(yes, it's a whopper. Gomen.)
American Way of Death Chapter 10- The hunt in Hokkaido
Tatsumi and Watari sat in the economic seats on their flight to Sapporo. It was crowded, but Tatsumi and Watari were too busy to really mind. Watari took the aisle seat and Tatsumi sat by the window. They had taken the cheapest seats at Tatsumi's insistence. He had also refused the water and whatever refreshment they were selling at their exorbitant prices. Watari was pulling up some files on Matthew Rhodes on his laptop. They were also looking at expensive hotels in the city. A passing stewardess smiled at them, thinking they were probably trying to find a place for themselves. Tatsumi's blue eyes flashed and she continued on her way. Watari only smiled.
Tatsumi looked on the screen of Watari's computer. He balked at the prices and extravagance.
"Are you sure he'll go there? He won't lay low?" Tatsumi asked.
"Oh, he'll want to taste the high life first before he disappears." Watari said. "He did this several times in America and Europe."
"What?" Tatsumi asked. "Why didn't any one arrest him?"
"None of the women wanted to press charges." Watari replied. "And evidence was hard to come by, if at all."
"You know a lot about it." Tatsumi replied.
"I was asked to contribute what I knew about him sniffing around the infirmity when Katie-Chan was ill." Watari explained. "I stayed in touch with those working on the case and found out quite a bit from them. I have a friend who works in records who let me know a lot. What can I say, I was curious."
"What was he doing around the infirmity then?"
"Trying to make sure my patient never work up." Watari said darkly. "Rhodes isn't a violent man, but I doesn't take much to unplug an IV or something to that effect."
"I'm surprised he didn't 'finish the job' as it were before you arrived." Tatsumi mused.
"I don't think it occurred to him that he would have to. If she was going to sleep forever, it suited him just as well. He's a coward really, and he hates to get his hands dirty. Plus, if he had done that he wouldn't have had an excuse to come by and chase nurses. I don't know which he loves more, women or money. Well, I'm going to go to the toilet, I'll be right back."
Watari left and dodged around the card the stewardess was pushing. She smiled and chatted at him, and it occurred to Tatsumi that there wasn't one place where Watari didn't have friends. Tatsumi was thinking about this other advantage his lover had, when an IM window popped up on the laptop's monitor.
Donna: Blondie, are you there? You better be there…
Tatsumi blinked not knowing how to respond. Who was this woman, he wondered.
Donna: Goddamn it are you there? I'm here at the office at midnight because of you.
Tatsumi looked at the clock on the bottom right of the screen. It read 2:10 in the afternoon. Where ever this Donna person was, she was some distance away from them. But whoever she was, Tatsumi was beginning to think he didn't like her. He didn't like her tone and she sounded too familiar with Watari for him to be comfortable.
Donna: Reply damn it!
Tatsumi frowned at the screen. Her attitude sounded American he thought, and all his prejudices started coming to the surface.
"What are you frowning at, Seiichiro?" Watari asked. Tatsumi hadn't even noticed him standing there. Watari followed his lover's blue eyes to the IM window. Watari's face lit up "Donna-Chan!" he smiled. He sat quickly down.
"Remember my friend I was telling you about my friend who works in records- Well this is her!" Watari smiled.
The explanation didn't make Tatsumi feel any better. He still frowned, but Watari didn't seem to notice.
"Maybe she found out something."Watari said quietly, leaning over. Tatsumi could feel the breath the words were carried on come across his left cheek. It made Tatsumi aware of the closeness they were to each other. But again Watari didn't seem to notice as he started typing.
Watari: Donna-Chan :D
Donna: Finally! Where were you- this is not your usual IP addy.
Watari: I'm traveling- laptop. You won't believe who I finally got a lead on.
Donna: Who?
Watari: Rhodes.
Donna: You're kidding! That fucker! What did you have to do, grow a pair of tits?
Tatsumi's eyes widened at this. Then the narrowed as he scowled.
Watari: LOL- well I probably should tell you know that my partner is here. Watching this.
Donna:…well now that I've made an ass out of myself, I can ask you how you found him?
Watari burst into laughter at this. Tatsumi was not amused.
"Don't tell her about the Soteicho situation." Tatsumi whispered. "It's on a strict need to know basis."
"What?" Watari asked. "But Tatsumi only shook his head. Watari sighed.
"Fine."
But there was no need.
Donna: So was it the same pattern?
Watari: Of course.
Donna: Sigh. Well at least you got a lead on him. Are you going to now?
Watari looked at his partner. Tatsumi shook his head. Donna must have read something into the lack of initial reply.
Donna: Or… am I not supposed to know?
Watari: That would be about the long and short of it.
Donna: Well the long and short of it on this end is I'm taking a hell of a lot of risks for you- so you better as hell let me know what's going on, or I'll just go on my merry way!
Tatsumi scoffed in surprise at her arrogance.
"Typical Gaijin!" Tatsumi muttered.
"It's okay." Watari said. " I know her. She can be trusted." He didn't wait for an official reply from Tatsumi. He typed quickly.
Watari: Hokkaido- Sappho to be exact.
Donna: See, now that wasn't so hard, was it my Mr. mysterious :P
Tatsumi grunted his disapproval.
Watari: So what did you find out?
Donna: I finally was able to find some of the file. They keep on moving it around, reclassifying it. And when I did find it they had in some kind of freakin code. I'm trying to break it now. When I do. Then I'll be over there."
"What?" Tatsumi demanded. "She's coming here?"
Watari looked at his lover in surprise for a moment, and then a slight smile curled on the corner of his lips.
""She doesn't want to send something as classified as this via email or snail mail. And quite frankly I agree." He explained. "It will be alright. She's coming with information I need to know."
Donna: It's been showing me more of when I need to dig. And I've been digging.
Watari: How long? How long till you can come over.
Donna: At the rate I'm going – I'd say a few weeks.
Watari groaned in frustration.
Watari: Can't you make it any faster? I need to know sooner than that?
Donna: Not unless you want me to land in jail. I'm copying the thing letter for letter. If the original is gone, then that's bound to arouse suspicions and I will be in jail or dead. I had to use my illusions to sneak into the restricted area in the first place.
There was a moment's pause and then Donna continued.
Donna: Like I said before- Do you have any idea how classified this is? What types of risk I'm taking for you? If it were anyone else I'd have said no.
Tatsumi frowned and turned away from the monitor to look out the window. He didn't want to see any more.
Watari: I appreciate it- more than I can say. But time is of the essence.
Donna: Besides I'm not just doing this for old time's sake. The more I read, the more I realize…
Watari: What?
Donna: That they may not have finished her off after all. And if that's the case- it's bad for everybody.
Watari didn't know what to reply to that statement, so he didn't type anything.
