Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Hakurei Shrine~ => Patchouli's Scarlet Library => Topic started by: Helepolis on October 16, 2014, 06:50:06 PM
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The Smooth Gentlemen III
Note: It would be highly advised to read the first and second book of this 'trilogy' before reading this one. They aren't extremely long and have, claimed by others, a good reading pace. It will also give you more insight on character development and behaviour.
(How did it even turn out like this, I wasn't really planning on writing this any more. Can someone explain inspiration to us? What is inspiration? Why does it appear or go away that easily. Some gain it through music, some through their experience of life. For me, somehow inspiration fuels or sparks when I am stressed. Not stressed because of some assignment or exam. No, a stress in real life. Struggling to get somewhere, to achieve goals or gain peace. I find it truly odd and therefore this third book suddenly spawned. What started out as a silly story, suddenly takes serious forms? Please watch warmly.)
Previous books:
◆ Book I The Smooth Gentlemen I (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?topic=6496.msg374030#msg374030)
◆ Book II The Smooth Gentlemen II (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php?topic=10227.msg676730#msg676730)
Brief description for the third book:
Graduation exams are closing in for all the schools in the country including Jupiter High. As every graduating student has to prepare for them, however during the preperation things will go terribly wrong for The Smooth Gentlemen. Follow them in their path to achieving their diploma.
Genre: Comedy
Tags: School, daily life, perverted things, action cameras, dramatic poses.
Chapter overview
◆ Prologue - Unprecedented affair (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17525.msg1135934.html#msg1135934)
◆ Chapter I - Game on! (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17525.msg1136481.html#msg1136481)
◆ Chapter II - Eagle without its talons. (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17525.msg1137299.html#msg1137299)
◆ Chapter III - Enter the Dragon. (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17525.msg1140321.html#msg1140321)
◆ Chapter IV - Volcanic Eruption. (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17525.msg1143414.html#msg1143414)
◆ Chapter V - There is always a bigger fish. (https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17525.msg1147327.html#msg1147327)
◆ ...
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Prologue
The keys made a distinctive noise in the evening. The metallic sound echoed through the hallway of Mr. Highway's apartment. Stone tiles seem to amplify the echoing sound, the entire hallway was decorated with them. You could drop a hairpin on the other side of the hall and still hear it fall. Mr. Highway lived in a pretty lavish apartment. It was a tall 7 store luxurious building with four homes each floor. You would think a successful principal as him would live in a villa or maybe a mansion with plenty of green gardens. However, he wasn't married or had an affair and therefore lived alone. That is why he preferred the bustling and busy main streets of his town, mainly to help him more easily attend his daily hobby. A good evening whiskey at one of the local bars, together with friends or other people he knew. One would wonder how come he still didn't had a wife. After all, he was the famous principal of Jupiter High. Students often rumour about his personality or desires.
Some say he isn't interested in women, claiming that he might be homosexual. Others disagree and claim Mr. Highway lives a secret life with a secret mistress. Except nobody knows, as nobody dares to follow or stalk him. But he is clearly spotted by many students and people in the local bars, chatting and drinking and thus all of these rumours remain unconfirmed. Truly a mysterious man indeed.
He opened the front door of his house and entered inside while taking off his shoes. His thick coat was gently hung on the wall along with his fancy hat. Some students made references to Indiana Jones with his coat and hat. Except Mr. Highway was bit more bulky and muscled, therefore quite intimidating to be just Indiana Jones.
Inside his living room he turned on a few desk lights, giving the room a moody fill. Placing his keys and phone on the table he took a glance at the clock on the wall. 17:35 it reported. Upon deciding to walk to the kitchen he stopped for a moment and realised he forgot to visit the supermarket on his way back. Pretty frustrating to have nothing to cook at home. Neither was he feeling on ordering fast food. He preferred to retain his muscular body by working out and eating healthy food. His home was equipped with several weightlifting devices: A bench, various weights and machines. Kind of a private health centre, saves him the trouble of spending money for some lousy gym.
"At such moments, a beloved wife or girlfriend would be really useful" he said sighing.
The cell phone on the table lit up and buzzed briefly due to silent mode. He picked it up and noticed a text message coming in from an anonymous person. Frowning for a moment he swiped his finger to unlock his phone and enter his mailbox.
"Care for a drink? 18:00 The Eagle."
It felt like a joke, none of his friends would even send him a message like this. Especially anonymous people. Quite annoying as he couldn't respond back. Anonymous sources were unable to be traced. They could be blocked by contacting the provider or just setting your phone to reject unknown callers. Right when he was about to delete the message when another one came in, making the phone buzz in his hands.
"Don't hate me because of a small defeat =P"
Mr. Highway started, his face flushing red in slight anger and embarrassment.
"That cheeky bastard." he hissed while gritting his teeth.
With haste he grabbed his keys, his coat and hat and stormed outside his house. The Eagle was one of his favourite restaurant bars. They had good food too and it was not far from his apartment. He could easily walk there within 10 minutes to make it on time.
Arriving at the restaurant he looked around, scanning the street for suspicious cars or people watching him. Being cautious is never a bad idea. Nothing out of the ordinary to see for Mr. Highway. He nods and steps towards the door, but it is opened from the inside by a waiter. As if he was being expected, the young waiter waved inside while holding out his hand to take off his hat and coat. The poor boy was not even reaching the shoulders of Mr. Highway, and most likely intimidated by his presence.
"Mr. Highway?" the young waiter nervously asked. He was slightly shivering.
"Listen lad, I don't like games nor drawing too much attention. So quietly and quickly point me to my table with whoever is waiting for me." with that said he tossed his hat and coat at the waiter who quickly gestured him inside.
It was all the way in the back, away from the main doors. The restaurant had a bar with simple stools to sit close to the booze. Some small tables and chairs were near the main entrance. However, the back had special designed spaces. Surrounded by decorative walls, picturing mainly eagles and desert landscapes, to give the guests a little more privacy. Usually these spots are also reserved beforehand. Which in this case definitely was as Mr. Highway could see from his angle a person's hand resting on the table from behind the cover.
The waiter boy didn't move further and silently stood there without saying a word. Mr. Highway nodded to the waiter boy who quickly scrambled. As he slowly approached the space he got noticed by the girl sitting there. Their eyes met and she smirked for a moment, but the smirk turned into a devious smile. Mr. Highway was definitely not pleased. His eyes flared a mixture of anger, frustration, embarrassment and surprise. But no, he resisted the devious smile. Avoiding his anger to take over.
