Trigger Warning: Slight pedophilia, mentions of forced death and insanity.
It started after operation Mimic, that one of Port Mafia's most controversial had been a relapse, the Echo sector, a formerly large scale sector of extremely gifted child soldiers make up Mori's shadow ranks, known solely answering to Mori's demands, which may often lead to dirty work. The sector was formerly occupied by at least 50 soldiers, before Mimic and after a mass terrorist explosives exploded along Mafia warehouses, only three survivors were documented, before a new wave of child soldiers were placed in the sector. Presently, there are 8 members, known their immaculate team work and assimilation within Yokohama. Echoes are frequently solitary in collective operations executed by the Port Mafia and do not go into combat unless in dire need those who are on duty are seen wearing a dark grey sleeved jumpsuit with a high-collar and a hood, along with choke collars that monitor their activities.
I had always known about Echoes, being under Chuuya's tutelage had made sure of that I had encountered them often often if not indirectly. It had been just after Mimic and Dazai's escape from the Mafia's clutches, where I met him. The first time that I had noticed him , had been nothing but a fleeting glance. It had been quite late in the evening and Chuuya and I were starting to walk home. It had been an unsettling feeling, that feeling you get when someone stares without battering an eye. A part of me, hoped it had been Dazai, but he left a few weeks ago, far away from the Port Mafia and the memories of Mimic at least. It had been clawing at the back of my mind and it seemed as if the tiger felt that too, as she urged me to turn my head. I spared this person a glance fluttering my eyelashes downwards to hide my own focus. It had been a dull spark of recognition, Aldous Huxley, a boy of 15 years that I had seen lash out on others in rage, he had a rising temper I noted. His eyes clashed with mine and I could only equate my dull recognition to his eyes of brown like the mud one sees after rainfall. To my surprise, had his eyes of muddy brown been littered with small flecks of gold as the setting sun spread its light towards him.
However, he was also the reminder of my own fate, I was to be transferred the Echo sector next week at the lastest, meaning I would leave Chuuya's side, we don't talk about it, it was an uncomfortable topic for us and regardless of my desire to stay with Chuuya, I was to be sent into the force.
"Yukino? What's wrong?"
I turned towards Chuuya who seemed to be rather confused and looked towards where Huxley was. I turn back, but when I had done so, Aldous Huxley had already disappeared from my sight. I turn back to Chuuya before shaking my head slightly.
"Nothing."
I didn't see him until a week after our small interaction.
Mori had called me up to his office and had proceeded to introduce me to a familiar face, along with a foreign one. I had been 11 years of age at that time, Huxley had been at least 4 years my senior, at 15. There's was this saying, 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'. I pride myself in doing that. Never underestimate thy enemy, never overestimate thy enemy, and meeting Aldous Huxley the second time was like a ripe explosive that was ready to explode if he hadn't already.
He had a pair of lungs. A really good pair. He was yelling, shouting profanities, the lot. He was unafraid I noted, unafraid of Mori, had no respect and all you could see was that same balanced smile on Mori's face with amusement and a sense of fondness lurking in his eyes.
"WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT?!"
"IF SHE'S SO FUCKING GIFTED THEN JUST MAKE HER AN EXECUTIVE!"
"WHY AM I BABYSITTING THIS KID?!"
"# !%*$$# #!"
I couldn't help but think of Chuuya and Akutagawa, in this situation. Like if Chuuya and Akutagawa had a child with an American surrogate mother and then proceeded to make him the most angsty child that the world could allow. That would be him. Don't argue with me.
The black tiger flicks its tail side to side in blatant irritation, giving a little growl before turning away from me in my mind. The one-sided yelling had yet to cease and so I find my attention directed towards a young women awkwardly standing towards the side, peering downwards, shoulders slouching. She honestly didn't seem all that much, but I couldn't say anything, she could've been a wolf in sheep's clothing. All I could really see was her frizzy mousy hair that was tied into a short pony tail with red ribbon. She was rather tall, perhaps near her adulthood.
By the time, I had drawn my attention away, Huxley had already quietened down, but still remained red from anger. Mori had his stare fixated onto me, before making a little open- handed gesture towards me.
"This is Nakajima Yukino-chan, a new recruit within the Echo sector, she was formerly under Nakahara Chuuya, with a Fraternal Ability, 'Beast Beneath the Moonlight', a transformation ability and into a black tiger."
A Fraternal Ability User, was an occurrence only found in siblings of different sexes. It functions like a normal ability, before a extended amount of time as it will slowly consume the owner's health. But that type of user itself was rare, in fact, majority of Fraternal Ability Users wouldn't know they had an ability, because their abilities would unconsciously activate themselves until the user's body couldn't uphold their gifts eroding away into husks.