Donna: Buy my ticket?
Watari: No problem. I have some savings from my periodicals I published. What's the return date?
Donna: For now, don't put one. I want to see this through to the end.
Watari: Okay.
Donna: I won't be able to IM you for a while. Just buy my ticket, and I'll pick it up at the counter at the airport. I guess I'll be seeing you and that partner of yours- what's your name again?
Watari: Oh it's Tatsumi. He's not paying attention now.
Donna: Oh…Is he the guy you've been crazy for all that time?
Watari: That's the one.
Donna: oh, so I finally get to see that Mr. Sex rocket you go on and on about . I'm looking forward to it! :P
Watari: lol!
Donna: All right.
Watari: Donna-Chan, take care.
Donna: Jesus, don't start that- you sound so morbid.
Watari: Gomen- See you soon then.
Donna: I'm out.
He closed the IM window and motioned for Tatsumi to come to his laptop. Tatsumi was still looking out the window. Watari sighed. He saw right through his partner's coldness to the root of it.
"Seiichiro" Watari whispered. His voice caught Tatsumi's attention and brought it back from whatever he was stewing about. Watari motioned to the laptop and Tatsumi came and looked at a text file he had pulled up.
"I made a list of several hotels we could look at. I also recommend we change our clothes into something less conspicuous."
"Hmm. Agreed" Tatsumi nodded. He didn't like to spend any extra money, but they had run from the office to the airport, and hadn't changed their clothes. Hokkaido was freezing this type of year, so they would definitely need warmer gear. Plus a business suit and a laboratory coat were going to attract attention in a more casually dressed place like they were flying to. Tatsumi also noticed that the Susukino district on the list. Susukino- the biggest red light district in north of Kabuki-Cho, Tokyo.
"Are you serious?" Tatsumi asked, motioning to Susukino on the list.
"Trust me- if I know our quarry. If he hasn't been there already, he'll be by there soon enough." Watari winked.
"What's that?" Tatsumi said indicating a folder on Watari's desktop. It was labeled :Empath Research.
"Oh that. That's my constant research project. I felt like I needed to look at my old notes again."
"Mind if I take a look?" Tatsumi asked.
"Not at all." And he handed him the laptop.
In the folder there were four sub folders. They were named : Summers, Myers, Kurosaki, and Hiru.
"Is this our Kurosaki-kun?" Tatsumi asked.
Watari nodded. "As well as our Summers-Chan and Myers-san. I've complied data on all of them."
"But why Myer-san, he's not an empath." Tatsumi, thinking in distaste on the American he did not like.
"No but his mother was. As is his daughter. He provided me some good info about how the gene is carried from person to person over generations, even if it's not expressed. As you can see on the charts in his file, he did come back as having some innate empathic ability, definitely more than average person. But not enough to make him overly sensitive. But that does explain why he was able to pick up on the psi talk. Most normal people cannot do it. You need to be related to or touched by an empath to do so. Or be one yourself. Tsuzuki can on some level with Bon, because they have synchronized. They did so when Muraki kidnapped him, and we didn't know if Bon was going to stay on or not. But if you or I were to try, we'd be beating our head against a wall."
"But we can hear what Summers-Chan is thinking." Tatsumi said.
"But we can't answer her, not the same way. To receive is one thing, to send out is another. We're not wired for it. And as for Tsuzuki-kun, my guess is when they synchronized, it changed something in Tsuzuki-kun's wiring. I mean the brain grows and develops all the time, so it stands to reason."
"Hmm." Tatsumi murmured thinking it over. "Was Myers-san's mother like his daughter?"
"Yes and no." Watari replied. "She died before either Myers-san or Katie-Chan became a shinigami, so I only have his memories to go on. No hard data. She was an empath too, yes, but she was not as specialized as Katie-Chan is. As to why it worked out that way, I don't know, part of roll of the dice I guess. I mean why do kids turn out so different and so alike from their grandparents.
"But if you look here, the frequency range of Katie-Chan and Bon are very different. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, but one is more nature based, Bon is more human based, but he's proven to be sensitive to other supernatural things as well."
"And one about this Hiru person.?"
"She's the whole reason I am trying to find Rhodes in the first place." Watari said, and his voice became deadly serious. "Remember the incident with Myers and Rhodes you spoke of, well this was the person – the shinigami- who he killed. Except, I beginning to suspect that he didn't. Or maybe she didn't stay dead."
"Impossible." Tatsumi said. "No shinigami can survive being slain by another."
"I've learned that nothing is impossible." Watari said, "Though I wish it were the case. It was old news by the time I got to the US, but people were still shaken up by it. My friend in the states, she's breaking into records as we speak to see what she can find. I hope she finds something, and yet I'm afraid of what she will find."
"It's not very often I hear you say you're afraid, Watari." Tatsumi said quietly.
"I am because I know what she can do. I've seen it. She may be an empath, but she has no problem in using her ability to harm others. She was also psionic. The two combined together with no moral code, to be honest it scares the hell out of me. Take a look at her charts in her folder. You'll see what I mean."
Tatsumi opened the subfolder named Hiru. Watari was right. Where the wave frequencies for Summers-Chan and Kurosaki-kun were mid level, and Myers-san were low, Hiru's dominated the upper bracket. The wave lengths themselves were darker, showing an intensity and power the others did not have. There were hand written notes from a hand not Watari's next to the numbers. It said: Do we have anything higher than a +25???!!! Damn!!
There was also another set of charts had strong time stamps on them. In them, they showed a subject's and then Hiru's frequency. Tatsumi was amazed to see that Hiru's waves changed to imitate the brain waves of the subject in question. Again these were older charts. But there were several test subjects, and she had done a successful imitation of each one.
"That's how she gets into your mind." Watari said. "That was what I was able to figure out."
"Into your mind?" Tatsumi asked.
"Yep, she can pluck memories right from you." Watari said. "Even the most secret ones. That's usually what she would go for at first. At least that's what the notes say."
"Who was this person?" Tatsumi asked. "I mean in life."
"Again, that's what I hope my friend Donna-Chan finds out. I know she's an American Japanese mix. She had already been on the American bureau for a long time when Myers-san and Katie-Chan joined. And she was always poking around anything linked with anything demonic or that was rumored to be haunted. I think she was looking for something. I think she's been looking for something, for a long time."
"You speak of her in the present tense." Tatsumi noted.
"Like I said before, I've seen a lot of things and I don't think anything is impossible. But I hope I'm wrong. I really do. Anyway, here."
And Watari handed his partner a cell phone. Tatsumi looked at it and blinked in surprise.
"Watari, you shouldn't have." Tatsumi said. "You didn't spend too much did you?"
