An Unexpected Bounty (Virtue x MunchCat)

[MunchCat]

A young woman lounged against old iron rails, forest green eyes staring blankly at the bricks of the neighboring building. The night was warm and humid, a leftover of the relentless summer day despite it being mid-spring. A gentle breeze found its way to the fire escape though, just enough to make use of the sheen of sweat that covered Lita's tanned skin. With a pair of jeans and an over-sized flannel shirt, there wasn't much skin exposed, even with the shirt unbuttoned the reveal the small tank top clinging to her body beneath it. She lifted the long strawberry blonde curls that clung to the back of her neck despite being bound in a ponytail, hoping to cool off just a little more. Her eyes closed and she breathed deep, only to nearly gag at what she had inhaled. The breeze stank of garbage and exhaust, but it was better than the stale air of her new studio apartment.

The sounds of the city wove their way to her; honking horns, screaming sirens, blaring music... yep, she was most certainly going to hate it here. It had only been a single day, and already she felt an ache for the small town life she had grown so accustomed to. How long would it be before she would see a star-filled sky rather than artificial lights? How long before she could breath clean air rather than smog and pollution? The haunting song of Tubular Bells cut through the rest of the cacophony and drew her from her thoughts. Lita pulled out her cell and answered it as she slipped back in through the large window.

"Lemme guess. You're staying late again."

The sound of her younger sister's voice nearly dripped into her ear with the pout in her tone. "I'm so sorry! I know I promised to help unpack, but Starlin and Sickle are here and Larry introduced us and we started talking over coffee and- Lita, this could be even better than he promised!" Lita's eyes glanced through the room, eyeing the stacks of boxes in various states of packed versus unpacked. At least the mattress was already on the floor, and the bedding was set. She didn't bother stifling her sigh. She was actually kind of expecting something like this to come up, but it still sucked. She hated the thought of spending her first night in the city alone like this, but it couldn't be helped. "Look, it's cool. Just... make the most of it, and be safe out there."

Lisa squealed through the phone, causing Lita to wince and pull it away for the moment. "Oh my gosh, thank you! You're the best sister ever!"

"Hey, remember what I said about being safe! And don't expect everything to be unpacked by the time you get home."

Lisa had already hung up though, undoubtedly drawn away by the voices in the background. Lita ran a hand over her face before unceremoniously tossing her cell on mattress. A cool shower and some rest, and she would hit the streets in the morning. Maybe she could find a job to keep her busy and help pay the bills, in case these 'big breaks' didn't come through for her sister. The thought of that asshole of an agent falling through on his promises curled Lita's upper lip into a snarl. Bastard better come through.

She rolled her shoulders back and walked into the small bathroom, taking a towel and bathing supplies in with her. She shrugged out of the large over-shirt and brought it with her, planning on using it to cover herself once she was clean. Her mind wandered a bit to random things as she settled things into place in the bathroom, including to-do lists and what sort of jobs she might be qualified for. She didn't bother closing the window just yet. They were on the eleventh floor, and she wanted as much of that breeze coming through the apartment as she could get. Maybe tomorrow she would hunt down an air conditioner that sat on the window. It might send the electric bills up, but at least they wouldn't be melting in here.

The young woman reached to turn the nob in the shower, letting the water heat up before she added in the cold. She took a moment to stare at herself in the mirror as she waited, glaring back at herself. Though her sister and she had quite a bit in common as far as appearances went, there were definite differences in body build. Lisa was practically built to be a movie star or pop singer, with the soft curves of Mariah Carey and the rear of J Lo. Lita, on the other hand, lived a more active life. Her body had curves, with wide hips and a decent bust, but it was mainly lean muscle. Beneath the tank top were lightly defined abs... and scars she'd rather not stare at. Strong legs better suited for a working life than the skinny things most guys preferred didn't help her much. Rather than the pale cream of Lisa's skin, freckles dusted skin that was tanned by the kiss of the sun on a nearly daily basis.

Lita shook herself from her thoughts and stuck her tongue out at herself. She yanked the bathroom door closed before pulling her tank top up and off, letting it drop to the floor to leave her in a simple black satin bra. She unfastened her pants, hooking them with her thumbs to pull them down. She stepped out of them and began to strip off her undies when she paused in her motions, holding her breath as she strained her ears. Did she just hear someone in the apartment? She forced herself to draw a breath and quietly opened the door a crack, one eye peeking out to sweep through what she could see. A sudden clang had her choking back a scream, and a cat darted across the floor and jumped out the window.

