A Change of Perspective: Chapter 4 - A Brilliant Disguise
Ban savored the croissant he dipped in his freshly-brewed imported coffee. As a special treat, he ordered an elaborate European breakfast feast for Ginji and himself to celebrate their continued flow of good income.
Paul, still in shock that the GetBacker boys were now legitimate paying customers watched with amusement as Ginji cheerfully devoured everything he could get his hands on.
"No more fasting for days between jobs, buddy! Our luck with money's finally turned," Ban said with conviction as he liberally applied a thick coat of honey on a slice of toast then added ham and some cheese.
"More coffee, Ban?" Natsumi asked, holding out a new pot and filling his cup when he nodded. "Wow, I'm so glad the two of you can finally eat full meals everyday now and pay your bill, too!"
"Yup! Food, food, food!" Ginji sang giddily, cramming two croissants, a mound of scrambled eggs and a fork-full of a stack of pancakes into his mouth.
"So, Ban, finally signed a deal with the devil, did you?" Paul speculated with an evil grin, passing over a tray to Natsumi loaded with the boys' third helping.
"Sort of," Ban replied with a smirk, chucking a sausage into Ginji's waiting mouth.
"I was only kidding," Paul said, his face a few shades paler. "Though, I wouldn't put it past you..."
"Let's just say that a certain 'devil' was responsible for turning our luck around," Ban said with a slight frown, not pleased with verbally admitting what he knew for the past month. Yeah. Never thought I'd give Jackal credit for anything but I can't shake the damned fact that every job this past month Capt. Weirdo's been teamed up with us, we've finally been getting PAID!
Ban shuddered as the image of a dancing Akabane waving large fans of cash popped into a thought-bubble right above his head.
"Humhing ong, Ang?" Ginji asked, his mouth bursting with food fragments.
"Dude, can you swallow first before you talk?" Ban shouted at Ginji irritably.
"Morning, boys," Hevn greeted as she stepped into the cafe. She wore low-rise, white leather hot pants, yellow lace-up platform sandals, a wide-brimmed straw hat and a tiny, yellow tank top that barely contained her enormous breasts. "All set to hit the road?"
"Yup, we were just finishing up," Ban said, getting up and hauling a hockey bag out from under the booth's table. He watched Natsumi help Ginji shovel the rest of their breakfast into a few take-out containers as the blond clumsily took his place beside him, a bulging hiker's backpack slung over his shoulders.
"Good luck, fellas, Hevn," Paul said, leaning against the bar.
"Come back safe and sound!" Natsumi chorused, waving at Ginji.
Ginji gave her two thumbs-up and a beaming smile, skipping his way out of the Honky Tonk after Ban and Hevn.
Placing a pair of seventies-style designer sunglasses over her eyes, Hevn tossed a set of car keys to Ban and pointed to two black Porsche Cayenne Turbo Sport models.
"Our chariots for this assignment courtesy of his highness, Prince Bahadir," Hevn announced proudly, giggling as Ban's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Let's get moving so we can make it to Madoka's before three."
Head nodding up and down vigorously, Ban snatched the keys from the Negotiator's hand with lightning speed, started the Porsche SUV's engine and revved it in a drooling, dazed euphoria. Ginji merely smiled and shrugged as he sat in the passenger seat having little care for material wealth in general.
To insure the success of the upcoming mission, Hevn had deemed it absolutely necessary that they all participated in a 'dress rehearsal' before the 'curtain call'. Having proudly masterminded the profiles herself, Hevn wanted the distinct privilege of weeding out any surprises or do last minute fine-tuning, if the need arose. (She was also dying to see everyone in character and in costume, particularly Kazuki and Dr. Jackal) Unexpectedly, Madoka had contacted her and offered the Otawa mansion as the group's kickoff point, much to Shido's chagrin, who always resisted involving her in any GetBackers business.
By the time Hevn, Ban and Ginji arrived at the Otawa Mansion, it was around half-past two in the afternoon. The trio were greeted by Madoka's butler, Mr. Stevenson, who ushered each of them to their prepared rooms. Once they were settled in, the butler returned and relayed each of them a message.
"Ms. Madoka and Master Shido wish to invite you to a spontaneous get-together, courtesy of Mr. Emishi."
