Short summary:
Monique’s (Trent’s part-time girlfriend) going steady with a new boyfriend causes a lot of… excitement in Lawndale, but it is not of a good kind. Warning: violence
Daria (and associated characters and locations) is copyright © 1997-2000 MTV Networks.
This story is copyright © 2002 by Bacner (olgak531@rogers.com) and has been written for personal enjoyment. No infringement of the above rights is intended.
Intermission one: How Monique got Trent into trouble
Louis had sat in a night-bar, contemplating his life so far - the whole nineteen years of it. They have passed as he had willed them, neither good nor bad. He didn’t believe in good or bad anymore, such rules certainly didn’t apply to his family. For what family could be considered normal, in which a girl - his sister - four years his junior ran things? “I’m not a bigot,” Louis’s lips formed familiar words, one of his mantras, “but I will not let Eve run my life. No way, no how! The rest of you - do what you will!”
They had cut him off, of course, for they would not do anything else. “To kill the doctor and the physique’s payment handed to disease,” Louis whispered. “Shakespeare knew, what he was doing, when he wrote ‘Lear’.” It was certainly true in the Laminar household, where his sister remained in virtual charge before the mentally deaf, blind and dumb parents of his, and he - the only one-eyed man in the land of the blind - has been ousted to Middleton College, with only a curt monthly allowance to remind him of them. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Last week-end, his mother and he had a talk. Apparently, his sister was entering high school, and could use his help. Louis patiently reminded her of his opinions and that they didn’t change. His mother realized that, and hanged-up. ‘Course, that happened only after Louis used a lot of colourful words in his patient reminder. Well, patient it was.
Louis chuckled. Fools! He wasn’t really ousted from his home, he left, as he had planned. He had planned to leave the house since he was twelve, and when he turned eighteen - last year - that wish was granted.
Louis grinned. A lot had happened to him since he had left home. For one thing, he dropped his disguise of a slacker. It was quite unnecessary now. Instead, Louis used his newly-gained freedom to go his own way. His own way. That what counted. Not his sister’s way. That was important too.
At any rate, by now he was quite stronger and faster than when he was in the past, and he was doing much better than when he did it school. That was probably what brought forth the attempt of his parents’ to reconcile with him. “Not bloody likely, Shautu,” he said to himself, and grasping slightly the pendant under his clothing - courtesy of Dega street.
Anyways, what he was doing in this bar? Having a drink. Aside from alcoholic beverages, the bar also served some very powerful coffee - and Louis liked to drink coffee. Any college student did. Heck, Louis reasoned to himself, when those college students would become graduates, the world’s coffee market may experience a sudden upward boost. ‘Course, this would happen only if…
Louis idly looked around the bar. Aside from himself, the only customers in it were four bikers, members of a gang led by some fellow named Walter, aka Corporal, nevermind why. Louis seen Walter and his men before - there were sixteen of them or so - in the same gym he worked-out on week-nights. He and them never mixed there.
Suddenly the bar’s door opened. Louis shifted around and he blinked. A girl had entered the bar. Apparently a punk or a rocker. Louis’s expression remained stone-still. He and girls didn’t really mixed; not that he was gay, of course. No, in fact, he was quite straight; it was just that he… Louis suddenly became aware of the pendant against his skin. His nostrils flared. Was it just his imagination, or-?
Then the girl walked towards him, and all of his doubts vanished.
Monique didn’t know what did she opt to come to this bar. Well, she wanted to have a drink, and possibly something else afterwards as well, but she could’ve gone to any other spot tonight. No, it was something else that made her want to come here, but she didn’t know what. And she didn’t care. She just really wanted a drink. And a lay. Monique was not what one could call a chaste, or a good girl. Still, this dive - it didn’t have the best reputation, even by Monique’s standards. But she wanted to have a drink, and this dive had to do. Oh, it had to do.
Inside, there were customers already - way over ten rowdy guys, though not bikers, but beefy enough. The exception was a tall, spindly Chinese character, who did his best to melt into the background like a clothes’ rack, in order to avoid attention. In Monique’s case, he quite succeeded - Monique didn’t want to do anything with him - he emitted that type of aura, similar to a praying mantis’s. Then she turned around. Whoa! There was yet another colourful character in this dive. He was solidly built - like others, but apparently he and them weren’t “meshing”, to quote LH’s English teacher O’Neill, for he and others had some empty space between them.
