Chapter Two: Of Mice and Men
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Warnings: Spoilers for Episodes 3, 17, and 21. If you are wary, turn back now. Also, prostitution, mild sexual situations, and language.
Description: Before Weiss, Yohji Kudou was a detective. His partner was a pushy, rude woman named Asuka. A girl goes missing, and they're hired for the job. They're world is turned upside down as the case evolves from a missing person, to a prostituion ring, to murder.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kudou Yohji, Asuka, Liott, Kusumoki Masataka, Nambara Tamaki, or Hirooki Hiroshi. That's mainly the whole cast. ^.^ Sasuki Megumi and Omotoyo Gaki are not actual characters within the series, and they belong to me.
Author's Notes: Whee. ^^ Thankis much to everyone who reviwed! All two of 'em! And thanks for telling me Asuka's last name. It was gonna be like, Tamorichi or something. Murase sounds much better. Anyway! Back to the story, ne? Just tell me if you think I'm moving things a bit too fast. And I've used military time, as that seems to be the norm in foreign countries! I wasn't sure about Japan, though.
"Omotoyo Gaki, huh?" Yohji asked, shoving his cigarette in the ashtray. Asuka wrinkled her nose. They were seated in the front office, also known as the Clean Office. Every customer was directed there. If they saw the mess in the other rooms, they'd be out of business.
"Yes, Omotoyo Gaki. I told him to meet us here at twelve," she answered, checking her watch.
The sun filtered in through the windows, separated by the blinds. Above them, the ceiling fan hummed as it completed its constant, dizzying cycle. The slight rush of air from the fan toyed with Yohji's hair; the soft strands trembled against his cheek, tickling him. He studied Asuka for a moment; she was distracted today, worried about something.
Yohji shrugged it off in the half-assed, care free attitude he was infamous for. Asuka was a woman. She worried about little things. Hell, women wouldn't care if the sky turned bright pink as long as it didn't affect their hair.
That's what he loved about women.
Almost shyly, the door opened. A young man inched in. He was hunched over slightly, his eyes wide behind a large pair of glasses. Omotoyo-san, apparently, was a very small man. A very small and paranoid man. Timidly, he sat down in one of the leather chairs. His hands twisted, he tapped his foot--he fidgeted worse than Asuka did when she was thinking. He looked like a scared little mouse. Yohji shook his head. What woman would date a man that was scared of his own shadow? Maybe that's why Megumi Sasuki was gone...
"Hello, Omotoyo-san." Asuka interrupted his thoughts. Damn her. Yohji decided he'd just sit there for the interview to get revenge. He knew she hated interviews.
Omotoyo Gaki twitched slightly at being recognized. "H-hello, Murase-san. K-Kudou-san," he stuttered. Poor little mouse. Yohji almost grinned. Almost. He chided himself; this was serious.
Asuka glanced at Yohji, arching an eyebrow as if to say, "Your turn." Yohji shook his head, smirking at her. Immediately narrowing her eyes, she continued. "We just have a few questions regarding Sasuki Megumi, Omotoyo-san," Asuka spoke quietly, gently, so she wouldn't scare the poor man. He was shaking. How'd he ever get a job?
"H-hai?"
"Hai. Sasuki-san was a student at the local university, wasn't she?" Asuka offered him at smile as she asked the question. Omotoyo nodded slightly, tapping his foot.
"And she was dating you, was she not?"
"S-she was," he flinched. Yohji studied him, frowning. Either this man was extremely scared... or he was extremely guilty.
Yohji tilted his head back, letting it rest gently on the car seat. His gaze drifted to the clock. Nineteen hours, sharp. He was here, but his date wasn't. He should've known to come late. He chuckled, pulling his hair back into a ponytail, whilst letting two long tendrils hang down on either side of his face. The light-brown strands glinted slightly in what bare sunlight was left. His eyes shone like a cat's.
