Daughter of The Darkness
by Kaz (misaki_kaz@yahoo.com)

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standard disclaimer applied
warnings: Muraki x Tsuzuki, dark, supernatural, some angst (perhaps...), PG-13
special thanks to Tiggy for beta effort.

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Part 6

The three shinigami stood just a bit further from the park, watching the police who had put up the cordon around the crime scene. This was the twelfth murder in just three months and the police were devoting all their attention to catching the culprit and stopping the murders.

Tsuzuki sighed heavily as he saw the park filled with police. There was no way they could get past the guards. The body had been found after midnight by the police who patrolled the park, and immediately reported to headquarters. The police had hoped that by finding the body so quickly, there would be a good chance of capturing the murderer. What they didn't know was that it wasn't just an ordinary murder. There was something wrong with this case, Tsuzuki realized. And if all the data he'd been receiving was right, he was more than sure that these murders had something to do with Muraki.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Tsuzuki started the conversation, turning to Watari on his right. He didn't have the courage to talk to Hisoka right now. The boy still looked quite angry about something; probably their inability to take some real action.

Watari looked around and then his grin appeared. "We could just turn invisible and enter the crime scene," he chimed. "Whaddaya say, Tsuzuki?!"

"That sounds like a good idea..." replied Tsuzuki, who'd come up with the same idea just a second before; the scientist nodded happily beside him while Hisoka glowered uncertainly. "What is it, Hisoka?"

Hisoka looked thoughtful for a long moment before turning to face Tsuzuki. "What exactly are we going to do once we're inside the police line? If the aura of that bastard is strong enough, I can just feel it from here...!"

"Oh..." The violet-eyed shinigami bit his bottom lip and then, "I thought we could find a clue inside, but if you think..."

Hisoka didn't answer and knelt on the ground, placing his open palm to the earth. Tsuzuki was slow to figure out what the young boy was trying to do; as he realized, those emerald colored eyes widened and Hisoka started to sweat heavily.

"HISOKA!" This time he was doing the right thing when he pushed the boy away. Hisoka didn't yell like yesterday after they found the eleventh victim in the alley.

"I'm okay..." Hisoka breathed; Tsuzuki realized that the boy must've noticed the wary expression on his face when he said the words. "I..."

Watari knelt beside the boy; his hand reached out to touch Hisoka's forehead but the boy jerked away abruptly. "Don't touch me!" he cried hoarsely.

The scientist looked stunned and turned his head to Tsuzuki. But even Tsuzuki didn't know how to react in this situation. This was why he would have preferred turning invisible to check inside the police line for clues the culprit might have left. Because there was the possibility that the serial killer was...

"I saw him..." Hisoka whispered with ragged breath, his forehead sweating. "I saw Muraki..." Tsuzuki could see the changing expression on Watari's face as the boy mentioned the name. "He was here last night..."

"Bon, that means that..."

Tsuzuki shifted closer to his partner, wanted to just pull the boy into a warm embrace but knew that he couldn't. "Hisoka? Are you okay?"

"Didn't you hear me?!" Hisoka snapped, "I said I saw him here last night!!"

The violet-eyed shinigami started and drew back at the words. The boy's eyes looked regretful after that, and then, "Gomen, I... Gomen, Tsuzuki..."

"It's okay..." Tsuzuki smiled faintly, studying Hisoka as he stood up and brushed the dirt from his jeans with his palm. He seemed calmer, but Tsuzuki knew that he was just trying to hide his real feelings. Hisoka always tried to look strong in front of him; but he also knew that the boy was as fragile as glass when it came to Muraki.

Damn you, Muraki...

But as Tsuzuki felt his hatred for the mad doctor start to rise, the most unexpected statement lurched from the young shinigami's mouth. "He didn't kill the victim last night..."

"Eh?!" It was Watari who choked on his words. Tsuzuki opened his lips but never said a single word, but he was certain as hell that his eyes were reflecting his state of shock. "You mean that he's not the murderer we're after?!" The scientist continued.

