Shadow Leader

Summary: Accused of having stolen the Midou name, Ban leaves Ginji and the others to do a retrieval for another Midou. During meeting their client after the retrieval, a few things come into light.

Pairing/s: GinjiBan.

Warnings: Yaoi. Different from the manga/anime (Ban's family different). Not much else.

Disclaimers: I don't own Getbackers.

-o-

Ban eyed the woman warily as she had done nothing but glaring at him. She wanted a retrieval but refused to speak to him. Nothing new with that, Ginji, Shido and Kazuki had taken the woman aside to hear what she wanted. Normally clients didn't like him very much for his cold eyes and demon-like presence and was happy enough to just know he had done the job. He was used to it.

However, he wasn't used to these glares like he had killed her family. Which he was fairly certain he hadn't. Contrary to belief, Ban very much remembered the people he had killed. He wasn't sure that was a good gift but held onto it nonetheless. It was part of him.

He took his cup of coffee and sipped the hot liquid. He pushed his glasses up further and didn't react as the woman stepped up to him. The three other retrievers were talking to Paul. So she wanted to speak to him alone then. He looked at her.

"Thief," she spat. This made him blink in genuine confusion.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Things like you dirty down the proud Midou name," she said with a sneer and his eyes narrowed behind the glasses. Who the hell was she?

"Who are you?" he said as he rose up. He was a little longer than her, but she looked like a fighter.

"That should be my question," she said. "You who steal names as you like."

"I haven't stolen anything," he said.

"Liar! Liar, and a thief," she snarled and poked him hard in the chest. A spark of magic. She was a witch, or at least could use witch magic.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said and walked past her. Ginji turned to him and was about to speak when the woman said:

"I think you do!"

He turned at the door and looked at her. She continued in triumph:

"You're just a thief, a thing who thinks you can take whatever you want! You've stolen the Midou name and dirtied it down!"

Ban's eyes got livid, and the hand holding the knob tightened. They heard a crack and Ban slowly released it.

"Faramara-san," Ginji said, "Ban-chan is my partner and if you want us to accept the retrieval then—"

"I want you three, but I refuse to be near him again," Faramara said and looked at Ban in disgust.

Ban looked at her for a while, then said:

"Fine, witch. I'm out, but don't you fucking dare cut off Ginji just because he's my partner."

Her face got white at the title he had given her but before she could say anything he was gone.

-o-

"I feel really bad about this," Ginji said.

"Come on!" Shido said. "This is a lot of money, Ginji. Even when it's divided to three people. Snake bastard didn't tell you not to take the job, right?"

"Yeah but…" Ginji thought of his lover. He didn't want to leave when he knew Ban was upset. He was the only one that the Jagan-user allowed to comfort him, and now the blonde was going to be gone for days.

"And it's easy as hell!" Shido said. "Take out a few thugs, get a katana back and a lot of money are ours."

"Yes, but Faramara-san demanded if we made it we had to meet the real client," Kazuki said. "As she phrased it, 'a real Midou'."

"Who knows who lied? It could have been both of them, one of them or none of them. Snake bastard's name is probably his real one; she just thinks he stole it from some bigger and more powerful Midou family."

Ginji bit his lip and finally nodded. Shido grinned and Kazuki allowed a small smile before he said:

"Ban-san will not be angry with you."

"Un." Ginji looked up at Paul and said, "Can you tell Ban-chan where I am when he comes back?"

"Sure," the man said and looked outside at the waiting woman. "Don't let her hassle you guys too much."

"Don't worry," Shido said. "Come on!"

-o-

Hevn listened to the story from Paul and frowned, which made the man more worried.

"I've never heard of her before," the woman said. "Why did she go and pick a fight with Ban-kun? Have you tried to call him?"

"Twice. He's not answering," Paul said. "It's been five hours already. Ginji and the others are preparing for the mission. It's not hard but it's rather far from here. They'll be gone for at least a couple of days, including a trip to meet the client."

"We have to reach Ban-kun!" Hevn cried out and dug out her cell. "I'll try, okay? I'd like some coffee too, then I call Gin-chan to hear what it's all about."

-o-

The group looked at each other.

"Where's Ban?" Himiko asked.

"He's not on this retrieval," Ginji said.

"Not? With the amount of money I would expect him come flying," Himiko said with a snort.