The girl held out her hand: "Mr Highway, do please take a seat."
☆★☆ To be continued ☆★☆
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Chapter I - Game on!
Crowd noise, buttons being mashed, coins being counted, lights flashing, loud music coming out the speakers. This is the arcade, where many fans or addicted people come to spend their money. Achieving high scores and bragging about them is what everybody desires. Whether you come alone or as a group, there is always a suitable game for everyone. Fighting games, shooting games, puzzle games, rhythm games, you name it.
"Awesome"
"Great!"
"Perfect!"
"Supreme!"
"M M M M Mix Master" the speakers echoes a few times.
Mack's hands and fingers were moving lightning fast. The symbols for hitting the correct buttons moved rapidly over the screen. The score counter and high score counter were rising with each successful hit. A combo counter showed he hasn't missed anything for a while yet. This was a DJ style rhythm game which represents a small mix panel, equipped with several buttons and a jog wheel. At the right moment you press the right buttons or scratch away with the jog wheel. Various rhythm games exist, but Mack prefers this one.
Ever since his dream was to become an Audio Engineer, he's been taking any form of music serious. After his summer break, he will become a fifth year student at Jupiter High. Fifth year meant that exams were going to take place and things were going to become very serious. After all those years at school he still retained his style: He always decorated his appearance by trimming and shaving his head. Each half year he would change the patterns. This time he had two lightning look alike strips running from the sides. On top his head many little arrows were located, pointing in various directions. Mack Back, his full name, was already was dark tanned and the summer holiday made him even look darker. His muscled and tall appearance made him look like a wrestler but his personality is quite gentle.
"Well done player! New high score!"
Leo whistled: "Wow, that is a good score Mack."
"Hah! I managed to erase this person from the Top 10 too" Mack boasted while entering his name into the machine.
Leo looked at the list. It only contained TGMB as player names, all ten in fact.
"TGMB?" Leo asked.
"The Great Mack Back" Mack explained.
"Isn't that a bit lame?"
"No, it is the truth. I am great."
Leo didn't know how to respond to that he shrugged. He checked his photo camera whether it had enough batteries. It was required, as one needed to be ready for mini-skirts. In a dark setting such as an arcade, he required his flash. Leo Knight, blonde haired was like Mack becoming a fifth grader. They have been together with two of his close friends, John and Rico, at Jupiter High. They are the notorious group of boys called The Smooth Gentlemen. While you might think it implies a true gentle and humble man, you're wrong. Mack, Leo and his buddies were and are known to be minor harassers and smooth talkers all for the sake of their stupid perverted desires. Now before we start pointing fingers and calling them criminals we need to consider a few things. A quick check to remind us of our friends.
Mack Back, also known as the notorious The Assman, had an irresistible desire for the peachy hills of a woman. He claims he cannot help it when a girl walks in with a well developed peach. But he won't just openly assault them. As said, they will smooth talk their way towards their goal, only if they are being challenged and tempted. After four years they've become slightly more adult. You would think.
Leo Knight, fancy dressed young lad who kept his blonde hair styled at any cost, was marked as the Upskirt Snapper. His blue eyes would never miss a mini-skirt passing by. Mini-skirts are an opportunity for him to take snapshots. Dutch Angle or Action Shots? He manages them with devious methods.
His other two friends? Also two hopeless perverts. John Butler, a breast loving freak and Rico Martini who prefers the elegant legs. Combining their powers won't yield you a captain pervert or any kind of super power. Recently two more hopeless perverts have claimed to be part of their group. We might encounter them briefly. For now, we have to follow the harassment of these four lads.
Besides, it was Mack's idea to hit the arcades then have some food somewhere this time. For the last days of their holiday they have been hanging out together again.
On the other side of the arcade hall, John was breaking a sweat on the fighting game machines. The fighting game machines were sometimes placed opposite from each other. Connecting the two together would allow players to fight each other in a competitive form or just for the fun. John's favourite game quickly showed that he was quite skilled at it. The K.O text appeared for the opposing player. He put up quite the fight, as it was 3-2 in score for John. They played first to three wins style, a classic setup unlike the default up to two wins.
The losing player peaked around the edge of his screen and noticed John for the first time. It happened, some players would blindly line up on a side to take a shot. John hasn't been moving from his seat since he was non-stop winning.
"The legendary Mr. Butler?"
John didn't really consider himself legendary. Unlike Mack, he really never boasted about his arcade skills. He nodded to the young lad and shook his hand.
"You're really strong! How many wins do you already have?"
"I don't know, not many I think?"
"Stop being so modest, John." Rico said: "You've been at this machine for almost forty minutes."
"Holy shit!" the losing boy shouted: "That is at least more than twenty wins! Assuming that each game lasts 2 minutes!"
Rico grabbed a rose from his jacket, sniffed it briefly and placed it on top of the screen. Twenty four roses. At least Rico was keeping a track of his wins. Except the arcade machine became a bouquet of roses at this rate.
"I am slightly getting tired though" John complained. He stretched his arms and moved his shoulders in a circular motion to suppress the stiffness.
"Want to resign?" Rico asked
"I'll beat you up!" a voice female voice said.
Rico and John both looked at each other trying to figure out who said it.
"Let's go freak, I'll smash you into pieces!"
John and Rico leaned checking around the console when they both recognized the girl taking her seat.
"What the?! You!!" Rico started.
"Miss Verezis?" John asked.
"Sit the fuck down and start the game already."
Avelia Verezis, a good looking but truly short tempered girl who practiced kick boxing as a hobby. She seemed to have let her blonde hair grow longer. Before it was short, now it was around her neck. She also seemed to have dye several parts and applied dreadlocks or braids around. Not sure what to think of the hair style, it did reflect her unstable temper. She recently won the summer amateur championships both versus men and women. But even kick boxers had the right to rest during the holidays but why would she even attend the arcades?
John suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking over, he saw Amy standing with a big smile.
"Uhm, is there anything wrong miss Northwind?"
"Sit, Mr. Butler. And play. You'll be relieved from your winning streak very soon."
