Disclaimer : Kingdom Hearts and its characters do not belong to me.
Please forgive any grammar and spelling mistakes.
xx----xx
Dream 09 : Continue? 9,8,7…
Theme Song : Disturbed – The game
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The four investigators returned to Illusiopolis, not saying a single word during the whole trip there. Axel drove Sora and Riku to the latter's apartment then returned to Twilight Town with Roxas. Xaldin and the other police officers were shocked about the news the two brought but really, most of them were expecting the victims wouldn't come back alive. A team was sent to Radiant Garden to put the doctors working for Heidegger under arrest but also to dig up the corpses so that they could be identified. As for Heidegger himself, he was nowhere to be found. Riku was sent back home until the tests were done and the results were revealed.
Two days had passed since he had to stay at his apartment with Sora. The brunet was still shocked and hadn't said a single word since their sinister discovery. The blue-eyed boy was spending his days in his bedroom that he left occasionally. The silver-haired investigator was really worried about his friend and tried to talk to him but to no avail. Axel called Riku many times, asking how they were doing. It seemed like Roxas wasn't doing all that great but at least, he was speaking and didn't stay at home all day long.
Riku plopped down on the sofa and decided to watch some TV to take his mind off things. He listened to the news, hoping he could learn something new concerning his investigation.
" – the fire was controlled and inhabitants could be saved. Now about the Bickson case. The 119 missing people's corpses were found in an abandoned field next to a clandestine clinic in Radiant Garden. Police officers from Illusiopolis are still actively searching for this clinic's mysterious owner. The weather now – "
Riku mumbled as he lay on his couch, his eyes closed. It was getting harder and harder to stand the silence filling the apartment. His colleagues had yet to call him to let him know about the case's progress. When his phone rung, he thought Axel was calling him once again.
" What? " the investigator answered, his voice a bit gruff.
" My, don't sound so overjoyed " said an equally gruff voice.
" Xaldin! " Riku exclaimed, suddenly forgetting about his sour mood. " Oh man, you can't begin to imagine how glad I am to hear from you! "
" Yes I can. I've got some news. In fact, great news. Sort of. Can you come to the police station? " Xaldin asked, now sounding less confident even if just a little.
" When? Right now? " Riku asked, surprised.
" The sooner the better " That being said, Xaldin hung up, obviously not waiting for a reply. Riku heaved a long sigh and turned his head towards the corridor leading to the bedrooms. He couldn't leave without Sora, could he? After all, none of this could have been done without thet brunet's help, so it wouldn't be fair to keep what Xaldin had to say for himself. But was Sora going to accept to follow him? Riku hesitated for a long while before he eventually knocked softly on his friend's bedroom door and entered. As usual, the blue-eyed boy was lying on his bed and was staring at the ceiling. Riku scratched the back of his neck and took a step.
" Err, Sora? Xaldin just called me. It seems like he has something to tell us. " No reply. " Y'see, I was wondering if you would come with me? You're part of the staff after all, so… " He stopped talking, seeing as the other boy wasn't even listening. " Alright, I'll come back as soon as possible. I'll just leave my number here in case you need to call me. " The older man took a piece of paper and wrote down his office's phone number then left it on the bedside table next to Sora. Riku looked at him for a short while before he walked towards the door. " Don't do anything silly. " the silver-haired boy said before he left. As soon as the door was closed, the brunet turned his head on the side and reached for the note on the bedside table. Contrary to what he had expected, Riku's handwriting was neat and slightly curvy.
" Do you plan to spend the rest of your life here" Kiros asked, making Sora jump slightly. He hadn't seen the ghost appear, even though he had been there for a whole hour now. The brunet glanced at the specter and said nothing. Kiros sighed. " You knew what you were about to find. You knew we were dead the moment we appeared before you. " Sora furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head no. " You didn't" the dead man asked, genuinely surprised.
" I've seen the ghosts of people who are still alive. " Sora declared softly, only to make a face because of his sore throat that almost made his eyes water.
" How many" the other asked as he folded his arms across his chest, waiting for an answer he most likely knew. The younger boy thought for a few seconds before giving his reply.
