Fallen Angel

celestia193's Author's Note: This chapter gets very dark, very fast. And it is for this chapter that Silver wanted to put a horror tag on this story. Enjoy!

Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. As Celestia said, this is an extremely dark chapter. Happy reading.

Chapter 11

Recently returned to his small estate in North Calgary, Orochimaru watches as his assistant comes into his office. Kabuto must have just finished up the latest batch of reports. Their experiments were numerous and varied as were their test subjects. Which was why it was important to keep track of everything. Not only for the sake of science, but also for the sake of profit.

"The tests on Selkie regeneration are going well. The base numbers were insufficient for practical application, but with the increased dosage, I believe that we'll see the creatures progress into a more efficient state." Kabuto flips through his copious notes, skipping over sections where the change was too negligible to yet be of any use. "The fairy wing dissections are proceeding on schedule and we should have the answer as to whether we can remove the glands and use artificial means to produce the dust by tomorrow. And the tests on Salamanders to determine whether they can be used as mass heating sources are showing promising results. All we have to do is keep them in impact and heatproof containers, and they work as portable furnaces."

"The wolves have been…uncooperative, but my latest cocktail should put an end to their willfulness." Though keeping track of the progression of so many experiments was taxing, Kabuto enjoyed the knowledge that it brought to their field. Even if some of their subjects were…resistant to being there at first. They all calmed down eventually, it was just about finding proper ways to control their behavior. "Regrettably, the Light Room remains empty." Shadow-walkers were rare enough, but finding a second one after the first one was stolen from them was proving very difficult. And Kabuto had scoured the entire black market a dozen times looking for a captive one that they could purchase. A shame, the last one had been so promising.

"Well, I suppose that's about the best we can hope for." It was such a shame Sasuke was gone. "Speaking of regrettable, have we made any progress with vampires?" Rasa was being rather generous with his donations. "Rasa wants the cure to his 'condition' for him and his family and given how deep his pockets are, I'm inclined to give it to him."

"Yes…let's see." Kabuto flips through the virtual charts, coming to the vampire file. "We're in the process of acquiring twenty specimens for experimentation, as well as substances from across the world, reputed to be effective as weapons against vampires." After all, many antidotes came from the same plant as the poison they counteracted, and snake venom could be used to counteract other venom. "We will begin the experiments as soon as the materials have arrived, which should be in approximately ten days."

Orochimaru nods. Ten days was far more time than he wanted, but understandable given the situation. "Good." They would begin experimentation as soon as everything and everyone arrived.

"Also, we have received an inquiry from…the CIA." Though what exactly they wanted from his boss, Kabuto wasn't sure. "Apparently, they have two agents who will be visiting Calgary shortly and would like to speak with you. They inform me that it is a matter of utmost importance, and that your life may be in danger."

Damn it. That couldn't be good. They must have connected him to Danzo somehow. "Very well." He nods at his partner in crime. "I shall speak to them."

"Yes, Sir." When Kabuto had received the message, it had seemed odd. It was as if the CIA were concerned for his boss' welfare. There was no indication that their experiments had been found out. He couldn't help but wonder just what was going on. "I will inform you when they arrive." He bows over his holo-tablet before promptly sweeping himself from the room.

He nods at that as he goes back to looking over the reports. Danzo must have been more faulty with his security than usual. Orochimaru wouldn't make the same mistake.

Feeling a little ill at the prospect of speaking to the man who had allegedly bought their little cousin as some sort of slave, Shisui makes their presence known at the door to the large house. Something felt very…wrong about this place. It was outside of the city proper, in one of the suburbs that reach out around the core of the city. There was a decent amount of land, but only two buildings on it. The main house, and what might pass for an old shed. The house itself was ancient, probably built during the middle of the twenty-first century. But that wasn't what was putting Shisui off.

No, what was putting him off was the highly dampened emotional energy coming from this place. Dozens of voices screamed out to him, their emotions indistinct, but impossible to ignore. He gritted his teeth, but focused on the task ahead for now. They would get to nail Orochimaru for this once they'd caught Sasuke.

"I feel it too." Itachi sighs as he looks at his cousin. "He's next. I promise you that." He stands in front of the door with his cousin. Sometimes, he hated his job. This was one of those times.

Shisui sets his face into an emotionless mask as the door opens, revealing a man about their age with spiky grey hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Can I help you?"

