Darker than Black Christmas Carol
Chapter Two:
Hei returned to his room after his conversation with Mao to see that Yin was still not present. He laid on his futon to get some sleep, but his body kept on tossing and turning. His mind had things swirling in his head, like if he had really spoken to Mao, or was he only a figment of his imagination? If he wasn't and he had been telling the truth, why would his sister send three other people? Also, where was Yin?
Things weren't going his way and it was driving him up the wall. He wanted to take his anger out on something or someone—most likely his Landlord—but that would be an idiotic move on his part since he needed to keep a low profile.
Hei gave up on trying to fall asleep and stared up at the ceiling while thinking about who would be the ones seeing him. He figured they had to already be dead, and prayed they weren't Contractors he had annihilated over the years. With his luck November Eleven would be one of them. He wished one of them was his sister, but she was the one sending three people. If Hei could, he would trade all three of them for a day with Misaki.
His mind shifted onto her. She was an attractive woman, but Misaki was also strict and conning. Although when she was around him her composure diminishes, as does his. He had thought she was going to expose his identity the day Hei almost end Amber's life, but Huang had gotten in the way.
That might have prevented her from ripping his mask off, but she had still put the pieces together, which Hei knew it, and he had believed she was going to arrest him on the streets, but she instead asked if he wanted to get something to eat. It was a splendid date, if you wanted to call it that, and Hei would have loved to sit with Misaki for the rest of their lives, but it had to come to an end.
He had seen similarities of her in him, like his desire to eat a dozen foods at once, and her craving for greasy meals, but their figures showed no signs of their hungry appetite. They also had a good sense of humor, but their emotions usually only sparked when they were around. To Hei, whenever she was present, he felt human, even though a part of him was still human. He felt so happy around her, and he knew she did too.
But the opposite occupations were what kept them apart. It was impossible for them to have a normal life together. Even if they did, Misaki would have to continuously lie to her co-workers who he was.
What was Hei anyways? Apparently Amber and Bai knew that question. He wished he could have spent a little more time with them and got the full story of what he was. It had been good to see his sister again, and he was glad to know she was still within his heart. Knowing that it had made it easier for Hei to live these past few months.
The room suddenly became extremely cold. Hei kneeled and crawled to check on the heater and saw it was still running on high. He figured the air outside had gotten colder and made a mental note to pick up another heater after Christmas. Hei wanted to fix the power unit himself, but it was a risk he didn't want to take.
Hei turned around to crawl back into bed, but he stopped and stared at a woman in a red and black jump suit with green hair and orange eyes. His eyes widened in shock as his mouth dropped to the floor.
"Merry Christmas, Hei," she smiled.
Hei fought to say her name, but he was so overwhelmed with shock it seemed Mao had caught his tongue. If she was here, then he was either dreaming somehow, or Mao had really appeared before him, and Hei was going to have two other guests.
"What, no hello, no long time no see, Amber?" said the woman.
Hei gathered himself and cleared his throat, and said, "How, why, what?"
"When or where," Amber smiled. "Surely Neko-chan told you I was coming." Hei shook his head and repeated what Mao had told him. "Oh, so that's what he told you. Well, I'm here to show you your past."
"Eh?" muttered a perplexed Hei.
"I am one of three so-called spirits that will show you your Christmas's. Past, present and future. I will be showing your pasts."
"Wh—why?"
Amber smiled while placing her hand on his shoulder and said, "That will be up to you to decided, Hei."
The room began to swirl out of focus, and then began to spin swiftly, making Hei feel like he was heading towards nothingness. He was also grateful that he didn't get motion sickness, because he would have hurled all over Amber. He wanted to know and ask how far back they were going, but as Hei found the words, the swirling stopped and he found himself in the family room of his old home in China.
It was spacious, rectangular in length, with a Christmas tree in the far left corner from the front door. There was brown couch next to the tree, and a fifty-five centimeter television in front of it under a wide window. The walls were bright white, and the tan rug that covered the floor felt soft to the feet.
Hei turned around on Amber and said, "Hey, why so close? They will see us!"
"Relax, they can't," said Amber.
