Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Kishikata no Eos ❯ Battle ( Chapter 5 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: dawningfire 
Wherein Breandon is almost kidnapped and Dawn nurses him
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.09.2004 | Updated On: 04.06.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.7K | Visits: 139 | Status: Completed
Wherein Breandon is almost kidnapped and Dawn nurses him
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Sci-fi / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 10.09.2004 | Updated On: 04.06.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.7K | Visits: 139 | Status: Completed
Kishikata no Eos
Chapter Five -- Battle
"Your father would not approve of this."
"And you will make sure that he doesn't know. Understood?"
"Yes, but still... this is highly unconventional, Lady Syrrene." Halle ventured a rare opinion as he followed the teenager into one of the least respectable gentleman's clubs in the area. Even her brothers didn't dare frequent this sty, despite appetites for disreputable and expendable women. She, on the other hand, breezed into the establishment without batting an eyelash and signalled to a buxom waitress.
"A private room, if you please. I'm waiting on several associates," Syrrene ordered coolly. The waitress eyed the fifteen year old with an expression caught between boredom and annoyance. "Is there a problem?"
"I think you'd best go home and play with your dolls," she replied. "We don't entertain children here."
Halle came up directly beside Syrrene, towering over the scantily-clad obstacle. "Did you not understand that the lady requires a private room?" He brandished a roll of currency and dropped it on her tray. "You understand this?"
"Of course."
"Then a room, and no further questions." He waited as she tucked the payment into a pocket and escorted them to a door near the stage. Syrrene breezed past him, sneering at the waitress as she entered. Halle followed, positioning himself in the doorway. Within the next ten minutes, a varied and well-armed assortment of persons assembled in the room, none venturing near the lithe blonde figure who regarded each of them coldly. Once the room had filled, she rose and scowled at the group.
"Most of you know that the Arronné family takes no threat lightly," she began, the trill in her speech emphasized as she raised her voice. "Myself included. I will not tolerate disrespect directed towards any member of my father's family, and I seek to make an example for others." A few heads nodded in agreement, while others shifted in their seats. "Of course, anyone seeking to aid the Arronné family will be paid handsomely for their effort. Let it be known that there are still those who appreciate such... prompt service."
Outside the room, ice melted in a glass as its owner eyed the girls on-stage, ears trained to the simpering alto that addressed the invitees. Another bounty... and relatively easy, considering the target. Untrained, unknown... the opportunity itself was delicious, and the payment would be more than sufficient. Knocking back the rest of the drink, the red-clad eavesdropper stumbled from table to door, bestowing a hungry look on the attending waitress. Outside, a hand nudged the switch of a communicator.
"Yeah, what?" The voice crackled back. "You coming back."
"I got a job for us. Good one, too. You'll like it."
"Who's it for?"
"Arronné family. Bounty. Someone pissed off the daughter, and she wants 'em for an example." Black hair streaked with red hid the communicator as the conversation continued. "You wanna try this one?"
"Can't afford not to," came the reply. "Don't do anything stupid, though." A pause, then a harsh question..."They /do/ plan to pay for the job, right?"
"She acted like it."
"Oh, c'mon. Fuckin' Pavori, they'll promise three times the bounty and then pay ya half if you're lucky. I'm not gonna put up with that shit."
"So we hold 'em, and the family pays the ransom. Someone's gonna want this target, you know that." A fierce smile accompanied the next comment. "I might even want him... he's legend, you know that?"
"Yeah, I've heard," she answered idly. "If he's important enough, Serenity might even pay us." The captain mused for a second, her fingers tracing the rim of a heavily laced daiquiri. "Yeah, what the hell. Get back here, and we'll talk. Like I said, we need the money."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A week had passed, and Serenity still delighted in the events that had taken place at the Arronné dinner. Rather than be upset upon Dawn's return at well past two in the morning, she had embraced the girl tightly and proclaimed her the best decision that Pluto had ever made. Even Rini begrudgingly admitted that the display in the courtyard had done wonders for her mother's arguments against the Pavori. The next morning, Serenity had coolly dismissed any other attempts at diplomacy on Arrturo's part, saying instead that she would be remiss to subject her family to such a hostile environment. Less than a day after arriving, they had returned to the palace with all three Imperials in high spirits.
The same could hardly be said for Dawn. Unable to sleep, guilt-plagued insomnia kept her pacing in her quarters, or sulking in bubble baths, or staring at an empty page of her thermodynamics notebook in a futile attempt to script an adequate apology. After three days, Rini had broken down and hauled Dawn out into the rose garden for a pointed conversation.
"All right, what's going on?" Hands on hips, she frowned at Dawn's black-clad figure. "You've been acting oddly since we left Pavori space."
Dawn shrugged, indifference on her face. "I don't know," she lied. "I guess I'm just wondering if what I did in the courtyard was really the right thing to do."
Rini scowled. "That," she began, "is the sorriest attempt at an excuse that I have ever seen. You're a horrible liar, Dawn. Seriously, what's wrong?"
The knot in her stomach tightened, having remained there since the fight she'd picked with Breandon. On the way home, Dawn had decided to blame herself entirely for the altercation, as she was the one with the problem, the one unable to vocalize anything without coating it with sarcasm and presenting it in an entirely controversial manner. "Nothing. I'm just homesick," she tried again.
It worked. Rini's expression softened as she slid next to Dawn on the concrete bench. "Is that it? I mean, it's kind of different here, I guess..."
"It's very different. More than you realize."
She brought up a hand to pat Dawn's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do? I mean, maybe I could see if Sailor Venus could come around for a few hours tomorrow, she knows you, you know her..."
Dawn lifted her head and smiled at Rini. "It's just not the same, but thanks anyway. Besides, this sort of thing always goes away with time. You know that, you probably went through the same thing."
"But I was younger, and Pu was around a lot more, and no one expected as much of me as they do of you."
"I suppose."
Rini hopped up, extending a hand to Dawn. "C'mon. Let's get out of here... we could head over to Greynn's for a bite to eat, just to get away for a bit..."
"No, that's okay," she blurted out. "I'll be fine here, honestly. Besides, isn't there somewhere you need to be today? Some luncheon on one of the larger Navy ships for morale or something..."
"Dawn, exactly what happened with Breandon after you left with him?"
All colour drained out of Dawn's face at the mention of his name, her mouth going dry as she made the futile attempt to avoid any further questioning. She swallowed hard... there was no getting out of this, as she was effectively cornered by hedges and couldn't really deny having been in his company as everyone had seen him escort her home. And the truth... the truth would get her into so much trouble, she'd never be let out of the palace again, and she couldn't imagine what Pluto might do to him if she found out about what really happened in that living room...
"Dawn?"
"Um, well..." She fought to concoct a severely edited summary of the evening. "We talked... he was awfully flattering, I think he likes my hair or something... he showed me the rest of the sketches in his notebook... Syrrene came in, we scared her out of there..."
"Mom loved that, by the way," Rini noted. "You now have a reputation among the Pavori bodyguards as a whip-wielding dominatrix."
"Wonderful. I always wanted to be known in a far-off system as Mistress Dawn."
"Well, you got your wish." Rini sighed, playing with the ends of her pigtails. "And one other thing... be honest with me on this one... you and he... I mean, you didn't..."
"Didn't what?" For once, Dawn levelled a gaze at the Princess that was cold and analytical. "Become another conquest of his, another one of the many women who've had the assumed pleasure of sharing his bed?"
"Yes... and from the way you just said that, I'm going to assume no." She backed up a few paces, deciding that she'd best give the Guardian her space.
She rose, dusting the back of her trousers off. "You assume correctly. I'm not that foolish." She pulled the barrette from her hair, allowing the dark auburn strands to fall about her face. "He walked me back, and that was it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Because if you did sleep with him, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Rini ventured helpfully. "No one's going to blame you for -"
Dawn whirled on her, furious. "I didn't sleep with him! I don't WANT to sleep with him, contrary to the desires of the rest of this century's female population. That's not my priority with him, or any guy, for that matter!" She smacked her palm against the brick of the garden wall. "I'd like to think I have some standards... no way to exercise them at this point in time, but still..."
Rini put both hands out in front of her to shield her from Dawn's rage. "Fine, fine. Nothing happened, and I believe you. Geez, calm down. You're awfully cranky."
