Author's Note: Well, we've had the set-up, now we get to the heart of the matter. I know this is a really weird crossover, but then that was rather the point. Also, //(text)// indicates person-to-person commlink conversation.
Warnings: Angst, a giant alien sanctimonious twit, a pissy computer, and Muraki being, well, himself. ~_^
Disclaimer: Yami no Matsuei belongs to Matsushita Yoko and RiD belongs to Hasbro/Takara. I have no claim to anything except the plot.
Chapter 2: Seijaku no Tenshi
(trans: Angels of the Silences)
Teleportation was a magical ability requiring a great deal of skill and concentration; only the most talented could ever hope to successfully teleport into a moving vehicle. Particularly when the vehicle was a tanker truck roaring down the freeway at eighty miles per hour.
"Ah, Scourge-san. In a bit of a hurry?"
"Muraki. What do you want? I'm busy."
"Really, I'm surprised at you, Scourge-san. Have you decided to renege on our bargain?
Scourge jolted to a sudden halt as he slammed on his brakes, nearly causing an multi-car accident. Muraki, however, appeared to be completely unbothered by the sudden stop, or his being thrown against the steering column.
"What did you say?"
"Given our current results, I assume you are no longer interested in our . . . arrangement."
"You arrogant son of a --!"
"Scourge!"
The black Decepticon flicked his sensors outward, momentarily annoyed to find that he had been followed. Fortunately, Mega-Octane was alone. The other Decepticon slowed considerably before nudging his trailer, pushing Scourge forward at a gentle idle.
"As much as I appreciate you finally listening to me and letting me catch you, if you don't start moving again, those annoying Autobots are likely to show up. And I'm really not in the mood today."
"What do you have to be annoyed about?" he grumbled, gradually rejoining the steady flow of traffic. Muraki's silence irritated him almost as much as the man's mere presence. In the six months since their bargain, Scourge had seen little of the man and heard even less. Muraki's absence would not have been so bothersome if not for the fact that the bargain was going nowhere as a result.
"You might be surprised. Now where are we going?"
Scourge had almost forgotten Mega-Octane was still following him. As he wasn't particularly interested in taking Muraki to Koji's house, he pulled into an empty school parking lot. An oil tanker in a school yard was hardly inconspicuous, but at three in the morning he couldn't be bothered to care.
"Out," he growled to his passenger, opening his door at the same time. The silver-haired man said nothing as he descended. Scourge could almost feel Mega-Octane's shock and disgust at the revelation that he had been carrying a passenger.
"I believe introductions are in order, Scourge-san," Muraki murmured as he casually removed his glasses to clean them with a soft cloth.
"Muraki, Mega-Octane, my second in command. Mega-Octane, Muraki Kazutaka, a doctor with . . . unusal talents."
"A pleasure, Mega-Octane-san."
"Hmph."
"All right, Muraki, what do you want? And don't bother with the reneging slag; you're the one who hasn't been around in three months."
"Yes, well," the doctor said quietly, replacing his glasses but not looking at either of the two robots behind him. "I'm afraid I was unavoidably detained in Kyoto. The price of being a doctor, I suppose."
Scourge was tempted to draw his sword and slice the arrogant human open from his navel to his throat. But he knew from experience that Muraki's powers were considerable - in their last battle, they had been evenly matched. Muraki's powers could be helpful in acheiving his own personal goals and Scourge was not one to squander opportunities. Of course, once Ultra Magnus was dead, Scourge would have no further use for the man. Whatever magic the man possessed, he was still only human.
"Answer his question, human," Mega-Octane growled warningly.
"Are all your associates so ill-mannered, Scourge-san?"
"I grow weary of your games, Doctor. . . ."
"Your progress has been far from encouraging, Scourge-san."
"I already told you, if you want an Autobot, I'll help you flush them out, but you can damn will capture them yourself. You've already squandered a dozen opportunities."
"Warriors don't intereste me. Their scientist, Crosswise. He is the one I need."
"I'm getting a little tired of doing all this work and seeing nothing from you in return."
"You do nothing you would not have done had we never met, Scourge-san," Muraki replied calmly, at last turning around to face him. "Really, do you take me for a fool? Do not trivialize my power simply because I am human. . . ."
"Is there a point to this or are you simply here to assign blame?"
"Your frontal assaults have been of little use, Scourge-san. Perhaps it is time for a change in tactics. . . ."
"Just what are you suggesting, you puny --"
//Enough, Mega-Octane.// Scourge warned through their internal radios.
