And I'm back! Thanks to everyone for waiting so patiently for this chapter. Also thank you to Stingrae for being an awesome beta, as usual.
I'd like to say I rather enjoyed the responses to the last chapter. Yes, Shirong can be very freaky when he's working - as opposed to when he's, y'know, being all loving and adorable at his godson's birthday party. Yes, Yong is just a creepy bastard in general. And yes, Quy is a big softie with paternal instincts. ^_^
This chapter is much less creepy than the last one, by the way.
Enjoy!
GG Chapter 9 - Rebuilding
"Have you seen Shirong's Firebender yet?"
"No," Tuan grumbled. "Don't want to. Don't care."
Yong favored him with a sideways glance. "You're such a spoilsport, Tuan."
"I'm going to lose a hundred jin because of a stupid bet I made when I was drunk at a party I scarcely remember over an experiment no one ever thought would actually take place."
Yong shrugged. "You might as well enjoy it, then."
"Enjoy it?" Tuan shouted.
"You should go see the Firebender," Yong continued. "He's quite intriguing."
"Yeah? How so?"
"He's a Firebender."
"I got that," Tuan said. "Have you seen him shoot fire?"
"Unfortunately, no," Yong sighed. "He's far too out of it for that." He thought for a moment. "I would like to see him bend, though. Do you think he'll be able to, when Shirong's done with him?"
A thought occurred to Tuan. "Should we even be talking about this in the hallway?"
"It's empty," Yong said with a wave of his hand. "There's no one around for tunnels in any direction. I think I'm going to ask Shirong for the Firebender, when the bet's over with."
Tuan didn't need to ask why. Shirong wasn't the only Dai Li who conducted experiments.
"It's a rare opportunity," Yong continued as they turned down the hallway that led to Tuan's office. "Do you think Shirong would let me have him?"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"He doesn't let anyone touch the Joo Dees..."
A fact which, Tuan remembered, Yong was quite familiar with. "The Firebender isn't a Joo Dee," Tuan pointed out. Though Yong did have a point. Shirong was well-known for his protective nature toward his creations. There were plenty of terrible rumors floating around about what happened to the few agents who had, when the first Joo Dees were made, decided that the women were useful as more than just pretty tour guides. No one had ever been able or willing to prove those rumors true, but everyone tended to believe that they were.
"Hmm. I suppose you're right," Yong said as they came to a stop at the appropriate door. Tuan nodded and opened it.
And stared inside.
"What are you two doing in my office?"
"Oh, hey boss," Wu Sheng said. "We were just waiting for you."
"And straightening up your desk," Huang added, shuffling some papers around.
"Don't touch those!"
"You really need to keep this thing clean, sir," Huang tutted. "Otherwise the creative energies can't flow properly and you'll never get any work done."
"That's nice," Tuan said weakly, shoving Huang away from his desk so he could collapse into his chair. Looking at Wu Sheng, he asked, "Why are you hanging upside-down from the ceiling?"
Wu Sheng looked up at his feet, which were firmly affixed to the ceiling with help from his rock boots. He shrugged. "Why not?"
Tuan groaned.
"Agents Wu Sheng Shi and Huang Xu," Yong said, entering the office with infinitely more dignity than Tuan had. "How goes your work in Surveillance?"
"Splendid," Wu Sheng answered, his upside-down smile as wide as any Joo Dee's. "Sir."
"As always," Huang added with a nod. "Sir."
"You're still content with your work in District 54?" Yong pressed. "Because if you'd rather have something a little more stimulating than mere surveillance work - "
"Yong," Tuan sighed, "if you're going to try and steal my subordinates, you could at least have the decency to not do it right in front of me."
"Oh, he's only doing it with us because he knows we'll say no, boss," Wu Sheng grinned.
"You know we'd never leave you," Huang said.
"Ugh," Tuan groaned. "Just tell me what you want so I can get you out of my office."
"What, we can't just drop in on our boss for a friendly visit?"
Tuan actually much preferred it when they were after something. Easier to get rid of them that way. "Sure," he sighed, "Why not?" He allowed for a moment of silence, and then he said, "Well, you've been friendly and visited. You can leave now."
"Sure thing, boss," Wu Sheng grinned, dropping down from the ceiling and landing on his feet. It reminded Tuan absurdly of a pygmy puma.
