Shots of Brandy

Brandy exhaled deeply and leaned back against a tree. "We'll start looking for a new target after I relax a bit; it's been a long day." She made a grasping motion with one hand, then stared in confusion that slowly grew into horror when nothing happened. "What…? Where is it?!"

"Didn't Angela borrow your Game Boy before her scene? If she still had it when the Avatar killed her…"

Brandy stared at her hand for another moment before snarling in rage, turning, and slamming her fist into the tree she'd been leaning against.

"Uh, boss, last I knew, you didn't have any sort of enhanced toughness." Brandy, arm still extended and fist pressed against the tree, silently shook her head. "Did you gain it recently?" Still unmoving, Brandy shook her head again. "Didn't that hurt, then?" Brandy nodded, then gave a little whimper as she finally unfroze to cradle her injured hand.

"Damn it and damn her! The one thing I took any pleasure from, and she gets it deconstructed by the fucking Avatar of Light! If Angela were here, I'd—"

"Get your ass kicked in 0.24 seconds?" Brandy deflated with a sigh and nodded. "Come on, boss, look at the bright side—if you're going to lose a Game Boy, this is the place to be to get a replacement!"

"So many hours of progress lost," Brandy muttered as she shook her hand a few times and started walking into town.

oOo

The teenage boy walked down the sidewalk, head bowed and fingers tapping away as he focused on the screen of his Game Boy. This was it, after so many hours, he was at the final battle and ready to vanquish the game he'd poured so much time and energy into. As he walked around the corner, he took a moment to savor his upcoming triumph—and was promptly clotheslined into unconsciousness by a glowering girl in a raven t-shirt.

oOo

Brandy sighed in pleasure as she sat down with her back against the ventilation unit on the roof of the building and fiddled with her new Game Boy. "Erase save data … yes. Start new game… Charmander, duh…" After a half hour of playing, she turned off the device. "I guess starting over isn't the worst thing."

"Sure, boss. New beginnings and all. Feeling better now?"

"Yeah," she said as she made the Game Boy vanish with a flick of her wrist. "Guess we should get to work. This could take a while." Standing and stretching, she walked to the edge of the roof and dropped to the sidewalk.

"Watch it, you oaf!" a girl snapped in an aristocratic tone as she hopped back an instant before Brandy would have landed on her.

Brandy eyed the teenage girl before her, taking in her slender athletic build, dark hair worn in an off-center ponytail, and expensive designer clothes, before giving an unimpressed sniff. "Whatever."

"You dare speak to Kodachi the Black Rose in such a dismissive manner?" demanded the girl as a gymnastics ribbon appeared in her hand, "Allow me to show you your place."

"Ooh, the rich bitch wants to fight. Fine, but not on this sidewalk. Take us someplace with room."

"Very well. Keep up if you can!" cried Kodachi as she bounded down the street, a deranged laugh and black rose petals trailing in her wake.

"You sure this one is actually a human, boss?" the crow on Brandy's shirt asked uncertainly.

"Close enough," she replied with a roll of her eyes as she took off after the girl, following her to an empty lot a few blocks away. "Wow, you managed to find someplace suitable without spending any of daddy's money. I'm impressed."

"You haven't begun to be impressed," sneered Kodachi, as with a graceful twirl, she threw her designer outfit into the air, revealing a colorful gymnastics uniform beneath.

"Yeah, sure. So, why don't we make this actually interesting, rich girl, and say the loser gets to be the winner's servant for a week?"

"Yes, that would be perfect. A week should be just enough time to teach you some manners. And speaking of manners, even an uncultured wretch like you should know enough to give her name!"

"I assumed you'd just be calling me mistress," said Brandy, with a sniff before saying her name. "Shall we put the terms in writing to make sure there are no misunderstandings?

"I hardly think that will be necessary," sniffed Kodachi, casually producing a gymnastics club from somewhere.

"Fine, then allow me to show you the full power of a demon, arrogant mortal," growled Brandy with a feral grin as her eyes faintly glowed red.

"Then again, having the details in writing does tend to be prudent when dealing with the lower classes," Kodachi allowed as she put away her gymnastics club.