"Insomnia. Like I said, homesick," she muttered, rubbing her now-scraped hand. It stung, but such things were secondary. "Mind if we go inside?"
"Why don't you just take the rest of the day off?" Rini brushed past her on the way back to the palace. "I don't really feel like going anywhere, and you need time to unwind."
"But I'm fine, I..."
"You're tired, you're annoyed at something, and you're not telling me what it is. Rather than hang around each other, I'll go watch a movie and you can... do something," she finished. "If you're not going to talk to me, then go find some way to get that out of your system. It's not healthy."
"And how would you know?"
"Experience. Too much experience," replied Rini, her thoughts turning to a certain Prince of Jupiter. "Just... I dunno, do something. Come back when you're happier."
Dawn's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "You want to get rid of me?"
"I don't want to deal with you in this state," she answered. "Now, go on... and don't come back until you're in a better mood."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"That's the fifth one you've had in the past two hours. Don't you think you should take it easy?" Vince frowned with concern as Dawn wrapped her hands about the glass.
"It's Diet Coke, doll," she said, forcing a laugh. "And I'm used to massive amounts of caffeine."
"All right, just trying to watch out for you." He wiped the counter, eyeing her as she took a long pull on the straw. "And again, why purple?"
She pulled a strand of dyed hair out in front of her and frowned. "Because anything lighter would have meant bleach, and I just wanted a one-night commitment of colour." Letting the strands fall, she sighed heavily. "Not to be horribly paranoid, but you're not gonna say a word of any of this to Theo or Pluto or anyone else, right?"
"What's said here, stays here." Vince gave her a reassuring wink and threw the towel over his shoulder. "Lemme ask you one question, though."
"Sure." She watched the ice chase the lemon wedge in her glass as she stirred.
He leaned over, his voice low. "What were you so afraid of?"
Dawn bit her lower lip, closing her eyes to concentrate on the words she wanted to say. "Of... of letting myself get into something... something that would require me to open up on such a deeply intimate emotional level."
He nodded slowly. "Pardon my asking, but what about the physical level?"
"If you're asking whether I'm scared of the actual act of sex, no. That's not an issue."
Had she not been so incredibly serious, Vince would have laughed at the clinical delivery of her reply. "So, it's not a physical thing?"
"Nah. All in my head," she answered morosely.
"There's nothing wrong with that," he offered gently, leaning on the counter. "That's who you are."
"And it's absolutely maddening," she replied with a rueful laugh. Sitting up, Dawn stretched both hands above her head and yawned. "How long have I..." She trailed off as a familiar figure entered the bar, waving to Vince. "Oh, no... I'm not here, remember!" she hissed to the bartender as she pulled the collar of her black leather jacket up to hide her face.
Vince rolled his eyes, but obliged by stepping away from her before waving. "Kieran! 'Sup?"
"Seen Breandon? He's supposed to meet me for cards like usual, but he's late." Kieran stopped at the bar, unknowingly towering over Dawn's hunched-over figure.
Vince checked the clock above the door. "You're not on time, either," he pointed out.
"But I'm here first, and that's what would matter, right?" Leaning on the counter, he now noticed someone intently interested in her drink hiding behind a curtain of purple hair. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there."
/Good. That was the plan/. "S'all right," mumbled Dawn.
Despite the words being directed to the drink, he recognized her voice. "Dawn? Wow, didn't recognize you. You did something to your hair, didn't you? Something's different."
"I dyed it," she answered, still keeping her head down.
"That's it!" He nodded to Vince. "Did you notice? With the light in here, I guess it's kind of hard to tell." Vince hid a smile behind a hand while Kieran rambled on. "It kind of looks like grape juice, come to think of it."
"Thanks." At this point, she'd have traded anything for the ability to be completely invisible. "Didn't you say that you were meeting someone?"
"Yeah, Breandon. We're playing cards tonight. Are you still mad at him for what he did?" He managed to slide into the seat next to her. "You really shouldn't worry too much, especially with that kiss thing, because that's just how he..."
"Hey, Breandon!" Vince's voice boomed across Greynn's as the door opened and shut again. "You're late!"
"Hazard of the profession, my man, hazard of the profession."
Dawn slouched even lower in her seat, ready to pull the jacket over her head if she had to. Vince saw this, and ruffled her hair with a fuzzy black paw. "So you claim. Kieran beat you here... I think that means you're buying, doesn't it?"
Breandon eyed the tall, lanky figure of Kieran. "Only if he promises not to make me carry him out of here again."
Kieran gave a wide, toothy grin. "Sure, sure. No carrying."
"Then it's settled. What can I get you?"
Breandon came and leaned his elbows on the bar. "Do you have anything new and potent? I'm in need of a new vice."
Eyes wide behind her hair, Dawn stared at the glass inches from her face. /Please don't let him see me, don't let him notice me, just get him something and don't make me have to talk to him.../
"New and potent? Actually..." He pulled out a bottle of mandarin-flavoured vodka. "Care for citrus? I might have something you'd like."
"As long as it's strong, I don't care what it tastes like."
Vince flicked a glance at Dawn, then looked at Breandon. "You okay, man?"
"Don't ask."
"Sure?" Three shots of vodka plus the same amount of Kahlua were poured into a glass and poured between another, then over a third glass half filled with ice.
Breandon essayed a half-smile. "You know me, the eternal yo-yo. It'll pass."
"If you say so." Adding cream to the mixture and stirring slightly, Vince set the glass to Breandon's left. Dawn swallowed hard as the /clink/ came a bit too close for her comfort. She tried her best to turn away making as little noise as she could.
Breandon took a sip. He made a face redolent of a wine connoisseur, took another sip, and sighed with pleasure. "This will give a man forgetfulness. My gratitude, Vince."
"Any time." He wiped the counter, then frowned. "Seriously, you okay? If this is about a dress, then I gave you two shots too many."
"Hey!" Breandon exclaimed as Kieran appropriated the glass right out of his hands. Shrugging philosophically, he replied, "It's not about a dress this time."
Guilt gnawed at Dawn as she surreptitiously peered through her hair. Meanwhile, Vince set about to making a second drink while continuing the innocent inquiry. "No dress? Then what?"
"Hey, this is good!" Kieran exclaimed.
"Dammit, Kier, give that back! That's MY oblivion. Get your own." Clutching the drink, Breandon cleared his throat. "It's a girl, Vince. I know, I know, it's always either a dress or a girl, but this time is different."
/Oh, we get to hear THIS again. Wonderful./ Eyes back on her glass, she sipped the drink quietly and wondered what Vince was trying to do.
"A girl, but different," he paraphrased, sliding a less deadly version of the drink towards Kieran. "Sounds horribly melodramatic, man," he quipped. "I mean, girls are all the same, for the most part. A few details here and there, but overall..."
"Eh, I guess you're right," he said, but doubtfully, "but you know me -- melodrama's my life."
Beside him, Kieran gleefully clutched his own drink. "Hey, Bren, did you know that girl from last time is here, too?" He pointed to Dawn, attempting to hide herself behind her glass and a leather jacket.
/He didn't... he did... and any chance I might have had for an apology is so screwed, it's not even funny. /Vince cringed as Dawn lifted her head, the most plaintive of expressions on her face as she regarded Kieran and his drink. She swallowed hard and turned around, the charade painfully over.
Breandon turned, slowly, hoping Kieran was, just once, just this one particular time, wrong, when Kieran was never wrong; he'd never known Kieran to be wrong in all the years they'd known each other, but maybe once, possibly, with luck, just this once ... no. It /was/ Dawn. "What did you do to your hair?" he blurted out.
She stared at him in shock, his reaction certainly not what she'd expected. "I dyed it..." she ventured cautiously.
He got up and came behind her, lifting the purple strands with gentle fingers. "I hope it washes out." Beside them, Vince quickly engaged Kieran in a lively discussion on mixing drinks, something the two had in common; it was about the only way he could give Dawn and Breandon any privacy.
Dawn sacrificed the rest of her drink to prove that the dye was indeed water-soluble; after a few seconds, one of the pieces that grazed her chin was a damp mahogany while her soda turned a sick shade of indigo. "It does... I was going to wash it out before I went to sleep." She pushed herself off of the stool, sticking her hands in the pockets of her jeans as she faced Breandon. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop... I'll leave you to your cards and stuff..."
