My Ninja Girl 4 Read online

  “Sounds like bullshit,” Micah said, a rare occasion of him channeling his grandmother.

  This caused Bunni to snort. “Does their mission have anything to do with creating an oppressive and authoritarian country to live in? Because if not, maybe we could bring that up in the next meeting.”

  “We will have to speak more with Ahmey about how things could happen, but if they are anything like they were a few years ago, we could shadow operate as her security force, meaning that we will have to neutralize their other security teams. Just thinking out loud here, but as this is happening, a few of us could take those in the main room hostage while Ahmey is instilled as the High Commander. Only then will she be able to actually enact any change.”

  “And you expect everything to just fall into place?” Bunni snapped her fingers. “Just like that?”

  I sure don’t, Micah thought, but Liza seemed more optimistic.

  “There will be some turmoil to begin with, yes, but when Ahmey is in charge, she is in charge, and her bloodline will only add to her legitimacy.”

  “I tend to agree with Liza,” Bobi announced to the group. “Every coup that has been successful has led to a change in leadership that lasted permanently, or until a new coup happened. The longest one was…”

  The vehicle shifted forward and down, dropping quickly, Micah feeling the gravity shift within them.

  “Sorry about that,” Bobi said. “Where was I?”

  “Eyes on the road,” Soraya told the AI, even though they were flying.

  “Right, maybe I should be paying better attention…”

  “We do what we can,” Yuri said, returning to the conversation they had just been having. “If our job will be to secure the outer rooms, then so be it. But we will need outside support as well.”

  “Which we will have if we can convince the Hermetics to join us,” Micah said. This was another thing that needed further discussion, and it was one that not everyone in the group agreed with, especially Soraya and Bunni.

  “I can’t believe we’re going back to them with our tails tucked between our legs,” said the kitsune.

  “Even though they have different ways of interpreting it, we both want the same thing,” Micah told her. “While we should be able to secure the inside, there will be plenty of forces on the outside, including mechas. We don’t know that for sure, but they clearly have them, so why wouldn’t they be there? And that’s not to mention elite forces, things like that.”

  “The mechas are all mine,” Bobi chimed in. “Don’t worry, Soraya, I’m still watching where we’re going.”

  The vehicle ascended even higher, aimed at the floating district of the Uyanga, where diplomatic offices and the best universities in the country were located.

  “That’s another thing we must deal with after we speak to Ahmey,” Micah said. “The Hermetics. I will talk to Choro as well; I’m sure he can get us in touch with Julia.”

  “Not her again,” Soraya mumbled, even though she already knew this was part of the plan.

  “She’s a necessary evil,” said Yuri. “And we will be thankful to have outside support, especially from a leader of the Hermetics like her. While I have my own opinions on what they tried to do, presented with this opportunity, any leader, especially one like Julia who is vying for power, will see it as a chance to move her operation forward. By no means do I trust her, but I do trust her desire to rid Neo-Hokkaido of the Society of Monks. But that’s not possible, not without a revolution, which, during the current pandemic, will only lead to more deaths.”

  Micah nodded; this was something he truly believed. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the Society of Monks already knew how to run the society, they had only turned it in a direction that was leading it off a cliff. With a leader who brought more voices to the table, and one willing to turn to the next chapter of Neo-Hokkaidan life, there was the possibility of steering the vehicle away from the cliff entirely.

  But it was still risky.

  As they lowered toward the nunnery where Micah had first met Liza, Soraya opened her door and took a look down to the top of the building, wind whipping into the cabin of the vehicle. “I’m going to secure the perimeter,” she announced, Yuri giving her a short confirmation before the kitsune jumped.

  Micah was seated on the other side of the vehicle, so he wasn’t able to see her land, but Liza watched her, and gave everyone the thumbs up as she reached across Soraya’s seat and finished shutting the door.

  They continued onward.

  “It gives her something to do,” Bunni explained. “Besides, she clearly doesn’t agree with our plan regarding the Hermetics and, like all foxes, she probably has some steam to blow off. I don’t fully agree with looping in the Hermetics myself, but I see your reasoning. Let’s just hope we don’t have to kill a bunch of innocent people.”

  “Let’s,” Micah said as the vehicle touched down on the street that led to the stash spot. The dim lighting added a soft glow to the cobblestone path. All was quiet, and once they got the signal from Soraya, who was already standing near the door of the weapons cache, they exited the vehicle.

  “One of you needs to keep your helmet on so I can keep in contact with you,” Bobi reminded them.

  “I’ll have mine on once inside,” Liza announced.

  They approached the building, Micah quickly tracing his eyes along its uniquely patterned rooftop while Liza placed her helmet over her head and waited a moment for it to power up. She keyed them into the place, Bunni stopping next to Soraya to ask her if she’d seen anything out of the ordinary.

  “Nothing to report,” the kitsune reported back.

  “Such a good little fox,” the Plains Dweller told her as she motioned for Soraya to step in front of her.

