AN: So I started this story a long time ago largely for myself. I am a glutton for OC insert stories and I wanted to create one of my own. I originally had no intention of sharing it but eh, I figured maybe a couple of people would get a kick out of it. I didn't change a whole lot of dialogue from the anime because I find it amusing and I'm incredibly lazy. Again, this was written largely for my own entertainment and if you don't like it, don't read it. I'll be keeping my author notes to a minimum since they always bother me in other stories and I never read them myself. If you're here, then you want to read a story so off you go!
I should be able to post quite a bit for this since I have a lot typed out. By my last count, I had over 172,000 words ready to go as soon as I get it edited a touch. Most of the 'chapters' I wrote were usually based on the episodes as I was watching them so I'll try to end the chapters I post at times that make sense. Which may not always work but I'll still try.
Should someone pass by a particular decrepit warehouse in the large generic city so late in the evening, they would probably hear sounds of a fight and someone groaning in agony. Should they wander in to said warehouse, the sight before them would probably make them pause.
Nimble fingers idly spun a dagger while amused blue eyes surveyed the man on the ground. Said man was glaring up at the owner of the eyes with utter loathing even as he clutched at his gut, blood rushing through his fingers in a vain attempt to stop himself from succumbing to his injury.
"You... Stupid bitch!" he rasped out, his jaw clenched in anger and agony.
The dagger stilled as the lithe hand gripped it loosely. A small smirk graced a perfect set of lips and the other hand flicked a strand of auburn hair over a slender shoulder.
"Now, now, Richard. No need to be so condescending. You attacked me first, I merely reacted."
"Damn you, Emiko," Richard muttered as he coughed up blood.
Emiko smiled a brightly at the dying man. She sheathed her dagger back into the holster on her thigh and deftly kicked Richard in the gut, throwing him into the wall. He slammed into it harshly and let out a sharp yell of pain as he collapsed. With a chuckle, the young woman sauntered over to where Richard was bleeding out on the floor, finally unconscious from his injuries. With a click of her tongue, she knelt next to him and prodded him none too gently with a finger.
"Meh, looks like I overdid it this time," she muttered softly. Shrugging indifferently, she stood up and brushed off her pants before turning to leave the warehouse she had lead Richard to. She may have lied just a tiny bit about simply reacting. She'd known since the previous day that Richard had been out for her blood all thanks to a few of her informants. The man had been rather upset with her for stealing a quarter of a million dollars from one of his safe houses. She scoffed lightly at the thought. It's not like the idiot needed the money.
Emiko pulled open the door, humming lightly under her breath. As she made her way out, her eyes flicked to the other dead or unconscious forms on the floor. Richard hadn't shown up alone which was perhaps the only intelligent thing he'd done. He'd brought five guys along with the intention of overwhelming her. She snickered at the idea. As if a mere five guys would be enough to take her down. She was a very skilled martial artist and her ability to wield a short blade made her deadly. The proof of that was scattered around her.
With a satisfied chuckle, she calmly slipped out of the warehouse and pulled her phone out of her pocket to glance at the time. She frowned as she realized she was late for a very important appointment. Sighing heavily, she started running down several alleys to get to her destination.
Emiko slammed the door leading to her small apartment. "I'm back!" She shouted cheerfully.
A cry of delight came from the living room followed shortly by a small blonde blur. Emiko laughed and caught the blur in her arms. A little girl about five years old looked up at her excitedly. "Emi! I'm so glad you're back."
Emiko ruffled the girl's hair, much to the girl's chagrin. "Sorry I'm a bit late, I got held up with something."
"Held up with what?" another voice asked. Emiko and the girl glanced back at the teenage boy standing in the doorway. Emiko gave him a look that silently told him to cease asking questions and he let out a frustrated sigh. The little girl wriggled out of Emiko's grasp and hopped over to the boy, oblivious to the silent exchange between the two.
"Patrick, can we watch the episode now!?" the little girl asked excitedly. Patrick glanced down at her and smiled softly.
"Sure, Mel."
"Yay!" Mel screamed, arms thrust in the air. Emiko laughed at her enthusiasm and kicked off her ankle boots. She casually followed the excited child but paused next to Patrick who hadn't moved from the doorway.
"You all right?" He murmured.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Things should be quiet for a while now," she replied.
He let out a sigh before giving her an unreadable look. She stared back at him blankly until he turned and went into the living room. Kicking her foot lightly into the carpet, Emiko bit her lip and let out a huff. It's not like I do things without thinking it through first, she thought in irritation.With a shrug, she wandered into the living room and smiled slightly at the sight of Mel bouncing eagerly in her chair in front of the TV. It was the weekly One Piece episode time and no one was more excited than the little girl. Emiko plopped down on the couch and stretched her arms over her head with a sigh.