//Why are we having anything to do with this human?!//
//He's an arrogant slag-sucking bastard . . . but we have a deal. As long as we do, he still has some value to us.//
Scourge could tell that Mega-Octane was not satisfied with his explanation, but the other Decepticon let it go. He himself was not particularly satisfied with their situation either and the knowing smirk on Muraki's face wasn't helping.
"Speak plainly, Muraki, or be gone."
"Information is power, Scourge-san. I have information you want, you can get the information I need."
"More bargaining, Muraki?"
"The same bargain, Scourge-san. In the end, what benefits me benefits you as well."
"Your love of words will mean nothing if I choose to leave you here, Muraki."
"So impatient," the human sighed, pulling off his glasses as he turned aside once more. "Even if I were able to access the Autobot computer, I very much doubt they keep their files in Japanese. You said you would help me capture an Autobot, Scourge-san. Get me Crosswise-san's schedule and I will lead you to Ultra Magnus."
"You expect me to believe you?"
"I have no reason to lie, Scourge-san."
Scourge scowled behind his facemask; the bastard was probably right. If he did have some way of tracking Ultra Magnus. . . . In all of their encounters, they had always fought on the Autobot's terms. While Magnus seemed to have no difficulty finding him, Scourge had never been able to track the mercenary. That inability was more than enough to drive him to distraction, but perhaps now the tables could be turned.
"Rollbar, report."
"Rollbar here, sir."
"Infiltrate the Autobot mainframe and get me every scrap of information you can find on Crosswise. Strengths, weaknesses, patrol routes. Everything."
"Yes sir!"
"Thirty minutes, Doctor. If you have any preparations to make, I suggest you do so now,."
"Thirty minutes? Very well, Scourge-san, I will return then."
Muraki vanished as suddenly as he appeared. Scourge was only too glad to have him gone.
"Since when do we make deals with humans, Scourge?"
"Since they proved valuable. That self-righteous bastard probably has enough power to destroy us both, but if he can help us crush the Autobots. . . ."
"If that's true, what's to stop him from turning against us once he has his information?"
"He'll honor our deal. He needs us more than we need him."
Mega-Octane still wasn't satisfied, but Scourge knew his lieutenant would not press the issue any further. He turned his gaze up to the sky, frowning at the full moon the color of freshly spilled human blood. He had not seen the moon that shade at zenith before in the two years since he had been awakened and for some reason it deeply bothered him. When Mega-Octane joined his stargazing a moment later, he could feel his companion's unease as well.
"Blood moon at zenith. This bodes no good. For any of us."
"More stupid human superstition. . . ."
"This from the mech bent on destroying a shinigami. . . ."
"Hmph."
"Relax. We apparently have the time. . . ."
"You relax if you want. I have the mercenary's death to plan."
For a moment, Tsuzuki felt light-headed and his knees threatened to give out. Then he felt Hisoka's hand on his arm, silently offering his strength and understanding. Of course Hisoka understood; the doctor may have been hunting Tsuzuki for years, but Muraki had actually murdered Hisoka.
"It's okay, Tsuzuki. If Gushoshin's figured out the curse, we can work around it. Besides, you know Tatsumi-san would never let anything happen to either of us."
"Hai, of course. Sankyuu, Hisoka."
"Baka," his partner murmured without malice. "I just . . . I don't know the fuda for this. . . ."
"That could be a problem," Tsuzuki said with a slight smile, playfully ruffling Hisoka's hair as he felt his mental equilibrium returning. "Don't worry. As long as he's already asleep, it's an easy matter."
"But Tsuzuki-san," Gushoshin interrupted, "we don't know that Hisoka-san's fuda won't activate the curse, only that yours definitely will. I need more time to study this and consult with Watari-san."
"I guess that makes sense, right Hisoka? Hisoka?"
But his partner wasn't paying attention; his eyes, like those of the two giant robots, were focused on the moon overhead. A blood red moon.
"Shimatta!"
"First the curse, now the moon. . . . I have a very bad feeling about this. . . ."
"You're not the only one, Gushoshin. Hisoka. . . ."
"Hold on, what's all this about a curse? Who is this Muraki person and what does he have to do with Koji?"
Tsuzuki studied the large red robot, weighing how much to tell him about the man who was likely behind Koji's impending death in the first place. They would probably argue that they had a right to know, but who would truly wish to know all the things Muraki was capable of doing? Knowing wouldn't help anything and telling them would only make trouble.
