Black Label

Black Label is the protagonist group from the Triage X series that was written by Shouji Sato. It began serialization as a bi-monthly series in Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age in 2009. The team was first introduced in Triage X Volume 1 CH. 1 "Prescription from Hell I - Cross of Fresh Blood".

The Black Label is a secret organization that has dedicated itself to eliminating the cancer of crime and corruption that has taken over the city. They deal with the threats that the police either can't or refuse to deal with. Once the tumor have been found through triage. The Black Label is given and the threat is exorcised through swift and deadly justice. They have no friends or allies in the outside world. Their secret base is inside the Mochizuki General Hospital. and several members are staff or doctors. All members have been touched by tragedy and death at some point and understand just how important their cause is to the world.

Terminology

This secret organization has an almost military-like efficiency in how they conduct their operation, but many of the terms and themes are more from the medical profession.

Triage & Black Label

The term "triage" is a French word that means to evaluate or separate. The process of triage is common in the practice of military medicine or when dealing with large amounts of casualties. It's used to try and quickly determine medical priorities among masses. In triage, a black label is used to mark a person as dead or can not be saved. Both are strong themes in the Triage X series.

Diagnosis

The evaluation of criminals is referred to as a diagnosis, and it's performed by Masamune Mochizuki and Fiona Ran Winchester. If a criminal is determined to be little more than a blight sucking away at the life of the city. They are given the "black label". A text is then sent out to members under the header "Triage" and the text only contains an image of a black square.

Fevers

If there is insufficient information on a potential target of interest, these people are referred to as a "fever". Further investigation is required on deciding upon further action.

Ampoule

The teams for Black Label are classified by the name "Ampoule". An ampoule is a glass vial that is used for storing certain forms of medication. They are sealed at the top after being filled and used for hypodermic injection solutions.

Operations

The missions that Black Label undertakes are calls operations. This is in line with the medical practices of many of the members. In away they are performing surgery on the city to remove the cancer. All members when given their orders to move out are told they are "on call".

Members

Leaders

Dr, Masamune Mochizuki

Masamune Mochizuki is the founder of Black Label, and the team operates in secret from the hospital that bears his name. He is one of the people who evaluate the actions of the cities criminals and decides if they are prime for elimination. He sees the over running criminal element in his city as a cancer.

Fiona Ran Winchester

Fiona Ran Winchester is not only the director of Mochizuki General Hospital, she is Dr. Mochizuki's closest confidant. She aides in the triage of criminals, and runs much of the information gathering for Black Label. She also acquires tools and weapons for the teams.

Team Ampoule One

Arashi Mikami

Arashi Mikami is the latest member of Black Label's Team Ampoule One. As a young boy he sacrificed himself to save his best friend Ryuu Mochizuki. Though he protected his friends body, a head injury lead to him being pronounced brain dead. His own body was severely wrecked, and Dr. Mochizuki used his own son's body to save Arashi. He grows up to be socially awkward but loyal to the organization. Recently, he has been feeling as if something has been slowly taking control over his body.

Mikoto Kiba

Mikoto Kiba is a member of Black Label's Team Ampoule One and a student in Mochizuki High School as a third year. She's a foul mouthed fighter and expert motorcyclist that comes from a rich family. This has earned her the nickname "Rich-Girl".

Oriha Nashida

Oriha Nashida is a popular pop star known as "Ori-Ori" and a member of Black Label's Team Ampoule One. She's cute and full of youthful energy. She specializes in explosives and tends to go berserk.

Team Ampoule Zero

Yuuko Sagiri

Yuuko Sagiri is a member of Black Label's Team Ampoule Zero. She's a skilled doctor skilled with an enormous bust and sharp tongue. Her skill with the katana is on equal footing with the scalpel. With her special sword in hand she can slice part the human body with surgical precision. When in battle, her hair changes from brown to white.

Miki Tsurugi

Miki Tsurugi is member of Black Label's Team Ampoule Zero as a sniper. She's an anesthesiologist who often works with Yuuko both in and out of the operating room. She's also a chemical expert in creating a variety of specialty drugs.

Sayo Hitsugi

Sayo Hitsugi is a member of Black Label's Team Ampoule Zero. She's a member of the nursing staff at Mochisuki General Hospital and is strict but well loved by the rest of the staff and patients. When on a mission she shows a darker side as her incredible strength allows her to wield giant guns with great ease. Her impressive skill allows her to deal out the medicine for the criminal element to be as quick and painless as possible.

Former Members

Shinichiro Inunaki

Shinichiro Inunaki is a former member of Black Label's Team Apmoule Zero. He was also a doctor at Mochizuki General Hospital. The purpose of him leaving the team is unknown. Though he has both extorted money from Dr. Mochizuki and given them information.

Story Arcs

CASE 1: Hell's Prescription

Black Label tested their newest member, Arashi Mikami, but having his excise Hideo Aranami. Arashi was officially welcomed as a member of Team Ampoule One upon the completion of the operation. Team Ampoule One's next mission didn't go as cleanly. Taisei Aranami was assassinated, but his lawyer, Jin Masaki escaped after killing one of his hostages. Arashi and Mikoto returned with Miss Fujino, the daughter of the Arinami's accountant. They had hoped to learn where her father had hidden the account books he had hidden to give to the police, but she had no information.

CASE 2: Surgical Strike

Miss Fujino had been abducted right outside Mochizuki Hospital but the hired goons of Masaki. After hunting Masaki down, they located him in an abandoned building, but finding the information had been too easy. It was obviously a trap. Masaki had hired a small army of armed thugs. Both Black Label teams took part in this operation. Detectives Tatara, and Suzue got caught in the crossfire of the two forces, but they were saved by Mikoto and Arashi. Miki cleared out several areas with stealth, Sayo and Yuuko hunted down Yoroida for running over Granny Kimura, and Arashi and Mikoto went to finish off Masaki on the roof. Arashi had to shoot the drug control Miss Fujino with rubber bullets, Masaki nearly got away thanks to an armed helicopter lift, but Oriha shot it down. Arashi killed Masaki before he could jump to his death, and they returned to the hospital with Miss Fujino and the police detectives.

CASE 3: Midnight Guerrilla

The Black Label's missions had been recently interrupted by a female arsonist who had been burning their targets alive, and Shinichiro Inunaki appeared with a video of Arashi killing Masaki. Though he extorted money for the evidence from Dr. Mochizuki, he also passed along information about a dangerous drug coming into town. Arashi and Mikoto had another run in with her on two missions. Though there was evidence she was burning other people alive, she was also targeting serious criminals. The triage of this woman didn't contain enough evidence to give her a black label, so she was designated as a fever. Dr. Mochizuki wondered if she was somehow connected to Inunaki.

Sayo was tasked to investigate the weaponry used by the arsonist, Chikage Hizaki; and she ended up following Inunaki into a trap. However, Sayo killed her attackers with ease. Soon after Mikoto saved one of her fellow classmates, Yuu Momokino, from a rapist who was under the influence of the drug they had been warned about. Seems it was being distributed by the Kabuto Syndicate, and Mikoto tried to go at them without orders. She was wounded when she was caught in their trap, but the rest of the Black Label team arrived to save her. Oriha disarmed by bomb traps placed on the civilians. Mikoto was able to stop Chikage, but her master, Makoto Ogawa, arrived to try and kill her for her failure. Chikage had survived being shot by a crossbow bolt, but fell to her death into the flaming building after learning of how she had been manipulated and betrayed. Mikoto tried to stop her, and her remains were never identified among the dead.