Chapter 2-Close Enough to Kill
Hey all I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of The Darkest Part! Here is an update on what I chose to change in this story:
I decided to give this story a more modern update to fit in with the times, so there will be smartphones and updated tech here however, there are some things that will be the same. Ban and Ginji will have their flip phone and Paul will still use an old school computer, with some updates.
Also, I have decided to age up some characters, and/or keep them the same age as in the anime since I started the anime before I read the manga.
Since this story is going to get really dark, I would prefer certain characters to be of age. For example, Himiko will be aged up to 18 (I couldn't believe she was only sixteen in the manga and anime! And she's put in a lot of sexual situations that made me feel pretty uncomfortable because she was underage). She always seemed older to me than what her age is anyway so I feel this will work. Anyways, enough with my rambling. Enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter 2-Close Enough to Kill
When night descends upon the city, Ban and Ginji set off with the information that Hotaru provided them.
"The guy didn't give us much to go on," Ban lamented.
Ginji looked over at his companion. "What'd ya mean Ban?"
Ban sighs. "No picture of the girl. Just some description of what she may look like because she wore wigs with her outfits. And we got some vague descriptions of some dudes that may or may not not be responsible for her disappearance."
As he ticked off the reasons on his fingers, he felt he scratched his head with his free hand and let out an annoyed sigh. "We're not off to a great start, Ginji."
A thoughtful look came over Ginji's face.
"True," he agreed, " but we're not completely out of leads."
A toothy grin appeared on his face. "The only lead they had was to go to her place of work." He waves the piece of paper in his hand. As they made their way to the ladybug, Ban's pride and joy, Ban mulled over how the man met girl.
"We'll, at least we'll be able to have some fun while we're at it."
. . .
Madame Butterfly was located between a few night clubs and bars. The words were lit up in black and red neon across the front of the brick building. After parking the bug in a nearby space, Ban and Ginji get out and begin walking towards the club.
Many people around their mid 20s and older, wearing clothes that ranged from business casual to casual were making their way inside.
"Wow, it seems like this place is really popular."
Ginji stares at the flashing sign. He couldn't remember the last time they went out to a club like this. He could feel the anticipation built up inside of him as they made their way towards the building.
"Looks like there's an entrance," Ban noted. Two guest attendants were at the door, taking payments on both sides of the door. There were posters all over advertising it as a regular restaurant and club with special performances on certain days. Ban quickly noticed the advertisement listing the price of the ticket fee 3,500 yen for each entry.
Thankfully, Hotaru had given them some money as a show of good will, so they were able to check in.
"Welcome to Madame Butterfly!"
The guest attendant announced. She was young, maybe in her early 20s. She had short brown hair that curled down to her shoulders with short bangs that stopped in the middle of her forehead. Bright brown eyes were highlighted by black eyeliner and mascara with bow-shaped lips painted red. She smiled broadly at them both as she took their payment and handed them their tickets.
"Please enjoy our special Burlesque weekend tonight!" She smiles charmingly as she lets them inside.
Ginji and Ban thank the young attendant as she unhooks the theater line rope. When they walk inside, Ban notices a man several feet taller than him or Ginji hanging out near the entrance. He sported a buzz cut with dark shades that covered his eyes. His mouth was in what seemed a permanent frown, and was wearing a black t-shirt that clung so tight that it showed his chest and muscles. He wore black jeans and boots that matched the shirt.
His gaze seemed to linger a bit on them and then he moved on to the next person.
The club was dark with save for the red and white mood lights. To their left was the bar. It had a linear top with a dark wood finish with several back stools with a butterfly on the back of them for support. Soft jazz was playing over the speakers as patrons were seated, either enjoying drinks or waiting for the bartenders to serve them. They could see the different types of alcohol lined up behind the bar, highlighted by the white light and sorted by type on each of the shelves. Next to the bar, there were black revolving doors and a service area where a chef was placing some finished dishes in the service area.
A few servers, dressed in black slacks with white shirts or black dresses, would come by to grab one or two plates and make their way to the to give people their food and drinks.
They would go down a small row of steps to reach the dark, wooden tables and chairs that matched the stools at the bar and booths that were a deep brown and vinyl upholstery with matching table in front of them.
"Wow Ban, this place looks amazing,"
Ginji comments as he stares wide eyed at the stage. There was a red curtain with gold trim pulled over it, with a few stares that led to the dance floor area that looked black and glassy. Patrons, mostly male, were gathering around the area in their seats.
