The Red Butterfly

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Note: I may have gotten some facts wrong, and if I did, and you notice, please tell me and I will try to change it asap. ' and ' are for thoughts, " and " are for speaking.

Warning: Contains swearing, bloodshed (sword fighting), some sexual stuff (?), and all around bashing.

Chapter 3: Negotiations

Haru looked at that the fascination on the girl's face for the impending fight, "That is sick you know that?"

Yasha looked up, baffled for a second. When she realized what he was talking about, she grinned and spit out the toothpick. "Well what else did you think The Cheiftess would do? Sit around a table and haggle?"

Haru remained silent.

Yasha grinned at him before turning to say, "Hey Mater!" Haru turned and saw a small girl coming towards them.

The girl was probably five foot even and had her brown hair in a bun at her neck. She wore a worn, brown, leather jacket and nice jeans with sturdy shoes. Haru had the insane urge to hug her as one would a little kid. He was sure if he actually did, 'Mater' would give him one of those kind, adoring smiles that Tohru and Kisa gave so well.

"Don't let her looks fool you. Mater has pepper spray and a wooden stick up those baggy sleeves of hers and she is wicked fast." Haru gaped at Yasha, who was sitting coolly on her bike and grinning at his obviously common reaction.

"Mater?" he asked Yasha.

"Mother – Latin." At Haru's look she continued, "Well she is our little mother. She knows any first aid procedure and I'm sure she could recite the whole book of First Aid off to you. She also watches out for all of us, scolding, hitting, pleading, disappointment, guilt tripping; you know, the typical mother actions."

Haru stood back as Matar walked up to Yasha. The girl had a small round face and on it was a peaceful expression.

"You had better thank Uo if she lives," Mater turned and smiled up at Haru as she told him what to do as one tells a child to stand up straight and smile.

Haru's eyes opened at the frank comment, "Why?"

Yasha rolled her eyes and answered, "Don't you know anything? Uo nearly died leaving this gang. It's only because of the Red Butterfly that she is alive today. Uo is one of the best riders, she could have lost those Iron Thorn guys in the streets and alleys, you must have been weighing her down. That is why she came here – it's the only spot where she had a chance. Now she and Ryoko gotta knife fight and you better hope Uo has learned more than the last time she was here!"

Haru's head was whirling, "Wait! She nearly DIED leaving? A knife fight? The Red Butterfly, what?"

Matar looked at him kindly with a small smile on her face at his ignorance. "Uo and Ryoko used to be in this gang, mere peons. Then the Red Butterfly left, leaving Ryoko as head and Uo as Second in Command, but with leader privileges and the right to veto Ryoko on anything. When Uo decided to leave, the Cheiftess was not happy. She ordered that Uo get a trip to pain city to have the sense pounded into her head. So Uo went on a trip."

Haru looked from girl to girl shocked, "What!"

Here, Yasha picked up the story, "The Red Butterfly stepped in though and saved her, carting her off hanging off her bike practically unconscious. The Butterfly was the fifth Leader of the Suicide Squad before the old Chieftess and so, being the leader of the Suicide Squad-" she stopped at Haru's blank look. "Most gangs are small, but there are a few that are HUGE. So they are split into several groups. Suicide Squad is one of the biggest, and as the Butterfly was its leader at one point, she was the best of the best. It's no wonder that of all people to save Uo, it would be her. She always had a soft spot for Uo and Ryo." Yasha pulled another toothpick out of her jacket.

"Uo and Ryo? Soft spot?" Haru realized their explanations were not really helping.

"Yeah, they were her little prodigies." Mater's kind expression was really getting creepy now, or was it just that she felt like Kisa or Tohru in a gang? "She choose Ryo to be the next leader since she could read people really well and knew intuitively when to plead and when to push. Plus hse commanded a lot of respect and could keep the group going. Uo was the opposite of Ryo thinking wise and together they spotted everything, they made a great team. Uo was the one on defence, she usually pulled Ryoko out of a bad spot or came to the rescue, she rarely started fights – Ryoko did enough for them. But they knew each other so well it was almost as if they could read each other's minds. They were each other's right and left hand."

Mater shook her head, "We had best be going, you can follow me on Uo's bike." Matar patted his hand and Haru had an insane urge to laugh, which he barely managed to hold down, concealed beneath his smooth face.

"Yasha," Mater turned to Yasha, "I dare not replace someone else at duty or tell you to leave your post with Ryo in the mood she is now, but tune into my station on the walkie-talkie and you can at least hear what is happening."

Yasha grinned her thanks and settled back on her bike for the remainder of her watch.

Haru straddled Uo's bike and settled in, moving the bike upright. He was surprised to see that he did not have to stretch to reach the handlebars, he and Uo must be about the same height, but he had never realized it before. He kicked the bike into action and spun around, Mater was waiting and they took off speeding off down the dark and dank streets.