A small curse left her lips, and she quickly tugged on the over-sized shirt, holding it together with one hand as she walked out of the bathroom to cross the small bedroom/living area. Stray cats now? Really? She wondered what it would take to get a screen or something installed as she glanced at the small kitchen to her right. Sure enough, a few of the pans she had stacked on the counter had fallen onto the tile floor. At least none of the plates fell. She shook her head at herself and reached for the window, silently facepalming at how paranoid she had just been.

 

[MunchCat]

Another sickeningly hot evening found Lita sat cross-legged on the mattress surrounded loose papers and Chinese take-out. A carton of General Tso's chicken was held captive between her forelegs, a pair of chopsticks held between her teeth, and one of the papers was balanced on one knee. She wore only a black tank top that seemed to cling to her body and a pair of black undies. Even with so little clothes on, there was a sheen of sweat covering her skin. She pushed a pair of reading glasses up her nose before twisting her hair up to secure it with a large butterfly clip. Once her hands were free, she used the chopsticks to pop another piece in her mouth and absently chewed on it. Her body twisted as she reached for another piece of paper with one hand, the other digging her chopsticks back into place. Another minute of scanning, and a scowl crossed her features as she reached for a different page, swallowing her food down. "Still can't believe you manage to get a physical copy from them," she murmured in a distracted tone.

Her sister shrugged with a small smile. "Larry wasn't happy, but after I explained how long it would be before we got wifi and how crappy our phone service is, he finally agreed to it. He also said he's going to look into better phones for us."

"For you, maybe." Lita chewed on the inside of her cheek before looking up. "This isn't going to work. Their pay cut looks way too high, and how long is this contract supposed to be good for anyway?"

Lisa was leaning against the wall, going through her texts as her sister worked. Unlike Lita, her sister was fully dressed in a silver drape-neck sleeveless top, a simple black short skirt, black nylons, and black felt boots with silver accents. Also unlike Lita, she somehow looked as refreshed as ever, her make-up perfectly in place and her hair in a messy bun that somehow came across as sexy rather than lazy. Lita's question made her wince, and Lisa's shoulders rolled in a small shrug. "Three years? Larry said it was a great amount of time to start. Plenty of time to get my name out there and even get a few albums under my belt."

Lita stared at her sister for a long moment. "Three years? Did you see how many albums they expect you to produce during that time? And what are the conditions of the out clause?"

"I... out clause?"

Lita's face paled. "There's an out clause, right? Conditions under which you're able to leave the contract without legal ramifications?" Lisa fidgeted with her phone, avoiding her sister's eyes. "Well, I mean, Larry came highly recommended, and he's treated me so well so far, even helping us move here, and he's really given me no reason not to trust him." Lita shook her head and placed the papers lightly on the mattress beside her. "Look, if he'd never take advantage of you, then what would be the harm in an out clause? I mean, really?" That caught Lisa's attention. She finally met her sister's eyes. "He said he's had clients abuse it in the past! They really left him hanging out to dry with it, so I told him I wouldn't need it, and you should have seen the relief!" Lita sighed and slipped off her glasses, her shoulders slumping. "Look, I have four words to say to that. Just four. Keisha. Supreme Court. Denied." Her sister looked flabbergasted. "He would never do that! I- I can't even imagine!"

"It's the ones you least suspect that are the most dangerous sis."

"Then by that logic, you're the most dangerous to me!"

Silence settled between them, heavy as the stifling evening air as they stared at each other. Finally, minutes- or maybe hours- later, there was a loud knock at the door. "That's Larry. I need to be going."

"Wait, hold up!" Lita moved the carton of Tso's and got up to grab her pants from the bathroom. Lisa was already out the door before her sister could even get one foot in, causing Lita to curse under her breath and abandon them. She ran over to the table beside the door and grabbed a small brown pouch, taking two steps out of their apartment to look down the hall as she called out, "Head's up!" Lisa, already near the side staircase, turned in time to catch the small can of pepper spray, looking mildly surprised. Lita added, "Remember what I said! And... be careful?" A smile touched Lisa's lips, and she called back, "I will, and I will! Love you sis!" Larry called for her impatiently from the stairs, and Lisa waved to her sister just before making her way down. Lita sighed and murmured, "Love you too."

"Well now, what have we here?"

Lita spun around, the hairs on the back of her neck raised on end. A large man in a stained undershirt, jeans, and at least a few days' worth of stubble was leanng in the doorway across the hall, leering at her like a starved man might a hunk of steak. Beer belly, balding, and reeking of alcohol and cigarettes, he was the last thing Lita wanted to see. "Nothing that concerns you, that's for damn sure." Her 'friendly neighbor' began to walk toward her, and she shamelessly walked backwards. "Oh, I dunno 'bout that. It's good to be friendly with your neighbors, after all." As soon as the door frame slipped past her peripheral view, Lita quipped, "I prefer keeping to myself," and reached to slam her door in his face. His foot shot out to catch it though. "C'mon, stop being such a bitch."