"Actually I didn't spend anything." Watari replied." I got an upgrade when I unlocked my Iphone, so I decided to give it to you. Don't worry about minutes, I prepaid them for you. I need a way to keep in touch with you in case we get separated in the field."
Tatsumi was touched. Humbled and touched. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he was quiet and smiled slightly. That was thanks enough for Watari.
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After listening to the specifics of Yuma's reports, it was agreed that the group would split up. Yuma and Saya would go along the coast to Mount Shari while the others would press further along to the area between Hidaka Mountains and Mount Poroshiri. There were only a few cases on the near the coast and most of them were concentrated in the area that Tsuzuki was taking the others. Again, he found himself thrust in the odd role of leader and he did not care for it.
The queen's couriers made sure they had full packs of food and furnished them with tents. The tents were made of magical silk that could keep the heat within a comfortable 21 degrees Celsius. They also gave them each a pair of snow shoes to help them navigate the slopes they were about to search. Myers-san asked for several large straps of leather and rope. Too both Tsuzuki's and Hisoka's surprise, he tied the supplies on Katie-Chan's body similar to how you would saddle a horse. Except she was not a horse, but a bear. She growled a little at this, but he paid it no mind. He got his weapons case and slid in along her left flank and tied it there. Then she hunkered down and he got on her back, she carried him and all their supplies out. As they walked out, one of the courtiers snickered at the sight. She turned on him suddenly and let out a roar so deep, that it sent the courtier running.
Hisoka pulled up his white fluffy collar on his coat. He was glad actually that they were departing from Yuma and Saya. They had done their usual fussing over him, and their nonstop chatter made his head buzz after a while. He sighed deeply and put on his snow shoes and pulled on his gloves. He noticed Tsuzuki glanced at him quickly and smiled to himself.
*Kawaii.* Tsuzuki thought. He felt the urge to kiss him. Hisoka stiffened and looked up at him. He had heard his thoughts.
Hisoka blushed, and looked around quickly. The sisters were already out the door, and Katie-Chan her father were already outside. Tsuzuki was expecting him to scowl before he called him Baka or Hentai. But Hisoka only nodded and went on outside.
"He is feeling better."Tsuzuki said to himself.
The courtiers waved to them and wished them good luck on their journey. The Hokkaido girls teleported to their location, and the other Shinigami followed their lead. They appeared at the base of a mountain and saw one each mountain on each corner of the sky. Hisoka breathed in the air and it felt great in his lungs. His head felt clear now, and he wasn't the only one.
*Finally!* Katie-Chan sent, and her thoughts were like thorns. *Now at least I don't have to listen to those girls go on and on about the latest thing at pink house or whatever the hell that was. Don't they ever shut up?! Blah, blah, blah!*
Bert laughed. "Oh BB, don't be like that. You're being bitchy."
*I'm not being bitchy! You're being bitchy!!* She accused hotly. Her sending was so harsh made everyone else in the party wince.
Tsuzuki was about to say something, but Myers-san waved at him and shook his head to let him handle it. Tsuzuki saw the signal and bit his tongue.
"You're gonna give everyone a migraine if you keep that up." Myers said directly. "And then where the hell will be?"
Katie-Chan rolled her eyes. She huffed.
*Fine…* she sent, and her thoughts were less hostile. Then her anger flared again. "But it's there goddamn fault I'm like this!*
"Don't worry." Bert said. "I know. Poor BB." And he patted her head.
"If we knew we were going to end up here, we could have just flown to the Tokachi." Hisoka said.
"Well it doesn't matter now, were here." Tsuzuki said. "Let's start out on the trails around Hidaka first. It will probably take us a few days there."
The others nodded, and they were off.
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*This is weird. I don't like it.* Katie-Chan sent to the others.
"What is, Katie-Chan?" Tsuzuki asked.
*Well, usually when I go to a place like this, my head is buzzing. I mean all the animals are talking to each other about territory, or who has what mate. You know, gossip like that. But here it's totally quiet. Everyone is gone.*
"Tsuzuki." Hisoka asked. "Can you send one of you messengers to the office? Maybe the Gushoshin brothers can send us some information on the victims."
Tsuzuki smiled at him. "I actually asked them to do that before I left the office. They should be sending a laptop with the information shortly. But they told me that I wasn't to touch it, so you'll have to accept the delivery."
Hisoka was surprised Tsuzuki had thought that far ahead. He felt Tsuzuki's mind reach out to him.
*Surprised?*
*… Yeah, I guess.* Hisoka confessed.
*Let's just say you motivate me, Soka-Chan.*
Hisoka blushed at this intimate confession and was glad no one else could hear. At least he hoped they couldn't, even though they could probably both could ease drop very easily. He suspected Katie-Chan wouldn't want to intrude, and Myers-san wouldn't care. Hisoka hoped these thoughts were private, he was not as practiced at the art of sending as Katie-Chan was. Tsuzuki had mentioned that he could ask her for some pointers. He decided he would. Hopefully, at nightfall she might be less fussy.
*I want to get this done as soon as possible.* Tsuzuki continued. *So we can move in together as soon as we get home.*
Tsuzuki had never been so eager to get his work done. Hisoka was surprised indeed. Ninety five years of slacking were brushed aside, and Tsuzuki dove into the investigation with drive and eagerness. He wasn't going to have to go over anything twice, and he wasn't going to hesitate. Tsuzuki seemed to be in a race; and Hisoka and their life together was the prize at the finish line.
Tsuzuki's open drive for him made Hisoka blush again. He was glad that Katie-Chan and Myer-san were too busy arguing about something to notice.
"I tell you, there is something over there." Myers-san said.
*I don't smell anything.*
"That's because bear form or not, I still have a better nose than you, kid. There's something over on the right side of the trail, Tsuzuki."
"Let's go then." Tsuzuki said.
They went off the trail in the direction that Myers-san indicated. Before they went very far, Katie sent *Oh man, I smell it too. Whew! What a stink.*
As they got closer, Tsuzuki saw a tree with a large mound at its base. The mound was covered with snow. He sucked in his breath at the apprehension of what was underneath the snow. The grim reality of his job was upon him now, and he did not want to deal with it. But he thought of Hisoka next to him, and of the reality of living with him. It was now so close, except he had to do just what he did not want to do. He thought for a moment of how unfair it was, to do what you loathe to get your heart's desire. But Myers-san went to the mound, bent down to it, and waved the snow off some of it.
A dead face looked up at them all with unblinking eyes. It was a hiker. He could not have been more than twenty one.
"Poor bastard." Myers-san said quietly. He paused for a second then started uncovering the rest of the body. Katie-Chan with her large swept aside great heaps of snow off the body. Tsuzuki motioned for the bear to come to him, and she did. He took a small towel out of their supplies and covered the boys face.
