CSR: Deava City
Written By: Mauvias
Summary: In the floating city of Daeva, wars have drawn and quartered its populace and luckily, for Kat; she was on the winning side. Unfortunately, now there are new enemies, Kai Hiwatari for one, Brooklyn Adams for another. Bryan is her boss, and he reminds her everyday. Bryan/OC
A/N: I do not own Beyblade or any of their affiliates. There will be OC's but I will disclaim them as they appear.
Chapter One: Unscathed, Players Emerge
The Stripper.
Dawn approached, casting long shadows across the desert, first illuminating the cactus and small Joshua trees. Then laying as though it belonged there, the pale hand of innocence; attached to the bloody and mutilated body of a young girl barely fourteen. Her glassy eyes, so very pretty, had cost her, her life and her innocence. All of it justified due to her beauty that had caught the attention of a predator.
Dry red dirt sprayed her as the sun began its journey back across the heavens from its eternal cycle through Hades. The scraping of metal on hard earth was the only sound in these early hours as the nameless girl's body and the predator's sin no longer saw the sun.
Wiping a grimy cloth across her forehead, the job done Kat balanced the shovel on her shoulder and looked to the sky judging the time. To an onlooker she may have merely been out to watch the sunrise across the red rock canyon, not to bury the sin of her masters. It was true she had nothing to do with the raping and mutilation of the body 3 feet below the surface but that did not make her any better.
Stretching she turned her back on the rising sun.
"Sleep well, I hope the sun show's you the way to salvation" Speaking her prayer, she kissed the wind and began her descent to her beat-up, home-manufactured dune runner.
The sun was hot on her skin and wine colored hair as she drove back to Deava city. She had clear ruby colored eyes and some-what traditionally attractive features. Her stature, naturally relaxed, tightened; she did not like doing this sort of thing.
Disposing of the night's entertainment was below her station.
She drove through the streets that lined the edge of the metropolis and parking deftly, she changed vehicles to her stolen street bike. Pulling out she headed towards base, it had been a long night.
She nodded as the security shifts changed on time; flashing her salute, she proceeded.
Okay granted she was only a breeder by title, but she was the muscle behind a good percentage of the recent profit increase. Naturally, she could not take the credit being her title so the one reaping her reward was non-other then that unbelievably arrogant Michael.
If anyone ever found out, he received any direction from her it would be his status and her life that would forfeit. For women were only good for two things in this corrupted city: Breeding and Entertaining.
She had escaped her destiny to be a true breeder, but was not as lucky as to escape entertaining. Nevertheless, Kat was secretly managing an underground runner's block, under the alias of Masters.
She parked her bike and pocketed the keys; she understood why they had given her the job, it was a subtle reminder of her status and a warning to tread carefully. There was a great deal of talk behind her back about her unorthodox behavior.
She had extra license because she had the favor of Bryan. However even with those special conditions many thought she was out of line, not to mention out right obnoxious. She ignored the coveted stares as she entered the lounge of the old Regal Hotel. It was rumored, that Marilyn Monroe had favored the place in her time. She wondered idly what the past Siren would say of it now.
Kat retired up the stairs and headed to her official quarters, being the home of the prettiest and most skilled breeders, otherwise known as the Harem. Officially, she held the highest status in the Harem but she was only a figurehead, an accessory to any important meetings between rivals. The real chatelaine was Ming Ming, a deathly loyal friend of Kat's.
Opening the door, the strong smell of musk met her senses and in an instant, she was flat on her back, ice blue hair obscuring her sight.
"Kat!!! Oh my god! I was so worried!" Ming Ming hugged the older girl and refused to let go until Kat pushed her off playing at a bad temper.
"Get off! You reek of sex!"
The blue haired girl stuck out her tongue playfully.
"You want to taste?" She jumped away as Kat swiped at her face and she screamed delighted that Kat was in the mood to play.