"The details aren't important," Hisoka said dismissively, answering for him. "He's been setting up these sorts of traps for years, we just got careless. Muraki's intentions don't change the case, just the way we handle it."
"And what are you going to do?" Ultra Magnus asked, forestalling any comments from his brother.
"We'll take him back to Meifu. . . ."
"Out of the question."
"Optimus, stop being a selfish bastard. All you're doing is. . . ."
". . . is waking up the entire neighborhood. Optimus, Magnus. I'm quite interested in hearing what the two of you are doing arguing out here at three in the morning."
"Trying to --" but the red robot was interrupted by his brother suddenly grabbing his hand and dragging him up into the sky. Tsuzuki watched in disbelief as the two robots merged into one and then just hung in the air.
"Dad? What's going on?"
"I don't know, son, but from the looks of it, Optimus and Magnus are still arguing over the details."
"I wonder if it has to do with the people across the street. . . ."
"Who?"
"Right over there. They're even headed this way."
"Koji, are you feeling well? There's no one there."
"Actually," Tsuzuki sighed as he made the mental shift that would make him visible to normal mortals, "there is. You are the boy's father, then?"
"Y-yes. You are?"
"It's not important. I'm very sorry to do this," Tsuzuki murmured. He pressed a slip of ofuda to the man's head and murmured "sleep," catching him before he could fall to the ground. The look of terror in the boy's eyes, however, made him want to cry.
"Who . . . who are you? What do you want with my father? Did Megatron send you?"
"Koji . . . I'm sorry, we're not here for your father."
"Tsuzuki, they're coming - gah. Tsu . . . zu. . . ."
"Hisoka?!" he cried as he hurriedly set down the elder Onishi. Hisoka had collapsed to his knees, his whole body shaking as the first faint outlines of the curse he still carried began to appear on his body.
"Tsuzu . . . ki," his partner rasped, his breathing labored as the curse flared, trying to choke the life out of his young partner. A shinigamicouldn't truly die from asphyxiation, but it still wasn't a pleasant sensation. He pulled Hisoka into a tight hug, trying to use the empath's own abilities to calm him.
"Is he. . .?"
The robots. Everything was happening at once, spiraling out of his control.
"Onishi-sensei is only asleep. I need to take Hisoka back to Meifu. Watch the kid - if Hisoka's curse is acting up, then Muraki is on the move. Whatever he wants, you must not let him get ahold of Koji again."
"Again? Wait, Tsuzuki-san, what do you mean by again?!"
No time, for anything, he cursed silently. Focusing his will, he held Hisoka tightly and transported them both back to Juuohcho. There was never enough time.
Release me, Magnus.
No. You'll only do something stupid.
"Omega Prime? Wha-what's going on? Who was that guy? What did he do to my dad?"
"Your father is fine, Koji; it's not his time yet."
"That guy, Tsuzuki-san . . . he's the Angel of Death, isn't he?"
Magnus harshly pushed down his brother's denials. Forcing the fusion through Optimus's very active protests was making it hard to do anything else, but he didn't dare release the other mech. No one wanted to know in advance that they were going to die, especially not a child. Optimus was so convinced that he could win against the shinigami that he wasn't thinking clearly anymore.
Dammit Optimus, stop fighting me! You heard Tsuzuki - that Muraki person is on the move. I may not know anything about him, but if the shinigami says it's vital he doesn't get his hands on Koji, then I'm inclined to agree!
Since when do you care, brother?
Now you're starting to sound like me. . . .
This is no time for jokes! Those shinigami want to kill Koji! How do we know we can trust them?
It's better than taking our chances with the one who cursed the kid in the first place! Or did you forget about that little fact?
"Omega Prime?"
"No, he's no angel. And contrary to what Optimus may think, he's trying to protect you."
"Ultra Magnus?"
"T-AI, open the spacebridge. If this Muraki wants you, I intend to prevent it."
"But my father . . . oh," the boy said, watching as he picked up the older Onishi. Koji didn't say anything, just followed as they walked into the tunnel.
Magnus. . . .
Promise you won't say a word about the shinigami. . . .
Magnus. . . .
Swear by the Matrix. Otherwise it's a long walk back to base.
I swear by the Matrix, I won't say more than you.
Ultra Magnus carefully set down Doctor Onishi, then released his hold on his brother. A last stab of anger and then the fusion dissolved, leaving him alone in his own body.
"Shall we?" Optimus invited, obviously talking to Koji. "Magnus, perhaps you should go back to your stakeout?"
