Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.
:}
It'd all happened so fast.
Tori lay at the feet of her friend and bodyguard watching as the black man fell to the ground, a combat knife in his back. His body armor wasn't designed to stop bladed attack, better served against ballistic threats. The only thing it did was deflect the blade slightly so he wasn't dead before he hit the ground. However, by then Ryder had pulled his own gun out and shot the second kidnapper, dropping the knife wielding assailant before he could finish off the other bodyguard, or do anything to Tori. 'Andre…?' She thought, not sure if words were coming out of her mouth, or if she was just making sounds. Her world seemed to fade into a blood stained blur.
Ryder was talking to everyone. "You, call 911. We need an ambulance." Ron and Bill, both men just south of three hundred pounds of jacked up muscle and bone, were standing around, neither really knowing what do during or after this kind of violence. They were built for brawling, weapons of convenience, not combat knives and guns. This kind of violence was too much for either of them, causing both to freeze. Ryder ignored them, telling Hotel Security to act.
As that was happening, Trina braved the crowd, closing in on her sister to pull the singer to her feet before pushing her to move towards the hotel. Tori was vaguely aware of Ryder yelling for them to go into the building and get out of the crowd. Still thinking about Andre laying there, possibly dead, the singer started crying. She didn't know where she was, even as her sister guided her towards the elevators. Trina wanted to comfort her, but she was still in shock, unable to process what had just occurred. It'd all happened so quickly, blurring in her resent memory into one bloody mess. Only her instincts, to protect her family, had gotten her moving into the crowd when she heard the gunshot.
"Over here." A hotel security guard called, gesturing for them to follow his lead and go to a room just off the main entryway. "Stay here until we get this sorted out. It's safe here. I've got the rest of our people on the move now. We're locking things down." Trina was just staring, unable to say anything, barely holding onto Tori. The manager was offering what comfort she could with just her arms until her voice started working. Luckily Ryder was somehow able to function.
"Ron, you fuckhead, get back out there and make sure nothing happens to Andre." Ryder was ordering. "Bill, I need you to step up. As soon as the rooms are ready, you go make sure their not occupied, then we get Tori into hers. You stand outside, make sure no one gets in. You got that? Nod if you got that."
"We'll lock down the floor." The hotel security guard was saying. "It's all yours anyways. We'll make sure no one gets in or out unless they're on your list."
"Trina, I have to get out there." Ryder motioned with his head. "You gonna be okay?"
"No I'm not, but go. We… we need to inform the venue. We can't have her performing like this." Trina said, a worried look still on her face. As much as she wanted to rip someone a new one for this disaster, Tori needed to be looked after. Trina didn't care if they lost the money from tonight's performance, Tori needed to be protected.
"I can't let down my fans." Tori whispered, still crying. It was all too much. Andre, the kidnapping, everything. "Is he gonna be okay? Tell me he's gonna be okay." Her body started to shake.
"Where's that ambulance?" Trina asked. "I think Tori's having a panic attack." Hotel security seemed to react to that, sending someone to check the ETA for the ambulance, and another person to check on when the police would arrive. The entire time Trina never let her sister go. In the background, Kasey and Malcolm both stood by, watching helplessly as events spun out of control. Both now felt scared, and absolutely useless, like somehow all they managed during the whole crises was to be in the wrong place. As the fear slowly started to ebb, they were beset by a strange sense of survivors guilt. It was the hotel that called the venue, not them, since someone on staff there seemed able to function.
For the singer, the rest of the afternoon was tear stained blur, events almost fading into each other. Tori was vaguely aware of being loaded back into the limo and driven to the hospital. They're, she was treated for the stress and panic, then given a room so she could recover a bit. It also let her be close to where they'd taken Andre, who she asked about at least a dozen times. "Okay, I 'm happy to say that Mister Harris is going to be fine." A young doctor said, finding it strangely normal to be reporting to a hospital room instead of a waiting room.
"Thank god." A small teenage girl said. Those words were what suddenly made Tori aware that the girl was there, and had been for who knows how long. "He seemed like a nice guy." The girl added, like it was something Tori would understand. Tori slowly became cognizant that she was laying in bed, in this room, watching a Nickelodeon movie about a kid who put together a "Leverage" style team to con a man who'd taken advantage of him. The girl, who Tori for the life of her had no idea who she was, seemed to have been invited to watch with them.
