Darker Than Black: Lost Opportunity?
On a foggy night, Kirihara Misaki drove down the streets of Shinjuku on her way home from a charity event she had been dragged to by her father to raise money for the department.
He had informed Kanami about the party so that she could dress her in a form fitting black dress that rested below her knees. It was sleeveless with shoulder straps that formed a low v-shape and ran down the length of her back to her butt. The front revealed too much cleavage for her liking.
Once the party was over, she enthusiastically grabbed her coat and threw it over her dress.
Misaki's phone rang through her sync system.
"Kirihara," answered Misaki.
"I know it's late and you're probably still at the party, but TR-401 and BK-201 are active in Shinjuku," said Kanami.
"Where?" Kanami gave her the address. "Really! I'm close by. I'll be there in three minutes."
Misaki slammed on the brakes, whipped the steering wheel hard right to make a sharp turn at the next intersection, and accelerated.
"You've already left the party?"
"I was bored and uncomfortable," she commented, making another right at the next corner and headed straight to her destination.
"Any sponsors?"
"Yeah!" she uttered. "Perverted ones."
"Great! I knew the dress would help out."
"I'm sure my dad is grateful for your assistance."
"He knows that's the only way to make money. Well that and sleeping with the sponsor."
"Kanami!"
"Just stating the facts."
"I hope that's not what you were hoping for."
"Of course not."
"Like I believe you."
"I'm saving you for when you meet that Li guy again. I have the perfect dress."
"There's nothing between us, Kanami."
"The look you gave him while helping him pick out a bra says otherwise."
"Enough, Kanami. I'm at the location."
"Don't rush in, Misaki. Wait for back-up."
"I'm not losing another opportunity at capturing BK-201."
"Don't be reckless."
"I'll be careful."
There weren't any signs of activity on the main streets, which made her pull into a parking spot, reach for her gun in her purse and exit her car.
Looking down a dark alley, she saw no signs of a brawl or contractors and headed to the next one with the same result. She continued her search down other alleys coming up with nothing.
"Late again," she sighed. "I was so close."
Heading back to her car, she walked by the first alley, heard a voice and headed down it with her gun at the ready.
Halfway down the alley, there was a white object mixed in a bunch of stacked boxes. She cautiously approached it and noticed a black figure lying in it.
"BK-201?"
As she drew closer, she could tell it was a man dressed in black.
Her heart began to beat faster than a vibrator, knowing she had just caught BK-201, and ran over to him while pulling out her handcuffs.
First, she poked him to see if he would react, but didn't, which allowed her to cautiously flip him over. It was he, wearing only his mask, pants, shirt, and shoes. She cuffed his wrists, and as she was about to remove his mask, she heard what sounded like something lightly walking on cardboard coming from behind her, and pointed her gun in that direction.
"Who's there?" she demanded.
Seconds later, a black cat with a red collar jumped out of other boxes and disarmed her. The cat stood in front of the Black Reaper and began hissing at her, as if he was trying to protect his meal.
Did this cat know him?
Misaki picked up her gun and aimed it at the cat. However, the cat stood its ground and continued glaring at her.
Damn cat, she thought. "Scram. Beat it!"
The cat continued hissing.
Misaki wasn't going to let a cat interfere with her unmasking the world's most wanted contractor. She fired a warning shot by the cat's paws, startling it and having it run off.
She approached the Reaper, bent down, and as she was about to remove his mask, a black-gloved hand grabbed her wrist.
"D—Don't," he managed to say.
Damn cat! I lost my opportunity. "You're in no condition to order me around. You are under arrest, BK-201."
"Your life… is in… danger… if you don't leave."
"You mean your life."
"They will come… and you will be killed."
"Not if you're the next step in taking them down."
"Please, don't… I… like you too much… to see… you… hurt," he muttered before he passed out again.
"He likes me?" she questioned, her eyes slanting.
That still wasn't going to stop her from finding out his identity. She placed her hand on the corner and began removing his mask again.
"He's right," said a deep male's voice.
