(Standard disclaimers apply)

The Wake

2. Broken contract

The rare silence in Honky Tonk was shattered by the ringing phone. Wan Paul was in the process of picking it up when he was roughly shouldered aside and the handset wrested from his grasp.

"Ginji! Where the flying frag are you!" yelled an incensed Ban into the mouthpiece. "I've been waiting for your call for over an hour already and…you're not Ginji? Then why the flying frag did you call this number! Get off the line this instant!" Cups and saucers rattled noisily on the counter as the handset was slammed into its cradle. Not for the first time, Ban deeply regretted his previous loss of temper which had pulverized their only cell phone.

Paul winced, but was relieved to see that the phone was still in usable condition. Ban often had difficulty keeping his strength in check when he was agitated; and 'agitated' was too weak a word to describe his current state. Paul puffed out a hazy cloud of cigarette smoke as he sighed. "Look, contrary to popular belief, I do serve other customers in my café. The paying kind. I'd appreciate it if you'll let me handle the next call."

Ban tried to stare the café-owner down, but the contest was lost before it had even begun. It was nigh impossible for his heated gaze to penetrate those near-opaque shades. "I honestly don't give two tugs of a dead dog's..."

"Your vulgarities usually don't bother me," interrupted Paul before Ban could finish his sentence. "However, I would advise you to refrain from doing so in front of Natsumi."

Drawn into the conversation unawares, Natsumi nearly dropped the tumbler she was wiping with a tea towel. She glanced at Ban concernedly. "I'm sure Ginji will be alright, Ban. You of all people should know how capable he is, right?" Natsumi, with the worm of worry gnawing at her own guts, sounded like she was seeking reassurance instead of giving it.

Ban was about to chew a thumbnail in apprehension but decided against it, as it would only increase Natsumi's unease. "Normally, yes. But the dolt has only just recovered from that recent poisoning episode, and I didn't realize that there are still some lingering effects. Until today." Seeing the impact his words had on Natsumi, Ban hurriedly tried to inject some optimism into her. "It's nothing serious, really. He could move around fine. It's just that his channeling of electricity is a bit erratic. The few goons he had to take out today nearly went into cardiac arrest when all he intended to do was stun them. He still has his power, unlike the last time, so you don't have to worry about him."

Unconvinced, Natsumi still looked worried. "But… Ginji, knowing that he can't control his power, would choose not to use it, wouldn't he? Even to defend himself?"

It was Ban's turn to look worried. Yes, the idiot was definitely capable of placing someone else's survival before his own- a behaviour that went against the grain of everything Ban had been taught since childhood. It was a wonder how Ginji managed to survive all those years in the demons' nest that was Mugenjou. Oh yes, Raitei and the Four Kings. Fools are protected by more capable fools. "Ginji might not use it for himself, but he's not alone this time." Ban's mouth twisted in a grimace, as if he was touching on a topic that he would normally avoid like the plague. "Perhaps that pain-in-the-ass brat isn't totally useless after all."

"Brat?" Natsumi waited for more information but none was forthcoming from the suddenly tight-lipped Ban. She looked questioningly at Paul.

Paul interpreted her look. "He's a stray Ginji picked up two weeks ago. One that got along with Ban like oil and water."

"More like fire and trinitrotoluene," muttered Ban under his breath, unconsciously clenching his hands into fists.

"Ah," said Natsumi with a knowing smile. "But why haven't I seen him around here before?"

"He's an unusually shy or, should I say, distrustful kid," said Paul, stubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray. "He ventured into my café once in Ginji's company. After I offered him a free cup of coffee, he left it untouched and hadn't come back since."

Natsumi looked thoughtful for a moment; almost as if she was feeling for the kid she had never met. "What's his name?" she asked.

"Ginji calls him Ryu..."

"Yeesh!" Ban hissed through gritted teeth. "Quit talking about that brat already! You're disturbing the customers!"

"Customers?" echoed Natsumi. There was no one else in the café aside from the three of them.

"Me," said Ban, stressing the word to make it sound important. "What's more, I'm a regular."

Sensing that Ban was in one of his foulest moods and not wanting to aggravate him further, both employer and employee decided to drop the subject. It was not wise to annoy Ban without Ginji in close proximity for him to vent his frustration on. Not that Ban would actually hurt any of them, but the same could not be guaranteed for all things breakable within an arm's radius of him. Unfortunately, even the walls were under the 'breakable' category.

Choosing a seemingly innocuous topic, Paul asked, "Just out of curiosity, what did you mean by the term 'flying frag'?"

Ban's expression could almost be described as embarrassed, if he didn't also look as if he was ready to bite off a chunk of wood. "It has no meaning. I made that one up myself."

Paul arched an eyebrow. "And you couldn't come up with something better than 'flying frag'?"

"Get off my back, will ya?" grumbled Ban ill-humouredly. "I wasn't thinking straight just now, thanks to that…"

At that moment, the phone rang again. Paul warded Ban off with a warning hand and reached for the handset. "Hello, Honky Tonk café. This is Paul speaking." A flicker of amusement crossed Paul's face before he handed the phone to Ban who was waiting impatiently across the counter. "I believe it's for you." Ban snatched the phone and drew full breath into his lungs to bellow at the person at the other end of the line. Before Ban could unleash his wrath, a non-Ginji voice came through the receiver. "Porcupine-head!"

