Chapter 8 - Dance it up
"But you're just kids..."
Slowly shaking my head, I raised the silenced pistol, aiming.
"After what you've done, after what we've done, how could we be called little children?"
I pulled the trigger.
73 Days after Yucatan anomaly
5:32 AM – The Commercial District of Vale
My eyes opened, and after blinking a bit, I took a deep breath.
Laying there on the couch, I thought about what had brought what was left of my blood down such a dark path. The attack had been so long ago, the pain of that now all but a distant memory, a scar. But I still felt goosebumps when I thought about the consequences that had followed.
My scroll rang, interrupting my thoughts. The caller I.D. was unknown.
"Yeah?"
"Marty, it's me."
"Did you find him?" Our employer had not come by as planned to pick up his items of interest last night, and for that matter, we had had a run-in with the police as we were leaving the pick-up point.
"Yeah, he's wondering if you guys could meet him at the same warehouse in about four hours."
"We'll be there. Tell him he better be there as well, considering what happened last night. "
I closed the scroll and let it fall to the floor, focusing my mind on the drum of my heartbeat, and nothing else.
4 hours later…
Despite it being morning, with the sun up, it was still dark inside the building. The suitcase containing the Dust crystals was in my left hand, the android head in the pack behind me. I hid in the shadows with Anya, with Cecily somewhere above us, watching.
"We have incoming."
I peered and did see someone. When he stepped into the sunlight, the crouched form looked familiar.
Anya grabbed the bag and we went forward to meet him.
"Cecily, is there anyone else in the building, or around us?"
A pause, "No."
When the stranger saw us, he raised a hand, as if to stop us. But Anya had a hand on her sword, ready to draw it.
"Leaving us hanging last night was not a wise decision on your part, where the hell were you?" She hissed.
"Hold, I am not here to collect. Rather, I'm here to see if you actually have the requested items."
Tilting my head in curiosity, I opened the case and displayed the crystals, while Anya re-sheathed her blade and grabbed the head from the bag, showing it.
"I am only an extension of your actual employer, an assistant, if you will." He turned towards me, pointing.
"You, and you alone, will need to deliver these things to my boss. Tonight, at The Club."
"The Club?"
"Junior's. Look it up, it shouldn't be difficult to find, his club is one of the better ones in town, by far. Find Junior, and ask him for the contact in the VIP lounge, he'll lead you to my boss. Oh, and as I said beforehand, you and you alone are to go. None of your teammates are to come with you."
"I can't see how that's a good idea." I flatly replied. "You running out on us has me unsettled as to what you could have planned."
He sighed, his body language telling me how frustrated he was getting. You're rather inexperienced at this, noting the way he was getting restless.
"Be there to collect your payment, otherwise, you'll have to consider finding another buyer."
He turned and walked away, leaving us no opportunity to get the last word in.
73 Days after the Yucatan Anomaly
11:30 PM – The Commercial District of Vale
I put the suitcase and head in the bag, and put the straps over my shoulder, before climbing out of the car. Immediately the first thing I noticed was the music; I could feel it just as much as I could hear it. Outside.
Jesus, do people just not give a damn about what happens to their ears?
I put my long black coat and raised the hood over my face before I put my mask on, then entered, walking down the dark hallway to the origin of all that noise.
The double door opened up for me, and for a second I had to stop and just absorb the sheer amount of stimuli that was bombarding my ADD head. The music was making my ears ring, and the flashing strobe lights were giving me a headache. Not fun.
Then I noticed all the pretty girls that were down there dancing. Okay, maybe I could make an exception.
I started walking down the stairs, and was immediately greeted by two thugs, swords in their hands as they stopped me.
"Where do you think you're goin' with all of that?" Ugly 1 said.
I paused, noting their suspicion. Their boss doesn't want his men to know about this deal. Whatever happens here tonight is going to be all hushed up. Unless someone gets killed, of course.
"That information is for your boss, who I assume is Junior. For that matter, I need to speak with him."
They frowned, looked me over, then waved with their swords in the direction of Junior, escorting me around the dance floor.
"Junior" was a big guy, standing a good foot-and-a-half over me. Dressed sharply, he looked ready to do business.
"The contact in the VIP lounge?" He mirrored my question. "I assume you're 'Jaguar'?"
I nodded, noting the two girls off to the side, watching us talk. The looks they gave me were one of warning; check yourself before you wreck yourself.
"Hmmm, yeah, you look like him. You got any weapons on you?"
I tilted my head again, my mouth open, trying very hard to not laugh behind my mask. Really...
"Whatever. Girls, bring 'Jaguar' here to the VIP lounge." He motioned, and began walking away.
The girls, I realized, were twins, if their green eyes and equal heights said anything. They both wore strapless dresses, one red and another cyan. The looks they gave me, other than suspicious, were one of hidden interest. They're probably just trying to guess if I'm a guy or a chick… Oh lord, well, on the positive side, that's just another card I can keep close to my chest.
We walked up to the second floor of the club, and I saw what had to be the door for the lounge. The twins stoped outside the door as I walked in. Immediately, I noticed a black femine form lying along the couch in rather seductive manner, her black clothing rather tight around her body. She rose when she saw me, and beckoned me forward.
Her face was hidden in a deep hood, so I had no way of identifying her. However, I did note the rather petite form of her body. As well as the naginata polearm she was holding in her right arm.
But what really caught my attention was the suitcase on her left hand.
"Jaguar, I assume?" she said, faint.
I strained to be able to hear her, but nodded. Immediately, I opened the case, showing the Dust crystals, and the head. She threw the suitcase towards me, and I started counting, the number of platinum colored Lien cards quickly racking up to the lovely three million Lien. I looked up and gave her the items she had bought.