"Don't leave on our account," he said quietly, "you've just as much right be here as we do. And as I told you, I don't keep any secrets. You overheard nothing I would not tell you to your face." His gaze was level and steady, looking up at her.
Dawn looked down, unable to meet him eye to eye. Suddenly, any kind of apology seemed hopelessly trite. "I remember," she answered softly after a long pause.
Breandon's shoulders slumped. /She still needs time/. Pulling the deck of cards out of his pocket, he returned to his friend and his drink.
Dawn lifted her head with the apology caught in her throat just as he returned to Kieran. Berating herself for the sheer inability to string a few words together, she retreated to the pool tables after getting a sixth Diet Coke from Vince. It took her forever to set up and chalk the cue, her attention far from the game at hand.
Usually, it would be considered fortunate for the four that few other than those associated with the Palace came here. But this, it seemed, was a night for change. The snap of billiard balls drowned out the slap and shuffle of cards -- both of which were overridden by the sound of the door slamming open roughly. This, in and of itself, might not have been uncommon either -- the junior ranks were known to become rowdy at night. But the men and women who entered Greynn's were no junior ranks. No Lunars, at all.
Vince dived under the bar, slapping a button on the way down.
"He's learned," the blue-skinned woman mused to herself as she shouldered the plasma rifle and levelled it at the crowd. "Delightful." Firing off several rounds that sent the majority of the patrons diving to the floor or reaching for their own firearms.
"Kali, you've got thirty seconds to get out," Vince yelled from his spot next to the sink. "Less, if someone here decides to fire on you."
She grinned ferociously at the massive stand-off that had formed, with laser guides criss-crossing the room and showing the positions of numerous plain-clothes LISA agents. "So? I just want that one there." A bright blue circle formed on Breandon's chest before gravitating to the space between his eyes. "Dead or alive, although I get more if he's alive." She extended a hand and motioned for him to rise. "Now, c'mere before I have to make this more complicated than it is."
Breandon himself was completely stunned. "You want ... me?" His peridot-green eyes crossed as he tried to look at the target mark on his forehead.
"Well, we can discuss what I want later," Kali answered with a sultry step towards him. "At the moment, there's someone who wants to see you, and I'll be paid handsomely to help out. Very simple, really."
With a flash of his usual charm, he grinned ingratiatingly at her. "Thank you, but I've pressing engagements here that I simply can't cancel. I'm so sorry, but I really must decline the invitation."
A small laser knife shot, end over end, across the room. Kieran looked slightly abashed when Kali turned her glare on him.
"Did you have something you wanted to say?" She stormed over to him, pressing the barrel of the rifle under his chin. "Go on, I'm more than happy to listen."
Kieran grinned like a shaggy, happy dog. "Bren's my friend. I can't let you take him out of here without a fight." He held up one big hand, and interlaced between the fingers were objects that could only be explosives. Breandon sighed.
A shrill laugh filled the hushed room as Kali's red eyes danced with mischief. "I like you," she proclaimed, not moving the rifle. "Those are really quite adorable. If you live through this, and you need a job, I'm sure we could work something out."
Dawn pushed herself to a crouched position next to the pool table. She quickly counted the crew that had followed the leader in... /fourteen/. All with rifles, and all with impressive armour... this wasn't looking good. But still... whispering her henshin phrase, lavender mist surrounded her form, and drew attention to her corner of the bar.
"Oh, gods, no," Breandon groaned under his breath, "don't let her do this ... I don't want her hurt." Before he had really had time to complete the thought, he was stepping forward, shoving Kieran's hand down, laying a hand on Kali's rifle. "I'll come. Just don't hurt anyone else. Don't hurt her."
Kali slammed the side of Breandon's head with the butt of the rifle before beginning a slow walk towards the pool table. Nothing annoyed her more than a target who just gave in like that... it took all of the fun out of the hunt. "Who's there? One of you Senshi who wants to pick a fight?" Kali's blue sphere lit up the patch of skin on Dawn's top, prompting her to look down, then up with a bemused grin. Flexing her palm and willing an orchid sphere of light the size of a lemon in her hand, Dawn held it out to the bounty hunter with a childlike grin.
"I'm game," she said in an all-too-friendly manner. "Wanna play?"
Kali's jaw dropped as the Guardian's figure came into view. She still bore a spectacular scar from a few years back, courtesy of the same incident that had prompted Greynn's first renovation. "Aw, shit. I'm not playing THIS game again," she muttered. Dropping the rifle and putting both hands in the air, she beamed at the rest of the group. "Well now, that just changes everything. How about we talk about getting together sometime later... my people can call your people... we'll do lunch... I'll buy the first round..." She faltered as Dawn casually tossed the sphere from one hand to the other.
"You've got to the count of three. One... two..."
Backing up, Kali turned tail and bolted out the door, leaving the rest of her group to fall prey to two dozen very pissed off LISA agents. Dawn let the sphere melt back into her hand before returning to the jeans and white tank top she wore. Slinging the jacket over her shoulder, she turned her attention to Kali's former target. Vince cleared the bar in one jump, meeting Dawn at the booth where Breandon lay unconscious, slumped over the table.
"What possessed you to bring explosives in here, Kieran?" Vince demanded as he shook Breandon's shoulder lightly.
Kieran looked guilty and stuck his hands behind his back. "They were just in my pockets ... " To be sure, Kieran's lab coat, black or no, always did seem to be weighed down.
"Well, could you check your toys at the door next time?" Vince let out an exasperated sigh. Brilliant guy, to be sure, but clueless in the real world... "He's not walking any time soon," he noted. "Wanna get him into the back room? We've got a cot back there, and that bruise is gonna be nasty without some ice."
"I'll get that," Dawn volunteered immediately, racing behind the bar and filling a towel with ice cubes.
Kieran squatted down and lifted his short friend in his arms, surprisingly delicate. Breandon's mahogany ponytail, untended, hung nearly to the floor. Kieran bore the designer to the indicated back room, laying him out on the cot with a mother's care.
Dawn hurried into the back room with the ice and a damp rag, kneeling next to the cot. Gently, she wiped the edges of the bruise where the skin had broken. Vince stood back, arms folded across his chest in silent observation while the LISA agents finished their own clean-up in the main room.
Kieran hovered, blocking the light and generally getting in the way. "He's gonna be all right, right? Right?"
"Yeah, once he wakes up," she answered, now holding the ice to his cheek. "The bruise shouldn't last for more than a week or two." She cleared the hair from around his face with a light touch and began patting the other side of his face softly while calling his name. "Breandon? Hey, Breandon? C'mon, time to wake up, doll."
His eyelids fluttered. "Ow," he moaned, "Holy Mother of Serenity, what'd you do to me, you blue bitch?" Then his eyes shot open and met Dawn's, and his pallor vanished in a rush of dull red. "Um, oops?"
Delight and relief evident in her smile, Dawn beamed at her patient while keeping her hand on his cheek. "She's gone. I think I scared her off..."
"What you are scared her off," Vince corrected. "She's crazy, but not stupid enough to threaten a Guardian twice."
"How convenient," Dawn answered, eyes still fixed on Breandon. "How do you feel?"
"Like someone used me to hit the biggest gong in existence." He closed his eyes again. "What happened to the rest of them?"
Vince checked over his shoulder. "They've contributed a handsome plasma rifle collection to the LISA reserves, and are currently being taken to the detention centre for questioning." He motioned to Kieran. "C'mon, you get the cards picked up, and I'll start on the bar. Drink's on me."
Casting a very purple glance backward, Kieran obediently followed Vince out of the room, actually remembering to shut the door. Breandon sighed. "Now what was that all about anyway?"
"That girl? I dunno," she answered. "Sounded like she was trying to collect you for someone else." She lifted the compress to check the bruise, then replaced it. "Her running off on my account was just dumb luck."
"My luck, certainly. Ow ... that's going to leave a mark. I wonder if I can take it out of her hide, later?"
"She doesn't seem the duelling type, doll."
He cracked an eye briefly. "Why are you calling me that, and why is it you in here and not Kier? I thought you despised me and my playboy ways."