*I'll never get used to this damn job.* Tsuzuki sent privately to Hisoka.
*Tsuzuki…* Hisoka sent with concern. He did not know what to say, and his own efforts to comfort felt ineffective and clumsy.
"Look at this." Myers-san said, holding up a business card. He found it in the right pocket of the victim. There was also a letter folded up. Tsuzuki took the card and gazed it. It was the name of an inn. From the photo on the card, it didn't look very fancy, and it must have been off the beaten path somewhere. The name of the inn was Hitan Minshuku. Truth be told Tsuzuki thought it looked very dreary, and was surprised they had any visitors. He opened the letter up and gave it to Hisoka to read aloud.
"They say this is where I can meet her.
I know it sounds crazy, but I have to go.
To see her voice again-
I'll risk anything."
"Mmm." Myers-san grunted. "Poor kid. Wonder who he was trying to meet."
"A sweetheart, maybe?" Katie offered.
"Maybe." Tsuzuki said. "Someone sent him here though, or lured him here. Lets cover him up and get back to the trail. It's almost dusk and I don't want to try to fumble around on these trails in the dark. Tomorrow we'll make for the inn. For right now that's our only lead.."
Myers-san covered the body up with a spare blanket he had brought. He put stones around the edge of it so it wouldn't blow away. They walked back to the trail and Tsuzuki stopped to take a look back at the body. Alone it sat, alone in the wild and if they hadn't discovered it might have sat even longer, until the elements destroyed it. Alone in the wilderness- nameless and forgotten. It filled Tsuzuki with an incredible sadness.
"Tsuzuki." Hisoka's voice called out. Tsuzuki shook his head and looked at his partner. Was it only moments ago, he had only thought of happiness and of the future? Now it seemed to flee before him in the presence of someone whose future had been stopped.
"Tsuzuki, let's go." Hisoka said.
And an idea came into Tsuzuki's mind as he looked into the calming face of his lover. What if their future were snatched away from them so coldly? What if Hisoka was taken from him to a place where he could not follow? Tsuzuki felt something dark in him stir at the thought of this. It growled defensively.
No, The idea was unthinkable, so Tsuzuki pushed it aside.
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The camp was overcast in mood when they set up. Myers-san was very adaptive in the field, Tsuzuki had to give him credit. Hisoka had never gone camping before, so he had no idea how to start a fire or set up a tent. Tsuzuki was reminded that his lover preferred the setting of indoors to outdoors. He was rather surprised that Hisoka wasn't griping about the cold temperature or the setting up. Then Tsuzuki realized why, as he saw Hisoka catch a quick glimpse at him.
*He's worried about me.* he thought.
Myers-san however, set up the tents in no time. He also got a fire going and started on dinner. He did all of this without complaint. He took the packs off Katie-Chan. She proceeded to roll around in the show, shaking her body against the tree to get the feeling of the ropes off her. Myers-san smiled at her as he started making some stew for them all to share.
"The 'now' of animal thought. I envy her sometimes." Myers-san said.
"Hmm?" Tsuzuki said.
"Its dwelling in only the present moment, with no thought of the past or future. When her animal side takes over, she goes into that state of mind. I envy her that, to have no burdens." Myers-san explained. "For being the most evolved species, I think sometimes we got the raw end of the deal."
A sound of bird whistled above them and one of Tsuzuki's messengers appeared, holding a small laptop in its talons. The computer itself was the size of a hard covered book.
"Wow that's a small laptop." Myers remarked.
"Watari designed it." Hisoka said, taking it from the messenger. "It plugs into the central networking system at the Meifu offices. He made it so we can get to the archives if were out in the field. It belongs to the Gushoshin brothers, really. I'm going to send the chief an email telling him to send the authorities up the mountain."
Tsuzuki nodded, and he appreciated that Hisoka did not say why. There was no need. The body of the hiker still had to be taken care of.
Hisoka opened the laptop and saw a post-it note.
It read: Under no circumstances is Tsuzuki-san to touch this piece of equipment. Under no circumstances!!
Tsuzuki saw it and sighed.
"What's up with that?" Myers-san asked. Hisoka explained how Tsuzuki and Terazuma had the destroyed the library, making it the second time it was destroyed. Upon it being rebuilt, Tsuzuki was forbidden to touch anything belonging to the Gushoshin brothers. Tsuzuki, eager to get his mind off the morbid events this afternoon explained how he had been unjustly sentenced to permanent exile from the library. Obviously the Gushoshin brothers over looked this when they ran to find him when Hisoka was in trouble.
"What's, that?" Tsuzuki said, seeing a box in the supplies. He picked it up and saw it was Lindt dark chocolates. "Oh all right. I needed something sweet!"
Katie-Chan turned suddenly and roared at the top of her lungs. She charged at Tsuzuki and swiped the box out of his hands.
"Hey!" Tsuzuki said, his inu ears peaking out.
"Oh don't mess with a girl and her chocolate during that time of the month." Myers-san warned. "She'll take your head off."
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The rest of the evening was spent eating and talking. Myers-san wasn't the best cook, but he wasn't the worst either. When Katie-Chan was done eating the chocolates, package and all, she was served in a large bowl Myers-san had brought for her. He filled it up twice. She seemed to be a little more sated, and Tsuzuki and Myers-san were finding something to talk about. Actually, Hisoka noted, it was Tsuzuki who was doing the talking and Myers-san who was doing the listening. Tsuzuki was talking about the imaginary world, where it was and how it was different from this world or from the world of the dead. Hisoka hoped that Tsuzuki would not mention his failure at trying to get shikigamis. The mission that had ended in failure was still a sore wound for Hisoka's pride. His pride was what almost held him back now, but the knowledge Katie-Chan had was too valuable to pass up.
*Katie-Chan…* he sent.
The reply was annoyed and he felt something akin to a headache come on.
*What?* She demanded.
*Oh, It's just that I was hoping…I dunno that you could give me some pointers.*
*Pointers? What?* She demanded. Then her mood suddenly changed to remorse, and the headache feeling went away from Hisoka.
* Oh. Sorry, about that.* She apologized. *I'm sorry. I'm not fun to be around- you know during this time. What did you want to know.*
*When you send, how do you keep it, private?*
*Well, other empaths that know how to psitalk can usually tell when you're doing it, even if they are not talking to you. It's like the air gets thicker, heavier – like before a thunderstorm. But usually I just try thinking of a room where only the person and I are, if I want to make the channel a private one. That usually works.*
*Okay thanks.*
*By the way, *she sent. *Just so you know, when I'm in this form I have an over developed smell too. I'm not as good as Bert, but I can smell things I ordinarily wouldn't.*
*What do you mean?*
The bear turned and winked at him.
