"Search Party", Baccano! NaNoWriMo response
Yay, it seems my Jacuzzi muse has finally recovered, just in time for the_firefly's request! :3 I thought I would have an endless amount of trouble with this one, but I was able to write this one with next to no problems, other than it taking me a couple more days than usual to finish (because I slipped back into my terrible, procrastinating ways. D:). Once I decided upon the context, I was surprised how everything else fell into place, and it looks like I'll be able to use this one as a base for quite a few of the other requests I'll do in the future. Bonus!
Haha, I just noticed that this will mark the third time I pair up Claire and Chane while only one of them actually appears in the fanfic itself. I must be afraid of creating a dimensional rift of sheer awesome by putting them in close proximity, or something. XD I'll have to get over that quick, though, since the next request I plan to complete will feature them both. <3
I broke 30,000 words with this one. wOOt! XD
Character(s)/Pairing: Jacuzzi, Nice, Chane
Genre: comedy, romance, mystery, whatever works best
Rating: Any rating is fine
Prompt: Fireworks, knives, great minds think alike
Title: Search Party
Pairings: Jacuzzi/Nice, Chane(/Claire), Isaac/Miria
Other Characters: Nick, Donny
Genre: Drama/Romance/Comedy
Rating: PG
Warnings: Reference to the violence on board the Flying Pussyfoot; surgery; Episode 13 spoilers.
Wordcount: 3743
Total Progress: 31769/50000 = 63.54% complete
"How are you feeling?" Nice Holystone asked the bedridden Jacuzzi Splot as she gently pressed a hand towel against his face and forehead to absorb his sweat and tears. They were lucky that one of their good friends had a lot of experience in medicinal practices; being the son of a doctor, he would often lend a helping hand when there were no professional assistants to be found; but the emergency surgery had been hard on him because they had been unable to secure a proper facility, not to mention anesthesia, and Jacuzzi refused the option of visiting public hospital or clinic, knowing that his suspicious injuries would only alert the police, or worse, and put all of them in danger, so all they had managed was a bed in the small one room apartment that they were planning to use as a temporary meeting place. Their medical expert had been as gentle as possible, stopping still at Jacuzzi's every cry of pain, but the bullets were buried deep in his side and there was only so much that alcohol could do to dull one's senses. Once he had removed the final lump of lead and dressed Jacuzzi's side and arm, their doctor had left them alone to see if he could locate any medication, bringing Donny along for additional help.
When he only answered with a crumbling attempt at a smile, Nice reassured him, "You'll definitely get something better for the pain in just a little while. The job should be done soon, so everyone will be able to come and help out. I'm sure that they're all looking forward to hearing about how brave you were--Nick has probably already told them all that he knew, so they must be curious about the rest of the story, don't you think so, Jacuzzi? I hope you've sorted it all out in your head already."
Jacuzzi tried to push himself into a sitting position with his uninjured right arm, and Nice dropped the towel to help him and keep him steady so he didn't put too much pressure on his injuries, adjusting the pillows to support his back and keep him comfortable. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, carefully gathering his words, so Nice kept quiet, busying herself by rearranging the blankets to keep him covered. Finally, he managed to gather the courage to say, "I killed that man, didn't I?"
Between the momentum involved with falling off of a fast moving train and the explosion she'd witnessed as she had ran toward them, originating from the gas filled tank he'd worn on his back to feed the flamethrower, Nice hadn't bothered to consider his chances for survival. She was only thankful that the explosion had thrown Jacuzzi back toward the train, close enough for him to grab hold long enough for her to catch up and pull him back onto the roof. Seeing him disappear over the edge of the train had extinguished every ounce of light and hope in her heart all at once--an extent of despair she wished to never experience again.
"Jacuzzi," she said, but couldn't think of anything she could possibly say to comfort him. It was the very first time he had actually taken another's life with his own two hands, though he often blamed himself for the killings the rest of the gang was forced to commit with his safety in mind. When Nice had first taken a life, and all the lives after, she had been able to justify it internally, actions taken to protect herself and loved ones, but she doubted that such a rationalization would offer him any comfort.
"I didn't know anything about him," Jacuzzi continued. "What happened to him to cause him to take the actions he did? Did he have a family, or good friends, that would miss him? Were there loved ones he was trying to protect? Why did I think that the only way to end it was to kill him?" Usually, it was at this point in a sensitive conversation that Jacuzzi would break down and dissolve into tearful hysterics, but between his slight buzz and the constant edge of pain, he was able to keep himself under control.
