Homeplot (2)

[babyviper]

Chapter 1:
The Empty Room in Osaka

Apartment 217, in a nondescript block of an apartment building on the outskirts of downtown Osaka, Japan.

Laying on a bare floor, a clunky mobile phone began to ring. Despite the amount of money such a phone would cost in the late part of the eighties, before the big rush really began, it wasn't even the most expensive item in the room. The real treasures in this tiny, bare apartment had to do with what was in the closet, which bore a simple combination lock.

The ringing seeped into O-Ren's consciousness even as she struggled to wake up. How late had she been out last night? That wasn't like her, and surely Angua and Dean would have had questions. Was she sick, then? Why the heavy haze around her? The fucking ringing was beginning to wear itself out, too.

O-Ren snapped up from her futon so quickly that she had to brace against the window. She was no longer even a bit sleepy, so aware she couldn't keep her hands from shaking as she patted herself down. Same self that had gone to bed the night before.

But a look around confirmed this was her old apartment. Only a few pots to boil ramen in. Blood spots she'd never bothered to clean up. Locked closet. Mobile phone ringing on the ground. She'd cut the regular telephone line herself, preferring this.

It stopped ringing, and O-Ren took a deep breath. "What the fuck."

Comments

[lonewolflives]

Arya looked down at the uniform, and then at some of the leather.

She crinkled her brow, clearly in the throes of indecision. She couldn't decide which was worse.

Although, if there was an option that didn't include a skirt...

"I thought you said we couldn't be schoolgirls?" she said.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

"Jeans in the corner," O-Ren said, reloading her gun on the counter. "You can open up a man's throat without blinking, but this is freaking you out?"

She dropped a handful of cash on the counter.

[lonewolflives]

"It's not freaking me out!" Arya protested, a little too vehemenantly. "I just don't like thinking about stupid clothes!"

She did start for the corner, though. She also stopped before she got there.

She knew jeans. Jeans didn't have that as much flexibility as she liked.

She wondered how the leather compared.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

For herself, O-Ren picked a pair of jeans so worn and torn that they hardly existed. After an imperious look that sent the shopkeeper scurrying, she changed unhurriedly, finally pulling on a black leather jacket, popping the collar up like she'd seen all the yakuza boys do lately.

"Ready?"

[lonewolflives]

The leather proved to have more give than she'd expected. She went with that; she wasn't concerned if it clung to her legs, as long as it wasn't a skirt. Not wanting to give what she was wearing any more thought than that, she threw on a shirt, in Tully red - it'd hide blood better than Stark grey - and slung the backpack over her shoulder.

"Always," she said.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

O-Ren divvied up the guns and ammo evenly, and then she turned to Arya, something cradled in her hand. "I don't expect we're going to let him get away, but if it looks like he might--"

She held the grenade out. "It's the only one. I've had practice; don't worry about hitting me."

[lonewolflives]

Arya hesitated for a fraction of a second. She didn't see how you could get out of the way of an explosion, if you were too close, and she'd never thrown a grenade. She knew how it worked, knew how, but knowing and doing were two different things.

But she wasn't about to let O-Ren down. She bit her lip, and took the grenade.

"He won't get away," she said, in lieu of anything else that was on her mind.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad it's you," O-Ren said as her fingers were lightened of the grenade. "You'll see me through to the end, Arya?" Her eyes were serious-- this was serious. How many times could she get it wrong?

Not this time. She would see it all done right.

[lonewolflives]

"Valar dohaeris," Arya said, instinctively falling back on her forms, on the strange, formal way Jaqen had talked. "A girl will have her revenge."

Then she smiled, darkly, just at the fringes of one side of her mouth. "I think your list is shorter than mine. Let's go back it shorter."

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

The promise of a kill shouldn't have given flight to her heart that way, but O-Ren Ishii wasn't exactly made as she should have been these days. And besides that, it was the Last One.

She nodded, sharply. "We'll steal a ride. It's a long way from here."

With that, she headed out to where she'd seen the motorcycle outside. A small screwdriver from her bag, and she was popping open panels and cutting wires.

[lonewolflives]

"Sometime, you're going to have to show me how to do that," Arya said, taking up a position beside her, against the wall, and keeping watch for anyone who might look askance at what they were doing.

Now, though, now they didn't have time for lessons. There was business to attend to.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

"We'll have to find someone back on the island to steal one from," O-Ren said. Didn't that old cripple have one? He didn't even need it. She actually grinned when the motor roared to life under her fingers, and she slung her bag into the saddlebag on the side.

One leg up and over, and luckily, whoever owned this wasn't that much bigger than her. She looked back at Arya.

[lonewolflives]

"You're on," Arya said, sliding on to the seat behind O-Ren, taking a moment to figure out where she was supposed to put her legs.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

Making sure Arya's arms were securely around her waist, the act of which sent a strange thrill down her spine, O-Ren revved the engine and let the bike roar out onto the street. The citizens were easily avoided, and though she knew that they should probably have helmets, there was something to be said for the wind in her hair.

Not far now.

"Keep watch for it," she called over the noise.

[lonewolflives]

"I'm watching!" Arya called back, trying to stay focused with the city blurring past around them.