* Tsuzuki's pheromones. I told you before he was crazy about you.*
Hisoka blushed bright red. So much for privacy.
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Hisoka was typing on the laptop, looking at the names of the people who had died in this area. He had asked the Gushoshin brothers to pull all data on the victims going two years back from their date of death. His green eyes were glued to the small screen and the jumped from column to column. Tsuzuki was in the same tent with him. Everyone agreed to bed down for the night so they could make an early start for the inn in the morning. Hisoka sat up typing at the computer on his lap, as Tsuzuki was lying down beside him. Their coats were laid by the front flap of their tent, and they were dressed in their more comfortable sweats. Hisoka did not know as he typed away, but Tsuzuki's eyes wandered all over his body.
Then over whelming want washed into Hisoka's mind. Want and need for comfort.
"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka said, half way scolding.
"What?" Tsuzuki smiled, and smoothed his hand along Hisoka's side.
"Don't. they can smell us. They can smell you." Hisoka said.
*Katie-Chan didn't seem to mind. And she keeps Myers-san in line. Plus I don't think he'll mess with her right now.* He sat up now ran his hands over Hisoka's shoulders.
"But- I'm researching this. You said yourself the sooner we get done, the sooner we can-"
Tsuzuki silenced his protest with a kiss, and lifted the laptop out of his lap, putting it aside.
"Tsu! What are you-" Hisoka's anger was cut off but the almost instant arousal when his partners hand grazed the area the laptop had been.
"Hentai!" Hisoka whispered. Tsuzuki, only pulled on Hisoka's pants and inserted his hand into that private area. Again desire and need washed over the empath's mind. He knew what Tsuzuki wanted. More than touch, Tsuzuki wanted to confirm that Hisoka was there.
*Baka! Where else would I be?* Hisoka sent, but Tsuzuki did not answer.
*Do the research in the morning. I needed you now.* Tsuzuki replied.
In sending there is only truth. Tsuzuki's desperate need could not be denied.
*Okay,* Hisoka sent back. *I guess I'll get up early. I'll set the alarm on the laptop.*
*Good…*Tsuzuki whispered into his partner's mind.
Tsuzuki stroked his partner's private area, running his fingers over him and playing. Hisoka shuddered as Tsuzuki bit his neck. The empath felt his shirt being unbuttoned and he did not want to resist now. Tsuzuki lowered him to the floor of the tent and pulled down Hisoka's pants. What his hand had done earlier, his mouth now took its share. Hisoka squirmed, and he felt a blush come across his cheeks and chest. He felt his breath increase, as his lover brought him to the edge with ease. Tsuzuki saw his lover's nipples harden, and knew it was time.
*Tsu! Tsu! I.. I'm.. I'm!*
Hisoka bit his lip and writhed wildly, lifting his hips off the floor in his rapture. Tsuzuki felt his partner gush into his mouth. Hisoka shuddered a little then felt slack. It was intense and gave little noise, but to see it was glorious. Tsuzuki wiped Hisoka's milk from his mouth, and moistened the path into him with his own fluids. Tsuzuki entered into him, while he gazed upon Hisoka's face. Hisoka felt his partners heavy breath, as it flared out his nostrils. Hisoka saw that Tsuzuki was holding his mouth tightly shut, making as little noise as possible.
*Don't go anywhere.* Tsuzuki sent. *Promise me*
*But where would I-*
*Just promise me.*
*Okay, I promise Tsu.*
This promise spurred Tsuzuki on as he thrust deeper. Hisoka saw his partner contort his face, and felt the warmth as Tsuzuki filled him.
Tsuzuki kissed him and held him close, listening to Hisoka's breath as it rose and fell. He didn't say anything, and Hisoka didn't press him for answers. Minutes passed them, and Tsuzuki brushed Hisoka's blonde hair, lost in his own thoughts. But these thoughts and worries Tsuzuki did not want to share. Hisoka eventually leaned over to the laptop and turned on the alarm, then shut the lid.
They could hear the wind outside as they fell asleep. To Tsuzuki the wind had a sorrowful sound, not unlike someone crying.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Tsuzuki dreamt alone that night. He did not want to intrude his darker thoughts and feelings into his partner's mind. So alone he wandered in his dreams. He found himself standing in the snow, and there was a great tree he was heading towards. It was the same tree he had seen during the day. He saw a large mound under the tree's base, and it was covered with snow. The same mound.
"Hisoka!" he called out in his dream. There was no answer.
Again he called, and there was only silence.
He looked at the mound again, and he saw the snow started to blow away from what was underneath. He saw a slender frame and a turquoise jacket with a white fluffy collar, and blonde hair.
"No! Gods no!" he thought as he ran to the mound. He seemed to be running in slow motion, and before his eyes the rest of the snow blew away, revealing Hisoka staring up at him with empty eyes. His white skin was the yellow color of death. His mouth was frozen open and full of snow.
Hisoka- his hisoka,gone. Gone from him.
"NO!" Tsuzuki gasped as he sat up, shocked out of his sleep. He turned and saw his partner looking up him with those green eyes. Tsuzuki sighed in relief when he saw his partner looking questioning up at him. Hisoka sat up and folded his arms around him. He could feel Tsuzuki's anxiety, and could feel the slight tremble in Tsuzuki's body as he folded his arms and put his face towards him.
*It's okay, Tsuzuki. I'm here.*
___________________________________________________________________________________
When the plane landed in Sapporo, Tatsumi and Watari wasted no time. They went to the closest clothing store, and though Tatsumi did not want to spend the money, they bought the winter wear they saw everyone else wearing. Faster to blend in, so to faster to find their prey. They checked into a cheap hotel at Tatsumi insistence. Here they stored Watari's laptop along with their original clothes. They then hit the streets, looking for their quarry. Susukino was their first stop.
Tatsumi looked up at the neon signs and the large image of Jack of Spades looking down at him. He was glad that he was not gifted as Kurosaki-kun was. Tatsumi was sure if could read minds of those around him, he would have his mind crammed with the most perverted thoughts. As it was, Tatsumi felt like he was starting to wade into a neon lit cesspool. There were drunks everywhere, women in micro shorts, despite the snow all around them; and promises of every carnal deviance you imagine in soaplands and love hotels. And the fact that so much money was wasted, repulsed him even more. Money flowed from hand to hand without restraint. He thought about the stolen money being spent in this fashion, and it enraged him.
He and Watari were accosted several times on their search. If it wasn't the women from the hostess bar dressed in ridiculous flight stewardess outfits; it was one of the male hosts on the street whistling at Watari and trying to play with his hair. Tatsumi glared at the youth and he backed off. They even went to the famous Gaijin bar- one of the four thousand bars in this place. There they found nothing but nameless Americans pawing for every skirt they could grab. But their quarry was nowhere in sight. Watari sighed as he finished of his drink, and they left.