"Let's gooooo!" Mel shrieked, her arms in the air once more. Emiko eyed her through lidded eyes.
"Do you ever calm down?" She asked in amusement.
Patrick snorted. "Of course not. This is One Piece we're talking about. She's more obsessed with it than anything else in the world."
Emiko laughed. "Now that's true. All right, ya brat. Let's turn it on."
Mel cheered again and Patrick turned on the show for them to watch.
Emiko tucked Mel into bed and brushed a hair from her forehead fondly. Such a cute kid. Quietly leaving the room, she shut the door and wandered into the kitchen where she figured Patrick would be. Sure enough, the teen was sitting at the counter, his head supported by a fist. His eyes flicked towards her as she opened the fridge and grabbed a coke. She opened it and took a swig, looking at Patrick curiously.
"I'm assuming you have something to discuss with me," she said blandly after swallowing.
Patrick scowled. "You take too many risks. You know that Mel cares about you and she would be devastated if you left one day and didn't come back."
She set her coke down and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I'm aware of the risks, Patrick. I'm very careful and I plan for days before I make a move. I'm not an idiot."
"You're only 17! You can't plan for everything!" He bit out.
"And you're 15 so don't presume to tell me what I can and can't do," Emiko said flatly. Patrick smacked the counter with his palm in anger. He opened his mouth to retort but Emiko held up a hand to stop him. "Don't. I know, Patrick. Honestly, this last little outing should be enough to keep us all with our head above water for some time. And I made sure that the cops knew just enough to keep anyone else from interfering for a long time."
Patrick's jaw snapped shut with an audible click. He grunted in irritation but said nothing further. Emiko calmly drank her coke until it was gone, crushing the can in her hand before tossing it. She looked at him and her gaze softened. "I know you worry and I'm sorry. You know how I am when I find something that I need to resolve."
"Yeah, I do," Patrick sighed, his head hanging morosely. Emiko let out a small chuckle and poked his cheek fondly. He started in surprise and scowled at her. "What was that for?!"
"For being you. Go to bed. You have to take Mel over to Mrs. Jay's tomorrow," Emiko said in amusement. Patrick scowled harder at her before muttering under his breath and leaving the room. "You know, if you keep scowling your face will get stuck that way!" Emiko called out teasingly.
His only response was to throw a pillow from the couch at her.
Emiko laid in bed unable to sleep. It was well past 2AM but her mind was whirring at a thousand miles a minute, which she found extremely bizarre as she rarely had such a problem. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she turned to her side and stared out the window to take in the exciting view of the apartment next door. Despite all that she'd done for herself in the past several years she still felt like something was missing. It was like part of her very soul was calling out to her but she couldn't quite reach it. Every action she had taken in her life was done to stave off the feeling of isolation and loneliness that she constantly felt. When she was rushing head first into a fight or sneaking into high security vaults her adrenaline was so high that she couldn't think of anything except the next hit or the next safe to crack.
What am I missing? I feel like I'm about to explode and crawl out of my skin. I can tell that Patrick suspects something is going on but it's not like I can tell him. Kid has too much to worry about with Mel.
Flopping onto her back, Emiko groaned and pressed her palms to her eyes. With a snap decision, she practically flew from the bed and threw on some better clothes. A black, tight t-shirt with a pair of skinny jeans were hastily put on. With a tug, she put on her calf high boots and slipped a knife inside both. Her larger knife was strapped her right thigh and a set of specially designed throwing knives was on her left arm. Satisfied that she was properly armed, she threw on her dark gray trench coat and slipped out of the apartment silently.
"These late night strolls are getting out of hand," she muttered to herself, hands buried deep in the pockets of her coat. It wasn't remarkably cold out but she wore the trench to conceal how well armed she was. The cops could be troublesome if they spotted a young woman with multiple knives on her person. She kicked a rock on the sidewalk and glared at the path in front of her. She really needed to figure shit out before she did something truly suicidal. As she passed a random alley, a flicker of movement at the corner of her eye made her pause. Glancing down the alley curiously, she strained her senses to detect if there were any threats in the darkness. Feeling nothing, she shrugged and was about to continue on when a small light caught her eye.
Frowning, she hesitantly walked into the alley, a hand on her dagger out of caution. The light dimmed behind a dumpster and she became even more perplexed. Slowly, she made a wide berth around the dumpster and peered to where the light was coming from. There, on the ground, was a simple necklace with a ruby on a white gold chain. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline in disbelief. "The hell..." She whispered softly. Hesitantly, she reached out for the necklace and when her fingers made contact, the previously dull light burst into eyeball scorching levels. With a yelp she moved a hand to cover her eyes but the feeling of falling suddenly gripped her. Her mouth opened to let out a soundless scream and her eyes rolled back into her head.