"He… and Faramara-san… she called him a thief," Ginji said. "Ban-chan wasn't allowed on this mission by her. All she said to him was mean things. He left. Hevn-san called not long ago and said he hasn't come back to the café."

"That's not like him," the young woman said. "Maybe his pride was wounded?"

"He called her witch," Ginji said and looked at Himiko who frowned. "She went… rather pale when hearing that."

"Some witches are hunted," Himiko said. "They dare not say aloud that they are witches because that would put witch hunters on their trails. But for her to come into a big city… doesn't seem like a normal witch. There are still old witch families in the world, but the base must be in Japan if she sought us up."

"Or the thing they want is here," Shido said.

"True," the woman said. "Well, no point in dwelling in it too much. They're too good at keeping secrets, and if too much is discovered most families silence the speakers… permanently."

-o-

Ginji tried to call Ban the next day but the man wasn't picking up. They were about to leave for the mission and he wanted to hear Ban's voice to make sure the man was alright. But now he had to trust in his lover's ability to keep himself alive against all odds and that he will be waiting at Honky Tonks when they get back, his normal cup of coffee with him and speaking to Paul, manipulating the man into making some food to him. Then they would go home and Ginji would tell him about the retrieval before they went to bed.

"You coming, Ginji-san?" Kazuki said.

"Yeah!" he called and jogged up to them. "How long will the journey take?"

"A day, no less," Himiko said. "We don't have Mr. No Brake with us, all you got is me and Akabane."

"That's okay," Ginji said. "No Brake drives… a bit scary."

"Tell me about it," Himiko said with a grin. "Jump on, we're leaving!"

-o-

Ban read the letter in the light of a store, standing outside in the hard wind, his hair whipping around his face. His eyes moved quickly behind the glasses, absorbing the letter quickly. His grandmother had always wondered, somewhat amused, how he managed to remember everything he read when he only read the text once and at a speed few did.

He was glad for his photographic memory and folded the letter. Ginji would have left by now with the others for the retrieval. It wasn't that he was upset over being refused but it had irked him the tiniest bit being called a thief. The only time he had taken something without being ordered to do it was three of Maria's newly baked cookies, and really, that cannot really be counted as a crime. He hasn't even been four years at the time for Christ's sake!

He got out on the streets and started walking. He had to think on this for a bit. Maybe call Paul and tell the man he was alive. After all, he had just walked out over a day ago without anything with him except for the keys to the car that stood parked at his and Ginji's apartment and the apartment keys. Plus he needed food, badly.

"Good luck, Ginji," he muttered as he wrapped his arms around himself. "And bitch back at the witch if you can. Fuck's sake, couldn't she get anyone nicer?"

-o-

Faramara had her jaws clenched. How dare he dirty down the Midou name, that brat? How dare he act like he knew anything? She was glad he had walked out. In her heart he hoped he would drop dead somewhere to stop spreading a disease on the proud Midou witch name. Such insolence, such nerve!

She would never accept it. She would have gotten rid of him instantly. Faramara should have killed him. She stroke the sheathed blade that lay in her lap as she sat in the rented house, waiting for the retrievers to come back with what she had ordered to get. Maybe she would seek out the dirty brat and decapitate him for the crime.

She looked outside. The meeting was soon, and they needed the stolen katana back for that.

-o-

"They couldn't take these guys out? It was mere brats!" Shido said and threw aside the last one of the thugs.

"True," Himiko said. "It feels a bit like an insult to have gone so far for so little. Isn't that right, Jackal?"

"True, too true," Akabane said. "Had I known this job would have been this boring and that Midou-kun was not coming, I wouldn't have accepted it." His eyes sought out Ginji and the blonde said:

"No fighting this time, Akabane-san. I'm the one holding the item!"

He was holding a sheathed katana gingerly before wrapping it up.

"So we're going to this place to meet up with Faramara-san," Himiko said and pointed at a village on her map. "She will guide us to the real client, I don't know where but not too far from there. Now, Ginji… it's been two days since we left. Anything on Ban?"

"I called Paul," Ginji said. "Ban-chan rang two signals, but the line was dead when Paul picked up. He rings two signals when he's okay but doesn't wanna talk."

"When was that?"

"Not long after we had left."

"Nothing more?"

"No. Hevn called and said he had been in the apartment when she dropped by yesterday. Nothing much, just some left-over food that was gone."

"What the hell is the guy doing?" Himiko asked.