Hei looked at her baffled, and then stepped in front of his parents. They sat on the couch, dressed in their robes, smiling at the siblings kneeling in front of the tree still in their pajamas, as they sipping their scorching tea. His mother was a beautiful average sized Chinese woman with long black hair and blue eyes, and his father was a plump man with short black hair. Hei waved his hands to make sure they couldn't see him, but they merely looked right through him.
Hei's seven-year-old self, and his sister's eyes sparkled with delight at the Christmas tree littered with different sizes of presents. The siblings shook away their astounded expression and began tearing into the gifts that had their names. Hei was given tons of action figures that would make a boy go bonkers blowing up with firecrackers, a telescope, and a Super Nintendo that came with Super Mario World. Bai had received tons of Barbie dolls, a playhouse for them, and a bicycle with a banana seat.
After everything was torn up, their dad hooked up the SNES to the television, and as Hei played his new game, their dad put Bai's playhouse together. Once he was finished, she joyfully trotted her dolls throughout it, as their dad worked on her bike.
"Are you two happy of what you got," their mom asked while smiling.
"Yes!" they chimed.
"That's good to know. Li, don't play so close to the television."
"All right, mom," said Hei's younger self, and backed away from the television.
He continued playing his game without missing a beat. Their mom stood from the couch and began throwing away the wrappings that had been torn off, and entered a slightly dark and cluttered kitchen to cook breakfast.
Present Hei stared at the scenery. It didn't make any sense of why Bai would want Amber to show him this time. He had been happy this year, and it would be another year until the meteors struck Tokyo and South America.
"Why am I here, Amber?" he asked.
"Do you remember the last words you had said to Misaki?" said Amber, as she looked at him.
"Yes, I do."
"But that's not true, Hei. Li Shengshun still lives in you. You can't let go of him or the past that includes him. It seems to Bai that that's what you are doing, and she doesn't want you to."
"Amber, I can't go back to that life. It's not who I am anymore. I'm a Contractor."
"No, Hei, you're not just a Contractor. You're an evolved Contractor that can hate, laugh, cry and love. That's who you are, and I brought you back to this time to show you Li isn't dead." Amber jabbed him in the chest with her index finger. "It's just that you are burying him."
Hei stared into her orange eyes baffled, and then grinded his teeth to prevent him from slapping her again. She or Bai didn't get it. Because of who he was and what he had done, he could never have a normal life, and that's why Li was dead to him. Li was the past, and Hei was his future.
Before Hei could relay the message to her, Amber placed her hand on his shoulder and made the room spin again. Moments later Hei found himself in a white and brightly lit secluded square room. He saw his younger self, now eight, sitting on a cot. He had his arms wrapped around his chest, showing that he was frightfully scared for his life. Hei remembered the day. It was a few days before Christmas when a monster that had burning red eyes, and a haunting blue highlighted skin had killed his parents. They had had their arms and legs ripped off, like they were nearly rag dolls, and then their heads. Hei thought he was next, but a bulky man in his forties had stopped the thing.
He believed he and his sister had been brought to a huge complex in the middle of nowhere in China, but he wasn't too sure. Hei had been thrown in this cold cell hours ago, making him wonder what those animals were doing to her.
The door opened and the same bulky man entered. He was heavily built, his arms almost as thick as young Hei's stomach, and his legs looked like they could kick through a foot of concrete. His camouflage shirt was stretched out tight from the muscular meat on his chest. His neck made his face seem like it was squared off, and his jaw looked like it could bite off a piece of metal. His dark eyes weren't as haunting as the monster that had killed his parents, but they still made Hei shiver in fear.
"The life you once knew is dead, boy," said the bulky man, his voice low in bass. "I will teach you how to fight and survive as time goes by."
"Can—can I see my sister, Xing?" young Hei asked.
"There is no more Xing," said the Bulky man. "There is only Bai. There is no more Li, only Hei."
Young Hei looked at him baffled, and then his eyes narrowed to show bravery before his captor.
"That's not true," he said. "My name is Li. Li Shengshun. My sister's name is Xing."
The bulky man frowned, and then socked Hei across the face, causing him to fly off his cot and skid on the floor until he plowed into the wall.
"Li and Xing are dead."
The bulky man turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Young Hei didn't move from his spot, as he started crying. Hei remembered thinking why this was happening to them, and what was in store for them in the future? At that point Hei did believe Li was indeed dead.
"What comment do you have to say about this, Amber?" Hei asked.
