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Shards

By Ruby

Chapter One: Seven Day Countdown

***

Kaosu was all right. He had finished the fight and sent the shells of the Youja back to Arago.

The Four Masho felt that this was an insult, and urged their lord to attack the human world right then.

Arago, in turn, decided to wait and see if the monk would do anything further. He knew that the boy running away from the skirmish had no armor as of yet, so he would be useless to the Youjakai until then.

So, in other words, the apocalypse had been delayed for a week.

And Ryo, tired and hungry, let Byakuen wait outside as he stumbled into a tavern.

***

Lightning danced across the night sky, yet no rain fell. In the dry heat of Tokyo, it would not be a surprise if the energetic bolts hit one of the skyscrapers that took up the view. No one really noticed the natural fireworks since a lot of it was overshadowed by the glowing neon lights of downtown.

What would be a less than perfect place for a fun-loving guy like Shu to work at than the Hardrock Cafe of Tokyo where tourists frequented and often chatted to you about the places they've been? Absolutely nowhere else.

Except he wasn't. Instead, he worked at his uncle's place across the street.

Small, dim, and smelly were the words that would first come to mind after entering. It was Chen-San's Bar, where you could try your luck in "Beat the bartender at arm-wrestling, and get a free drink." But if you didn't...

"You're the one I'm supposed to wrestle?" asked a customer in disbelief as he plopped down on the unworn stool. A few of the people not smoking, drinking, or playing billiards in the hazy room turned to watch as another fool tried his luck at the bar corner. "You don't look more than fourteen!"

Guess who was the bartender on duty that night?

"Then you'll have no trouble receiving that drink, right mister?" Shu answered. He smiled and genially cracked his knuckles as he summed up the guy's strength. Cake. Pure cake. He set his elbow on the table with an open palm - an obvious challenge. "Do you think you can take me?"

"You? Yeah," the man snorted and set his arm, grabbing the boy's hand in the process.

"Your choice, remember. Now start."

Bam. Arms were down and out, the victor: Shu.

"M-my hand," stammered the loser. They released their grips on each other and the guy choked in a holler of pain. Every one of his fingers were twisted and misshapen - broken.

"Have a free drink, anyway." Shu slid over a shot of whisky with a clink. "And then get out of here. There's a hospital on the next block."

The man ran out without even looking at the glass. The teen shrugged, took up the glass, and threw it a bit too hard into the sink, as the musical tone of shattering cups told him.

"Oops," he frowned. Chen-San, his uncle, did not like it when property got damaged - he took it out on their paychecks. Not that it mattered much, Shu never saw the money; he sent most of it back home.

Home. That was a distant concept. Ever since arriving in Tokyo he hadn't seen his little dysfunctional nucleus in three years. Maybe he had a new sibling again - he wouldn't know.

No one sent letters.

No one liked to talk.

He sighed. No one really cared, anyway.

"That was unfair," a figure accused as he approached the bar.

He'd heard statements of the sort before. "Yes it was," he answered automatically, wiping down the counter with a dirty towel. Hmm, there were a lot of cigarette burns in the polished wood. "His choice, his hand. And I've heard stuff about that guy - a gun for hire. It's justified."

The squeak of a stool. Shu glanced up. It was a kid not much younger than he was.

"You call that justice?" Then the guy blinked, as if realizing something.

"Justice?" He paused at the word. "Well, he's not going to use that trigger finger for a while. Or flick someone off. You're thirsty, want a drink?"

"How'd you know?"

"Please, I'm a bartender. I ask everyone the same thing."

"Oh. Just water, I guess."

"Aha, the cheap stuff." Shu threw in some ice and gave the glass to him. He looked him over, seeing the thin and dirty clothing and uncombed hair.

There was something off about him. Something that irked him, but he didn't know what.

Shu glanced sideways. "You have no cash, do you?"

The guy looked embarrassed. "Aa, no. Is that a problem?"

"Nah." He gave him a glass of Coke.

The other only stared. "What's this?"

"What, you've never tried the joy of Cola before…? Well actually I think that's the Pepsi proverb."

