Title: Fishing for Cement
Homework Assignment #2: Saionji and Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena) Alternate Universe.
Rating: PG-13
Alternate Universe setting and slight shoujo-ai content, Utena movie-verse characters.
Incomplete/Work in Progress
Characters are not mine I am just borrowing.
"Do you always have to be such a bitch?"
Utena Tenjou shut her eyes and shook her head at the comment. She wasn't sure what she had done to deserve being partnered off with Kyouichi Saionji, possibly the most disgraced agent in the agencies history, but she was certain it had to do with declining the District Chief's offer for a "date". She let out a deep breath and walked over to the window of the hotel room and pulled back the curtain ever so slightly. She just had to keep thinking about that sexual harassment suit she had filed and hope it didn't get her into any more hot water. She liked her job. She was good at what she did. She was a superior agent and so far, through all the little ups and downs she had managed to remain optimistic about her position. But this...this was turning into a small disaster.
"You should be grateful you didn't get you nose broken," she offered with a grin.
He rolled his eyes like a petulant child and then tossed his hair back with a smug smile on his face.
If he hadn't decided to try and break his cover by gathering information on his own she wouldn't have had to give him the black eye. If he didn't think he was God's gift to undercover work she wouldn't have to put up with a lot of things that she did. But this assignment was too important to be ruined by his antics; she had been working for a long time to break into the inner sanctum of the Ohtori family and their mafia ring known as The Duelists.
Utena went back to her chair and pulled out some paperwork. She was currently working as a body guard for Akio Ohtori's little sister Anthy. What a mess that family was... What a world the Ohtori's lived in... It was almost unbelievable, but it was filled with everything that was dark and dirty. She wondered when she discovered all the Ohtori's dark little secrets if she'd ever be able to keep her outlook on life the same. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto, but somehow she always managed to shine a light even in the darkest places. The Ohtori's had their hands in everything, drugs, guns, money laundering, and the list didn't stop there. There was a myriad of pornography, underground fighting, and gambling arena's. So much so that it was hard to lock down each and every single operation.
Akio Ohtori was the head of the family ever since The Chairman had stepped down due to poor health, and then once he had died (probably poisoned) Akio married the old man's widow to seal the deal completely. Evil on earth was Akio Ohtori, and it was all the more troubling because that man was charming beyond all belief. He could con an angel into ripping her own wings and burning in hell for all eternity. And to top it off he was untouchable... Everyone knew he was in charge but his name was never to found amid the paperwork. He and his generals were extremely smart people and she had been sent in undercover to bring them down. Or at least to gather what information she could before she could be pulled out and start to live her life again.
Saionji made a strange noise that she supposed was meant to get her to pay attention to him. She turned to look at him, robin blue eyes waiting patiently for him to speak.
"I almost had the information...then we could have been through with this place," he said.
"You were going to be caught and blow your cover and possibly mine as well," she retorted. "It'd be nice if the Ohtori's weren't so smart, but they can see through lies, and they had you pegged with that story you were giving. You should be grateful I was there to save you."
He crossed his arms over his chest and "hmphed". "Whatever..."
She shook her head and went back to her paperwork. They would have to leave in an hour and return back to where they belonged in the Ohtori ranks. Saionji was working as an underling for one of the Ohtori's generals. He had crossed the line by entering the main house and Utena had to make an example of him, by claiming he was trying to get too "familiar" with one of the maids. It was a good thing he had actually tried something with one of maids before trying to collect the data that Utena was already well aware of. But being aware of the information and being able to take it without being noticed were two separate things. She had already informed the agency of her progress and they were going to try and do an offsite hack into the computer. The instructions were explicit that she not try and get the information herself, and she had already told him that, twice.
"You should get back so you can be reprimanded by the Kaoru's," Utena muttered as she looked over the last of the file in front of her. "I'm sure Kozue is looking forward to it."
His green eyes narrowed and then he stood up to stomp out of the room.
She left soon after she destroyed the paperwork and considered her options. She'd been allowed the time to have a "talk" with Saionji, and although some would question why he wasn't a mere pile of green haired goo she knew that Akio and most importantly his sister would know better. When she said talk, she meant talk, and when she talked to people she usually got results. She made a quick report to the agency and then went to the Ohtori mansion.
It was a Saturday... She would not have been missed. On Saturdays Anthy spent quality time with her brother, and it took all her will to keep from charging in like some hot headed hero when she learned exactly what that meant. Incestuous relationships were just another addition to the wicked and depraved world she was deep undercover in.
Three more months was all she had to last. Three more months and the agency would pull her out and she could wash her self clean.
A few weeks later and the Ohtori's were having a party in all the opulence that they could afford to celebrate, but for what exactly, was unclear. Utena was keeping towards the back and observing, always on duty to keep and eye out for anyone that might try and harm Anthy. She was leaning against a door jam blue eyes moving around the room to see what she could see.