She liked motorcycles, she decided. Horses were still good, but the speed, the power... she had to remind herself they were on serious business, and not just let out a whoop.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

Maybe O-Ren was putting on a little bit of a show. But if you couldn't use your training, what was the point in having it anyway?

In fact, they came to the exterior of the House of Blue Leaves far too quickly for her taste. Assuming she survived, O-Ren vowed that they would leave on the bike as well.

"This is it," she said quietly.

[lonewolflives]

The thrill of the ride settled into something more serious, if no less dynamic, as she sized up the building.

"Is there a back way in, or do we have to go in through the front?"

She was remembering the film. In particular, the Crazy 88. At the time, it had seemed impressive. Now, it verged towards the intimidating.

Fear cuts deeper than swords, she reminded herself.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

"Through the front."

O-Ren parked the bike, killing the motor quietly, and began the process of re-arming herself. Sword on each hip, gun in both a shoulder and thigh holster. She closed her eyes, feeling the cool breeze on her burning face.

Before, she'd been blind, but she saw now.

"I'm going to kill Bill."

[lonewolflives]

Arya watched for a moment, giving this the silent acknowledgement it warranted. Then she set about arranging her own weapons, making sure she had enough knives to hand, that the guns were loaded. That the one grenade was secure.

She wished she had her Braavosi-style swords. Still, she'd make do.

"Let's not stand around here, then," she said, sizing up the building, then stepping forward.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

O-Ren nodded, and pushed her way through the open doors, keeping Arya beside her as her as her eyes adjusted to the cool blue spilling through the room. She'd almost been hoping that because this was her version of the teahouse, that it would be the Crazy 88, that she might be able to command them.

There might have been nearly that many, though, swarthy and bulky men who seemed barely contained by their cheap black suits. Bright flashes of tattoo peered up from behind sleeves and buttons. Yakuza, all of them. She noted, in a quick, numb way, that their weapons varied from sword to chain to bat. No guns? It seemed unlikely.

And there, at the top of the stair, lounged a figure in white. Her vision crossed and blurred and she couldn't tell if it was her own self, twenty years from now, waiting for the Bride to ascend, or if it was the Man in White.

It was Bill, of course, and in lazy, patient Japanese, he gave the order to begin.

[lonewolflives]

Arya knew they should have tried for a back way. Or to try to pose as restaurant guests, maybe that would have- no, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Still. She couldn't help but feel like the kindly man wouldn't have approved. But the kindly man wasn't here, and this was O-Ren's world.

And O-Ren's enemy, but that didn't stop her from, out of pure instinct, pulling a gun and aiming for the top of the stair.

But the room was already moving, and she had to change targets as the first of the yakuza came at them.

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

Luckily, the place was perfectly set up for the highly aerial style of fighting O-Ren loved best, and the huge wooden columns and huge opposing targets made for good springboards. She made it her business to cut through the crowd towards the stairs; though she was counting her bullets, she had little doubt that it would be sword to sword with Bill.

As her feet hit the floorboards in front of the first step, she felt fingers take hold in her hair from behind, sending her skidding backwards. She kipped back up to her feet, putting a bullet between the man's eyes, but already she could see more of them closing in-- and Bill turning away, going through the doors to the courtyard outside. "No," she screamed, turning to place Arya, unable to leave her, unable to let the last of her work slip away.

[lonewolflives]

Arya kneecapped a thug in front of her, solely so she could put one foot on his shoulder when he collapsed to hands and knees and use it to vault herself in a straight-legged somersault, still firing to land amongst the yakuza closest to O-Ren.

She stepped in and took the gun off one who hadn't quite figured out he was dead yet, despite the bullet that had entered through the top of his skull, and kicked him into another couple to buy them some room.

Enough to extend both guns at arm's length, switching from target to target, creating a wary semi-circle of yakuza with weapons drawn.

"O-Ren, go," she said. "Leave these camel's cunts to me."

[babyviper.livejournal.com]

There were a couple of those slow, almost frozen moments until the words sunk in, and then O-Ren nodded. How many times had this story played out before, with herself, with Bill, with the blood-soaked Bride, boots slipping on crimson-stained floors and the smell of gunpowder?

Bill had been her mistake. She hadn't closed the circle, and it had swallowed her until she'd been the one at the top of the stairs.

There were kinks in the story this times, knots in the circle to keep it from moving. O-Ren blinked, light exploding behind her eyes as if the Buddha himself had slapped her. The world throbbed in perfect understanding, vibrant hues.

With her own gun held out to cover the gap she was about to set, O-Ren took three quick steps. The pistol's muzzle swept past Arya's cheek until O-Ren had one wiry arm around Arya's neck and the other arm holding off any enemy fire. She pressed her mouth against Arya's, catching roughly at Arya's lower lip.

"Ganbatte yo," she whispered, and slipped her gun into the waist of Arya's pants.

Her feet were light on the stairs as she ascended.

[lonewolflives]

Arya stared after her with wide, surprised eyes, absently pressing the stock of one gun to her mouth.

She had absolutely no idea what had just happened; it was, in its own way, harder to process than the fact she was in some strange version of Japan, surrounded by yakuza thugs who wanted to kill her.

One of them rushed at her and her free arm whipped up to shoot him with her other gun, without so much as looking around.

Then she turned, and ducked under another blade, and fired again, and lost sight of O-Ren altogether.