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Arthur -> RE: [Fanfic]Whispers(Contest Entry) (4/24/2014 9:53:07)
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Whispers
-A Darker Than Black Fanfic-
The interiors of the dingy apartment betrayed not a trace of how its occupant lived, nor of his nightly ventures into the streets of Tokyo as a completely different person, albeit under a mask. The sound of approaching footsteps on the stairs leading to the upper floor of the two-storeyed building caused the young man sitting in his room to look away from the window and towards the door. The footsteps approached closer and stopped outside his door. The young man started to stand up, all the while keeping his eyes on the door but paused halfway when the all-too-familiar voice of the old landlady broke the silence.
“Good Morning, Li,” she started, her voice trembling at the utterance of every letter. “You’ve got mail.”
The man stayed in his pose for a couple of minutes before letting out a sigh of relief and standing up.
“Please slide it under the door.”
A letter slid under the door into the room and the man picked it up saying “thank you” as he did. As the old lady walked away, the man could hear her mumbling to herself. While most of what she said was inaudible, he could clearly here “such a good boy” being uttered a number of times. A smile involuntarily appeared on his otherwise stoic face.
The letter was addressed to Li Shenshun which was, but a harmless alias under which the young man had kept his original identity hidden. The letter further contained a foolscap sheet with writing on it and accompanying it were a number of photos.
The man unfolded the white foolscap sheet and started reading.
‘Hei,’ for that was his name, or rather, code-name under which he had operated ten years ago and continued to do so even now. ‘Last night, as I and Yin were spying on the MI-6 Headquarter in light of the recent activities in the region, we managed to spot a white car which drove around the corner and stopped at the building’s main entrance. November 11 personally walked out to receive the “guest”, pictured in the photos I have packed in this letter. Upon closer inspection, I realised that I had seen the man’s face somewhere before. Hei, what I tell you now might be known information to you but if it is, by any means unknown, then know this. The game is bigger than we thought.
This man is Edward Orsborough, and I’ve had the “honour” of working under him during my days as a police officer. He was temporarily posted as the Chief Inspector of my region before resigning after just one year.
I knew something was off about this whole affair, that’s when I dug deeper and found out that he is the Founder of a rogue organisation known as Balance working alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). Balance is filled with rogue agents all of whom, fortunately, are normal humans. How do I know that? I’ve checked their civilian profiles and cross-checked them with our own reports on Contractors. None of them add up.
Now, if Edward is here, then he can’t be up to anything good. I want you to check him out tonight. He is staying at the Hotel Ryunosuke Grand. Find him and if need be, eliminate him.’
This was unmistakably Hei's colleague and the leader of Syndicate, Huang’s handwriting. Hei recognised it on account of having seen it on numerous occasions.
Hei folded the foolscap neatly and tore it apart piece by piece. He then picked up the photos and looked at them. The pictures were of a fat, stubby man getting out of a white car. He was bald and sported a handlebar moustache. He wore a white coat and had a strange look on his face, something that Hei couldn't explain but which irked him nonetheless. After a short glance, he tore apart the photos and threw them away. As he picked up the empty envelope, something small dropped out of it.
“Hm…?” Hei started before bending down to get it.
It was a small, white square-ish piece of paper and on it was a strange diagram. It was the logo of a set of Balancing Scales encircled by a red circle. Under the diagram was written in the very same handwriting, “Balance”.
Hei’s expression turned serious as he crumpled the sheet and grabbing his green jacket, walked out of the room.
The Hotel Ryunosuke Grand,
Night Time
The Hotel Ryunosuke Grand was an extremely tall building, perhaps the only other building to dominate the city’s skyline other than the humongous Hell’s Gate that was visible from every part of Tokyo. A shadow-esque figure alighted on the roof of the building retracting his steel wire as he did. The figure wore a black trench-coat with the collars turned up to cover the neck. His hands were gloved. A white mask with a grin painted on it hid his face leaving only his jet-black hair to fly in the breeze. This is what Hei truly was. A shadow, an assassin, a Black Reaper.
