The GetBackers (complicated world) belongs to Kibayashi Shin & Ayamine Rando.

English is not my first language.

Warning of pairings (both straight & homosexual content) in this story.

Spoilers for those who have not finished the manga and anime!

I can not and will not guarantee your sanity, or insanity. Now, enjoy! :)

~ Cravings ~

"Hell"

Amano Ginji, former Lightning lord, current generation of the GetBackers earnt the right to enter the upper levels of Mugen Jo, Babylon city, and reach the truth. A truth that was like a cruel toy box. The whole world Ginji had been experiencing together with his partner Midou Ban had been virtual. In the "real world" he was already dead. The world he had gotten to know had been created as a back-up world with the help of the latest technology the "real world" had to offer. However, the replica had gotten a life of its own and the changed history created a separate alternative world. The back-up world was therefore no mere copy any longer. The young man received a choice after getting to know the truth; what was the destiny of the world to be?

In the end the back-up world survived, it was left mostly untouched with a few exceptions known to the few involved. The dark fortress, Mugen Jo, grew peaceful and the people previously chained to the virtual limitations could now leave and enter as they wished - the whole world was virtual to begin with after all. Perhaps as a result of a calm Mugen Jo, the retrievers got noticeable less demanding jobs at their hands. Lastly Akabane Kurodou, alias Dr. Jackal, was brought back into existence. Apparently Ginji had, unconsciously, found the world a little lacking without the crazy transporter, or perhaps he was sharper than Ban had at first given him credit for. The former doctor disappeared shortly thereafter - where to? No one knew for sure but all who had ever met the man silently agreed that it was to be only ever a temporary silence from the ever so polite man. To Midou Ban's disappointment one thing remained exactly the same; the duo's income.

After a few days of resting they had began working again; today was another easy job for the retrievers. They were on the way to a family restaurant in another part of town. Unfortunately they had next to nothing concerning money, as usual, hence the pair had to get there by walking. Ban was in a unusually foul mood and grit his teeth around his last cigarette.

"Ban-chan, why do we have to walk there?" his partner asked for the third time of their walk. The asked ignored it. "Ne, are you sure it was okay to leave the car there?"

"The hell, Ginji?! We ran out of gas! How many times do I have to tell you?! Cars run on gas!" Ban had stopped and turned to Ginji and shouted in disbelief, the sun was high in the sky and busy blazing heat at them. He had no energy for this. Ginji took no offence to his friend's outburst though and continued:

"If it only ran on electricity," he mumbled lowly which ticked the other off yet again.

Ban sighed. "We're not in Mugen Jo, you'd exhaust yourself pretty quickly."

A little more than two months and a few weeks had passed when a certain familiar feeling began creeping up on Ban. It was certainly a familiar feeling but not because of numerous appearances – rather the opposite. It was only familiar in that sense because it had rarely ever appeared yet left, mildly put, an impact on his very core being as if traumatized. The feeling of starving, but it was not for food his starvation called.. a racing pulse, heart beating fiercely against his chest, adrenaline making his body lighter than ever.. The joy of thrill, he had began to crave it for its lacking appearance. He began to wonder if the fighting in Mugen Jo had left too much of an impact on him.

The GetBackers had before the recent changes to this back-up world not always had dangerous or even remotely interesting cases but danger had shown up every now and then. What Ban had thought the most troubling after finally identifying that almost-lost-feeling he had realized there was no easy cure to it anymore. Mugen Jo had been emptied of all serious threats and all else was no challenge at all to the supernatural GB duo. Before he had been able to control his impulses but it seems that the last battle in Mugen Jo versus everyday work was beginning to eat away at his control. Perhaps the difference between the two made it all the more dangerous.

So now here he was, yet some time later, at Paul's counter with coffee in his hand. Ginji had been giving him weird looks for weeks but Paul had only become concerned over the last couple of days as they got less jobs and stayed at the café more. Ban had hidden his discomfort well to not be noticed until now. Ginji had sat down beside him in silence. It seemed like Paul's and Ginji's mutual silence sent out a question not voiced to Ban. His hands trapped the cup filled with hot coffee on the counter before him.

"I just need to calm down and..", he paused slightly, "dull my senses a bit", he finished with a slightly tired voice as if he could have explained another way had he had more energy. Paul seemed to accept the answer and looked to be recalling something with a knowing light smile as he backed off to give Ban some space and peace, meanwhile the human electricity-bank still looked confused about the other's mood.

It was during a mission a small fight made Ginji began to understand the others mood changes. He had seen that Ban was moving slower than usual, dodging bullets closer than necessary all while restraining a visible need – a need that former Lightning lord identified as a need for a real fight to keep the man alive. As the short struggle came to an end he had also realized that this had most likely slowly but surely been getting worse since sometime after the fight in Mugen Jo which now was months behind them. Back then Ban had been in an unusual foul mood which did not seem to entirely disappear over time – only ever changing to this form. Now knowing his partner's ordeal he decided to approach his friend about it later the same day.

Nearly seven months after the unreal battles in Mugen Jo and Ban could swear his sanity was beginning to shatter in tiny very uncollectible pieces. Each day he could feel the earth below his feet crumble as if to give way, the walls would bend and fall to his touch – or at least it felt like it. The coffee, Paul's coffee, tasted bland. He sat in a darker and somewhat hidden corner in the café which he had taken a liking to recently. If he felt barely in control of himself he gathered it best to stay away from anything that may provoke him. Ginji had tried to cheer him up at numerous occasions but had left the man alone when each time told off. Now the cheerful one usually spent his days with Natsumi at the more used part of the small café; the counter. Ban had told him what was wrong but neither of them had been able to really think of a good solution and had left it at "it will solve itself somehow - I think".