John glanced at Amy and scanned her from top to bottom. A fine girl who had the right bonus measurements for his taste. Her long brown hair was this time hanging loose. Usually was either a pony tail or braided. She seemed to have cut her hair bit shorter, normally it would reach almost to her knees. So somewhere during the holidays she decided to make it shorter.
Both Amy and Avelia are students of Venus High, a popular school which had lots and lots of good looking female students. Other male students called it heaven on earth because even the most nerdy girl from that school looked beautiful and elegant. The school had been going some renovation for the past two years but has finished all constructions. Upcoming school year it will start taking in their students again who were spread around the country. Amy and Avelia were from Venus High, but have been attending Jupiter High for the last years.
The crowd around them slowly hushed. An strange atmosphere took place. Whispers and gossips started taking place. Some people pulled in their friends to witness the battle.
"The Silky Ladies" people whispered
"Didn't the Smooth Gentlemen and them held a truce?"
"I heard both sides are seeking revenge"
"I don't like the Gentlemen, I hope she kicks their asses."
Amy gently pushed John down on his seat and turned his head gently towards the screen. Slowly she backed off walking around the machine towards Avelia. It was quite troublesome for John to face the Silky Ladies here, a group which kind of is the nemesis for them. Originally they carried no name, but due to some incidents they have summoned their own group.
"Yo John" Rico said leaning whispering. "If Amy and Avelia are here, that means.."
"Shimuka and Melisa are here too" John said. "How troublesome."
"What shall we do?"
"Nothing." John said smiling.
"Huh?"
"Yo Rose-freak." Avelia shouted from the other side. "Take your shitty roses away, the scent is annoying me. Do it fast else I will stick them up yo-"
Rico shook his head in an dramatic way: "I rather not let you do that to my precious roses." He began collecting them one by one.
"Ok here is the deal Butler boy, first to three wins. Loser hits the road."
John rolled his eyes "And here I am wondering why I cannot leave this chair?"
Avelia jumped half on top of the machine: "If only I could reach out and stick your annoying face into this game and beat it up."
"Hey, you could always pay a game developer to hire me as a model for the next release!"
"I'm going to pulverize you." Avelia hissed. Her green eyes flared up with excitement and rage.
The crowd became dead silent. Nobody talked, nobody whispered. The characters were selected. John would fight with some character who keeps shouting 'ora ora ora' when performing combinations. Avelia selected a character who had straight up going hair which looked some fencer with his abilities.
The announcer from the game sounded, ROUND 1......
Avelia focused, grasping the joystick firmly. It is futile butler boy, futile!
FIGHT!
☆★☆ To be continued ☆★☆
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Chapter II - Eagle without its talons
Avelia started out strong. She quickly dealt a successive series of combo and took the lead 1-0. The match didn?t last for half a minute. The majority of the crowd was cheering for her. Some started chanting songs making fun of John and his friends. On John?s side, people were trying to boast moral. The fight turned into a serious event, as if a stadium full supporters were rooting for their player.
But John didn?t lose because of lack of skills. He in fact didn?t touch his controls at all. He was leaning backward in his seat, taking a sip from his drink.
?Hey, what the fuck you think you?re doing.? Avelia shouted.
The chanting and loud cheering was quite noisy.
?Would you all shut the hell up??
Silence.
John raised an eyebrow and shrugged: ?Well, I am quite tired. Maybe I can finally take my leave from this annoying chair. Don?t they have anything comfortable here to sit on??
Avelia?s face turned red in anger. She rushed over to John and grabbed him by his collar.
?I?ll turn your face into a frikken panda, blacking both eyes if you don?t get serious.?
?Please don?t. Pandas are already endangered species. They would lock me up in some zoo trying to make me multiply.?
"Why you-" Avelia raised a fist, ready to punch him but reconsidered her actions. She gritted her teeth while still emitting a fierce glare.
John silently kept looking down at her. Avelia wasn't as tall as him, barely reaching his chin.
"Fight me, John Butler." she said.
"I refuse."
"You have nothing to choose. Fight me seriously!"
"Why? Why is it that you Venus High girls keep competing with us. What is that you want from me and my friends?"
Avelia blinked in surprise. Her glare disappeared and her grip loosened on collar, letting it go.
Rico was witnessing something strange. He could see it. She softened. What the hell he thought She is reconsidering her personality and actions.
Avelia lowered her head, staring at the floor. She looked both annoyed and trouble. Amy noticed her sudden mood change and jumped in. She grabbed Avelia and tossed her over her shoulder as if she was handling some kind of bag. Avelia didn't move or respond to anything. She just let herself silently hang over Amy's shoulder.
"We will continue this another time, Mr. Butler."
They left without any further commotion. Eventually the silence got broken by people slowly moving on. Some called it lame, some expressed their frustration for the anti-climax. Among the shuffling and moving people John scanned around for Melisa or Shimuka but they were nowhere to be seen.
John breathed out nervously "I thought she was going to destroy my face."
"She was about to cry." Rico said sniffing a rose in a dramatic way.
"What?"
"That girl, she was about to cry if Amy didn't take her away."
"But I didn't say or do anything to her." John said, "I've never seen her even fell silence like that."
Rico let the rose gently fall to the floor: "I think we should go have our dinner."
Agreeing that they've spent too much time at the Arcades already, they headed over to Mack and Leo who were far too busy to even notice what just happened.
* * * * *
Mr. Highway tensed ?You?re scheming something aren?t you, Shino??
?Is this that obvious??
?Have you ever checked yourself in the mirror??
Shino smiled ?Daily, only to keep remembering what a lovely girl I am.?
?You?re a demon.? Mr. Highway whispered.
Shino chuckled at first but eventually burst out in laughter. ?Yes! Feed me those words Mr. Highway. It only makes me feel more alive.?
?You?re a sadistic and nasty girl that feeds off from poor victims. Seeking pleasure is what seems to move you.?
?And what makes you any different dear Mr. Highway? Surely not your drinking and gambling habit??
Mr. Highway fell silent. They stared in each other?s eyes for a moment. Shino always knew how to draw out frustration and anger from the most calm and controlled person. If she was a vampire, she would probably suck the victim dry until the last drop, regardless of her thirst. Mr. Highway had to fight hard to resist falling into her play but it was futile. She knew him too well, so playing games was out of the question. The only game being played was her game.
