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"Chief Kirihara," Ootsuka said, "General Hourai wants you."
Misaki nodded and put away her paperwork. It was getting late. She wondered what he wanted this time. Truthfully, she'd been growing to dislike the man. All of their conversations started to seem like they were on two opposite sides instead of working for the same force. She knocked on the door, announcing her name and position.
"Come in," Hourai called.
She stepped into the room, surprised to see another group of people there. They were armed agents of some kind standing around what looked like a young girl. The girl's eyes were lifeless, suggesting that she was a Doll.
"We have made an interesting capture," Hourai declared. "The girl you see over there is an accomplice of BK-201. She was seen with him recently and we caught her soon after he left. After analyzing past situations as well as their behavioral patterns, we believe she would be suitable bait. This could be our opportune chance to finally take down BK-201."
Misaki glanced back at the girl. She looked so young and innocent despite her gothic dress and silver hair.
"Are you sure she is connected with BK-201?" Misaki questioned.
"Positive," Hourai assured. "I'm putting you in charge of watching her. If BK-201 shows up, you are to notify me immediately. Two of the guards will stay close by. Understand?"
"Yes, sir," Misaki agreed.
"There is a special detention room set up. Place her in there. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I hope you realize the importance of this. I have made sure that you will be paid a bonus," Hourai said.
She nodded and led the guards out of the room and toward the station's holding cells. They were underneath the building for security. Once there, the girl was ushered into the specified unit and all but two of the guards left. Notifying the remaining agents, Misaki entered the cell as well so that she could ask the girl a few questions. She approached the Doll and knelt down in front of her.
"Do you have a name?" Misaki inquired.
"Yin," the girl stated monotonously.
"How old are you, Yin?"
"I don't know."
Misaki should have figured the girl wouldn't know much. Her brown eyes locked onto Yin's violet ones, trying to form some sort of connection. "Are you the Doll who assists BK-201, otherwise known as the Black Reaper?"
Yin didn't answer.
"Do you like working with him?" Misaki pressed.
Yin paused. Slowly, she asked, "…Like?"
Misaki sighed, remembering Dolls didn't have preferences. But then, she was shocked when Yin whispered, "Yes."
"We believe he will come here and try to rescue you," Misaki hinted, seeing what more she could get out of the girl. "What do you think?"
Silence.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Amber sat on top of a wooden crate, swinging her legs. Beneath her, November Eleven stood with a cigarette in his mouth.
"If you don't mind my asking," he started, "why would you have me offer your alliance even if you knew BK-201 would not agree?"
"Sometimes," she said with a smile, "you have to learn that every word counts. Even if asking won't do anything now, the question will be planted in his mind and there won't be as much of a fuss later."
"Experience, I take it?"
"You could say that."
November put his cigarette out and tossed it. "Any other missions?"
"Soon, yes," Amber responded. "Yin, the Doll assigned to Hei, is going to be captured. Hei's going to go after her and get himself captured. Please help him escape. The last thing we need is for the police's Syndicate spies to kill him."
November began to walk away.
"Oh, but before you go," Amber continued, "I wanted to say that your costume looks very nice on you, Aisu."
"Thank you, Amber," November replied. "I just hope you don't get too attached. Once this is all over, I'll go back to the way I was before."
"I know," she said.
"Of course you do."
He left.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Hei lay in bed in a sleep deeper than death. He dreamed of nothing. Even the tapping against his window did not wake him. Outside, Mao grew frustrated. He paced and knocked, continuously trying to wake Hei up. This was urgent!
"Hello, Mr. Cat."
Mao jumped and nearly fell off the window sill. On the roof, the figure of a man stood. The man smoothly repelled downward until he was hanging right next to Mao. Mao's eyes narrowed at the sight of the black mask, but immediately widened afterward.
"November?!" he exclaimed.
November smiled. "Shh, can you keep a secret?"
"You're supposed to be dead," Mao hissed.
November worked steadily at window. "I thought I was."
"But how…?"
"Amber. She's a sneaky little thing, isn't she?"
Mao stared blankly at him as he slid open the window.
"Don't tell Hei," November ordered. "Now, go."
Mao agreed instantly and slipped inside. The window closed behind him and November waved before retreating. The feline Contractor shook his little black head and leaped onto Hei's bed.
"Hei," Mao said. "Hei, wake up!"