“The door leading to the roof is locked. How on Earth did you get up here?”
Another man presently made his presence known by walking out from behind the water cooler. He was bald and had a blonde handlebar moustache. He also wore a white coat on top of a pink shirt and tie. On his neck,
“I should be asking you that…” Hei shot back. “…Edward.”
“Well, since you seem to know who I am, you must also know what I am.” Edward grinned pulling back his sleeves. On his right sleeve, Hei noticed, was that very same logo of the balancing scales within a circle, the symbol of Balance. He further noticed that what was visible of his right hand was blackened, charred.
As Hei looked on, Edward’s eyes were taken over by a red glow even as a blue aura surrounded his body. The Lancelopt Synchrotron Radiation.
This man was a Contractor, a person who has gained uncanny abilities at the cost of his emotions. Hei knew, for he too was one.
Edward disappeared from his location at the blink of an eye only to reappear right behind Hei. He however, was faster. His knife, which he had secured in his right sleeve until now sliced Edward’s tie neatly in half with almost twice the speed as Edward had teleported behind him. Edward backed away at the last moment laughing out loudly as he did.
“Let’s go, boy.”
Hei was tired. For the first time in so many years, his mind had stopped working. His legs felt weak and his arms were hurting on account of the constant swinging and slashing. Sweat streamed down his forehead dripping down his chin and his breathing became heavier by the minute. Nonetheless, his opponent seemed as untiring as ever and all because of his almighty ability.
“The Black Reaper…” Edward mocked, “The Masked Man…what a joke.”
When was the last time I felt this helpless, Hei thought to himself beneath his mask, which had now started to crack. I don’t remember. I can’t remember.
He straightened up and readjusted his mask, then tugged at the collar of his bullet-proof trench coat pulling it closer to his chin. Digging his heels into the concrete floor, he poised himself and charged. His knife glinted in the moonlight and the grin painted on his mask seemed all the more malicious as for the third time this night, he rushed at his neatly dressed opponent.
Edward’s eyes were overcome by that same red glow followed by the tell-tale aura. He was going to teleport and if he did, Hei would lose him once again.
“No.” He whispered as he broke into an almighty dive, his dagger by his side and his free left hand extended forward.
“No.”
Edward once again disappeared from his spot seconds before Hei’s gloved hand passed the very spot where the man’s face had been. Reappearing behind the diving Hei, the man broke out into a hearty laugh, having succeeded once again in fooling the legendary Black Reaper.
Unfortunately for the celebrating man, it wasn’t over yet. Hei twisted in the air and with a clean sweep of his right hand, launched his knife at his unsuspecting opponent who was too busy standing there laughing with his back towards Hei. The knife whistled through the air and lodged itself into the back of the man’s skull inducing a moan out of him.
Hei closed his eyes in exhaustion as he passed over the edge of the roof and started to fall.
“Hei…”
________________________________________
10 years ago
South America
“Hei”, a soft whisper reached his ears as he crouched in the tall grassy fields, eyes narrowed in concentration as he looked out at the house in front of him.
Hei was a young boy, but he was unlike other boys of his age. He was strong, fast, and agile. He had already learnt the art of silent killing, having served with The Syndicate for so many years. Furthermore, he had already earned the title of The Black Reaper long before he had inherited his Contractor powers of Molecular Manipulation from his sister, Bai who at present was lying in the grass next to him in the afternoon sun. Their black skin-tight uniforms were designed in such a manner as to keep the heat away and prevent them from perspiring.
“Hei, listen to me,” Bai whispered once again. “I am talking to you.”
Hei, paying no heed to his sister’s calls continued to peer at the house through his binoculars. He would have carried on with this stubborn attitude of his had his sister not done what she did next.
She lightly touched the back of his hand with a sigh of exasperation.
“Ah…” Hei jumped away to the side peeling his eyes away from the binocular lens just in time to see the bluish glow fading from his sister. “Why did you do that?”
