Agent Orange (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
24d_245t_tcdd) wrote2025-04-13 05:56 pm
24d_245t_tcdd) wrote2025-04-13 05:56 pm
Entry tags:
Extreme emotion requires extreme action
James looked at Noko's fiancee, Jaya, out of the corner of his eye. She fidgeted restlessly in her bonds, chewing lightly on her lower lip. His pale eyes flitted back to their captors and he blinked once. Slowly.
The five men standing near them were discussing Noko, of course. He was the hero, and they were the bait. Noko's lover and Noko's best friend; how better to get the highly emotional man to burst in? The leader of the five kept his voice low, detailing the plan. They were to be killed the moment that Noko approached, and they were to make it obvious that it was Noko's arrival that caused it. They aren't trying to merely hurt him - they are trying to destroy him. If James were someone else, his lips would have tightened. As it was he blinked once, slowly.
He could get them out, easily, but if he did Jaya would have to report him. She worked for the government registration agency - and finding out the identity of Agent Orange was her primary task. She'd been quite honest with Noko about it from the very beginning, before they'd even had their first date. James had quietly and dispassionately abstained from interfering: Noko didn't know who he was and if Jaya did figure it out James didn't want Noko to think that James had involved him unwittingly in the deception.
Jaya made a soft sound of distress. She was holding up well, she was an agent of a government agency, but she was not a field agent. She was a desk agent; if she were undercover she'd be a spy, but she wasn't emotionally suited for that. James flicked his eyes again, taking in the pallor in Jaya's deeply tanned skin. She slumped slightly, curled around her stomach, and there was a faint green tinge to her face. Another glance, this time towards the window and the early morning light. Back to Jaya, and how the light hit her face. There was a light spread of acne on her cheeks and he blinked again slowly.
One of the men approached them, raising his fist to Jaya with a grin, "Gotta make this good." he said with a grin that started as a sneer. James spoke, then, the first words he'd said since they were grabbed; "Beating a woman," came his near monotone, "who is bound. How strong." The man flinched, it would have been easier to ignore if James sounded disdainful. He was used to disdain, to people desperately trying to stop him. This was just...cold.
The man turned away from Jaya to see cold, empty eyes watching him. James knew how his eyes disturbed people. They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, and more than one person had said to his face that he didn't have one. He didn't blink. The man flinched, and then he moved towards James with a face that ran the gamut of white-to-red; fear to anger.
James didn't react when his head snapped back at the first punch. Or the second, third...the beating started with just the one man, and then his fellows joined in. Their leader watched, and James allowed himself to breathe hard; to show some signs of pain. It went against the grain on many levels, but he needed them to go after him, and only him.
Jaya watched with wide, terrified eyes. He knew she didn't care for him much, she just put up with him for Noko's sake. He actually didn't mind her; she suited his friend down to the bone and that was all that mattered to James. His deeply analytical mind caught the slight changes in her expression as she realized that he had taken this on...on purpose. He was taking the beating so that she didn't.
"James..." she whispered, "I'm..." one of the men looked over at her; "You're next." he said with glee, waving a blood covered finger in her face tauntingly. Her voice faltered, and she said, "sorry..." getting rough laughter in return.
"She's sorry, she's sooooorrryyyy!" one of them said in a sing-song, "You will be, bitch."
Through a bruised eye, bleeding from his eyebrow, James saw her shrink over her belly more. It was confirmation of what he'd thought.
That changed everything.
"Jaya," he said, his voice just as dispassionate as ever, "I apologise."
"Wh...?" his attackers paused out of confusion at the calmness of his words.
"James?" was Jaya's baffled contribution to the madness. James tilted his head slightly, "For letting this go on so long," and with that he dislocated his own thumbs and slipped out of the handcuffs around his wrists. He exploded out of the seat, smashing it as he did, and began to fight.
Five on one, with a pregnant hostage. Agent Orange wasn't a big one for theatrics at the best of times, and this wasn't the best of times. He went hard, not holding back. He always held back, because a hero who killed wasn't a hero - and being able to be a hero was the only thing that kept the government from hunting him for his head. This was worth it, though. If she survived, if the baby survived, he would put heart's blood on his hands.
Skin tore, knuckles cracked, bones broke, some of them were his but most of them weren't. Blood spilled, the same. Soon enough, men were down. James knelt by Jaya's chair and unlocked her cuffs with the key pulled from the pocket of the leader. Her wide, brown eyes looked at him with confused terror, "What am I supposed to do?" she whispered. I knew she was smart.
Agent Orange had no emotions at all. Everyone knew that. James, however, was just flattened affect. His lips did quirk, slightly, and he said gently, "Your job, Jaya." and kissed her forehead.
Noko arrived roughly half an hour later. James was seated on the ground, his breathing shaky from the pain he was allowing himself to feel. With him came the agency, hard on his heels. Jaya slammed into her lover, putting her head on his chest, and sobbed. James knew that, soon enough, they'd be debriefed. If he were someone else, he'd sigh.