It took all of Ban's self-control not to throttle the phone he was holding; while imagining his hands to be wrapped around one particular scrawny neck.

XXXXXX

Ryuji derived immense satisfaction from hanging up on the loud, uncouth Get Backer in the middle of his ranting. He breathed more easily as he did so. Merely talking to that barbarian could be such an exhausting task. To give Porcupine-head his due, the bastard was at least sensible enough to listen to what he had to say before attempting to deafen his ears with all that shouting.

Ryuji's expression turned grim as he left the phone booth. The earlier events of the day replayed in his mind like a reprimand. Once again, he had landed Ginji in danger and was proven to be useless when it came to providing aid during combat. What was even more unforgivable was that Ginji was injured again because of him. Ryuji wanted to thump the wall of the building he was limping past. The only thing that curbed his violent impulse was the thought of upsetting Ginji further. He had no doubts that Ginji would fuss and fret over him if he turned up with a lacerated hand; and forget about his own bullet wounds (only minor grazes, thank god) and near-disembowelment.

If only he had kept his mouth shut and allowed the transaction to proceed smoothly. So what if their client was committing a crime? So what if the Get Backers had unwittingly helped an unscrupulous man carry out his schemes? The client was willing enough to fork out the money for the so-called 'retrieval', so why shouldn't Ginji just take the payment and leave?

Ryuji mentally berated himself for being such a fool. He had known that Ginji was in no condition to fight properly. The wise decision would have been to act dumb and confront their client another day, with Porcupine-head around as back up should things get nasty. The idiotic decision, which was the one he had forced upon Ginji, was to voice doubts about the legitimacy of the retrieval and get the client panicked enough to demand their permanent silence. To make matters worse, the client had come with his very own sword-wielding assassin and team of gun-totting henchmen; especially hired to handle contingencies like nosy retrieval agents who suspected too much of the truth for comfort.

He would never have survived what followed if it wasn't for Ginji's astonishingly quick thinking and action. His blond friend might be slow in figuring out why they were being shot at, but there was nothing slow in the way he dodged the flying bullets, blinded their enemies temporarily with the flash of lightning, and secured their escape route by blasting open the sealed exit of the warehouse they were in. Unfortunately, their escape was not without its obstacles. Just when they thought they had shaken off their murderous pursuers, the assassin appeared out of seemingly nowhere and would have cleaved him in two if Ginji had been a second late in shoving him out of harm's way.

A short but fierce battle soon ensued between Ginji and the assassin. Ryuji knew better than to get involved in the clash between the two combatants; both of whom were clearly in a league of their own. It was all he could do to follow their movements with his eyes. It became painfully obvious to Ryuji that Ginji was holding back; choosing to be on the defensive when he could have easily ended the fight with a few well-timed electrical jolts. To Ryuji's dismay, Ginji began to show signs of fatigue, his movements slowing down and his body gradually incurring more damage from the slashing sword. Hunger and the massive discharge of electricity before were finally taking their toll on Ginji. Allowing the battle to drag on would only disadvantage Ginji further. As soon as Ryuji realized this, he took a gamble and hurled himself into the fight, fervently hoping that he had read the situation correctly. Ryuji had to squash his survival instincts as he placed himself in the position of imminent impalement, where rescue was possible only if Ginji hardened his heart enough to zap the assassin senseless first. Ginji did not even have the time to hesitate.

Ryuji lived. The assassin nearly did not.

'Nearly', because Ginji was unwilling to leave without trying to revive the assassin who had, just moments ago, tried his darnedest to chop him into bits. Ginji's altruism defied all common sense and logic sometimes. It was a miracle that someone like Ginji hadn't become extinct centuries ago. Sure enough, the moment the assassin woke up, he…

The ruminations stopped when Ryuji turned around the corner and saw Ginji huddled in the doorway of a closed shop. A closer inspection revealed that Ginji was fast asleep and Ryuji was reluctant to disrupt his much needed rest. He might as well settle comfortably next to Ginji and wait for Porcupine-head to show up with his puny Subaru-360. That had been the whole point of that unpleasant phone call Ryuji had forced himself to make; which was to get Ginji transported to a place of safety as he was clearly in no state to walk all the way back to Honky Tonk.

"Salmon…"

The soft, bubbling voice caused Ryuji to turn his head towards the sleeping youth beside him in fascination.

"…sashimi… tuna temaki… ebi tempura… idako…" Ginji droned on, drooling visibly from his half-open mouth.

Ryuji began to sidle away to avoid the saliva that was dribbling perilously close to his shoulder. He did so quietly, so as not to wake Ginji up. However, fleeing was no longer an option when his left hand was suddenly seized between Ginji's jaws. It took a few seconds for Ryuji to realize, to his well-justified horror, that Ginji was masticating his fingers, as if readying them for digestion.

While Ryuji was contemplating what to do, Ginji frowned and mumbled "Tentacles too chewy" before biting down even harder. Instinctively, Ryuji raised a fist to bat Ginji away (as he had seen Porcupine-head do several times) but managed to stop himself just before the punch connected. He absolutely refused to follow Porcupine-head's example in ill-treating Ginji, who deserved more respect than that.

