[Fic]: New Recruit
Title: New Recruit
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Characters: Alak, Hyun Su (OCs)
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: On a cold, rainy night, Dai Li agent Hyun Su meets the Dai Li's latest recruit.
Notes: Hyun Su belongs to beckyh2112 and is used with her permission and input. Takes place roughly six months before Aang's arrival in Ba Sing Se.
It was an absolutely miserable night.
Hyun Su stood beneath a cloth awning, taking shelter from the freezing rain pouring down. It wasn't winter, not yet, but it seemed the weather spirits were in a rush to bring the next season.
He took a drag on his cigarette and then exhaled; while he didn't smoke often, the night was bitter enough that indulging brought some small comfort.
At least he could go home now.
Movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see a dark figure approaching. He shifted slightly, balancing his weight better for a sudden strike should one be necessary.
The figure, when it drew closer, turned out to be a boy not much younger than their sole trainee. He had the gawky look of one not yet grown into his limbs, and at the moment resembled nothing so much as a soaked, miserable hedgepuppy.
He was also vaguely familiar, now that Hyun Su thought about it. The red-rimmed eyes were new, though.
"Excuse me," the boy said quietly. Hyun Su had to strain to hear him through the rain patter. "I... where would I go to accept a Dai Li offer?"
Now Hyun Su remembered the face.
It'd been daylight the last time he'd seen the boy. He'd been wary then; nowhere near as unhappy as he looked now. He took another drag on his cigarette, considering, then stubbed it out. "Come with me," he said in as gentle a tone as he could manage. The boy needed dry, warm clothes -- and food, if he was any judge.
After a moment's hesitation, the boy nodded. "Okay."
"What's your name?" Hyun Su asked as he led the boy towards his apartment.
"Alak," was the soft reply. "I'm called Alak."
Fortunately, it wasn't all that far to Hyun Su's place. He stubbed out his cigarette, then led Alak inside. "Here," he said, going to a chest of drawers and digging through it, "put these on. They'll be a little big, but they're dry." He tossed a tunic and pants to the kid, and piled a blanket and a towel on top of them. "You can change in there," he added, nodding to his bedroom. "I'll get some dinner started."
Alak bit his lower lip, looking like he wanted to cry again. But he nodded and vanished to change.
Hyun Su poked up the fire, then stepped over to his kitchen and peered in his icebox to see what he had for dinner. He'd make a vegetable bàn miàn *, he decided. Alak could do with some warmth. And a task to distract him.
The bedroom door opened, and he said without turning, "Hang your clothes up over there, by the fire, then come over here when you're done."
He barely heard the whispered thanks.
How long had Alak been out in the wet before deciding to accept the Dai Li's offer, he wondered.
When Alak's footsteps approached, he sat the boy down at the table, with a cutting board, knife, and the vegetables Hyun Su preferred. "You know how to dice food?" he asked.
When the boy nodded, Hyun Su smiled. "Then get started."
Alak inclined his head and got to work while Hyun Su prepared everything else. While the food cooked, Hyun Su also made tea. He gave Alak the first cup, ignoring the boy's attempt at courtesy. "You need the warmth."
Alak flushed, but refused to drink any until Hyun Su filled his own cup.
Merchants.
"So," Hyun Su said, once Alak had a full cup of tea in him and looked generally less bedraggled. "Why are you accepting the Dai Li's offer?"
For a long moment, Alak was silent. Finally, he admitted, "Because I have nowhere else to go. My grandfather, he--" His voice broke, and he rubbed his arm quickly over his eyes.
Hyun Su reached across the table to grip the boy's shoulder reassuringly. Alak took a deep breath, then went on, "He didn't like that I was... someone the Dai Li would deem a worthy candidate. He kicked me out of the house and said he would have me disowned."
Alak closed his eyes. "I thought he was just angry, that he'd change his mind after a day or two. Especially because he wouldn't let mother give me anything to smooth my way -- not money, or extra clothing, or even food. He said if the Dai Li wanted me, they could provide for my upkeep."
Hyun Su's eyes narrowed. "You were going to accept?"
