Panda Hero
Chapter 10: Secrets
Nothings better than being left alone. I roll my eyes, kick some stray rubble and watch it skid over the broken concrete.
"Oh, hey Len." someone spoke. Turning, I stick my hands in my pockets lazily.
I nod my head at the crazy-eyed girl. The redness around her nostrils was one of the obvious signs of Panda use. It was almost funny how the shade exactly matched that of her hair. "'Sup, Teto."
Teto got a dreamy look across her face. I try holding back a grimace at the strange girl who had a crush on me. I didn't even know her that well. I was just in HQ one day with Rin and Kaito when she walked in. The minute she laid her eyes on me (and when Kaito told her my name, like an idiot) she's been trying to stalk me.
Before she could ramble on about her day and try to flirt with me, I speak up, "Hey, have you seen blondie?"
The Panda Hero just cattily swiped Rin away from me without a word and I had no idea where she went. Just walking around the alleys mindlessly gets boring after awhile, ya' know.
"Why are you looking for her?" Teto practically spats, anger weakly surfacing in those cloudy eyes.
I look at her crossly "Just tell me." I demand, not having patience for her right now. She obviously knows where Rin would be. Not only does she freakishly keep tabs on me, but also on Rin. After all, blondie is her competition for my heart. Ha, if only she knew.
"HQ. With the Panda Hero." she finally answered.
I turn away from the odd girl and continue my journey down the alleyway, heading straight for the square in the middle of the clan.
"Len!" Teto calls from behind me. I ignored her desperate call and continued on, slightly quickening my pace.
The hell? I asked myself at the swarm of people in the square outside of the main building. There were shouts and an occasional fight here and there. It appeared to be a rebelling mob.
A familiar voice that made me puke a bit in my mouth rang out from a megaphone. "Calm down, you idiots! Everyones gonna get served; as long as you have the right payment, of course." I could just hear that slutty smirk of her's through the metalic boom of the megaphone.
I went up on my toes, cursing my height in the process as I tried to look over various heads to the front of the Headquarters building. I jabbed my elbow into someone who dared to shove me back amongst the chaos of the rowdy crowd.
I squinted my eyes; not because I couldn't make out what was going on in the distance, but because of the fishy scene.
The Panda Hero was standing on top a wooden crate that seemed to tremble and weaken under her weight with every shout she boomed into the crowd. I crossed my fingers and prayed that it would break into pieces, giving her lethal splinters deeply ebbed into her flesh.
She was waving her arms around in excitement while there was a greedy look in her eyes as the Panda induced civilians waved back their 'payments'.
I eventually got closer up so I could see better. My mouth dropped when I saw tiny, innocent Rin beside the drug dealer on the crate. I saw her look up to the Panda Hero inquistively, unsure about what to do. The teal haired woman pulled Rin up to the wooden box by her hands while she jumped off it.
I could see the Panda Hero speak to Rin and gesture with her hands at the insane crowd. This must be the only time I had ever seen those lifeless people so riled up.
"Tell them to step up." I could read her lips from where I was standing. It was one of the most important skills that I picked up during my time on the streets to survive.
Rin nodded and repeated the order to the hunched over man wobbling in front of her. The angle that I was standing was perfect, the man's back wasn't to me so I can see his thin lips form the words, "I ask of you please." he slightly stepped back and knelt down on his frail knee's. Bowing his head, he held out his offering up to Rin like a lowly peasant would to a God.
A thread of shock splayed on Rin's face at the man's sudden action. She nervously looked to the Panda Hero for assistance.
With a nod from the dealer in confirmation to the offering, Rin took the bottle of booze and handed it to the Panda Hero. Rin bent down to the side of her and lifted a small bag and placed it into the man's open hands.
Black powder. Panda.
Why was Rin doing this? Helping the Panda Hero distribute this horrible drug so willingly? I didn't even know this was how the Panda Hero gave out the drug, even though she's been here for a while. That combined with the mind blowing feeling of seeing Rin hand out these bag's of Death itself. . .
Wait. I know that person. A familiar head of light brown fluff that stood out amongst the other heads of grungy hair bobbed and weaved through the crowd. I watched it carefully travel around the perimeter of the whole sea of people and break through to the front.
Apparently, The Panda Hero noticed too. She stared at where the person obscured by the rest of the crowd was standing. Nodding in agreement to something it must have said, she discreetley jerked her head to the side entrance of HQ. After watching Rin continue the routine flawlessly, she snuck to the side door of the building and waited for the person.
I held my breath and brought in my lower lip, chewing on it anxiously as I clenched my fists in concentration, simply waiting for the person to emerge from the crowd.
And when they finally did, I was confused more than anything.
Rei.
But. . .That made no sense. What would he have to do with her? Last time I checked, he hated her STD riddled guts just as much as I did.
Rei began to open the door but stopped. His eyes ran over Rin, as did the Panda Hero's. He then looked out into the crowd which gave me the sudden urge to duck out of sight, even though I knew it was already impossible for him to spot me. Disappearing into the building, the Panda Hero followed behind with the small bags in her hands.
At that time, I would have thought nothing over the Panda in her hands. But now, now I know better.
That must have been the first time Rei decided to do Panda. Just be looking at him it was obvious he didn't have any of the effects, which appear practically overnight after the first time using it.
If only I had known sooner.
