Convict Unit: Black Parade

Hae-eun slapped her forehead, then waved her left hand—the one missing its ring finger.

“Summarize the situation. One sentence!”

Ghost obliged. “An unidentified shape-shifter took out the real Shield Bearer and infiltrated the team by impersonating him.”

“When were they swapped out?”

“It was the real one until we all gathered in your office. The switch happened while we were getting ready.”

Rabid Dog let out a low growl, apparently in agreement.

As Hae-eun clutched her head, Ghost continued, “There are two likely infiltration routes. Either they were already lying in wait inside the prison, disguised as a guard or a laborer, or…”

Hae-eun finished the thought. “Or they’re one of the Secret Service agents who came with the President’s daughter. It’s probably the latter. They seem to have a specific goal involving her, and lurking in this prison for a VIP who might not even show up makes no sense.”

This meant someone from the Secret Service, the very team meant to protect the President’s daughter, had orchestrated this.

“But why would they do this?”

“Unlikely to be the will of the Secret Service itself. Probably a rogue element or a planned crime by a small faction. In any case, we can’t trust them either.”

Listening to their exchange, Jae-hee tilted his head.

“Uh, I don’t really understand what’s going on…”

Hae-eun explained in a kind tone. “Now, Boy. Think about it. Let’s say you’ve infiltrated the Secret Service to either kidnap or assassinate the President’s daughter. You’ve been patiently waiting for your chance. And where is the President’s daughter trying to go right now?”

“Um… a Gate experience?”

Hae-eun snapped her fingers.

“Exactly. Is there any place where security is weaker or where it’s easier to stir up trouble than inside a Gate? They must think they’ve hit the jackpot.”

“So that’s why they tried to sneak into our escort team.”

A cold sweat began to bead on Jae-hee’s forehead. “Th-that’s dangerous! Shouldn’t we tell the President’s daughter and cancel the mission right now?”

“If our assumption that there’s a mole in the Secret Service is correct, then there’s no problem. But what if it’s not?”

“Huh?”

“What if, by some chance, the mole was hiding on our side? And it gets out that we almost sent them on the mission without knowing? What do you think would happen?”

“Wh-what would happen?”

“I’d have to take responsibility!”

“What?” Jae-hee’s jaw dropped at the absurd logic.

But Hae-eun was dead serious.

“You want me to report that we were duped and almost formed an escort team for the President’s daughter with an enemy aiming to assassinate or kidnap her? You want us all to face the music?”

“B-but then…”

“We’re burying this and moving on. As if nothing happened.”

“Whaaaaaat?!”

“We took care of the shape-shifter, so whoever’s behind this will lay low for now. Nothing happened! Just proceed as planned! As long as we get through this little picnic, we’re golden. Anything that happens after that isn’t our jurisdiction.”

After her brutish declaration, the commander jabbed a finger at Jae-hee. “Boy!”

“Y-yessir!”

“Get your ass downstairs and find a substitute.”

“A substitute?”

“The real Shield Bearer is missing in action. We need to fill the spot, don’t we? Just grab anyone!”

Hae-eun then paused, lost in thought for a moment before changing her order.

“No… not just anyone. Find someone the enemy couldn’t possibly imitate, and bring them here!”

“But where am I supposed to find someone like—”

“Hurry! We don’t have time! Run!”

Jae-hee scrambled out of the commander’s office and raced down to the First Deck.

“Easy for her to say,” he muttered, scanning his surroundings. “Where am I supposed to find someone that unique…”

Then his eyes landed on a man in the mess hall: a chubby boy with glasses, reading a comic book with one hand while stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth with the other.

Jae-hee pointed a finger at Status Window and yelled, “There’s one!”

***

“…So.” After the promised hour of styling, Dia asked in a tone dripping with disbelief, “What is this… round… lump?”

The round lump she was referring to was Status Window.

He, too, had been hastily stuffed into a suit, but because they couldn’t find one in his size, the jacket looked like it was about to burst at the seams, making him look like a round lump to any observer.

