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Chapter 1: In which Kanda gets stranded…

He stomped down the cobblestone street angrily. Of course the stupid Supervisor had gotten him stranded while waiting for orders. He had been in France for a while. A small town was supposedly being attacked by Akuma and none of the already sent Finders were responding, so he was sent to investigate further. It turned out to be a dead-end though. Another one of letters-misplaced-on-Komui's-desk. There were no Akuma, just a band of thieves pillaging. Kanda had taken care of them fairly quickly and that is why he was now, stranded, walking down the icy streets of Paris with no bed to sleep in tonight. Stupid Supervisor. Stupid winter and irregular train departures.

He adjusted his sword and wrapped his coat tighter around his slim form. Freezing. In his mind a plan to get back at his Supervisor was already forming. It consisted of Mugen, pain, maybe threats, lots of acting on those threats and some more Mugen and pain. In his defense, it was still a work in progress. Yes, still in progress.

His boots slipped on the ice-covered cobble-stone for the thousandth time that day. He really needed to get a place to stay for the night. He tried to wriggle his fingers. They were frozen and numb. Great. Just fascinating. At this point, anywhere would do.

The sound of a door opening and closing caught his attention. Laughter followed. He looked for the source of the sound. A man had exited from a well-lit place and into the street. A woman was on his arm. From the way they were dressed, Kanda guessed they were a well-off gentleman and his company for the night. Whores. Great. It's not that Kanda had anything against them. It wasn't like that. He was mostly indifferent towards the job of a working girl. He just considered them to have no pride. They sell their body for money, while they have two perfectly good hands and legs. Pity. Yes, Kanda pitied whores more than hated them. Not that he would ever openly admit to that.

This part of the city was full of them, too. However, it was also the cheapest part of the town. And God knows Kanda needed his money so he wouldn't be stranded even longer, waiting for extra funds. He could always threaten someone for money. A dark grin crossed his face, and vanished soon as he thought about Komui's reaction to his would-be behavior. No, he didn't want a repeat of that nightmare. Once had been quite enough.

The door the pair had exited from still shined some light on the dark street. Kanda looked up searching for the sign. On a rusty pole, swinging in the wind, there was a sign. And it was in French. Great. He managed to decipher 'lit'. That should mean bed? He really hoped that meant bed. He sighed, his breath creating a white puff in the freezing air. He regretted leaving the multilingual Finder behind now.

Bravely, Kanda pushed the door open and entered. His surroundings changed in an instant. Warm, bright, yellow light enveloped him like a blanket. His ears were filled with music from the band in the corner. Laughter and smoke were together in the air. He barely heard the bell on top of the door jingle as he closed it behind him. In a split second a face appeared in his mind. A man with a silly hat on his head and a huge grin on his face. He still remembered Daisya, that tormenting brat, whenever he heard a bell jingle like his Charity Bell. Tch. He was probably screwing up a mission somewhere.

Kanda was pulled back to Earth when a hand gripped his shoulder. He turned to the woman speaking huskily and rapidly in French. He didn't catch a word except 'cher'. Wait, didn't that mean expensive? So, he answered with the best retort he had.

"What?" Kanda's deep voice cut the woman's speech off.

"Aaaaah! I see! I foreigner! Velcome to 'Les belles nuits'! 'ov may I be 'ov service?" Her accent was thick, he noticed, but not entirely unpleasant. She rolled her 'r's heavily.

"I need food and lodging for the night. Does this place have any rooms still vacant?" Kanda noted that he was being very polite. It was either his current state of frozenness or the aura that the short woman gave off. She barely came up to his chest, yet he could feel that she was a strong person. The way she held herself was very bold, defiant. Her red locks were partially up in a loose bun, but most of them fell onto her bare shoulders. The blue dress she wore was plain, yet, dare he say beautiful, on her. Accenting all the right places. All in all, she was a confident, strong and, from what he had seen, hospitable proper lady. Well, the bare shoulders weren't that proper, but this was Paris, so he let it slide.

A smile broke on the woman's red lips. It was the kind of smile that made him uncomfortable. It was one of those closed-lips-eyes-twinkling smiles. The kind that girls sent men when they had less than honorable intentions.

"Oh, cher, ve 'av beds, oui, oui! But zey might be a bit different from vat vous voulez." She winked at him. And then, her manicured hand grabbed his, and she was pulling him to the bar. The redhead called something out to the bartender and he smirked one of those all-knowing smirks and gave them both drinks.