Shisui holds up his badge. "Special Agent Shisui Uchiha, CIA. This is my partner, Itachi. We're here to speak with Orochimaru Sannin."

The man blinks, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, before he opens the door fully. "I see. Yes, we've been expecting you." He turns his back to them, motioning for them to enter. "My name is Kabuto Yakushi, I serve as Dr. Sannin's personal assistant."

He'd likely also serve his jail time in the cell adjourning Orochimaru's. Still, Itachi knew better than to actually say that. So he forces himself to be quiet as he follows the man. For now.

"Ah." Orochimaru slithers out of a room and greets them, a few moments later. "It's so good to see you. You must be tired after your long journey."

Admittedly, flying between Toronto and Calgary hadn't exactly been a short jaunt, but Shisui had experienced much worse. "We are more than capable of functioning in the capacity we've been sent to fulfill." Which, at this rate, was going to include the arrest of one very prominent doctor. "But there's little time for pleasantries, Doctor. The two of us have come to inform you that, regrettably, your life is in danger from the serial killer that the two of us have been tracking. He recently committed another in a series of unsolved murders, this time in Chicago. And his most recent victim was Danzo Shimura, as you no doubt heard in the news." He had to play his cards right here, or he'd make Orochimaru skittish.

He forces himself to sound scared. "Yes, I saw the news." Orochimaru shakes his head and shivers. "He was brutally murdered. I can't believe how savage people can be to one another."

"Indeed. And we have reason to believe you are the killer's next target." Not without good reason, though. And now that Shisui had met the man, he could understand why anyone would be traumatized in this place. "We believe that his arrival is imminent, so we would like to set up here and capture him as he begins his attempt. Otherwise, he has proved elusive, at best. His abilities have made this case a top priority for the agency."

Itachi nods at that. He didn't like it, but they had a job to do. Besides, maybe while here he could find a way to help at least some of the prisoners. "Indeed." He smiles at Orochimaru. "Perhaps you or Kabuto can help us to protect the both of you." The very idea left a sour taste in his mouth, but there it was.

Kabuto looks to his boss for direction, then to the agents. "Agent Uchiha, are you certain that the killer is after Doctor Sannin? He is a medical researcher, a far cry from a businessman or politician."

"Fairly certain, yes." And Shisui liked this less and less by the minute. "If it turns out to be a false alarm, then all the better for the two of you. If it turns out not to be, then it's best to be prepared, isn't it?"

"Yes, that is sound logic." Orochimaru nods. "Well, we shall assist you in whatever we way can." Sasuke was coming for them then. There could be no other explanation.

"Good." Shisui resists the urge to sigh with relief. "Then I must ask you if you know a man by the name of Sasuke. We believe that he is a killer who holds a grudge against those he sees as doing wrong, whether they are or not." Best not to tip his hand entirely, but Shisui wanted to provide an opportunity for Itachi to get a proper scan of this guy. "His favorite targets seem to consist of older men, some of whom are rather influential in their fields. Can you think of any reason why he might be targeting you, specifically?"

"He was a...participant in our trials." Orochimaru decides to choose his words carefully. "We do prefer to have long-term studies and the best way to do that is with children. He was with us for many years." The scientist sighs, feigning depression. "Unfortunately, his magical gifts came at a cost. Insanity. He left years ago and I haven't heard form him since."

Insanity and sociopathic tendencies, perhaps, but the man was still an Uchiha, and a genius to boot. Shisui doubted that this man was even a shred as innocent as he pretended to be. "I see, then we will stay and prepare immediately to apprehend him. As a substantial threat to society, he'll have to be locked away securely." And the more he said it, the less he believed it. "Itachi." He glances at his cousin. "Why don't you examine the house for ways that Sasuke could make his way in through while I go over the rest of the details with Dr. Sannin." This was Itachi's chance to scope the place out and find out just what was going on here, and how it all related to Sasuke.

Itachi was eager to get away from Orochimaru and even more eager to save his prisoners. So he just nods as he makes his way away from the unlikely pair. Which was one small mercy. Unfortunately, he could still hear the frantic pleas for salvation or sweet death from likely hundreds of 'patients.'

