Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Adventures of the Wonder Trio ❯ Comrades ( Chapter 2 )

I walk into my office, moaning and groaning, and dump my coat over the back of the nearest chair. It's been a long day - three missing persons, one murder, and a cat stuck in a vent. My coworkers, Wolf and Tak, decided to go out for dinner after the feline incident, but I turned down the offer. My head is sore, my back feels like it's been under a wrecking ball, and I just want some rest.

 

I slump down in the cushioned seat behind my desk and close my eyes. As an afterthought, I buzz my secretary and tell her to hold all calls. This is my time. Unfortunately, the outside world fails to recognize that fact; my cell phone rings.

 

“Damn it,” I mutter, silently cursing my failure to shut the device off. I look at the display screen. It reads: `Wolfie.'

 

I sigh and answer the call.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Neko! You've gotta come down here, quick! This restaurant has the best food in the city!” She pauses to giggle and I here Tak making noise in the background.

 

“Come on, you guys… I'm tired. Can't we all just go some other time?”

 

Tak must have stolen the phone from Wolf then, because it is she who speaks next. “Awww, please, Nefle? We'll make sure you have lots of fun!”

 

Then they're both pleading into the speaker, and my resolve weakens. It's hard to deny those two anything, you know. “Fine,” I say. “I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

 

I hang up, take one last moment to savor the quiet, then stand and don my jacket. The place they went to is brand new, one of those hot, modern places that all the hip people flock to. On my way out, I inform my secretary of my plans and tell her not to expect me anytime soon. Who knows where my colleagues will drag me after we eat?

 

I find the place easily enough, and as soon as I walk in the door my friends are screaming from their table. They wave their hands and make much more noise that I would think is necessary. Trying to hide my face from the other customers, who all stop eating to stare at the source of the racket, I make my way over to Tak and Wolf and take a seat.

 

“We already ordered for you,” they say. “You'll love it!”

 

“Right. Thanks.” I roll my eyes, but a smile escapes me. Truthfully, I probably will like what they've gotten. They know me too well.

 

“Oh, man, does this ever bring me back!”

 

Tak and I look at Wolf, who has taken on a dreamy grin. “Don't you guys remember?” she asks. “Our first encounter with the Silver Phantom. We were out to dinner and the boss called.”

 

“That's right!” Tak declares. “It was really late…”

 

“We were all a little drunk,” I add in, getting into the reminiscent mood.

 

We all laugh at that, because we recall that experience all too well…

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

“Go! Go! Go! Go!”

 

Tak and Neko chanted excitedly as they watched Wolf down a glass of whiskey. She swallowed every last drop, then slammed her glass on the counter and made a face of disgust.

 

“My eyes are watering!”

 

“Your turn, Nefle!” said Tak, who had already performed the deed. A hiccup followed her statement, and all three girls began giggling like mad.

 

“Okay, okay,” Neko said, drama laced in every syllable. She held out her hands, signaling for quiet, and stared intensely at the drink in front of her. Her friends looked on in drunken reverence.

 

“Here goes everything.” With that, Neko chugged the beverage down. When she was finished, she almost dropped the glass. Fighting to hold back a series of coughs and sputters, she announced, “We've done it, ladies! We're amazing!”

 

There was a general round of concurrence to that, and afterwards the companions decided they'd stick with water the rest of the night.

 

Later, when they were all slightly more coherent and seated comfortably in a restaurant booth, Tak's beeper went off. She brought it to eye level to see who was calling on her.

 

“It's the boss!” she informed them. “He wants us in his office now.”

 

Neko cast a wistful look at the plate of French fries they'd ordered. “Can we take some of these with us?”

 

They exchanged glances and nodded. Five minutes passed, and they were gone, leaving the money for their bill on the table and holding fries in their shirts.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

“Ladies, I've called you here at this hour for a very important reason.” Tak, Wolf, and Neko were sitting across from their employer on the top floor of his company: Miner Corp. The huge syndicate was the largest crime fighting agency in the region, well known for its incredible spies and investigators. The girls had been hired there a couple months after their run in with Big Daddy Twiggy. Their defeat of the big name criminal had garnered them a huge amount of attention in the industry. They were professionals now. And highly sought-after ones, at that.

 

“You see,” the boss went on. “We've received a tip off about the Silver Phantom.”

 

“Are you serious?” Wolf exclaimed. The Phantom was a major catch.