Kanda looked at his glass in suspicion. It was most definitely alcohol. And he was probably going to regret it later. But it will help him get warm faster. His still frozen fingers grasped the glass and he bravely downed the amber liquid. It burned its way down his throat. But, it was worth it. He could already feel the warmth spreading through his chest.

A voice registered in his mind and he realized that the woman beside him was talking. He produced a 'tch' sound when she paused, and she happily chattered on.

There was darkness all around him, enveloping him like a warm blanket. Then he realized that he actually was cocooned in a blanket. He could feel the cheap fabric scratching his chest as he breathed. Chest?! Where was his shirt?! Kanda moved his legs a bit, only to realize that he was completely naked. A rush of panic went through him. He could feel that tightening feeling in his stomach, the same one he got right before a fight. It was that feeling that you get when swimming. The one you get when you try to stand on the bottom only to have your feet touch nothing, because the water is too deep. It grew fast in his stomach. Just how much had he drunk last night?

Soft feminine giggling brought him out of his train of thought. He heard a number of 'shhhh's and then he heard fast, hushed conversation in French. His first instinct was to grab Mugen and start slicing, but he suppressed it. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Kanda had already met Lenalee.

He slowly cracked one eye open, taking in his surroundings like a trained warrior that he was. A cheap bedroom, with old paint that was peeling slowly off. Kanda could smell different perfumes and a faint smell of cigarettes and wine. Then he saw all of them.

There were women, perhaps twenty or more, sitting in a semi-circle around him. He noted their state of semi-undress with horror. Just how much had he drunk?!

The brunette on his left (the one whose red dress barely covered her humongous chest) glanced at his face while giggling at something her friend said. "Vous lui êtes réveillées!" she told her friends, mock scolding, "Good morning!" She rolled her 'r's at him gently. Kanda blinked. More like gawked stupidly at her, not that he would ever admit that.

"Tch." he answered in a well-practiced monotone, his voice a bit husky from sleep. The women around him cooed in happiness. They quickly reassumed their conversation in French. Kanda sat up, causing the girls closest to him to move a bit, all still chattering away and looking at him. He would bet that this was that Stupid Rabbit's ultimate dream. The women kept openly staring or glancing not so subtly at him giggling. He could see the Rabbit's face, full picture with the 'strike' pose and a bleeding nose.

"Where are my clothes?" Was the first thing he growled through his teeth. This, of course, caused a round of gleeful giggling. The brunette that had spoken English to him answered.

"Madam took zem. She vashed zem for you. 'ov are you feeling? Bezer zen yezterday I 'ope?"

"When can I get my clothes back?" He retorted, ignoring her question. This caused another round of giggling and some head shaking, too. He was irritated by the whole situation. His head was slowly starting to pound. Just fascinating.

The door to his left opened and the woman from last night came into the room. She had changed into a more appropriate dress, Kanda noted. She put a small bundle on his bed and started ushering the girls from the room. They looked, and sounded quite disappointed with that. The brunette that had spoken to him waved on her way out. One blonde in a very, very short pink dress blew a kiss at him from the doorway. Kanda was somewhere between utter annoyance, rage, amusement, embarrassment and smugness.

The redhead from last night sat at the corner of his bed. She looked at him expectantly.

"Hn."

"I said 'ov are you feeling, cher?"

"Hn."

"I vashed your clothes for you, cher." She gestured to the bundle on the bed. He grabbed for it.

"Where am I?" Kanda questioned as he slipped his shirt quickly. The redhead turned around to give him some privacy.

"You are in my bedroom, cher. In 'Les belles nuits'." She said to him gently, careful not to make his hangover even worse. "You drank a lot hier. Fell asleep as soon as you got varmed up. Ve carried you up 'ere and made sure you vere comfortable." He could hear that she was smiling as she talked to him. Kanda slipped his pants, socks and boots on with practiced ease. He had done this a number of times in worse situations, after all. The woman turned, as if sensing that he was dressed. He didn't like the way her eyes scanned him over. They were too knowing. Too invading. Kanda glared, but the feeling of being naked never left him. The murderous look didn't deter the woman.

"Where is my sword?" Kanda asked, not too politely. His voice was a low growl. He hated mornings. He was hungry. And, his head was pounding by now. Pounding like hell. He didn't remember hitting his head. Was this that hangover thing that the Stupid Rabbit always complained about? He didn't know, and didn't care. He wanted his sword. Now.