Of course, none of the sensations came from within the house itself. The muted, distant feel of the voices came from below, under the floor, under the foundations on which the house was built. And then, there were the echoing voices of the past, reaching out for someone to listen, someone who might hear their pain and help them.

"Of course." They weren't anywhere that someone would find them by happenstance. "They're underneath the building." He frowns at the thought. "He really is such a snake."

But while the echoes of the current patients were muted, the echoes of the past refused to be silenced in the presence of a psychic capable of hearing them.

"Let go of me!" A young, frantic voice cries out in pain, screams tearing from an invisible throat belonging to a now imaginary child.

The cries make Itachi wince. They would have been bad enough on their own, but even more so when he knew they were from the past. It had to be Sasuke. A blood tie might explain why the memory was jumping out at him.

A snake-like voice slithers through the air. "Come, child, don't you like being here? I took you in after your parents sold you to that wicked man. I'll treasure you like they never did."

"You're lying!" Sasuke's voice rings out in defiance at first, weakening as it it was repeated over and over again. "You're lying…you're lying…you're…lying…" Only a whisper of the once strong voice remained.

Itachi couldn't blame Sasuke for slaughtering him. Itachi was only witnessing a second or even third hand trauma, but he wanted Orochimaru dead.

An older, tired voice breaks through the haze of the younger Sasuke's memories. "…Go away Kimimaro."

"Uchiha, listen to me." The voice of a second boy appear, the semi-broken voice of a boy in his teens. "We need you. You're the only one who can avenge us."

Sasuke voice has barely a shadow of its former strength. "You're dead…leave me alone."

"No, you're the only one who listens to us."

"You're dead! I don't want to listen anymore!" A cry of pain and the sound of a head hitting the wall resounds in the empty halls. "Stay away!"

"Sasuke…"

"It's becoming clear what happened." Itachi sighs and shakes his head. "It was no wonder he became insane." Anyone would have, but that wouldn't help him much in the court of law.

Slowly, the voices fade away, but not before imparting one last image. An image of a seventeen year-old boy with spiky hair, pale skin, and lifeless black eyes tinged with a hint of ruby red.

He'd never felt so helpless in his entire life. Itachi briefly contemplates just checking himself into a mental health institution.

"Agent?" Kabuto pokes his head around the corner, looking for Itachi. "Ah, there you are. Have you found anything that we should be concerned about in terms of security?" He didn't like having CIA in the mansion, especially not ones with the last name Uchiha. They could start getting nosy.

"Your security is exceptional." Unfortunately. "Is there anything further you wish to discuss?"

Oh, to ask or not to ask, that was the question. Kabuto could hardly contain his curiosity. "I have heard that in the supernatural community, the Uchiha are rather famous for their psychic abilities. Would this be true?"

"I should have been more specific." Itachi tries his best not to glare at the other man. "Anything relevant to the case."

Kabuto was rather put out. "It may not be relevant to the case, but it would be a great help in our research." Hm…how to prod further… "Though it may be, after all, we did suspect for a time that Sasuke was either going mad or speaking to ghosts. But we never found evidence of spirits, and we concluded that he was simply going mad. Is that common in your family? If it is, then with enough research, we might find a cure for it."

"If Sasuke was going mad, I doubt it was because of spirits." Itachi gives him a glare so cold that it could turn the surface of the sun into solid ice. "More than likely, that was related to the human company he was forced to endure and fortunately, our job does not require us to disclose our family's private medical history to strangers."

"I…see. I suppose that you are entitled to believe whatever you choose to." Well, that was disappointing, and rather aggravating, but Kabuto could always try again later. Perhaps Orochimaru was having more luck with the other agent. "In that case, no, there is nothing of relevance that I can think of. Do you have any questions yourself regarding our security systems?"

"How solid is the foundation?" Itachi glances at him. "They might try explosives."

The assistant scoffs at the thought. "I doubt that Sasuke would try something so…crass. Based on the abilities we observed, he's more likely to try and sneak in during the night. Our lighting systems will prevent him from using his abilities within the house. There are lights built into the walls that will prevent shadows from being cast." Kabuto had designed them himself. "Shadow-walkers are difficult to handle, but once you know the tricks, they become fairly easy so long as they retain their sanity."

Which obviously hadn't been the case here. This assistant wasn't helping his case with all that. Kabuto might as well have been screaming Sasuke had escaped and hadn't been a test subject, even without his powers. "I see." Itachi shrugs. "Well, still just in case."