Tatsumi heard a middle aged woman call to him, "Konban issho ni neyou?"" she said. He tried to ignore her, but she grabbed his arm repeating the humiliating question. "Konban issho ni neyou? Konban issho ni neyou?" Her lower hand started to reach for his hip.
"Madam! Release me this instant!" he demanded. His eyes blazed in blue anger.
Her eyes went wide with fear, and she pulled her arm away. She recoiled from his anger, and continued walking down the street looking for a less rigid prospect.
"Well, remind me never to take you here on our vacation." Watari teased.
Tatsumi scoffed, giving voice to his disgust and frustration.
"Everyone is pawing at me here." He complained.
"Only for your money, Tatsumi-kun. Only for your money. The rest-."
Watari stopped mid sentence. Tatsumi looked up and saw he had stopped in mid step. He was looking at an American with sandy brown hair half a block from where they were, coming in their direction. The American looked up and stopped when he saw Watari. There was a moment's pause and then recognition. The American turned and took off at top speed.
"That's him!" Watari yelled.
Tatsumi and Watari ran after him down the busy sidewalk. They dodged the throngs of people. Rhodes seemed to navigate them with ease, weaving back and forth.
*Damn! That bastard's fast!* Watari thought.
Tatsumi and Watari ran faster. They saw the gap between themselves and their target start to close. Hope rose in them both. Rhodes turned back over his shoulder and looked at them. There was fear and apprehension on his face. He then slammed into a woman head on, knocking her down, and himself stumbling. Tatsumi and Watari saw this advantage and pressed to run even faster. A few more steps and they would have him. Just a few more steps!
Rhodes stumbled to the side. He looked quickly at his pursuers who could have been no less than twenty feet from him now. He heard the girl-woman shrieking at him. He didn't waste the opportunity he saw to escape. He grabbed the girl by the arms and threw her into the street, straight into oncoming traffic. He the bolted and looked over his shoulder. He saw that damn researcher pause and make his split second decision. Watari portaled. He suddenly appeared in the road next to the girl. Tatsumi froze. Horns were screaming as was the girl. Watari and grabbed her, threw her back on the side walk. The traffic was rushing towards the shinigami like a flood.
"Watari!" Tatsumi screamed as he saw a fast taxi was veering away and smashing into the cars in the next lane. There was chaos and screaming, and the dead smack of metal upon metal. Watari disappeared not a moment before it was too late. The cars roared over where he was in a tidal wave of chaos. Tatsumi and the people standing on the sidewalk jumped back from the scene. The girl who Watari saved, wobbled and collapsed the ground.
"Oh my god!" one of the pedestrians cried. "Someone was in there! Someone was in there!"
Tatsumi felt his heart sink and saw no sign of his partner. He heard a triumphant laugh. It was from Rhodes. The American was standing there further down the sidewalk, all but lost in the chaos around him. He and Tatsumi locked eyes and Rhodes smiled. Had the nerve to smile! Tatsumi was furious! The American gave him a flippant wave salute and then teleported away. The teleportation was not noticed by anyone.
Tatsumi felt panic rise in him. Certainly he did see his partner portal away in time, but where did he go? And did he get out in time? Did he?
Something was vibrating in Tatsumi's pocket. It was the cell phone Watari had given to him. He saw it said "Watari" on the window.
"Mushi, Mushi." Tatsumi said.
"See." Watari's voice said on the other end. "Told you it would come in handy."
Tatsumi sighed with relief.
"Well, I think it's fair to say he knows were here now." Watari said.
"That's an understatement, Watari-kun."
"Well lets go to the Windsor Toya resort. It's the most luxurious one here. It suits his tastes. Maybe we can head him off at the pass."
___________________________________________________________________________________
Tatsumi and Watari waited in the elegant lobby for about three hours before they had any sign that Rhodes had ever been there. They did not want to be as obvious as asking to check the registry, lest he overhear and bolt from them again. And Tatsumi assumed they would probably be refused from seeing the registry on grounds of privacy. Their only hope was to wait in a corner and see if Rhodes arrived. They were lucky enough to be ignored by staff and guests as they entered.
"I am not paying this!" a woman's shrill voice sounded over the lobby area. Tatsumi looked in direction of the noise. He saw an elegantly attired woman arguing with the manager at the check in counter.
"But madam, you were staying in the room, and the person in question called and said you would settle the bill." The manager explained.
"What!" she demanded. "The damn gaijin! I'll kill him!"
"Madam, please. Lower your voice." The manager said. "Come to my office and we can discuss it in private."
"I'm certain you'd love that." She snarled. "Forget it, I'm leaving!"
She turned to leave and started towards the doors. The manager made a nod to the doorman and he stood in the way, blocking her exit.
"I don't believe this!" she snarled. "Let me out of here! I am not paying for some damn gaijin's room, no matter what he said! And if he does come here, you call tell that Rhodes bastard he owes me money!"
At the name Rhodes, Tatsumi and Watari exchanged glances.
"This is our chance, Tatsumi-kun." Watari said. "Stay here."
"Excuse me," Watari said, butting into the conversation. "Is there a problem?"
"Oh no, sir." The manager stuttered. "There's no problem at all, just a little misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding, my ass!" the woman cursed. Her cursing caused a gasp from other patrons, who were averting their eyes from the scene. It also confirmed to Tatsumi what he suspected, that this woman was in fact a prostitute.
"He's trying to fleece me!" she snarled, explaining her situation to Watari. She then grabbed hold of Watari's shirt and started crying. This intimate contact made Tatsumi glower, but he remained seated. Watari knew what he was doing, he told himself.
"I tell you he's trying to fleece me!" she continued as crocodile tears came down her face.
"Well," Watari said smiling to the manager. "What is the problem?"
"This woman was staying in one of our suites, and is refusing to pay for it. We received a call the gentleman who actually did make the reservation, and he said he had discussed it with her and that she was going to be taking care of the bill."
"He's lying! I said no such thing!" she argued.
"Oh I see." Watari said. "Well I'll cover it."
Tatsumi's eyes went wide. The woman smiled and hugged the scientist. At this, Tatsumi felt a defiant wave of jealousy almost take him over. But he kept himself in check, telling himself that Watari must be up to something.
Barely.
"Sir, that is most generous of you." The manager said, relieved that a solution had been found.
"Oh sir, what can I do to repay you?" the woman asked.
"Oh, I'm so glad you asked." Watari smiled. "As a matter of fact, my friend over there would love for you to have a drink with us." He said motioning over to Tatsumi, whose mouth dropped in shock. Then he clinched his jaw.
*Watari!* Tatsumi thought. *What are you doing?*
"Oh of course!" she smiled. "He's not my usual type. But if he's your friend, I'll make an exception. Does he snore?"
