Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them. They belong
to Hideyuki Kikuchi, Sonorama, Urban Vision, Streamline, and any other huge
companies I'm probably not aware of... (I do wish I owned at least D's HAT.
I LOVE his Hat. :) ) This Ficlet/story IS mine though...

A.N: A big thanks to Cathy, for putting up with my questions, and
pre-reading again, and again! Thanks Cathy!


                  Slight of Hand

To all it may concern,

      That is, if you humans concern yourselves with anything at all ... Oh,
but perhaps I should explain who this IS exactly---you always need
everything spelled out in specifics don't you? I am the left hand of D, that
Vampire Hunter you're all so fond of.  Most of you treat me as if I'm JUST
not there, or at best, a part of his arm. I'm not just some damned
appendage! I'm a living being with my own consciousness thank-you-very-much!
You often don't even have the decency to use a name to describe me, calling
me "it" or "he", and when I DO get a name, it's often that god-awful
"Lefty". Given this history of insensitivity, I'll be damned now before I
tell you what my real name is ... For the sake of argument, let’s just refer to
me as "the Symbiot". (And "he" is the appropriate pronoun.)

       I suppose I should explain why I'm writing this: I am NOT given
nearly enough credit! All of you go on and on about how great D is ... but may I
remind you, I'M the one who saved his life? If I hadn't awakened after that
mutant, Reagan-something-or-other, had used that bloody candle on D, he'd be
currently hunting rogue cells in the stomach of the mist monster, instead of
vampires. Admittedly, there was a small element of self-preservation to it:
but then, even for a creature as talented as I am, it would be incredibly
dangerous in our world on my own.  You probably want to point out our
obvious dislike of each other, and use that to try and denounce me.  Let me
assure you, that for all of his threatening to cut me off, he never actually
would ... After all, I bring some humor into his eternally dreary life.

       Most view me as merely an accessory, a tool; at best I'm considered a
henchman, D's "right-hand man", (pun not intended) if you will.  I AM able
to survive on my own, I do have my own abilities, and I do use them to help
those I deem my friends! (Yes, I do consider D a friend. Don't act so
surprised by it.) I would like to be considered an equal, and appreciated as
such. I'm hardly optimistic that anyone will change—you humans are
notoriously stubborn---but I felt the need to correct this "slight of hand".

        If you'll excuse me now, D seems to have taken another job, and
someone has to watch his back.

                        --The Symbiot