  “One thing we are going to all need is new robes.” Liza motioned toward the wardrobe room that jutted off from the main space, Micah becoming increasingly familiar with the Monks of Repose’s stash of unique weapons and backup gear. He was already eyeing charge packs when Liza stepped to the back of the space, to a hallway and disappeared after taking a left. A light came on, and she returned. “We can sleep in there; there is bedding, although they are all futons which means we’re on the floor tonight. It’s a fairly large space, but with five of us, it could be a little tight.”

  “I’m fine with that,” Soraya said as she began looking at some of the weapons, immediately going for more throwing knives. While she did that, Liza opened up the case and handed wrist shields to Bunni and Yuri, quickly explaining how they worked.

  “The energy shields are triggered by industria,” she said as she gave them a demonstration using her own wrist guard. “I’m sure you’ve already come to understand that, but just in case.”

  “These will definitely be helpful,” Bunni said.

  “Do you have any more of the rings?” Soraya asked, referring to the two rings Micah had given Bunni and Yuri, which enhanced their strikes.

  “I think that’s it, but I can check,” Liza said. “Be sure to pick up some clothing from the other room, and specifically clothing with armor. There are several sets of robes in there, some are ceremonial. You’ll see what they look like. The ones with armor will have a harder chest plate, male and female. Make sure you adjust the chest plate through the strap that goes around your waist. Did you get your charge packs?” she asked Micah.

  “Just getting them now,” he said as he unzipped his backpack and added a couple more.

  “I think it’s time to upgrade your backpack as well,” she told him. “There are monks that are tasked with scouting various locations in Woodsaka and the Outer Provinces. We may have one of their backpacks in the clothing room. You’ll see it; it’s flat and goes under your arm, the charge packs will sit down by your waist and you can quickly change them out.”

  “Will my helmet and weapon fit inside?”

  “Your helmet is supposed to be on your head,” she reminded him. “Weapon, yes.”

  “I think I’
ll stick with my backpack…”

  “We’re trying to blend in.”

  “Got it.” Micah entered the next room and found the bag that Liza had been referring to. He took his helmet out of his own bag and placed it on a polished metal table while he transferred the charge packs from his backpack to a black satchel with additional pockets in front. There was space for his prosthetic gatling gun as well, Micah liking that feature. It would take some time to get used to wearing it, but it wasn’t very heavy, and it didn’t get in the way, which would be a bonus to whatever they’d likely get into once the upper echelon meeting was set.

  By the time he returned to the main room, Bunni had pulled out a number of weapons, the Plains Dweller bobbing her head left and right as she looked at them. “I think I’ll just use mine,” she said, referring to her glaive.

  “Then why did you take them all out?” Soraya asked.

  “Because I wanted to look at them.” A troubled look came across her face. “I just thought of something.”

  “What’s that?” Liza asked, the nun still going through some of the containers and looking for rings.

  “How are my ears supposed to fit inside the bucket?”

  “You can fold them back, right?” Soraya asked.

  “Of course I can, but I don’t like to.”

  “And you think I like hiding my tail everywhere we go?”

  “I thought you kind of found it fun; you know, figure out a way to hide it. A challenge. You like challenges, don’t you?”

  “You’re just going to have to make do,” Yuri told her, a hint of exhaustion in her voice. It was clear that she was trying to maintain her composure, that what had happened the previous night continued to be hard for her. Micah felt for her in that moment, wishing that they had more time to process it, or at the very least, that she did. But no, they went from Milsung’s death right into the next task, no downtime. It wasn’t right, but there wasn’t much he could do about it now they were here, and momentum was pushing them forward.

  The five of them selected clothing to wear the next day, and together, they retired into the back room. Liza and Soraya arranged mats as Yuri, Bunni, and Micah undressed. He waited for the ladies to choose futons, Micah left with one on the end next to Yuri, which was exactly where he wanted to be. While Liza took an update from Bobi, her helmet on as she laid down, Soraya and Bunni chatted quietly, leaving Micah and Yuri to stare at one another, both remaining quiet.

  They eventually moved closer together, their foreheads pressing against one another, Yuri stifling a silent sob. She went back to breathing normally; he inched his chin forward to offer her a kiss. Eventually, she turned to her side and Micah slipped his arm around her waist, her warmth pressing against the front of his body.

  Things would get better soon, but he needed to stay alive until that day came.

  Chapter Nine

  Micah thought he had woken up before everyone else until he turned to his side to find that Yuri was missing. After stretching his arms over his head for a moment and scratching his stomach, he made his way to the next room over, where he found the leader of the Royal Star Ninjas seated on a cushion with her eyes shut, deep in meditation. Rather than say anything to her, Micah simply went and sat with his back to Yuri, which eventually caused her to straighten up and lean into him, purring softly as she did so. The two sat like this for a moment, and eventually transferred to the straw mat that served as a floor of Liza’s stash spot, where Micah brought her into his arms.

  They fell back asleep amidst weapons and futuristic technology, only to be woken an hour or so later when Soraya came into the room, the kitsune going on about breakfast, who was going to serve it, and how they were going to get their necessary morning dose of nutrients. “I don’t even know if we have any food here,” she said under her breath as she continued to work herself up into a frenzy.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Micah told her as he came awake.

