The Narrator

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</noinclude>

Logan leaves the stairwell, strolls down the hall, and knocks daintily on an unmarked door.

""Business?""

Logan adopts a falsetto. "Would you be interested in buying Girl Scout cookies?"

""Fuck you, Jones.""

Logan grins as the lock buzzes, pushes through into an office with a posh view of the harbour and decked out in a traditional style at odds with the building's ultra-modern architecture and the thug watching the doors.

The thug keeps up the dirty look.

"Eye's looking better," greets Logan.

The muscle scowls, lets him through.

Logan saunters past. "Another week and you should be your handsome self again."

The muscle closes the door a little quickly after him.

"'bout time you waltzed in here," drawls Bubbles. "/**You** are late."

"Nice try." Settles in beside Bubbles. "Got a good seven minutes to kill."

Blossom, on her other side, checks her watch. "Still have /**no** idea how he does that."

Logan stretches out. "It's a gift."

Blossom rolls her eyes. "Like the shirt I gave you?"

"When'd you give him a shirt?"

"Last week. It was green." Grumps. "Could've at least worn it today."

"Yea! We made an effort!" Bubbles shakes pigtails done up with blue ribbons.

"I'm not encouraging that crap," grumbles Logan.

"And, yet, you still answer to 'Buttercup'."

"Not like you call me anything else nowadays."

"You have to admit that it sounds cooler than 'Logan'."

"No, it doesn't." Logan crosses his arms, slouches.

"A man walks down the street calling himself 'Buttercup', people know he's not afraid of anything," drawls Blossom.

Logan gives her a Look. "Did you just quote nerdery at me?"

"Did you just /**recognize** me quoting nerdery at you, nerd?"

Logan growls, leans—

"Aww, I think we hurt Buttercup's feelings," teases Bubbles, pushing Logan back into the cushions.

"'m gonna hurt more than your feelings, both you—"

Bubbles sticks out her tongue.

The Professor clears her throat, settles behind her desk.

"Afternoon, ma'am," greets Blossom.

"Hi!" [chirps] Bubbles.

Logan offers a mocking salute.

"Jones, what did you do to your hand?"

"This?" Logan flops his bandaged left. "Minor workplace accident. Don't worry, I filed for compensation with my employer."

Bubbles and Blossom snort.

The Professor frowns. "Jones ...."

Logan rolls his eyes.

"Will it affect your ability to fight?"

"Should be fine in a couple of weeks."

The Professor appraises.

Logan remains neutral.

"What really happened, Logan?" sighs The Professor.

"Mark got squirrelly and stabbed me a little."

Blossom peers around Bubbles, eyebrow raised. "Stabbed you /**a** /**little**?"

Shrugs. "It was a small knife."

"'A small knife'? /**Seriously?**" squeaks Bubbles.

The Professor pinches the bridge of her nose under her glasses. "You were stabbed in the hand less than a /**week** before we negotiate terms for the most lucrative fight of your career. Of /**all** your careers."

Logan shrugs—

A knock at the door.

"We /**will** talk about this later." The Professor straightens her glasses, calls, "Come in."

The muscle opens the door.

A well-dressed, probably Chinese, person, strolls in.

Blossom and Bubbles stand.

Logan doesn't.

Bubbles hisses, yanks him to his feet.

Blossom tries to ignore them both.

"Welcome to Sydney, Vanguard," greets The Professor.

The Vanguard bows.

"I trust your stay thus far has been a pleasant one."

"Yours is a very interesting city."

The Professor smiles winningly. "That it is. Leung Teng Willow—"

Sure, if Stabby gained five kilos and a sense of optimism.

"—ta-tade, Vanguard of the Tang clan, may I introduce my star fighters: Blossom Collocott—"

Blossom bows politely.

"Miss Blossom," beams Leung, returning the bow.

"—Quinn Macrossan—"

Bubbles offers her hand.

"Miss Bubbles," smiles Leung, accepting the hand.

"—and Logan Jones."

Logan bobs his head.

"Buttercup," greets Leung with a nod, just as genuinely pleased to meet him but [/**that**] smile is [one-hundred-percent] shark.