"It's one syllable, and Kieran's got his pockets full of dynamite." She concentrated on dabbing the edge of the bruise where it had bled slightly. "And I don't despise you, I just don't understand why you do what you do."
"Kieran ALWAYS has his pockets full of dynamite. He's the epitome of the mad scientist. It's never hindered him before. Although I imagine a careless match would leave him with an interesting new hairdo." Breandon avoided the topic of himself, severely confused by Dawn's behaviour.
"Speaking of hair," Dawn said as she sat back on her heels. "Purple bothered you that much?"
"It --ow," he grimaced, "it didn't suit you at all."
"Take it easy," she cautioned, replacing the ice on his face. "Well, like I said, it washes out. It'll be back to the usual colour by tomorrow morning." Taking his hand, she had him hold the compress. "Keep that there, I'm going to see if there's some antiseptic or a first aid kit around this place."
"Yes ma'am," he sighed.
"Don't call me 'ma'am,' I'm not old enough," she replied absently as she opened a cabinet.
"It's a simple term of courtesy."
"You don't have to be that formal with me." A white box lay on the top shelf. Dawn stretched up to reach it, fingers brushing the plastic surface. "In fact, it's kinda awkward... I mean, it's enough to deal with the guards at the palace saluting when I walk through the hallways to get a snack." She jumped, snatching the box from the ledge. "Got it," she exclaimed proudly.
Breandon gently felt over the bruise with his fingertips. "It doesn't occur to you that maybe I want to."
"Why?" She sat cross-legged on the floor, rifling through the box contents for something Neosporin-like. It kept her from having to look at him... her stomach had started the familiar knotting again, and it was driving her nuts.
"I consider it the better part of valour to be polite to you," he said stiffly.
Dawn stopped her charade, shoulders slumping forward as a long rush of air escaped her lips. Now the muscle tension had started to work its way up her back and into her ribcage. "Not to change the subject or anything, but I apologize for picking a fight with you that night... and for calling you a liar," she added, her head still bowed. "And for not being more grateful for the dress... and -"
Enough," he cut her off. He winced. "I hold none of it against you. I was a fool, and wrong."
"How were you a fool?" Perplexed, she finally managed to look at him.
"I believed my undeniable charm would be enough to win your heart."
Dawn's expression softened as her eyes filled with tears. Setting the first aid kit aside, she slid over to the cot and gently took Breandon's hand in hers. "You're not a fool. Far from it," she whispered, pressing his hand to her cheek.
He squeezed her hand, head aching far too much to take advantage of the moment -- even if he'd been inclined to. This was definitely a situation out of his parlance. "Don't cry."
"Oh, this?" She sniffled as tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "It'll pass." She wiped her eyes on a corner of her shirt and attempted to smile. Fumbling for the box of bandages and assorted goodies, she pulled it over to her. "Now, about that bruise," she began.
"Never mind the damned bruise," he grumbled, "I want to know why you were trying to hide."
"Because..." Her fingers closed about something that looked like antiseptic. "Because... because I was a bitch and I needed to talk to someone, and I didn't know if you were going to be here, and I didn't want you to know I was here, because I hadn't figured out a good way to apologize for what I did and said." Another sigh, and she lifted her head. "If that makes any sense, of course."
"Oh." He held still and silent, then, while she smeared sticky antiseptic over the edges of the bruise. A gasp of relief escaped him when the painkilling effect activated. "I will ever be thankful to Lady Mercury for this stuff," he muttered, and sat up.
"Better?" She capped the tube and tossed it back amongst the bandages, sitting back on her heels.
"Much. I thank you, fair lady." He smiled.
"You're welcome, doll."
He arched an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I think you should find a new nickname, imp."
"Imp?" She laughed merrily as she got to her feet. "I could say the same thing to you."
"You are an imp. You bedevil me every chance you get." He let his hands hang down between his knees and looked up at her through his own eyelashes.
"I do?"
"Stop being obtuse."
Dawn beamed as she took a seat next to him. "Okay, perhaps I do. It's not completely intentional, though."
"I believe I will choose to disbelieve that. Surely no woman could be as alluring, as daring and beautiful as you without some intent." He looked at her sideways.
She had no response to that, other than to duck her head and blush. Again with the compliments... "Are you enjoying yourself?" she said from behind her hair, face reddening despite every attempt to keep her complexion to its usual pale shade.
"I do, in fact, enjoy paying compliments to beautiful women," he admitted. "Stop that, or I shall have to kiss you."
"Beautiful?" She placed a hand on the back of her neck... even /that/ was warm. "If you say so... and stop what?"
He brushed a wing of hair away from her face. "Hiding behind your hair. And I do say so. Often. To as many people as will listen to me."
She opened her mouth to protest, and he swooped in to kiss her squarely on the mouth, silencing her. "You talk too much," he murmured against her lips.
/Yeah, I talk too much/, she thought happily. /Shut up, Dawn./
"Look, I just want to talk to the guy and make sure he's okay, Vince." Theo growled at the bartender who had put himself between his boss and the door.
"He's fine," Vince hurried. "Roughed up, but we're taking care of him."
Theo walked towards the office, all seven feet of him frowning down at Vince. "We just had a major breach at the spaceport, which turned out to be a distraction for this little operation. Three shuttles have been reduced to metal and melted polymers, and I have a very pissed off admiral on my case, not to mention a pregnant wife who's hooked up to monitors over at the hospital and who's trying to tell me that she should be allowed to walk around. I DON'T need this, Vince. MOVE!"
Meekly, Vince obliged and stepped aside. As Theo opened the door to the office, a surprised sound somewhere between a purr and a growl escaped his throat.
Unhurriedly, Breandon completed the kiss with a flourish and released Dawn. He grinned up at Theo, eyes glinting with a joyous light. "A good evening to you, grand sir!"
"H-hey, Theo." Dawn smiled weakly. "Guess you heard about Kali, huh?" He frowned down at her, and Dawn immediately thought of her own father. That was a face Jack Connolly would have made in this very situation. "Yeah, I bet you did."
"Good evening," he said, ignoring Dawn. "Mind telling me what happened to you?"
"The lady -- Kali? -- apparently took a liking to my pretty face and wished to carry me off, but, it would seem she also heard of my prowess at fighting and deemed it necessary to bring along a group of toughs to subdue me." Breandon touched the bruise. "She smacked a laser rifle into my head when I attempted to surrender."
"And you were involved how?" His attention turned to Dawn, whose hands were folded demurely in her lap.
"I was here playing pool..."
"Why am I not surprised," muttered the Isbanni.
"... and I thought that I could maybe help, so I transformed and, um, challenged her." Dawn's face lit up at the memory. "She ran off when I suggested we play."
Theo grumbled, muttering something about an uncanny likeness before clearing his throat. "And you were back here taking care of him, I suppose? 'Tending to his injuries,' as it were?"
"All right, back off, Captain," Breandon suggested, "I think that's enough sarcasm." He touched Dawn's hand. "She was indeed instrumental in bringing me around and possesses quite competent nursing skills."
"Commander, actually," Theo corrected absently. "And I don't doubt her skills, but at the same time..." He ran a hand over the braided queue that hung over his shoulder. "If you're feeling better, you might think about taking this some place else," he suggested delicately. "For her sake moreso than yours."
Breandon sighed. "I appreciate your concern, but I doubt it will be a problem for much longer ... " He shoved himself up from the cot, swayed for a second, then ran a hand through his hair, sweeping the tie out of the long ponytail. "I believe I shall return to my home now, if you please."
"Go with him," Theo nodded at Dawn, whose jaw dropped in amazement. "He's not in any shape to go anywhere by himself." He reached over and ruffled her hair in the same fashion as Vince had done earlier. "And wash that out, it looks horrid."
"Sure," she stammered. "Sure, I can do that..."
"Good." He winked at Dawn before turning for the door. "Take the back door... the front's swarming with agents." He slipped out, yelling to Vince about cleaning up the bar and running out of mandarin vodka again.
Vaguely irritated, Breandon stared after Theo. "I am completely competent to go anywhere I like on my own."
Dawn just shook her head.
"Very well then, let us be off, my lady." He marched unsteadily to the back door.
