Dinner took less than a half hour to set up and consume. The high school girls strut about the living room showing themselves off to Fernando in the various bikini and swim wear they had bought. Occasionally he would step up to them and made a few minor adjustments to their swim wear to make them look more adjusted and comfortable in them. After the fashion show they all go into the various bathrooms to wash up and change into their non-existent sleep wear of mostly t-shirts and panties, covered by their robes while they walked about the house.
 
Fernando sits on the livingroom couch, having another bottle of Steward’s Vanilla Cream Soda. He thinks for the moment while the girls prepare themselves for the night’s sleep in his room on the connected beds they put together.  
 
Gadget was in the bedroom, like the other girls, in just a t-shirt and panties. She is holding much in trying to be strong. Trying to accept that her husband to be executed is an escaped convict acting out terrorist acts against a country he was sent to help on a mission from Misao. She thinks about the past, from the failed missions to save Tammy’s mother and sister from a mafia execution in Italy and further back when she was captured and experimented on as a lab rat having a computer chip put into brain to control her, to present day where they are here in Tokyo, watching her friend’s marriage fall apart and taking advantage of it and of him. She sits there and thinks as Naomi walks into the room. She lets out a sigh before looking up to the high school teen senior.
 
“Tell me, is it cheating if one of the two has emotions while the other does not? It is fair to the other person?” Gadget asks.
 
Naomi looks at her, pushing her glasses up on her nose. She takes in a deep breath in order to give an answer. “It is cheating if both share emotions. It is not if there is neither share emotions. It is not cheating if one does not return the feelings of the other but it is very one sided for the one with the emotions as they fall into a delusion of receiving something that is not there.”
 
“How can you be so young and know so much about matters of the heart?” Gadget asks.
 
“Maybe we had been there like you.” Another voice answers from the door as Kitsume enters the room with Naru, Chieko and Sakura following her in. Kitsume continues, “We been there, having been taken advantage of, abused, ridiculed...”
 
“Be told that we would be nothing without them.” Chieko throws in.
 
“We all have been there.” Naru says.
 
“But think how he is taking it? A man is not emotional like a woman. He has to hold back a lot. He has to do a lot to support us. He has to be strong enough to hold us up high. Even if he can not return emotions to you, by his very actions he is.” Shakura adds.
 
Gadget looks at them, taking in and digesting the words they gave her. But she also counts them, seeing one of them is missing. “One of you is missing.”
 
The girls look at each other for a moment before turn to face her, with Chieko leading “So?”
 
“We know Hiromi have been crushing on him for a while now.” Naru says.
 
“We also know she was alone with him earlier today when she said she left for home from feeling ill.” Naomi points out.
 
“How do you know that?” Gadget asks.
 
The ones standing pull out their dumbphones from their robe’s pockets with Naru saying, “We all keep track of each other. So when she left school we know Hiromi went here and not to her home. And with the amount of time she stayed here and you not being here, she was alone with him.”
 
“Creaming her panties from the crush she is having of him.” Kitsume throws in.
 
“But how?!” Gadget says.
 
Shakura closes the door to the bedroom as the others speak.
 
“Well, we know that they didn’t anything as she is not walking funny from it.” Chieko says.
 
Naru throws in, “And our dumbphones did not pick up anything that could have happened except for a lot of talk between them.”
 
“Wait. What you mean, you did not picked up anything from her phone?” Gadget asks.
 
Naomi answers, “We can hack into any dumbphone we need to listen in from, as we did with hers to know what she was doing. As long as her dumbphone is in the same room with her, we can listen to what is going on.”
 
“Are you guys hackers or something?” Gadget asks.
 
“We are not hackers in what you know of them...” Shakura begins to say.
 
“We are the school’s best computer programmers.”  Chieko says.
 
Kitsume throws in, “Besides, rubbing our asses against him as he adjusted our clothes, we had to verify something from Biology class.”
 
“What are you talking about?” Gadget asks.
 
Shakura says, “He’s a flying squirrel, and an average male flying squirrel is about 11 inches long and over 2 and a half inches thick in order to support his length... all because the female flying squirrel has her uterus so high up in her, it is impossible to any other species to impregnate her unless he is long enough to tap her cervix and fill her uterus with his sperm. It’s all biology.”
 
“And we Japanese Mice are half that in the least.” Chieko says as she goes to the bed to sit down, adding “If he #$@!ed her, she would be in pain right now.”
 
“Pains of joy we girls have to get used to, but I guess you would know that since you two had done it more than once.” Kitsume throws in, adding, “No shame in that.”
 
“But they are outside... alone... “ Gadget throws in.
 
“Remember what you asked, about if it cheating if one has emotions for other but the other does not?” Naomi asks. Gadget nervously nods before Naomi throws in, “Hiromi is in the same situation you are in, she is crushing him but he is not crushing her. Even he gives in to her temptations, he would be doing her a favor and but not returning the emotional connection she is giving him.”
 
“Like some of us, Hiromi is no virgin, though like a few of us, she was forced in losing her virginity but for her, in the worst way.” Naru adds.
 
“Worst way?” Gadget asks.
 
“She was gang raped a couple years ago.” Kitsume says.
 
“Some of us were raped as well but not like her.” Chieko says.
 
“Hiromi needs to be reminded that she is wonderful girl, that what happened to her does not make her who she is.” Shakura says.
 
“We are all like that in a way but she has it worst – thinking of what happened to her makes her who she is.” Naomi adds, “Mister Fernando has been wonderful to us all in that, making us think that we are more than what happened to us, but she needs him more.”
 
“We know you need him as well, but girl to girl, let Hiromi have some time with him.” Naru throws in.
 
“You all sound like you all were forced to endure being raped.” Gadget says.
 
“As far as I know I was not raped, but I was molested. I did fought back, only to be sent to a hospital and have years of surgery to fix my face. If I was raped, it was done while I was unconscious and I know nothing about it.” Kitsume says.
 
“But, you’re the most beautiful one here...” Gadget throws in.
 
“Four months in a hospital, six months of reconstructive surgery and years of touch up surgeries. It is not exactly the face I used to have, but it is close. And layers of makeup hide the micro scars from the plastic surgery I went through. A baseball bat to the face can do a lot of damage, but at least I did not die.” Kitsume replies.
 
“And the years of bullying we go through from Aratani and her friends...” Chieko throws in.
 

---

[In the living room of the Penthouse suite.]
 
Fernando sits on the couch with one leg extended across its length while the other hangs off the edge. Hiromi steps up to him, looking down at him.
 
“Fernando san, can we talk? I have something to show you and a lot of questions to ask.” She says to him.
 
“What do you want to... talk... about?” He says as she opens her robe, revealing black silk underwear she has on from all day.
 
She repeats herself from earlier before, “Forgive me, for I’m such a foolish girl, for I should not have pushed you so hard earlier today. A female should never make such demands on a man.” She then reaches to the front clasp of her bra and snaps it open, releasing her moderately sized breasts out into the open for him to see. She then asks, “Can I sit down?”
 
“Before you do you better cover up or your friend might see us in a compromising situation.” He says.
 
“My ‘friends’ are making sure Gadget does not come out to interrupt us.” Hiromi says.
 
“For some reason, I believe that. But nothing is going to happen between us here and now.” He tells her.
 
“But can I sit down, please?” Hiromi asks.
 
Fernando taps his hand on the space in front of him where she would sit on the couch between his open legs “Then sit down here.”
 
Hiromi steps up to the couch and sits down where he said. She then turns to face him before turning around in the opposite direction and leans her back against his front. She reaches over and takes his hands, putting them on her belly. After a while she lets out a sigh.
 
“Something wrong?” He asks.
 
She begins to say, “Oh, nothing really. I mean nothing more than what a girl wants from her boyfriend. But you’re not my boyfriend and I’m not your girlfriend. Even if we do anything, it would be without emotional attachment and be more of a physical favor for each other. But it is something a girl needs and got to have.”
 
“Taking about sex again?” He asks.
 
“Yeah, but it is also to be held, and kissed and shown that I am worth it, if you know what I mean.” She says.
 
“You are worth it, more than worth it.” He tells her.
 
“I need to be honest with you. I do not want to look like I am worth it when I am not.” She says.
 
“I’m sure nothing you would say could change that.” He tells her.
 
“Remember when I said that I was raped?” She asks.
 
“Yes, and like I said, that does not define you as you are.”  He tells her.
 
“Well, remember when I said about a girl who goes into a boy’s locker room and she gets gang raped and how it is her fault for being there in the first place?” She asks.
 
“And?”  He replies.
 
“That girl was me.” She says. He remains silent for a moment to see what she would say. She asks, “Am I worth it now?”
 
“Again, no matter the situation, no girl should be forced into a situation where she would be raped. And before you say anything, I know about how some of you girls would say, ‘if you are going to get raped, lay there and enjoy it.’ I do not agree with that but if it helped in enduring what was happening to you, at least you did something to help yourself. It does not make you any less of a person. It does not make you a slut or a hoe. It does not make you who you are.” He tells her.
 
Hiromi lies there staring at the ceiling, having a hard time in taking this in.
 
After a few moments of silence, Fernando tells her, “If you think that being some kind of a rape victim makes you a bad person then you are not worth it for me to have on any level of a relationship. But if you agree with that your past does not make you who you are when it is forced upon you, then there is hope for you to live a fulfilling life with anyone you care for under what relationships you have with them. Even with me.”
 
Hiromi continues to lie there staring at the ceiling thinking on what he said.
 
“I am capable of many things, but if I told you that I had a pill that would help cure you of your situation which you only have to take once, would you take it?” He asks her.
 
“Cure me of my situation? How?” She asks.
 
“It would cure the condition your body is in, but not your memories. I only have a few of them and give them to those in dire need – the sick, wounded, dying. It accelerates the healing the body does but it is not something that is perfect. Sometimes a person is so damaged, there is no possible way the pill works on them, and of course, it can not bring back the dead. But for those walking with those negative things, this gives them some hope in restoration. ” He explains.
 
“Do you have enough to give to all of us?” She asks.
 
“Why all of you?” He asks.
 
“Because we all went through some sort of sexual trauma in our lives. So if like you said it could help me, it would help them.” She explains.
 
“What if there is only one pill to give out?” He asks.
 
Hiromi lets out a sigh before saying, “Give to one of the others. Give to Chieko or Naomi...”
 
“Why not you?” He asks.
 
“They need it more than I do. They are scared of boys because of what happened to them, I’m not scared of boys just weary of them but understanding that I am a girl and as a girl I have to do things in such terms.” She explains, throwing in, “That is why I am comfortable being nearly naked here with you.”
 
“You’re comfortable being nearly naked around me because you trust me and you have a crush on me. The others may not have a crush on me though they may trust me. But how would you feel being in a room full of guys? What if you were the only girl in a class full of boys? How would you feel?” He points out.
 
“I think I would be able to handle it. The teacher there would be able to protect me and I could make a couple of male friends that would protect me.”  She tries to explain, sounding a bit nervous in trying.
 
“Button up your bra, cover yourself up and go to bed. I’ll make a treat for you and the others so I’ll be there a bit later.” He tells hers.
 
“Don’t you want to touch me, feel me, and be intimate with me, at least for a little while?” She asks.
 
“The want is there and the temptation is high, but it is something that should not be happening right now.” He tells her.
 
Hiromi pouts for a moment before Fernando holds her tightly to heft her up to sit off him.
 
He tells her, “We have a long day tomorrow, for you and the others – school, and then getting together and ready for the Emperor’s dinner party and then go to the ranch near Mount Fuji for the weekend. I’ll be there in about a half hour.”
 
Hiromi turns to face him for a moment before lowering herself to him and planting her lips to his, trying to initiate some intimacy between them but if it does not work as she planned. At least she got that much. She then slowly gets up, facing him, holding her robe open to him to show what she has to offer. Fernando gets up and steps to her, reaching out and taking the hanging parts of her front–open bra, placing each breast gently into its respective bra cup and finally closing the front clasp together. He then takes her hands holding her robe open and draws them together to close the robe, taking the robe’s belt and ties them together in front of her.
 
He gives her a kiss on the forehead before telling her, “Now you can go to the bedroom. I’ll be setting up a treat to bring to you all before going sleep.”
 
Hiromi gives a half smile before going to the bedroom. Fernando gathers his things and puts them on, taking his Chrono Cane, spinning the crystal on the cane and pressing it onto the shaft. He teleports out of the hotel suite and stands in front of a Seven-Eleven Convienance Store. He quickly goes in and picks up some items: Some Chocolate Diafuku Mochi (Vanilla covered Chocolate candy bread-like balls) and a few cans of Melon Soda.

 

 
He spins the crystal on the cane and presses it onto the shaft, teleporting back to the hotel suite. Taking off his jacket and holster, he goes to the kitchenette and sets up a plate for the 10 Mochi and a tray for the soda. On top of five Mochi balls he puts a Bio-Energy Pill. He then slowly carries the trays into the bedroom. He puts the trays on the nearby night stand-table that they moved to get the other beds into the room.
 
The girls look at him for a moment.
 
“Ladies. To give you some energy tomorrow, I brought you a melon soda drink and some chocolate mochi – Daifuku Mochi I think the package says. But there are five of you and ten of them though five of them have this small silver-ish ball. That is... well, Gadget, you want to explain?” He says.
 
“Huh?” Gadget replies before catching up to add, “Oh... you giving them a Bio-Energy Pill?”
 
“What’s that?” Naomi asks.
 
“Is that the pill you told me about?” Hiromi says.
 
“It is.” He replies.
 
“What’s that?” Naomi asks again.
 
“It is...” Fernando begins to explain, “A Bio Energy Pill, like the one I used on Gadget to cure and heal her of the things done to her. Take the Mochi first as it takes a lot of energy from you in order to cure and heal you. And if you were exposed to chemicals or illegal drugs, you will be throwing up and diarrhea to expel the chemicals out of your body. So, anyone of you exposed to drugs or chemicals?”  
 
The girls look at each other before turning to him and shaking their heads.
 
Again Naomi starts to ask questions, “Why do we need this? What does it do?”
 
“The pill heals you. You girls been through a lot in life, Since you’re teens some of the tightening you would have would be minimal. But look at Gadget. She’s 35, and like most 35 years old, well, begins to sag.”
 
Gadget lets out “Hey! I’m Not Sagging!!”
 
“You are not sagging anymore because the pill tightened your 35 years old body to what you were like when you were 25. Open up that nightie and show’em your two best friends.” He tells her.
 
“I don’t want too.” Gadget rebels.
 
“Just show them to see how firm you are compared to what you should be.” Fernando requests.
 
“I can see it from here. My mom’s 35 and though she’s firmer than most late 20 year olds but you must firmer than she is... I mean, you’re not wearing a bra and you’re as perky as I am!” Kitsume says.
 
Naru adds, “And your face is a lot smoother and without wrinkles, most 35 years old would start having lines around the eyes.”
 
Chieko adds, “And for a Mechanic Girl that you are, your hands do not have calluses, cuts, wrinkles, or mechanic’s grime, they are smooth and clean like ours.”
 
Fernando opens the door to the connecting bathroom to the room, “Well, not counting the few drinks you had in the last few weeks at the Emperor’s dinner parties, if you taken drugs or chemicals, the Bio Pill will force your body to expel the poisons from the body. What injuries you have will be healed, what diseases you have will be cured from it. But like I said, eat the Mochi and drink the soda first as it will give you more energy the pill takes away to do its job.”
 
Hiromi finally lets out, “What about sexually?”
 
“What do you mean by that?” He asks.
 
“What about sexually, does it restore our virginity?” She asks, adding, “You told me out in the living room that it would heal the body from the things that happened to but the memories remain because the pill works on the body and not on the mind.”
 
“The pill will... well, will restore your body to a virgin state, but like I told you and you just stated, the pill only works on the body and not the mind so your memories of those events still remain. If you can deal with that and ignore them as your body has been restored to an untouched virgin state, then you should be fine.” Fernando explains.
 
There was silence as the girls looked at him for the moment.
 
“Eat the mocha first and drink some of the soda, then eat the mocha with the bio pill and the rest of the soda and give yourself a while in case you have to go to the bathroom. If nothing happens then you all can go to sleep.  We have a long day tomorrow with the Emperor’s dinner party, and heading out to the ranch. Also, Aratani is going to try something at school, so do nothing. She will get her own later on.” Fernando tells them. He then adds, “I’ll be outside watching TV.”
 
He then leaves the room. The girls look at each other for the moment, discussing about the pills and what to do. Hiromi takes one of the cans of sodas and a Mochi without the pill from the plate. The others follow.
 
It only takes a few minutes to eat the first round of Mochi, leaving the ones with the bio pill on the plate. More discussion followed before Chieko takes to one of mocha with the bio pill, plucking the bio pill off the mochi, eating the mocha, and then taking the pill with a swig of the melon soda. The other girls look at her to see her reaction.
 
Naru finally asks, “How do you feel, Chieko?”
 
“I feel fine. Maybe a bit flushed and tingly...” Chieko says before letting out a yawn.  
 
Hiromi then goes for taking a Mochi with the bio pill and a can of melon soda. The girls watch Hiromi as well as she ate the Mochi with the bio-pill and drinks the rest of her melon soda. With nothing happening to either Chieko or Hiromi, the girls take to the remaining Mochi with the bio pills  
 
The only effect they were unaware of was of them getting tired, and thus going to bed within minutes of taking the Mochi. They pile up onto the connected bed and taking to their blankets. In a couple of minutes they were all asleep except for Gadget.
 
 
Fernando was out in the balcony making a phone call, arguing a storm with whoever he was on the other side of the line.
 
“Look I do not care if it chews up the barrel of my guns! Send Me A Box Set of Explosive Tungsten Carbide Bullets in .45ACP Format. In fact also send two spare 5.03 in (127 mm) barrels. I’m swapping out the ones on my firearms to spare them the damage. Yes I’m expecting some major trouble tomorrow. Yes I am setting trap. I need them as soon as you can get them here. In an hour? I’ll be waiting.” He hangs up the phone before getting back into the hotel suite. Once inside the suite’s living room, he sees Gadget there. He turns off his Dumbphone and puts it into his pocket.
 
