Kat stood before the hearth in Mr. Wammy's office, reading a book called "The Witch Of Blackbird Pond," half falling asleep. L had his head of mussed raven hair in another one of the dictionaries she had found for him, pronouncing words he did not quite admit to being unable to pronounce.
In the past few weeks, the little bonds between the two and Mr. Wammy grew, she did not have quite the word to describe it but all she knew was that for some reason she felt protective of her quaint little group. She flipped another page, mumbling about snooty people needing slaves because they were too lazy.
The nice roaring fire was casting a warm light across the two orphans, making shadows dance on their pale faces. Mr. Wammy had asked them both on an odd cold August day if they wanted to be warmed by the fire.
Unsure of how to answer, the children were quiet, wondering what answer he would prefer to hear. However, Mr. Wammy advised them to grab books and head to his office. All around the Orphanage, it was being spread that Mr. Wammy favored the two misfits. The children were trying to be a tad bit more kind to Kat, wanting a bit of her good fortune to rub off on them. She saw through their schemes, noticing that familiar characteristic that those adult humans at the labs had. She shuddered at it; these miniature ones turning into malicious people with no morals whatsoever.
Her eyes drifted from her book once again to L, as he pointed at a katakana symbol. (ギャ)
"That would be the Katakana symbol for 'gya,' it has the same beginning character as gyo and gyu, only the second changes when writing." She mused silently, cherishing the nice soothing atmosphere.
Kat took pride in the fact that by Chinese reckoning, she was eight years old, (Chinese are considered one year old at birth and gain one year on New years so she was Two years old by the time L would have been less than four months old) therefore, she steeled herself into helping someone who was "younger" than her ("Only by a few hours at most," L would mumble tersely when she would mention the fact in passing.).
Kat took a deep breath, the smell of hickory wood chips flooding her lungs.
Her thoughts flickered over to a more pressing matter. What did she want to pursue in her life? She had come to the conclusion a few days after she came back from Brazil that she needed to find a new purpose for her life, a career, as the humans put it. She knew that she wanted to make a name for herself, bar the one that said she was the only cat girl in history.
But, to her chagrin, there were few jobs out with other humans that would hide her quirks or her knack for things out of the norm. That eliminated just about the majority of the jobs out there, and then just about all of them if you added in the fact that she had no intention of settling for anything that prevented her from fighting and venting or bringing justice to the world she had begun to hate in her earlier days as an experiment in the labs.
Across from her, L reviewed the Katakana characters; he had been in the process of memorizing everything, occasionally turning to Kat to ask her how to say things when he saw either a bored grimace on her face or that spark of anger that told him she was remembering something from her past.
In the last few months, he had come to terms with the fact that everyone had their own sob story if they were in an Orphanage at all, just some worse than others. Mr. Wammy had came to him, and pulled him away from the other envious or admiring children that had swarmed him one afternoon when he had come to the library to find a few more books to submerge himself in.
L's blank eyes focused on the titles of the books, trying to see which ones he might like and which ones were better suited for Kat.
It was raining outside again and the poor girl was confined to her room again, mumbling incoherently about the skies leaking water more than she did after she woke up from a nightmare.
So L, being the polite roommate ("And friend," A small voice in the back of his head whispered, oddly reminding him of how Kat would chastise him when he forgot to pick up his candy wrappers or brush his teeth after eating said sweets.) he fetched books for them both on these rare days that Kat did not even have the energy to get up from bed or manage to get a spoon to her lips by herself. ("I feel so pitiful," She would murmur in a feeble voice, vexed. "Cannot even manage to feed myself.")
L skillfully ignored the children that asked him of what he was reading, of when there next trip to Brazil might be and the ones who were asking brusquely if he wanted to read with them.
He only mentioned to the youngest ones, the toddling ones who had grown somewhat close to the quiet yet mischievous feline girl; that she was fine, waiting for the rain to pass so they could go about with her.
Those were the far and few times he would come out with her to the playground, secretly keeping a look out for any of the older Orphans that wanted to pick a row with her. The silent sentinel sitting under the tree: watching the girl pounce around, changing from kitten to half human to panther in a cycle for the children's entertainment. ("The younger ones' seem more innocent and pure than the older ones, it is easier to trust them," She answered him one evening when he asked why she trusted them so unconventionally and not elder ones she could somewhat relate to.)
The gray eyed boy was at the library caretaker's desk, arms laden with thick volumes and novels.
The caretaker had smiled a wrinkly grin, her blue eyes shimmering with curiosity. "She bed ridden again, L?" Mrs. Mercy would ask politely, concern flashing in her eyes as she catalogued the books that he was taking out.
"Unfortunately, yes, she has not been able to get out of bed since late last night," He spoke silently, having picked up the quiet tendency of her voice, adding his apathetic tone to it. "Roger says that she will be mobilr again when the rain passes."
Mrs. Mercy nodded, placing the books back into L's hands. "Well then, let's hope the rain passes quickly then," She said.