"She's the one who saved your life. Our official word is she shouldn't have risked herself, but we're still grateful." Trina explained quietly, reading the confusion on her sisters face. "She had tickets for tonight, but the shows been candles. We're rescheduling, and giving the crew the night off. Candy here is getting a backstage pass for the rescheduled show. Just our way of saying thanks for not letting them toss you in a van and haul you off to who knows where."
"Miss Vega, after the movie, would you like to visit mister Harris?" The doctor asked.
"Yea." She said. 'Candy? She helped save me?' Her eyes drifted to the small, thin girl, but couldn't focus on her long enough to really make sense of things. She was too worried about Andre. Instead she was allowing her mind to kinda focus on the movie, watching the scammers try and one up the crooked shop owner and get justice.
Trina stood and walked over to the doctor. "I have a better idea." She said, a smile breaking from her weary face. A few seconds of muffled conversation later, she returned to sitting by her sister, but was also working with Malcolm on something.
Andre was moved into Tori's room, easy enough with the beds designed to simply roll where they were needed. The curtain could be slid closed for privacy, but at that moment, they had it open for the two to talk. "Tori, you okay?" He asked. Despite his being wounded, his first concern was her safety. Seeing her in a hospital bed worried him. He had been assured she'd be fine, but needed to hear it from her to ease his troubled mind.
"I'm fine." Tori said. "How long until you're on your feet?"
"It wasn't a bad wound, except for the blood loss, and how close it came to my organs." The bodyguard explained. "I'll be here for a couple of days, but I'm out of action for a couple of weeks, minimum. Guess you'll be needing a fill in until I'm on my feet again."
"Candy can't do it, she has school." Ryder joked. "Seriously, dude, I was freaking." The two exchanged smiles, while the smallish teenager managed to look just a bit bummed at hearing she wasn't in the running for the job.
"Call Cat, have her set up an interview asap." Andre told Trina. "I'll handle the first round, cut the field down, but we need someone, now."
Tori immediately, with no warning, retrieved her phone from Kasey, telling the girl it was to check the news feed. "Cat, Tori here. Andre's fine, but he's out for the next few weeks." She knew this was Trina's area, but wanted to do something, anything, to lesson her guilt at having caused her friend to be hurt.
"Like you could handle the interviews." Trina scoffed at the fallen bodyguard, denying his offer but managing to give him a warm smile anyways.
"So you need someone now? That could be a problem, cause you don't wanna just rush into buying the first bodyguard you see. I mean, they're all cute and adorable, but you don't know it their house broken." The business manager joked. Then she seemed to have a moment of inspiration. "I know, why don't I put you in contact with the girl I use when I go to New york? I have her card around here someplace, and she's pretty good. Or seemed like it." The perky redhead suggested.
"We're not in New York." Tori corrected her. "Besides, I was hoping to have a new bodyguard by tonight."
"Then have her flown in ASAP." Cat giggled. "Think about it. She's a martian arts person, professional, and can even go into the ladies room without causing a stir. I'll call her."
"CAT!" The singer whisper screeched. "We're not hiring her cause you like her. You like everyone."
"I'll let Trina know I'm bringing her in for an interview." The business manager said. "I'll have her with you as soon as I can. Trust me, this will work. Until then, stay close to Ryder, and be ready." The phone went dead, letting Tori know her voice in this matter wasn't needed. She looked back at her core group, laughing and joking, letting her know things were gonna be okay.
Tori just sighed, focusing on what she could do. "So, Candy, want an autograph? Maybe a hospital room selfy?"
