Oh, hello!
This, like A Good Fight, is something that has been a long time coming. Or, rather, I guess a set up to things that have been a long time coming. It's total slice-of-life nonsense I suppose, but important nonsense that will pave the way for things to come (at a snail's pace since I like to jump back in time a lot lately). However, this is present day, we'll say just a tad before Thanksgiving.
Anyway, onward!
Mary Ryan whistled a happy tune as she approached an apartment near the middle of a short hallway, her motorcycle helmet and a bag of Chinese takeout in tow. The sound of heavy metal music grew louder and louder as she approached, leaving her to wonder if her future sister-in-law had received any noise complaints lately. With a slight grimace, she continued forward until she reached the dwelling. It took two rings of the doorbell and four (or was it five?) very loud knocks before the music was finally turned off, and the door was pulled open by the one and only "Alluring Ninja," Mai Shiranui.
"Hey, girl!"
"Laaaaaaaaady~"
Mary grinned as she looked Mai over, amused by the frump on display in front of her. The famously "bouncy" kunoichi was an international sex symbol, her beauty and grace second to none… until the spotlight wasn't on her, anyway. Of course, she was still beautiful, but she clearly enjoyed the days when she didn't have to doll herself up for anyone. At present, she was dressed in an old, off-the-shoulder Pantera t-shirt with worn fabric that was nearly see-through in some spots, and cheap sweatpants. Her hair was done up in a messy bun, with uncombed tendrils hanging everywhere, her nail polish was chipped, and she wasn't wearing any makeup, save for some lip gloss. It was a sight the detective honestly loved seeing because it proved that the impossibly gorgeous woman was, above all else, an actual human being.
"Are you really doing a video without any makeup?" Mary inquired while strolling into the apartment. She placed the food and her helmet down on the dining table before turning back to her hostess, who was locking the door.
"No way! I'll put some on before we start. Gotta look my best for my adoring subscribers!"
"Okay, well, let's eat first before this gets cold."
Mary started pulling the food cartons from the bag and then asked, "Where's Andy?"
"Oh, he went to Trader Joe's. Something about looking for their seasonal pumpkin butter."
"Sounds gross, but okay."
Mai chuckled as she moved to help Mary with the food.
"It's really not bad! You should try it sometime!"
"I think I'll stick to the egg rolls, thank you."
"One of these days I'm gonna make you try it — on camera."
"Don't even attempt to do me like that, sis," Mary said with a chuckle. "Oh, yeah, speaking of on-camera tomfoolery, how'd Forgotten Gialli go?"
"Oh, we didn't watch it. I decided to change it to The Thing."
"Andy had never seen that?"
"Nope. Had never seen either version, so I showed him the eighty-two remake. He hid behind that pillow —" Mai pointed to a throw pillow that had fallen on the living room floor — "for about half of the movie."
Mary laughed at the visual of a wide-eyed Andy Bogard, an actual, legit, badass ninja, stuffed into the far corner of the couch clutching the aforementioned pillow.
"He needs a thicker skin," she commented.
"Oh, don't say that. Andy is just Andy."
"Yeah, and he needs a thicker skin. I mean… a little body horror never hurt anyone. Where are we eating? Here?"
"Nah, let's do it in the office," Mai answered while picking up chopsticks, a carton of shrimp lo mein, and two bottles of flavoured coconut water that were sitting on the table.
"Alright," Mary responded. She grabbed an eggroll and the entirety of the beef and broccoli before following the other woman into a small room to the left of the open living and dining area. The two sat at the desk in the far corner and started eating their respective meals while making small talk. Soon, all of the food was finished, the trash was put away, and Mai had retreated to the bathroom to apply her makeup, leaving Mary alone in the small office. The cop scrolled through social media on her phone but became bored by the lack of anything remotely interesting going on. She pondered what to do to pass the time while Mai got camera-ready and decided rather quickly that maybe inviting someone else to the "party" would be a good idea. Besides, Mai wouldn't mind, and the more, the merrier anyway. With that in mind, Mary opened iMessage, typed, "Toc toc, bb," and waited. It didn't take long before a soft "Ding!" issued from her phone.
"Yes?"
"I'm at Mai's. Come over. We have, like, one eggroll."
"I'd love to but I'm at work."
"Boo. You whore."
"Love you too."
It was then that Mai, now fully made-up and in a simple crew neck tank top, re-entered the office with a huge grin on her face.
"Are you and Terry sexting?"
"Pfft, no. It was just Céc," Mary answered. "Tried to invite her over but she's working."
"She wouldn't have accepted anyway," Mai responded. "She's never gonna come back on."
"Give her some time. A few more weeks and some peer pressure and she'll be guest-starring before you know it!"
"Hmm. Maybe…"
There was a brief lull as Mai sat back down and started reaching for and adjusting various items. First, she took her headphones and placed them around her neck, then she turned on her microphone and fiddled with the volume on her speakers, her expression thoughtful the entire time.