They finally stopped at some old abandoned shop off of some unknown street. The wooden sign out front was worn from time and he could not tell what kind of shop it had been. He set Uo's bike down in a garage across the street next to Matar's bike and a bunch of others. They closed the large metal door and went across the street and into the store.

Haru had not seen anyone inside the store when they were outside, but as soon as he was inside, people seemed to be everywhere. Another girl at the door nodded at Matar and her charge, word of him had been passed around. Matar weaved her way through the press of females and Haru pushed through trying to find her. He found his ire building as he kept being separated and getting lost. But each time when he was so frustrated he was ready to turn around and try to leave, Matar would show up at his side, smile, and keep walking.

They wandered through many small rooms with people wandering everywhere. Between the girls, the furniture, and other random bits of equipment in the building he soon became thoroughly lost. Suddenly they were in a room full to the brim with people. He pushed his way into the crowd and was suddenly stopped by someone as he broke through into an open circle.

A circle in the middle of the floor of the room had been drawn and Ryoko and Uo stood in the center staring at each other with another girl there between them. The unknown girl had short dirty blonde hair tied in two pigtails and wore a jean skirt and black leather jacket. She asked Uo something but over the noise the people were making, Haru could not hear them. Uo looked over at him and nodded.

The girl held up her hands and the noise quickly subsided into a tense and eager silence. "You all know why we are here – Uo, also known as Ouen Kurohyou to those of you older members, has come to ask for sanctuary. Her and her friend here," all eyes were drawn to Haru - he was the only male in the place and stood out horribly. "-have asked for help against the Iron Thorns – another gang. Ryoko has agreed to help in a race against Sei, the leader of the Iron Thorns so long as Uo can best her in a knife fight."

Murmurs rose as the story passed to the people in the back and people's versions of what had happened were straightened and gossip spread and died everywhere. He heard stories of the last fight Uo had been in here and of past bits and news between the two. The 'referee' silenced the crowd with a pierce whistle before continuing. But all Haru could focus on was the "so long as" part.

"Now, you all know the rules to a knife fight so I will try not to be to long," a few laughs and hearty agreements came from the audience as well as a few comments which were waved off genially by the referee. Ryoko and Uo continued to stare each other down, ignoring everything else around them. Haru noticed each had a six-inch blade in one of their hands and were standing ready to fight.

"There are only two opponents, no one may help them physically until one has been declared winner and one loser. The fight ends when one cries mercy, crossed the border, or has passed out. This is a fight beyond first blood but there is to be no killing!" Her voice rose and resounded off the paper walls at the last two words. "You may cheer on either side as much as you like, but I am the one who will declare winner as I am Faita-Raion, the second in command. The fight only ends when I have called a stop. Now BEGIN!"

The fight started and the first moves were a blur to Haru until he stopped trying to see all the details and looked only for overall movements, but already Ryoko had snatched first blood and a trickle ran down Uo's arm. This cut was more important than most people first believe, more harmful than a cut to the cheek. If the cut continued to bleed and the fight moved on, the more movement the arm made, the more blood would be lost and the weaker the arm would get – already Uo was limited to how long she could play.

Ryoko had not come away totally unscathed either – her tank top was ripped at her side, but no blood was drawn. They dashed at each other again and Uo slashed at Ryoko's stomach, but Ryoko quickly jumped back and then, while her weight was leaned forward, pushed off into the air into a roll over and on top of Uo who was bent over still to limit the open area in front from her dash at Ryoko.

Uo quickly stood and spun a rolling Ryoko off onto the floor in a crooked trajectory. Ryoko managed to stop herself one foot from the ring and was up in a second and charging back at Uo. Uo stood her ground this time and waited. Ryoko's mouth opened in a snarl and Uo answered in a cold smile. Their knives clashed as Uo brought hers up to block a cut to her shoulder. Her skin was saved but the momentum carried them both backwards. Uo fell to the ground and sent Ryoko over her.

She was bound for the floor by the circle when her hand snatched out and pushed off the ground sending her head and upper body, back upwards. Her feet caught the ground and she twisted to run along the circle edge. Again Ryoko had caught herself from the line just in time. The crowd cheered and shouted for blood, for a fight - for a winner.

Haru stood staring at the dueling two – all three lost in the fight. He appreciated a good fight and these two gave one. They were almost equals, but Ryoko had a reckless abandon that Uo did not. It was similar to when Kyo and Yuki fought. Kyo gave it everything just as Ryoko did, but Uo held back as Yuki did. But Uo did not hold back for some odd sort of cat and mouse game that Yuki did, but because she knew that Ryoko was better than her, she also probably felt some hesitation to harm. She needed to use her head and find a weakness quickly – or she was a goner. Her arm was throbbing and she had not had this strenuous a fight in a long time.