"Pepsi?"

"Drink up."

Black hair fell over his face as he first took a cautious sniff of the strange liquid, and then a sip. "This is good," was the declaration. "But I really can't pay for this."

"Don't worry, it's only Coke." He grabbed a half of an old sandwich and placed it on the counter. "You look hungry too - here, this isn't that moldy. And anyway, the gallons Ryuusuke drinks makes up for the loss of your business."

The customer fell on to the ham sandwich and ripped it apart like a lion. "Who?" he asked between mouthfuls.

Shu chuckled at the lack of manners. "Him." He merely pointed to the brown-coated man with a bad goatee sitting on the other end of the bar. Ryuusuke was obviously drunk, and still drinking. He muttered into his mug, probably wanting more. The heavy diamond bracelet hanging on his wrist declared that he had money to spend, and a lot of it.

"If he doesn't take that thing off someone will do it for him," Shu explained.

"Rich?" the boy wondered, wiping his mouth of bread crumbs.

"Two words that describe him: 'I'm' and 'loaded'. I think it's because he's getting hitched soon, and a bunch of the stuff comes from his wife's fortune."

"Hitched?"

He gave the teen a funny look. Weird. "Married. He comes in here every night."

"Because he's getting married?"

"That could be it." Shu smiled. "Never does much. Just sits and talks to his beer. By the way, I'm Shu."

"Ryo."

"So what do you want to know?" In a second, the friendly smile turned into a slight sneer. "What insects we put in our drinks? Who are the local dealers? My life's story?"

"Wh-what?"

"Oh, come on!" he sighed airily. "It's been bugging me ever since you got here: there is definitely something not normal about you. Like an itch in my head I can't, for all the broken fingers, scratch. What the Hell is it? Is it the bad acting?"

"What do you mean?"

His tone became harsh. "My question: What are you doing here? Answer: I'm thinking you're a new and green amateur reporter out for a good scoop, or maybe you're from that Taibatsu School here on a gang initiation... from the looks of ya, I'd say the latter. Am I right?" Shu gave an expectant look. "Say something, I need to figure you out."

Ryo stared, wide-eyed and surprised. "Gang? Me? No, I'm just trying to find somebody," he answered, eyes narrowing.

"Me, I bet."

"Well, actually..."

"Here's the life's story: I was born, sent to work, and the end. Are you going to try and steal the cash from the register, now?"

"Shu, sorry, but - "

"What?" He scowled at the clueless look he was receiving. Shu glanced around and spotted a spray bottle. He lifted the duck-mouthed item and sprayed the teen with a light mist of water. "Maybe something else to drink?"

"Hey!"

Spray. "Not enough? Want some filler?"

He wiped the water out of his eyes. "Quit it!"

Squirt. Shu had changed the nozzle so that a thin jet of liquid audibly hit the boy on the forehead. "Food for the brain? Bunch of brothers and sisters, Mom sleeps around, and Dad mooches off of everyone including me. Blah, blah-frickin'-blah."

"Excuse me?" Ryo shoved away from the counter with an expression of confusion and anger. "No! What's with the attitude? You were nice enough earlier."

"After I crushed Joe-Whoever's hand, of course."

"Okay, I am sorry for whatever I did to offend you, but if you're one of the people I'm searching for, then I have important news."

"Oh, really?" With knuckles under his chin Shu leaned forward in mock interest. "Spill."

Ember eyes locked onto his own and he said, in all seriousness, "The end of the world is coming."

Silence.

Ryo looked on hopefully.

Shu paused; not sure he heard what he thought he had heard. His mouth twitched then he began laughing. Laughing hard. "Ryo, I gotta say to you, that's so lame it's funny." The bartender coughed, spirits lifted. "Tell you what, leave right now and you're welcome back another time."

The teen's face fell. "But I'm telling the truth!" he shouted angrily.

"Sure. Now go, lest I change my mind."

Ryo stared in disbelief. "This is a harder job than I thought."

"Quit babbling." He grinned. "Go."

With a growl Ryo kicked aside his stool and stomped towards the door.

***

To Be Continued