Get Back the Hakobiya? - a Get Backers fanfic
by Erika Riggio [Filia]

Disclaimer: Get Backers does not belong to me. If it did, I think I would die from bishie!love overload.

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Akabane Kuroudo was late.

Tachibana Riko drummed her fingers on the table. It was her own fault, she supposed, for asking that weird guy for his phone number in the first place. But he was so intriguing. Besides, it was important for a high school girl like herself to have a crush on a handsome older guy.

Riko wasn't exactly sure why she had decided to give Akabane a call. He had seemed kind of bewildered when she had asked for his number in the first place. To be honest, she just really liked having people's phone numbers. There were thousands of numbers stored on her cell phone, and most of them belonged to people whose faces she could no longer put with their names. In fact, she rarely called anyone at all; she just waited for people to call her. It gave her this wonderful thrill when she heard her phone ring.

So why had she called Akabane? And furthermore, why had she asked him on a date? This was so ridiculously unlike her, she had to giggle at herself as she waited in the Honky Tonk Cafe. Why had she even picked this place at all? It always smelled like coffee. And with her luck, those ridiculous Get Backers would show up before Akabane ever did.

Ugh, those Get Backers. Why didn't they just shack up and get married if they liked each other so damn much?

Riko pulled out her cell phone and flipped through the numbers until she came to Akabane's. He had insisted that she save his name as "Dr. Jackal." What a dumb nickname. Oh well, she would find a much cuter nickname for him. And if she couldn't think of something, one of her friends could. And, she thought smugly to herself as she looked at her phone, she had a lot of friends.

She leaned back in the booth, looking from her phone to the door then back to the phone again. Where was he? It was well past three o'clock. Riko stared at her phone, Akabane's number staring tantalizingly back at her. Should she call? Did it even matter to her if he didn't show up? This just proved that he was kind of a flake.

But a very cute flake.

The door opened and Riko's head shot up. Two men, a brunette and a blonde, entered. The brunette had the blonde by his ear, and the blonde was struggling.

"Ugh, it's those retarded Get Backers," Riko said with disgust, returning to staring at her phone.

"Ne, Ban-chan, let go!" the blonde whined, a look of pain on his face. "I didn't mean to drop the earrings in the sewer grate, I promise!"

Ban scowled, pulling his partner by the ear to whirl him around. "I don't care if you meant to, Ginji! Do you have any idea how much those earrings were worth? Do you have any idea how much we would have gotten paid?"

"Gomen, Ban-chan," Ginji said plaintively, looking at the floor. "But we hardly ever get paid anyway."

Ban practically threw Ginji into a booth. "Don't remind me," he said, stalking up to the counter. "Natsumi, I need some coffee."

The bubbly high school girl rushed over to the coffee machine and poured Ban a cup. "Here you go, Ban-san!" she said cheerfully, putting the cup in front of him with a flourish and a smile. Ban just continued to sneer and took the cup, sloshing a bit of the liquid onto the counter as he spun to walk back to the booth to sit next to Ginji.

"What losers," Riko murmured, stealing another disapproving glance. She sighed and wondered where Akabane was.

Then she looked up and glanced over at the duo on the other side of the restaurant. Maybe, just maybe..

Without a second thought, she jumped up and marched over to the Get Backers. "Excuse me," she said without a hint of courtesy in her voice. "Find something for me."

Ginji blinked and Ban glared. "Oh, Riko-chan, right?" Ginji replied, scratching his head. "You're the one who stole that man's briefcase!"

Riko rolled her eyes. "I didn't steal it, and it doesn't matter anyway. Find something for me."

Ban and Ginji shared a furtive glance. Ginji asked "What are you trying to find?" at the same time as Ban said "It'll cost you."

Riko focused on Ban. "You could at least try to be pleasant, you know."

"Likewise," Ban snapped, pushing his glasses up on his nose, his eyes narrowing behind them.

"That still doesn't make you look cool, you know," Riko scoffed, pushing her hair behind her ear and pocketing her cell phone. "Look. Akabane-san was supposed to meet me here at three and he's late. So you have to find him for me. Get him back, I guess."

Ginji's eyes widened and Ban let out a loud laugh. "You want us to find Dr. Jackal for you?" Ban asked incredulously, a tear seeping out of his eye. He laughed again.

"We only seem to find Akabane-san when we're not looking for him, Riko-chan," Ginji said, looking a little confused. "I wouldn't even know where he would be." He glanced at Ban. "Any ideas, Ban-chan?"

Ban was still laughing. "Don't tell me you have a crush on that ridiculous guy?" he said, looking down his nose at Riko.

Riko flushed, half in embarrassment, half in anger. "No," she snapped defiantly. "What's it to you anyway? You said there's nothing you can't get back, right? So make Akabane-san show up right now." She scowled at Ban and Ginji in turn, looking as if she might rip their eyes out.

Ginji paled and looked at Ban. "She's right, Ban-chan. We wouldn't be very good dakkanya if we couldn't get Akabane-san back, ne?" He swallowed; Akabane gave him the creeps, especially with the whole wanting-to-kill-them thing he seemed to have going on.

An intense frown permeated Ban's face, and he pushed his glasses up on his nose. "Fine," he said after a moment, not even looking at Riko. "We'll find Jackal for you. But like I said, it'll cost you."

Riko put her hands on her hips. "I didn't have to help you find that stupid old man's briefcase, you know," she stated flatly. "I think you owe me one."

Ban sputtered. "Owe you one?" he practically screamed. "After all the stupid things you made us do just to get you to help in the first place? No way. We don't owe you a damn thing."

"Fine then," Riko replied, turning around. Just then, her cell phone rang. She practically squealed and whipped it out of her pocket. "Mushimushi~!" she exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. The smile quickly fell. "Oh. Oh, I understand. No, that's fine. Right. Okay. Yeah, some other time. Bye." She punched a button on the phone and looked like she wanted to throw it across the room. She whirled to face the Get Backers.

"He's not coming," she fumed, smoke practically coming out of her ears. "You two had better get Akabane-san to show up here or else!" She held up her phone threateningly.

Ginji gulped and looked at Ban. "Maybe we should do it, Ban-chan," he stammered, looking at Riko nervously. "She's scarier than Akabane-san."

After glaring at Ginji for a moment, Ban sighed. He couldn't resist those puppy-dog eyes, and they looked particularly frightened at the moment. "Fine, Riko, we'll look for Jackal. But no promises. And if we find him, I fully expect to get paid."

Riko scowled. "I'll buy you a sandwich or something, okay?" she said through her teeth.

Ban looked upset, but Ginji looked quite the opposite. "Wai! I like sandwiches, Riko-chan! Arigato! Do you think I could have my payment in advance? I'd really like some ham--"

Ginji was thrown to the floor by the impact of Ban's hand.

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Author's Note: I was so not expecting this to be about Ban and Ginji at all, but as I was writing, I just couldn't resist. Unlike most of my other fics, this will have more chapters, so stay tuned. ^^;;