Akio had tried to convince her to wear some tight and small black dress but she had shrugged and asked how she could wear her gun in such a slinky thing. He was always trying to get her into some corner to seduce her. She always knew it but it frightened her when she realized that if she hadn't known any better he might actually succeed. Thankfully, she had kept her head above the clouds and as such was in her current position wearing a very nice Armani pant suit, her short pinkish blonde hair styled to her liking.
She spotted the Kaoru's and their entire crew. Saionji was sporting a few more bruises, but he looked none the worse for wear. A polite tap on her shoulder made her turn her attentions. It was the Ohtori's top general. She grinned at Utena and then began to speak.
"I see Kozue took it easy on him," she said coolly. "You must have cut him down to size nicely."
Utena shrugged, "I just talked to him."
"Must have been quite a discussion."
"I think he's remembered his place."
The woman's grin widened and she looked as if she were going to laugh but then spoke instead. "Funny thing, places. Akio would probably promote you if you'd give in to him."
"Bad for business, sleeping with the boss."
"I'm glad you see things that way."
"I'm good at what I do," Utena replied. "I could never do what you do though."
"No," the woman said and it was nearly a question. "No, I don't suppose you could."
The woman stalked off long curly light auburn locks swaying behind her. She picked up a glass of champagne with cat like grace as she passed a server and then went to speak with Akio and his wife.
Utena looked around the room again and spotted Saionji staring at her. He was sure to have something interesting to say about that conversation later. She wondered what blithe warning it might be.
Juri Arisugawa was a strange one. She didn't fit the profile of a mob boss. It was hard to say exactly what kind of profile she did fit, but if Utena really had to think about it and if she hadn't known any better, she would swear that Juri was an undercover agent of some sort. Not that she could prove anything and not that she could doubt Juri's loyalty to the Ohtori's, because she had seen Juri do a few things that no agent would ever do. Still, there was some doubt, and it made her secretly hope that it was true.
The party got into full swing when all the guests were escorted down into the basement of the mansion for the entertainment of the evening.
Utena took a deep breath as she entered. There had been parties at the mansion a few times before, and each one had its own special type of entertainment, and the guests always left with a smile on their faces, twisting in fear, amused by the show, and sometimes with an expression that was a mixture of all those things. The entertainment at the last party had revolved around watching the less inhibited guests engage in sexual activities that she found both vile and depraved. If she had been a rookie she probably would have tried to arrest them all right then and there, but she wasn't; she was seasoned and she just wrote it down and kept track. Eventually justice would prevail…eventually…she let out a deep breath.
Anthy passed her and gave her a warm smile. She felt her heart skip a few beats, but she tired to remind herself that even if Anthy was a sweet girl she was still part of it all. Even if she had wanted to sweep the young woman away from all of the bad she was sure it would only end in her demise. Hope lingered on eternal in heart. She had to be careful.
The entertainment lined up for the evening was a duel to the death, complete with swords. The small arena area had been refitted to hold the event and bets were already starting to take place. She looked at the chalk board to see who the contenders were; she didn't recognize any of the names except one, Juri Arisugawa.
"This is how she dispatches of those she's caught in acts of treason to the family," a sharp voice stated from behind her. It was Saionji. She didn't turn around even when he continued, "She's the best with a sword and the others here call her 'The Prince'."
"There isn't anything princely about it." She said in a low hushed tone that no one else could hear.
"No." He was terribly amused with himself. "She's gives them a sporting chance…They could kill her."
"And what then we set them free?"
"Yes."
Now she turned her head to look at him. The questions were all over her face, the confusion as to why. It didn't fit with the normal pattern, but then nothing about the way the Ohtori's ran things was normal. She could see him smirking and had to look away before she hit him. The place was getting to her, and she felt like she was losing something dear.
"All of the generals have the right to dispatch traitors this way. It's been an Ohtori tradition for decades. They keep their word, if someone wins they are free to go, and alive at that."
"How do you know this?" She hated feeling out of the loop and she could hardly believe that Saionji would dare keep that kind of information from her. She was in the dark though, she had never of heard of the duels from any of the other people she spoke with or worked around.
"I watched the duel where young Tsuwabuki met his end. They let the man who won leave and he's still alive… Although, I'm sure he's hidden himself away where he can never be found. They can afford to let witnesses live sometimes… After all most are too afraid to speak out and none of them have the right sort of info."
"Get away from me, Saionji. The duels are starting."
"Maybe if you hadn't hit me...I'd have been more forth coming with this information. That should teach you something."
