The walk from the hospital to the hotel was long and for some reason, Gadget was not answering her smartphone. He goes into a couple of stores for refreshments. Since he is by himself, he is able get a few alcoholic drinks, mostly wine coolers. Though they are low in alcohol, the Asian Mice in general do not have a high tolerance for alcohol.
 
Though he does not care if he ends up screwing Gadget again, he just wants to get comfortably numb at this point. The issue is if the girls are there, who knows how they are going to react to what had happened and what may happen afterwards. He frankly does not care. This is becoming a mission of solving the social problems of Japan’s dark side than it is to observe history as it unfolds. A nation in denial is a dangerous one to itself and its citizens. In its many major cities, America is already there despite many who are in denial of its situation.
 
Chips, dips, Cheese Whiz, pickles, assorted nuts, salsa dip, a few bottles of soda and several cases of flavored wine coolers complete his shopping list he is dragging back to the hotel room. Tokyo gets very quiet after midnight, with only the cleaning and sanitation crews doing their jobs of cleaning the city and preparing it for the next day. It only takes them a couple of hours to clean the city but supervisors roam the streets in vehicles to make sure that the job was done. At the same time the homeless hides in the parks and hope their sleep is not disturbed.
 
The elevator ride to the rooftop penthouse suite in the hotel takes five minutes to get there, though it takes five minutes, it seems that it is taking longer than usual to get there. The door opens as elevator stops on the Penthouse Suite on the 32nd floor. The room is dark except for a glow to the right, where the living room is at. He walks to it, seeing that it is the large screen TV is on. No one is sitting on the furniture though. He puts the items on the island counter that marks where the alcove ends and the living room begins. The monster on the screen roars out loud with radioactive flames coming out of its mouth as he places the items on the island bar that separates the kitchenette area behind them. But he was loud enough to disturb them, making them jump and turn to see who or what was behind them.
 
They stare at each other for a moment.
 
“Aren’t you guys going home?” He asks, noticing that the girls were in their t-shirts and panties.
 
Gadget tries to answer for them, “They are too scared to go anywhere, at least without you.”
 
Most of them nod as soon as she finishes her words.
 
“What about school tomorrow?” He asks.
 
“School is optional if you help us.” One of them says, sounding like Hiromi.
 
“We can go to school online so we do not have to miss out on the work, or go in late with an official pass from a doctor or government agency.” Another of them says, sounding like Kitsume.
 
The TV roars again, a sound that Fernando is familiar with his childhood – Godzilla from the ancient 1960s movies. He looks at the TV, verifying what he heard.
 
“What are you ladies watching?” He then asks.
 
“Some old Godzilla movie.” Sounded like Naru answering.
 
“I remember seeing those as a child.” Fernando comments, adding, “It is always the same footage of people running in horror on every panicked crowd scene.”
 
Chieko asks as Hiromi gets up and trots over to him, “What did you get?”
 
“Assorted chips and dips, soda for you guys and some wine coolers for Gadget and I.” He explains.
 
“Can we have a wine cooler?” Hiromi asks.
 
“Aren’t all of you too young to drink alcohol?” Fernando asks.
 
“Drinking age is 20 in Japan.” Naomi lets out.
 
Kitsume throws in, “Yeah. Drinking age is 20 in Japan, but we had champagne and wine at all the fancy balls and dinner parties at the palace. And it is only illegal if you force us to drink it, it is not illegal if we ask and you give it because we asked though there are some social standings to abide too but no rules are being broken here.”
 
As Kitsume explains, Fernando notices what little Hiromi has on standing in front of him.
 
“You’re just in your t-shirt and panties?” He asks Hiromi.
 
“Yeah, we all are. We were going to sleep after watching TV.” Hiromi explains as she looks over the chips and things he is putting out on the island counter to sort out and put away.
 
“Is that Nacho Chips and Salsa dip?” Hiromi asks.
 
“Salsa dips? Is it the spicy kind?” Chieko asks as she gets up and trots over next to Hiromi, following with, “My stomach can not handle spicy things.”  
 
“It’s the mild kind. Some spicy but only a little.” Fernando explains.
 
“Good. I can handle that then.” Chieko replies as she reaches for the salsa jar.
 
“Hold it...” Fernando tells her. He reaches into island’s shelf and pulls out a couple of tiny bowls, putting them on the counter. “Fill those up with some dip and take a bag of chips with you.” He then puts a bottle of soda on the counter with a stack of paper cups. And do not make a mess...“
 
Chieko takes the chips and bowl with salsa dip in it, and without warning, Hiromi takes one of the wine cooler cases back to the crowd. They sit and begin opening the bags of chips and handing out the wine coolers. Gadget is heard giggling in the far end of the living room before she “Ooo...” from being handed a bottle of wine cooler.
 
Fernando sighs before he says, “I’m going to my bedroom and get ready to sleep.”
 
The girls all look at each other before getting up and rushing towards him as he goes to his room. They all gather about the doorway as he steps into the room. He looks at the rearrangement of the furniture; all the beds from the other room were taken and put together as one large bed in his room.
 
“What’s this?” He asks without turning around.
 
Gadget manages to make her way in through the crowd and a couple steps behind him. She tries to explain what is going on.
 
“Fernando, I can explain...” Gadget begins.
 
He remains silent for the moment.
 
“I... We... The girls... are afraid of... because of... what happened... you shooting those bad guys trying to grab us. You dealing with a Yōkai... what ever that is... Things... they... we... do not want to go home, not with the dangers out there at night...” Gadget continues.
 
“When on overnight trips, we put our beds together so we can sleep together. This is no different than those times.” Kitsume jumps in to try to explain.
 
“We picked up the beds as to not to scratch up the floors.” Naru tries to interject.
 
Fernando just looks at the room, with all the beds in it leaving some five feet of space from the wall on one side and eight feet on another with enough mattress space to hold over 20 people.
 
“That is not the point.” He begins. “This is my room where I sleep. And if Gadget is sharing my bed, who knows what we would be doing.”
 
“If you want to #$@! her while we sleep, that’s OK...” Hiromi lets out.
 
“Hiromi!” Naomi lets out.
 
“I was trying to say that it is OK. I swear, Naomi. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Hiromi tells her.
 
Naomi does not say anything.
 
“Go watch your movie, eat and drink your snacks and then go to bed.” Fernando tells them.
 
They all leave except for Gadget who steps up to him and Hiromi who stood by the door.
 
Gadget takes hold of his arm, leans onto him and gives him a kiss on the cheek before saying, “Thank you.”
 
“Understand that I want to be left alone. So go with them and leave me alone.” He tells her.
 
Being a bit despondent, she slowly steps away, letting go of him and steps out of the room. As she walks away, Hiromi takes a step into the room.
 
“Mister Fernando.” She tries to begin. He does not say a word a make a move to show that she has his attention. She tries to continue, “It is not right for us to impose on you like we did. But seeing what happened and what you did to protect us, we thought it would be OK as you being our rescuer and all that. Those men would have done bad things to us, probably even taken us to North Korea or China and sold us into slavery if you had not killed them.” She pauses for a second, “We owe you our lives. If you want us as your lovers or sex toys, we’ll do as we must to make you, our savior happy.”
 
“How many wine coolers did you drink?” He asks.
 
“Only half of one.” Hiromi answers and then asks, “Why?”
 
“Then go with your friends and watch TV and whatever before going to bed.” He tells her.
 
“What about you?” She asks.
 
“Don’t worry about me.” He tells her.
 
“Oh.” She replies. She thinks for a moment before she says, “But what about how you feel? Aren’t you stressed out? You somehow managed to come back after dealing with the police, when they usually arrest people for things like this. Anything you need us to do, we will do it for you.”
 
“Do not put yourself or the others into a situation which you would regret later. I’ll tell you now that in working with the Emperor’s Security staff, this suite has cameras everywhere, not that it would be used to record what happens here but yes, it records things that happen here for my protection. I doubt you want some lonely ass security guard to be watching what is being recorded as we try to start practicing making babies even if it is consensual between us.” He tells her.
 
“Oh...” she replies.
 
He immediately replies with, “Now go with your friends.”
 
