“Well, here we are again,” Yosaku said, considerably less enthusiastic than he’d been three nights ago. Johnny thought it was about time. After all, Yosaku wasn’t the one stuck in the same tight, uncomfortable, gooey-on-the-inside jumpsuit night after night. He wasn’t the one who had to duck through doorways so his wig wouldn’t come off. He didn’t have to dance every night with Mirror Belle, moving and twisting in ways he’d never even wanted to before.
Though, he privately admitted, that last bit wasn’t too bad. In fact, he was starting to look forward to the ritual: come in, sit at the bar, wait for Mirror Belle, order drinks that remained untouched, dance, dance, dance some more...
“Hey Johnny, you with me?” Johnny blinked. How long had he been wandering in his own thoughts? “You got the weapons?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, Yosaku, and yeah, I’ve got them,” he answered, striding into Sonia’s establishment. He took his usual seat at the bar and waited for Yosaku. Soon enough, his partner was seated by his side, glancing nervously around the club.
“Hey Yosaku, you OK?” Johnny asked.
“Yeah,” Yosaku answered, eyes still darting to and fro. “Just waiting for it.”
“For what?”
“For--”
“Hey you!” Zoro the Gay Blade said, wrapping his arms around Yosaku from behind.
“KYAA!” Yosaku shouted. Johnny almost leaped out of his seat. In all their years together, he’d never heard Yosaku scream like that.
Zoro released Yosaku and frowned. “Honey, honey, you need to calm down,” he lisped. He placed his hands on Yosaku’s shoulders and started rubbing them lightly. “My god, how can you sleep at night with all this tension?”
“That’s his fault,” Yosaku hissed to Johnny, indicating the man behind him. “He does that sneak-and-surprise routine every time I come in here. Scares the shit out of me.”
Johnny frowned. “Jeez, man, I’m sorry,” he whispered back. “I didn’t notice; been too busy with Mirror Belle. If I’d known, I’d’ve helped you keep watch.”
“It’s not your fault,” Yosaku answered, wincing as Zoro hit what seemed to be an especially painful spot. “You’ve got a job to do, I know. And I guess my job is keeping the first mate occupied until you strike it big.”
“What are you two sillies going on about down there?” Zoro asked, leaning in between them and smiling.
“Oh, nothing,” Johnny answered. “Hey, is Mirror Belle here yet?”
Zoro frowned. “Should be. I came in with her--oh, wait, there she is! Yoohoo! Captain! Somebody’s looking for you!” He waved to someone in the crowd, and while his back was turned Yosaku shot Johnny a hurt look. Johnny blinked. Before he could ask what was wrong, though, Zoro started massaging Yosaku’s shoulders again, harder this time. Johnny sighed and resolved to ask about it after this night’s mission. After a few minutes, Mirror Belle pushed through the crowd, seated herself on the bar and crossed her legs.
“Hello, Johnny,” she said, smiling at him. Johnny felt a herd of butterflies invade his stomach. The miniskirt she was wearing was very mini, indeed, and the halter top didn’t detract from the effect in the slightest.
“Hello, Captain Belle,” Johnny answered, smiling back. “How are you this fine evening?”
Mirror Belle laughed. “Such a gentleman!” she exclaimed. “Did you hear that, Zoro?”
“That I did, Captain,” Zoro answered, giggling. Johnny suppressed a shudder. Why oh why did this guy have to sound so much like Brother Zoro? “He is a cutie, isn’t he?”
“Indeed,” Mirror Belle answered, sliding off the bar and into her usual spot on Johnny’s lap. “Cute as a button.” She kissed him on the cheek, and Johnny froze. Sure, it wasn’t the first time he’d ever been kissed, but... but... He shot a glance at Yosaku, but Yosaku wasn’t looking at him. Instead, he was staring determinedly at the bar while Zoro continued to knead his shoulders, eyes narrowed.
“Hey, Yosaku,” Johnny started to say, but was cut off by Mirror Belle.
“C’mon, Johnny!” she said, jumping out of his lap and grabbing his hands. “Sing us a song, will you?”
“Huh?” Johnny replied intelligently.
“Onstage,” she said. “Go up there, tell the band what song you want them to play and sing along.”
“Well, I don’t know,” Johnny said, shooting another glance at Yosaku.