So instead, Ryuji extended his free arm and nudged Ginji gently, albeit very insistently. Ginji's eyelids fluttered briefly before they drew back to reveal slightly glazed-over eyes. "Rrrheuf-chaum?" mumbled Ginji sleepily over a mouthful of fingers.

Ryuji recognized Ginji's garbled words to be his name. "Yes, it's me. Ryu-chan." He refrained from screaming 'Argh! My hand is becoming numb! Get away! Get away!' and waited expectantly to be released.

Full wakefulness came upon Ginji and he hurriedly spat out Ryuji's tooth-marked hand. "Gack! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to… um… I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"

Ryuji tried not to think about the amount of bacteria that was currently colonizing Ginji's teeth. He had been in enough fights to know the high risk of infection associated with teeth wounds on knuckles and other finger joints. He put on a brave front for Ginji's benefit. "Nope. Hardly felt a thing."

Ginji surveyed their surroundings. "This place…?"

"You don't remember?" said Ryuji. "We fled to this spot shortly after our encounter with the assassin. It's a suburb near the north-eastern boundary of the Shinjuku district, if I'm not mistaken."

Ginji blinked owlishly at him. "Assassin…?"

"The one whom you wouldn't leave well enough alone." Exasperation was creeping into Ryuji's voice. "The one who nearly sliced your belly open in exchange for saving his life, remember?"

"Oh, him," said Ginji nonchalantly. Ryuji had seen Ginji showing more emotion over a platter of sushi that had gone mouldy. "Was he alright when we left him? I can't seem to recall what happened after that very well."

"He's fine," answered Ryuji quickly. "Alive, at any rate. You sort of, uh, sparked when he startled you; so he was rendered unconscious again." And I've added two hard knocks to his head to make sure he stayed that way. Ryuji was not a vindictive person by nature. He would never have sunk so low as to hit a helpless opponent if he had not been so provoked. Somehow, after merely two weeks of acquaintance, 'being provoked' involved Ginji being harmed in any way.

"If you say so," said Ginji uncertainly. "How about you? Were you...?"

"Injured?" Ryuji waved a hand dismissively. "Hell, no. My reflexes aren't that slow."

"I'm relieved to hear that. I would never forgive myself if you were..." Ginji cleared his throat. "I was the one who persuaded Ban-chan to let you join us on our retrieval missions after all."

Ryuji frowned in annoyance. "You don't have to feel responsible for me. I'm the one who insisted on tagging along with you guys."

"Even so, you wouldn't have been in such danger if it wasn't for me." Ginji's expression grew weary, almost sad. "I've made a mess of things again, haven't I? I can't seem to do anything right nowadays. Not the retrieval of that antique vase this evening. Not even the simple task of collecting payment after that. No wonder Ban-chan sent me away and handled those security guards on his own. He knew I'd only get in the way…"

Ryuji could not stand listening to Ginji's self-reproach any longer. "Stop that!"

His vehemence surprised Ginji. Mistaking the reason for it, Ginji asked, "Are you still mad at me for chewing your hand just now?"

"It has nothing to do with my...!" Ryuji tried to quell the unexplainable anger he was feeling. It was irrational of him to be angry with Ginji. If anyone deserved his anger, it was himself. "I… I just don't want to hear any more criticism about you. Not even from you."

Ginji's face was the very picture of incomprehension. "You're mad at me because…?"

"Because you're being silly! It's not your fault that the deal today went to hell, okay? It's mine! Stop trying to take the blame for my mistakes! It only makes me feel worse." Ryuji lowered his head. "Much worse."

There was a delicate pause before Ginji responded, "It isn't your fault either, Ryu-chan."

"It is," insisted Ryuji stubbornly. "So stop trying to convince me otherwise."

A companionable pat on his shoulder caused Ryuji to look up and confront Ginji's soulful eyes. "I'll stop then, if it makes you feel better."

Ryuji found his anger dissipating in spite of himself. How does he do it? Ryuji felt like a child when he was around Ginji; which was odd, considering that Ginji was the one who behaved almost child-like most of the time. Or perhaps it was precisely because of that.

"You really shouldn't feel too bad over this, you know," said Ginji. "This isn't the first time a client has turned on us. We're quite used to this sort of thing already. The way I see it, killing us has the double advantages of not having to pay our service fee and not having to worry that we'll leak out information regarding the retrieval. Sometimes, the temptation is too great. Elimination is an occupational hazard for retrieval specialists like us."

Ryuji resented it every time Ginji used the pronoun 'we' in his conversations, as it always included Porcupine-head instead. "How can you say that so calmly?" demanded Ryuji gruffly. "If I were you, I'd have quit this horrid job a long time ago. The job isn't even rewarding enough to cover the cost of your basic necessities."

Ginji smiled, as if recalling some pleasant memory. "Rewards can come in many forms. It's not about the money. It has never been about the money."