She shut her eyes and then opened them again prepared to hurl him to the ground. No one would blame her. No one would say a thing. It would be her right for being so insulted. She didn't have to though. Before she could do anything Miki Kaoru grabbed him and led him away. He came back shortly after and smiled at her. She couldn't understand why such a good kid would mix himself up with the Ohtori's, but then she thought about Kozue and wondered if that had anything to do with it.
"If he keeps bothering you-" Miki began but Utena shook her head quickly to interrupt him.
The lights went low and the duels began.
The crowd was a roar of cheers and gasps. Each of the traitors had to face each other until there was only one, and then that last one would have to face Juri. The woman was out of sight for much of the duel. Utena wondered if she were preparing. During the last three duels Utena saw her come out dressed in a red jacket with black sleeves and white pants, her long hair pulled back into an elegant braid leaving two curled locks of hair to frame her stoic face. Juri took a seat on a high backed chair that could have been a throne and watched the rest of the duels with a strange expression on her face.
Finally there was only person left. Juri nodded at him, and the crowds roar died down to a whisper.
"You have an hour." Juri said as she rose from her chair. "Then you face me. Bide your time well."
Saionji had scooted nearer to her again. Every so often he would toss a look her way and she could almost read what he was thinking and it wasn't good. She did not approve of the duels, but as she watched she could see that there was perhaps a little more at stake. It wasn't just about teaching a traitor a lesson. It was about being given the opportunity, once found out and judged a traitor, to redeem honor. That honor that existed only among thieves and villains, but it was still honor.
The crowd hushed after a bell rang out. It was the beginning, and Utena saw an odd look of determination on the man's face, the single victor of ten. He seemed to be someone sure of his own strength. He seemed to be and then Juri Arisugawa stepped out into the small arena. She hated to say that such a bloody event could become regal but it did. Juri stepped out and there was a hush of awe among the guests. There was only one bet against her and it was Miki Kaoru who noted that Juri always placed a bet against herself.
The duel began and the crowd was respectful. They were not raging for violence as they had been before. This was no longer a matter of being a blood sport. This was a trial. It was the possibility of vindication and eternal expulsion of the world of Ohtori.
It lasted nearly an hour and then as most of her opponents did...the man fell to Juri's blade.
The crowd cheered.
Utena spent the rest of the evening very quietly trying to contain her feelings about the event.
Kyouichi Saionji hated the feeling that his life was one big waste of time. He hated feeling like a pawn, and he knew that he was, working for the agency, and undercover within the rank of the Ohtori's. There had been a time when he wanted to be nobler about everything and be a good agent, a good man, but the line was thin concerning what that was. He also had a violent streak in him that had taken a few years to settle down into what the agency finally agreed was acceptable behavior. He was sure he was wasting his life trying to be a good guy. Looking around at the world of the Ohtori's made him wander if he choose the wrong career path, and then he thought of his partner.
He hated her too, however there seemed to be little in the world that he did not. But maybe, he didn't hate Utena Tenjou in the way most would think. He just disliked her. He wanted her to open her eyes and stop being so damned cheerful about the world, not that she didn't have her own problems. He had hacked into her file at the agency and what he saw gave him a little more respect for her. It was a wonder that anyone could recover from such a thing and still have a bright view of the world. It still bothered him though.
What bothered him most at the moment was Juri Arisugawa's sudden interest in both of them. He had been summoned to her office and the Kaoru's had made it quite clear that he should be prompt. It was trouble brewing, that's what it was, trouble of the worst kind because he knew that Juri had a reputation for being able to sniff out traitors. She was called a panther as well as a prince, and he knew what would happen if she found either of them out. It would mean a duel if she respected you, but he had heard stories from some of the others he worked with that it could be much worse if she didn't.
He grimaced as he pushed the button in the elevator and rode to the floor with Juri's office. He spit his chewing gum out into a trash can as he stepped out of it and then knocked on the office door. No secretary for Ms. Arisugawa, no little office helpers at all... It just made him feel all the worse in noting that. He tried to comfort himself by thinking that perhaps everyone was out to lunch, but he was sure he was wrong. However wary he was though, he knew some things about Juri Arisugawa that others did not, and he hoped that it would be enough to help escape with his life.
There was a muffled reply that sounded like, "Come in, Mr. Saionji."
The office was pretty large. The wall nearest to the door sported a collection of antique swords and a few other pieces of miscellaneous weaponry. There was a set up near the window that was for fencing and masks and foils hung from the wall opposite the antiques. Juri's desk was not particularly big but it was solid and looked older as well.
He shut the door and she watched him approach, her green eyes critical of every move he made.
There was an empty chair and normally he would have just sat in it but he waited until she gave him an approving nod. She had reading glasses on and removed them as soon as he made himself comfortable.
"Mr. Saionji, you seem to have a problem with Anthy Himemiya's body guard." She said coolly.
He shrugged and adjusted his jacket.