"I didn't say that!" Hisoka glared, and then he turned to Tsuzuki. "I saw him talking to someone who I presumed to be the murderer... Something is really strange..."

"What is it?" Tsuzuki finally had the strength to ask, his eyes questioning, waiting for Hisoka to continue.

The young shinigami seemed to try recalling the memory he'd seen from the remnants of Muraki's aura; his eyes were doubtful. "I saw a girl... just like the DNA test suggested..."

"Perhaps she was one of Muraki's dolls... like the case we had in Nagasaki with Maria Wong." Tsuzuki eyed the boy curiously. "Could she be?"

"Muraki didn't really like the girl... I don't think that he knew her anyway. I can't hear what they said... but it seemed that Muraki tried to attack the girl, but..." Hisoka shook his head, "I don't know... I'm not so sure..."

Watari sighed heavily and then pushed at his glasses; his eyes looked wary, but Tsuzuki couldn't tell what was bothering the scientist. "If they didn't know each other, that means that Muraki isn't the one we're after... So, how come her DNA is a seventy percent match with his?"

Hisoka shook his head, "Like I told you before, I don't know..."

"We have to find more information," Tsuzuki determined, his voice slightly shaky. "Hisoka, what does this girl look like? So at least we know who or what we're looking for..."

The young shinigami once again looked uncertain, shaking his head in disappointment. "She had long fair hair, but I couldn't really tell what she looked like... It was so dark, the moon..." He stopped for a second, looked really dejected. "The moon was red and..."

Tsuzuki touched the boy's arm gently, knowing that he must've started to remember his death again and nodded to assure his partner that everything was all right. Hisoka had helped him last night to get through his nightmare; the least he could do was console him with a reassuring smile. "I understand, you don't have to continue..."

"Should we get back to the hotel now and report this to Tatsumi?" asked Watari suddenly, his eyes focused on Tsuzuki.

The violet-eyed shinigami thought about the idea; it seemed like the best plan right now, bearing in mind Hisoka's condition. But he had to make sure... He needed to see someone who could make everything clear. The only person who knew precisely what had happened last night.

"You're going to see him." Hisoka's words made his heart jump. The boy stared at him with assessing eyes, but somehow Tsuzuki knew that he was also worried about him. "Tsuzuki, I'm going with you! You ca--"

"No, you're not." Tsuzuki cut off his words, "I don't want you anywhere near that mad doctor! I'm going alone!"

"But Bon is right, Tsuzuki. You can't possibly forget what he tried to do to you the last time! It's dangerous!" Watari looked apprehensive, "...at least let me go with ya...!"

Tsuzuki just shook his head, "Watari, can you go to the police station to check on the victim's body? Maybe you can find a clue about the murder. Hisoka," he turned to the green-eyed boy. "You can go with Watari if you think you're okay, but I thought it might be better for you to go back to the hotel and get some rest--"

"No! You think I can rest knowing the murderer is still out there somewhere?!" The boy glared and looked away abruptly before muttering, "I'll go with Watari..."

Smiling, Tsuzuki patted Hisoka's shoulder gently. "Okay, then. Watari, I'm entrusting him to you. Don't let this boy do anything stupid, ne?" He winked.

"Aye, aye, Sir!" Watari saluted him playfully; ignoring Hisoka muttered, "Don't call me boy!"

Tsuzuki knew that he could trust Hisoka with Watari. As he turned to leave his friends, he felt a tug on his coat. He turned around and saw Hisoka standing behind him, eyes wary. "I'll be okay," Tsuzuki smiled, answering the unspoken question, and then started to walk away.

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The sun shone brightly over the tall hospital building, reflected in the clear windows. Tsuzuki almost felt like it was mid afternoon already. Peering at his watch, he realized that it was just ten to eleven. The three of them seemed to have wasted less time than he thought by the park, because the hotel they were staying in was far from there. And now he couldn't put off meeting the doctor, whether he liked it or not.

"Muraki sensei starts his shift at three this afternoon, Sir," the girl at reception informed him with a sweet smile, "You can make an appointment now if you haven't already..."