"Ha!" Ryuji's tone was thick with skepticism. "As if! Your partner certainly doesn't share your view in that. I've never met anyone as shamelessly money-grubbing as him in my life. He'd sell his soul to the devil for a quick buck. Come to think it, who's to say he… hadn't… already…" Ryuji's voice faded into silence when he saw Ginji's expression. It was not exactly a cold look. No, expecting cold looks from Ginji was like expecting the sun to churn out icebergs. However, what Ryuji saw on Ginji's face then was distinctly… cooler.

"If you don't know him, don't judge him," said Ginji defensively. "Ban-chan cares more than he shows; and because of that, he's easily misunderstood."

Ryuji's cheeks burned at the rebuke. "Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why would you wish to work with some-" Ryuji swallowed a string of profanities he had in mind. "-one like him?"

Ginji leaned against the glass doors at the shop entrance. He looked tired; drained of his usual vitality. "To become stronger."

"Stronger?" Ryuji was incredulous. "I thought you've never been defeated as the Thunder Emperor…"

"It's not only physical strength I'm referring to; though, in that aspect, Ban-chan's is certainly greater than mine." There was no trace of bitterness in Ginji's voice as he made this startling statement. "More importantly, I wanted to become strong enough to break free from a life of constant bloody conflict and mindless violence. From a path where the lives of others were both saved and destroyed because of me. It was a burden I couldn't bear any longer."

Ryuji could sense that Ginji was reluctant to discuss the subject further. A few seconds of reflective silence passed before Ryuji spoke again. "I still don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"It makes no sense for you to choose to stay beside Porcu- I mean, Mido Ban- if your wish is to become stronger. Doesn't it make you weaker if you hang about someone who is stronger than you? You'll come to rely on his strength instead of building up your own." That was the main reason why Ryuji had chosen to remain solo as he eked out his existence on the streets. He had turned down opportunities to affiliate with various street gangs, even though doing so would undoubtedly make his life much easier. It was most ironic that the moment he intended to join a particular gang, its members had made it so difficult for him.

"I've never thought of it that way before," admitted Ginji. "But…"

"But?"

"Ban-chan said that there are limits to what a single person can achieve. Two people working together make a more formidable force than one person working alone."

Ryuji snorted. "You believe everything he tells you, don't you?"

Ginji regarded him with serious eyes. "I have no reason to doubt him."

"If you trust another person so blindly, you'll come to regret it one day. It's only a matter of time before that trust is betrayed."

"Even if such a thing come to pass, I will continue to believe in him," declared Ginji. His tone softened. "But we're no longer talking about me, are we?"

Ryuji's head swiveled towards Ginji abruptly. It was disconcerting how that deceptively simple mind could make such accurate observations based on what had not been said.

The sound of a car pulling up by the curb curtailed their conversation. The appearance of Porcupine-head was usually the cause of much dread, but this time, Ryuji was grateful for the distraction it provided. All that heart-to-heart talk was fine as long as the subject matter did not include himself. As much as he trusted Ginji, he still considered his past as a territory to be well guarded against trespassers.

Joy suffused Ginji's features the moment he recognized the person behind the steering wheel. "Ban-chan!" called out Ginji as he bounced enthusiastically towards Porcupine-head who was just getting out of his car.

Ignoring the twinge of envy brought on by the scene, Ryuji curiously noted that Ginji had whipped out two folding fans from his pockets. He never found out what Ginji intended to do with those fans, for Porcupine-head's immediate reaction to Ginji's welcome was a downward kick that flattened Ginji's face against the cement pavement. Ryuji watched on with mounting shock and fury as Porcupine-head proceeded to grind his heel on the back of Ginji's head in small circular movements.

Porcupine-head mimicked Ginji's chirpy voice. "'I've fully recovered Ban-chan. Don't worry about me, Ban-chan. I'm ready to take on one of Hevn-san's assignments, Ban-chan.'" Veins stood out in his neck like bicycle brake cables. "When did you learn to lie so convincingly?"

Ginji could only reply with unintelligible muffled squeaks.

"Get your filthy foot off him," said Ryuji hoarsely, his voice tight with anger.

Porcupine-head's cobalt blue eyes glinted ominously. "What did you just say, twerp?" The question was uttered like a death sentence.

"I said… Get your filthy foot off!" snarled Ryuji, refusing to be intimidated. "Before I cut... id... obb...!" Ryuji's subsequent words became as unintelligible as Ginji's when he suddenly found himself sharing Ginji's fate. It felt as if a tonne of bricks had suddenly landed on his head.

"Don't think I've forgotten about our last phone conversation, brat. Hang up on me, will ya?" Porcupine-head punctuated each sentence with a forceful twist of his heel. "It's high time you learn how to respect your betters."

Ryuji had to forgo a retort in order to focus on breathing. He soon discovered that he couldn't breathe.

Ginji must have detected that he was suffocating, for he sounded alarmed when he cried out, "Ban-chan! Ryu-chan was just trying to..."

The pressure pinning Ryuji's head to the ground eased when Porcupine-head whirled on his partner instead. "Speaking of phone calls, why the hell did you send this brat to make that call! Didn't I specifically tell you to call me right after your meeting with the client? What's with the delay? And why..."

"Phone call?" said Ginji. Under Porcupine-head's baleful glare, Ginji's look of innocent blankness transformed into one of nervous abashment. "Oh, I just remembered… I was supposed to call you, wasn't I?"

