Fragments

[contract_star]

Author: quirkypeanutblu
Character/Fandom: Hei/Darker than BLACK
Prompt: 13. shuffle
Word Count: 2,706
Summary: The Syndicate kept files on all of their operatives.
Author Notes/Warnings: This…came out of nowhere. I have no idea. It was late and suddenly XOMG IDEA. Possibly inspired by reading Watchmen? Also I wanted to write something more in the style of some of my older Hei prompts, as in, like, backstory and such. I dunno. ANYWAY, warned for language, references to violence, horror etc., Contractors being themselves, and also weird formatting. Also references to this even though it’s crap lol.

Minor spoiler warnings. Also THE HTML KILLED ME OKAY.

Also, somewhere between TWO and EIGHT on a SCHOOL NIGHT OMG WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME this kind of exploded. I don’t even know anymore. I give up trying to understand my muse ¯\(°_o)/¯



[The screen flickers with static. The footage is old, taken on video and then transferred from disk to disk for preservation. The snow fades, the frame jumps, and then there is a black title card with white block text. 9-3-97, 4:23 PM, UNDISCLOSED LOCATION. NEW OPERATIVE VIDEO PROFILE. SUBJECT: HEI. DR. HONDA KAZUO PRESIDING. JACOB CHANG ASSISTING.]

[The title card disappears and the frame jumps again, then an image of appears. The camera auto-focuses for a moment until the picture becomes clear. The image is of a boy in a white room, sitting in a basic, uncomfortable-looking metal chair. The boy is Chinese and young, looking to be around eleven or twelve. He is disheveled and his clothes are cheap and dirty; his black hair is uncombed and tumbles into intense blue eyes. The boy is leaning forward in the chair, both hands gripping the edges. He is glaring from the camera to someone sitting just to the left of it.]

[There is the squeak of a chair against the floor and someone clears their throat. A man begins speaking Japanese, and though he is not in the frame, it is clear that he is sitting just to the left of the camera. From the right comes a second voice, translating the words into Mandarin.]

Honda: Please state your name.

[The boy speaks back in Mandarin with a Sichuan accent, his handle of grammar and syntax rather poor.]

Boy: Where is my sister?

Honda: Please state your name.

[The boy shifts and lifts a hand to rub his nose.]

Boy: It’s Hei.

Honda: Are you a Contractor?

Boy: I dunno what that means.

Honday: I am asking you whether you have an ability, as an effect of the Gates.

[The boy frowns and hesitates. He coughs; the cough is dry and raw. The boy is clearly sick, and likely has been for some time.]

Boy: No.

[There is the sound of a pen on a paper.]

Honda: Do you have any skills or knowledge of combat that you can bring to this organization?

[The fierceness is back in the boy’s eyes.]

Boy: I can fight. I been fighting to protect Xi—Bai.

[There is the sound of shuffling paper.]

Honda: Please elaborate.

Boy: Cause you gotta in Chengdu. There’s the other kids who try an’ take our food or our boxes, an’ there’s other homeless people. Like you fight for places to sleep an’ warmth an’ food and all. An’ there’s rats an’ stray dogs. An’ there’s the men who come an’ look at kids funny, an’ some of the kids go with ‘em cause it’s good money, but kids don’t always come back. The working kids say there’s a trick to spotting the right ones. But I don’t want ‘em near Bai, I don’t want anyone near Bai, so I gotta protect myself an’ Bai at the same time, you know? So I’ve been learning how to use knives, an’ I’ve gotten pretty good.

[The boy’s voice is a flat monotone.]

[There’s the sound of rapid scribbling.]

Honda: The preliminary files say that you and your sister were living on the streets of Chengdu for quite some time.

Boy: Couple months. Other kids been there longer.

Honda: Are your parents dead?

[There is a noticeable pause.]

Boy: I dunno.

Honda: Elaborate.

[The boy glares at a space to the left of the camera, clearly angry.]

Boy: I dunno. They disappeared. We woke up one morning and they were gone.

Honda: Did this happen on the day of the Event?