The woman laughed and gave him a tiny nod. She walked to the small make-up desk and picked something up from there. It was his sword. He would know Mugen anywhere. It was safe. Kanda crossed the room in seconds, his grace a different kind from the woman's. She had certain poise, a trained, nurtured movement of lady. One that you saw at a fancy dinner or a ball. Kanda, he was a swordsman through and through. His steps were light, soundless compared to her heeled shoes, and he held himself tense, senses constantly open to attack. He was an Exorcist. He expected to be attacked. He suspected everyone of being an Akuma.

When the redhead turned around, she saw Kanda's close proximity. He looked menacing, reaching for his weapon carefully. She didn't object to him taking it. Clear. If she were an Akuma, she would've taken the innocence when she had had the chance.

"Doez zat prove zat I am not a demon?" There was that coy smile on her face. She was reading him. Completely. Kanda scowled down at the woman. She knew about the Akuma? Surprise must've passed his face, as the woman moved around him, heading for the cheap bed. She sat down gracefully, perfect pose. "Yes. I knov about L'Eglise. You are very busy viz zem demons." Kanda didn't respond. He didn't move. Where was this going?

He understood that he was in this woman's debt. She had gotten him off the cold street and into a warm bed. She had given him drinks and then allowed him a full night's sleep. Safe from Akuma. That was rare. And probably expensive. Dark thoughts were swirling through Kanda's head, most of them featuring Komui in painful situations. He wouldn't be in this mess if the Supervisor hadn't had screwed up. Kanda's temper was about to snap. And, the samurai had never had much self-control concerning his anger.

"I require no material payment for zis 'elp zat I 'ave provided you." The redhead surprised Kanda with her words. He gave her a small, curt nod, signalizing that he was listening. "Ve 'ave 'ad pleasant dealings with a Monsieur named Cross from your L'Eglise." Recognition flashed across Kanda's face. General Cross had been here? The most elusive General? Why? Then again, Kanda had heard about the strange man's reputation with women and booze. Then, it made sense. The woman spoke again, her 'r's rolling. "I vill get somebody to escort you to the train station." Kanda stood still. He was waiting for the punch line. There was always a punch line in situations like these. He knew by now, that nothing came served on a silver platter. Kanda frowned. It's not like this situation was his fault. She had given him the alcohol. She had brought him to this room. She had washed his clothes. If he had had it his way, he would've simply paid for his room and been on his way today.

The redhead must've noticed the expressions passing on his face, because she spoke once again. "Nov, breakfast?" There was no punch line. The woman stood and headed out. Kanda took a second to follow her. He secured Mugen to his back as he walked. He wouldn't be letting go of the sword anytime soon. They headed down the hallway. The walls were the same, pale beige color, the paint peeling off. There were many doors, most of them closed. He noticed one open, and decided to peek in. For safety, he reasoned. The room was plain, just like the one that he had been in. There were dresses on the bed, messily thrown. Kanda's wondering eyes caught a glimpse of flesh and he quickly averted his gaze. Slowing down, he threw one more look back, for good measure. The naked woman blew him a kiss. He felt his neck and ears burn with embarrassment. Naked women. Booze. Bedrooms. Realization dawned on him and Kanda froze in his steps. He was in a brothel!

His head felt like a thousand bricks with a drum on top. It all suddenly made sense. The women. All the women in tight corsets and tiny dresses. All the bare shoulders that were flashing left and right. The shameless flirting. Oh God. Kanda wasn't sure what to do. He was in between wanting to run like hell and wanting to take out Mugen and start hacking and slashing. Well, Komui was one of the first people on his list. If he hadn't had left the samurai stranded with little to no money, Kanda wouldn't have gone to the cheaper districts. No, he would've gotten on the train, and been safe on his way home. Not in a brothel. Fuck winter and irregular train scedules, the samurai thought.

"Are you coming?" The redhead's voice came from the front and Kanda's head snapped up, a glare slipping onto his face. The woman didn't even react to it. She still had that knowing, coy smile on her face. That is one of the reasons why Kanda didn't like prostitutes. They knew how to read people. He was indifferent to their profession, but not to their ways. They always seemed to see through you, no matter how much you tried to put on a front. Gritting his teeth, Kanda decided to follow. There was no use now. He would take all that he could get.