While Porcupine-head was busy driving his knuckles into Ginji's temples, Ryuji took the opportunity to spit out dirt and wipe his face on a sleeve. Tantalizing images of Porcupine-head being diced and roasted over a small fire swam in his mind as he did so. Oh yes, that scummy punk with the freak hairdo had better watch out one of these days, especially whilst walking alone in dark alleys when he is eighty years old with a bad back, wasted muscles and arthritic knees.

However, Ryuji's fantasies of revenge felt hollow. Deep down, he knew that he would never do anything to hurt Ginji if he could help it. Ryuji may possess many qualities he was not proud of, but ingratitude was not one of them. He owed Ginji another one. He was not sure whether Ginji had truly forgotten about Porcupine-head's instructions or that his friend was cleverly diverting Porcupine-head's attention in order to buy him this brief period of reprieve. With Ginji, he could never be sure. Ginji's exaggerated silliness made him think 'No one can be that obtuse and immature'. That, and the fact that Ginji used to be the leader of the Volts- the renowned gang which had attempted to create order in the chaotic battlegrounds of Mugenjou. Ryuji had heard enough rumours of Mugenjou to know that merely staying alive in that place was no mean feat.

"…And this," added Porcupine-head, effecting another yelp of pain from Ginji. "…is for making others worried sick about you, baka!" He paused. "Have I missed out anything so far?"

Ginji, in what appeared to be an attempt in suicide, replied truthfully, "I… I also failed to get the payment for our retrieval today, Ban-chan. I'm sorry."

Ryuji nearly covered his eyes in fear of what was soon to become of Ginji. Words like 'unrecognizable bloody pulp' came to mind. To his surprise, Porcupine-head ceased his torment of Ginji and, instead, began to look at Ginji carefully for the first time since his arrival.

"Our client Mr. Wazuki is another one of those bad-debtor types, eh? So what's the reason this time?" As Ginji opened his mouth to answer, Porcupine-head interrupted. "No, forget it. That's not so important. What's important is how you got this wide slit in your shirt…" Porcupine-head flipped up the aforementioned shirt. "… and this ugly gash right below your rib cage. It looks like a sword slash to me. Don't tell me it's..."

Ginji shook his head vigorously. "Uh-Uh. It wasn't Dr. Jackal."

Porcupine-head's eyes narrowed. "Miroku?"

"Not him… er… them either," said Ginji. "It was someone I've never met before. Someone with very sad eyes. I couldn't detect any malice in his attacks; only a cold air of professionalism."

Porcupine-head slapped a hand against his forehead and groaned. "Argh, say no more. Let me guess... you let yourself get cut up because you felt, of all friggin' things, compassion for your would-be killer?"

"Uh…"

This response earned Ginji a thwack on the head. "That's why you always get beaten up so easily, you idiot! Just because you heal fast doesn't mean you can afford to put yourself through the grinder in every fight for your opponent's sake!"

"But it's only a flesh wound. It'll be gone the moment I recharge..."

There was another loud thwack. Ryuji winced in sympathy.

"You still bleed and you still feel pain," snapped Porcupine-head. "So stop talking as if you're a piece of machinery!"

"Yes, Ban-chan." Ginji smiled disarmingly and bear-hugged his partner. "And thank you for being worried sick about me."

Porcupine-head tried to maintain his irritated scowl but failed miserably. His expression became almost tender as he ruffled the ex-Thunder Emperor's golden spikes. No wonder he had pre-empted Ginji's rush towards him earlier with sudden physical violence. Porcupine-head must have known that all his accumulated anger would not stand a chance of surviving once the bear hug is in place. "It's not me, you flaming fool. Natsumi is the one who has gone so far as to work overtime just to await your safe return. There's food waiting for you on the counter back at Honky Tonk."

Watching from a distance, Ryuji got the strong feeling that he would never be able to share in what the two retrieval specialists had between them. A past, which he would never be privy to, and a future, which he doubted he would ever be a part of. As for the present… No. To impose himself like a parasite on that bond would be despicable. Not to mention pitiful.

Engrossed in his brooding, Ryuji did not even notice that Porcupine-head and Ginji had both settled in the front seats of the Subaru already. The screech of tyres on the road jerked Ryuji out of his moody thoughts. Porcupine-head's intention to leave him behind was obvious; and Ginji's firm grip on the hand brakes was the sole reason they had not sped off yet.

"Ryu-chan! What are you standing there for? Get in the car! Natsumi has prepared sandwiches for us! Sandwiches!"

You'd think that a sandwich was some kind of a rare and exotic delicacy; the way Ginji went on about it. Ryuji took a step backwards. "You go ahead without me. I'm fine here by myself."

He might as well have saved his breath, for Ginji got out and bundled him into the car despite his explicit protests. Ryuji had to bite back a howl as his right calf was knocked against the backseat during the tumble. When they were well on their way to Honky Tonk, Ryuji grouched, "Geez, you can't take 'no' for an answer, can you?"

"That's because the rest of your body is saying 'yes'," said Ginji sagely.

"The rest of my body?" Ryuji was mortified when his treacherous stomach chose that moment to rumble like thunder. Blushing to roots of his hair, Ryuji pretended that nothing had happened. "Now just what do you mean by that?"