It turned out that Emishi, who wanted to take advantage of the beautiful, sunny weather had enthusiastically organized an impromptu pool party in the spacious back yard of the estate.
Wasting no time, Ginji, Ban and Hevn donned their swimwear and headed straight for the pool area. Hevn giggled at the GetBackers boys who both made their noisy entrance pushing and shoving as they raced each other for the first jump into the water. Hevn strolled out at a more leisurely pace and laid out to sunbathe.
"Super-spike special!" Emishi yelled as he slammed a volleyball toward his grinning friend.
"Too slow!" Shido laughed, spiking the ball back over the net.
The ball went clean over Emishi's head but was quickly intercepted by Sakura who wore a cute pastel pink, one-piece bathing suit, her long hair wrapped tightly in a scarf.
Madoka giggled nearby when she heard Mozart's happy bark beside her. She wore a peach, straw hat that matched the pattern on her sun dress as she sat under the shade of a large tree with the rest of Shido's animals listening to the progress of the volleyball game and cheering him on.
"That the best you two can do?" Himiko taunted, grinning as she slapped the ball back at a sharp angle. "Score!" She gave her teammate Shido a high-five.
Stealing an appreciative glance was Ban who admired Himiko's blossoming body in a mint-green camouflage patterned two-piece bathing suit.
"The last time we were all together like this was during Masaki's return to the fortress," Kazuki said, fondly scanning the familiar faces around him.
"Yes. Rare moments like these are precious and should be savored," Juubei agreed and smiled, stood up from the lounger beside Kazuki and walked toward the pool.
Already warming up for tonight's demonstration, Kazuki wore pastel blue capri pants with laced-up sides and a pastel orange, off-the-shoulder cropped tee with crochet trim. He then carefully wore his sunglasses as he leaned back on his lounger to relax, allowing the sparkle-pink nail polish he just applied to dry on his hands and feet.
Juubei sat at the pool's edge, letting his legs dangle in the water. He wore red and gray board shorts with a matching shirt.
"It's already three-thirty. Jackal's being fashionably late," Hevn said, sipping a cranberry Margarita as she lounged on a beach towel. True to her style, she wore a barely concealing red two-piece string bikini with matching top. She also ogled Toshiki doing laps in the pool wearing nothing but a tight black Speedo. Damn, that boy's fit! I should really ask Kazuki if I can borrow him for a few days...
"Maybe Jackal decided to back out," Ban remarked with a grin as he floated by on a water noodle with Ginji in tow, his friend fast asleep and draped on an inflated seahorse water-toy.
"Won't happen," Hevn said. "If Akabane had any objections, he would've backed out at the negotiation stage. He's extremely reliable which is why I don't hesitate to recommend him to some of my clients with job requirements that match his skills."
"That reminds me. I've been meaning to ask you something," Ban said, abandoning his water noodle. He swam over to where Hevn sunbathed. "You've teamed us up with Jackal repeatedly for the past month. I'm beginning to wonder if Jackal's paying you extra so he can hang around us!"
"No idea what you're talking about," Hevn said, a little too quickly for Ban's taste. "Besides, if you hate teaming up with Jackal so much, why don't you say so?"
"Because!" Ban said, gritting his teeth. "Because...havinghimaroundpaysoff."
"What was that?" Hevn asked, not really catching Ban's mumbled last words.
Luckily for him, her cellphone rang and she swiftly answered it. It was a text message from Jackal, apologizing for his tardiness and that he was minutes away from the estate.
"It's Akabane. He's here at last. I'll go greet him and ask him what the hell kept him so long. It's so unlike him to be late like this," Hevn said, heading for the doors to the main house and not bothering to cover up.
A few heads turned to follow Hevn briskly walking away in her barely there swimsuit.
"I think Dr. Jackal's arrived," Kazuki said as Juubei nodded. He turned his head and watched Toshiki resurface from the pool, placing a towel over his shoulders as he padded over.
Toshiki frowned with distaste. He felt very uncomfortable whenever Akabane was around and could somehow sense whenever his ominous presence was near.
"Hey, sleepyhead! Wake up before you drown," Ban said, elbowing Ginji awake. "I told you not to eat too much before we got here!"
Damn, that guy's fit, Himiko thought to herself as she tried not to stare at Toshiki's beautifully defined body. Down, girl! Oh, well, what a shame. He's too infatuated with Kazuki to give me the time of day, anyway, Himiko snickered to herself.