"By the way," Huang said, "how's Shan doing? We haven't had the chance to check up on him in the past few days, so we wanted to know how things were."
"Shan?" Tuan repeated. "Oh, right, Shan. Shan's great. Really great. He's doing great."
"Great!" Wu Sheng beamed. "Glad to hear it!"
"This would be the Shan Cui you mentioned at the Directors' meeting the other week, correct?" Yong asked, voice politely curious.
"Yes..." Tuan said.
"And he's doing well in his new position?"
"Relatively," Tuan said quickly. "You know. For a rookie. I have him in the Upper Ring. It's not like anything ever happens there. He hasn't gotten much experience yet. But he's doing...adequately."
Yong eyed him. "I'm not going to spirit him off to Investigations a mere two weeks after you took him into Surveillance, Tuan."
Wu Sheng snorted, and then had a sudden coughing fit. "Sorry," he wheezed after a moment. "Allergies."
"Of course," Yong said generously. "Well, Tuan, I do believe I've taken up enough of your time, and I'm sure you have plenty of work to do. Have a good day. Agents Huang, Wu Sheng." With a parting nod, he left the office.
Tuan slumped farther in his chair. "I need to start looking for Shan's replacement now, don't I?"
Wu Sheng sighed. "Well...Shan's talented. And you know how Director Yong is about people who are talented..."
Tuan groaned.
"Look on the bright side," Huang said. "Shan needs a decent amount of experience before Yong can extend an offer for him to transfer to Investigations. And given that you just don't get much experience in the Upper Ring...well, you've got plenty of time before Yong tries anything."
"Time I'll have to use looking for his replacement." Tuan groaned again. "I suppose there isn't a chance that Shan just won't want to transfer to Investigations, huh?"
Huang and Wu Sheng exchanged glances. Of course Shan would want to transfer to Investigations. Almost everyone did.
Almost being the operative word.
"Don't worry, boss," Wu Sheng grinned. "We'll never leave you!"
Tuan's head dropped into his hands, and Huang and Wu Sheng exchanged smirks while he groaned.
o0O0o
"What do you plan to do with him when you're done?"
Shirong stared down at his lunch. "I'm not sure." After a moment, he added, "Yong's expressed an interest in him."
Quy frowned. "What would Yong want with a secondhand Firebender?"
"He mentioned something about seeing what makes them tic."
Quy grimaced. "He'll tear him apart, Shirong."
Shirong shrugged. "So am I."
Quy was silent for a long moment. He had never worked in Reeducation, and he hardly ever saw the unfinished product of reconditioning. He'd heard things, though. He knew that some people were easy to recondition, while others had to be completely broken. Xiaofan's condition was an example of the latter case.
It was true that what Shirong was doing - what Shirong did in general - was, to put it bluntly, horrifying.
It was also true that Shirong did not like to kill people, and that was why he reconditioned them. He made it so killing wasn't necessary.
Shirong had been the one to suggest the idea of reconditioning to Long Feng in the first place, back when the Grand Secretariat first took over and it became apparent just how much trouble the populace was going to give the new regime. Quy remembered it well, because he'd been there. By the time Long Feng took over, Quy had been a member of the Dai Li for a long time. He'd watched Long Feng completely reconstruct the setup of the Dai Li and change the city's governmental structure. He'd seen Long Feng's worry over what do with all the criminals and angry, outspoken citizens that were being arrested daily - there were too many to incarcerate, and killing them would be senseless and a waste. He'd seen the relief on the Grand Secretariat's face when Shirong had suggested reconditioning angry people into happy ones, turning them into loyal and dutiful citizens who could serve society and help keep Ba Sing Se peaceful.
They still had to kill the more violent ones, of course, or those who were so strong-minded that reconditioning them was hopeless. But, thanks to Shirong, very few people were considered too violent or hopeless. There were thousands of citizens in Ba Sing Se who owed their lives - and their happiness - to the Reeducation Branch.
Shirong didn't like killing.
He also didn't like to pointlessly break or destroy things. He broke things so he could make them better. Shirong was tearing the Firebender's mind to shreds so he could rebuild him.
Yong, on the other hand...
