Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Shinigami Zutto ❯ Conspiracy ( Chapter 3 )

Ok, explanations at the bottom, those who asked head there first!! Apologies if the switches between Tsuzuki and Duo confuse you - I refer to him as Duo when he's dwelling on the past, mostly.

 

Resting his head on his hand, Hisoka stared out of the window, bored. Tsuzuki was reading through the case file - that Yuy Heero person had sent it early that morning apparently - so he didn't have anything to do.

Suddenly he blinked as something colourful and square was waved under his nose.

“Here, helps with the boredom,” Tsuzuki told him with a wink, before turning back to his papers. “You have to get each side all the same colour.”

“How did you know I was bored?”

“Long flights are always boring. I was on more than enough of those when I was a teenager to know that.”

“Did you fly a lot?”

“Yeah, once `Scythe was upgraded. Beat stealing large trucks,” Duo replied absently,

“Nani?! Stealing trucks? And what's a Scythe?” Hisoka asked. He remembered that Duo Maxwell's Gundam had been called Deathscythe, but he decided to play dumb and see how much Tsuzuki was willing to tell him.

“Uh…. Oops? Forget I said that.”

“Iie, you did say it. And I want to know more.”

“Woah, Hisoka, what a time to develop curiosity.”

“Baka. What's a `Scythe?”

“Deathscythe was a mobile suit. I fought in the war.”

“Demo…. But wouldn't you have been a teenager then?” Hisoka asked, mouth gaping.

“Hai. I was 15,” Duo said, sighing. He might as well tell his partner, there was nothing else to do on the flight. So long as he didn't give away too much - like how he had been a Gundam Pilot, he would be ok.

“Will you tell me anything else?” Hisoka asked, feeling the waves of sadness and loss radiating from his partner.

“Iie, not if I can help it. I don't like to remember the war.”

“I'll bet. I'll stop bothering you now. Go back to your papers,” Hisoka said, looking at the strange, multi-coloured cube in his hands. Well, he had nothing else to do… if he clicked this bit around twice, then that one once, all that row were blue…

 

*

 

The airport was fairly deserted, as theirs was the only flight in at that moment. They were met at the `Arrivals' gate by a petite Chinese woman. Try as he might, Tsuzuki couldn't figure out even an approximate age for her.

“Konnichi'wa. Watashi wa Chang Merian desu.”

“Tsuzuki Asato soshite Kurosaki Hisoka,” Tsuzuki told her with a smile, wondering why her name sounded so familiar. Chang was Wufei's surname, but seeing as his entire colony had self-destructed, he wasn't surprised that there was a Shinigami with that surname.

“Please call me Merian. There is a car waiting for us outside, and once we get there, I'll show you straight to your rooms, then I'm afraid that I'll have to drag you off to meet the gang.”

“That's fine. Arigatou.”

“We know that you must be tired, so we'll try to keep the meeting as quick as possible. Then someone will decide what we're doing for dinner, and we can all get to know each other a little better over food.”

“Sounds good, after all, you have to know each other at least a little to work well together.”

Merian gave them a dazzling smile. “Why, that's exactly what I said! Hey, Kurosaki-san, don't you talk?”

Hisoka looked up from the cube he was still struggling over. “Huh? Nan desu ka?”

Tsuzuki grinned. “Don't mind him, I gave him that puzzle on the flight and he's been trying to solve it ever since.”

“Baka,” Hisoka grumbled. “This cube thing is impossible!”

“No its not, I've completed one of those before.” Merian told him with a gentle smile. “Oh, here's our car. Put your luggage in the back, please.”

The two visiting Shinigami complied, and soon found themselves zooming towards the Sanq branch of JuOhCho.

It was very different from their own Cherry blossom lined avenue. Instead, the Ministry was housed inside a large glass skyscraper, no cherry trees in sight. “Woah,” Tsuzuki muttered, craning his head back. “Is that a helicopter on the roof?”

“Yes, there's a landing pad up there,” Merian told him. “Come on in.”