“You’d better do as she says,” Zoro warned him playfully. “The Captain here always gets what she wants.”
Johnny gulped, remembering Eustace and his untimely fate. “OK,” he said. “But I don’t know what any of the songs are called.”
“Oh, that’s no problem,” Mirror Belle said. “Zoro here knows them all by heart. Just tell him what it’s about, and he’ll tell you what song to ask for.”
“All right,” Johnny said, thinking. “What about that song you were singing the first night we came here?”
“Which one?” Zoro asked.
“You know, the one that started out ‘Tenohi nano, so na no,’ or something like that.”
“Oh no,” Zoro said, removing one of his hands from Yosaku’s back to waggle a finger at him. “Can’t play that one. ‘Eyes of Zoro’ is a Zoro exclusive!”
“OK,” Johnny said, thinking again.
“What about that other one?” Yosaku said. Johnny looked at him, surprised. Whatever bad mood he’d been in earlier seemed to have passed; he was smiling now, though it was a tiny bit forced. “The one that starts out ‘When I'm alone, tomorrow feels far away?’”
“Oh, that one!” Johnny said. “Sure, I’ll sing that. What’s it called?”
“’Heart of Sword,’” Zoro answered. “Why’d you think of that one?”
Yosaku blanched for a moment, but recovered admirably. “It reminds of Brother Zoro. I mean, you.”
Zoro’s face lit up like a lamp. “Oh, you’re such a sweetheart!” he said, crushing Yosaku in another embrace.
“Can’t... breathe...” Yosaku grit out. Johnny tried to pry Zoro off of him, but before he could do anything meaningful, Mirror Belle grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd to the stage. When they were right in front of it, she halted and turned to face Johnny, smiling softly. Johnny opened his mouth to protest--he couldn’t just leave Yosaku to be crushed to death by a Brother Zoro look-alike!
“Good luck,” she said, then kissed him on his tattooed cheek. “My brave warrior of the sea.”
Well, when she put it that way, it didn’t seem like a bad idea at all. He clambered onto the stage, told the band to start playing, and sang his heart out.
By the time Johnny got back to the bar, Yosaku was slumped over on his crossed arms, drowsing as Zoro continued his massage. Mirror Belle leapt off her stool and patted it invitingly. “You did great, tiger,” she said. “Very, uh, loud.”
“Thanks,” Johnny said as he sat down. Mirror Belle immediately took her usual seat on his lap and waved Sonia over.
“Two grasshoppers,” she ordered, “and make it snappy. I want them here in two minutes, no more.”
“Yes, Captain,” Sonia answered. “Don’t know why you want them that fast; it’s not like you ever drink them anyway.”
“One day I will, Sonia dear,” Mirror Belle said. “And you’ll regret it if they’re even one second late.”
“Right,” Sonia said. “Two grasshoppers, coming right up.” As she went off to make the drinks, Zoro turned to Mirror Belle with a playful frown.
“Captain, you’re so mean!” he teased. Mirror Belle smiled.
“You mind?”
Zoro laughed. “Not at all, Captain. Hey, are we still up for shopping on Saturday?”
“But all the shops around here are so boring!”
“Well, then, we’ll just have to go somewhere else, won’t we?”
Mirror Belle’s smile took a vicious edge. “Somewhere we’ll be able to buy clothes for free.”
Johnny blinked as something clicked. “So, you guys are going out on Saturday?” he said, poking Yosaku in the shoulder to rouse him from his stupor.
“That’s right,” Mirror Belle said. “Probably to Gaynor, or somewhere thereabouts.”
“Wait, you mean a raid?” Yosaku said sleepily.
“Yup,” Zoro said. “You wanna come with? I’ll take good care of you,” he leered.
“Ah... maybe,” Yosaku answered. The band finished the song they were on and started a new one. Mirror Belle squealed, then leapt out of Johnny’s lap and dragged him to his feet.
“Johnny, let’s dance!” she said.
“OK,” Johnny said. “What steps should I use this time?”
“New ones,” Mirror Belle answered. “I’ll teach you the Electric Slide. It’ll shock you.”
Zoro groaned. “That was a bad one, Captain.”
“Well, I’m a bad girl, aren’t I?” She tugged Johnny out the the dance floor and stood in front of him. “OK,” she said. “listen to the music. Get in the groove.”
Johnny listened.