Nice wasn't sure how much she could help him to come to terms with it, but there was a difference between killing because you wanted to and because you had to, and the last thing she wanted was for him to start believing he was no better than their enemies, the Russo family. "I don't know anything about that man, what his reasons were, or if he left anyone behind, but, Jacuzzi..." she trailed off and clutched his hand in both her own before continuing, "...what I do know is that he was more than prepared to kill you, and you have plenty of loved ones who definitely aren't ready to lose you, and I can't imagine him having any more of a right to live than you do."
She was worried that her conviction wouldn't be enough to satisfy Jacuzzi, but when his expression lightened considerably and he began to squeeze back, she knew that she'd managed to succeed, at least for the moment. It was likely that he would slip back into melancholy again at a later date, but Nice wouldn't allow him to undermine the worth of his own life. His survival was enough and no one had the right to blame him for killing a terrorist.
They had dissolved into silence, but it still felt like an interruption when the door swung open and Nick stepped inside. Self-conscious, especially after she had accidentally revealed to him the status of her relationship with Jacuzzi, Nice slipped her hands back to her sides as she continued to stand beside the bed, but it was doubtful that he would have even noticed, because Nick seemed to be occupied with something else at the moment. "Nice," he asked as he made his way over to the bed, momentarily lapsing into a brief expression of concern once he noticed Jacuzzi's poor state, but was relieved that it didn't seem too serious after a quick glance, and switched back to his previous intentions. "Is there a pen and paper somewhere in here?"
"Check the nightstand," she suggested, curious about what he needed it for and watched him rummage around in the drawers. If she hadn't been watching him with a suspicious eye, Nice would have noticed the second person entering the room and easing the door closed behind her immediately, but they didn't make a sound in the doorway, and it was ultimately Jacuzzi that announced her presence.
Jacuzzi was usually shy when meeting people for the first time, but at the moment, even though she had quickly taken back her hands, he was far too happy to be spending time with Nice to be nervous. "Hello," he said with a friendly smile to the woman who entered the room cautiously, "I don't think we've met before."
As Nick secured a pen and notebook from the small drawer, Nice looked up and was surprised and dismayed to see the woman she and Nick had witnessed fighting Ladd Russo on top of the train. She had to have been affiliated with the black-suited group gathered underneath the man Jacuzzi had killed. "Why did you bring her here?" she hissed at Nick, who should have also recognized her, and even though he didn't yet know the details after having jumped off the train to keep an eye on the stolen goods, he should have known better than to bring someone so dangerous straight to Jacuzzi. Her hand immediately went to her belt to clutch one of the bombs she had fastened to it, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it. Picking up on the movement, the woman pulled out a knife hidden on her person but did not advance.
"Ah! Calm down, Nice!" Nick exclaimed, rushing to put himself between the two women, holding up the pen and notebook to keep his hands visible. "The others found her clinging to one of the crates we threw in the river, and she didn't hurt anyone, even after I got there and recognized her. When I asked her if she was a part of that black-suited group she shook her head and wrote an explanation in the dirt--she seems to be mute--about how they'd betrayed their true leader and were planning to take advantage of him, or something. Only, when I told the others that I would be going to Manhattan to make sure everything had gone all right on your end, she followed me to the car and insisted on coming along. Anyway, she's not an enemy. In fact, since she was fighting Ladd Russo, we could probably go as far as to call her an ally."
Not quite convinced and still a little apprehensive to have the woman around Jacuzzi in his current condition, Nice hesitated for a moment before releasing her grip on the grenade to cross her arms loosely against her chest, making sure to keep her hands within sight, and was relieved when the woman put her dagger away and extended her hands to take the pen and notebook from Nick once he turned to her. She immediately began to write, and Nick stepped behind her to read it out loud, knowing that Nice probably wouldn't be able to make out the writing at such a distance, "I'm not interested in fighting your group."
Still a little baffled by the sudden fluctuating levels of tension upon the woman's appearance, but glad that it seemed to be settled, Jacuzzi asked, "What's your name? I'm Jacuzzi, this is Nice, and Nick is the one standing behind you, if you haven't already been introduced."
She seemed a little surprised at the question when there were more important things on her mind, but answered it anyway. "Chane Laforet," Nick read.
Finally allowing herself to fully relax, now that it seemed that she wasn't a threat to Jacuzzi after all, Nice wondered, "Why was it so important to come to Manhattan? And if you just needed a ride, why did you come all the way here? Did you need us for some reason?"
It was the topic that Chane was expecting and counting on, but once it had finally come up, she wasn't sure about how to explain herself. "I'm looking for someone," she wrote after a few long moments. "I don't know this city and I need some help."
"I see," Nice replied, interested to note Chane's sudden change from a confident pose to a more self-conscious posture. "We don't know the city all that well, but since we'll be staying a little longer than expected, I don't see any reason why we can't help out while Jacuzzi heals. Who are you looking for?"