He was just going to play it cool tonight. Omotoyo-san probably never did that. Yohji snickered. He hadn't known which person to feel worse for during the interview: Asuka, Omotoyo Gaki, or himself. Three hours with the stuttering mouse of a man had nearly driven him nuts, and he didn't even talk to him.
His date slipped into the passenger seat, apologizing immediately for taking so long. He laughed it off, waving his hand. "You look beautiful. I'd wait an eternity to gaze on your face this evening."
It was corny. He knew it. But to his date, it was poetry. Fancy that he'd seen it in some book...
"Yohji? Who is Asuka?" she asked him, staring at him intently. She was almost glaring, with a pout pulling at her painted lips.
"Asuka? Why?" He blinked at her. Slowly, it registered. He'd fucked up and called her Asuka. How had that happened? He was doing so well! "She's my partner on the force."
"I didn't know you had a female partner," she stated, putting emphasis on the word 'female.' She glared at him, opened the car door, and climbed out. "Call me when you can get my name right."
Yohji frowned, letting his head fall back against his seat. There went his date. And it was all Asuka's fault. Sort of. Well, not really, but he was still going to blame it on her.
Slowly, he calmed down and shook his hair from his face. The tendrils fell right back in his eyes. Annoyed, he raised his sunglasses and slid them on. Asuka was going to make up for his date, whether she wanted to or not. His fingers gripped the car keys and he smirked. She hated his eyes. She'd hate more than that before the night was over.
Asuka lay on her futon, reading and trying to get her mind off the case. There had to be some way. Asuka Murase was one of the best P.I.'s in the city; she wasn't going to give up a case so quickly. She tilted the book up with a sigh. She blew a few insistent strands of hair out of her eyes. Just then, a tapping came her door. She blinked for a moment, thinking she might have imagined it. Then it came again, along with an awful, lazy version of what she guessed to be her name. Yohji. Damn him.
"C'mon, Asuka, open up!" If she ignored him, he might go away. Asuka sat perfectly still, not making a sound. She relatively had few lights on, anyway. Besides, he couldn't get in. She'd locked the--
Click.
Asuka blinked, then instantly became annoyed. Lock picks, of course.. Yohji had to know how to use them. Pheh. She laid her book down, walking barefoot into the main room. The floors were cold against her heels, just as they always were. "I hope you took your shoes off, Yohji. It's impolite to pick my lock and walk in with your shoes."
Yohji grinned at her, taking his sunglasses off. Asuka shivered involuntarily. Those eyes. They were staring right through her. She forced every muscle in her body to relax; she had to stay mentally aware of her expression at all times. "My shoes are off, Asuka. And you get to come with me tonight! My date skipped out on me. You lucky girl."
She rolled her eyes. "Is this part of your 'policy', Kudou?" Asuka had heard about his policy many, many times. Never a girl under eighteen, never let a girl pay fully, and never call a girl by another name. He'd probably done the latter.
"And if it is..?" he took on a sly tone.
"If it is, I think you'll be clubbing alone tonight. I'm not even dressed for a date." That much was true. Asuka had slipped into some loose, linen pajama pants and an indigo tank top. Yohji shrugged and grinned.
"We could hang out, then. C'mon, a little bonding time with your ol' partner, eh? What do you say?" Bonding time. Asuka turned around at that.
"Yohji, you and I work together. We aren't dating. We aren't really even friends," she added with a sigh. Yohji made her uncomfortable, and he was in her own house. He would leave, or else something was going to happened. She didn't know what, but something.
"Asuka, c'mon! I'll even watch a chick-flick with you! I think it'll help our... friendship," he grinned.
Yohji had somehow talked Asuka into letting him stay for the evening. Studying her face, he watched her sleeping form. A few strands of hair fell across her eyes, gently resting at last on the contour of her cheek. Her tank top hugged her slender form, her breasts heaving ever so slightly with every breath. Suddenly, it occurred to him that she looked cold.