Laughing she pranced around Kat in a very childish fashion; swinging her long icy tresses around and using her arms splayed like an airplane as she teased the older girl.
"Awe did the big bad Kitty-Kat wake up on the wrong side of her vibrator this morning?" Ming Ming continued in her childish voice. Kat caught her ankle and sent her stumbling to the plush floor, she tried to pin her, but the younger girl managed to get away from her, laughing madly.
Chuckling to her-self, Kat stretched before standing.
"Actually I haven't slept yet, Bryan had a job for me" She replied stifling a yawn.
Ming Ming desisted her prancing and cocked her head. "oh yeah? He keeps threatening to lock you up in that cage of his," Her grin was filled with double meaning.
"Yeah I know, but it wasn't that great of a job, just trash duty" She tried to keep the bitterness from her voice but she could still see the girls ivory curls and glassy pleading expression in her minds eye.
"Oh I see" Ming Ming sobered, dropping to her knees on the plush floor.
Rolling her eyes, Kat looked about the room, and tried to forget the video cameras all over the place.
'Stupid Bryan and his dumb obnoxious lackeys.'
Unwilling to dwell on the day-to-day annoyances she took a step away from her friend.
"We'll talk later, I have to report to Bryan," she said shortly as she spied a camera half-assed hidden behind a spider plant. "Its not even seven yet, you sure that is a good idea?"
"I don't much care."
They embraced fleetingly, using one arm to encase themselves.
"A'ight, Akuna Matada" Ming Ming stated and pranced away doing cartwheels to one the many private rooms. She grinned guiltily as Kat caught her eye. She was off to see Mystel apparently.
Kat snorted, had she not known Ming Ming she would have thought her a silly child, but she had a gut feeling that there was more to her, something sinister. That and that alone allowed her to gain her respect.
Kat flashed her cheeky smile as she ascended to Bryan's private quarters knowing he would be in a right mood about now. That Russian vodka was good stuff but it still gave you a hell of a hang over in the morning.
Steve, a burly security/body guard stood loyally at the final chamber, guarding against anyone who would disturb Bryan. With his short green hair, violet eyes and burly muscular body he was an intimidating sort of person.
Kat flashed him a smile that he did not return.
'Bloody sourpuss,'
She walked up to him until she was barely and inch from him. Looking into his eyes with her own, she read him like a book.
"Stevie?" She used his most recent nickname that she had given him.
He grunted at her as she took her cue.
"Ming Ming is downstairs waiting for you, but you have to do something for me first," she said sweetly tracing the contours of his chest with her pale white fingers.
"Get off me women" he snapped irritably, pushing her pointedly.
Kat grinned wider.
"Perhaps you could let me through these doors; I have a very important report to give Bryan"
"It can wait," He said resolutely, not daring to look at her, knowing of her devious tricks.
"Stevie." She reprimanded, playing on his non-to-discreet S&M fetish. She could be his master if he could stand the humiliation of everyone knowing he was her slave.
"No"
However, alas he failed to meet her expectations.
"I'm sorry to hear that" she said stepping up beside him. He eyed her warily.
"Get out of here woman, I'll only warn you once more then I'll be forced to take… Measures" he said gruffly. Kat mentally rolled her eyes.
Yes because, he did not know that she knew about Mathilda down on level one, about how she routinely kicked his ass every other Saturday, nor about how much he loved it.
Steve was about as dangerous as an under-sexed adolescent.
Kat grinned evilly as she circled behind him, reaching back her fist, pretending to yawn.
He almost immediately caught on to her, although it was too late as she debilitated him and struggled against his limp mass against the wall, not wanting him to fall to his death.
Straightening she knocked cautiously. Bryan would be moody, but that is what he got for sending her on trash duty.
She heard a muffled consent behind the door and pushed it open. Unlike the Harem chambers below, this room did not smell like sex, it held the slightly stale scent of Russian vodka and distinct maleness.
Her stomach flipped making her giddy, she was sure to calm herself before continuing inside.