Ban tried the coffee carefully, again. Bland. He stirred slightly as he heard the door to the place being opened, the bell above the entrance ringing a low warning of entrance. Ban could not see the door from where he was sitting but soon heard Kazuki's voice join in with Ginji and Natsumi. The voices soon got lower and he could not make out what was told anymore, probably it was some random secret or it had something to do with him. Most likely the later as it seemed like Ginji's and Natsumi's worries were of the endless kind. Not that he minded much, it was nice once in a while.

Ban let them be and stared down into his bland coffee. Surely there was nothing wrong with it as Paul had made it himself instead of Natsumi. However.. something was off even with food and drinks now, everything tasted so.. bland. He sighed. Approaching footsteps interrupted his thoughts and he looked up. Ginji, Natsumi and Kazuki were approaching his table with slightly looks of worry. So he had indeed been the subject of their conversation. Without asking for permission they all sat down in a row in the seats opposite him. He looked at them and Natsumi immediately looked down – avoiding any eye contact, Kazuki looked back intently and Ginji was fidgeting worriedly; looking back and forth between Kazuki and Ban.

"Still not getting any better, Midou-kun?" Kazuki asked bluntly.

Ban sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Done nothing", he replied as if it would answer it all. Ginji sweated a bit at Ban's nonchalant reply and smiled nervously.

"I have talked with MakubeX about the possibility of virtual opponents. We have also located the whereabouts of Fudou", Kazuki told the other, presenting it as a possible solution for Ban's restlessness which had been peaking for quite a while back. He did not even do missions anymore in case he would be too daring and get hit or lash out more than he would intend to and accidentally kill someone. His self control was essentially wiped out at this point.

The retriever smirked. "So you had to do some dirty digging, huh? Finding Fudou when he doesn't intend to be found; that is no easy task! Ha!" Ban joked.

Kazuki struggled to keep his manners and finally broke out into a smile and continued: "So, may we help you, Midou-kun?"

The asked sighed and drank some of his coffee with a bitter face. "The virtual reality in Mugen Jo hasn't changed much, right?" Kazuki's expression stayed blank as he listened. "If that's the case then the virtual opponents won't do any good really. If I recall correctly he has to use real people to make the best of it and they will not be any opponents at all. Lastly, as I am now Fudou wouldn't be able to make it long enough for me to come to me friggin' senses to calm down!" he finished and raised his voice towards the end – clearly at the end of his remaining patience.

Ginji looked at Ban with sorrowful eyes, guilt reflected as he could do nothing to help his friend's dilemma. It was not like he did not understand either, a good fight was always fun but Ban had not been growing up as Ginji who have lived trying to stop the fighting. Ban grew up in the thrill of battle and survival and consequently had never been without it for too long even as a retriever as there always had been a few dangerous jobs. Now those few jobs were rare and Ban was considered too strong for anyone to really be his opponent but Ginji knew better...

There was one man. One man who was strong enough to at least make Midou Ban serious, also probably one who would be able to be an opponent long enough for the retriever to let go and afterward calm down. Everyone around the table knew but no one felt like voicing it. Hence someone else had gotten a call from the trio an hour previous the current situation with the mission of bringing the message here. A door, a bell, footsteps. The transporter was finally here.

"Akabane Kurodou, alias Dr. Jackal", a young woman voiced out with finality standing a few meters from the table. Just about close enough to be seen from the slightly hidden corner of the four.

"Himiko-chan!" Ginji cheered, temporarily escaping the gloomy mood. Even Natsumi seemed to brighten up at the sight of the transporter.

"I see that temper of yours have not improved the slightest, Ban", Himiko said as she approached them. Ban simply glared at her – in a more lighthearted manner. His sister remained standing at the side of the table, facing all four. "You owe him one", she said while looking at the wall instead of facing Ban who she knew would be upset by the thought of owing anyone – especially him.

Her brother hang his head down, hair hiding the anger in his dangerous eyes. One could almost feel the room turn colder containing his silence. He was emitting a low and boiling rage which went through his body – tense shoulders, fingers constantly tensing and relaxing as if to try his favourite fighting move on the air, visible part of the face turned into a not-amused expression... a roar and a few broken furniture would probably had a more relaxing effect on the present individuals.

Someone had to say something. No one knew what to say, Himiko carefully tried: "He, Akaba-"

"That man's twisted sense of.. IT PISSES ME OFF TO NO END!" he finally roared, eyes straining like a snake's under his bangs and a chilling air surrounding him. The onlookers could have sworn they saw a snake ready to lash out. Ban stayed at that edge of sanity for a full minute in eerie silence. He was now standing up and staring down at his hands before he finally took one long breath and relaxed his arms to his sides and sat down again, exhausted, head tilted up with eyes fixed on the roof.

The trio took together a big breath and relaxed as the tension laid down. Kazuki spoke up after putting back the thread he had been holding as precaution:

"Midou-kun, no else comes to mind and Ginji; the Lightning lord would have to be in Mugen Jo. It would be too dangerous for you both!" Ban understood full well but this was the one subject, person, he had avoided the whole time, ever since he figured out that creepy, annoying and eerie feeling stabbing his gut and putting shivers through his spine.

"Fuck!"; he announced and exited the café in a hurry. He needed a smoke.

To be continued . . .

Next chapter: "Numb"!

Thank you for reading!

Sincerely, Yaana.