“Oh... OK.” She replies. She waits for a few seconds for him to reply but does not. Eventually she walks out of the room.
 
After a minute or so Fernando steps out of the room and into the bathroom where he hangs his suit jacket on the towel rack, then washes his hands and face for the moment. Though there were 3 separate bathrooms for 8 bedrooms in the suite, Hiromi decides to step into the one Fernando was using.
 
He says in an annoying tone as he wipes his face with a towel, “Yes Hiromi?”
 
“Would you consider getting a reward from somebody you saved as a thing that is expected and done?” She asks as she steps towards him and then leans her rear end against the sink basin cabinet with her hands folded in front of her.
 
“You willing to give of your virgin self to a complete stranger who thought in doing the best thing to do was to put himself in a situation that probably saved your life? If you think that, then you and your friends owe me a debt that can only be paid by being my sex slave on 24/7 call. I did nothing for you that I had done for another and no one owes me for saving their life.” He tells her. He then adds with some embellishments, “Case in point: That girl we found? She was one of the Emperor’s nieces that arrived three months ago to be a witness to the up coming events but she disappeared on the way over here. In short, she was kidnapped on the way over here and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police has been looking for her for the past three months and did not find her. But I did totally by accident. And those guys – they were going to sell her to some Chinese buyer. So in finding her and killing those men, I saved her life. In killing them, the Emperor told the police that I did what had to be done in self defense and in the defense of others under his employment. And in talking with the Emperor, she owes me nothing nor does the family. All I care for is that she is in the hospital recovering and will get well given time. In your mind she owes me her life, in my mind she owes me nothing because I was just doing my job. Nobody owes me for doing my job except for my boss to sign my paycheck, because it is what I do.”
 
He pauses for a second before he asks, “Would it be fair if I waited by her hospital bedside and ask for her to pay as soon as she wakes up and well on her way to recovery? Or would it be fair for me to demand from her family payment of such because I rescued her?”
 
Hiromi stands there and thinks, saying, “Technically yes. But if you are being paid to do such a service, then it would be like double dipping in a way, though she does owe you her life for saving it and that is a debt that is hard to pay.”
 
“I am being paid to do a job, not to take advantage of those in need. If everyone I ever saved had to pay me, nations of people would owe me as Italy, Japan, the United States and several others I saved from a possible nuclear terrorist threat when I helped find and confiscate stolen nuclear war heads. And ten or more years ago I lead the rescue of the kidnapped Emperor’s son by the terrorist group The Red Hand, as it turns out it was an inside job as the son’s nurse was part of the group that led to the kidnapping. I have medals and honors that cover a wall in my house. But all that means nothing if I do not have someone to share it with and a family to pass it down to.” He explains to her.
 
“But you have family, friends, people who look up to you. You are a hero to many. Are you saying that you are lonely?” Hiromi says and asks.
 
”I am lonely in one thing – I want people to understand what I do for others and why so that they can do the same to more of others in need. I am not helping people because of the rewards, I’m helping people because I care that there is more to life than just existing. There is more to life than acquiring money and wealth. There is more to life than just good grades and a scholarship. Life is an adventure, one you share with your family and friends in being the best you can be as a person and as a friend along with them doing the same.” He tells her.
 
“I... think I see.” Hiromi says, almost wanting to look away from him. From the corner of her eye she can see the others gathered at the doorway. She decides to turn her head to face them.
 
Naru then says, “If you wanted some alone time with him to practice making babies, you should have told us. But now the movie is over and it is time to go to bed.”
 
“I do not want to practice making babies with him!” Hiromi instinctive lets out, before changing her words, “I mean, I would not mind practicing making babies with him, but that is not why I am here. I just curious about who he is and why he does what he does. I never met anyone like him before.”
 
“And you never will.” He tells her.
 
“Care to explain?” Sakura asks as she steps in the bathroom.
 
“Before I answer that...” Fernando begins, “Would you ladies like to go on a trip out to a ranch in the mountains? It would be part of this educational history trip, and you guys would leave with me after the dinner party on Friday night, so you would need to pack up a bag of fresh clothes and other needs you might have.”
 
“I would love to go!” Kitsume says.
 
“I think we all would want to go.” Naru says.
 
“Don’t we need some kind of permission slip or something?” Chieko asks.
 
“I can write a letter for your parents to get their permission for this weekend trip.” He tells her.
 
“Where would we have our bags stored while at the dinner party?” Naomi asks.
 
“We have six cars to store your things in while we in the dinner party even though things should fit into my car. Though having the six of you in my car would be too much, maybe I can rent a minivan to carry all of you. Let’s see what happens. I do have to set it up with the ranch owner. There is a pool or a lake there you ladies can swim in and do ranch things. We would be resting from the whirlwind of activities lately.” He explains.
 
“It sounds great.” Kitsume says.
 
“Well, now that we got that settled, explain yourself.” Hiromi tells him.
 
“We’re not settled.” Chieko throws in, “I need a personal bathing suit.” Before Hiromi could say a word, Chieko adds, “I’m not using my school’s bathing suit.”
 
“We got a couple of days before the next dinner date and the trip. We can buy it before then.” Sakura throws in.
 
Chieko looks at her and then at Fernando. He can only reply, “It will be paid for like everything else you girls need.”
 
“Hope you get a 1-piece, a bikini would not look good on your body type.” Kitsume tells Chieko.
 
“Let’s not go there, ladies. Chieko would look great in a bikini, if it is the proper bikini. It’s all about the fit and the attitude.” Fernando tells them.
 
“What would you recommend... for me?” Chieko asks.
 
“No string bikinis for you, Chieko. But wide straps would look great on you. A frilly tiny bikini skirt – depends on the colors, patterns and length of the frills of the skirt.” Fernando explains. He adds, “Since you’re Asian mice and white in color, the bikini should contrast you. I say Black, if it has a frilly skirt, then some light color trim at the bottom hem of the skirt but the skirt is not necessary. The bikini bra should have thick straps that you can tie together behind your neck and your back. In fact, if all of you would like – to look similarly, I would say for you all to get such a bikini with thick straps but that is all up to you.”
 
“Hmmm... It would look like we are part of a group of some sort.” Kitsume says.
 
“As far as I know, we would be alone as it is a private lake on a private ranch. So we would be alone there except for a few invited guests.” Fernando explains.
 
“I think we would look great wearing the same bikini as a group.” Sakura throws in. The others seem to agree.
 
Hiromi then interjects, “Now that is over, about you.”
 
All the others look at Hiromi as if she crossed a line.
 
“Alright if you want to know...” Fernando begins, “It is a story of history based on power and greed, but in the end all it amounts to the wrong people being in power but the right people being a thorn on their side.”
 
“Don’t it always start with some intrigue and suspense?” Hiromi asks.
 
Naomi throws out, “Just shut up and listen...”
 
Fernando waits a second for silence before he continues, “Anyways. It goes back over 150 years with Queen Isabella II of Spain and how she was deposed from the Throne of Spain by the generals of the Spanish military generals and needing to live in exile. Through various messengers, deals were attempted to restore her to the throne. They wanted a meeting with her eldest son, but she feared that they would assassinate him so she sent in the youngest son, thinking that being a younger son, there would be no reason to assassinate him as he has no power other than his princely title and it would be to their detriment if they did. But the youngest son turned against the family and took the throne for himself. That being said, my great grandfather was the elder son of the queen and supposed King of Spain turned to the Lost Prince of Spain. I am the current Lost Prince of Spain. Technically I can challenge the throne for my rightful position, but I have no interest in the throne or its responsibilities. I do have access to their money, but I prefer to be what the Italians call ‘A Self Made Man,’ a man who had earned everything he has in life. So everything I pay for you guys, you need not worry about owing me a thing as it is being paid for by my sources that are paying me to be here, and not from my actual money that I have.”
 
“So, you’re a prince?” Naomi asks.
 
“It is no secret that I am but I prefer it to be quiet. By the way, you nation’s Emperor knows about my status and family position though it has no bearing on our friendship nor the work I do for him as a security consultant.” Fernando explains.
 
“Ohhh...” Naomi begins and a couple others join in.  
 
