(Originally published in Distracting Drabbles)

"There's a lot of little noodle stands like this in the neighborhood," Saitou said, "but this one has the best lunch special."

Kouno rolled his eyes. "Yeah, overcooked beef is definitely worth the handful of pocket change that we saved."

"Hey, it all adds up! By the end of the month, you'll have saved enough for an extra lunch. Anyway, the food here's great - what do you think, Li?"

Hei tipped his bowl into his mouth to drain the rest of the broth. He set it down and shrugged. "I think it's fine."

"You're opinion doesn't count, you'll eat anything," Kouno said.

Saitou laughed. "That's true. Hey, we should -" The ringing of his phone cut him off. Pulling it out of his suit jacket pocket, he answered, "Saitou here."

"Uh, are you going to finish that?" Hei asked, looking into Kouno's still half-full bowl. Wordlessly, the other man pushed it over to him; Hei took it gratefully. The food wasn't bad, but the portions were too small.

He'd barely swallowed a mouthful of noodles when Saitou snapped his phone shut. "Contractor activity two miles away - looks like a bank robbery. Suspect fleeing on foot, pursued by patrols."

"Right. Back to it." Kouno slid off his stool and grabbed his jacket. "Let's go, Li."

Hei followed suit, adjusting his own jacket awkwardly. The holster tucked under his left arm didn't feel right; unbalanced. And the jacket was a bit too confining for his taste.

"You'll get used to it," Saitou assured him. "Most people are nervous when they start carrying a gun for the first time. But you've been through the training; you know how to handle it."

"Yeah," Hei said vaguely as the three of them rushed into Saitou's car. Maybe he could swap the suit for more casual clothes. Misaki had insisted that suits looked more professional, but Hei'd never seen Kouno in one. He still had his bulletproof coat; he could probably take it to a tailor and have it turned into a blazer or something.

"So what're we looking at?" Kouno asked as the car sped away from the curb.

"IE-801," Saitou said. Kouno punched the Messier code into his tablet; Hei leaned as far forward as his seatbelt would allow to view the screen from his seat in the back.

"No picture. Let's see…ability to phase through solid objects; known involvement in South America; former affiliations include the CIA and - shit - the Syndicate."

Saitou gave a grunt of acknowledgment and whipped around a corner.

Shit, Hei mentally echoed. He didn't recognize the Messier code, but that ability sounded familiar. His first job with Section Four, and it would have to be someone he might know. "Any info on his payment? How many times can he use his power before he has to stop and pay his price?" Sometimes that knowledge could be useful.

"Nothing here."

"Don't worry, Li," Saitou said. "You'll be fine. Remember your training: contractors are rational above all else. They won't hesitate to harm innocents, so keep them away from crowds, and don't give them a reason to think they might need leverage. Secure the suspect before he has a chance to hurt anyone; then ask questions. Kouno and I will take the lead; you're here for back-up."

"Right." In his head, Hei recited the additional list of instructions that Misaki - er, the Chief - had given him. No lethal force unless absolutely necessary. No maiming, accidental or intentional.

"There!" Kouno pointed: just up ahead a man was racing down the crowded sidewalk, followed by several uniformed police officers. The officers were falling behind; for every person or clump of people that they had to push past, the man in front ran through. Kouno picked up the car's radio and gave the order for the patrolmen to stand down.

Saitou cut across traffic and made a hard left, blocking the intersection directly in front of the contractor. The man's body suddenly went transparent as he passed right through it, directly across Hei's leg. Hei felt a slight chill in his bones, but it didn't last. He was already unbuckled and leaping out of the car, Saitou and Kouno right behind him.

The contractor turned to get a look at his new pursuers. His gaze landed on Hei's face and his eyes widened with recognition. With an extra burst of speed, the man turned down a side alley. It was a dead end, but that didn't stop him. He pelted straight for the high wall at the far end and passed through it.

