Chapter 12

Hisoka's POV

I open my eyes, in what seemed like forever. Then I realize that it's dark and that I had my eyes fully open for quite a while now.  I lifted my head to look around to find out where I am. But I couldn't. I just felt something sharp poking through my neck. I stilled to think. But I couldn't.

Maybe it's because I could feel something gooey and slimy sliding down from my neck to my shirt. Maybe it's because I could also feel my head throbbing with so much pain. It felt like I banged it for a hundred times in a wall with sharp objects in it. What's more, I now realize that I'm tied silly to a bed with barbed wires around my wrists, my feet, my neck and my waist to keep me down.

It doesn't need a brilliant mind or a working mind in my case, to figure out that I'm in so much trouble. Deep, deep, disturbing trouble. I let a groan escape from my lips. These barbed wires are really doing it in for me. They're tied so tight and deep, that a single, non existent movement hurts me.

I paused when I heard sharp irregular, spiked breaths. They're coming from somewhere underneath me. Just to inform you and all….. The bed is upright so that I'm actually standing up, these little things do come in mind at the right time ne? I mean…….. Upright bed, wires to keep me down….. So much torture and so much pain…… All these could only lead to one thing. Muraki.

My vivid imagination led me to imagine that Muraki might be the one underneath me to surprise me or whatever. That he's causing those irregular breaths to spook me out. But because I always have this false bravado that I'm brave, I looked down slowly, as not to cause any more harm on my already bruised neck.

I have to let my eyes adjust to the darkness more to actually see something. After awhile, I could see the outline of a guy knocked unconscious to the floor near my feet. I'm not sure but I think he's bleeding……. Very bad. I was about to murmur to the unmoving man when I heard footsteps outside the room I was in, followed by a silky voice.

"Awake?' That someone's voice called out. I didn't answer back. I was shocked. I recognize that voice clearly. I dream of it every single night. But just to make sure or just hoping I guess, I ask him who he was.

"Who are you? Let me see your fucking face!" I say sharply.

"Asking me who I am? I thought you are…… I mean were…… a smart young boy." The voice chuckled slowly as he emerged from the door, casting a soft white light inside to the room where I am.  I still couldn't see his face but I already confirmed who he is.

"Muraki!!!" I spat the name angrily.

"So you do remember my name, boy." I can see him lift a cigarette from his breast pocket to put it in his mouth. He then blew lazy circles of smoke; it was as if he suddenly forgot my presence.

"What do you want from me this time?" I ask him, impatient of his patience.

"You don't know?" He asks me as he lifts his head slightly to mock me.

"Would I be asking you if I knew?" I retorted back.

"I would watch my mouth if I were you, boy." He threw his cigarette down and marched towards me.

"You know what I want." He said huskily as he lifted his hand to caress my face.

"No, I don't." I said lamely as I turned my head away from him. He couldn't possibly want to do that again with me, right? Right? He laughed his evil laugh.

"Don't tell me that because of your little fight….. You forgot all about your partner?" Ah….. so it is Tsuzuki he wants. I felt relieved for a little while but then got tense almost immediately. Remember in Nagasaki? He wants Tsuzuki then. And that didn't stop Muraki from wanting me dead, again. What difference does now and then make?

"So I'm the bait?" I ask him, my head spinning from all the emotion I'm getting from him. I barely had enough strength to speak with Muraki. His dark, irrepressible emotions are just too much for me.

"Who else boy?" He answered back as he leans closer to me.

"I'm afraid that's not going to work. He hates me and he won't give a damn that I'm captured and about to be killed again by a psychopath." Before I know it, I felt a sting in my cheek. Muraki slapped me hard. I felt his hand under my chin and forced me to look at him.

"Stupid boy. No matter what you do to Tsuzuki…….." He trailed off. His eyes are getting misty if you ask me.

"No matter. After tonight Tsuzuki will be mine."