“I think it is time for you girls to go to sleep.” He tells them.
 
“Yeah... Let’s go.” Kitsume tells them before stepping out onto the hall.
 
“Have a goodnight, ladies.” Fernando throws them a hint.
 
“Good night.” At least Naomi replies first before she leaves for the bedroom, forcing the others to follow in words and action.
 
They leave one by one, except for Hiromi who remained in the bathroom leaning against the bathroom sink.
 
“Can I help you, Hiromi?” He asks her.
 
“Aren’t you going to bed with us?” She asks.
 
“Why?” He asks.
 
“Because.” She answers.
 
“I sleep in just my briefs. I will not go to bed with a bunch of girls dressed in just their t-shirts and panties.” He replies.
 
“Why not? It is not like we never slept with guys before. And nothing is going to happen unless we allow it to happen.” She explains.
 
“Nothing is going to happen. No disrespect to you or the others, as if given the chance I would love a chance with you and the others but I am on what is known as ‘Mission Mode,’ which means that I am too focused in getting the job done, not getting it on in a group orgy with a bunch of teenage girls. So, please go to the bedroom before I turn around and take away what was given to you all.” He tells her.
 
Hiromi stands there in shock with her jaw dropped open.
 
“I said to go or else.” He tells her.
 
“But... But... But...” She begins to stutter out.
 
“Have it your way then. I expect this place to be empty in the morning.” He tells her as he grabs his suit jacket from the towel rack and heads out the bathroom. Gathering his cane, and activates it and disappears from the hotel suite.
 
Hiromi tries her best to hold in her emotions before running out of the bathroom. She goes about the main area space. She calls for him but there was no answer, though it gets the other girls out from the bedroom.
 
“What’s going on?” Kitsume asks.
 
“I think I messed up.” Hiromi says fighting the urge of being choked up.
 
“What do you mean, you messed up?” Naomi asks.
 
“He said he is too focused in getting the job done for him not to get it on in a group orgy with us teenage girls. And he told me to go to the bedroom before he turns around and takes away what was given to us. I tried to say something but couldn’t and then he said for me to leave or else but I tried to say something but still couldn’t. He then said for me to have it my way and he expects this place to be empty in the morning. He then left. I went out to go after him but he was gone.” Hiromi tries to explain.
 
“What did he mean by taking away what was given to us?” Kitsume asks.
 
“I knew it was a bad idea to impose on him, even if he did save us from being taken into slavery in North Korea or China!” Naru throws out at her.
 
“I swear, you let your thirst to make demands against one how has been kind to us, and now he gone! You better hope we do not lose everything because of it!” Naomi tells her.
 
“We lose everything; we go back to school tomorrow in shame and embarrassment.” Chieko lets out to be heard.
 
Gadget shakes her head before walking back into the room.
 
The girls follow her into the bedroom asking questions.
 
“Since you’re his girlfriend, can you help us out?” Kitsume asks.
 
Gadget just shakes her head in silence as she gets into the bed.
 
“But, you have to help us!” Hiromi lets out.
 
Gadget lies on her back staring at the ceiling.
 
“Well?!” Hiromi asks.
 
Gadget answers as she looks at the ceiling, “If you made Fernando angry it is on you to make it up to him. But if you made him angry enough to leave, it is your problem as you will not be able to find him unless he goes to you, which is doubtful.”
 
The girls look down at the floor in defeat.
 
“You should have not bent over and pulled down your panties to offer him what you have.” Naomi throws at her.
 
“But I did not do that! I just leaned against the sink and...” Hiromi begins to explain herself.
 
“Then maybe you should have.” Kitsume lets out.
 
As they continued to argue, the sun can be seen rising from the horizon, making them stop and think as to what their next step should be. Cheiko gathers her things and takes them to the bathroom where she showers up and gets dressed for school. Naomi follows her actions and goes into another bathroom. Naru does the same with the last remaining available bathroom, leaving Kitsume, Sakura and Hiromi in the bedroom with Gadget.
 
“Could you talk to him for us?” Hiromi asks Gadget.
 
“No can do.” Gadget replies, “This is between you and him. Anything I have to say won’t help and may even make things worse.”
 
“The next Emperor’s dinner party is on Friday, and he promised that he would take us shopping today to buy what we need to go to the ranch for the weekend.” Hiromi tries to tell her without sounding demanding or whiny.
 
“No promise. But meet me at the outdoor mall after school and I’ll see what I can do during the day.” Gadget tells her.
 
“You would do that for us?!” Hiromi almost chimes.
 
“Maybe you should drop your panties for her, Hiromi...” Kitsume throws at her.
 
“I don’t go that way.” Gadget tells them.
 
“That’s on you then.” Sakura lets out.
 
“Are you guys gay or something?” Gadget asks.
 
“No, we are not gay as you Americans may think.” Sakura begins.
 
“There is nothing wrong with girls liking girls. Sex with guys is sex, but it is not sex with girls on girls though it’s all cultural by its definition. Sex with guys is for giving him pleasure, getting pregnant and having children. But what we girls do is only to pleasure each other and that is not sex but masturbation and masturbation is not sex. But that is only if the group allows it.” Kitsume explains.
 
Chieko comes out of the bathroom first, dressed and ready to go to school, which is not far away from the hotel though it is a long walk to say in the least. Sakura gathers her things and runs out of the door to the bathroom before the others could. Naomi came out next followed by Naru. Kitsume went into the bathroom with her things when Naomi came out. Hiromi stands there for the moment.
 
Chieko tells her, “Hiromi – go shower up and get ready for school.”
 
She just looks at her before getting her things and going to the bathroom and prepare for the day.
 
 
[On the roof of the Hilton Hotel]
A lone figure stands on the roof of the tall building, besides one of the air-conditioning and ventilation units for the building to hide from whoever might be watching him as he watches over the city.
 
Watching dawning of the day only proves why Japan is called “The Land of the Rising Sun” as it is a grandiose sight to see. But if one is not in the mood, it is just the start of another day and the continuation of time as it goes.
 
From this height he is able to look down below and see what was going on. After an hour’s time, he sees six school girls leave the hotel and head towards the downtown area with a blonde haired friend with them, looking like a school teacher in her light blouse and dark skirt. He follows them with his eyes until they disappeared blocks away behind the buildings there.
 
He disappears in a flash of light.
 
A flash of light appears in the living room of the hotel suite. Fernando stands there, just twisting his head and shifting his eyes to look around and listening for anyone that might be there. On top of everything he is tired, not having had any sleep for almost 24 hours. He walks over to the island that separates kitchenette area from the living room, activating a hidden lighted touch panel that controls the shades, curtains, and other aspects of the livingroom and the suite. Through the panel he closes all the shades and draws the curtains to make the suite as dark as possible. He then takes off his shoes, suit jacket and shirt before lying down on the sofa.
 
He tries to sleep and eventually does. He manages about five hours of sleep when he wakes up some time after 11o’clock.
 
 
[8AM Minorigaoka High School - a few hours before Charles' Post]
 
Naomi, Sakura, Kitsume, Naru, Hiromi, and Chieko gathered about their locker area to exchange out of their street shoes to their school shoes. Though they do so in silence, Hiromi asks “You think Ms Gadget will patch things for us?”
 
A row of lockers away Aratani and her bully friends (Midori Tokunaga, Miyuki Masaki, Shizuka Kawakami, and Ahmya Higuchi) heard this. They quickly put on their school shoes and walk to block their way from continuing to class. Aratani opens her mouth to let herself known.
 
“Well, well... Sounds me you losers messed up.” Aratani says to them with her bully friends behind her.
 
“We are discussing personal business, Aratani. It is none of your concern.” Kitsume tells her.
 
“So who is this Ms Gadget? Is she the foreigner mouse who was with that disgusting squirrel guy?” Aratani tries to nose her way into some information.
 
“That disgusting squirrel guy is a friend of the emperor.” Naru tells her.
 
Kitsume throws in soon after, “You do not know who he is and you do not want to know who he is, even though it seems that he knows of your family history.”
 
