III Where the Good Times Gone?

II Disclaimer: Me no own, You no sue. Song is Nickelback's "Where the Good Times Gone".

I WARNINGS: CHARACTER DEATH

II VIOLENCE

III SLASH


There are very few times that Ban Mido fears for his life or the life of anyone else for that matter. But, as he raises his aching head and blood drips into his eyes, he knows that he's about to die and he can't help but feal scared. And a part of him laughs at the irony of it all. Ban had done so many horrible things and always knew that he would either die fighting or in the arms of some babe.

Lost it on the chesterfield
Or maybe on the gambling wheel
Lost it in a diamond mine
It's dark as hell and hard to find

"Please stop this," he begs, though he knows that he has no right to ask for forgiveness. "I'm sorry, please."

Chocolate brown eyes just glare down at him and he hates how this bastard bears the same face as his beloved, the same face of the one who warmed his frozen heart and handed it back to him with a smile. He hates how he had driven his best friend, his partner, his lover to do this, to become this thing that he himself had grown to fear.

Well you can climb to the top of the highest tree
You can look around but you still won't see
What I'm looking for

"I'm sorry," is all he can say, his body throbs with unbelievable pain as the blood rushed out of him. "I'm so sorry."

"Is that supposed to make it all better?" the man before him asks, crouching down next to Ban's limp body,hands dangling between his thighs. "Is that supposed to bring them back, Ban-chan?" he spat the name like a curse.

Where the good times gone
Where the good times gone
All that stupid fun and all that shit we've done
Where the good times gone
Well I still don't know

"I loved you and only you," Ban promises and he wants to shrink within himself and remember the happier times. "I didn't care about them; I just wanted to get out of there so I could see you again."

And then the man with the chocolate irises and blond hair, with his whole body shining brightly like a light bulb, laughs. Coldly. Mirthlessly. He keeps laughing as he stands and delivers a swift kick to the wielder of the evil eye. "You son of a bitch!" he shouts and knows that it's time to end it; he has funerals to prepare.

Out in the back of the old corn field
Underneath the tractor wheel
Thought I'd dig till I found it first
Broke my back and died of thirst

"Ginji, please," Ban barely manages to say, his voice hoarse as he hacks up blood.

But the Ginji that Ban knows is not here. The Ginji that Ban knew is gone, place taken by the Lightning Emperor. And Ban can't bring himself to raise a hand against the person who wears Ginji's face.

"Die, Ban Mido," this beautiful man snarls as he sends hundred of thousands of volts of electricity through Ban's body and Ban can feel everything as his insides cook and his blood boils.

Well you can bribe the devil, you can pray to God
You can see off everything you've got
And you still won't know

"Welcome to the Honky Tonk," Natsumi smiles and she sees that it's Ginji.

The Lightning Emperor looks at her with narrowed eyes that frighten Paul. "I haven't seen you in a long time," he says as he refolds the morning paper. "Natsumi, please get this man a cup of coffee." The young girl seemed confused but did as she was told as the front door jingled loudly in the tense silence. She left the two alone and went to take care of the new person that had just come in.

"Ban Mido is dead," the man with the dark eyes said quietly.

Where the good times gone
Where the good times gone
All that stupid fun and all that shit we've done
Where the good times gone
Well I still don't know

"You were the one that killed him?" it was more of a statement than a question; Paul knew that Ginji was the only one who could have that kind of power. However, this wasn't Ginji, this was another being entirely who was forced to share the same face.

"He was cooked alive," the blond announced indifferently, as if talking about the weather. "I've come by to pay off the tab."

Saw it on the silver screen
Preacher says "don't know what it means"
Last page ad in a comic book
Bought me a map, told me where to look

"What do you mean?"

"There's a lot of money circulating in Infinity Fortress," the blond said as he took a sip from the mug of coffee.

"What do you plan on doing now?" Paul asked, just for the sake of keeping away the silence.

It ain't carved of stone or made of wood
And if you pay for it then it ain't no good
And you still won't know
What I'm looking for

"The Volts are coming back," the Lightning Emperor replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. "That should cover it," he said, downing the rest of the coffee, relishing the pain as it scalded his throat, "and then some."

"Later," Paul whispered, watching as the younger man stood and kissed Natsumi on the cheek and quietly left the Honky Tonk.

No one ever found Ban's body and no ever saw Ginji Amano of the GetBackers again.

Where the good times gone
Where the good times gone
All that stupid fun and all that shit we've done
Where the good times gone
Well I still don't know


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