044: Death and All His Friends

[contract_star]

[Hei appears on the Plane in a simple wooden chair, his wrists zip-tied together behind the back. He seems to be unconscious, slumped forward in the chair, hair hanging in his face. He looks half-dead--battered and bruised and dusty. Blood is drying at his hairline and near his nose.]

[A moment goes by, and then he opens his eyes and sits up rather abruptly, shaking his head and sighing in annoyance. It's clear that while he's obviously been in a fight, it's not as bad as it first looked. He looks around the Plane.]

...Mostly according to plan...sort of.

Comments

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

Hei-san...?!

[Immediately drops and fetches the first-aid kit, but then kneels behind Hei and works on the zip-ties with the knife Kougaiji gave him. It may be worth noting he's got another shiny bruise on his face since the last time they'd spoken.]

[contract_star]

I'm fine. I told you I planned this, didn't I?

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

You're hurt. [Now pulling out some stuff to at least clean the blood off.]

[contract_star]

It's fine. I can ignore it.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

You shouldn't have to. ... At least let me bandage it.

[contract_star]

[Shrugs.] So it goes.

...Thank you.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

Of course. [Falls silent as he starts to work on the wounds as carefully as he can.]

[contract_star]

[Silent as well, since it's nice not to have to deal with them himself.]

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

... This was part of your plan, right?

[contract_star]

Yes. They needed to think they had complete control over me.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

What are you going to do next?

[contract_star]

I'm in a locked room with one powerful Contractor as a guard. There are seven Contractors total and five humans. There is no power in the building, no metal in the room. My weapons are gone. Once I take out the guard, I'll work my way down the floor below, where they're keeping Yin. I should be able to take the elevator shaft.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

Do you think you can do it without anything on hand?

[contract_star]

I can get knives from the kitchen.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[From where they were working on dressing the wounds, his hands pause. It's always been something Ryotarou acknowledged in the back of his mind — what he knows of Hei tells him that the Contractor isn't innocent. He must have killed before. That's what the mask and black coat were for, right? Still... it's hard to hold his tongue at saying something about the subject. At this point, is there really any other option? Ryotarou can't come and help. There's nothing for him to do.]

... Right.

[He resumes the bandaging, the pause having lasted for less than a few seconds.]

[contract_star]

[Watches Ryotarou carefully for a moment and then sighs a bit.]

You can say whatever you want.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't change anything. You have to do what you have to do now, right?

[contract_star]

That doesn't mean either of us have to like it.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

... No, it doesn't.

[contract_star]

[Looks away, an unreadable expression on his face.]

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't say anything for a moment or two. He finishes what he's doing and puts the supplies away.]

Do you have to kill them?

[contract_star]

I... [He thinks about that promise he made to Ikki and frowns. Is he really going to be able to uphold something like that?]

I don't know.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Ryotarou pauses again, and is thankful he's not looking straight at Hei. The hopeful look would probably be too much. He tries to school it and looks back up to him.]

You don't know?

[contract_star]

[No, no puppy eyes from you, Ryo B| Hei's frown deepens.]

I don't know.

[saythistostart.livejournal.com]

[Ryotarou cannot help his puppy eyes. He just can't.]

That's not 'yes', at least.