Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this collection of moments... especially for the one who is relieved. I doff my cap to Tensai Okamura, who's responsible for the memorable characters in Darker than Black.
Risks and Rewards
- 4 -
Concern
There was a wistfulness in the young boy's grey eyes as he relayed his message. "He said if something happened, to tell Misaki."
"November 11?"
July nodded. "He didn't come back."
"Show me!"
1-1-1-1
She commanded and countermanded until, by sheer force of will, she got what she wanted. Organizing a rescue took time, and she feared it was too much. Then, July calmly pointed to the rundown building and met her anxious gaze. "He's here."
The dull thud of boots, the readying of weapons, a raised hand, a signal. With well-oiled precision, the task force battered through the final door and stormed the room, Kirihara close on their heels. At the sight of Agent Jack Simon, a wave of relief washed over her. He's alive.
The perpetrators eluded arrest, but Kirihara was privately relieved they'd simply run for it. One powerful contractor could take down an entire team, and there had been two. She knelt beside November 11, who definitely looked worse for the wear; hair rumpled, tie askew, and a bruise already coloring one side of his face.
He smiled pleasantly. "I was beginning to think you stood me up."
"You're welcome," she muttered, testing his bonds.
"Oh, I am grateful," he assured as the ropes loosened and fell away. "I'm a contractor, after all. Tools are expendable."
"Don't say that," she snapped.
November 11's fair brows lifted, and clear blue eyes searched her face, weighing her response. In his bemusement, he offered no pithy rebuttal; instead, he stood, rolled his shoulders, then inspected the wreckage of his suit coat.
When she moved towards the door, he fell in beside her, his hand at her elbow. She would have pulled away, but the touch was as fleeting as his words. "Thank you, Misaki."
- 5 -
Interference
Kirihara dove for cover and reloaded her gun, cursing her luck. She'd become separated from her team, and while she could honestly say she'd pinned down the location of their culprit, in truth, she was the one who was pinned down. As soon as she broke cover, she knew it was a mistake. He'd been waiting.
This contractor's special ability created localized earthquakes, and a sizable tremor tossed her to the ground as it cracked pavement and burst water pipes. Clutching her gun, she tried to take aim, but it was all Kirihara could do to keep from biting her tongue. Her radio hissed and chattered to life. "Chief...! Where are you? Chief!"
Her attacker strolled out of an alley, and for an instant, the world stopped moving. Kirihara desperately brought her gun up, too willful to give in to the inevitable, only to feel the ground drop from beneath her, then heave up, slamming the breath from her body. Losing her grip on her weapon, she struggled to keep a hold on consciousness. The contractor sneered down on her; then suddenly, his expression grew wary.
Kirihara struggled to prop herself up on an elbow, straightening her glasses as she followed his line of sight. Coming towards them from the other end of the street was November 11, and the gleam in his blue eyes wasn't quite human... or perhaps something more than human. As soon as his polished shoe hit the edge of the puddle formed by spraying water, a cold smile curved his lips, and frost raced along the ground toward them. It crackled all around Kirihara, chilling the air but leaving her untouched. Not so for her attacker; his final scream echoed off the surrounding buildings as the blood froze within his veins.
- 6 -
Courtesy
"Misaki," he greeted, extending a hand.
Dazedly, she took it, allowing him to haul her to her feet. "November 11," she returned, quietly amazed at how warm his fingers were against her skin.
Casually, as if he hadn't just killed a man, the MI6 agent glanced at his watch. "Join me for elevenses?" he invited. At her blank stare, he elucidated. "Tea, Misaki. You look as though you need warming up."
Since he was right, she nodded. Distantly, she wondered how hard she'd hit her head and if she was in shock, for she failed to voice any complaint when he lit a cigarette, smoking it as he guided her along the narrow road.
1-1-1-1
Once her hands were wrapped around a steaming cup of green tea, Kirihara was thinking more clearly again. She alerted her men to her disposition and left the clean-up to them, then turned her attention to her companion. November 11 sat across from her, nibbling daintily at mochi.
There was no reason for their paths to cross any longer. He and his partners were at MI6's beck and call, and while the contractors were still in Japan, they no longer required the cooperation of her department. "Why are you here?" she inquired briskly, convinced it was no coincidence.
He shrugged and returned the question. "Why are you here, Misaki?" His graceful wave encompassed the small shop.
"You invited me."
"Do you often accept invitations from known murderers?" he inquired conversationally.
Kirihara frowned at this. She had just seen him kill a man in cold blood—literally. Yet in so doing, he'd saved her life. "Are you saying I'm wrong to trust a person like you?"
November 11 shook his head, an oddly quirked smile on his lips. "There you go again... treating me like a person."
End Note: This set of drabbles was written for the Live Journal community fanfic(underscore)bake-off, a multi-fandom drabble contest that limits all entries to 100-300 words. Their Secret Ingredient for May 2010 was Willful, and the above drabbles are 294, 296, and 299 words respectively. Posted on May 23, 2010.