"Nakajima-chan here, is present for her first mission, like a try out of course. Although it would be just you three, Atwood is still recovering from the incident. Its such a shame." Mori droned in a faux depressed tone.
I look in the corner of my eye to see the girl had already looked up, with a European features set on Mori, she had a rather sharp features, that one would think of nobility, with eyes of glistening marine, even with her pursed lips, she had looked rather pretty.
"This is Charlotte Perkins Gilman- kun, an American- native with the ability 'Yellow Wallpaper', she can send her foes into a sense of mad delirium and hallucinations of garish yellow wallpaper."
She turns towards me, her face softens into a maternal look before giving me a small friendly wave. I nod my head stiffly before bowing sightly.
"This is Aldous Huxley-kun, another American- native with the ability 'Brave New World', he can conjure pressure fields which can cause physical entities to implode on itself."
Huxley does nothing but gives me a hard stare, which I responded by bowing slightly in greeting.
" As you know, Echoes are the shadow ranks of the Port Mafia, a fundamental workforce that upholds core values of the Port Mafia at whatever cost, protecting and executing the wills of the Port Mafia. Most importantly, as Echoes you only answer to me, any form of failure will lead to public execution done by myself in the eyes of those in this particular work force."
Mori's smile instantly sharpens, taking out a file to give to Huxley which he takes and flicks through before seemingly gripping the file tighter in silent anger. Mori takes no heed and ignores Huxley's turmoil.
" I want you three to retrieve some things for me from Nori-san, one of the heads of the Japanese Yakuza, we're generally on great terms but he seems to demanding more and more these days. If I remember correctly, he seems to have a soft spot for little girls."
The office had dropped 10 degrees after that, as Huxley and Gilman had their eyes trained on me, dread filled my stomach and my hands curled into small fists.
"Nori-san must not be killed. He is one of the Mafia's only allies within the Yakuza. Failure will be dealt with something worse than death. Do you understand?"
We nod numbly, before Mori tells me to step forward and places a vibrant red kimono and oboko shoes in my hands, although it had been quite a beautiful kimono with woven pale pink peonies and oboko with vibrant red straps that would essentially raise my 155 cm of height, I couldn't bring myself to admire it.
Mori gives a closed eye smile.
"Right then, off you go."
When nightfall came, I had found myself at the reception at the main Port Mafia building, wearing exactly what Mori had given me and okobo shoes with red straps that jingled its bell within the shoe as I walked. I found myself hating that bell, as every step meant my inevitable fate, it had jingled delicately as if it were mocking my situation. I hated it. I felt rather numb and as I saw Gilman and Huxley walk through the doors in their over-size high collar jumpsuits and hooded, dampened my mood even more.
Each step came with unease and dread and although I wanted to stop, my body had gone on autopilot, walking causally along the secluded alleys, the bell just didn't stop, ringing into my ears. i didn't want to know where I was going, I didn't want to know, keeping my head down ignoring everything around me. I proceeded to bump into Huxley as he stopped but he never spared me a glance. I looked up to see a sign in neon lights, it had been a pub.
Huxley grabs harshly onto my wrist, pulling me in, I scrunch up my nose in distaste as the overbearing smell of alcohol wafts its way to me. He walks over towards the bartender, giving him an identification of some sort, the bartender guides upstairs into an area of suffocating smoke and into a private room. The room had been even worse as smoke hung like a heavy fog across the room and at a closer look it was much like those of fancy hotel rooms one would see on TV, draped in a dingy royal red, along with golden accents, it seemed that through overuse and smoke dulled its appeal.
In the middle of the room had been a paunch man sitting lazily on a fainting sofa, he had been covered in dreary blue robes and a fat cigar in hand, smirking and dragging his eyes towards us and lingering on me, until I shifted towards Huxley.
"What are little lambs lingering here for?"
"Mori-san sent them here, Nori-sama." the bartender bowed in unease.
The Yakuza man gave an amused booming laugh, before dismissing the bartender and settling on us.
"Has Mori-san lost his touch? Sending mere children to a man's lair, its almost endearing, especially with the little girl over there."
Huxley purses his lips but seems to manage in keeping calm.
"I'm sure that an infamous Yakuza head like yourself knows that Mori-san needs those files you have possession, Mori knows material wealth is but a civil matter to you. We have taken account of your preferences in female partners, so Mori-san has sent a female that fit your personal criteria.
This is Sa-chan, 11 years old and is as pure as one can get."
I looked at Huxley, Sa-chan had not been my name.
But I had missed feral smirk and gleaming eyes, as Huxley pushed me lightly towards the man, I stumble a bit before walking stiffly towards the man, stopping at an arm's length distance.
He takes my hand with his pudgy hands and lifts it to inspect with his beady eyes, stroking the back of my hand that makes me almost rear back.
"So small and smooth, like a doll's hand..."
He looks at me and I stare back with dead eyes.