"Whatever." I said as I rolled my eyes and looked down. Have I told you that I'm getting nervous by the minute? Well I am. Muraki won't let me off the hook. He likes to torture me because of Tsuzuki. If he doesn't now, he will later. I guess I'm just bracing myself for it.

I really can't hope that Tsuzuki will come. You know that I said I hated him. And that he get away from me. I really don't think that he will go here, risk his neck to rescue the one who hates him and hurt him. Watari doesn't know where I am. Even if he and the rest of the shinigamis find me…… they'll have a hard time rescuing me since Muraki's target is really Tsuzuki. He just won't turn up and give me up. I study the profile of the unmoving guy closely. Having something to do besides hearing the drum roll of my heart somehow distracts me.

"Ah yes. You're little friend. He's been a helpful ally."

"Friend?" The question tumble on my lips before I realize it.

"Yes, you're friend from school? You're boyfriend." Muraki said as I found his face inches away from me.

"What do you mean……..?" I asked him confused. He just smiled. Then it clicked. My boyfriend…….

"Rei……" I whispered.

"Yes. Rei. Such a nice boy." Muraki dropped to his knees and clutched Rei by his collar. He's the unmoving guy at my feet……..

"Do you know that he's the one luring all those boys to me?"

"What do you mean luring those boys……?"

"You still don't get it boy?" Muraki shook his head in disapproval.

"This is the best work I've done boy. And you still can't figure it out." I kept my mouth shut. Could he possibly be talking about the boys in the school backyard hung from the Sakura tree?

"The ones from the Sakura tree…?" He nodded his head.

"Rei all lead them to me. I tell him I want that boy and he gets them. Poor lost unloved boys like Rei will do anything for the one who finally gives them love." He dropped Rei to the ground again then he sighed melodramatically.

"I didn't even need to give him a spell for him to follow my every whim……. But when you came……. He started to refuse me."

"What do you mean?" I ask him curious about Rei's true intention.

"He doesn't want to hurt you boy. I think he finally fell. Lost his act. He even told me not to touch you. Can you imagine that?" My heart was thumping with the news. So that explained Rei's weird movements at the park….. He was being controlled but he's fighting the spell the best he can.

"Should Rei had followed me until the end I would have let him off the hook easy. Let him live……. But then all those who oppose me never sees a new daylight."

"You'll kill Rei?" I whisper unbelievingly.

"After I kill you." Muraki said as he gracefully crosses the room to the large ornate window. He drew the elaborate curtains aside and smiled softly as he sees something amusing from the outside.

"Ah. My beloved has arrived."

Beloved? Could it possibly be?

No……

It just can't be.

Last thing I knew, Muraki came stalking towards me and everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watari's POV

Damn it. Of all the things I can forget ….. Why should it be my laptop? I ask myself ruefully as I got bundled up again in that goddamn hot coat and marched all the way back at school.

I couldn't do anything without that laptop. It's my vital source of information. It's where I store everything we have learned so far from the case. Besides, I really need to research on something.

I got another lead from one of the faculty members. They said that all those boys were found partying at a beach resort somewhere then went on to a more private island. That's the last time each of their companions saw them.

All I got to do now is to find out which beach resort it is…….. I said to myself as I finally made it to the school. I smiled at the security guard, showed him my Id and went on inside. A lot of the faculty teachers were still there.

"Forgot something Watari-san?" Hisoka's homeroom teacher asked me. She's really nice and very gossipy. I got all my vital information from her.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I spaced off and forgot my laptop. And I said to myself that I wanted to get home early." I said as I waved a finger at her. She laughed gaily.

"So how's Hisoka doing?" She asked casually as she leans on my table.

"Good. He's out with Rei. He watched their game."

"Not Rei Akiko." She says surprise in her little voice. I got confused.

"It is him. He seems nice and all. I've seen that kid."

"I know. But…………"

"But what?" She looked left and right. This is the mannerism she has when she's about to divulge something big.

"Just don't say you heard it from me." I nod. She continued.

"Well….. I've told you that those boys are last seen with a silver haired man right?"