"I don't know his name," Chane wrote, and sorted through her memories to provide a description, but realized that all she had was rather ambiguous. "He was on the train. Average height. Average build. I think his hair may have been red," Nick read aloud. "Not a lot to go on," he commented. "We probably won't be much help, unfortunately."
Jacuzzi and Nice thought about it, but couldn't remember any passengers with red hair. Before they could say anything, however, the door swung open again, allowing Donny to squeeze his larger frame through the smaller doorway. "We managed to find some pills," he said, "but Doc is still out looking for something better. He said to take one of these every couple hours for now, Jacuzzi." He tossed the bottle to Nice, opened the bottle, removing a pill, and placing both on the nightstand, leaving Jacuzzi's side for the moment to fill a glass of water, and only then did he notice the strange woman standing in front of Nick.
"Chane, this is Donny," Jacuzzi introduced them, picking up the pill. "Donny, this is Chane. She's looking for someone and we're trying to help her out."
Nice returned to the bed with a full glass of water, handing it to Jacuzzi after he put the pill in his mouth. "Do you remember anyone on the train with red hair, Donny?" she asked as Jacuzzi began to drink from the cup, only now realizing how thirsty he was.
"You mean the Rail Tracer?" Donny asked without skipping a beat.
Jacuzzi choked on a mouthful of water and Nice took the glass away from him before he could spill it all over himself. "R-R-Rail Tracer?!" he spluttered once his airways were clear.
Considerably calmer, Nice smiled wryly. "'His hair may have been red', huh? It was pretty hard to tell under all that blood. Why are you looking for that guy?"
As Chane stared down at the notebook in her hands, unable to get the pen to move, Jacuzzi began to protest. "Wait--wait a second! Is it really okay for us to go looking for that guy? He--he killed so many people in such awful ways! Isn't that the type of person we'd be better off avoiding?"
"On the other hand, Jacuzzi," Nice replied, realizing something for the first time, "while the killing method was pretty disgusting, we might be misunderstanding something, here. He didn't attack us even though he had the chance. What about you, Donny?"
"Isaac and Miria had somehow fallen off the train," Donny answered. "The Rail Tracer suddenly appeared and handed me a rope so I could pull them back on board. He was covered head to toe in blood, but doing that--he might have actually been a good guy, after all."
"B-but he killed the conductors!" Jacuzzi protested. "Why would he do that if he was a good guy?!"
"The older conductor was a terrorist," Nick read aloud.
"Rail Tracer was wearing a conductor's uniform," Donny remembered.
"...The younger conductor had red hair, didn't he?" Nice realized.
"The... the second body in the conductor's room was completely unrecognizable," Jacuzzi added, numbly.
"Wait a second," Nick said. "Are we coming to the conclusion, here, that Rail Tracer was actually the secret identity of the younger conductor, who killed anyone threatening the rest of the passengers?" He looked down at the notebook as Chane started to write again. "Yes. Oh, man, that could probably be turned into a great movie, or something."
"But, still," Jacuzzi continued, the new information doing nothing to settle his rolling stomach, "is it really in our interests to find someone so... dangerous?"
"That's right. Chane still hasn't answered my question from before," Nice remembered, turning her attention back on the silent woman. "Why are you looking for him?"
Chane began to act very strange, acting very different than before, writing a bit before scribbling it out, making it very difficult for Nick to read and keep up, and soon enough, was forced to relay the words without giving a thought to their meaning if he didn't want to lose his place, resulting in a lot of incomprehensible gibberish before he managed to shout out, "He proposed to me," before Chane was able to tear the page out of the notebook and crumple it up.
The unwilling confession resulted in no small amount of surprised silence, especially from Nick, whose mouth hung open upon realizing what he had just blurted out without thinking. Chane, feeling her face heat up, covered it with the notebook, dropping the torn and crumpled page on the floor.
It was Jacuzzi who finally cut through the awkward tension. "Nice, Nick, Donny; you three remember what that conductor looked like, don't you? We have to find that guy."
"You changed your mind pretty fast," Nice observed with a rapidly widening smile.
A slight blush rising in his cheeks, Jacuzzi replied, "I... I just think a guy who puts his heart on the line, no matter what kind of person he is, deserves an answer right away. Leaving him hanging is just... cruel, I think."
"Is... is that so?" Nice asked, some of his embarrassment transferring over to her, suddenly remembering his actions on board the Flying Pussyfoot.
"A-anyway," Jacuzzi continued, "Nick and Donny can search on their own, but Nice should go with Chane so she doesn't get lost. Don't worry about leaving me on my own. I'm starting to get a little tired and Doc and the others should be coming back soon. Try to come back before dark, though, since there are a lot of gangs in this city and it could be dangerous. Even if we don't find him today, there's always tomorrow.