Monique paused, studying further the odd man. As she continued to look, she couldn’t escape from thinking: “Escaped convict”. The guy, however, seemed unencumbered by this fact... and then there were his eyes. They made Monique pause. They seemed to drill completely through her - through everybody else too, she suspected. Apparently, this guy was a quite decent judge of character. And as for Monique’s own estimation of him... Well, not an escaped convict, obviously... more like Middleton’s college student. Well, he’ll do.
Monique smiled and went towards the college student. “Hey pal - can I join you?”
Tonight began as an ordinary night for Walter-Corporal, and neither were there any clues that it was going to be any different. Rather... an ordinary night, full of drinking, and fighting, and other such stuff.
When they came into the night-bar, it was empty. Except Louis Laminar, whom they privately called “Student” between each other. They didn’t call him to his face, of course, because Louis once managed to fight Walter’s first-hand man - Kun-shan - to a standstill. And Kun-shan was very hard to beat in a fair fight, despite the fact that he was built like a stick. His arms were as tough as steel bars, and his body was seemingly impervious to pain, and yet Louis managed to fight him to a standstill and get respect from him. And from the rest of Corporal’s gang, of course.
Besides, Louis was a pretty quiet guy. Walter and his gang ran into him before - usually in the work-out session of the gym - and he never showed any hostility or friendliness towards them, except for Kun-shan. The two were cautious for some reason around each other.
So-o, just Walter, his gang and Louis-Student. And then she walked in. And things changed immediately. It wasn’t that she was especially pretty; but her black hair, green eyes, and slim built instantly reminded Walter of a cat. And Walter liked cats. And furthermore... while there were at least five girls whom it didn’t take much to win over, they also weren’t cheap - their “protectors” insured that. And now here was a girl for whom those requirements didn’t apply... And all she had to do was to join Walter or one of his men...
And then the girl promptly beat the odds, and joined Louis.
A wave of worry rolled through the night-bar, as Walter got up and went towards Louis-Student and the new girl. Kun-shan, however, wasn’t worried. Both his master and Louis were too smart for people to start an immediate fight here, especially because of a strange girl. However, Kun-shan also doubted that that matter will be settled peacefully, for Walter was used to getting what he wanted, and Louis... ever since Kun-shan learned that Louis somehow became aligned to a god that warred with Kun-shan’s god, Kun-shan didn’t doubt that Louis could handle Walter before any of Walter’s men would leap into the fray. Or maybe not. Not all Louis’ men were average people, after all.
Too many “maybes” and “what-ifs”, Kun-shan sadly shook his head. It was smarter to tune-in to what Walter and Louis were talking-about right now.
Right now, Walter, Louis, and the strange girl were all grouped around a single table, and the two men were talking.
“Hello, Louis.”
“Walter. What may I do for you?”
“Well, Louis, it’s like that. For a time now, we’ve got along each other pretty well, no?”
Judging from the wary look Louis gave Walter, he had a different idea, but didn’t argue at this point. “Oh? So?”
“However, just because we’re not enemies, doesn’t mean you can do anything you want.”
Louis leaned forwards, looking unhappy. “Walter, here’s the buzz: I won’t back away.”
The girl looked worried. “Guys really - I don’t want to cause trouble between the two of you!”
It was when things clicked in Kun-shan’s head: a music band that plays in the Zon - Mystik Spiral! That girl was with one of them - well, “was” may be the key point here, because in present tense the girl being here and having a steady boyfriend at the same time was unlikely.
Unless, Kun-shan’s dry mantis-like face grimaced slightly, she’s here for some excitement. Well, she had it now, he thought. He got up and walked to her, Walter, and Louis. “Is there a problem, boss?” he asked.
“Yes,” Walter said, looking at his aide. “Louis here doesn’t get the idea of my tax on free girls.”
“But this girl isn’t free - she’s with some music band that plays around here sometimes.”
Walter paused. That changed things somewhat. “What group?” he asked.
“Mystik Spiral, I think.”
“Does Louis know about this?”
“Maybe he does and maybe he doesn’t - who know? But I don’t think he cares or would care about that matter.”
