Title: Blood of the Snake
By: retroelectric
Warnings: Mature themes, Vampirism, Horror/Supernatural, Yaoi, Alternate Universe
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Get Backers. This is a Get Backers fan fiction, ideas purely fan-made speculations based off the relationship between the Get Backers duo and infused with several elements inspired – and not stolen off the Vampire Chronicles Universe by Anne Rice. It is also important to note that this does not contain ANY of her characters, thus this is strictly NOT a Vampire Chronicles/Get Backers crossover. In this way I do not breach any of Anne Rice's policies regarding fan fiction on her work.
Chapter 11
"Cadmus-san?" Ginji prodded Cadmus on his side unrelentingly, who was currently draped all over Ban's dozing frame on the hotel sofa.
"Mnnmgh..." Cadmus groaned out in reply, his face buried in Ban's tousled hair.
"I know that you are feeling comfortable with Ban-chan and all, but-" Ginji scrunched up his face in part-excitement, part-irritation, "Aren't we supposed to go out and get a job from Hevn-san?!" He went over to poke both Ban and Cadmus to wake them both up. "Oi, get up! Both of you!"
Ban cracked open one lazy blue eye. "You're too noisy, eel. What can I do to make you shut up for a while?" He promptly tightened his embrace around Cadmus.
"Now, now, cherub, that doesn't sound very nice," the vampire admonished and finally pried Ban's strong arms away from around him without much effort. "Ginji here has a point - and we have all day to rest now, don't we?"
Ban growled but sat up, rubbing his eyes to rid himself of the sleepy sensation he felt. "Fine. I need a damn coffee, by the way. Living with a vampire has got my internal clocks all messed up now." The last sentence was mumbled, but Cadmus smiled a bit as he managed to catch it nonetheless.
Ginji cheered, and sparked a few bolts of his excess electricity into the air. "That's okay, Ban-chan! We can get coffee from the Honky Tonk while waiting for Hevn-san to show up! Besides, you can clear things up with Master if there is time!"
Ban grimaced upon hearing Ginji's cheery words; the last thing he wanted to be reminded of was that he still owed Paul an explanation for the past week. Cadmus saw the grimace, and mistook it for worry. "Hey, Ban, it's not going to be so bad, isn't it - explaining to the old guy? Anytime you feel like you can't say anymore, just tell me. I'm the best when it comes to addling minds, you know." He grinned, patting Ban on his shoulder.
Ban laughed, standing up to switch off the lights and putting on a tweed coat. "That's a bit ironic coming from you, isn't that? You're over three centuries old yet you call Paul an old guy... And thanks, I guess, for the reminder. About the mind addling thing."
"You're welcome, cherub."
Ban growled again as he heard the affectionate term coming from the vampire's lips. "Cherub, cherub... how come you keep calling me cherub, and not Ginji? I mean, I look older than he does, right?" He grumbled as Cadmus closed the door behind them. Ban finally noticed that Ginji just seemed to sparkle and glow, his body overflowing with excess electricity. "Oi Ginji, control yourself! You don't want Cadmus to have to pay for your exploding light bulbs now, do you?"
Cadmus laughed as Ginji zapped Ban a little with his electricity in retaliation. "Watch what you're touching, eel!"
"Sorry, Ban-chan! It's just that I'm so excited, and it has been so long since we've been on a mission!" Ginji sing-songed, grinning from ear to ear as the trio stepped into the elevator.
"Well, Cadmus?" Ban looked at him pointedly, and he belatedly realised that Ban was still waiting for a reply to his earlier question.
"Well, technically -- you are younger than Ginji." Cadmus stated, meeting Ban's indignant eyes.
"How did you know that?" Ban mumbled, as he noticed the heat behind Cadmus's stare but he couldn't look away.
Cadmus broke away suddenly from his intense gaze and spoke offhandedly. "I saw your driver's license the other day."
"Driver's license?" Ginji asked, finally remembering something important. "Ne, Ban-chan! We forgot all about our car! Where is it now? How are we supposed to go on missions if our car got towed away? Or worse... what if it got piled into a junkyard?" Ginji wailed, clutching Ban's shoulders and shaking him, involuntarily letting loose a few jolts of electricity.
Ban swatted away the electricity-emitting hands from his shoulders. "Ow! Stop overreacting, Ginji! I'm sure Paul knows something, and besides... we could always use Cadmus's handy flying powers." He smirked at Cadmus as they stepped out of the hotel.
"Cherub, you must remember that I'm not some car."
"Right..." Ban muttered distractedly as he took out his cell phone and began to text Hevn the negotiator.
The invincible Midou Ban-sama here, got any jobs? We'll be at the Honky Tonk around 8, see you there.
A few seconds later, his cell phone beeped signaling there was a message.
Where have you guys been the past week?! I'm here now. A big job waiting for you!
"Hevn's already there," Ban told Ginji, walking at a brisker pace. "She's already got a job for us."
"Yatta!" Ginji cheered again, and broke into an excited run towards Honky Tonk. "Come on, Ban-chan, Cadmus-san!" Ban growled at Ginji's enthusiasm, but followed in Ginji's lead nonetheless.
Cadmus only grinned deviously as he scooped both Ban and Ginji up in his arms, earning him an excited cry of glee from the latter and another low growl from Ban. Before the duo knew it, they had already arrived in front of the Honky Tonk.