The redhead led him down the stairs and into a bar of sorts. He remembered it from last night. It was quieter now, vacant of customers. The band wasn't playing, the stage was empty. There were a couple of girls gathered around the counter, giggling and talking in rapid French. Kanda ignored them. When the duo entered, the women quieted for a second, but then their conversation picked up again. The redhead led Kanda to a table and made him sit. He obliged. The couch was comfortable, even though it smelled of cigar smoke.

The redhead went to the girls a the counter and said something in French. Usually, he didnt have issues with languages. He eiher knew them, or he had a Finder to translate. This time, he had ditched his escort somewhere on the way. They were all replacable, after all. A plate full of delicious looking food was placed on the small table in front of Kanda. The blonde gave him a smile and said something in French. He dug through his head for an appropriate response.

"Merci." He managed to push through. He had heard the Finders say the phrase enough times. Besides, if he was too rude, they might make him pay, and God knows that he couldn't. The girl almost jumped from joy, and the samurai heard her squeal in happiness as soon as she left his sight. Obviously, he was a local attraction of sorts.

"Zey like you." The redhead from before lowered herself on the other side of the table, watching Kanda eat. He had figured that she was the Madam of the brothel. Staying on her good side would be the key. She was watching him. Giving him that look. The one that he didn't particularly like. She was analyzing everything that he did. Kanda didn't like it. He was usually the one that analyzed. He was usually the one that suspected everyone of being an Akuma. He was usually the one that had to read people to survive.

The food was good, even though it wasn't soba. Kanda swallowed it quickly and pushed the plate away. A different giggling girl came to take it away. The brunette also placed a glass of something on the table. Kanda didn't go near it at first. He changed his mind after a while of sitting under the Madam's gaze. It was as if she was waiting for him to do something. Say something. He drank from the glass and realized that it was milk. He almost choked, but he drank. He hadn't expected milk. The Madam's smile grew.

"What?" Kanda barked, his voice snappy. He lowered the glass, the glare ever present on his face.

"You ove me now, cher." Kanda scoffed. A door creaked somewhere behind him and the samurai felt a gust of cold air on his back. It reminded him of the snow and ice outside and his permanent scowl deepened. A bell jingled as the door closed and another female voice joined in with the girls at the counter. Suddenly, they seemed much louder than before. Maybe they actually were louder with the newcomer.

"I don't owe you anything." The exorcist brushed the Madam's words off. He did owe her. He knew that he did. However, Kanda believed in returning a debt. If the Madam asked him to return it, he would. The redhead laughed.

"Don't vorry, cher." She told him. "I von't ask for much." The samurai didn't react, so she continued. "Not many care for my girls. Zey get killed and forgotten. But, zey are someone's children, too. Zose demons of your L'Eglise have been prowling around, murdering, and ze auzorities von't call you on a vord of an escort." After a small pause, she spoke again. "I vill call ven zey appear again and you vill kill zem. Just like Monsieur Cross did."

Kanda sat still when she finished. She wanted him to kill Akuma? When she called? Well, it could've been worse. But, he wasn't some dog on a leash.

"I refuse." The samurai barked and stood. The Madam remained seated, a coy smile ever present on her bright red painted lips. She had read right through his front. She knew that he was a man who returned his debts.

"Sasha!" She called out to the girls. When Kanda turned, he saw one of them stop laughing and split away. She was dressed much less revealing than the rest of them. This must've been the newcomer. Kanda noticed her nose, red from cold, and the small amount of snow on the shoulders of her royal green colored coat. Kanda scanned her over with his eyes. She wasn't anything special. The girl looked around his age, with blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. Her corset was tight, pushing her breasts up like the rest of the girls, however, it was less revealing. Her skirt was also in a green color, matching her coat, and it was longer, barely at the edge of modesty. If he didn't know what she was, the thought wouldn't have crossed his mind. The Madam spoke a few quick sentences to her in French and the girl nodded.

"Train station it is, then." She had an accent, but not like the rest of them. She wasn't French, Kanda could tell. The girl walked back towards the counter and grabbed a white scarf. She wrapped it around her neck in one smooth motion, showing off the green and gold embroidery. It showed carriages and galloping horses. Handmade, the samurai could tell. He had seen women do things like that during his travels. Not that it was of any interest to him, but he found it peculiar that a prostitute could sew that well. "Are you coming?" The girl asked. She stood by the door, waiting. Kanda walked forward. He changed his mind and turned a bit to look at the Madam.