The Negotiator reappeared from the mansion, her face a little flushed but otherwise having an engaging conversation with -
"Dr. Jackal!"
Collective gasps erupted around the pool area followed by absolute silence. Everyone's expressions ran the gamut from revulsion to amazement. Madoka just looked confused and clung to Shido.
Jackal stood in the sunlight wearing a fashionable, all-black, all-Gucci ensemble that flattered his model-thin body: a silk Georgette ruffle-detail three-quarter sleeve top with custom asymmetrical shirt-edge; luxury drill-crop-loop-detail pants with studded belt; a medium-sized Boston bag in black suede with patent leather trim; lace gloves and stiletto-like heeled sandals. His longer, black hair was now halfway down his back and looked fuller, silkier and softer. He even wore diamond dangle earrings, a diamond-studded choker, bangles, rings and light make-up. Most strikingly, he carried himself with the haughty air of a very wealthy, sophisticated woman! It was an exceptionally convincing disguise any stranger would unquestionably fall for.
"Sorry to have kept you all waiting. An old acquaintance who I haven't seen in ages was reluctant to say goodbye," Akabane voiced softly, his customary smiling face in full force. He deliberately used the feminine timbre his 'mentor' Augustus had drilled into him the last few days. "Is something the matter?" Akabane asked the silent group again, thoroughly amused. Hevn barely tried to stifle a proud smirk.
No one had any idea what to say to what they saw - at least, not out loud.
Holy fucking shit! Ban felt a shiver of dread crawl up his spine.
Akabane, you've totally impressed me! Hevn was grinning from ear to ear.
How did he get his hands on an exclusive Gucci runway outfit? Kazuki was amazed and a little jealous.
Oh, man, this dude is beyond twisted! Emishi felt like throwing up.
An admirable disguise. Juubei sensed a true professional at work.
Ugh! Toshiki was simply repelled by the man's dark aura.
Yes! Ban's a dead man! Shido was tempted to do a dog-semblance and run happy circles around Ban.
He certainly lives up to his reputation. Sakura made a mental note that the man known as Dr. Jackal had many...interesting talents.
Where the fuck's my camera? Himiko was ready to go postal if she failed to find her stupid camera in the next few seconds.
"Wow, Akabane, you look so pretty!" Ginji exclaimed suddenly as everyone around him fell flat on their faces and twitched.
Before dinner in the Otawa mansion's main dining hall, everyone had some time to freshen up. As they all returned to their assigned rooms, Akabane's frightening metamorphosis from creepy, psychotic murderer to sexy rich-bitch was the favorite topic of debate.
As elated as Hevn was to see Akabane wear another costume to dinner, she thought it best to personally request that he wear something more appropriate, mostly out of respect for Madoka, who was kind enough to host their little affair.
"Akabane? May I come in?" Hevn asked, tapping his door quietly.
"Go ahead. The door's unlocked," Jackal called out from inside the room. It sounded like the shower was running.
Cautiously entering the room, Hevn saw three, black leather Louis Vuitton luggage sets on the floor that were, no doubt, full of unimaginable goodies. On the bed was an open travel bag that Hevn peeked into. Inside the bag, after further inspection, were several more boxes of elaborate jewelry and hypoallergenic make-up. She held up the two Tiffany diamond drop style earrings Akabane had worn when he arrived, admiring how they brightly sparkled against the fading sunlight from the room's open window.
Where in the world did he get all this extremely expensive stuff?
"Curiosity killed the cat, you know," Akabane purred behind the intrusive Negotiator; reaching around her to catch the pair of earrings as they fell from a thoroughly startled Hevn.
"I hate it when you sneak up on me like that!" Hevn said through gritted teeth.
"I hate it when people touch things without permission," Akabane retorted smoothly. He wore a long, fuzzy gray bathrobe with fuzzy gray slippers, his wet hair bound in a towel and all the make-up removed from his face. "Judging by that look, you're wondering how I could afford all these designer goods? Well, if you must know, these things aren't mine. A friend let me borrow them. I wouldn't waste a cent on any of this useless finery."
Before Hevn could ask any further questions, there was another knock at the door. It was Himiko asking to be let in.
"Please come in, Lady Poison," Akabane called out. He smiled pleasantly when she meekly slipped in.
