CH10 Smoke Bombs

AN- Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Also on request, I will try not to skip around a whole lot. I think the last chapter was just extra confusing because I wanted to get in everybody's point of view before the event actually happens. This chapter has everyone already gathered so perhaps it will flow easier!
Regardless, thanks for the 21 reviews! Frankly, I never expected any...

Smoke Bombs:


Ice spread from November 11 in a beeline for January's feet. The frost curved away from Misaki ad Li, but it had no mercy on the rest of the devastated room. In seconds, the Banquet Hall was a frozen disaster.

"Give it up, November! It's mine by inheritance!" January shouted, as he tried to pull on his legs. Unfortunately, a thick layer of ice had already glued him down, making it nearly impossible for him to move. It was obvious that he was defeated and January soon realized this, falling awkwardly silent.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I really should be getting back to Decade."

November strolled over to where Misaki's handbag lay abandoned on the floor, snatched it up, and returned it to the lady in red, smiling all the while.

"Keep out of trouble, Misaki, and thanks for the dance." He said, while fitting on his shades. She gave him a dubious look as she held out her hand, and he plunked her bag into it. Keep out of trouble, yeah, right. In her line of work?

"So you're just going to leave me here with this damaged 7,845,243 yen banquet hall and your agent trapped in ice?" She protested. "What am I supposed to say?"

"To who?"

"To Hourai, to, I don't know! Anyone! That I didn't realize anything was amiss until I stumbled into the hall again?"

She was supposed to be the chief of Section 4 for God's sake. No one would buy her tale of utter ignorance for a second. November glanced around at the destruction considering her complaints.

"Well, I suppose I should take him-" November nodded over to January, "back to base." His face held a playful smile as he imagined dragging a whining January back to base with before-and-after photos of the Police's Banquet Hall.

"You think?" January snorted at the two, before his eye caught a black canister that had begun to roll into the center of the room. "Hey, what's-?"

And smoke filled the room.

November.

What is going on here? He patted down his suit to make sure the vial was still intact before grabbing Misaki's hand and swiftly leading her to safety. Out of nowhere, a double-edged dagger shot out between them, and a mask seemed to emerge through the fog.

Hei.
It was almost too easy to slip away from Misaki and the MI-6 agents. They were totally preoccupied with destroying the entire hall to notice Li inching toward the kitchens. Once inside, he threw on his coat and mask, before Yin handed him his knife. For a doll, she had remarkable foresight.
"Thanks, Yin." He nodded, before they unleashed the full force of Huang's smoke bomb.

There were two types of bombs- Huang was unusually particular about which smoke bomb fit what occasion. I guess if the only weapons I had were the gas and smoke, then I'd to be an expert too, Hei thought.

"What type did you just send out?" Hei questioned the doll.

"The plain kind. Huang keeps the knock out gas locked up somewhere, so this was the best I could smuggle." Mao answered for her, since Yin was currently busy with her hand in water.

"It's fine." As long as they stay distracted. "Stay hidden." Hei ordered before sweeping out to finally obtain the item he was sent after.

Misaki.

The Black Reaper that she had just danced with a moment ago, was gone, replaced with the assassin she hunted day and night. Even so, she felt a rush of joy overwhelm her that he had not left them. Had not left her, she thought to herself, though she's never admit it.

Of Demands and Complaints.
"The vial." Hei stated, his voice muffled and dark behind the mask.

"I wouldn't be making demands so quick," November smirked, as January came barreling into view. "Until you're sure you've won."

January's arm was already warmed up from the evening, and he was only too glad to bring it straight down on Hei's shoulder. The impact sent Hei stumbling to the right, clenching his jaw to stop his scream from escaping. Damn!Hei inwardly cursed, clutching his shoulder to prevent more unnecessary pain for himself.

That was some punch! Misaki thought worriedly. She had never seen the Black Reaper take a blow and stumble before. Fear grabbed for her heart as the truth that BK-201 could possibly die, like anyone else, at any time, sunk in. If he died, what would I do? It scared her that she couldn't think of anything.

Hei.