Alak shook his head. "No, I..." He bit his bottom lip. "I was going to refuse. I was happy. Aunt Liqiu was teaching Biyu and me a different way of weaving silk, and..." His voice trailed off, and his hands curled into fists. "Grandfather didn't care."
"Alak," Hyun Su said, as gently as he could. "Do you want to be Dai Li?"
The look in his eyes was answer enough, but instead of the negative he expected, Alak said, "I have to."
Hyun Su allowed his surprise to show on his face, and as expected, Alak elaborated. "I can't do anything else. If I try to go to other cloth-makers or tailors, grandfather will find out. I... I could beg, or steal, but I want to do those even less than I want..."
"To be Dai Li," Hyun Su finished. And the other alternatives were starving or freezing to death: winter was approaching.
Alak flushed and mumbled something.
Hyun Su sighed. "Well, it's too late to do anything now. It's after hours."
The boy immediately looked nervous. "Then what should I do?"
"You'll stay the night with me," Hyun Su said promptly. "I've some other blankets and a spare pillow you can use. In the morning, we'll see what options Hyo-sir offers." He smiled kindly at Alak. "It may well be you'd fit better in the Ministry of Culture than in the Dai Li."
Startled, Alak looked into his eyes for the first time that night. "Really?"
"Really," Hyun Su said, excusing himself to check on dinner and to give the boy a few minutes to process that information. "It's your choice."
Alak fell silent, and remained pensive through dinner. He helped Hyun Su clean up afterwards, and then to set up another sleeping area beside the futon.
It wasn't until Hyun Su was drifting off to sleep that Alak spoke again. "What's your name?"
"Hyun Su."
"Good night, Hyun Su. And... thank you."
Hyun Su smiled in the darkness. "You're welcome."
The ninth hour after midnight found Hyun Su and young Alak just outside Commander Hyo's office. The boy was nervous, visibly so, though he sat still as a statue. Hyun Su stood impassivly next to him, stone-gloved hands tucked into his sleeves.
It was fortunate that Hyo was Commander now. From what he'd heard of the previous commander, the choice he'd given Alak, of going into the Ministry of Culture instead of the Dai Li, would have been untenable.
The door to the office opened, and Hyo's seven-year-old daughter blinked in surprise. "Hyun Su!" she exclaimed, a broad smile covering her face.
Hyun Su smiled back. "Hello, Mi-Cha. We're here to see Hyo-sir."
She nodded and pushed the door all the way open for them. "He's at his desk."
"Thank you," he said gravely, sweeping her a courtly bow that earned him a delighted giggle.
"Who is that?" she asked, peering past him to Alak. "Is he like Lanh?"
"No," Hyun Su said. He wasn't sure the Dai Li could handle another one like Lanh. He gestured for Alak to follow, then entered the office.
The Commander of the Dai Li looked like he was in a good mood, despite the pile of papers on either side of his desk. A corner of his office had been barricaded off with what looked like cushions; likely Mi-Cha's work. Sunlight glinted off an emerald that had fallen outside the confines of the small fort.
"Hyun Su," Hyo-sir greeted him. "What brings you by?"
Hyun Su drew Alak forward. "Alak does, sir."
It was the work of only a few minutes to get Alak to explain his story, during which Hyo-sir grew distinctly unhappy. Hyun Su noticed a frowning Mi-Cha disappear briefly into the cushon fort, then return to push a small stone into Alak's hand.
When Alak finished speaking, Hyo steepled his fingers. "It is... unfortunate that your grandfather reacted the way he did." To the boy's obvious relief, however, he said no more on that subject.
"I thought he might be suitable for the Ministry of Culture," Hyun Su said. "So he isn't forced to join the Dai Li," he didn't add.
Hyo-sir heard it anyway. "I see. I'll have a word with the Minister, if that is Alak's decision."
"No."
Both men blinked and looked over at the boy. "Come again?" Hyun Su asked.
Alak looked up, his green eyes burning. "I don't want to join the Ministry of Culture, sir."
Hyo and Hyun Su exchanged looks. "I thought you didn't want to be Dai Li," Hyun Su said, confused.
"I... didn't," Alak said. "But I thought about it, and... I've changed my mind."