"Why are you looking like that?" Mary inquired while quirking a brow.
"Oh, I was thinking…"
"You think?"
"Hush now," Mai said with a tiny smile. "But, no. I was just thinking about how much Kingy has had to put up with. It was nice to see her at the party being happy for a change."
"You mean she hasn't been when you guys spar?"
"No, she has. But it's… I dunno. A different kind of happiness."
"I think I get what you're saying. When she fights she's in this totally different zone, all hyper-focused and just —" Mary made the most intense face she could along with an abrupt hand gesture — "into it."
"Yeah," Mai laughed. "Exactly! So it was nice for her to just be with us and not have to worry about anything! I just wish she'd see someone. Like, even just one date. One. So we know she's not dead."
At that, Mary let out a very loud, involuntary laugh as she suddenly recalled the Halloween party everyone had gone to not all that long ago and how she had — very quickly — figured out that King had been up to a little something with none other than the then separated Vanessa.
"Why are you laughing like that?!" Mai practically yelled, startled by Mary's giggles.
"Oh, don't worry," the detective remarked. "She's definitely not dead!"
"I KNEW IT! I knew she did something at Robert's! And you know who it was! Don't you!?"
"I never said anything, nor do I know what you're even talking about."
"Mary!"
"Nope."
Mai made a frustrated noise, though she didn't look at all upset.
"I'll get it out of her. I'll use my Shiranui-Ryuu Mind Tricks to do it! Just gotta get Yuri to load her up on a pot cookie or something, first — that way it'll be easier!"
"Good luck with that," Mary chuckled.
"Wait a second —" Mai instantly stopped what she was doing and squinted at Mary — "was Vanessa at the party...?!"
"I don't know. I can't read."
The kunoichi jumped out of her seat with a huge grin. She placed her palms flat on the desk and leaned toward the detective.
"Vanessa was there, wasn't she?! Now it all makes sense! Kingy's not the type to shack up with just anyone, and she's been over Ryo for I dunno how long now and — oh, why didn't this occur to me sooner?! And why didn't you say anything?!"
"I'm still not saying anything," Mary replied while crossing her arms over her chest and turning away.
"You know what?" Mai abruptly asked.
"What?"
"I'll just call her and ask! Point blank!"
"Don't you dare," Mary yelled while Mai reached for her phone.
"But —!"
"Ma'am, I will put you in a triangle choke!"
"Aaahhh, fine," Mai replied. She sat back down and became thoughtful as she continued to prepare for her video once more. Her facial expressions began changing randomly, going from mildly perturbed to worried to content.
"What…?" Mary prodded carefully.
"Oh, it's just… I'm really happy that she's getting in touch with that part of herself," the kunoichi started. "Sex-positivity is important, you know?"
"Oh, I know."
"She's not like us. She's always been a little more shy about that stuff, and…"
Mary held her breath as Mai trailed off. She had a feeling that the conversation was going to veer into more solemn territory — at least for a moment, anyway.
"I really… for a while there, I was really scared for her."
"Scared in what way? Scared that she would become a celibate cat lady?"
"Not exactly, because she already kinda was one. But I just didn't know if she would ever be able to be with someone in that way again after…"
Mai drew in a deep breath and swallowed hard.
"Yeah," Mary mumbled. She looked down at the floor as a plethora of different things rushed through her mind. "That evil son of a bitch got off way too easy," she growled after a brief lull.
"How long is he —"
"The minimum here is eight —"
"That's it?!"
"— but his prior run-ins with the law, affiliation with Big, and… the… circumstances behind how what happened happened — you know, since it wasn't just one crime? I was able to help get it pushed up to fifteen with no chance of parole."
"God!" Mai exclaimed angrily. "The thought of him being allowed to see the light of day again, after everything he did…!"
"Why do you think I shot him so many times?"
A heavy silence filled the room as Mary remembered the almost sick satisfaction she got from seeing that monster writhing around — once, in the motel room when the event first took place, and then again on the ground in the prison yard months later as blood soaked through the pants of his orange jumpsuit.
"I'm not a murderer, Mai," she started slowly, "but sometimes I think about it and about how it would be justified. The world wouldn't miss someone like him; it would be better off."
"No, I agree," the kunoichi spoke up. "Every now and then I think about how I should have lit him up when I had the chance. Just… a single flame. But I didn't, and it still bothers me."
"You didn't do it because you're a better person than I am."
"Aw, don't say that!"
"It's the truth, though. There have been so many times where I've let anger rule me — where I just snap and take things too far. Granted, I don't think what I did to him was taking it too far — I think it's actually kinda mild, to be honest, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. But… I dunno."
There was another brief silence before Mai asked, "Do you think you'll ever tell Terry more about why you did it?"
"No," Mary answered quickly. "Never. I love him more than life itself, and lying to him tears me apart, but I will be damned before I let anyone else find out about what happened to Céc, and if that means I have to keep Terry in the dark then so be it!"