"Gee, you didn't waste any time poking around," Himiko directed pointedly at Hevn. "Quite a setup you have here, Jackal. How many millionaires' heads had to roll for this stash?"
"None. An old friend generously supplied me with everything I might need for this elaborate charade," Jackal responded.
"An old...'friend'?" Himiko said, rather skeptically.
"Aggy," Akabane said with a smug little smile.
"You...you actually went to him?" Himiko gaped incredulously. "He was the one responsible for your - for all this? Since when has 'Aggy' been an 'old friend' to you anyway? Hasn't that obnoxious little queen been nothing but trouble for us?"
Akabane chucked while Himiko ranted. Her enormous dislike for Augustus brought him endless amusement.
"Hey! I'm out of the loop here. Who's Aggy?" Hevn protested.
"He's an international Transporter who calls himself Agdistis. He's a member of the Shadow Elite. An untouchable. Aggy's even weirder than Jackal here," Himiko blurted out. "Sorry, Akabane that was meant as a metaphor. Besides, I still haven't forgiven him for that crap he pulled on me the last time we met."
"You personally know a member of the Shadow Elite?" It was Hevn's turn to gape at him. She had numerous run-ins with that group over the years as a Negotiator and a few incidences even further back to her days as a government agent. "I'm surprised you're not a member yourself, Akabane."
"I was flattered by the offer to join their little clique but I declined. I'm not interested in working abroad," Akabane said dismissively and regarded the two women. He then raised a beautifully sculptured eyebrow at their astounded faces. "What?"
"Well...considering the type of enjoyment you favor..." Hevn began, clearing her throat.
"Oh, I see. You're both amazed that I declined the chance to carve up legions of people on a global scale?" He paused and appeared genuinely hurt. "Just how shallow do you people think I am?"
Both Himiko and Hevn exchanged wary glances, both agreeing not to pursue the conversation any further.
"Anyway, I just came by wondering what you'll be wearing to dinner tonight," Hevn asked, abruptly changing topic.
"I'm saving all my good costumes for the assignment, making one exception for tonight's rehearsal. Since I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm to behave like a proper woman starting tomorrow, I have every intention of wearing something comfortable for dinner," Akabane answered dryly. "Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I need to get ready."
"Hey, Himiko, you dolled up yet?" Ban called out, knocking on her door. He wore a dark purple, sateen, long-sleeved dress shirt that matched his shades, black linen pants and deslgner black leather shoes. The top three bottons of his shirt were undone to show off a simple white-gold chain around his neck.
Surprisingly, Himiko had stopped by the room Ban shared with Ginji earlier and requested that they both be her escorts to dinner. Luckily, he and Ginji bought a few nice outfits for themselves using their new-found wealth. Ban snickered when he saw Ginji fidget beside him, the poor guy being unaccustomed to wearing semi-formal attire.
When Himiko's door finally opened, the three of them took a moment to appreciate each other's appearances.
"Seems like you boys clean up real nice when you put some effort into it," Himiko said with a smile. She wore a cream-colored linen pant suit with a modest amount of cleavage. She also gave Ginji an quick once-over, admitting she liked the navy-blue dress shirt and khaki suit he had on.
"You look great, Himiko," Ginji said cheerfully. "I can't wait to see what the others look like too!"
"Let's not keep them waiting then," Himiko said and walked arm in arm with the two men down the hall.
At about six forty-five, when Ban and Ginji arrived with Himiko, a few people were already milling about the foyer of the main dining room. A small bar was set up with a bartender busily serving up mixed drinks and a few platters of hors d'oeuvres were laid out on a long table. Emishi was happily gobbling up samples from each of the platters, a premium Japanese beer in one hand. Shido and Madoka were engaged in an animated conversation with Kazuki and Juubei as they stood at one of the cocktail tables. Sakura and Toshiki were by the bar trying to decide what drink to order.
"Where's Hevn and Akabane?" Ginji asked, turning his head from side to side as he wandered off.
"Hevn's been spending a lot of time with Jackal lately," Himiko commented, setting down her empty Martini glass of Shiso-Cucumber Collins.
"Yeah, which adds to my suspicion that Hevn's being paid by that psycho so he can make good on his promise," Ban interjected and had the strong urge for a cigarette as he downed the last drop of his Pale Rider.