“HMPH... Seems to me that you damn whores screwed up on some tourist bastard looking for some hot Japanese Teen Girl Action. I’m going to let principal and my parents know what is going on and put an end to this. Who knows what diseases you hoes are bringing to our culture! The police will be brought on this as well!” Aratani tells them, getting louder with each word spoken.
 
Naomi, who is usually quiet when Aratani is present, steps up to her and say loud enough for all in the locker room to hear, “Listen here you skank cunt! You and your friends are like a school bus – mounted on and ridden by the sport teams at every event behind your boyfriend’s back while denying him what you are supposed to him in such a relationship. You are only going out with Diasuke Suzuki for his money and his family’s power and influence, while cheating behind his back! And your friends are no better!”
 
“Who you talking about?!!” Ahmya steps out from behind Aratani.
 
Sakura steps up behind Naomi, “Look who’s talking, Ms ‘I need to go to the free community clinic three times a week!’ One only goes there for an abortion and for STD treatments. Since one only goes to get an abortion about once every four months, you needing to go there so often says you got some STD that you are spreading to the others! And Aratani is making claims that we are spreading diseases? I wonder how many guys you got infected!”
 
The noisy locker room becomes dead quiet at this point.
 
“Her ex boyfriend infected her, which is why is he now her ex boyfriend!” Aratani let’s out loud.
 
“I’m A What?!!” a male’s voice can be heard from across the locker room.
 
Aratani looks nervous for a second before yelling back, “SHUT UP! IT DOES NOT CONCERN YOU!”
 
“I swear – all of you are like railroad tracks – laid across the land from coast to coast!” Sakura tells them.
 
Being the taller of the girls along with Sakura and towering over Aratani, Naru steps up to them, “I advise you to step out of the way, do not disturb us and to stay out of the business that is not your own.”
 
Aratani tries to stand up to Naru but being several centimeters shorter than her, looks up to Naru and sees that she is not backing down. After a few tense moments, Aratani steps back and away, letting Naru to walk by, followed by the others. In a few seconds, Naru and the girls are out of the locker room.
 
Ahmya tells Aratani, “You going to stand for that?”
 
“No, I got some plans to deal with them.” Aratani tells her. She then back hand taps Ahmya’s chest with the back of her hand and then points to the direction of the doorway out of the locker room, “Let’s go speak to the student council president about this. I’m sure she would love to know why she or any other member of the student council was not chosen to attend these invited dinners at the palace but yet these losers were.”
 
The other girls nod before they start following Aratani out of the locker room.
 
[To be continued.]

(Early Morning)
 
 
Hondo shivered slightly as he slowly started to regain consciousness. He felt cold inside, though he felt something covering him and some warmth on his one side. He felt extremely tired and weak, and thinking was almost impossible. He worked through the haze that clouded his mind. What had happened? Where was he?  
 
 
The warmth on his one side seemed to have weight to it and was soft against him. His mind tried to write it off as being Valentine, but instincts told him that the feeling was not quite right. He knew it was a person and hoped like hell it was a woman, but whoever it was seemed smaller than Valentine, though Valentine herself was not a big woman. Whoever this was, was noticeably more petite than Valentine was, though, and not as well endowed. I did not make any sense to him though, nor did the fact that his brain was so sluggish.
 
 
He started to realize he felt stiff, still and sore all over as if he had taken a beating, but he did not remember why. He tried to move his free arm to stretch a bit but a stabling pain in his shoulder coursed through his body, causing a surge of adrenaline to run through his system and cause his mind to launch from stall into road gear. He groaned in pain as he jerked his arm back and held it tightly against him.  The figure beside him sat up quickly and put a hand on him trying to hold him down but reassure him at the same time. Her voice was soft, kind, worried, and familiar, but he could not exactly put a name to the voice.  
 
 
“Shhh, Hondo. Please lie still. I am not sure how good my stitching is and you cannot afford to lose more blood.” She whispered trying to sooth him.
 
 
“Wh.. who .. who are you? Wha.. what happened??” He asked weakly, barely able to get the words out of his dry mouth.  
 
 
He did not realize how dry his mouth was until he tried to talk nor how cold he really felt until she moved from his side.  As he lay there, one eye opened, trying to see in the darkness she moved away from him further. He tried to sit up but it hurt too badly and he felt too weak at the moment. He groaned again as he tried to move and she quickly again put a hand on him.
 
 
“Please lie still.” She said only moving after he was still for a moment again to turn on a small lamp beside the bed.
 
 
He groaned a bit as the light hit his eyes and blurred his vision, but after blinking a few times he managed to focus on the slender, fit, and nude frame of the woman with him, Yuri.  
 
 
She grabbed a bottle of water from a side table, helped him hold his head up, and placed it to his lips.
 
 
“Just sip it slowly.” She said softly.
 
 
He drank a bit, but drank a bit too fast at first and ended up coughing. Once he settled down he drank a little more. She pulled the bottle away after a bit and he sank back into the bed with a weary sigh, shivering noticeable, though the room was quite warm.
 
 
“Wh.. what happened?” He asked weakly.
 
 
“You lost a lot of blood from where that bastard cut you, but I managed to stop the bleeding and patch you up, though it is not the best. My stitching is ugly and I apologize for it.” She said as she looked on him in worry and placed a hand lightly on his chest.
 
 
“S.s.so cold.” He muttered.
 
 
“From the blood loss, I am sure.” She replied.
 
 
The memories came back to him slowly, but they were faint. HE remembered tracking Chip and Lawhinie, how abusive Chip was to her, the cruelty in his eyes, and his sick, twisted form of revenge Chip had attempted to enact on him. He vaguely remembered driving to the hotel and pulling into the parking lot, but not much else.
 
 
 
“Wh..wh..why are y.you n.n.naked?” He asked hesitantly and softly as he looked her bare form up and down, trying to remember if anything else happened between them.
 
 
She looked down at herself and blushed a bit before self-consciously putting a hand over her breast.
 
 
“I.. I had your blood all over my clothes and you were shivering. Did not want to lay beside you all dirty, and besides, I could warm you better like this… Why? You object to my body?” She asked trying to sound playful and not worried that he found her unpleasing to look upon.  
 
 
He sighed and closed his eyes, “It’s n.not that. Y.you are an attractive g.g.gal. Just d.d.don’t want to ch.ch.cheat on m.m.my w.wife… L.Love her t.t.too much, but th.thank you.”
 
 
She gave him a half scowl, half sly grin, “Well, what if I required some payment from you in the form of some sex?”
 
 
He sighed again and closed his eyes, “R.rescuers d.don’t a.ask for p.p.payments.”
 
 
“I am not a rescuer like you and Fernando. I have a job and I get paid. When I do something a little extra I expect a little extra.” She replied.
 
 
He opened his eyes and gave her a long hard stare before closing them again.
 
 
“If p.payment is r.required we w.will talk when I am b.better.” He replied in a soft, monotone voice.  
 
 
“That is what I wanted to hear! Now, can you eat anything or drink some juice?” She asked
 
 
He shook his head.
 
 
“Come on. Just drink some juice and then you can rest again.” She replied.
 
 
He sighed and nodded. He was unhappy about his circumstances, feeling helpless and blackmailed at the same time. He did not like to be beholden to anyone and she had, most likely saved his life so he did owe her. He did not like how she implied she wanted payment. Had he been single, or without conscience, payment would have been a pleasure, but all he could see was Valentine, broken and shattered by him being with someone else.  
 
 
She grabbed a bottle of juice from the side table, opened it and helped him drink some. He managed half the 12 oz bottle before stopping. She looked at the half full bottle and frowned.
 
 
“Well, it is better than nothing. Now, you should rest. I will be right here with you.” She said.
 
 
She set the bottle down, turned out the light and snuggled up against him as she covered them both back up. She was not sure she would make him pay, but the thought of it thrilled her and made her feel horny. She would decide later, but for now, after the night she had been through, it was a nice thought.
 
 
Hondo tried to push the thought of it all out of his mind and just imagine it was Valentine beside him. IT was not that he had not been with other women before, but none others since Valentine and he wanted to keep it that way. Valentine was just recovering from her near rape experience and now he had two other horny women demanding sex from him in trade for something, one for saving his life and one for helping him save the life of two girls.
 