Yong would tear him to shreds. Period.
"Do you want to hand him over to Yong?" Quy asked at last.
Shirong pushed the rice around his bowl with chopsticks. "No," he said after a moment. "It would be...a terrible waste." After a brief pause, he added, "Also, I simply don't want Yong to have him."
The statement sounded petty, but Quy wasn't surprised. Once, long before he'd become a director, Yong had attempted something with one of Shirong's Joo Dees. Shirong hadn't liked the man very much since.
But Shirong wouldn't allow himself to be ruled by mere pettiness, so Quy stayed silent and waited for Shirong to continue.
"I've spent so much time on him," Shirong mused. "So much time spent recreating his background, his family, his history, his name...it took such a long time to rewrite the name. And he's coming out so well. A masterpiece. My masterpiece."
"So I'm guessing you don't want to simply dispose of him, either," Quy said.
"Of course not. That would also be a waste."
Quy eyed him. "What are you going to do with him then, Shirong?"
Shirong was silent. What could he say?
"Hey Dad," a new voice said, and an agent slid into the seat on Quy's left. "Director Shirong."
"Sunan," Quy smiled, pleasantly surprised. "I thought you were working at the Jiu Yuan Museum today."
"We were," Sunan said, glancing over his shoulder, "but then lunchtime rolled around and Upper Ring restaurants are overpriced and you know how Niran is about free food..."
"Waste not, want not," Niran said, borrowing an old phrase from his mother while attempting to squeeze onto the end of the bench. "That includes opportunities. Move over, Sunan."
"There is plenty of room on my other side," Quy said pointedly. "Or on Shirong's side of the table."
"Yes Uncle Quy." Niran quickly relocated to Quy's right.
"We found this lovely jar in one of the back rooms," Sunan said, digging into his lo mein. "Eighteenth Earth King's era. Superb artistry. The detailing on the cherry blossoms is amazing. You should come see it."
"I'll leave you to your family reunion," Shirong announced, getting to his feet. Quy nodded in farewell and turned back to his firstborn and nephew.
"Sunan, have you seen your brother today?"
"Kun? No, can't say I have."
"Well, when you do, kindly remind him that he and his partner still have a sheaf of paperwork to fill out regarding that carriage incident..."
Shirong turned and walked away from the little family. As he exited the cafeteria, he left his dishes on a counter for a Joo Dee to take away. He wondered, briefly, if maybe he should check on his men, make sure the reconditioning of the farming families was going smoothly. But he already knew that it was, because Huo had told him that morning. And besides, he knew that anything he did right now that didn't pertain to the Firebender, he was only going to do in order to avoid the problem he was suddenly facing.
He didn't know what to do with the Firebender once he was done with him.
He knew what he didn't want to do with him. He just couldn't bear the thought of outright killing the boy. Especially once he'd reconditioned him into a harmless half-breed. Such an action would be unnecessary and pointlessly cruel.
As would turning him over to Yong.
But as for what to actually do with him...
Shirong had a few ideas. He was pretty sure none of them were viable options.
Yet.
o0O0o
Light. There was light. Thank Agni, there was light -
Someone settled down next to him. Sighed.
"What a mess."
That was Shirong's voice.
"You are a very interesting subject, you know that, Xiaofan?" A hand rested on his head. "I've never had to so thoroughly break someone before. Not when I was going to completely rebuild them afterward, at least." Fingers slid through his hair. It felt...nice.
Nothing had felt nice in a long time.
"I do hope I can rebuild you right. If not..." A pause.
A very long pause, stretched out over what might have been many minutes.
Finally, "Yong wants you, when I'm done. I know better than to wonder what he might want with a secondhand Firebender." A sigh. "I know what he does to prisoners."
A hand touched his forehead, and he couldn't help a small moan. It was so warm compared to the rest of his surroundings. The stone all around him was hard and cold, but Shirong was warm. He missed being warm. He missed a lot of things, though he couldn't remember what most of them were anymore.
"I'm going to have to rebuild you well." The voice was thoughtful. "But carefully. I can give you a decent base and let you grow from there. I could make you useful." Another caress. "And maybe, if it all works out...they'll let me keep you."
o0O0o
The only pain Xiaofan suffered was that in his head and that in his legs - and the latter was quickly disappearing as the appendages healed. It appeared that the Firebender would indeed walk again. The Earth Kingdom may not have the amazing healing abilities of the Water Tribes, but they didknow how to take care of bones. There would be scars, of course, but that was alright. All in all, Shirong was quite pleased with the results.
