Disclaimer: I do not own Witchblade or any characters associated with it.
Chapter 1: Odd Things Amaha
"How much rice do we need, Miss Amaha?" A male cook a bout 6ft 2in with blonde hair and brown eyes questioned.
"Three pounds," A girl who was obviously the head chef by her big white toque and the more obvious apron labeled 'Head Chef' in bold red print. She had her shoulder length ebony hair in a hair net, her big brown eyes were watching over some vegetable broth. "And Kazuki, how many times must I ask you to call me Rihoko?" Her pink lips formed a bright grin. "Miss Amaha makes me feel old, and I'm only 18." She laughed.
"Yeah at 18 you're the best chef in all of Tokyo," Kazuki laughed. "All of Japan too, maybe even the entire world!" He went on.
"Maybe not the world, Zuki." She laughed and began putting some spices into the broth. "Sako?"
"Yes, Rihoko?" A woman in her early twenties answered.
"Would you mind stirring the broth while I cut up some vegetables?" Rihoko smiled, her smile was so kind and generous, it seemed to light up even the darkest rooms.
"Sure thing, Riko!" Sako took the wooden spoon in hand and started stirring a bit manically.
Rihoko laughed. 'Sako, stir slowly." She said in a stretched calming voice, like the voice one would use with a child.
"Sorry." Sako grinned awkwardly; sweat dropping from the side of her face.
Rihoko took a bunch of carrots out of a basket and began chopping them up on a chopping board and shoving them off neatly into the broth, she hummed a little tune, one that her mother had taught her when she was five years old.
"Riko?" Sako's worried blue eyes came into Rihoko's vision. "Are you alright?"
"Huh?" she questioned, just noticing that her cheeks were damp. She didn't even notice that she'd started to cry. There were no onions to blame it on. "Oh I'm alright." She smiled a bit and wiped her eyes.
It had been twelve years since her mom sacrificed her life atop of Tokyo Tower. Twelve years and the lullaby her mom used to sing to her still made her cry.
After wiping her eyes, she finished chopping up the vegetables and putting them into the broth. "You guys can handle everything right?" she questioned her three person staff.
"Of course, Miss Amaha." Kazuki smirked.
"Stop being a jerk, Kazuki." A light brown eyed brunette whacked Kazuki over the head with a spatula.
"Ow that's food contamination, Yokoshita!" he yelled rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, yeah, that's why you're washing it." Yokoshita threw the spatula at him, hitting him in the nose.
"Oww," Kazuki picked up the spatula and was about to throw it back.
"No playing in the kitchen children!" Rihoko laughed putting her hands to her hips.
"Sorry Mis-"Kazuki started but this time Yokoshita had a knife. "Rihoko-chan!" he grinned nervously at Yokoshita.
Yokoshita gave a satisfied smile and picked up another spatula and sautéed scallops in olive oil.
Rihoko took off her apron and retired to her office. It had only been a year since Odd Things Amaha had opened in Tokyo, but it was already a big hit in the first six months.
When word got out that she was the daughter of Reiji Takayama, the former Bureau Chief of Dohji Industries, a weapons company that had created the EX-Cons and the infamous iWeapons, people flocked there just to see what she had to offer, word got out about how great the food was, and there Rihoko was today; head chef of a small one of a kind 4 star restaurant in the middle of Tokyo.
She herself had found out that Takayama was her biological father on her seventh birthday. He decided to tell her once they had formed a bit of a bond.
Rihoko looked at a family photograph of herself, her mother, and her father that was framed on her desk. She smiled and held onto her necklace, a clam shell of two different clams that fit perfectly together. Remembering that day on the beach twelve years ago, a girl told her when she found the shells that if she gave them to someone, that meant that they would never be separated.
Knock Knock Knock!
"Riko?" Sako popped her purple head in. "Someone is here to see you."
"Really who is it?" Rihoko questioned a bit surprised, the only people who came to see her were Mariko, Mr. Cho, Tozawa, Takayama and Naomi. If it were the health inspector then that's how they'd be announced.
"He says his name is Masaya Wado?" Sako questioned Rihoko, wondering if she'd recognized the name.
Rihoko thought, the name sounded familiar but she couldn't put a face to him. "Just let him in, I'll yell if I need anything, thanks Sako."
Sako bowed a bit and left the room, a few minutes later a tall man with graying hair, snake squinted eyes, long, bony fingers and a slightly thin structure walked into her office.
It hit her, Wado, he was the man who underhanded took over Dohji and called all the iWeapons to Tokyo after her mom, the last bearer of the lost Witchblade.
Last she'd heard was that he'd been put in a mental institution, he was dubbed insane after learning that the iWeapons attack on Tokyo was his entire fault.
Rihoko's eyes narrowed. "What do you want Mr. Wado?"
The man took a seat in front of her desk and threaded his fingers together, casually crossing his legs.
"Do you remember the Witchblade?" He questioned, his voice had a very eerie scratchy sound about it.