"No, no..." Tsuzuki gave his best smile. "I want to see him now. Can you check if he's already here, Miss?"

The girl's face flushed and then she turned to the computer, apparently checking for the hospital staff clock-ins that day. "Uhm, yes. He arrived about an hour ago... But Sir,"

"Can you tell me where his office is? This is really important..." Tsuzuki hoped he didn't sound too pushy; he didn't want to make the girl suspicious about his presence. "I just need to talk to him..."

"Sir..." The girl stopped, looked confused whether she should tell him or not. "He's on the fifth floor, but..."

Tsuzuki was already running before the girl finished her words; he heard her calling after him, telling him to make an appointment. Tsuzuki realized that he had to catch the next elevator and jumped almost immediately into the open car. Pushing the button, he waited impatiently inside the elevator car as it started to move up.

But as the car stopped at the second floor, he began to hesitate. What if this meeting turned out badly in any case? Where did that impulse to pursue Muraki to this place come from? If he'd known that he was going to feel like this, he would have taken up Watari's offer to come with him. But now it was too late. He had to face this all alone; not that he regretted his decision. He didn't really care what happened to him, as long as he could find out about the murderer and stop the killing. And before he realized it, the car had stopped at the fifth floor.

The first thing he saw as the door opened was a woman with long hair. She wore a cream-colored dress and had her hand slipped through a man's arm. The man wore a white jacket; in fact, almost everything he wore was white. He lifted his gaze and was suddenly face to face with the man he was looking for; Muraki Kazutaka himself.

Tsuzuki turned towards the woman, and saw her smiling sweetly at Muraki. She looked at Tsuzuki and blinked, as if she'd only just noticed him. There was a painful silence in the air before Muraki smiled at him.

"Well, well, what a pleasant surprise, Tsuzuki-san."

Tsuzuki tried to catch his breath and stepped out of the elevator, still staring at the pair standing before him. The woman smiled at him and then turned to Muraki. "Is he a friend of yours, Kazutaka?"

Kazutaka? Tsuzuki blinked. The woman called him Kazutaka; that must mean they were close. Well, that was obvious in the way their arms were locked together. But the idea of Muraki with this kind-looking woman just wouldn't click in Tsuzuki's mind. And then he remembered...

Muraki did mention that he had a relationship with a woman. It was not so long ago, when they were involved in the incident at Kyoto. So this was the woman he'd been talking about that time, she was...

"Sensei!" Two men in uniform came from the other elevator car and walked straight towards Tsuzuki, grabbing him by the arms. "Are you okay, sensei?! This man was asking questions about you, and then he just ran up here without any explanation …"

The shinigami winced as the guards started to drag him away . This was definitely a bad sign. He hadn't bothered with a cover story and the young woman on the first floor did try to stop him going upstairs. Damn! He should've expected this to happen! What should he do now?!

"It's okay, Kimura-san." the doctor suddenly said, to Tsuzuki's astonishment; he smiled sweetly at one of the guards. His eyes darted to Tsuzuki and glinted with something Tsuzuki didn't like at all. "He is a friend of mine…"

"Oh?!" The guards let Tsuzuki go abruptly with a regretful look. "I'm sorry, sensei. We thought…"

Muraki nodded. "That's okay, it's not your fault. Tsuzuki-san can be very impulsive sometimes. Aren't you, Tsuzuki-san?" His lips curved to form another smile.

The violet-eyed shinigami looked away slightly, rubbing his arm. The guards turned to him and apologized before they finally left, leaving Tsuzuki standing awkwardly in front of the doctor and his… girlfriend? His eyes must've questioned that, because …

"Ah, yes, Tsuzuki-san, I want you to meet Ukyou..." Muraki smiled as he said the words, gesturing to the woman standing beside him, "She's my fiancée."

Tsuzuki heard a glass shatter somewhere along the hospital corridor. He lifted his hand to meet the woman's out-stretched one. "Nice to meet you." He tried to smile.

