Chapter 5
Demons
Tsuzuki felt bad as he made his way back to the main meeting room. He couldn't help feeling somewhat guilty about just leaving Muraki alone. After he'd made such an effort to find out what was wrong with him and all. Maybe he should check on him... A shrill squeak emitted from his shoes as he stopped walking; the only sound in the entire hallway.
If I turn around right now and go back...
He decided not to in the end. He wasn't about to be manipulated by Muraki.
But he's really upset. Maybe I should...
Tsuzuki forced himself onward, trying not to hesitate.
I hate Muraki...or I should hate him. But I kissed him. I really wanted to kiss him!
Tsuzuki tried not to think about it, but he knew it was the truth. Even though Muraki had kissed him first, he had returned the affection. He'd kissed Muraki...willingly.
Another's footsteps echoed down the hallway behind Tsuzuki, but he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to hear.
"I did. I kissed him. And...it wasn't as horrible as I-..."
Hisoka sped up, sensing that Tsuzuki was alright, but not wanting to chance it again.
"Tsuzuki, what happened? You were gone for a long time and..."
Hisoka reached out to grab Tsuzuki by the arm when suddenly a vision hit him. A memory. In the vision his hand over Tsuzuki's wrist was replaced by a larger, far paler one, gently lifting Tsuzuki's hand to his own lips. As the hand rose, so did Hisoka's eyes. Muraki. His silvery gaze pierced Hisoka's mind like a knife and he tried to look away. But what happened next was an even more unusual vision. Hisoka watched from afar as Tsuzuki leaned forward and kissed the doctor. Muraki was surprised at first, but no doubt pleased.
At realizing what he'd just seen, Hisoka backed away, his back brushing against the wall.
"You kissed him! You kissed...Muraki. Whatever spell he has over you..."
"No it's not that. I...it's just..." Tsuzuki stammered, waving his hands frantically to make up for his lack of words.
"Listen Tsuzuki, I don't know what he's done to you, but I don't like it. I know you want to look out for yourself, but with Muraki...I should know! After I remembered what he did to me, I wanted revenge without anyone's help-to tear him apart with my own hands. But I didn't realize back then that I needed someone to help me; someone that...cared about me."
Those words had been difficult for the boy to get out and Tsuzuki knew it. It obviously meant that Hisoka was concerned about him and Tsuzuki was now feeling the guilt of his previous actions.
"Hisoka..."
"I know I've told you this before, but it's all I can do. Just be careful for now. But damn it, if I could kill that heartless bastard I would. So the second he does something he shouldn't, just let me know and I'll shoot him." he vowed. His words were as ice.
Be careful?
Everyone was saying it, but what was he really supposed to do? Every time he stepped into a room alone with Muraki was a risk. Just avoid being alone with him. That was difficult. He couldn't bear to bother the others to stay with him throughout the day. And even if he could, Muraki seemed to show an interest in him while he slept. Tsuzuki shivered at the thought as he and Hisoka walked down the hall together, casting tall shadows on the floor behind them in the poor lighting.
"So Tsuzuki..." Hisoka spoke up after a long silence had passed between them. "I was wondering, how long do you think you'll have to be Muraki's partner for?" he asked.
"Hmm...well I don't know. The Boss and Tatsumi have pretty much implied that it'll just be for this mission, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something more to it than that, you know?" Tsuzuki said, placing a finger to his temple to indicate he'd been thinking about it.
Hisoka couldn't help but let a smile slip. Tsuzuki once more appeared comical and it was evident he'd returned to his happy self once again.
"Yeah, I was thinking that myself. But what does he want? And why's The Count in on it? I know he may be a strange guy, but I don't think he's one to make deals with humans, let alone Muraki." Hisoka responded, happy to once more be talking with Tsuzuki.
Suddenly Tsuzuki stopped walking as an idea hit him. "Wait...what if it's not a deal? What if The Count is...I don't know...looking after him?"
"What are you saying?" Hisoka questioned.
"We have to find out why he's here!"
"Hold on! Are you just going to run in there and ask? I don't think he'll just come right out and tell you." Hisoka said firmly.
Tsuzuki turned his head, not knowing what to say.
"I have an idea." Hisoka said to Tsuzuki's delight.
