Title: Blood of the Snake, a Get Backers fanfic
By: retroelectric
Warnings: Mature Themes, Vampirism, Horror/Supernatural, Strong Language, 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 21
The Jagan Master walked briskly towards Madoka's mansion after closing the door of his car, hands in his pockets. He had breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Cadmus calling out that he and Ginji were going out together – that ensured that he had enough time to place his plan into action.
He'd first figured that he'd take the forgotten mission by himself this time around. Cadmus and Ginji wouldn't mind if he did; after all, he knew that Cadmus wanted to do something fun with Ginji that night like going out to a club, for instance – and those kind of things were not what Ban liked to do – that was what Ginji liked.
After reconsidering and weighing the prospects himself, Ban decided to make a surprise visit to Madoka's mansion, to see if Shido was there or not, and then coax his not-quite-friend but more importantly, a fellow retriever to take the mission on with him. The pay wasn't too shabby, not that he desperately needed it, and the job looked to be simple enough.
And there was the thing in Ban's mind which constantly bothered him, and demanded closure. The many months he spent with Cadmus brought him to think of all the unsettled things in his past between him and other people. He could see it – even smell it – in Cadmus's actions that he wanted to turn them into vampires, to be by his side forever. He secretly craved the day to come himself, and he knew that most people would think of him as power-hungry; sick, even, because of it. But what was Ban if not for his power? He knew that having undisturbed immortality with Ginji and Cadmus meant he needed to ensure his mortal life would be left in peace.
Ban also knew the ongoing feud between Shido and himself could be thought of as petty, but there was something about the Beast Master – that every time they met, there surely would be a certain tension between them, and he didn't think the tension was there because of Ginji anymore. Ban always knew that Shido had a reason as to why he told him he hated him – it was because of Ginji, and Shido always argued that Ban was unworthy and undeserving of Ginji as a partner and a lover. Ban would of course refute him of it, ever since the first time they met. But after they've known each other longer, a sort of uneasy truce had formed between the two of them, despite the fact that they'd bicker over the smallest things once they were in each other's company.
Ban could see the way that Shido bristled and argued and attacked with words every time they came into contact. And he realised that those small reactions Shido made were enticing to him, and he found himself wondering of how those large, calloused hands would feel wrapped around his body; demanding, covetous. He wanted closure, because he could see the way Shido himself react to him. He saw well-hidden wanting looks for him as Shido stared at him with unmistakable fire every time they argued. And maybe, if he was nice to Shido for a little bit, he'd get to fulfill those concealed wants of his, and lure Shido into his desirous trap...
Shaking his head at the thought and dispelling the blush forming on his cheeks, Ban pressed the button on the outside, and he heard a harsh electric beep, before Madoka's serene voice answered.
"Otowa residence, how may I assist you?"
"Ah, Madoka-chan," Ban answered, surprised. He'd expected a butler to answer. "May I come in? I need to speak to Shido about a retrieval mission."
"Ban-san?" Madoka sounded surprised as well. "Of course you may. Do come in. I can't see you right now, though, I'm busy practising for a concert in Belgium. Shido-san's in his room right now..."
"I understand. Thank you." With that, Ban pushed open the now unlocked gate and walked, a butler opening the opulent oak doors of the mansion for him. "This way, Sir," the butler said respectfully, showing him the way.
Ban knocked on Shido's door, twice. He waited for a few moments before Shido opened the door, still drying his wet spiky hair with a towel. He was deliciously shirtless, and Ban could even see droplets of water dripping off his muscular frame. Shido looked up, and Ban was pleased for a moment to see the dumbfounded look on the Beast Master.
"Yoh." Ban smirked.
"What the hell are you doing here, Snake Bastard?" Shido snarled, frowning.
"What a very warm welcome," Ban said sarcastically. "Aren't you even going to invite me in?" Shido wordlessly moved aside, and Ban went into the large room, seating himself on the edge of Shido's bed. Ban sniffed the air about him – the whole room reeked of Shido's scent – something dark and strong and enticing.
"What the hell are you doing here, Snake Bastard?" Shido repeated, putting on a shirt, Ban watching him like a hawk.
"I'm here to invite you on a mission, of course." Shido gave him a confused look, and Ban proceeded to explain. "Vam – no – Cadmus and Ginji are out, together, so I thought I'd take a mission with you, since solo missions are no fun, don't you think?" Ban cursed himself for the small slip of tongue, hoping Shido didn't notice.
"Oi Midou, are you alright?" Now it was Ban's turn to look confused.
"Huh?"
