Missing Piece

Chapter 34

Charlotte pushed the double barrel doors open as she entered, the small bell going off to signal a new customer had arrived. "Charlotte-chan!" came Baako's sickly sweet voice to greet her. He winced at the sight of her. The bandages and taping were so thick that her usual leather glove was missing from her right. "You look like a mummy having a bad wrapping day!" He joked and Charlotte knew that was as close to an apology she was going to get.

She pulls up in front of the scotch glass. "The job is done." She stated matter of factly. "The authorities have arrested Kline and his... gang."

Baako exhaled through his nostrils at the response as if readjusting to the new weight on his shoulders. "I knew I can count on you." He cheered, enthusiastically, giving the girl a wink and thumbs up. She only stared at him over the rim of her cup. Brow raised. The thick bandages over her right hand looking like a comical mitten against the adult glass. "It's rare to see you covered in bandages." He admits after a while.

A young Charlotte whimpered meekly against the floor, blood spilling from her many wounds that covered her body. Her limbs were far too sore and fatigued to move. A choked cry escaped her when her Master kicked her hard in the ribs. "Treat you?" He spat as if it was an incredulous request. "Do you see bandages on monsters out in the wild? Monsters don't get treatment! That's reserved only for humans!"

She pushed the empty glass back towards the bartender, silently asking for a refill. Even though it was never filled. "The Hearts make it a habit to ensure that I'm wrapped up in as many bandages as physically possible." She grumbled, but the small smile on her face revealed her true feelings. "It's annoying. It makes it hard to move, but apparently that's the point." They gave her an earful when they caught her unwinding them. They wrapped her up even more after that with the sole purpose of ensuring she couldn't move her limbs to undo any of the work. Apparently, she has three broken ribs and moving was really bad for recovery.

Good. Baako thought quietly. Treatment was a rarity for her in the past. She often came back from her hunts covered in so much blood, he thought her a ghost. Luckily, most of it tended to be her target's blood and not hers. But it often masked just how injured the huntress is when she came back. Selfishly, Baako wished she still came in without all the masking tapes and gauzes so he wouldn't know how badly hurt she was. He knew the job he had asked of her wasn't fair, but he did so regardless. Part of him wondered if Charlotte knew the extent to which he had set her up.

"You know we're a bar here, right?" Baako teased, placing a glass of milk down. He didn't doubt that she would have taken the job regardless.

"Didn't you know milk is great for bones?" That was what made it sting all the more.

She quirked a brow at the male again. "You got something you want to say?" She lowered the cup, giving him her full attention. The same way she often did when he was training her. Except this time, her platinum eyes were duller than usual.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice failed him. Stuck somewhere in the past.

"Speaking of wounds, why do you have some?" She asked instead and Baako wondered if she did it purposely for him. She was always kind like that.

Her eyes pulled back towards the information broker at the nervous chuckle that transformed into a booming laugh filling the empty bar. "I got into a drunken fight with someone. It's pretty embarrassing actually. But you should totally see the other guy!"

She leaned her chin against her good hand, a ghost of a smile on her features. Here she was worried for the man tight walking around her.

A tentacle paw plopped on the top of her head. "You found yourself a good group." He muttered under his breath then added, "It's almost unfair..."