"What promise?" Himiko asked as she absently watched Ginji join Emishi by the cheese and cracker platter.
"I kicked Jackal's lily ass when we fought during that Masaki mess at the Infinity Fortress. He told me that if I didn't kill him, he'd follow Ginji and me wherever we went. So far, he's been making good on his word. For the last month, Hevn's strangely been teaming us up with Capt. Weirdo!" Moving closer, he lowered his voice and added, "You wanna know something even stranger though? Let's keep this strictly between us, okay?" He paused. His urge to run outside for a quick smoke almost unbearable.
Noticing Ban's uneasy stance was an interesting sight for Himiko. She too was puzzled by Dr. Jackal's frequent involvement with the GetBackers pair the past month. When she tried to question Jackal about it, he simply smiled and told her it was all just a 'delightful coincidence in his pursuit of entertainment.' That 'all roads lead to the GetBacker boys' or whatever bullshit he spun.
She drew closer to Ban so she could hear him clearly in his hushed voice.
"That bastard broke our bad-luck-with-money streak," Ban ground out. He felt dirty for even saying it.
Her eyebrows shot up her forehead when she realized the implications of what Ban just confessed. The imperious Ban Mido was giving credit to someone else, and to Jackal, no less! Saying that out loud must've cost him!
"Jackal has been acting weirder than usual lately. I should know since I've been the only person other than Maguruma who can team up with him."
"Coz countless former partners of his have turned up dead, I'm sure," Ban grumbled.
"Actually, most people are scared of him from the start. For some reason, aside from his disgusting blood-lust, I really don't mind his company. He's intelligent, well-spoken and he always has my back in a fight," Himiko explained.
"Somehow that thought doesn't sit too well with me, kiddo," Ban said, lapsing into that familiar camaraderie they once shared in the past.
She clenched her fists at the change in Ban's mood, her confusion about him bubbling to the surface. She constantly thought long and hard about what he said the night they fought during the Platinum mission before he knocked her unconscious. It was fate that killed him. It was fate that killed Yamato. His death was your - It was the Last Children's - Dammit! What had he tried to tell her? From that moment on, she vowed to herself to find out, no matter what the cost.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Himiko announced, trying to regain her composure. She watched Hevn's grand entrance in her form-fitting cocktail dress and plunging neckline as she hung onto Jackal's arm.
"Looks like everyone's here. Excuse me, while I mingle," Hevn said with a wink, detaching herself from Akabane and zipping over to Madoka's group.
"Good evening, Mido, Lady Poison," Akabane greeted, unconsciously reaching up to tug at his missing hat but smoothly finished his maneuver by flicking strands of hair away from his face. "You're both quite fashionable tonight."
"Not too shabby yourself there, Jackal. Miss your hat?" Ban taunted.
Luminous, purple eyes darted sharply in Ban's direction.
"As a matter of fact, I do. A slip like that could be costly if I hadn't caught it in time. Rest assured, Mido, minor mistakes like that won't happen again. Oh, by the way, are you looking forward to being my play-toy starting tomorrow?" Akabane jabbed back.
Clenching his teeth, Ban glared at Jackal with eyes flaming.
"Would you like a drink, Akabane?" Himiko offered, needing to diffuse the situation before it escalated. She quickly grasped Jackal's arm and led him away toward the bar.
Exchanging glances, Shido and Kazuki moved aside to have a private conversation.
"You may have to pay up before the night's through," Shido said confidently.
"Sadly, after what we've just seen, you may win this bet tonight," Kazuki said and sighed. "But this doesn't bode well for our assignment tomorrow."
"No kidding. That Snake-bastard better behave himself or we'll fail for sure," Shido pointed out. "Should be interesting to see if they can even work together long enough to pull this off."
"We have no choice but to trust Hevn's judgment," Kazuki replied and shrugged.
to be continued
Author's Note:
Thank you very much to my new reviewers: DreamsandFire, , labruja, animegirl12182 and DL! And a special thanks to Atropos' Knife, who tries to keep my GB facts in line!
Cocktails:
Shiso-Cucumber Collins -Hendrick's gin, simple syrup, cucumber, shiso, lemon juice, yuzu-zest salt.
Pale Rider -Dry fino sherry, jalapeño-infused tequila, lime juice, cucumber.