Promptfic: Secrets Threatened (Guardian, gen or pre-slash, 1235 words)
Story title: Secrets Threatened [link to AO3]
Author: Amedia
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: PG
Characters: Chu Shuzhi, Guo Changcheng, The Regent
Pairing: Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng
Summary: Secrets can be a dangerous weapon.
Word Count: 1235
Author's note: Prompt fill for
dorinda, who seconded undead_robin's request for "Guo Changcheng/Chu Shuzhi, keeping secrets (or revealing them !)"
The sun was rising as several members of the SID stood in a deserted city square with a newly-captured prisoner and the Black Robe Envoy.
"Chu Shuzhi," said the Envoy. Chu Shuzhi pushed his coat back out out of the way and knelt. "I cannot take this prisoner to Dixing because I am needed elsewhere immediately. Please take him there and deliver him to the Regent for me." The Envoy sketched a quick portal in the air with a wave of his hand and gestured to it.
"Of course, my lord," said Chu Shuzhi. The Envoy nodded, drew himself a different portal, and vanished. Chu Shuzhi took hold of the prisoner by one arm. Standing with his hands cuffed behind his back, head down, the man scarcely appeared to be the cold-blooded killer who had nearly blown up a coffee house full of innocent people before the SID found and stopped him. Yet it had taken several members of SID to track him down and capture him. Even the new intern, who had scarcely distinguished himself on his first job, had been helpful this time, using his phone to coordinate data coming in from Lin Jing for Da Qing, Zhao Yunlan, and Chu Shuzhi as needed.
Zhao Yunlan made a decision. The newbie had gotten his feet wet, he might as well jump into the deep end. "Little Guo, you go with them." Chu Shuzhi opened his mouth as if to protest and the chief held up his hand. "Just observe. Watch and learn. Don't get in Old Chu's way."
Chu Shuzhi looked grumpy, but didn't object out loud. "Come on, then," he growled without looking behind him. Guo Changcheng followed him and the prisoner through the portal, looking around himself open-mouthed as they entered Dixing. "Stop staring," snapped Chu Shuzhi. "You're not a tourist."
Guo Changcheng closed his mouth and tried to stop looking around so much. It helped that Chu Shuzhi was walking quickly, half-dragging the prisoner, and Guo Changcheng had to keep an eye on them both not to be left behind. The dim, gray-brown streets and buildings all looked much the same to him, but Chu Shuzhi clearly knew exactly where he was going, and soon they had stopped in front of some sort of dingy municipal building. Chu Shuzhi went up and banged on the door.
A nervous-looking woman in plain black clothes opened it; she and Chu Shuzhi spoke for a while. Neither of them looked happy. Finally, Chu Shuzhi came back to where Guo Changcheng and the prisoner were standing. "She needs me to come in and speak to the Regent for a few minutes before I bring in the prisoner. They have orders not to let us in, otherwise."
The prisoner gave a bitter chuckle. "No one's free down here."
Guo Changcheng was worried. "What-what will you do, Brother Chu?"
"The only thing I can do," said Chu Shuzhi with a shrug. "Go in and talk to the Regent. You stay here and keep an eye on the prisoner." He turned to go, and then turned back. "Be careful. He's dangerous."
"Yes, Brother Chu," said Guo Changcheng.
As the door swung shut behind Chu Shuzhi, the prisoner immediately turned toward Guo Changcheng.
Inside the building, the Regent came forward to greet Chu Shuzhi as soon as the door closed behind him. Chu Shuzhi bowed and the Regent waved his hand dismissively. "Skip the formalities and follow me," said the Regent, with a smile Chu Shuzhi knew better than to trust. "You'll learn a lot." Instead of walking further into the building, however, he led Chu Shuzhi to a small room beside the doorway, and pointed to an opening in the outside wall. "There's a hidden window here," he whispered. "It has no glass-you can hear, as well as see. I think you'll find it enlightening.
Chu Shuzhi peered through the opening. He wasn't quite sure how it was disguised on the other side, since it was big enough that he and the Regent could look out side-by-side. The prisoner was talking to Guo Changcheng, who was pale and shaky, but standing his ground.
"I bet you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," said the prisoner. Guo Changcheng didn't reply. "That organization you're working for looks like the good guys, but they're rotten to the core." The prisoner lowered his voice slightly, but Chu Shuzhi could still hear him clearly. "You have a chance now to get out while the getting is good."
"You're wrong about the SID," said Guo Changcheng, his expression stubborn despite his tremulous voice. "They're good people."