" One. " he mumbled, carefully avoiding Kiros' gaze.
" Sora, we didn't mean to hurt you. We didn't know you'd react so strongly. "
" So, what were you expecting exactly? Did you think I'd just have a good laugh about this? Or maybe that I would not react at all! " the brunet exclaimed, fresh tears at the corner of his eyes and soon falling down his cheeks. Kiros just shook his head slowly.
" Of course not. We thought you'd be stronger than that" Silence filled the small room for a while after the ghost's reply. Sora? Strong? Heck, he still remembered he almost fainted when he saw that car go through that little girl! " You are our only hope, Sora. You have to find the culprit so that we can finally rest in peace. "
" Why not ask someone else? Roxas could help you too! " Sora insisted, clenching his fists by his sides.
" Roxas can see us but his abilities aren't developed enough to let him hear us. " That revelation sure had its effect on the brunet. So that was the reason why the blond didn't say a single thing about the spirits' laments when they found the corpses.
" If I remember correctly, your friend still left you guys to go find Roxas. " the boy retorted, not trying to hide resentment from leaking through his voice. The ghost seemed quite embarrassed for a short moment.
" We were just being careful, in case you didn't turn out to be, well… "
" Capable? " the brunet finished instead of Kiros, still furious. In the end, he was just being used selfishly. Those ghosts only sought him so that they could rest in peace, not giving a damn about what could happen to him along the way… Yet, those same spirits protected him many times. Sora gazed up at the man who was still floating in front of him, at the other side of the room. What did it feel like to wander without any purpose? To be dead but somehow still bound to your body? If Sora were in their place, he'd surely do the same thing. If he had found somebody who could send him away, he would have asked for the person's help too. In the end, those people were desperate and if he wasn't helping them, then who was going to? " I wasted too much time here. " Sora admitted as he shot to his feet, the number Riku gave him held firmly in his hand. Kiros said nothing and only smiled at him warmly before he vanished.
------
" Okay, there's a whole bunch of things we have to tell you about. " Xaldin began as he folded his arms across his chest. Riku had entered his office a few minutes earlier and called Xaldin to his office. Strangely, Vexen was with the black-haired man. They had to wait for a while before starting their explanations as Riku's phone rang.
" Hello? " the investigator said when he picked up the phone, only for his eyebrows to shot up in surprise. " Sora? " he asked, as if someone was playing a bad trick on him. He waited for a while, letting his companion explain himself. Riku nodded a few times before he eventually hung up. " Sora's coming. Can we wait for him before getting this started? " he asked sheepishly.
" Of course. " Vexen replied, nodding once. " It would be mean to part him from us. "
They waited for Sora's arrival for a little less than an hour. When the door to Riku's office opened, the two older men were quite shocked by the brunet's general appearance. He seemed exhausted and weak, which wasn't all that surprising when one thought about it. After all, the brunet spent the last few days staying in his bedroom doing nothing. It wasn't like he did it willingly but still…
" Sorry that I've kept you waiting. " the blue-eyed boy apologized, gladly accepting the chair Xaldin was previously sitting on. The black-haired man stood during the entirety of his speech.
" First, we found Heidegger. " Xaldin declared proudly. " He was going back to his clinic and had a huge surprise when our colleagues welcomed him. He did confess he was part of the ones responsible for the missing persons' deaths but he refused to tell us more about this. "
" As for the reason why those persons were kidnapped, we noticed suspicious marks on the corpses. " Vexen continued, a neutral expression on his face. " Scars were discovered on different places and after thorough examinations, we noticed that some of the organs were missing. We assume it was also the case for the very first victims. "
" That explains the mention of blood compatibility in that report… " Riku said when the shock caused by the discover faded away.
" So there really was a trade but different from what we thought. " Sora added softly. " Worse than what we thought. "
" The tests you brought back from the burnt clinic were results from several tests : liver, heart, kidneys and so on. " the blond man added. Riku bit his bottom lip, unable to believe his ears. The brunet frowned.
" But I thought organ trades only existed in poor countries. I think our country is far from poor. " Sora said, confused.