Lita arched a single eyebrow. "Oh sweetie, I'm the bitch." She drew the door back just far enough to try to slam it on his foot again, but he didn't budge an inch. Bastard must have been wearing steel-toe boots. "Look," she growled, "my boyfriend should be here any minute now. My ex-military boyfriend, who gets pretty damn jealous easily. So for your own health, I suggest you get the fuck out of here." The stranger let out a sickening laugh before giving her a toothy grin. "Nice one. Now let me in before anyone has to get hurt."

 

[MunchCat]

For all his beer gut and drunkiness, there was no overpowering the asshole. He was built like a construction worker, over six feet tall, broad in shoulder and overall build, with no defined muscles, but muscles nonetheless. Lita lasted maybe three seconds of pushing on the door before he forced his way in, forcing her to stumble back. Her arms wind-milled, but she somehow managed to keep from landing flat on her ass. She kept her eyes on him and his slow progression as her mind struggled to remember where she had left her cellphone. Buried in the papers on the mattress? The counter in the bathroom? A cocky grin revealed her attacker's tobacco-stained teeth. "C'mon, little girl. Just lookin' to show you a good time."

"Go fuck yourself!" she spat, and darted the two feet to the small kitchen, reaching for her cell on the counter. Her fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the screen, before the back of her shirt was grabbed in a large fist.

"Oh no you don't," he growled, and yanked her back to throw her against the wall. The back of Lita's head hit hard, breaking the butterfly clip that secured her hair. Bits of plastic dug into her scalp and stars bloomed in her vision as a pain spread across her skull. She tried to shake it off enough to push forward, but he was already grabbing for her wrists, lifting her arms above her head and pinning them against the white stucco with one hand. His other began trailing over her body, and he brought his face close to hers. She turned her head away, wrinkling her nose against the smell of his breath. He nuzzled the side of her neck, his body towering over her. Her body strained against his, struggling to free herself. He tightened the grip on her wrists, and a sharp cry was ripped from her throat from the pain shooting down her forearms. "Mmm... I'd rather fuck you instead." He buried her nose in her hair, now partially loose from the broken clip, and breathed deep. "Y'know, I'm starting to think there's no boyfriend coming. That it's just you and that little slutty sister of yours." His calloused hand found the bottom of her tank top, and began to travel up her bare skin. "It's gotta get lonely, with her away so much." His hand reached one breast, and gave it a rough squeeze, causing her to struggle anew. A squeeze of his hand though, and she lost her breath to the pain that shot through once more. "Maybe I'll keep you company until she gets back. Show you both a good time."

Lita's eyes went wide. Suddenly, it didn't matter what the bastard did to her. Lisa though? "Fuck this," she growled through gritted teeth, and tried to bring her knee up for his groin.

 

[MunchCat]

Lita had given everything she got with that kick, and half expected a knee or thigh to get in the way. Thankfully, whoever the hell had made it into her apartment was just enough of a distraction. She quickly shot sideways, the asshole between her and the stranger, as she gawked at the scenario unfolding in front of her. Who was this stranger all in black? Why was he helping her? How long had he been listening, to be talking to her like he really was her boyfriend? And what the hell was with that ski mask?

She flinched as the stranger fell, though it was hard not to notice the elbow that just so happened to land on the jerk's groin. What was that, an elbow drop? Like straight from WWE? She looked up at him when he offered him her hand, then looked at the gloved hand, seemingly in a daze. After a few long seconds, she finally took it with her own trembling hand. She hissed though when he pulled her up, gritting her teeth against the pain in her wrist. Did that bastard break something when he was keeping her hands above her head?

When the guy let go of her hand to deal with Asshole, she moved to grab her pants and carefully pulled them on. She should have took the time to look at her wrist, which already was blossoming in shades of purple and blue, but she wasn't entirely sure what to look for as far as a break went. Didn't that require testing movement? She was mindful of it was she pulled on her pants, noting that there was such a thing as too much pressure for a task as mundane as dressing herself. She managed to get as far as fastening her pants when the guy returned to her apartment. Her head jerked up in surprise, and she immediately regretted it, leaning back against the wall as the world began to spin. "I... I think a trip to the hospital might be better... and maybe the cops?" She glanced at the door before rubbing her forehead, trying to regain her focus.