Dawn caught his arm, opening the door before he could reach it. "Take it easy," she warned. "You just got smacked in the face... and I wouldn't be surprised if you're two steps from a minor concussion."
"Ah, fine, fine, I defer to your expertise."
Chapter Five -- Battle
"Your father would not approve of this."
"And you will make sure that he doesn't know. Understood?"
"Yes, but still... this is highly unconventional, Lady Syrrene." Halle ventured a rare opinion as he followed the teenager into one of the least respectable gentleman's clubs in the area. Even her brothers didn't dare frequent this sty, despite appetites for disreputable and expendable women. She, on the other hand, breezed into the establishment without batting an eyelash and signalled to a buxom waitress.
"A private room, if you please. I'm waiting on several associates," Syrrene ordered coolly. The waitress eyed the fifteen year old with an expression caught between boredom and annoyance. "Is there a problem?"
"I think you'd best go home and play with your dolls," she replied. "We don't entertain children here."
Halle came up directly beside Syrrene, towering over the scantily-clad obstacle. "Did you not understand that the lady requires a private room?" He brandished a roll of currency and dropped it on her tray. "You understand this?"
"Of course."
"Then a room, and no further questions." He waited as she tucked the payment into a pocket and escorted them to a door near the stage. Syrrene breezed past him, sneering at the waitress as she entered. Halle followed, positioning himself in the doorway. Within the next ten minutes, a varied and well-armed assortment of persons assembled in the room, none venturing near the lithe blonde figure who regarded each of them coldly. Once the room had filled, she rose and scowled at the group.
"Most of you know that the Arronné family takes no threat lightly," she began, the trill in her speech emphasized as she raised her voice. "Myself included. I will not tolerate disrespect directed towards any member of my father's family, and I seek to make an example for others." A few heads nodded in agreement, while others shifted in their seats. "Of course, anyone seeking to aid the Arronné family will be paid handsomely for their effort. Let it be known that there are still those who appreciate such... prompt service."
Outside the room, ice melted in a glass as its owner eyed the girls on-stage, ears trained to the simpering alto that addressed the invitees. Another bounty... and relatively easy, considering the target. Untrained, unknown... the opportunity itself was delicious, and the payment would be more than sufficient. Knocking back the rest of the drink, the red-clad eavesdropper stumbled from table to door, bestowing a hungry look on the attending waitress. Outside, a hand nudged the switch of a communicator.
"Yeah, what?" The voice crackled back. "You coming back."
"I got a job for us. Good one, too. You'll like it."
"Who's it for?"
"Arronné family. Bounty. Someone pissed off the daughter, and she wants 'em for an example." Black hair streaked with red hid the communicator as the conversation continued. "You wanna try this one?"
"Can't afford not to," came the reply. "Don't do anything stupid, though." A pause, then a harsh question..."They /do/ plan to pay for the job, right?"
"She acted like it."
"Oh, c'mon. Fuckin' Pavori, they'll promise three times the bounty and then pay ya half if you're lucky. I'm not gonna put up with that shit."
"So we hold 'em, and the family pays the ransom. Someone's gonna want this target, you know that." A fierce smile accompanied the next comment. "I might even want him... he's legend, you know that?"
"Yeah, I've heard," she answered idly. "If he's important enough, Serenity might even pay us." The captain mused for a second, her fingers tracing the rim of a heavily laced daiquiri. "Yeah, what the hell. Get back here, and we'll talk. Like I said, we need the money."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A week had passed, and Serenity still delighted in the events that had taken place at the Arronné dinner. Rather than be upset upon Dawn's return at well past two in the morning, she had embraced the girl tightly and proclaimed her the best decision that Pluto had ever made. Even Rini begrudgingly admitted that the display in the courtyard had done wonders for her mother's arguments against the Pavori. The next morning, Serenity had coolly dismissed any other attempts at diplomacy on Arrturo's part, saying instead that she would be remiss to subject her family to such a hostile environment. Less than a day after arriving, they had returned to the palace with all three Imperials in high spirits.
The same could hardly be said for Dawn. Unable to sleep, guilt-plagued insomnia kept her pacing in her quarters, or sulking in bubble baths, or staring at an empty page of her thermodynamics notebook in a futile attempt to script an adequate apology. After three days, Rini had broken down and hauled Dawn out into the rose garden for a pointed conversation.
"All right, what's going on?" Hands on hips, she frowned at Dawn's black-clad figure. "You've been acting oddly since we left Pavori space."
Dawn shrugged, indifference on her face. "I don't know," she lied. "I guess I'm just wondering if what I did in the courtyard was really the right thing to do."
Rini scowled. "That," she began, "is the sorriest attempt at an excuse that I have ever seen. You're a horrible liar, Dawn. Seriously, what's wrong?"
The knot in her stomach tightened, having remained there since the fight she'd picked with Breandon. On the way home, Dawn had decided to blame herself entirely for the altercation, as she was the one with the problem, the one unable to vocalize anything without coating it with sarcasm and presenting it in an entirely controversial manner. "Nothing. I'm just homesick," she tried again.
It worked. Rini's expression softened as she slid next to Dawn on the concrete bench. "Is that it? I mean, it's kind of different here, I guess..."
"It's very different. More than you realize."
She brought up a hand to pat Dawn's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do? I mean, maybe I could see if Sailor Venus could come around for a few hours tomorrow, she knows you, you know her..."
Dawn lifted her head and smiled at Rini. "It's just not the same, but thanks anyway. Besides, this sort of thing always goes away with time. You know that, you probably went through the same thing."
"But I was younger, and Pu was around a lot more, and no one expected as much of me as they do of you."
"I suppose."
Rini hopped up, extending a hand to Dawn. "C'mon. Let's get out of here... we could head over to Greynn's for a bite to eat, just to get away for a bit..."
"No, that's okay," she blurted out. "I'll be fine here, honestly. Besides, isn't there somewhere you need to be today? Some luncheon on one of the larger Navy ships for morale or something..."
"Dawn, exactly what happened with Breandon after you left with him?"
All colour drained out of Dawn's face at the mention of his name, her mouth going dry as she made the futile attempt to avoid any further questioning. She swallowed hard... there was no getting out of this, as she was effectively cornered by hedges and couldn't really deny having been in his company as everyone had seen him escort her home. And the truth... the truth would get her into so much trouble, she'd never be let out of the palace again, and she couldn't imagine what Pluto might do to him if she found out about what really happened in that living room...
"Dawn?"
"Um, well..." She fought to concoct a severely edited summary of the evening. "We talked... he was awfully flattering, I think he likes my hair or something... he showed me the rest of the sketches in his notebook... Syrrene came in, we scared her out of there..."
"Mom loved that, by the way," Rini noted. "You now have a reputation among the Pavori bodyguards as a whip-wielding dominatrix."
"Wonderful. I always wanted to be known in a far-off system as Mistress Dawn."
"Well, you got your wish." Rini sighed, playing with the ends of her pigtails. "And one other thing... be honest with me on this one... you and he... I mean, you didn't..."
"Didn't what?" For once, Dawn levelled a gaze at the Princess that was cold and analytical. "Become another conquest of his, another one of the many women who've had the assumed pleasure of sharing his bed?"
"Yes... and from the way you just said that, I'm going to assume no." She backed up a few paces, deciding that she'd best give the Guardian her space.
She rose, dusting the back of her trousers off. "You assume correctly. I'm not that foolish." She pulled the barrette from her hair, allowing the dark auburn strands to fall about her face. "He walked me back, and that was it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Because if you did sleep with him, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Rini ventured helpfully. "No one's going to blame you for -"
Dawn whirled on her, furious. "I didn't sleep with him! I don't WANT to sleep with him, contrary to the desires of the rest of this century's female population. That's not my priority with him, or any guy, for that matter!" She smacked her palm against the brick of the garden wall. "I'd like to think I have some standards... no way to exercise them at this point in time, but still..."
Rini put both hands out in front of her to shield her from Dawn's rage. "Fine, fine. Nothing happened, and I believe you. Geez, calm down. You're awfully cranky."
"Insomnia. Like I said, homesick," she muttered, rubbing her now-scraped hand. It stung, but such things were secondary. "Mind if we go inside?"