"Right."

"My information was wrong. They're last seen partying with Rei. And that private island where they went off too?"

"Yeah?"

"It's the Akiko's private island. And what's more……." She looked around her again before continuing.

"Rei is really the one involved with that silver haired guy. And I heard that he's hot and he's a doctor." You don't mean…..?  I must look like a guy who had been told that Christmas has been cancelled because Ms. Elgin looked really, really excited.

"You don't believe me do you?" I just stared at her. She flipped her mane.

"You know that I'm their homeroom teacher right?" I nod.

"Well, Mogley….. You know, Rei's best bud filled me in on this. He told me that something's really wrong with Rei. Really concerned that guy…… But well…… he's at one or two of the party that the boys disappeared off too."

"He divulged all these to you?" I ask her incredulously.

"Of course! I'm their homeroom teacher. I'm like a mother figure……. And besides I think that boy Mogley is asking for help." She lifted a hand and put it in her chin, thinking deeply.

"I tried talking to Rei….. But of course I didn't tell him what Mogley told me……. That he's so hung up on a much older guy……. But he won't listen…… He says he's fine." She sighed.

"I did my role. I can't help that disturbed kid no more." With that she smiled sadly then left me with my laptop still in the desk. She turned back when she reached the door.

"I'm worried about Hisoka. You should look for him." But I didn't hear it. My mind started clicking.

I won't be needing my laptop after all. I told myself as I laced my fingers under my chin. If this story is true……. And my gut is telling me so. Then Rei is an accomplice of Muraki. He gets those boys give them to Muraki. Muraki probably killed them at the private island……. But where did he put the bodies? I asked myself. Hung them at the sakura tree of course!!!

Brilliant. I said to myself. To have brought the bodies back here. That's a great decoy. We were thinking all along that they are killed right here….

Wait. I said to myself when something fell in to the puzzle. Tatsumi's case is about lost souls hanging still on the beach because they can't find their bodies…….. Could it possibly be that those souls are our boys? That that beach is where they were actually killed before they were shifted here and hung? I rapped my fingers on my desk. I should call Tatsumi to ask if they already have leads to their case.

Our assignments might be interconnected with each other. I added to myself as I finally stood up, still left my laptop and proceeded to go outside to look for a payphone. I can ask for their location and look from there. But I have to find Hisoka too. I thought as I walked down the street.

By a stroke of luck I ran into Rei's teammates, minus Mogley and Rei himself.

"Good afternoon professor." They greeted me as they passed.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could tell me if you know where Hisoka is."

"Sure, if you give me an A in chemistry!" One of them said. I had the feeling he isn't joking.

"I will if you answered all my questions intelligently." They all looked at each other then at me. Probably calculating if I'm saying the truth.

"Okay. But a deal's a deal."

"Do I look like I'm lying?" No one answered.

"Well then, where is Hisoka?" I started as I leaned casually against a lamp post.

"With Rei and Mogley."

"And where are they?"

"I don't know." They shifted their weight around not looking at me in the eye.

"So you don't get an A." I said stiffly as I stood up straight and pretended to leave.

"No! So okay. They're at Rei's beach house." I stopped and leaned on the same post again.

"The private one?" I asked further.

"Yes."

"Do they need to go through some place first before they get to the private island??"

"Rei brought me along once. Yeah, you have to go to this island party scene first. The only boat's in there." One of them said. I looked at them. Not good students but good football players……. Really needs good grades to make it to the team. I must say that they look like they are telling the truth. You know why? Because their sport is important to them, and they are in the brink of failure in my class. Just one subject failure and they're off the team.

"Hisoka is with them?" I ask them finally.

"Yeah."

"Is he okay?" No answers. I suddenly have a bad feeling about this.

"Is…… he…… Okay?" I ask again. Still no answers. Even if I didn't get any answer on the last question, their silence and look of guilt is enough an answer for me.

"Give me a list of your names tomorrow." I said sharply as I turned around to get away. It seemed as if the wind is knocked out of me.