"Agent Orange," he heard Jaya say breathlessly, Oh. Not waiting, I suppose. Makes sense., "He came to save us! James was hurt...but then the Agent came and saved us." James glanced up at her, and saw that she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. He gave another small smile, then allowed the medics to attend his wounds.
Perhaps she liked him better than he thought.
The five men standing near them were discussing Noko, of course. He was the hero, and they were the bait. Noko's lover and Noko's best friend; how better to get the highly emotional man to burst in? The leader of the five kept his voice low, detailing the plan. They were to be killed the moment that Noko approached, and they were to make it obvious that it was Noko's arrival that caused it. They aren't trying to merely hurt him - they are trying to destroy him. If James were someone else, his lips would have tightened. As it was he blinked once, slowly.
He could get them out, easily, but if he did Jaya would have to report him. She worked for the government registration agency - and finding out the identity of Agent Orange was her primary task. She'd been quite honest with Noko about it from the very beginning, before they'd even had their first date. James had quietly and dispassionately abstained from interfering: Noko didn't know who he was and if Jaya did figure it out James didn't want Noko to think that James had involved him unwittingly in the deception.
Jaya made a soft sound of distress. She was holding up well, she was an agent of a government agency, but she was not a field agent. She was a desk agent; if she were undercover she'd be a spy, but she wasn't emotionally suited for that. James flicked his eyes again, taking in the pallor in Jaya's deeply tanned skin. She slumped slightly, curled around her stomach, and there was a faint green tinge to her face. Another glance, this time towards the window and the early morning light. Back to Jaya, and how the light hit her face. There was a light spread of acne on her cheeks and he blinked again slowly.
One of the men approached them, raising his fist to Jaya with a grin, "Gotta make this good." he said with a grin that started as a sneer. James spoke, then, the first words he'd said since they were grabbed; "Beating a woman," came his near monotone, "who is bound. How strong." The man flinched, it would have been easier to ignore if James sounded disdainful. He was used to disdain, to people desperately trying to stop him. This was just...cold.
The man turned away from Jaya to see cold, empty eyes watching him. James knew how his eyes disturbed people. They say that eyes are the windows to the soul, and more than one person had said to his face that he didn't have one. He didn't blink. The man flinched, and then he moved towards James with a face that ran the gamut of white-to-red; fear to anger.
James didn't react when his head snapped back at the first punch. Or the second, third...the beating started with just the one man, and then his fellows joined in. Their leader watched, and James allowed himself to breathe hard; to show some signs of pain. It went against the grain on many levels, but he needed them to go after him, and only him.
Jaya watched with wide, terrified eyes. He knew she didn't care for him much, she just put up with him for Noko's sake. He actually didn't mind her; she suited his friend down to the bone and that was all that mattered to James. His deeply analytical mind caught the slight changes in her expression as she realized that he had taken this on...on purpose. He was taking the beating so that she didn't.
"James..." she whispered, "I'm..." one of the men looked over at her; "You're next." he said with glee, waving a blood covered finger in her face tauntingly. Her voice faltered, and she said, "sorry..." getting rough laughter in return.
"She's sorry, she's sooooorrryyyy!" one of them said in a sing-song, "You will be, bitch."
Through a bruised eye, bleeding from his eyebrow, James saw her shrink over her belly more. It was confirmation of what he'd thought.
That changed everything.
"Jaya," he said, his voice just as dispassionate as ever, "I apologise."
"Wh...?" his attackers paused out of confusion at the calmness of his words.
"James?" was Jaya's baffled contribution to the madness. James tilted his head slightly, "For letting this go on so long," and with that he dislocated his own thumbs and slipped out of the handcuffs around his wrists. He exploded out of the seat, smashing it as he did, and began to fight.
Five on one, with a pregnant hostage. Agent Orange wasn't a big one for theatrics at the best of times, and this wasn't the best of times. He went hard, not holding back. He always held back, because a hero who killed wasn't a hero - and being able to be a hero was the only thing that kept the government from hunting him for his head. This was worth it, though. If she survived, if the baby survived, he would put heart's blood on his hands.
Skin tore, knuckles cracked, bones broke, some of them were his but most of them weren't. Blood spilled, the same. Soon enough, men were down. James knelt by Jaya's chair and unlocked her cuffs with the key pulled from the pocket of the leader. Her wide, brown eyes looked at him with confused terror, "What am I supposed to do?" she whispered. I knew she was smart.
Agent Orange had no emotions at all. Everyone knew that. James, however, was just flattened affect. His lips did quirk, slightly, and he said gently, "Your job, Jaya." and kissed her forehead.
Noko arrived roughly half an hour later. James was seated on the ground, his breathing shaky from the pain he was allowing himself to feel. With him came the agency, hard on his heels. Jaya slammed into her lover, putting her head on his chest, and sobbed. James knew that, soon enough, they'd be debriefed. If he were someone else, he'd sigh.
"Agent Orange," he heard Jaya say breathlessly, Oh. Not waiting, I suppose. Makes sense., "He came to save us! James was hurt...but then the Agent came and saved us." James glanced up at her, and saw that she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. He gave another small smile, then allowed the medics to attend his wounds.
Perhaps she liked him better than he thought.