Noir

By spheeris1

Pairing: Utena/Anthy for now

Warnings/notes: See 'Teaser' & 'Ichi'

~~~

It was typical to have several jobs at one time.

Utena was used to it.

One insurance fraud, one cheating wife or husband. Nothing was ever like in the movies. No gorgeous women running from mysterious pursuers, no dead henchmen laying in the hallways, no black bird statuette worthy of dying for.

In fact, Utena thought most times her profession very dull and very calm. The only emotion it inspired was a general distaste for the general public.

Everyone has a secret life.

Everyone lies about something or someone.

Everyone will get caught one way or another.

But Utena kept looking over the facts of her latest meal ticket. Some blonde-haired 'princess' who was stupid enough to hand over her entire life to some guy. Stupid enough to let him in her home, into her bank account, into her very soul.

Lovers gone wrong. The most difficult job of all.

Nowhere near as simple as lost money or fancy disappearing acts…here you deal with unknown emotions of unknown people…

And those people can be more dangerous than any gun in the middle of the night.

So, this blonde cries and stares off. And she can pay the tab for Utena's services.

The blonde will stop at nothing till this man is brought to justice, has lost it all, finds rock bottom and spends his life there.

Utena didn't have to hear the blonde say this…past the distant sadness in those blue eyes, she can see it.

'Princess' wants revenge.

~

You feel drunk, but you haven't been drinking. Not tonight anyway…

But you took the offered cup, you held the delicate china, you sipped that tea that smelled of roses…

And your damn mind keeps chastising you. Telling you to listen, to wake up, to get out of there. But you don't listen, do you?

Nah, you never ever listen. Head-first, that's you.

But you know…this time…this time, something else got ahead. You weren't thinking.

You were reacting. You were feeling. You were acting on emotions best left for dead…

You did what no one should ever do on a job.

You got involved.

And the world swims in black.

~

'They found his body in the river. He was a John Doe for a week or more until you came claiming him. Shady business this one I think…don't you?" The young man in the morgue asks.

Utena doesn't answer. It's a dead-end. Every resource to find this guy…and he is dead. It leaves a bad taste in Utena's mouth.

Something is telling Utena that this is not the end of it all.

She looks over the body. All blue and gray and bloated. Red hair to the shoulders, slick and greasy with river slime. No dirt under the fingernails. No cuts, no bruises. Every body part intact. Nice shiny silver ring stuck on a swelled-up finger.

Utena tries to pry it off, but is stopped by the morgue attendant.

'You shouldn't mess with that.' He tells her, his fingers around her wrist. She watches him step back quietly and shove blue-tinted hair out of his eyes.

'It's my evidence. Send it to me once you are done, okay?' Utena calls out, pushing the swinging door out and leaving.

~

'We can make this work. I know how to make it work. We can get away, I can get you away…' You murmur to her, to yourself. But are you really talking aloud? How should you know? Days could have gone by, months, years…

And who would look for you? The only person who cares about you is you. Only you would search for you. Only you would follow the trail and pick up the clues.

Only you can find you.

Only you can find you.

Only you can find you.

~~~

TBC