In new york, Jade was not looking forward to where this evening was heading. The man she was escorting, her client, had just walked into a dive bar, something unlike anything she'd been into in the short time she'd been working as arm candy. Her dress, a simple dark blue number that edged on black, clung to her curve far too tightly for her to feel comfortable in. she was definitely overdressed for this place. Tight and just on the edge of being too revealing, the dress drew hungry eyes from the people hanging around in the dark establishment as she and her client walked towards the bar. Mark, her employer for the evening, had directed her into the building while Ted, his wall of meat, was parking the car and paying for the lot space. 'This is so wrong.' She thought, pulling her dress up over her breasts. It was secure, wouldn't fall and expose her, but she still felt like she had to. The dress wasn't exactly discreet in hiding her assets. 'There's just too many problems with this place. And who hires a wll of meat and then go's into the bar without them? '
Mark seemed almost excited as he approached the bar, eying the various people in the sitting or standing around the place. Somehow he managed to look down on all of them, each different but similarly dressed group of this strange the strange mix of people, people who were out enjoying themselves that night.
To most people, they'd think Mark walked into a motorcycle club's hangout, and they'd be close. This bare was a popular place for bikers to come and relax, showing their colors. The bar was neutral ground, so old rivalries were left outside for the evening, providing a safe place for the establishments other clientele. It was also a collage age bar, somewhere where the fake tough and weekend warriors could go to mix with the more law abiding lowlifes and bikers. A place to feel the thrill of being near outlaws of a uniquely American origin. Add in the people who loved or idolized the lifestyle, without ever living it, plus a couple of working girls trying to make a buck, and you had the mix in the bar that or almost any night.
Ted, looking massive in his dark suit and chauffeurs hat, joined them as Jade was absorbing the other odd features of the establishment. 'They have a lot of booths, caged in with chicken wire, spread around the edges of the place. That makes a lot of half covered rooms, but lacking privacy, since the chicken wire windows would allow just about anyone to look in. That, and they don't have doors. I wonder…' She let her mind do a quick assessment of what everything meant, then spoke to Ted. "Place is bigger then I thought it'd be. I count at least fifty people here tonight, and I couldn't tell who's armed."
"Relax, babe, I'm here to show you the kind of man I am." Mark seemed to be bragging. He ordered a drink for himself, one for Ted, and one for Jade. It was the kind of order one would expect in a westerns, and made the bartender roll his eyes.
"I'm allergic." She lied. "Unless the next part of the evening involves me going to the hospital, I'll stick with apple juice."
"Really?" The wealthy boy asked. "Man, you're not much fun, are you. Built like that, and yet you try to cover up your best features. But don't worry, I'll speak to the manager, see if there's a private place you can show me what you're hiding." His leer told her exactly what he thought her roll for the night was.
"I've counted at least three pro's here tonight." Jade replied, feeling disgusted. "Want me to see if one of them is interested?"
Mark shut up and started trying to enjoy the atmosphere. He watched the various people playing pool, or drinking, or talking to each other. There were a fair number of women present, most dressed like they belonged in a bikers bar, and many making the rounds, taking to the guys. 'Okay, they seem to have enough people slumming here to not make a big deal about how much we stand out.' Jade decided. Her blue-green eyes still scanned the room, looking for potential threats, so when one showed up half an hour later, she was ready.
By then, both Mark and Ted were each on their third drink of the evening. They hadn't moved much, staying near the bar and enjoying both the drinking and people watching, something the locals seemed not to mind. Jade, however, had allowed something else to catch her attention. A small group of younger bikers had wandered in, apparently looking for trouble. She'd been watching them since the entered maybe four minutes ago, and so far they'd tried to instigate something with at least three of the collage groups. However, no one seemed willing to get into it with them them, and they seemed to not want to throw the first punch. As a result, the four boys in bikers colors walked from person to person, making rude comments and insulting the lack of courage they'd decided the various men were displaying, just because they wouldn't rise up to their challenge. Then One of the trouble seekers saw Mark, pointing him out to the others, and the group shifted directions, making a bee line for him.
As this was happening, Jade noticed something about the older men in the bar, mostly bikers but also a couple of regulars. Those men had noticed the four young punks walk in, and once they'd decided those boys were up to something, they'd sprung into a form of action. Some of them started mingling, talking to the wait staff and going out to socialize with some of the customers. If she hadn't noticed what else was going on, it would have been mistaken as some kind of socializing ply by the establishment, having the bikers say high to the various civilian visitors. Only, Now that the four troublemakers were closing in on mark, those who hadn't started mingling were moving, taking up residence in the up until then unused semi-private booths, safely behind sheets of chicken wire. It was a warning. Something was about to happen. "Mark, we don't need any trouble." She whispered to her employer.