Xiaofan still whimpered whenever he was bound to the chair, and Shirong supposed he couldn't blame him. By this point, the Firebender's subconscious had probably come to link stone chairs to flashing lights and headaches and misery in general. So Shirong did his best to keep Xiaofan calm whenever he had to bind him. He kept his voice soothing and his actions gentle, albeit firm.
"Hush," Shirong ordered, fastening the boy's head in place. "I'm trying to help you."
"You call this helping?" the other moaned, not quite lucid.
"It's this or let them kill you," Shirong said practically. Xiaofan shuddered.
"Isn't that what you're doing?"
"No," Shirong answered, pulling up the lantern track. "I'm helping you."
Xiaofan watched with bloodshot eyes as Shirong set up the lantern. "I don't even know who you are. I don't know who I am."
Shirong looked up to meet his gaze. "I am your friend. And you are Xiaofan."
The Firebender sat still and stiff, eyes fixed pleadingly on Shirong. Clay waiting to be molded.
Shirong could have smirked.
You're mine.
"Your name is Xiaofan," he repeated gently. "That's all you need to know. I'll take care of the rest."
"...okay," the other mumbled.
o0O0o
His name was Xiaofan. He was born on the fifth day of the fourth month in the Yutaka colony to Aki, the Fire Nation colonial, and Lin, his Earth Kingdom wife. His parents had loved each other, but his mother had died in childbirth.
He had an Uncle named Zai, his father's brother, and a pair of cousins named Zuzu and Zuli, who were adorable and aggravating, and an aunt named Ursa, an Earth Kingdom woman like his own mother, who'd practically raised him.
He'd lived in Yutaka with his family until just a year or so ago, when he'd realized that he didn't agree with the Fire Nation's beliefs of manifest destiny. He'd abandoned his family and run away from Yutaka with little more than a knapsack and his aunt's blessing. His father and uncle were most likely furious.
He'd traveled through the Earth Kingdom wilderness, searching for a place where he could safely settle among his mother and aunt's people. But there was no such thing as safety in the world these days, and he became little more than a wanderer with no destination. After some months, he started following the refugees, and thus slowly made his way to Ba Sing Se.
o0O0o
Xiaofan took much better to the rebuilding than he had to the breaking. Most people did. During the breaking, you had a reason to fight against it. In the rebuilding, you were given something to cling to.
Before long, Xiaofan's development had progressed to the point where Shirong didn't even need the lantern anymore. All he needed to do was invite the boy to Lake Laogai, and he had instant access to his subconscious. Much like a Joo Dee, or any average reconditioned citizen. The technique allowed for their sessions to be much more comfortable.
Currently, Shirong was brushing Xiaofan's hair - something he should have started doing long before now, he realized. After a couple weeks without seeing a comb, Xiaofan had something resembling a shrubbery on his head. But Shirong was slowly making headway, and he talked to Xiaofan while he worked.
"There wasn't anywhere else for you to go," he explained. "And it seemed that the rest of the world was heading for Ba Sing Se. So, naturally, you followed. What else were you supposed to do?"
Xiaofan's hair had a decent length to it, he noticed. Not as long as the average Dai Li agent's hair, but still long enough for a proper Earth Kingdom braid. Shirong decided that he'd braid the stuff if he ever got it untangled.
"So you followed the refugee caravans. You didn't join them, but you did follow them, since you weren't sure how to get to the city yourself. It was a long journey, but you did make it, didn't you?"
Xiaofan said nothing, didn't react to Shirong pulling on the tangles, didn't do anything other than stare off into space.
But Shirong knew that he was absorbing every word.
o0O0o
"What's wrong with my legs?"
Shirong looked at Xiaofan. "Beg pardon?"
Currently, they were eating lunch together at a low table Shirong had raised out of the floor of Xiaofan's cell. A decently sized lunch, because Shirong knew it was time to start building Xiaofan's strength back up.