" There's not need to be poor to launch a trade. Organs are sold at high prices on the black market. Anyone would steal them in order to get money." Xaldin declared, making the younger boys grimace.
" Just like Ansem… " Riku said, beyond furious. " That bastard. "
" What do we do now? " the brunet asked. They found and arrested Heidegger, knew where the victims disappeared to and what happened to them, and they were still searching for Ansem. Riku and he didn't have that many things to do now.
" Nothing. You'll stay at home until Ansem is put under arrest. He's still trying to find Riku, so you'd better not cross his path. Even if it's hard to tell, we might need Riku in the future. " Xaldin teased as he pointed a finger at Riku who only muttered something under his breath.
------
The news were officially announced on TV that same night. Pictures of the three brothers were shown and people were asked to warn the authorities if any of them were seen. Axel called Riku a few minutes after the announcement, scandalized. He reacted the same way Sora did, not understanding how a country like theirs could be the theater of such sinister events. So many efforts were made to help people earn enough money to live comfortably. Those big, wide screens in the middle of Illusiopolis were proof of that. Meanwhile, the brunet was deep in thought. What could Ansem be possibly doing once he had his precious goods? Surely he wasn't keep them for his personal collection especially if, as Xaldin told them earlier, organs could be sold at high prices. Then, who Ansem was he selling them to? Organs were mostly needed in hospitals, weren't they?
" In which ones..? " the brunet wondered out loud.
" Which what? " Riku asked as he made his way to the couch and sat next to his companion. " You'll go bald if you keep thinking so hard. " he teased.
" Like your godfather. " the younger retorted playfully, smiling shyly though.
" Hey, they're talking about him again. It's happened a lot lately. " the investigator said, suddenly changing the topic as his gaze remained glued to the TV screen.
" Who? " Sora asked, arching an eyebrow.
" Hojo. "
Sora then listened intently to what was being said.
"I'm actually in front of the hospital were the famous Doctor Hojo works. He's known for his delicate yet successful operations. He is the same surgeon who miraculously changed Kyoko Iwasaki's life, a young woman who used to be disfigured after a car crash. Today, Doctor Hojo worked his magic once again : he successfully transplanted a new heart into one of his patients who had been waiting for a few weeks and received their transplant this morning. Now, it has to be said that donors are extremely rare and– "
" Riku, are you thinking about the same thing as me? " Sora asked slowly, still looking at the screen.
" I think so. But this could just be a coincidence. " the other man replied. Once again, the phone rang and Riku thought it was Axel since the redhead was calling a lot lately. Maybe he had the same idea as them and wanted to let them know about it.
" Hello? " Riku said. No one answered for a long while and he waited patiently.
" Iwatari… Riku? " a shy woman eventually asked. Said boy raised a single eyebrow and put the speaker on, Sora joining him soon afterwards.
" Who are you? " the investigator asked.
" …I can't tell you. " the voice answered. " I – I have important information to give you and I'd like to meet you in person if that is possible. " Riku and Sora exchanged a quick glance.
" No, Riku! " Sora whispered so low the woman couldn't hear him. " This might be a trap! "
" But she could be saying the truth! " the other boy murmured, frowning. " Where? " he asked, focusing his attention on the conversation with the stranger.
" You'll find me at the Small Paradise tomorrow at fourteen. I'll be wearing a red scarf. Do not let anyone know about our meeting. " Then the woman hung up.
" Riku! " Sora complained as he pouted.
" What? It's not like we have better things to do anyway! " the older countered.
" But Xaldin told us to not leave your apartment. " the brunet insisted.
" Then, we'll just be careful and not let him know about this. "
------
The next day, Riku went to the coffee shop the woman picked. Sora decided to stay at Riku's place in case his friend was lucky enough to be out while someone tried to call him. As planned, a woman wearing a red scarf was waiting at a table, throwing nervous glances all around her from time to time. The young investigator sighed. He truly hoped no one followed her or else, they'd be in deep shit. Like, in really deep shit. The silver-haired boy entered the almsot empty shop and sat across from the mysterious woman. She jumped lightly when he sat but tried to cover it up by coughing softly. Probably a mannerism.
