Today's Disclaimer: I neither own any canon characters nor do I gain any profit from writing this fanfiction. Would also like to make the following clear now: I have no issue with Christianity, the Catholic Church the Bible nor homosexuality (If I wanted to preach about my beliefs, I would grab a soapbox and go on down to Hyde Park). So please understand that anything written outside the Author's Notes is FICTION (except in the case of historical fact) and that everything is done on behalf of the narrative...
Prologue: Animarum et peccatorum
Two men, both nearing middle age, sat facing the suspect in the centre of an otherwise empty room.
With only the incense soaked air filling the space between them, there was nothing to stop anyone in the room from leaning forward in his chair and punching the other across the face. It was an idea that had undoubtedly already crossed both their minds. And while the men in the black coats did not seem to be the violent type, the same could not be said of the teenager in front of them.
"I'll ask you again," said the man in the suit. "Do you know why you are here?"
Suguro said nothing. He took another long drag on his cigarette, now little more than a nub between his fingertips. He inhaled deeply, holding the smoke in his lungs for a moment before allowing it to slowly trickle out from between his lips. The grey tendrils drifted forward on an invisible breeze and directly into the other man's face. The man on the left made no attempt to wave away the noxious cloud. Instead, his own breathing seemed to slow, as if trying to suck the second-hand smoke up into his own flared nostrils.
"This is a serious matter," said the man in the suit. "You realize that, don't you, Mr Suguro? That neither of us is going anywhere until you give me the information I'm looking for? How long this takes is entirely up to you. But you've heard enough of our reputation to know that one way or another, we will get answers."
Still Suguro said nothing, and the men in the black coats were forced to watch as their prisoner's attention drifted further and further from the business at hand. His gaze had become fixated on a spot just over the man's shoulder. Ryuji stared at it for so long and with such unflinching intensity that the man on the left was finally compelled to turn around and see what had him so mesmerized.
Just a dark stone wall just like every other wall in the room - like every other room on this floor. The whole place was dark, cold and intimidating, a deliberate attempt at making sure no-one felt comfortable or safe.
"Mr Suguro," the man in the suit said, turning back around so the two were once again face to face. "If he were here, what would he tell you to do? Do you really think he –"
Suguro cut the man off, speaking for the first time that afternoon. "You want to know why I'm here? Is that it? Is that the question you've got for me?"
His voice was controlled, evenly pitched and seemingly calm, completely at odds with his crossed arms and clenched fists.
"Well, yes," said the man on the right, "that, among other things. But we can start there, if you like. Why do you think you've been brought here, Mr Suguro?"
Ryuji took one last drag on his cigarette before letting the tiny nub fall to the floor, pressing it into the ground with the heel of his shoe. "I'm here because my life has gone to shit. Why else would I be here? People only come here when the Order decides that they need to make an example of some poor bastard and I'm the poor son of a bitch they chose."
"An example Mr Suguro?" repeated the man on the right, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "And why would the order feel the need to make an example of you?"
Suguro's mouth twitched in an approximation of a smile. "I dunno. Why don't you ask someone important and let me go back to doing my job."
The man on the right smiled. "What a clever idea but that could take months Mr Suguro. We need to get to the bottom of this mystery now, not in six months time. If you don't mind remaining in a cell for that time, I'm sure we can come back and question you then, if you prefer?"
The man on the left let out a sigh. "This is getting rather tedious Mr Suguro, we have a job to do. You need to understand that you are here on a rather serious charge and that anything you say can be used against you but it can also help you."
Suguro laughed, a low mirthless chuckle that made the pair raise an eyebrow. "You seriously think that this whole nice cop thing will work? My mother's scarier than you two dumb-asses."
"How rude, don't you think Mr Yamaguchi?"
"I quite agree Mr Hamaguchi."
"The suspect should be careful, he needs to remember that at the minute we are impartial, neutral parties in this investigation."
"I dare say that it isn't the suspect's fault. I hear that he's been forced too associate with the wrong sort of people,traitors and heretics and all kinds of sinners."