“Go to sleep with the girls, Gadget. I’m expecting a late night package coming in.” Fernando tells her.
 
“But, what about you sleeping with us?” She asks.
 
“After I get and inspect the package.” He tells her, adding “Now go back to bed. I do not want them to see you or anyone else is here with me.”
 
Gadget looks at him with her tapping her pointed index fingers together by her chest, “What about, us, you know...”
 
“If you mean about us #$@!ing, practicing making babies, making love, having sex or whatever you want to call it, it will happen when we are in a lone and private place. With the girls here, this is not a lone and private place unless you want them to join and have sex with all of them.” He tells her.
 
“Alright then...” She says, mostly to herself.
 
He tells her, “Look, I’ll send you to the house for I need you to pack up your things to take to the ranch for the weekend and to dress up nicely for the Emperor’s Dinner tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up in a large rented van to take you and the girls to the dinner party and then to the ranch afterwards.”
 
“Anything else you need me to do?” Gadget asks.
 
“Nothing more. Wash up, dress nicely, and just a tiny bit of perfume for a hint of its smell. I’ll see you later on in the day before we pick up the girls and go to the events.” He tells her.
 
“OK.” She says. She turns to go back to the bedroom but then turns around to face him. “What about Chip?”
 
“Chip will be dealt with accordingly. He has made himself known to be a detriment to friends, family and society, there is a ‘Shoot On Site” Order against him. If I can, I’ll arrest him, but if he shoots first, I’m shooting back. I hope no one gets hurt in the process.”
 
“I hope no one gets hurt either. But if you have to kill him to defend others, then do it.” Gadget says.
 
“Look. Go to sleep. Tomorrow is a long day.” Fernando tells her.
 
She gives a nod before going into the bedroom. The door closes behind her once she is inside.
 
Fernando waits on the couch for the package to be delivered.
 
[11:45PM]  
 
The elevator door bell ring before the door opens. Three men in suits, step out with a fourth remaining inside to hold the elevator in place. Fernando gets up out of the couch to meet them by the elevator. A woman in a suit steps out of the elevator holding a medium sized box in hands.
 
“Before I hand this to you, why would you need the use of armor piercing Dum Dum bullets?” The woman asks.
 
Fernando steps to the kitchenette and takes one of this double stack American Arms 1911 A1M2 and holds it to her handle first for her to take. She slowly puts the box under her arm to hold it while she takes his gun with the other hand.
 
“.45 ACPs are known as Man Stoppers. Whoever it is high on whatever chemical they are on, a .45 would put them down no matter where you hit them. In the last two times Chip attacked this place, I shot at him and I know I hit him, the blood found at the site says I hit him, but he kept on going. The only thing that can out-do a Man Stopper is PCP, known on the street as ‘Crystal’ or ‘Angel Dust.’ The only way to stop anyone on Angel Dust is to blow their brains out, and rip up any body amour they might be wearing. That is why I need armor piercing Dum Dum Bullets, and I recommend your people to switch over if you are hunting for him.” Fernando tells her.
 
“I see.” The woman says before giving him back his gun, which Fernando puts into his pants supported by his belt. She then hand over the box to him. “We decided for you to have and use the Amour Piercing bullets with the stipulation that you will only use them in the two 1911 A1M1s also in the box. You will not use those rounds on your personal weapons as we will not be responsible to the damage they will get using these rounds. You can have and use your personal weapons with the rounds you use, not the amour piercing rounds.”
 
“Anything else?” Fernando asks. as he holds onto the box.
 
“We will be around to assist you when needed. Say hello to Aki for me at the dinner tomorrow.”  The woman says.
 
Fernando nods, not wanting to question why she would not be there. He says to her, “Until next time.”
 
She gives a nod and then signals her men to enter the elevator before she does. The elevator door closes and she goes down stairs.
 
Fernando goes to the kitchenette to put away his firearm into its holster and then takes the box to the couch. He opens it, finding 2 Officer model Single Stack 1911A1M1 with the 3.5 in (89 mm) barrel, smaller than his Commander model Double Stack 1911A1M2 with 4.25 in (108 mm) barrel each with a loaded magazine of the Explosive Tungsten Carbide Bullets. Searching in the box, he fines 6 filled 7-round magazines with the Explosive Tungsten Carbide Bullets. There were four more empty magazines and a box of 100 rounds of Explosive Tungsten Carbide Bullets in .45ACP Format.
 
Like it or not, he has to think how to carry them along with his guns, realizing that he has to put them into his shoulder holsters as those are the first firearms he reaches first. But the double stacks he has do not fit into a boot holster though these would but they would be difficult to get to when needed. He decides to figure it out tomorrow.
 
It takes him about 20 minutes to put his firearms and ammo away in the secret safe locations of the suite. Checking the bedroom, Gadget and the girls were huddled up sleeping soundly on the large makeshift bed. He gives himself a nod before slowly closing the door and heading to the livingroom. He takes off his shirt and shoes before lying down on the couch.
 
[5AM]
 
Fernando gets up before the others and goes to the furthest bathroom to wash up his hands and face. He then fixes his clothes and puts on his shoes and short before calling the hotel restaurant to order a large tradition Japanese Breakfast for the girls and him. He sets up a dining area for them to sit down and eat. It arrives in about 40 minutes later and he was able to set it up in less than 10 minutes. Everything was in its own large bowl for them to serve themselves:
Gohan (ご飯) – a bowl of steamed rice
Shiru (汁) – a bowl of miso soup
Okazu (おかず) – main dish of fish and a side dish of vegetables
Kouno mono (香の物) – a small plate of pickled vegetables
 
In a couple of minutes after setting up the breakfast table, the girls start to wake up, Since the first bathroom connected to the bedroom is being used one of the girls, the others take to the other bathrooms of the floor. He sits on the couch and waits for them to get dressed and readied for school.
 
[6:05AM]
 
After getting cleaned up and dressed, the girls walk over to the living room, Finding Fernando on the couch.
 
“Breakfast is ready if you want it.” Fernando tells them as he points to the table that has been set up for them. He adds, “I’ll eat something American later.”
 
Kitsume was last one to get up other than Gadget who was still asleep. After the wash up wakes her up, she lets out a scream in the bathroom. The other girls get up and rush to the bathroom she was in.
 
Naru asks out loud, “Kitsume, what happened?”
 
“My face!” Kitsume lets out. The bio pill repaired the injuries to her face, making it in its natural state of being rounder and fuller, with high cheek bones and the broken jaw back in its proper alignment. She looks more like her mother now and not somebody unrelated to her from the plastic surgery done to restore a beaten face.
 
The girls look at her. Fernando steps up to the doorway, telling them, “Ladies, Go have breakfast, I’ll take care of Kitsume.”
 
The girls look at each other and then at Kitsume who nods at them. Once they leave Fernando steps up to Kitsume, turning off the water in the wash sink and leans his rear against it. He then takes her by her waist and pulls her to him until she was against him, she can feel his semi hard thick long groin against her while he eyes her face.
 
“This is how you should look?” He asks.
 
Kitsume nods with tears running down her cheeks.
 
“Your face is as lovely as the rest of you, and I am not talking about your body, but about what is in your heart. You understand that?”  He tells her.
 
She nods some more. She then wheezes out, “I was supposed to get some more plastic surgery to fix my face during summer break.”
 
“Well, now you don’t. Let’s see.” Fernando tells her before putting his hands on her face, “Tell me if it hurts.” She nods slightly before he lightly presses his fingers onto certain points on her face. He says, “Looks like everything is firmly in place. Now. Kitsume, any headaches? Any face pains?”
 
Kitsume shakes her head and says quietly “No...”
 
“Good then. This is now your new face, as it was, as it always shall be.” He tells her.
 
“Fernando-san. Be honest with me, was that Lantean Tech you used on me to fix my face?” Kitsume asks.
 
“No it is not. It is American Government Tech I have access to, to heal against injuries I or other agents got from working at the field. Those pills I gave out are for me, but I can deal with missing a few for now and just means I have to be careful and not get hurt for a few weeks or so, while it restores you girls to a virgin state like I said last night.” He explains to her.
 
Kitsume nods before asking, “So you have to be careful on the job?”
 
“In the job I do with Gadget and Jeanette, rescuers can and do get hurt. When we do get hurt, that is what the pill is for – to heal from those injuries. With all that said, put on your makeup and go eat some breakfast. You and the others got a long day. And be prepared for Aratani to try something stupid at school as she thinks she can go to the Emperor’s dinner tonight. I and the others will protect you girls at the palace, but you are on your own at school.” He explains.
 
Kitsume nods before saying, “Thank you!” She then inches herself on her toes and plants her lips against his for a moment, before breaking off the kiss and reacting awkwardly on it, “Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean too...”
 
“Relax Kitsume. Relax. I understand those who get rescued tend to be overly grateful at times. So I can understand.” He begins to tell her.
 
She looks down at herself and then at him, “Fernando-san, all those things we said about not doing it with you because you’re not Japanese and not an Asian Mouse?  I would like to say that in realizing who you are by what you do for us, I would give myself to you if it were possible. I know nothing could come between us other than a sexual relationship with no emotional attachment to it. But if you and your wife can not solve your martial issues, I would like to start a relationship with you that could lead to courtship and possibly marriage.”  
 
“Kitsume, do not be saying that because someone gave you back your face – literally or figuratively. You are wonderful and beautiful girl, with a lot to give a man as a companion and as a wife. Do not sell yourself short for some Joe Schmoe that shows off a lot of money, talks about having power, and claims that he will be good to you. Like you said about me, watch him, observe him, see what he does, how he does it and why then decide if he is worth it. But I will say, I am honored to hear you say that. Thank you.” He tells her.
 
Kitsume smiles at him.
 
He tells her, “Hurry up in here and have some breakfast. Beware of Aratani at school. Then go home, get dressed for the dinner party, pack up for a weekend trip and come here with the other girls. Now, for your safety, when you get to this block where the hotel it, walk on the other side of the street until you get directly across the main entrance and then cross the street to get to the hotel. Chip has been attacking the hotel side of the street, and the faster you get inside, the better it is for you and the others to get here. I’ll be here after 4PM. If anybody asks about your face, say it is because you had your Wisdom Teeth pulled out, and caused the swelling, which will go away in a few days. In truth, they will forget about the wisdom teeth excuse and accept the new you without thinking about it.”
 
“Thank you.” Kitsume says as she holds him tightly for the moment. She then lets him go and takes a step back, saying, “Excuse me, I need to finish up washing up before I head out.”
 
“I’ll see you outside then.” He tells her before leaving the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He walks to the living room area where the girls are waiting for Kitsume to come out so they can eat together. Fernando sits on the couch.
 
“Don’t you want to something to eat?” Naru asks.
 
“I got that for you. My breakfast diet is different from yours, but thanks for offering.” He tells her.  
 
Kitsume comes out of the bathroom and walks to the living room area where the girls were waiting for her. She asks “What’s for breakfast?”
 
“Rice, grilled salmon fish, a side dish of vegetables, pickled vegetables and miso soup.” Shakura answers.
 
Kitsume asks as she sits down to join them, “Who made it?”
 
“Fernando, but I think he ordered it. That kitchen area is too small to make anything this big.” Naru points out.
 
Hearing this, Fernando lets out enough to be heard, “I ordered it from the hotel restaurant downstairs.”
 
Kitsume says, “It is very good.”
 
“I’ll tell the chef of your appreciation after you all go to school.” Fernando tells them.
 
They nod before continuing with their meal. He tells them that he would take care of the table, empty dishes and left over food. In the next half hour they were done with their meal and quickly get ready for school. They stand by the elevator once they had gathered their things for school.
 
Fernando twists the crystal on his cane, explaining, “I have a lot to do today but I should be here at 4PM. The door will be open for you to come in. Get here with your dinner dresses, shoes and things, and packed bags for the weekend trip. Now stay still, I’ll send you to school so you won’t be late. Watch yourselves around Aratani and her friends.”
 
“We will!” Hiromi tells him before the say their goodbyes and Fernando presses the crystal on his cane. They teleport in front of the 7-Eleven convenience store at the corner of the block where Minorigaoka High School is on.
 
The girls look at each other and then at their surroundings, with many of their students approaching the area to get to school but oblivious that they had appeared out of nowhere. They start to walk to the school. It is 7:05AM as they walk into the school and switch out of their outdoor shoes to their indoor school shoes, locking up their outdoor shoes in their private shoe lockers. In under a minute they are at their class: 12-2, without running into Aratani or their friends,
 
The girls gather about Naomi’s desk, talking about the class schedule and how things will have to be done for the day. Class does not start until 8AM so they had plenty of time to go over notes and their work together.
 
[7:52AM]
 
Aratani and her bully friends arrive into Class 12-2, making a bee line to Naomi and the others, though Kitsume was at her desk getting her notebook and tablet.
 
“Well, well, well... Look who have here – the flunkies of Class 12-2.” Aratani begins with a smug smirk on her face.
 
“Looks like you are going flunk out of you and your friends keep coming here, I’m sure the school administration is willing to swap homerooms with us if we request it and prove that you like coming here for some reason.” Naomi tells her.
 
“Dream on girl. After tonight you will no longer be going to those special invited dinners at the Emperor’s Palace.” Aratani tells them.
 
Naru gets up to tell her loud enough for all to hear, “You do anything to interfere with what we are doing, everyone in Minorigaoka High School loses the scholarship we are working on getting.”
 
Shakura throws in loud enough for us to hear, “Our names and signatures are on the list on doing a special journalist project for that scholarship. Interfere with that because you want to meet some weak minded rich kid you sink your crab claws into and suck his wallet dry as a throw-away boyfriend you can cheat on, we all lose that scholarship!”
 
The members of class 12-2 begin to surround them as Chieko throws in as she shows off her invite she got from her pocketbook, “I do not know how you are getting in. You need one of these to get in after you pass a background check and the invite is given to you.”  
 
Kitsume steps in though many did not realize it was Kitsume, “We know of your plan to try to crash the dinner party. But even if you get in, where are you going to sit? All tables and seats are set up to the invited individual. They see what you have no table and no seats to sit at, you will be taken, detained and asked questions with the possibility of arrest. We seen it happen in the few dinners we already went to.”
 
Aratani turns to face Kitsume, but does not recognize her immediately, though the improvement to her face was slight, it is enough for those not paying attention to not be able to connect the face to a name. She finally let’s out, “And who the #$@! are you?”
 
“I’m Kitsume Kiedo of Class 12-2.” Kitsume tells her.
 
“No way. Kitsume is ugly with that dented in Cheek Bone I had my boyfriend and his pals give her years ago in First Year* because she was way too beautiful to outdo me. Do I have to get the boys to do the same to you?...*!” Aratani brags.
 
A hard fist goes across Aratani’s face with a loud crack below her eye and she falls back on the floor semi conscious with blood coming out of her nose and mouth. The classroom gasps, not only for the fist to the face Kitsume gave Aratani, but also or Aratani admitting to a crime that happened years before with no leads to arresting the unknown perps that did it. Kitsume stands there with her fists clenched as Naru, Shakura, Naomi, Cheiko and Hiromi stand up behind her friend with Chieko and Naomi recording what had happened on their dumbphones along with others in the class.
 
Naru tells the bully girls of Class 12-1 “Take your stupid leader back to your homeroom. You all are not welcomed here.”
 
Hiromi sees the others in the class recording what has happened, and passes the word around to have a copy of the video emailed to her.
 
The bully girls except for Midori take Aratani by her arm and drag her out of the classroom. Class 12-2 begins to cheer as Aratani is dragged out of the classroom. But then they notice Midori was still there.
 
“What do you want, Midori?” Naru throws at her.
 
“Don’t blame all of us for her actions. Some of us are forced into this situation which there is no way out of.” Midori tries to explain.
 
“Whether you took action with them or stood back and watched, you are still guilty by association – one. And two- you had the chance to stop it, walk away from it before it happened or snitch on them. You did nothing.” Naru tells her.
 
“You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Hiromi throws in.
 
Cheiko throws in, “Even rats knows when it is time to leave a sinking ship.”
 
There is a loud crackle, and then momentary feedback squeal from the room’s PA speaker, “The following students are to report to the principal’s office; from Class 12-2: Naomi Hoshokara, Sakura Mitzumata, Kitsume Kiedo, Hiromi Itzukara, Naru Ashimota, Chieko Sato and from Class 12-1: Midori Tokunaga, Miyuki Masaki, Shizuka Kawakami, and Ahmya Higuchi.”
 
The girls begin to pack up their bags, looking at Midori before walking out of the classroom. Another message is heard from the school’s PA system “Teachers, there will be a delay in the start of class and the morning periods will be shortened by 10 minute. Student Council President Makiko Suzuki and Student Council Vice President Kioko Kawasaki please report to the principal’s office.”
 
It only takes less than a minute for all but Aratani to report to the Principal’s office. Aratani was in the medical office with an ice pack to her cheek.
 
As soon as the last chairs are put into the principal’s office, the girls are let in. The principal lets out, “You all know why you are here?”
 
Kitsume raises her hand and says, “It is because I punched Aratani in the face, but it was justified.”
 
“Justified? How so? And who are you?” The Principal asks.
 
“It is me, Kitsume Kiedo.” Kitsume says.
 
“Wait, Why do you look different?” The principal asks.
 
“I had my Wisdom Teeth removed yesterday and my face swelled up from it. It will go back to normal after a few days.” Kitsume says.
 
The principal nods in accepting this. He then repeats himself, “So... how was it justified?”
 
“One, Aratani admitted that it was her who sent the boy to attack me back in first year and then two – she threatened to do the same again to me thinking I was somebody else because she did recognized me as Kitsume. So I gave her what she rightfully deserves – a fist to her face. Since I acted out in defense of her words, I take full responsibility for my actions.” Kitsume explains.
 
There is a knock on the door, to which the principal turns on the intercom to his secretary, “I stated that there were to be no interruptions while I have this conference!”
 
Instead the secretary giving an answer, the door opens and then a couple of men in sunglasses and suits walk in, followed by Fernando, Gadget and Emperor Akihito. The door closes behind them though there were 4 other guards behind in the secretary’s office.
 