"Why?" asked Hyo-sir gently.
Unaccountably, Alak flushed. "I just..." he trailed off, trying to marshall his thoughts. He glanced at Hyun Su, then looked down. "Thought about it a little more."
Hyo-sir nodded. "Very well. Mi-Cha, take Alak outside. I'd like a word with Hyun Su."
Mi-Cha beamed up at Alak and led him out by the hand, chattering away at him about something her doll had done yesterday.
When the door closed behind them, Hyo-sir looked at him. "I don't think he'd do well rooming with Lanh," he said. "At least, not at first."
"Because he's a merchant, or...?"
"Because Lanh will drive him to madness within a day," Hyo-sir clarified. "We're working on the kleptomania, but nothing seems to break the habit."
"I could take him," Hyun Su offered. "Alak, I mean."
Hyo-sir smiled. "I'd hoped you would," he admitted. "He seems to trust you, somewhat."
Hyun Su flushed. "I just let him stay the night, that's all."
"And showed him there's good in the Dai Li," Hyo said. "You did a good job, Hyun Su. If you want to mentor the boy..."
"I do," Hyun Su said. "He's a good kid." He didn't want Bae or the other mindbenders to take an interest, either.
"Very well," Hyo-sir agreed. "He's your responsibility. I'll let Joo Dee know."
Hyun Su blinked. "Joo Dee?"
The Commander smiled. "Of course. Alak won't be earning pay as of yet, and it wouldn't be fair to ask you to support the boy on your salary as it stands. Lanh's mentors draw from the same fund when they have him."
"Oh. Uh. Thank you, sir," he said. How long had they had that fund? Probably for some time, Hyun Su realised. Alak and Lanh weren't the only down-on-their-luck boys the Dai Li had recruited.
Hyo-sir's smile grew wider. "Take your boy to be fitted for robes. And other clothes. Give him a day or so to get used to the idea of joining the Dai Li -- and time to make his final decision."
"Yes, sir," Hyun Su said, bowing. He was very glad Hyo-sir was Commander now.
* Bàn miàn is typically known as lo mein in English.
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Characters: Alak, Hyun Su (OCs)
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: On a cold, rainy night, Dai Li agent Hyun Su meets the Dai Li's latest recruit.
Notes: Hyun Su belongs to beckyh2112 and is used with her permission and input. Takes place roughly six months before Aang's arrival in Ba Sing Se.
It was an absolutely miserable night.
Hyun Su stood beneath a cloth awning, taking shelter from the freezing rain pouring down. It wasn't winter, not yet, but it seemed the weather spirits were in a rush to bring the next season.
He took a drag on his cigarette and then exhaled; while he didn't smoke often, the night was bitter enough that indulging brought some small comfort.
At least he could go home now.
Movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see a dark figure approaching. He shifted slightly, balancing his weight better for a sudden strike should one be necessary.
The figure, when it drew closer, turned out to be a boy not much younger than their sole trainee. He had the gawky look of one not yet grown into his limbs, and at the moment resembled nothing so much as a soaked, miserable hedgepuppy.
He was also vaguely familiar, now that Hyun Su thought about it. The red-rimmed eyes were new, though.
"Excuse me," the boy said quietly. Hyun Su had to strain to hear him through the rain patter. "I... where would I go to accept a Dai Li offer?"
Now Hyun Su remembered the face.
It'd been daylight the last time he'd seen the boy. He'd been wary then; nowhere near as unhappy as he looked now. He took another drag on his cigarette, considering, then stubbed it out. "Come with me," he said in as gentle a tone as he could manage. The boy needed dry, warm clothes -- and food, if he was any judge.
After a moment's hesitation, the boy nodded. "Okay."
"What's your name?" Hyun Su asked as he led the boy towards his apartment.
"Alak," was the soft reply. "I'm called Alak."
Fortunately, it wasn't all that far to Hyun Su's place. He stubbed out his cigarette, then led Alak inside. "Here," he said, going to a chest of drawers and digging through it, "put these on. They'll be a little big, but they're dry." He tossed a tunic and pants to the kid, and piled a blanket and a towel on top of them. "You can change in there," he added, nodding to his bedroom. "I'll get some dinner started."