Misaki quickly turned around while aiming her gun. Unfortunately, all she saw was that damn black cat. She looked side to side, up and down, and behind her, spotting no one. Her attention shifted back to the cat.
"They will kill you," warned the cat, startling Misaki. "There's nowhere to hide from them."
"You can talk?" she asked, flabbergasted.
"More a surprise than finding out his identity, isn't it?"
"Not really. I've been chasing…"
"…him for years. Yeah, I know. I'm his partner."
"You're his partner?" she questioned. "Aren't you a little small?"
"Funny."
"Are you a contractor?"
"Yes."
"Why bother trying to stop me? It's irrational for you to care about my life."
"It's also irrational for you to sign your death wish."
"And who say's I'll die?"
"The people after him. They're coming. Even if they don't, the Syndicate will not let you live either."
"Hmmm."
"He's their best contractor. They'll kill anyone to keep him."
"Considering he is on the ground unconscious, he's obviously not their best."
"Fine, do what you want. I warned you," he said, as he took off.
Warned me? Ha?
Her life was all about taking chances, and she wasn't about to let this one go.
Approaching him one last time, she noticed a gunshot wound. She pulled out her phone and started dialing 119.
"Please, help him," said a girl's voice, as Misaki was about to punch in the last number.
Once again, she turned around while pointing her gun, but lowered it from the presence of a young girl dressed in a purple dress with silver hair. She wore the Black Reaper's long jacket over her as she stared at Misaki, showing no emotion. Misaki believed she was a doll.
"I'm calling an ambulance."
"No."
"No?"
"Please, help him."
"How is calling an ambulance not helping him?"
"Enemies. They will attack. Kill him."
Misaki sighed, knowing for some reason she couldn't say no to the girl. Even if she was a doll, surprisingly she somehow cared for him. Regardless, she needed to find out his identity and took a hold of the mask.
"Hurry!" said the girl, as a noise came from another alley. "They are coming!"
"How close?"
"Three over. Heading this way."
"All right! Only because I don't want anyone stealing my chance at capturing this man. As soon as he's better, I'm taking him in."
The young girl nodded.
Misaki began to pick up the Black Reaper but he was too heavy.
"Could you help me carry him to my car?" Misaki pleaded to the girl and hoped they wouldn't run into his pursuers.
Misaki grabbed him under the shoulders, as the silver-haired girl took a hold of his feet and carried him to her car. She rested him on the side of her car so that she could open the door and placed him in the back with her.
Misaki hurried to her trunk to pull out a blue shirt and pressed it against his wound.
"Hold that on his wound," she ordered. "We don't need him to bleed to death before I interrogate him."
The doll did so.
Misaki let out a deep breath, and while sitting in the driver's seat, she said, "I hope you know what you are doing!" to herself. With quick reflexes, she popped the clutch and sped off. "You're his partner too?"
The girl nodded.
"You're a doll, correct?"
"Yes."
"What's your name?"
"Yin."
"What happened, Yin?"
"My fault."
"What?"
"Raining. Cold. Hei gave me coat."
That didn't make any sense to Misaki. How was his generous offer, her fault for him getting shot?
"Why is it that you want to help save him?"
"He saved me," she replied.
"Saved you?"
"Yes."
Misaki looked back in her rearview mirror at the haunted mask he wore; amazed he had saved the doll.
Why? she questioned to herself. He was a contractor and she was a doll.
However, Misaki found it possible since he had saved her twice already in one night. She wouldn't be here if it weren't for Saitou and him. At least she should repay the favor.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," she mumbled.
They arrived at her apartment twenty minutes later.
Misaki was lucky for not running into her neighbors while carrying BK-201 up to the third floor with Yin's help. Most of them tended to be in bed by ten anyway. After they reached her apartment, she opened the door and carried him to the bathroom to avoid getting blood all over her apartment. Noticing her blue area rug, she kicked it up against the tub and then laid him on the blue porcelain tile floor. Misaki looked in the white vanity cabinet and pulled out a first aid kit.