-o-

Ginji handed the wrapped katana over to Faramara who took it gently and unwrapped it. She did not unsheathe it.

"Perfect," she whispered, then looked at them. "Thank you."

"Is it important to you?" Himiko asked.

"It's important to the one I serve," she answered and rewrapped it. "It belongs to someone close to her, and she watches it."

"The how did it get taken?" Shido asked.

"Yamari-sama is getting older, she cannot handle as much as she used to," Faramara said. "That is why I am here, but I was gone the night those brats took the katana."

She gave it to another woman who bowed and walked out the room.

"You will have the honour to meet Yamari-sama in person," she said to them. "This way."

She did not let Himiko or Akabane drive but did it herself.

"Weird people," Himiko muttered.

"Weird?" Ginji asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Clans are that way, mostly. The servants see their masters as gods and goddesses. Did you see her face when she mentions this Yamari-sama?"

"Let's get this over and get home," Shido said. "I don't like this."

"When do you like anything?" Kazuki asked.

-o-

Ban looked himself in the mirror and sighed.

"No fussing," Maria said.

"Do I have to look like this?" the brunette asked.

"Of course!" she chirped and he groaned. "No, stand straight! Ban, behave!"

"Shut up!"

"Just let me adjust this and then we're ready to go."

"I don't want to."

"Your presence is required."

"Shut up," he muttered. "I hate this."

"Entertain her and go," Maria said. "For once."

He let her tug at his sleeves and fuss around for a few minutes.

"There, all perfect!" she said happily.

"Great," he growled. "Now can we leave?"

"Eager to meet your grandma?"

"Not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Shut up, hag!"

-o-

They looked around the garden with wide eyes. The road leading up to a sort of temple was white, and the trees on each side, the branches intertwined at the top, were trees they had never seen before. The leaves were snowy white, the bark a slight silver shining to it, and Himiko said:

"Are they for real, or are they magic?"

"With magic, you can make them," Faramara said shortly. "These trees have stood here for five generations, and are as real as us. Planted into the ground by a Midou leader."

They walked towards the temple, Faramara letting them stop once in a while when someone in the group noted something interesting. She had made them redress as well, saying coming with common clothes were not acceptable. Kazuki was the only guy who looked to be comfortable in the kimono. Akabane fitted in it but did not look particularly overjoyed. Maybe it was just the after effects from the boring job. Ginji and Shido looked slightly uncomfortable while Himiko seemed used to it.

"You!"

Faramara's shout made them look towards the temple, and all they could do was staring.

Sprawled out on his stomach, Ban looked to very much enjoy the grapes he was eating. He looked lazily over at them and said:

"Yo. You guys are way late."

"You despicable being!" Faramara said.

"I would watch it, witch," the Jagan-user said. "You're destroying your mistress' sensible ears with those words of yours."

She whirled around and suddenly bowed.

"Yamari-sama."

They all turned to have a look at the woman Faramara served.

She looked to be middle-aged, some wrinkles around her eyes and the corners of her mouth, tall and slender, dressed in a blue dress with a black long cape over that. Her hair was silvery white, and flowing down her back.

"Bow!" Faramara hissed to them. "You're looking at the Witch Queen!"

"No need to bow at her unless you're one of her fans," Ban called out.

"Dear me," Yamari said as she held up her dressed and walked forward, past them.

"Yamari-sama, if you wish I will get rid of that—"

"For your own sake, don't finish that sentence, Faramara," the woman said and Faramara went silent. She turned back to the man and continued, "You do know there is a thing called phone."

"Yeah, and?" Ban said.

"There are means to contact me before you come, Ban."

"How does she know his name?" Ginji asked.

"What would be the fun in that?" the brunette asked, leaning onto his elbows before he turned to Yamari with a grin. "Huh, grandma?"

They all gaped, except for Yamari who shook her head and said:

"What have I done to the gods to deserve such a grandson like you, Ban?"

"The gods likes to fuck with people," Ban replied. "This is their way fucking with you."

She walked up the stairs, and Ban rose up.

"I imagine Maria was the one to dress you up?" she asked.

"Can you see me choose this clothing and willingly put it on?" Ban asked and held out his hands.

Yamari looked him over.

"Not really."

"Exactly. Now what the hell was so goddamn important I had to come here for? And will you tell that witch just who I am so she can stop staring! It's fucking annoying, and hadn't she been working for you I'd killed her first time she insulted me."

