Juuzou was never one for surprises.
The act of making an unexpected assault or to bring out suddenly without any warning bothered him. A lot. It wasn't that he's easily affected by such actions, (because he doesn't), he's usually more disturbed at the mere fact that one might strike a dagger at him, in which he could easily avoid, but still. He'd prevent himself from encountering one like a deadly disease.
His subordinates learned the hard way though. The fresh and early days of being a squad leader, meeting new faces and the day he realized that he was going to have to carry these people throughout his life as a CCG Investigator, and with being a squad leader came the word 'responsibility.' The look on his face didn't justify the corresponding flashbacks of his old partner, the way his stomach dropped, and the anticipating curiosity like a child getting a present.
Bam! Surprise.
The Suzuya Squad was born straight up from that specific moment and time. Formal greetings and small smiles were exchanged, as with the introduction of names. In the first few hours, he tried to be as composed as possible in front of them. Juuzou remembered sharing a drink with the investigators, and getting the time to know each other. He briefly told his background, excluding his past, since they already knew half of the story, (he'd rather not discuss it anyway), and his way of exterminating ghouls.
They had been kind enough to oblige to his orders as what he wanted and expected. The starting days were always awkward and the fact that he didn't quite trust them yet. Hanbee was lanky and useless. Mizurou was a bit clumsy and at times, can't aim at a specific angle. Mikage was too slow with his actions, (in his perspective anyway), and Nakarai was..too stiff.
The squad had their fair share of arguments but in time, they did have gotten along quite well. Little by little, Juuzou learned more and more about his companions as if they were test subjects and a piece of jigsaw puzzle, solving the things that were running around inside their heads. And before he knew it, he had grown accustomed to them.
He forgot to mention his dislikes, of course – which led to pure and utter chaos. One particular day, at an exact specific minute, his crimson eyes had widen like saucers upon seeing the delighted grins plastered on their faces (Nakarai only gave a quick nod), the party hats they had worn, and the frosted chocolate cake on Hanbee's hands. The sound of the accursed party streamers boomed inside his ears like fireworks amidst a silent and peaceful night.
Bam! Surprise.
Nevertheless, it ended up with Mizurou retreating on a corner in the room, bewildered and confused. The festive designs were torn off from the walls, and was left with the split image of the once colorful streamers but it was nothing compared to the blood shot daggers sending heavy stares that had intents to slice them open behind raven locks. The cake was pried away from Hanbee and was thrown down the tiled floor with such force that it tainted his shirt and was almost in pieces. Nakarai and Mikage were in dead silence as they watched him stomp away from the scene, his jaw clenched and boiling with frustration. All because they wanted to celebrate Juuzou's birthday.
Juuzou was never fond of surprises.
Except when he's the one doing it.
As he watched with half-lidded eyes and a slim line formed on his chapped lips, Mizurou almost immediately came to him, with an expression he knew all too well from his experience as an investigator. He let his eyes trail down to the stack of papers he was holding, then to the rest of them, seeing that they're all as busy as they should be.
"Suzuya-san, Investigator Houji informed us about the upcomi-" Mizurou stopped upon seeing the woman behind Juuzou. He blinked and raised a brow at this. "Um, Suzuya-san? Do you know this person?"
Juuzou gave her a side glance, his gaze lingering on hers for a few seconds, then diverted his attention back to them, "Everyone, listen up."
They looked up from the pile of records and reports, their curiosity getting the best of them, and for the fact that their squad leader rarely tells them anything of much importance. His tone was strict and firm which only caught their attention more.
"This is Yukimura Mizuki, Second Class Investigator. She will be joining our squad as of now." He allowed his lips to form a small smile as he faced and observed their reactions, like he always does. He noted inside his mind that Hanbee was pleased and welcomed for her to be a part of the team, Mikage was rather confused, with his mouth slightly open and his eyes widen a fraction, while Nakarai was as stoic as ever. He disregarded the disbelief shown on Mizurou's face.
Mizuki lowered his head. "It is a pleasure to meet all of you. I am looking forward to work with such investigators."
"S-Suzuya-san! What's going on?" a troubled Mizurou asked.