Brandy sighed, then stared as the other girl somehow produced a portable desk, several legal tomes, a stack of paper, and a typewriter from somewhere. When Kodachi put on a pair of reading glasses and opened one of the tomes, Brandy facepalmed with a groan.

oOo

"So, we're in agreement on the new wording of section twelve, item C, correct?" Kodachi confirmed, some twenty minutes later. "The winner is responsible for both the loser's health and wellbeing, and failing in either will trigger the penalty clause, so long as the harm is not a direct result of the loser's actions or self-neglect, keeping in mind that it is the winner's responsibility to make clear any hazards that would not be obvious to a visitor."

"Yes, yes already! I'll have to feed you and not let you get eaten by a rock troll or wander into a lava river if I don't want to end up as property. It was fine before this change!"

"On the contrary, this clarifies that the winner is still responsible for harm that comes from the loser's actions if not adequately informed of the risks."

"Fine! Are we done now?"

Kodachi took a moment to look over the document before nodding and giving it to the seething demon. "Just initial the bottom of each page, then put your name and signature on the final page."

Muttering, Brandy wrote on each page before dropping the papers back on the desk. Kodachi took a moment to straighten the stack before marking each page. When she reached the final page, she paused and frowned.

"Wait, you said your name is Brandy. This says Brân Du."

"That's how it's spelled. My name is Welsh, you barbarian."

Kodachi eyed the other girl suspiciously for a long moment before signing the paper and sending the desk and its contents back to wherever it came from. "Very well. Prepare yourself, demon!"

"About time," Brandy muttered as she pulled a pair of black fingerless gloves from a pocket and pulled them onto her hands. "Let's do this!" she exclaimed as she looked up and immediately took a gymnastics club to the side of the head.

oOo

"Hey, Velgri," Ranma asked as he walked over to where the lavender fox was sitting in front of the shougi board across from Soun, "do you have a minute?"

"Of course," she replied as one of her pieces floated into the air and moved to another space and she turned to fully face her charge, "what do you need?"

"So, I was thinking about that Light Speed thing I did yesterday. It's a great move, but it took way too much out of me; do you think I can get it to be less draining?"

"That's an excellent question," Velgri said as Soun stealthily attempted to move one of her pieces, only to find it rooted to its spot, "and the answer is yes and no. As a technique that was granted to you in a moment of great need, it is immutable; however, now that you know such a technique is possible, you can attempt to create your own version. The efficiency of your version will depend on your own skill and understanding of the powers of your station, and you will also be able to choose how much energy you focus into it at use. So, even if you create a version that is just as draining, you would be able to focus less energy to produce a lesser effect."

Ranma nodded, ignoring Soun's increasingly forceful efforts to move the shougi piece. "That makes sense. Any tips?"

"I recommend focusing on how the Avatar's power feels flowing through your body and aura and then thinking about how it felt to use Light Speed. Also, be aware that when you do develop your own version, a reduction in the amount of energy you use may not be directly proportional to the reduction in effect."

"Yeah, I know how that works. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Velgri replied, turning back to her game, whereupon Soun abruptly sprawled across the board,scattering most of the pieces. The one he'd been trying to move shot across the room and through one of the shoji panels.

"Ah… I'll just go work on that now," Ranma said in the awkward silence that followed. "Hey, Akane," he called as the named girl walked into the room, "want to help me develop an Avatar technique?"

"Really?! Of course!"

"Great, come on, we can change in the dojo."

"So, tell me about this technique," Akane eagerly asked as they walked into the yard.

"Right, well during the—" he started, only to cut off as the lithe figure of Kunou Kodachi, wearing a stylish dress, leapt over the wall surrounding the property to land gracefully before them.

"Oh, my dearest Ranma," she said, gracing him with an adoring smile, "I just had to come over and show you my latest acquisition."

"Hey, I'm here too!" exclaimed Akane.

Kodachi blinked and looked at the other girl as if only just noticing her presence. "Oh, so you are. My apologies. Begone," she said, making a dismissive gesture with her hand.

"Why, you! You can't talk to me like that in my own—"

"Kodachi," Ranma interrupted, deciding that the sooner the girl said her piece, the sooner she'd leave, "why are you here?"