“Excuse the intrusion, Principal Nakamoto.” Emperor Akihito says as he walks to the principal’s desk. He continues, “Good morning ladies. Makiko Suzuki, I didn’t know you attended this school.”
 
“Good Morning Uncle Akihito. I hope things are well with you.” Makiko replies.
 
“Uncle?” The Principal asks himself but everyone heard it.
 
“Oh yes.” Emperor Akihito says, explaining with a bit of laughter, “Our family tree branches off at our great great great great great grandfather, so for her to obtain the throne, some 46 relatives have to die, but Makiko and her family is members of The House Of The Chrysanthemum.” He pauses for a second, “Anyways, remember our agreement that if there were any interference that there were consequences to be faced? There has been an attempt to interfere with them from doing their job by Aratani Fujita and her friends. Normally this would have ended the program and all scholarship opportunities, but there had been some interesting situations developments that have been brought to our attention. Agent G., introduce you and explain the situations.”
 
Fernando steps to the side of the room where all could see him before he begins. “I am Emergency Rescue and American Federal Agent Fernando G. My Emergency Rescue Partner Gadget Hackwrench and I have been chaperoning the girls of Class 12-2 in these dinner parties at the Palace and providing them with proper attire and training in protocol and editique, which they are doing quite well.”
 
“Don’t be modest Agent G.” Emperor Akihito says.
 
“What do you mean?” Agent Fernando says.
 
Emperor Akihito turns to the principal and others in the room, “Since all of this was on the news ten years ago of my son’s kidnapping and rescue, but not the details. Agent Fernando G. was paramount in leading the team that rescued my son. He maybe American of Hispanic descent, he was given Honorary Japanese Citizenry for his actions on that day of my son’s rescue. He is also Prince Fernando G. of the Spanish Throne, a fact I verified before I bestowed him with Japanese Citizenry. So this man is of a high caliber of men and action. He has done more for Japan and its people, and even the world than most in a career of a life-time of military service. With that said, please explain the situation, Agent G.”
 
Fernando gives Emperor Aki an unseen scowl behind his dark glasses before he continues, “Anyways, as I was saying, Emergency Rescue Worker Gadget Hackwrench and I attend to the girls’ needs for the events we go to. I also provide protection for them during these events.” He takes a slight pause, “As you have heard on the news, there has been a few things happening with a former American Rescue Worker, turned terrorist, Charles Maplewood. In trying to infiltrate the Palace Dinner Party Events, Aratani managed to get Charles’ attention and get him to invite her and the girls here into tonight’s dinner party.”
 
“You ladies are dealing terrorist?” The principal scowls at them.
 
“Principal Nakamoto-san, according to my sources, they were unaware as to who he was as he told them that he was somebody else.” Fernando explains. He continues, “Their actions are forgivable up to a point. But there are two problems: 1) what to do with Aratani, as she was planning to over throw them and 2) she admitted to being a leading accessory to a crime of assault done to Kitsume years ago. What should happen to her in lieu of her past actions?”
 
“According to witnesses, Kitsume is the one who struck Aratani.” The principal says.
 
“Kitsume admits to her crime but it was after Aratani made a verbal threat against Kitsume thinking she was somebody else, a threat of repeating the actions from a confessed criminal action she did to Kitsume years ago along with those actually did it.” Fernando begins. He continues, “If it were me to decide, and I was back in America, I would get Aratani to admit her guilt, point out who were involved in making her threat real through assault, and then punish those involved in the assault, but as for Aratani herself, she has work to do with continued infiltration of the dinner with the terrorist in order to capture him. Depending on her actions during his capture, and the success of his capture, this little ‘disagreement’ between the ladies will be forgotten. In short, I want names, and bodies associated to those names or the only people getting scholarships and awards will be the girls from Class 12-2 and nobody else. Also, Aratani and her friends in 12-1 will be arrested to associating themselves with a known terrorist who has been committing terrorist acts against the people of this great nation. No awards or recognition for you, your school, the district – nothing. Now, which one will it be?”
 
The principal begins with, “Well, uhm... when did you those involved to be gathered to be questioned?”
 
“Me personally? Here and now. Though the stature of limitation on most crimes in Japan is 20 years, I do not want to be an old man waiting for you to gather a bunch of punks who should be in jail for their actions. Think about it – they assaulted Kitsume, who else had they assaulted either on their own or though Aratani’s direction? That is a list where having one name on it makes it rather long list.” Fernando tells him. He adds, “And you lose everything, including face, because you want to hide a few bullies who think assaulting others is fine. Left uncheck, in a few years, they will be conducting terrorist acts for the Yaccusa as their strong arm enforcers. I’m already chasing a drug crazed terrorist throughout the streets of Tokyo. Do not add to that list, as one name on that list makes it too long. So what shall it be? Your carreer and reputation or a handful of guilty punks?”
 
“When do you want them?” The principal asks before putting his face into his hands.
 
“I want the girls, with Aratani as well and the boys here, seated like this at 3o’clock. Then I will interview them and we will decide on what punishment fits the crime, including if needed involving the police.” Fernando tells him.
 
“That is what I like about you, Fernando-san. Direct and to the point to get things done.” Emperor Akihito says.
 
“I rather want to be honest in my actions than to go about bragging the heroic actions of others did but saying that I did them. Stealing credit, honor and valor is a very ugly thing to do.” Fernando replies. He then turns to the principal, “If Kitsume and the others of Class 12-2 free to go?”
 
“They are.” The principal says.
 
Fernando gives them a signal to leave. He then says, “Girls are 12-1; what is said here does not leave this room and it does not go into Aratani’s ear. You will have a mission to do and that is to bring the terrorist to the dinner party and we will take care of him. If captured, there might be an added reward for you all, but again, this information, in order for the mission to go through, will not leave your mouth to anyone’s ear, especially Aratani’s. Do I make myself clear?”
 
They look nervously to each other before agreeing.
 
“Good.” Fernando says. He then turns to Emperor Akihito, “Emperor-san, I think there is one more thing?”
 
“Ah yes...” the Emperor replies. He opens up a leather folder he has and pulls out 6 invites to tonight’s dinner party. He then throws in, “There is a problem here. There are 5 girls in this school, but 6 named invites. Who is Joy Fu Fuk?”
 
Midori speaks, “She is some teen Chinese hooker girl Aratani befriended to convince that person to take us into your dinner party tonight.”
 
“And your name?” The Emperor asks.
 
“Midori Tokunaga” she replies.
 
“Good. This is for you,” as he hands her a seal invitation, He then hands her another invitation and 200,000 Yen, “That is for her. Make sure she buys the best shoes and dress to look her best at the palace.”
 
“Uhm, I do not know where she is.” Midori says.
 
“Then you will be let go after lunch period to find her.” Fernando tells her. He then throws in to her and the others, “And you all are to be at your best behavior at the dinner party. There will be none of this looking for some guy as ‘Husband on the hoof’ material or an easy pick up for a date. You will be there to mingle with the rich, famous and powerful, men who can make you or destroy you in a whim of an irate decision, and bothering one to make you look good will only bring you a sorrowful life of pity. Know your place as a woman of great reputation and honor and you will go far with your futures even if you do not marry some rich guy from the party. You are to be ladies at the party not Yaccusa owned Geishas. Do I make myself clear on that?”
 
“Yes Sir!” They all reply together.
 
“Emperor-san? I am done.” Fernando says.
 
Emperor Akihito nods before he continues naming names and handing out invites, “Miyuki Masaki, Shizuka Kawakami, Ahmya Higuchi... and who shall hold onto Aratani’s invite?”
 
Ahmya raises her hand. “I will.”
 
The Emperor hands her Aratani’s invite. With a nod from the Emperor, Fernando gives them their instructions.
 
“Now, your mission is as follows. 1) Say nothing to no one. 2) At 3oclock, except for Midori, you all will go home and prepare to be your best for this dinner party. At 7o’clock you will meet up with the terrorist and bring him to the palace. 3) Once inside, you all will be lead to the main ballroom where the party begins. 4) When the time is right or if he tries to act against anyone in the ballroom, he will be taken down.” Fernando explains, before he points to Gadget, “You follow her direct orders – your life may depend on it.” He pauses for a moment, “5) After a time to recover from his capture, the night is yours to enjoy. After that, see you here Monday morning. Do I make myself clear?”
 
Midori raises her hand and asks, “That’s it? Are we forgiven for the actions we were about to take?”
 
“Forgiveness depends on what actions you take from here on to the end of your days. Cross the line and all you worked hard for will be taken away. It can happen later today, tonight or 50 years from now. It is a very fine line you are treading on. Watch your step from here on out. That is all I have to say.” Fernando tells her.
 
Midori nods, trying to hold back tears she believes a stronger girl would be able to hold back.
 
“One more thing.” The Emperor says. He then hands out a couple more invites, “Student Council President Makiko Suzuki and Student Council Vice President Kioko Kawasaki, these are for you both. And Principal Nakamoto, I expect you and your lovely wife to be there as well.”
 
“My work here is done. I do have other things to do before I arrive at the dinner party.” Fernando explains.
 
“As do I.” Emperor Akihito says.
 
Fernando turns to the principal, “Principal Nakamoto, I will return at 3PM to see those involved in Kitsume’s assault. That will be all.”
 
[To be Continued...]
 

---

Notes:
* First Year is the first year of High School which in Japan is 10th grade, where most students are 14 / 15 years old.

[9:30, Hilton Hotel]
 
Fernando returns to the hotel suite with Gadget and a large paper bag with an American Style breakfast within. He places the bag on the island between the kitchenette and the living room, before going about taking off his suit jacket and guns.
 
Gadget goes about in taking things out of the bag and setting them on the island. As she sets up breakfast for them, he takes out his dumbphone and thinks about how to make a three-way conference call. Figuring it out, he calls Hondo and Agent Charles. Both phones are answered immediately.
 
“Good morning Charles and Hondo. Hope your day is good so far.” Fernando says to them.
 
“It is what it is...” Charles replies.
 
“Yeah, just busy here. So what’s up?” Hondo says and asks.
 
“A few things. Charles, call the agency to get you some Explosive Tungsten Carbide Bullets for the guns you have. Hondo, I have half a box of them in .45ACP format. I think your revolver can take them. But both of you be warned, they will chew up the gun’s barrel quickly.”  Fernando explains.
 
“Why the Dum Dum Bullets?” Charles asks.
 
“I heard that there will be another attack at the Palace, and they will be wearing anti-ballistic amour vests, so hitting them with what you have will not take them down. The Dum Dum bullets will.” Fernando explains.
 
“I’ll call the Agency to get me them.” Charles replies.
 
“Good. Charles, for you there will be a Limo Bus for 20 people. Use it to move your people from the palace to Hondo’s Ranch after the dinner party. I will also have a Limo Bus for the people I have. Hondo will take Val and Monty to the Ranch in their Mustang.” Fernando explains.
 
“Anything else?” Hondo asks.
 
“One last thing.” Fernando begins. He lets out a sigh before he begins to say, “When we go in, Dale and Monty will be taken to another room for a moment. I was told that there would be somebody being a Dale Imposter – pretending to be Dale. I do not want either of them involved in capturing this imposter.”
 
“We know who this imposter is?” Charles asks.
 
“It’s Chip.” Hondo says.
 
“Yeah. And he’s shot up Downtown Tokyo where I am and I shot him back, I know I hit him but my bullets did not take him down, so he must be wearing some body amour. Which is why I called for the Dum Dum Bullets. But I was also told that he may not be alone and they might be wearing body amour too. So beware. There will be lots of innocents around, so taking them down will have to be fast and quick. The palace can deal with the clean up later. After the clean up, Dale and Monty can join the party.” Fernando explains.
 
“Sounds like a lot of work...” Hondo says.
 
“We’ll get it done though.” Charles says.
 
“Alright. Charles, the limo bus will be at the hideout at 4o’clock. Keys and papers will be in the glovebox. It runs on Diesel. Get your stuff together at the hide out for some down time weekend at the ranch. It would be big enough to pack all your things and people. I will have my limo bus with me and Gadget. I’ll see you all at the palace dinner party.” Fernando tells them.
 
“See you there.” Charles says before he hangs up.
 
“So Chip is going to be there, hmph!” Hondo says.
 
“It’s a trap to get him, so act like he’s Dale, which is why Dale and Monty need to be put away in another room. Chances are he might have his Yaccusa friends there, all with body amour, which is why I want you and Agent Charles with Explosive Rounds to deal with the body amour.” Fernando explains.
 
“We need him alive?” Hondo asks.
 
“He’s wanted Deal or Alive; preferably Dead for the drive bys he’s been doing around Downtown Tokyo lately.” Fernando tells him, adding, “I’d prefer to be the one that puts the killing blow into his head. I’m more worried his friends attacking as well, but we need to be sure of our targets. There might be a Clone Chip there with the Uraguian contingency. So be aware of that.” Fernando says.
 
“Looks like we are in deep.” Hondo says.
 
“Yeah, ‘The Ocean is deep and it’s full of crabs.” Fernando points out.
 
“You will need to explain that to me one day.” Hondo says.
 
“It’s simple – the mission is full of dangers and consequences. Nothing more.” Fernando explains.
 
“And I thought it was some sort of agency coded babble.” Hondo replies.
 
“I’ll see you at the party tonight. Take care and be careful.” Fernando throws in.
 
“Yeah, thanks. You too.” Hondo says before they both end the call together.
 
Fernando puts away his dumbphone in his pocket. Gadget looks at him in horror of what she heard him say on the phone. He looks up at her.
 
“What’s wrong?” He asks before looking at the food on the counter.
 
“Chip is going to be at the party disguised as Dale and you are going to kill him?” Gadget asks.
 
“Killing him is if there are no options left. If he pulls out a weapon he needs to be put down before he can use that weapon on anyone. We want him alive if possible, but he is not going to make that easy.” Fernando explains.
 
“And this Chip-Clone?” She asks.
 
“We spoke about it the other day. Chip and Gadget Clone met up with Chip and Lawhine, and they wound up shooting at each other, the Gadget Clone and Lawhine both end up in the hospital while Chip runs away and the Chip Clone stayed to take care of the wounded Gadget Clone and Lawhine. He maybe at the party as well.” Fernando explains.
 
“Though the Uraguian Embassy?” Gadget asks.
 
“So you were paying attention. Good. Just remember – the word ‘Secret’ is in ‘Secretary’.” He tells her.
 
Gadget nods before she says “And the ocean is deep and it is full of crabs.”
 
“Now you’re getting it.” He tells her.
 
It’s been a long hard day and it’s not even 9:45AM. There is a lot to do. But first they sit down and have breakfast. Three eggs easy over, french fries, several slices of ham, white toast - medium dark and a large coffee for him. Gadget has a buttered blue berry muffin and a blueberry yogurt smoothie. They were almost done in 10 minutes of eating when she starts asking questions.
 
“What needs to be done today?” Gadget asks.
 
“You need to pack up for a weekend to rest and relax at Hondo’s Ranch, and prepare for tonight’s party. I have a lot to do before I pick you up and the others up to go to the party and then to the ranch.”  Fernando tells her.
 
“What about, you know...” Gadget started to ask, forming a ring with her left index and thumb and inserting her right hand’s middle finger in and out of the hole.
 
“If we had time I would say yes. But we do not have time.” He tells her.
 
“Don’t we have time now? I mean, just a half hour at least.” She says, slowing down the in and out motion of her finger into the ring her other hand made.
 
“It’s going to take more than half an hour to do it, what about foreplay, you hot and ready to take off your clothes and begin #$@!ing?” He says, adding, “I do not mean to be vulgar, but let’s be adults about this.”
 
Gadget thinks with her middle finger inserted all the way in against her other hand before she says, “We can do this when we are done eating, a couple minutes to take off our clothes and a bit of foreplay, but I’m ready now, I’m about to cream into my panties just thinking about it.”
 
Fernando takes the last couple of bites of food, though Gadget has a lot less food, she did not eat much of it. He piles up his empties and slides them off to the side of the island. He gets up and starts to head to the bathroom.
 
“Where are you going?” She asks.
 
“To rinse out my mouth with some mouth wash. You should do the same thing too.” He tells her before he goes into the furthest bathroom in the hall.
 
“Huh? Oh...” Gadget replies as she watches go into the bathroom down the hall. She then gets up and goes into the bedroom and to the connected bathroom. There she finds some mouthwash to rinse out her mouth, and then starts to fix up her makeup.
 
Fernando stands in his bathroom staring at the mirror after rinsing his mouth with the mouthwash he put there long ago, wondering about the situation he is about to put himself into. There is no doubt like any other male out there, that given the chance that he would have sex with such a cute sex pot Gadget is, but the events of the day are not compatible with getting some needed down time. He unbuckles his belt and unbuttons his shirt half way up from the bottom before leaving the bathroom to go to the bedroom.
 
Gadget on sitting on the bed with her legs crossed and leaning back on her elbows when he walks into the bedroom. Standing just a few steps from the door way, he throws in asking, “How shall we begin?”
 
Gadget sits up uncrossing her legs and opening them as wide as she could, lifting up the hem of her dress above her waist and then pulling her panties to the side, showing all she had to offer him.
 
[11:00AM]
 
They both lie on the bed, him on his back staring at the ceiling, she on her side facing him with her hand clamped down on the base of his shaft pumping it lighting.
 
She looks up at him, “Wow... that was a lot more than I expected.”
 
“Hmph...” He replies quietly to himself before saying “You kept demanding for more.”
 
She looks at him with concern, saying a very soft high squealed “I’m sorry...”
 
“We wasted too much time #$@!ing, and now are late to do many things. Go wash up and I’ll send you to the Hide-out for you to prepare for the party and pack up your things for a weekend at Hondo’s Ranch. I have a lot to do before we can go to the dinner party, and very little time to do it in.” He tells her.
 
She looked like she was about to cry before he tells her, “Look, Gadget. If we had the time, we would be screwing all day as long as you want. But I told you we did not have the time but you pushed the issue and I caved in to give you want you want. Now we are late, in a nation where being late can cost you deals and services. Go wash up and do what you can on your end, and I have to do things on my end. Maybe I can rescue this day.”
 
She nods for a second before getting up off the bed and heading to the bathroom to wash up.
 
