Best Birthday Present Ever?
Chapter Five
Are we safe or aren't we?
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Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star. If I make any mistakes with Fred's personality, please don't beat me into a bloody pulp. Despite being a Jim fangirl, I think Fred's cool! ^.^

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Jim lied back on the beach towel. Life was great. We're free! Free from the MacDougal brothers. Free from the pirates. Free from the rent collection agencies! But most importantly, free from Fred Luo!
"Hey, Jim! We've received a transmission!" Gene called to Jim as he ran across the beach in his red swim trunks.
"Oh? From who?" he wondered as he stood up, brushing the sand off of his sky blue swim trunks.
"Fred Luo," Suzuka calmly informed him from behind.
Jim turned around and stared. "Suzuka... you're wearing a swimsuit?!"
Then, the other reality sunk in. "Wah! Fred! How the hell did he find us HERE?"
"Have you forgotten that he's backed up by billions of wong?" Gene asked cynically.
The blonde sighed. "What does he want?"
"You can ask him yourself. It's a live transmission."
"Damn! I was hoping it was just a message."
Haruka emerged from the sea, and climbed back up onto the sand. "Mreow... Now I remember why I hate the water so much!"
Even though, in her own opinion, she was bedraggled and looked awful, the sight of her made Jim blush the same color as Gene's trunks.
"Hey, Jim," Gene teased. "Why don't you take Haruka with you? I'm sure Fred will just love to meet your girlfriend!"
"SHUT UP!"
Haruka hopped over to Jim, causing ripples in her dark green swimsuit that a few adolescent male tourists stared at intently. "Jim! What're you doing?" she inquired in her sweetest voice.
"I have to take a call. Wanna come with?"
"Sure!"

*******

"So, Fred, why did you call?" Jim asked as he pressed the button for line one.
"I have a job for y- Hey, who's this?" he asked, pointing to Haruka on the screen.
"I'm Haruka. Jim's girlfriend."
"Jim's girlfriend???!!!"
"Hai. Why? What's wrong with that?"
Jim took note of the look on Fred's face. He knew what the man was thinking: Well, there's always Gene.
"Well, anyways, I have a job for you."
"What is it and how much does it pay?"
"I need you to deliver three hundred pounds of dragonite to my home from the address I've sent to you. It needs to be done within a week."
"Yeah, but how much does it pay?"
"Fifty-thousand wong."
"For delivering a mere three thousand pounds? What's the catch?"
"The address is in a rather... rough neighborhood. Well, ta ta!" he cheerfully said, and then he blew a kiss.
"Hey! Wait!" Jim yelled, but it was too late. Fred had ended the call.

*******

"So, he's paying us fifty-thousand for a mere three hundred pounds?" Gene asked, not bothering with suspicion.
"It's in a really bad area," Jim explained.
"That's never stopped us before. Let's go!"
Jim sweatdropped and sighed in exasperation. Not only are adults insane, they're greedy as well.

*******

"Remind me again why Haruka's coming with us," Gene muttered.
"Because she's stronger and more mature than you," Jim explained.
"Oi! I can hear you both over the intercom. Gene, it's no use talking about me behind my back!" the Ctuan taunted over in intercom from the engine room.
"Haruka-chan, you DO know how to control that thing, RIGHT?" Jim asked unsurely.
"Of course! They don't neglect technology at school."

*******

"So... We ARE in the right place, right?" Haruka inquired incredulously.
"5789 Starling Compound in the Waite district of Orya on the Yuuki station," Gilliam confirmed.
"Fred said this neighborhood was rough. I was hoping for a challenge!" Aisha sulked.
"This is... ridiculous," Gene said, on the verge of cracking up.
"This house is pink! There are flowers all over! Why the hell would Fred call this place rough?" Jim wondered.

*******

"JIM! HELP MEEEE!!!!!!" Haruka shrieked as she blindly threw punches at a few advancing men.
A sound like meat falling was heard repeatedly, and then she opened her eyes. "Oh. They're gone," she said, smiling.
"Haruka-chan, a little help would be nice," the young blonde said nervously as a few large men stepped menacingly towards him.
"You! Give us all your money. Now," one of the men barked.
"Don't talk to Jim like that!" a now-angry Ctuan scolded them.
"Ha. Wanna make us, little girl?" another man laughed.
"Yeah. I would!" she yelled as she grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard.
"AAAAGH!" he screamed as she twisted it behind his back.
Jim and the large men cringed as they heard several bones break. "That's gotta hurt."
The other large men ran in fear of the little girl. "So this is what Fred meant by 'rough,' " Gene said, staring.
"Gene! You were hiding during the entire fight! You coward!" Aisha scolded.
"Even Melfina and Jim at least tried to help out," Suzuka added.
"I wasn't hiding! I was... uh... scouting the place out!" Gene claimed.
"Honestly..." Haruka muttered exasperatedly. "Jim must be the only brave male in existence."
Jim blushed a shade of red that would make a great lipstick.