"Nope." Watari said as he handed the manager his credit card. "But I'm sure he'll learn for you."
Tatsumi was purple with indignation. Yet he said nothing as the three of them left together. He did however shoot Watari a scathing look.
__________________________________________________________________________________
They found a small restaurant with a welcome shortage of people around. It was neither a trendy nor expensive, and had a good deal of empty chairs. Tatsumi was glad of this, he strongly disliked this woman Watari had brought with them. He was reeling internally from what Watari had done. He was glad no one he knew was there to witness this humiliation. If word at the Emmacho office got out, he would never live it down.
They found a quiet corner, and Watari smoothly ordered drinks for everyone. Tatsumi did not drink, which was fine because their guest was more than happy to drink her fill. She called herself Butterfly, which Tatsumi thought was ridiculous to the point of absurdity.
"We're glad you came to talk to us, Butterfly." The blonde man smiled. "I'm hoping that you might be able to help us."
"Help you or help him?" she asked. "If I help you both it will be double."
"No, no!" Watari said. "What we need is information. On that gaijin you were staying with."
"Oh." She huffed and rolled her eyes. "What do you want to know about that useless bastard?"
"Did he have any contact with anyone while you were there.?" Watari asked.
"Not when I was around. No wait. He did have a woman call for him once. We met in the bar and then went upstairs. Afterward he got a call from some woman. Must have been his boss or something, the way he was talking."
"What did they talk about?" Watari asked. He felt unease sweep into him and his stomach flipped. He felt his face go white. This change was not unnoticed by Tatsumi.
"That he was going to have to do something sooner than expected, I think. That's it. He didn't give any details and it's not my job to ask."
"Do you know where he was going?" Tatsumi asked.
"He was asking about some inns near the mountains. Said he wanted to go sightseeing. I gave him a card of a friend I had who owned an inn."
"What was the name of the inn?" Watari asked.
"I don't know if I can remember." She smiled.
"10,000 yen." Tatsumi said bluntly. She turned to him.
"As a matter of fact I do remember. It was called the Hitan Minshuku. It was run by an old school chum of mine, before he gave it to his son. Shirro, is his name. Cute kid."
"Thank you." Watari said. "You've been most helpful."
"Konbanwa." She nodded.
Tatsumi left the amount of 10,000 yen on the table, and walked away without a farewell. As soon as they were out of earshot, Watari whispered.
"Tatsumi, we have to find him. We have to. If we don't…Gods, we're running out of time!"
__________________________________________________________________________________
The alarm on the laptop rang and Hisoka sat up. He rubbed his face. He looked over at Tsuzuki who at last had been able to fall asleep. He opened the laptop and started looking at the data he had collected. In ten more minutes he'd wake Tsuzuki up. He knew he was tired. He heard someone moving around the camp. It sounded like Myers-san.
*Open the flap for me.* Katie-Chan broadcast. *I can't get it! I have no hands!*
Myers-san sighed. There was the sound of a zipper and of something large moving.
"You want me to put some coffee in a bowl for you?" Myers-san asked.
*Yeah. Are they up yet?*
"Not yet. But they will be soon."
*Can't get used to the silence of no other animals. Freaks me out. Something's not right.*
"Hmm."
Hisoka looked down and pulled the information he compiled. They would talk about it over breakfast.
Hisoka frowned a little at Tsuzuki as he inhaled the sausages Myers-san had cooked for breakfast. Katie-Chan had finished hers early, and had decided to go walking around to see if she could uncover anything.
"So where you a boy scout or something, Myers-san?" Tsuzuki asked.
"Ha!" Myers laughed bitterly. "Hardly."
"I found out some information for the people who have passed away on the trails." Hisoka stated. "There is a large range of ages and socio-economic patterns, but they have one thing in common."
"What's that?" Myers-san asked.
"Its reported that they all had deaths in the family two years prior before coming up here." Hisoka replied.
"Hmm?" Tsuzuki said, through his full mouth.
"Who?" Myers-san asked. "Who was it in their family?"
"All victims had their mother die in the past two years." Hisoka stated. "And all of them came to the Hitan Ryosoka first before making the hike up here. It can't be a coincidence."
Tsuzuki nodded grimly, and put his plate down. He lost his appetite. He thought of his own mother, who he had not thought of for years. She had died when Tsuzuki was very young, and he couldn't remember all of it. He could only remember screaming- his own and hers.
*Guys!* Katie-Chan sent, and there was a feeling of alarm and almost panic that swept over them. *Come quick! Bert, bring your gun!*
Food was thrown aside in the mad dash to get weapons and run to the direction of the call. They scrambled up the hillside to a place where the path opened up over a small clearing. They saw Katie-Chan standing at the edge. Hisoka felt her growing fear, and felt something else. Something dark was growing in power and was coming towards them. There were things moving in the snow. Several creatures staggered up, and started in the direction. They were reanimated bodies of animals, similar to the Ice queens own courtiers; but in horrible dark jest of them.
"Jesus!" Bert cursed as he loaded the shells into his shot gun. The creatures wobbled for a second and then sprinted with alarming speed at them. There were no less than fifteen.
"Katie! Don't let them bite you! We don't know what they have!" Myers yelled as he raised his gun and fired, taking the shoulders and head off one. Katie-Chan reared up, her claws at the ready. Tsuzuki pushed Hisoka back behind him and the empath fell over. He heard the sound of snow crunching and inhuman roars and they were meters away from them. The gap closed and closed, and Hisoka could smell the stink of their decayed flesh. He heard Tsuzuki suck in his breath, a thing he did before jumping into battle. And before Hisoka could give a clear thought to anything else, battle was upon them. There was the loud roaring of Katie-Chan as she swiped at her opponents, and the loud roar of Myer-san's gun that shook the air. Hisoka felt their fear wash into his mind. He heard Tsuzuki chanting to his gods that protected him. Suzuku cried as she came forth. She roared to life, drowning the attacking horde in flames. One creature staggered forth, engulfed with flame. It charged at Hisoka and grabbed his foot in its twisted paw. Its grip was like steel.
"Here!" Myers-san yelled to it, demanding its attention. It turned to meet shotgun blast in the face, as it splattered everywhere. Hisoka felt the burning flesh hit part of his face. He thought of saying some words of gratitude to Myers-san for gratitude, but he never got a chance.
*Second Wave!* Katie sent, and Myers turned. Hisoka saw Tsuzuki's eyes go wide.
*Second Wave! Second Wave!*
Hisoka looked forward to see more creatures running at them. More and more! And damn if these weren't faster.
"Fall back!" Tsuzuki yelled. "Fall back!"
