Author's Notes: Mucho thanks to silverchipmunk for Beta-ing this thing.
I'm a busy little cactoid, so please forgive me if I can't update in a timely fashion. Don't worry however, as I will finish it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the lint in my pockets.
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"Are you sure about this sir?"
"Absolutely. Do you know how many people will pay to see the real story behind the Volts? It's brilliant!"
"But... You know he's still out there... Just because he left the Limitless Fortress doesn't mean he's dead."
"So? No one's seen him in over two years. He's gone for good from that pile of scrap metal. And outside of that place there's laws that keep people like us safe. We're untouchable out here. He's just a paper tiger now. Powerless."
"If you say so. The producers are waiting outside. They want a rundown of the script."
"Send 'em in! When they see what I've got, they're gonna shit their pants! An honest to God real informant from the Limitless Fortress! Real footage of the Lightning Emperor himself! It's gonna be a box office smash! What are you waiting for?! Open the damn door!"
Sigh. "Yes sir."
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It was a day like any other in the Honky Tonk: lazy and slow. Natsumi slowly polished a glass, humming a silly little ditty while doing so. Gently rubbing its insides with a clean rag, she patiently wiped out every bit of water, finally sliding the towel around the rim, and putting it aside. Paul sat on a small stool behind the counter, newspaper up before his eyes as always, and smiled when he caught sight of his waitress while flipping a page. Her meticulous nature was well worth her salary, and the little cafe had perked up now that she was around. He sighed, leaning back against the well worn wood of the bar, and closed his eyes. Now if it could only stay like this forever...
Brakes screeched loudly outside, scaring away the flock of pigeons that gathered daily at the door of the building, waiting for Natsumi to throw scraps to them. Paul had warned her again and again that if she kept coddling the little feathered freeloaders, they'd just keep coming back for more. But every time he'd say something, she'd just nod gently, and the twinkle in her eyes told him that she would mention stones and glass houses if he weren't her employer.
Speaking of freeloaders... the door burst open, bell jingling wildly as two blurs rushed in sliding to a halt in front of the stools at the bar. Paul closed his eyes, stood up from his seat, and put down the day's news. It was old fashioned, he supposed, to read the news this way, when all of it and more could be gotten on the web. But then again, he was an old fashioned type of guy. He slowly turned, to be greeted by the faces of the Get Backers beaming back at him. Yeah, definitely old fashioned. He still remembered the days when people actually paid their tab...
"Hey Paul, have I got a surprise for you! Close your eyes, buddy!" Paul did nothing but slowly raise an eyebrow. The two young men who sat before him, quite frankly, looked like shit. Ban Midou was covered in dirt from head to toe, scratches and gashes covering every part of him that Paul could see. He wore a tired but satisfied smirk despite the cuts and bruises. Ginji Amano was just as dirty, and white as a sheet, lips tinged slightly blue. What had once been a major injury, from the looks of how his shirt was sliced to ribbons, stretched across his abdomen, but was now only a faint white scar. He had the same satisfied smile as his partner did, though the expression had the overall effect of making him look like a grinning corpse.
"Why am I suddenly frightened?"
"Hey, hey, nothing to be afraid of, unless you're scared of monumental changes in fortune! Come on , close the eyes!"
Paul harrumphed, but slowly closed both eyes, and waited.
"Okay, you can open them again! Tada!"
He looked down at the counter between his hands, and saw to his amazement, a large stack of bills.
"One tab, paid in full!"
Well, perhaps he wasn't so old fashioned after all...
Ban was in a wonderful mood. He and Ginji had just pulled off the retrieval of a lifetime, scoring them 20 million yen, and a new apartment, expenses paid for a year. Sure it had left them half dead, but they had done it! They'd finally pulled off a big job, and actually gotten the reward. Plus no Hevn meant no negotiator's fee, so all that sweet green was theirs to keep! He chuckled to himself as Natsumi rushed around the counter to them, a look of worry crossing over her face at their state.
Natsumi looked at Ginji for a moment then said "Maybe you shouldn't smile like that, Gin-chan, it kinda makes you look... dead."
