Akane explains. "Supposedly, there is a Callsign Zero-Four, but..."
"It's fake. Gotta be." Neru says.
"Okay, then. Enough speculatin'." I order, tired of the discussion. "Let's get to work, girls."
"Hmm..." Akane hums, and I look over to find her face full of contemplation.
"You've got a plan, huh?" I ask the bespectacled maid.
"Always the perceptive one, Sensei." Akane compliments. "First things first, let's establish a base of operations."
"Whaddya thinking? We take over the surveillance room?" I offer.
"Not a bad idea, but first we should get out bearings and secure an empty cabin." Akane corrects. "Then we'll just tiptoe along to the systems office, neutralize the surveillance systems, locate White Rabbit, and then-"
"Hey! Who's there!" A voice calls out, interrupting the polite maid.
The maids all stiffen as from around the corner walks... a girl in a black and white bunny suit, holding a sniper rifle, complete with scope. "Why are you in the engine room? Identify yourselves immediately!"
"Huh?!" Why don't you identify yourself?" Neru shoots back. "And what in the heck are you wearing anyway?"
"What do you mean?" The bunny girl asks. "You're the ones wearing unsanctioned attire! Those aren't passenger school uniforms or guard outfits. Is-Is that a maid outfit? Those were denied ages ago! You four are definitely a suspicious threat." She says, leveling her rifle at the tomboy maid. "I suggest you cooperate." She then turns around and calls out. "Everyone! This way! There are some weirdos-"
But the bunny suit-clad girl to too slow and Neru kicks her in the side like Vegeta in the Android Saga. She rag dolls, flying into the metal walls of the engine room, her halo disappearing quickly as she falls unconscious.
"Well." Akane says, wide eyed. "No one can deny you act quickly."
"And the Seminar treasurer told us not to get caught so many times..." Karin bemoans.
Asuna happily laughs. "I guess we failed that one already!"
"W-Wait! This is...!" Neru sputters, a bit shocked from her own actions.
"Did anyone else hear that?" A feminine voice asks, as more bunny girls round the corner. "Intru-!"
But this time, they're cut off by me, slipping out from the shadows and rushing the three girls. Quickly, I grab the middle of the three guards by the head and quickly punch her square in the face, causing her to go down as I immediately grab the other two and slam their heads together, knocking them out as well.
Turning back to the maids, I see all four of them stare at me in shock. "And that's how you take out guards without altering any more. Quiet with our sound, but loud with our actions." I conclude.
"That's..." Neru says, dumbfounded.
"Now c'mon, let's go find us an empty cabin." I say, motioning the girls to follow me.
"Okay!" Asuna cheers.
"Shh!" I chide, holding a finger in front of my mouth.
"Ah! Oh, um... Okay!" The bubbly maid says agin, this time in a loud whisper.
The other three maids share a look with one another, Akane shrugging in response.
—————
After just a few short minutes of sneaking around, we arrived at an empty cabin, the large windows allowing us view of both the clear, blue sea and the sky.
"Looks like this is a keeper." I say, grinning as we all filter into the small cabin.
"I'm just glad the security is lax around this part of the ship." Karin comments.
"Moving into more pressing matters..." Akane begins, turning to Neru. "President, the guard."
"Huh? Oh, right." Neru says.
Looking down, I see the maid's been carrying... the guard from before?! When did she even grab her?!
The short maid seems to not hear me, as she proceeds to sit the guard down and-
smack
-slaps her in the face. Her halo materializes as she moves a bit, awakening. "Ugh... What's...?" After a short moment of regaining her bearings, she recognizes the one who kicked her. "Y-You-!"
Neru pops her in the mouth with her fist, knocking her back out.
"Why on earth did you bring the guard?" The dark skinned sniper asks.
"Well I couldn't just leave her there! She knows our faces now!" Neru snaps back.
"Huh. Good thinkin'." I compliment, earning a grin from the short maid. "We'll leave her here until we're done."
"I have to agree with the president for once." Akane admits. "I do feel a bit sorry, but for the sake of the mission..."
