Off Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Dead or Alive or its characters.

This idea came out of nowhere, but I wanted a break from my other story and decided to try something new.

Enjoy!

Another night on the job, Hayabusa thought while he slid a drink to someone at the end of the bar. He sighed and turned around to grab a bottle of vodka before pouring a little into a cup with some ice and giving it to a woman who was standing in front of him. She smiled, thanked him, then placed a piece of paper along with some money on the counter. She winked at him and walked away to sit at a nearby table. Raising an eyebrow, Hayabusa picked up the paper.

She gave him her phone number.

Sighing, he put the paper under the counter and went back to work. The routine never changes, he thought. Don't get him wrong, he enjoys his job, but sometimes it repeats itself. He's been working as a bartender for two years now and deals with the same thing every night. Guys turned to Hayabusa when they need a strong drink before they decided to cause trouble, and women often came buy to seduce him or attempt to get a free drink. Once in a while he would find himself in the middle of some crazy shit-like that one time he came close to getting stabbed because he unknowingly served drinks to someone's underage sister. There are times when he would come across people who needed someone to talk to-he's always willing to help his customers.

Looking at his watch, Hayabusa had to stop himself from sighing again. It was almost midnight and he was getting slightly bored. He knew that it was for the best if he didn't start being lazy-the last thing he wanted to do was mess up his job. He was the only bartender who didn't complain about the types of drinks he had to make, even when most of them consisted of things he didn't think about making before. He reached over for the glass that he habitually cleaned during those moments when he had nothing else to do. Too bad he was only occupied by making drinks and conversing with his regulars.

Well, until she walked in.

The noise in the bar grew quiet once everyone noticed the lady standing in front of the doors. Her strawberry blonde hair was up in a ponytail, and a small frown was on her face. She wore a blue shirt with black pants and combat boots. As she walked towards the bar, Hayabusa saw that her eyes were slightly puffy. She must have been crying before she came here, he thought, watching her sit down. Everyone else quickly went back to their business when Hayabusa moved to talk to her.

"Hey. Anything I can get you?" he asked. He waited while her amber eyes stared back into his own emerald ones. She then glanced at the rest of his body-from the beanie hat on his head to the sleeveless shirt that gained her attention more than it should have-before shaking her head.

"The strongest drink you can make will be fine," she answered.

Hayabusa paused then responded, "You don't look old enough to be in a bar. I need to see your ID."

Annoyed, the lady sighed and gave him her ID. Hayabusa read the information on the card, noticing that she's only three years younger than him. He nodded in approval and returned the ID, amused by her victorious smile. He was going to turn around and make her drink, but he stopped and stared at her suspiciously.

"No offense, but this is the first time I have seen you here. I don't think giving you my strongest drink is a good idea," he claimed, leaning against the bar. He could tell that she was getting irritated, but he truly thought it was a bad idea.

"In bartending school, didn't they teach you that you should make whatever someone asks for? I've had a rough day, so I just want my drink," she exclaimed.

"First off, I didn't go to a bartending school. Secondly, you're a stranger. Do you really want your first drink from me to be something that strong?" he questioned while passing a few shots of whiskey to a man in a biker outfit.

There was a pause in the conversation as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath then opened them again. "My name is Kasumi. What's your name?"

Hayabusa knew what she was doing, but he chose to go along with it. "Ryu Hayabusa. Most people just call me Hayabusa."

"See? We are not strangers anymore," Kasumi declared. "What's wrong with you making me that drink?"

Hayabusa hesitated then answered her question. "That drink is the reason I'm working here. It takes a lot to get my boss drunk, but that drink managed to knock him on his ass. I haven't served it to anyone since he hired me. Hold on."

With wide eyes, Kasumi silently watched as Hayabusa grabbed six shot glasses and lined them all up across from him. Everyone sitting around him began to watch, curious about what he was up to. He turned to the large case of alcohol behind him before picking up a bottle of rum, white rum, spiced rum, and brandy, then set each bottle behind a shot glass.

He quickly poured a shot of each drink in a glass before putting them back in their right place. The growing crowd was mesmerized by what he was doing, although they were unsure about what he was planning to do. Hayabusa poured half a shot of lime juice into a glass then poured half a shot of pineapple juice into the last glass. He put a highball glass next to the other glasses and filled it half of it with ice.

After making sure he had everything, he poured the contents of each shot glass into the highball glass, stirring it well. He garnished the drink with two mint leaves before stepping back to admire his work. Kasumi cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Is that the drink you were telling me about?"

"No. I was supposed to try this some time ago, but I forgot about it until now."

"What is it called?"

Hayabusa shrugged and looked around the crowd, noticing that his boss has been watching him the whole time. "I don't know. Does anyone want to name it?"

"How about 'Zombie'? I think Brad agrees with me," a Chinese man called out. His hair was sticking up in random places and he wore a white shirt with black pants and shoes. He was standing next to another Chinese man who had long white hair in a low ponytail and wore a casual button-up shirt with black pants and shoes. Hayabusa quickly recognized them as his coworker Jann Lee and boss Brad Wong then motioned for them to come closer.

"That sounds like a good name," Hayabusa said. He pushed the drink to Kasumi and continued. "How about you try it and tell me how it taste?"

She nervously picked up the drink before slowly sipping some of it. She quickly started coughing, making Hayabusa take the drink away and pat her on the back. When she finished, she looked up and smiled. "It's a strong drink, but I like it."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Hayabusa reassured. "Would anyone else like to try a 'Zombie'?" he asked while giving Kasumi the drink.

Everyone cheered in response, so Hayabusa quickly got started on making all of the drinks. I guess my job does change once in a while, he thought. He glanced at Kasumi and returned the smile that she was still directing at him.

...

That Zombie drink is real, but it's not the one I wanted to use as the strongest drink Ryu could make. Thanks for reading. Reviews would be awesome.