"Why don't you just take the rest of the day off?" Rini brushed past her on the way back to the palace. "I don't really feel like going anywhere, and you need time to unwind."
"But I'm fine, I..."
"You're tired, you're annoyed at something, and you're not telling me what it is. Rather than hang around each other, I'll go watch a movie and you can... do something," she finished. "If you're not going to talk to me, then go find some way to get that out of your system. It's not healthy."
"And how would you know?"
"Experience. Too much experience," replied Rini, her thoughts turning to a certain Prince of Jupiter. "Just... I dunno, do something. Come back when you're happier."
Dawn's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "You want to get rid of me?"
"I don't want to deal with you in this state," she answered. "Now, go on... and don't come back until you're in a better mood."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"That's the fifth one you've had in the past two hours. Don't you think you should take it easy?" Vince frowned with concern as Dawn wrapped her hands about the glass.
"It's Diet Coke, doll," she said, forcing a laugh. "And I'm used to massive amounts of caffeine."
"All right, just trying to watch out for you." He wiped the counter, eyeing her as she took a long pull on the straw. "And again, why purple?"
She pulled a strand of dyed hair out in front of her and frowned. "Because anything lighter would have meant bleach, and I just wanted a one-night commitment of colour." Letting the strands fall, she sighed heavily. "Not to be horribly paranoid, but you're not gonna say a word of any of this to Theo or Pluto or anyone else, right?"
"What's said here, stays here." Vince gave her a reassuring wink and threw the towel over his shoulder. "Lemme ask you one question, though."
"Sure." She watched the ice chase the lemon wedge in her glass as she stirred.
He leaned over, his voice low. "What were you so afraid of?"
Dawn bit her lower lip, closing her eyes to concentrate on the words she wanted to say. "Of... of letting myself get into something... something that would require me to open up on such a deeply intimate emotional level."
He nodded slowly. "Pardon my asking, but what about the physical level?"
"If you're asking whether I'm scared of the actual act of sex, no. That's not an issue."
Had she not been so incredibly serious, Vince would have laughed at the clinical delivery of her reply. "So, it's not a physical thing?"
"Nah. All in my head," she answered morosely.
"There's nothing wrong with that," he offered gently, leaning on the counter. "That's who you are."
"And it's absolutely maddening," she replied with a rueful laugh. Sitting up, Dawn stretched both hands above her head and yawned. "How long have I..." She trailed off as a familiar figure entered the bar, waving to Vince. "Oh, no... I'm not here, remember!" she hissed to the bartender as she pulled the collar of her black leather jacket up to hide her face.
Vince rolled his eyes, but obliged by stepping away from her before waving. "Kieran! 'Sup?"
"Seen Breandon? He's supposed to meet me for cards like usual, but he's late." Kieran stopped at the bar, unknowingly towering over Dawn's hunched-over figure.
Vince checked the clock above the door. "You're not on time, either," he pointed out.
"But I'm here first, and that's what would matter, right?" Leaning on the counter, he now noticed someone intently interested in her drink hiding behind a curtain of purple hair. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you there."
/Good. That was the plan/. "S'all right," mumbled Dawn.
Despite the words being directed to the drink, he recognized her voice. "Dawn? Wow, didn't recognize you. You did something to your hair, didn't you? Something's different."
"I dyed it," she answered, still keeping her head down.
"That's it!" He nodded to Vince. "Did you notice? With the light in here, I guess it's kind of hard to tell." Vince hid a smile behind a hand while Kieran rambled on. "It kind of looks like grape juice, come to think of it."
"Thanks." At this point, she'd have traded anything for the ability to be completely invisible. "Didn't you say that you were meeting someone?"
"Yeah, Breandon. We're playing cards tonight. Are you still mad at him for what he did?" He managed to slide into the seat next to her. "You really shouldn't worry too much, especially with that kiss thing, because that's just how he..."
"Hey, Breandon!" Vince's voice boomed across Greynn's as the door opened and shut again. "You're late!"
"Hazard of the profession, my man, hazard of the profession."
Dawn slouched even lower in her seat, ready to pull the jacket over her head if she had to. Vince saw this, and ruffled her hair with a fuzzy black paw. "So you claim. Kieran beat you here... I think that means you're buying, doesn't it?"
Breandon eyed the tall, lanky figure of Kieran. "Only if he promises not to make me carry him out of here again."
Kieran gave a wide, toothy grin. "Sure, sure. No carrying."
"Then it's settled. What can I get you?"
Breandon came and leaned his elbows on the bar. "Do you have anything new and potent? I'm in need of a new vice."
Eyes wide behind her hair, Dawn stared at the glass inches from her face. /Please don't let him see me, don't let him notice me, just get him something and don't make me have to talk to him.../
"New and potent? Actually..." He pulled out a bottle of mandarin-flavoured vodka. "Care for citrus? I might have something you'd like."
"As long as it's strong, I don't care what it tastes like."
Vince flicked a glance at Dawn, then looked at Breandon. "You okay, man?"
"Don't ask."
"Sure?" Three shots of vodka plus the same amount of Kahlua were poured into a glass and poured between another, then over a third glass half filled with ice.
Breandon essayed a half-smile. "You know me, the eternal yo-yo. It'll pass."
"If you say so." Adding cream to the mixture and stirring slightly, Vince set the glass to Breandon's left. Dawn swallowed hard as the /clink/ came a bit too close for her comfort. She tried her best to turn away making as little noise as she could.
Breandon took a sip. He made a face redolent of a wine connoisseur, took another sip, and sighed with pleasure. "This will give a man forgetfulness. My gratitude, Vince."
"Any time." He wiped the counter, then frowned. "Seriously, you okay? If this is about a dress, then I gave you two shots too many."
"Hey!" Breandon exclaimed as Kieran appropriated the glass right out of his hands. Shrugging philosophically, he replied, "It's not about a dress this time."
Guilt gnawed at Dawn as she surreptitiously peered through her hair. Meanwhile, Vince set about to making a second drink while continuing the innocent inquiry. "No dress? Then what?"
"Hey, this is good!" Kieran exclaimed.
"Dammit, Kier, give that back! That's MY oblivion. Get your own." Clutching the drink, Breandon cleared his throat. "It's a girl, Vince. I know, I know, it's always either a dress or a girl, but this time is different."
/Oh, we get to hear THIS again. Wonderful./ Eyes back on her glass, she sipped the drink quietly and wondered what Vince was trying to do.
"A girl, but different," he paraphrased, sliding a less deadly version of the drink towards Kieran. "Sounds horribly melodramatic, man," he quipped. "I mean, girls are all the same, for the most part. A few details here and there, but overall..."
"Eh, I guess you're right," he said, but doubtfully, "but you know me -- melodrama's my life."
Beside him, Kieran gleefully clutched his own drink. "Hey, Bren, did you know that girl from last time is here, too?" He pointed to Dawn, attempting to hide herself behind her glass and a leather jacket.
/He didn't... he did... and any chance I might have had for an apology is so screwed, it's not even funny. /Vince cringed as Dawn lifted her head, the most plaintive of expressions on her face as she regarded Kieran and his drink. She swallowed hard and turned around, the charade painfully over.
Breandon turned, slowly, hoping Kieran was, just once, just this one particular time, wrong, when Kieran was never wrong; he'd never known Kieran to be wrong in all the years they'd known each other, but maybe once, possibly, with luck, just this once ... no. It /was/ Dawn. "What did you do to your hair?" he blurted out.
She stared at him in shock, his reaction certainly not what she'd expected. "I dyed it..." she ventured cautiously.
He got up and came behind her, lifting the purple strands with gentle fingers. "I hope it washes out." Beside them, Vince quickly engaged Kieran in a lively discussion on mixing drinks, something the two had in common; it was about the only way he could give Dawn and Breandon any privacy.
Dawn sacrificed the rest of her drink to prove that the dye was indeed water-soluble; after a few seconds, one of the pieces that grazed her chin was a damp mahogany while her soda turned a sick shade of indigo. "It does... I was going to wash it out before I went to sleep." She pushed herself off of the stool, sticking her hands in the pockets of her jeans as she faced Breandon. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop... I'll leave you to your cards and stuff..."