Alak bit his lower lip, looking like he wanted to cry again. But he nodded and vanished to change.
Hyun Su poked up the fire, then stepped over to his kitchen and peered in his icebox to see what he had for dinner. He'd make a vegetable bàn miàn *, he decided. Alak could do with some warmth. And a task to distract him.
The bedroom door opened, and he said without turning, "Hang your clothes up over there, by the fire, then come over here when you're done."
He barely heard the whispered thanks.
How long had Alak been out in the wet before deciding to accept the Dai Li's offer, he wondered.
When Alak's footsteps approached, he sat the boy down at the table, with a cutting board, knife, and the vegetables Hyun Su preferred. "You know how to dice food?" he asked.
When the boy nodded, Hyun Su smiled. "Then get started."
Alak inclined his head and got to work while Hyun Su prepared everything else. While the food cooked, Hyun Su also made tea. He gave Alak the first cup, ignoring the boy's attempt at courtesy. "You need the warmth."
Alak flushed, but refused to drink any until Hyun Su filled his own cup.
Merchants.
"So," Hyun Su said, once Alak had a full cup of tea in him and looked generally less bedraggled. "Why are you accepting the Dai Li's offer?"
For a long moment, Alak was silent. Finally, he admitted, "Because I have nowhere else to go. My grandfather, he--" His voice broke, and he rubbed his arm quickly over his eyes.
Hyun Su reached across the table to grip the boy's shoulder reassuringly. Alak took a deep breath, then went on, "He didn't like that I was... someone the Dai Li would deem a worthy candidate. He kicked me out of the house and said he would have me disowned."
Alak closed his eyes. "I thought he was just angry, that he'd change his mind after a day or two. Especially because he wouldn't let mother give me anything to smooth my way -- not money, or extra clothing, or even food. He said if the Dai Li wanted me, they could provide for my upkeep."
Hyun Su's eyes narrowed. "You were going to accept?"
Alak shook his head. "No, I..." He bit his bottom lip. "I was going to refuse. I was happy. Aunt Liqiu was teaching Biyu and me a different way of weaving silk, and..." His voice trailed off, and his hands curled into fists. "Grandfather didn't care."
"Alak," Hyun Su said, as gently as he could. "Do you want to be Dai Li?"
The look in his eyes was answer enough, but instead of the negative he expected, Alak said, "I have to."
Hyun Su allowed his surprise to show on his face, and as expected, Alak elaborated. "I can't do anything else. If I try to go to other cloth-makers or tailors, grandfather will find out. I... I could beg, or steal, but I want to do those even less than I want..."
"To be Dai Li," Hyun Su finished. And the other alternatives were starving or freezing to death: winter was approaching.
Alak flushed and mumbled something.
Hyun Su sighed. "Well, it's too late to do anything now. It's after hours."
The boy immediately looked nervous. "Then what should I do?"
"You'll stay the night with me," Hyun Su said promptly. "I've some other blankets and a spare pillow you can use. In the morning, we'll see what options Hyo-sir offers." He smiled kindly at Alak. "It may well be you'd fit better in the Ministry of Culture than in the Dai Li."
Startled, Alak looked into his eyes for the first time that night. "Really?"
"Really," Hyun Su said, excusing himself to check on dinner and to give the boy a few minutes to process that information. "It's your choice."
Alak fell silent, and remained pensive through dinner. He helped Hyun Su clean up afterwards, and then to set up another sleeping area beside the futon.
It wasn't until Hyun Su was drifting off to sleep that Alak spoke again. "What's your name?"
"Hyun Su."
"Good night, Hyun Su. And... thank you."
Hyun Su smiled in the darkness. "You're welcome."
The ninth hour after midnight found Hyun Su and young Alak just outside Commander Hyo's office. The boy was nervous, visibly so, though he sat still as a statue. Hyun Su stood impassivly next to him, stone-gloved hands tucked into his sleeves.
It was fortunate that Hyo was Commander now. From what he'd heard of the previous commander, the choice he'd given Alak, of going into the Ministry of Culture instead of the Dai Li, would have been untenable.