Hei mumbled and turned over. Aggravated, Mao scratched his claws against Hei's arm. He got an electric shock in return. "Well, at least he's awake," Mao muttered.
"What is it, Mao?" Hei demanded.
"Yin's been captured."
"What?!"
That seemed to wake the Black Reaper right up. He looked at Mao incredulously.
"By who? Are you sure?" Hei babbled.
"The police," Mao answered. "I was heading over to her shop when I saw them take her."
Hei leaped out of bed with some of the most urgency Mao had seen from him in awhile. He changed quickly into his uniform, bulletproof coat and all. He hid his mask so that he could put it on once outside. Then, Hei was running. Tiredly, Mao followed after.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
A half hour had passed. The girl's eyes remained blank. Misaki kept her eyes open, despite how tired she was. She felt that if she so much as blinked, Yin would vanish. Because of the sleep fog, it took her a second to realize that the power had gone out. BK-201's calling card.
Not wasting any time, Misaki signaled Hourai's pager. Their generator kicked in. She glanced over at the cell, only to see that BK-201 was in the process of breaking out his companion. Armed guards flooded the area.
Hei was having a difficult time fighting back all their firearms. It was going to be next to impossible to break Yin out with him. Even worse, a good deal of the soldiers had some form of rubber on, making it harder to get his attacks to hit.
"Hei," Yin said, "go."
Hei looked at her incredulously as he blocked a hit from a guard. "Are you crazy?"
"I---"
Yin was suddenly pulled away from him. A group of armored men held her back while other continued to go after Hei.
"Yin!" he shouted. Viciously, he cut through the soldiers. They just kept coming. He reached for her, but he was constantly being pulled back. He was a fish swimming upstream. Angrily, he let electricity buzz around him. It burst forth, frying anyone close to him. Bodies fell to the ground. Heavy boots stepped over them. Arms grabbed. A gun was held to Yin's head. The emotionless depths gave way to the faintest flicker of human fear. Irrationality claimed him.
"Enough!" he screamed. "Let her go! Let her go and I'll…I'll surrender. Her freedom for mine. No tricks."
The room froze. Hei stood still, breathing heavily. Misaki was the first to move, stepping out from behind the armed force.
"You're a Contractor," she stated. "This goes against everything you are."
"No, it goes against everything you believe I am," he countered. "I give you my word; if you let Yin leave here, you can lock me up just like you've always wanted to."
"All this for a Doll?"
Hei glanced at Yin. The emotion that had been building up in her swirled just beneath the surface.
"Yes."
"No," Yin said in monotone. Then, louder, "No!"
She struggled against the guards. In shock, their grips loosened and she was able to break away. They were about to go after her again, but Misaki gave them the signal to stop. Yin ran. Her arms locked around Hei's waist and she buried her face in his chest.
"No," she mumbled again. "Don't leave me alone."
"Yin," Hei whispered, his voice softer. He took off his bulletproof trench coat and placed it around her small shoulders. She gazed up at him with violet eyes that had begun to truly understand sadness.
"Be safe," he told her.
A tear leaked unwillingly down her cheek as metal cuffs were latched onto Hei's wrists. Misaki held onto Yin's arm to lead the girl away. The Doll refused to turn from Hei.
"Why?" she asked Misaki, the emotion ebbing away again. "He's human."
"He's a murderer," Misaki retorted.
"You're wrong," Yin claimed quietly. "He sacrificed his own freedom for mine. He taught me how to feel human again. He…was my friend. A murderer wouldn't do that."
Misaki bit her lip to avoid saying anything else. A guard came by to escort Yin outside. Deep inside, Misaki felt her heart heave painfully. The two seemed close. It made her reluctant to tear them apart, despite the circumstances. BK-201's voice resonated in her head. It had been so soft and gentle. Then, a harsher tone screamed at her.
"What do I have left for you to take from me?"
Misaki shivered as she headed back downstairs. She shouldn't feel guilty. He was a Contractor. However, she couldn't stop her mind from thinking that she'd just found what he had left and stolen it. She shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind, replacing them with ones of blood and crime. It was her responsibility to take him down, no matter what.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Yin sat alone outside the police station. Her face was blank. In that instance that they had taken Hei away, she'd felt her heart move. She tugged Hei's coat tighter around her. Hei. Hei.
"You seem lonely," a smooth voice noted.
She didn't move. A hand touched her shoulder.
"Tell me, do you want to save Hei?"
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