"Stop bothering, Suzuya-san, Mizurou," the man across from him said. He had his brows furrowed, as if worried that a conflict may start soon. His eyes were almost closed, his hair extremely short and spiked up to the top in a shade of light purple, a piercing was also noticeable on his ears. An open book was placed not too far from where he was sitting. "I'm sure he's tired from his day."
"I was just simply asking, Mikage. There's no harm in it. And besides, we have a lot of things to discuss with, relating to the incident-"
"Suzuya-senpai, if you don't mind, May we ask some questions regarding Miss Yukimura?" Hanbee interfered, looking interested as well. He put down the folder he was previously holding and folded his hands neatly and placed them above the desk.
"We can discuss about her later, right now, there are far more urgent matters," A certain blond spoke as he gave Mizuki a cold stare. "We'll save the questions for now."
The woman blinked. "He's right. I'm sure it can wait. This looks like an important case."
Juuzou walked off to a nearby couch and settled himself, placing his legs on top of the glass table in front of him, setting the folder of information about her beside him and leaning back on the soft cushion. "So? What did Investigator Houji say to you all?"
"Miss Yukimura, please come inside and take a seat." Hanbee gestured for the chair beside Juuzou as she hesitantly sat on the wooden furniture, shifting slightly.
Nakarai nodded his head towards his squad leader and gathered all the files that was sprawled out, arranged them all accordingly while both Mikage and Mizurou grabbed their copy as well and sat around the small glass table. (Juuzou removed his feet immediately)
He finished it within a few minutes and laid them all in front of everyone to see. "This is the data that Investigator Houji gave to us. He also informed us about an alteration in the squad. I'd never expect it to be someone joining us though." His eyes flickered to hers for a moment before gazing away.
Mizurou's brows shot up at this. "So, that's what he's been implying. It's been bothering me for a while now."
Mikage nodded in agreement. "I was kinda hinting at that too, but brushed it off. I guess my predictions were right after all."
"Well, he should've just told us straight away, that would've prevent us from worrying." Hanbee chimed in, muttering a few words on how stressed he was that someone might be removed and other possibilities under his breath.
"Anyway," Nakarai continued, sending a few stares at them, "I would like to further discuss about the upcoming mission and possibly, the whereabouts of these ghouls."
Juuzou let out a sigh and leaned forward, looking down at the information, his eyes moving forward and backward, scanning them and taking in the only useful parts. He noticed the names of the investigators that died from the attack that occurred a few days ago. He pursed his lips in a tight line, and looked up at him. "Nakarai, is there something bothering you?"
The man blinked and was taken aback slightly at the sudden question. "Not really, I've heard a lot about what has happened recently in the 20th ward. Why?"
"Your demeanor changed. The way you talk has gotten more fast and heavy, like you're in a hurry. Your aura is a bit different too. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, glancing at him, not a hint of worry can be seen from his eyes, but rather curiosity and a subtle discreet.
The three investigators looked at their subordinate, wondering why they hadn't noticed it before. Mizuki didn't bother to spare him a glance, not caring about the man and instead observed the reports with a finger placed on her chin, taking in all at once.
There was silence for a moment, not one of them speaking a word. A few seconds passed, he let out a sigh as his shoulders loosened for a bit, closing his eyes for a split second before opening them back, not meeting everyone's stares. "The investigators that previously died, were my..acquaintances. Old classmates from the academy to be exact."
Juuzou nodded at this and replied with a curt, "I see."
"Don't worry Nakarai, we'll kill those ghouls in an instant once we find them. They're no match for us anyway." Mizurou said, giving him a small smile and patted his back.
"Yes certainly. There is no need to be in such a state. At least they are in a far better place now." Hanbee said, clenching his knuckles tight at the bare thought of the bodies being devoured by the cannibals.
"I agree. Right, Suzuya-san?" Mikage turned to Juuzou with an expectant look.
The raven-haired investigator simply gave Nakarai a grin. "I don't think you should be thinking about it. We really can't do anything about it now, so why bother? I think it's just a total waste of time, isn't that right~?"
Mizuki stayed silent at this.
"Suzuya is right, there's no need to be mourning over such things. All we need to do now is to cooperate and find the wretched ghouls and get rid of them. Simple as that." Nakarai finished and continued on without another word. The three remained silent after.