Ignoring Kouno's curse behind him, Hei sped up. He leapt onto the dumpster that was against the wall, banked off the side of the building, and hit the ground with a roll on the other side. The contractor was still running. Wishing that he had his knives (knives are not regulation; this is a city not a jungle), Hei snatched up a broken slat from a pallet and hurled it at the man's head. It connected, just hard enough for him to trip and sprawl flat on his face (no permanent injury). He braced himself to jump up again but froze when Hei said, "Don't" in Korean.

"Li, step back!" Saitou shouted; he and Kouno were just now dropping over the top of the wall. Hei obediently took two steps back. The man on the ground watched him warily.

The other two men caught up. Kouno drew his gun and aimed it at the contractor, whose eyes never once left Hei.

"Don't run off on your own like that," Saitou said in an undertone. "The next contractor might not be so harmless."

Hei didn't know about harmless; he'd seen Bin phase his hand through a man's chest only to become solid again and rip out his heart.

Saitou glared down at Bin. "Where is the money you stole from the bank?"

Bin didn't answer.

"It's in your best interest," Saitou warned. "You're under arrest either way, but cooperation will reduce your penalties."

Still no answer.

"Where is it?" Hei asked in Korean.

Slowly, Bin reached beneath his jacket and pulled out a small velvet bag. He tossed it onto the pavement with a clink.

The other two men looked at Hei in surprise. He shrugged. "He looks Korean. Thought I'd try."

Saitou stared for a moment, then said, "Ask him what he stole, and who he works for."

"Are you still with the Syndicate?"

"Are you?" Bin snapped back. "I heard you betrayed them, nearly wiped out the whole organization; there was a price on your head."

"There was," Hei agreed mildly. "I'm with the police now."

Bin stared at him as if he was crazy. "Police? Why?"

Hei shrugged. "They have health insurance."

"Li, what's he saying?" Saitou asked. "Has he told you anything yet?"

That's right, he was supposed to be questioning a suspect. "You didn't answer my question," Hei said, letting his expression close off into the familiar blank face of the Black Reaper, careful to hide it from his new coworkers. "Who are you working for?"

"Myself."

"Why did you rob the bank?"

Bin gestured to the bag on the ground. "Sapphires are a hot commodity right now - they're worth a mint in Seoul."

"He stole some gems to fence in South Korea," Hei interpreted. "On his own."

Saitou stepped forward and picked up the bag. He shook out the contents in his hand: several small blue stones sparkled in the sunlight. "Tell him he's under arrest; we'll take him in for further questioning."

Hei relayed the message; Bin's only response was to raise an eyebrow.

"You want to do the honors?" Saitou asked, holding out a pair of handcuffs to Hei.

"Uh, sure?" Hei took the cuffs and squatted down next to Bin to lock them around his wrists.

"You know I can just slip out of these," Bin told him, at the same time as Kouno said, "Won't he just phase right through them?"

No threat of torture, Hei reminded himself. Out loud, he said, "No, he won't. Will you." Then he did the most frightening thing that he could think of: he smiled.

Bin's face paled. He let them lead him back to Saitou's car without protest and climbed quietly into the back seat. When Hei joined him, he pressed himself against the door on the other side.

"Not bad for your first day," Saitou said, smiling into the rearview mirror. "So what do you think?"

Hei shrugged. "Kind of hard, actually." He felt too vulnerable without his knives; maybe he could talk Misaki around.

"Just wait until we get a really crazy contractor," Kouno said. "This guy's a small fry."

"You did fine," Saitou reassured him. "Just don't run out ahead of us next time; we're you're partners, we watch each other's backs."

You're part of a team now, Misaki had told him. Work with them; don't just go off on your own.

"Yeah," Hei rubbed the back of his head; beside him, Bin flinched. "I didn't mean to do that. Sorry."

"They still thinking of hiring a contractor in Section Four?" Kouno asked conversationally as they headed back to headquarters to drop off Bin. "I keep hearing the rumors, but nothing's happened yet."

"Eh, I don't know," Saitou said.

"I hope not," Kouno said. "I wouldn't want one watching my back; you can't trust those guys."

I don't want to lie anymore, Hei had told Misaki. But if they know the truth…

They'll know you, she had responded.

He hoped she was right.