"You know Mr Yamaguchi, I think I heard those rumours. One sticks out in my mind, weren't they saying that he and one of the sons of Satan, what was that name again?"
"I believe it was something along the lines of Akamaru. No,Okamuru."
"Now I remember, Okamura. Anyway him and the elder Okamura boy were cav-"
"Don't you say his name! Don't you fucking dare talk about him in front of me you bastards!"
With that, all traces of his calm facade vanished as Suguro leapt at the pair. Hands shaped into fists, itching to hurt either one of the two bastards in front of him.
The man on the left clicked his fingers and Suguro felt himself pulled back into his chair as a pair of snakes coiled themselves round his wrists and ankled, pinning him to his chair. Trying to struggle against the snakes, he groaned as they wrapped themselves tighter around his body.
Glaring at the pair, Suguro realised that apart from the man on the left summoning his familiars, they hadn't moved an inch from their seats. In fact they both looked mildly amused as the snakes continued to coil themselves around his body, restricting his movements and breathing.
"Well Mr Hamaguchi, I think I managed to strike a nerve with that one, didn't I?"
"Such a display," the man on the right said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Perhaps we should discuss this issue further? Mr Suguro might like to explain why the mention of a name seems to leave him in such a state."
Suguro said nothing as the snakes slowly loosened their grip,too busy coughing and sputtering as he tried to regain his breath.
"Oh he doesn't seem to want to talk does he Mr Hamaguchi? Perhaps we should make things slightly easier for him and explain to him exactly why he is here?"
"Maybe that would be easier, this game can only continue for so long before it gets boring."
Frowning, Ryuji stared at the pair. They weren't smiling anymore, they were now focusing on the interrogation and it looked like the mind games were probably going to get a lot more serious.
"Now then Mr Suguro, you are training to become an Aria and a Dragoon so I'm sure you're familiar with the Book of Romans. Correct?"
Suguro nodded.
"Well then can you please recite for us Romans chapter 1, verses 26-27? It may help you understand why you've been brought in front of us."
Suguro closed his eyes, trying to imagine the correct page in front him. Taking a breath, he began to recite: "For this reason God gave them up to passions of dishonour; for even their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature, and likewise also the males, having left the natural use of the female, were inflamed by their lust for one another, males with males, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error."
"Very well remembered, don't you think Mr Yamaguchi?"
"I quite agree Mr Hamaguchi. Now Mr Suguro, did that passage help you understand why you've been brought here?"
Suguro frowned as h
is mind read through the passage. This was more difficult than just trying to recite the verses as he needed to hold them in place whilst analysing the meaning of the words. Wait, what was that last half? Inflamed by their lust for one another, males with males, committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was fitting for their error. So the verse was about sin... and homosexuality.
Ryuji let out a snort. "I'm here because you think I'm gay? Seriously if that's all then you're wasting your time, do I look like I've got a limp wrist?"
"I don't think Mr Suguro understands the seriousness of these allegations. Would you like to explain Mr Yamaguchi?"
"Not at all Mr Hamaguchi. You are here Mr Suguro, the Vatican has reason to believe that your immortal soul is at risk of an eternal taint. The Church and the Order of The True Cross are normally willing to ignore the taint you bring upon yourself outside of the order."
Ignoring Suguro's look of disbelief, the man on the left continued. "However the Vatican has received information that you have been tempted from the path of righteousness by the son of Satan and that is a cause for concern."
"Mr Suguro, what Mr Yamaguchi is trying to explain to you is that should you have lain with a son of Satan, we will do what is necessary to save your immortal soul just as we did for Yuri Egin."
"There is no way in Assiah that I would ever touch that bastard. He can fucking go right back to Gehenna and live there with the rest of his kind and I wouldn't even care."
A/N: Glad that we have that done and out of the way so let us raise our glass to next week, a week free from deadlines, assignments and writer's block.
Serious part: please understand that whilst I am throwing my plotchild into your flames for my own masochistic pleasure, I am a busy human who will try to update once a week but may have to delay some releases.
This week's fun fact: The King of Hearts has no moustache...