Slowly, he brought her towards his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Yohji felt protective somehow, though he didn't know why. It was very unlike him to genuinely want to hold someone without going further than that. He liked the girls he dated, and he could see every good point about them, but he didn't love them. Not really. He didn't love anyone, come to think of it.
Asuka stirred in her sleep, instinctively trying to become closer to the source of warmth. Yohji watched the static on the screen for a moment, the artificial light flickering over them both. And to think, he was holding Asuka, of all people. Yohji resisted the urge to chuckle. He never thought he'd see the day.
"..Yohji? What in hell are you doing?"
"Huh?" It took a moment for him to register that Asuka was awake. Instantly, as if on reflex, he let go and scooted back. "You looked cold. Sorry," he mumbled. He mumbled? That wasn't like him at all! Yohji nearly slapped himself. This was Asuka, the shrew woman. He was delivered a quick punch in the chest.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, blinking to regain visual focus.
"Since he kissed her for the first time," he quipped and grinned.
"Stop that!" Asuka suddenly became indignant. And Yohji became very, very confused.
"Stop what?"
"Grinning like that! It makes me think you're going to do something else..." Yohji frowned slightly.
"You don't trust me? Asuka, I'm not going to do anything without your permission," he stated matter-of-factly with a sigh. Yohji reached in his pocket, surprised to find a card of some kind. He pulled it out and examined it. Scrawled in red kanji was the word Liott. Asuka studied him for a moment.
"Is that the card you found at Megumi's house?"
"Yeah. Why?" Yohji eyed her. Asuka snatched it out of his hand.
"This could be a clue! Liott? This looks like some kind of business card for a club. It's located on Ikedo..." Asuka read the card over once more, tracing the red kanji with her fingernails. "Yohji, you're brilliant."
"You just now figured that out?"
Asuka carefully got out of the cab. A slim, sparkling dress clung to her curves. The blue fabric gleamed in the neon light of the street, casting colors of all sorts on her pale cheeks. She'd tied her hair up in a bun, keeping it in place with ornate chopsticks. There was a party being held at Liott that night. Of course, it was exclusive and invitation only, but she figured she could get in if she pulled the right strings.
The concrete clicked when she walked, slightly unsteadily, in her high heels. The skirt of her dress was slit up the sides, showing just enough of her hips. Tonight, Asuka was dressed to seduce as much as necessary. However, she hoped that it wouldn't be very necessary. Seducing was Yohji's area of expertise. And he was going to kill her if he found out she'd gone alone.
The security guard stopped her at the door. "Invitation?"
"Oh, I don't have one," Asuka grinned, bending over slightly. She lowered her voice. "I'm here with You-know-who. He'll be very upset if you don't let me in." Her lips formed a pout and she twirled a few strands around her finger. The security guard gulped, glanced both ways, then nodded.
"All right. You're in."
Asuka grinned and swiftly made her way inside. Soft, classic music was playing. It came from the orchestra that was located on its very own balcony. The chandelier's crystals sparkled bright, suspended by a golden chain. It was slightly dim in the room, but somehow it was refreshing to get out of the average, neon and artificial light. She scanned the room quickly. Almost every person was male, with the occasional girl clinging to his arm. Prostitutes, by the looks of them.
Her eyes widened. Liott was a high-profile prostitution ring! Who knew what was going to happen tonight?
"Moshi moshi? Kudou Yohji speaking." Honestly, who could be calling at this time of night? Yohji snickered to himself. Probably a desperate woman seeking him out.
"Kudou! I've got some information for you on Sasuki Megumi." An urgent female voice drifted over the receiver, slightly deep. The voice was slightly rough and soft, which made him think of velvet. But he was too shocked to think about velvety voices at the moment.
"What?! That case isn't open to the-Who is this?!"
"Manx, but that isn't important! Listen to me, Kudou! She was working at Liott. It's an exclusive club for men. They force women to perform certain..services..for men with little or no pay. If a girl screws up, they mutilate her. You've got to drop this case before you or Murase-san get hurt!"