Ginji was kind enough not to embarrass him any further, merely stating, "You'll love Natsumi's chicken and cucumber sandwiches."

XXXXXX

Alerted by the bell chime, Natsumi turned towards the door and was relieved by the sight that greeted her. The sight of that sunny grin instantly melted away all the fears she had been harbouring the whole night.

"Natsumi-chan!" Ginji made a beeline for her. He gazed at her happily flushed face for a full two seconds before his gaze was drawn to the sandwiches that were laid out on the counter between them.

Oh well, two seconds ain't too bad. I'll take what I can get. Pouring coffee into the mug beside Ginji's plate, Natsumi said, "Master left a while ago, so it'll just be me for the night. I've whipped these up from whatever I could find in the pantry- cold meats and stuff. I hope you find the taste satisfactory."

Ginji was actually leaking tears as he munched away at one of the sandwiches. He ate the sandwich slowly, savouring every breadcrumb and sliver of meat. "Ah, heavenly. Absolutely heavenly."

Ban appeared beside Ginji and watched his colleague in disgust. "I really wish you'll stop behaving like we're so pathetic and poor. You're giving the Get… Backers... a… bad… name." Ban had to pause between words to gobble down mouthfuls of chewed sandwiches. His hand was a blur as he popped one sandwich after another into his mouth, its speed limited only by how fast he could swallow.

"Ban-chan! Leave some for the rest of us!" pleaded Ginji. He too began to eat more quickly, spurred on by the sight of rapidly disappearing food.

Natsumi chuckled and went to refill the coffee jug.

"How much are you charging for the sandwiches?"

The unfamiliar voice fluctuated between tenor and baritone. Natsumi looked around for the voice's owner and discovered a pair of jet-black eyes staring at her over the top of the counter. The eyes were partially obscured by a mop of equally black hair that nearly reached the shoulders of a boy with a slight frame.

Natsumi smiled at the boy. "Hi there. I'm Mizuki Natsumi. You must be Ryu."

"The name's Ryuji, lady. And I didn't ask for your name. I just want to know how much these sandwiches cost."

Natsumi's smile became slightly fixed. "These sandwiches are..." She was about to say 'on me' but changed her mind after considering what Paul had told her. "...going to cost you. You can't pay for them with mere cash though."

The wariness in the boy's eyes, which momentarily faded when she talked of payment, came back in full-force at the mention of non-cash payment. "How do you wish to be paid?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm going off early after my afternoon shift tomorrow. Consider all your debts paid if you help me wash up at that time."

The boy eyed the few remaining sandwiches on the plate longingly. "What time?"

"Around four o'clock in the evening." Natsumi nearly giggled at the boy's formal tone, which contrasted sharply with his age.

"Deal," said Ryuji, reaching out for his first sandwich and encountering a plate that had been licked clean of crumbs. Ban belched contentedly and picked at his teeth, pointedly ignoring the glare-of-a-thousand-daggers he was receiving from Ryuji.

Ginji hastily offered him a small piece of sandwich he had managed to keep out of Ban's reach. "Here, Ryu-chan. I've left this aside for you..."

From the proud, indignant set of Ryuji's jaw, Natsumi could tell that Ginji's act of kindness was the worst thing that he could do at the moment. "Do keep that sandwich for yourself, Gin-chan. I'll go and make Ryuji's share since he and I have an agreement." Natsumi winked at the sullen boy at Ginji's side.

When the sandwiches were ready, Ryuji stuffed them into his ill-fitting jacket and resolved to leave café, claiming that he preferred to eat his meals alone. Even Ginji was unable to persuade him to stay; so Natsumi was not even going to try.

"Good riddance!" called Ban after him as he was leaving.

Ryuji stopped halfway through the door, his whole body turned rigid. For a tension-filled second, it looked as if he was about to turn back and begin a brawl with Ban. Then his shoulders sagged and he closed the door quietly behind him.

Ginji looked reproachfully at Ban. "Ryuji doesn't deserve so much contempt from you, Ban-chan. He's just a kid."

Ban grunted. "Give me one good reason why I should be nice to that brat, and I'll give you ten why I shouldn't."

"He's the one who found out the truth about Mr. Wazuki, you know. We would've been kept totally in the dark about the retrieval if it wasn't for Ryuji."

Ban gave Ginji a sidelong glance. "Oh? What did the brat find out?"

"That Mr. Wazuki had hired us to steal that vase..."

"It doesn't take two halves of a brain to figure that out once the client starts trying to kill us," interjected Ban irritably. "Tell me something I don't know."

"... from himself," finished Ginji.

"Say what?" blurted Ban, looking genuinely baffled.

"Somehow, Ryuji suspected that the vase was already in Mr. Wazuki's possession when we did the retrieval; and that his aim was to make it obvious that the vase was stolen."

"And those security guards we had to deal with this afternoon could serve as perfect witnesses to the theft," said Ban, in continuation of Ginji's train of thought. "That could explain why the alarm went off even though we were careful not to trigger any of the sensors. He was expecting us."

"Why would someone hire people to steal things from themselves?" asked Natsumi, puzzled.

"I can think of only one logical reason for that." Ban drew a rumpled cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it. "Insurance scam."