“That's a point, Hisoka, why couldn't Tatsumi have flown us over in the `copter rather than making us take the `plane?” Tsuzuki asked as they took a lift to their floor.

Hisoka sighed. “Probably because its only for emergencies. And besides, Tatsumi-san is probably needed back at EnMaCho.”

“I supposed. Still, it would have been nice.”

Hisoka rolled his eyes. “Baka.”

The doors slid open and Merian lead them along the corridor to their room. “You'll have a suite to yourself, with room service,” she told them. “Please do not abuse this. I'll just show you around quickly,” she slid a keycard into the slot by the door, “and then we can go meet the others.”

“Wakarimashita.”

The suite had large windows and a pale colour scheme. One bedroom was blue, the other green. En suite bathrooms were all in cream, matching the main living area. Hisoka took the green room and dumped his bag at the foot of the bed without comment. Tsuzuki took the blue room, looking around absently before taking a sheaf of papers out of his bag and heading back to where Merian was standing by the door.

“Its very nice, domo arigatou.”

“Hai. We're ready to go now,” Hisoka added, coming up behind him.

“Iko! This way.”

The short Chinese Shinigami lead them back to the elevators, down three floors and into a large office.

“Konbanwa, minna-san. Here's Tsuzuki-san and Kurosaki-san,” she said cheerfully.

Tsuzuki swept large, astonished, purple eyes over the room and wanted to faint. They were all there, all of the other pilots! He swallowed and took refuge behind formality as they all introduced themselves. He looked nothing like he had during the war, and they didn't seem to recognise him… he was glad, he didn't think he could cope with the questioning. A glance at Wufei made him blanch in shock. What had he done to his hair?!

 

Hisoka looked around the office, his eyes resting on the tall man with a very distinctive hairstyle. When he was introduced as Trowa Barton-Winner, it all became clear. He had been a Gundam pilot! And hadn't one of the others been called Winner? He looked at the blond standing next to him. Yes, Quatre Winner. So, they were married? And that Japanese Shinigami with the blue eyes, he had been a pilot too, hadn't he? The Chinese man too, the one with braided hair that had been in a tight ponytail in the photo, although a wife had never been mentioned. Maybe she had died first?

Hisoka blinked as it occurred to him. All five pilots were in the same place! But the other four didn't seem to recognise Tsuzuki… Duo. Although he did look different, the hair for one thing. Hisoka was wondering what had happened to his braid when Tsuzuki tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ne, Hisoka, they want to talk about Muraki. I've already asked Gushoshin to send our reports on the cases here.”

“Oh, ano, ok. What do you want to know?”

“How would you describe him generally?” Heero asked.

“Deranged. Obsessed. Dangerous. Like a cat, likes to play with things before killing them.”

“Any suggestions on how to draw him out?” Quatre asked.

Tsuzuki looked grim. “Want a stake out, find a china doll shop. Want to draw him out, set Hisoka or myself on the streets in plain view. I'd guarantee he'd make a move to capture one of us.”

“Why?”

Hisoka shuddered. “He'd… he'll want his doll back.”

Eyes narrowed, Tsuzuki gripped him by the shoulders. “Don't talk about yourself like that, Hisoka! And don't worry, I'd never let him do anything like that to you again! You're my partner, remember?”

“Demo…”

“I said no, Hisoka! And if there's any drawing out to do, I'll do it. I won't let you put yourself into his hands again.”

“Um, excuse me, but what are to talking about? Kurosaki-san is obviously not a doll?” Quatre asked.

“When Hisoka said that Muraki was like a cat, he wasn't joking. Muraki enjoys playing with Hisoka especially. After our first case together… he used mind control to capture Hisoka and then tied him up with a charm made of woman's hair - the blood loss alone nearly killed him. I was able to get to him in time, and we ended up merging our powers, after, well, let's just say that it wasn't pretty.

“Next time it was me he was playing with more, although the way he manipulated Tsubaki-hime affected Hisoka. Last time…me again, really. But he was the one who murdered Hisoka. Who cursed him. And I will not allow him to torture him further.”