"Eh, give him some food, and he'll be fine! Or let him stick a finger in a socket, that'll get him going again. The job we just finished was a real tough nut to crack, but the invincible Get Backers have just struck gold! See Paul, I told you we'd get that tab eventually, didn't I? Ha-ha, yes, I am the great invincible Ban Midou Sama!"
"F-food..." Ginji was now swaying slightly in his seat, Natsumi trying to keep him steady.
"What do you want, Gin? Ban's just paid off the tab, so anything you want, just tell me! Right, Master?"
Paul was still staring at the pile of money that sat between his hands, three quarters of a million staring right back. "What? Uh, yeah, anything they want," he said, vaguely waving a hand in the air.
Natsumi turned back to Ginji, who stared at her for a moment. "Pizza?" he said, blinking rapidly, as if trying to bring her into focus. "Lots and lots of pizza..."
"Sure thing Gin-chan. Now you just wait right there, and don't fall over or anything, okay? I'll be right back." She hurried off, and Paul finally looked up at the two again.
"What the hell happened? You two look like the grim reaper will come for you any second now..."
Ban laughed slightly, still in a Yen-filled haze. "Yeah, we just finished a job", he said, laying his head on the bar. "It was one hell of a close call. I had to pull out the jagan three times, and the stupid eel got his guts sliced open by some amateur protector, then used up just about all his juice helping me." A quick glance at his partner followed this last statement, and the slightest look of fondness flitted across Ban's face, almost imperceptible, and lost to all but those like Paul who knew the young man well.
Ginji also had his head on the counter, seemingly falling asleep, but at the mention of his name opened one eye. "We got 'm though, didn't we, Ban?" he murmured, a content smile playing on his lips for a moment.
"Yeah, we got 'em, dummy, now go back to sleep until Natsumi comes back with the food."
"Alright Ban-chan."
Paul shrugged slightly when Ban had returned his attention to him. "That's what partners are for, aren't they? To put their ass on the line for you when you can't help yourself."
Ban was about to reply, when Natsumi came in with a huge pizza, steaming hot and smelling wonderful. The pair jumped up simultaneously, eyeing the food.
"Hey now Ban-san, this one is for Ginji especially, cause he looks so awful. I've got another in the back for you, if you'll wait just a second," the waitress stated, giving Ban a stern look, and putting the plate down in front of Ginji. "Now, don't worry Gin-chan, there's plenty more, so don't hold back, kay?"
"M'kay", the blond muttered, half the plate already gone. By the time Natsumi came back with Ban's own dish, a much improved Ginji was asking for seconds, then later thirds, and then a plate of salmon sandwiches, finally finishing with a huge bowl of ice cream.
"Ah, Ban, it's a wonderful day today! It's a glorious, magnificent day today!" Ban just shook his head as he finished his own dessert. Natsumi giggled and put a cup of coffee down in front of the blond Get Backer, who was now stretching lazily with his hands behind him. He flicked his head up, and said "Thanks Natsumi-chan", while putting packets of sugar in his mug.
"Sometimes I wonder how you eat like that and stay so skinny" she replied, giggling again.
"Hey, generating all this electricity takes a lot of energy, you know. I can't do my job as a Get Backer without it. If I don't eat, I lose voltage."
"No wonder you're hungry all the time. I thought you just collected it from the air and stuff around you."
"Nah, I actually make it. Cool, huh?"
"Yeah, it is. I wish I could do something like that too. Or maybe make dreams for people like Ban-san can."
"Oh, Natsumi-chan , you're fine just the way you are! After all, if you could do stuff like we can, you'd probably take all our jobs!" Natsumi laughed at this, and even Paul chuckled a bit at the thought of little Natsumi taking down dozens of evil looking henchmen.
Ginji leaned back, totally relaxed. It was times like these that made retrieval work fun, sitting in the Honky Tonk on warm afternoons after a job well done, laughing with friends and eating ice cream. And he had Ban to thank for giving him the chance to experience this life, to experience this type of friendship. He glanced over at his partner, and was surprised to see him with his head pillowed on his arms, snoring very slightly, the bowl of ice cream half finished and melting. He smiled now, a warm sunny smile, and turned to Natsumi and Paul, who were cleaning up the used dishes.