"Pretty impressive," Ban agrees, nodding his head.
It was nice. Not too high class but not a dump either and was located in a nice in between the downtown area.
"Well well."
An feminine person approaches Ban and Ginji wearing heavy makeup, with their hair styled in a bun with two curled ringlets down on the sides of their face. There was a dot that rested just below their upper lip. They wore a burgundy bustier dress that went well with their warm skin, the skirt hugged close to his figure which stopped just below their knee. It exposed black stockings and heels and topped it off with a black shawl.
"You must be new to the establishment."
"Ah," Ban gave a small smirk, "what gave us away?"
"I would remember seeing two dashing young men here." The person grinned back showing off their dark red lips.
"Plus that lost look in your eyes is easy to spot a mile away."
Ban couldn't argue with that. Though Ginji did most of the gawking, Ban had to admit that he was a bit overwhelmed by the whole place. Not that he would admit it.
"I guess you can say we are," Ginji interjected.
The person smiled widely at Ginji.
"We'll, allow me." They spun towards the stage, sweeping a hand over the space. "Welcome to Madame Butterfly. Where we make sweet dreams a reality. I am Madame Butterfly."
Madame introduces themselves by putting their hand on their chest, bowing a little with extra flair.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Butterfly," Ginji gave Madam a friendly smile. "I'm Ginji Amano and this is-"
"Ban," he interjects. "Ban Midou."
"A pleasure to meet you both." Madame looked between the spiky haired individuals.
"Did you men need any assistance? I'm sure my staff would be more than happy to help."
"Actually, Miss Madame, maybe you could help us."
"Oh?"
"We're looking for one of your employees.Goes by the name Angel. She was working up until last week?"
"Angel?" Madame tapped their fingers on their chin. "Yes, she was one with pretty eyes. Sweet girl. Kept to herself. I haven't seen Her in a few days, which is odd. She normally never misses work without calling."
Madame eyes them suspiciously. "May I ask what business you have with her?
"Well, ya see," Ginji begins, "they're a really nice person trying to find her and make sure she is alright.
When Madame's eyes furrowed in confusion, Ban stepped in. Time for a little marketing.
"We're a recovery service called the Get Backers. We get anything that's been stolen. Our success rate is 100 percent."
"Oooh." Madame whistled a bit. "A recovery service. So it seems that things have escalated."
They shake their head at this.
"It seems everyone is looking for her these days. But since you both are cute, I'll let you in on this."
Madame crossed their arms and jerked their head towards the stage.
"If you wanna know more about her, you best speak with her roommie. She knew her better than anyone."
"Who was her roommate?" Ban inquires, his eyes scanning the area.
"Name's Ginger when she's working." A loud clapping could be heard as the music stopped playing. A woman's voice could be heard over the speakers as it reverberated throughout the club.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoy my performance tonight."
"While you're here, remember to keep your enemies close and keep your lovers close enough to kill."
A beat begins to drop, an ambient sound erupts form the speakers. The red curtains began to rise and reveal a woman standing on the stage with four other dancers.
Ginji and Ban leaned on the railing to get a close look at her. The Madame pointed out a empty table for them to sit in order to get a closer look.
She was tall, with a slender body and porcelain skin. Her makeup was immaculate with a smoky eye that highlighted her roundish-almond shaped, amber eyes. Short red bob with an orange undertone stopped just below her neck. She wore a red and black bustier dress with black stockings and black closed toe heels. As the beat comes in, the dancers began to move she opens her cherry lips to sing:
If I let you in, let you deep inside
I don't know, if I can hang on
To what I used to be, I let it die
Coil around me, it's all yours
As she sings this, she begins to move her body seductively to the music, the dancers following close behind her as she crooned:
This is what you came for
But you took so much more
Much more than I can give
This is what you came for
Now it takes so much more
Much more for me to live
She does a few body rolls and spins to the ground, her knees hitting the ground.
Close enough to fall and die
Close enough to thrill me
Close enough to crawl deep inside
Keep me close enough to kill
Her hands are on her throat as the other dancers each reach a hand for it as well and then pull away as she stands and belts:
There's an emptiness, there's a hole inside
You treat my body like your own
Marks on my chest, keep you on my mind
It's a sin you'll drive into my bones
When she says this, her hands are feeling her chest, her expression looks like a mixture of pain and pleasure. She pops her back and shakes her hips as she sings:
This is what you came for
But you took so much more
Much more than I can give
She dips upper body and pops back up, amber eyes slowly scanning the crowd as she walks forward.