"Don't leave on our account," he said quietly, "you've just as much right be here as we do. And as I told you, I don't keep any secrets. You overheard nothing I would not tell you to your face." His gaze was level and steady, looking up at her.
Dawn looked down, unable to meet him eye to eye. Suddenly, any kind of apology seemed hopelessly trite. "I remember," she answered softly after a long pause.
Breandon's shoulders slumped. /She still needs time/. Pulling the deck of cards out of his pocket, he returned to his friend and his drink.
Dawn lifted her head with the apology caught in her throat just as he returned to Kieran. Berating herself for the sheer inability to string a few words together, she retreated to the pool tables after getting a sixth Diet Coke from Vince. It took her forever to set up and chalk the cue, her attention far from the game at hand.
Usually, it would be considered fortunate for the four that few other than those associated with the Palace came here. But this, it seemed, was a night for change. The snap of billiard balls drowned out the slap and shuffle of cards -- both of which were overridden by the sound of the door slamming open roughly. This, in and of itself, might not have been uncommon either -- the junior ranks were known to become rowdy at night. But the men and women who entered Greynn's were no junior ranks. No Lunars, at all.
Vince dived under the bar, slapping a button on the way down.
"He's learned," the blue-skinned woman mused to herself as she shouldered the plasma rifle and levelled it at the crowd. "Delightful." Firing off several rounds that sent the majority of the patrons diving to the floor or reaching for their own firearms.
"Kali, you've got thirty seconds to get out," Vince yelled from his spot next to the sink. "Less, if someone here decides to fire on you."
She grinned ferociously at the massive stand-off that had formed, with laser guides criss-crossing the room and showing the positions of numerous plain-clothes LISA agents. "So? I just want that one there." A bright blue circle formed on Breandon's chest before gravitating to the space between his eyes. "Dead or alive, although I get more if he's alive." She extended a hand and motioned for him to rise. "Now, c'mere before I have to make this more complicated than it is."
Breandon himself was completely stunned. "You want ... me?" His peridot-green eyes crossed as he tried to look at the target mark on his forehead.
"Well, we can discuss what I want later," Kali answered with a sultry step towards him. "At the moment, there's someone who wants to see you, and I'll be paid handsomely to help out. Very simple, really."
With a flash of his usual charm, he grinned ingratiatingly at her. "Thank you, but I've pressing engagements here that I simply can't cancel. I'm so sorry, but I really must decline the invitation."
A small laser knife shot, end over end, across the room. Kieran looked slightly abashed when Kali turned her glare on him.
"Did you have something you wanted to say?" She stormed over to him, pressing the barrel of the rifle under his chin. "Go on, I'm more than happy to listen."
Kieran grinned like a shaggy, happy dog. "Bren's my friend. I can't let you take him out of here without a fight." He held up one big hand, and interlaced between the fingers were objects that could only be explosives. Breandon sighed.
A shrill laugh filled the hushed room as Kali's red eyes danced with mischief. "I like you," she proclaimed, not moving the rifle. "Those are really quite adorable. If you live through this, and you need a job, I'm sure we could work something out."
Dawn pushed herself to a crouched position next to the pool table. She quickly counted the crew that had followed the leader in... /fourteen/. All with rifles, and all with impressive armour... this wasn't looking good. But still... whispering her henshin phrase, lavender mist surrounded her form, and drew attention to her corner of the bar.
"Oh, gods, no," Breandon groaned under his breath, "don't let her do this ... I don't want her hurt." Before he had really had time to complete the thought, he was stepping forward, shoving Kieran's hand down, laying a hand on Kali's rifle. "I'll come. Just don't hurt anyone else. Don't hurt her."
Kali slammed the side of Breandon's head with the butt of the rifle before beginning a slow walk towards the pool table. Nothing annoyed her more than a target who just gave in like that... it took all of the fun out of the hunt. "Who's there? One of you Senshi who wants to pick a fight?" Kali's blue sphere lit up the patch of skin on Dawn's top, prompting her to look down, then up with a bemused grin. Flexing her palm and willing an orchid sphere of light the size of a lemon in her hand, Dawn held it out to the bounty hunter with a childlike grin.
"I'm game," she said in an all-too-friendly manner. "Wanna play?"
Kali's jaw dropped as the Guardian's figure came into view. She still bore a spectacular scar from a few years back, courtesy of the same incident that had prompted Greynn's first renovation. "Aw, shit. I'm not playing THIS game again," she muttered. Dropping the rifle and putting both hands in the air, she beamed at the rest of the group. "Well now, that just changes everything. How about we talk about getting together sometime later... my people can call your people... we'll do lunch... I'll buy the first round..." She faltered as Dawn casually tossed the sphere from one hand to the other.
"You've got to the count of three. One... two..."
Backing up, Kali turned tail and bolted out the door, leaving the rest of her group to fall prey to two dozen very pissed off LISA agents. Dawn let the sphere melt back into her hand before returning to the jeans and white tank top she wore. Slinging the jacket over her shoulder, she turned her attention to Kali's former target. Vince cleared the bar in one jump, meeting Dawn at the booth where Breandon lay unconscious, slumped over the table.
"What possessed you to bring explosives in here, Kieran?" Vince demanded as he shook Breandon's shoulder lightly.
Kieran looked guilty and stuck his hands behind his back. "They were just in my pockets ... " To be sure, Kieran's lab coat, black or no, always did seem to be weighed down.
"Well, could you check your toys at the door next time?" Vince let out an exasperated sigh. Brilliant guy, to be sure, but clueless in the real world... "He's not walking any time soon," he noted. "Wanna get him into the back room? We've got a cot back there, and that bruise is gonna be nasty without some ice."
"I'll get that," Dawn volunteered immediately, racing behind the bar and filling a towel with ice cubes.
Kieran squatted down and lifted his short friend in his arms, surprisingly delicate. Breandon's mahogany ponytail, untended, hung nearly to the floor. Kieran bore the designer to the indicated back room, laying him out on the cot with a mother's care.
Dawn hurried into the back room with the ice and a damp rag, kneeling next to the cot. Gently, she wiped the edges of the bruise where the skin had broken. Vince stood back, arms folded across his chest in silent observation while the LISA agents finished their own clean-up in the main room.
Kieran hovered, blocking the light and generally getting in the way. "He's gonna be all right, right? Right?"
"Yeah, once he wakes up," she answered, now holding the ice to his cheek. "The bruise shouldn't last for more than a week or two." She cleared the hair from around his face with a light touch and began patting the other side of his face softly while calling his name. "Breandon? Hey, Breandon? C'mon, time to wake up, doll."
His eyelids fluttered. "Ow," he moaned, "Holy Mother of Serenity, what'd you do to me, you blue bitch?" Then his eyes shot open and met Dawn's, and his pallor vanished in a rush of dull red. "Um, oops?"
Delight and relief evident in her smile, Dawn beamed at her patient while keeping her hand on his cheek. "She's gone. I think I scared her off..."
"What you are scared her off," Vince corrected. "She's crazy, but not stupid enough to threaten a Guardian twice."
"How convenient," Dawn answered, eyes still fixed on Breandon. "How do you feel?"
"Like someone used me to hit the biggest gong in existence." He closed his eyes again. "What happened to the rest of them?"
Vince checked over his shoulder. "They've contributed a handsome plasma rifle collection to the LISA reserves, and are currently being taken to the detention centre for questioning." He motioned to Kieran. "C'mon, you get the cards picked up, and I'll start on the bar. Drink's on me."
Casting a very purple glance backward, Kieran obediently followed Vince out of the room, actually remembering to shut the door. Breandon sighed. "Now what was that all about anyway?"
"That girl? I dunno," she answered. "Sounded like she was trying to collect you for someone else." She lifted the compress to check the bruise, then replaced it. "Her running off on my account was just dumb luck."
"My luck, certainly. Ow ... that's going to leave a mark. I wonder if I can take it out of her hide, later?"
"She doesn't seem the duelling type, doll."
He cracked an eye briefly. "Why are you calling me that, and why is it you in here and not Kier? I thought you despised me and my playboy ways."
"It's one syllable, and Kieran's got his pockets full of dynamite." She concentrated on dabbing the edge of the bruise where it had bled slightly. "And I don't despise you, I just don't understand why you do what you do."