"As I was saying, the said ghouls were last seen in an alley street, as what was assumed from the dead remaining parts of the investigators. The ghouls were classified as S rated and were known for devouring a specific part of each person; the heart."
"Could this be the ghouls that were named Zodiac Brothers? They were pretty wanted before." Mizurou intervened, raising a brow at his copy.
Nakarai furrowed his brows, not tearing his eyes away from the papers. "Can you elaborate it further?"
"The Zodiac Brothers were known for devouring hearts, as what you stated. I can't remember much but I heard there were three of them, notorious for defeating investigators. They were on a rampage for months when one of the brothers is captured. The remaining siblings escaped and hid for a while. No one knew of their whereabouts and has been on search," Mizurou glanced at them. "But they quieted down ever since the incident. I wonder what happened for them to be back on their feet."
Mikage nodded his head. "One thing's for sure though, they made one hell of a comeback."
Juuzou noticed Mizuki froze in the corner of his eyes. Her gaze was glued down on the floor, her hands clenching her pencil skirt with a tight grip, almost shaking. Noticing that it wasn't a good time to ask, he decided to ignore her odd actions and diverted his attention back to them.
"Where did you get that source, Mizurou?" Nakarai asked, a bit skeptical.
The man stared up and closed his eyes, his brows scrunched and thought. "I think it was from the academy when I heard one of my teachers say it." He opened his eyes, putting down the paper he was holding. "I swear, it wasn't on purpose, I just happened to pass by them when I heard them mention it."
"Eavesdropper." Mikage muttered to himself.
Mizurou glared at him, "It did come in handy though."
"And are you certain that those events really took place?" he asked once more.
"Yeah. I mean, it's investigators that I heard them from. If you want further proof, ask them themselves." Mizurou replied.
"Um, excuse me. Perhaps I could be of assistance?"
Juuzou blinked and turned to her, as well as the other men, surprised at her sudden intervention. She was no longer what he saw before and was instead composed, as if nothing ever happened. He was reminded of a small cat calling out in a group of dogs barking for the bone in front of them. "Yes? Is there something you'd like to add?" he asked her.
Nakarai furrowed his brows and looked at Juuzou, disbelief flashed in his eyes. "Suzuya, are you sure? We've only known here just now."
He shrugged at this, "It's fine. She just recently became a temporary member, and she's also joining this mission. So I think her opinion could be useful. And besides, I want to hear what she has to say."
Mizuki nodded her head at him. "I appreciate it. And as for the Zodiac Brothers, I have encountered them before."
Mizurou's eyes widen slightly at this. "For real?"
"Yes. I was…young when it occurred. It's a bit blurry since it's been a very long time. But I did remember their masks. There were three of them at that time, one wore a mask that reminded me of a ram, and it also consisted of horns that stretched out." She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I think it was black, the other wore a mask that had fish scales, and it was a very light blue."
"And the last one?" Mikage asked.
She opened her eyes and paused for a moment, seemingly deep in her thoughts. They watched her concentrate, endless questions filling their very mind. Juuzou observed her every movement, eager to know what she had to say. Mizuki was a walking Rubik's cube to him, and he was determined to fit the pieces where they belonged.
"The last one wore a red mask, resembling that of blood, it had a spike to it towards the end."
Nakarai took all this information inside his head thoroughly. "How do I know that none of this is a lie?"
"It is up to you if you believe me or not, but I do believe in what I saw. And I am certainly sure that it was them and not just some stray ghouls." She stated firmly, her head held up high.
"How do you know?" It was Juuzou who spoke this time, his tone full of nothing but suspicion towards her, his eyes boring into very depths of her being.
"Because they had the letter Z on their black cloaks. Plus, their masks resemble that of the zodiac signs; Aries, Pisces and Scorpion." She replied, her stare matching his.
"So you are concluding that they are in fact, the Zodiac Brothers?" Hanbee asked.
Mizuki only nodded her head at him, firm and positive. Juuzou didn't bother tearing his eyes away from the woman. His mouth was pressed into a thin line, his eyes going a shade darker and was tempted to ask her. He bit the insides of his cheek in irritation and opened his mouth to respond,
"How did you exactly encounter them, Mizuki? In what way?"