Close enough to fall and die
Close enough to thrill me
Close enough to crawl deep inside
Keep me close enough to kill
The other dancers walk in tandem with the singer, stepping down from the stage onto the dancefloor as she continues to serenade the crowd:
You came into my world
And I let you take it all
Down on the ground
Where you taught me how to crawl
She pirouettes into the ground, she is crawling toward the front of the stage while they crawl towards her.
Hold me still, hold me still
Take so much to fill
Hold me still now
Keep me close enough to kill
They grab on to her , appearing to restrict her arms and torso as struggles against their grip until seems to accept this as hands reach for her throat.
This is what you came for
But you took so much more
Much more than I can give
This is what you came for
Now it takes so much more
Much more for me to live
Together they stand slowly releasing her as a collar now hangs from her throat. They began to move their hips slowly as if she is being controlled by the dancers behind her, mimicking their movements.
Close enough to fall and die
Close enough to thrill me
Close enough to crawl deep inside
Keep me close enough to kill
Ginger's eyes scan the crowd as she rolls her neck to meet the customers until her eyes meet Ban's. For a few seconds they linger on each other as she gives him a smile, amber eyes glowing in the dark.
Close enough to kill
In that instant, Ban felt his chest still with the last line echoing as she, Ginger, exited the stage with the other dancers.
This is what you came for
…
The crowd erupts in applause as the lights fade and the curtain drops. A few cheers and whistles can be heard as the crowd begins to chatter until the next act.
"Wow, she was amazing!" Ginji claps along with the crowd after she leaves the stage. "I've never seen a performance like this before!"
Ginji looks over at his companion, whose mouth was slightly ajar, his blue eyes glazed over as Ginji peered at his friend, waving a hand over his face.
"Ban?"
Snapping back to his senses, Ban shakes his head and pushes up his purple shades closer to his eyes."
"Ugh, yeah she was great." He clears his throat, shaking the weird feeling that came over him.
"Ooh, I see you guys enjoyed the show." Madame Butterfly appeared , causing Ginji to jump from his seat slightly.
"Ah, yes we did." A sweat drop appeared on Ginji's forehead as Madame gave a satisfactory grin.
"Marvelous! Ginger is one of our best performers. I'm glad she didn't disappoint."
"Since she's done, I'll give you permission to speak with her."
"Thank you, Madame." Ban says as Ginji smiles back at them.
. . .
The boys were lead to through backstage, where it lead to the dressing rooms were located.
"Now you boys wait here." Madame disappeared behind the door.
Though he didn't know why, but he he felt suddenly…anxious. Ban couldn't put his finger on it but ever since he met Ginger's eyes, he hadn't been able to shake this odd feeling.
'Get it together, Midou." He shook his head. He had a job to do and he couldn't afford to be distracted by a pretty face and a pair of-
The door opens, with Madame Butterfly walking out with a young woman behind them.
Up close, Ban could see that she was a beauty. Though she wore a black jacket over her outfit, Ban could tell she was of ample bosom with a lithe body that were built for dancing, but still managed to have proportional and curvy hips and butt.
Though he was doing his best to not outright gape at her, Ginji wasn't so subtle. His eyes widened when he saw her up close and his cheeks flamed.
"Ginger, this is Mr. Ban Midou and Mr. Ginji Amano. They're a recovery service and they need to ask you some questions."
She looks up at booth of them and spoke. "Nice to meet you both."
Her voice had a slight husk to it which added the sultry sound that probably drove lots of guys (and girls) nuts.
"Pleasure's all ours." Ban turns up the charm, smiling and offering his hand to shake hers. He elbows his best friend who snaps to attention.
"Oh! Yes." Was all he could croak out.
Ginger leads them out to the back of the club, stepping outside to the cool night. She pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a blue lighter from her pocket. She lifts one out of the box, sticks it into her mouth, igniting it with a flick of her manicured hand that was painted a deep red.
Ban nearly takes a deep breath of the second hand smoke as she takes a drag and blows into the air.
"Thanks for meeting with us," Ban says to her.
"Your performance was rather entertaining."
She tosses him a half grin barely reached her wizened eyes.
"Thanks," she replies, " i'm glad you enjoyed the show."
"Y-yeah" Ginji chimes in, "you're a really good singer Miss Ginger. Nervous laughter erupts from him, his cheeks turning slightly red.