" Who are you? " Riku asked, bent on not beating around the bush, as usual. He'd have plenty of time for that later.
" I'm a nurse. " the woman replied, not raising her head. " And I know professor Heidegger. "
" Excuse me? " Riku asked, surprised. Maybe she was his wife? …That was not likely.
" I don't know him personally, but one of my superiors is working with him. " the young lady continued.
" First, I'd like you to tell me why you're revealing this to me. " Riku interrupted her, his fingers drumming on the table.
" I – " she began. She then suddenly lifted her head up, letting everyone see her teary eyes. Her blond hair was tied up with a hair clip, forming some kind of neat bun. She seemed to be quite meticulous about her appearance as Riku could notice. Her clothes were carefully ironed, not leaving a single wrinkle, she was sitting straight up and her make-up was perfect, no too light nor too heavy. " I can't keep this to myself any more. I can't stand working in such a place. Mr Iwatari, I'm so sorry I didn't ask to see you earlier but – "
" You came and that's all that matters. " Riku cut her off, looking at her straight in the eyes. He felt a shiver down his spine. Something was bugging him. It felt like someone was watching him. He suddenly understood why this young woman looked so nervous. She probably felt it too.
" I'm working in the same hospital as Doctor Hojo. He – " she began. She was interrupted by the sound of the coffee shop's window breaking, glass shards falling on the unfortunate customers who were sitting next to the window. Riku turned his head and saw a hole in the glass. He was about to tell everyone to lay down but he felt his throat closing when he realized the woman he was speaking with was dead, her chest bent over the table. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and no sound was heard save for one of the customers' scream. The silver-haired man asked people to stay at their places and called for back-up that came rather quickly.
" If it isn't Riku! " Vexen exclaimed, following Larxene and Marluxia closely. They came to retrieve the corpse while officers were searching people for weapons. Riku turned towards his colleagues.
" Searching them is useless. The gunshot came from outside. " he told them, but Vexen motioned for them to keep doing their search.
" One's never too cautious. " the blond man said wisely. Riku only shrugged his shoulders. " Okay guys, help me get her in the car. " he declared as he waved at his two companions. " I take it you'll want to come with us. "
" You bet. " Riku replied, determined.
The younger boy told his colleagues why he was in the coffee shop and the reason why the woman died was obvious.
" Someone didn't want her to say too much and made her shut up. " Marluxia concluded as he nodded softly. They were all at the lab and Vexen was carrying out the autopsy.
" I think so. " the silver-haired boy replied.
" Alright. " Vexen said suddenly, throwing away his gloves covered with the victim's blood. " She was killed by a gunshot right in the head with a silencer. A 5.72 mm to be precise. Small shards of glass were found inside the injury, so we can conclude that the gunshot was fired from outside the coffee shop. "
" By the way, what did that woman tell you? " Larxene asked, leaning against the wall facing her three colleagues.
" Nothing much, except that she was a nurse and was working with Doctor Hojo. " Riku explained, shrugging.
" I think that's actually saying a lot. " Marluxia corrected him.
" Hm. Did you hear the news yesterday night? " the younger asked, ignoring the pink-haired man's comment. They all nodded.
" Yeah. They were talking about that Hojo guy. " Vexen admitted, a thoughtful expression on his face.
" Don't you think it's a bit fishy? We find out that there's an organ trade in Illusiopolis and Hojo suddenly finds a heart that came from nowhere. " the aquamarine-eyed man explained.
" Don't forget that Hojo's popularity increased in the last year. " Vexen added.
" And that the hospital he's working in has the highest organ donation rate. " Larxene continued. She smiled mischievously. " This smells fishy. "
" Hojo won't be expecting our visit, that's for sure. " Riku declared as he folded his arms across his chest.
The silver-haired inspector went back home, silently hoping no one tried to call him while he was out or else, he'd be damned. First, Sora would keep bashing him and then, the one who tried to call him would just do the same. But one look at his partner's cool demeanor told him he had nothing to worry about.
" So? How did it go? " the brunet asked, turning his head to have a good look at his friend. Riku closed the door and put his coat on the coat hanger.