“But Tsuzuki, he enjoys torturing you more than he enjoys torturing me.”

“I can take it. You're only 16, Hisoka!”

“And last time he had you, you nearly committed suicide, have you forgotten that??! He tried to use your body to resurrect his dead brother so that he could kill him himself!”

“Don't try to use the suicide thing as a reason, I would have taken him with me, and self-destructing is looked on favourably by this group!”

The two Shinigami glared at each other, neither willing to back down. Smiling nervously, Wufei decided to intervene.

“Ahem. I agree with Tsuzuki-san. We will not allow you to draw him out, Kurosaki-san. But neither will we allow Tsuzuki-san to fall into his hands alone.”

“Nani? And please, call me just Tsuzuki. Everyone else does.”

“Whenever you go out, Tsuzuki, one or more of us will be with you.”

“No arguments!” Heero said firmly, seeing that Tsuzuki was about to open his mouth and protest. “I will not compromise your safety for the sake of the mission.”

“Haven't changed, have you Heero?” Tsuzuki muttered under his breath. Louder, he said “Wakarimashita. Are we done for now? I'm hungry.”

“You're always hungry,” Hisoka muttered.

“Come on, there's a lovely Mexican place three streets away. We'll go there,” Quatre said with a smile.

As they filed out of the office, he caught Trowa's arm and held him back slightly. “Trowa…”

“What is it, love?”

“Something Tsuzuki said… self-destructing is looked on favourably by this group. It sounds like he knows us.”

“It does, doesn't it?”

“Do you think he was the one checking up on us, like Heero said?”

“Maybe… although that didn't come up in the records. Do you read anything from him?”

“That's what's got me the most worried.”

“Love?”

“He… he almost feels like Duo.”

“Duo Maxwell? Our Duo?”

“Yes. I only know what I feel, but from what I remember the readings are similar.”

“But… if he was Duo, he would have told us. I mean, what's the point in hiding?”

Quatre pulled his husband along the corridor after the others, not willing to fall too far behind. “Not necessarily. He may not remember us, but I don't think its that. He disappeared, way back then. Maybe… maybe he was hiding, maybe someone took him from us. Maybe they did something to him which has made him ashamed of himself, I don't know. But Tsuzuki Asato is not exactly the same as Duo Maxwell. Something has changed in him, if they are the same person.”

Trowa sighed. He knew his little love well. “And you are determined to find out what, aren't you?”

“Yes.”

Rolling his eyes, Heavyarms' pilot decided that if he didn't help now, he would be forced to later anyway. “Go through Kurosaki. I have a feeling that you will have more luck.” He got a blinding smile and a soft kiss as a reward.

“Thanks, love. Now, lets catch them up before they suspect us of something more than kissing in the corridor!”

 

*

 

Hisoka looked around the busy restaurant and tried not to cringe too visibly. There were so many people! And he had never had Mexican before… there were strange, tantalising smells on the air, none of which he recognised. Yuy-san led them to a table bit enough for all of them, and he hesitated before sitting down. Where should he sit? Next to Tsuzuki?

A hand on his shoulder distracted him, and he turned to face a pair of sympathetic aquamarine eyes. “Overwhelming, isn't it?” the blond Arabian asked. “Sit with Trowa and myself. I promise we don't bite!”

“Hai, Winner-san.”

“And for goodness sake call us Quatre and Trowa. Can well call you Hisoka?”

“Yes, I don't see why not.”

“So, I'm guessing from your reaction that you've never had Mexican before?”

“Um, that's right.”

“Don't worry, I'll explain the menu to you. Do you like chicken?”

“Yes.”

Hisoka found himself relaxing between Quatre's bright laughter and Trowa's indulging silence, tempered by the odd soft comment or smile. He glanced at his partner across the table, where he was deep in conversation with Merian, and smiled. Maybe things in Sanq wouldn't be too bad.

“So, Hisoka, how long have you known Tsuzuki?”