[There is a brief pause and the boy seems to be considering something.]

Boy: No...no, it was a few weeks after. I was paying attention to Bai. They mighta been changing too an’ I didn’t notice. But then they were just gone.

Honda: Are there any people who will notice your disappearance?

Boy: No.

[Scribbling.] Honda: Does the prospect of dangerous people with abilities frighten you?

[The boy rolls his eyes.]

Boy: ‘M not scared of ‘em. ‘M not scared of Bai. Wasn’t scared of anything in Chengdu, not even the funny men or the older boys with guns.

[Honda makes an indiscriminate sound and there is the sound of scribbling.]

Honda: Are you willing to fight for this organization until the event of your death?

Boy: Uh-huh.

Honda: Are you willing to undergo rigorous training in order to fight alongside Contractors?

[The boy starts coughing again. He wipes his mouth.]

Boy: Yeah. I’ll do whatever it takes.

Honda: Are you willing to unquestionably follow the orders that this organization hands down to you?

Boy: Yeah.

Honda: Are you willing to kill other human beings and Contractors on the orders of this organization?

Boy: I’ll do anything for Bai.

Honda: Yes or no.

Boy: Yes, okay? Yes, I’ll kill people.

[A silence, punctuated by scribblings and the click of a pen. The boy stifles a cough.]

Honda: Subject shows high levels of determination and willingness to participate in organization’s program. Possible defiance issues, recommend that these be attended to swiftly. Strong attachment to sister; separation is NOT recommended at this time. Subject must be taught Japanese as soon as possible. Physical examination shows effects of longterm malnutrition and early stages of tuberculosis; recommend immediate treatment to assure prime physical condition. Recommend that subject be assigned either to Brazil or Tokyo.

Boy: Can I see my sister now?

Honda: You may see your sister now.

-------

Training Program: Preliminary Combat Training

Instructor: Satonaka Akira

Subject: Hei

Designation: CL81201-73454hn

Date: September 27th, 1997

Comments (please write in field below):

Subject is showing an aptitude for knife-fighting. He is a fast learner and learns quickly from mistakes. Hei s also quite physicaly fast for a child. Has taken an interest in the uses of wires. Reccomend advanced trck training . Possibly move to Brazil ?
Ne eds to build up strength. Has high tolrance for pain , but reccomend pain management training all same. Not ver y good with firearms.



Medical Report: Broken arm, two broken ribs, stab wound in thigh and abdomen, multiple lacerations and hematomas. See attached ful l report.

-------

[Excerpts from correspondence between Codename: Century and Codename: White.]

11-6-97
White—

Sending a new batch your way. Four Contractors, one human—see attached files for codenames, profiles and Messier designations.

Please pay special attention to human subject. Is showing skill, but might be liability among other Contractors. Have permission to terminate upon signs of weakness.
-Century


Century,

Reviewed files. Interested in Messier Code number BK-201. Have been needing weapon of mass destruction down here.

Will try to keep others from eating Hei kid alive.
-W


12-13-97
100,

Hei had first kill today. Impressive handling for a human. Most of them puke. Kid’s as rational as any Contractor. Really attached to sister. It ‘s kind of cute.

Bai is [Large section blacked out.]

Hei still has defiant streak as mentioned in academy report. Hard to focus on such things in this atmosphere, but am having Dog work on it. Will break him.

He’s also liking the wires. Odd kid.
-W


White—

Please be sure to include formal reports from now on.

Glad to hear about success of operatives. Maintain scrutiny of Hei.
-Century


1-30-98
100,

Dysintery outbreak. Lots sick. See attached medical reports.

Hei kid is sickest. Might nt make it.

Terminate ?
-W


White—

Sending necessary medical supplies.

Wait and see.
-Century


12-8-98
100,

Congrats on promotion.

[Large section blacked out.]

Hei is extreme success. Having higher success rate than all other agents except BK-201. Agnts have started calling him “Black Reaper.” Americans afraid of him. More afraid of BK-201 due to [Large section blacked out.]


