Chapter III: Payback
Seifer sat in the passenger side of the car as Raijin drove, his mind entirely on Zell and the kiss between them. Did it mean anything beyond a desperate cry for help? If so, were the feelings reciprocated? Seifer was very full of angst, self-doubt and confusion.
He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that the car had pulled up to his apartment building. Raijin snapped him out of his trance with a punch on the shoulder.
"Hey, you're home now, ya know?" He said gruffly.
Seifer faked a smile. "Cool, hey, I had a great night, thanks." He said dully.
"No problem, no problem. You just really need to get out more often, ya know?" Raijin said with genuine concern. "I told ya there was some fine tail in there. And how about that Cleo Butterkiss? Damn I'd like to see her ass without those panties on!"
Seifer coughed. "Thanks for the ride man, I'll call you tomorrow."
And with that, he opened the door and was out on the pavement. Raijin's car bolted off into the cool night air, leaving Seifer alone in the silence and the dim light cast from the street lamp. He frowned lightly as he entered the building, deep in thought.
Zell looked sadly into the vanity mirror in his dressing room. He slipped out of his whorish clothes, and ran his fingers lightly over his abdomen as he stared at his nude body in the reflection. His fingers lightly passed over the numerous scars he received due to the ravages of his profession. Being a stripdancer was hard, but being a prostitute was even harder.
Prostitute. The word entered his mind and he slumped over, forehead on the mirror, and sobbed fresh tears. It had become his way of life. Get up, scrounge something from his cockroach-infested kitchen, come to the strip joint, and then walk the streets. Then he went home, broken down and tired, and got up to do it all over again the next day. He was a tramp, a slut, nothing of value to anyone.
He looked up at himself in the mirror and wiped away his smeared mascara with a handkerchief. He slowly slipped into his pair of tight leather pants and a top that exposed his midrift. Giving one final glance to himself in the mirror, he slipped out of the dressing room and into the dark alleyway.
Seifer sat in the darkness of his apartment, staring out the window into the darkness of the sky. It was cold out there..he wondered if Zell had a warm place to go home to.
"Dammit!" Seifer yelled, hurling the glass of vodka that was in his hand towards the wall. It shattered with a clash, and then there was once again silence. He wasn't able to get the once-perky young man out of his head. And that hot little body he'd never noticed Zell had..
Standing up, Seifer decided to go out for a walk to get his mind off things.
Zell stepped out into the alleyway, immediately welcomed by the darkness. It was a partner of his trade… when a John was doing his business, Zell focused his mind on the darkness, and how it enveloped him, smothering him comfortingly…
He started walking down the alley, the clacking of his high-heels and the beating of his heart the only sounds. He had nearly made it to the street before he was attacked.
Out of nowhere, two men emerged from the darkness and grabbed Zell, pinning him to the wall. He let out a shriek, but it was cut short by a gloved hand covering his mouth. Through the dim light of the street lamp some distance away, he vaguely recognized the faces.
"You're part of Kinneas' gang!" He gasped once the thug lowered his hand. He struggled feebly against his captors, but they were far too strong for him.
"Well, well, Jiggs, it seems we've got a smart little one here." One of the men joked. The other laughed mockingly, and lifted up a knife to Zell's throat.
"We hear you've been holding out on our boss, little man." He spat menacingly, holding the knife just under Zell's chin. "You know how irritated he gets when he doesn't get his payment. After all, he watches out for you and does you some favors out here…and that's how you pay him thanks?"
Zell scowled, even though he was shaking with fear. "Tell that cheap pimp Irvine that he'll get his money soon enough!" He choked out.
The first man backed off slightly, and gave a smile that bared all of his rotted teeth. "Why don't you tell him yerself?" He said, and as soon as he had finished, another man emerged from the shadows.
With dark hair and green sunglasses on, Irvine slowly approached Zell, a silent air of rage about him. "You seem to be forgetting your place, whore." Irvine said through clenched teeth. "It's thanks to me and my 'financial assistance' that you even have a nice little apartment to go home to." He finished, smacking Zell hard across the cheek.
Zell coughed and fell forward, a spat of blood hurling onto the pavement.
Irvine smiled sadistically. "Kill him. The little bitch has proven he ain't a wise investment no more."
One of the men grabbed Zell by the hair, and pulled him up against the wall once more. He lifted his head up, exposing Zell's neck while the other man readied the knife.
"Hey, what the hell is going on here!"
Shocked, Irvine and the thugs looked at the alleyway's exit leading to the street. There stood Seifer.
"Let him go right now, you bastards!" Seifer commanded loudly.
The two thugs immediately obeyed, letting go of Zell, who slumped to the ground. Irvine slowly started backing away, until he and his thugs had busted out into a run.
"I'll find you, you bitch! And when I do I swear that they won't be able to tell your face from fuckin' ground meat!" Irvine shouted, and then he was off.
Zell lay sobbing, and Seifer ran over to him in concern.