The second her hands were on them, she swept past me, the doors opening and closely quickly behind me. I quickly followed suite.
Walking out onto the balcony, my curiosity piqued, I scanned the club for the mysterious buyer, but saw no hint of the distinct polearm. I looked towards the bar, seeing Junior standing in the middle of a circle of thugs, laughing with them as they hung out and drank.
"So… it's Jaguar?" a snobbish voice behind me said.
I nodded, but didn't turn, my attention now focused on the club around me, absorbing the details and structure of the interior.
"Hmm, but what's you're real name?" I turned, facing the cyan girl who just spoke.
"There's a reason why I don't tell most people my actual name."
"Oh, a shame. Though, to be honest, I'm actually a bit more curious as to what's behind that mask."
"Ah, well, that in itself is more the reason to wear this mask, especially if we consider who you're employed for."
I saw the red girl eye's narrowed, and I turned to her, noting the claws she had.
"Besides, I don't know why else you would be so interested." I stressed the 'why else'
"Well, you do have a bit of reputation around you." Red quietly said. "We're curious as to who you are."
"Yeah? Well, what are you guys thinking?"
Red smiled, and looked at Cyan, who smiled back.
"A competition."
As a little kid, about when I was 12, I had wrestled for a season. I knew a one-on-one when I saw it. The room felt like the practice room, the lack of windows, the high ceiling, the mats along the wall.
I saw the boundaries, the black circle in the middle of this room.
"Junior uses this room occasionally, though he isn't much of a fighter. Rather let us do the dirty work. But really, he rents it out to the gangs, let them fight it out amongst themselves in a duel."
"Honor amongst thieves..." I murmured.
I walked to the middle of the floor, and turned around again facing the girls.
"I never did get your names."
"Hah, says you." Cyan folded her arms. "I think we'll go with whatever it is you've been calling us."
I shrugged. "So, whats at stake here?"
"You." Red replied.
"Ah... And what's in it for me?"
"The next competition."
I went over that, feeling more and more unsure. Truth be told, I'd never really interacted with girls my age, so I was a bit stumped and floundered as to what that could mean. But I felt like I knew maybe what they were referencing…
I shrugged. "How is this going to work?"
"Your aura drops to below 15, you're done."
"And I assume you both are going to pair up for the fight?"
Red eyes narrowed. "What makes you say that?"
"The fact that you have claws, and that your twin sister has those bladed heels. I would think that would be an obvious observation."
Cyan stared at me for a few seconds, before she took out her scroll, messing with it before I saw a screen pop up on the wall next to me, her face on it with a green bar below it, a hundred next to the picture. Red followed suit and I soon saw her face appear with the same green bar and number.
"Hook yours up." Cyan ordered.
I bowed, and took my scroll out, all while thinking as to what the heck was I supposed to do.
Opening it, I saw a big red button, CONNECT? flashing below it.
Huh, that's convenient.
I clicked, and soon my face and Aura were displayed, opposite of the twins.
I turned, and saw the girls walk up, synchronized and ready to kick some ass.
Again I bowed, keeping my eyes on them. "When you are ready ladies."
They both glared and then began their attack, moving away from each other as they advanced.
Red was coming at me from the left, Cyan from the right. Turning towards Red, I dashed forward and kicked at her, hitting her claws as she blocked. I sprang up, dodging Cyan's roundhouse kick from behind me. I flipped, and landed behind her, as she was ducking to allow Red to jump over and start swiping, her claws lashing out as I kept dodging, backing up.
Red suddenly dashed to my right, allowing Cyan to commit to a flying kick. I ducked and rolled, before running forward and, grabbing one of Red's wrists, slugged her in the stomach, before flipping her over my shoulder.
I let go as Cyan again came at me, her bladed heels crying out for my face. I grabbed the tip of her shoe, and the back of her calf, fling her around me, before I was slashed along my legs. Moving back, noting that Cyan had only landed graciously, and that Red was now getting up.
I charged at Red, and took out my folding blade, keeping it closed, the handle hidden in my palm. Red again lashed out, and I opened my blade, blocking one of her claws as I again reached and grabbed her wrist.
I went under her arm I had grabbed, pinning her arm behind her back as I put Red between me and Cyan, who had again committed to a flying kick. I got a glimpse of her widening eyes as she landed the blow on Red's chest, causing her to kneel.
Striking the back of Red's head with the pommel of my blade, knocking her down, a alarm went off, telling of a knockout.
I leapt back, seeing Cyan leap and land in front of me, before committing to a series of rapid kicks, of which I was mostly dodged or redirected. Suddenly, she spun and her momentum-driven blow went over my head as I ducked and tackled her.
She lost her balance, and landed outside the circle. The alarm went right off.
Standing up, I looked over, noting the small deduction of aura I had taken. As for my opponent, well, they wouldn't be fighting any time soon.
"So, what the next competition?" I asked, helping Cyan get up.
Cyan got up slowly, raising an eyebrow at me.
" How good of a dancer are you?"
I opened the door to the apartment, the exhaustion I felt making me smile. That had been fun as all hell, and the girls had absolutely kicked my ass in the dance competition.
So I allowed them a glimpse at my face, as well as my actual name.
And we exchanged phone numbers.
My stomach still got butterfly's as I thought about that. I had never gotten a girls number before.
"Where have you been?" Cecily demanded, "We were worried sick, it's 4 in the morning..."
As my sister continued her rant, my attention went back to the night I had spent in the club, a small smile on my face as I thought about the twins.