“Since I started work. He was my first partner. We've been working together for a while now.”

“Do you get on?”

“Yes, although sometimes we argue.”

“Oh? What about?”

“Stupid things, really. He says I need to open up more, but he never lets anyone beyond his own masks. We fight about that occasionally. And he's always eating, and never seems to take things seriously, well, that's what I used to think. But he can be very serious and very deadly when he wants to be. He cares very deeply for people and he never lies.”

Hisoka heard Trowa draw his breath in sharply at his last statement, but before he could question it, the waitress arrived, ready to take their orders. The young empath turned to Quatre, eyes pleading.

“Please can you order for me? Something nice?”

“Sure, Hisoka. Don't worry. What do you want to drink?”

“No alcohol!” Tsuzuki called across the table.

“Same to you, baka!” Hisoka returned. “We don't want a repeat of the time Muraki tried to convince you that you weren't human!”

“We don't want a repeat of the time you passed out on my bed either!”

Their dinner companions blinked at the teasing banter going on. “I see you two have stories to tell,” Wufei commented. Hisoka blinked at him in surprise.

“Not really,” Tsuzuki said with a shrug. “Our lives just seem to be full of surprises, that's all.”

“May you live in interesting times,” Wufei muttered.

“Hey, don'tchya curse me, Fei-Fei!” Duo protested. He then blanched, realising what he had let slip.

Merian looked at the now blushing Shinigami curiously. “Fei-Fei?”

“Uh, seemed appropriate?”

“What would you like to drink, Sirs?” the waitress asked firmly, cutting through the conversation. Tsuzuki shot her a grateful glance.

“Orange juice, onegai. Uh, please.”

Quatre gave Trowa a meaningful glance. The tallest Shinigami at the table rolled his eyes. Hisoka looked from one to the other and blinked in confusion. Something was going on here, but he wasn't sure what.

 

 

 

Hyperness:

Yeah, everyone's dead. However, they can still interact with mortals. They don't age, they can go into a spiritual form and be invisible, and they can fly.

A Shinigami is a `Guardian of Death'. They “guide the lost souls who wander the mortal world” to quote the opening lines. Basically, if anyone dies but their soul does not return (ie: they have been made into a zombie) or if people's lives have mysteriously lengthened etc, the Shinigami look into it. They do other things too, but that basically it.

Naw, Duo's dead. They all are now, `cept for Relena and Mariamaia. Duo died first, in fact, a good 40/50 years before the others (`cept for Merian). Tsuzuki's story is basically that he was ostracised because of the colour of his eyes all of his life, and eventually captured by a doctor (the grandfather of the main bad guy, Muraki). He survived for 8 years with out eating, drinking or sleeping (except for when he was unconscious) for most of this he was “incapable of rational thought) one January, he managed to commit suicide, slashing his wrists, and finally ended his torment. Muraki found out about him while looking through his Grandfather's belongings and became obsessed with him. He is fond of sexually harassing him, and once said “I may have to kill you because I love you so much.”

 

Despite a fairly tragic past, Tsuzuki presents a cheerful face to the world, although he is actually a very troubled person. He is serious when the situation calls for it, but tried to cheer up everyone around him by acting childish. (Sound like Duo?) He is fond of flirting and all the girls immediately swoon over him. He flirts with Hisoka quite a lot (although `Soka doesn't reciprocate).

Hisoka came from a traditional, well off family, who hated his empathic ability, called him a freak and locked him in a cage every time he used his ability. He's a withdrawn, socially incompetent person (Sound like Heero?), with a dislike for crowds (all the emotions overwhelm him). He was hurt a lot in the past - the night when Muraki cursed him, he also raped him - but Tsuzuki (with some help from the others) has managed to draw him out of his shell a little. In 70 years, he's the only partner who looks like he has a good change of working with Tsuzuki long term (everyone else gave up. Tatsumi lasted 3 months, I don't know about the others. Hisoka lasted at least 2 years as far as I could gather from the anime, and it looked like it was going to go on for longer).

 

That answer some questions?