"Anyone got any rope or anything?" I ask, wanting to tie her up.
The bespectacled maid nods and procures some rope from her outfit. Where was she keeping that? After a short minute, the bunny girl guard is tied up.
"We should probably blindfold her too." Karin suggests. "She doesn't know our exact location right now."
"Stuff her mouth so she can't make noise." Neru adds, as Akane proceeds to proceed with their suggestions.
"Damn, I didn't know y'all were into this kinda thing." I comment, smirking.
"Oh, my." Akane says, hiding her mouth with her dainty hand.
"Huh?!" Neru shouts. Her face, like the other girls, is a bright crimson now.
"A-Anyway. Things are going pretty smoothly, all things considered." Karin says, still recovering from my teasing. "What's next on the agenda, Akane?"
"Well, now that we've established our base..." Akane begins, mulling things over. "It's off to the systems office for us. But before that..."
"What's wrong?" The sniper asks.
"I believe this ship's clothing requirements are rather specific." The bespectacled maid comments. "Do you remember the guard's reactions? This strange bunny outfit seems to be the uniform here."
"I think you're right." Karin says.
"Lemme guess. You girls are gonna wear bunny suits?" I ask, wondering what kind of fetish cosplay ship this is.
"Indeed. Speaking of." Akane then pulls out a bunch of bunny outfits, each in a different color.
"The hell? When'd you do that?" I ask, bewildered. Does she have some kinda hammer space?
"On our way here." Akane says, explaining nothing, before handing Neru the red one. "I think you'll find the sizes fit quite well."
"Heh, you sure know how to act fast in a crisis. Nice, Akane." Neru compliments.
Karin, thankfully, looks at Akane in shock and confusion just like me. "...Wait a second. Did you take those off the guards we knocked out?!" How? I only knocked out three! "And even more concerning, how did you know all of our measurements?!"
"Don't worry your pretty mind about such trivial things." The bespectacled maid says, placating the dark haired maid. "Should we get dressed and make sure they all fit?"
"I'll go in the closet." I say, walking toward said closet. "Lemme know when y'all are done."
Quickly entering the closet and closing the door behind me, I hear the girls speak amongst themselves, but attempt to filter it out.
"Geez." Arona comments from the Shittim Chest in my jacket pocket. "This wasn't what I was expecting from secret agents."
"Neither was I." I admit, dryly.
"You've never worn something like this before, President. Let me help you." Akane says.
"What?" Neru asks, dryly. "You think I'm a little kid? Huh?" Touched a nerve I see.
"Oh, dear. I apologize. Would you like to do it yourself?" The bespectacled maid offers.
"I don't know how." The short maid admits.
Akane giggles happily. "Then let me help."
"Fine." Neru whines, relenting.
Sighing, I turn my attention to the closet. "Hey, there's a suit in here."
"Oh, wow! Are you gonna wear it, Sensei?" Arona asks.
"Might as well." I say, taking off my jacket as I plan to use the Chest to temporarily digitize my clothes to get them later. A thought then appears in my head, one filling me with dread.
"Hang on... Where's Asuna?"
"..." Arona's eyes widen in shock on the screen. "Oh, crap."
"Then again, after seeing her luck and thought process last time... This might end well. I hope." I say, all but praying this goes well.
—————
A few minutes later, I hear Akane call out to me. "You can come out now, Sensei."
Coming out of the closet, I find the three remaining girls, each having donned a rather... tight-fitting sunny suit. Hopefully they don't get me too distracted.
Akane now dons a white bunny suit leotard, along white similarly colored leggings and silver high heels. A high collar and blue bow tie are around her neck and on her head is a white headband with bunny ears. She still wears her shawl around her shoulders and glasses on her face, along with her white gloves.
As for Karin, she has on a black leotard with small blue bows at the hips, doing nothing to hide her figure. The opposite, in fact. Her legs are covered in fishnet stockings and her feet have black high heels on. Her long, black hair is done up in a high ponytail next to her black, bunny eared headband. She has the same collar as Akane on, along with white gloves similar to Akane's.