Noticing one of his split blades strapped under his arms, she took it, cut his shirt and removed it to gain access to the wound. It appeared the bullet had gone clean through his shoulder, so only stitches and bandages were required. She returned to her cabinet, and pulled out some alcohol.
"It's going to be awhile," Misaki said to Yin. "Why don't you wait in the living room?"
Yin nodded and left. Misaki breathed out heavily and began working on him.
Why the Hell am I doing this? Do they think I'm a doctor?
An hour later, she laid back and rested her tired head against the wall. She glanced at his white haunted mask. Nothing was going to stop her from removing it now. Tiredly, she leaned over him and grabbed at the corner of his mask.
"Please, don't… I… like you too… much to see… you… hurt," his words echoed in her brain.
Liked me?
Did he even know her? It was her job to arrest him. He should be trying to eliminate her as a threat. Why was this bothering and frustrating her? Furthermore, what was wrong with her? She had spent years chasing him, wondering whom the man was behind the mask, only to arrive late to every sighting, have him slip through her fingers, or disappear in front of her eyes.
Even when she had thought she had had him at the bra shop, he turned out to be Li.
"Hei?" said Yin.
Misaki looked towards the door to see the young girl staring at her.
"I have the right to know," said Misaki. "I just saved his life."
Yin continued staring and repeated, "Hei?"
"Hei?" questioned Misaki. Was that his name? She smiled at the silver-haired girl and stood by her. "He is going to be fine." Yin nodded.
Damn it! Misaki thought to herself.
First, she had stopped herself from removing his mask, and now she couldn't do it with the doll before her? This was harder to deal with than the possibility of the Syndicate coming to kill her. She wondered if they were watching her right now.
Of course they were. The doll probably let them know, and not to mention the talking cat had to have made contact as well. She should have shot the feline.
Would they fire a shot at her if she removed the mask? Who was to say they wouldn't shoot her now so that she couldn't find out.
If she could get Yin to relax so she wasn't watching her every move, and then close all the blinds in her home, then she could make her move. Walking over to her closet, Misaki pulled out a dark-blue knit blanket, laid it on her mauve sofa, and went to get Yin who was standing by the bathroom door.
"Yin," she said. "Please rest on the sofa while you wait for him to wake up."
She guided her to the sofa to have her sit on it and stare blankly at the bathroom door.
Shaking her head, Misaki walked over to her balcony window, closed the blinds and reentered the bathroom while closing the door. She sat and leaned over him, as she gazed at his white mask. Placing her fingers along the edge of the mask, she began removing it. However, a high pitch ding from above startled her, causing her to look up and see the black cat balancing himself on her chrome towel bar with a round silver object in its mouth. Before she new it, he dropped the object, which landed on her head, and released a gas to knocked her out and lay on top of BK-201.
XXX
Hei awoke to find his body weighed more than it usually did and couldn't move. He opened his eyes to see it was because someone was lying on top of him. Noticing brown hair, he figured it might be Misaki as he recalled stopping her from removing his mask.
Although he wasn't sure exactly why he still had the mask on, he was pleased he did. Hei looked at his surroundings, noticing the base of a clean toilet to his left, blue tile floor, and blue shower curtain.
She really likes blue, he thought, remembering her usual business attire.
He tried to push her off him, but it appeared his body was still too weak and couldn't budge her.
The only thing he could do was enjoy her company until she woke up, or wait for some more of his strength to return. Although, he was sure that wouldn't happen unless he ate something.
XXX
Misaki awoke to the sunshine beaming in through her bathroom window.
"Hello, beautiful!" said a male voice.
Misaki noticed she was lying on top of BK-201 and jumped in shock. She blushed at his bare chest and the weird fact that he just called her beautiful.
It was then she realized she was still wearing her party dress, but the strap had fallen off around her arms to expose her red lace bra.
"W—what happened?" she inquired, adjusting her top.
"I was hoping you could tell me."
"Ummm… I… I cleaned your wound."