"Babe, relax." He said, his eyes following Jade's until he saw the four bikers closing in on him. He shifted to meet the first of the newcomers gaze, matching stare for stare, while standing and presenting himself like a warrior ready for battle. "So, gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Jade forced herself not to face palm at his act of bravado.
"Your woman." The first of them said, returning Marks eye contact. "Fancy rich boys like you can't hope to satisfy a woman like her, not like I could." Then he spoke to Jade. "Wanna dance with a real man?"
"Not dancing tonight." Jade said with a grin, stepping partially in front of Mark. "My dance card's full anyways."
"Babe, relax." Mark said, and Jade was convinced he'd forgotten her name. "Let me handle this." He tried to gently push Jade back behind him, but when he failed to move her, he instead shuffled around her to stand in front of the groups spokesman. "Look, we don't want trouble." He started, and for half a heartbeat, the blue eyed girl thought that maybe this boy wasn't the total tool she'd come to believe he was. "You see, I never get physical. I just get upset. And when I get upset..." A gesture towards Ted.
Ted stood and, as if on command, crushed a beer can. "He gets physical." Mark finished.
Jade felt her heart sink into her chest. 'He quoted 'Back to School'. He actually chizzing quoted 'Back to School'. And what happens next is...'
Ted was blundering into a trap of his bosses making, one he couldn't fight his way out of. While the walking wall of meat threw the first punch, he wasn't really able to handle taking on more then a couple of guys at once. His fighting style was far more focused on single threats, not covering his own flanks when entering a brawl. Worse, these guys were experienced brawlers, who know how to both throw and take a punch. He defended himself as best he could, but Jade realized he'd be quickly overwhelmed.
As this was happening, Jade noted the older bikers were busy pulling some of the regulars they liked, people they'd been talking to earlier, into the safety of the cages. They also invited middle aged man who was thrilled to be included with a group of bikers, and a couple of collage girls who would probably be more victim then anything else. The bikers pulled them in quickly as the brawl threatened escalated, looking to their trained eyes like it was gonna encompass most of the establishment. After all, someone else had thrown the first punch, and would probably take a lot of the heat for fixing the place up.
The four guys had taken Ted down with a series of quick punches and kicks to the body, not letting the big guys size make a difference. They even made sure to get in a nut shot as early as they could slip it past his defenses, to help the big man remember that size isn't everything. That move put Ted down, hard. Then, as they were happily kicking the now downed man, one of them went after Mark.
'Time to earn my pay.' Jade thought with a sigh, stepping up to the rich boy and pulling him towards an exit. "Party's getting rough." She started as one of the troublemakers took a swing at Mark, which Jade easily redirected into a support post. While the ruffian was distracted by the pain that came with striking the solid wood post, she slipped her center of gravity under the guys hips and lifting with her legs and hips. The biker went flying up, only for her to keep hold of his arm, swinging his body around it like a fulcrum. A heartbeat later later, a table splinted as that man was taken out of the fight. "Time to go."
From there the room descended into chaos. Far too many of the kids slumming at the bar were ready to cut loose and fight. Then there were the relatively large number of the younger bikers who felt this was the time to take back their watering hole. Old disagreements found a new place to be remembered, and fist flew to settle scores that had lingered since the last time someone was dumb enough to throw the first punch. From there, like an open flame to kindling, the fever of the fight spread, and soon bikers and collage boys were exchanging blows, fortified by alcohol and too many action movies. Only the older, smarter bikers took cover, protecting people they thought were decent enough, as well as the bars true cash flow.
As for the raven haired girl, she had her hands full pulling Mark out of the fight. It was hard enough protecting herself, making sure she wasn't taken from an odd angle or struck from the flank. But she had to protect Mark as well, a boy who seemed to lack even the most basic survival instincts. More and more people seemed to step into her way, forcing her to cut a swath through them to get the poor rich boy to safety. The majority of her training was in jujutsu and kickboxing, but she'd studied enough other styles, including one called 'Jail House rock,' which emphasized fighting multiple attackers in tight quarters. This was her element, and she had to remind herself she was a professional, with nothing to prove but she could do the job this wazzbags father was paying her for, getting Mark out of the bar relatively unscathed.