Mr. Highway stared at his whiskey glass for a moment: ?You really like to play with people don?t you??
Her eyes shimmered and a small grin appeared on her face. Mr. Highway could feel her excitement and tension rising. She radiated that excitement like the burning sun, incinerating any reasoning or logic that tried to oppose her. This was Shino, the master mind behind the previous two incidents at Jupiter High. Mr. Highway remembered the first time, it was just a silly game he thought. He would pretend that he got assaulted at school and hospitalized for few months. Shino would then allow her notorious group of students infiltrate Jupiter High. She called it a social experiment, to see how the Smooth Gentlemen would respond to the now called Silky Ladies.
In particular she was highly interested in John Butler. Shino predicted John would try to perform her trademark move, which John has been conducting on many female students.His target would be Melisa which would suffice as a form of victory. Knowing this, Shino had intentionally set up Melisa and her Venus High friends against the Smooth Gentlemen. False rumours were spread and small seeds of hate were planted inside the girls. By the time the Venus High girls got transferred, they were certain to oppose and destroy the Smooth Gentlemen. The seeds of hate bloomed and their personality fuelled this hate. Humiliating and turning them in their own slaves is what they aimed for and that is why Mr. Highway had to disappear for a moment. Creating insecurity and chaos would disrupt the friendship among the Smooth Gentlemen. It almost succeeded when John had betrayed his own friends but it was due to saving Leo?s girlfriend, Teresa and not necessary for their own need. Shino felt annoyed and therefore decided to put an end to the first game by Shino-ing Melisa herself.
This event emotionally wrecked John?s mind and soul. Shortly after the incident, he locked himself up in his house and informed his school that he was ill and unable to attend his classes. His friends couldn?t convince him to let it go and pretend nothing happened. After all, they all knew Shino was too clever, too fast and too skilled for them and the result was inevitable. But John refused to give in. He kept on speaking nonsense that it was his destiny to squeeze them and Shino had taken that away, hurting his pride for eternity.
John?s friends were worried he might spiral down into some kind of silly depression about it, they event went far in order to ask help from the Silky Ladies. First they refused but they realised that life would be less fun without proper competition. Finally it was Avelia who went on a rampage, busted the front door of his house and invaded his room. Following was a fight between John and Avelia which resulted in lots of ripped clothes and bruises for both sides. Half naked as they were, they refused to give in but Avelia had already achieved her goal. She resigned by calling him a whiny fuck and left the house. Dumbfounded, John realised what she was up to. She lured out the fighting spirit. Every time John would cross paths with the Silky Girls, his passion would flare up. Leo confirmed that during the fight John was 50% of the time trying to reach for Avelia?s chest. Whether this was intentional or not, it showed he still had it. That spirit which made him achieve his nickname: The Butler. The next day, John was attending school again and competing as usual with the Silky Ladies. He would still aim for Shino-ing them when he had the chance but for now, things were back to normal again.
?Why did you disrupt your game?? Mr. Highway said shaking his head.
?Uninteresting details? Shino cut off.
?Don?t give me that nonsense. Your own game backfired at you, didn?t it??
?Perhaps.?
A moment of silence. It was broken by Shino snapping her fingers to summon the maid girl.
?Lady Shino??
?Give us something to eat. I am sure Mr. Highway is hungry. Today?s menu is fine.?
?Understood? the maid girl bowed and left towards the counter to pass the order.
?Lady Shino?? Mr. Highway asked frowning. ?You?re a little girl.?
?I?m old enough to drink and to be interested in healthy things?
?Your behaviour doesn?t reflect that?
?Your insults are not going to harm me, nor stop me. The final plan has already been started?
Mr. Highway growled, his patience was slowly depleting. ?Tell me about this silly plan. Obviously I am involved else you wouldn?t call me here.?
?Correct! Mr. Highway, a few of your students will be transferred to Venus High. The filthy and lowly students will be honoured to attend my lovely and beautiful school. I am slightly worried about our reputation if the country hears about this. But hey! The rumours would be delicious. The final graduation year for them, at MY school. MY rules. MY students.? Shino started laughing.
Mr. Highway smacked his hand on the table, almost standing up. ?What kind of blasphemy is this? My students? Transferred to Venus High??
The laughing had stopped and he eyed her for a moment. But then it struck him like a lightning bolt. Mr. Highway shuddered, realising what was going on. ?Y-You, you fiend. Don?t tell me.?
?So you finally realised my dear principal??
?The Smooth Gentlemen, you want them in your school don?t you? Do you even know what would happen??
?Exactly! The Silky Ladies returning back to their own school. Their own trusted environment, their own domain. And the Smooth Gentlemen, they will be like gladiators entering an arena full of lionesses.?
? You demon.?
?You will comply Mr. Highway. The new school year. It will be??
Shino suddenly stood up and embraced herself, her eyes turned lewd and her face blushed. There was almost drool coming out of her mouth. Mr. Highway was slightly scared and moved his whiskey glass safely away from her possible-drool-radius.
Shino gasped, letting out a weird noise as if reaching ecstasy ??yes, the new school year will delicious.? She licked her lips and glanced over to Mr. Highway who did not respond or move.
?Mr. Highway, I?m counting on you. - - - Ah look, the maid is returning with our dinner. Let us celebrate this moment. Now please, eat Mr. Highway.?
☆★☆ To be continued ☆★☆
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author note: I didn't ran out of inspiration. I had been having some serious RL things I had to settle first. Nothing dramatic or bad, but just things that had more priority than this. Good thing that's settled and thus I focussed on writing the final part of this chapter.
Chapter III - Enter the Dragon
Only few days were left for the new school year to start. It was Wednesday morning and John was taking it easy in the living room with some late breakfast. The long holiday break felt really relaxing. Normally he had to rush in the mornings to catch the bus or subway to school. Eating breakfast was usually done by jamming in few slices of bread and half-way chewing already leaving the house.
The door bell sounded. A voice from outside said it was the mail man. John frowned as he didn't expect anything. He placed his plate away to open the door. It was indeed the mail man who was holding a pretty large envelope in his hands.
"Mr. J. Butler?" he asked.
"Yes, that's me." John replied.
