Rainy Night

"Beautiful blue Rook, broken and mistreated yet still flies."

It was late, rainy, night in the capitol city of Atlas. In the city’s downtown district lies a small hole in the wall bar named Iced Blood. Inside, the few patrons had their last drinks.

“Another!” a man in well dress suit shouted. He also had a patch in the shape of black palm print on both his shoulders.

The man sat at the end of the bar counter. His hand raises high in to air gripping onto an empty shot glass.

“That's enough Roy.” The barkeep sighed.

“Come ‘on just one more.” Roy said in a distorted tone.

“I told you --,” his words cut off once the barkeep heard the front door open.

A black haired girl, drench in rain water, walked inside and sat next to Roy. Even drunk, Roy knew a beauty when he saw one. She had to be no more than 17 years of age yet a figure most adult women would die for. Dressed in a blue jacket and black pant, she looks more like a runway model than a street kid.

“Yo,” she demand,” can I get towel please?”

“Aren’t you a little too young to be in here?” the barkeep replied.

“It’s pouring and no other place was open,” she answered and glared,” so are you going to get me a towel or what?”

Barkeep snort and left. The girl then noticed Roy’s gaze and smiled.

“What you’re named handsome?”

“Me?” he stutter.” Um, names Roy.”

“Rain.” She said.

“Yeah, I know,” Roy shrugged,” like you said it’s pouring.”

The girl laughed,” No, I mean my name is Rain.”

“Oh.”

Rain giggled,” I get that lot.”

The barkeep soon returns with a towel in hand and handed it to Rain. She slowly dried herself off, started with hair and slowly move down her neck. Roy watches the entire time, almost in a trance.

“Boy,” the barkeep coughed,” best keep your head up and balls in your pants.”

“Trying to start a fight dude?”

“Please,” he said,” your drunk, we won’t last two seconds.”

“You know what!”

As soon as Roy move a few of the patrons stood up as well. Even drunk, Roy knew he was badly outnumbered and sat back down.

“And you,” he looked at Rain,” once it stops raining, get out.”

“That was my plan in the first place.”

The barkeep moved for a remote controller and turned on the TV that hanged above the bar counter. He barely got any signals and stop once he saw the news channel was the only station that came through clearly.

“Today,” the anchorman announced,” reports come in as renewed fighting around the city of Harmony. Only two years ago, the Kingdom purged the city outskirts, due to possible White Fang encampment and terrorist activities. Residents say White Fang is not associated with this new incursion, but officials are managing an on-go investigating.”

“Yeesh,” Roy said,” that place has become a wrench hive over the years. First the Black Hand and now this.”

“Wait,” Rain asked,” what happen to the Black Hand?”

“Oh, you haven’t heard?”

Rain shook her head.

“You see --.”

“Roy!” the Barkeep shouted.

“What,” he snorted,” that bastard Tyran doesn’t know I’m here! Besides, I’m surprised that piss-poor group has last this long even after the purge.”

The Barkeep could only sigh and return to cleaning the counter.

“So,” Rain looked at Roy,” what happen?”

Roy grinned,” the short of it, one of new recruits lead a rebellion. Some dumbass on our side though it was a smart idea to pay for White Fang mercs, wasn’t long before some of the Fang stops fighting for us and started to bomb the city. And well, you just heard what happen.”

“So this Tyran wasn’t caught in the purge?”

Roy shook his head,” he was but that man defines the term ‘friends in high places’. Only old guard to return and been rebuilt eve since.”

“Cool,” she said, looking at the one of patches,” so your with Tyran I take it?”

“Yep,” he said,” annoying bastard. Talks like used car salesman yet orders everyone around. The worst of it, he hasn’t paid any of us in weeks. Can wait when those punks kick him off his perch.”

“Punks?”

“Yeah group of new kids that sided with the rebellion. They came back as well and--”

Roy heard his scroll go off. He opens the device and his eyes widen.

“Damnit.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Roy got up and moved to the door,” put on my tab.”

“Your tab nearly ran up anyways.”

“Well,” he grinned at Rain,” nice talking to ya beautiful.”

As Roy left the bar and par of footstep followed right behind him. He walked and the footsteps followed. It wasn’t until he was in an empty alley. Then smack, his follower slammed a mace into the back of Roy’s head. He collapses onto the ground in two seconds. The follower step in front of him. Even as his vision blurred, he could still make out blue jacket and black pants. This Follower was Rain. She soon turned and made a mad rush down the street.

Rain Rook was a former member of the Black Hand as well as former resident of harmony. She ‘joined’ thanks in part to her lifestyle and Tyran recruiting her. But in the city outskirts, a walled off section known as the Crucible that Tyran showed his true colors. She hated the man, hate the training she had to go through and hated the fact she left her best friend while she managed to escape. But she got what she came for. When she heard about the purge, she could not get any information on what happens that day. Seems the Kingdom of Atlas paid a lot of people to keep quiet and carry on. It was until a day ago when she finally heard a rumor that a loud mouth Black Hand goon had been hanging around Iced Blood. A rumor that paid off.

Every part of her body wanted to go back. Go see if her friend is still alive and pay Tryan for his generosity. But she could not do anything now. A few hours from now she will be off to Vale and started anew. For now she has to leave Harmony in the care of those still fighting against Tyran. Rain ran until she was in front of the blue-white house. its mail box readied,’ Residence: Albert Cova and Rain Rook.’ Rain push the door, it was unlocked. Inside the lights were off except one area, the kitchen. And there slept a man, thin, dorky-looking, but nicest person Rain had ever meet. She also noticed there were two bowls of soup on the table.

“Albert.” She yelled.

He was still asleep.

“Albert.” She yelled again.

Still sleeping.

“Old man.”

“Now who you calling old?” He shouted as he woke up.

Rain smiled,” I see you waited for me.”

“Of course,” he smiled back," my little bird about to go an adventure. I won’t be a good father if I didn’t see you have one last of my meals before you ship off.”

Rain took a seat and looked at the soup. Light-orange color liquid mix with rice and beef. It took her seconds to realize what the dish was.

“You didn’t!”

Albert smile widens,” Ah, so you remember, cook about a dozen dishes and this was little stew was only you would eat for a month after I adopt you.”

“What can I say,” she sipped some of the stew,” I’m stubborn.”

“That you are,” his face turn from joy to worry,” Rain, are you all right?”

“Huh?”

Rain soon realizes she was crying. Why was she crying? She did not know and soon she got out the chair, letting out a fury of curse words because of her own confusion. She stops after a minute and heard Albert laughing.

“You know,” wiping away her tears,” it’s gonna take about four bottles of bleach to properly clean your mouth out.”

“Shut up.”

“I know,” he patted her shoulders,” you get emotional and here nothing to ashamed of. Rain, you try your best to be brave, but sometimes you got to let people in and help. Now are you going to finish your soup?”

Wiping away the last of tears, Rain sat back down. The two eat and chat, even on this late rainy night.

Author’s note:

Again, title a play on Rain’s name.

Fun fact, Albert, Rain’s adopted father, wasn’t named until sometime this year.