I wonder what Len's doing. . . I thought as I walked behind the Panda Hero. She was skipping and twirling infront of me. It wasn't the childish and girly type of spinning and skipping, but more of the seducing kind.
He looked pretty upset when I left him. Again. I know without a doubt, that he's jealous of the Panda Hero, since it seems like she gets to spend the most time with me nowadays. Thats why he hates her so much; because she's apparently taking me away from him.
But really, I'm with him almost 24/7. Couldn't he survive ten minutes without me being constantly by his side?
The Panda Hero said she had a gift to give me. Why? I didn't even know. When I tried to ask her why she gave me the bracelet around my wrist a while ago, she simply responded with a suspicious, 'just because'.
I wonder what it was now. Maybe a necklace to match the panda charm on my wrist? Or food. There's not much of it down here in the dumps. Sometimes I go days without eating. Same for Len. I'm not really sure about Rei since he's never around, as always. I bet the Panda Hero has tons of it somewhere in HQ though. She has connections.
"Ok, close your eyes!" The woman with the black-rimmed eye snapped me out of my day dream about delicious food.
Obediently, I covered my eyes with my hands. "What is it now, Panda Hero?" I asked curiously. She clucked her tongue. "No questions!" she scolded.
I sighed, but laughed anyways. I pretended to peep through my fingers until she flicked my nose. "No, no." she said.
I could hear her shoes smack the pavement/concrete mixture under us, my mind mapping out where in my surroundings she was heading. It sounded like she was going further down the alley and rounded a corner nearby, going past some rundown, poor excuses of shelter.
What was taking so long? I had thought to myself, growing impatient with my eyes still shielded. I removed my hands from my face.
Oh, how funny. She left me here alone. I snort lightly. Instead of calling out her name, I round the corner where she disappeared to see if she was possibly standing there, waiting for me with a huge mocking grin.
Stopping immedietly, I backed up and pressed my back against the wall, while cautiously looking around the corner. The Panda Hero was talking to herself.
"Now isn't the time for this crap." I heard her growl, completely annoyed. There was a pause as I leaned in a bit closer to hear better. She angrily raked her hand through her long ponytail.
"Yes, she's fine obviously!" she suddenly shouted, but stopped and lowered her voice mid-sentence, remembering that I was supposed to be around the corner.
I was completely muddled. Who was she talking to? And most importantly, who was she talking about? Fear suddenly hit me. I desperatley hoped it wasn't the Panda getting to her brain. I don't know what I would do if-
She suddenly whipped around in agitation. Thankfully, she wasn't fully facing me because I wouldn't have been able to react that quick. I was frozen in my spot. I've never seen her like this before. It had to be the Panda.
"Yeah, yeah whatever. I know how to do my job." She sneered, fingers tips pressed to her forehead. That was when I had seen her gripping the top of her tank with her other hand as she spoke into it. I scrunched my eyebrows. If that wasn't bizarre, than nothing was.
I squinted my eyes to inspect closer. There was something black poking out from her shirt that she was directly talking into. I knew for a fact it wasn't her bra (which was neon green and shone through her shirt) but it was something i've never seen before in the slums.
"I have to go now." And with that, she rudely stuffed the object back underneath her scanty top.
I swiftly peel off the wall I was leaning against and dash to my previous spot, quickly covering my eyes again.
Just as she rounded the corner to near me, I ask "Panda Hero? You done yet?" as calmly as I can despite all the thoughts appearing out of oblivion in my mind.
"Open your eyes." she instructs, almost no joy in her voice like before. If anything, she sounded peeved.
She brought her hands out from behind her back to show off a headband as pure and white as snow, with a giant bow on top.
It was so pretty. I stretched out my hand to stroke the velvety bow. I've never seen something so. . .clean and promising before. I looked at the Panda Hero, a bit choked up.
"Is this really for me?" I croak pathetically. Not to say my bracelet was a crumby gift, but this headband was by far better. It was a luxury item, something you'd feel honoured to wear around here.
She grinned, obviously pleased. "'Course. Here, let me put it on." Just as she was about to take my hair out of it's short ponytail (which I forgot to take down after practicing some kicks earlier), she surprised me with something.
"You know, you look a lot like Len with your hair up." she said thoughtfully. Wow, did she just actually talk about Len without puking?
"Well, he does have short hair tied up too. . ." I responded. Now that she mentioned it, I guess I kind of do. We have the same eyes, too.
I shrug it off. "Like you're mirror images." the Panda Hero continues as she pulls out the elastic. She suddenly laughed. "It's God's way of saying you were made for each other." she teased.
I stiffen at the comment. Never in a million years! She finally placed the bow neatly in my hair and pulls out a tiny mirror from the pocket of her short shorts.
Gazing into the mirror, I can't help but think how good the bow looks on me. Not to sound vain or anything. I hugged her.
"Thank you." I say into her shoulder.
She pulls away. "Alright, enough with the love fest. I know how great I am." she smirks. Laughing, I nod in agreement.
"Come on, we got a job to do." and with that she starts down the alleyway ahead of me again.
A job? I thought.
Writers Block is a pain in my butt =w= I've had this idea in my head for the longest time, but I just couldn't get it typed up. Anyways, This is set before the discovery of Rei abusing Panda. The first point of view is Len's, the second is Rin's. The events of the two views happen on the same day, Rin's before Len's :]
Hope you enjoyed it!
~Sabby-Sama