Kabuto blinks, then shrugs, mirroring Itachi's motion. "Approximately ten feet thick. Steel supports and concrete foundation reinforced with nylon cable. Will that be sufficient to withstand damage?"

"I would say so." Itachi nods at him feigning relief. "I suppose we're done here for now." He half expected Orochimaru and Kabuto to be idiotic enough to jump two agents due to their family tree.

In a secluded corner of the first floor, well away from the few security cameras, Shisui waits for his cousin. Orochimaru was everything he hated in scientists, and none of what he admired. Their knowledge could certainly be used for good, and most often, it was. But then you got the bad apples, like Orochimaru, who wanted to know everything they could, no matter the cost in lives or dignity.

A cost which the snake didn't want to catch on camera, lest he be indicted. Which was convenient for holding a meeting right under his very nose. "…To stop him or not…" That was the question.

"After we deal with Sasuke, he won't know what hit him." Itachi vows to his cousin. "If we take him out though, Sasuke will know and he'll bolt."

"Yeah, I know." First, they'd grab the one most likely to escape, then they would focus on the two scumbags that they had ten times as many reasons to want to arrest. "I'm going to send a message to Jiraiya and see if we can expedite a warrant for their arrest in conjunction with the Canadian government."

Itachi nods. It made him feel a little bit better about the situation. Not much, but enough to get through the day.

Shisui hated to ask, but he had to. "You got something, didn't you?" Probably about Sasuke, and judging by his expression, nothing good. "What did they do to him?"

"I would rather not say." He really hoped that Shisui wasn't suicidal enough to press further right now.

So it was that bad… "I see." Itachi's emotions were flowing to the surface just enough that Shisui could catch hold of rage, revulsion, regret… He sighs, shaking his head. "After this assignment, I'm cashing in my vacation days and taking a good long break. You should come with me, and we can bring your new little boyfriend."

"I'd be very careful what you say to me." His voice was barely less than a growl. "I'm not in the mood to be patronized."

"Fine." Shisui places a hand on Itachi's shoulder and squeezes. "But I do need an update. Did you find anything relevant and important that I need to be aware of?"

Did everyone have a death wish? "He was kept captive for years. His throat was attacked at one point." He knew that Shisui was only trying to do his job, but apparently he would not be allowed the mercy of five minutes to compose himself. "Does that satisfy you?!"

It would have to do, though neither fact helped very much except to determine motive. "Alright. Then I want you stationed with Orochimaru tonight. I'll take Kabuto." No sense in assigning Itachi to the one who'd likely just pissed him off the most. "If you sense anything approaching, be ready to take them down. I'll cover Kabuto."

"Very well." He sighs as something else occurs to him. "They're all underneath the building and it's reinforced with ten feet of protection."

"I see." Then that meant there had to be another way in. The shed, maybe? It would be cliche, like in an old movie, but there was a reason that things were cliche. "Then we'll have to bring in some RCMP once we have these two and get all of them out of there." Who knew how long some of them had been down there. Orochimaru had been at this a minimum of fourteen years, of Shisui's math on Sasuke's abduction was right. "Alright, let's get into position. The clock starts when the sun goes down."

Itachi merely nods. Doing something productive would be helpful. He swiftly heads off to watch Orochimaru.

Finally, the end was in sight. It had taken Sasuke a few days to prepare for the trip and have everything he needed, as well as smuggle himself onto the airplane. After all, he could hardly go through security with all of that metal on him, he'd just be advertising that he was going off to kill someone.

He takes a deep breath, breathing it out slowly as he focuses on the target. Two, three, maybe four jumps, and that's all it would take to put himself right in the middle of Orochimaru's house. He would avoid any security that he could, and dispose of any that he couldn't and refused to run. With these evil men, though…sometimes their security just refused to run because they wanted to get paid. Their greed superseded their conscience, and they didn't mind working for an evil man.

Kabuto would no doubt be in there, so Sasuke would just knock him off on the way to Orochimaru. The sniveling, grovelling, obsessive freak would be the first to go. Then, he would finally put this nightmare to bed.