“Now, it’s an eighteen-beat pattern. Start like this.” She took four steps to the right and clapped. Johnny copied her as best she could, but before he had taken even one step, Mirror Belle stopped him.
“No, no, no,” she said. “Start with the right foot, like this.” She demonstrated again, and this time Johnny got it. As he ended his four steps, though, he bumped into someone. A rather large someone. He turned to apologize, but before he could get a word out, the person--Funky Chinaman--grabbed him by the collar.
“What you doing?” he growled. “You don’t disco dance in the manner passed down by my forefathers! I should beat your ass!”
“Knock it off, Chinaman,” Mirror Belle said, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s just learning.” Funky Chinaman glared at her.
“You weren’t patient with me during my training, why should I be patient with him?” he said, lifting Johnny off the floor. By this time, a space had cleared around them as people backed away from the Chinaman’s wrath. “My footwork is better than his ever will be, and you never dance with me!”
Mirror Belle rolled her eyes. “You’re so vain,” she said. “I just feel like it, OK? Take a chill pill.”
“I’m sorry I bumped into you,” Johnny squeaked.
“Sorry is not enough!” Chinaman said, then threw Johnny to the floor. Johnny put a hand to his wig. It had come loose in the fall. He hoped no one had noticed. “You pig-dog!”
Chinaman fell into a fighting stance. Johnny panicked. What was he supposed to do? If he fought back, he’d give away his abilities, as well as the location of his weapon, and that could blow the mission. On the other hand, if he didn’t fight back... Sonia’s words came back to him. He gulped. If he didn’t fight back, he could very well end up as a little jumpsuited puddle on the floor. That left only one option: run away.
As Johnny scrambled to his feet, though, there was a blur of green in front of him. Zoro the Gay Blade now stood in front of him, blade drawn. He grinned manaically.
“Hi, Funky,” he said. “I see you’re picking on my friend here. That just won’t do. You see, I’ve been looking for a chance to kick your ass for a long, long time, and this looks like the perfect opportunity.”
Someone pulled Jonny the rest of the way up; Yosaku. Johnny sighed in relief. “Thanks, partner,” he whispered. “I thought I was a goner.”
“Not as long as I’m around,” Yosaku answered.
“You wanna beat my ass, queerman?” Chinaman said, baring his teeth. “Or you wanna eat it? I gotta pair of chopsticks with your name on them...”
“Hey, you know what they say,” Zoro answered, blowing a small kiss at the enraged kung-fu fighter. “Love is a battlefield.”
“That’s it!” Chinaman yelled, charging at the swordsman. Zoro settled into a defensive position, but before either of them could strike a blow, one of Mirror Belle’s thigh-high boots hit the floor between them. Both fighters froze, then slowly turned their heads towards their captain.
“Now,” she said darkly, striding towards them, her steps a little lopsided, “you boys know I have nothing against a little brawling in my club. But,” she whipped around to face Zoro, who cowered away from the rage in her eyes, “did I just hear you reference Pat Benetar?”
“Who’s that?” Johnny whispered.
“No idea,” Yosaku answered.
“Well, Zoro?” Mirror Belle said, advancing on the swordsman furiously. “That name ring familiar? Pat Benetar? Captain of the Eight Teas Pirates? Tell me, Zoro! You knew them, didn’t you? No, you must’ve been with them!”
“It’s true!” Zoro cried, backed up against a wall. “Before I joined you, I was a swabbie on Captain Benetar’s ship! But I gave all that up, I swear!”
“Get out,” Mirror Belle said, suddenly calm. “Now. I won’t have any New Wavers in my crew.”
“But--”
“But nothing. If you don’t leave this instant,” she motioned with her hand, and several of the men reluctantly drew out their pistols and cocked them, “you won’t leave at all.”
Zoro stared at Mirror Belle for a moment more. Then he sheathed his sword and pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning on. Slowly, he made his way through the crowd, which silently parted to let him pass. He paused at the door as if he was gonig to say something, but instead simply opened the door and left.
Johnny and Yosaku watched him go, then glanced at each other. Yosaku elbowed Johnny in the ribs and jerked his head in Mirror Belle’s direction. Johnny nodded. He made his way to Mirror Belle, who was staring at the ground, slumped in defeat.
