Title: Blood of the Snake, a Get Backers fan fiction

By: retroelectric

Warnings: Mature themes, Vampirism, Horror/Supernatural

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Get Backers. This is a Get Backers fan fiction, ideas purely fan-made speculations based off the relationship between the Get Backers duo and infused with several elements inspired – and not stolen off the Vampire Chronicles Universe by Anne Rice. It is also important to note that this does not contain ANY of her characters, thus this is strictly NOT a Vampire Chronicles/Get Backers crossover. In this way I do not breach any of Anne Rice's policies regarding fan fiction on her work.

Chapter 1

It was a warm and sultry summer night in Shinjuku, and the oppressive heat and humidity seemed to seep through the cracks of the car and into Ban's skin, making him sweat. He couldn't fall asleep and he hated it. Ban grimaced to himself, knowing that if he didn't get a substantial rest that night, he would be involuntarily snappish to everyone the following morning. He would never say it out loud, but from the look on Ginji's face Ban knew that his blond partner disliked it when he was moody. He knew his best friend so well that they needed no words.

Those things bothered him, combined with an odd niggling feeling from the back of his mind.

Someone -- something; was watching him from outside.

It was not the first time he felt that particular prickling sensation of something boring a hole into the back of his head. The past few months fell to a pattern: complete a mission, celebrate with Ginji, falling asleep in their car and starting their day at the Honky Tonk.

Yet every single time as he was about to fall asleep, a low, musical and undeniably male voice would sound in his mind, murmur a few words varying from "Sleep well, Jagan Master," "Take good care," and "You will be mine." That voice wasn't Ginji's. It... this presence he felt wasn't that of a humans'. Normal human beings couldn't even get past through the invincible fortress that was his mind.

Every single night that obtrusive foreign voice would come. He decided not to alarm Ginji or any other person with this disturbing information, and Ban simply kept quiet. He was used to hiding things like this from even the ones closest to him, so why should this be any different? He acted as usual, but his mind was a wreck. It was taxing even on a person such as he to shield his mind every single minute from such foreign obtrusion.

Ban had been trained to defend himself from any mind reader ever since he was younger, and had developed an invincible system that no one could penetrate. Despite that, the presence he felt could manage to sneak in their thoughts into his mind. Who would dare murmur such sentiments - to him, of all people - in such an intimate tone? Spoke to him like a lover would? Who?

A quick scan to the outside proved his suspicions were baseless. There was no one in sight. Yet it felt like there was still someone, something - watching his every move. Sighing in frustration, he pulled the thin blanket up to his neck.

It seemed to himself that he was getting frustrated a lot lately. It was mostly because of Ginji. He doubted his blond partner even knew of what rambunctious and even sexual thoughts he had every single time he glanced at him. It was just their closeness, and the overwhelming aura of Ginji which comforted him like no other. He thought of pressing Ginji's pouty lips to his chapped ones, wondering how they would taste like; whether he would moan and sigh beneath his ministrations.

Ban felt like claiming Ginji to himself, show to the Monkey Tamer and Thread Spool and the rest of his ex-VOLTS friends how he owned all of Ginji every single time his bubbly blond partner bounded up to them and enveloped them in his friendly embraces. The jealousy maddened him and tested his self-control, but he knew better than to submit to fulfill his base cravings. All of that could wait.

Ginji was sleeping, a look of innocence on his soft features, oblivious to his partner's discomfort. Ban envied that he could sleep despite the heat. That damn ominous presence was still keeping vigil on him, its fiery stare boring into the back of his head. His defenses were up, and he knew that it was probably writhing in anger, being unable to penetrate even the slightest into the formidable fortress that was his mind. There was nothing out there, only the humidity and the blackness of the night.

He decided he needed a smoke, to get away from Ginji's overwhelming aura even though he was still asleep.

Stepping out of the car silently so as not to wake Ginji, he walked in long, confident strides, with his head held high so as to project an indifferent image to the presence. It was best to belie to whatever it was out there that he wasn't frustrated. He dug out his cigarettes and lighted up in a lazy manner.

Exhaling slowly, he glanced around warily whilst still keeping his fast, brisk pace. The unknown presence gradually disappeared. The thought comforted him a little as he reached a bench in the nearby park.

He finished the cigarette quickly enough. He was about to light up another one when the familiar yet foreign voice speaking in English whispered in his ear.

"You shouldn't be smoking that much, Ban."

Ban jumped up from the bench instantly to face his tormentor. His right hand thrummed with the power from Asclepius, just about ready to strike.

But he didn't. The darkness of the night just stretched on and on, and he was mystified and dumbfounded as to why there wasn't a soul in sight. He couldn't sense any human presence at all. Ban's body was tense, like a sly fox waiting to spring at his prey the right moment.

That voice chuckled right next to his ear and then there was a tapping on his shoulder. Whirling behind, he came face to face with a vision of an unfamiliar man grinning at him. Why hadn't he sensed anything...? Blond hair, even lighter than Ginji's, fell around an angular face in waves and curled at the nape of his neck. Violet eyes which gleamed unnaturally in the darkness, a fine and sharp nose and lush lips.

Ban could hardly believe his eyes as he noted the marble white pallor of the unknown man's flawless skin. He had never seen such whiteness in anyone's skin before. It was unnatural, and he wondered how that skin would feel underneath his fingers.

He refused to be taken in by the other man's unusual features. Shoving his hands deep into his pocket and frowning, he sought out a proper response in English.

"Who are you?" he ground out.

His response only served to elicit another chuckle from the man before him.

"I am your worst nightmare, Midou Ban."

Laughing humourlessly, Ban stepped away from the unknown man, fully intending to make an escape when a strong hand clasped onto his shoulder, preventing him from moving away.

He wants to play, doesn't he, Ban thought. He grasped the offending limb with his right hand and crushed it with his grip. The bones snapped audibly and it poked through the white skin of his hand, making the man gasp in surprise. Ban gripped tighter.

Satisfied at hearing the crunching of the bones, Ban released the mangled hand and tried to get away, only to be rooted to the spot. Ban struggled with his invisible bonds, trying not to panic at his inability to move. He couldn't believe that this man was controlling his own movements with but a thought. Concentrating hard, he stilled and willed his body to fight off the binds. He nearly succeeded with it and he was just about to remove the last bit of it, but the man growled low, and spoke.

"Oh, no you don't," the low accented voice laced in slight anger whispered. "Look."

Ban's eyes widened as the mangled hand repaired itself magically, the bones realigning themselves into place and the torn skin mended itself, making it as good as new.

Oh shit, he realised, as the man closed in on him. He was still rooted to the spot, unable to move a single muscle as panic seized control of his mind. No, he mustn't, couldn't show any weakness; he must fight him off. What was this creature?

The unknown man slowly opened his mouth, eclipsing his unasked questions revealing white teeth and something unnaturally wrong altogether. Those fangs shouldn't be there at all, no -- and Ban struggled to regain control of his body as long, sharp dagger-like teeth sunk into the main artery of his neck deeply. Ban gasped and moaned in the dizzying pain and pleasure of his rapidly gushing wound. The vampire tugged onto his veins, sucking and drawing his blood, shuddering in ecstasy. His blood, his very essence was ambrosia to the vampire's body flowed in quick bursts out of him -- and the Jagan Master's pulse slowed.

"Gin-ji..."

Ban blacked out.

Back in the car, Ginji woke up with a start.