" Well, actually it didn't go that well. She was killed right before my eyes. " Riku said as he plopped down on the sofa next to Sora. The latter furrowed his brows.
" Oh. And… You're not injured, are you? "
" No, I'm fine. " A short period of silence. " You were right. Hojo is the one who's buying the organs. She told me she was working with him. She also told me Heidegger knows him. "
" So, all that's left to do is arrest Hojo then. " the brunet replied. He shot a glance at his friend, thinking. Riku's eyebrows shot up.
" What? " the older man asked, slightly worried.
" And after that? " the brunet questioned, his gaze still on Riku.
" After what? " the other boy asked, now completely lost. What was the brunet trying to say exactly?
" It seems to me that once Hojo is arrested, everything will be over, right? What are we going to do when that's done? " Sora wondered, bitting on his bottom lip nervously.
" Well, I guess we'll just go back to our former lives. " Riku answered as he shrugged.
" And that's all? " Sora insisted, now clearly hurt by what his friend just said. He turned his head and stared at the floor.
" Listen, if there is something you need to tell me, just say it clearly! I'm already thinking enough while at work without having to decipher what you're telling me. " the older man muttered, a bit irritated.
" Won't we see each other any more? We won't be friends any more? " Sora declared, his hands curling around the sofa's edge. He heard the investigator sigh and felt him moving.
" It's all up to us, really. I'll be frank and admit that in the beginning, I didn't give a damn whether we didn't talk to each other after this. " Riku declared, folding his arms across his chest and pausing for a short while. " But now, I think it'd bother me to not hear from you any more. "
" You "think"? What is that supposed to mean, Riku! " Sora huffed, playfully hitting his friend on the arm. The silver-haired man only laughed.
" Okay, okay. I'm sure that would bother me. " Riku corrected himself as he smiled mischievously. " Really. There, let's make a promise. " he offered as he straightened up so that he could face Sora, who said nothing and waited for the other boy to continue. " As soon as this whole ordeal is over, I'll invite you to dinner at Benny's. I swear they're making the best pancakes in the whole country. "
" Are you only eating pancakes? " the brunet asked, arching a curious eyebrow.
" Shut up and just tell me if you're interested or not! " Riku exclaimed, a bit upset which only made Sora laugh.
" Okay, let's do that! " the latter replied as he held out his hand to Riku, who shook it. Deep inside, Sora hoped the other would keep his promise. Apart from Tidus, he was the only one who wasn't making fun of his gift and that was precisely why Sora liked Riku so much.
Since childhood, the brunet had difficulties to befriend others. He was always the one to make the first step but the other kids would push him away because he was 'crazy'. Adults were saying it so it was only natural that the children would believe it too. That was the reason why Sora spent the majority of his childhood alone. Until he met Kairi. She never judged him and talked to him as if he was... Well, normal. Someone like her. They soon became close friends and she introduced him to one of her friends : Tidus. Tidus was kind of skeptical at the beginning but after the accident that sent him into coma for a few days, everything changed. The blond man still remembered clearly seeing the brunet while he was supposed to be asleep at the hospital.
Once their studies were over, Sora and Kairi moved in together into a small apartment in Illusiopolis, the one in which the brunet was still living. They were happy together and everything was for the best until Sora had the wise idea to save a fickle man's life and pay the price for this. Heaven was so ungrateful. Now, he was living all alone, or at least until Riku forced him to stay at his place. And that was about to come to an end very soon. Being alone again would be hard but he knew he'd get used to it in the end.
The next morning, Riku and Sora headed for the hospital where Hojo was working. The older man was surprised, to say the least, when the investigator burst into his office. With one simple look, Hojo told his colleagues to leave the room.
" Well, what could possibly bring you here? " Hojo asked in a kind tone of voice that made Sora grimace. The doctor seemed quite interested by the brunet but said boy didn't give it too much thought, convincing himself he was imagining things.
" We wanted to make sure you knew one of your friends was arrested and sent to prison. " Riku said, determined. If Hojo was surprised, he was hiding it well.