 
He did not think on much more though, as he still felt exhausted. The dark sky to the east was just taking on a slight glow as he fell asleep once again from sheer exhaustion.
 
 
In the corner of the room, in a coat pocket buried under bloody clothes his phone vibrated quietly. It went unheard by those as it buzzed for several seconds before falling silent. Ten missed calls flashed up on the unseen screen, all bearing the same name.... "Val".
 
 
(to be continued…)

During lunch the girls ate their meal in class. While they are having lunch Hiromi gets the idea to pretend to get sick and leave the school to implement her plans of who knows what. After eating half of her meal she pretends to get pukey and tell the others that she needs to go to the bathroom for she does not feel well. Chieko follows her, wolfing down the last couple bites of her meal. Together they go the girl’s bathroom where Hiromi goes into the stall and pretends to throw up. Somehow she convinces her friend to go get her book bag and things so she can go see the school medic and an excuse to leave. Chieko comes back with her book bag and things as Hiromi steps out of the stall to wash her face.
 
“Chieko, you know if the male nurse or the female nurse is in?” Hiromi asks.
 
“I think they are both in today.” Chieko answers.
 
“I swear. That male nurse thinks that every sick female that walks in is having her period, giving her a pad and a Pamperin Pill to send them back to class.” Hiromi complains. It just happens to be a semi true statement.
 
“Well, since we all seem to get it at the same time, you are not due for another week.” Chieko throws in to remind her.
 
“Don’t remind me.” Hiromi tells her, ranting on “Half the girls in the school will get it next week and the other half gets it on the following week. But that male nurse always thinks that a girl having her period when she comes in saying she is sick. Girls get sick all the time and it is not because of their period.”
 
“Well, if you leave without seeing him, you have to get a doctor’s note from the clinic or hospital.” Chieko points out.
 
“Not a problem for me.” Hiromi gets some paper towels to wipe her face with. She throws in “Tell the girls that I will meet them at the mall.”  
 
“I will...” Chieko says as they walk down to the stairs.
 
Hiromi goes downstairs to the shoe locker room and change to her outdoor shoes. In a few seconds she is going out the door. First stop was to an ATM to get a few Yen before going to the train station. The trains are nearly empty in the noon day as she rides it to downtown Tokyo. Exiting the Otemachi Train Station, it would be a few block walk to the Hilton Hotel where Fernando’s room was in.
 
 
[Thirty-second Floor Pent House, Tokyo Hilton]
 
Fernando was in the bathroom where he was shaving and taking care of his hygienic needs that he prefer to do on his own. Sure, it is great to shower with a female and share the soup with each other but sometimes it is better to do such things alone. He had ordered a takeout American meal from a place that does it and actually delivers; it should not be arriving for another 15 minutes. That is more than enough time for him to wash up and shave before getting dressed to relax for a while before going after Gadget where ever she might be. But for now he has a few moments of peace and freedom to strut about in his underwear.
 
As he gets himself cleaned up in the bathroom the elevator of the penthouse opens at the main lobby and a lone figure steps out.
 
“Fernando-san, are you here?” she calls out for him.
 
Fernando freezes in his place in the bathroom, at first thinking the delivery came in early until he heard an all too familiar voice belonging to Hiromi. He takes a couple running steps to the door to close it but she was already there. He slams the door in her face and leans against it before yelling.
 
“HIROMI! WHY ARE YOU NOT IN SCHOOL?!!” He yells through the door. With his cane in the bedroom, there was no way for him to send her back to school.
 
Hiromi does not answer, but decides to hide in one of the bedrooms when elevator bell rings before its door open. Hearing the elevator bell ring, Fernando puts on a robe and steps out of the bathroom. It is the delivery girl with the food he ordered.
 
He walks up to slowly up to her, taking the food package from her. The bill was already paid electronically and tipping is not allowed, so there was nothing else to exchange except for thanks and praises. The delivery girl turns around as he steps over to the service island and places his food there. She was gone in a few seconds as soon as the elevator opens its door.
 
As he prepares his food, thinking that the girls were there and not just Hiromi he yells out, “You all can come out of hiding!”
 
Eventually Hiromi comes out of the bedroom, seeing him at the service island; she starts to slowly go over to him.
 
He asks, “It is just you here?”
 
“Well, just you and me.” She answers.
 
“Why are you not in school?” He asks.
 
“I was not feeling well. Besides the afternoon class is gym anyways.” She says.
 
“What is wrong with you that is not making you feel well?” He asks.
 
“Nothing. I mean, nothing you would understand. It’s a girl thing.” She tries to explain.
 
“You having your period?” He asks.
 
“No, I am not. It’s just... you would not understand.” She tries to explain.
 
“Try me.” He tells her as he sets up his meal without looking at it.
 
“Well...” She steps up to him and stops by the service island. She hesitates before saying, “A girl can get lonely no matter how many friends she might have.”
 
“A girl has to be able to deal with those things without to having to resort to doing bad things like skipping out on school.” He tells her.
 
She puts her book bag down next to the service island before letting out a sigh.
 
He asks her, “You had lunch?”
 
“I had something to eat.” She replies.
 
“Alright then.” He says before he cuts his eggs and meat, spooning it together with a bit of French Fries. He begins to have his meal, hoping not to be interrupted.
 
Hiromi seems to smile as she looks at him having his meal. Half way after eating his meal, she asks, “Is this what you eat?”
 
“For breakfast, when it is available, yes. Not many places can make it or know how to.” He tells her.
 
“If you teach me how to make it, I would make for you all the time.” She tells him.
 
“This is a breakfast meal, not lunch or dinner. For you to make it for me all the time you would have to live with me as a girlfriend or a wife.” He tells her.
 
“I would not mind being your girlfriend, and after I graduate from school, we can get married and I can be your wife.” She replies. He just looks at her as she pauses for a moment. Before he can say anything, she throws at him, “We can start our honeymoon right now.”
 
Fernando lets out a disgruntled sigh before continuing on his meal. He normally eats slowly but with her being there he has to step up his eating speed. He finishes his meal in under five minutes. Bagging up his trash, he cleans up his area and dumps the trash into the nearby trash can. He then gets up and goes to his room to get dressed. Hiromi follows him into his bedroom and stands inside the room just past the door way with her hands folded in front of her trying to look innocent.
 
He looks at her as he gathers his things, “If you do not mind waiting outside, I’m going to get dressed.”
 
She looks at him with a smile before tilting her head to the side and reaches behind her with her foot and closes the door.

Daylight shined in on Hondo’s face and woke him once again. He groaned a bit as he shifted in the bed, feeling stiff and sore still, but his mind was not as cloudy this time. Though it still took him a few seconds to recall everything, he eventually put all the events in place, and knew where he was and what happened, before even opening his eyes.  
 
As he opened them, he squinted as the light from the window spilled in and across his face and body. It felt warm and pleasant to his skin, but hurt his eyes, but he pushed through the pain to look at his surroundings. The room was plain, and worn down. Setup more like a traditional American hotel, it reminded him of some of the roach-coaches he had stayed at in the states before, but there was still enough local influence to let him know he definitely was not in Kansas anymore.  
 
As he looked around he realized he seemed to be alone, as the place was fairly quiet and he could not see the bathroom door from his angle. He held his bad arm close to him as he used his good arm to force himself upright, groaning loudly from the pain as he did so. Yuri rushed out of the bathroom and sprang to his side, her hands wet and her body still bare.
 
“Let me help!” She exclaimed as she leapt forward, grabbing his good arm and helping him up and back, so he could lean against the wall.
 
He panted a bit from the pain as he leaned against the wall before nodding, “Thanks *pant, pant*.”
 
She shook her head, “You need to be careful! … I cannot collect my reward from a dead man.”
 
“Your worry for my well bein’ is heart warmin’.” He growled sarcastically.
 
 “I did not mean it the way it sounded. I just meant, you are no good to any of us dead.” She replied quickly, trying to recover from his coldness.
 