"But the whole set-up must have cost him millions!" exclaimed Ginji. "Our fee alone, if we… uh… did get it, that is, would have cost him a million yen already."

"The insurance cover for the vase is likely to be much more than that. Also, that beauty could easily fetch a few hundred mil in the black market. I have to admit it's an effective way to double his investment in a short time."

"So that's it?" Ginji sounded angry. "All that deception, those guards getting hurt, Ryu-chan nearly getting killed… It was all just for money?"

"You'll be surprised what humans are willing to do 'just for money'," said Ban. "When you think about it, how are we any different?"

"It's not the same!" denied Ginji hotly. "We… this job… we're not doing it only for the money, are we, Ban-chan?" There was a note of desperation in Ginji's voice.

Ban looked steadily into Ginji's eyes. "I don't make a habit of lying to myself. Why else would I be in this retrieval business if not for purely monetary reasons?"

Ginji grinned, apparently pleased with the answer he found in Ban's eyes. "You lie to yourself all the time, Ban-chan, by believing the worst in yourself. If money is the only thing you care about, you wouldn't have accepted that ten-yen assignment a few months ago; nor would you have jeopardized a ten million-yen reward to save me during that 'Marine Red' retrieval. You act all cold and selfish but underneath you're all cotton... Ow!"

It was another case of Ban attempting to cover his embarrassment by lashing out at Ginji. This time it was elbow against lower jaw. Natsumi felt sorry for Ginji, even though she understood that this was their unique way of fortifying the ties of friendship between them.

"Go ahead and believe whatever you like," growled Ban like a harassed cat. He patted the front pocket of his shirt. "I'm out of smokes. I'm going out to buy some more."

Still massaging his jaw, Ginji made as if to follow him. "I'll come with you."

"Idiot!" With one hand, Ban forced Ginji back onto the barstool and twisted his head such that Ginji was face-to-face with her. "How can you let Natsumi return home on her own so late at night? You're the one who made her wait this long; you're responsible for escorting her home!"

"That really isn't necessary," said Natsumi hurriedly. If Ginji hadn't looked so worn-out, she would have more than welcomed his company. "The trains are still running at this hour and the path I take is usually well-lit by street lamps. I'll be fine."

"You never know who or what may be lurking in the shadows," said Ban. "Besides, it's time for Ginji to make himself useful after gorging on your free meals all the time. He owes you that much at least."

"But, Ban-chan, you're the one who ate most of the-- Hyrukk!" Ginji was cut off in mid-sentence by a sharp jab to his windpipe.

To spare Ginji further infliction of pain, Natsumi gave in to the secret desire of her heart and took up Ban's suggestion. "If it's not too much trouble, Gin-chan, I'd feel safer with you around as an escort."

"Really?" Ginji croaked. "I mean, it won't be any trouble at all. I would love to accompany you."

"It's decided then," said Ban, striding towards the door. "Now you two better be up to some hanky-panky while I'm not around, get it?"

"Ban-san!" cried Natsumi, aghast, as the door shut with a tinkle of bells. Her face became as hot as a furnace, prompting her to flee to the sink on the pretense of washing some dishes. She avoided Ginji's eyes, for fear of what he would be able to read from her face.

After a period of silence that seemed to drag on for an eternity, Ginji asked, "What does 'hanky-panky' mean?"

Relief battled with frustration for dominance in Natsumi's flustered nerves. "Um… er… it means 'handkerchief'. You know, hanky… handkerchief."

"I see," said Ginji seriously. After a while, he asked, "What did Ban-chan want us to do with handkerchiefs?"

Natsumi couldn't help it. She giggled. All of a sudden, her awkwardness around Ginji evaporated. "Don't think too hard about it. Why don't you bring those plates over so that I can wash them? Once I'm done here, we can leave. We've both had a long day today."

She would get back at Ban with salt and pepper-flavoured coffee one day; but for now, she was trying to remember every moment of this experience… to be converted to cherished memories later on.

XXXXXX

After exiting Honky Tonk, Ban made his way to the Ladybug situated in the no-parking zone nearby. On principle, Ban paid no heed to traffic regulations that would either inconvenience him or cost him money. He firmly believed that the occasional parking fine would cost less in the long run, as opposed to paying every parking ticket conscientiously like a law-abiding citizen. That he had to pay an average of five hefty fines a month was beside the point. It just meant that he had yet to master the skill of dodging the hawk-eyed traffic wardens in the city who seemed to have a personal vendetta against him.

He halted in his tracks when he saw the brat sitting next to his car. Ban's eyes automatically swept over his most prized possession, inspecting it for scratches and other signs of petty vandalism.

His footsteps had alerted the brat to his presence, who then looked up and glowered at him. "Geez, what d'ya take me for, jerk?" said the brat crossly. "Do you think I'm dumb enough to stay around if I've marred your precious lil' car?"

Many people had lost their teeth over milder insults to Mido Ban. Especially insults to his Ladybug. Ban barely managed to keep a rein on his temper. "What are you doing here then, brat?"

Sweat glistened on the brat's forehead. "What I do is my business. Where I choose to do it is my business. The last time I checked, this place is public property."

