-1November 19 2006: Another long wait but I have every plan to finish this fan fiction. Someday, it'll just take me some time I suppose. I hope you'll stick with me and enjoy it in the meantime.

-Aura

Disclaimer: insert sleep bubble here If you don't know by now…you are sad.

Chapter 17: Sanguine Memories

He was a starless champion of pandemonium that breezed across the vanilla terrain; an electric ebon streak arching with lawless abandon over the humdrum beige of the desolate wasteland where he; the enigmatic 'dark knight' weaved his balefully alluring spell. Sable threads a mere rustle of sound to underlie the whispers of the lackluster sanguine blade as it left carmine streaks over the pale sands, shining gently for a time before fading as a luminous scarlet trail behind the destructive fiend as he sliced his way through the growing zephyr, twisted with a malignant poise and shifting with a bloodthirsty agility as he moved past his opponents with a speed that nearly gave him invisibility. Repressed savage urge curled into dangerous dignity, controlling the chaos that churned with insightful diligence below the slender opaque surface of will.

The suited imp dancing his way across the field, creating a masterpiece of destruction with his knives to help him carve the flesh and finish the spirit of the men and women that absurdly faced his fierce wrath.

He had never meant to save her, that she knew wholeheartedly, and loved him all the more for the chance fate had offered her on the marvelously sadistic evening that he had entered her life. She had been kidnapped trying to retrieve an item of some value from a group of mercenaries, her now expired partner had betrayed her for some cash and unloaded her weapons. She might have managed to at least take a few down with her if he hadn't also drugged her.

The band was some sort of mercenary group that was hired to go after and intercept people that were transporting goods by whatever high bidder had gotten them. She was with them for about a half a year undergoing whatever interests they chose to have on her while she was their prisoner. No one was going to question them on having a slave that was once of the dirty workers herself. She was fairly indifferent to the treatment, and if they had allowed her a little more hygiene she likely would have remained completely indifferent.

Then they were hired to intercept one Kurodo Akabane, they had talked of his fame but she hadn't expected the job to go any differently than the rest. The surprise was pleasant to say the very least.

The man was attractive to be certain, well dressed and the hat added a mysterious touch that at least peaked ones interest. His voice was equally tempting but it wasn't until he leaped into action that she hadn't been able to take her eyes away.

Shadow gathered strands of black hair swaying in a sort of dark halo on the rare occasion her eyes could follow his movement, as if the world couldn't be so cruel as to completely hide his brilliance. He reacted with a lackadaisical wit to what poor resistance he had been offered, changing the color of the sand from it's tedious hue into a vivid landscape of a rich wine. Composing a luxuriously devastating melody from the sharp ripping of flesh to the assonance of screams within the carnage.

As it had been ever sense, the euphonic bloodshed ended mere moments after it had began. That had been the start of the awe-inspiring relationship with the immaculate doctor Jackal.

Switch

Constantina smiled in her sleep as she would have never allowed herself in her waking hours, a wicked grin curling her lips at the dreams of her exquisite obsession. Slowly stirring back to consciousness enough that Ginji had nervously put her down and was waiting safely behind Ban despite the insistence from Akabane that they didn't need to wait, and from Ban that he'd rather not. Ginii's kind demeanor wouldn't allow him to abandon even Dr. Jackal's girlfriend to the whims of whoever lived in the limitless fortress.

After several more minutes of watching the deluded woman curl and smile to whatever her subconscious was showing her she finally opened her eyes.

"Having a pleasant dream?" his baritone washed over her like a much needed hot shower, comforting her and exciting her to the core before she realized that she was awake and donned her cold face once again.

"Yes doctor," she answered coolly as she pushed herself up, "you didn't need to wait for me."

"Ginji here carried you all this way," Akabane explained cheerfully, "I explained that it wasn't necessary but he would have none of that. Such a fascinating boy he can be."

"That is one way of describing it doctor." She pulled her suit skirt down and attempted to smooth some of the wrinkles before straightening her shirt. "You never need to pause your fun for my account doctor."

She'd send a small glare toward Ginji as Akabane turned back around.

"I am capable of catching up to the doctor as is necessary, your help was not requested nor required. Do not touch me again electric boy, you interfere in things you can't possibly understand or truly appreciate." She told him icily before heading after the retreating Dr. Jackal. Leaving the Getbackers to glance between each other.

"She's a bit of an ungrateful bitch," Ban observed with the usual annoyance for anything involving the freak Kurodo Akabane. "Told you to leave her alone Ginji. You never listen to me."

"But Ban." Ginji wined and squeezed his shoulder, "I couldn't just leave her there, what if Kagami had taken and killed her?"

"The world would probably be better off, I'm starting to wonder if she's worse than Jackal if she worships him so much." Ban scoffed. "Oh shut up you crybaby. You're the one that got us into this mess in the first place."

"But Ban…"

Moving back to Akabane and Constantina.

"Can you tell where we are Constantina?" Akabane asked politely once they'd gotten much further ahead again and he paused to wait for the other members of the 'group'.

"One moment sir." she offered, digging out her cell phone and fiddling with it. "The signal is a little messed up here but there should be some sort of opening about a half a mile to the west of here. Left at the next intersection."

"As faith inspiring as always," the killer complimented before turning to see the other two arguing. "What do you think of our companions my dear?"

"I'd like to see this finished as soon as possible so you can return to your art with them." Constantina replied, suppressing the smile the thought invoked.

"Yes, of course." he returned charmingly. "I mean ability levels here in the fortress."

"The foolish blonde one would be at the top of his game if he allowed himself to be set free from the bonds of his entrapping conscience. The other would be good but he is overconfident and uses his powers to knock his enemies off guard almost subconsciously. He puts into peoples brains a sort of hidden message that they will lose if they fight him and that's the only true backing for his pride. His sin is his strength in this case."

Akabane eyed his assistant thoughtfully at that launched explanation, enjoying her insight more and more as time went by. She did offer a new sort of chaotic edge that was cryptically provocative in it's own right, it would be a shame when he finally accidentally let her blood flow or punished her so harshly she wouldn't come back from it. Though he didn't really dwell on what a pity it would be for more than half a second before turning his gaze back to Midou. It was just a mind game his success, and knowing that gave doctor Jackal a whole new and agreeable edge.

When the two started to move forward he shuffled the information into storage within his mind and turned to head toward the left fork he'd been told was coming up. This was going to be a deliciously fruitful outing no matter how it turned out.

End Chapter

Yeah…not too much plot wise but some more background on Constantina and moving a little deeper into her unnatural captivation with the good doctor. I wanted to do a little bit of interaction with the two and give a few more hints as to why they were working together before I moved any other plots forward.

-Aura

To my reviewer:

Kei - Thank you so much for the good review and I'm glad you like Constantina and Akabane together. I thought she fit his personality very well for an assistant. I hope you keep reading and enjoying the story as it moves along.