One after the other, the other four agreed, Chane finally lowering the notebook so the others could see her nod. After helping Jacuzzi settle back down in the bed, the four of them left in search of redheaded young men.
~~~
Nice and Chane were the first to return late that evening, just as the sun was beginning to set. The rest of the gang had returned throughout the day, but Jacuzzi had sent them all off in groups to help the rest of them find the former conductor. Since none of them had come back, yet, however, it didn't look like anyone had been able to find him.
Tired from walking around all day, Nice and Chane were now keeping him company, entertaining him by setting up a portrait of Placido Russo and throwing knives, both of them having enough skill to avoid putting holes in the wall, preventing issues with the building's landlord. Nice told him all about their day in between laughing every time she or Chane managed to create an amusing pattern of daggers across the man's face. It seemed that, despite their tense meeting earlier on in the day, Nice and Chane had become fast friends.
"It's a shame that we didn't find any leads, though," Nice sighed. "We got a name from the train station, but it's probably fake and it seems that the train company has assumed he's dead. They're in mourning because they lost three conductors all in a single day, including one in Chicago. Hopefully, someone else had better luck than us."
"I thought about it while everyone was out," Jacuzzi began, "and if the guy was seriously intending to fake his own death by leaving that second body in the conductor's room, than he's probably not going to be walking around in broad daylight where someone might recognize him, right? But at the same time, I don't want anyone wandering around the streets at night, so I was wondering if we should even be putting our energy into searching at all."
Nice blinked in surprise before realization dawned. "Oh, so what you're saying is..." she trailed off, reaching for one of the explosives tied around her waist, only for her fingers to come in contact with Chane's, who had begun to inspect the bombs with a careful eye.
"Instead of looking, sometimes it's easier to just let yourself be found."
~~~
It wasn't hard to set everything up--mostly everyone had returned empty-handed within the next half hour, giving the sun just enough time to disappear over the horizon, and Nice always had a steady supply of gunpowder and explosives with her, so it didn't take long to complete the preparations. The gang split up, scaling several different buildings to prevent the authorities from finding the true source of the events about to ensue. Nice was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to set off a few herself, but Jacuzzi had wanted to watch the display as well, and she couldn't complain about being able to support his weakened body on the roof of their temporary building, and it was a treat to watch Chane's reaction, as it seemed this would be the very first time she was able to watch fireworks.
They stood near the edge of the building so they could see the people in the street and nearby buildings look up in childlike amazement as the colorful explosions began to light up the night sky, each shocking boom sending shockwaves through their bodies. Nice had loved the sensation since she'd been a small child, eventually contributing to her current expertise, but it was even better to have Jacuzzi by her side.
Not long into the festivities, however, Jacuzzi and Nice began to hear some very familiar voices from below, and looked down to see an excitable pair they recognized immediately, despite several stories of distance.
"Look at that, Miria!"
"It's amazing, Isaac!"
The thieving duo was dancing in the street, twirling each other around, and holding each other in their arms as they laughed in celebration of life, because they couldn't remember if something else was to be specifically celebrated on this particular day.
"Issac! Miria!" Nice called out to them between the fireworks, her voice carrying easily in the otherwise quiet night. "Why don't you come up here? The view is much better!"
They looked up upon hearing their names, and were able to make out the distinctive features of their new friends from the Flying Pussyfoot. "Look, Miria!" Isaac shouted in growing excitement. "It's Jacuzzi and Nice! And they're inviting us up!"
"Let's go, Isaac!" Miria called back to him, and the two of them ran toward the building at a full sprint, not wanting to miss a single firework more than necessary.
"Just wait until you meet those two, Chane," Jacuzzi said, already smiling at the opportunity to see them again. "They're the most amazing duo you'll ever see." However, when he and Nice turned around, they found themselves alone on top of the roof.
An explanation was given with the next firework, lighting up the rooftop, illuminating a message carved into the surface: Thank you. They looked all along the neighboring buildings, but couldn't find a trace of her anywhere.
"Looks like they were about to find each other after all," Jacuzzi said, feeling happy for them, "but I was curious about how things would turn out."
"Don't worry," Nice replied. "Chane knows where we'll be for the next week or two, and I told her how to find us in Chicago if she gets too busy to visit for a while, but I don't think she'll leave us hanging."
"Hmm," Jacuzzi hummed, leaning into Nice a little heavier, thinking back to earlier conversations and becoming subdued.
Nice knew exactly what he was thinking about. "Just so you know, Jacuzzi," she whispered into his ear, gathering her courage as her heart began to beat faster, "it doesn't matter when you ask. The answer will always be 'Yes'."