A blade shines in the light of the setting sun as Sasuke crouches on the branch of a tree overlooking the house. He was too far from the security systems to be detected, and he'd already located the place to cut the surveillance on the outside. The signal needed to be interrupted, but with the magical jamming spiders that he'd gotten from a couple of Gaara's witch friends, there should be no warning that he was coming.

He tosses the first spider and moves in.

Orochimaru sits at his desk, going over the 'legitimate' paperwork associated with his experiments. Some of them truly were legitimate, done in concert with scientists from universities all across the world. After all, it was morning in the world somewhere, which meant that someone likely wanted this on their desk next to their morning coffee.

He glances up at the rather irate agent surveying the room. "Is there something on your mind, young man?" He glance over the agent, recognizing the masterful crafting that went into creating the being before him. He was as wondrous as Sasuke had been. Though perhaps a tad independent. The other one was also magnificent, but did not possess the ethereal grace that Itachi and Sasuke had.

"I would think that would be obvious." Slitting his throat and castrating him mostly. "I'm on the clock and trying to prevent you from being slaughtered." Unfortunately.

"Yes, of course." Orochimaru sighs, genuinely unhappy over losing his test subject. "I regret what happened to the child. Had I known that he lived after running into the wilderness, I would have sought him out and brought him back home."

"That matters little now." Itachi barely refrains from killing him on the spot. "What matters is he did survive and he wants you dead." For good reason.

"Yes, that is most unfortunate." Orochimaru wets his lips slightly, glancing over the young man once more, before returning to his paperwork. "And now he will be incarcerated where he can no long contribute to scientific study." Such a pity, but he could always acquire another shadow-walker, no matter how rare they were.

"That's your concern, not that he wants to kill you?" He raises an eyebrow. "You have an interesting set of priorities."

"Would you rather that I be consumed by fear?" Orochimaru would never allow anyone that satisfaction. "I simply meant-"

The sound of a distant scream echoes through the hall towards the office, drawing yellow eyes towards the door as the lights flicker. "…It seems that your partner is not doing well at securing this place." He reaches for the gun holstered under his desktop, prepared to use it if somehow the security systems failed.

That was such a shame. Itachi would really mourn his death, he thinks to himself sarcastically. "Quite honestly, you disgust me." Itachi didn't bother to pretend to be professional. "Though I am obligated professionally to save your miserable life. Get somewhere safe."

Orochimaru's eyes narrow as he rises to his feet, pointing the gun towards the door as he sidles away from the one entrance to the room and into the corner furthest from the window. "It seems that manners are something lost on you Uchiha. A pity, as it hardly flatters your pretty face."

"I suppose you prefer manners to honesty." He shrugs. "Not the best trait for a scientist." Though it was hardly surprising.

A retort has no chance to leave Orochimaru's mouth as the door flies open and Shisui barges in, slamming it behind him. Not that it would do any good as the lights flicker again. "Itachi, he came out of nowhere, I couldn't even get a shot off before he disappeared." All he could feel was a massive wall of unbridled rage moving through the house. There was no order, no direction, it was just nowhere and everywhere all at once.

"The cameras are likely out." Itachi frowns at this. "We'll do our best to protect you, Dr. Sannin, but you may wish to say your prayers." Not that Itachi thought a deity out there existed despicable enough to care about Orochimaru, but still.

More screams echo through the house, clearly Kabuto's, along with should from a couple of the security guards who were too foolish to get out of this killer's way.

Shisui un-holsters his gun again, prepared to…what, try to put up a fight? Not that he thought he could. What he'd seen…it was like nothing he'd ever witnessed before. Kabuto had just been sucked into the darkness as all the lights in the hall went out. It was as though all of the shadows were alive and moving. Whatever stories there were about shadow-walkers, they clearly weren't enough to describe the real thing. And this one was…the term Wrath of God came to mind.

The lights in the room flicker, before going out entirely, only the light of the moon filtering into the large office to illuminate the pale faces within. And nothing short of pure malice fills the room as a body drops out of the ceiling and directly onto Orochimaru's desk.

Kabuto, his body bloodied and broken, fingers missing and his belly sliced open and organs spilling out. The smell of entrails and fresh blood wafts from over two dozen vicious stab wounds and one long slice across Kabuto's throat. This time, the killer had gone so far as to cut out Kabuto's eyes and tongue.

