A/N: Well, I'm starting the very slooooow recovery of all my lost stories. This is going to take a while, especially with the humongous Speed Onis, so please bear with me and enjoy this little foray into fanfiction of, well, fanfiction.
This is set in the wonderful AU "Blades of Blood" and "Witchy Woman", both property of Vathara and used with permission. I can't tell you how stoked I am by this.
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin property of Nobuhiro Watsuki. Nightlife property of…some gaming company with brilliant people that is probably now defunct. "Blades of Blood" characters used with permission of Vathara.
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Of all the dives in this City in NightLife, they had to walk into mine.
Ok, so I'm butchering Bogie and technically, Darkest Hour didn't belong to me, I was just the regular torch singer, but still! For that night, that stage and those patrons were mine. Mine to entertain, amuse, seduce and yes, even protect. Or maybe I was drunk. Still haven't figured out everything that knocks a medusa on her keister, I'm still a kid, clan wise. Woo, tangent.
Anyway, that night had started normally, for the most part. Darkest Hour is Golgotha's nod to jazz and blues, which a lot of Kin enjoy, I've discovered. I was a jazz singer...before...and after I was Turned I wanted to continue my lackluster career. Torch singers are a dime a dozen in the City, one with live snakes growing out of her skull have a higher value and far fewer resources. I got lucky and I knew it, so when those two strolled in, sending shock-waves of anger and fear sweeping through the room, I felt a distinct obligation. Actually, I had been feeling it all night. One doesn't get Red Dawn mucky-mucks in the same room with a few different were factions and not get tension. The tension just went UP. In SPADES.
Who were they? Two guys. One was tall, cocky and thought kung-fu movies were the epitome of fashion. The other was...how to put it. He was there. Not trying to hide, not trying to show off, just there. Given the reaction I was getting from everyone else, I thought it best to kick my act up a notch. Sing a little louder, move around more, be the distraction.
Yeah, didn't work. I've yet to meet a Kin that gets subtlety outside Golgatha. The whispers were loud enough for me to hear over my music. Their names, their affiliations, speculation about why they were there and how to get the hell out. It was annoying, but hey, I'm a pro. I kept going. So what if Target Alpha sent their infamous hit squad into Darkest Hour? It's two guys and one's human. Kick flick, named Sano, I think. Yeah, totally human. The other? Heh, so NOT human. His name was whispered in complete terror. Battousai. My take, just two more customers.
So, Sano and Battousai head over to Mr. Onethea's table and make themselves comfy. Onethea's Red Dawn and Golgatha had made it clear he was to get every courtesy. So I figure he's pretty high up the chain and that's fine. Until Onethea makes the wrong move. Let me tell you, the sound of a hand being slammed into wood is very distinct. In a Kin joint with TA agents? Yeah. Every RDer was on their feet and the rest of the crowd started looking for cover. Now, a normal singer would've been diving for her dressing room. But I'm not normal and Darkest Hour doesn't HAVE a dressing room and since this is going south anyway, I tap the mike three times.
"Excuse me, Mr. Onethea. Would you be so kind as to take this rapidly devolving situation outside?" I ask in my very best professional voice. My snakes coil into an updo to make me look taller. EVERYONE turns to look at me. I keep my sunglass-covered eyes directed right at that table. Standard procedure in public for medusa, dontcha know.
"You dare to interrupt, Gorgon?" Onethea snarls. Never mind his left hand is in a vice grip by Sano. I smiled at him.
"Mr. Onethea, you are one of our valued patrons, as is everyone else in this room. Darkest Hour is not a biker crawl, we dislike fights on the premises, because then we have to bill the perpetrators for the damages. In this case, I'm very sorry to say it would be you," My hair whispers someone's working around the right to get behind me. Onethea smirks.
"Uppity snake, you need a lesson." I grab the mike stand and jab into the curtains on my right. A were howls and shreds the curtains as he Shifts. I lift the stand and bash him over the head. Feedback twangs and the were drops to one knee. I thump him again with the mike and take the bent stand with me as I hop offstage.
"Really, Mr. Onethea. In your grand and complicated schemes, is taking one measely fight outside really all that important?" I ask, walking over. The RD weres growl and my snakes rear up into a copy of Sano's spiky hair. "Do you really want to add tables and chairs and broken glass to those curtains and this?" I drop the stand next to the table.
"Worm!" Onethea glances and I'm surrounded by weres, snarling as they Shift. A distinct click somehow silences the whole room.
"Medusa-dono is correct, Onethea-san. This would be better conducted outside," Battousai says, standing. His sword is loose in its sheath and the sheer CALM! Sano grins at me, still holding Onethea.
"Ballsy, aren't ya?" He asks, winking at me. I shrug.
"Golgatha gave me a chance. Least I can do is try to keep this club from being trashed." I reach up and tip my sunglasses down slightly, not looking at anyone directly. My snakes start hissing in three part harmony, which is downright eerie. Yeah, I taught them and boy, does it freak Kin out. Medusa supposedly don't have much control over their living hair. I was empathic...before. Not very strong, but I can read crowds faster then most and individuals even faster, helped me get work. I kept that ability and with about two dozen tiny minds linked to mine, you see where I'm going with this. So, my hair starts hissing "Alice's Restaurant" in harmony, which very few Kin know and it sounds really spooky. Sano gets this huge grin on his face and Battousai just looks at me, like he can't quite believe his ears. My snakes slither and coil to the beat and I tap my shades with a fingertip.