Realizing that he could not take another direct punch, Hei quickly dove for the fog's cover, barely avoiding another hit by inches. Good plan! He sighed, unhooking a wire from his belt...

"Where'd he go?" January asked squinting stupidly, while spinning around in a circle. No one answered, as they, too, kept a watchful eye out for BK-201.

Whizz!

A wire wrapped itself around January's neck, tightening, as it pulled him into the fog.
"I'll kill you-" January sputtered as the wire continued I choke him.
Ignoring the complaints, Hei dragged the agent to the wall, resting his gloved hand around the back of his neck.

Slowly, he walked his hostage along the wall, accidentally stepping in a puddle of water on the way. Water? Probably from the melting ice...

He wanted to be sure that both Kirihara and November could clearly see the situation.

"The vial." Hei repeated, putting slightly more pressure on the back of January's neck, causing him to cringe.

"You really are demanding." November sighed while shaking his head. When he looked back up, his eyes shown red, and he was arm was soon full of killer icicles.

Hei dodged to the side as one stabbed where he had previously stood. He had no intention to die like Havoc. January seized the opportunity, sliding under Hei's grasp like a snake, and heading for the smoke's cover. So much for hostages... Hei retracted the wire used to hold January, and shot it at November's arms. Bull's eye. November tried to loosen the wire, but it stubbornly retained it's biting hold. Having no choice, November froze the wire and broke it off with some difficulty.

"Are you okay?" Misaki asked, as November continued to rub at his arm.

"And it was a good suit too." He muttered under his breath, his eyes closely examining the effects that the wire had on his clothes.
Within the time it took for November to access the condition of his sleeve, Hei already had Misaki's neck in his wire.

"Stop."

November and January stopped in their tracks, if only in surprise, before Hei stepped into the water.
Sorry, Misaki.
An electrifying light filled the room before the agents fell, splashing unconsciously into the water.

Forgive me, Misaki.He whispered, as he gently laid her limp body on a patch of dry ground. He hadn't intended for the shock to kill them, but their interference had become increasingly irritating. It was logical to just knock them all out.

Yin held the door open as Mao leaped from the kitchen door into the water, only to jump back and shake out his fur. He spotted Hei kneeling at November's side, stripping off a soggy black suit, and searching through the pockets. He seemed to have found what he was looking for, because he immediately withdrew his hand from the article of clothing like it carried a contagious disease, taking care to throw it unfolded in the water.

"Let's go." Hei said, looking at the vial in his hand. It was so small and fragile looking, that one drop would leave it broken on the ground. Yet so deadly... The red liquid swirled from end to end, always moving, even when Hei's hand was steady. It was as if the liquid itself was alive, like the red color it owned was its blood. Sickening.

"Hei? You coming?" Mao called from the door.

"Yes." Hei answered truthfully. They took his word for it, as they began to exit the building. But it was a lie.

Of Jewelry and Grief.

"BK-201, freeze!" Misaki ordered, from behind. What? She's up? Hei glanced down at November's unconscious body, and to the right to January's. Something wasn't right. Why was Misaki the only one up? Did his power not affect her? Was she immune? His mind swirled with ideas as quickly as the liquid did inside the vial.

"Dr. Schroeder sent me a gift last time I went to PANDORA. He seemed to think I would need it." Misaki confessed. Hei turned around very confused, to see Misaki holding up her crystal necklace. On closer examination, it was way too dull to be a true crystal, or glass, or stone. It was a dark gray device, cut in the shape of a crystal that hung from an extra long chain that had been tucked into her dress. "I wasn't sure what it would do, but I've worn it every day since. I see what he meant. He knew I was bound to run into you a few times. You're under arrest."

Hei tilted his head to one side.
"Rubber?" He blurted.

"Put your hands up!" She repeated determinedly in response to his attempt at changing the subject, yet her eyes wavered in what seemed to be… uncertainty? Hei could easily kill her now, or shock her and run before she recovered, but something in her deep brown eyes made him want to stay and figure out this- this Goddess.

"What would happen if you arrested me?" Hei asked her.