"Liott? The card... Asuka!" Yohji hung up the phone without saying good-bye and grabbed his jacket. He had to find Asuka. He darted outside and towards his car in a matter of seconds.
Asuka was surrounded by men. She was backed into a corner. Nowhere to go. Her chest heaved violently; her dress was ripped and torn. It barely covered her, and it didn't do it in a modest fashion. They were going to kill her. Her eyes were widened; she was like a frightened rabbit, thrown into a pack of wolves.
She hated to admit it, but she needed Yohji.
They closed in around her. She could feel their hands on her throat, pulling her hair. She was slipping as they beat her. Yohji.. Where was Yohji? A scream broke forth from her lips. The wolves tore into her flesh. She was a wounded animal, left alone to die.
Yohji never came.
Asuka. Where was she? Yohji was frantic. She wasn't in her house. She couldn't have gone out to investigate. She couldn't have. He raced through the streets of Tokyo, ignoring the bite of the cold in the air. She was at Liott. He knew it.
Yohji raced through the crowds, towards the large building. Have to get in. Have to get in. Asuka. Dead. Murder. Have to get in! His thoughts were jumbled, panicked.
He was at the door, almost inside. The guards held him back. He tried to explain, but he stumbled over his words. They shoved him out and closed the doors.
Asuka. If there is a God, He'll let you be okay. But there isn't.
Yohji waited. Four eight goddamn hours, he waited. Those bastards. His partner had better be alive. He'd kill them all, slowly and painfully, if she wasn't. How could she have been so stupid? She knew better! He knew better than to just leave her alone after she discovered a clue. Yohji narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. A car passed him by. He paid it no mind and kept his eyes on the Liott skyscraper.
In the not-so-far distance, he could hear the car stop with a screech. A thump and a high-pitched cry. The car sped off. It took a few seconds to register, but it finally sank in. He dropped from his perch on a fire-escape and ran towards where he'd heard the car just a few alleys down.
His mind wasn't functioning. Yohji was operating on pure adrenaline as he dodged people and jumped over random obstacles such as trash cans. He was praying to whatever god was watching over him that Asuka was all right. He knew otherwise, however.
Yohji nearly slid past the alley as he tried to stop. For what seemed like a short eternity, he was frozen with fear and shock. A body had been dumped. Asuka's body. His mind screamed at him in anguish, to do something. Not just stand there. Tiny drops of salted liquid sprang into his eyes as he kneeled slowly beside her.
She must have been wearing a dress, but what was left was torn and stained with blood. It was barely even there and failed to cover the marred, once-white skin. She was so pale, so fucking pale. Yohji wrapped his jacket around her tenderly. They killed her. Those bastards.
Yohji had never felt such hatred, such grief. His partner, Asuka! A tear wound its way down his cheek and dropped onto small frame. She seemed, at that moment, a once-perfect and beautiful doll that had been broken. His chest heaved for the air he just wouldn't let in. His throat tightened.
...Nothing.
She breathed. Thank all the fucking gods in the world, her lungs drew in breath. Asuka was alive.
The air was warm against her cheek as Asuka woke. After her conscious came into play, she nearly screamed and instantly tensed. Where was she? It's not sterile or white, so it's not a hospital... she reasoned. The sunlight filtered in the windows, looking lazy and inviting. She heard birds in the distance outside, where there were..trees? It was late afternoon.
In the background, she heard someone humming softly. A man's voice. It was gentle, and lazy just like everything else seemed at the moment. It made her want to lay down again and sleep, just a little longer.
She found herself wearing a large cotton shirt. Her wounds were all cleaned and wrapped. Asuka glanced around with a sense of wonder. Who had found her?
"Sleeping Ugly's up!"
Yohji. It had to be Yohji. Asuka mentally kicked herself.