As he released the Get Backers from his hold, Cadmus grinned cockily as he noticed Ban's dumbfounded expression. "You... you... How...?" Ban managed to get out, not noticing Ginji who had already entered the cafe.
"Shouldn't you be used to it already, cherub? Of course I ran here, like our beloved Ginji had suggested." Cadmus grinned cockily, flashing a hint of fang at Ban as he went into the cafe, Ban following stiffly behind him. It was large displays of vampiric power like these from Cadmus that unnerved Ban greatly, and this was an example of it. It even seemed like he teleported them over to the cafe; that was how quick he moved.
"Hey, Ban-kun! Nice to see you again!" Hevn said from behind an armful of an overly-excited Ginji. She was about to add something else when she coloured noticeably, her eyes falling onto the well-dressed handsome blond stranger beside a similarly well-dressed Ban.
Ban oddly enough wasn't wearing his usual purple glasses and four-tailed shirt. No, to be more precise - Ginji and him looked far different than usual. She wriggled free from Ginji's enthusiastic embrace (which was something quite admirable) to greet him.
"And who's this?" Hevn purred, moving closer to the pale man, puffing her generous chest out even more. Ban frowned in poorly-concealed disgust at Hevn's attempt of seducing Cadmus.
"Cadmus," the vampire replied smoothly, extending a hand politely. "You must be Hevn, I presume? I've heard a lot about you from Ban and Ginji."
Hevn reached out to shake Cadmus's hand, but recoiled suddenly even before she fully touched the whole of his hand. "Your hands..." she gasped. They were cold as ice!
Cadmus smiled indifferently as Hevn recoiled. "Yes? What's the matter?"
"N-Nothing," She choked out, not noticing the smug grin Ban had on his face. Ban called out his order for a coffee to Natsumi, who gladly proceeded to do so. He purposely wound an arm around closely Cadmus's waist, eliciting a small gasp from the buxomly woman before him.
"Shall we?" Ban smirked arrogantly at a dumbfounded Hevn, gesturing to a booth. Hevn nodded slightly, her cheeks colouring a little at the implication Ban's gesture made. It was just like Ban to provoke Hevn in this way! And she thought that she'd had a chance... But, again, what was with that man's hands? They were so cold...
Ginji had calmed down a little and sat down beside Hevn, Ban and Cadmus sitting across them. Ban had slung an arm around Cadmus's shoulder, holding him far too close for comfort as Hevn noted and his elegant fingers were playing with Cadmus's fine white blond hair. And Cadmus doesn't even seem to mind! What are they, boyfriends or something? And I thought that Ban would one way or another end up with Ginji! Or maybe, they are involved in some kind of threesome or something? Hevn thought, unwanted mental images coming through her head.
Ban smirked triumphantly at the expression on Hevn's face, and spoke to break the tension. "So, Hevn, what's the case?" He nodded at Natsumi dismissively who had served him his coffee.
"Oh, uh, right." Hevn fumbled with her handbag for a moment, then she extracted an unlabeled bottle of pills and placed them on the table.
"What is that, Hevn-san?" Ginji asked.
"This is a drug called Nimetazepam. It is a legal drug which was originally used to treat insomnia, but as it is with most drugs like this, it was abused and it became a sort of substitute to Ecstasy." Ban nodded, he knew about it.
"A large batch, which was going to be sold legally, was stolen from the client by a notorious drug dealer who currently resides in Mugenjou's Lower Town. He goes by the name of 'Tenma'. The client, who wants to remain anonymous, wants to add that this Tenma character is currently out of control from MakubeX, and you probably would have known this had you been here the past week. The fee this time is 4 million yen." She explained.
"Feh. The money isn't very important to us now, anyway. We're accepting this mission. We'll be in and out of the rat-hole with the drug before the night is over... You'll see." Ban said cockily, gulping down the rest of his coffee.
"W-Wait a minute... I haven't told you of this! 'Tenma' has employed several protectors and transporters to aid him, and I have a feeling this isn't a normal mission, it could be dangerous for the both of you even with your powers!" Hevn exclaimed.
Ban smiled at Cadmus, stroking his cheek affectionately. Hevn refused to let the ugly head of jealousy rear its head in front of them at the sight of it. "Who said anything about the two of us? With Cadmus here, anything is possible!" Ban directed his haughty smirk to a startled Hevn.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that Cadmus is the new Get Backer!" Ban enthused, accompanied with Ginji's megawatt grin. Hevn looked at the dark-haired male before her curiously like he'd sprouted an extra limb or something.
"Seriously?" Hevn wondered aloud. What the hell had happened the past week that had changed the duo she'd known so well, so drastically?
She barely reacted as Ginji leaped from his seat, and Ban patted her on the shoulder as he stood up, moving over to the counter. There were some last things to clarify with the cafe owner, like where his car could be for instance.
"Ah, Paul? Do you know anything about my car?" Ban asked the cafe owner, his elbows propped against the counter.
"It's parked behind this cafe. Here." Paul tossed a key at Ban, who was stunned as he caught it.
"Where did this come from?" Ban said wonderingly, staring at the key.
"It's a duplicate. Remember? You gave it to me a year ago."
"Heh." Ban smirked as he remembered the incident. "Thanks Paul. I owe you one. Come on, Cadmus, Ginji. Remember, Hevn - before the night is over!" He gestured to his partners, and the three of them exited through the back.
Hevn stared after them as the trio exited, stunned.