"I feel the same way. I hate keeping things from Andy — I do — but I can't let him find out about any of it. I know he wouldn't say anything to anyone if he knew, but that's not his business regardless."
"Yep — Terry, too. Sometimes I do wish I could be more honest about it, but if he knew even a little bit? Goddddddd. We'd be done. I mean… you should have seen his face when I told him that I shot someone. That was all I said — that I shot someone who was dangerous — but the look he gave me was just… I don't wanna see him look at me like that ever again. If he knew even a fraction of the rest — of what I had done when the other guy got out… I don't think I could handle it."
"I think he'd understand, though… on some level, anyway. He knows how important Kingy is to you, and he's definitely not one to excuse something so heinous."
"Same could be said about Andy, you know. I think he'd forgive you for your lies. I mean… yeah, you hit the asshole, but you didn't have to appear before a judge or anything like that. What I did, though…? And not just to him, because then there was the whole mess with Sakazaki on top of it."
Mai grimaced.
"Yyyyeeeeaaaah," she said. "You know I love you girl, but that wasn't —"
"I know. Trust me, I know." Mary paused. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "How is that pig-headed bastard treating wifey when they spar, anyway?"
"I think… they're better," Mai answered. "Kingy had distanced herself from Ryo so much that I think that, even if he hadn't said what he said, there would still be some work to be done for them to get back to where they were before it all happened, you know? Not that they ever truly will, though…"
"Yeah," Mary responded. "That sort of shit sticks with you."
"Yeah... Our Kingy," Mai said wistfully. She then turned so she could look at Mary for what felt like a borderline uncomfortable amount of time, almost as if she was trying to piece together some intricate puzzle. The cop knew the look all too well, which was why she hung her head.
"I know what you're thinking," she started with a sigh. "And, no. I haven't. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been tempted at times, but I manage to keep myself in check. I think that… habit… is for sure a thing of the past."
"Okay. I just worry about you — that's all."
"And I totally appreciate it. I dunno what I'd do without you guys to look out for me."
Wordlessly, Mai reached out and squeezed Mary's hand.
"You know, I never told her this, but, I went to see Terry that night," the detective divulged. "Obviously, I didn't tell him about anything that happened to her. But I just… freaked out and broke down. I had spent that whole night keeping it all in for you guys, but I just couldn't do it anymore. Poor Terry had no idea what was going on. I don't even remember half of it, but…"
Mai squeezed Mary's hand even harder, understanding written all over her face.
"You can only hold back for so long. For what it's worth, you were great back there. Super terrifying, but great.
"Ha. Thanks."
Mary took her hand back from Mai so she could push some hair behind her ear. The reassurance about how she handled things that night was nice, but it would never truly make her feel better. After all, she hadn't been able to stop the worst of it, which was a thought that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"I think all of us had our moments," Mai spoke up while focusing on something on her computer monitor. "But, I think, somehow, Yuri was the one who held it together the most."
"You sound surprised."
"Well, she's not exactly the best when it comes to stressful or intense things. But she really stepped up."
"You know, I never had a problem with her at all," Mary said, hoping to steer the conversation in a lighter direction. "Her father and her brother, yes. But not her. She's a damn cinnamon roll."
"Well, if it's any consolation, she doesn't want to 'clobber' you anymore. In fact, she actually talked about getting together for sober karaoke sometime!"
"That does sound nice… But, regardless of sobriety, November Rain is off-limits."
The two shared a laugh while Mai finished prepping for her episode, both unaware that Andy Bogard was standing just outside the room.
...Oh shit.
* First thing's first: The title of this one is a metaphor, as I'm sure you guys could tell, right? This massive secret is not just Mai and Mary's, but King and Yuri's cell.
* Canonically, Mai's favourite metal band is Pantera
* Forgotten Gialli is a boxed set of old, Italian Giallo movies (it's a subgenre of horror. Ever hear of Suspiria?)
* The 1982 remake of The Thing stars Kurt Russell and is one of the most bomb-ass horror films ever.
* The party, Vanessa, and King's happiness are all referring to the events of Devil's Night. You should read it if you haven't, it's fun.
* In case anyone forgot, Mary shot King's rapist four times: Twice in MLS, then twice in Bang
* When Mary mentions what she did when the other guy got out refers to the gunman being paroled, and the events of Karma Police, which involved none other than Yamazaki
* The whole mess with Sakazaki of course, refers to Aftershocks, when Mary attacked Ryo at Pao Pao for telling King that he found the idea of a woman being with "too many men" a bit weird after finding out about her assault
* When Mai expresses concern for Mary she's referring to her past issues with self-harm
* You can read about Mary's visit with Terry in Powerless
* Yuri sucks with stressful situations but, yeah, totally stepped up in the wake of King's assault (more on that in the future. Maybe.)
* November Rain. Devil's Night. Drunken karaoke. I told you it was fun.
Welp, that's all for now, folks! How much did Andy hear and what is he gonna do now?! Let me know what you're thinking (if anything) and perhaps I'll see you next time. Cheers!