Alternate Universe

Response to annonymous reviewers:

Xelena: You'll find out in the next chapter!

Kyoto Arc: Part 5

"Well since you've arrived Tsuzuki-san, why don't we get started?"

"Yes, lets."

Tsuzuki prepared as he made a motion for hand signals. Muraki also did the same. Maria, Hisoka, and Watari just anticipated the fight. As it might be interesting, they didn't want to stick around while they duke it out. So they decided to wait outside to see the building burn down.

"Five paychecks Tsuzuki wins," Maria voiced out. Watari glanced curiously. Although a bet wasn't what he'd usually go for, this seemed rather interesting.

"Guinea pig for a month Muraki wins," Watari placed his bet. They both then looked at Hisoka who gave them a look.

"What?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to join in?" Maria asked.

"Why should I?"

"Because it's fun! And in the off chance you win, we get to do your bet. So Bon, who's side?" Hisoka looked at them calculatingly. He then sighed. They weren't going to give up anyways.

"Fine, Maria, keep Tsuzuki away from me for three months, Watari, you are Muraki's partner for three months. If either one of them bother my vacation I'll extend it for every month. I say none of them."

"You're taking advantage of this aren't you?" Maria stated stonily.

"Both of them in the same sector equals trouble that will somehow involve me. There is no way am I going to endure it this long. I deserve a break once in a while."

"So lets see." Maria whipped out a piece of paper and began scribbling the notes down.

Ten Paychecks

Two Guinea Pigs (month)

Vacation (three months unless stated otherwise along with half of paycheck)

I'm so screwed if I lose. Maria thought as she pocketed the piece of paper.

-X-

Tsuzuki narrowly avoided an attack. He didn't have time to summon some shikigami. Muraki kept attacking with that dragon. Guess he's serious on this whole revenge thing. Tsuzuki thought. He quickly threw some ofuda to stop the dragon and it bought him some time.

Oh 12 gods who protect me I beg you, hear my plea. Appear before me! Suzaku! Explode!

Fire surrounded him as his fire shikigami, Suzaku, appeared giving out a loud screech. She swooped over, blazing the dragon with her firepowers. Muraki looked on amused. He watched, as his dragon was defeated. It was like a repeat of the past. But this time the outcome will be different. This time, he will defeat Tsuzuki. And he was so going to enjoy every minute of it.

Obsessed much?

He then created another portal unleashing an even fearsome dragon. This one should buy him some time. He watched as Tsuzuki summoned Byakko to assist Suzaku. Muraki saw his chance. He concentrated as a star inside a circled appeared with some written language lost to man. Five purple crystals placed themselves in the endpoints of the star. A few seconds later it activated.

Tsuzuki mentally sighed in relief as he took the first dragon down. Now the second one was a lot tougher. He knew Muraki wouldn't back down so easily. Forming seals with his hands, he summoned Byakko to assist Suzaku. The dragon seemed to fair well against them. He hoped he didn't have to summon his 'big gun' shikigami or Touda to destroy Muraki. Of course, being Tsuzuki, he wasn't able to detect the trap set up for him.

He paused in his movements as he felt his legs stiffen. He looked down and cursed softly. Muraki is one crafty bastard, Tsuzuki thought as he tried to think of a way to break out of this binds. He glared as he heard Muraki laugh at him.

"How do you like it Tsuzuki-san?" Muraki asked mechanically.

"What did you do?" Tsuzuki asked angrily.

"Wouldn't you like to know? I should warn you Tsuzuki-san that this bind tends to spread over a period of time. I don't know how long before your body becomes immobile. I haven't really tried it out. But I guess you being a guinea pig isn't much of a difference."

Byakko and Suzaku looked back worriedly at their master. They felt helpless where they could only defeat the demon before it gets to Tsuzuki. They kept fighting knowing it was pointless to save their master unless they defeat the demon first. Tsuzuki had to find a way to break out of Muraki's spell. No matter what Muraki always seems to have an upper hand all the time.

He felt like stomping his feet like a three-year-old. But he refrained from doing so as he couldn't move his feet. Dammit. He knew the only way to defeat Muraki was to summon Touda. After all it worked last time and actually killed the skilled doctor. He was about to make the chant until his Byakko and Suzaku stopped him.

"Don't Tsuzuki-san, we can take him," Byakko said. They knew what their master was going to do. They never really did like it when he summoned Touda. They all hated him but Tsuzuki didn't.

Tsuzuki's fist clenched at his side. He could defeat Muraki in one blow like last time. It was simple. He would call Suzaku and Byakko back then summon Touda.