 

“Quite, my dear. And I want you three to follow the lead. Your mission starts tonight.”

 

“All right! This is great!” Enthusiasm was plain as day in Neko's tone.

 

“I certainly hope it turns out to be so. I'm putting a lot of faith in you all, handing over such a crucial mission. Don't let me down.”

 

In unison, eager smiles spread across their lips, the companions replied, “We won't, boss!”

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

Soon after getting their objective, Tak, Wolf, and Neko were on the streets, packing the newest weapons and gear, and carefully concealing all of it in their clothes. Their tip off told them that the Silver Phantom had a hidden base somewhere off of Fanart Drive. That particular street was popular among artists and the like, and there was always an abandoned warehouse or two that were sometimes utilized for galleries and shows. The girls surmised that if the Phantom hid anywhere on the drive, it would be in one of those empty buildings.

 

However, that part of the city was relatively new territory for all of them. Crime wasn't big over there; the atmosphere was usually pleasant. Having enough experience to know that walking into a situation unprepared was unwise, they decided to call for help.

 

The number they dialed was that of an old friend's. The device rang once, twice, three times-

 

“Hello?”

 

“Dicey baby, we need your unmatched skills and innate knowledge!”

 

On the other end of the line, Mr. D., now known as Devildice, smirked slightly and shook his head. “What is it this time?”

 

“The Silver Phantom,” Neko said, taking on a more serious attitude. “What can you tell us?”

 

“The Phantom, eh? Anything you need, I'll share in person. This is a big fry, and I want in. I'm getting bored around here.”

 

“Great. Meet us on the corner of Fanart and Introductions.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

They both hung up, and Neko smiled to her friends. “He's in, guys. Let's go.”

 

Dice was where he said he'd be, leaning casually against the street sign of their designated location. His stance was nonchalant, unconcerned, but really he was keeping a watchful eye on the intersection. When the girls approached him, he pretended like they were there to talk about the weather. He had to keep a low profile, act naturally. Besides keeping their mission a secret, he also didn't want to be recognized. After the downfall of B.D. Twiggy, the mobster formerly called Mr. D. rose rapidly through the world of organized crime. Now he was the city-renowned Devildice, the terror with the twin scythes. But honestly, being on top wasn't all he'd hoped for. Things got tedious when everyone was too scared to challenge you or too weak to put up a good fight. He'd taken to assisting his old detective allies on their jobs, mostly for the excitement. Getting rid of some minor competition was a perk too. Furthermore, the girls kept him off the police radar. They figured as long as he didn't murder anyone, they owed him the right to his freedom. In return, he didn't cut their heads off. Everyone won, really.

 

“So what do you know about a rumor of the Phantom's base being on this road?” Tak asked, gesturing towards the Fanart Drive sign with her hand.

 

“Well the Phantom changes his location every so often. But from what I've heard, he's definitely around here for now.” Dice looked down the street, scoping out the stores and warehouses.

 

“Good. Then we shouldn't waste any more time,” Wolf said. The others nodded in consent, and they were off.

 

The first half of the drive was all privately run art galleries. They displayed their masterpieces in the storefront windows, surrounding them with lights and flowers. Next came the supply shops, selling all kinds of media and tools. Then, at the very end, built around a large cul-de-sac, were three tall, dark department buildings. Most of their windows were either broken or boarded up. What little grass still surrounded them had grown to huge heights. Not a single speck of light shined from anywhere. Clearly, when not in use, these places were not well maintained.

 

“How do we know which one is the right one?” Tak asked.

 

“Let's check all of them,” Neko suggested, but Dice held out his arm to stop her.

 

“No,” he said. “Look at the one on the right. See the yellow paper on the door?”

 

“Yeah… What is it?”

 

“It's a gallery notice. That one is being rented in a week for a showing. The Phantom wouldn't be there if it's going to be occupied soon.”

 

“So that leaves us with these two.” Wolf pointed at the remaining warehouses.

 

Dice scratched his chin. “You know… I was down here last week on business, and I remember there was another showing in this one on the left… But I've been hearing about the Phantom's whereabouts here for a month or so. That means…”

 

“He's in the middle one,” Neko finished for him. “So let's go!”

 

Entering the building was a cautious affair. The four of them stepped lightly, wary of broken glass, holes in the floor, and any other nasty surprises.

 

Suddenly, Tak stopped moving. “Shhh! Do you hear that? Listen!”

 

They followed her command, and sure enough there was a muffled sound coming from the story above them.