"Indeed," A familiar voice said form behind L. Turning around with a hidden smile, L saw Mr. Wammy, dressed in some casual clothes. Well, casual to him only, suspenders and a dress shirt. "L, I want to have a word with you in my office, Gladdice, dear could you send those books up with some of the younger children? L and I might take a while," he asked the kind caretaker.
"Of course, Quillish," She confirmed, nodding her consent to him.
Mr. Wammy steered L away from the library and through the lit corridors leading to his office.
L's mind was floundering, why would Mr. Wammy want to speak to him alone? If he wanted to speak of another trip than it would have been more appropriate to do so in Kat's presence, weak or not: so that was out of the question.
Mr. Wammy caught the distress flashing through the raven haired boy's wide gray eyes, settling his hand on his shoulder, he assured him. "You have no reason to panic, L. I just want to speak to you about something, how does Kat phrase it? Trivial?"
This did not settle L. "Kat thinks that what started the World Wars was trivial," He muttered monotonously. Mr. Wammy struggled to keep down his chuckles.
They clambered into Mr. Wammy's office, L making his way to the small chair that was singled out in the elegant room. Mr. Wammy settled himself at his very grandeur desk.
"Now, L," He busied himself, taking out a file from a drawer. "I have wanted to tell you a bit about Kat, or Kew Keikan."
That afternoon was filled with vague descriptions of Kat's living situation prior to coming to the Orphanage. That just pressed one concept into his mind. The need for justice. Kat was not the only one that was completely enveloped in what her life could possibly turn out as, but unlike her, L had decided on his career already; he was just waiting for Kat to settle what she wanted to tell Mr. Wammy.
Kat slammed her book shut. "Idiotic, barbarian humans accusing people and destroying whatever threatens their perfect little existence!" She spat the word humans out, green eyes seething behind her usually curious façade. Uncouth words spilled from her lips before they turned into the hissing fits and outraged mews she had resorted to less than a year ago in her sterile living quarters. She hated the way the adult human mind worked! So selfish and narrow!
"Kat, calm down," L tried his hand at soothing, lowering his voice. She turned her glare towards him, "Why?! Humans infuriate me so! Gah! They are just--! GRAH! Bakayarou! Kareraha matta kuwakara nai! Korera no orokana kuritenosu! Kareraha yoku rooto Jigoku no kamo shire nai ga, han zai shajin kouno nokorino bubun!" They have no idea! Those stupid cretins! They might has well rot in hell with the rest of the criminal population! She jumped from language to language, not quite yelling but not using an indoor voice either.
"Kat," She was startled by the person that had his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look him straight in the eye. "Calm down, not all humans are like that anymore, that was just the witch trials, more than three centuries ago." L spoke clearly with conviction, having given up on trying to soothe her in the way he saw the caretakers do to the other orphans when they through tantrums.
Her breathing evened, heart beat slowed as she focused on L, letting her brain process the information. At least there are some humans that are not so biased, she thought.
Unknown to them, Mr. Wammy had witnessed the majority of it all from the half way open door.
A week later, she was in L and her room, looking at her slightly long claws, running them softly over her quilt.
She had decided.
"L," She called to the boy that was reading a book about Sherlock Holmes. "You want to be a detective, do you not?"
L raised his head from his literature, wondering how she had deduced that. "Yes, and yourself?" He asked, some inquisitiveness seeping into his voice.
Kat brought her hand to claw into the other, a nervous habit. "I would like to…be a support of sorts…yet, independent." She said, eyes focusing on the dark red carpet.
"Care to elaborate?" He inquired, closing his book. She had caught his attention.
Kat brought her hands together, twiddling her fingers. "Well, it is to say, eto, you are the detective, you need contacts, support, someone to do the dirty work and infiltrate, and see what is going on in the Underworld." She spoke fast, keeping her voice at nearly a whisper.
"You could call the shots, become the greatest detective the world has seen, I can execute missions, bodyguard, locating anything, or maybe we could establish our names, the great detective L and the- the—oi, what was I going to call it?" She asked the last part to herself, black eyebrows furrowed.
L cocked a brow. "Spy? Undercover agent? Anonymous vigilante?" He listed, trying to see if anything triggered her usually photographic memory.
She snapped her fingers, only succeeding in a muffled sound of flesh on flesh. "It is a combination of all, though I am leaning toward an amalgamation of Undercover Agent and Special Operations, using the alias K instead of Kat," She confirmed, a nice happy glow in her emerald eyes.
L put his thumb on his bottom lip. "So, Special Ops Agent K, or would you prefer Agent K for short?"
Kat nodded her head somewhat timidly, the words sounding silly coming from L. But then, to her surprise, he shrugged. "That sounds fine, let's go tell Mr. Wammy."
L got off of his bed, Kat shadowing him.
Mr. Wammy was very flabbergasted when the two nearly eight year olds ("I am already eight, Mr. Wammy, by Chinese reckoning!" Kat said scornfully.) He agreed enthusiastically to their requests, offering himself as an assistant to both children.