But before he could do it, he saw black tendrils rise from his shadows and constricted him. He struggled thinking it was another one of Muraki's tricks. The theory was shot down when he saw Muraki too was entwined within the shadow tendrils. Soon their fighting shikigamis faded leaving only the fire. The shadows rose to cover them and gradually put them out. They both were surprised on who would attempt to stop this.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!"

Muraki and Tsuzuki snapped their heads towards the booming voice, only to see the glare of the Kagetsukai directed at them. In all years of collaborating with Japan, Tatsumi was the only one who scared Tsuzuki.

Tatsumi stood between them from where he could see both of them. He was not happy.

"You're not supposed to be attacking each other! You're supposed to be finding the culprit!" Tatsumi yelled at them. He was serious and was currently, mentally deducting their paychecks.

"But isn't-" Tsuzuki began but was cut off.

"No he isn't! We have another lead. Save this after you find the real criminal. Then I don't have to deal with you two."

Tatsumi sighed and walked out deciding to leave them hanging with his shadows for a moment. Good riddance, I should've just let them kill themselves off. Tatsumi thought regrettably. He should've listened to Maria and Watari to not let him stop it but Hisoka was more convincing. He sighed.

This division was so messed up.

-X-

"So he wasn't the one doing it?" Tsuzuki voiced in disbelief.

"No, why he killed someone is lost to us, but it wasn't him," Tatsumi answered sternly. He looked around to notice that Watari and Maria were sulking while Hisoka was not present. Muraki and Tsuzuki were still avoiding the other. "Where is Kurosaki-kun?" he asked.

No one answered. Maria and Watari were still sulking but he knew they knew where he was.

"I'm his replacement…" Watari stated solemnly. "I… volunteered…" Gosh that was so hard to get out. He had his sex-changing potion to work on. Tatsumi's glasses glinted. Finally, Kurosaki-kun managed to accomplish something he hadn't in thirty years. Watari was actually working on something productive!

"How come you killed that girl?" Tsuzuki asked Muraki suspiciously. Muraki just gave off the infuriating smile.

"I needed something to attract some attention. So she was unlucky to be 'roaming' around, I should say." Muraki answered.

"Why you-"

"That's enough!" Tatsumi interrupted before they made the Shokan Division a battleground. He didn't want to deal with calculating repair damages. It was bad enough he had to do it almost three times a week with Watari blowing up one part of the building. "We can't afford the both of you to be fighting. Be lucky I even agreed to let your transfer through, Tsuzuki-san. And be lucky I gave you a second shot Muraki."

"Of course Tatsumi-san." Muraki said politely. He knew it was bad news to be on the Kagetsukai's bad side. Tsuzuki just nodded.

"Good. Now get out there and work. Otherwise I'm deducting a day's worth of salary."

The four immediately high-tailed it out of there.

-X-

Watari and Maria were relieved that Tsuzuki and Muraki didn't start fighting. Tatsumi called them and told them to watch out for the two if they seem like they're going to jeopardize the mission. Secretly, Watari and Maria were subconsciously waiting for them to actually start something. It was just revenge for having to have made that bet against each other in which the third party won and they were suffering for it.

'This sucks.' Watari passed the phone over to Maria. In case you were wondering, they were using text editor to write a text conversation, while saving on text. Smart, especially when the person was right next to you.

'You're telling me! I'm working double!' Maria responded.

'Bon is too smart for this division.'

'I agree. How dare he trick us into this!'

'He should be the one-'

"Oh, what's this?" Muraki appeared out of nowhere from behind Watari. The blond quickly erased his previous response and typed in a new one. He shoved it in Muraki's face as the wannabe Cyclops read it.

"'None of your business.' That isn't very nice." Maria grabbed the phone and typed in another message.

"'F--- off and die!' Well, I can sense some hostility here care to share?" Muraki asked with a glint reflecting off his glasses.

"Hey! What's taking so long?" Tsuzuki asked walking up to them. Maria sighed and typed in another message.

"'He's asking us too much questions! Make him stop!'" Tsuzuki looked clueless and Maria pointed to Muraki.

This was the moment where everything went right. Watari and Maria watched as Tsuzuki and Muraki started duking it out with words. With that, Watari took the phone and typed another message.

'Should I call Seii-chan and ask to deduct their hours over to ours for babysitting?' Maria red the message and nodded enthusiastically.

TBC--------------

BLK Angel of Destruction: I figured I'd stop there. Don't worry you'll find out what happened to Hisoka in the next chappie! Anyways I hope that this chapter was good at least. Thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate them!

Review! No Flames! C+C accepted.