Jacuzzi whirled his face around to look her straight in the eye, but before anything else could be said, Isaac and Miria burst out onto the roof, carrying them both along with their irrepressible hurricane of energy.
Haha, I just noticed that this will mark the third time I pair up Claire and Chane while only one of them actually appears in the fanfic itself. I must be afraid of creating a dimensional rift of sheer awesome by putting them in close proximity, or something. XD I'll have to get over that quick, though, since the next request I plan to complete will feature them both. <3
I broke 30,000 words with this one. wOOt! XD
Character(s)/Pairing: Jacuzzi, Nice, Chane
Genre: comedy, romance, mystery, whatever works best
Rating: Any rating is fine
Prompt: Fireworks, knives, great minds think alike
Title: Search Party
Pairings: Jacuzzi/Nice, Chane(/Claire), Isaac/Miria
Other Characters: Nick, Donny
Genre: Drama/Romance/Comedy
Rating: PG
Warnings: Reference to the violence on board the Flying Pussyfoot; surgery; Episode 13 spoilers.
Wordcount: 3743
Total Progress: 31769/50000 = 63.54% complete
"How are you feeling?" Nice Holystone asked the bedridden Jacuzzi Splot as she gently pressed a hand towel against his face and forehead to absorb his sweat and tears. They were lucky that one of their good friends had a lot of experience in medicinal practices; being the son of a doctor, he would often lend a helping hand when there were no professional assistants to be found; but the emergency surgery had been hard on him because they had been unable to secure a proper facility, not to mention anesthesia, and Jacuzzi refused the option of visiting public hospital or clinic, knowing that his suspicious injuries would only alert the police, or worse, and put all of them in danger, so all they had managed was a bed in the small one room apartment that they were planning to use as a temporary meeting place. Their medical expert had been as gentle as possible, stopping still at Jacuzzi's every cry of pain, but the bullets were buried deep in his side and there was only so much that alcohol could do to dull one's senses. Once he had removed the final lump of lead and dressed Jacuzzi's side and arm, their doctor had left them alone to see if he could locate any medication, bringing Donny along for additional help.
When he only answered with a crumbling attempt at a smile, Nice reassured him, "You'll definitely get something better for the pain in just a little while. The job should be done soon, so everyone will be able to come and help out. I'm sure that they're all looking forward to hearing about how brave you were--Nick has probably already told them all that he knew, so they must be curious about the rest of the story, don't you think so, Jacuzzi? I hope you've sorted it all out in your head already."
Jacuzzi tried to push himself into a sitting position with his uninjured right arm, and Nice dropped the towel to help him and keep him steady so he didn't put too much pressure on his injuries, adjusting the pillows to support his back and keep him comfortable. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, carefully gathering his words, so Nice kept quiet, busying herself by rearranging the blankets to keep him covered. Finally, he managed to gather the courage to say, "I killed that man, didn't I?"
Between the momentum involved with falling off of a fast moving train and the explosion she'd witnessed as she had ran toward them, originating from the gas filled tank he'd worn on his back to feed the flamethrower, Nice hadn't bothered to consider his chances for survival. She was only thankful that the explosion had thrown Jacuzzi back toward the train, close enough for him to grab hold long enough for her to catch up and pull him back onto the roof. Seeing him disappear over the edge of the train had extinguished every ounce of light and hope in her heart all at once--an extent of despair she wished to never experience again.
"Jacuzzi," she said, but couldn't think of anything she could possibly say to comfort him. It was the very first time he had actually taken another's life with his own two hands, though he often blamed himself for the killings the rest of the gang was forced to commit with his safety in mind. When Nice had first taken a life, and all the lives after, she had been able to justify it internally, actions taken to protect herself and loved ones, but she doubted that such a rationalization would offer him any comfort.
"I didn't know anything about him," Jacuzzi continued. "What happened to him to cause him to take the actions he did? Did he have a family, or good friends, that would miss him? Were there loved ones he was trying to protect? Why did I think that the only way to end it was to kill him?" Usually, it was at this point in a sensitive conversation that Jacuzzi would break down and dissolve into tearful hysterics, but between his slight buzz and the constant edge of pain, he was able to keep himself under control.
Nice wasn't sure how much she could help him to come to terms with it, but there was a difference between killing because you wanted to and because you had to, and the last thing she wanted was for him to start believing he was no better than their enemies, the Russo family. "I don't know anything about that man, what his reasons were, or if he left anyone behind, but, Jacuzzi..." she trailed off and clutched his hand in both her own before continuing, "...what I do know is that he was more than prepared to kill you, and you have plenty of loved ones who definitely aren't ready to lose you, and I can't imagine him having any more of a right to live than you do."