The tension inside the room became heavy in mere seconds after the question. No one dared to speak or even dared to break the lingering silence amidst the investigators. Hanbee kept throwing worried glances between them. Mizurou, suddenly intrigued, kept quiet and still as well as Mikage and Nakarai. It felt as if time was passing by them so quickly when Mizuki finally decided to speak up.
"There are some memories that are better left unsaid, forgotten, and buried beneath the deepest parts of the Earth. I'm sure you know that all too well, so I am certain that you'll understand."
Juuzou stayed silent at this.
"AH!" Hanbee stood up from his seat in a quick motion, making the chair stumble and fall down from where it was once placed. He plastered his hands on his face, realization dawned on him. He let out a loud gasp and immediately ran towards the opposite side of the room, towards the kitchen faster than a rabbit. "I forgot my stew! I was cooking for dinner!"
Mizurou stared at Hanbee's retreating figure, bewildered and confused. He blinked and looked back to them. "Did he really just do that?"
"I'd like to thank him for that, actually." Mikage murmured, beads of sweat rolling from his forehead from before.
Nakarai watched the scene unfold from his point of view quietly. He took a glance at his squad leader. Based on his scrunched up brows, the darkening look on his face, and the pitch-black aura that surrounded him, he could definitely tell that he was pissed. On the other hand, looking at Mizuki, she was perfectly composed and unaffected by what happened, as what he expected. He could also tell that she wasn't the type to deal with anyone's whims.
"I'm guessing a break from all this won't be so bad, eh?" Mikage said, staring at Nakarai with a small grin playing along his lips.
He let out a sigh. "Don't get too excited, we'll talk about this more after dinner."
"I'll take my chances." His grin widened and stood up from his seat, grabbed his book and walked off to his usual position beside the window, where he made himself comfortable and continued on with his reading.
Nakarai shook his head at him and turned his attention back to analyzing the details on each report. He studied the recent deaths of many, the possibilities of anyone who could be one of the brothers. He was too indulged on the case that he didn't notice a pale hand reaching out to one of the files.
"Maizono Mei, Age 19, brutally killed and a missing heart, was found in the hidden streets of the 20th ward. You can already tell that it's their work based on the missing heart, no?" Mizuki said, her raven eyes scanning the woman's profile and saw a shot of her mutilated corpse. "But what I don't get though is that why the most protected part of the human body? What makes it so special to them?"
Nakarai looked up, surprise clearly shown on his face. "What are you implying?"
"You shouldn't question about a ghoul's killing method. It doesn't matter how or why they do it, they kill to survive. Or simply because they're bored." Juuzou said, not meeting her eyes and was swimming in his thoughts. "And besides, why do you care? For a human, you awfully think like a ghoul you know that."
Mizuki blinked at this and shook her head slightly, "Can't I be curious about them? Is that a sin now? It just wonders me sometimes why some ghouls prefer only a specific organ or part of the body. There's always a hidden story behind it."
Juuzou laughed slightly and turned to Mizuki with a wide smile on his face. "I think you're just being too observant about how the world works. It's not always everything. Some ghouls just like a certain part because it's easier to eat or it's more efficient to dig their bare teeth on. Did you ever stop to consider that?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "I think I should be the one saying those words that you had said before. You think like a ghoul as well."
"I have my fair share of experience. What about you? How can you justify yours?" he replied, still wearing that smile on his face.
"If you must know, I-"
"Dinner's ready!"
Mizuki shut her mouth and let out a sigh. "I won't argue you because of trivial things."
And with that said, Nakarai stood up and began to walk to the dining room, in which his head was spinning like a record, his thoughts filling his mind with questions he knew he couldn't answer himself. After witnessing the heated argument, he was left with the conclusion that he wouldn't interrupt any kind of discussion between them even if it cost him his life.
Mizurou was left with the entire air sucked out of his lungs.
"Suzuya-senpai, Miss Yukimura, Mizurou, dinner is ready." Hanbee announced after setting up the plates on to their respective places, adding an extra for the new member. He also improvised his stew a little, though it was burned slightly, he had to put a bit of spice for Mizuki. You had to leave a good first impression after all, and he was all about that. He just hoped that the others were the same as him, though he doubted it, especially Nakarai and their squad leader.