  He slowly sat up alongside Yuri, the leader of the Royal Star Ninjas still leaning against him, Micah able to smell whatever she had put in her hair back in Heian. The two of them watched the kitsune go through the room, her tail bent at an annoyed angle, Soraya grumbling to herself as she tried to find something to eat. Making the situation slightly more awkward, or perhaps more interesting, depending on who you asked, was what Soraya was currently wearing.

  The kitsune had become hot in the middle of the night and had taken off most of her clothing, Soraya now in the bra and panties she wore under her clothing yesterday. Micah tried not to give too much power to the extra flesh on display; by this point, he had been around the four women enough to have seen three of them naked, and should have been at least partially desensitized to it by now. But he wasn’t, and he couldn’t look away, especially when Soraya stood on her tippy toes to reach for a high reaching cabinet she had found, her tail lifting as she did so…

  “Put some goddamn clothes on,” Bunni said as she came into the room. The Plains Dweller was in the robes that Liza had distributed the previous day, but she had yet to fasten the top, meaning that there was a big opening in the front, yet another place for Micah’s eyes to naturally gravitate toward.

  Dammit, he thought as a smirk twisted across his face. This has to be some type of honey trap. Liza came into the room next, the nun fully dressed, and began explaining where everything was, including meals that the Society had, which only required warm water.

  “I’ve never seen these before,” Micah said as he came to her side. They were packaged in small containers and sealed, the food looking thick and starchy.

  “I think it was one of the things they wanted to release on Sapphire Day,” she said as she turned to the bathroom to add water to the first container. “They’re handy for situations like this.”

  “They can’t actually taste good,” Soraya said, her ears lowered with skepticism. She had joined them as well, but didn’t seem too keen about the ready-to-eat meal that only required warm water.

  Wap!

  “Go change,” Bunni said after slapping her on the ass, Soraya turning to the Plains Dweller with both fists drawn.

  “Do it again,” she said, her ears flaring up.

  “I would love to, but you need to turn around for me to do it again.” Bunni showed her the palm of her hand. “I’m ready…”

  “That hurt my tail.”

  “Ha! You’ll be fine; you are just grouchy because you haven’t had this, ahem, wonderful-looking meal,” Bunni said, also skeptical about what Liza was preparing.

  “Whatever.” Soraya backed away, and was soon gone.

  “Don’t piss her off so early in the morning,” Micah told the Plains Dweller.

  “We have a working relationship, trust me,” Bunni said. “If she wants to slap my ass, she can. Although I don’t know if it would make the same popping sound that hers made. She’s really trying to show off that little booty of hers, isn’t she?”

  Figuring at least one of them should say something, and wanting another glimpse of Soraya’s rear, Micah slipped into the other room to check on the kitsune. She was just finishing up dressing, and once she noticed his presence, she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “What?”

  “Don’t let her get to you,” Micah said as he came to her side. “That’s just how she is.”

  “I’m not mad at her,” Soraya admitted. “I’m just tired of being in limbo like this. We keep having to switch where we’re staying, and the kitchen keeps changing, and everything we have keeps changing, including our clothes, and it was so hot in here last night. I’m just…” She looked up at Micah, a rare softness coming across her eyes. “I’m ready to not always be on the move. My life was pretty predictable before coming to your time. All of our lives were,” she said, gesturing to the other room, where Yuri and Bunni were now tasting the food that Liza had prepared.

  “Variety can be interesting, right?”

  “It can be, but too much of it can be exhausting.”
/>   “We’ll get through it,” Micah told her. He felt the urge to bring her into his arms for a moment, but resisted.

  “You think?”

  “I’m sure we will,” he finally said, not wanting to dwell on Youseg’s final prophecy. Eventually, the two of them joined the others in the main room, where they were served some of the food that Liza had prepared. It’s better than it looks, Micah thought after his first couple of bites. There was a crunchiness to the paste, and while the meal was soggy and warm, he could tell that if he ate enough, it would be filling.

  We can always have something more substantial once we get to Ahmey’s monastery…

  The plan wasn’t complicated. It was early morning now, and they would leave for the floating district of Uyanga once they were all packed up. They would gain entry to her shrine, and start the discussions from that point. It all seemed so simple, but Micah knew not to relax his guard yet, if ever. There was still a particularly thorny issue dangling over them, one that only Ahmey could solve: what if she didn’t agree? What if she thought that now wasn’t the time?

  Hopefully, that’s not the case.

  Micah placed his helmet on, just about the time that Liza and the others did as well, Yuri helping Bunni. They had to play a part now, and this part would require all of them to be wearing buckets.

  “You’re hurting my ears,” Bunni told Yuri, her tone only half-joking.

  “Just stuff the damn things in there,” said Soraya, who already wore her helmet. “That’s what I did.”

  Micah had seen her like this before, yet he still found it odd for the kitsune to be dressed like a Neo-Hokkaidan. It was strange for all of them, really, especially once Bunni finally got her helmet on, the Plains Dweller towering over the group.

  “Well, this is interesting…” Bunni said, her voice with a metallic tinge to it. “I knew there was a bunch of crap available in these things, but I didn’t expect all the little lights. Does my voice sound funny to you guys?”