The brat was hiding something. Ban took a closer look at his car and noticed that one of the doors was unlocked. Was it deliberately left unlocked just now? What was in the car that was worth stealing? There was nothing in there except… A niggling suspicion formed at the back of Ban's mind. He also detected a familiar scent in the air that was both metallic and organic. "Fine, I'll ask you about something else."

"Why should I answer your questions?" The brat said defiantly. "Porcupine-head."

Ban casually picked the brat up by his ankles and bounced his head on the ground a few times. The curses and expletives spewed out by the brat would have singed Ginji's ears off. "First question. How did you find out that our client and the person we took the vase from are one and the same?"

When this question was answered with a suggestion for him to do the anatomically impossible, Ban lowered his arms until he heard a satisfying smack on the road. "There's a distinction between bravery and foolhardiness, brat. Wise up and think about your answers carefully."

The brat favoured his right leg as he was dropped to the ground, which confirmed Ban's suspicions. "I have nothing to say to you! You… you…" Clenching his teeth tightly, the brat said no more.

Trying a different tack, Ban said, "It's your right leg, isn't it?"

The brat maintained his sulky silence, but Ban could see that the younger boy was surprised to be found out.

"Those black jeans of yours camouflaged the blood stains well, but the stench of blood is still there. It wasn't obvious initially because Ginji was injured as well." Ban bent down and tugged the brat's pant leg up. There was a blood-soaked bandage underneath.

"Keep your slimy hands to yourself!" shouted the brat, kicking and pulling away.

Ban's expression turned grim. "How…?"

"As if you care!" The brat's face looked ashen. All that movement must have aggravated the pain in his leg. "Aren't you glad that I'm shot? I bet you're disappointed that I'm even alive!"

"You do know that gunshot wounds tend to fester if you don't get the bullet out, don't you?"

"I've pried the bullet out already." The brat trembled. Ban could only guess what he had gone through to achieve that. "It missed the larger blood vessels, so I suppose it's unlikely that I'll bleed to death. Too bad for you, eh, Porcupine-head?"

Ban chose not to rise to the bait. "No. I want you to stay alive long enough to pay for those dressings and bandages you've just used."

The brat turned his head away and would not look at him.

"So what's the answer to my first question?" Ban asked.

The brat stopped being difficult for a change. "It's the same way you found out that I was injured. Smell. The master bedroom of that mansion we broke into stank of the same cologne the client was wearing. It was also kinda strange that I couldn't find any photographs or portraits of the mansion's owner anywhere."

The offhand manner in which the brat mentioned the master bedroom rang alarm bells in Ban's head. "What were you doing in the master bedroom?"

Ban's enquiry was met with silence.

"Heh… I guess bandages aren't the only things you steal," remarked Ban snidely.

"I'm not...!"

"A thief?" That shut the brat up effectively. "Look, there's no shame in doing what you have to do in order to stay alive, alright?" God alone knows what I had to do to ensure my own survival. For some cursed reason, it often involved crushing the life out of my closest friends. "I'm not expecting you to behave like a saint. Not with your background."

The brat's shoulders tensed visibly. "What do you know of my background?"

"It doesn't matter how you ended up on the streets, or who you were before it happened. For you to survive this long in this city alone and unaided, you have to learn things which would change you forever."

Ban walked over to the driver's side of the car. He had wasted enough time talking with the brat. There were things he had to do before Ginji returned.

"Where are you going?" The brat sounded subdued.

"Ha, what are you? My parole officer?" Ban taunted.

Unperturbed, the brat replied. "I want to know, that's all."

Ban did not know how to handle the brat now that the overt hostility and resentment were gone. Perhaps that was why he let slip the truth. "I'm paying a visit to our client. He would learn that trampling on the Get Backers is not without its consequences."

"What?" The brat grimaced as he got up quickly. "You… But what purpose would that serve? Mr. Wazuki is the rightful owner of that antique vase, no matter how you look at it."

"Who said anything about taking the vase from him?" Ban started the engine. "Although that's not a bad idea, considering the fact that he hadn't paid us yet."

"When you said 'consequences', I thought…"

"Let's just say that I'm going to give him a dream to remember us by. And while I'm at it, I'll also get a confession out of him for the insurance compa… Hey! What're you doing in my car! Get the hell out!"

"If you kick me out now, I'll run straight to Honky Tonk and tell Ginji about your plans," threatened the brat.

That was the reason why Ban hated brats. "What makes you think Ginji doesn't know anything about this?"

"Revenge is a concept quite foreign to Ginji," The brat was quite confident of his assessment of Ginji's character. "He would stop you if he knew. I, on the other hand, won't."

Ban groaned. "You're a liability, brat. I don't have the time or the energy to baby-sit you when the action heats up."

"That's fine by me," said the brat, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Besides, two people working together make a more formidable force than one person working alone. Don't you agree?"

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Author's note: After months of work, this 'filler' chapter (Read: a chapter that doesn't progress the story much, can even be a stand-alone story, and doesn't commit the author to write further) is what I could come up with. The plot is a tad fragmented and all the action is either retrospective or prospective. I hope I haven't put people to sleep with this. Many thanks to Bahaghari for proofreading this chapter for me. Any comments and constructive criticism will be much appreciated :)