Back pressed into the stiff hardness of a building, lungs searing with each quick, heavy breath. That small pain was eclipsed by the short knife that was still embedded deeply in his thigh. Hands shook uncontrollably as he grasped the handle of the blade, a strangled noise of pain slipping past his throat as he pulled the weapon from his body and flung it away from himself. Quivering hands pressed down on the bleeding wound, though at least it had missed the femoral artery.
Could still bleed to death though, he thought, a small grin pulling at his lips. Dying from a small, not poisoned knife… after all the injuries and supernatural attacks that he'd endured during his life. It was humorous, in that distant, doesn't make you laugh kind of way.
Why the contractor had been wielding a small pocket knife, Hei would never know. Wasn't like he could ask the guy now, not with his blood pooling at Hei's feet. Some of the blood belonged to Hei as well, mingling in an indistinguishable puddle of red so dark it was almost black.
Pulling a bandana from his pocket, Hei tied it around his leg. He'd take care of the wound later, once he was back at the gaijin apartment, for now he had too much to do to spare it any more attention than he'd already had.
Pushing off of the wall, Hei staggered forward, grimacing as he put his weight on his injured leg. He'd be shambling around with an undignified limp now. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Hei noted that he'd need to think of a lie to tell the police woman. He hoped she wouldn't stumble upon him as the Black Reaper while bearing wounds that would be horribly noticeable as Li Shengshun.
She already had her suspicions, that would certainly be more than condemning.
The Black Reaper kneeled by the dead contractor, shaking hands searching through pockets, seams in clothing, and even the man's waistline. Patting him down, Hei pulled out a small tube that had been holstered around the contactor's ankle.
Another reason to grimace, Hei did not particularly enjoy shoving his hands down dead man's pants.
Holding the tube up to the just breaking rays of light, he examined the liquid. Huang nor the mission files had said anything about this.
Reaching up, Hei activated the piece that rested in his ear, "Huang, Mao, I've found something odd."
A dry chuckle could be heard, an unsettling noise right in one's ear. Not that his porcelain mask gave away his emotions, in the rare event that he wore them on his face.
"When isn't this job odd?" Huang's deep, gritty voice asked over the headpiece.
Hei ignored him, slowly climbing to his feet and slipping the vial into a pouch on his belt so that he couldn't loose it unless someone took it out of the pouch.
"Someone's found me," Hei spoke softly, the soft sound of his wire being readied could be heard on the other side of the communication device.
"A contractor?"
"Section 4, the police woman."
"She must be following your star," Mao's voice joined the conversation.
Giving one of his knives a swing by the wire attached to the hilt once before catching it, Hei turned slightly to his right, watching Misaki Kirihara as the woman aimed her fire arm at him.
"Put your hands up and freeze!"
Rather than listen, Hei flung his knife at the building behind him, blade sinking deeply into the wall. He could hear Misaki yelling at him, but he was too busy trying not to scream as he painfully hobbled-ran toward the edge of the building as fast as he could.
The sudden searing pain in his left shoulder almost drove him to his knees, instead Hei let the momentum carry him headfirst off of the ledge of the building.
Gloved hands gripping onto the wire, Hei hoped that the knife would hold as he held his injured hand on the release for the wire at his belt.
Ah, it hurt like hell.
Reaching the ground without sustaining further injuries, Hei yanked on his wire with his good arm, letting it draw itself back into his belt. Just as the hilt of his knife met the palm of his hand, more bullets rained down from above, accompanying more shouts from Chief Kirihara.
Launching himself to the side, Hei rolled in attempt to dodge more lead, stumbling on his leg. Running was not an easy choice right now, and Huang was not close enough to collect him right away.
Spinning on his good leg, Hei flung the wire up the building so that it latched around Misaki's neck. Thankfully it was merely two stories, and not anything taller.
Rather than pull her down to her death, Hei was just about to activate enough of his power to knock her unconscious when the press of the barrel of a gun against his back made him freeze.
"Freeze!" A male voice commands as several other police officers circle around, weapons aimed.
Hei froze.
He then released Kirihara as next commanded by the man holding a gun to him.
The police chief rubbed at her neck, and reassured the person who held the gun on him, Saitou apparently, that she was indeed alright, before spinning on her heels and disappearing. No doubt running down here so that she could finally see who was under the mask.
Mao's voice on the ear piece caught his attention.
After several moments of silence Huang called his name.
Around him the police officers fidgeted nervously.
Hei swayed a little on his feet, suddenly dizzy. Ah, the wound on his shoulder was bleeding profusely. Blood dripped all the way down his right hand, dripping off his middle finger in fat red drops. Absently, Hei wondered if it was a graze or if the bullet was still lodged in his body.
The officers around him, jumped a little at his movement. Saitou jabbed the gun into his ribs, snarling at him not to move.
Huang yelled his name again.
Hei could see Misaki out of the corner of his eye as she approached, the mask didn't impede his vision of course.
"I'm rolled-up," Hei said quietly, knowing that Huang, Mao, and Yin could hear him. A string of curses from Huang's line, while Yin quietly said his name. Mao was silent.
The device in his left ear shrieked as the others on his team destroyed their pieces. Hei was unable to stop himself from flinching from the pain, his ear now ringing.
Saitou heard the code, and jabbed his gun into the contractor's ribs again, "shut up!" The cop snarled. Hei did not have to be told twice.
Misaki Kirihara stepped into view, her face shining with excitement, with hair ruffled, pieces sticking up from her ponytail. She's been waiting for this for a while now, Hei guessed.
"Keep your weapons on him," Kirihara ordered as she strode forward, a strange syringe in her hand rather than a gun.
What was this?
Hei considered activating his power as the police chief took his arm, inserting the needle into the vein in the crock of his elbow. Really he was dizzy, bleeding, in no shape to maneuver away from poorly trained police officers with bad aim. If he hadn't just had a knife jabbed into his leg…
Whatever she had just put in his veins made him even dizzier. Squeezing his eyes shut, Hei groaned, trying not to throw up.
He barely noticed when his earpiece was removed, and cuffs were tightened around his wrists. Hands were fumbling at his waist, removing the belt that held a lot of his equipment. More hands patted down his chest, and his legs, pulling the knives and extra wires from various places on his person.
His beloved coat was removed, as was his harness.
Finally, slim fingers brushed the edge of his face, prying off the cold piece of ceramic that hid him from the world.
A gasp filled the nervous silence as the face of the Reaper was finally revealed.
"Li!"
Was the last thing Hei was conscious of as he suddenly fell forward, unable to hold himself up anymore. The bang of a gun and hot, searing pain followed him into unconsciousness.