There was no way that Itachi was going to risk that sort of horrific death to save Orochimaru. "Shisui, retreat would be in our best interest." The sooner the better. The brutality was almost unlike anything that Itachi had ever seen. Save for Danzo.

The doctor, about to protest their lack of professionalism, takes a step forward, only to be stopped by a blade at his throat and a soft growl. "Orochimaru…" A rich baritone voice echoes from the shadows, accompanied by a pair of ruby eyes directly behind him. "I finally have you…"

Shisui had been going to agree, but clearly, the situation had changed drastically. He feared that retreat might no longer be an option, so he raises his gun, prepared for any sign that their target might choose to come after them next.

"He wants Orochimaru." Itachi glances at Shisui. "He's not going to come after us." He grabs his cousin and tries to make a run for it. Survival instincts were a powerful thing.

Behind the fleeing agents, shrieking screams and gunshots begin ringing across the grounds. Shisui looks back over his shoulder, not letting go of his gun. "I've never seen anything like that before…" And he'd seen a lot of gruesome shit whenever he got stuck working with the FBI.

Itachi nods in agreement. "He's not going to stop." There was too much rage. "Even with Orochimaru dead, he won't stop. There's no way he can come down from that." He was too far gone. The necklace would likely be useless. They'd be lucky to get any sanity from that creature.

Shisui takes a deep breath of fresh air as they race out into the bit of backwoods behind the house. "How…what the hell could they have done to him to cause so much rage in one person…?" It was…sad. So much anger, and Shisui had felt it. Sadness, loneliness, hope, fear, all mixed in under the wall of rage.

He told Shisui to stop, but he just wouldn't. "You don't want to know." Why couldn't his beloved cousin just shut up?! Itachi didn't want to think about what he had experienced. What he had seen.

"Yeah, but-" Shisui stops in his tracks, skidding through the grass and dirt as a familiar sensation creeps up on them, the shadows twisting and turning in the hollows of the trees. "Itachi!"

"Damn it!" They had wasted too much time with Shisui's foolish questions. "We need to go!"

But the shadows before them twist and turn, materializing a body smelling of blood before them with glowing red eyes. Red eyes filled with fading malice and blossoming with shock and wariness. "Itachi?" The low growl softens as the voice rises a half octave.

"..." It couldn't be, but Itachi knew that voice. He knew what it sounded like when it moaned his name. "Is it really you?" Could it really be his beloved Alex? The one who had sat in his lap and moaned so sweetly for him…

Sasuke's eyes widen. "You-" He hadn't thought that Itachi would recognize him like this, but he supposed he should have, his voice had cracked. "…What are you doing here?"

"Well, we were on a case." That and fleeing for their lives, but now that had changed. "I'd ask what you were doing here, but that seems...unnecessary." Maybe.

Shisui curses under his breath. Shit! Itachi's new boyfriend was the killer!? Sasuke was actually… "…Sasuke Alex Uchiha…Maeda was Mikoto's maiden name."

The ruby gaze darkens at the mention of that name, the red dimming back to a lustrous onyx. "…Yes." This was…everything he'd started to hope wouldn't happen, everything that he never wanted Itachi to find out. "Itachi…I…" How was he supposed to justify his streak as a serial killer to Itachi? Why should he have to justify it at all? But Itachi... His heart hurt, and it felt like the little bits of happiness and light that Itachi had begun to rekindle there were slowly dying. The little hopes and expectations for the future that he and Itachi had talked about going up in smoke. …Itachi knew. Which meant that it was all over. He couldn't run anymore.

Blood runs sluggishly down his arm from where a stray bullet had hit while he brought his sword down across Orochimaru's chest. On that arm, under the torn arm covering, lay a black crow in flight. Itachi's eyes widen as he takes in sight of the crow. He knew what that meant, but how could this be possible? His soulmate and his greatest enemy? Sasuke's eyes meet Itachi's, following their gaze to the tattoo on his right arm. No…fate couldn't possibly be that cruel, could it?

"We need to get you cleaned up and to a hospital." Whatever else Itachi wanted to say, Alex's injuries took priority. "I'm assuming you didn't leave DNA at the scene."