Mizurou immediately rushed to the kitchen, followed by Mikage, leaving the both of them alone.
"We should probably head there." Mizuki said and stood up.
"What did you say a while ago?"
She gave him a questioning look, "What do you mean?"
He stared at her for a few seconds, before he shook his head and mumbled, "Nothing."
Juuzou took a spoonful of Hanbee's cooking; humming to himself at how delicious it was made, though he'd never admit that to him. He smiled and took another. He was known for eating a large amount of sweets, but he knew his limit, and just like everybody else, he knew how to eat healthy as well, just not all the time. He'd still prefer sweets over healthy food anytime.
He eyed the stew for a while, wondering what made it so different today. "Hanbee? Did you add something to this? It tastes a bit different." In a good way, that is.
"I spiced it up a bit, since we have an important guest and also a new addition to the squad, so I thought that I'd make it special for tonight. Did it taste bad?" he asked, worried that the burned part might overlap the extra ingredients he put.
"It's excellent. I appreciate it." Mizuki sent him a small smile as a token of gratitude, which he gladly returned.
"That's a relief indeed. Thank you, Miss Yukimura."
"Please, call me Mizuki."
"Speaking of which, we haven't got the chance to introduce ourselves." Mizurou spoke up, and turned to Mizuki with a smile on his face. "In that case, I'll go first. I'm Mizurou Tamaki; it's really nice to meet you, Mizuki-san."
"I'm Miyuki Mikage. I'm looking forward to work with you, Mizuki-san."
"Keijin Nakarai."
"And I am, Hanbee Abara, it is indeed a great pleasure, Mizuki. I am delighted and honored to be working with you. I hope we can get along."
"That's a possibility, considering your cuisine is absolutely delicious. I think we'd become great friends." Mizuki assured him, after swallowing the steamy soup from her plate.
"Is it alright if we ask questions about yourself, Mizuki?" he asked, slightly worried that she might get offended by such a question.
Which was proven wrong, seeing that she smiled and nodded her head, "Certainly, I don't mind at all."
"How old are you exactly?"
She straightened up before she answered, "I am twenty years old."
"How many ghouls have you defeated?"
"You're seriously asking that, Mikage? I'm sure there were too many for her to count." Mizurou replied, raising a brow at him.
"What type of quinque do you use?" Nakarai asked, while sipping a drink, looking at her through his peripheral vision.
"Oh! This I have to know!" Mizurou chimed in and leaned forward slightly.
Mizuki paused for while, her eyes moving back and forth towards the investigators. They were all anticipating for her response, eager to know what weapon she used. She let out a sigh and shrugged, "You all just have to wait and see. It's a surprise."
Juuzou's stare lingered then averted away from her, taking the last bite from his plate. He tried to remember the times where his former partner was here instead of these people right now. What would the situation be like? Will things be more different? Or will it be the same? Juuzou knew he shouldn't be thinking of this kind of stuff for it was poison to the mind. And it wasn't healthy either. Thinking about something that wasn't there anymore wasn't going to do any good so he decided to stop and shook the heavy thoughts away mentally.
"That's too bad. Man, I really wanted to know but I guess I'll have to wait." Mizurou replied and chuckled.
"Are you bad with blood?" Juuzou asked, wondered to know whether if she was another Hanbee, not like he can predict it from just answering a question. He'd see it during a battle, then he'd decide whether she was one or not.
Hanbee squirmed in his seat.
"No, not really. Why would you ask?" she said, arching a brow.
Juuzou glanced at Hanbee, gave him a smile and said, "Just worried if you might turn out to be like him. Though, I seriously hope not." Then, looked away without saying another word.
Mizuki didn't ask any further, seeing how the tall man reacted from it. "I really did enjoy the food tonight and everyone's companion. I'll do my best for this upcoming mission."
She received stares from them, though mostly positive ones. Nakarai was giving her the blank and stoic look on his face, while Juuzou gave her a look that said 'we'll see', she took it as a motivational sign from the investigator instead.
Hanbee looked at everyone's plates, seeing that they were all empty as he stood up and started gathering the empty glasses. Mizuki started to help him, when put up a hand in protest, "No, please. There is no need for that. I can do it on my own; it's a bit embarrassing for you to help me to do such simple tasks."