The mail man handed over the envelope. "Sign here please"
Special addressed mail? This had to be weird for John. He signed and greeted the mail man who left. Closing the door behind him he eyed the large envelope. It was quite heavy and seemed to contain a small stack of paper. Maybe it was some kind of magazine? Though he cannot remember whether he had accidental signed up for some adult or erotic magazine. That would get him killed by his parents if they had discovered such things.
With a small knife he carefully opened it and took out the content. The first piece of paper was an official letter. John's jaw fell right open when he noticed the logo. He recognized it in millions and couldn't believe it. He rushed upstairs to his room to grab his phone and already a few messages were incoming. Yes, he wasn't the only one to notice it. His friend Leo had just messaged that he had received the same envelope.
* * * * *
"For fuck sake, really? Venus High?" Leo complained.
The four them, Leo, Mack, John and Rico had quickly gathered together at a local cafe to discuss the matter. All four of them had indeed received the same mail from their school. There was no mistake, the letter announced that several students will be transferred to Venus High. Along with the letter a list of student ID and names were presented. Somewhat less surprising, their four names were also included. Further scanning the list also revealed that Almost all Venus High girls were transferred back. That part made somewhat sense but why Jupiter High students were being moved was unknown. The letter spoke of emergency as the building was unsafe or something along those lines.
For the Smooth Gentlemen, it felt like a set up plan. There is no way that suddenly during their graduation year something like this would occur. They suspected Shino as usual but resistance was futile. She was the principal of Venus High and once again everyone had become her toy in this incident. A regular student wouldn't care. Attending the heavenly Venus High would be a bless for them. For the Smooth Gentlemen, it was safe to be considered hell. They would be literally behind enemy lines. None of them knew the rules or the way students interacted. But knowing the Silky Ladies for so long, they could assure themselves that the other Venus High girls would be similar.
"It is not like we can quit our school either" Rico commented after rereading the letter few times. "We seem to have no choice at all."
Leo nervously clenched his teeth holding his head between his hands: "We're being thrown into a pit with snakes, beautiful snakes but deadly ones."
"I think I'll stay sick at home and only come to school for exams" Mack said.
"Hey that is a good idea!" Leo noted.
John shook his head "It will never work, they would send a Venus High student to visit your home and 'nurse' you back to health."
"Isn't that a good thing" Mack said smirking?
"Yo bro, you don't want Shimuka near" Leo said "Don't you even remember?"
Mack nodded: "The bitch drugged me that time. She was psycho."
Leo shivered remembering that moment: "Back then I thought I was going to die, she was seriously going to inject something into my body."
John sighed and leaned back in his chair. He stared outside the caf? window, releasing that whatever they tried, it would get countered perfectly. He also didn't knew what would happen if they would apply force. Use their special skills to conqueror and force 'respect'.
"John, you're spacing out." It was Leo's voice who was snapping his fingers in front of him.
John sighed again: "Maybe I should talk with Shino herself."
The group felt silent. Not a stupid idea but confronting her ahead before anything has happened. Was that smart?
"I don't think that is going to help us, John." Rico said "What would we gain? Pitty? Information? She already has everything planned out."
John showed signs of frustration. Rico was right, nothing would be gained by confronting her now. Though this was a bothersome situation. Besides, they had also no idea what the fake principal would be like. Shino won't be at Venus High, she will be observing the situation somehow. Most likely it will be Miss Layla and their first encounter with her wasn't quite lovely. She is quite stern and it wouldn't be surprising if every step the Smooth Gentlemen made was to be judged by her. Getting grounded from school would be a disaster, especially as this is their final year.
John gritted his teeth. Why does it have to be exactly during our exam year. This is no longer a game or silly play. Shino seriously is using us as lab rats.
In the mean while the group fell silent and were observing John. Waiting for a reply or reaction. It didn't came. John just silently stared at the table.
"John" Rico said. "We're doing this man, ok? Listen, we need to go through this. Obviously all the odds are against us. Stop sitting there silently like some little kid and start flaring up. What happened to that fire, that energy, that perverted state of mind. You've been acting all weird lately, especially after that incident at the Arcade."
"Incident at the Arcade?" Leo asked
Mack and Leo looked at John, who was still silently staring.
Rico shrugged: "I don't understand it either. There was a 1on1 game battle with Avelia. John refused to fight and Avelia somehow got emotionally affected when John said something to her. She got dragged away by Amy."
"That is not like her" Leo said "What did you say to her?"
John didn't respond
Mack tapped his finger against John's chest. "Yo John, stop being a fucking pussy. Are you giving up on this?"
"Useless.." John mumbled.
Leo blinked "What?"
"It is useless." John said louder.
"The hell are yo-"
John burst out in anger cutting off Leo: "Can't you fucking see? We're lab rats! Test subjects! Pawns! That bitch is driving us into hell and expecting us to act all happy and pass our exams like normal students. This is no longer a silly game we're playing. This is dangerous and we can't do anything about it. Mr. Highway somehow got blackmailed or influenced by her and he is forced to play along."
Silence.
"Even if we disband our name and try to act as normal students, we will be screwed over and over. We don't know how Venus High operates and we got zero intelligence. We don't know how their students are or behave. We don't know if more Silky Ladies-type groups exist. We don't know how the males operate there. One or two mistakes and you're grounded and can kiss your diploma good bye."
After several second of silence John sighed again. "But we'll do it anyway. I still got a score to settle with Melisa. And what is the best place to do that?"
His friends looked surprised.
"You mean, we-" Leo asked.
John nodded.
Mack grinned and cracked his knuckles.
"I see." Rico said: "We're going to defeat them in their own fort. I like this drama."
Leo high five'd Mack in excitement: "I don't care what Shino is going to put up against us. We're the Smooth Gentlemen."
* * * * *
"This is it then?" Leo asked.
They were standing in front of the school gates. The large sign on the wall read 'Venus High'. Around them were gorgeous female students shuffling, making their way onto the yard. Rico scanned the area and noticed familiar faces. The Silky Ladies were standing in front of the building, lined up with the four of them.
"It seems we're being welcomed." Rico said while nodding towards the Silky Ladies.
"So it seems." John said. "Gentlemen? Shall we?"
The other three nodded.
"Let's go."
They lined up as well and walked through the gates.