She did not understand him fully. She knew she was an attractive woman, and though no glamor model she could hold her own. She was open and, though it was for her own good time primarily, she was offering him a good time or a few good times, depending on how good he was, as a payment. A better way for him to repay a life debt, she could not think of, so why was he baulking at it? She did not want love him or wish him to leave his wife, just give her some pleasure in exchange for what he owed her. This noble nonsense of rescuing others for free, she knew had to be just a show to impress the ladies and make them want him more. She knew if he was trying to turn her on more, it was definitely working.  
 
“Hmm.” He grunted before looking at her again.
 
She was a handsome woman and had he not felt so drained, she might be more tempting to him, though he had no wish to have relations with anyone else but Valentine. Still, Yuri was here, and bare, and so inviting. Had he not been so deeply in love with Val, it would have been easy to give in to this woman, too easy and that scared him a bit.
 
“Where are our clothes?” He asked, looking around and seeing only his coat and vest, blood now dried on them, laying on a chair.
 
“I washed them out in the shower and they are drying now. Should be dry in an hour or two, but you are in no shape to go anywhere.” She said.
 
“Anyone called or you let anyone know?” He asked, half surprised Fernando was not standing over him trying to put him back together again.
 
He had some worry about that, as the last partial bio-pill he had taken had done next to nothing. The would had finally sealed up, but seemingly no faster than if he had left it alone. It did not make sense, but he had been feeling weaker and more tired lately. He worried something inside him was wrong, but did not want to worry the others. Though he trusted Fernando, he still had something against doctors and complaining, even to Fernando, about unfounded ailments, just still rubbed him the wrong way, so he held his peace.  
 
She frowned and shook her head, “No, but my phone was damaged last night and no longer works. Do not have phone numbers memorized to call anyone either. Did not want to call the station until we talk to Fernando.”
 
“What about my phone?” He asked.
 
Her face froze in shock for a moment, “… I … I did not even think about you having one! Where is it?”
 
He gave her a half-annoyed look as he pointed at hic coat, “Inside left pocket.”
 
She trotted over to the coat, pulled the phone out of the pocket and looked at it for a moment before shaking her head.
 
“Battery must be dead. It won’t turn on.” She said.
 
“Damn.” He replied, “Well, I have a few numbers memorized.”
 
She shook her head as she set the phone down on the dresser, “Not a good idea here. We are safe for the moment because they take cash and ask no questions, but the police and the yakuza monitor phones here, as many sleezy deals are made here and everyone wants their cut. IF we call out from here, they will be on us fast.”
 
He sighed, “Then we have to go.”
 
She shook her head, “No, you cannot yet.”
 
He tried to get up groaning as he tried but his efforts were stopped as Yuri rushed to his side and tried to hold him back.
 
“You must rest!” She exclaimed.
 
“If you aren’t gonna help me, get outta my way!” He growled.
 
“You are too weak, still!” She argued as she pushed him back.
 
He let himself fall back, which caused her to topple forward across his lap as she lost her balance.
 
“Happy now?” he asked angrily.
 
She rolled over and looked at him in surprise first, before regaining her wits, giving him a seductive smile, and arching her breasts up at him as she stretched her lean form out.  
 
“If you wanted a good look or me in bed with you, all you had to do was ask!” She said teasingly.
 
“No, I want help outta here, not seduced.” He murmured.  
 
She sat up, frowning, and sighed in frustration.
 
“Do I really displease you so much?” She asked.
 
“I told ya my reasons before, an’ I don’t like bein’ pushed!” He replied.
 
“Well, you owe me a life debt, and I want some fun with you as payment.” She replied seriously.
 
He glared at her for a moment, thinking she was still toying with him, but started to think otherwise.
 
“Wait, are you serious?” He asked after a moment.
 
“Maybe in your country it is different, but here when someone does a great service for you, you owe them or their family a debt. I saved your life and you owe me a life debt. All I am asking for is a little fun.” She replied firmly.
 
“What is a little fun?”” He asked hesitantly.
 
“You and me, together, doing what I want for a week.” She replied
 
“A week! Gah!!” He exclaimed, sitting forward suddenly which caused his to groan in pain again.
 
“Yes, a week! … should I take it up with the undersecretary to the emperor? We take life debts seriously here and it will be enforced!” She said firmly as she sat up quickly.
 
In his current state, he could not tell if she was serious or lying, but he was worried she was serious.
 
“We can talk ‘bout it later.” He grumbled.
 
“No, now! I will help you get out of here if we talk about it now.” She said firmly.
 
He half thought about trying to leave on his own, but he knew he was in bad shape and needed her help.
 
“Alright, we talk. Not a week. One night.” He replied.  
 
“One week.” She shot back.
 
“One night!” he growled.
 
They stared at each other long and hard for a moment before she sighed and shook her head.
 
“You are stubborn.” She said in exasperation.
 
“I am.” He replied flatly.
 
She sighed and nodded, “Alright, three full days and nights, AND … no sex with that wife of yours until I get what I am owed.”
 
“#$@! you!” He replied.
 
“That’s what I want for you to do to me.” She said, trying to smile at him sweetly.  
 
She frowned after a moment as his glare almost made her blood run cold, but after all she went through last night, she would not be denied a good time.
 
“Fine,” She said after a moment, “Three days and nights where I want and not on some mission detail, then no restrictions, other than if we work alone again, before you fulfill those three days, you are mine when we are not busy with work, agreed?”
 
He raised an eyebrow at her, “Do I have a choice?”
 
“Not really.” She said smugly.
 
“Then I’ll do this myself.” He growled.
 
She blocked him from getting up and shook her head, “The helping now is a bonus. You owe payment whether I help now or not.”
 
“I wonder what Jefe will say ‘bout this?” He asked offhandedly.
 
She smiled, “Do tell him. Tell him how you are not manly enough to pay your own debts and too scared to have sex with me to pay off that debt. Just let me be there, as I want to hear how this conversation goes! But know, he is powerful, but even he cannot change centuries of tradition. Would you shame yourself, me, the emperor, and all of Japan by not repaying a life debt? How would your government respond to you causing such an international incident, especially being a guest of the emperor? What would your people in America say when your face is put on the news for refusing to have sex with the woman who saved your life? It is just sex. Is it worth so much embarrassment?”
 
He glared at her, knowing she was partly right, if she was telling him the whole truth. She was also right about it being embarrassing to talk to Fernando about, but, for the love of Valentine, he did not want to agree. He was tired, his mind was sluggish, and he just wanted to get back to the woman he loved, so his wits were not fully there, but he nodded and agreed anyway.
 
“Sure, whatever, but that is all! Next time you are to let me bleed out!” He growled.
 
“Not before I am payed back.” She said, smiling impishly at him.
 
“How about helping me now?” He asked angrily.
 
“Drink a full juice and eat some of these sweet cakes and then rest for two hours, and I will help you get out, alright?” she replied.
 
“I though if I agreed you’d help me now?” He asked still angrily.
 
“You are too weak right now, our clothes are still drying, and I cannot drive that motorcycle with you on the back. You have to rest or we will not make it out of the drive.” She said as she grabbed a bottle of juice and some sweet cakes and held them out to him.
 
He took them begrudgingly and ate them with a scowl. Once done she helped him lay back down and left to check their clothes. He did not want to sleep, as he did not trust her and he just wanted to go back to Valentine, but being low on blood and exhausted took its toll and he soon fell back to sleep.
 
When Yuri returned to his side, she found him fast asleep and she smiled to herself, thinking she was clever in getting him to agree. She still worried that he might tell Fernando and it would all be called off, though. It had been a while since she had been with a good man, a real man, and though she was intrigued with his answers to Kei’s questions, seeing him when she patched him up made her long to be held by him all the more. She told herself that it was not wrong. He did, after all, owe her a life debt and it was just sex and a good time. She told herself she was letting him off easy and that she deserved this, though a flicker of guilt flared up inside her. She looked at him for a moment before retrieving his phone from the dresser. She pressed the home button on it, waking if from rest mode, and looked at all the missed calls from his wife on it, glancing for a moment at the 50% battery life and feeling a bit ashamed for lying to him. She quickly deleted his missed-calls log and turned the phone completely off before sticking it back into his coat pocket.
 