3-13-00
White—

I have received and considered your request to assign the Black Reaper his own team. Despite his youth, the Reaper has proven to be quite the asset. Please assign him control of BK-201, N [Large section blacked out.]

I will be sending a few more Contractors down, Europeans mostly. See attached list and files. Pay particular attention to UB-001, Codename Amber. She [Large section blacked out.]
-Century


8-12-01
100,

U heard bout attakc by now. Masive losses. Attcked supply routes, weapons store s. Six team cptins dead, atl east 400 Contrctors, totl loss of all humn agents. Th numbers theyre sending you wll likel by lies.

F4 team captains alive—Amber, Azul, Schwarz, Hei. Schwarz not expectd t o make it. Hei sstained massive injuries protcting Bai. Miracle not dead. Bai only on1 completl unscathd.

Ned reinfocments, weapons, maps, hole works .
-W


8-18-01
100,

The Reaper is going to make it. Can’t say the same for Schwarz.

Starting to think he really is invincible Insane at the very least. Asked for his sister first thing after waking up.

I’ve included [Large section blacked out.]
-W


2-20-02
White—

Your orders are to move all forces into the interior of Heaven’s Gate in order to meet the opposing initiative. These are the official orders; therefore I do not wish to hear your protests, White. The Syndicate is in agreement on this issue. I know your stance and tire of hearing it.

I have reviewed the information about a possible traitor. The Syndicate believes this is a genuine threat. Please scrutinize all agents very carefully. Pay particular attention to the Reaper and to Amber. The Reaper especially has been suspect of late.

Terminate traitor immediately upon discovery.
-Century

-------

[There are two memos attached to the files with a paper clip.]

[The first is handwritten on a crumpled piece of paper, smudged and barely legible in places.]

Have discovered Black Reaper in Vietnam. No Bai. [Illegible section.] BK-201 star resonates, Reaper has [Smudge]ties. Heaven’s Gate event [Illegible section.] BK-201=Reaper?

[Illegible section.]

Need orders!!


[The second is typed on a computer and printed from an Inkjet printer.]

BK-201 is to be moved and stationed in Tokyo. Preliminary evaluations suggest that he might still be unstable. Please have Mao keep an eye on him and report any irregularities directly to us. Please also order sporadic external surveillance.

Evaluations also suggest maintenance of attachment to sister/belief that she is alive. Please STRICTLY CONTROL the flow of information to BK-201. Maintain temporary silence about BK-201’s involvement in South America.
-100

-------

Designation: CL81201-73454hn

Codename: Hei, The Black Reaper

Messier Code: BK-201

Organizational Involvement: 9-3-97 to present

Contractor Abilities: Electrical manipulation. Scope unknown. Possible additional molecular manipulation abilities.

Type: Assassin/Spy

Current Assignment: Tokyo, Japan

Current Team Makeup: Mao (HM-432), Yin (Doll), Huang (human). See respective files.

Status: Under surveillance

Comments (please write in field below):

Extremely dangerous. Extremely skilled with knives and wires used to conduct electricity. Has received advanced training in combat, infiltration, espionage, assassination, pain management, alias formation. Current intelligence suggests heightened physical speed, heightened reasoning/tactical abilities. Psych evaluations suggest mental instability, obsessive attachment to sister (deceased?). Should be approached with caution.

-------

[Found in the back of the file, folded in half and presumably not a part of the original file. Written on lined paper in Traditional Chinese. The handwriting is shaky and rushed.]

I want to write it all down so that I don’t forget. This place makes me feel like I could forget everything really easily.

I lived in the village Xinjin with my sister Xin, my mother Hua and my father Jun-Po. We were poor but it was nice. The villagers all took care of each other. My mother was very strict, but things were usually okay. We’d go into Chengdu sometimes for festivals and there were harvest festivals in the village and we always got red envelopes with money at New Years even though there wasn’t enough money. Mom would let me cook with her sometimes even though she yelled a lot. Mom was tired a lot. She was studying correspondence and wanted to become a nurse cause there were no nurses in the village. But she also ran the restaurant for tourists and stuff with my dad. My father loved the stars and such. He taught me the names of stars and Messier objects and everything. Then last year when the comet Hyakutake came by my father gave me a telescope. It was a late birthday present. He’d really saved up for it. It was the best gift ever. I’d take Xin out to the lake every night and we’d look at the stars.