" Oh? " the man asked, opting to play dumb. Sometimes, that was the best choice.
" Heidegger. Do you know him? One told me you guys were working together. " the silver-haired boy continued as he sat in one of the seats situated in front of Hojo's desk. The doctor glowered at him but Riku chose to ignore him. As for Sora, he chose to stand by the door. He was suddenly petrified.
" Now, who told you such a thing? " the older man questioned, seemingly surprised. Riku was already thinking this game was growing old and he had to put it to an end before he did something he'd regret later.
" One of your employees did. " the investigator said, taking a manilla folder out of his coat. He spread photos of the nurse's corpse on the desk right before Hojo who looked at them silently. " I was talking to her yesterday when she was killed before my very eyes. "
" Really? I'm so sorry to hear that. " Hojo said, pretending to be actually sorry.
" She had enough time to tell me you know Heidegger. And guess what, Doctor?I'm not one to believe in coincidences, especially under such circumstances. " Riku went on, now frowning.
" Why suspect me? After all, you aren't sure she was saying the truth. She could have wanted to harm me. " the doctor replied as he intertwined his fingers, his hands on the desk.
" And why would she? Because it's fun? " Riku insisted. He wasn't going to lose. He was certain that Hojo was the main culprit and there was no way he'd let him keep on doing his nasty job.
" You see, the staff doesn't exactly appreciate me. I'm very stric – " the man began, only to be interrupted by Riku.
" Of course people don't like you! Those organs some so called "donors" gave you were actually stolen! " the silver-haired boy exclaimed, beyond furious. He shot a glance over his shoulder. Why wasn't Sora doing anything? Riku turned back to Hojo when he hard him chuckle.
" Stolen, you say? My, you seem awfully convinced. " the older man retorted.
" Show them to me. " Riku replied. Hojo lifted a curious eyebrow. " I want to see the room where all the "given" organs are stored. Now. "
" You won't find anything. That would just be a waste of time. " the surgeon declared, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
" I've got plenty of time. If you have nothing to hide, I don't see why you're being so wary. " Riku said, his gaze never leaving Hojo's. The latter heaved a long sigh and rubbed his temple.
" How much? " the older man asked.
" What? " Riku murmured, suspicious.
" How much do you want? Listen, we could come to an arrangement. I'll give you as much money as you want if you don't say a single thing about this. I'm quite influential and get – " Once again, he was cut off but this time, it wasn't as delicately. Riku was seeing red and just climbed on the desk to grab the surgeon's collar and glower at him.
" BASTARD! Do you seriously think I'll let you continue! DO YOU! " the investigator shouted, his breathing erratic. Hojo looked at Riku for a short while before he focused his attention on Sora, slowly smirking.
" Young man, I hope you will be wiser than your companion. " the doctor began in a soft tone of voice. " Tell your friend why arresting me would be prejudicial. I am sure that you know what I mean. "
Sora frowned. " Why would it be? " he asked shyly, his voice quivering.
" Well, it's obvious. If I don't find any organs, how can I save these patients whose lives depend on donations that will never be made? You saw people's reaction when I transplanted that heart into my patient. Arresting me would mean letting poor ill people die. " Hojo explained, his smile not faltering. He saw Sora hesitate for a moment and felt relieved. One more blow and the kid would side with him. " You don't want to be responsible for the death of this many people, do you? " Hojo asked softly, ignoring Riku's strengthening grip.
" I – " the brunet began, his voice letting the other men know he was still hesitant.
" Sora, don't listen to him. We have to put an end to this! " Riku suddenly exclaimed, making his friend jump.
" No, don't listen to him, Sora. He's just trying to save his reputation. He doesn't care about those poor people's lives but unlike him, you have a heart, right? You're not like him. " Hojo added. Riku clenched his fist and swung his arm back to hit the surgeon and just make him shut up but Sora rushed forward and stopped him.
" No, you… " the investigator began, his fist unclenching as soon as his friend touched his wrist. Sora closed his eyes and remained silent.
" You made the right choice. " Hojo declared, pushing Riku back. The silver-haired boy stood by his partner's side, clenching his teeth.