She looked at him again for a moment before climbing back under the covers and carefully snuggling up against him. She moved her hand across his torso carefully before letting it drift down to his member that seemed to twitch and partially engorge from her touch alone. She smiled to herself as she closed her eyes and imagined him taking her. She pushed her guilt aside, telling herself again that it would all be worth it.
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
An encrypted cell phone rings and is answered by the dark-haired man who owns it, “Hello?”
 
“He did not come home last night and I cannot get ahold of him! I’m worried sick!!” A familiar female voice replied in quick, quiet, worried tones.
 
“I am sure he is alright, just stay calm. When did you hear from him last?” He asked
 
“Last night right before supper when he went after Chip, and it’s after noon now! Kei came back saying they were cornering Chip after dark, but even she can’t get ahold of Yuri!” She replied, half frantically.
 
“Just stay calm, Val. We will find him. Let me know if you hear anything. I have to go.” He replied.
 
“Please let me know if you hear anything!” She begged.
 
“I will. Just stay there and keep calm. I need you to still be able to secure the house.” He replied.
 
“I .. I’m alright… I can do my part.” She replied, forcing a little more steel into her voice.
 
“Good, now I will let you know something as soon as a do.” He replied.
 
“Bring him back safe, and … thank you, Fernando.” She replied.
 
“Do not thank me yet… Good bye, Val.”
 
-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-,-
 
Hondo woke up again and felt groggier than last time, but stronger. His memory came right back this time, though, and he knew who the warm figure to his left was right away. He noticed something else as his senses came to him that one of her hands was on his member stroking it slightly as his change in blood presser cause it to be mostly hard.
 
“Stop it.” He mumbled as he tried to wake up fully.
 
“Why? You seem to be enjoying it and I am too. Besides, I own this when we are alone, until you pay up in full, remember?” She said, giving his member a bit more of a squeeze.
 
“It’s not from pleasure that it’s hard… Just wakin’ up… blood pressure change.” He half mumbled, half growled at her.
 
“I know all about that, but you cannot tell me it does not feel good.” She said, grinning at him impishly.
 
He groaned as he pulled away from her, as his shoulder reminded him of just how bad the damage was. The cut across his chest and stomach also yelled at him, but it was a minor inconvenience compared to the shoulder wound.  
 
Yuri scrambled up and to his side, scolding him as she grabbed his good arm and helped him up.
 
“You got to be careful and let me help or you’ll tear those stitches!” She half yelled.
 
“I’d not have had to sit up yet, ifin you didn’t keep pushin’ me!” He growled.
 
She frowned, “Why are you being so stubborn and hateful? I just do not understand! How is making us both feel good wrong? Why is it so repulsive for you to have sex with me to pay me back for saving your life!”
 
“If ya don’t know already, I’m not sure I can explain it.” He replied flatly.
 
She sighed and shook her head at him. “Americans, you either #$@! everyone or act like some old nun. No in between. No separating love and sex… Such a old fashioned, backwards attitude. You probably expect everything for free to? Hmm? “
 
“I don’t expect anythin’ for free.” He growled.
 
“Then stop complaining. There are worse ways to pay a det, yes?” She said.
 
“There are.” He replied sourly.
 
“And having your life saved is a big debt, is it not?” She asked
 
“I don’t like where this is goin’.” He said gruffly.
 
“So, what I asked is so little in comparison, would you not say?” She asked, trying to sound all sweet as she spoke.
 
“…I really don’t like you.” He growled.
 
“I did not ask you to. Just show me a good time in trade…. Now, you are still hard. We could help each other there and take care of that problem.” She offered, clasping her hands in front of her and batting her eyes at him, trying to look all sweet and innocent.
 
He knew the look and what she was going for, but all he saw was a snake and her act had not won him over.
 
“It will go down on its own.” He grumbled.
 
“You did agree to your being mine when alone before the debt is paid, did you not?” She asked, still trying to sound sweet.
 
“Getting’ me more excited will also raise my blood pressure an’ could cause the stiches to leak. You want to get off in this roach coach an’ have me pass out again, or get us back to relative safety??” He asked grouchily.
 
 
She sighed and frowned at his reply, knowing he was right, though her body ached for him to enter hers.
 
“I guess you are right… You think you are strong enough now?” She asked.
 
“I reckon so… what time is it?” HE asked looking around.
 
She shrugged, “Phones are dead, the clock on the wall is broke, and the alarm clock had been blinking 12:00 since we got here. Though, I would guess between noon and 1 pm. Check out is 2 pm here and no one has bothered us, so definitely before 2:00.”
 
He nodded, “Then we need to get movin’ before they send a search party.”
 
She nodded and headed to the bathroom, “Sit there while I gather our clothes.”
 
Though he did not want to, he sat still and let her get things ready. Against his will he even let her help him dress. She confused him, though. As she helped him she was so tender and gentle with him, to the point of almost being caring, yet her demands on payment made her out to be a selfish bitch. He could only think there was some cultural difference there, but it did not matter too much to him, as he did not like her demands or demands from any woman, especially when they pushed him for something he was not prepared or inclined to give.
 
With her help he was dressed and ready to go in little time, and they left the room, together. His step was unsteady and he felt weak still, but she stayed at his side, steadying him and helping him along, as if she was a caring friend or companion.  
 
After a brief check over of the motorcycle, and finding it to be fine, he carefully got on it and fired the engine up. Once he was good to go, she swung on behind him, pointed the direction they should go, and then he carefully pulled away from the hotel, using his good arm to steer and his hurt arm to just run the clutch.
 
From what he could tell they were better than an hour drive from the apartments, but he had enough fuel and hopefully enough energy to make it.  
 
After a few miles another motorcycle fell in behind them. Then another, and another, and another, before finally a car fell in behind them and the driver was very familiar.  
 
Hondo kept an eye on them in the rear view mirror, as they fell in behind him, being suspicious but not too worried until he noticed the bomber jacket, fedora wearing asshole in the car, but missing the blond in purple coveralls beside him. It was then he knew they were in real trouble.
 
“Hang on!” He said to Yuri loudly.
 
“Hang on? Why?” She asked.
 
“Just #$@!in’ hang on!” He yelled as he dropped a gear, revved the engine and took off.
 
The other bikes followed suit as did the car. A couple gun shots were heard whizzing past them, but soon stopped as they came close to a populated area.
 
Yuri looked back and then gripped him tighter.
 
“Chip! How?!?” She yelled.
 
“Hell if I know, but we can’t lead them back to the safe house!” He said as he dropped a gear again and took a sharp corner, heading away from town and the safe house.
 
He groaned as his shoulder barely held in for that turn and the slight warm and wet feeling of blood was once again felt in that area.

[Around 2PM]
 
A Dumbphone rings from a call in a custom ring tone to signify who it was from. A hand reaches out to it and answers it.
Quote:

 
Fernando hangs up the phone. He lets out a sigh but is somehow glad that Hiromi had not said a thing during the call. No sooner than when the call ended, another call comes in. He answers it immediately as it is from the Emperor.
 
“Agent Fernando, can I ask where your secretary Gadget is at? We may have a situation.” The Emperor says.
 
“She should be out shopping. What is going on?” Fernando replies.
 
“There has been a situation, now I need you arrive at the Saiseikai Central Hospital immediately.” The Emperor tells him.
 
“I’ll be there in 30 minutes.” Fernando tells him.
 
The Emperor hangs up the phone.
 
Fernando sits up on the bed, making Hiromi get up.
 
“Get dressed, go to the mall call and gather your friends and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Try to get the same table as before.” He tells her as he gets out of bed and starts getting dressed.
 
Hiromi gets up out of the bed and starts to get dressed, “Is everything alright?”
 
“Remember that I said that I am on call 24/7/356? Well, I am being called into action.” He tells her. He adds, “I’ll give you some cash so you and the girls can have something to eat while you all wait for me. I hope to be there before 4PM. If I am not there after 5PM, go do what you girls do and go home afterwards. I’ll see you tomorrow if that is the case.”
 