"Kieran ALWAYS has his pockets full of dynamite. He's the epitome of the mad scientist. It's never hindered him before. Although I imagine a careless match would leave him with an interesting new hairdo." Breandon avoided the topic of himself, severely confused by Dawn's behaviour.
"Speaking of hair," Dawn said as she sat back on her heels. "Purple bothered you that much?"
"It --ow," he grimaced, "it didn't suit you at all."
"Take it easy," she cautioned, replacing the ice on his face. "Well, like I said, it washes out. It'll be back to the usual colour by tomorrow morning." Taking his hand, she had him hold the compress. "Keep that there, I'm going to see if there's some antiseptic or a first aid kit around this place."
"Yes ma'am," he sighed.
"Don't call me 'ma'am,' I'm not old enough," she replied absently as she opened a cabinet.
"It's a simple term of courtesy."
"You don't have to be that formal with me." A white box lay on the top shelf. Dawn stretched up to reach it, fingers brushing the plastic surface. "In fact, it's kinda awkward... I mean, it's enough to deal with the guards at the palace saluting when I walk through the hallways to get a snack." She jumped, snatching the box from the ledge. "Got it," she exclaimed proudly.
Breandon gently felt over the bruise with his fingertips. "It doesn't occur to you that maybe I want to."
"Why?" She sat cross-legged on the floor, rifling through the box contents for something Neosporin-like. It kept her from having to look at him... her stomach had started the familiar knotting again, and it was driving her nuts.
"I consider it the better part of valour to be polite to you," he said stiffly.
Dawn stopped her charade, shoulders slumping forward as a long rush of air escaped her lips. Now the muscle tension had started to work its way up her back and into her ribcage. "Not to change the subject or anything, but I apologize for picking a fight with you that night... and for calling you a liar," she added, her head still bowed. "And for not being more grateful for the dress... and -"
Enough," he cut her off. He winced. "I hold none of it against you. I was a fool, and wrong."
"How were you a fool?" Perplexed, she finally managed to look at him.
"I believed my undeniable charm would be enough to win your heart."
Dawn's expression softened as her eyes filled with tears. Setting the first aid kit aside, she slid over to the cot and gently took Breandon's hand in hers. "You're not a fool. Far from it," she whispered, pressing his hand to her cheek.
He squeezed her hand, head aching far too much to take advantage of the moment -- even if he'd been inclined to. This was definitely a situation out of his parlance. "Don't cry."
"Oh, this?" She sniffled as tears spilled over onto her cheeks. "It'll pass." She wiped her eyes on a corner of her shirt and attempted to smile. Fumbling for the box of bandages and assorted goodies, she pulled it over to her. "Now, about that bruise," she began.
"Never mind the damned bruise," he grumbled, "I want to know why you were trying to hide."
"Because..." Her fingers closed about something that looked like antiseptic. "Because... because I was a bitch and I needed to talk to someone, and I didn't know if you were going to be here, and I didn't want you to know I was here, because I hadn't figured out a good way to apologize for what I did and said." Another sigh, and she lifted her head. "If that makes any sense, of course."
"Oh." He held still and silent, then, while she smeared sticky antiseptic over the edges of the bruise. A gasp of relief escaped him when the painkilling effect activated. "I will ever be thankful to Lady Mercury for this stuff," he muttered, and sat up.
"Better?" She capped the tube and tossed it back amongst the bandages, sitting back on her heels.
"Much. I thank you, fair lady." He smiled.
"You're welcome, doll."
He arched an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I think you should find a new nickname, imp."
"Imp?" She laughed merrily as she got to her feet. "I could say the same thing to you."
"You are an imp. You bedevil me every chance you get." He let his hands hang down between his knees and looked up at her through his own eyelashes.
"I do?"
"Stop being obtuse."
Dawn beamed as she took a seat next to him. "Okay, perhaps I do. It's not completely intentional, though."
"I believe I will choose to disbelieve that. Surely no woman could be as alluring, as daring and beautiful as you without some intent." He looked at her sideways.
She had no response to that, other than to duck her head and blush. Again with the compliments... "Are you enjoying yourself?" she said from behind her hair, face reddening despite every attempt to keep her complexion to its usual pale shade.
"I do, in fact, enjoy paying compliments to beautiful women," he admitted. "Stop that, or I shall have to kiss you."
"Beautiful?" She placed a hand on the back of her neck... even /that/ was warm. "If you say so... and stop what?"
He brushed a wing of hair away from her face. "Hiding behind your hair. And I do say so. Often. To as many people as will listen to me."
She opened her mouth to protest, and he swooped in to kiss her squarely on the mouth, silencing her. "You talk too much," he murmured against her lips.
/Yeah, I talk too much/, she thought happily. /Shut up, Dawn./
"Look, I just want to talk to the guy and make sure he's okay, Vince." Theo growled at the bartender who had put himself between his boss and the door.
"He's fine," Vince hurried. "Roughed up, but we're taking care of him."
Theo walked towards the office, all seven feet of him frowning down at Vince. "We just had a major breach at the spaceport, which turned out to be a distraction for this little operation. Three shuttles have been reduced to metal and melted polymers, and I have a very pissed off admiral on my case, not to mention a pregnant wife who's hooked up to monitors over at the hospital and who's trying to tell me that she should be allowed to walk around. I DON'T need this, Vince. MOVE!"
Meekly, Vince obliged and stepped aside. As Theo opened the door to the office, a surprised sound somewhere between a purr and a growl escaped his throat.
Unhurriedly, Breandon completed the kiss with a flourish and released Dawn. He grinned up at Theo, eyes glinting with a joyous light. "A good evening to you, grand sir!"
"H-hey, Theo." Dawn smiled weakly. "Guess you heard about Kali, huh?" He frowned down at her, and Dawn immediately thought of her own father. That was a face Jack Connolly would have made in this very situation. "Yeah, I bet you did."
"Good evening," he said, ignoring Dawn. "Mind telling me what happened to you?"
"The lady -- Kali? -- apparently took a liking to my pretty face and wished to carry me off, but, it would seem she also heard of my prowess at fighting and deemed it necessary to bring along a group of toughs to subdue me." Breandon touched the bruise. "She smacked a laser rifle into my head when I attempted to surrender."
"And you were involved how?" His attention turned to Dawn, whose hands were folded demurely in her lap.
"I was here playing pool..."
"Why am I not surprised," muttered the Isbanni.
"... and I thought that I could maybe help, so I transformed and, um, challenged her." Dawn's face lit up at the memory. "She ran off when I suggested we play."
Theo grumbled, muttering something about an uncanny likeness before clearing his throat. "And you were back here taking care of him, I suppose? 'Tending to his injuries,' as it were?"
"All right, back off, Captain," Breandon suggested, "I think that's enough sarcasm." He touched Dawn's hand. "She was indeed instrumental in bringing me around and possesses quite competent nursing skills."
"Commander, actually," Theo corrected absently. "And I don't doubt her skills, but at the same time..." He ran a hand over the braided queue that hung over his shoulder. "If you're feeling better, you might think about taking this some place else," he suggested delicately. "For her sake moreso than yours."
Breandon sighed. "I appreciate your concern, but I doubt it will be a problem for much longer ... " He shoved himself up from the cot, swayed for a second, then ran a hand through his hair, sweeping the tie out of the long ponytail. "I believe I shall return to my home now, if you please."
"Go with him," Theo nodded at Dawn, whose jaw dropped in amazement. "He's not in any shape to go anywhere by himself." He reached over and ruffled her hair in the same fashion as Vince had done earlier. "And wash that out, it looks horrid."
"Sure," she stammered. "Sure, I can do that..."
"Good." He winked at Dawn before turning for the door. "Take the back door... the front's swarming with agents." He slipped out, yelling to Vince about cleaning up the bar and running out of mandarin vodka again.
Vaguely irritated, Breandon stared after Theo. "I am completely competent to go anywhere I like on my own."
Dawn just shook her head.
"Very well then, let us be off, my lady." He marched unsteadily to the back door.
Dawn caught his arm, opening the door before he could reach it. "Take it easy," she warned. "You just got smacked in the face... and I wouldn't be surprised if you're two steps from a minor concussion."
"Ah, fine, fine, I defer to your expertise."