“There has been a change in agents for security reasons, miss,” Hae-eun said, forcing a bright smile as she introduced him. “This is Agent Status Window…”

“Ooh, it’s a villainess with drill-roll hair desu!” Status Window exclaimed, adjusting his glasses. “The execution is top-tier! Such a high-quality finish, yo!”

A bewildered Dia just blinked at him in stunned silence.

Status Window shook his head and took a step back. “Whoa there, don’t get too fixated on me desu.”

“Ha…?”

“I may be quite handsome, but let's just say… I'm not interested in 3D women? Heheh.”

A vein throbbed visibly on Dia’s pale temple.

Jae-hee quickly shoved Status Window back and stepped forward, gesturing to the other prisoners.

“The Black Parade Secret Service team! At your service!”

Ta-da!

Jae-hee pointed toward Ghost—a striking beauty with a cool demeanor, for all her faults—and the Doctor, who exuded a unique charm despite the various things covering her face.

“…Hmph.” Dia surveyed the remaining, meticulously styled prisoners and nodded. “Very well. The visuals of the others aren’t bad.”

Don’t judge a security team by their visuals… Jae-hee thought but kept his mouth shut.

After giving Jae-hee—who looked quite dashing in his tailored suit—a satisfied glance, Dia finally noticed the last member.

“Oh my, and this dog…?”

“Ah. He’s also part of our team.”

Rabid Dog.

The golden-furred therianthrope had been covered in the fake Shield Bearer’s blood just moments ago, but in that short time, the stylists had furiously scrubbed him clean again, leaving him looking reasonably presentable.

As Dia looked on with curiosity, the Doctor squatted down and began to scratch Rabid Dog’s head.

“Good boy, good boy.”

“Grrrrl…” Rabid Dog purred, clearly enjoying the attention.

With a soft “Ohh,” Dia carefully squatted down in front of him.

The Doctor slowly withdrew her hand, and Dia reached out, gently stroking Rabid Dog’s head.

“…Grrr.”

Rabid Dog shot her his signature ferocious glare but didn’t bother to shrug her off.

Her cheeks flushed, Dia said to the Doctor, “How adorable.”

“Are you fond of dogs?”

“Of course. I like them much more than people.”

Dia giggled, stroking Rabid Dog’s fluffy fur. “Watching them roam the world so freely, without a care for what anyone thinks… it almost makes me envious. Yes, I adore them.”

“I feel the same.”

“Ohoho.”

“Hehehe.”

The two dog lovers bonded, sharing a heartwarming laugh.

But… Listening from behind, Jae-hee broke out in a cold sweat. He’s not a real dog…

“Grrrrl~”

Rabid Dog let out a docile snort, then began to scratch his chin with his hind leg.

Wait, isn’t he a person who turned into a dog? Or is it the other way around? A dog that turned into a person?

In any case, Rabid Dog proved to be the deciding factor. Dia made no further comments about the appearance or composition of the Black Parade members.

She didn’t put a dog on the team just because the President’s daughter is a dog lover, did she…?

Ignoring Jae-hee’s look of rational suspicion, Hae-eun clapped her hands together.

“Alright, alright, the sun will set at this rate. Let’s get going and talk on the way!”

***

Thwup-thwup-thwup-thwup-thwup!

The transport helicopter lifted off.

While Dia enjoyed VIP treatment in a first-class seat (Jae-hee had no idea this helicopter even had a first-class section), the prisoners received their briefing in the cargo hold.

“While you all were getting dolled up, I found a suitable Gate.”

Hae-eun pointed to the southern outskirts of Seoul with the tip of her cane.

“A minimum-size Gate opened on the southern slope of Mt. Gwanak about twelve hours ago. The monsters there are Slimes.”

“Slimes!” Status Window pushed up his glasses and launched into his own commentary.

“The very symbol of a monster for beginners, a super-weak creature, ya know! Its image in the JRPG Dragon Quest had a massive impact on later depictions. This gelatinous thing with a round, streamlined body—”

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks for the explanation. Anyway, they’re basically pushovers, and they’re not too grotesque. Perfect for this mission.”