"Uh, actually Optimus, if it's not a big problem, I'd like to ride back with Ultra Magnus."
Magnus stared down at Koji in disbelief. Everyone knew he didn't like the teen or approve of the way he was dragged into nearly everything. It made no sense that the kid would volunteer to spend more time with him, yet that was exactly what he was doing.
"Well, if you're sure . . . I'll take your father on ahead then, Koji."
"Thanks Optimus," Koji chirped before turning an expectant look on Ultra Magnus. Choking down an irritated sigh, he transformed and popped open a door.
"Come on, kid, let's go," he grumbled, barely waiting for the boy to sit down before driving down the tunnel back to headquarters.
"Magnus, what's going on? And why are you and Optimus arguing? I know you think I'm just a stupid kid, but . . . I don't want to lose my dad again."
"The shinigami don't want your father, kid. They've been after Muraki for a long time. . . ."
"But what does that have to do with me? Who is Muraki?"
"Kid, if you keep asking me questions, I'm liable to tell you something you don't want to hear."
"That's why I'm asking you, Ultra Magnus. I know you won't lie to try and make me feel better."
"There are some things even I won't tell you."
"I'm going to die, aren't I? No, you don't have to say anything. You called them shinigami. What could they want with me if it wasn't my death?"
Magnus didn't say anything as they rolled into the command center. What could he say? Tsuzuki was trying to protect the teen from this Muraki person, but in the end, the shinigami would take Koji's soul. It was entirely possible that they would even use this new threat to further justify killing him quickly. Lying to a kid didn't exactly rest well with his sense of honor. Fortunately, their arrival at the command center meant he didn't have to say anything as he let Koji descend from his cab before transforming.
"All right, Magnus, now what? I assume you have a plan. . . ."
"Now we wait and --"
"Ohayou, Cybertrons!"
Magnus frowned down at the strange human who had just . . . appeared in their command center. The long blonde hair and the even longer white lab coat only added to his strange appearance. Amber eyes crinkled into a ready smile behind thin round glasses and a tiny brown owl perched on this shoulder, cooing its own greeting. But the most unusual thing about him was the fact that he was floating eight meters off the ground. From the greeting, he had to be shinigami - only they ever called the Autobots "Cybertrons."
"Who . . . who are you?" Koji asked, apparently recovering his power of speech first. "And how are you . . . floating???"
"Ah, Onishi-kun!" the stranger exclaimed, descending to the boy's level. "Good, I was right. How do you feel? Fever? Headache? Nausea? Strange, burning rashes?"
"Er, ah, no . . . I-I feel fine, really. . . ."
"Really? Perfectly normal? Not the least bit ill?"
"H-hai. Perfectly normal."
"Strange. I thought for sure you'd be feeling something," the blonde mused, hovering in a rather thoughtful pose.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" T-AI demanded archly. "And how did you get in here? This base is secured against all outside invaders; I see to it myself!"
"T-AI-chan! Excellent, excellent. Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself, ne? Watari Yutaka, shinigami of the 6th Block. Bon insisted he didn't need my help, so I came here. The way his curse was acting . . . but no matter. Just another challenge to sort!"
"I'm so lost," Koji sighed. T-AI appeared almost as confused.
"That isn't much of an explanation, Watari-san," Magnus murmured, hoping to forestall any ugliness on the part of either his brother or their odd base computer. The grinning shinigami floated up to a comfortable conversation height, his owl flying beside him.
"Aa, I know, Magnus-san," he replied with a wink, "but a shinigami mustn't reveal all his secrets at once, ne? Bon wasn't up for a briefing and Tsuzuki is hopeless when he's that worried about someone, so how about you filling me in, hmm?"
"Wait!" T-AI cried shrilly. "You . . . you can't just come in here and demand information without explaning yourself!"
"Demand?" Watari asked, his expression hardening for a fraction of a second, frowning at the hologirl before turning his attention back to Ultra Magnus. "Did I demand anything, Magnus-san?"
"I'm sure T-AI meant no offense, Watari-san," Optimus soothed. "But perhaps you could explain how you found us? The only way to access this base is through the spacebridge - even the Decepticons have yet to gain access through alternate means."
"Oh, that was easy. Tsuzuki's fuda leaves a distinctive trace marker behind, one that I can track, for a short time anyway. It seemed safe to assume he would be with his father, so here I am! Very impressive base, by the way. Quite nice. Where's your lab?"