“Alright, I hope to see you later today then.” Hiromi says as she finishes putting her clothes. She then stands next to him before they go to the elevator. He hands her 5,000 yen ($50) for her and her friends to spend on while they are waiting for his arrival. They grab their final items and go to the elevators. She then inches up to him and then raises herself on her tiptoes, leaning towards him and plants a kiss on his lips. It lasts as long as it takes for the elevator to arrive.
 
They break for their kiss before getting onto the elevator. It takes another couple of minutes to get to the main lobby.
 
As they ride down, she tells him, “That was the best time I ever had with a guy in a bed.”
 
“We didn’t do anything but talked and stared in the ceiling.” He tells her.
 
“I know. But with you, with nothing happening, I felt safe to be there and now I understand about what you said about how just because I am here in your bed in just my panties does not give you the right to force sex on me, for that would be rape but being in your bed because we agreed to the situation we are in and if we end up having sex, then it is consensual between you and I that Sex and intimacy with or without connected emotions should be free of exchanges of items or favors. I understand that it is all about respecting each other first and above all before adding emotions and sex onto the relationship. With all that said, I hope I can share your bed with you again whether or not we have sex and with or without the others. And if we do have sex, I hope you rock my world like Gadget says you do hers.” She tells him before the elevator door opens.
 
Fernando was about to say something, the elevator reaches the main floor and its doors open. They both step out and head out of the lobby and into the streets of Downtown Tokyo.
 
“OK girl, I’ll see you and your friends at that outdoor mall as soon as I can.” He says to her as they go out to the door.
 
“See you then!” Hiromi says as she stands there outside the door before going off in her own direction.
 
Though the streets of Tokyo can be crowded and noisy, there are certain sounds that are not within such a city. Like the sound of engines revving high, vehicles going fast through the streets and gunfire echoing off the buildings. Fernando is not going to investigate as he is to meet with the Emperor as fast as he can get the Saiseikai Central Hospital.
 
He gets up half way up the block and notices how dessert it was before taking to his cane and focusing on the Emperor’s locating and teleporting to his location. The location being a hospital administration office with armed guards around him, Fernando manages to teleport in a nearby empty room before walking into the office.
 
“What is going on Akihito?” Fernando tells him.
 
Emperor Akihito gets up from the desk he was sitting in after filling out a few forms and looks at Fernando. “Come with me.” As they walk, the Emperor asks, “You sure you know where Gadget is?”
 
“I do not know her exact location, but she should be safe doing some personal shopping.” He answers before asking “Why?”
 
They walk into a room where Clone Gadget is in. Fernando looks at her, “How did this happen?” He then lifts up his cane, and waves it slowly above her body, circling her head, “Whoever she is, this is not Gadget.”
 
“Then who is she?” the Emperor asks.
 
“I do not know.” Fernando begins to say before another walks into the room.
 
“That is Artilugia, a member of the Uruguayan Embassy Guards – Female Division.” Josef Mengele walks in though they do not know him by his name, just that he is one of the representatives from Uruguay.
 
Fernando gives him a funny but glaring look at Mengele as Fernando knows that, “Artilugia” translates to the female noun form of the English word for “Gadget” in Spanish.
 
The Emperor asks, “If she is not Gadget, then who is the other one?”
 
“Other one?” Fernando asks.
 
The Emperor points to the unknown Uruguayan visitor, “You are to stay here until I come back, I have many questions to ask of you. And do not worry about the patient’s medical bill, it will be taken cared of but I will need those questions answered.” He then pats Fernando’s chest with the back of his hand, “Come.” before signaling to the guard to watch the visitor and make sure he does not leave.
 
Fernando follows the Emperor to the next room, where a bewildered and bemused Gadget-looking mouse lied on bed with a hip-to-foot leg cast on her right leg. Other than the cast, she was only wearing a hospital gown and nothing underneath. She was awake but in a daze from the pain-killer medications she was put in. Fernando immediately knows who she is.
 
“That is not Gadget.” Fernando says.
 
“Then who is she?” The Emperor asks.
 
Fernando takes the Emperor outside the room and tells him, “That is Lawhine. Rumor says that she Gadget’s sister but I never investigated that. Only Gadget knows for sure and she never said anything to anyone about it. I do know that in their last chance meeting, Lawhine became a bitter enemy to Gadget because Gadget publicly exposed her lies and made her lose power and authority over some Pacific Island tribe.”
 
“I see. Should I detain her?” The Emperor asks.
 
“I would say yes, but no. But do keep her sedated and I’ll be seeing her for interrogations. She is not going far in that condition without outside help. And do not let anyone else see her just in case she has affiliated herself with the Yaccusa.” Fernando tells him.
 
“She was seen running with the escaped criminal Chip Maplewood.” The Emperor throws in.
 
“All the more for her not to have any visitors.” Fernando tells him. He then asks the hundred-thousand dollar question, “How did the two of them end up being shot and taken here?”
 
“According to witnesses and what security cam footage we gathered, there were two groups of Chips and Gadgets, one well dressed – I’ll assume they are of the Uruguayan Embassy, and the other in street clothing, that I’ll assume is the escaped criminal Chip and this Lawhine girl. They met up on one of the side streets and after few words being exchanged, the escaped criminal Chip pulled out a firearm and began shooting. The other well dressed Chip pulled out a firearm and began shooting back. After a few rounds being exchanged, the criminal Chip tried to escape, trying to drag the Lawhine girl to go with him but she could not go because of her broken leg, so he slapped her hard across the face before running away. The well dressed Chip went to take care of his companion’s wounds until the police and ambulance came and took the three of them away. Also an innocent bystander was hit by one of the criminal Chip’s bullets over 100 yards away.” The Emperor explains.
 
“I see.” Fernando says. He then asks, “Would you get them both drug tested? From my primary scans, it seems ‘Artilugia’ has two brain chips like the one I had removed from Gadget’s brain. And if Lawhine was with the criminal Chip, who knows what drugs he might have given her to comply. That has been his modus operendi lately – giving women drugs for them to do his bidding.”
 
“I see. I’ll get that one right away.” The Emperor says before he asks, “Where are you going to go?”
 
“I am going out to find the real Gadget and put her into hiding for now. She will be at up-coming the Emperor’s Dinner-Ball as I will bring her. Hopefully we will figure out what is going on and take appropriate action. I’ll be back later to interview Lawhine after I hide Gadget.” Fernando answers.
 
The Emperor nods before they go back into the first room.
 
The Uruguayan Representative seemed upset for the moment until they returned. He steps up to them as they entered the room.
 
“There you two are. Now, what do you need to see me about? I am a busy individual working the Uruguayan Embassy.” The Uruguayan Representative tells them.
 
The Emperor looks at him before telling him, “I need their paper work, identity, passports, employment position and responsibilities, firearm licenses and biometric data. Regardless of who she is, medical care will be given to her free of costs as she seems to be a victim of a crime. But anyone posing as an armed embassy guard needs to be registered with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police so situations like this can be cleared up quickly.” He then hands the Uruguayan Representative a card, “Submit the personnel dossiers to my people and I will get your staff the appropriate permits to be armed in doing their jobs of protecting your staff as soon as possible and any future events like this one will go along a lot smoother.”
 
The Uruguayan Representative takes the card and looks at it. He lets out a pent up sigh before pocketing the card and looking at the Emperor. He tells him before he starts to walk away, “I’ll get these to you right away.”
 
A few seconds after he leaves the room, Emperor Akihito says, “That is a strange person.”
 
“He was at the last couple of dinner events, so his credentials must hold true.” Fernando explains.
 
“We will deal with that when it comes. First, you said to get them both tested for drugs?” The Emperor says and asks.
 
“Yes. Also give this one a DNA test and compare it to Gadget’s DNA that is on file. I suspect something is going on.” Fernando requests.
 
“I’ll get that done for you right away.” The Emperor says.
 
“Take your time with it, I do not want immediate results, but we’ll meet during the dinner ball to discuss this matter.” Fernando explains to him.
 
The Emperor nods.
 
“I’ll see you around. I need to find and hide Gadget.” Fernando tells him.
 
“I’ll see you later.” Emperor Akihito tells him.
 
They both bow to each other before Fernando leaves the room.
 
Fernando’s Time: 3:30PM
 
[To Be Continued]