Fernando stays in the bed for a moment before he gets up and goes to the other bathroom with his clothing and personal items, locking the door behind him as to not have Gadget walk in on him as he washes up. It is a distraction he cannot afford to have right now.
 
It only takes him 20 minutes to shower up, groom himself and get dressed. For whatever reasons, it takes Gadget longer even though she had less to put on. He walks out of the shower and gives the place a once over, cleaning the service island between the kitchenette and the livingroom. Though there is a government cleaning crew that comes in to take care of the place, Fernando wants them to do a little as possible when they come in.
 
When done he sits down on the living room sofa and makes a couple of phone calls to his Goon Squad Friends and to Kei and Yuri, basically to get to the house and get ready for the dinner party tonight and for a weekend stay at the ranch. He then makes a phone call to Maria to make arrangements to pick up the pots and pans and stop delivery of food for the weekend.
 
As he finishes his last call, Gadget steps out into the living room in the dress she was in yesterday.
 
“OK, I’m done. What’s next?” Gadget asks.
 
“You are going to the hideout and start preparing for tonight’s dinner and the weekend at the ranch. Pack lightly but make sure you got all that you need.  I am not going back to Tokyo and the nearest convenience store is miles away.” He tells her.
 
“But...” Gadget begins to say.
 
“No butts, Gadget, We spent more time #$@!ing around when we should be doing work. Now our time is short. You got things to do, so as I asked you to do, get them done.” Fernando tells her as he twists the crystal on the shaft before pointing his cane at her direction and pressing in the micro crystal switch. She disappears in flash of light.
 
 
 [Livingroom of Maria B&B]
 
A bright flash of light appears before Gadget falls flat on her ass just in front of the TV Set. The other girls in the house look at her as they prepare for the day.
 
Rachel steps up to her and gives her a hand to get up, “Father kicked you out as well? Well, as he told us, prepare for the party and for the trip to the ranch.”
 
Gadget does not say a word as he gets up.
 
 
[Hilton Hotel]
 
Fernando starts to make a few phone calls to the agency...
 
“Yes I need three Sprinter Van Limos for tonight and during the weekend, preferably Mercedes brand if not Dodge or Ford will do. Must seat at least 20 each, by 3:30PM. One in front of the Hilton Hotel, the other two at the Maria’s B&B Hide-Away I hired. Yes, I have drivers for them. Leave the papers and keys in the glove box. Call me when you have them in place so I can call to get my drivers to them immediately. Thank you.” Fernando says on the phone. He hangs up the phone.

 
Lying on the sofa for a moment he stars at the ceiling. It is a matter of luck that he had to get things done by phone, when usually he had to go into offices and scare the living crap out of some receptionist or office intern. There are a couple more phone calls he has to do before he can take a short rest and then continuing on with the day. Having sex with Gadget can be great but sometimes she can be demanding like a submissive nymphomaniac – one has to give her what she wants or be faced with constant begging and pleading to give her what she wants. It can get tiring at times. He knows she was sex starved, but she needs to calm down and control her urges as the adult she is.
 
He makes his next and hopefully last phone call, to his daughter Rachel. The phone is answered immediately.
 
“Good morning Raych... Tell me who is there at the house.” Fernando asks.
 
“The girls are here, you should know that. You’re stupid ex is locked up in her room, and Gadget just ‘came in.’” Rachel explains.
 
“What about Kei, Yuri, Shadow, Toro and Nightrunner?” Fernando asks.
 
“They are here too. Have any instructions?” Rachel asks.
 
“Prepare for the dinner party and pack up for a weekend at Hondo’s Ranch. I’m taking the cars to the airport, but at 3:30 there will be two Limo Vans coming in. One is for you and the girls, Jeanette, Gadget, Kei, Yuri, Shadow, Toro and Nightrunner. You will be the driver. The other will be for Charles’ group as they will be coming in later today. I will have a third one with the High School girls. I will meet you there at the hide-away base and teleport all of us to the palace. Until then no one is to leave the house unless it is to pack the limo van when it comes. And tell them that they have a half hour to remove any personal items from the car before I take them to the airport.” Fernando explains.
 
“I’ll take care of it for you.” Rachel replies.
 
“Thank you. I’ll see you around 5PM, if not before.” Fernando tells her.
 
“See you then...” Rachel replies, holding the urge to say ‘dad.’
 
They both hang up the phone, and Rachel goes about notifying the others of what is going to happen during the day. Fernando lies on the sofa for a moment, lost in thought.
 
 
[12 noon - Minorigaoka High School, Infirmary Room.]
 
Miyuki, Shizuka, Ahmya stand by Aratani as she rests on the bed with an ice pack to her face as she complains, “I swear, I’m going to get whoever that bitch is!” She then looks at the others, “Where’s Midori?”
 
Ahmya replies “She was sent out to find that Joy Fuk girl for tonight’s dinner.”
 
“What do you mean ‘she was sent out to find her’?” Aratani lets out.
 
“Some scary men had us in the principal’s office, told us what we are going to do, as that guy who was getting us in is that former rescuer turned escaped terrorist. They told us to bring him into the palace, but they gave is these – this is yours.” Ahmya answers before giving Aratani a sealed envelope with her invite.
 
Aratani looks at the envelope, “What is this?”
 
“It’s an invite to the dinner party tonight at the palace.” Ahmya says.
 
“How do you know these are real? They can be fake!” Aratani protests.
 
Miyuki throws in, “The emperor was who gave them to us. And that guy with the dark glasses in that photo they showed us to identify, he was there too along with his American Mousie girl friend.”
 
“That guy turns out to be a prince from Spain and a friend of the Emperor.” Shizuka throws in.
 
“Bullshit! The Spanish Royal Family rarely leaves Spain!” Aratani lets out. She then throws in, “And even if these were real, I cannot go to a fancy royal dinner party with a broken face and mega bruise!”
 
“I verified that they are real. And that man is a prince from the Spanish Royal Family.” Shizuka replies.
 
“Heh... ‘If it is on the Interwebs then it must be true. They do not allow false informations to get on.’ When are you going to grow up with that? Information on the Interwebs can be and is manipulated to them look good!” Aratani throws at her. She throws in, “All that shit does not matter when my face is broken by that bitch! Whoever she is, I’m getting her!”
 
A voice from the doorway says as the person enters, “You are getting no one, Ms Fujita. No one is going get anyone.” Everyone turns around to face whoever it is; finding out it is Fernando as he walks to the patient’s bed. He adds, “Ladies. Time for you all to go to your homeroom, get your things and go home to prepare for tonight’s dinner party.”
 
The girls look at each other before they nod and walk out the door. Fernando steps up to Aratani’s bed. Aratani looks up at him, “And who the #$@! are you?”
 
“I thought your friends said who I was.” Fernando throws at her.
 
“I do not care or believe what those bitches have to say.” Aratani throws at him.
 
“So everything that was said in the principal’s office about you to look good should be forgotten? That you had nothing to do with Diasuke, Remi and their friends assaulting Kitsume is to be ignored? Video evidence at the time was being ignored, but I do have enough to them in jail for the next 15 years for sexual attack and physical assault to do bodily harm and permanent damage to her, and of you talking to them about doing the deed of ‘Taking Care Of Her.’” He tells her.
 
“Bullshit! No such evidence exists!” Aratani sits up and lets out loudly.
 
“Let’s go back about 20 years ago, in at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States, where 2 students decided to shoot up their high school.” He begins to tell her.
 
“What that has to do with anything, especially in Japan?” She asks in a demanding tone.
 
“A lot. Since then every high school in America have their classrooms, hallways and common areas like the Gym locker rooms and library monitored with hidden cameras. And anything the USA do to ensure the safety of their citizenry, Japan follows. Thus that little discussion you had with Diasuke and his friends to assault Kitsume have been recorded and accessible with the correct access to the security video servers.”
 
“I call bullshit on that! No such recording exists!” Aratani exclaims.
 
Fernando opens up a Temporal Observation Sphere behind him so she would not see it but she can hear it.
 
Aratani in the Observation Sphere “You know that cute girl in Class 10-1? I want you to get the boys and confront her about that face of hers. No one is cuter than I!”
 
“What do you want done to her?” Diasuke is heard asking in the Observation Sphere.
 
“What do you think? Hit her in the face! Beat her mercilessly! Be sure an ambulance takes her away! Make it look like a sex crime!” Aratani is heard saying loudly in the Observation Sphere.
 
Fernando pauses the video before saying, “This and the actual assault video is enough to put you and your friends to jail for at least 10 or more years on the basis of conspiracy to harm another and the actual assault you ordered against Kitsume through mob action.” He then draws out his firearm and puts it to her temple, “I am a father of six girls – all more beautiful than you dare think you are. If you would have done to any of them as you did to Kitsume, I would have had you killed and have it covered up by my people in the various government agencies I work for. You are just a child about to enter an adult world. A world you know nothing about, but yet you think you can do as you please like some Yaccus Princess. Do not fool yourself with what falsehoods you think you know is true, you will end up in an early grave if you do.” He puts away his gun as he tells her, “Now you are going to do several things for me if you want my silence and protection or you can spend the next 30 years being on the run if the Tokyo Metro Police do not take you now.”
 
“So what do you want, you want to #$@! me or something – pedo!” Aratani lets out in an annoyed tone.
 
“Please, as a flying squirrel, my 12in penis would rip your young mousie ass in half. A female flying squirrel has her uterus deep into her body and male flying squirrels have to be long enough to hit it in order to inseminate her uterus and fertilize her eggs. You are not a flying squirrel. And the age of consent in Japan is 13*. You’re 17, 18? That does not make me as a pedo. Now... Sit up and let me look at your face.” He tells her.
 
“What for?” She replies in an annoyed tone.
 
“Because I’m a medical doctor, and I can check the damage done and what needs to be done to reverse it as if you were never hit before.” He tells her.
 
“Yeah right.” She lets out.
 
“It was I who fixed Kitsume’s face.” He tells her. Her jaw drops in hearing this before he continues “Now you can stay there and be black and blue with a sunken face and a broken nose for the next several months or I can do something for you here and now.”
 
Aratani stays seated on the bed looking at the wall at the far end of the wall. She then lets out a sigh before opening her legs to hook the side bed to slide herself to him. She then lowers the icepack from her face. He leans down to her, grabbing her by the chin and tilts and turns her head about slightly to look at her wound.
 
“You’re lucky she did not hit you in the jaw or she would have broken it and you would end up looking like a female version of Dolf Lungrend for the rest of your life no matter how many times you get plastic surgery to fix it – broken jaws are almost impossible to fix.” He tells her.
 
She tries to speak but he tells her, “Hush up and stay quiet.” She shuts up. He looks her over, “Broken cheek bone, broken eye socket, broken nasal bones...” He then lets her go and head to the medicine cabinet, filling a paper cup with water and taking out a bio pill from his pocket without her looking and cutting it in half. He walks back to her, giving her half the bio pill and the paper cup of water.
 
“Before I give you this, tell me – do you see things normally or do you have double vision. The truth, do not think you can try to sue Kitsume for hitting you because with the video evidence, you would go to jail if you try to sue her. It depends on how much medicine I have to give you.” He tells her.
 
Aratani shakes her head slowly.
 
“Take this and swallow it with the water, sit up and close your eyes with your hands on your lap.” He tells her.
 
“What is it?” Aratani picks up the half pill and looks at it.
 
“It’s an American Drug used for bone fractures, but it has to be freshly broken. If it is days or weeks old, it will not work. It works by the electro-magnetism of the bones to properly line up and start healing immediately. Though this is approved medicine in America, it is not approved here in Japan, not yet. But if you take it, you may feel a bit of tingling when the bones start lining up and heal. ” He tells her.
 
“Not approved in Japan?” Aratani says to herself, she then says, almost demands, “What about the bruise on my face?”  
 
“The pill may help with that after it deals with healing your broken bones and fixing your face. Make up can cover up the rest until your face clears up.” He explains.
 
She looks at him and then at the pill.
 
He throws at her, “The longer you wait, the more your face will heal like that, the least likely the pill will not work.”
 
She looks at the pill one more time before taking it is and chasing it down with the paper cup of water. She then crushes the paper cup in her hand. Fernando reaches over to take the crushed paper cup from her hand, tossing it into a nearby trash can.
 
As he has his back to her to toss the paper cup into the trash, he spins the crystal sphere on his cane. He then looks about the room before he turns to her, points the cane to her direction and pressing the button. A bolt of lightning shoots out from the cane and onto her, enveloping her in a cocoon of energy that only lasts for a few seconds. He then puts his cane down. He finds a hand-handled mirror and brings it to Aratani.
 
“Tell me what you think?” He tells her.
 
She looks at him strangely before lifting the mirror to her face. She looks at herself in the mirror before looking at him.
 
“You used Lantean Technology on me!” Aratani complains.
 
“First of all, this is nor the medicine I gave you are not of Lantean technology.” Fernando explains, adding, “But it is something the Lanteans want that we Americans have and will never give to them. Now. Look at your face and tell me. How does it look and feel?”
 
She scowls at him for a moment before looking back in the mirror, slowly putting her and to her face, feeling where she was injured and finding that it is as it was when she woke up this morning.
 
“It’s... it’s normal. Like I was never hit or injured.” Aratani says. She then thinks before saying, “OK. What’s the price for this? I to have sex with you or something?”
 
“Bitch – PLEASE! Like I told you before, you are not a flying squirrel, your uterus is even with your hips, not your belly button like on a female flying squirrel. Your tiny little cunt would not be able to fit one-fourth of my length in you. I would literally rip you in half if I would to put in more than I stated.” He begins loudly. He then takes a deep breath before he continues “The price, if you call it that is 2 parts. One: At 2o’clock you are to be at the principal’s office with Daisuke and his friends where they are going to be arrested for the assault they did to Kitsume year ago. You admit to your part in sending them to assault Kitsume, you will be released to do part two. You do not do this and do not admit to your crimes, you will be carted off to jail with them. Remember, we do have video evidence of you telling them to do the deed and them doing it.”
 
She looks at him as she processes the deal before asking, “What is Part Two?”
 
He explains, “Part Two is you making sure that your chipmunk friend goes with you. There will be a white stretch limousine at his hotel to take you to the palace. If he asks, say you rented it in order to look good as you do not want to know or trust what ride he may have. At the palace, you will be scanned and search for weapons and illegal substances, so just bring your selves, and a purse with a wallet with the ticket and your ID. Once you get past security, you will be taken to the banquet area for the party. Follow the orders and directions of the women there. And have fun, eat, mingle, but do not think you can sway a young diplomat or business executive’s heart because they know how to deal with dishonest women looking to take a rich and powerful young man’s heart and drag him through divorce court for everything he has. These men marry ‘until death do them apart’, and any woman wanting divorce will end up meeting that line in a very hard way. Understand where I am coming from in this. These men of power ‘play for keeps’ and to them you are just another trophy wife who is a willing participant in their wife-swapping games. Think that it is a game of the heart you can play, it will be a game you will lose because there are 4.75 billion women out there which you are just one of and can be easily eliminated and replaced. Got that?!!”
 
Aratani looks at him with wide eyes of bewilderment and disbelief. But she digests the statement fed to her as best as she can, finding that it does not agree with her. Messing around with the hearts and emotions of high school boys is one thing, messing around with the heart of a young man of money and power is another as it could end her on so any levels in so little time. She is used to being a female in power, but the power such men have makes her look like a little girl pretending to be a queen of a kindergarten’s sandbox.
 
He throws at her, “Any questions?”
 
Aratani looks down at her lap where her hands hold the mirror given to her to examine her face. She realizes how deep she and the others are in and is beginning to second think of her options of being there, thinking of how her greed and hunger for power and money has gotten her and her friends to this points and realizes that there is no way out of it. In her mind she curses herself for it.
 
But she manages, “No, sir.”
 
He tells her, “Then you relax here until 2PM and then go to the principal’s office with the others. Admit your crimes and you will be freed to do part two of this mission. Don’t admit to your crimes and you and the others will be taken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police to jail. And while on part two of the mission, do or say anything that makes your chipmunk friend suspect something is going on against him, he could end up killing you and the others.”
 
Aratani’s jaw dropped in hearing those words.
 
He mocks her sudden realization, throwing in an explanation, “Oh, don’t you know? You are dealing with a terrorist – Chip Maplewood. But he is pretending to be his brother Dale who is innocent in his terrorist activities. That is how he is getting you in by pretending to be his brother. But since you now have an official invite to this one dinner party, then you do not technically need him. We do want him to get inside the palace and inside the dining room that is where you and your friends come in to lure him there, letting him think that his act of pretending to be his brother is working.”
 
He starts to walk away from her to the get to the door and leave the room, “I’ll see you at two o’clock in the principal’s office.”  
 
Aratani nods and was about to say something in return but he had already left the room.
 
As soon as Fernando gets to the stairway and finds it empty, he uses his cane to get out of the school and back to his hotel room. Walking to the couch, he makes his final phone call to the agency.
 
“Hello, Field Agent Fernando G. Get me Supervisor John G. Thank you.” Fernando says on the phone. “I’ll wait.” (A few seconds of waiting.) “Password? There is no Password!” (Which actually is the password.) “Yes, John. I need an agent to be a chauffeur with the Lincoln MK Limo for a group of girls and the suspect at 6:30 at the Hilton Hotel to take them to the Palace to a dinner party where the other agents and I will move on and capture the subject.” (Listens to Supervisor John G. run his mouth) “Look John. I’m trying to do the damage done by the people originally hired to do this job. So either I get a little help or else!” (Listens to Supervisor John G. yelling at him) “I’m here doing my job, all I am requesting is a little help. Yes, be there at 6:30, pickup the girls and the suspect at 7PM, take them to the palace. If all goes well, he takes the girls to their homes. I’ll get him in into the party with the other drivers so he has something to do and not take care of the limo all night long alone.” (Listens to Supervisor’s John G.’s questions) “Yes, that will be all. Thank you.”  
 

 
Fernando then hangs up the phone.
 
He thinks about what else it needed but thinks he has his bases covered. He also hopes that Hiromi does not do anything stupid like coming over to the hotel room around lunch time like she did the day before. He may be seeing her and the others when he goes back to their school to deal with the meeting with the principal at 2PM.
 