The room was very dark as heavy red velvet curtains obscured the huge windows. Kat spied Bryan lying in a disheveled heap on his bed. She also spied the young girl trapped in a human-sized birdcage whimpering softly to her, to the right of the room.
Rolling her eyes she made for the curtains, just as she touched the soft textured fabric; Bryan stirred.
"Don't"
It was not a request it was an order. Short, direct and simple. Very Bryan like.
Cocking an eyebrow, she twitched her hand to shift the curtains, ruffling it enough to make the sound of opening. She was teasing him.
"No" He commanded more flatly then before. Kat grinned, she loved to tease Bryan, even if it was much like poking a sleeping dragon in the eye; perhaps that danger was the whole point.
She suppressed a giggle and flung the curtains wide ducking very carefully to avoid the sudden barrage of bullets headed her way, embedding them-selves in the bulletproof glass.
When she heard the repeated clicks to signal the magazine was empty, she raised her head to see Bryan still lying down pointing the gun at her general direction.
"Geezus Bryan! You damn near hit me that time!" feeling affronted, she inspected the glass and ran her fingers over the hot metal lumps.
The mass of fabric she took to be Bryan grunted in response.
"That. Was. The. Point."
Starting to lose her temper she stampeded over to his bedside, ripped the blankets from him, and glared at him; however before he could react she pounced.
She simply kissed him over his closed right eye and bent her head against his.
"You know why I'm here. I would be sleeping myself if it wasn't for your little job." She teased and sat on the edge of his bed as he sat up grumpily. He glared at her while she raised an eyebrow at him.
"You suck," he pronounced and she giggled. The almighty Bryan feared above anyone; and all he could say were 'you sucked'.
'Hilarious,'
He yawned briefly and scratched his chest before throwing her a confused look. Kat watched him blandly. The early morning light played on his back and illuminated his red-rimmed eyes; no doubt, he had only gotten to sleep himself.
"How did you get in here?" he asked roughly. He stretched the wide expanse of his back and cracked his knuckles.
"Through the door" he shot her a look. "Sorry" She said sheepishly.
"Steve" she amended.
His brow furrowed in agitation, he glanced toward his door.
"He didn't want to let me in but I convinced him it was in his best interest" she supplied yawning, catching her self she looked bleary-eyed towards the ceiling.
Two lilac eyebrows winged up in surprise.
"Can't keep you out of anything," he grumbled as he got out of bed to let the poor girl out of her cage.
"Never could" she chimed as she curled up on the foe tiger blanket.
Silently he ordered the little slave girl to leaved and she scurried out of the room.
Kat looked bemused as he rummaged through his things. He wore simple black pajama pants and a black wrap around his left bicep.
As he got dressed, she only became sleepier lying there on his king size bed. She wanted this bed, it was big and comfortable, most importantly it was Bryan's.
"Hey." He grabbed her foot and non-to gently pulled her off his bed. She landed with a painful thud as he simply stepped over her to make his bed. As if she was no more important, then the plush rug she sat on.
'Bastard,'
She did not dare voice her opinion; calling down Bryan was even a little too much for her. She silently got up and went to sit in a large wing-backed chair until he was finished.
"Speak," he commanded as he tucked the comforter back into place. She did as commanded.
"I went to La Mort Canyon to drop the trash, I was out of there shortly after sunrise, there were no witnesses," She said in a clipped tone, almost bored.
Bryan did not speak immediately. "What about the borders?" He asked referring to the city limits where Arcanine territory ceased and the Dead Lands started. The Dead Lands named so, because they were in constant dispute as to ownership. Anyone who controlled them had control over supplies and traffic in and out of the city limits. With the city in a constant state of warfare, it was key mark.
"Only a couple of runaways and the odd rogue" she said unconcerned.
Bryan nodded curtly. She folded her arms behind her head to get more comfortable and hooked her legs around the armrest.
