Strange Trust
A Get Backers fanfic by Rabid Lola
A/N: Meh, didn't expect to have another fic up so soon. Very minor spoilers for the Voodoo Child arc. For some odd reason, I thought Shido's reaction to Ban's lineage would be…different from Kazuki's. If it's OOC and not in canon in any way, may I apologize profusely, because I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've written something based on the manga only.
For those as deprived as I am, basically Kazuki (really angrily) told Ginji that he should stay away from Ban, seeing as Ban's dad is…
……
"…Emperor of Beltline, eh?"
Kazuki nodded tightly, hands in a death grip around a cup of hot tea. "And he never told us," he said coldly, furiously.
Shido knew that if Kazuki had been as enraged as he'd been when he'd stepped inside the house, he would have added, the bastard, good breeding or no.
Still, he couldn't help risking the thread-wielder's anger to ask,
"Did you really expect him to?"
Kazuki looked at the Beastmaster first with surprise, then with incredulousness. The other man was leaning against the fireplace, arms crossed over his chest and staring into space, but his posture was relaxed and his eyes were unclouded, like he wasn't worried at all. "How can you be so calm!"
Shido shrugged. "It's Midou. It's not that surprising." Sure at first it had been a hell of a shock, and Shido had hardly been able to comprehend it, and at first he had felt anger, and confusion, and a tiny bit of—betrayal? What was there to betray? But the whole thing made sense, in a strange way. "It explains a lot of things, almost."
"It also brings a lot of new problems," Kazuki broke in, barely-controlled temper rising hot in his voice. "Ginji-san shouldn't be around that traitor. Who knows what he could do…"
Shido shook his head. "He won't do anything."
Kazuki stopped, amazed, and then set the cup down with a sharp, angry clink. "How can you believe that?" He was shouting, now, and Shido winced, because he knew Madoka would hear, and even if she wouldn't ask, he'd have to tell her about it later. "The bastard could be biding his time, could have been waiting all these years for just the right moment to…"
Shido held up his hand to stop his friend, and still unbelieving, still amazed, the other man fell silent. "You're still upset," the Beastmaster said softly, soothingly, trying to calm him down, trying to help him clear his mind. "Upset over Juubei, and Toshiki, and Sakura, and that traitor to your clan."
Kazuki bowed his head and clenched his fists, trembling with suppressed frustration, and Shido, out of respect for his dignity, did not draw attention to this. "His being the son of the Beltline leader fits, since he knows so well how Mugenjou works, and he knows Raitei, almost better than Ginji, and…he knows too damn much, in fact." Shido's mouth twisted wryly. "He never tells you what you want to know, and he never tells you his motives. He lies, and convincingly…if he thinks you're worthless enough to lie to."
"Or if he thinks it would serve himself…" Kazuki trailed off as Shido gave a look, hand still half-raised: I'm not finished.
Shido lowered his hand. "I may never like the snake bastard, but…" His voice dropped, became almost softer. "I've seen the way he is with those he...values. He's good to Madoka. To Natsumi. To Paul, in some way. Himiko. And Ginji…" He raised his eyes, to meet Kazuki's. "Especially Ginji.
"You and I both know, Ginji is the last person in the universe he'd betray."
"He's an soulless, honorless…"
"Oh, he has some honor," Shido interrupted. "Some form of his own. His own rules, his own road. And he does have a soul, unbelievably." He grinned tightly. "You asked why I was so calm. What else can I be? Knowing where Midou comes from makes no difference to what he is."
Kazuki was looking away again, jaw set firmly, bells quivering in his anger. And Shido shook his head softly. "For all I don't like him…" He paused, and the next words sounded like they were being reluctantly, painfully twisted out of him. "I almost trust him, strangely. Almost. Only enough, just enough to leave my Emperor in his hands."
"Of all of us, you were the one who hated him most, in the beginning," Kazuki said bitterly.
Shido snorted, and he said darkly, "I've seen too much of him, since then." His voice lost his black tone, and he added, serious, "I've sensed enough to reach that belief." He face gave another wry, reluctant twist. "He's too much like a damn snake. They're never what you think they are, both in the good sense and the bad, and they'll never tell you, either, and laugh at you when you find out."
"He's not laughing now."
"With the attitude you showed him, and what's happening to Himiko, do you think he would?"
Kazuki grit his teeth. "I can't understand why you…"
"You will, when you've calmed down," the Beastmaster cut in firmly. He walked past the Fuuchoin heir, reaching the door before he paused. "Now's not the time for this." He turned, but Kazuki hadn't turned around yet, still keeping his back obstinately to his friend. Shido let out something like a sigh. "I'm going to try to find out something…anything, about Juubei and the others. You may have pulled them into this under the banner of the Fuuga, but once, long ago, you were also Volts." He turned, and walked out of the room.
Kazuki was silent for a few minutes longer. Then he sighed, turned around, and followed.
..—EnD...
Sorry for the OOC Kazuki. That's almost what he was like, though.
And of course, this whole thing could also be horribly wrong…Shido may also just react a lot worse than Kazuki did, and set off to try to wring Ban's neck right away, and… -wince-. Yeah.
Also inspired by people wondering where Shido has been for the past few manga chapters. n.n