My god……. Ms. Elgin's story fits in. This is it!!!! I felt elated for awhile but then remembering Hisoka I wilted like a flower thrown in the desert to fry.

Hisoka…….. He's lured right in…… I got to tell Tatsumi. I said to myself as I started to panic.

There's no doubt in my mind right now…….. Hisoka's in deep trouble. Please just don't tell me that the silver haired guy is Muraki……. Or else……… My god…… Hisoka……

I changed my mind. I'm not going to call Tatsumi. I need to go see him personally.

And I need to consider saying sorry to Tsuzuki too…….. Hisoka needs him…… Not me. I finally accepted as I morphed out of the place to where Tatsumi and Tsuzuki is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsuzuki's POV

I instructed the boatman to drop me off at the back of the house. After saying that I'll want him by tomorrow noon he sailed away.

I checked the perimeter of place first and there seems nothing to be out of the ordinary outside.  The house though was questionable. If pretty boy and his companion are in here, which is the case, there should be some lights on. But the place is completely dark. Like no one's inside.

But that's impossible right? I ask myself as I contemplated on whether to open the front door or the back door.

Cause they're not outside….. So they should be inside. I said as I picked the back door. They always anticipate anyways that people go through the front door……..

I open the door slowly and got an ofuda of protection just incase. I walked forward into the kitchen and inspected a few things. Still nothing……

I eyed the staircase. Should I go up? Hell of course I will……. I told myself sarcastically as I made a slow ascent. Sensing for someone…… Sensing for anything…… But still nothing. Well, there's that horrifying picture of an old man with his leaf green eyes that seems to follow you around.

When I reached the upper level, a room at my left side suddenly lighted up. I went towards it cautiously. I peeked inside and gasped hard.

"Hisoka?!" I said as I blinked a few times. I can't be imagining him right? Because right in the middle of the room, highlighted with two spot lights was Hisoka.

He was tied in the bed with barbed wires all over his body. He's bleeding profusely. I can't even imagine where they're flowing from. He's bleeding by his neck, his waist…… Just about everywhere.

And he had…… Kiss marks, and this white gooey stuff everywhere. What the fuck?

"Hey." Mogley said as he emerged from behind Hisoka's bed.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"I told you I'd be here right?"

"Yeah at the bar. I thought you told me you weren't bad."

"I'm not."

"Then what do you think you're doing?" I ask him as I sidled closer to where he and Hisoka is.

"Nothing." Mogley stopped for a while contemplating, then he looked at me his eyes wide with malice and lord knows what. Then suddenly I realize he changed eye color. Earlier when I first met him, his eyes were baby blue, just like the morning sky….. now his eyes are jet black. Murky, muddy black.

Mogley started saying something but then thinks better of it and averts his attention to Hisoka. He reached at Hisoka's cheek and caressed it.

"Don't touch him." I tell him venomously. Jealousy or protection, I guess?

"I already did." He said smugly. I lost all wits and grace. I lunged towards him, in full kill mode.

Nobody ever hurts Hisoka and runs away with it!!! My mind screamed as I scrambled to get the upper hand on the surprisingly strong Mogley.

t.b.c

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

xXLil Yu JahXx - I know! Poor Hisoka! But I like him that way! *evil cackle*

Yamatoforever – uhuh she is! Hehehe… I will confuse you with Mogley once again but I promise I'll clear it out next chap!!!

Panatlantic – you think so?! Thnx so much!!!

Saiyaijin-Raven69 – yup…… and damn it if you have the writer's block! Don't worry though! I always try to update faster……. If I can. And thanks so mush if you think that my fic is good!

Aspara – Ahhh…… you're swearing again! Hehehehe…….. don't worry, swear me all you want!!!! Hope you like this chap as well!!!!!!!!

Tricycle - hey! Thanks for reviewing…. I've read some of your works and it's really good!!!!  

Vulpick – Oooops…… I think I made another cliffhanger…….. I think…… hehehhe…….