Disclaimer - If I owned Gluhen I would decrease the damn angst by 80%. As it is, I do not and therefore cannot.
This story takes place after Gluhen ends. I have not seen the episodes, but I have read synopses. Any mistakes I trust you will be kind about. This chapter introduces my own character - please be nice to her - and her past will be explained. Ken knows her from his childhood and his time in Weiss. No one else in Weiss knows her.
Afterglow
By Felflowne aka Espion
Chapter 4
Enter the Tigress
Ken stayed in the game room during visiting day. No one was left to come and visit him. No one had come the past god knows how many times, so why should today be any different?
Oddly, it was.
Daichi stuck his head around the door.
'Ken! Visitor.'
Ken was stunned. He got up slowly and walked towards the door.
Who would be visiting me? Could it be Mamoru? NO! Don't be so stupid. Then who?
As he entered the room he saw several other inmates sat opposite their visitors. Some were holding hands across their tables. He scanned the room.
Surely I'd recognise my visitor?
And then he did. She was sat at an empty table, but when she saw him she stood up and waved.
It was then that Ken truly appreciated how much he'd wanted to see a familiar person who was glad to see him.
He moved quickly across the room and threw his arms around the girl. They hugged for a second then took their seats again.
'Alishe! How did you find me?'
'I have my sources,' said Alishe, her grass-green eyes twinkling.
Yeah, the Kritiker network I'll bet, thought Ken with a slight smirk.
'I wonder, are your sources aware that they're being useful?'
Alishe answered that with a light laugh, then turned serious.
'How are you holding up? I'm sorry I couldn't come to see you until now.'
'I'm okay. A bit lonely, I guess, but what d'you expect, being in here.' He glanced around.
'You know, you could be out of here a lot quicker than you think,' said Alishe innocently. Ken glared briefly at her.
'I don't want to be out until I've paid for my crimes.' He said firmly. Alishe laughed again.
'You want to be in here for the rest of your life?' she asked softly so she couldn't be heard. Ken looked away.
'You know what I mean.'
She waved her hand. 'Fine, fine, the offer's there, alright? Listen, I hear Mamoru Takatori came in here the other day.'
Ken nodded to confirm this.
'And he spoke to you? Now what are the odds of that?'
'I asked myself the very same question,' said Ken wearily. Alishe looked at him worriedly.
'How are you?' she asked softly.
'Coping,' said Ken. He dropped his voice again. 'It hurt like hell, Alishe. It's like he's someone else.'
'He is someone else now, Ken.' But Ken shook his head.
'No… He'll never really be gone.' He seemed to shake himself. 'So anyway, what have you been up to, little kitten?'
Alishe grinned.
'Keeping busy, Ken-kun, keeping busy. Got this new assignment, turning out to be a real bitch…' she paused to make sure Ken had got the full meaning of those words. He had.
She's got a new mission.
'Who's your new boss?' he asked. She shrugged.
'You could say I'm self-employed.'
Ken's eyes widened in shock.
'Don't look like that!' she exclaimed in amusement, 'it's just a one-off!'
'Even so…' muttered Ken.
'Sorry if it offends you, but this is just something I need to do. It's personal.'
Ken's worries were not soothed.
If she starts killing whoever she feels like, she's gonna get into serious trouble.
But even these worrying thoughts couldn't detract from how GLAD he was to see her. She'd been his close friend ever since they were kids, and finding her again when he was in Weiss, discovering she led the same type of life as him, and now, her coming to find him again… It was too great.
'You know what?' he said quietly to her, 'it's like we'll never be separated, you know? We'll always be together in some way.'
'Damn right,' she laughed, 'you can't get rid of me!'
It was time for her to leave. She stood up and hugged Ken tightly again.
'I'll come next time as well okay? Tell everyone I'm your girlfriend if they ask… it's probably easier.'
Ken nodded and sniffed slightly. Her hair smelled the same way it always had, like leaves.
She pulled away.
'See you then, Ken-kun,' she said as she followed the trail of leaving visitors.
'Bye Alishe, you have no idea how glad I was to see you, thanks!' He waved once more before she was through the door and gone.
**
Several people commented on how lucky Ken was to have such a cute visitor, and he smiled.
Yeah, Alishe is cute, isn't she? I tend not to notice…
Typical of her, offering to bust me out like that…
I wonder what her new assignment is?
*
**Weiss personal information - Code Name Bengal**
Nagi scrolled down, bored. He'd been told to do research and become the authority on all the Weiss organisations. Then some files could be deleted, if the information was safe in his head. He'd gone back to the earliest record he could find.
The very first Weiss, he discovered, had not been Shuichi Takatori's one. Grandfather Takatori, in his slight unhinged-ness, had allowed the son of Reiji Takatori - Masafumi - to be in charge of the very first one.
His stomach churned slightly as he saw the other pictures of the members. Masafumi had obviously been playing with them. They were all hideous, and, according to the data, completely dead, apart from one, who appeared to be neither.
Bengal.
Bengal didn't seem to be deformed, and no date of death was recorded. Presumably, then, Bengal was still alive. He read on.
Masafumi's notes on Bengal worried him.
'Note 1 - Bengal appears to be upset by the experimentation. Believes it is unnecessary. Has also not allowed me to experiment further, instead threatening to kill me if I so much as try. There remains, however, much room for improvement.
'Note 2 - Bengal has attempted to quit the group, but was forcibly retained by the other members, who remain loyal to me. If these incidents continue I will be forced to be more firm.'
Nagi shuddered slightly. Masafumi's madness carried through the seemingly sane words.
'Note 3 - Bengal has escaped. Left only one thing in the centre, a note swearing revenge on the noble Takatori family, but mainly on the person in the position of Persia, which is me. The letter is badly spelled and untidy but I believe the wish is to scrub out me, as well as any Persias who follow. Bengal is dangerous, and very strong.'
Nagi sighed. Bengal must be dead then. If revenge had been sworn on all Persias, then surely Shuichi or Mamoru would've been attacked. Reiji had killed Shuichi, and no attempt to assassinate Mamoru had been made by this Weiss. Being the head of security, Nagi had personally overseen all measures taken to protect Mamoru-sama, and this assassin had not appeared.
However, out of habit, he memorised the picture before deleting the file.
*********************************************************************************************
To anyone who is worried I say merely DO NOT BE SO! This is purely Ken/Omi, this new character is NOT a love interest *shudders* Ken going out with a GIRL?
Yuriko: Er…Ahem?
Felflowne: *squashes her*
Yuriko: *is squashed and therefore no further threat to Ken and Omi's relationship*