Walter paused, and looked calculating. “So-o, when is their next concert due?”
“Tomorrow, I believe.”
“A-ah, we’ll be there.”
“Well,” Monique quietly thought, “I just wanted for a guy to buy me something to drink and take me to his home - nothing else. Instead - I get shoved right into a power struggle.”
She looked at the two guys. Apparently, she did something wrong, for as soon as she sat next to the student with a face of a convict, another young man went up to their table. He was a few inches taller than the student, plus he had a lot of hair on his face, like a werewolf would. Of course, werewolves were myths, but still...
“Louis.”
“Walter. What may I do for you?”
“Well, Louis, it’s like that. For a time now, we’ve got along each other pretty well, no?”
Louis instantly tensed-up and looked like he would argue the point. He didn’t, however. “Oh? So?”
“However, just because we’re not enemies, doesn’t mean you can do anything you want.”
Louis leaned forwards. “Walter, here’s the buzz: I won’t back away.”
Monique started to worry - this was not what she wanted to happen on her “free” evening - two guys flexing their muscles at each other. “Guys really - I don’t want to cause trouble between the two of you!”
It was at that point the stick-thin Chinese walked-over to Walter of the big beard and took him aside. After some conversation Walter and the Chinese left.
“Our que to leave?” Monique asked.
“Why not?” Louis agreed, looking thoughtful. “Want me to walk you home?”
“Want me to spend the night with you?” Monique grinned.
Louis smiled. The smile was like a crocodile’s. “Don’t mind if I do.”
They left the bar together.
The morning turned-out to be grey, sunless, dim. And Trent Lane, musician and guitar-player of the Mystik Spiral couldn’t find fault with it. It was all because of that dumb fight with Monique, about whether she could or couldn’t take care of herself. The fight was dumb, the reason for fighting was dumber, and the result that Monique left Trent was downright stupid.
But why then Trent felt so nervous this morning?
At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Trent opened it. “Yes?” he spoke.
Outside, were three women. One looked like Monique, with four or five years difference - Monique’s sister, Alecto. Another one was a black-eyed, swarthy-skinned Metis girl, called Calais. And the third one was a short, coppery-skinned, big-nosed and big-eared girl, whom all called Effïndïe. What kind of name was that, Trent didn’t know. “Yes?” he asked nervously. Monique’s band - the Harpies - always made him somewhat nervous.
“Where’s Monique?” Alecto bit-off the words. “We have an early band practice.”
“I don’t know,” Trent snapped back. “We had an argument last night and she stalked-off.”
“Peachy!” Calais sarcastically said. “Why didn’t you try to stop her?”
“That was the whole point of the argument!” Trent protested. “Whether she could or couldn’t get along on her own! Somebody riled her up before we two met!”
Effïndïe gave a look to Alecto that went unnoticed.
Trent shook his head. “Can I go and get dressed now?” he asked.
Alecto sighed. “Get lost.”
Trent complied, but in his heart, he felt worry. What has Monique got herself into?
“So what do we do now?” Effïndïe asked Alecto.
The lead Harpy paused. That was a very good question. Ever since her sister failed to return at midnight as she used to, she was concerned. Very concerned. And now those concerns were affirmed by Trent Lane, who didn’t spent the night with Monique.
“Maybe I should get in touch with my boyfriend,” Calais suggested.
“No!” Alecto emphatically said. While Calais’ boyfriend was a big-wig in Lawndale’s underworld, he was also a very unpleasant person. ‘Course, so was Calais herself, but Calais didn’t have the possibilities that her boyfriend had. The possibilities to do evil, that is. “Let’s leave him out of it!” she firmly said.
Effïndïe pulled calmly at Alecto’s sleeve. “What do we do now?” she repeated her question. “’Tis Saturday: lot of week-end people in town; possibilities increase drastically that Monique left Lawndale area by now!”
“Now look, “Dance Arabesque”,” Calais began, but never finished.
“Excuse me,” somebody spoke instead.
Louis wondered about the soundness of his idea - taking the girl up on her offer. For you see, though Louis wasn’t a caring, or considerate man, he was also smart. And not without caution. And also he had an in-built natural alarm that was hollering rather loudly at the black-haired, green-eyed girl that was walking side-by-side with him. “So what’s your name?” he asked, feeling confident that he had seen her somewhere before, in less than ordinary circumstances.