As for Neru, she has on a red bunny suit leotard, which is only loose around her small chest. She has on a similarly colored headband and high heels. On her torso is her usual flak jacket. On her right knee is a band-aid, for some reason. A similar collar is around her neck, save for the bow tie being red.
"Well, don't y'all look dolled up." I observe, smiling at the bunny-clad maids.
"Something similar could be said of you, Sensei." Akane says, not bothering to hide her faint blush. "You look rather dashing in that suit."
That's right, I put on the suit. It's a bit tight, but seeing these three girls blushing merely from wearing it makes it worthwhile.
"Anyway, Asuna's gone, but after seeing her luck... Eh, I'm sure she'll be fine." I say, throwing caution to the wind.
"Hopefully. Asuna is unpredictable and incorrigible, never listening to us." Karin explains.
"Got that right." Neru scoffs, adjusting her leotard with annoyance clear on her face. Can't blame her, this monkey suit's a bother.
"She's what people would call a free spirit." Akane explains. "I'm allowed about two minutes of her attention during briefings before she takes off."
"Like I said, I'm sure she'll be fine. Well, so long as she's had the same thought as us and grabbed a bunny suit." I say, voicing my thoughts. From what I've seen of Asuna, I can only hope it'll work out for her. "Anyway, shall we?"
"Let's." The bespectacled maid says with a nod and a serene smile.
—————
A short while later.
All is calm in this section of the ship. The security guards are bored out of their minds with nothing to do.
BAM crack SMACK pow BAM
Sounds of flesh impacting flesh and pained groans sound out from the quiet office as Neru and I make short work of the four bunny girls in the office.
"Clear." I say, as Akane and Karin enter behind us.
"Everything's as smooth as silk." Akane adds.
"The hell?" Neru asks, almost upset. "This is all they've got?" She asks, nudging one of the unconscious guards with her foot.
"What do you mean? You've knocked out plenty of them." The sniper asks.
"Our Neru is a little frustrated with no way to release it." Akane says, smiling.
The short maid just huffs and turns away from the white-clad maid. "Why does this have to be such a breeze?"
"You're upset it's easy?" I ask, eyebrow raised.
"They're all weaklings. No challenge." Neru spits.
"What's most important is our mission progressing smoothly." Karin reminds their leader. "On the other hand, can we talk about your outfit?"
"I already said it twice, Karin. The jacket stays!" Neru shouts, thrusting a finger towards the black-clad maid. "No touchie! I won't take it off no matter what!"
"I doubt anyone'll mind. If anything, I think she'd look weird without it." I comment, earning a blush and a slight glare from the red-clad maid.
"Ugh, what's with this mission anyway? Why do WE have to sneak around to pick up some runaway kid?" Neru groans.
" 'Cause she'd hack any drones and shit they send to get her. Plus, y'all are the best agents Millennium's got." I point out.
"Gah! This is the absolute worst! Why not just let me loose?!" The short maid bemoans. "I'd get this done in five minutes flat."
"Neru..." I say lowly, causing her to stiffen.
"I know, I know. No jeopardizing the mission." Neru mutters quietly, like a scolded child. "I was kidding anyways, okay? Kidding." The red-clad maid then lands a particularly nasty kick to the ribs of one of the unconscious guards. "All you little numbskulls better be happy Sensei's here! Otherwise, you'd be swimming with the fishes already!"
"I don't know if you've noticed, but they're unconscious." Karin says, deadpan. "Contrary to Neru, I'm glad we were able to secure the area swiftly. We should move on." She then calls out to the third girl, "Akane, are you nearly there?"
"Naturally. I'm almost done installing." Akane says, fiddling around with some machines to the side.
"Damn, that's quick, Akane." I praise.
Akane preens, giggling happily. "Thank you, Sensei. Hearing Sensei's compliment during a mission... What a delightful job we've undertook."
"Agh, I'll make that little White Rabbit brat regret ever being born." Neru says, promising pain.
"I think that's Yuuka's plan regardless." I say, deadpan. "She was pretty pissed about this. Still, I think you gals being too lenient with her caused this mess in the first place."