Hisoka said nothing more of his plan as they walked back to Muraki's room, but Tsuzuki knew what he was going to do. If Muraki was truly thinking about this Saki person so much, then there was a chance Hisoka would be able to read his emotions. They noticed the door looming menacingly before them, foreboding and yet at the same time, willing them inside. There was no light beneath the door, so it was possible he was asleep. Tsuzuki twisted on the doorknob, his hands shaking and heart racing...to see Muraki asleep in his bed. He breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to him, marveling at how strangely placid he appeared. Hisoka looked sick.
"I don't like seeing him like that." Hisoka murmured cautiously to Tsuzuki, trying not to wake Muraki.
Tsuzuki nodded and moved closer to Muraki, trying to make sure that he was asleep. Hisoka looked anxiously back at Tsuzuki who was leaning over Muraki, his knee on the bed. To the average person it would look like someone trying to wake up their lover with a kiss. And if Muraki woke up right now, that's probably what he'd think. Hisoka sat beside Tsuzuki, looking down at Muraki with a hint of regret on his face.
"This should only take a minute, but...I've never tried to read him before and I don't want to be alone with him." Hisoka requested.
Tsuzuki nodded and grasped his shoulder. "Alright. But you know...you don't have to do this..."
"I told you I would, remember? Besides, I want to know myself."
Hisoka held his breath and reached his hand towards Muraki, closing the gap between him and the sleeping killer. With Tsuzuki's comforting hand on his shoulder, he reached out and lightly brushed Muraki's shoulder with his fingertips. Before he could realize what was happening, he heard a boy cry out in his mind as loud as he could: "SAKI!" Along with the cry came an emotion that Hisoka could hardly bear. He couldn't even identify it, but he knew it hurt. Hisoka let go of Muraki and turned to Tsuzuki, his eyes full of suppressed pain.
"Hisoka what..."
"I don't know...what happened. I just..." Hisoka whispered sharply, recovering from the shock of whatever emotion had hit him.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want-..."
But before Tsuzuki had finished the sentence, Hisoka once more had his hand on Muraki's shoulder, fully immersed in Muraki's thoughts. He watched with wide eyes as the room changed to a larger and a lot darker room. In it sat two people: a tall and beautiful woman and a young boy. They looked very much alike, both very pale with platinum hair and silvery eyes. They were both looking over a porcelain doll with a strange kind of loving concern.
"Look Kazutaka we fixed it. She looks beautiful, doesn't she?" The woman asked, her kind voice echoing throughout Hisoka's mind.
The child nodded and smiled genuinely. "Yes mother!"
"And it's all thanks to my helper here, right?" she asked, tickling the boy's sides and pulling him close for a hug.
She kissed his forehead and held him tightly, the two laughing together.
Hisoka knew the child was Muraki, but he couldn't imagine him so truly happy...and innocent.
Another scene passed through his mind, but this time, it wasn't as joyous. Hisoka still saw the woman, but now her once brilliant silvery eyes had dulled to that of gray stone. There was a man beside her instead of the boy, her hands like claws digging into his white doctor's coat possessively. There was no expression on her face, but the man was smiling.
"So, Saki and Kazu are getting along. I'm glad. Thanks for letting us stay here." the man said, his deep voice sending a shiver of fear through Hisoka.
She said nothing, but kept holding onto him. The tall man bent towards her and kissed her neck sloppily and lustfully.
"Of course, I know you appreciate what I did. I gave you another child to love. Another child than your little Kazu." he muttered, kissing her repeatedly, still receiving no response.
"And we can be one...happy...family."
Hisoka felt awful for the woman, whom he concluded was Muraki's mother, but it was nothing compared to what he saw next.
"So...did you tell them I did it?" a sinister voice hissed.
The last scene faded into a new one...a bedroom. Hisoka watched as a tall darker-haired boy walked towards a smaller, possibly younger boy. The smaller boy nodded fiercely, backing away from the other. It was the same young boy from the very first vision except this time he didn't have his loving mother to watch out for him.
"No! No I didn't! I said I broke mom's doll! Please Saki..." the boy replied nervously.
Hisoka cringed. This was Saki?