“Monique,” the girl carelessly replied. “Why do you ask?”
That clicked it - the pieces settled in place. “Of the Mystik Spiral,” Louis said with affirmative.
“Am not!” Monique instantly huffed. “My music group is the Harpies!”
“The Harpies. I see,” Louis shrugged. That explained everything. Several days ago - like seventeen - Louis was at the grunge club called Zon, where he heard the Mystik Spiral play. It took an amazing amount on his self-control part from not going upon the stage and killing each and every of self-proclaimed boy wonders. And now he was about to screw the girlfriend of one of them? A wonderful revenge, and... what the catch?
A quick memory search quickly exposed the catch. The Harpies. Another music group - an all-girl one. Lead by a girl - no, a young woman - called Alecto, who was obviously Monique’s older sister. And unpleasant rumours circulated around the Harpies - that they were connected to one of Lawndale’s very own drug lords... So this is how the scales fell. On one cup - a very pleasant night with Mystik Spiral’s very important groupie, on the other - a very real possibility of gaining a new, terrible enemy...
“Baal and Gothmog!” Louis cursed. “What to do, what to do...”
Suddenly he smiled. He knew exactly what to do...
“Excuse me,” somebody spoke instead.
The Harpies whirled around. A large, powerfully-built man was standing before them, gazing down at them from underneath his eyebrows. “Oh boy,” Calais snorted. “From which prison camp did you escape from?”
“Calais - hush!” Alecto said quickly. She didn’t enjoy thinking of fighting that guy - he looked big and mean enough to do considerable damage even with Monique being with them. “What do you want, mister?”
“Tell me - you have a younger sister called Monique?” the man replied.
“Yes,” Alecto said, getting up. “Where is she?”
“Currently - at my place, sleeping soundly. When will you pick her up?”
“You didn’t touch her?”
“The girl was searching for adventures on her foolish head, and if I know anything about Walter and Kun-shan, I’ll say that somebody will have an adventurous and exciting future, yes. I, however, know better than to mess with a drug lord’s call-girl, so no - no sex.”
“Look pal - we don’t have no deals with drug-lords - most of us. Certainly not Monique,” Alecto said. “As for Walter - who’s he?”
“You may know him as Corporal, no? I’m Louis, or Student.”
“Ah. Corporal, yes. I know off him, and I know Kun-shan,” Effïndïe spoke quietly. “Kun-shan is odd. He’s got those tattoos...”
“Kun-shan isn’t the only one with tattoos,” Louis said grimly. “So back to your sister. When will you pick her up or what?”
“Just a sec,” Alecto smiled sweetly. “I need a word with my comrades.”
She took them aside.
“What?” Calais asked.
“Here’s the buzz, girls? When Mystik Spiral performs next?”
“On a- tonight.”
“Then the Harpies will be there to cheer them and offer support. After all, they’re not exactly strangers, that Trent boy is good to our Monique, no?”
“You’re the boss,” the other shrugged.
“Good. Now I’m off to find Monique.”
Monique awoke with a splintering headache. What has happened last night? Well, Louis took her here, gave her a drink, and then...
No, the floor hadn’t gave way into Hell, and Monique didn’t fall into it, only to be grasped by a huge black-skinned demon, wreathed in flames, with eyes like burning coals, who examined her like a prized possession and all. No, it just had to be a very crazy dream.
Monique opened her eyes and smelled something nice coming from the kitchenette. She went in that direction and fund a large, iced jar. Inside it was alcohol, judging from the taste - vodka. Next to the jar was a pot, only recently taken off the stove to cool-off. Monique opened it - sausages in tomato paste. Monique shrugged and began to eat.
Then the door opened, and in came Louis, followed by - Alecto? “What are you doing here, sis?” Monique asked.
“I could ask you very much the same thing - what were you doing last night? Searching for the adventures on your ass?” Alecto snapped back.
“Now see here!” Monique said, waving a fork with a sausage on it. A large gob of still warm tomato paste smacked the older Dupri sibling right in the nose.
“Why you!” Alecto snapped.
“A-hem!” Louis coughed. “If the two of you are finished, then...”
“Sorry!” Alecto snapped at the man, then turned back to her sister. “Monique, come on. Thanks to your foolishness, Trent and Mystik Spiral might be in trouble!”