 

“It sounds like someone's up there,” Wolf observed.

 

They all cast significant looks at one another, conveying what no one spoke aloud: The Silver Phantom.

 

Dice beckoned to the girls, creeping off and leading them to a dangerous looking set of stairs. In spite of the risks, they ascended the steps, making as little noise as possible. They reached the top after what seemed like ages, and then noticed something was missing…

 

It was utterly quiet. The sound they had heard on the ground floor was gone. Worse was that they were cloaked in thick, heavy darkness. Dice and the girls were unable to see any more than a few inches in front of their noses. Suddenly, fear settled in. They could be ambushed, killed without ever knowing it was coming.

 

That thought had no more than crossed Tak's mind seconds before an iron grip locked onto her. One gloved hand was clamped tightly over her mouth, suppressing, but not entirely silencing her scream of surprise. Another was conspicuously pressing the cold, hard barrel of a gun to the back of her neck.

 

Neko, Wolf, and Dice, upon hearing their comrade's alarm, made to draw their weapons and quickly realized the futility of it. They couldn't see their assailant. If their aim was off, they could injure Tak. They were helpless. Their enemy let them know it, too.

 

“Don't move, fools! I have your little friend here, and if you so much as breathe too loud, she's gonna get real cozy with my lead pals, you got it?”

 

Afraid for their companion, the others could do nothing more than listen to the voice that mocked them. They kept quiet and still, waiting for more instruction. They didn't have to wait long.

 

“Now here's what's gonna happen. Your buddy and I are gonna shimmy on outta here, and we're gonna disappear all nice-like, you dig? You three are gonna go on home and not say a word to anybody about this. If there's even one whisper of this in the news, this girlie here bites the big one.”

 

Wolf and Neko swallowed hard. The Phantom was taking Tak? Things were going from bad, to worse, to horrendously terrifying far too fast…

 

And Tak, who had been motionless for the entire exchange, now tried to struggle. She did not want to be kidnapped and used as a hostage. However, the chilling pressure of steel on her skin ended her escape attempt. She was scared, and she couldn't even see her friends for support.

 

“We're gonna go now, and you all be good kiddies and keep quiet. We won't have no problems then.” Assured of compliance with the rules, the Phantom grinned and dragged Tak away. The triumphant criminal knew the warehouse by heart, and navigated the floor, stairs, and path to the rear exit with ease. In five minutes, the Phantom and the captive were gone.

 

“Oh, gods, what are we going to do?!” Neko was beside herself. Wolf was in a similar state, and the two girls held onto each other. They'd messed up big. Underestimated their opponent, walked into a place they knew nothing about, and the cost was their friend's safety. What was worse, they were no closer to knowing anything about the Phantom than they were to begin with.

 

“We don't even know what he looks like!”

 

“She,” Dice said, speaking for the first time since their adversary's appearance.

 

“What?” Wolf asked.

 

“She,” he repeated. “The Phantom is a woman. Couldn't you tell by her voice?”

 

Blinking in surprised, the girls realized that neither of them had pain much attention to their enemy's voice, having been too worried to listen right.

 

“That eliminates a big portion of our candidates, you two. Female crime leaders are rare these days.”

 

“Still, that isn't much to go on,” Neko said, slumping against the nearest wall in defeat.

 

“It doesn't matter,” Dice said. Reaching out and locating their arms in the darkness, he grabbed one hand of each girl and carefully led them back downstairs where the light was substantially better. He turned to them both and pinned them with a serious look. “Tak is part of your trio. She's your friend. It doesn't matter what it takes to get her back. We'll do it, even if it's on our own.”

 

Slowly, tentatively, light filtered into Wolf and Neko's eyes. It was the light of determination. “You're right,” they said. “Isn't that what we've always done anyway?”

 

Dice nodded. “Shall we go then? We don't want to keep her waiting.”

 

The three of them left the warehouse and began their trek down the street, shoulders back, heads held high. There was no more room for mistakes. This time, they would succeed. Tak needed them, and that assured their victory.

 

To be continued…

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

The second installment is finished! This one goes out to the lovely Takkeh. Happy birthday, beautiful. I hope it's everything you wanted and that all your wishes come true.

 

All my love,

Neko

 

Personas:

Tak, as herself.

Wolf, as herself.

Dice, as himself… kinda.

And ????? as the Silver Phantom. (To be revealed in the third chapter.)

 

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is a parody. Yay.