"Why did you give into his statement?" replied Amber. "Was it because you were scared of him, or because he was right?"
"Because he was right!" barked Hei.
"Well, he was wrong."
"How would you know it? You're a Contractor!"
Amber stared at him hurt from his words. He had forgotten how much she had changed from when he had last seen her at Heaven's Gate. Even then she was still a little fierce.
"I might be one, and even though I didn't act on emotions back then, I still felt it," replied Amber. "After what had happened at Heaven's Gate, I wanted to see you, but I knew you would hold me responsible for what had happened, so I avoided you. I did meet you in alternate futures, and my heart grew more for you. I started thinking of a future with you, but I never saw one. You have no idea how much it killed me."
Hei stared at her baffled as tears developed in her eyes, and then run down her cheeks. He wondered how she, a Contractor and ghost, could cry? It didn't make any sense of how that was possible, but he gave it up and sorely said, "I'm sorry."
"It's all right, Hei," she replied while wiping away her tears.
Amber placed her right hand on his shoulders and made the room spin again. A few seconds later, Hei noticed they were in South America's Rain Forest. A fifteen-year-old Hei was leaning up against a tree, as he sharpened his split double-edged knife. Christmas songs were being song by a bunch of drunken fools celebrating the holiday with Contractors.
To him it didn't feel like Christmas since those monsters didn't know how to express their feelings. In Hei's opinion they probably looked at it like Mr. Scrooge. He could even picture those things muttering, "Bah, humbug," under their breath so humans couldn't hear.
He knew Bai was amongst them, and it hurt Hei to see that his sister didn't care about anything. He wanted to end her misery, but he couldn't muster the courage to kill her. He loved her dearly even thought he knew she didn't love him. It was who Contractors were.
Leaves ruffled behind him, making fifteen year old Hei turn around while taking his newly sharpened knife back-handed in his right hand. He settled himself down when he realized it was Amber.
"There you are," she said, and sat down next to him.
Hei looked away from her while continuing to sharpen his knife and asked, "What do you want?"
"And Merry Christmas to you too, Hei," criticized Amber.
"Like I believe you really mean it."
Amber frowned at him, and then looked up at the fake stars. Present Hei could tell his younger self had hurt her feelings, but there was so little emotions one wouldn't be able to tell if they weren't looking hard enough.
"You know, I once had someone I loved before the meteors had struck," began Amber. Young Hei didn't glance at her, but he instead ignored her trivial story that was probably a lie anyways. "We lived in the city of London, and we were thinking of getting married. On one Christmas not too long ago, my fiancé got on his knees and proposed. Of course I had said yes, but we never got the chance to tie the knot. The meteor had struck a year later, I became the first Contractor to appear, and then the Syndicate picked me up. They erased his memory and made him believe I had been killed in a car crash.
"I keep tabs on him once in a while. I had found out that he had married and he has two beautiful children. I wonder what our future would have been if the meteors had never crashed on Earth." She glanced over at him. "Do you ever wonder, Hei?"
"Not really. My old self is dead, and that's how it's suppose to be," replied past Hei, not looking at her.
"And I'm suppose to be the deceiver. You would make a really good Contractor."
"I'd kill myself if I did."
Amber frowned at him. Present Hei wondered what was going through her mind. Did she believe him or did she think he was deceiving himself? Amber stood and held out her right hand for him to take.
"How about we both return to the party together," suggested Amber.
"Really, there is no time for parties," replied Hei, ignoring her hand.
"No, you don't have the time," stated Amber. "You don't want to celebrate Christmas due to the fact Contractors are around."
"Damn straight," barked Hei, as he stabbed his knife into the ground. "You Contractors make me want to puke!"
Past Amber stared at him with no emotions embedding from her after younger Hei's comment, but present Hei could tell she was severely hurt. She pretended it didn't bother her, and kneeled next to him. He looked at her baffled, wondering what she was doing, but before he could ask she kissed him. His eyes lit up in shock, as his body tensed, but he gave into it and let the moment overwhelm him.
The Amber of Christmas past placed her hand on Hei's shoulder and sent them to a time where Hei was living in Kyoto three years after Heaven's Gate had disappeared. It was snowing heavily outside the small room he was occupying. An eighteen-year-old Hei was throwing on his green coat and shoes and walked out the door. Present Amber and Hei followed him, but Hei already knew where they were going.