“Can’t it wait?”
“Let’s go!” Alecto turned to Louis. “You’re smart man, Louis, and I suggest you give it much thought - will or won’t you be at the Zon tonight.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Louis said with a humourless, shark-like smile.
Tonight, the thin Chinese man thought dispassionately, was going to be exciting. First of all, he received from Walter a set of instructions, which resulted clearly that he, Kun-shan, should take Casca and Cassius with him to Zon’s back entrance and insure that nobody tried to use it as an exit instead. Then, Louis-Student commented that he was going on a date with the Harpies’ main singer called Alecto to the same Zon. And finally, a fellow Kun-shan knew under the name of Rajeet whispered to Kun-shan that tonight it wasn’t such a good idea to be at Zon, listening to Mystik Spiral’s grunge music. But Kun-shan - like other men of his calling - believed in loyalty above everything else, though not caution. And so here he was, backed-up by Casca, Cassius and Lothan, wondering if he and his men will be needed tonight.
Then the shouts started and Kun-shan smiled. The party that Walter organized began.
For some reason Jane was worried as the Mystik Spiral - her brother and his friends - preformed in the Zon tonight. Something was odd, something subtly was off - but it was there, like a pale green snake, coiled and ready to strike. She didn’t know what it was, but ever since Monique, her older sister, and the rest of the Harpies came into the Zon to supposedly “support” Trent and the guys, Jane didn’t feel hunky-dory.
Then there were other customers - about ten or so of big bruisers, bearded, hairy, smelly, and tough. They hang in a loosely-knit group and the way they eyed Trent and his bunch made Jane even more worried.
Then yet another new customer came in - another muscle-head, who, however, didn’t join the others but went and talked briefly to Monique’s sister and left. And then Trent stepped forth and spoke his usual: “Hey! We’re the Mystik Spiral, but we’re thinking of changing our name. Hope you’ll like our performance tonight.”
Trent stepped back and then the muscle-heads’ leader yelled: “Get them!”
Then everything dissolved.
Into chaos. And anarchy.
“...Yesterday, at about eight o’clock in the evening, a grunge club’s regular “Battle of the Bands” was replaced by much more irregular and bloody battle of two or so rival gangs. Blood and various weapons were flying and splattering, furniture was splintered, and at least one lamppost before the club got dented from the impact of somebody’s cranium. Admittedly, the lamppost remained, whereas that somebody’s cranium didn’t.
Other than that, there weren’t many death casualties in the gang warfare; the speedy police appearance was probably the reason for that. Fourteen or so young bandits were arrested; curiously, they belonged to the gang of Corporal (real name Walter). According to the police information, at least one gangster - called Kun-shan is still at large, though Walter himself was apprehended...”
“...And so this is what happened Daria, I swear. One moment, it is ordinary night at the Zon, the next - Gettysburg! Everybody fighting everybody else, and Monique getting me, Trent, and others out through the back door. And guess what we see? Two unconscious guys and a third one, his head smashed on a lamp-post! I fainted after that and don’t recollect anything about it ever since.”
“Ow, ow, ow-ow-ow,” Louis groaned as Alecto administrated iodine and bandages to his face. “What are you applying, woman?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, and I’m not your woman!” Alecto snarled. “How’d you get your nose broken, anyways?”
“A guy - I think it was Lothan - went after me with a modified fireman’s hatchet. It had an iron nubbin on the end without the blade.”
“Fortunately, you didn’t meet that end,” Alecto sighed. “Again, thanks for sticking for me and my girls.”
“Girls? You and your sister are one thing, but Calais and Effïndïe is another thing. Especially Effïndïe. What is she - part goblin?”
“I have my money on ghoul,” Alecto sighed. “She is part Arabic, after all.”
“Mmm. Touched. Coincidentally, Kun-shan is at large.”
“Kun-shan?”
“A tall Chinese character,” Louis sighed. “O Baal and Gothmog and the throne of Nock’ma’ar! It hurts!”
“Stop whining,” Alecto sighed. “It’s good thing that it’s Sunday, no?”
“Yeah,” Louis sighed, and suddenly grasped Alecto. And although his head was covered in bandages, he smiled. “So Alecto, how about a date?”