The hair on the back of Logan's neck [stands] up; his bandaged hand curls.

Leung smiles wider, turns away.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." The Professor indicates a lovely wing chair.

Leung settles in{to the chair} with the grace of a monarch.

Logan, Bubbles, and Blossom plop back onto the couch{; Blossom sitting properly, Bubbles with her feet tucked up on the cushions, Logan sprawling and with crossed his ankles.}

The Professor shoots Logan a Look.

Logan replies blandly.

The Professor clears her throat. "It is an honour to my small organization to be presented an opportunity to do business with a group as renowned as yours, Vanguard."

[Leung] inclines tade head. "You and yours have been doing well as of late. It is most unusual to see a group in our line of business so careful to ensure its reach does not exceed its grasp. We appreciate your discretion and restraint." [The shark] smile. "It was pleasant to work with you on resolving that unfortunate upset over offloading privileges in the industrial port last year."

The Professor smiles mildly, refolds her hands. "The pleasure was all mine, Vanguard. I am glad I was of some assistance to you."

"As for the matter at hand," says Leung, leaning back in the chair. "I fear we may need to postpone the event several months."

"A difficultly has arisen on your end, Vanguard?"

"On your end, I'm afraid." Leung shakes tade head sadly. "Buttercup will not be in any shape to fight for a month or more."

"Because of his hand?" scoffs The Professor. "It's only a scratch and should heal in a few days."

"I was under the impression transmetacarpal punctures warranted more than two days rest."

"It's not that bad," assures the Professor.

"I believe Buttercup told the nurse in Emergency he sustained the wound being 'pinned like a butterfly'."

The Professor splutters.

Blossom mouths, 'Like a butterfly?' at Logan.

Bubbles ribs him. "We should call 'em 'The Narrator'," she grins.

Logan huffs.

The Professor scowls at them.

Leung smiles[, glowing a bit.

"You seem very well-informed, Vanguard." The Professor straightens her glasses. "Do you have a date for—"

Leung's coat sings.

"—the event in mind?"

The corner of Leung's mouth turns down a micrometer and ta reaches inside tade coat, silences the hidden mobile. "I apologize, ma'am, but I simply must take this call."

The Professor laces her fingers. "Of course." Inclines her head. "My doorman will show you to a vacant space so you may have privacy."

Leung glides to tade feet, bows tade head. "Thank you. Again, I apologize for the interruption."

Mobile's out and Leung's [barking] something in Chinese(?) at whoever's on the other end as ta slips out the door.

Logan reaches behind Bubbles, pokes Blossom. "What'd [they] say?"

"Just because my gramma came from Shanghai doesn't mean I understand a syllable of—" Waves toward the exit. "—that!" she snaps.

Bubbles looks down her nose at Logan.

Logan shrugs. "Worth a shot."

Blossom and Bubbles huff.

The Professor {pinches the bridge of her nose,} visibly counts to ten.

A polite knock—

The Professor straightens.

—the door opens, Leung hovering in the frame. "I am /terribly sorry, ma'am, but something to which I must see has come up. We will have to continue these talks at a later time."

"I am disappointed, Vanguard, but I understand that unexpected things happen in our business. My people will contact yours to schedule another meeting."

Leung bows deeply, whirls, and flows into the outer officer, door closing behind.

The Professor sighs. "Collocott, Macrossan, you may go. Jones, stay."

"Arf," says Logan, slouching deeper into the couch.

Blossom and Bubbles titter.

The Professor glares, points to the door.

Logan smirks.

They slink out.

The door clicks shut.

"Jones."

Logan drags his gaze around to face The Professor.

She is most unhappy.

"Did you attempt to rob the Australian representative of the Tang clan?" she says levelly.

"Honestly, I'm not sure."]

## Original Text

[[[The Professor]] tries bluffing.

Wei hints at omniscience.]

The Professor splutters.

Bubbles ribs Logan. "We should call 'em 'the Narrator'," she grins.

The Professor scowls at them.

Wei smiles preenly.