"They hurt," Xiaofan explained quietly. "I mean, they used to hurt more, but they're okay now. Mostly. But they hurt, and I don't remember why."
Shirong had spent quite some time thinking about a suitable story for Xiaofan's legs. "You had a run-in with the Fire Army while trying to reach the city," he said. "It didn't end well, and they left you for dead. You're lucky a healer from one of the outlying villages found you." It was a decent, mildly ironic explanation. One Long Feng might even find amusing. Shirong smiled to himself.
"Oh," said Xiaofan, absorbing the information. "Okay."
o0O0o
Ba Sing Se was under siege and surrounded by Fire troops, making it impossible for anyone to reach, or even enter. Full Moon Bay was shut down, leaving the refugees with nowhere to go. Many dispersed throughout the countryside, settling into the villages around the city that the Fire Nation hadn't bothered burning down.
Xiaofan was wandering the area when he ran afoul of a troop of Fire soldiers. They took him prisoner and questioned him, and when they found his identification papers and it came out that he was a deserter from the colonies they broke his legs and left him for dead. He'd lain on the ground for hours in agony, until, by some lucky chance, a healer woman from He Liu village found him, took him home with the help of her ostrich-horse, and set about healing him.
By the time he recovered, the Siege had lifted, and Ba Sing Se was once again reachable. Xiaofan thanked the woman for her hospitality and set off for the city.
o0O0o
With Xiaofan's general backstory in place, Shirong knew it was time to handle the tricky part. It was going to take careful planning to implant the last few memories. And not because it was Xiaofan who he had to convince.
The problem now was Long Feng. And the rest of the directors as well, but mostly Long Feng.
Shirong did not want to get rid of Xiaofan. Therefore, he would have to somehow keep Xiaofan. He had already made Xiaofan as harmless as possible, in hopes that his new personality would help his cause. Now, Shirong had to make Xiaofan's entrance to the city as realistic as possible, and his wish to stay and live there as sincere as possible.
It was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe, it would convince Long Feng to let him keep the Firebender.
o0O0o
Xiaofan faced unforeseen complications when it came to entering the city. Apparently things like passports and identification papers were required, and Xiaofan had neither since the run-in with the Firebenders. Too impatient - and worried about how his heritage would affect things - to wait for a city official's decision, he found a gang of criminals and, for a price, was smuggled into the city.
Further complications arose when it became apparent that proper identification papers were also needed to obtain a (legal) job. Unable to pay for forged papers, Xiaofan spent a week or so sleeping in back alleys and trying to find some sort of less-than-legal work.
And then, one day, moments after stealing some fruit from a merchant's cart, he had the terrible luck of running straight into a Dai Li agent.
o0O0o
He woke up. Which was funny, because he didn't remember going to sleep.
He especially didn't remember going to sleep in a place like this. The room was large, and bright with sunlight. It streamed through tall windows and spilled over the entire area, causing the place to glow golden.
He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, just enjoying the light. For some reason, it made him feel ridiculously happy.
The room was full of empty beds, too, and he suddenly realized that he was lying in one. It was comfortable. Extremely comfortable. More comfortable than anything he'd slept in since...he didn't know when.
But the bed was still amazing.
"Oh, you're awake," someone said, and a man approached the bedside. He took Xiaofan's wrist between two fingers to check his pulse. "I'm Healer Dong," he said. "May I ask your name?"
"Oh," he said. "It's..." The answer presented itself after a brief moment. "Xiaofan. I'm Xiaofan." He nodded to himself. Yes. Xiaofan. That was his name. That was who he was.
"Xiaofan...?" Dong prompted. After a moment, he asked, "No family name?"
"Ah - no." Family names weren't required out in the country, he remembered. They were, however, required for citizens of Ba Sing Se, no matter your social class or heritage. Xiaofan had never gotten registered as a citizen of Ba Sing Se, so he'd never been assigned a family name. No use lying now, though - they'd probably already noticed his lack of identification papers.
"Hm." The man dropped his wrist. "Well. You seem to be doing much better now. Director Shirong will be glad to know you're awake."
"Who?"
"The Dai Li agent you ran right smack into. You must have the worst luck."
Xiaofan stared at Dong. For a moment, he wondered what the healer was talking about, but then the memory came, sluggishly. He'd been running away from that fruit seller...and then everything had gone black.