"You would never 'invite' other people to join you for any missions so casually, and you'd definitely never invite me of all people. We're enemies, remember? What drugs have you touched, ahh? Geez, that Cadmus of yours should have put a better leash on you." Ban bristled, his mouth just aching to lash out at Shido, but he'd have to be patient to get what he wanted, he must be in total control of himself.
"I'm not some stupid, fucked-up druggie, Beast Master," Ban said, hands wringing at the sheets to release some of the angry tension he was feeling, smiling uncharacteristically at Shido. "And what's wrong with asking you instead of the thread spool? Now that's one annoying guy. C'mon, this mission's going to be easy, and it pays well."
Shido shivered at Ban's smile, the action almost unnoticeable but it didn't slip from Ban's sharp eyes. "Okay, yes, whatever. Let me put on my coat first, then we'll talk." Ban stood up and waited at the entrance of the room, waiting for Shido.
Shido closed the door behind him, and the unlikely pair started walking out of the house and towards Ban's car. "So, tell me more about the mission," Shido said curtly.
"A man by the name of Daitetsu Yuko requests us to retrieve a disk stolen from him by a rival, it seems," Ban said, starting the engine, glancing at Shido as he occupied the seat normally taken by Ginji. "It contains important information about his company, so he wants us to get it back. It's just a normal CD-ROM, and it's guarded by several amateur protectors hired by that particular rival. Easy job. It pays one million yen – Good enough for you, surely?"
"Amateur protectors, you say? What if your source is wrong?" Shido asked cynically. "And where are we going?"
"Not far, by our standards. The rival is currently hiding in Tachikawa, so we're heading there for now, then scour for more information."
"I see." Shido said, and an uneasy silence fell over them as Ban drove.
After a while, the silence between them grew unbearable according to Shido and he spoke. "Hey, Midou." Ban made a sound, and Shido plunged on. "I want to ask about Cadmus. How come I've never seen or heard of him before? Why are you and Ginji associating with him, and what's your relationship to him?"
"Whoa, whoa. Easy with the questions, Monkey Tamer." Ban drawled, stepping on the breaks for the red light. "First off, Cadmus is from Greece."
"Greece?" Shido asked. "So how'd he get those powers? I mean, he got stabbed several times and still had the energy to kill – and even I'm not sure how he did that. Is he immortal, or something?"
Ban's eyes widened the slightest bit, and he heard a loud horn from behind, and accelerated. "Look, Fuyuki, if I were to tell you about him, you wouldn't understand."
"You haven't tried me yet." Ban looked at Shido's determined face and sighed.
"Cadmus... he's complicated. He's a vampire."
"What?!" Shido snarled, enraged. Ban could feel him move about in his seat.
"See? I told you. You wouldn't understand, you'd freak out surely." Ban steered his car into the road shoulder and stopped, turning his body to face Shido. Ban lifted his left hand, and Shido stared half-amazed and half-disgusted.
"What the fuck-" Shido said warily, as Ban's left hand glowed an unnatural purple colour.
"I'm going to erase your memory." Ban murmured, as the purple beam grew intensity.
"Wait, Snake Bastard!" Shido frowned. "I haven't finished asking you! Damn, you're so rude, you know. And I don't know how you did that light thing from your hand – but never mind." Ban backed down, his left hand turning normal. "What's this about Cadmus being a vampire? Does he turn into bats at will, and sleeps in a coffin?"
"No, he can't turn into bats, and yes, he does sleep in a coffin. He's not one of those silly Dracula vampires that you read about." Ban said, giving in to the inevitable.
"So he's actually older than he looks? What are his powers?" Shido asked, intrigued.
"Cadmus is from 17th century Greece, so he's more than three hundred years old. About his powers: Why don't you ask him yourself, since you're so interested?" Ban said nonchalantly, looking out of the window for oncoming cars and drove away from the road shoulder.
"And Ginji? Does he know that Cadmus is a vampire?" Shido asked.
"Yeah, well I'd imagine so after Cadmus bit me and Ginji found my body in the central park a few months ago, half-dead."
"And yet you still trust him? Why?" Shido said, frowning.
"There's something about that man..." Ban paused, then felt like he said enough. "Look, Ginji and I trust him, so back off, all right?"
Shido ignored it. "You said Cadmus bit you. So does that mean that you're a vampire now?"
"What? No. I'm still human." Ban said with forced calm, absently gritting his teeth together. The questions were beginning to annoy him, but he told himself to calm down – he couldn't risk angering Shido because that was not part of his plan. "Now shut – please keep quiet, I'm driving."
Shido complied, but not without a "You're really weird tonight, Midou."
Ban laughed to himself.