"Sa-chan needs those files right?"
I could only nod in obedience and in return he takes the files from the table next to the sofa and pushes it against my chest roughly.
"Sa-chan should bring those back to her friend quickly, I'm not a patient man Sa-chan."
I turned to give it to Huxley who takes it with gritted teeth, Gilman had her fists clenched and gave me a pitiful look. Huxley bows stiffly before leaving.
"We'll be in the hall. Mori-san needs her out by 11."
Nori-san only grunts in response, I didn't want Huxley or Gilman to go, but despite my turmoil they had left. The man pulls my obi away and I struggle in defiance, my protest was ignored as he starts to touch me, and each caress and linger feels like fire searing into my skin. My struggle starts to die down as I become tired and all I can hope for is nothing too extreme. He avoided private areas but runs his leg among my thighs, I don't want to think about it anymore.
Instead I focus on the smoke, it made my mind hazy, I hated it, I found myself listening things I hated about the overwhelming smoke, his burnt cigar, everything I could think of, I thought of my brother. Was he back in the orphanage? How was he? Were the people there treating him fairly? Silly questions that I knew the answers to. His hand falls to be backside and I open my mouth to scream in protest.
He suddenly pushes me off and his hands flail around in panic.
"DON'T TOUCH ME! DON"T TOUCH ME!"
I could only stare in shock as Nori-san was throwing punches in the air. The door opened and I find Gilman wrapping the kimono around me and tying the obi in a flimsy knot, whilst I vaguely see Huxley taking the oboko. I tried to ask them about what had happened but Huxley stopped me.
"Run now, we'll tell you later! "
We rush outside adrenaline running through our veins, before hearing a gunshot go off. We run, with Gilman's hand latched on my wrist, tugging me along, stopping in front of a small unit of soft tan, Huxley fumbles for for his keys before taking me into the door is opened and I find Gilman wrapping the kimono around me and tying the obi in a flimsy knot, whilst I vaguely see Huxley taking the oboko. We rush outside adrenaline running through our veins, before hearing a gunshot go off. We run, with Gilman's hand latched on my wrist, tugging me along, stopping in front of a small unit of soft tan, Huxley fumbles for for his keys before taking into the unit.
Huxley pushes me into the bathroom before leaving me to look at myself in the mirror, my hair was tangled into a mess and my kimono was barely together with my flimsy obi knot. Huxley comes back with a set of over sized clothes.
"Wear this."
I ended up wearing a grey shirt and checkered boxers and forced to sit awkwardly on one of Huxley's brown plush chairs in the living room, with Huxley across me, Gilman had not been present.
"Where is Gilman-san?" I asked.
"She's giving Mori-san the file and a recount of the mission." Huxley curtly answered.
"What happened there? "
Huxley gave me a look, before relenting with a sigh.
"That was Gilman's ability, 'Yellow Wallpaper', it gives people hallucinations of garish yellow wallpaper. "
We stay silent for a few seconds before Huxley continues.
"It's said that there is a demon woman lurking behind the walls of the hallucination, although I've never seen it before, its said that it's one of the scariest things you'll ever see. I've seen people driven mad from it. "
I felt a sense of relief but a dare not show it, instead I look outside the window, thinking of the the American woman. Huxley and I both knew the consequence of our actions on the mission. We tried to not think about it but soon dread had overcome us. We knew she couldn't lie, not to Mori at least. We were trying to convince ourselves at this point. We stared at each other in silence before Huxley speaks up.
We were both filled with dread we knew she couldn't lie, not to Mori at least. We were trying to convince ourselves at this point. We stared at each other in silence before Huxley speaks up.
"She'll come back."
She never came back.
The next time we saw her had been 4 weeks later, Mori had summoned us all to his office along with Atwood who I had been acquainted a few weeks back. When we had entered, our eyes widened in panic and fear at who we saw laying wailing on the floor.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Her bushy brown hair was matted and tangled into a crazed state, her eyes of oceanic blue dulled and clouded and she seemed to have lost weight into a skeletal figure. She was driven into insanity.
"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY! I SHOULD'NT HAVE-"
Mori continued to ignore her, facing us with a tight smile, taking his gloved hand and digging into her hair, pulling her body upwards. He grabs a gun from his desk forcing it against Gilman's head.
"This is what happens when you fail a mission."
We couldn't brace from it and our internal screams for salvation were silenced before they could even come out.
"I'M SORRY! I'M SOR-"
Gilman's body hits the floor, like a husk, blood drenching her hair.
Mori gives a dismissive wave.
"Make sure you don't fail next time ok?"
We trudged out the office in a airy daze, before Atwood breaks down with silent tears .
I said nothing in return as I was faced with painful reality.
The fact that I never got to thank Gilman and her ability for saving me.
And that this had been the true nature of the Port Mafia.