12:45 arrives with him still resting on the couch. If Hiromi or any of the other girls would have come over, they would have by now. Hunger was also getting the best of him and he wants something quick and fast. He gets up and readies himself to go out for lunch. As he puts on his shoes, his Dumbphone rings. According to Phone ID it is Hiromi Itzukara’s number.
 
“Everything OK Hiromi?” He begins to ask as he answers his dumbphone.
 
“Hello Boyfriend!” Hiromi says out loud before whispering, “I’m in a stall in the girls’ bathroom... so I have to say things in a certain way... you know others are listening...”
 
“OK. What’s going on?” He asks.
 
“What time are you coming back to school to pick me up?!!” Hiromi asks out loud.
 
“I’ll be there at 2PM to talk with the principal. You know why.” He explains.
 
“OK! I’ll See You Then!” Hiromi says out loud, then immediately explains in a whisper, “Aratani is saying things about getting even and being at the party tonight.”
 
“I’ll take care of it, but yes, to catch that terrorist Chip Maplewood, she and her friends are bait to catch him. But there are consequences for her to face in assaulting Kitsume years ago. Just tell the others to ignore all that is being said.” Fernando explains.
 
“We will be waiting for you to arrive.” Hiromi says.
 
“Chances are we’ll be calling you girls into the office; tell them to take their books and things because you all are going home with me afterwards.” Fernando says.
 
“OK, I will! See you then!” Hiromi says before hanging up.
 
“Bye Hiromi...” He says to himself. He then looks at his dumbphone before pocketing it. Then he thinks to himself, “Sushi or Ramen?” An idea pops into his mind, more like a craving, “McDonalds!”
 
But in the area of the hotel and park areas there are about 14 different McDonalds. He decides on one of the smaller ones, but furthest from the hotel. He looks at his Oogle Maps, seeing that most of the McDonalds tend to be clustered together within blocks from each other and nearby some high school. But there is one that catches his eye, away from the other McDonalds cluster groups, about a third of the way to the palace. McDonald’s Yoyogi, not that far from the hotel at 1 Chome-36-4 Yoyogi.

 
He fixes himself up before activating an observation orb from the cane to find a desolate area to teleport too. Fortunate for him, the streets seem empty enough for him to teleport by the blind spot of the restaurant’s entrance door. As he sets his cane to teleport himself to the restaurant, he thinks about his meal. He disappears in a flash of light, only to reappear at the McDonalds’ entrance, and walks inside.
 
A quick glance of the menu verifies his order before he goes over to the Kiosk to order and pay. He quickly goes through the menu items and orders a Big Mac, a Double Filet-o-Fish, medium fries, a chocolate shake and an Apple Pie. It comes to about 1700 Yen, about $17 US. It takes a couple of minutes for his order to fulfilled and given to him. Taking his order, he knows that it will taste differently from the US versions he is used too, as Wagu Beef is mostly used for the burgers and the a different fish compared to the Paddock or Hag Fish used in the US. Taking a seat by himself, he takes to his meal and eats it in about 20 minutes. Despite the slight differences in taste, he enjoyed his fast food meal.
 
With little time left over, Fernando teleports himself back to his hotel room. He washes himself up to prepare to go to school. Then he goes down stairs to the hotel parking garage and gets into his pale yellow Mustang. He looks about and does a quick clean up and spray some de-scenting spray to take down Gadget’s scent from the inside of the vehicle. He checks his Oogle map for the school’s location, and knows his way there, decides to take the scenic route – same distance but side streets instead of the main roadway.
 
1:40PM, Fernando finds a parking lot not too far from the school, in fact he was able to find a spot across the street. As he crosses the street to get to the school, a couple police cars park in the same area with a couple of police officers heading into the school as well. He does not see the large limo entering the street as he enters the school. He walks into the school’s main office by 1:42PM. He steps up to the secretary’s desk and introduces himself to her.
 
“Good afternoon Miss. I have a 2o’clock appointment with the school principal.” Fernando tells her, showing her some ID from the US Embassy.
 
The two police detectives step up behind Fernando and introduce themselves as having a 2o’clock appointment as well. Fernando steps out of the way, putting his ID and wallet back in his pants pocket, giving the two officers a nod. He then goes to a near side all and stand there. A couple of Imperial Guards walk into the office with Emperor Akihito stepping in behind them. He needed no introduction but he announced himself to be in attendance at the 2o’clock meeting. The secretary writes down all of the information of those there in attendance for the meeting and goes inside the principal’s office to hand him the said information.
 
A couple of minutes were spent with setting up chairs for the large group in the principal’s office before the door opens and the men were allowed in. The principal then gives a list of students name to the secretary to announce over the loud speaker. Student Council President Makiko Suzuki and Vice President Kioko Kawasaki enter the office before the secretary could pick up the microphone to the school’s PA system. President Makiko says that she is part of the 2o’clock meeting as the girls of Class 12-2 enters the room. The bully girls of class 12-1 step up to the office doorway and stops there.
 
The secretary looks at them, about to say that the girls from both classes were not part of the meeting. Fernando steps out into the general office and says, “Girls of 12-2:Naomi, Sakura, Kitsume, Hiromi, Naru, and Chieko, get in here.” As they walk in he looks at the girls of class 12-1. Once the girls of Class 12-2 are in the office, he calls in the girls of Class 12-1 “Girls of 12-1: Midori, Miyuki, Shizuka, Ahmya, get in here.” He then looks at the secretary, “Call up the boys on the list.”
 
The secretary turns on the PA system and calls for the boys: Diasuke Suzuki, Remi Horiuchi, Hishori Matsuzaki, Kenta Tanaka, Natsuo Katayama, Ryoto Morita, and Shohta Seno to report to the office. They are all from the school’s baseball team and are mostly in Class 12-1 as well. They get to the principal’s office in a couple of minutes with the secretary blocking the door as they walk in.
 
Diasuke acts as the leader of the boy’s group, let’s out, “What is going on here?”
 
“That remains to be seen depending on what is said. Now please have a seat.” The principal says to him.
 
The boys look at each with Shota taking a seat first, turning it around and sitting with its back against his chest and his arms crossed on the top of the chair’s back. Ryoto, Natsuo, Kenta, Hishori and Remi take a seat and sits down. Diasuke continues to stand and look about the room. He lets out, “We’re being set up for something, aren’t we?!!”
 
“That remains to be seen. Not even I know what is going on.” The principal says to him, throwing in, “Have a seat and sit in it.”
 
“I will be speaking with my dad when I get home, you know he is a lawyer!” Daisuke says.
 
Fernando says from his side of the room, “Listen kid. Either we deal with what situations drops on your laps here and now or you can be taken to the police prescient and deal with it there. Decide now.”
 
“Who the #$@! are you? You’re not even Japanese!” Diasuke throws out.
 
“Who I am is none of your business. Why am I here? I had to do some data recovery of the school’s security video system and found a few things involving you and the other members of the baseball team. What is seen on those recovered files and what you say in your defense here and now depends on whether or not the police takes you away.” Fernando tells him.
 
The principal throws in “Due to the severity of these complaints, all of you are off the baseball team until further notice.”
 
“I WILL SUE!!!” Diasuke says.
 
“You cannot sue from jail.” Fernando tells him, adding, “Now let’s get this show on the road.” He holds out his cane, flicking the crystal on the top with his thumb and standing it on the floor in front of them all to see. An Observation Orb appears and both audio and video of an event from two years ago appears.
 
“Who are you? Who Do You Think you Are?!” A younger Aratani says to some unsuspecting 10th grader – Kitsume.
 
Kitsume walks around her trying to ignore her and walk to her desk. Aratani turns around and pushes Kitsume by her shoulder, trying to make her fall down. Kitsume catches herself from falling. She turns around and faces Aratani.
 
“Touch me again and you are going to regret it.” Kitsume tells her.
 
Aratani swings her arm around and back-hand slaps Kitsume across the face. Kitsume takes a few seconds to recover herself before sending a fist across Aratani’s face. Her nose erupts in blood. Cupping her hands to her face, they quickly fill up with blood. Seeing her blood filling her hands and dripping on the floor, she runs out of the room. The other girls in the room gather about Kitsume asking her if she was alright.
 
The video pauses for a moment, Fernando stepping up to explain, “Aratani struck the first blow after constantly harassing the victim, not knowing that said victim would fight back and fight hard to make her run away.” He then continues, “Next video is a few minutes later, in the boys’ locker room.”
 
The young Aratani is seen walking about the boys’ locker room as the boys around her were changing while she search for somebody or somebodies. Several boys complained about her being in the boys’ locker room and she threw back at them insults and derogatory terms of the lack of their maleness. Fernando pauses the video for a second.
 
“Sexual Harassment? Sexual Harassment by a female to a male is hard to prove, and yet Sexual Harassment by a male to a female complaint is taken and acted upon without need of proof. As a male, I always found it unfair to us males, but here it is – proof of a female student sexually harassing male students in a private male locker room. Let’s see where it goes.” Fernando explains before unpausing the video.
 
It continues with Aratani finding Diasuke, Remi, Kenta, Natsuo, and Ryoto, all of them changing into their gym gear. She rushes up to them.
 
“Diasuke, Remi, Kenta! There you all are!” Aratani lets out loud.
 
“What’s going on sweetie...” Diasuke replies before turning to face her and seeing dried blood on her face. “What happened?!!”
 
“It’s That New Girl! That’s What Happened!!” Aratani throws at him.
 
“And? Girls’ business is Girl’s Business, unless they involve guys to step in.” Diasuke explains.
 
“Well, yeah! She Said She Would Get Her Older Brother And Sister If I Brought In My Friends!” Aratani lies, as Kitsume is an only child to a single parent mother.
 
“Did she now?” Diasuke says. He adds, “And what would you want done?” He said with a smile, thinking he would get lucky if he did her some favor of criminal action against Kitsume.
 
“I want you to teach her a lesson! I want you to do to her as she did to me! I want you to get your friends make her a victim! I want her assaulted, I want her violated! And I Do Not Care How You Do It! I would be very happy and grateful to you if you put her in her place.” Aratani tells him.
 
“What would you give me for doing this?” Diasuke says.
 
“You do this for me, you would make me a very happy girl, and I would make you a very happy boy.” Aratani steps up to him, groping his penis through his underwear before put on his gym shorts, and kisses on him the cheek. She throws in, groping his penis through his briefs some more, “The worse you put her in her place, the more I would do for you. Like I said, beat her, assault her, violate her, the more damage you do to her the better, the more I would show you my appreciation.”
 
Daisuke nods. Remi, Kenta, and Ryoto are seen nodding with a smile as well.
 
“See you later. And do not fail me, my love!” Aratani throws in before walking away, insulting and harassing more boys as she leaves.
 
Fernando pauses the video, looking at Daisuke angrily.
 
Daisuke throws back at him, “You Aint Got Nothing On Me! It’s Just Words!”
 
“Agreeing to take Criminal Action is a crime within itself. It is called Conspiracy. Your friends nodding and smiling makes them accomplices to Conspiracy.” Fernando tells him.
 
Before Diasuke could say anything about bringing in his father lawyer, Remi gets up from his seat, “OK, We Did It! We, Snatched Her, Put A Pillow Case Over Her Head, Dragged Her Into An Alley, Assaulted Her Until She Got Unconscious, And Then We Put On Condoms and Violated Her As To Not Leave DNA Behind! We All Took Turns Violating Her! We All Took Her For What She Was Worth! Did Her In Every Hole She Had! There! I Said It! Said What We Did To Her! It Bothered Me For Years! What If She Had Died From What We Did To Her?!! We Would Be Hiding From Murder And The Death Sentence!” He falls onto his knees and begins to cry.
 
“Well now, a confession and implication of the others.” Fernando says.
 
Shohta says, “I was not there, I was not even a student of this school until last year.”
 
Fernando says, “You could be friends of theirs outside the school. Only the video I tracked down would implicate you or release you of potential charges.”
 
Shohta says, “I got nothing to hide, I was not there.”
 
Fernando tries to stare down Shohta as he reviews the tone of his statement mentally. He senses no shift in tone which would indicate a lie. He then nods before telling him, “Then you can leave. But you are not to change your daily routine because of what you seen here. We will be around and will want to ask you more questions later on.”
 
Shohta slowly gets up and walks to the door.
 
As soon as the door closes behind Shohta, Fernando looks at the rest of the boys. He begins to tell them, “Kitsume was in the hospital for almost 4 weeks and underwent months of therapy and plastic surgery.”Assault, rape, conspiracy, attempted murder – any one of them is a serious charge that can send you to prison for a long time. Put together, you all would be old men when you complete your sentence. Unless... There is something to be said of atonement and forgiveness.” He reaches over to Kitsume and signals to her to come to him.
 
Kitsume walks to Fernando, taking his hand like an all too familiar lover. She steps in front of him and puts his arms around him before letting out a sigh. She then says, “Remi, are you truly sorry for what you did to me with the others?”
 
Remi looks up at her, and then nods, too choked up to say anything.
 
Before anyone else can say anything, Kitsume says, “Then I forgive you. What happened then was long ago, and I have recovered. And you are adult enough to admit what you did and are remorseful. If it means anything to the officers here, I will not be pressing charges against you.”
 
Daisuke lets out, “What about us?!!”
 
“You nor the others have stated anything to take responsibility for your actions.” Fernando tells him. He pauses for a second, “What if this were to happen to your female friend, cousin, sister or mother? You would take the heads of those involved. Wouldn’t you?! But no, you denied what you did and you belittled the crimes you are facing charges for. You believe in your heart that you can skirt around the charges and think you can get away with it. ‘I will get my father who is a lawyer!’ But let me tell you this, when this is over, everyone here is walking out of here of their own volition or in handcuffs.”
 
“I Demand To Call My Father!” Daisuke lets out.
 
Fernando looks at his watch. He then says, “Officers, as per Kitsume’s wishes, Remi is free to go. As for these other boys, take them in for questioning. And we will deal with Aratani tomorrow.”
 
The officers nod as each walk to each male student except for Remi, making them get up, turn around, handcuff them before taking them away. Fernando lets go of Kitsume before heading to Remi and extend a hand to him. Remi slowly looks up to him.
 
“Am I under arrest?” Remi asks trying to hold back his tears.
 
“For now you are not. But if this is a ploy to throw the others under the bus to get yourself free, you will be arrested so fast, you think it was done with a Time Machine.” Fernando tells him.
 
“It’s not a ploy. I’ve been hurting from guilt and worrying since it happened.” Remi says as he sits up on his knees.
 
“Take my hand and get up.” Fernando tells him.
 
Remi takes his hand, giving a firm grip but not a nervous one. Fernando scowls at him before tightening his grip and pulling him up onto his feet. He leans towards Remi’s ear and whispers, “Well played Horiuchi-san. But this is not over. Not by a long shot. Don’t think you are getting away so easily.”
 
Remi now seems to get nervous as Fernando lets go of his hand and then points to the door. “You are free to go. I expect you to be here in school tomorrow.” Fernando says with a cat had eaten the canary smile.
 
Remi gives a nervous nod before leaving the room. The door closes behind him. Fernando does a slow spin around the room, looking at everyone.
 
“Somebody is missing...” He says out loud. “Oh yes, Aratani. We will deal with her tomorrow, and depending on how well she handles herself at the dinner party tonight, it can go well for her or it can go worst for her.”
 
The girls of 12-1 all bow their heads in disgrace.
 
Fernando continues, “Now, ladies of 12-1. Get your homework from your teachers and go home to prepare for the dinner party. There will be a white limo waiting your friend’s hotel. Pick him up and take him to the limo. He asks any stupid questions, just say that you all are paying for it to go there in style. I’ll see you ladies at the palace. Ladies of 12-2, I need you all to stay for a few more minutes.”
 
The girls from 12-1 look up at him. Emperor Akihito steps over to Fernando while looking at the girls of 12-1.
 
“Ladies, you all know me from our last meeting. You all need to leave for home and prepare for this event tonight.” Emperor Akihito tells them.
 
The girls of 12-1 look at each other before slowing getting up and leaving the office. The door slowly closes until the lock clicks into place.
 
The girls from 12-2 get up and gather around Fernando and Kitsume. Fernando looks around them, telling them “Ladies, go home, get your things for tonight party and this weekend’s Ranch Get-Away. I’ll have a large Mercedes Limo Van to take us to the dinner party at the Hilton and then to the Ranch. I’ll be in the hotel room going over arrangement details and with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police about what to do with the boys.”
 
Each of the girls in 12-2 leaves the principal’s office after giving Fernando a hug.
 
“What do you want to do with the boys?” Emperor Akihito asks as soon as the door closes and its latch locks it in place.
 
“If it were just a fist to the face, I would have done nothing. But they all had a hand in Kitsume’s assault to put her in the hospital, and they all took turns in violating her. If you noticed Kitsume’s improved appearance, I gave her one of my rejuvenation pills, which lucky for her restored her original looks. It usually does not work on old wounds like hers but youth is on her side.”
 
“What is this about a Ranch Get-away weekend?” Emperor Akihito asks.
 
“It is something Hondo found for us to deflate from this stress. I need to get to our hideout during this time and check with the building owner as I believe there are some prying eyes in the area.” Fernando explains.
 
“Well, from that little display of affection, it seems that you and one of the girls are getting a little chummy.” Emperor Akihito says though not in an accusatory tone. He then asks, “What happened with your wife? I have not seen her in last few dinner parties.”
 
“Tammy? She left to Italy for various reasons, but threatened that I should take action to get Chip released or else.” Fernando explains.
 
“Or else what?” Emperor Akihito asks.
 
“She’s claiming she would divorce me for spousal abuse.” Fernando explains. Emperor Akihito was about to interject but Fernando raises his hand and adds, “Not to worry, I have enough evidence to divorce her for infidelity on her party and drug use with that idiot terrorist for me to take away our child from her.”
 
“If you want a divorce from her with child support and custody of your baby girl, I can get it in order for you here.” Emperor Akihito says, throwing in “I’m sure that Kitsume girl would not mind your hand in marriage.”
 
“Well, going back to the girls, I’m not saying that we are physically intimate, but I’ll say we as a group are now close friends and are verbally intimately, as in them sharing secrets with me they had not told others.” Fernando explains.
 