They had reached their destination, and the unlikely pair stepped out of Ban's car. "I'm going to go ask around – I don't really know where the mansion is. Why don't you go ask the people at the café over there?" Ban said, pointing to the left. "The man who stole that disk – his name's Mr. Ando – kind of a well-known businessman in these parts. Then we'll meet back here, and go retrieve that thing together after we gather some information."
Shido looked at Ban oddly and shook his head once. "No, I'd rather not."
"Then what is it you want?" Ban asked impatiently, frowning slightly.
"Something's fishy. You're acting so weird… You're actually acting nice to me," Shido said, amazed. Ban hid a smirk, and walked forward, tugging on Shido's sleeve.
"What, I can't be nice to you once in a while? C'mon." Shido made a small, indignant noise at being pulled forward, but didn't push Ban's hands away, much to Ban's pleasure. They entered the small café together.
After several minutes, Ban and Shido had finally gotten the address of the businessman after asking around with a glib tongue on Ban's part. Shido stared after Ban with amazement at the other man as he drove them to the businessman's mansion.
"You're actually really good at this, Midou," Shido said again, still in awe.
"Huh. Glad you're finally taking notice of my skills," Ban replied, smirking arrogantly. He pushed down on the brakes, stopping a distance away from the large mansion. Ban decided to ante things up a level – and also to see if his assumptions had been correct all along – and let his tongue dart out of his mouth slowly, making it glisten, and was pleased to see Shido's eyes following his every movement.
Ban broke the short spell he had on Shido and stepped out of the car. He could hear Shido hesitate for a moment before following in his stead. They walked silently towards the back of the mansion after Shido saying something about carelessness. It was then that Ban had an instant flashback of Ginji – and images of how Ginji usually used his electricity to create a diversion and that made their jobs easier flitted through his mind. He wondered what his partners were doing right then – and he had a tiny feeling that something bad was happening to one of them. But Ban remembered that he was with Shido for this mission – and he couldn't help but to feel a twinge of regret for not telling Ginji of his intentions towards one of his good friends. He'd imagine that Ginji would feel betrayed, but it felt was too late to reconsider those feelings.
Ban and Shido silently disarmed several armed men patrolling the businessman's large garden. Shido grinned deviously at Ban, his beast transformation fading away and his look said it all – this job was surprisingly easy.
"You're right, they're just a bunch of amateurs," Shido whispered, as they closed the large doors behind them after Ban used his strong grip to crush the alarm system on the outside of the doors. Shido burst the doors open with a hard kick.
"Yeah, well, can't say I didn't tell you so," Ban said smugly, tossing his head towards the oncoming men, and effectively stopping a gun-holding man with another well-placed Snake Bite. Swiftly, silently, the two retrievers took down all the weaker men with easy skill. Shido used his Dog Transformation to sniff out Ando's location in the large mansion, and they moved over to the large room noiselessly.
The man Ando was there, surrounded by screens which projected images from the cameras all around his mansion. Shido noticed all this as the duo burst into the room. Ban remembered the picture Daitetsu Yuko showed him of the man, and he looked the same as ever. The ascetic-looking man, looking out of place in his own mansion, had disillusioned eyes and a plume of grey-hair and he looked at them without expression gracing his features.
"Nothing much, your defense, isn't it?" Ban mocked, grinning with mirth in his eyes.
The man lifted a hand knowingly to the screen, images of knocked-out-cold men with dangerous weapons held lax in their hands. "And nothing much could be said of you, isn't there?" Ando replied with an odd, defeated tone to his voice.
"Shut up, old man. Just give us the disk you stole from Yuko-kun, and we'll leave you without a scratch." Ban said. "Your men can be replaced, and the blood can be washed out of your carpets, but your life can't be taken back. Do we have a deal here?"
Ando looked as though someone had punched him in the face, but finally relented and proceeded to open his drawer slowly. Ban watched the man's actions calculatingly as he slid the CD-ROM to them, and watched as Shido take the disk and pocketed it. Then he heard the slightest sound of metal scraping on wood, and he knew what Ando was planning to do. He grinned the slightest bit to himself, welcoming the next action with open arms.
Ban caught the motion of Ando lifting his hand, with a sharp knife poised between his fingers - and he could've dodged it, Ando was that slow - but he gave into the inevitable and let the sharp blade tear into the muscles of his left calf, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from himself. He caught himself remembering his and Cadmus's first meeting, and how that ended. Ban could even smell the sick, twisted grin coming from Ando, and his own blood coming from the deep wound of his leg.
Great performance, Ban complimented himself, as he felt Shido's warm arms encircling his slender waist, catching him from his fall. The powerful scent was all around him, embracing him like a familiar lover and he felt like he could ravage Shido right there and then, but his body felt weak.
Ban took the utmost pleasure in knowing that he's succeeded the first part of his plan as his world grew dark and cold.