"I'd better take Ban-chan home. After all, we were out most of the night finishing up this job. He doesn't heal as easily as I do, and needs to sleep."
Paul nodded slightly. "See you tomorrow," he said, wiping down the counter.
Natsumi looked up from the small sink where she was washing plates. "Bye Gin-chan! See you later!"
"Bye-bye Natsumi-chan!" Ginji walked over to his still sleeping partner, and pulled the envelope with their reward in it from Ban's shirt pocket. He took out a few bills, offering them to Paul.
"Here, this is for our lunch. We've finally paid off our previous tab, wouldn't want to start another!"
Paul just smiled and shook his head "Consider today's meal a thanks for finally paying your bill." Ginji grinned and put the cash away.
"Thank you very much, Paul-san," he said, sketching a slight bow. The owner of the Honky Tonk smiled slightly, and went back to wiping down the counter.
Ginji made his way back to Ban, slipping the envelope into his vest pocket. Ban was lighter then he looked, and easy for the bigger Get Backer to carry. The Jagan user, had he been awake, would never have allowed such undignified treatment, but he wasn't, and Ginji was satisfied knowing he wouldn't remember. So he went out the door of the little storefront on a Shinjuku side street, carrying his precious cargo, the bell on the door ringing merrily on his way out.
Paul let out a small satisfied sigh, and moved to the sink to help Natsumi with the dishes. It was days like these, with the golden summer sun of late afternoon streaming in the plate glass window of his cafe, and a gentle breeze coming in before the door could cut it off, that life felt like it was really worth living.
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"So, how much do you expect for this little project? Twenty million? Fifty million? What?"
"I was thinking more like a budget of one hundred million. After all, simulating all that electricity and damage is gonna cost a bundle. Plus all the extras. And don't forget the Beastmaster's little pets. And we can't really shoot on location, so the props, sets, models...
"Alright. One hundred million. You'd better not disappoint, Aramaki."
"Please. This is gonna be the biggest haul in the history of Japan. You have no need to worry. Our protagonist is the Lightning Emperor himself, surrounded by his four Kings, all of which are young, male, attractive, and powerful. The school girls will eat it up. And hey, the older women will just love the Teshimine character and his friend Paul."
"Fine. The money will be available to you in two business days. A man from our offices will be coming at that time as well to oversee your work. We will also be looking forward to your weekly progress reports."
"Right. Wen, get the door for these gentlemen."
"Yes, sir."
A door opened.
"Goodbye, Gentlemen."
"Good day, Aramaki-san."
The door closed.
"Goddamn suits!!! Think they can do whatever the HELL they want! Progress reports, my ass!! This is art! Art, you bastards, do you even know what that is?! So, someone from their office will be around to "oversee" my work? God DAMN!"
"Sir..."
"What the hell do you want, Wen? Go make me some coffee or something, will you? What do you think I pay you for, huh? Go on, get! Put a dash of something a bit stronger in it too, eh? Fucking corporate robots..."
[Sigh "Yes, sir. Is whiskey strong enough?"
"Yeah, yeah, that's fine."
The door opened again, and Wen walked out quietly.
"I really need a better job..."
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White sandals clicked hurriedly in the early morning light, cutting through hazy mist that was just dissipating. The humidity in the air promised an uncomfortably muggy temperature, nothing like the dry heat that had warmed the day before. The woman walking briskly through it was definitely dressed for the sticky inferno that the humidity would bring. A white micro mini skirt just barely did its job of covering the correct areas, and a matching white halter top was having similar difficulties. Blond hair was tied up in a complicated knot, keeping its owner cool and dry.
Hevn was late. She had an appointment with Ban and Ginji, and after that an appointment with another client who was looking for some protectors to hire, then a dinner date with that nice young bicycle messenger who had given her roses yesterday... She shook her head and picked up the pace, getting leers from men she passed, the increased speed having a curious effect on her anatomy.