"Really?" laughed the prisoner. "Your supervisor there, Chu Shuzhi. How much do you actually know about him?" Guo Changcheng didn't answer, and the prisoner continued, a triumphant ring in his voice. "Then you should know he's a mass murderer. A shameless one, too. When he was captured, he didn't just admit his guilt, he proclaimed it!"
Chu Shuzhi glanced sideways. The Regent was looking smug.
Guo Changcheng said stubbornly, "I don't believe you."
"You should," said the prisoner. "I was there when they caught him. It was over a hundred years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday." His words had the ring of truth; Chu Shuzhi could tell that Guo Changcheng was listening attentively. The Regent was grinning ear to ear with delight. The prisoner continued, sensing his victory, crowing now. "His crimes were so bad, prison was too good for him. That's why he's being forced to work in Haixing now. Penal servitude. Now do you believe you belong at the SID? Working alongside freaks and criminals?"
The Regent clapped his hands. "Isn't this a wonderful show, Chu Shuzhi? Well worth the price of admission. Now that your underling has lost his trust in you, we could take bets on how long it will take for him to quit the SID. I'll say it's less than a month."
Guo Changcheng said quietly, "It doesn't matter. Even if what you say is true, it doesn't change how I see Brother Chu." Chu Shuzhi shot a glance sideways; the Regent's happy expression had become puzzled. Guo Changcheng took a deep breath and spoke more firmly. "If he really is working out a sentence for murder, then he's paying his debt, and I-I have no standing to second-guess your justice system. I can only judge based on my own experience. Brother Chu teaches me and protects me. Even when I'm scared, which is practically all the time, I know I'm safe when he's looking out for me."
The prisoner opened his mouth to speak again, looked at Guo Changcheng, sighed, and closed his mouth again.
Chu Shuzhi turned to face the Regent. "I'll be glad to take your bet," he said. "Easy money."
The Regent frowned. "You shouldn't gloat," he said. "It's unbecoming." Chu Shuzhi laughed. Angry now, the Regent growled, "Go, bring in the prisoner, and leave. Get out of my sight, and take that obstinate brat with you."
Chu Shuzhi stopped at a street stand on the way back to SID. "What do you like better, fizzy lemon water or sour plum?" Guo Changcheng pointed to the plum juice and began to reach for his wallet. Chu Shuzhi smacked his hand. "My treat, dumbass."
If Guo Changcheng guessed the reason, he was smart enough to keep quiet.
This entry was originally posted at https://amedia.dreamwidth.org/472596.html.
Author: Amedia
Fandom: Guardian
Rating: PG
Characters: Chu Shuzhi, Guo Changcheng, The Regent
Pairing: Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng
Summary: Secrets can be a dangerous weapon.
Word Count: 1235
Author's note: Prompt fill for
dorinda, who seconded undead_robin's request for "Guo Changcheng/Chu Shuzhi, keeping secrets (or revealing them !)"
The sun was rising as several members of the SID stood in a deserted city square with a newly-captured prisoner and the Black Robe Envoy.
"Chu Shuzhi," said the Envoy. Chu Shuzhi pushed his coat back out out of the way and knelt. "I cannot take this prisoner to Dixing because I am needed elsewhere immediately. Please take him there and deliver him to the Regent for me." The Envoy sketched a quick portal in the air with a wave of his hand and gestured to it.
"Of course, my lord," said Chu Shuzhi. The Envoy nodded, drew himself a different portal, and vanished. Chu Shuzhi took hold of the prisoner by one arm. Standing with his hands cuffed behind his back, head down, the man scarcely appeared to be the cold-blooded killer who had nearly blown up a coffee house full of innocent people before the SID found and stopped him. Yet it had taken several members of SID to track him down and capture him. Even the new intern, who had scarcely distinguished himself on his first job, had been helpful this time, using his phone to coordinate data coming in from Lin Jing for Da Qing, Zhao Yunlan, and Chu Shuzhi as needed.
Zhao Yunlan made a decision. The newbie had gotten his feet wet, he might as well jump into the deep end. "Little Guo, you go with them." Chu Shuzhi opened his mouth as if to protest and the chief held up his hand. "Just observe. Watch and learn. Don't get in Old Chu's way."
Chu Shuzhi looked grumpy, but didn't object out loud. "Come on, then," he growled without looking behind him. Guo Changcheng followed him and the prisoner through the portal, looking around himself open-mouthed as they entered Dixing. "Stop staring," snapped Chu Shuzhi. "You're not a tourist."
Guo Changcheng closed his mouth and tried to stop looking around so much. It helped that Chu Shuzhi was walking quickly, half-dragging the prisoner, and Guo Changcheng had to keep an eye on them both not to be left behind. The dim, gray-brown streets and buildings all looked much the same to him, but Chu Shuzhi clearly knew exactly where he was going, and soon they had stopped in front of some sort of dingy municipal building. Chu Shuzhi went up and banged on the door.