Bai was expressionless. Contractors felt no emotions and they further possessed an immensely rational system of thinking.
“Why did you come along?” Bai questioned him in her light, whispery tone. “I needed Amber to be by my side today.”
Hei looked away wordlessly, his face possessed by that sour expression that had ever so frequently been present there.
“I…” he started but a crackling sound in both of their transponders caused them to cringe in pain.
It was Amber trying to get through to them.
“Amber, go ahead.” Bai placed a finger on her transponder.
“Guys, the House you are now going to infiltrate is the exact location where the Contractor “Char”, Messier Code: ZX-244 was last spotted 30 minutes ago. Be advised, he is extremely dangerous and is not to be taken lightly. His ability involves being able to set fire to objects on sight. Eliminate him.”
“We got it, Amber.” Bai spoke into the transponder.
“And guys, there’s one more thing. The Gate has started to show some highly erratic activity and you are closer to the Gate than is allowed. Please be back within 30 minutes. If you have to abort your mission, then do it. Good Luck.”
Amber was their contact for this mission and she was an immensely strong Contractor. Her contractor ability, Chronokinesis, made her a force to be reckoned with.
“Hei, come on. We have a tight window.” Bai started to stand up. Hei nodded, following suit.
The siblings quietly made their way to the house and positioned themselves by the door, one on each side. Hei drew his knife from his sheath and Bai drew the conducting cord which she attached to the back of her knife in order to serve as a complete ranged conducting system which she could use in battle to channel her ability through. Her ability, Molecular Manipulation allowed her to influence objects at a subatomic level. In effect, she could also cause the flow of electrons which resulted in the generation of electricity, electricity of the order of mega-volts which was strong enough to obliterate grown men. Hence, her curious choice of weaponry.
Hei nodded to his sister who nodded back. Almost instantly, brother and sister kicked the door open and rushed into what was the living room of the house.
What they saw in there would have made even the strongest of military men shake and flee from the spot for there in that living room was hell itself. Charred corpses lay in heaps all over the floor; one still wore his military uniform most of which was burnt beyond recognition. A smoky smell hung all over the room and burnt at the siblings’ nostrils causing them to shield their noses with their forearms.
“Welcome, newcomers.” A voice boomed from amidst the bodies. “Are you here to take me away?”
Right in front of Hei’s eyes, one of the bodies rose up from amidst all the others and turned to face them. He had the symbol of balancing scales tattooed on his chest and like the men he had killed, his flesh too was charred. He grabbed a fur coat that hung from the back of a sofa and draped it around his shoulders enjoying its soft feel thoroughly. The man was bald and on his head was tattooed a tiger. His facial features were not visible on account of all the burns he had suffered. His upper body was naked and he wore leather trousers and heavy boots for lower clothing.
Even as all this happened, Bai shifted to her right slowly edging towards the madman. Hei, on the other hand was slow on the recovery. He moved to his left in order to secure a trap. Amber was right when she said that the man was dangerous. One thing was obvious; this man was no stranger to the art of killing.
Hei, in his bid to get close to the man forgot to mind his surroundings and accidentally tripped on a body crashing to the wooden floor. His knife, however, remained in his tight grip.
The contractor’s eyes flew open and he lowered his sight to look at Hei. Hei saw the wild look in his eyes that he knew too well could’ve belonged only to an apex predator that regales upon having located its helpless prey.
“Found you.” He grinned wide as that familiar bluish glow surrounded his body and his eyes were taken by that red glow.
Hei’s eyes widened as he sensed what all those other people must have sensed before they too were burnt alive. Fear took him. I’ll die, he thought.
“Hei, run…!” Bai screamed from across the room as a whistling sound, followed by a whizzing sound filled the air in the room.
A knife hilt was sticking out of the man’s right hand which too had balancing scales tattooed on the wrist, further; a cord attached to the hilt of the knife was in Bai’s hands. Hei smiled knowingly as he started to stand up.