"You're such a good little brother, Kazutaka. You look like you need a hug." Saki continued, closing in on the younger Muraki.
Muraki shook his head, still afraid.
"Oh come on, it's not like you wouldn't like that..." Saki said, becoming more and more threatening.
"I...I don't...want to." Kazu said softly.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked kindly, trying to hide his sinister intentions.
"I don't want you to touch me like you did before." Muraki protested, falling backwards onto the bed.
At seeing his surroundings, he bit his tongue to keep from crying out.
"And why not? I know you enjoyed it the last time... You said you loved me." Saki laughed, falling atop his brother.
His hands moved to Muraki's shorts, his hands delving into them, threatening to rip them from his slender legs.
"Saki!" he cried one last time before Saki's mouth claimed his own as he grabbed the covers to try and brace himself.
The scene skipped forward to what Hisoka supposed to be the aftermath of their encounter. Saki was still atop his frightened half-brother, stroking his cheek gently. Muraki looked terrified. The young boys clung to each other, Muraki actually hugging Saki.
"So Kazutaka, you can't deny that you enjoyed that." he said with a smile.
"Yes, I did Saki. I love you." There was no emotion in his voice as Saki continued to kiss and caress him.
"There is nothing wrong with what just happened. You were being good, so I rewarded you. And anything that feels good can be used as a reward, my brother. But we shouldn't tell our father about this." Saki suggested.
Muraki nodded slowly, seeming to understand.
"Good. It's our secret. We tell no one."
Suddenly Hisoka felt rather than heard a shrill noise resembling that of a scream and some sort of beast.
I'm sorry little boy, but no exploring Kazutaka's memories!
Hisoka had never heard a voice like it, and didn't enjoy the sound of it. Straining his powers he tried to find where the sound was coming from, he saw a large shadow. He couldn't make out a definite shape to it, but he knew it wasn't human. His strength was draining quickly and he let go. Maybe that was the demon...
"Hisoka! Hisoka are you alright? I shouldn't have let you do that; I'm sorry" Tsuzuki whispered, hugging a coughing Hisoka to his chest.
"Hey idiot, let me go; I'm fine. But I think I saw the demon he's working with. Or at least heard it." Hisoka stated, struggling to his feet.
His head was swimming and his knees threatened to give out on him as he stood up.
"Really? Did you find anything else out?"
"Yeah I did. Like how Muraki had a half-brother named Saki and...apparently they slept together...more than once."
Tsuzuki suddenly felt awful. "What? It just...it doesn't make sense..." Tsuzuki's voice rose above a whisper.
Suddenly Muraki's eyes shot open. "What doesn't make sense, Mr. Tsuzuki?" he asked accusingly.
He'd heard a lot more than either shinigami thought.
Hisoka backed away from him, but Tsuzuki stepped closer. "I was just wondering..."
"What? I suggest you tell me, or else I should like to think that you're here to sleep with me after all..."
Tsuzuki gulped nervously and shut his eyes. He had to know... "Muraki...why did you...sleep with your brother?"
Muraki looked more surprised than Tsuzuki had ever seen him before, even though it was only for a second.
"Mr. Tsuzuki, are you here to give yourself to me?" he asked eagerly, hiding his earlier frustration.
"I'm not and you're fully aware of that." he said resolutely.
Muraki heard his Tsuzuki arguing with him and wasn't about to stand for it. He moved closer to prove his dominance and Tsuzuki started to shrink back.
"If you truly do not want any affection from me at this time then I suggest you leave. You too boy." he hissed.
He was being...oddly defensive.
"Muraki..." Tsuzuki began but a glare quickly silenced him.
"Go." Muraki said flatly.
He glared for a few seconds until Tsuzuki averted his gaze. "I just want you to know that...I'm sorry." he confessed.
Muraki paused a second.
"Tsuzuki!" Hisoka reprimanded.
"No Hisoka...I really am sorry. We shouldn't have been here in the first place." he said.
Muraki couldn't respond to that. Tsuzuki...apologized to him? He laughed.
"You're sorry? What's done..." he moved closer to Tsuzuki, threatening and yet enticing, "is done. Now leave, and no more talking about Saki." he insisted.
Tsuzuki couldn't help but fear him. But now after he'd heard a little about Saki, he couldn't help but feel...a little sorry for him.