She was worried that her conviction wouldn't be enough to satisfy Jacuzzi, but when his expression lightened considerably and he began to squeeze back, she knew that she'd managed to succeed, at least for the moment. It was likely that he would slip back into melancholy again at a later date, but Nice wouldn't allow him to undermine the worth of his own life. His survival was enough and no one had the right to blame him for killing a terrorist.
They had dissolved into silence, but it still felt like an interruption when the door swung open and Nick stepped inside. Self-conscious, especially after she had accidentally revealed to him the status of her relationship with Jacuzzi, Nice slipped her hands back to her sides as she continued to stand beside the bed, but it was doubtful that he would have even noticed, because Nick seemed to be occupied with something else at the moment. "Nice," he asked as he made his way over to the bed, momentarily lapsing into a brief expression of concern once he noticed Jacuzzi's poor state, but was relieved that it didn't seem too serious after a quick glance, and switched back to his previous intentions. "Is there a pen and paper somewhere in here?"
"Check the nightstand," she suggested, curious about what he needed it for and watched him rummage around in the drawers. If she hadn't been watching him with a suspicious eye, Nice would have noticed the second person entering the room and easing the door closed behind her immediately, but they didn't make a sound in the doorway, and it was ultimately Jacuzzi that announced her presence.
Jacuzzi was usually shy when meeting people for the first time, but at the moment, even though she had quickly taken back her hands, he was far too happy to be spending time with Nice to be nervous. "Hello," he said with a friendly smile to the woman who entered the room cautiously, "I don't think we've met before."
As Nick secured a pen and notebook from the small drawer, Nice looked up and was surprised and dismayed to see the woman she and Nick had witnessed fighting Ladd Russo on top of the train. She had to have been affiliated with the black-suited group gathered underneath the man Jacuzzi had killed. "Why did you bring her here?" she hissed at Nick, who should have also recognized her, and even though he didn't yet know the details after having jumped off the train to keep an eye on the stolen goods, he should have known better than to bring someone so dangerous straight to Jacuzzi. Her hand immediately went to her belt to clutch one of the bombs she had fastened to it, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it. Picking up on the movement, the woman pulled out a knife hidden on her person but did not advance.
"Ah! Calm down, Nice!" Nick exclaimed, rushing to put himself between the two women, holding up the pen and notebook to keep his hands visible. "The others found her clinging to one of the crates we threw in the river, and she didn't hurt anyone, even after I got there and recognized her. When I asked her if she was a part of that black-suited group she shook her head and wrote an explanation in the dirt--she seems to be mute--about how they'd betrayed their true leader and were planning to take advantage of him, or something. Only, when I told the others that I would be going to Manhattan to make sure everything had gone all right on your end, she followed me to the car and insisted on coming along. Anyway, she's not an enemy. In fact, since she was fighting Ladd Russo, we could probably go as far as to call her an ally."
Not quite convinced and still a little apprehensive to have the woman around Jacuzzi in his current condition, Nice hesitated for a moment before releasing her grip on the grenade to cross her arms loosely against her chest, making sure to keep her hands within sight, and was relieved when the woman put her dagger away and extended her hands to take the pen and notebook from Nick once he turned to her. She immediately began to write, and Nick stepped behind her to read it out loud, knowing that Nice probably wouldn't be able to make out the writing at such a distance, "I'm not interested in fighting your group."
Still a little baffled by the sudden fluctuating levels of tension upon the woman's appearance, but glad that it seemed to be settled, Jacuzzi asked, "What's your name? I'm Jacuzzi, this is Nice, and Nick is the one standing behind you, if you haven't already been introduced."
She seemed a little surprised at the question when there were more important things on her mind, but answered it anyway. "Chane Laforet," Nick read.
Finally allowing herself to fully relax, now that it seemed that she wasn't a threat to Jacuzzi after all, Nice wondered, "Why was it so important to come to Manhattan? And if you just needed a ride, why did you come all the way here? Did you need us for some reason?"
It was the topic that Chane was expecting and counting on, but once it had finally come up, she wasn't sure about how to explain herself. "I'm looking for someone," she wrote after a few long moments. "I don't know this city and I need some help."
"I see," Nice replied, interested to note Chane's sudden change from a confident pose to a more self-conscious posture. "We don't know the city all that well, but since we'll be staying a little longer than expected, I don't see any reason why we can't help out while Jacuzzi heals. Who are you looking for?"
"I don't know his name," Chane wrote, and sorted through her memories to provide a description, but realized that all she had was rather ambiguous. "He was on the train. Average height. Average build. I think his hair may have been red," Nick read aloud. "Not a lot to go on," he commented. "We probably won't be much help, unfortunately."