Ryoko was breathing only slightly harder and seemed none the worse for all of her spins and cartwheels. She grinned at Uo and dashed at her again. Uo now stood in the center of the circle, fighting was in close quarters and Ryoko reached Uo in the middle of her third step.

Uo's hand nicked out and the blade glinted as Ryoko's did the same. Uo aimed at Ryoko's stomach again and Ryoko aimed at Uo's head. Haru was stunned, Ryoko seemed ready to kill Uo, she seemed not the least concerned if Uo was too slow and her blade hit something vital, she was out for blood. She was like Kyo in many ways, but much more ruthless, her smile and glances were cold and calculating. She was a leader in a harsh territory and time; she needed to be the best that she could be and the most ruthless. And if she was not, she was damn close. It was a harsh world here – the only rule, get better, or die.

Uo ducked her head just in time – only a few hairs at the top of her head were cut by Ryoko's sharp blade. Uo hefted her blade and her hand darted out at Ryoko's stomach. Uo was practically bent over, Ryoko's hands reaching over her head and Uos hands reaching for Ryoko's stomach. The knife cut into something and Uo shouted – she saw blood.

Ryoko threw her knife up into the air and put both of her hands flat on Uo's back. She cartwheeled herself into the air and over Uo. Uo was pushed to the ground by the force and Uo spun into the air. Her arm snatched her whirling blade and she landed on the toes of her feet. Hair covered one eye, and the other was narrowed in concentration on the fight. Uo quickly pushed herself up from the ground, her head whipped around and was soon followed by her body.

Neither heard the crowd cheering them. Neither saw Haru who could feel the throb of the crowd around him but could not hear them. Ryoko reached down to her side and placed a finger in the cut of her shirt. She pulled the finger out; the first digit of her finger was covered in blood. She stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked the blood off. She pulled her finger out, her lips were slightly darker shade of red and they formed a wicked grin at Uo – Ryoko knew she was better and this was only a slight set-back.

Uo switched the knife into her other hand. She was not great at left-handed techniques, but she was better off left handed than wounded right handed. Her arm was starting to weaken from the blood-loss and strain put on it by the earlier cut. They stared at each other their eyes narrowed and crackling. The crowd cheered and screamed and shouted. Bets flew through the air and comments were tossed back and forth. Some in the crowd were newbies and did not know what they were seeing. Others were experienced veterans and appreciated the fight.

Suddenly they both dashed at each other, but this time is was Uo who went over. Ryoko knelt down on one knee and Uo stepped onto the proffered knee and did a front flip over Ryoko. Haru saw their knives glint at each other, but was not sure exactly what had happened. It was only when Uo stood upright from her flip and Ryoko got to her feet and he saw them both facing away from each other that he realized what happened.

Uo had gone for Ryoko's right arm and Ryoko had gone for Uo's ankles. Ryoko had a long shallow patch of skin hanging off her arm. It bled, but the wound was shallow and not fatal, only hindering. She reached up and quickly cut off the hanging piece of skin. Her face showed no emotion and her actions were swift and decisive. Haru shuddered at the open patch on her arm that was now covered in blood. Uo had a cut across the back of her calves, but it was not the back of her ankles – a cut that would have lost her mobility forever, but it was nonetheless a harsh cut.

Ryoko's cut bleed furiously and the blood trickled down her arm and into her right hand. She wiped the handle off on her shirt and took the blade with her left hand. Uo stretched her legs, causing two small streams of blood to trickle down her legs.

Uo whipped around and brought her blade up to block a back flipping Ryoko. Ryoko aimed for a slash across Uo's chest, but Uo bent backward and Ryoko flipped over her. Uo jabbed her blade out as Ryoko passed over her and got Ryoko in the thigh. Ryoko's eyes narrowed even further, mere slits in an imperturbable face. Uo was pulled over as she would not let go of the blade.

She kicked her feet over her head and kicked Ryoko in the face with both feet. But Uo had forgotten about Ryoko's blade. Her blade lashed out and dug deep in the side of Uo's arm.

Uo cried out and her eyes narrowed in the pain and her scream. But years of practice kept them from totally shutting and giving her opponent an advantage. Ryoko fell over onto her back and Uo landed on top of her. She scrambled up and each yanked the others knife out of themselves.

Ryoko dashed at Uo and they rolled over, Uo's head almost crossing over the line before she was able to get the new blade back into a good grip and throw a cut at Ryoko. Ryoko did not back off. She took the cut across her stomach and pushed Uo closer to the line.

This time Uo was holding Ryoko back with the mere strength in her arms, her body was pinched below Ryoko and Ryoko was leaning her whole weight into pushing Uo over the line. Ryoko bent down and whispered to a pain-filled Uo, "Remember the last time we fought?" Uo's eyes were screwed tightly shut, her entire being focused on pushing Ryoko back.