☆★☆ To be continued ☆★☆
-
Chapter IV - Volcanic eruption
With each step forward, John's heartbeat accelerated. He tensed though tried to show no sign of it. He could feel his hands in his pockets sweating. His calm expression remained but deep inside a voice was screaming in both excitement and terror. Leo glanced around the school yard. He was sweating more visible and his face wasn't as calm as John. He tried to remain a calm and cool pose but with each step his legs felt like rubber. Was this really a smart idea? Drawing this much attention as if some wild west showdown was going on.
Right in front of the ladies they stopped. Silently staring each other down. If this were to be some kind of cartoon, then sparks and lightning would arc from their eyes. The Silky Ladies had a whole different appearance. They all looked more mature and more graceful.
Amy, who was often seen with a pony tail, had her hair loose and unrestrained. Her long brown hair was waving gently in the wind. To avoid the hair from flowing too much and obstructing her face, she wore a hair band to keep the forehead a little clear. Her uniform was unlike her Jupiter High uniform. Female students at Jupiter High usually dressed simple skirts and upper part. The Venus High uniform seems to be made from the finest material, almost glowing under the sun. The bright lemon coloured inner blouse was decorated with swirling patterns. Her collar buttons and upper blouse buttons were undone exposing a portion of chest forming a decent cleavage. The default colour for all jackets was maroon. It showed the logo of Venus High on the chest region, which was a V on a shield surrounding by a circle of stars. The skirt was different for some girls. Some wore black, some wore tan/bronze and others close to maroon. Amy herself wore a maroon skirt with knee socks.
Avelia was always dressed daring at Jupiter High. She always wore a very short skirt and also unbuttoned her blouse way more than it should be allowed. But right now she was fully in the same uniform as Amy but without the exposure of her chest. Not that she had much chest in the first place. Both John and Mack were questionable about her sizes in the first place but Rico said that her fierce beauty was comparable to that of his roses. A beautiful flower but deadly thorns. Her hair was no longer a mixture of dreadlocks or braids but a well prepared mini pony tail. Because of dyed hair and original blonde colour it looked actually quite stylish. A small hair pin supported the front side of her medium length hair. It was green which accentuated her own green eye colours. She looks really refined in her current state which made Rico jaw drop upon spotting her.
Shimuka who had usually twin pony tails also had her hair loose at the back but the front was decorated with a ribbon which held it together. Her spectacles was of a famous brand giving her the typical wise / smart look. However, Shimuka skirt and knee socks were black. Her skirt was the shortest among the four, almost reaching to her buttocks. She didn't expose any chest or upper part of her body. It probably had something to do with her culture where exposing upper part was considered inappropriate but it didn't seem to apply for the lower regions. Mack especially couldn't keep his eyes off her lower curves.
Finally Melisa, John's nemesis. She was fully outfitted in a lemon blouse, maroon jacket but oddly enough azure skirt with black patterns. She wasn't as stacked as Shimuka or Amy but modest. Her long blonde hair was split in several parts, decorated with small ribbons making it look like fashion from several years ago. John never quite managed to make up anything from her appearance and behaviour. She always seems to be hateful and scheming towards him or his friends. He knew that partially it was to blame Shino, who most likely set things up to generate the hatred. This wasn't either love-hate situation, where the person is hostile but deep inside secretly in love. No, there was no such romance between them. In fact, none of them had any romantic feelings for each other. Melisa stroke her long hair placing her hand on her hip.
Avelia stepped forward grabbing Rico's tie with her right hand, pulling him forward. The group tensed immediately. Leo slowly reached for his pocket. John shifted his leg, preparing for a lunge. Amy noticed the suspicious movement and slowly tapped her three wooden swords, which were all three resting at her side. She is wielding three swords now? Leo thought.
Avelia then reached out with her left hand around his neck which made Mack growl for a moment. As if he warning her not to go any further, but Avelia ignored him. She pulled the tie slightly, correcting it around the collar region. She then fiddled the knot making it look more tidy and less wrinkled.
"That is no good Mr. Martini. Here at Venus High, you're suppose to be perfect."
The Smooth Gentlemen were confused. Rico couldn't believe his eyes and ears but Avelia sounded nowhere aggressive or annoyed. Her voice was calm, gentle and refined. Her berserker attitude was nowhere to be noticed.
"Uhm, thanks I guess?" Rico said in confusion.
Melisa snorted: "Are you trying to disgrace our school with that appearance?"
"Hey know listen here you fiend" Mack hissed.
Shimuka though slapped Mack's hands while waving her index finger as a no-no sign. "Mr. Back, such impolite speech is not allowed here. Please mind your language."
"Are you girls mocking with us?" John finally responded. "I don't remember you four being so polite or nice before?"
Suddenly a girl came in dashing looking extremely worried. She wore also the uniform of the school but had a badge pinned. Upon closing in Rico could spot it. Student Council it read. She stopped near the group and greeted the Silky Ladies with a classic bend the knees while slightly holding the ends of her skirt. What kind of greeting was this? It totally confused the Smooth Gentlemen as they no longer understood what was going on.
"Good morning Miss Sanders, Miss Northwind, Miss Verezis and Miss Aoi. I tried to get here as soon as I could but it seems I was too late".
Melisa and the others also greeted her in the same way with a huge smile on their face. If this was some kind of cartoon, then flowers butterflies and birds would be appearing around them. It kind of disgusted Leo and Mack who tried to look away. The girl gasped and held her hand in front of her mouth, looking extremely worried and shocked.
"This is a disaster. How unfitting. We must act quickly before the principal sees this!"
She clapped her hands and suddenly three more stunning female students appeared all wearing the same badge. Each of them grabbed one of the Smooth Gentlemen by the arm and started pulling them towards the school. While the Gentlemen were struggling, the Silky Ladies watches amused.
"W-wait a moment! What is going on here." Leo shouted. "Let go of me! Damn it, your grip is quite strong for a delicate good looking lady like you."
"Please stop resisting. Your outfits are a disaster! You cannot just attend school like this! Didn't you order your new uniform?" the girl ask while pulling Leo.
"Huh? Order a new uniform?" Leo asked. He glanced over to John and others who all shook their heads.
"Each student was sent a form with their invitation letter, an uniform is required here."
John suddenly realised there was indeed another piece of paper which required to be filled out but he had discarded it as it sounded too troublesome. Bad mistake he realised.
The four them got dragged into a room which looked like a large dressing room. It had stools, tables and mirrors. Rows of female uniforms suspended from carts looking in tip top shape. The door closed behind them and the other three Venus High students shuffled around.