Snow was developing on past Hei while he walked the confined streets, but none of it gathered on present Hei and Amber. They came up to a park and stood waiting for his contact. The Bulky man that had taught Hei how to survive and fight walked up next to him to try and look inconspicuous. He wore a turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, and red gloves. He also held a folder in his right hand.
"You are to be at a Christmas party to take out one of our men that we found out is a double agent," he whispered.
"Who is he and who does he work as a double agent for?" asked past Hei.
"All the information is in this folder." The bulky man handed Hei it. "Don't look at it until I leave. And one other thing, Hei, the Syndicate does not want you using your power. Make it look like an accident if you can."
"All right," nodded Hei.
Hei's former teacher began to walk off. Past Hei opened the file to reveal the traitor was a British man in his forties. He knew the man to be Harold Dongs, but they had never met each other face to face. Hei figured that that was why they wanted him to silence Harold. Hei scanned the file and read that they believed he was working for MI-6. He frowned and closed the folder.
Amber placed her hands on present Hei's shoulder, and took them a few hours into the future. They were standing in a spacious room high above the snow-covered city; with guests laughing and drinking away the night while an orchestra played Christmas music. Present Hei noticed himself dressed in a tuxedo, holding a cup of wine, while trying to look inconspicuous in the crowd. His target, dressed in a tuxedo outfit, was talking with a big man with red spiky hair, and his left eye was closed, as if it had been damaged in a fight. Past Hei recognized him as the Contractor who was part of EPR.
Past Hei waited for his target to walk off. He was getting impatient due to the fact he wanted to get away from all the goody-to-shoes, due to the fact it was bringing back bad memories.
With his luck his target left the party. Past Hei followed, along with Amber and present Hei. They walked down a hallway, decorated with Garlands and lights, and came up to an office. His target walked in and closed the door behind him. Past Hei placed his ear to the door and listened to what was going on.
"You don't have to do this," a woman said.
"I have no choice," said Dongs. "Think about it. If they succeed, then she dies. I couldn't live with that."
"She's a Contractor. Do you remember telling me what they are? It's bad enough you didn't know, and bad enough she didn't know you knew until after the fiasco. Just let it go and come back to England."
Present Hei's eyes widened in shock. He knew who this person was, and he wished he could have stopped himself for making a big mistake.
Past Hei burst into the room, causing his target to look over at him shocked, and then pulled out a revolver to shoot at Hei. Unfortunately for him Hei dodged it, grabbed the man by his arm to drop the gun, as it fired a second shot, and then threw him out of the window. The woman, who was in her forties and had red hair, screamed out in fright. Hei picked up the gun and pointed it at her, but he hesitated.
The cold wind blew at his back while it whipped his hair around, as he pondered to himself why he couldn't pull the trigger. He was a Contractor now. A cold-blooded killer, but for some reason he couldn't kill her.
Past Hei lowered the gun and walked by a desk that had pictures of two beautiful children on it. He began to feel guilty of what he had done, and he couldn't understand why. The red-haired woman continued to cry, unable to stand from what she had experienced, and from almost losing her own life.
"Why? Why didn't you kill me?" she asked.
Hei stopped and looked back at her to say, "I don't know," and continued walking off.
Amber placed her hand on Hei's shoulder and sent him back to his own time in his own room. He kneeled on the ground, unable to look up at Amber, and said, "He was your fiancé, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he was," she said. "I knew he was working for the Syndicate, but they thought I didn't. I had told him of what was going on, so he decided to work for me."
"And the Syndicate found out. I am so sorry, Amber. If I would have known, I wouldn't have taken his life."
"I know you wouldn't have, Hei. I know because you spared his wife's life, and that's all that matters to me."
Hei looked up at her to see she was smiling down at him. It warmed his heart to know she didn't blame or hate him.
Hei had wanted to know what had happened to Harold's wife after the incident. It would have seemed though that the Syndicate had gotten their hands on her, erased her memory of what had happened, and forced the news stations to say he had taken his own life. The Syndicate had not let the matter go unpunished with Hei, but he was grateful they hadn't killed him.
Amber kneeled before Hei and stared into his eyes. He looked at her puzzled, wondering what was on her mind, but then the answer came to him as she kissed him.