"What do you need with our lab?" T-AI asked suspiciously. Quite against all logic, Ultra Magnus found himself liking the unusual man. His genkigrin, the way he appeared to randomly flit from one train of thought to the next . . . he had Optimus and T-AI both completely off balance, and that generally wasn't very easy to do.
"Well, I can't very well research a curse without a lab. But I suppose I wouldn't have to use yours. I can always take him back to Meifu with me. . . ."
Even though the blonde shinigami was still smiling jovially, there was a certain hardness in his eyes that suggested he was very serious. Extra points for you, Watari-san, Magnus thought to himself with a wry grin of his own. He had not only caught Optimus unprepared, but in a nice double bind, as well.
"C-curse? What curse? What does it have to do with me?"
"Oya . . . you didn't tell him?"
"How do you tell a child he is going to die and nothing you can do will change that?"
"Magnus!"
"True, true. I'm sorry you have to find out this way, douji. Magnus-san is right; a child, even one as old as you, shouldn't have to know in advance that he's going to die, particularly not like this. Gomen, but this curse has nothing to do with you, I'm afraid, and everything to do with us."
"I still don't understand."
"I would call it random chance, but Muraki doesn't believe in leaving things to chance. Now then, about that lab. . . ."
"Crosswise will be here soon," T-AI informed them calmly. "In fact, here he is now."
"You sent for me, Optimus?"
"A change in your schedule, Crosswise. Please escort Koji and Watari-san to your lab and assist with his research."
"Aye, sir. This way, please."
"Magnus. . . ."
Ultra Magnus stood rigid, silently watching the Spychanger scientist escort human and shinigami to his lab. He had a fair idea what his brother wanted to discuss, not that there was really anything left to say. And that irritated him.
"I know you don't care for Koji, but . . . why aren't you fighting this? You were a decorated general in the civil wars. How can you just stand aside and watch an innocent die?"
"Don't you ever get tired of being a sanctimonious twit? I survived the civil wars by knowing when a battle was won and when it was time to retreat. You have to pick your battles if you're going to survive and frankly, this is one I intend not to fight."
"I never though of you as a coward."
"No? Well I've always known you were too damned self-righteous for your own good."
Magnus didn't bother waiting for his brother's outraged reply before leaving the command center. He still had questions for the shinigami, but first he had personal business to attend.
Watari looked around in open amazement. Titanium alloy construction, embedded black touch-screen computer panels down the length of the corridor, a clean, crisp feel, and no sign of the sensor arrays that doubtlessly littered the stretch of corridor. He was flying in a technological marvel and it was all he could do to stay focused on his task.
"Watari-san, would you be a friend of Doctor Onishi then?"
"Hmm? Oh, er, actually . . . no. Never met the man."
"Then how is it you're here, especially at this hour? And what sort of research are you conducting?"
"Aa, I suppose I could introduce myself, ne Crosswise-san?" Watari chuckled, floating up to Crosswise's shoulder for easier of conversation. "Watari Yutaka, mechanical engineer, research scientist, experimental chemist, and shinigami of the 6th Block. I'll be investigating the nature of bocchan's curse."
"There's a curse now?"
"Hai, a trap curse. Careful study may allow us to unravel it's secrets, but I'll admit I don't hold out much hope of that. Muraki is not unskilled in spellcraft; I may well have to content myself with finding the extent of the trap and circumventing it."
"Sounds like an awful lot of trouble for someone he doesn't even know," Crosswise murmured.
"Gushoshin believes the point of the curse was to trap Tsuzuki. That, of course, is were I come in - to determine if he's right or if there's something larger at work."
"Hmm . . . well, I'm not sure what I can do to help, but here's my lab."
"What troubles me," he confessed, feeling remarkably at ease with the giant robot, "is the targeting of your friend. If it were anyone else, I would call it random chance. But Muraki is too methodical for that. He's up to something . . . and we mustn't let him get his hands on Onishi-kun again."
"Again? Then you think he's already had Koji once before?"
"Quite likely, though I can understand if you find that hard to believe. In most cases, one has to be very close to cast a curse, particularly one at this probable level of complexity. It wouldn't have to have been very long, but. . . ."
Watari inspected the lab, but aside from a couple familiar shapes, he felt at a loss. 003 hooted reassuringly, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before settling on a gas chromatographer. He knew what to do in his Meifu lab, but here. . . . Well, that was why the Cybertron was there, to help, right?
"So, where do we begin, Watari-san?"