So this was the start of their careers.
-
L had undergone training, just as K had, but she had progressed a bit faster. He was stuck doing practice cases that were staged in the Orphanage while she was just hiding herself, spooking people, and learning more styles of fighting. Right now, she was zipping up a tight jacket over her chest bindings, the bell choker that L had gotten her for their eighth birthdays being slipped into her pocket. The silver bracelet she had gotten him with an Old English "L" hidden by his sleeves.
"This is so unbelievably easy, it is almost frustrating." L muttered turning to K as she tied her hair back than started tied on her silk mask. "It will be over soon, L, that I am sure of. You will not need to do the easy stuff, soon you will make a name for yourself, do not worry." She comforted, giving a soft smile.
L rolled his eyes. "Says the one who only needed to polish her skills and is off to some criminal hideout for the British government." The sarcasm was painfully obvious in his voice. He had noticed that she seemed to take most things in the literal sense and needed for people to make it obvious when they were using sarcasm or teasing her.
Her smile turned cheeky, "Oh yes, dodging bullets, apprehending a mass murderer, easy as pie, though I doubt it is your cup of tea, L."
With that she waved, walking out to what would be her first mission.
-
"K? Calm down, what do you mean you succeeded but are in need of…? Medical attention? Yes, you are completely right, you simply cannot go the hospital, it would mean you would have to reveal yourself. You left no evidence you were there, correct? As for the criminal, you have him blind folded and bound so just knock…oh my, how painful that sounds…What do you mean bring L?...." Mr. Wammy, or the newly acclaimed Watari spoke on a small device he had invented, a convenient two-way radio.
L looked up from the faux case he had just completed, wondering what on earth was happening over with K's mission.
"Yes, I will be right on it, K—yes, Kuro when you are on missions to stay inconspicuous," And with that, static filled the small device.
Watari looked down at L, an odd emotion flashing through both their eyes. "Come, L, we must pick up K from the scene."
-
L was wide eyed as he saw a burning building with two figures near the pavement. The flickering flames were steadily engulfing the building, tendrils of them spilling out of the windows.
The car stopped right in front of the figures and L made sure to open the door and file out. It was very dark out and K was in the shadows so it was hard to see if she was injured at all. With a great show of strength, she threw the man in the backseat on the floor, hissing when she heard something pop on her arm. The girl jumped in right after, sitting near the window in her crouched position. "Hurry up, L! Before the proper authorities come!" She said from her seat, motioning frantically for the raven haired boy to get in. Only then noticing he was holding up the car, L got in, balancing himself on the balls of his feet.
"What happened?" He asked, not noticing the tremor of his voice as he gripped his knees so hard his knuckles turned white.
K glared at the man that was sprawled in front of her through her silk mask. "This one just thought he would have a better chance of getting away if he burned the whole building. Idiot," She scoffed, wanting to kick the man oh-so much. But these childish emotions would not suffice; she needed to stay in her K persona until this fiend was off of her hands.
She opened her mouth but Watari intervened as she was about to recount the tale. "What are we to do about the criminal, K?"
Her face cleared of all emotion. "Create a rendezvous point for the client, somewhere secluded where business could be attended to without the eyes of other humans prying, then we can put half the monetary pay into the Wammy Orphanage and the rest into a private bank account under an alias, and tell the client to spread word round of Agent K and her associates." With that final comment she turned back to L, face scrunched up in pain when her left limp arm bumped with her thigh.
"Okay, this is how it all went…" L listened in, absorbing all of the almost fictitious details.
Kat had snuck into the large building inhabited by only one man, it was large and made of red bricks, ominous windows scattered around haphazardly.
The building itself reeked of trouble.
She was clinging to the walls, ears wide open and twitching at the slightest sound. As soon as she took in a breath, she nearly gagged at the coarse smell of tobacco smoke. Her eyes were drinking in all the corridors, the directions she had pored over for at least two hours coming out beautifully. Sure she was directionally challenged but that did not mean she could not execute her own plan.
From there, it was easy to find the moronic criminal named Joshua Emerson. He had tried to run away from her, resorting to throwing his tobacco onto a stack of papers.
At that point, she managed to yank a flailing criminal out the window and land on the ground, to wait for Watari.
But she did not mention the important details, like how she sustained injuries. That was her own fault. The stupid man had started throwing objects at her, surreptitiously hiding the fact that he was going to shoot her.
L looked on at her worried when he noticed how her right hand was cupping under the left, catching a crimson liquid. K shifted uncomfortably when she caught him staring at one of her wounds. What a career this would turn out for her. And him both.
Madeline Cullen: I thank those whom have reviewed this story, Black Lotus Flower and Timekeeper101, I appreciate it! Now I just want the rest of you whom have read my story to give me some feed back! It would do me some good to know this story is not a complete failure or tell me if I have done something wrong!
This Chapter has now been revised as of the second of May of 2009.