Hae-eun looked around at the prisoners and spoke with emphasis. “I’m telling you now, there is no need to close the Gate.”

She repeated herself for good measure.

“You don’t need to find the Core and destroy it, you don’t need to grab it and run, and if by some one-in-a-million chance a Boss Monster shows up, do not engage. Just run.”

She was telling them not to use any of the typical Gate closure strategies—Core Breach, Core Extraction, or Final Strike.

In short, they weren’t there to clear the Gate.

“This mission is to take the President’s daughter for a walk inside a Gate. And to return safely. Avoid combat with monsters as much as possible.”

The operational area was fast approaching.

Hae-eun checked her watch. “Time inside the Gate is one hour. If you stay any longer, I’ll send in a backup team to drag you out by force.”

One hour.

It was the shortest Black Parade mission they’d ever had. Jae-hee swallowed nervously.

Hae-eun waved her hand.

“Just take a light stroll. That is all!”

***

While everyone gathered their gear, Hae-eun approached Ghost as she was securing her black sword, Void Trinity, and whispered in a low voice.

“Ghost.”

“What.”

“Please, make sure you protect the President’s daughter.”

Hae-eun pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture. “I’m counting on you, okay? Please.”

Ghost eyed her sideways before letting out a heavy sigh. “Why wasn’t this mission given to Hunters? For the President’s daughter, several guilds would have stepped up.”

“As you can see, she’s a huge handful, to begin with… and the bill the President is pushing right now isn’t very popular with the Hunters. The relationship between the major guilds and the President has soured. Not to mention the Five Heroes.”

Ghost recalled the newspaper she had seen that morning. “You mean the ‘Awakened Protection Act.’”

“A law our dear President is staking his political life on.” A bitter smile touched Hae-eun’s lips. “Anyone would push back if you tried to slap cuffs on them in the name of ‘protection.’”

“…”

The Awakened Protection Act.

Despite the name suggesting protection, it was, in reality, a regulation act. It proposed that all Awakened register with the government and be required to wear inhibitors in their daily lives, deactivating them only when a Gate alert was issued. 

The law would limit the use of Awakened abilities to fighting monsters, restricting their use during peacetime.

“What makes it so interesting is that a Hunter-turned-President is the one pushing this bill.”

Ghost’s eyebrow twitched slightly. It was a personal matter, after all.

Thirty years ago, President San Kim and Ghost had been comrades who stood on the same battlefield.

“Well, we can’t live in a lawless frontier forever. The idea of finally moving toward a proper path to peace… it’s not entirely baseless. But from an Awakened perspective, it’s a restriction, so there’s been considerable backlash.”

“Hmph.” Ghost indifferently touched the explosive collar around her neck.

For someone who was always in cuffs or a bomb collar, such a law didn’t seem particularly novel.

“Then the ones threatening the President’s daughter are…”

“Most likely the ones unhappy with this bill.” Hae-eun gave Ghost a meaningful look and lowered her voice. “If we succeed in this ‘picnic,’ you’ll get on the President’s daughter’s good side.”

Ghost frowned at what came next.

“But if we succeed in the ‘mop-up,’ you’ll get on the President’s good side.”

A lead on the Awakened dissatisfied with the bill would make for a good public example.

“So that’s why you didn’t call off the mission. You want to draw more of them out.”

“We got a bite right from the start.” Hae-eun mimed reeling in a fishing line. “So let’s reel them in.”

“The President’s daughter could be in danger.”

“Isn’t that the kind of bait that tempts the big fish?”

“And what if she gets hurt or killed?”

“It would be a true tragedy, of course…” Hae-eun smiled sweetly and whispered, “But His Excellency the President, who needs a cause… might just welcome it.”

“Ha.” Ghost snorted and slung the sheathed sword over her shoulder. “I’ve never been on a clean mission, have I.”

Hae-eun gave a wink with her scar-riddled face. “That’s our job.”

Thwup-thwup-thwup-thwup!

The transport helicopter was rapidly approaching the operational area.