And Dong said he'd run into a Dai Li agent. Great. Xiaofan hadn't been in the city long enough to hear much about the organization, but his instincts told him that they were extremely dangerous people.
"I wouldn't worry too much," Dong said.
"Why not?" Xiaofan asked.
"Because Director Shirong brought you here," Dong said. "If you were in trouble, you'd probably be under the Lake already."
Xiaofan shuddered, though he wasn't entirely sure why. "Oh. Okay." After another moment, he asked, "Um, where is here?"
"The palace infirmary."
Before Xiaofan had time to gape, a new voice asked, "How is he?" and Xiaofan looked up. Another man was approaching them, dressed in full Dai Li uniform.
"He's perfectly fine," Dong said, moving away. "He can be released now, actually. I'll just hand him over to you, sir."
"Thank you," the newcomer said. Dong nodded and walked away, leaving Xiaofan alone with the stranger.
The other man carefully looked Xiaofan over with dark green eyes. "I am Dai Li Director Shirong Zongzheng, Head of Reeducation."
For some reason, everything about this man felt strangely familiar. His face, his name, the way he held himself straight as a board. Xiaofan didn't know why.
"I'm...Xiaofan."
"Just Xiaofan?"
"Yes."
Shirong nodded. "Very well. Here - put these on." He handed Xiaofan a set of plain brown robes - much nicer than the rags he'd been wearing for the past few months. Xiaofan only hesitated briefly before taking them, and then he got out of the bed and started changing.
When he pulled off his pants, he had to stop and stare at his legs. They were an angry red color, and covered in scar tissue. He shuddered. And then he noticed that Shirong was staring at them too.
"Firebenders," Xiaofan explained quietly. "I...had a run-in with them, a month or so ago."
"I see." Shirong's voice was level. "Though apparently you're still capable of running."
Right. He'd been running when he'd been caught. "They're still a little sore," he admitted, "but it could be worse."
Shirong said nothing. Xiaofan finished changing into the robes, and then he glanced at the Dai Li for guidance, unsure what to do next. Shirong looked Xiaofan up and down for a moment before nodding.
"Come with me." He turned and swept towards the exit. Xiaofan stared after him for a moment before following.
"Um...where are we going?"
Shirong made a sound that might have been a sigh. "To figure out what to do with you."
Xiaofan swallowed. But he wasn'tgoing to show fear. He wasn't.
Shirong led him out of the infirmary and down a number of hallways and staircases. Xiaofan followed as quickly as he could, though his legs were starting to act up. Every so often Shirong would glance back to check on him, and then Xiaofan would find it was a little easier to keep up with him.
Finally, they came to a hallway where another Dai Li waited before a large door.
"Director Shirong," the agent said, a disapproving look on his face. "You're - "
"My apologies for being late, Agent Enlai," Shirong said easily, making his way toward the door. "I was picking up someone." He turned and gestured at Xiaofan. Agent Enlai followed his gaze.
His eyes met Xiaofan's, and the peeved expression he'd been wearing was replaced by one of total shock.
"This is Xiaofan," Shirong said, voice light.
"...Nice to meet you," Xiaofan said quietly. He glanced at Shirong curiously before looking back at Enlai.
Enlai, for his part, was gaping like a fish as he stared at Xiaofan. Then he turned to stare at Shirong, whose smile was bordering on smug. "You could have...at least mentioned that you were bringing a...guest," he managed, and it sounded like he was choking on the words.
"Yes, well," Shirong smiled, "I thought it would make for a nice surprise. Shall we go in?"
Enlai nodded jerkily and opened the door. Without a backward glance, he entered the dimly-lit room beyond.
Xiaofan glanced at Shirong. "Um...sir?"
Shirong's smile had vanished, replaced by an unreadable expression. "Come, Xiaofan," he said, lightly resting his hand on Xiaofan's shoulder so as to steer him into the room. As an afterthought, he added quietly, "Everything will be alright."
Next time: Shirong has fun derailing the weekly directors' meeting, and Xiaofan's fate is decided.
Y'know, this story is actually almost over. There's just one more chapter after this, plus a short epilogue.
Wow.
Guess I really have to start crackin' on the next fic in the Gilded Green series...