Jacuzzi and Nice thought about it, but couldn't remember any passengers with red hair. Before they could say anything, however, the door swung open again, allowing Donny to squeeze his larger frame through the smaller doorway. "We managed to find some pills," he said, "but Doc is still out looking for something better. He said to take one of these every couple hours for now, Jacuzzi." He tossed the bottle to Nice, opened the bottle, removing a pill, and placing both on the nightstand, leaving Jacuzzi's side for the moment to fill a glass of water, and only then did he notice the strange woman standing in front of Nick.
"Chane, this is Donny," Jacuzzi introduced them, picking up the pill. "Donny, this is Chane. She's looking for someone and we're trying to help her out."
Nice returned to the bed with a full glass of water, handing it to Jacuzzi after he put the pill in his mouth. "Do you remember anyone on the train with red hair, Donny?" she asked as Jacuzzi began to drink from the cup, only now realizing how thirsty he was.
"You mean the Rail Tracer?" Donny asked without skipping a beat.
Jacuzzi choked on a mouthful of water and Nice took the glass away from him before he could spill it all over himself. "R-R-Rail Tracer?!" he spluttered once his airways were clear.
Considerably calmer, Nice smiled wryly. "'His hair may have been red', huh? It was pretty hard to tell under all that blood. Why are you looking for that guy?"
As Chane stared down at the notebook in her hands, unable to get the pen to move, Jacuzzi began to protest. "Wait--wait a second! Is it really okay for us to go looking for that guy? He--he killed so many people in such awful ways! Isn't that the type of person we'd be better off avoiding?"
"On the other hand, Jacuzzi," Nice replied, realizing something for the first time, "while the killing method was pretty disgusting, we might be misunderstanding something, here. He didn't attack us even though he had the chance. What about you, Donny?"
"Isaac and Miria had somehow fallen off the train," Donny answered. "The Rail Tracer suddenly appeared and handed me a rope so I could pull them back on board. He was covered head to toe in blood, but doing that--he might have actually been a good guy, after all."
"B-but he killed the conductors!" Jacuzzi protested. "Why would he do that if he was a good guy?!"
"The older conductor was a terrorist," Nick read aloud.
"Rail Tracer was wearing a conductor's uniform," Donny remembered.
"...The younger conductor had red hair, didn't he?" Nice realized.
"The... the second body in the conductor's room was completely unrecognizable," Jacuzzi added, numbly.
"Wait a second," Nick said. "Are we coming to the conclusion, here, that Rail Tracer was actually the secret identity of the younger conductor, who killed anyone threatening the rest of the passengers?" He looked down at the notebook as Chane started to write again. "Yes. Oh, man, that could probably be turned into a great movie, or something."
"But, still," Jacuzzi continued, the new information doing nothing to settle his rolling stomach, "is it really in our interests to find someone so... dangerous?"
"That's right. Chane still hasn't answered my question from before," Nice remembered, turning her attention back on the silent woman. "Why are you looking for him?"
Chane began to act very strange, acting very different than before, writing a bit before scribbling it out, making it very difficult for Nick to read and keep up, and soon enough, was forced to relay the words without giving a thought to their meaning if he didn't want to lose his place, resulting in a lot of incomprehensible gibberish before he managed to shout out, "He proposed to me," before Chane was able to tear the page out of the notebook and crumple it up.
The unwilling confession resulted in no small amount of surprised silence, especially from Nick, whose mouth hung open upon realizing what he had just blurted out without thinking. Chane, feeling her face heat up, covered it with the notebook, dropping the torn and crumpled page on the floor.
It was Jacuzzi who finally cut through the awkward tension. "Nice, Nick, Donny; you three remember what that conductor looked like, don't you? We have to find that guy."
"You changed your mind pretty fast," Nice observed with a rapidly widening smile.
A slight blush rising in his cheeks, Jacuzzi replied, "I... I just think a guy who puts his heart on the line, no matter what kind of person he is, deserves an answer right away. Leaving him hanging is just... cruel, I think."
"Is... is that so?" Nice asked, some of his embarrassment transferring over to her, suddenly remembering his actions on board the Flying Pussyfoot.
"A-anyway," Jacuzzi continued, "Nick and Donny can search on their own, but Nice should go with Chane so she doesn't get lost. Don't worry about leaving me on my own. I'm starting to get a little tired and Doc and the others should be coming back soon. Try to come back before dark, though, since there are a lot of gangs in this city and it could be dangerous. Even if we don't find him today, there's always tomorrow.
One after the other, the other four agreed, Chane finally lowering the notebook so the others could see her nod. After helping Jacuzzi settle back down in the bed, the four of them left in search of redheaded young men.