"My name is Rachel Glassdove and I am the vice president of the student council. I had heard about the arrival of you four and tried to do my best to see if everything is going smooth. Unfortunately, you're all four a mess so we need to fix this."
Leo made a few poses "I am looking quite tidy if you don't mind miss Glassdove. And nowhere near a mess."
The other three girls from the student council giggled.
"Now now girls. Please behave yourself." Rachel said firmly. "Mr. Knight, at our school we take class and beauty serious. We're for a reason the most beautiful and classy school in the country. Surely your previous school, which I prefer not to name, cannot compete with Venus High?"
"Yo girly, do you really have to keep insulting our school?" Mack asked frowning. He was clearly unamused by everything so far.
Rachel sighed rolling her eyes: "You see, this is what the problem is with you men in general. You only think with your thing below and never truly understand what it is about. I've heard and read into your profiles and I am quite aware of the infamous reputation you four have been building up."
"Cool, we're famous." Rico said laughing.
"Not quite the thing to be proud of, Mr. Martini." Rachel said. "This puts us School Council in a very unpleasing situation and task. Either way, enough chit chat. Let us get you into these girl uniforms"
"Girl uniforms?" John asked
Rachel grabbed one of the uniforms displaying it: "We have unfortunately no male uniform at our disposal. Ordering will take a few days so you just-"
Mack smacked the uniform out of her hands which fell on the ground. He stepped forward over-towering Rachel by far. "Listen Missy, aint no living being on this planet making me dress girl stuff. Ya hear?"
The other council girls gasped. Their faces were shocked. Rico grinned for a moment. That should at least teach them immediately not to mess with them.
"You shouldn't have done that" one of the girls whispered.
Rico started and looked over at Rachel, who was silently staring at the uniform on the floor. From behind her glasses Rico could slowly see her eyes rolling up, glaring at Mack. This was a bad situation. Rico recognized such glares everywhere, after all he was at Jupiter High participating in drama club. This wasn't acting any more, this was the real thing. Rachel wasn't mad, angry or furious. No, this way beyond fury and rage. John too felt uncomfortable when he noticed the council girls slowly taking odd stances as if they were going to fight.
"Shit" John whispered.
* * * * *
"Too bad Rachel had to come in and spoil the fun." Shimuka sighed. "I wanted to lure them into our trap, so unfair!" Shimuka pouted blowing out some air in frustration.
The four silky ladies were strolling the school halls on their way to their class room. Amy glanced at Melisa who was silently walking without responding. She kept on looking straight forward. It has been a long time since they had returned to their own school. It made Amy feel more at ease. Not that she heavily disliked Jupiter High's environment. Forcing, well, friendly forcing respect wasn't hard for someone like her. Nobody even dared to oppose her as quickly they would have been left naked with all their clothes cut into pieces. She had further developed her dual wooden sword style into a style where three swords were used. Nobody had seen her utilizing it but she carried 3 swords with her at all time.
Amy also noticed Avelia behaving extremely classy and mannered. She knew it was nothing but a show. Amy knew that Avelia had been training extremely hard her kickboxing. She would occasionally visit the backstreets in town to challenge local thugs for a street fight. Something extremely illegal, but she didn't care. It made Avelia's blood boil and her adrenaline rush in excitement. Truly a fearsome girl Amy thought.
Suddenly there was screaming echoing through the hallway. The Silky girls halted and turned around to see where it was coming from. More screaming. Noise. Glass shattering and doors being slammed. A random Venus High girl was running with tears in her eyes. She was shouting something along the line of 'perverts' 'naked perverts'.
Melisa gritted her teeth in anger. Those bastards, did they already? "Come on." she shouted and commanded Shimuka Avelia and Amy to check the situation out. They dashed down a flight of stairs reaching ground level where the chaos was taking place. Girls were running into random directions. Some would hide behind classroom doors.
Ahead Melisa witnessed something she preferred not to see. It was the Smooth Gentlemen, fully naked with their backs towards the Silky Ladies. The were slowly walking backwards while shouting things.
"WHAT the hell do you think you're doing, you maniacs!?" She roared. There goes the refined and calm speech they claimed to had a while ago.
Leo turned around holding a piece of towel covering his Knighthood Sword. "Crap, it the Silky Ladies We got ambushed!"
John too quickly turned around. He too was covering his Gungnir with a piece of cardboard. "Damn you!"
"What on earth are you talking about?" Amy said while blushing. Her face completely turned red as a ripe tomato. "What ambush? And why are you all naked?"
"Ask that to your freakish Vice President" Rico said. He was holding a giant rose in front of him. "She went berserk when we tossed a mere uniform on the floor!"
Shimuka's started laughing. Not a regular laughter, but a wicked one. "You did it now Smooth Gentlemen. My condolence!"
"Wait, what?" the four of them asked in confusion.
"They are mine!" Rachel shouted from the other side. "Step aside you four!"
☆★☆ To be continued ☆★☆
-
Chapter V - There is always a bigger fish
Rico panicked. He was right about Rachel's mood change. She completely snapped and became enraged with an explainable anger. Regardless of trying to keep her temper, her eyes were piercing through his soul. This was a bad situation as the Smooth Gentlemen were trapped between the Silky Ladies and Rachel.
"We're in deep shit now dawgs" Mack said looking around.
Leo shivered as his teeth were clattering. "J-J-J-J-John, w-w-w-what we d-d-d-do now?"
"Are you that scared?" John asked raising an eyebrow.
"N-n-n-n-o it is c-c-c-c-cold like t-t-t-t-his."
John nodded. Figures, as all four were butt naked with only random items to cover their private parts. "I guess there is one thing left to do" he said.
"Like?" Rico asked.
John let go of the the piece of cardboard and spread his arms closing his eyes. The cardboard slowly fell down changing directions a few times mid-air. As it fell down, the jaws of all the students around them started dropping. Rachel suddenly froze in place as the cardboard kept on falling. John slowly reached out forward making grab grab gestures. He opened his eyes, locking them on Rachel.
Their eyes met and Rachel started panicking. Rico could see her weird rage faltering. It started showing signs of embarrassment and shock. He had to smirk as he knew John was going to use his ultimate move on Rachel. They were already squeezed.