" He's right, Riku. " the brunet whispered, his gaze still not meeting the other's. " If we arrest him, many people will die because of us. " Riku was about to interrupt him but he continued. " Yet, if I put myself in their places… I'm not sure I could accept to have something stolen transplanted into me. Maybe I'm the only one who's thinking that. Maybe there will be a lot of people who will be angry with me but I just can't let him continue this because… That would mean we're letting other innocents die. " Sora lifted his head up and looked at Hojo in the eye. " People will die, no matter what I decide. I'm really sorry for all those patients but harming others to help them is just wrong, even if your intentions aren't completely bad. "
Hojo only chuckled and took his glasses off to pinch the bridge of his nose. " Just as I was saying : you're far from stupid. "
------
Hojo was put under arrest and the Bickson case was solved. Ansem and his brothers were still nowhere to be found but Illusiopolis' authorities were convinced they could make one of the prisoners talk and tell them where to find the three men. The city was at peace again and its inhabitants weren't fearing for their lives any longer, now knowing no one would disappear ever again. The whole truth about the case was revealed and some people were genuinely relieved such a trade was put to an end. However, some weren't as pleased, most of them being close to ill people waiting for a transplant, but no one held it against them.
As for Riku, he was often interviewed by journalists who constantly praised him. After all, the people's disappearance was a big mystery at the beginning of the investigation. And it was a newbie, who just succeeded his father, that managed to find where the victims were taken to. Of course, Riku kept reminding them that nothing would have been discovered without his partner who chose to remain anonymous so that questions wouldn't be asked, especially the one he was fearing the most : what was his role in the investigation? He surely didn't want to explain that ghosts coming from nowhere guided them. Riku and he would be considered crazy. Sora was used to it but his friend had a reputation to maintain. He could have lied but he was horrible at this. He just couldn't lie. So, remaining in the shadows was for the best.
" Well, that's it then. " the brunet said as he stood in the middle of the police station's main room. Riku and his colleagues were surrounding him. " It was a pleasure to work with you, even if it wasn't for a long while. I hope I wasn't a bother. "
" You can't bother people more than Riku does. " Xaldin declared, his colleagues soon laughing. All except Riku, of course.
" You'll always be welcomed here. " Marluxia added as he held a hand out to the brunet. The younger man nodded as he shook the offered hand. " Well, it was great and all but we have work to attend to! " he declared as he motioned for Vexen to follow him outside the building. Larxene chose to stay at the lab since she wasn't one for goodbyes. She might be cold but she always hoped to see people she knew again… For better or for worst.
" I'll consider this. " Sora replied. He turned his head towards Riku when he tapped him on the shoulder.
" We'll have to decide when to go to Benny's. I hope you didn't forget. " the investigator said as a mischievous smile spread across his face.
" When did we talk about that? " the brunet asked innocently. " I was joking! " he added when he saw Riku frown. " I promised Axel and Roxas I'd pay them a visit to let them know I'm doing fine so I'll have to go to Twilight Town first. " he explained, his hands raised as if he was trying to protect himself from any blow Riku decided to throw his way. " Well then, I guess I'll leave you guys. " he concluded as he headed for the entrance slowly.
" See you, Sora! " he heard Riku call behind him.
The brunet turned around and smiled broadly, replying : " See you soon! "
Their investigation might be solved but he would make sure to come back. Sora was like that. And who knows, maybe Riku would need his help once again some day..?
xx----xx
Songs from Disturbed I like :
Voices – The game – Down with the sickness – Numb – Prayer – Remember – Land of confusion
And that was the end of the first part or the end of the story for yaoi haters. After reading this once again, I realize how much I've left unsaid. Oo; But I just couldn't say everything until now. I guess you'll understand when you read the next chapters. My, OpenOffice's spell checker is being an ass! I had to copy and paste the whole chapter to get it to work. Really, my poor old computer had a fit. (if crashing is its way of being angry) Anyway, I managed to get this chapter out so it's all for the best! \o/ I'm sorry it took so much time to translate this but well, I'm smothered in homeworks so, yeah. Hopefully, this story will be updated faster next time!
