An alarm shrieked in his ear, and with the slightest of odd yelp/snarls, Xue leapt sideways out of bed, snatching his sword in case he needed to defend himself, as he could instinctively tell it was most certainly not time to get up yet. And if anyone said he had accidentally tripped when the blankets got wrapped around his feet, faceplanted, and almost cut himself in half while he was at it, the claim would be denied, and the person in question forever silenced. Someone was going to die, of that he was certain, wether it be the person waking him at an ungodly hour after staying up until the AM hours doing paperwork or anyone who might be around to have seen him- wake up. Yeah. Wake up, because he most certainly did not faceplant. Ridiculous! People should know better than to wake him up, he thought as he swung the sword down, cleanly severing his alarm clock. And the nightstand underneath it. And part of his mattress, which was in the way. And the lamp that had been on top of the nightstand. And the reference textbook Doctor Petunia had lent him along with it.
Only, the shrieking sound didn't stop.
And then he realized it was just his cell phone.
He picked the device up carefully, trying not to crush it by accident, which was a very real possibility at this point. He flipped it open, and pressed talk, then began speaking in a low, dangerous voice before the person at the other end could get a single word in.
"One of two things have happened. Either the world is ending or you're sending hookers and vintage wine to my cabin, at no cost from me. If anything except one of those two things is happening, then whoever you are, I will find you, I will cut you open, and then I will string your guts up on the Great Wall of China."
"... Bad day sweetie?" The voice on the other end said at last.
Xue cursed him out in every single language he knew.
"Soooo... yes?"
"Hirato... the next time I'm on your ship... make sure you, personally, keep an eye on me. Because I swear by God, that if I am left alone with a subordinate, I will kill them, and if simply left alone, I'll either leave explosives where you won't find them, or cut your damn ship in half. And you know I can do it."
"Noted."
Hirato immediately launched into explaining the situation, knowing better than to pick a fight. Xue kept his promises, as an unbroken rule.
"Fine." Xue growled when he finished. "How'd you get this number, anyway?"
"Sources. Sources that are not within the confines of your ship or territory, so no need to execute anyone for treachery."
Xue hung up, and then walked out onto his balcony, and threw the phone overboard, watching it fall into the ocean, far, far below. It was useless to him anyway, now that it had been hacked. After it completely disappeared from sight, he turned away and sent a message through the com ordering all current occupants to the meeting room for briefing. If he had to suffer no sleep, then they could suffer right along with them, he figured as he walked to the room and took up residence on a ceiling beam. They were a team after all.
Petunia entered to room first. He instantly decided from the look on her face that he shouldn't tell her what happened to the reference book. "Stupid, razzle frazzle..." She was muttering.
Xue blinked, honestly wondering if he should be offended by her calling him... he didn't even know what it meant, but it most certainly wasn't swear words, so he wasn't sure if it was even meant to be be offensive, though she seemed to be attempting to use it that way. Xue lay down flat on the ceiling beam, crossing his arms in front of him so he could lay down more comfortably on the cold steel.
Katsumi suddenly threw open the door, and Xue narrowed his eyes as she began chattering. She sat down in his seat, and immediately started asking questions too fast to be answered. Xue looked around, but spotting nothing to throw at her, decided to remain silent until Asimov arrived rather than risk her turning all that attention on himself.