John dashed forward, charging at Rachel with his hands reaching out.
Melisa noticed John's movement and alarmed. "That bastard, he is going to pull it off! Shimuka!"
Shimuka giggled "You don't have to tell me."
She slightly lifted her skirt which revealed a thigh strap with scalpels attached to them. She grabbed one of them and threw it with exact precision at John's left ankle.
"Oh no you don't!" Rico shouted.
He grabbed the big rose that was covering his flower garden and tossed it at the scalpel passing by. It collided, preventing her scalpel from impaling John's ankle.
Logically she wasn't amused. A feign smile appeared on her face: "Mr. Martini, have you ever had your [CENSORED] [CENSORED]?" she grabbed another scalpel from her thigh strap. Rico could notice couple of anger veins appearing on her face. Shit, I think I am in deep trouble
"My turn!" Amy grabbed two of her three wooden swords dashing forward. However, Mack was not going to let that happen. He jumped forward, bracing for her attack.
"Out of my way naked bald freak!" She slashed but Mack blocked it with his arms, grabbing the swords and pushing them down. With the enormous force of Amy's slash, the wooden sword slipped from his grasp and collided with his own sword.
The next moment Mack was crawling on the floor, cringing in pain cursing loudly unknown combinations which nobody heard of. Amy was covering her eyes trying to erase the image from her brains but it wasn't really working out. But her attack was stopped, somehow. Avelia and Melisa couldn't do anything any more. John had already reached Rachel. He kicked the floor and slid past her.
John smiled. Now that he was behind her, he could finish her off. Many opponents had been struck with his trademark move. It was fast, effective and impossible to resist. John's hands reached out from behind Rachel, hovering in front of her chest. All he had to do is pull them back, latching them firmly and then it would be complete. She would burst out in tears or cry out in embarrassment. Instead, Rachel smirked and squatted evading John's hands. They latched onto nothing. The speed in which this was all executed made him stumble and put off balance. Rachel exploited this situation by turning around. She was now facing John's Gungnir which was fully exposed and vulnerable. With the back of her hand she performed a sort of an uppercut slap, ringing both his bells. It was over. Like Mack, John was squirming on the ground. Agonized by the pain, he remained there silently.
"Blanket!" Rachel commanded with a firm voice.
One of the council students appeared with four blankets. Rachel tossed two of them over Mack and John, who will still squirming on the floor. The other two were handed out to Rico and Leo who quickly covered up their body.
"Unbelievable." Leo said "I thought only Shino could evade John's ultimate move, but this girl did the same."
"We're royally screwed" Rico said while dramatically holding his hand to his face.
Rachel looked down at John who slowly turned around looking right into her skirt. He smiled and raised his thumb. "N-nice pa-"
Her foot however pressed his mouth shut: "Enough! You're defeated John Butler. As vice president of the student council, I shall take you to the president. The president will be judging your immoral acts and vandalism to school property!"
"Hey! We didn't break anything!" Leo protested shaking his fist.
Rachel turned out glaring. Shimuka quickly placed her hand on Leo's mouth, gagging him: "Take my advice Mr. Knight." she whispered in his ear "It might be wise to be very, very quiet. Do you understand?"
Leo nodded nervously.
"Shimuka!" Rachel shouted.
"Y-yes Miss Glassdove?"
"Take these morons to the president. Handcuff them if needed. Feel free to cut their faces open if they resist."
"R-roger!"
Leo didn't need to be told twice. He let himself guided by Shimuka.
For Shimuka to be scared of her, this is weird Rico thought.
A piece of wood poked in his back. It was Amy who gestured for him to walk. Rico didn't object either and joined silently Leo.
Mack and Leo were still squirming silently. The council students dragged them along by their feet.
"Is there anything we can do?" Melisa asked to Rachel.
Rachel sighed checking her skirt and uniform for wrinkled or dust. "No that will be it."
"Really, I should have been assigned to keep an eye on the Smooth Gentlemen. We've been following them for few years at Jupiter High and-"
"Do. not. speak, of that school here miss Sanders." Rachel interrupted.
"My apologies, however, we know their abilities and special behaviour. It would be fitting for us, don't you think?"
"I understand your concerns miss Sanders, and I thank you for the offer. But our own principal had assigned the student council specifically to take care of the entry period. Of course, during the rest of the school year you're free to act as you please. There are no limitations or rules applying for you and your friends. Silky Ladies you were called?"
"I prefer us not be associated with that name here at our own school."
Rachel raised an eyebrow: "You have given this name yourself didn't you? Any way, those troublesome four Smooth Gentlemen will receive a proper judgement I am sure of it."
"You think they will be of any trouble after this?" Avelia asked: "You've defeated John's ultimate move. I've seen many girls previously falling to his freak act. You have ruined his pride for sure."
"They might seek revenge." Melisa said.
"They would be foolish to seek revenge." Rachel said.
"That is if they are seeking any" Melisa said. "They're in a pinch and extreme confusion plus as Avelia said, they lost their pride."
"And almost their manhood" Avelia noted.
"Perhaps. but that is no longer our concern. Now come with me for some tea to get rid of your anger and frustration."
Weren't you just going berserk? Melisa thought. "Sounds lovely."
Avelia just smiled silently.
* * * * *
Together with the council students, Shimuka was guiding the Smooth Gentlemen through a few central halls. They logically received a lot of glares and bad words being tossed at them. None of the Smooth Gentlemen though responded or objected. Mack and John seemed to be in most pain. They could barely walk straight. Rico sighed while looking around. He noticed that this part of the school seemed really lavish. They had passed a places which had extraordinary looks. The floors were made out of marble, with a red carpets to walk on. The walls had various mosaic decorations or large paintings, mostly nature landscape or animals. From the ceilings chandeliers or other sort of fancy lamps were giving it all a classy mood. Rico almost felt as if he was walking the halls of a famous opera house or a grand mansion. Was this really a school? They thought Venus High was just a place with beautiful female students, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
They suddenly took a left turn ending up in a hall way which was blocked two large doors. 'THE PRESIDENT IS [IN]' read the door sign. A small button was located under it with some sort of intercom device. One of the council students pressed the button, making it ring. After a few seconds, they heard a voice:
"Mmmmmmm, yes?"
"President? We got him."
☆★☆ To be continued ☆★☆