"Alright. I won't ask. But..."
"Good. Goodnight Mr. Tsuzuki." he interrupted.
Tsuzuki and Hisoka had no choice but to leave the room. Looking one more time back at Muraki, they turned and walked back down the hallway.
"So Tsuzuki...do you still want to know what happened to him?" Hisoka asked as soon as he was sure they were alone.
"Yeah I do. But...I never want you to look through his memories again. For one, it's dangerous and two...I don't know why, but I want to hear it from Muraki himself. I've got a feeling that there's a lot more to him than what you saw, but I doubt Muraki and that demon are about to let us in on it. But you saw how much it's bothering him; he needs help...even though I hate to say it."
"You're going to try and...help him? Tsuzuki this is Muraki we're talking about. You were right; we shouldn't have read that much into his memories because all I wanted to do is find out why he's here. All this Saki crap...that's his business. Maybe we should forget about it." Hisoka suggested, walking further ahead.
"Maybe...but...I'm still kinda worried about him." Tsuzuki said catching up to him.
"I wouldn't be. Just leave Muraki alone." Hisoka sighed as they approached the main room again.
"But..." Tsuzuki started but was interrupted as Hisoka opened the door to the currently very loud room.
This was where he should be. Here with Hisoka and the others. Not thinking about Muraki.
Finally alone in his room, Muraki fell backwards on his bed, trying to hold back sobs. Saki...he didn't want to think about him anymore. But the demon he was working with seemed to particularly enjoy that aspect of his memory so he had to endure it. Only for a few more months... Muraki had met the demon while recovering in Kyoto at Ko Kaku Ro with Oriya on a return trip to his laboratory ruins. He'd discovered that Saki hadn't been destroyed, but rather, had been taken somewhere else. It was immediately afterwards that he met the demon still near the ruins. Their deal was simple. The demon- after showing Muraki his brother's head- agreed that he would return the head if Muraki, for 6 months could endure everything the demon chose to do. There were conditions of course. The demon wasn't allowed to physically touch him, and he couldn't attack anyone else. He fed off Muraki's energy whenever he needed to and Muraki couldn't seek help from anyone. Recently it was becoming more and more difficult to do that.
"That was a close call Kazutaka."
Muraki snapped around to see someone else standing in the room with him. He reached over to the table beside his bed and put on his glasses...and instantly wished that he hadn't. The demon had chosen to take the form of his brother.
It's just the demon...
"What do you want now?" Muraki asked coldly.
As soon as he spoke up, the demon shifted forms, instantly taking his monstrous true form.
"I just protected you. You should be thankful." it snarled, its wolf-like black lips curling back into a fearful grin.
Muraki ignored the creature, taking out a cigarette from the nightstand.
"I'm curious, you can take any form you wish, but you choose that of a beast- usually done by weaker demons." he said casually reaching for his lighter.
"And you take the form of an angel."
Muraki stopped for a moment.
"Saki knew what you were. That's why he had to do what he did to you. That's why I'm a little hesitant to return his head to you at the end of this." It threatened.
The animal was trying to anger him. Muraki knew how demons were and all of them were fairly similar: all of them hated humans. But this one wanted his complete destruction.
"Well I seriously hope you decide to reconsider. You're here in Ju Oh Cho. At one word, I can have as many shinigami as I want to come and kill you as quickly...or rather, slowly, as I wish." Muraki threatened with a sick grin.
"Ha, ha, ha! Me? Do you think that those mere shinigami can destroy me?" he bellowed.
"Maybe, maybe not. But whatever pieces of you they leave, I will happily finish you. You may know a little about me and my past, but you haven't a clue to my abilities."
"You're wrong Kazutaka. I know a lot more about you than you think. I know your strengths. But more than that I know your weaknesses. I control you and there's nothing you can do about that." it growled, catching a glare from Muraki.
That was how it was. Neither compromised an inch when it came to who was in charge. But the demon knew something Muraki didn't and soon the creature would try to use it to his advantage. For once, it wasn't Muraki playing puppeteer- soon...he would be the victim.
Alright, that was kind of a long chapter; had to introduce a new character you know... Took forever to get this thing done!