As she pulled him into the parking lot, she scanned the lot for his car. "Why the chiz did you hire that moron as your bodyguard AND your driver?" She complained, dragging Mark to his car. Finding the door unlocked, she was grateful for not having to break into the car to keep her employer safe. "Get in and lock the doors." She instructed him, then turned to face the bar again.
"W-where are you going?" He asked. She suspected he'd wet himself. That image was the only thing that kept her fantasies of killing him at bay.
"In addition to forgetting to lock the doors, you buddy has the car keys." The one time goth said, squaring her shoulders and wading back into the bar.
It was another ten minutes before she emerged again, dragging Ted's unconscious body with her. The police, who'd managed to shown up in that time, allowed her to take the big guy to an ambulance and have him checked out. Once they knew he was going to be okay, and was on his way to the hospital, the police put the cuffs on Jade and hauled her away. The police had formed a perimeter around the club, grabbing people as they scampered out, but hadn't yet waded in to start calming things down. They knew their time would come. 'Besides, no one is paying them to risk their lives before things are ready to be controlled.' Jade reasoned.
She sat in the police station, watching hookers and drunks get processed for over an hour, before someone came to speak to her. Or rather,m she was brought to an office to speak to someone. "So, Jade, still making ends meet as a cage fighter?" Lieutenant Sanchez asked.
"I don't do that any more." The raven haired girl protested. "You know I've been banned from the legitimate places, and you swore you'd put me away if I went back to the underground fights." She met his eyes to make sure he heard her next statement. "I'm doing bodyguard work now."
"I know, I have Mark Winestien in holding." The officer replied. He looked tired. "Jade, the good news is, the regulars swore you didn't throw the first punch. Hell, they said you tried to get your guy outta there, and only used as much force as necessary. Also, Harry Winestien told me to tell you he's not charging you for the damaged dress."
"That was nice of him." The raven haired girl drolled. "So am I free to go?'
"Nope." Sanchez was smiling. "They say they might need you as a material witness. It seems that your employers other bodyguard may have thrown the first punch, at his insistence."
"God, will this day ever end?" She whined, gesturing to the havens.
"Winestiens got money, so there's gonna be a hella lawsuits coming down after this. While it's technically against the rules, I'd suggest getting out of town, let them settle it on their own." The lieutenant said, smiling.
"Like I could afford to take a quick vacation." Blue eyes glared through his tanned skin. She knew he was up to something. They'd known each other long enough for her to have a very good idea when he wasn't making a suggestion.
"Then you're in luck." The officer replied. "You got a call while you were being processed. Turns out some chick you've worked for in the past, Valentine I think, wants to fly you out tonight to meet up with some musician who's bodyguard got smushed. Sounds like a job opportunity, and I'd say you should take it. Hell, I'll even have one of my guys take you home and help you get packed. Plus, Mister Winestien says you can keep the dress, as long as you agree to this little vacation. Think of it as a bonus for getting his stupid kid out of danger in one piece. You see, he swore he'd get his son to settle the bar fight situation, pay peoples asses off, assuming we get you out of town for a spell. With luck, you being gone will help the many people looking for a payday to take the deal, and then I won't have to worry as much about people pressing charges. That will, in turn, take this whole mess off my desk so I can go back to catching real criminals. So, I'm thinking you have an interview tomorrow, so it'd be best if we get you ready and be on the red eye tonight."
Jade just stared at the man, wishing once again that she could have found some other way to make ends meet back when she started cage fighting, so she could be making money any other way then this. 'Except I needed that, back then, to help deal with my anger issues.' She thought. "Goody, a vacation." She told officer Sanchez, her voice showing no emotion beyond the exhaustion from having to work for spoiled brats.
:}
So we've had our first sight of Jade, and Tori has to worry about whomever tried to kidnap her. Was it a one time things? Or will we see this threat again, far down he line. Only time will tell. But first, we have the whole meshing of the new person into the overall whole, which as we all know, always goes smoothly.
So, review if you want, cause I'm interested in knowing what you think.