~~~
Nice and Chane were the first to return late that evening, just as the sun was beginning to set. The rest of the gang had returned throughout the day, but Jacuzzi had sent them all off in groups to help the rest of them find the former conductor. Since none of them had come back, yet, however, it didn't look like anyone had been able to find him.
Tired from walking around all day, Nice and Chane were now keeping him company, entertaining him by setting up a portrait of Placido Russo and throwing knives, both of them having enough skill to avoid putting holes in the wall, preventing issues with the building's landlord. Nice told him all about their day in between laughing every time she or Chane managed to create an amusing pattern of daggers across the man's face. It seemed that, despite their tense meeting earlier on in the day, Nice and Chane had become fast friends.
"It's a shame that we didn't find any leads, though," Nice sighed. "We got a name from the train station, but it's probably fake and it seems that the train company has assumed he's dead. They're in mourning because they lost three conductors all in a single day, including one in Chicago. Hopefully, someone else had better luck than us."
"I thought about it while everyone was out," Jacuzzi began, "and if the guy was seriously intending to fake his own death by leaving that second body in the conductor's room, than he's probably not going to be walking around in broad daylight where someone might recognize him, right? But at the same time, I don't want anyone wandering around the streets at night, so I was wondering if we should even be putting our energy into searching at all."
Nice blinked in surprise before realization dawned. "Oh, so what you're saying is..." she trailed off, reaching for one of the explosives tied around her waist, only for her fingers to come in contact with Chane's, who had begun to inspect the bombs with a careful eye.
"Instead of looking, sometimes it's easier to just let yourself be found."
~~~
It wasn't hard to set everything up--mostly everyone had returned empty-handed within the next half hour, giving the sun just enough time to disappear over the horizon, and Nice always had a steady supply of gunpowder and explosives with her, so it didn't take long to complete the preparations. The gang split up, scaling several different buildings to prevent the authorities from finding the true source of the events about to ensue. Nice was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to set off a few herself, but Jacuzzi had wanted to watch the display as well, and she couldn't complain about being able to support his weakened body on the roof of their temporary building, and it was a treat to watch Chane's reaction, as it seemed this would be the very first time she was able to watch fireworks.
They stood near the edge of the building so they could see the people in the street and nearby buildings look up in childlike amazement as the colorful explosions began to light up the night sky, each shocking boom sending shockwaves through their bodies. Nice had loved the sensation since she'd been a small child, eventually contributing to her current expertise, but it was even better to have Jacuzzi by her side.
Not long into the festivities, however, Jacuzzi and Nice began to hear some very familiar voices from below, and looked down to see an excitable pair they recognized immediately, despite several stories of distance.
"Look at that, Miria!"
"It's amazing, Isaac!"
The thieving duo was dancing in the street, twirling each other around, and holding each other in their arms as they laughed in celebration of life, because they couldn't remember if something else was to be specifically celebrated on this particular day.
"Issac! Miria!" Nice called out to them between the fireworks, her voice carrying easily in the otherwise quiet night. "Why don't you come up here? The view is much better!"
They looked up upon hearing their names, and were able to make out the distinctive features of their new friends from the Flying Pussyfoot. "Look, Miria!" Isaac shouted in growing excitement. "It's Jacuzzi and Nice! And they're inviting us up!"
"Let's go, Isaac!" Miria called back to him, and the two of them ran toward the building at a full sprint, not wanting to miss a single firework more than necessary.
"Just wait until you meet those two, Chane," Jacuzzi said, already smiling at the opportunity to see them again. "They're the most amazing duo you'll ever see." However, when he and Nice turned around, they found themselves alone on top of the roof.
An explanation was given with the next firework, lighting up the rooftop, illuminating a message carved into the surface: Thank you. They looked all along the neighboring buildings, but couldn't find a trace of her anywhere.
"Looks like they were about to find each other after all," Jacuzzi said, feeling happy for them, "but I was curious about how things would turn out."
"Don't worry," Nice replied. "Chane knows where we'll be for the next week or two, and I told her how to find us in Chicago if she gets too busy to visit for a while, but I don't think she'll leave us hanging."
"Hmm," Jacuzzi hummed, leaning into Nice a little heavier, thinking back to earlier conversations and becoming subdued.
Nice knew exactly what he was thinking about. "Just so you know, Jacuzzi," she whispered into his ear, gathering her courage as her heart began to beat faster, "it doesn't matter when you ask. The answer will always be 'Yes'."
Jacuzzi whirled his face around to look her straight in the eye, but before anything else could be said, Isaac and Miria burst out onto the roof, carrying them both along with their irrepressible hurricane of energy.