"No, it's fine. It's the least I can do to help around here," she insisted, grabbing the plates from him and started walking off and placing them gently on the sink. She returned and got the remaining empty bowl and doing the same routine. She wiped off the grease on her dark skirt.
"Thank you, Mizuki." Hanbee said with a smile. She nodded at him.
"Now then, we'll continue the discussion." Nakarai announced after being seated from his previous position.
She faced the investigators and let out a breath. "I'm afraid I have to pass this time. I'm tired and in need of rest. Plus, I have to wake up early tomorrow. Is it alright if I go on ahead?"
Juuzou nodded. "Sure. Hanbee, please show her the extra room. And be back immediately, we still have a lot to take care of."
"Understood," he replied and began climbing up the stairs with Mizuki following closely behind him.
Juuzou watched as the both of them slowly disappeared and looked back down. It was quiet for a while, with everyone busy for the mission that was soon approaching. Though the tension inside the room has improved greatly, unlike, the first time he and the others were discussing for their very first mission together. He remembered the thick atmosphere, which it was hard to breathe even with all the windows open.
"I don't trust her."
He blinked and snapped his head towards Nakarai. "It's normal to not trust a person when you first meet them."
"No, that's not it. I just have this bad feeling around her. And I'm never wrong when it comes to this. She has that suspicious thing going on. She shouldn't be part of the squad." Nakarai finished.
"Nonsense, Nakarai. I can't blame you though, we only just met her, but she's not so bad. She did give us an important detail about the Zodiac Brothers; she is useful in a way." Mizurou said, his brown hair swayed and turned to Nakarai. "Maybe, in time, we could learn to trust her."
"That's another thing," he replied with narrowed eyes. "How exactly did she know about such explicit information? Does she know the brothers personally?"
"I think you're just being too dramatic about this. Didn't you hear what she said? Maybe the encounter left some scars that aren't' meant to be talked about to people you knew for a few hours. She'll open up soon, we just have to wait." Mizurou replied.
"Why are you defending her?"
Mizurou put up both of his hands, "I'm not. I'm just saying that you shouldn't judge her from her looks, or from her actions. It's a waiting game, Nakarai. And if you're not patient enough, you might miss the train, metaphorically speaking of course."
Mikage spoke up before Nakarai even got the chance to respond, "I think..I've seen her before. I can't exactly recall when but I have definitely at least caught a glimpse of her. She looked so familiar."
Juuzou looked at the purple-haired investigator with slightly widened eyes. "Where exactly?"
"I'm not entirely sure that it was her. Maybe I've mistaken her for someone else."
"That's more likely, considering that I've never seen Mizuki." Mizurou said, glancing at the descending Hanbee.
His crimson eyes were glancing back and forth between the three investigators. He bit the insides of his cheeks, a habit he had when he's in deep thought. Juuzou was never really fond of any new faces joining his squad, because four people was enough, even Hanbee alone gave him problems.
"How's the discussion going?" Hanbee asked, fixing the once fallen chair and sat on it.
Mikage and Mizurou both exchanged a look.
"Please tell me you weren't talking about Mizuki behind her back," he said, furrowing his brows.
"It wasn't intentional. She just happened to become a topic since Nakarai spoke a word," Mikage replied with a smile. "We'd like to hear your thoughts about her as well, if you don't mind."
Nakarai scoffed at this.
"Well, I think she's an intelligent young woman, who is also full of pride. I've noticed something different about her too; her eyes seem a bit sad. As if she's in terrible pain." Hanbee looked down at his lap. "It kind of reminds me of the time when I first met Suzuya-senpai."
Juuzou didn't bother sparing the man a glance. He let his lids stoop down slightly, letting his mind drift away. 'What cannot be seen by the eyes lays a hidden and unforgiving truth. Remember that, Juuzou. It'll help you someday.' Was one of the last few words Shinohara had said to him, before being pierced by a kagune though it was nothing compared to being stabbed in the heart, and seeing the one person you had finally cared for slowly die in front of you.
"It doesn't matter. If she happens to do something that might endanger the CCG or our squad, I will personally exterminate her." With his eyes a shade darker, his mouth set on a grim line, he was determined to figure out the missing pieces.
He didn't expect the conflicts up ahead though.
