The Creature and the Spy

16: The Humanity

(Author's note: The writing style has been changed to First person present tense.)

*Hansel*

I, still groggy and weak, limp inside Araki's protective arms. My eyes are open in tiny slits and the only view I could focus on is Araki's angry human face.

He opens their apartment door using his barely free right hand. He let us in and places my slightly awake body on the bed. I then let myself get comfortable with the littlest movements I could muster. I place my heavy shoulders accordingly on the soft pillows and murmured a soft 'thanks'. The day has been so exhausting, and I get very thankful when I am permitted to rest.

Araki, by then, paces to and fro around the wide room. I could see this, but I desire sleep more than any interaction. I could talk to him later, to say thanks or to ask what happened, but I'll do that when my brain is at its full function. Araki waits for me to close my eyes, and when I did, he kneels. Despite my half-conscious state, I could feel what he's doing. He hovers his hand over my forehead and begins to heal me from the rape drug they administered.

"Damn humans. Death to them all." I could hear him say.

Unfortunately, my will and my vague comprehension inhibits me from sleeping properly, and so I let my mind roam around the room, and subtly at him, to make my head feel tired and finally let it fall down.

Araki gets up and locates his cellphone from his pocket. After a dial and three rings, the other line answers. "There's an illegal pub in our street, behind the flowershop on Gensen alleyway." He says in French. "I want all people involved in that pub, the owners, the patrons, the regulars, all dead."

I did not hear what the other person replied, but maybe it was a reply of approval, which I became very concerned of.

He puts the phone down and hears a movement behind him. It was Hansel, trying his best to sit up,

"Don't try to stand up!" He says. It's too late to say that as I'm already upright, walking very groggly towards him. His eyes show concern.

"Do you need to kill? Really?" I demand, trying to sound authoritative despite failing to do so.

"And let the people who touched you roam around alive like nothing happened? I don't think so."

"There is law enforcement for that." I say, my energy beginning to come back, so explaining this regained ability to speak loudly. I walk towards Araki's tall frame, looking upward so steeply to face his eyes. "And they will repent once they get into prison."

"And how do you know, Mr. Detective? Because you're in law enforcement yourself? Do you even know if those criminals repent after doing such acts? No, the best the police could do is to keep them behind bars, or worse, let them run away!"

"Araki!" I shout. I want to slap him, he wants to say more, but I know I don't have much energy to do so. Araki probably notices this. I can feel a general wobbliness coming back to bite my spine, and so he holds my shoulders to keep me up.

"Let's put you to bed, Hansel. you need rest, please." He gently pleads

When I sat down, I groan a little, my sensitive private part still affected by the drug. I hate this, and the only thing that is making this ordeal a little bit better is that Araki is handling me. If it were other people, I could kill myself in embarrassment. 

"See what happened, love." Araki gently says. He caresses my hair and then carefully places my head on the pillow made of cot we are both very familiar with. It was a cot from the underworld he brought here. I could smell him in this bed, and that made it a bit comfortable. "I will not touch you any longer to avoid activating the drug. I have put a healing spell on you so it will be gone later."

"Hmm - " I say, moaning a little on Araki's big gentle hands. "Thank you."

I knew Araki as big and gentle. I had thought before if only Araki did not have ill intent, I would fall in love voluntarily, gay or not. Araki was a lovely person and a proper man until I learned he really wasn't. He used me, he toyed my heart, he betrayed me, but lord was he so gentle (and handsome). And on investigating the underworld, the Asmiras, Jadaki, King Dimito, and on living with him in a small condominium in Geneve, I learn...

... This man really loves me.

They broke up,  he got mad.

Oh, dear. If only fates were different.

"Araki." I whisper.

"Hansel." Araki answers, kneeling down to the cot next to my face.

"We could... Start again. In here, or in Ilalim. Please. Just leave your plan and be with me."

"Have you come to love me? For real? Or are you saying that as an Agent of NBI?" Araki says, still with gentle expression. His eyes project bittersweetness. Maybe he gained acceptance that this love will forever be one-sided, but I am yet to judge.

I went silent. Araki's question is right. What was I doing this for? For love, or for my mission? Can't I have both? Can't I hit two birds in one stone?

Maybe it's the drug talking.

"It is the drug talking." Araki sighs as if reading my mind. He stands up, thinking he should give me, the half-conscious man, some water. "Hansel, what if they really raped you? Would you say, 'oh, let them live? Let the authorities handle it.'?"

"What are you... Of course... That's what..."

"No, love. You only say that because you really were not raped. But imagine, you're just a woman who's trying her best to live and earn for her family, then she got raped and beaten up till death. The police could only capture him, or worse, not to. Did she deserve that? What had she ever done to receive such cruelty? How can her life, and the life of her family change so drastically just because some low-level jerk thought he couldn't contain his dick? How about the other victims, Hansel? People who are living honestly and kindly? What did they ever do to be treated disrespectfully?"

"But, the suspects repent!" I defend.

"Have you ever really been inside prison? Do you know how men inside there act? They boast their crimes to fellow criminals. Some still say they are innocent. Some repent, yes, but damage is done. Humans have been victimized. We have been victimized."

 I sigh, still lying down. "I really can't change your mind. But Araki, obliterating humanity is not the answer."

I'm almost begging. However, would this really change his mind? I want him to change his mind, because despite the world being shit, I'm pretty sure there's still hope. 

"You might think my plan is against humanity, but love, this is for humanity."

//One of the reasons why I keep leaving this story is because I don't know if I can properly deliver and justify moral arguments. //