“Secrets, as in, if you do not mind sharing?” Emperor Akihito asks.
 
Fernando looks at the principal and tells him, “Out of Oath of Death to revealing this to anyone other than those in this room or a court of law, what I am to say will go into your ears and never out of your mouth.”
 
The principal nods his head.
 
Fernando turns back Emperor Akihito “Kistume was not the only one gang raped by those criminals. Hiromi, Naomi and Chieko were all violated by them. Naomi and Cheiko were violated by one of them on several occasions, but Hiromi was gang raped on a couple or more occasions.”
 
“Do you have names, times, dates, locations?” Emperor Akihito asks.
 
“Naomi and Cheiko won’t go into details. But Hiromi stated that she was forced or tricked into the boys’ locker room where she was gang raped by the baseball team on one occasion and the basketball team on the other occasion.” Fernando explains.
 
“The basketball team is involved too?!!” The principal lets out.
 
“Yes and no. Yes they are, but not they are not as in Diasuke Suzuki, Remi Horiuchi, Hishori Matsuzaki, Kenta Tanaka, Natsuo Katayama, Ryoto Morita, and Shohta Seno are on both teams. So looks like to me you have a group of males in the school who are the team jocks that are violating girls. And who knows if they are bringing in other team members into their disgusting games. And you cannot tell me that the coach is unaware of this.” Fernando tells the principal.
 
The principal sits there fuming before letting out with a growl “I will have a talk with both teams and the coaches about this.”
 
“Wait until next week, perhaps Wednesday would be good for this. Until then we got a schedule to keep. We’ll keep in touch. See you at the dinner party tonight.” Fernando tells the principal.
 
The principal gave his salutations. Fernando, Emperor Akihito and the Emperor’s entourage leave the principal’s office. Together they walk out of the building and heads to the Emperor’s limo.
 
“I see the girls are getting a liking to you, Fernando-san. Like that Kistume girl.” Emperor Akihito says almost teasingly.
 
“If anyone, it is Hiromi that has the crush on me. She was hardest on herself about situation of being raped was her fault, I had to explain to her that it is not her fault in being a victim although she has accepted that she would be a victim forever and with a smeared reputation of the girl who #$@!ed the baseball and basket ball teams though she was actually gang raped by them. She’s in a messed up situation but I am getting through to her that she is more than victim and that she is a loving and caring person. So of them all, she’s the one most who would likely...” Fernando begins to explain.
 
“Most likely drop her panties down for you.” Emperor Akihito throws in.
 
“I’m not saying that she would or would not, but I’m making sure that I respect her as a person as she does me. She and the others understand that I am going through some spousal problems with Tammy, so they are not going to be pushing me for something that does not exist. Besides, Gadget is running interference if they get too close to me.” Fernando explains.
 
“You know here in Japan it is not cheating if there are no emotions involved.” Emperor Akihito explains.
 
“Everyone keeps telling me that, even the girls.”  Fernando says. He then adds, “But the way some are acting, emotions are involved in some way. Not that I would be interested with any of them, I would like to be free from any and all spousal agreement from Tammy before I do any skirt chasing again.”
 
“I can agree with that. But if you would want some private time with any of the ladies, even Gadget, I’ll have a room ready for you.” Emperor Akihito tells him.
 
“Well, anyways. Have to get things set up. There will be three Mercedes Sprinter Van Limos coming in with my group. As you heard, I will be with the girls when they come in. Chip and the girls from the other class will be coming in a white agency limo. Separate them, Dale and Monty from the rest of the party in the name of freshening up and security check, even though they have invites already. Once we get Chip in the main room, we will wait for him to go in and brag about what he did as Dale. I’m going to pretend to accept him as Dale to increase his comfort before we move in to arrest him.” Fernando explains.
 
“Sounds like a good plan. I’ll see you at the dinner party.” Emperor Akihito says to him.
 
“I’ll see you then.” Fernando tells the Emperor, shaking his hand before the Emperor gets into his limo and is driven away.
 
[To Be Continued...]
 

---

Note:
 
*Age of consent in Japan was 13 until 2020, when it was raised to 21. Due to many protests, the age of consent was lowered down to 16 in late 2022. The Timing of this RPG is around 2012 - 2015, making the age of consent in Japan as 13 by historical statue.
 
The girls of 12-2 and 12-1, being high school seniors, are 17 - 18 years old and are considered as adults by Japanese Law. The boys from the Baseball team are also high school seniors, and are considered as adults, which is brought to attention in their arrests even though their crimes were done in their younger teen years. If they were caught as younger teens, their punishment would not be as severe, but because they continued with their conspiracy onto their adult years, their crimes are to be severely punished as adults.

[Emperor’s Place, 7PM]
 
A white Lincoln MX Limo arrives to the palace parking lot. Six adult-teen females step out with an older male and make their way into the palace. The ladies were taken to a room while the palace staff approach Chip disguised as Dale.
 
“Ah, Dale-san! Great to see you finally arrived!” One of the palace staff says to him with an extended hand. “The others award recipients are in the other room waiting to shake your hand before your medal can be given to you!”
 
Chip’s mind goes “Medal? Award? That Goofy Acorn Muncher Is getting an award?!!  Well, when I get it, it will be mine and nothing he can do will take it from me once I have it!” He smiles at the palace’s servants and nod as he shakes his hand. He is then escorted into the main dining room where there were a few dignitaries, each reading a newspaper in their native language, with Dale’s face on the front page and some young heiress under it. Hondo, Fernando and Charles pretended to read the newspaper in English with the fake story until Fernando looks up and sees Chip.
 
“DALE! Get your little munk tail over here! You need to see what they are saying about you!” Fernando yell across the room holding out a newspaper with the story on Dale rescuing a lost princess.
 
Chip walks up to them, not believing what he is seeing or hearing. As he walks to him, all eyes are on him.
 
“Man, you are going to get Japan’s highest honor for saving that girl from the Chinese Slavers!” Fernando says out loud for Chip to be engrossed as to what that would mean: Medals, Honor, and money, lots of money.
 
“Yeah, you know, it was nothing!” Chip says pretending to be Dale.
 
“Don’t be so Modest, DALE!” Charles let out, handing him the newspaper for him to read, “When you save somebody from a royal family from being kidnapped, the whole country owes you!”
 
“You lucky dog, you...” Hondo throws Chip. “New mothers will be naming their newborns ‘Dale’ for the next couple years, some schools will be changing their name to Dale Maplewood and there will be a statue in your honor where you save that girl at!”
 
“I only did what come natural as a rescuer.” Chip says trying to act like Dale.
 
Fernando hands Chip a glass of Champagne, “Thanks to you, this boring dinner is going to be a party in your honor! Who knows, they might even let you start the Rescue Rangers over here, since there is nothing left in America for you and the others. And with Chip gone, you would be the boss of the operations!”
 
“Heh, heh...” Chip lets out.
 
“But there is a problem...” Fernando says.
 
“What problem? I’m here, I should get my reward!” Chip lets out.
 
“That’s the problem.” Fernando throws out.
 
“What?!!” Chip says.
 
“Dale would not be demanding for his reward to be given. He would be patient and wait for it to be given to him.”  Fernando says before reaching over and pulling off the fake red nose Chip is wearing. He then reaches to grab his left wrist “Chip Maplewood, you are under arrest for the various crimes....!”
 
Chip manages to push Fernando away from him, drawing out a gun he had in hidden in his waist band as he ran backwards to the middle of the room, “YOU AIN’T TAKING ME ALI-*!”
 
Expecting this, Fernando was already pulling out his firearms as he was falling down. Others, including Hondo and Charles pull out their firearms and everyone begin to shoot at Chip.
 
Though most went for the body shots, Fernando went for the head shots, releasing six rounds into Chip’s cranium. Chip was dead before he hit the ground. Once on the ground, the shooting had stopped, Fernando, Hondo and Charles, along with a couple of the emperor’s guards step up to Chip’s dead body.
 
“What the F.U.C.K..!” Fernando says as he kneels to one knee besides Chip’s head. He puts on a rubber glove and pokes around, but there was no Grey Brain matter to be found, but parts  of a broken computer board inside.
 
Charles seeing the PC Board being pulled out from Chip’s head, says, “Men, we got a problem.”
 
‘First Zipper, now Chip – What the Dang F.U.C.K. Is Going On!” Hondo says.
 
“If This is not Chip, then where’s the real Chip?” Fernando asks.
 
“No, If this is not Chip, then what about Gadget?” Charles asks.
 
“We have the real Gadget, as I took the brain chip the government scientists put into her head out of her. She’s as real as she can be. But you’re right, what about Dale and Monty? They need to be checked out” Fernando asks and says.

{Rewind to: The Morning of the current royal party}
 
Hondo slowly woke as the morning sun from the window fell across his face and warmed him. He grimaced at the bright light and groaned a bit as he tried to stretch out his body, only to have to stop as his calf muscle threatened to knot up on him. He looked over at the other side of the bed to find it empty, and then looked at the digital clock on the nightstand to see it was already 8:30 am.
 
“#$@!.” He muttered under his breath as he tensed and stretched his arms, shoulders, and chest further, before making himself sit up.  
 
He felt groggier than normal, but wrote it off to the wild love-making from the previous night, the lack of sleep as of late, the wounds he was healing from and not sleeping great in a new bed. Though that would be reasons enough for most, usually he slept less and lighter in a different bed, and tended to be up earlier, but last night he had passed out, and he had drunk little compared to previous nights, so that had little to nothing to do with it. Something was off with his system, he knew it, but he figured if he just kept pushing on, eventually it would clear up or go away, as he needed it to go away.  
 
He slowly stood from the bed with a yawn and a sigh and made his way to the bathroom. Once he used the facilities, took a fast shower, brushed his teeth, and combed his hair, he dressed and headed downstairs, limping slightly as his calf muscle kept trying to knot up on him still. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened for sounds, and as he listened he heard soft humming and a sizzling of bacon coming from the kitchen, though it was faint as the kitchen was almost at the far side, away from the stairs and in the back of the lodge. He headed towards the sounds and there found Valentine humming softly to herself as she stood in front of a stove top cooking up his favorite breakfast: spicy sausage gravy over biscuits, eggs over easy, and bacon.  
 
The kitchen had a rustic, western look to it, though it was huge and sported specialized industrial appliances, which were all of darker metals and colors compared to most industrial stainless-steel appliances. The only stainless items in the kitchen were a large griddle, that was built into a center bar/island style counter, a 3-bay deep fryer, which was built in on the left side of the stove top, and a built-in double oven on the far wall, which sported French styled doors instead of the normal drop-down oven doors. The large eight burner stove top, vent hoods, and other metal appliances were black, though some had copper accents to them. The cupboards looked to be made out of recycled barn boards, planed down to smooth their surface and allow staining and sealing, yet leaving dark grooved and old nail holes visible still.  A wood and iron pot rack hung on one side of the griddles vent hood, while a glass and mug hanger hung down from the other side. The main sink was a three-tub copper sink with black iron faucets, while the sink in the bar was a single tub copper with tarnished a brass faucet. A copper and brass extendable faucet was also on the wall over the stove top, and it pulled out to fill pots and then could be folded back against the wall to remain out of the way. The walls were covered in dark, stained logs, making them look to be as if in a log cabin, and the backsplashes were of a tarnished looking copper panel. The counter tops were all made of soapstone, and a large brick fireplace stood against the back wall which also housed a built-in liquor bottle display and some lower drawers that served as further bottle storage. To the left of the large brick structure stood two sets of French doors that went out onto the back patio.
 
 Along the back of the island/bar combo sat several Holstein-hide covered bar stools and an old brass foot rest that ran under the bar top. Also included in the setup were tip out flour and sugar bins, a fairly large two door antique fridge, that had been modernized, a huge walk in refrigerator with meat hanging capabilities accessible through the pantry, and two door freezer that stood just outside the pantry by the loading docks, and a pantry that was almost a quarter the size of the kitchen, accessible from the far side of the kitchen through a glass door. A second door in the pantry lead to a landing area where staff stairs lead to the basement and another door lead outside. This area had a wood fence that blocked its access from the patio and the small loading dock area was adjoined to it, which allowed for deliveries to be unloaded and items moved to their designated areas without disturbing guests and with minimal disruption to cooking staff. A second storage area behind the walk-in fridge allowed for further storage of bulk and long-term storage goods as well as other kitchen equipment like food processors, blenders, and mixers.
 
Though the kitchen was setup to feed several guests and be ran by a professional cooking staff, it was also set-up to entertain small to medium sized groups, depending on the clientele and the desired amenities or ambiance. As such it had the exposed wood, dark colors, rough iron accents and comfortable seating like the rest of the building.  For hosting a party, it was perfect, and setup as ergonomically as it was esthetically, but for two people alone, overkill did not begin to describe it.  
 
Though the kitchen was incredible, Hondo barely saw it as he stopped in the doorway and watched his wife for a moment. She had on a pair of jeans that defined her curves nicely, and wore a tank top that was a little short, and showed glimpses of her firm, flat stomach as she moved, and was tight enough to outlining her braless mounds nicely, showing ample cleavage without appearing trashy. Her black boots, black belt with turquois accents, and large silver and turquois buckle accented it all nicely. Her hat and overshirt lay on the island bar, and she had pulled her dark auburn hair into a pony tail to keep it out of her eyes as she cooked. She hummed an old country tune he recognized as one of their favorites as she stood over the stove, oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and her skin glistened slightly from the heat, though her eyes were soft as she happily worked to make food for the man she loved. All in all, he was not sure he could think of a more beautiful sight to behold.  
 
She worked for a couple minutes more before she looked up and saw him standing there staring at him.
 
“Oh! I didn’t hear you come in! You alright, my love?” She asked sweetly.
 
He continued to stare at her for a moment, a soft smile crawling across his face as he looked at her and gave her a slight nod.
 
“I’m fine… Better now after seein’ this sight..” He replied softly.
 
She blushed, “You mean the sight of the food, not me, I’m sure.”
 
He shook his head, “No. The food looks good, but it doesn’t stir me like you can. Nothin’ stirs me like you can. Especially when you’re dressed like that, an’ hummin’ happily in the kitchen while cookin’.”
 
 “So, the food is part of it!” she said teasingly.
 
“Well, I reckon a small part of it at least, as seein’ a woman happily cookin’ or cleanin’ just makes her look even more sexy an’ pleasin’, especially when a man knows she’s doin’ it for him.” He replied as he slowly walked up to her.
 
He stood looking down into her eyes for a moment before leaning down and kissing her softly. He pulled back after and continued to stare into her eyes for a moment, and only snapped out of it when she spoke again.
 
“You.. you should sit down and I’ll bring you some coffee, then I’ll finish up our breakfast” She said softly.
 
He grunted and nodded in reply before heading over to the island bar and pulling up a stool. As he sat down she placed a large tin cup of coffee in front of him.
 
“You sure you’re alright? I know you’ve not been sleepin’ the best lately, but you seemed restless last night and I thought you were even wheezin’ a bit. Plus, it’s almost 9 am, and though I try to get you to sleep in every once in a while, while on a mission, you never do!” She exclaimed worriedly.  
 
“Maybe I decided to take you up on sleepin’ in.” He replied a bit flatly.
 
“I wish I could believe that but… please don’t lie to me… I think I could handle hearin’ you were dying or even in love with someone else over findin’ out you lied to me.” She said softly as she looked away from him for a moment.
 
His conscience nagged at him a bit, as he knew he had left out certain details of what happened to him when chasing Chip and what Yuri believed he owed her, but he tried to tell himself he was not lying, but omitting details to protect her.
 
“I was just jokin’ with ya a bit, now, so don’t be like that… I just feel tired is all. Beyond that, I know of nothin’ wrong with me, Darlin’, an’ that’s the truth. Just seem to feel a bit worn thin. Nothin’ serious.” He replied.
 
“You’re sure? Should you maybe get checked out? Maybe talk to Fernando??” She asked.
 
“Fernando has enough on his plate, an’ he’s more worn out than I am. None of us have had a break between South America and here, though this job was supposed to be a cake-walk by comparison! We’d probably not even be here if Tammy hadn’t accepted that Murderin’, drugged out, womanizin’ asshole Maplewood’s order to join them here. He thought this would all be a cake-walk too, an’ was hopin’ for money, glory, an’ recognition, since the Rangers, as a group, have been so close to bein’ shut down for a while now… *sigh* … We just need to keep this place safe an’ the others safe so Jefe an’ I can take this bastard down. Once he is taken out we can hopefully get a bit more rest.” He replied.
 
He found it hard to believe his own words there, though he was not lying. What he stated was the plan, but rarely did their luck hold to allow things to go that smoothly.  
 
Valentine sighed and gave him a worried look, “Alright, my Love. But if you start to feel worse, please get checked out. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
 
He shrugged and gave her a mischievous grin, “I don’t know, fight Gadget for Jefe?”
 
She gave him a rather unhappy look, “Really?”
 
He shrugged, “Not met many women who didn’t like or want him, an’ they were usually in denial. Me on the other hand, I can find more that dislike me than like me… must be a gift.”
 
“To be desired by many women?” She asked.
 
“No, to piss enough of them off, so to be left alone!” He retorted with a grin.
 
“Hey!” She scolded, as she threw a dish towel at him.
 
He caught it and threw it back with a chuckle, “Heh! Now, don’t get over excited. Not my fault I seem to know what women want but don’t have any myself.”
 
“And what is that?” She asked.
 
He wrinkled his brow for a moment in thought, “Not sure ‘bout the right term for it… Charmin’ arrogance, maybe? An’ I don’t mean it in a bad way. Jefe is just always very sure of himself, an’ has this certain charm that comes with it. If I act too sure of myself women think I’m an asshole.”
 
Valentine frowned, “You’re always too hard on yourself, that is the problem.”
 
He frowned and grunted, “Hhmmph! Not hard enough, I reckon. Messed up gettin’ Maplewood an’ Jefe wasn’t too happy ‘bout that outcome.”
 
“You saw Fernando?” She asked surprised, though he thought he told her he had before they left the safehouse.
 
“Briefly. That’s when he told me to bring you here an’ get ready for everyone else. We have another royal dog an’ pony show tonight then everyone is comin’ here.” He said.
 