Karin merely sighs. "You may be right. I won't deny she can be a headache, but she's never been evil."
"People can easily cause bad shit to happen from doing things with good intentions." I lecture. "She might not be evil, but this girl needs to learn actions have consequences, else she's gonna get in bigger and bigger trouble."
"We've done this so many times, she knows us by name now." Akane adds.
"Doesn't that mean if she sees Asuna wherever she is, she'll know we're coming?" I ask, suddenly feeling worried.
"Most likely, yes." Karin confirms, sighing.
"It's always 'Stop chasing me, Neru!', or, 'Don't hit me, Neru!'." Neru complains, mimicking what I can only assume is Koyuki's voice. "When SHE'S the one always causing trouble. That little brat...!" She seethes. "She's at that stage, I guess. Throwing tantrums 'cause she doesn't know how the world works."
"Sounds about right." I agree.
Karin stares at the red-clad maid in confusion for a moment. "Oh, you meant the White Rabbit, not yourself."
"Hey, say that again!" Neru growls, moving closer to Karin.
"Low blow, Karin." I say, shaking my head.
"Now, now. Let's all hug and be friends." Akane chides. "Oh, and I'm done!" She says, standing up and walking back over to us.
"Damn. You took that little time to take over the system? Impressive." I praise.
Akane giggles once more. "Thank you. Now then, everyone please gather here." She says, pushing us all away from the machine. "Due to the nature of my installation, it's a bit dangerous over there." Akane then takes out a small remote from her shawl, pressing the button on it. "Now, we just wait thirty seconds and it's a job well done!"
"Akane, why do you need a remote to hack surveillance systems?" I ask, confused. "What did you install?"
"Oh, just a little of toy of mine I like to play with." The white-clad maid says, mysteriously. "I snuck it aboard with us just in case. It's just C4."
My brain trembles.
"JUST C4?!" I shout. "Akane, this is a stealth mission. STEALTH MISSION! Why would you bring fucking C4 here?!"
"Hm? What do you mean? To blow up the systems office, naturally!" Akane says, proud of herself. Her pride falls away ever so slowly as the three of us stare at her in disbelief. "...Oh dear. Have I made a mistake?" The white-clad maid realizes. "We needed to do something so the guards couldn't monitor us, right? Wasn't this efficient?"
"When you said 'take over the surveillance systems', I figured you'd be smart and hack the systems to allow us to control the cameras and stuff so we can find where the White Rabbit is quickly and quietly. QUIETLY! That was the plan, right?" I reiterate, emphasizing the quiet part of the plan. "Can you stop it?" I ask, hurriedly.
"Hm, well, how do I say this?" Akane ponders, calmly. "It hit zero just now."
"...Goddammit, Akane."
And those were the last words any of us said before the C4 went off.
As the four of us stand in the surveillance room, the monitors off and smoke filling the room, I calmly turn to the bespectacled maid.
"Akane?"
"...Yes, Sensei?"
"I take back my praise."
"Aww..."
Before anything else can happen, guards' voices are heard outside. "W-Was that an explosion?! Was there an accident?"
"I don't think so, that sounded like a bomb!"
"A bomb?! Are we under attack?"
"Run and inform the superiors immediately! Raise the alarms! Terrorist attack!"
"We need to deploy Bunny-Two! This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill!"
Turning back to the three bunny-maids, I order them quickly, "Run!"
And so, the four of us sprint away from the bombed office.
I thought these girls were supposed to be the best agents of Millennium?!
I suddenly worry for their school...
...and Yuuka.
And myself, for that matter.
WASN'T THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A SIMPLE, QUIET MISSION?!
—————
AN
BUNNY GIRLS ARE LOVE, BUNNY GIRLS ARE LIFE!
ALL HAIL HEFNER, THE FIRST PROPHET! ALL HAIL THE MOST BELOVED OF FETISH COSPLAYS!
If you get that reference I made there, you get a cookie.
But, yes, it's time for the Bunny Chasers Event! Prepare yourselves for stupidity. And a lot of it.
As a note, I reworked a few things in Chapter 6. Take a look, would you?
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!