"Is that all?"
"I… I …"
"Thank you."
"Ummm…. It was nothing."
"How can I repay your kindness?"
"Huh?"
"Anything."
"EHHHHHHHH?"
"Just name it."
"Well… I would like to know the man I just helped."
"You never peeked?"
"Eh… No."
"It's not that hard." He took her hand with his and placed it on his mask. "Hold from the corner and lift."
EHHH! He's letting me remove his mask?
Slowly lifting the mask from the corner, her heart pounded heavily, and then gasped at the face that was smiling.
"LI-KUN!"
"Thank you, Kirihara-san," he said, as he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers.
Misaki awoke to a loud rumble from under her, startling her. Quickly opening her eyes, she startled herself to find she was lying on top of a shirtless Black Reaper.
She had been dreaming.
What was more surprising than him still here was the fact that he had his arms wrapped around her. Hoping not to wake him, she quietly and gently pried each of his arms from her and sat them on his stomach.
This is it! I'm finally going to find out his identity.
Was he Li-kun like her dream, or some perverted pimple-faced man? She quietly placed her hand on the edge of his mask and attempted to remove it again. However, his cuffed hands grabbed her wrist, spoiling her moment once more.
Damn it!
"Don't," he said.
"It's too late," she began. "I took a peek last night."
"Did you?"
"You have nothing to hide from me anymore. Tell me who you work for."
"I don't have to tell you anything."
"I saved your life. You owe me."
"As I see it, we're even, officer."
"How do you fig…?" Misaki began to ask, but believed he was talking about the two times he had saved her life.
"You can get off me now."
"No."
BK-201 sent a small shock to her body, causing her to jump off him quickly and stand by the tub. He slowly stood, cringing from the pain in his shoulder and took a little time to catch his balance. When he did, he held up his arms and demanded, "Un-cuff me."
Misaki reached in her pocket, pulled out a key and unlocked the cuffs. They dropped to the porcelain floor.
"I proved to you that I'm trustworthy. Can you at least tell me who you are?"
"I thought you peeked?" he smirked.
"Well I..."
"You never did, did you?"
"Umm… I"
"It's simple. Just place your fingers on the edge and lift."
"I tried. Believe me!" Misaki shifted her eyes away from him. "I tried."
"What stopped you? My plea?"
"Of…" she directed her attention back to him. "Of course not."
"Then what?"
"Your friends."
"Friends?"
Misaki motioned her head over to the couch where Yin was sitting.
The Black Reaper looked over his shoulder. "Yin?"
"Hei," said Yin.
"Why?"
"You saved me."
He turned his attention back to Misaki, and asked, "You let a doll stop you?"
"Well you know…" she muttered, lowering her head. "She was very persuasive. And… well… there was a cat."
"Mao?"
"Is that its name?"
"Thank you," he said, his voice slightly different. Misaki looked back up at him stunned by his words. "Kirihara-san."
"Hmmm?" she questioned, recognizing how he had said her name. It was just like her dream.
"By the way," he added, as he was leaving the bathroom. "Lovely dress, but I like the red Chinese dress better." He grabbed Yin and carried her towards the balcony before looking over his shoulder. "The red laced bra is a lovely touch."
Misaki's eyes widened, as she looked down at her chest to notice her strap had falling down again. Frowning, she pulled it back up and returned her attention to see BK-201 had opened the door, and flung out his cable to fly off into the city.
She ran to the door and looked out unable to see him.
Was that? Was he really BK-201 or was she just imagining his voice because of the dream she had.
Then she recognized the loud rumble sound that had awoken her from her dream.
"Li-kun!"
The end
Xxx
AN: Ahahahahahaha! The truth of how Misaki found out Hei's identity. His stomach. Ahahahahahaha!
Not the best but I hoped you enjoyed this short story. The idea came to me after reading someone else's OC story and thought, "Misaki needs a chance at unmasking BK-201 and not being able to succeed. How can I do that?"
Well it was an idea for a story anyway and we all know we need more DTB stories.