“That will be a late night for some of the girls, won’t it? The palace is not that close, and those events always go late.” She said, showing that she was always thinking of someone else.  
 
Hondo shrugged, “It is, but I figure Jefe will use that time stick of his an’ zap us just short of the ranch’s front gate.”
 
“Too bad you did not have one of those.” Valentine said.
 
He shrugged, “I manage without one. Not sure I really want one, anyway. A lot of responsibility to use it right. Not sure if I could even use one. Probably not special enough. An’ if I was, I reckon whoever hands them out doesn’t think I’m ready, worthy, or capable, I reckon.”
 
“Why not ask Fernando for one?” She queried.  
 
He shook his head, “That’s not somethin’ someone asks for. Besides, if he could, he obviously doesn’t think I’m ready, an’ I tend to agree. Can’t have a bunch of folks bendin’ time an’ space without havin’ somethin’ go to hell. I’d just mess somethin’ up with it worse than I have messed things up already by underestimatin’ Maplewood!”  
 
She did not argue this time as she knew he was just grousing, as he felt frustrated from everything that had happened. As he spoke, she got the feeling that more had happened while he was chasing Chip than he would admit, but she left that alone. Whatever it was, he felt that he should not or could not tell her, both of which hurt, but she loved and trusted him too much to take it too personally.  
 
With the food now ready, she dished up a plate for both of them, setting his in front of him, then taking hers and sitting down beside him.  
 
He took a couple bites and nodded approvingly, “Damn good! Even has the spiciness how I like.”
 
“No tabasco needed?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
 
He shook his head, “Not at all!”
 
She smiled, “I’m glad you approve. I usually can’t make it this spicy as we have others eating with us that don’t like spice as much as you do. I think this is the first time I’ve made it with just the two of us, actually.”
 
“I think you’re right... An’ you don’t generally like the level of spice that I do either, so your tongue has to be burnin’!” He replied.
 
She smiled and shook her head, “Not really. I’ve been snacking on hot peppers for a while, trying to get my tolerance up so I can enjoy the food you like with you, … plus I’m drinkin’ milk, not coffee, so that helps.”  
 
“You didn’t have to do that for me.” He replied seriously.
 
Her face got really serious as she looked into his eyes, “I wanted to, though. I want you and want to share life with you, as much as I can for as long as I can… Fernando has a lot of charm and maybe most women desire him. I will not say that there isn’t an attraction there, but he’s family to me. I.. I have no one else but you and him, you know. If I lost you, of course I’d go to him and hope for comfort, but not because of some secret desire, but because I trust him and care about him like family, understand?”
 
He frowned, “Sorry, darlin’. I didn’t mean anythin’ by it. Guess I’m worn out, abrasive, an’ surly, an’ even my jokin’ has suffered for it.”
 
Shae gave him a wry grin, “I love many things about you, and you do make me laugh at times, but even when normal, your sense of humor is not somethin’ that drew me to you, as I only understand it half the time.”
 
He nodded, “I reckon that’s fair.”
 
“Now eat up before it gets cold.” She said, her smile softening.
 
They finished their meal in relative silence, each just enjoying being close to their loved one and each pondering and fighting with personally feelings of doubt, frustrations, and misgivings.
 
Once finished, Valentine took the dishes to the sink and started washing up from their meal while Hondo went through the pantry, fridge, freezer, and dry storage again and finalized the list for Shingo, for the second food truck delivery.
 
As he was writing down a few last items on the list, his phone went off in his pocket. He fished it out and looked at the small screen on it, seeing it was Fernando’s number. He flipped it open and stuck it on speaker phone so he could continue writing.
 
“Yallow?” He said as he set it down.

“Good morning Charles and Hondo. Hope your day is good so far.” Fernando says to them, signaling to them both that they were on a three-way call.
 
“It is what it is...” Charles replies.
 
“Yeah, just busy here. So, what’s up?” Hondo says and asks.
 
“A few things. Charles, call the agency to get you some Explosive Tungsten Carbide Bullets for the guns you have. Hondo, I have half a box of them in .45ACP format. I think your revolver can take them. But both of you be warned, they will chew up the gun’s barrel quickly.”  Fernando explains.
 
“Why the Dum Dum Bullets?” Charles asks.
 
“I heard that there will be another attack at the Palace, and they will be wearing anti-ballistic amour vests, so hitting them with what you have will not take them down. The Dum Dum bullets will.” Fernando explains.
 
“I’ll call the Agency to get me them.” Charles replies.
 
“Good. Charles, for you there will be a Limo Bus for 20 people. Use it to move your people from the palace to Hondo’s Ranch after the dinner party. I will also have a Limo Bus for the people I have. Hondo will take Val and Monty to the Ranch in their Mustang.” Fernando explains.
 
“Anything else?” Hondo asks.
 
“One last thing.” Fernando begins. He lets out a sigh before he begins to say, “When we go in, Dale and Monty will be taken to another room for a moment. I was told that there would be somebody being a Dale Imposter – pretending to be Dale. I do not want either of them involved in capturing this imposter.”
 
“We know who this imposter is?” Charles asks.
 
“It’s Chip.” Hondo says.
 
“Yeah. And he’s shot up Downtown Tokyo where I am and I shot him back, I know I hit him but my bullets did not take him down, so he must be wearing some body amour. Which is why I called for the Dum Dum Bullets. But I was also told that he may not be alone and they might be wearing body amour too. So, beware. There will be lots of innocents around, so taking them down will have to be fast and quick. The palace can deal with the clean up later. After the clean-up, Dale and Monty can join the party.” Fernando explains.
 
“Sounds like a lot of work...” Hondo says.
 
“We’ll get it done though.” Charles says.
 
“Alright. Charles, the limo bus will be at the hideout at 4o’clock. Keys and papers will be in the glovebox. It runs on Diesel. Get your stuff together at the hide out for some down time weekend at the ranch. It would be big enough to pack all your things and people. I will have my limo bus with me and Gadget. I’ll see you all at the palace dinner party.” Fernando tells them.
 
“See you there.” Charles says before he hangs up.
 
“So, Chip is going to be there? hmph!” Hondo says.
 
“It’s a trap to get him, so act like he’s Dale, which is why Dale and Monty need to be put away in another room. Chances are he might have his Yaccusa friends there, all with body amour, which is why I want you and Agent Charles with Explosive Rounds to deal with the body amour.” Fernando explains.
 
“We need him alive?” Hondo asks.
 
“He’s wanted Deal or Alive; preferably Dead for the drive bys he’s been doing around Downtown Tokyo lately.” Fernando tells him, adding, “I’d prefer to be the one that puts the killing blow into his head. I’m more worried his friends attacking as well, but we need to be sure of our targets. There might be a Clone Chip there with the Uruguayan contingency. So be aware of that.” Fernando says.
 
“Looks like we are in deep.” Hondo says.
 
“Yeah, ‘The Ocean is deep and it’s full of crabs.” Fernando points out.
 
“You will need to explain that to me one day.” Hondo says.
 
“It’s simple – the mission is full of dangers and consequences. Nothing more.” Fernando explains.
 
“An’ I thought it was some sort of agency coded babble.” Hondo replies.
 
“I’ll see you at the party tonight. Take care and be careful.” Fernando throws in.
 
“Yeah, thanks. You too.” Hondo says before they both end the call together.
 
As Hondo flipped his phone shut and put it into his pocket he saw Valentine staring at him worriedly.
 
“Chip is going to be at the royal party?” She asked, almost hesitantly, as she dried her hands off on a bar towel.
 
Hondo sighed and nodded, “*Sigh* … Seems like. Guess we’re gonna try to trap him, or at least that’s the plan. I’d rather just try to beat the shit outta him, then blow his brains out, the moment he walks in the door, but if he has body guards ‘round like he had when I lost him… *sigh* Damn! If I hadn’t of underestimated him we’d not be in this mess!”  
 
Again, she could not help but feel there was more that was frustrating him about it than what he was saying, but she left it alone.
“We’ll get him tonight.” She said softly.
 
“No. Jefe, Charles, an’ I will try to get him. I want you with the others. No guarantee that he won’t have some of his back-up crew goin’ after Gadget or even you an’ Fernando’s girls. Fernando’s older girls know how to take care of themselves for the most part an’ they will look after their younger sisters. Still, I want you there with them, helpin’ them stay safe in case things go wrong.” He said, half lying as mainly he wanted her out of the line of fire.  
 
He worried that though she seemed better, and though she froze a bit that one day they met Shingo and snapped out of it in time, that she was yet far too fragile to handle a task like this. Above that, Chip had made things personal between them years ago, when he turned Gadget against him. He had been the bigger man and walked away before, but back then Chip was just a self-serving dick. Now, Chip was dangerous, and after what he had done to Gadget, Tammy, and Lawhinni, and the danger he had put Valentine into,as well as being responsible for setting those on them that hurt Valentine, Hondo was going to get his pound of flesh from the munk this time. Though what Chip had done to him and almost done was bad and angered Hondo, he would have settled for someone else killing the bastard for harm against himself. When it was those he cares about, that was a different matter entirely.  
 
Valentine nodded, seeming a bit sad, “I understand.”
 
“Don’t be upset, Darlin’. I need you watchin’ the others.” He said, seeing her look.
 
“It’s not that. Just … Poor Gadget. This has to be hard on her.” She said, half lying herself this time,  
 
She did not want to question him, as she knew he had his reasons, but she felt he was keeping her away from the action as he saw her as too broken, still, to be of any good. She hated to lie to him about her feelings, and usually felt she could share with him though he all too often hid his feelings from her, but she worried that if he thought she was upset about not being with him when facing Chip down, that he would not let her do more in the future, taking her attitude as proof that she was too broken and no good for what he needed.  
 
He nodded, “Yeah. I’m sure it is, but she has Jefe.”
 
Val nodded, “Yeah… I tried to be there for her too, but… Well… I’ve been a bit too messed up to be of any real help, and.. well, we just don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. We don’t share the same standards, values, or principles…. I know there are plenty of women who make men think we don’t, but some of us do.”
 
“She’s always been a bit of an airhead, though she’s genius smart, but she used to be extremely modest an’ sexually reserved an’ restrained, some even called her a prude for not bein’ lose an’ free sexually…*sigh* … I don’t miss many of the café bastards, I tell you. Horny, perverted assholes… Anyway, after all she’s been through, I reckon she was bound to change in some ways.” He replied seriously.
 
Valentine grabbed her forearm self-consciously, and nodded, “I understand that. It.. it doesn’t take as much as some would think it does to shake their world and change them forever, but after what she went through… Maybe that’s why we can’t connect.”
 
“To be fair, Gadget had a hard time connectin’ with anyone before. We hit it off as I rescued her ass from a tight spot an’ I could talk tech with her. There was another genius tech nerd ‘round from time to time, what was his name… Zappy or somethin’ like that. Think I heard he works with Chuck an’ his team of spooks on an’ off now, but he worked with the Rangers some an’ Chip had a fit as Gadget used to faun over him, so I hear tell. That was before I met her an’ the others. He had no interest in her, though, other than a fellow Brainiac, but like others, Chip turned her against him an’ drove him out like he’s done to anyone who didn’t stroke his ego first and foremost.” He replied.
 
Valentine just sighed and nodded, “I get not bein’ easy to connect with, given her past. Losin’ my dad like I did an’ watchin’ his friends, my adopted uncles, get killed tryin’ to protect me as I ran away… I was just a kid still. It was not much before that when those guys tried to rape me at that engineering firm I was apprenticing at. I pulled into myself and held most all strangers at bay, so I understand that… I understand most of it, honestly, though I don’t want to. I at least still held onto most of myself. After going through all she went through, is there any of the old Gadget left?”
 
Hondo shrugged, “I don’t know. Not that I saw, but she’s not even had a chance to recover yet, which is why she’s so clingy an’ protective of Jefe. She needs someone she sees as strong to prop her up, an’ he saved her an’ healed her. Maybe some of it will come back out if she’s given a chance to heal. Until then, it’s hard tellin’ not knowin’.”
 
About then a sound of a truck driving behind the pool fence and around to the loading dock caught their attention.
 
“Must be Shingo or the hands with our supplies.” Hondo said as he sat down his empty coffee cup on the island bar.
 
“Need help out there?” Valentine asked.
 
Hondo shook his head, “No, we should be alright. I could use more coffee though.”
 
She smiled softly at him, “That I can do. I’ll get the coffee started then head down to those staff quarters and make them up for Charles and his crew.”
 
Hondo walked up and kissed her quickly.
 
“I love ya, woman. You know that, right?” He asked softly.
 
She nodded, “I do, though some days I’m not sure why.”
 
He gave her a mischievous grin, “Well, the way ya sucked the soul out through my dick last night might have a little to do with it.”
 
She gave him a fake frown and smacked his arm.
 
“You are a bad man!” She scolded while trying not to smile.
 
“Unfortunately, we have too much to do today to show you how bad I really am, but maybe tonight.” He said with a grin.
 
She blushed and looked into his eyes, “I’d like that.”
 
He nodded, “Then we’ll see what we can do, but I’d better go meet them an’ help before they come lookin’ an’ find us in the middle of somethin’ an’ less than dressed.”
 
He kissed her again quickly and headed on out through the pantry to the loading dock, leaving her no time to reply. She looked the way he went for a moment before smiling softly to herself, and then turning to start more coffee in the 4-cup pot she had pulled from the back-storage room. Once the coffee was made, she left the warmer on to keep it hot for him, and then headed on down through the staff entrance to the staff rooms to check them out, main the beds and leaving fresh towels and such in the rooms, as if they were guest suits. The only real difference was the shared kitchenette, and shared bathroom and showers, the bedrooms were still private and almost nicer than the single rooms with private baths, but they were made for long staying staff, not short-term guests.  
 
,-,-,-,-,-,
 
After Hondo left he met Shingo and a guard of whom he did not know at the loading dock, where they were unstrapping secured crates that sat in the back of one of the ranch trucks.
 
“Hondo-san, you sleep well? All good here?” Shingo asked.
 
Hondo nodded, “I slept very well an’ the place is great. It’s a bit fancy compared to what I’m used to, but not gonna complain ‘bout that!”
 
After some other pleasantries and light talk, Shingo introduced him to the guard with him, who was one of Yuudai’s trusted men and would be handling security from the ranch and up the road to the lodge, along with one other of whom he would meet later. After some brief conversation on the possible threats and how Hondo wanted security handled, the men got to work unloading supplies onto the loading dock and moving them into the staging area just inside.
 
Once done Shingo walked up to Hondo, “You have more list, Hondo-san?”
 
Hondo nodded and pulled a list from his pocket and handed it to him, “It’s not as big as the first one, but there’s some things we definitely missed last night.”
 
Shingo looked at it for a moment then nodded, “I will have ordered. Should be here same time tomorrow, maybe before. Nine o’clock in morning maybe.”
 
Hondo nodded, “That should work.”
 
“You need help put food away?” Shingo asked.
 
Hondo shook his head, “No, but thank you. My wife an’ I can handle that.”
 
“Anything more, Hondo-san?” Shingo asked.
 
“Well, Val an’ I will be leavin’ in three hours or so, as we need to go back to town to get ready for the royal dinner tonight. It may be late when we get back, but we will be with the others. Can’t say what we all will be drivin’, but I’ll lead off with this car, so let Clint know so he can tell the others. Should be a full house.” Hondo answered.
 
Shingo bowed slightly, “I will tell him. Be careful, and I will speak with you again at delivery tomorrow.”
 
Hondo nodded, “I’ll talk at y’later, then.”
 
Shingo bowed again slightly in response before turning back to the pickup, the guard following suit. As they left Hondo went about putting stuff away as well as he could, with Valentine joining him about half way through. Once it was put away, Valentine did a bit more organizing of certain items while Hondo headed down to the vault, where he had stowed their extra weapons and ammunition, and grabbed out a standard G.I. issued 1911 from their stash, along with a waist-band holster for it and a couple spare magazines. With those in hand, he headed out to the shop.
 
Out at the shop he went over the gun. He cleaned and oiled it, put a few snap-cap dummy rounds in it to dry fire it and check that it manually cycled right, tweaked the sights after using a laser bore-sight round in it, test-fitted in in the holster, and loaded its original magazine with regular ammunition, while leaving the other two empty to fill with the ammo that Fernando had for him when they met up. Once he was fairly satisfied that the gun would perform, he stuck it into his waistband and headed back to the main lodge.
 
At the lodge, Valentine had just finished reorganizing some of the food and laying out food into the kitchen fridge and cupboards for breakfast, lunch, and snacks between meals for the group when Hondo returned. Together they went over some meal plans, planning to grill meat for several of the meals, due to the lavish barbeque setup on the patio, just outside the kitchen, and once done, separated again to finish cleaning, preparation, and checking of the rooms, main gathering areas, front and upper porch, patio, pool, hot-tub, and other amenities, meeting up again in the kitchen for a quick sandwich and potato sticks around 1:00 pm.  
 
After swallowing a mouthful of a turkey, ham, bacon, sharp and provolone cheese with hot mustard, mayonnaise, tomatoes, spinach, and onion sandwich, made on a sourdough hoagie, Hondo nodded approvingly.
 
“That hits the spot.” He said.
 
Valentine smiled, “Glad you like it. I’m actually surprised they had all this available here, without really having to make any substitutions.”
 
“Well, he did buy from a company that specializes in bulk foods for businesses so I reckon there is some call for these type of foods for American an’ European type gatherin’s. Probably couldn’t find some of this in a normal store, but that’s to be expected. Might seem like simple fair to some, but sorta a taste of home. Just missin’ that broccoli slaw an’ some cold baked beans. Would remind me of hayin’ as a kid then.” He replied.
 
“So, what next?” Valentine asked.
 
“I reckon we should head back to the safe house, make sure everyone’s ready to go an’ getting’ packed up an’ such, as Jefe might have his hands too full to wrangle that mob, then get ourselves ready for that party. If we have some time, might drive ‘round a few of the neighborhoods there too.” He replied.
 
“Lookin’ for those girls?” Valentine stated more than asked in a soft tone.
 
