Disclaimer: Sorry I forgot this last time. I do not own these characters; I just play with them. They are the proper property of Mission Weiss, Koyasu Takehito, and others. All original characters, i.e., Amaya, Florian Densho, Patian Endiamo are mine. I hope you enjoy!

Aya stood silently, glaring at the other two in the darkened room as they waited for Ken and Omi to arrive. "Manx," Youji drawled, "you wouldn't mind giving us a little explanation as to why we'll be giving away bouquets for free? I mean, at least give Aya some assurance that it won't come out of his pay, because he looks a bit concerned." Manx turned her head to study the redhead in his stubborn silence, meeting his smoldering gaze evenly. "Shoplifting is a common liability among other stores, Aya. This has never been much of a concern for you. As you do not raise prices, which would cause losing some consumers, and there are only rare instances of theft, you have a surplus that other stores would not have. In comparison, you will not lose by providing a few bouquets for a community event." Yoji groaned, running his hands through his hair. "Economics was not my best subject."  "Business does not seem to be Kritiker's," Aya leveled. Manx's eyes flashed as she snapped towards him, rebuke ready on her lips. A leer broke out on Yoji's face; it was rare he saw Manx in a passion. A young voice interrupted the scene as Omi spun down the stairs.

            "Got here as fast as I could," he panted, still in his school uniform. He sat down next to Yoji, who looked at him curiously. "What happened to your motor scooter? Did you run from school?" The blonde shook his head and responded innocently, "No, I had to run from the girls who had gathered outside the flower shop. I barely got inside the garage without being tackled." Yoji chuckled and was about to comment as Ken barreled down the stairs, momentum being a force he always underestimated. With the same flush of exercise Omi wore he sat down, his heaving chest a remnant of his near encounter with overexcited school girls. "Hey, Manx," he breathed a greeting. She nodded in acknowledgement, then turned the last light out. The TV crackled, and then the ghost of Persia appeared onscreen. "Men of Weiss, you have a new mission. There is an evil man that is spreading devastation in Japan's most treasured flower: the arts. This man is Florian Deshno, Chief Secretary of the Commission for the Arts. His accomplice is Patian Endiamo. Together these men are destroying the lives and dreams of dancers, musicians, and artists throughout the country in an effort to gain more funding from the government." Pictures flash of a musician straitjacketed, dancers bent over emaciated, and comatose artists in hospital beds. Using a metal chip that is absorbed by the skin, they place it on their victims' bodies, giving them access to the neurological system. They then torment the victim as long as they wish, until they are murdered or driven insane, always publicly. Hunters of the night, deny these evil beasts their tomorrows." The screen fuzzed, then went black. Manx flipped the lights back on and waited for their comments. "I've heard of starving artists and tortured souls, but this is ridiculous," Yoji yawned. "Why are they doing this? How would they get more funding by murder?" Ken inquired. "Increasing the death and injury rate allows the secretary to claim the arts are undersupported, leading to higher instances of suicide, injury, malnutrition, and other disorders. He claims arts programs need more funding to provide education for student artists to avoid this kind of trauma. In reality he uses the money to fund his experiments in neurological control." Omi's eyebrows knit together as he puzzled over this unusual crime. "I don't understand. If he's the Chief Secretary for the Arts, doesn't he care about the arts at all? Why would he be experimenting on artists, rather than another group?" Omi asked.

            "A good question. We don't know exactly why, unless it is only because these are the groups he has most access to," Manx answered. "And yes, he does care about art. He studied both art and biology extensively, thus leading to his dual interest."

            "He sounds like a loony," Ken voiced. "But, where does Endiamo come in?" "He's the one who gets close to the artists, the one who applies the chip to their skin. He poses as an accompanist, body conditioner, gallery owner, or anything he wants. We don't know exactly how the chip works, or what he does to apply it."

            Aya gave an impatient nod with his head and took the file of information from Manx's hands. "Enough. Where will we find them?" Manx smiled inwardly and answered, "We believe their next targets will be among the Kioskan Dance Troupe performing at the upcoming Arts Society exhibit.  Endiamo will need to be with them; he will not be hard to locate. However, Deshno will not appear until the evening of the performance. All the artists have been ultimately victimized in public appearances; Deshno makes a point to be there. I will leave the rest in your hands." Manx surveyed their faces. "Are you all in?"

            They nodded and Yoji smiled. "A chance to defend women in tights? Count me in." Manx hid her smile; she'd let the dancers disillusion him.

Thank you for reading; I really appreciate it and I hope to get feedback. Is it confusing? Too clear? Well articulated but slow? Are the characters well-represented? What do you think will happen? I'm open to any and all constructive feedback, and I really appreciate it. God bless! Kamazova