Everyone was scared when the Gates appeared because everyone noticed the stars had gone and there were new ones, but no one told us about the Gates for a while after. Mom and Dad were really upset. And Xin started acting really weird. And then she had a strange power and it was like she didn’t know how to feel anymore. And Mom and Dad disappeared. They just disappeared one night. I know I should hate them but I don’t. Everyone was really scared about the Gates. But I wasn’t scared. I had to take care of Xin cause we were alone now.

Then we went to Chengdu. I don’t want to talk about Chengdu. The people here make me talk about it a lot. They keep asking me about being sick because I’ve had this cough for awhile. I’m taking medicine now. I don’t know. A lot of the other kids had it worse there cause they’d been on the streets forever. I don’t want to think about it. Xin and I were only there a few months but it was really bad. Really bad. I wouldn’t mind forgetting Chengdu.

I don’t like this place. Everything’s cold, I mean even the people. And I think Xin and I are the only kids here. There’s a lot of grown-ups. It’s weird doing training alongside the grown-ups and the training is hard and it’s hard to keep up cause the adults are bigger and faster. They’re making me learn Japanese. I don’t want to learn and I don’t want to go to Japan. Mom always got really upset when she talked about Japan because of something that happened a long time ago. But there are a lot of Japanese here and they talk a lot around me and laugh. I don’t like them.

I’m scared. Okay I said it. I’m really scared. I don’t think I should forget that either, that I’m scared, cause none of the other people here ever get scared even when people die or when they’re fighting. I’m really scared. I don’t want to kill anyone and I don’t want Xin to kill anyone and I don’t want to die. I don’t want to fight. I don’t want anything to do with Contractors or Gate or any of it. I’m scared they’ll think we’re useless and we’ll be sent back to Chengdu. I get nightmares but Xin doesn’t and I don’t know why. Sometimes I don’t think she actually cares about me, and I get scared that she’ll leave like Mom and Dad did.

But I gotta be strong no matter what cause I’m her big brother. I gotta do all of this for her. So I’ll write all this down and remember it and this way I can be scared on this paper but never again in real life. I won’t be scared anymore and I’ll do whatever I have to to take care of Xin. I’m her big brother. The word in Japanese is “nii-san,” I think.

I gotta remember all of this. I won’t ever forget Mom and Dad or the village or Xin’s real name or watching the stars near the lake, and I won’t forget this place and being scared and all of it. It’s like they want us to forget, even with the code names. I have to call Xin Bai now, but I won’t forget her real name. Xin, Xin, Xin. And I won’t forget my name either. I have to remember all of this and my name. My name [Water damage has rendered the remainder illegible.]

Comments

[madamemoiselle]

I really liked this! I'm a fan of "letter" writing anyways, and I've been kind of working on something with this style formatting as well. So, really, you won me over with the format alone.

It's interesting to see the progression of Hei and his protectiveness of Bai, and the ending (quite literally, meaning like the last sentence) is bittersweet because he remembers Xin, but not himself. Hei is the cutest murderer ever, seriously.

Great job! I totally bookmarked this in my "fanfiction I actually like" folder. Needless to say, it's a small folder.

[contract_star]

Holy floodles. I'm glad you liked it. I wanted an opportunity to explore Hei's backstory, like the stuff way back that he can't even remember and IDK THIS HAPPENED. I give up trying to understand my muse.

BUT I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT YAY. And now I haven't slept in about 24 hours lol /dies

[madamemoiselle]

I was going to say more, but.

GO TO SLEEP PEN.

[contract_star]

I'M ON CAMPUS. I HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN FIRST AND THEN WALK HOME. OH SHIT I JUST REMEMBERED I FORGOT TO SEND THE THING TO MY DAD. FUCKY POOP.

[savagestime.livejournal.com]

(Indeed I did.)

[contract_star]

lolwut