"As I said, I acquired the most interesting…" she trailed off with a frown as she looked around the yard, then sharply snapped her fingers. For a moment, nothing happened, but then a girl in a maid uniform hopped over the property wall with the absolute least amount of effort possible and plodded over to them to slouch before Kodachi.

"You snapped, mistress?" Brandy droned, in a tone that managed to convey complete disinterest in her mistress, the very concept of snapping, and even the word "you".

"Years ago," offered Akane.

"Stand up straight!" demanded Kodachi. "Walk properly! And act more interested in what I say!"

"Of course, mistress," the other girl breathed worshipfully and stood up straight, eyes wide as she stared at Kodachi in rapt adoration.

Kodachi twitched briefly and drew in a breath, but before she could berate her maid, she was distracted by Akane's laughter. "You actually agreed to fight her for the privilege of having her be your servant? She tried that on me, but I was smart enough to turn her down."

"Of course, and with your skills, I don't blame you one bit."

"Listen here," growled Akane, "unlike you, I am fully capable of taking care of myself and don't need servants—"

"Akane," Kasumi called from the house, "I washed, pressed, and put away your clothes. Do you need anything else right now?"

"No, thank you, Kasumi…" Akane called back, blushing furiously.

"All right, I'll get started on dinner, then!"

"Well, I'll leave you to your self-sufficiency," Kodachi idly remarked, "as my own servant is clearly in need of additional training. Ranma dearest, I'll be back to show her off to you once she's up to acceptable standards."

With that, Kodachi bounded over the wall, laughing as she scattered black rose petals in her path. Ranma and Akane sighed at the trail of black petals, then turned to the maid who still stood before them. After several seconds of awkward silence, Kodachi's voice called from the other side of the wall, "Follow me, you idiot girl!"

oOo

Kodachi walked into homeroom, her new maid gracefully following two paces behind, and sat at her desk. As the other students stopped what they were doing and watched with interest, the maid took up a position slightly behind and to the right of the desk, standing attentively. When nothing more interesting occurred than Kodachi taking out a gymnastics magazine and leafing through it, conversation resumed.

After a few minutes, not looking up from her magazine, Kodachi held out a hand and commanded, "Tea." She took a sip from the steaming cup that was placed in her hand. "Two degrees too hot. Do better next time."

"My apologies, mistress."

"And move to the left slightly; you're casting a shadow on my magazine."

"Yes, mistress. Is this better?"

"More," Kodachi demanded, "are you incapable of seeing your own shadow?"

"Of course, mistress. Is your school bag packed to your satisfaction?"

"Hardly," Kodachi replied with a sniff as she studied a picture of a gymnast, "do you even know how to sort writing implements?"

"I will endeavor to do better. Are mistress's shoes polished sufficiently?"

"Barely," replied the mistress, not looking up from her magazine. "Put in more effort in the future."

"Yes, mistress. Is your uniform pressed to your satisfaction?"

"For certain definitions of satisfaction," the mistress idly replied while scanning a review of gymnastic hoops.

"I will strive to improve. Was the oral sex this morning adequate?"

"Almost passable," Kodachi answered disdainfully, pausing in turning a page at the room's abrupt fall into dead silence. As she mentally replayed her maid's question and her reply, her face flushed in embarrassment and rage. "Lying dog!" she cried as she leapt to her feet and backhanded her maid to the floor. "Did you think the Black Rose would tolerate such insolence?!" she demanded as she towered over the trembling form of the other girl.

"Of course not," chuckled Brandy, and it became clear her shaking was neither from fear nor pain. She raised her head, giving Kodachi a clear view of her bruised cheek, glowing golden eyes, and cruel smile. "Oh, but mistress, it seems you're in violation of section twelve, item C of our agreement."

As Kodachi paled and took a clumsy step back, her usual grace abandoning her, Brandy leapt to her feet and lunged forward, grabbing her mistress by the throat. Kodachi grasped at the demon's arm, trying to break free, but her strength fled like water, and her arms fell back to her sides.

Brandy leaned forward, her cheek against Kodachi's, and breathed in the other girl's ear, "I know you have plans for the day, mistress, but I really have to go home now—I have a new slave to break in."

And the two girls vanished from the classroom.