The door to the office opened, and Hyo's seven-year-old daughter blinked in surprise. "Hyun Su!" she exclaimed, a broad smile covering her face.
Hyun Su smiled back. "Hello, Mi-Cha. We're here to see Hyo-sir."
She nodded and pushed the door all the way open for them. "He's at his desk."
"Thank you," he said gravely, sweeping her a courtly bow that earned him a delighted giggle.
"Who is that?" she asked, peering past him to Alak. "Is he like Lanh?"
"No," Hyun Su said. He wasn't sure the Dai Li could handle another one like Lanh. He gestured for Alak to follow, then entered the office.
The Commander of the Dai Li looked like he was in a good mood, despite the pile of papers on either side of his desk. A corner of his office had been barricaded off with what looked like cushions; likely Mi-Cha's work. Sunlight glinted off an emerald that had fallen outside the confines of the small fort.
"Hyun Su," Hyo-sir greeted him. "What brings you by?"
Hyun Su drew Alak forward. "Alak does, sir."
It was the work of only a few minutes to get Alak to explain his story, during which Hyo-sir grew distinctly unhappy. Hyun Su noticed a frowning Mi-Cha disappear briefly into the cushon fort, then return to push a small stone into Alak's hand.
When Alak finished speaking, Hyo steepled his fingers. "It is... unfortunate that your grandfather reacted the way he did." To the boy's obvious relief, however, he said no more on that subject.
"I thought he might be suitable for the Ministry of Culture," Hyun Su said. "So he isn't forced to join the Dai Li," he didn't add.
Hyo-sir heard it anyway. "I see. I'll have a word with the Minister, if that is Alak's decision."
"No."
Both men blinked and looked over at the boy. "Come again?" Hyun Su asked.
Alak looked up, his green eyes burning. "I don't want to join the Ministry of Culture, sir."
Hyo and Hyun Su exchanged looks. "I thought you didn't want to be Dai Li," Hyun Su said, confused.
"I... didn't," Alak said. "But I thought about it, and... I've changed my mind."
"Why?" asked Hyo-sir gently.
Unaccountably, Alak flushed. "I just..." he trailed off, trying to marshall his thoughts. He glanced at Hyun Su, then looked down. "Thought about it a little more."
Hyo-sir nodded. "Very well. Mi-Cha, take Alak outside. I'd like a word with Hyun Su."
Mi-Cha beamed up at Alak and led him out by the hand, chattering away at him about something her doll had done yesterday.
When the door closed behind them, Hyo-sir looked at him. "I don't think he'd do well rooming with Lanh," he said. "At least, not at first."
"Because he's a merchant, or...?"
"Because Lanh will drive him to madness within a day," Hyo-sir clarified. "We're working on the kleptomania, but nothing seems to break the habit."
"I could take him," Hyun Su offered. "Alak, I mean."
Hyo-sir smiled. "I'd hoped you would," he admitted. "He seems to trust you, somewhat."
Hyun Su flushed. "I just let him stay the night, that's all."
"And showed him there's good in the Dai Li," Hyo said. "You did a good job, Hyun Su. If you want to mentor the boy..."
"I do," Hyun Su said. "He's a good kid." He didn't want Bae or the other mindbenders to take an interest, either.
"Very well," Hyo-sir agreed. "He's your responsibility. I'll let Joo Dee know."
Hyun Su blinked. "Joo Dee?"
The Commander smiled. "Of course. Alak won't be earning pay as of yet, and it wouldn't be fair to ask you to support the boy on your salary as it stands. Lanh's mentors draw from the same fund when they have him."
"Oh. Uh. Thank you, sir," he said. How long had they had that fund? Probably for some time, Hyun Su realised. Alak and Lanh weren't the only down-on-their-luck boys the Dai Li had recruited.
Hyo-sir's smile grew wider. "Take your boy to be fitted for robes. And other clothes. Give him a day or so to get used to the idea of joining the Dai Li -- and time to make his final decision."
"Yes, sir," Hyun Su said, bowing. He was very glad Hyo-sir was Commander now.
* Bàn miàn is typically known as lo mein in English.