And that's when she saw it. In the center of a busy intersection, it loomed over two stories high. Lit up by lights that were placed around the perimeter, it was impossible to miss, and it had Ginji's face on it.
Well, that wasn't quite true. It had someone who looked eerily like Ginji on it, but that wasn't the cheerful, good-natured retrieval agent Hevn knew. She examined the billboard, trying to get a closer look. Bright blond hair was swept back with a few strands escaping, giving the face an angular, pointed look, accenting high cheek bones and aristocratic features. Eyebrows quirked over hazelnut eyes that were flecked with gold, and flashed like lightning. For all their sparkle, they still seemed dead, and the smirk that curled thin lips was miles away from reaching them. Arcs of electricity crackled around the figure, and centered in two balls of light, one held in each upward facing palm
Hevn shook her head, staring at the billboard, looking for what it advertised. And when she found the jagged lettering, done in a font that resembled bolts of lightning, her heart sank a bit. "Oh, Gin..." She had been right. That wasn't Ginji at all. That was the Lightning Emperor in all his cold glory, staring down at the city below, looking just like the powerful dictator he had always been rumored to be.
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Ban woke up slowly, something tickling his nose. The ceiling swam into focus, pale white in the early sunlight. For a moment, he couldn't place where he was, his last memories being those of chocolate chip ice cream and the Honky Tonk. Reflexes took over, tensing his body for a fight. Suddenly he recognized his surroundings, relaxing as he realized that he was in the new apartment that the Get Backers had just recently won. It was too late however, and the thing that had tickled Ban awake shifted again, morphing into brown eyes and a curious expression.
"You awake, Ban?" Ginji was sprawled on his partner like a living blanket, head on Ban's chest. He was in nothing but pajama bottoms, and Ban quickly became very aware of the lack of space between them. He looked down to find himself similarly attired, and wondered at the gaps in his memory.
"Yeah, of course I'm awake, idiot, that mess of fuzz you call hair woke me up. And what the hell are you doing on top of me? Get off!"
Ginji laughed an apology at the grouchy urchin head. "There was only one bed in the apartment when we got here Ban-chan, and I was really tired too. I hope you don't mind."
Ban looked at the clock and muttered an exclamation. "Well, whether I'm pleased about it or not, it was a good thing you woke me up, cause we have an appointment with Hevn in half an hour. Come on, get your lazy ass moving, and go take a shower!"
"But Ban, what about breakfast?!"
"Later, when we get to the Honky Tonk."
"But what about the ta- Oh, yeah, we fixed that yesterday, didn't we?"
"No shit, airhead, now come now, get!
"Right, right."
As Ginji shuffled off, Ban shook out a cigarette from the box which his partner had placed by the bedside, knowing the Jagan users' habits. He stared at the white cylinder for a moment, and realized how close they were. Just a few years ago, he would have been terrified that another human being knew so much about him; knew his habits, his little quirks, and, most terrifying of all, knew what he truly meant when he spoke. Ginji had become a veritable Ban-translator, able to gather the real value behind his partner's every action., and that would have made the Ban of a few years ago turn tail and run. He smiled as he lit up. That was a few years ago. This was now.
He lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and smoking the cigarette, reaching out and flicking the ashes into the tray that sat next to the cardboard packet. The water in the shower was running now, and the scent of Ivory soap and something herbal floated out of the door that was slightly ajar. Ban closed his eyes, relishing this moment, his closest ally and friend close by, a cigarette in his hand, the feeling of satisfaction from a job well done, and the rewards gained from it. If only life was always like this...
The water in the bathroom stopped running, and the shower curtain rustled. The sound of the sink's faucets being turned on, and a small clink from the cup Ginji kept his toothbrush in made their way through the door. Ban vaguely wondered how many other people knew that his partner would always brush his teeth after his shower, never before.
He stretched, putting out the butt of the cigarette and getting up. It would be his turn in the bathroom soon, and they had only twenty minutes to get to the Honky Tonk.
The muggy humidity was on full force when the Get Backers stepped out of their building and into the white hot haze of the street. The Subaru was parked in the special lot designated for their complex, so no tickets were sitting on its' windshield when the pair walked up. Not that it was as important as it used to be, smirked Ban, what with them being millionaires now and all.