He yanked Hisoka up by his arm, and threw him ahead of him. They fled as they heard the roaring of the army behind them.
*What do we do! We can't take an army on!*
"Don't think! Run, little girl!" Bert snarled.
Tsuzuki stopped suddenly and turned. The air felt heavy like a thunderstorm, and Tsuzuki felt his power build up within him. He brought his foot down hard, and the earth itself surged forward, launching itself towards the oncoming army like a hailstorm of boulders. Hisoka heard the roar of the avalanche storm and the enemy corpses as they broke apart on impact. Hisoka felt fear and panic all around him, as well as a surge of adrenaline. He thought this mind would explode from the over load. But he tried to suppress it, lest he be lost and swept up in the chaos around him. He saw the trees pass by the quickly as he ran, and he saw the camp come into view.
He saw the light from Suzuku shine on the ground beneath them, like a smaller sun coming down upon on them. He felt the heat wave, and Hisoka thought he would faint for a moment it was so hot. She swept down upon the perusing army of beasts and Hisoka could hear them screeching. But still more were rushing at them.
*Oh shit! I'm Bit! I'm Bit!* Katie sent out in a panicked frenzy. Hisoka saw the bear and one creature clutching at her side. This thing, that might have been a cat at some time, dug into her flank with his mouth. Tsuzuki sent a wave of energy at it, and burst into shards of bone and ash. Myers-san fled to her side and looked at the wound that almost instantly bubbled with black infectious pus. Without a thought, without a second's hesitation, he grabbed a piece of wood from the fire that still smoldered from breakfast, and the thrust it into the wound. The bear roared in pain, but did not pull away. The wound cauterized and smoked.
Tsuzuki set up a protective barrier and it enclosed over them. Flames enveloped the camp and incinerated all their belongings. The laptop burst with the combination of heat and fire. Still the creatures made their way around the barrier, despite Suzaku's fire. There was a horrible roar that shook the very trees, and a blast of snow and ice shot forth and knocked the heavenly bird out of the sky. She crashed to the ground in a fiery heap, and Tsuzuki gasped with surprise. He looked at a figure that now came into view. She was tall like the ice queen; but as Beatrice was lovely, this one was terrible. Her eyes were cold like ice. Her body was in a half decayed state that was only halted by the fact that she was frozen. The army parted for her, and it was clear that this was Beatrice's sister and this was her army.
"You cannot enter here. These hills are mine, and all who come here belong to me." She said, her voice was cold. "Soon you will be as well."
She lifted her hand and a wave of a cone of frost came from her fingers and fell upon the barrier. The barrier shook and groaned under the strain. Tsuzuki saw the barrier shudder and he knew it wouldn't be long before the severe cold shattered it. With the army around them, where could they go?
"Tsuzuki! The barrier!" Hisoka yelled.
Tsuzuki felt the thing that slumbered in him stir. The air around him became as mist and he stood before the mirror again in a sub world that only he could see. He saw his oni self trapped behind the glass. Its eyes blazed and he flapped his dark feathered wings.
"Let me out!" he demanded. "Let me out! You cannot battle a god, but I can!"
A voice was screaming, but it was far way. Then it came upon Tsuzuki's ears like a wave.
"Tsuzuki! The barrier! Its failing!" Hisoka cried out.
"Take them all!" was the cold command of the ice witch.
Tsuzuki in the sub world shuddered before he reached forth and touched the mirror with his finger. The images exchanged, and he was on the inside now and the oni was outside. He became aware of the sounds of battle but it was all lost in mist and shadow. What was going on, what was his oni self doing?
What was he doing that he didn't know. A strange calm came over him, and he had not expected that. The oni in him knew what to do. By its instincts it was drawn out and came forth to do battle with its enemies. There were sounds around him of battle, but they were far away. Tsuzuki felt his body changing of its own accord and acting of its own will, doing ancient dance it had done before the dawn of time. He was inside the oni now, and it was in control.
Hisoka saw Tsuzuki bend low the ground as if in pain at the moment the images touched in the sub world. Large black wings sprouted from his back, shredding his coat and shirt. The barrier cracked, falling around them as the army rushed forward. Katie Chan swiped madly, and Myers-san fired his gun sporadically.
"I'm out of ammo!" Myers-san yelled. He rifle butted one corpse away from him, but there was just more coming to take its place.
Tsuzuki stood up and strangely he was taller than he had been moments ago. His eyes blazed purple and dark energy shot out from his hands. It shot forth and ran from him like a shock wave. It fell upon the undead army, and they fell apart like leaves blown by a great wind. The air trembled, and the other shinigami lost their footing and fell to the ground. The witch screamed in rage. She extended her hand and shot out a cone of ice.
"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka screamed.
Tsuzuki leapt straight up, dodging the witch's attack. His wings gave him increased speed he did not possess before. He dived down upon her. She let forth another cone of ice, and it peeled pieces of his skin away from his shoulder. But that did not stop him from reaching her. He grabbed hold of the witch and threw her like a tennis ball towards the peak of the mountain. The earth shook upon her landing.
Tsuzuki landed, panting in exhaustion. Hisoka looked to the others who were staggering to their feet. They were dumbstruck. He was as well. Tsuzuki turned to him, his purple eyes blazing with their own light. He stepped toward him, and towered over him for a moment. Wordlessly, it stroked Hisoka's right cheek and smiled. Hisoka noticed Tsuzuki's canine teeth were pointed like white needles.
Suddenly his partner fell forward to his knees and shrank before his sight. The wings writhed back and forth. They suddenly fell into a blizzard of black feathers that the cold wind scattered. Tsuzuki's eyes dimmed and Hisoka noticed his back was normal. He shuddered and shook his head. Hisoka grabbed him and looked into his terrified face.
"Hisoka."Tsuzuki said. "What happened? Where am I?"
"Shit!" Myers-san cried. "That was incredible! You don't remember?"
"No." Tsuzuki said meekly. "Where's the army?"
*They're gone.* Katie sent. *You defeated them.*
Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka. Tsuzuki's spirit quivered. Hisoka could feel it.
"Hisoka, is it true?" he whispered. "Is what they say true?"
Hisoka took a deep breath to steady himself.
"It's alright, Tsuzuki." He said, putting as much calmness into his voice as he could. He embraced him, holding him close.
"It's okay."
To be continued…
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notes- "konban issho ni neyou?"Is Japanese for "shall we sleep together tonight?"
Hitan is Japanese for the word Sorrow.
10,000 yen is about 109.00 USD
Lol- for as much as Tatsumi has his moments of weakness, I can't see him being comfortable in a red light district. To think is one thing, to do is another. I think it would make his skin crawl. I see him as a very private individual and private with his own sexuality. And yes, Tatsumi is the jealous type, though he doesn't know it.