Crystal Rain

Chapter 18 - Strangers?

It was a relatively uneventful night at Club Heaven. Crystal was sitting on her favorite sofa drinking a white velvet cocktail surrounded by some girls and the costumers they were accompanying. Half paying attention but still laughing at the right moments, she was keeping a close eye on the bar where a group of men that seems like they had two drinks too many.

It had been months since the incident with Asami and since then had learned that fighting actually came easy to her, especially when it came to leg moves and flexibility. She'd convinced Shimura to spar with her as she figured he just might be the only one crazy enough to do it despite what Rocky asked. The only way she was able to explore the surrounding area was either with a Rascal escorting her or with girls from the club, but she was still confined to the White Rascal territory. Even though she didn't venture further than this, out of respect for the White Rascals, she was very aware of the gangs that inhabited the so called SWORD area.

The Hoodlum Squad led by members of the old Mugen Gang that used to rule the entire area, Oya High full of delinquents, Rude Boys who had formed an army of boys to protect their home, and the Daruma Family where revenge against enemies of their past was fresh on their minds. She had heard about the Nameless Street and to live their people must have been truly desperate, she could never imagine herself living there. Likewise, she was glad she wasn't born into the Hyuga family. She'd heard about the four brothers, the youngest which was said to be the craziest and insane and hearing the stories she had to agree.

In all this time, only a few memories had returned to her, none that gave her any real indication of who she was. The only few memories that had come back were of a younger her and equally young boy sharing a noodle cup, a sickly women laying on an old tattered coach and running along side a boy with dark shaggy hair that almost covered his eyes, who was he?

She was snapped out of her daydream when Koo walked up behind her and snatched the drink form her hands, "Should you be drinking this?" "Hey! give it back" she stood up and tried to reach back across the coach for her dink to which all Koo had to do was hold the drink up and behind him to get it out of her reach. She walked back around the coach to confront him, "Do I need to talk with Rocky again?" "No" a look of defeat and annoyance crossed her face.

Just then a skirmish across the dance floor caused both of them to look just in time to see a man in a black hoody smash a glass into another mans face and run off through the crowd with a second man following close behind. Nothing slips by Rocky who was standing above the dance floor leaning over the railing watching the two figures retreat up the stairs and out of the club. With a nod from Rocky, Koo without a word left Crystal and the others to begin a follow up on the incident.

Crystal didn't find out what exactly happened, but the next day she was left at the club with a few of the lower ranking Rascals as Rocky said he and the others were going to follow up on a lead they found on the men the night before. She could tell from the tone of his voice and the way he postured himself that violence would most likely soon follow if the lead turned out successful.

A few days passed since the strange had run out of the club and although the lead had given them some answers, they had yet to find the man. Rocky had the White Rascals vigorously looking for the man day and night without rest, determined on catching the man who caused such a disruption and laundering attempt in his club.

The club had just opened for the night and Crystal and some of the girls were sitting with Rocky and the Rascals in their upper mezzanine when a boy walked in saying he had something for Rocky. He looked like a strapping young lad, probably close to her own age, but dressed rather plainly in a white shirt and maroon leather jacket. His first demand was to know why the White Rascals had trashed his friends store. This was news to Crystal, she looked at Rocky for a possible reaction, but without changing his stern expression calmly answered the man. Rocky clearly stated the clubs rule about providing a safe environment for their costumers and to ensure this private transactions were not allowed. She could see it on his face that this wasn't really the answer the young man was looking for.

Koo then displayed a picture that the security cameras caught of the man, who she had learned was named Dan, walking into the club. He was with a girl, "This girl is Smoky's younger sister" she could hear Koo's voice say, but she was already starting to zone out as she looked closer at the image.

There was something familiar about this girl, who Crystal was pretty sure she'd never seen a day in her life. The name, Smoky, why when she heard it a kind of warm blissful feeling came over her that she started to smile, even though she had no idea what she was smiling about nor did she know what this Smoky looked like. Luckily she caught herself before anyone noticed and just in time to come back to the present where the young man was now being interrogated as to why the Hoodlum Squad was helping the Rude Boys complete an illegal deal in their club.

This the boy whole heartedly denied, but that wasn't the answer Rocky was looking for. Patience wearing thin, Rocky picked up his cane and Crystal as well as any Rascal knew what was coming next. In a flash Rocky swung at the man beating him with his cane as the man retreated. But before a forth blow could be dealt the man had caught the cane inches from his neck, again telling the Rascals the Hoodlum Squad had nothing to do with it. Impressive, Crystal had never actually seen anyone stop one of Rocky's beatings before, either they didn't have the skills and strength to stop his hits or knew they deserved it.

And just like that Rocky was passive again, offering the man his hand and thanking him for returning what ever item Dan had failed to pass on. The man did not shake his hand however, "Don't screw with me, I can't see your true motives" to which Rocky simply smiled and replied, "and you never will."

From the corner Crystal smiled and shook her head. That was Rocky for you, no one could ever tell what was in his heart or on his mind, except for his strong desire to protect SWORD's night life and women.

She watched the man leave as Rocky settled back on the coach. "Who was that?" she whispered over to Bito, "Yamato." "Yamato?" she repeated the name slowly to try and retain it to memory. "He's one of the leaders of the Hoodlum Squad, second only too Cobra." "I see," she'd have to remember that. Despite Yamato only being considered the Hoodlum Squad's second leader, he was still the first leader of another gang in the SWORD area she'd seen in person. This sparked more interest in her to see what was out there past the White Rascal territories.

A/N: Will be meeting one of the Amamiya Brothers next time :)