He walked further into the temple as Yamari turned to Faramara.

"Faramara, you know I'm not the true leader," she said and the woman nodded. "Did you insult Ban?"

"I… said he was a thief and dirtied down the Midou name."

One of Yamari's thin eyebrows rose and she turned to Ban.

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't kill her," she informed her grandson before turning to Faramara. "You insulted the Witch King."

The woman stared at Yamari.

"Yes, he's the Witch King," the elderly woman said. "The Shadow Leader of the Midou clan. We have never revealed our true leaders. Everyone thinks I'm the one, while in reality Ban is. All decisions I have taken has been approved by him. Now, Faramara… the katana."

The woman took out the katana and walked up the stairs, handing it to Yamari. The Witch Queen turned around and held it out for Ban.

"Just hold it once," Yamari said. "It's been, what, ten years since you last held it?"

Ban walked forward and grabbed it. Ginji could not get enough of his lover, whom he had not seen in four days. It felt like ages, and see this new side of the man made the blonde want him even more, talk to him, anything, just hold the Jagan-user close and never let him go.

"Faramara has been with me for eight years, which is why she never knew of you," Yamari said to Ban.

"Never thought about telling her?" the Jagan-user asked before he walked into the darkness of the temple. They heard the faint sound of him unsheathing the blade.

"What, tell her that my beloved grandson beat me to the ground when he was nine?" Yamari asked and followed into the dark. The others listened, having gone so far to step up the stairs without asking.

A low chuckle, then the brunette's voice:

"That would have been slightly entertaining."

-o-

The retrievers and Faramara was sitting in a room while a meeting was going on.

"So the reason to hurry with the retrieval was that the katana had to be present at these meetings?" Himiko asked.

"It's tradition," Faramara said quietly. "To have it looming behind Yamari-sama, strike fear and obedience in those who are quick to betray."

"Why are you with people like them?" Shido asked.

"They're useful… for a time," the woman said. "We take what we can, use it, then get rid of it."

"You mean killing them?"

"Not always."

"But mostly?" Ginji asked.

"Yes," she replied and stirred her tea.

"Why did you think Ban-chan was a thief?" the blonde continued.

"I didn't know he existed," Faramara said. "No one seemed to know except for Yamari-sama."

"But now you know."

They all turned to see Ban lean in the doorway.

"Grandma insisted it was too late for us to go home," he said. "She got rooms ready for us."

"Ban-chan…" Ginji began.

"We two are sharing," the brunette said and pointed at him. "Shunrei here will show you the rooms."

The woman had waist-long green hair and slit eyes, wearing a simple red kimono and she smiled at them all. She had fangs in her mouth.

"This ways, Ban-dono's guests," she said and bowed lightly to them.

"Ban-dono?" Himiko asked as they got out from the room, Ban already leading Ginji upstairs. "I thought Yamari-san was your mistress."

"I follow no one's orders but Ban-dono's," Shunrei replied. "For I was born to be his protector."

-o-

"Ban-chan!"

Ginji chuckled as Ban pushed him on the bed, and looked on as Ban got off his robes, leaving him in a pair of black, tight pants. The brunette settled on top of Ginji and said:

"Sorry I didn't say anything about this earlier."

"It's okay," Ginji replied. "You had your reasons."

"I didn't want to be a leader," Ban said. "So for a while… they did only have grandmother."

"Why did you change your mind?"

"I met you," the brunette said. "And I knew you would be safe if I was the Witch King. Then I could call in anyone and they would fight for you. So I went back to her, and told her… about us."

"She didn't get angry?"

"Please," Ban said and rolled them over so Ginji was over him. "She isn't angry with me for finding a man to love. She's just happy I found someone to love."

-o-

Later, the former emperor looked at the sleeping Ban. He crawled over and laid his head on the naked chest, his hot cheek against cool skin. The Jagan-user stirred but didn't wake up. Ginji slid up until he could pull Ban into his arms, drawing the covers over them and looked outside at the moon, one hand woven in the brunette's rich hair.

This strong man belonged to him, and Ginji belonged to Ban. This shadowy leader was his to love and take care off, and he would not fail on that task.

End

I had a sudden flash of several Getbackers-shots so I wrote them all down before I could forget any! So here you have another one.

Until another time,

Ja,

Tiro