Refueling
This second story would be set in the first few years that Storm Shadow was with Cobra, on a rare night away from Cobra Island.
I sit down at a table that gives me a good view of the rest of the bar and start looking around for someone else who is not accompanied.
There are a few, but due to the late hour, most of them are already drunk out of their mind or looking like they're desperate enough to settle for anything, and ready to regret it come morning.
I sigh, feeling incredibly foolish for even caring. I honestly have more important things to worry about than picking up a date and having a bit of fun, and I'm not sure I can explain why I'm here at all. I know why I wanted to come here, but I don't know why I gave in to the desire. It's a waste of time: I should be resting before I have to go back to the Island tomorrow morning.
I'm about to get up and give up on finding some company when a woman detaches herself from a small group and walks to me. I peel my ears to try and hear what her friends are saying while she makes her way here, but I can't make it out over the loud music.
"Hello handsome," she greets me, sitting herself down next to me. "My friends and I don't think we've seen you 'round here before. You new to the neighbourhood?"
"I'm just passing through," I reply, forcing a smile.
"You look blue. Want to talk?"
I blink at her. That's not the offer I was expecting, but it is still a tempting one. I shrug.
"I'm just not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow."
"You don't like your job?"
I snort.
"You could say that. You could also say I loathe it with every fibre of my being."
"Why don't you quit then?"
"Long story. Let's just say it's absolutely not an option."
"O…kay."
"What about you?" I ask her. "Judging from your first question, you live around here?"
She nods.
"I work at the restaurant across the street," she says.
I can't help wrinkling my nose – the restaurant across the street is a greasy burger joint.
"Yeah, it's gross." She laughs. "What do YOU do?"
"Private security," I answer.
"Rent-a-cop," she says, nodding knowingly. "Yeah, I wouldn't like it either."
Ninja rent-a-cop. I chuckle at the thought.
"Actually, I'm a bodyguard."
Her eyes widen.
"Really? Who's your boss? Anyone famous?"
"I'm sorry, but I really can't say. It's classified," I reply, figuring it'll sound cooler than just refusing to answer.
Her eyes widen a bit more.
"And you don't like it? Why?"
"I can't stand my boss, for one thing. The man might be a genius, but I don't agree with his philosophies at all, to the point I feel like it's a stain on me to be working for him. He's also, without a doubt, the single most annoying individual on the planet. I absolutely hate my coworkers, too, and I work in a remote location, so I can never get away from the lot of them."
She doesn't react much, leading me to conclude she assumes I'm exaggerating. I can't say I blame her and besides, that assumption reduces her chances of finding out who I work for from incredibly low to completely nil – definitely a good thing. I can't deny, however, that I wouldn't have minded just a bit more sympathy.
"So this is the first time you get to go out and meet someone in a while?" she asks.
I sigh and take a sip of my tea. She giggles, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her. That was unexpectedly cute.
"Aren't you on the strong stuff," she says mockingly.
I snicker and bend towards her.
"It's worse than you think:" I say, lowering my tone as though I'm confiding a great secret, "it's herbal."
She laughs, but stops abruptly and bends towards me, whispering as well.
"Sounds like a lonely life. I'm sorry."
My eyes trail down and focus on my tea.
"Like I said, not looking forward to going back," I mutter. I take another sip to stop myself from elaborating.
"So you figured you'd like to have a bit of fun to recharge your batteries? Is that it?"
"Basically, but talking was good too. Thank you for listening."
"What? You changed your mind?" she asks.
"You only offered a talk," I point out.
"Maybe I'm waiting for you to offer more."
"It'd have to be your place. There are… classified things in mine."
The classified things are nothing more than the weapons I don't have on me right now, but I'm pretty sure they would scare her off.
"Wow. You are SUCH a romantic. It'd have to be your place… you've gone and swept me right off my feet."
My eyes widen briefly before I realize she may have been expecting me to try and seduce her. Come to think of it, it would probably have been the right thing to do. I'm too used to ninja partners who dispense with all the niceties above asking for consent – and who sometimes forget to do that much, too.
She looks genuinely upset. I get up, go around the table, tip her chair back and pick her up in a cradle-hold just as she starts falling backwards, smiling down at her.
"How's that? You weren't on your feet, so I figured sweeping you off your chair instead was all right."
She laughs.
"Better."
It's already morning by the time I get back to my room. I haven't slept a wink, but between having someone non-evil to talk to – which we did a lot of even after we got to her place – and the more basic, physical comfort she provided, I feel more refreshed than I have in a long time and I don't regret the missed sleep at all.