Sasuke's eyes narrow slightly. "…I never do." He wasn't nearly so careless, not even in a fit of rage. Rage that…had finally been extinguished completely. But staring into Itachi's eyes now…he just felt empty. And sad. And so very…very lonely. "I don't go to hospitals either." He'd have to catch the first flight back to Toronto and get Gaara to fix him up. The bullet had gotten stuck, but at least that meant he'd take the evidence with him. "Besides, this isn't the first time I've been hit by a bullet." He was just really good at not dripping blood everywhere. It's why his arm-guards were so long. And absorbent. They caught all the dripping blood.

Itachi would have argued with that, but he doubted he could make Sasuke do anything at this point. "You really think that you can just walk around with a bullet inside you?" He'd ask how he could be so foolish, but adrenaline was a hell of a drug.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Sasuke chuckles wryly, but it was an empty laugh. "Gaara's asked me that before, usually while taking the bullets out." But…neither answer would solve their impasse. "…I'm sorry, Itachi…I didn't want you to know about this."

"He deserved to die and you'll be pleased to know that a rescue raid will be launched shortly." He sighs. "Just leave it to the proper authorities this time. I know why you did it." He'd seen the memories. "I might have done the same thing in your position, but my job means I can't condone this. So I'm going to pretend you escaped before we saw you...we'll talk later, when the bullet has been removed." And he'd had a chance to process it.

"Itachi…" Shisui had kept silent, allowing his cousin and…other cousin the chance to talk, but there was still the fact that they had a job to do, no matter how much Shisui didn't like it.

Sasuke's eyes flicker to Shisui, comprehension dawning in his eyes. "…This was your assignment, to catch the serial killer hitting targets all over the world." Maybe they'd gotten onto his trail with Gato. That had been pretty messy. "…I see." Well, it was about time someone had been sent, successfully, to catch him. His luck was going to run out sooner or later. He just hadn't expected his soulmate to be on the team that brought him in.

"I'm not going to turn you in, but you should leave now." He glances at Shisui. "Before he talks me out of that." There was a chance that Shisui still might. He wouldn't fight him though if Sasuke was already gone.

A flicker of sadness passes through the dark eyes, followed by an equally sad smile. Itachi was so sweet, such a good soulmate. But Sasuke knew what he'd done, and that someone was going to make him pay for it. Maybe this way…he could have a little peace first. His body starts fading piece by piece into the darkness, eyes locking with Shisui's, then Itachi's. "I hear that the killer you're after lives in Toronto. Small apartment, all by himself…if you try raiding it in a surprise attack, I doubt you'll find it too difficult to apprehend one criminal."

Itachi knew what Sasuke was doing. Knew he was too stubborn to listen to him. So he just nods. He wanted to shake some sense into him, but logic apparently would be damned as far as his fellow Uchiha was concerned. He'd talk to him later. When he didn't have a damn bullet in his body.

Once Sasuke disappears into the darkness, Shisui bites his lip, trying to hold in his groan of frustration. This had to be some kind of cruel joke. On both Itachi AND Sasuke. "They both match." Since when could both the soulmate and deadly threat tattoos match on the same two people? That was…so contradictory.

And why did it have to be in a situation like this? Why did it have to be that Itachi's soulmate was going to, at a minimum, end up behind bars for the rest of his life? "…You know that if we don't bring him in, someone else will have to. I already sent the updates to Jiraiya yesterday with Sasuke's photo in them." Now he was wishing he'd held off. "If we don't come back with him, Sasuke's face will be up on the Interpol wall, as well as every federal law enforcement agency in countries he's hit." And considering Sasuke's resume, that was a lot of them. No matter where he went, he'd be hunted for the rest of his life.

"You act as though personal appearances can't be altered." Itachi gives Shisui a hard look. "Without DNA evidence, that picture is nearly useless as long as a disguise is suitably well done."

"Yes, but…" Shisui wasn't Itachi, In a situation like this, even if Sasuke was Alex, he wasn't going to censor his empathic ability. It had told him something very clearly. "He knew this is how it would end…that's why he invited us to go to his apartment and arrest him." His crusade was done, and so was his running. "He's not going to just let himself off easily after everything he's done, even if he doesn't regret it." Shisui didn't know whether to be impressed or frustrated. "He's got his honour, I'll give him that."

Itachi knew logically that Shisui was trying to help. Which was why he clenches his fists and quickly counts to a hundred in his mind before even beginning to formulate some kind of response. "Skip the criminal profiling and get to the part where you have a plan that doesn't end in Alex's death." He tastes something coppery and metallic against his tongue and it takes him a moment to realize it was his blood. He must have bitten his tongue too hard in frustration.