"Well, ordinarily I'd start with a spectrograph of his aura, but I wouldn't know where to begin with your equipment, Crosswise-san."
"Crosswise is fine. And if his aura is within the range of standard EM emissions, this spectroscope can capture it."
"Of course, of course . . . everything looks so different. But then of course it would, being built to your standards, rather than human ones. T-AI-chan, how detailed are your security records?"
"Every event that occurs within the confines of this base is recorded," the hologirl informed him primly, appearing beside what was presumably the lab's main computer terminal. "Records are then reviewed weekly for security value and filed or purged appropriately."
"Not what I meant, but good to know. What is your recording resolution?"
"Realtime three-dimensional holographic reproduction with a differential wavelength resolution of point zero-zero-one microns."
"Hmm, that may just be enough for a proper baseline extraction. Crosswise, if you could help me set up the equipment. . . ?"
"Here, Koji, lay down and go back to sleep. No sense in you being awake through all this."
"Hai, hai, bocchan. Sleep. This will be easier if your waking mind can't interfere in the results."
He could tell Koji was completely confused, but the youth was also very tired and quickly fell asleep. After careful explanations of the equipment and the computer functions from Crosswise, Watari happily set about programming the complex filters needed to reveal Koji's aura. A delicate process, to be sure, but one fairly easily achieved, if one knew what one was doing. Unfortunately, the raw scan revealed nothing he didn't already know. A curse that would ensnare the fuda user who triggered it, he recognized the mark of Muraki's hand, but it was only the barest trace. Not that it surprised Watari; indeed, the challenge would be enjoyable.
"So what are we looking at here, Watari-san?"
"Hmm? Ah, raw aura scan. See these thin swirls of color? Those are the traces of the curse."
"These here? Barely visible to the human eye?"
"Hai. If I didn't know to look for them. . . . This is why Muraki is so difficult; he is extremely skilled and well practiced in his craft. It is only his arrogance that gives us any opening. Fortunately, I should be able to map out the extent of this particular cure with the right filters and transformations."
Watari was halfway through the first transformation when a familiar voice interrupted his calculations.
"Watari-san, what progress with your research?"
"Magnus-san! We're only just beginning, I'm afraid. But perhaps you can help me with another piece of this puzzle. What special powers does this Onishi-kun have?"
"None; to my knowledge he's just a normal human teen, bad attitude and all."
"That can't be," Watari muttered, pausing in his calculations to frown up at the two robots. "Muraki's strength comes from his power to make the spiritual energies of his victims his own through the blood rite he uses when killing them. He's been doing this for years - it's why he's so hard to kill. Unless he was particularly low on energy, there'd be no point in choosing a talentless victim - nothing to feed him save raw lifeforce. And if he was that desparate, he wouldn't be drawing this out so long."
"You said it was a trap curse. Random bait?"
"Even that makes little sense. If not for the involvement of your kind, Tsuzuki would never have been involved with your friend there."
"Which suggests he targeted Koji specifically, suspecting his death would get hung up in the system because of us," Crosswise said quietly. "But why involve us at all? Seems like rather a dangerous risk to take."
"Attempting to trace the lines of Muraki-san's logic is an exercise in futility."
"Aa, Tatsumi-san. Following me again, ne? How's Bon?"
"Asleep. . . ."
Watari winced in annoyance as the rest of Tatsumi's words were lost in the shrill whine of alert klaxons.
"T-AI!" Crosswise shouted over the din. "Belay intruder alert for Lab Three!"
"Intruder verified in Lab Three. Additional unknown signatures detected in corridor 18-02-23."
"Guess T-AI-chan doesn't like you, Tatsumi," Watari murmured with an amused wink.
"I'm more concerned with our other intruders . . . particularly since that's two corridors over. T-AI, I need specifics."
"I'm trying, Ultra Magnus, but the signatures won't resolve! It's like something's interfering with the sensors."
Watari cast a worried look at his pseudo-partner, not at all eased to see his suspicions echoed in those sapphire eyes.
"Muraki!"
"No way. Not possible! No human can do this sort of thing!"
"Do you know of anyone else who could?" Tatsumi asked coolly.
"The shinigami are right. Crosswise, stay with Koji and don't let him go, no matter what!"
"I'll stay here, Seiichirou," Watari said quietly. "I'm not much good in a fight, really, and if it comes to it, I can always take him to Meifu."
"I'll see to it that isn't necessary," Tatsumi murmured, his usually harsh eyes softening for a fraction of a second. Then he and the much larger Ultra Magnus were gone.