"Hn." He said and her smile grew.

"À bientôt, cher!" Her voice was in his ears for a while. The girl in green didn't open the door, she merely watched him. When he stood there, still, she scoffed. Kanda raised one eyebrow at the sound. She wasn't a lady, that was for sure, embroidery or not. The girl, Sasha, as the Madam had called her, opened the door with quite a bit of force. She didn't wait for him, but she walked into the frozen street with confidence, her heels clicking with each step. The samurai followed, a scowl on his face. He heard the door slam behind him, but didn't turn.

It was fairly late in the morning, but the quarter was empty. Maybe it was because of the icy weather, or because of the nature of the businesses here. However, it was like a ghost town. He could distinctly hear a couple of windows or doors opening, people going to the market, and even some moaning from a very late customer. The loudest sounds in the street were the girl's heels though. She was walking a bit in front of him, arms wrapped around her tightly. Suddenly, he was happy that the Order made high quality coats. His was nice and warm, even though his hands were slowly going numb with the biting cold.

"Where are you from?" The girl asked, falling in step with him suddenly. He didn't look at her, much less answer. "Do you only speak Chinese or something?" She asked next, her teeth chattering a bit. Kanda grit his teeth. A rude prostitute. Well, that was a first. "Maybe you're just shy." Her voice had taken on a teasing edge now. "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" She teased, obviously noticing the bright blush that had spread across the expanse of Kanda's neck and ears. He turned to her suddenly, the force of his glare a bit surprising.

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

Apparently, the threat worked, as the girl went quiet once again. Now that he thought about it, Kanda probably wouldn't have killed her. She had been annoying and invasive, but she was honest. The girl hadn't deceived him, not even once. Neither had the Madam. Kanda wasn't a very nice person, but he knew how to appreciate things. And one thing he did appreciate was honesty. It made life so much simpler. He did detest most honest people, though. They tended to be weak.

"This way." The girl grabbed his elbow, her hand looping around the joint and staying there. She pulled him towards the alley, never letting go. Kanda gave a glare, but didn't object. She must've seen it, because she clarified. "A shortcut." And with that, there was silence again. They walked along the alley, her heels clicking against the frozen cobblestones. Kanda's footsteps were silent, almost not there. They passed a couple of drunks exiting a bar. The group of men chuckled and whistled after the girl, but she pressed further into Kanda's side. He felt her breast against his arm and stiffened. She threw him an apologetic look, but didn't move away. The samurai hoped that the train station was near. He promised himself that the next time he was in Paris, he would make sure to keep his Finder with him.

Kanda let out a sigh of relief as soon as he saw he big sign of the train station. They entered and the girl led him to the ticket window. She quickly spoke a few sentences in French and the man behind the glass gave her a ticket. She took it and looked at Kanda expectantly. Scowling, the man dug through his pockets and handed her the money. She gave it to the waiting man and led the Exorcist away. Kanda followed, glad that she had let go of his arm.

"This is the train that will take you to L'Eglise." She spoke, leading him further down the platform. Kanda wondered for a moment how she knew where to send him, but he dismissed it. General Cross was well known to use brothels for information gathering. For a while, they stood on the empty platform, waiting in silence. Kanda looked over the girl a couple more times, but she seemed deep in thought, looking at the tracks. He knew that face. That wishful gaze. He had seen that same look in the mirror. She wanted to leave. However, it wasn't Kanda's problem. It wasn't his life. She would have to grit her teeth and make up her mind on her own. Kanda didn't have a lot of contact with prostitutes. But, it was a strange look to see on one's face. A self-conscious, trapped look, on a prostitute's face. What a joke.

Then, a loud boom sounded somewhere to their left and the floor shook. In a second, Kanda grabbed his sword and ran towards the sound. He knew it a bit too well. Akuma were there.

"Wait!" The girl yelled, and Kanda realized, with annoyance, that she was following him. He was a bit impressed at how fast she could run in those heels. "Wait! Exorcist!" She didn't even know his name. Kanda felt his blood boil as soon as he saw the dark, round shape in the air. Akuma. He unsheathed Mugen and leapt into action, an indifferent look on his face. No matter how bored he seemed, the samurai was excited. He liked fighting. He liked the thrill, the danger.

Mugen sang through the air as Kanda swung down at the soon to be dead Akuma.

That's all folks! Tell me what you think :D