"Whoa, Ban-can, start the AC, will you? This leather is hotter then a stove!" Ginji had jumped into the car, and was now bouncing around, trying to keep his exposed legs off the sun heated seats.
"Right." A blast of icy air followed this statement, and Ginji began to relax as the frigid stream started to cool everything down.
"So, now that we just finished that big job, can we go on vacation Ban? Maybe... The beach?"
"Hey, why not? It's not like we need to take any more jobs for a while anyway."
"And um, would it be possible to order some sushi tonight, Ban-chan? Enough for both of us this time, so you aren't stealing mine?"
"Ginji, it would be a pleasure. We'll get the most expensive thing on the menu. No, make that two of the most expensive things on the menu! Hell, let's make it an all out party tonight, and invite everyone! Hey, even Monkey Trainer and the Threadspool! We'll have sushi and enough liquor to sail a ship in!"
"Wow Ban, money makes you really generous, huh?"
"Shut up, dimwit, it's not that. I just wanna show those two what high living is really all about. Modoka probably only feeds Monkey Boy scraps from the dinner table, and I've never seen the Seamstress work a day in his life. Probably lives in some run down shack with his boyfriend, relying on Makubex for cash.
"Oh, Ban-chan, don't be so mean. Kazuki came from wealthy nobility, I'm sure he's still got an inheritance or something. And Modoka-chan would never do anything like that to Shido, she's too nice."
"Whatever. It's still an excuse to show off the new condo!"
"But Ban, we still only have the furniture that the place came with. If we're gonna have a party there, it'll take all day to get it ready!"
"Shut up, do you want to have everyone over or not?"
"Of course!"
"We'll hold the damn thing tomorrow night instead of today, if you're so worried. And hey, we can go shopping for the stuff today! Plus, we're gonna need new clothes, we haven't been able to buy any in months! Oh, and it'll be great to buy new phones, ours are so beat up they barely work anymore... Oh, sweet, sweet gods of money, thank you for lifting the curse that was upon us..."
As Ban continued to dreamily list all the things that he was going to buy, Ginji leaned back and closed his eyes. His partner always seemed to make these spur of the moment decisions, like turning a quiet day of relaxation into a huge shopping expedition, and inviting just about everyone they knew over. He shook his head slightly, looking out the window at the scenery passing by. Even with the rash decisions that so often got them hip deep in trouble, he wouldn't change his best friend for the world.
"...And we'll have to get you a proper suit, of course, I don't think you even own one. Maybe we can actually make a good impression on clients for once..."
"What?! Ban, you know I can't stand suits! They're far too tight! And the collars always itch..."
"That's because you've never had one that fits you, dummy. When we go to a proper store, and get you measured, it won't suck as much."
"But Ban-chan-"
"No buts Ginji! We're men of means now, don't you see? We have to look the part as well! And don't you know that the women love guys in suits? Come on, it's an instant chick magnet!"
"Well, I-"
"Good, then it's settled! After we meet up with Hevn, it's off to purchase furniture, then to get suits..."
From rags to riches in a day, and already Ban was referring to them as 'men of means'. But then again, it would be great to see all his friends again, and the sushi and alcohol would be a nice treat. Even if they burned through all 20 million in a week or so, it wouldn't matter to him. He had his Ban-chan, and a place to sleep. What more could he ask for?
Ban brought the car to a squealing halt in front of the Honky Tonk, jerking Ginji out of his reverie. They both jumped out, and hot, damp air hit the pair like an invisible wall. They quickly cut through it to the door of the cafe and pushed it open. Hevn sat inside talking rapidly to Paul and Natsumi. When the bell on the door chimed, all three looked up simultaneously.
It was at that moment that the Get Backers knew something was wrong. Hevn rose as soon as they came in the door, and walked over to the pair. Thoughts of breakfast were instantly forgotten as she neared the two, a look that they couldn't quite place in her eyes.
"I've got some news for you boys," she said, giving Ginji a long stare. "Seems like they're making a movie about the Lightning Emperor."