"You're going to be accompanying me tonight to Club Fever" He stated, it was hardly a request. Kat tried to suppress a groan, she hated going with Bryan to his little shindigs.
"Sure" she replied indifferently, although she knew he got a perverse pleasure from seeing her battle with herself.
'Bastard,'
"Anyone else coming?" She asked hopefully, maybe if Ming Ming was there or even Zeo she would at least have someone to talk to.
"Same crew, now go to sleep" He said shortly, ordering her out of his quarters. She got up groaning and walked out as he continued to pace about his room.
Steve had woken up and was holding his head groaning in pain. Feeling bad Kat reached into her pocket and produced two aspirins.
He glared at her and opened his mouth to snarl at her; but Kat spoke over him.
"Here, take these, think of it as a peace offering" She said stuffing the two little white pills in his thick hand.
He only growled what she assumed was "Bitch"
She wasted no time heading to her quarters, which were not actually quarters at all. Technically, she should sleep in the harem with the others, but she had insomnia when other people were in the room.
Instead, she headed down a service hall, and opened one of the service doors, walked out on to the windy landing, and grabbed on to the cold steel bar of the ladder that they once used to service the building.
She climbed a couple of feet and found her ledge, she then shimmied her way around the corner of the building, finding a fairly large alcove, which was once a part of a room that had the wall blasted out and was now sealed off.
She swung into the alcove and shivered at the cold wind, the whole space may have only been about 5 X 10 but it was sheltered from the elements and she had made it her home.
She lifted the worn orange tarp she had fastened to block the wind and fell immediately onto her pile of fabric that served as her bed. She was tucked behind a part of the wall that had not been blasted and against the wall dividing the next room, it must have once been a closet, but it sufficed.
She discarded her jacket, stuffing it under her pillow and snuggled down under the tattered blankets. Immediately sleep took her.
One good thing about the place she slept was that on the other side of the wall was a furnace and used to heat the building, so no matter what that wall was always warm.
The Assassin.
Outside the city limits, another figure was soon to rise; hidden up on the steep cliffs that surrounded the desert city, he made camp the night before. In a space only just large enough to accommodate himself and his few belongings, he had bunkered down with his Arachnid and rodent neighbors.
The deathly hot summer sun crawled its way into his shelter; it reflected off his steel-toed boots, chrome knuckled gloves and shimmered over his white silk scarf, which had served as his blanket. His Russian skin, flawless in the dawn light, shivered as a cool breeze came off the polluted lake, ruffling his slate and ebony tresses but did not wake him.
Half hidden in the darkest area of the cave, partially obscured by a clod of dirt a long hairy leg extended and placed it self on the dry copper dirt, shortly accompanied by an equally hairy black body with several milky white eyes placed above its miniscule but deadly incisors. The old arachnid scuttled its way around on the copper dirt and stopped short of the males left forearm, which was encased in a red leather armguards, with steel fin shaped blades extending from the wrist to elbow. The sun had yet to reach so far into the cave, only warming the tips of his knuckles and an exposed expanse of a taught, milk-white pelvis.
In a swift silent movement, the small spider crawled its way up the males forearm, scuttled up the bicep and froze as it sensed an intruder. The sun crept higher on the wide expanse of his chest, cresting on full velvet lips and illuminating the tip of his nose. The shadow of a field mouse preceded its physical counterpart as it sought out refuge from the nearing morning sun.
The milky eyes of the spider blinked unseeingly as it continued its adventure up the neck and into the silken hair of its host. The sticky legs scuttled along the slightly moist brow and rested there as the man began to stir.
His arms crossed themselves over his chest and he yawned, showing off his sharp incisors in the morning afternoon light. His eyes opened, a soul-searing ruby, clear as the stone itself; with long ebony lashes to soften the natural intensity of his gaze. They closed once more as he wiped away the residue of sleep and sat up dislodging his hairy black companion.