Shisui notes with grim amusement that Itachi had called Sasuke by his other name instead. "In the case..I'm going to need a few minutes." Not that a few minutes was going to matter when it was the middle of the night, no they weren't heading back to Toronto for at least a few days. After all, they had a mess to clean up here first.

So, he sighs and crosses his arms, closing his eyes as he walks around the grassy area. He'd already started putting together the profile and sending information to the CIA, as was his standard procedure. So they couldn't just sweep it all under the rug, or someone would dig all of this up again, and not only would Sasuke be on the chopping block, but the two of them as well. And if they were under investigation, then they wouldn't be any use to anyone, let alone to Sasuke.

Hm...but how could they erase Sasuke Uchiha and his crimes from the books so that Alex Maeda's identity wouldn't be compromised? Then a genius, but terrifying thought comes to mind. Though it could cancel out the risk of a global man-hunt, as well as put the case to rest. "If Alex Maeda is going to live...'Sasuke Uchiha' needs to die."

"You want to fake his death." Itachi frowns at that. "They'd still need a body Shisui." Whether they executed him or they left one the side of the road somewhere there was no getting around that. "I suppose we could just say we got into a gunfight with him and won, but we'd still need a corpse." Unless Shisui was going to do something completely foolish. "...You can't be serious." Which he probably would, just to piss Itachi off.

"I have some thoughts on that, but I'll need to make a couple of calls just to be sure it'll work." If it didn't, then they would have to come up with something...anything else. And Shisui didn't want to see his cousin self-destruct because of this catastrophic turn of events. "If we can produce a body, even if only long enough for them to confirm his death, then as long as no one were to find out it was faked, we could get him out of there, and the case against him would be closed. And like you said, it's not like physical appearances can't be altered."

Immediately, Itachi wards his mind to the best of his abilities from his cousin. "Make the damn calls then." The last thing he wanted was Shisui to feel what he felt. He couldn't even process what he felt and Shisui's 'calmness' wasn't helping matters. "I'll set up our travel arrangements." It would give him something to focus on besides the disaster that was his and Alex's life at the moment. Something that Itachi knew he desperately needed.

It was probably a good thing that Shisui was being a professional at the moment. As much as he wanted to rage or scream or find some kind of outlet for his fury and despair, Itachi knew that he needed at least the illusion of a clear head to deal with this situation. If Shisui thought he'd 'lost it,' his cousin would do something stupid. Like trying to 'take him off the case' or something equally appalling 'for his own good.' If that happened, Itachi wasn't entirely sure that he would forgive him. So it was best to keep his mind closed off from Shisui. No matter how many red flags that probably sent to him.

Shisui sighs and takes out his phone, setting himself a reminder to make the calls at a more appropriate hour. "For now, we have a mess here to clean up. I'm calling the RCMP, and then we're heading down under that snake's den to release his slaves." Because there was no way that he was just going to leave without helping them first.

"Just start making the calls." Itachi sighs as he makes his way back towards 'the prison.' "I'll see what I can do to stabilize Orochimaru's victims." It was probably better this way. Itachi would have something to focus on that could actually help someone and he had an excuse to get away from his empath of a cousin.

He adds a quadruple level of protection to his mind just in case. Shisui should never feel what Itachi felt at the moment. No one should save for scum like Orochimaru and Danzo. Hell, Itachi didn't even want to feel his own feelings and would have turned them off completely if only he knew how. Was such a thing possible, he wonders to himself. He'd have to research the matter thoroughly later.

For now, he'd put his mind reading abilities to good use. The louder the mental screams, the greater the need for his assistance. At least he could be of use to someone. It wasn't the prisoners' fault that his soulmate was being an idiot and playing the part of a martyr. He wouldn't punish them for it.

Shisui watches sadly as Itachi disappears from sight, then hits the call button and presses the phone to his ear. "...Yes, I have an emergency. My name is Shisui Uchiha, I'm an agent with the CIA. My partner and I have found a massive slave prison just to the north of the city. I need whatever police officers you can spare, and at least four dozen ambulances." There was no time to waste, and it was best to get this hellish nightmare over with. They could deal with the rest of their problems back in Toronto.