"N-nani? What?" This was not how arresting BK-201 was supposed to go. She was caught completely off guard by the truthfulness of the question. The very question she had just asked herself moments ago. What would she do? She knew what would happen to him: He'd be sent to jail, and then what? Escape? Rot in there for life? Become a test subject? And she'd just continue on her work- maybe not even realizing if his star fell one day.

A surge of grief overwhelmed her heart, like waves over a single polished stone. His star might fall, and I might not even know! Grief, despair, confusion. She wasn't even supposed to feel anything! Why did she have to have a mental battle now of all times? She looked at Hei's mask again, trying her hardest to let a blank mask fit over her own features. But it was useless. An uncharacteristic tear fell from her eye, and the room turned blue.

Side Effects.

"This here, I want you to deliver this to Misaki Kirihara, Chief of Section 4."

Dr. Schroeder handed Nishijima a tightly wrapped brown parcel.

"What is it?" He asked shortly, after weighing it in his palm.

"Open it!" He said excitedly. "It's just a little something I thought she might like- to match her red dress and all. Or at least, Saitou told me she had a red dress."

"Dr. Schroeder! She is young enough to be your granddaughter! And when were you gossiping with Saitou?" Nishijima frowned, opening the parcel as suggested.

Inside, he found a small white box, the ones that Jewelry stores sent you home with, wrapped in a satin red bow. He quirked an eyebrow at the scientist before unraveling the ribbon and finding a dark gray crystal necklace inside.

"I do hope she'll wear it." The scientist expressed with a look in his eye that said: I know something you don't. When Nishijima didn't inquire further, he decided to hint less subtly- "It has a dual purpose, you know."

Nishijima lifted the crystal to his eye, noticing the dullness of the stone. This was supposed to be crystal? Dual purpose? One could only imagine when Dr. Schroeder was involved...

"Pray tell. ESPECIALLY the side effects." Knowing the mad genius, there were bound to be side effects, and he was starting to wonder if he should deliver it at all.

"Well, no need to be so nosy! But since you asked, this is a prototype for protecting a whole body from electrical impulses. I heard that BK-201 was giving Section 4 a bit of trouble, so I decided to take it upon myself to create this small, and not to mention fashionable, piece of artwork!"

"I suppose you heard that from Saitou?" Nishijima frowned, disregarding the scientist's "modest" attitude. The doctor nodded, like he was proud to have socialized and to be so well known. "Side effects?" Nishijima repeated, clearing his throat.

"Oh, yes, well, uh, I did find one teensy kink in it-" Nishijima raised his eyebrows. "- Hey! Don't be like that!" He protested. "All it does is make the wearer super emotional, possibly a little reckless, but Kirihara's so focused that it would hardly affect her at all."

"I see." Nishijima nodded, after coming to an internal decision. "I'll make sure she gets it then."

*~Vial~*
The blue light illuminated the room: the bashed up walls, tables, and floor, everything under a shallow layer of water. The glow swept the floors, before encircling the four people in the room.

Misaki.
What's going on? This isn't supposed to happen!

"Only a special few can activate the substance." Hei echoed. But how? What made Misaki so special?

Misaki stayed silent, before pointing at something over his shoulder. Turning around, Hei could see January and November peeling themselves off the ground, soaked to the bone. They squinted in the brightness of it all, disoriented, and very confused.

"Misaki, you're doing it again." November said, once he gathered his bearings of the situation.

"Doing what?"

"Your emotions are causing the glow. I think I read something about that a while ago."

He pinched the bridge of his nose in concentration, while folding up his sun glasses. November made to reach for his pocket to put the glasses away, only to find that his jacket wasn't on him. Where? Then he looked down- there was his dress coat, ripped sleeve and all, ruined!

"Why didn't you tell me?" Misaki screamed, breaking him out of his wallowing thoughts.

"Well, I thought that I read something like that. I could be completely wrong, of course."
Misaki let out a frustrated sigh, before the floor disappeared beneath them.

AN- Almost finished! THANKS FOR READING n' please please please REVIEW!

Next Chapter: South America.