Slowly he collected his gloves, slipping them on and fastening the wrist to the red armguards via a short chain. The small arachnid scuttled in panic away from him as he stood; in an effort to survive, it scuttled with all its might to safety, but with only a moment of carelessness, its life was extinguished, as the young man stepped out of the alcove.
Grabbing a lightweight rucksack he headed down the shear cliff, skidding part way down as the rock came loose. He landed in a graceful tumble, a cloud of dusty sand engulfing his form before he mounted his vehicle, speeding out of the dust leaving a roaring trail as he headed for the floating city of Daeva.
He slowed as he came upon the walls of the city slums, turning off the road towards a hidden underground pass through the security walls. He stopped, as at gunpoint the currently ruling thugs demanded payment for passage, safe or otherwise.
He dropped his shades and glanced from one to the other, considering just killing them both; however in the interest of keeping a low profile he paid them.
They let him pass without further abrasion as he had tipped heavily. Although flashing his own chrome heat, could have encouraged them as well. He zoomed along quiet as a shadow, hardly causing a ripple in the discreetly intoned surveillance measures that tracked his movements along the network of tunnels. Not one of these junctures were labeled and all looked identical, only seasoned residences dared take such a route, it was all too easy to end up in enemy territory, without proper knowledge one could surface in the middle of a war zone. This underground passage was recently declared neutral, but who knew how long that could last?
The darkness soon engulfed him as he accelerated towards his goal.
The Escapee's.
She was breathing hard as she ran across the sand, burning in the already hot morning sun. She had to get away! "Run pretty wench, we'll get you eventually, that or the desert will."
Oh, God! Mariah gave it her all, tripping and catching her balance she tried to out run her pursuers. She could see her comrades in front of her, hauling ass for all they were worth, but Mariah knew they only had to stay ahead of her, if they caught her, then they would be free.
She closed her eyes against the possibilities, wishing she were with Rei, praying to him. If she had only listened to him, this would not be happening! A deathly stitch caught in her chest as tears welled in her eyes, Rei….
She fell, her knees skinned against the jutted gravel; her comrades glimpsed her fall as she gave a kind of wave to them. This was for the better; because of her, they would make it home. Miriam slowed for a millisecond as if to turn back but her brother Kevin pushed her on yelling in her ear. She turned her jaded green eyes in apology as she ran on.
Mariah bowed her head forgiving her, her pursuers were upon her and she tried to stand to head down the cliff face, drawing the bastards away from her friends. One of them caught her, tried to pull her back from the cliff side, but she was determined not to go back, dead or alive, they would never touch what belonged to Rei, not ever.
She whipped back her fingernails, grabbing the bastard with them and launched her self over the ravine. He yelled, terrified, trying desperately to get her off him. "Help me!" he yelled grabbing one of his people, the young Max, trying to stay upright.
"Get off Me!!" he panicked as the others backed away from the two as Mariah launched herself again, throwing the three of them off balance. The younger boy tried to grab at the ground as Mariah went over, disappearing from view, the person she had grabbed on to following her, holding on to Max, dragging him towards his death. It was too soon! He did not belong here! He had planned to run once the group separated, but now he was being dragged along the sand and over the ravine.
The sun breached the mountains and in salute, swallowed the trio in blinding orange light.
"Stop!" Miriam finally slipped behind a boulder and peered around it looking for their pursuers, her eyes were the keenest of the group as she scanned the blinding dawn.
"We have to keep moving, the dawn will only last about 10 minutes! We have to make it to the mountains before then!"
She bit her tongue, Mariah…. "I think we've already lost them, look," An older boy in the group pointed towards an over hanging cliff. Below it, were two distinguishable bodies. "Mari must have fallen down the other side of the point"
"Miriam, come on, we're almost home." Kevin shook his sister's shoulder. "Yeah" Miriam pushed her morals away, if they went back, her demise would be pointless.
"You know, we did know we would lose someone along the way; we should be lucky to have only lost her so far" Kane spoke up, his voice low and controlled.