“Don’t,” she said before he could say or do anything. “Just leave me alone right now, Johnny.” Johnny nodded and made his way back to Yosaku. The Captain’s words seemed to trigger the crowd’s, and soon the club was buzzing with conversation.
Mirror Belle stomped on the floor, hard enough so that the thump echoed throughout the room, silencing the gossipers. She looked up. “People,” she announced, “I’m going to bed.” She left, followed by the rest of the Village Pirates. Soon, only Johnny, Yosaku and Sonia were left.
“See what kind of woman she is?” Sonia said after a moment, coming out from behind the bar to right the chairs and tables that had been overturned in the exodus. “That no-good, disease-ridden, lousy, freeloading, husband-stealing, crew-betraying--”
“Shut up,” Johnny said. Stunned, Sonia continued her task in silence.
“Hey, Johnny--” Yosaku said.
“Don’t talk to me right now,” Johnny interrupted. Yosaku drew in a sharp breath, then went to help Sonia. Johnny wrapped one arm around his waist and used the other to massage his forehead, taking deep breaths. It had been an interesting evening, to say the least. He was still in shock over Zoro the Gay Blade’s sudden expulsion. He and Mirror Belle had seemed like good friends earlier at the bar, and then... he shook his head. Mirror Belle must have had her reasons for hating Captain Benetar enough that she’d throw out a crewmember simply for being associated with him. And she probably had a good reason for not wanting Johnny to comfort her.
Didn’t stop it from hurting a tiny bit, though.
He shook his head again and got to work helping Sonia and Johnny out. They finished the work in silence, then took seats at the bar by unspoken agreement.
“So,” Sonia started after a time, “are you getting any closer to being ‘in’?”
“Well, I think Mirror Belle likes me,” Johnny answered. “Despite... tonight. What do you think, Yosaku?”
Yosaku didn’t answer. “Yosaku?”
“Yeah,” Yosaku snapped. “Likes you really well, doesn’t she. And you, you--”
“What?” Johnny asked. Yosaku looked away, clenching his teeth. “Yosaku, what’s wrong?”
Yosaku took a deep breath. “Nothing,” he said. “I”m just drunk and a little stupid right now. Let’s get back to our room.”
“Right,” Johnny said, standing from the bar. Yosaku stomped out of the building, but before Johnny could follow him, Sonia grabbed his arm.
“Johnny,” she said, “he didn’t finish more than two shots tonight.”
Johnny cocked his head to the side. “You mean, he lied? But why would he lie about a stupid thing like that?”
“Just be careful,” Sonia said, releasing him. “Pay attention to him. You know him better than I do, maybe you can figure out what’s wrong.”
“Hey Johnny,” Yosaku called from the door, “you coming?”
“Night, Sonia,” Johnny said, then rushed after his partner. “Coming!” They silently fell into step. Johnny glanced at Yosaku. His shoulders were tense, his arms crossed over his chest. That meant he was still angry.
“Hey, Yosaku--”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Johnny swallowed against the pang in his chest. “OK,” he said. They continued in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Surprisingly, Yosaku was the one to break it this time.
“Johnny?” he asked.
“Yeah?”
“You’d never...” He trailed off, then breathed deeply and started again. “You wouldn’t just cut me off like that, would you? Like Mirror Belle did to Zoro? You’d give me a chance to explain, if I did something to piss you off that badly, right?”
Johnny thought for a moment. “I can’t imagine a situation where I wouldn’t,” he answered. “You’re my best friend.”
Yosaku digested that for a moment, then smiled and started chuckling. Johnny joined in, and soon they were collapsed against the wall of a nearby building, sides aching with laughter. Johnny sighed as he wiped a few tears from his eyes. If that was what it felt like to have your best friend mad at you, then he never wanted Yosaku mad, ever again.
“Now,” he said, elbowing Yosaku in the ribs, “you gonna tell me what was bothering you?”
“Nah,” Yosaku said, standing up and brushing his lounge suit off. “I just realized I was being stupid, seeing things that weren’t there, you know?”
“Yeah,” Johnny said, taking Yosaku’s offered hand and pulling himself up with it. “That can happen.”
“And you always feel like a moron after it’s over,” Yosaku said, grinning. “Let’s get back.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Johnny said as they set off down the street again, ten times happier than he’d been a few minutes ago. No, a thousand times better. Yosaku wasn’t mad anymore, and that was the best feeling in the world.