The woman named Ukyou was having better luck with the smiling and shook his hand gladly. "Nice to meet you too, Tsuzuki-san."

"Tsuzuki-san, we were just going to have lunch. Maybe you'd like to join us?" Muraki offered with a smile. Tsuzuki couldn't decide whether he was sincere or not. But then the wicked smile on the doctor's face told him that he wasn't. Besides, who wanted to have their date interrupted by a third person?

"I need to talk to you," said the violet-eyed shinigami, remembering the reason he was there in the first place. "It's important..."

Muraki looked amused, and Tsuzuki began to get a bad feeling. But he also knew there might not be another way to find out about the murderer.

"Is there a problem you think I can... uhm--help?" The doctor's lips curved into a smile. "Are you suffering a relapse?"

Tsuzuki blinked, "Huh?!" He was hesitant for a long moment until he saw the doctor wink at him from behind his fiancée. Swallowing hard, Tsuzuki nodded weakly. "Uh, yes.. I think I..."

"You see, Ukyou..." Muraki smiled at his fiancée, "Tsuzuki is not just a friend to me, but he's also my... patient. I'm afraid that I need to check him over. It may take thirty minutes or so... If you care to wait..."

"Oh, of course..." Ukyou said with a smile, although Tsuzuki was almost certain that he saw disappointment in the woman's eyes. "Maybe I can go there first and make a reservation for us, ne, Kazutaka?"

"That will be splendid." Muraki smiled sweetly and kissed her forehead. "Although I would prefer to take you there myself. I think a taxi would be a good idea..."

The woman chuckled and released his arm. She turned to Tsuzuki and nodded. "Get well soon, Tsuzuki-san," she said, before pressing the button to call another elevator. The doctor waited for the car with her, ignoring Tsuzuki's presence. After about three minutes, the elevator stopped and Ukyou stepped inside the car. Muraki waved at her as the door closed and then turned to the shinigami. A wicked smile crossed his face.

"Let me show you the way, Tsuzuki-san..."

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Muraki was about to offer his hand to Tsuzuki when he decided that it might not be a good idea. He could only smile as he led the shinigami to his office. Tsuzuki followed him obediently without saying a word, but that alien hesitation in the violet depths was enough to tell him something of what the other man was thinking. Confusion, that's what it was. But about what? Ukyou? Muraki felt like laughing at that thought...

He slid his card through the lock and the door opened easily. Holding the doorknob, he turned to Tsuzuki. "After you, Tsuzuki-san..."

The violet-eyed shinigami stared at him guardedly before stepping inside. Muraki walked in with him and locked the door behind them. He didn't usually lock his door when he was in the office, so people could come and go easily. But he didn't want anyone to interrupt his meeting with the shinigami. He saw Tsuzuki's wary expression; he must've heard the door click shut, but then pretended that he wasn't worried.

"So, what can I help you with, Tsuzuki-san?" Muraki took off his jacket and put it in the hanger, staring at the shinigami who was still standing in the middle of the room with an alert look on his face. "Don't be so tense..." The doctor chuckled and stepped closer.

"I'm not going to do anything to you," he smirked, "...unless you're asking me to..." With that he brushed his arm along Tsuzuki's side and made the shinigami jump in surprise. The faint color that crept across Tsuzuki's cheeks was as beautiful as he remembered, and Muraki could barely restrain his desire to have this man in his arms again.

Tsuzuki hissed as he kept staring at him, probably realizing what he was thinking, and he finally spoke up. "I want to ask you some questions, and you'd better answer me!"

"Oh?" Muraki tilted his head almost mockingly, "What is it about?"

"I know that you met the murderer last night."

The unexpected statement kept him silent for a long minute. Muraki knew there was no use denying it; it must've been that empath boy who had seen his little meeting with that girl. But he wasn't sure how much the shinigami knew. "What if I did?" He returned the question.

"Why did you try to protect her? When she's not one of your puppets, Muraki?" The shinigami's eyes flared dangerously. "Don't tell me that there's a fellow sympathy among you murderers..."