An immense amount of electricity passed through the madman’s body causing him to convulse violently and scream in agony. Bai continued to use her ability for a full half minute before she stopped and the man dropped heavily to the floor, dead. It was all over.
Almost immediately, Bai’s frail body keeled over and fell, not onto the floor, but in his brother’s waiting arms. She had just used her contractor ability and as was the rule for all contractors, after using their abilities, they must pay their remuneration for every contractor has one. Sleeping, this was Bai’s.
“Rest now.” Hei whispered as he adjusted Bai’s sleeping body in his arms. He tugged at the knife hilt still sticking out of Char’s right hand and it came off with the hand causing Hei to crinkle his nose in disgust.
The transponder in Hei’s ear crackled once again and Amber’s familiar voice started.
“Hei, are you there? Listen, the Heaven’s Gate is disappearing and you need to get out of there now…! I’ve sent a team to extract you two. Meet up outside the house. And erase everything.”
“Alright. I am on my way.” Hei replied.
Outside the house, Hei saw a number of parachutes lining the sky slowly descending on their location. The team Amber had promised. Hei, holding Bai in her arms headed for the jeep which had also been para-dropped at their location. The young boy handed the wire with the hand on it to a blonde para-trooper who approached him and moved for the jeep. He laid Bai at the back of the jeep and turned to look at the house one last time.
The extraction team set fire to the House in order to destroy every trace of the encounter. How ironic, Hei thought to himself.
“Kid, you ready?” The driver asked from his place.
“Yeah… yeah.” Hei answered back absent-mindedly as he climbed into the navigator's seat.
All of a sudden, a low humming sound filled the air gradually increasing to a buzzing.
“Is that the engine?” Hei enquired of the driver.
“No, it’s definitely not the engine.” The driver replied, confused.
Hei began to speak but he was shortly interrupted by a number of shouts from behind him.
He turned in his seat and saw in the distance, the Heaven’s Gate. It was nothing more than a blinding white light and it was growing by the minute. Hei, at once remembered Amber’s warning and his heart beat all the more faster. The Gate is disappearing.
“Oh my god.” Hei whispered.
He climbed out of the jeep and ran towards the back. Bai was starting to wake up but there was no time so Hei heaved her onto his back and ran as fast as he could towards their base camp. Sweat formed at his brow and his chest felt like it would explode any minute. His breathing grew heavier and fear started to cloud his senses so that his head felt dizzy with the heat from the afternoon sun.
The buzzing had increased to a booming and was deafening to some extent, so much so that Hei could not hear his own breathing, nor could he hear Bai’s whispers.
Help, he thought. Help.
He thought he heard the faint crackling of the transponder followed by Amber’s voice but that could just have been his imagination running wild.
“Hei…” she spoke from the other side of the transponder. “Hei…”
A massive explosion ended everything as white light filled the sky. Hei closed his eyes.
________________________________________
“His hand…!!” Hei jerked up.
He was lying on the kids’ slide in the park and it was night-time.
“What about it?” Huang’s gruff voice came from behind him.
Turning, Hei spotted the short-heighted man sitting at the park bench, his face obscured by a newspaper. Yin sat next to him, as rigid and expressionless as ever. Dolls had behaviour similar to Contractors with the exception of fighting ability. They were practically robots in human skin, so to speak.
“I’ve seen it before.” Hei relaxed and continued. “10 years ago near the Heaven’s Gate-”
“Relax, kid.” Huang cut in. “You’ve been hanging off the side of a building for the last three hours. That wire of yours saved you. Go home.”
“Wait. What about Edward?”
“He’s dead. We saw his star fall. I moved his body.”
As if to confirm Huang’s statement, a couple walked by, talking excitedly,
“What a lovely sight, that shooting star…!” The man said.
The lady smiled and nodded as they walked away deep in their talks.
Hei gazed blankly at the night sky for some time before he slid down and taking off his black coat, walked away.
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