Ban he couldn't blame him. This Ginger girl was attractive; but the poor guy was floundering. There was something about her, something he couldn't place but he knew she was more than meets the eyes.
"So what do you want? Autographs? A picture," she gives them an asserted look, as if she gets these requests all the time.
"No, nothing like that." Ban confessed. She takes a drag and gestures for him to continue.
"A client of ours asks us to find a girl for him. She goes by the name Angel. Y'know her?"
Ginger stilled and narrows her eyes slightly
"What makes you think I know anything?"
He could feel the air change.Ginger's aura made him feel like his chest was collapsing onto itself. Her eyes became hard, the amber seemed to darken a shade as she glared at both them. Ban, while keeping a straight face, felt himself sweat a little.
He briefly glanced at Ginji who had shriveled a bit at her intimidating glare, putting his hands up in a placating gesture.
Ban pressed on. "We were told that you and Angel know each other? That you two are roommates?"
Ginger sighs, Moving some hair out of her face.
"Look, if you think I'm foolish enough to give out any information to some random nobodies, you are sorely mistaken."
Ginger's about to turn around and leave, Ginji calls out to her.
"Please miss Ginger, our client really cares for Miss Angel."
When she turns back to face him, Ginji jumps back little at the hard look in her eyes.
"He just wants to know if she's okay."
Ginger narrows her eyes at the two young men. She starts walking closer, first to Ginji since he was closest and touches Ginji lightly on his arm.
He jumps in surprise but before he could squirm, he gulps as stares his brown eyes back at her amber ones. Though it felt like ages, she lets go and her eyes soften a little as strolls away from him and towards Ban.
She smelled of cigarettes and citrus. With the heels she was wearing, she met him at his shoulder. Looking up at him, piercing gaze never leaving his, she lifted her hand and lightly grazed her fingers across his exposed skin.
Her skin was warm and soft. It sent a slight chill despite the fact and left Ban baffling for an explanation. What was she doing?
Though it was mere moments, Ban felt like they were having hundreds of conversations at once.
"Alright." She stated when puts her hand down. Looking between the two of them she announces "I believe you."
Ginji let's out a breath he didn't know he was holding as Ban nods his head.
Ginger leans back against the building.
"Angel is her stage name. Her real name is Shiori Ueno." She takes a drag of the cigarette, letting the smoke exit out of her nose and mouth.
"Word is she's gotten into some trouble with loan sharks with ties to the yakuza. Her dad was a piece of shit that skipped town and left her to pay for it. She moved in with me because they kept harassing her at her apartment."
" Then, a few days ago she left the apartment and never came back."
She pursed her lips when and her forehead creased when told them the last part. Her right fist balled and Ban could see that they had been close.
"I tried to get in contact with her but her phone kept going to voicemail. I went to the police to file a missing person, but…" she scoffs, waving her hand away in the empty space.
"Sorry to hear that." Ban eyes softened for a moment but then blazed with resolve.
"Do you have any other information as to where she might be?"
"No," she shook her head sadly but then stopped abruptly. "But I know someone who would."
She reached into her pocket a pulled out a business card.
"I have a friend of mine looking into this. She's the next best thing and since you guys are working on this, it might be good for you guys to work together."
Ban took the card in between his long fingers and read it out loud.
"Mars Investigations?" It was a white card with the name in big, back letters. Below it, there was a phone and an email as well as links to some social media links.
"Thanks, we'll put this to good use."
Ginger shook her head.
" Thank you guys for caring enough to look for Shiori. This client of yours must really care for her."
Ginji, smiles warmly at her. "Don't worry, Miss Ginger! We get anything that had been lost or stolen. Our recovery rate is always 100 percent."
She smiles gently at Ginji, chuckling a little as she responded back to him. "I'll hold you too that."
When she turns back to Ban, she placed her hand on on his cheek.
"What're you.." using her thumb, she gingerly pulled his mouth open and leaned in.
Ban stood frozen until he felt something being placed in between his lips.
It was a still burning cigarette.
"If you guys ever want to visit again, come see me at my next show."
She winks at Ban, as she purposefully slides her hand away from his cheek.
Ban smirks as she walks away. "I'll be sure to take you up on that." He grasps the cigarette and gives himself a much needed drag.
"Ginger." He exhales, her name comes out a breathy whisper as she lifts her hand up to say goodbye.
"Trish. Call me Trish."