"This is the last time I ask politely, Mr. Onethea. Please take this outside." Now everything goes to hell. Onethea cast a stun spell and Sano goes flying across the room, crashing into the bar and sending Jase into hiding. Battousai goes after Onethea with a naked blade. Half the weres go after Sano and the rest of the crowd dives for table legs or scramble for the door. I'm left with two weres who grab my arms and drag me towards the stage. I threw my head forward, shaking off my glasses, and tossed my head back. My snakes start biting my captors and they let go. Yeah, I trained them to do that too. Comes in handy!
"She's free!" Someone howls. I cover my eyes with my fingers, not wanting to Drain a customer, and turn towards the voice. I end up stumbling into a table and get shoved aside by hiding patrons, which sends my staggering form right back into the weres. I hear an artificial hiss and my entire head goes numb. My snakes thump against my neck and back, scaring the piss out of me. I drop my hand, looking around. Shots ring out and a smoking were goes sailing back from the bar. I glance towards where Onethea was. A furry arm locks around my neck, paw forcing my chin up so I'm looking at the ceiling.
"I'm going to enjoy this, beep," A voice snarls in my ear. I can smell blood, must be the were I bashed with the microphone. He grabs my left arm, holds it out and bites deeply into my shoulder. Somehow I swallow the scream. Self defense training kicks in, I reach up with my free hand and grab a fistful of fur. I drop to one knee, yanking forward, and manage a clumsy judo throw. The were lets go in surprise as he flips over my shoulder and lands on his back. I grab his head in both hands, using my fingers to pry his eyes open.
"Enjoy this, bitch." I snarl, staring into his eyes. Whoo whee, what a rush. I hadn't Drained anything that big before and it knocked me right on my keister. I sit there, blinking rapidly and panting until the surge is over and I remember, hey! Fight! I get to my feet, looking around. Kin are stampeding the door, the bar is trashed and Onethea's slumped over his table.
"Jase? You ok?" I call, picking my way through bodies and broken tables and shattered glass. I see a mirror appear above the bar just before a strong, sinewy arm wraps around my waist, yanking me back. A very large hand covers my eyes. I finally let that scream out and start fighting.
"Easy, spitfire," Sano's voice croons in my ear. I stop, totally surprised. "Let Sai do his job." Oh HADES. I'm going to die now. I slump briefly, then straighten up.
"Please tell Golgatha I'm sorry I couldn't stop the fight. Oh, and tell Clio I'm sorry I wasn't a better Medusa."
"You misunderstand, Medusa-dono," Battousai says somewhere in front of me. Sano gently pushes me into a bow and keeps two fingers on my eyelids. I feel something cool and hard slide onto my nose. Sano removes his fingers as small hands tuck the stems over my ears and adjust my sunglasses. I blink in surprise, seeing Battousai up close and personal for the first time.
"KAWAII!!!" I gush and he turns as red as his hair. Sano busts up laughing and lets me go, right into Battousai's arms.
"Oro!" He blurts out, helping me steady myself. I take a few steps back.
"How the hell did someone as cute as you get to be on a TA hit squad?" I ask, and promptly slap myself. Sano collapses beside me, howling with laughter.
"Oro! Sano, it is not funny!"
"Y..yes it is! Ahahahaha, every...f...female!" Sano waves his hands, gasping. I glance at Battousai, who's flaming red until the CALM comes over him.
"OH! THAT'S how." I say, seeing a master swordsman replace the kind, shy not-human. Amber eyes turn to me.
"We were not going to kill you, Medusa-dono. You tried to prevent violence, we would not return violence on such a brave soul."
"What ARE you?" I ask, shaking my head slightly. Eye color change, yeah, I've seen that in Kin before, but this is NOT the same person that was blushing and making funny noises fifteen seconds ago.
"I am the hitokiri Battousai."
"Hitokiri...isn't that Japanese for 'assassin'? But..." I cock my head to the side, studying him. My snakes stirred, waking up. I reach up absently, gently stroking heads and chins and coaxing my hair back up to their normal position, a tightly coiled mess. Battousai nods.
"I am originally from Japan."
"Hey, Sai, we still have to process her," Sano jumps in, picking himself up. "Can't be chatty with witnesses, you know that."
"Kenshin!" I snap my fingers. Sano and Battousai BOTH jump. "You're also Kenshin, the guy who runs Wonderful Things! I went to your shop a bunch of times for Clio, before..." I trail off, looking away and blushing myself.
"And you were once Rachel Papanos. I am sorry." Kenshin/Battousai says, sounding incredibly sad. I shake my head, forcing a smile for him.
"You tried to warn me, it's not your fault." Groans echoed through the room. Sano curses and pulls out a cell phone, no doubt calling for backup. I look around and see a few weres stirring.
"Need any help?" I ask, looking at K/B. He shakes his head.
"You should leave, Rachel-dono."