"You don't seem to like her."
"I don't."
Juri grinned and then sat back in her chair. "In fact it seems you told the Kaoru's that you suspect her of being a...What was it you said? I believe Kozue was using her brass knuckles at the time."
"I said I thought she was too much of a girl scout."
"And what did you mean by that, exactly? Are you trying to imply that she might be an undercover agent?"
He shrugged again. Inside he was sweating bullets. He'd really blown it. He shouldn't have said anything.
"Still, you don't like her?"
"Not really. Look I-"
"Mr. Saionji, do you know what I see when I look at you?" She continued before he could even shake his head. "I see a potential problem. You point a finger at the body guard who, may be a girl scout, as you put it, but still has never been caught snooping about in places she shouldn't be. She doesn't ask questions that someone shouldn't ask, and whether she's appalled by this family organization, or not, she does well by keeping it to herself."
She rose from her chair and sauntered over to him. She was walking with a slight limp and had a cane in her hand. Juri stepped behind him, leaning on her cane for support to speak into his ear.
"Do you know that most often when some tries to sully the reputation of someone, by inferring even slightly that they might be a traitor...Do you know who the traitor usually is, Mr. Saionji?"
"The finger pointer."
"Very good." She stood up a little more. "I wish you hadn't said anything to the Kaoru's, because now I have to investigate both you and Miss Tenjou just a little deeper. It would have been okay if you had come to me with this matter first, because then I wouldn't have to inform Akio, not that he would really care either way. Investigations are always popping up."
There was a sharp sound from behind him and then Juri was leaning against the back of his chair holding a blade to his throat. He kept very still.
"Normally I'm not a violent person. I like to settle things quietly. You're ruining my plans, Mr. Saionji." She pressed the blade in but not enough to make a cut. "So do yourself a favor and make sure I can not find your existence on the pay roll of the agency I think you work for."
She released him and out of the corner of his eye he saw her sheathe the blade back into the body of the cane. She walked slowly back to her desk. She brushed a few stray strands of hair from her eyes and let out a long sigh.
"You don't look well." He said and stood up. He was hardly ever polite to someone who could have just killed him but this was a different situation.
Juri grinned and shook her head. "I've been much better Kyouichi. I have been much better. You will give her warning won't you?"
He nodded. "You aren't going to-"
An eyebrow arched, "I'll do what I like. You have things to attend to, and so do I. Mrs. Ohtori is expecting me for lunch."
The next few weeks found Kyouichi Saionji in a foul mood. It took him, what felt like, forever to dig far as far back into the agency records as he thought he could go while fiddling with information to hide who he really was. He played nice and did Tenjou a favor as well. Of course he didn't tell her what was really going on, or why he thought it needed to be done. He just said it was just in case. Just in case someone looked deeper, because it could happen at any moment.
It wasn't that he was trying to set Utena up for a fall, and it wasn't that he was going to out right betray her. However, he couldn't tell her the exact truth and he was sure that sooner or latter there would be hell to pay for it.
He stomped up to the entrance of the Ohtori's private firing range. It was time to get a little practice. The agency was always reticent about letting him have a gun because of his past but it was necessary. It would also help to calm his nerves and get some of his aggression out of his system. As he entered he saw something he really did not care for at all, Juri and Utena where in close quarters discussing something and as he got closer Juri shot him a look.
Saionji tried to ignore the look and the situation. As long as Utena didn't blush or smile cutely he figured things were safe enough.
He found a booth and proceeded to practice.
Fifty minutes later he exited and Utena was still there waiting for him.
"Getting close to Juri Arisugawa is a bad idea," he muttered.
"I'm not stupid Saionji. I'm fully aware of who she is."
"Are you really?" His tone went bitter and sarcastic. He grinned and shook his head. "I think you may be blindsided by her charm."
"Whatever... She got me tickets to the basketball game tonight. Should I go?"
He sucked in a deep breath and fought against the urge to say no. "I think as an agent it is your duty to go and gather any information off of her that you can. At least one of us will have a date."
"It isn't a date."
He raised an eyebrow.
"It is isn't. It's just a friendly get together."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Who else is going?"
Utena stood in deep thought for a minute and then he cut in again.
"It's a date then. Look, I'm sure being up in the mansion you hear many things about many people, but here is a clue. Juri Arisugawa holds season tickets to the opera, and the only sport she actively appreciates is the fencing."
"Oh, damn."
His grin went a little wider. "Well, it could be nothing. I could be completely wrong, but whatever the case...She's looking for your weaknesses Tenjou. She's the one general who can sniff out rats better than anyone else in the family. Don't lower your guard."
He walked passed her and pat her on the shoulder with a bit of condescending comfort and hoped it was enough to do the job. He had warned her after all.
(to be continued maybe when I have the time)