Then he smiled.
"But I have to say, to lose anyone, the pink freak was good with me!" Miriam threw him a dispassionate look "You are such an asshole."
"Ah, but a very good looking one! As such, I am completely blameless!" Miriam laughed, "Does anything faze you?"
Kane paused, "Not really"
They kept moving their pursuers were likely still coming. It all depended how much fight Mariah still had in her.
The Multifaceted One
The black Kawasaki streamed along the underground maze, making few turns, Kai's destination was on the far end of the city. After all, Tala always did have a fascination with the ocean. Holding up the access to the port would be a perfect little game for him in this latest quartering of the city. He pushed the throttle as he began to surface, and blasted past the warning signs.
He rolled around the final layered intersection, and stopped in a deserted parking lot. However he left the engine running, even he was not so cocky to kill it in this suicide city. It amused him in a rather trite fashion that Tala recessed back to the port, considering how clever he claimed to be. It all came down to greed. Tala had always had a flirtatious relationship with it, and it seemed he finally got a taste of its downside.
Kai heard him before he saw him, an odd clicking noise accented Tala's rhythmic stride, along side a slinking friction. He ignored it and did not spare a glance for the red head. Tala's ego was far too inflated; Kai's immediate hope was to have the weight of it snap the Russians neck. However, allowing it to run its natural course was far too boring, best put obstacles in the way, give the thing some girth, some strength. As such, Kai continued to ignore his approach, auspiciously stalling its growth.
Tala stood behind him, waiting oddly patient as Kai lit his first cigarette, omniscient as always. He grinned, reached out a hand to touch his moody companion. Kai shied away with a display of trite discontent, he turned,
"What the hell-" He was stopped short with a sneer on his features, taking in his companion. Tala dropped his hand to his hip, giving Kai a cool stare.
"Yes?" his aquamarine eyes held Kai's Auburn. Although he preferred to be negligent with people's personal prefrences, Kai did a double take. He scanned his friend's display once again, paying exceptional attention to those things that were rather more disturbing.
"Come, Kai, your making me nervous" Kai's expression turned to a grimace. What had he done to himself?
"Times must hard, for you" he commented. Tala leaned his head back, "Actually, business has been an adventure in enterprise," He replied calmly, reassessing himself.
"Perhaps, the heels were a bit much." He sighed. "You're wearing heels?"
Tala's expression brightened, "Their Gucci!" he lifted the pant leg, showing the label off to a very worried looking Kai. He gave up, whatever Tala had gotten him-self into, he wanted absolutely no part of it.
"I'm out of here, good luck with that." He gestured to the ensemble, remounting his bike. Tala began to laugh, clutching his sides, taking in breaths to steady himself. "Kai wait"
"I haven't lost my mind." Kai hn'd his nose, pulling on the throttle. "No I'm not into the Dust, well no more then usual." He received a baleful look. "Your wearing a sequin bikini" Kai dead panned.
Tala laughed, "Well damn, your right." Apparently disgusted he flicked at the flimsy material. "I should have gone for the tiger fur, I know how much you love it."
"okay." Kai was leaving. "OKAY!" "Stop!" Tala flagged him down, being forced to trot after him. "I'm sorry" He was grinning still, Kai scowled.
"I'll stop." He gave an incorrect scouts honored as a sincere apology. Kai watched, but gave no sign of acceptance; Tala took it as a good sign.
"Nefarious as ever, I see" Tala winked. "You secretly love it"
Finally, Kai relented and took off his jacket and gave it to his delusional friend. Tala wriggled his brows at him, "Just put the damn thing on." Tongue in cheek Tala complied.
Short, yes I realized, but then I think the first chapter should be...who wants to read a 30 page chapter to a story they may not even like? I like it though, and I hope you will too. I wanted to take a different approach to some of the characters, a opposed to the traditional fangirl favorites...all is not lost, I am of course a recovering Kai fangirl :P