A nervous-looking woman in plain black clothes opened it; she and Chu Shuzhi spoke for a while. Neither of them looked happy. Finally, Chu Shuzhi came back to where Guo Changcheng and the prisoner were standing. "She needs me to come in and speak to the Regent for a few minutes before I bring in the prisoner. They have orders not to let us in, otherwise."
The prisoner gave a bitter chuckle. "No one's free down here."
Guo Changcheng was worried. "What-what will you do, Brother Chu?"
"The only thing I can do," said Chu Shuzhi with a shrug. "Go in and talk to the Regent. You stay here and keep an eye on the prisoner." He turned to go, and then turned back. "Be careful. He's dangerous."
"Yes, Brother Chu," said Guo Changcheng.
As the door swung shut behind Chu Shuzhi, the prisoner immediately turned toward Guo Changcheng.
Inside the building, the Regent came forward to greet Chu Shuzhi as soon as the door closed behind him. Chu Shuzhi bowed and the Regent waved his hand dismissively. "Skip the formalities and follow me," said the Regent, with a smile Chu Shuzhi knew better than to trust. "You'll learn a lot." Instead of walking further into the building, however, he led Chu Shuzhi to a small room beside the doorway, and pointed to an opening in the outside wall. "There's a hidden window here," he whispered. "It has no glass-you can hear, as well as see. I think you'll find it enlightening.
Chu Shuzhi peered through the opening. He wasn't quite sure how it was disguised on the other side, since it was big enough that he and the Regent could look out side-by-side. The prisoner was talking to Guo Changcheng, who was pale and shaky, but standing his ground.
"I bet you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into," said the prisoner. Guo Changcheng didn't reply. "That organization you're working for looks like the good guys, but they're rotten to the core." The prisoner lowered his voice slightly, but Chu Shuzhi could still hear him clearly. "You have a chance now to get out while the getting is good."
"You're wrong about the SID," said Guo Changcheng, his expression stubborn despite his tremulous voice. "They're good people."
"Really?" laughed the prisoner. "Your supervisor there, Chu Shuzhi. How much do you actually know about him?" Guo Changcheng didn't answer, and the prisoner continued, a triumphant ring in his voice. "Then you should know he's a mass murderer. A shameless one, too. When he was captured, he didn't just admit his guilt, he proclaimed it!"
Chu Shuzhi glanced sideways. The Regent was looking smug.
Guo Changcheng said stubbornly, "I don't believe you."
"You should," said the prisoner. "I was there when they caught him. It was over a hundred years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday." His words had the ring of truth; Chu Shuzhi could tell that Guo Changcheng was listening attentively. The Regent was grinning ear to ear with delight. The prisoner continued, sensing his victory, crowing now. "His crimes were so bad, prison was too good for him. That's why he's being forced to work in Haixing now. Penal servitude. Now do you believe you belong at the SID? Working alongside freaks and criminals?"
The Regent clapped his hands. "Isn't this a wonderful show, Chu Shuzhi? Well worth the price of admission. Now that your underling has lost his trust in you, we could take bets on how long it will take for him to quit the SID. I'll say it's less than a month."
Guo Changcheng said quietly, "It doesn't matter. Even if what you say is true, it doesn't change how I see Brother Chu." Chu Shuzhi shot a glance sideways; the Regent's happy expression had become puzzled. Guo Changcheng took a deep breath and spoke more firmly. "If he really is working out a sentence for murder, then he's paying his debt, and I-I have no standing to second-guess your justice system. I can only judge based on my own experience. Brother Chu teaches me and protects me. Even when I'm scared, which is practically all the time, I know I'm safe when he's looking out for me."
The prisoner opened his mouth to speak again, looked at Guo Changcheng, sighed, and closed his mouth again.
Chu Shuzhi turned to face the Regent. "I'll be glad to take your bet," he said. "Easy money."
The Regent frowned. "You shouldn't gloat," he said. "It's unbecoming." Chu Shuzhi laughed. Angry now, the Regent growled, "Go, bring in the prisoner, and leave. Get out of my sight, and take that obstinate brat with you."
Chu Shuzhi stopped at a street stand on the way back to SID. "What do you like better, fizzy lemon water or sour plum?" Guo Changcheng pointed to the plum juice and began to reach for his wallet. Chu Shuzhi smacked his hand. "My treat, dumbass."
If Guo Changcheng guessed the reason, he was smart enough to keep quiet.
This entry was originally posted at https://amedia.dreamwidth.org/472596.html.