A memory played over the back of her eyelids, and to the cacophony of catcalls, shouts, burning limbs, slick blood covering her body, the smell of sweat filling her nostrils, and sore muscles and body parts - she thought of that time, that time long, long ago.

A punch hit her and she felt a rib break and crack. More punches landed on her body. Another one hit her broken rib and she fell with a cry. Then someone stepped on her arm and ground their heel. She felt her forearm snap like a twig. The blows rained downwards upon her inert form. Pain blossomed inside her and a red haze filmed over her eyes no matter how much she blinked. Then she realized it was her own blood trickling from cuts on her head.

She knew worse was to come, she had only felt fists and feet, no weapons or threats had been added in yet.

Suddenly the kicks and blows stopped, she painfully pried opened her eyes, and saw Kyoko. For a second she thought she was having some sort of dream. But when Kyoko started and she saw the blur that was her old leader she grinned. She was saved!

A leader had to have the respect of the gang and be the fastest and best rider, fighter, and negotiator. And Kyoko was the best of the best.

Uo felt pain multiply as she was lifted up in Kyoko's arms and jangled, jounced, and bumped as Kyoko ran to her bike, put Uo across the back as gently as possible in the quickest time possible and drove off.

The last thing Uo remembered before blacking out was seeing Ryoko standing in the middle of the street, her feet apart, the gang around her. Her face was angry, but Uo saw the fading light glint off of a tear as her vision faded and the bike throbbed and thrummed beneath her broken body.

Uo's eyes snapped open and she managed one horse word, "Ryoko."

She felt pain multiply and burn her body and she pushed at Ryoko with everything she had. The memory stirred up fierce painful memories and she felt her head edge away from the line and slowly sit up. Suddenly Ryoko was gone and Uo's push forward threw her to the ground.

Before Ryoko could come back upon her, Uo was up. Her eyes were narrowed, but she was different this time. There was no sweat, no nervousness. This was an enemy, not an old friend, not a fellow or acquaintance in any way – she was simply an enemy. Ryoko grinned and shouted at Uo, "THIS is the fighter I want to fight! THIS is the one I have been waiting for! Fight me! Fight me as your best! THIS is the fight I have dreamed of!" Her mouth opened in pure joy as she shouted a war cry and she hefted the knife in her hand.

"Then come on," Uo said. She could barely be heard over the noise from the crowd. Ryoko dashed at her and Uo's hands whipped out. The knife dug into Ryoko's forearm and her fist landed on Ryoko's cheek. But Uo felt the blade near her stomach almost a second too late. She twisted her stomach and the blade cut a long red mark across the front of her stomach. Ryoko's fist also lashed out and grabbed onto Uo's right forearm. She squeezed and Uo ground her teeth against the pain of Ryoko squeezing the cut she had given Uo earlier.

"NO!" Uo let go of the blade and started to punch Ryoko. Ryoko too let go of her knife, sending it spinning forward and beyond the tangled duo. Ryoko managed to the get the blade out of her arm, but it slipped in her blood-slickened hand and flew away just before Uo's fist clashed into her right arm and she felt it go numb.

Uo slammed a fist into Ryoko's stomach and Ryoko doubled over gasping for air – for the first time showing emotion – desperation for air. Uo's other fist whammed down on the back of Ryoko and she fell to the ground. But Ryoko managed to reach up and grab Uo's ankles and yanking – pulled her down as well. Ryoko hit Uo wherever she could reach. Suddenly Uo's fist descended out of the corner of Ryoko's vision and hit her in the temple.

As soon as Ryoko fell limply flat onto the ground, Uo fell to her knees, then the ground - passed out. Haru stood staring – shocked. The crowd continued to cheer and shout and started to collect bets.

The second in command rushed into the circle and stood between the two fallen foes. "Uotani is the winner!"

The crowd cheered.

Sorry it has been so long since I last updated. Talk about slacking… But here is the latest chapter – nice and long too! I am ALMOST finished with 4, but it may be shorter so.. yah, happy times!

So… yeah, enjoy! AND REVIEW PLEASE!

Preview of Chap 4: Harua dn Ryo hang out and Haru finds out some more of Ryoko and Uo and the Red Butterfly. (wow… didn't that preview sound dramatic? I'm proud of myself!)

Kit ;)

Kurt1K: Glad you like it! UO DOES ROCK! Heres an update for you!

Shiroi Hikari: Pairing wise, who knows… Haru and Uo, Haru and Ryoko, Haru and the Second in Command, Haru and no one, who knows! Me least of all, it all depends on what you guys think and where this sotry leads me.

Lydia Skyy: WOW! I feel so praised! I actually feel like a good writer! I hope you and your friend like it!

Varyluvs321: Hopefully it is and will get even cooler! As I said before pairing wise – it all depends…