Hondo frowned and nodded, “ *sigh* … I’ve been worried ‘bout them. They shouldn’t be out there alone, it’s just not right… none of it!... What they’ve gone through, what was done to them, what was taken from them, none of it.”
 
“I want to find them too, but you can’t blame yourself. You’ve done all you could.” Valentine replied, trying to reassure him.
 
“Have I?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
 
“Of course! What else could you have done?” She asked.
 
He looked at her seriously for a moment before glancing down as if staring at his food, though he seemed to be staring past it, far past it.
 
She looked at him puzzled for a moment before she remembered what he said about the woman with the cyborg arm and purple hair.
 
“Oh… that.” She replied quietly, with an air of sadness in her voice.
 
“Yeah… that.” He half growled.
 
“do.. do you regret not takin’ her up on her offer?” Valentine asked quietly.
 
He let off a frustrated sigh before answering, “*Sigh!*… Yeah, but not because I wanted to #$@! that crazed bitch! … I.. I never want to hurt you an’ know it would, even if there was no love in it, an’ there wouldn’t be. Not with her nor any other.” He said, thinking of Yuri at the same time and what he was going to do about her demands, “ but if somethin’ happens to them, or we never find them, I’ll definitely feel guilty ‘bout it. Hell, one way or the other I’d end up feelin’ guilty an’ that’s half of what pisses me off! … I wonder some days if I have what it takes to keep livin’ this life.”
 
She shook her head sadly, “It’s not you that doesn’t have what it takes, it me.”
 
“It’s not you fault.” He half snapped, though he did not mean to.
 
“But it is!” She exclaimed, “You’d have done it to save those girls, in a heartbeat, if it wasn’t for me!”
 
He shook his head, “Don’t think that way. I didn’t do it because of you, I didn’t do it for you… for us, an’ because maybe I’m too sentimental… Hell, I could have just done it an’ not told you, like you told me to do after I told you ‘bout it, or told you an’ expected understandin’ even if it hurt you, as if we live for a long time like Jefe says, due to those pills he gave us, it might not be the last time. I want to think of you an’ do what’s right by you but I can’t let my bein’ sentimental get folks killed. We are rescuers on a mission. We do whatever we can, short of gettin’ ourselves killed on purpose, to save lives. I feel like I failed that somehow, but I’m not sure I could do it without feelin’ like I failed you.”
 
She stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again softly, “I.. I know it will hurt, but I would rather you be with another woman for a time to save an innocent life, or for whatever reason you feel you need to, as long as you always come back to me. I’m not sure whether knowing or just wondering will be harder to deal with, but I will learn to deal with it… I love you and trust you, so very much, you know? Just… just promise me you’ll always come back to me… I need you to come back to me.”
 
“Of course, I will. I’ll only leave for good if you purposely drive me away. I’m still not sure ‘bout it all, though. It’s probably all a moot point anyway. Findin’ them will be like findin’ a needle in a hay barn, stuffed to the rafters, an’ I am not sure she will offer me the chance again anyway. Enough of that, anyway. We need to finish an’ get goin’.” He replied a bit gruffly.
 
Valentine merely nodded in reply before going back to her lunch, both eating in relative silence.  
 
Once done they grabbed what they needed to and headed to the mustang, driving away without saying a word. It was a good hour into the ride back that Valentine finally broke the silence, talking to him about plans for the night and occasionally chatting about other lighter items, though both refrained from the topic of the girls, as both felt a weight on them and neither of them liked how it was going.  
 
Once back in the safe-house neighborhood, they drove a lap around some of the closer streets, but saw nothing again, not expecting to, honestly, as the girl, Tonya, admitted that they moved mostly at night. After about 30 minutes of that they drove to the safe house and went inside, meeting up with Rachel, who filled them in on her father’s plans and the arriving limo-vans.  
 
After making sure everyone was packed and Monterey Jack’s stuff was placed into the trunk of the mustang, Hondo and valentine dressed for the party, Val dressing in a more local style dress kimono, that had some American/European flare, and putting her hair up in a bun, using some decorative type chopsticks that Fernando had given to her, while tucking one of her smaller guns and some extra ammo into a matching clutch type handbag, along with some money, a credit card, and her identification information, and hiding the smaller twin to Hondo’s derringers, one of her last birthday presents from him, into a garter type holster around her thigh. Hondo dressed as he normally did for these events, formal yet somehow still very much in his own style., dressing in a grey sort of western suit with black embroidery on the lapels, a grey shirt, a black vest with maroon paisleys, a maroon string tie, a grey felt Stetson, and a pair of shined up snake skin boots. His black shoulder holster and dark colored revolver blended in so well that even if he opened his coat they were hard to see. He tucked a knife in his boot, another up his sleeve, and put the 1911 with waistband holster in place, before sliding a derringer in his pocket.  
 
As they were dressed before anyone else, Valentine helped Fernando’s younger girls get ready while Hondo looked over some last-minute things over. Before they left he tore a piece of paper out of a yellow scratch pad that lay by the houses phone, and jotted a quick message on it, and tapped it to the door of the room that the girl, Tonya had stayed in. The message read: *Girl, if you come back, please give us a chance. We are not gone, just out. Will be back soon.* and he sighed it from *The Cowboy*.
 
A little after 6:00pm they loaded up, Monty riding with the others in the more spacious limo for now, leaving Valentine and Hondo to talk alone as they followed the limos, though they did little of that, both having a lot on their mind.
 
They arrived at the palace at about 7:00 pm and parked along side the first limo. Once out of their car, Hondo and valentine joined the others as they spilled out of their rides and met up where Fernando was standing.
 
Once given orders the others start to head in with Fernando, Hondo, Charles, and Rachel hanging back to talk. Fernando handed Hondo the ammunition for his 1911 and he loaded the magazines as Fernando spoke.
 
“Rachel, when Chip comes in disguised as Dale, get the girls into the guest room. I’ll get my girls to follow you and the others. Hondo, Charles, we are going to pretend Chip is dale though we know different. At the first sign of him getting angry and trying to pull out a weapon, shoot to kill and take him down. At this point I do not care if he survives, because of the drive bys he’s been doing around Tokyo, He’s killed a few and injured many. But until we get to that point, Monty and Dale will be hidden in another room and we are going to pretend that Dale is getting some sort of medal for a rescue that never happened. Let’s say, he rescued a girl from being attacked and violated in the park and it turns out that girl was a relative of the emperor.” Fernando said, giving them more specific orders after the others were gone.
 
Charles asks, “You sure you do not want him alive?”
 
“Charles, I understand your point, but he was to face the death penalty for his terrorist activities where people got hurt and killed when he had his Asian Mafia friends put a bomb in my first Mustang that Hondo barrowed and blew up when he turned it on by remote control. But with help from his friends he managed to escape his sentencing with the hangman’s noose, and has been doing drive bys like some inner city thug trying to establish his territory. Both the Emperor and the Japanese Parliament put a reward on his ass – dead or alive. I do not care for the money but I’ll make sure you and Hondo get something from it.” Fernando explains.
 
Though Charles nods, he does so with a scowl on this face because it is something that has to be done and he does not want to do it – putting down his friend now turned criminal and terrorist. His only saving grace is possibly arresting him before he needs to take action to take him down. But if Chip draws a weapon that is the line he crossed that will need to put him down.
 
“That asshole needed to be put down for what he did with Gadget and started to do with Tammy.” Hondo states with a growl.
 
“Let’s not make it personal, Hondo. It already is personal with me and I know what he tried to do to you. But he is coming pretending to be Dale. And there will be a group of girls coming with him, we need to separate him from them before we can act.” Fernando explains.
 
“Girls? What girls?” Hondo asks before Charles could.
 
“Long story short. The Emperor from my input took the girls I brought in as a student journalism group and if they do a good job, they will get scholarships for their work. But this group got jealous that they were not chosen and have been trying to infiltrate the group and try to steal the scholarship from them. Somehow they met Chip while he was pretending to be Dale. So the Emperor and I devised this trap to get him and them; they will be suspended from school for interfering and trying to steal the works and scholarships from others.” Fernando explains.
 
“That is #$@!ed up!” Charles says.
 
“Well, that is what we have to deal with. Special Guests and dignitaries will be in the other guest room when Chip disguised as Dale will be brought over to us. We will egg him on to gain his confidence and make him think his disguised is working and then we will try to take him in. But the moment he pulls out a weapon of any kind, he is to be taken down. Is that clear?” Fernando says and asks.
 
“Got it.” Charles says.
 
Hondo gives a tilted nod before saying, “Got it, Jefe.”
 
“Good. Let’s go in.” Fernando says.
 
They nod and follow him inside.
 
What seemed like hours later, as they all waited in the main dining room, Chip entered, being ushered in by a staff member, as the girls with him were ushered elsewhere. As he entered, Rachel and valentine, of whom had talked after they entered, slowly moved the other girls off into the guest room as ordered. Hondo, Fernando, and Charles, meanwhile, pretended to read a fake story in a fake paper about this heroic rescue that Dale was supposedly getting an award for, the who thing cooked up to trap Chip, using his ego and hubris against him, only glancing up as he approached. They greeted him with warm smiles and accolades, each playing a part in keeping the illusion going long enough to put him at ease, though to some degree it pained each one of them, a couple of them to their very core.

“DALE! Get your little munk tail over here! You need to see what they are saying about you!” Fernando yell across the room holding out a newspaper with the story on Dale rescuing a lost princess.
 
Chip walks up to them, not believing what he is seeing or hearing. As he walks to him, all eyes are on him.
 
“Man, you are going to get Japan’s highest honor for saving that girl from the Chinese Slavers!” Fernando says out loud for Chip to be engrossed as to what that would mean: Medals, Honor, and money, lots of money.
 
“Yeah, you know, it was nothing!” Chip says pretending to be Dale.
 
“Don’t be so Modest, DALE!” Charles let out, handing him the newspaper for him to read, “When you save somebody from a royal family from being kidnapped, the whole country owes you!”
 
“You lucky dog, you...” Hondo throws Chip. “New mothers will be naming their newborns ‘Dale’ for the next couple years, some schools will be changing their name to Dale Maplewood and there will be a statue in your honor where you save that girl at!”
 
“I only did what come natural as a rescuer.” Chip says trying to act like Dale.
 
Fernando hands Chip a glass of Champagne, “Thanks to you, this boring dinner is going to be a party in your honor! Who knows, they might even let you start the Rescue Rangers over here, since there is nothing left in America for you and the others. And with Chip gone, you would be the boss of the operations!”
 
“Heh, heh...” Chip lets out.
 
“But there is a problem...” Fernando says.
 
“What problem? I’m here, I should get my reward!” Chip lets out.
 
“That’s the problem.” Fernando throws out.
 
“What?!!” Chip says.
 
“Dale would not be demanding for his reward to be given. He would be patient and wait for it to be given to him.”  Fernando says before reaching over and pulling off the fake red nose Chip is wearing. He then reaches to grab his left wrist “Chip Maplewood, you are under arrest for the various crimes....!”
 
Chip manages to push Fernando away from him, drawing out a gun he had in hidden in his waist band as he ran backwards to the middle of the room, “YOU AIN’T TAKING ME ALI-*!”
 
Expecting this, Fernando was already pulling out his firearms as he was falling down. Others, including Hondo and Charles pull out their firearms and everyone begin to shoot at Chip.
 
Though most went for the body shots, Fernando went for the head shots, releasing six rounds into Chip’s cranium. Chip was dead before he hit the ground. Once on the ground, the shooting had stopped, Fernando, Hondo and Charles, along with a couple of the emperor’s guards step up to Chip’s dead body.
 
“What the F.U.C.K..!” Fernando says as he kneels to one knee besides Chip’s head. He puts on a rubber glove and pokes around, but there was no Grey Brain matter to be found, but parts of a broken computer board inside.
 
Charles seeing the PC Board being pulled out from Chip’s head, says, “Men, we got a problem.”
 
‘First Zipper, now Chip – What the Dang F.U.C.K. Is Going On!” Hondo says.
 
“If This is not Chip, then where’s the real Chip?” Fernando asks.
 
“No, If this is not Chip, then what about Gadget?” Charles asks.
 
“We have the real Gadget, as I took the brain chip the government scientists put into her head out of her. She’s as real as she can be. But you’re right, what about Dale and Monty? They need to be checked out.” Fernando asks and says.
 
 “HMpph! Who would waist the computer power or expenses to build a slap-stick comedy idiot an’ an overstuffed chesse-aholic has-been, is the only real question there!” Hondo growled, his reply mostly sarcastic in an attempt to alleviate the tension a bit.  
 
“True, but we can’t be too careful.” Fernando replied.
 
As they spoke, Charles stepped away and made a quick call, coming back a few seconds later.
 
“I called Sparky and he has a device that can scan their heads to make sure. It’s not perfect, but its fast and is enough to show us if there is a brain in their heads or computer chips.” Charles said.
 
“Good luck findin’ anythin’ in either of their heads. I swear they are both empty.” Hondo replied.
 
Fernando gave a wry chuckle to Hondo’s reply and Charles ignored it, as he talked to one of the staff about letting Sparky in with his gear before they all headed to the smaller private room where Dale and Monty were being kept.  
 
Several minutes later Sparky arrived, with a case containing two odd looking headbands and a laptop. He placed them on Dale and Monty’s head and stared at the laptop screen for a moment. The others, Fernando, Hondo, Charles, the emperor, a couple palace guards, and a couple of Charles’ men stood by and watched.
 
“Well, they are real.” Sparky said after a moment.  
 
Charles Frowned, “This means someone went to all that trouble kidnap Chip and Zipper, then made the Rescue Rangers look bad and got them shutdown. It also makes it more mysterious how the Danger Rangers Appeared out of nowhere and then somehow took over the Rescue Aid Society Missions. I think this can only mean that someone wants the Rescue Rangers out of the way too. But Who?”  
 
“Also, didn’t you and Sparky run into your old team mates, who are now working for the Table? My intel says they also now have a connection in the Uruguay Embassy too.” Burbank, one of men with Charles, replied.  
 
Fernando frowned, “Yeah, they could be connected, but to what purpose?”  
 
“I have no idea, Jefe. But if that’s not the real Chip, where is he? .. Dale? Jack? Any ideas on what happen to him?” Hondo asked
 
Dale frowned, “Well, Monty and I have lost Chip a few times. We’d be in a crowd and look back and Chip was gone and we couldn’t find him. He’d just show up later.”
 
“Aye.. ‘E disappeared loik Dale said a few times, but was just for a couple hours or so then. ‘E always ‘ad a good excuse, an’ was always angry if questioned so we left it alone. Can’t say as ‘e seemed different, but it ‘appened before we got ‘ere to Japan an’ a couple times since.” Monty added.  
 
Charles shook his head, “Means they must grab Chip during one of those time, but which one and where is he now?”
 
Hondo turned to Fernando and spoke softly, “Gadget isn’t gonna take this well.”  
 
Fernando nodded, “I know.”
 
“If he was buyin’ drugs it explains some of him dissapearin’, but was that him?” Hondo asked quietly.
 
Fernando shrugged, “I don’t know. Drugging up the women could have been him and his ego, or it could have been a means to undermine all of us, as he drugged Tammy and was planning on Jeanette I know, so those were digs at me. He might have had plans for Valentine to get at you, but you and I know that she doesn’t trust him so what he had planned one can only guess at, if he did. Right now, those questions will have to wait, though, as we have to deal with the here and now first.”
 
Before Hondo could reply he was interrupted by a palace guard who ran into the room, excitedly.
 
“Sir we got trouble!” The guard exclaimed to the emperor.  
 
Emperor frowned, “What is it? Speak up!”  
 
“Our cameras caught two Men attacking the guards outside of the palace! Also, two black busses came and dropped off more men wearing armor and carrying automatic weapons!!” He exclaimed quickly.  
 
Charles Growled angrily, “Great! They here… Nick, Lance, and The Soldiers form the Table, I presume.”  
 
“We have to get ready.” Fernando said, quickly taking charge of their group as the emperor talked to his men in Japanese, before being hurried off to a safe room.
 
Hondo frowned, “After this we are gonna need a quiet weekend, believe you me!”

They came back as Emperor Ahito and his men led the gust back form the safe room to the room. As Charles hugging Widget While they were checking. Ahito men checking on the killed or Injured guards. As they call the Ambulance  and Tokyo Police came to investigate.  
 
Charles: Is everyone ok?  
 
Emperor Ahito: Everyone is fine Charles  
 
Fernando: Ok we got two emery we are dealing with. One form South America and The Table.  
 
Emperor Ahito: I will get my men to arrest the Table for this.  
 
Charles; It going be way harder to arrest them.  
 
Emperor: Why is that?  
 
Charles; Because. There Leader live in somewhere in the diesters of Saudi Arabia. They are Back by the Saudi Arabia  It going be thought get them to help. Also there is a Rule in Saudi Arabia too. If you Marry. Then you can stay in the same room. But if you not Marry. Then you two have to be in a separated room.  
 
Emperor : I will have a chat with the Saudi President. I am going let him know. That the Table is operating in your area. Also attack me and my gust.  
 
Charles: What you think Nando. Wil this be a good ideal and see if we can get into there country to get the leader of the Table?  
 
*
Then Nick, Lance got back to the Continental Hotel.  
 
As they enter into the Room.  
 
Nick: Dang we didn’t knew they had dummy bullets . That Fernando is smart.  
 
Lance; I know and man he is a prick too.  
 
Nick Checking on Lance. “You hurt? “  
 
Lance: No Love I am fine.  
 
Nick: Ok *Kiss Lance* Then to call The leader.  
 
Nick: Boss. You are right about Fernando. He is Smart and More Changeling. I like that.  
 
Nate (Talking form Saudi Arabia): I know. Our Client tell us about that Blind Mouse. Stand down for now and wait for further orders. I will deal with Fernando when the time is right. So I be calling our Clients and I Heard there Robot Chip Maplewood got shot disabled. So they are making another one. But Right now Stand down. Get some few vacation time off. I will call you back when we got another hit on that Blind Mouse.  
 
Nick: Understood Boss.  
 
Then he hang up.  
 
Nick: Well Love we got some Few Vacation time off. Until our boss call us.  
 
Lance: Cool You know what I want love.  
 
Nick: I Know  
 
(Love making part will be on DA and other site)