The doctor chuckled and stepped nearer, until he was standing beside Tsuzuki. He could almost hear the shinigami's heart beat frantically each time he shifted closer. "We murderers don't have sympathy, do we, Tsuzuki-san?" He caught the violet-eyed man's waist and held him from behind, breathing against his neck. He felt a struggle from the shinigami, but this time he wouldn't accept a rejection.

"You're also a murderer. What do you think about it, Tsuzuki-san?" Muraki chuckled lightly and felt the other man pushing at him with anger.

"I don't kill people! I didn't kill people because I wanted to...!"

Muraki pulled him even closer, not letting him run away this time. "But you admit that you've killed people, don't you? Ne, Tsuzuki-san, are you happy now that you've became a shinigami, so you can have a reason to take people's lives...?"

"Let me go!" Tsuzuki cried out, shoving at him with all of his strength. The doctor only tightened his grip to prevent the shinigami from escaping. His chuckle filled the room as Tsuzuki started to weaken inside his arms. "Let... me.. go...!"

"I don't think so, Tsuzuki-san," Muraki started to plant kisses along the side of Tsuzuki's neck, nipping it gently. "You don't think that you can coax information from me for free, do you?"

Muraki was more than ready to hear a restrained cry or a sob; instead, he heard the shinigami start to laugh. The slender body was shaking within his grip. Muraki decided not to ask the other man why, but stopped his attack on Tsuzuki's skin.

"We know that she's not with you..." Tsuzuki said coldly. "She's someone else's doll, isn't she?"

Muraki smiled, burying his head in the mass of brown hair and inhaled the scent deeply. "You're only guessing, aren't you, Tsuzuki-san?"

"But it was so obvious..." Tsuzuki said again. "You don't even know who she is, do you? You're as clueless as we are, Muraki. But we can swap information if you want."

"Information?" Muraki was thoughtful. He was almost certain that he knew more than the shinigami; but he was also curious about what the shinigami might have to offer. What kind of information did they have? "Why do you think that I don't know what you know?"

Tsuzuki chuckled, but Muraki still didn't let him go. "It's up to you to accept the offer or not. But if I were you, I would..."

"Hmm, interesting..." Muraki pulled the shinigami closer, kissing the smooth jaw and downwards. "And what exactly do you want from me? Why do you think I know who she is?"

Hissing silently, Tsuzuki growled in annoyance. "We know that you don't know anything about her, but..." He took a deep breath. "You do know what she looks like... and I want to know what she said to you..."

It was Muraki's turn to laugh. He leaned in to nuzzle Tsuzuki's neck and bit the flesh of his neck almost painfully, making sure to leave a mark. "It's a deal..."

He could feel the shinigami sigh with some relief inside his embrace, wincing slightly at the bruise the doctor had caused on his neck. Muraki was rather dissatisfied as the red mark started to fade thanks to the shinigami's ability to heal in seconds.

"Now, you want me to explain the girl's appearance first, I presume...?" Muraki turned the violet-eyed shinigami so they were facing each other. "Didn't the boy see the girl in his vision? Or was he too distracted by my presence inside of him so..."

"Stop that!" Tsuzuki snapped, "We've made a deal!"

Muraki chuckled pleasantly and gripped him more tightly. "Okay then, Tsuzuki-san... The girl was beautiful. Yes, a beautiful teenage girl, about fifteen years old I would guess..."

"A teenage girl...?" Tsuzuki echoed, aghast.

"She had long hair, silver..." Muraki continued and the shinigami gasped again. "And one more thing that attracted me..." The doctor stopped; leaning towards the shinigami, he planted kisses on his closed eyelids. He could feel Tsuzuki stiffen in his embrace.

"She had a pair of violet eyes." He smiled as he saw the violet eyes before him widen in complete shock. "Just like you, Tsuzuki-san..."

-tbc-

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That was a lame way to end this chapter -__-;;; zannen da...
*hugs and cookies*
- kaz misaki