A Whiter Shade of Grey

Part 2

"Do you know what you're asking me to do?"

"Yes." Was the calm, collected answer.

"I don't think you do."

"Kirihara… you know why I asked you."

"Do I?"

"Because… you are the only person that I can trust to do the right thing."

"Spying on the people I work with… on my superiors… That's the right thing to do?"

"It's not spying…"

"Isn't it? Then what do you call it?"

There was a momentary silence. Kirihara Misaki was now wide awake and grappling with her conscience. She had not recovered fully but enough to spar with the man in the black cloak. He was sitting across from her looking characteristically calm and sympathetic.

"I call it… bringing down the Syndicate."

"It's.. not right… I'm a police officer and I have sworn to uphold the law." She cried desperately.

"But there are those who would use the law to pervert the course of truth and justice. You know that better than anyone else."

Misaki could not deny it… her own superior officer, Captain Horai, had been a significant player in the said Syndicate. All the time, she was taking orders… she had been a pawn in the stratagems of the shadowy forces that lurked in the echelons of power that governed the planet.

"I am not having this conversation." She shook her head in defeat.

"Then, what sort of conversation do you want us to have?" He spoke gently, his eyes boring into hers.

"Anything… but this…" She averted her eyes.

"You are a good person, Kirihara Misaki… which is why you wrestle with this. But there are many who don't share your scruples. They don't care what they have to do to get the job done. They have no trouble killing or letting innocents die We need to get up to speed."

"Fight fire with fire, eh?"

"Only if we have to."

"Violence… bloodshed… war… all the things I have abhorred…"

"Kirihara, we are already at war whether you and I like it or not."

"Damn you, Li, I should have shot you when I had the chance." Was Misaki's angry retort.

"If you did… where would we be then?" Again his voice was placid, kind almost. It reminded her of the Li she had known… the Li that she had liked.

Misaki sighed. She knew he was right about all of it. Still it annoyed her… and intrigued her. How could a man be so exasperating one moment and so gentle the next? Li, Hei or whatever else he called himself was a contradiction within a contradiction. He was a mask wearing a mask and who knows what else was lurking underneath that. Misaki was tempted to find out… but quickly berated herself for being too eager. There was no time for such distractions… she had a job to do and it troubled her that she would have to wade through murky waters to do it.


I don't think she can be bought or threatened… remember what happened to Horai?

It would be a shame to terminate her. Everyone has their price.

Not her… I don't think… at least not in the usual way…

Do we have any leverage? Any strong ties to anyone?

Apart from her father, Kirihara Naoyasu, there is her high school friend, Ishizaki Kanami from the National Astronomical Observatory.

Both are a bit too high profile for us to use.

Other than that, she's very much the loner. Her career is her life.

Not much to go on. No boyfriends, lovers… that sort of thing?

Nothing.

Very unusual for a woman… especially one that's quite attractive.

Not really. These days many women are career oriented. She's a loner, driven and idealistic... typical of this kind of personality.

There must be something… there always is. Let's bring in TP-234 for this.


"Hey chief… we were really worried about you." Saito commented. "We searched everywhere for you within a 5 km radius. Couldn't imagine where you had gone."

"I'm sorry to have made everyone worry. But that contractor we were chasing must've kidnapped me and tried to pump me for information. I woke up with the worst headache and I had no idea where I was for a while. Thanks for coming to get me."

"Well, you're alive and well… that's the most important thing."

"The doctor's going to keep me under observation overnight but I should be back at work in a couple of days."

"Alright boss, we'll let you rest now. Get better soon." Matsumoto prodded the other two and gestured for them to leave.

"Don't worry I will."

Misaki found that mixing the truth with lies was the best approach. But she hated doing it. It went against the grain. These men were almost like family to her and she spent more time with them than anyone else. In a strange way, she was fond of them and it hurt her that she had to view them with as much mistrust as her enemies. The world that Misaki was trying to protect was riddled with so much distrust and now she would be dragged into the fray as well.

Her thoughts turned to Hei… Li… BK-201… How long would it take for the powers that be to realize that he is still on the prowl. She didn't know why she instinctively trusted him. Was it because he saved her life? Or was it because of her brief brush with Li? Perhaps it was both. More importantly, why did he trust her? She could have quite easily turned him in… and yet, like herself, he had merely been a pawn for the Syndicate. As yet, there weren't too many who knew the truth. Perhaps that was the bond between them. But there was more to it… she couldn't quite put her finger on it.


Hei… dear brother

Bai? Is that you…?

You like her, don't you?

Who?

You don't have to pretend with me… I know you… A part of me lingers in your consciousness.

Why haven't you spoken to me before?

There was no reason to.

And now?

I know why you like her… She's a determined idealist… like you…

Me? An idealist?

But be careful, dear brother… don't let your emotions cloud your judgment.

Have I ever?

You will need to be strong… for her sake… to see it through to the end.

Hei woke with a start. Was that a dream or was it real? Did he really hear Bai? Or was it his secret self chiding him for drawing Kirihara into this morass of deceit and distrust? Hei told himself he didn't have a secret self anymore… he's had too many secret selves in his brief lifetime but try as he might, he couldn't deny that the voice in him was right, he did like her but he didn't know to what extent and he was not about to find out.


Author's Note:

Thanks to Wayra, Saiyuki, Omnicat, Kira and Green for your reviews. I appreciated your comments greatly and felt inspired by them to continue.

When I started writing the first part, I had no idea where I was going with it. It began as a missing scene... but now for better or for worse, I have decided to make it much more Hei and Misaki oriented. I am now planning to write a series of vignettes around their growing attraction for another while they battle the Syndicate and an assortment of baddies. My reasons for doing this is three fold. Firstly, I am ridiculously fond of the pairing. Secondly, I am concurrently writing another much more researched based fanfic for another fandom and thirdly, I can't write action scenes to save my life even if I have been a scifi fan for donkeys years.

I have also made the decision to change the "Organization" to "Syndicate" which to my mind has a slightly more sinister undertone to it. I understand from the kanji that "syndicate" is probably a better translation.

Once again, I would appreciate any comments that anyone would care to make.