New Port City, the capital of the Sanq Kingdom, had at least 100,000 denizens, many in need of a dwelling of their own. With several suburbs, there was something for the young and hip, for the fixer-uppers, and for the social, as well as for the filthy rich; the city offered more than enough choice of accommodation.
Duo Maxwell's apartment building was located in a 'transition area', as most people like to call it: smallish, fairly cheap apartments for starters in the housing market, where they could move on after their financial position improved or if there was an addition to the family.
The maintenance had been a little neglected but not completely ignored, and the plants serving as decoration looked well kept. The elevator was a little messy, with bubblegum wrappers on the floor and a broken mirror. He had no difficulty locating Duo's apartment and knocked on the door. It opened, just a crack. Heero frowned. It was dark inside. Why wasn't the door opened any further?
"Hello? Mister Maxwell?"
The door moved open a little wider, revealing nothing but darkness. Great. Maxwell's apartment was probably a dark, gothic cave filled with bats or something. He flung the door wider open and stepped inside, not about to get scared by a little darkness. However, Heero wasn't prepared for two bright red eyes flashing at him, followed by a large mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, lunging for his throat. With a startled cry, Heero backed up against the door, dropping his suitcase.
"Shini! Stop! That's not very nice!"
A deep, rumbling grunt next to Heero's ear made him shiver. With his eyes not adjusted to the dark yet, he had difficulties making out what was so close to him - until the hall light was switched on, revealing…. a strange kind of bird, a heavy turkey or something, flapping its wings into his face, staring at him with those angry red eyes. Heero took a few steps away from it. "What the hell is that?"
"This is Shinigami," Duo Maxwell said, leaning against the doorpost. The over-sized turkey flapped its way to him and perched itself on Duo's right shoulder. "He's a dragoyle. Quite friendly, once you get to know him. He loves to play pranks though. I'm sorry if he scared you."
Duo's voice didn't indicate he was really sorry, but Heero let it go. He was too busy gaping at Shinigami, his mind unable to process what his eyes were seeing.
"A… a dragoyle? You must mean gargoyle."
"No no, a dragoyle. He's a mixed breed of a dragon and a gargoyle."
Heero looked incredulous. Now he noticed the blunt, large snout like a dragon, but the pointed, leathery wings looked similar to those of a gargoyle. A short, scaly tail completed the creature; he swished it back and forth while sitting firmly on Duo's shoulder, without extending its claws.
"You apologize to Mister Yuy right now, Shini." Duo's lips were perched in a disapproving frown. "It's not nice to scare people."
The creature huffed and then swooped down to pick up Heero's suitcase. He hovered in front of Heero, the suitcase dangling, and its large nostrils opened and closed for another huff. Dumbfounded, Heero took the object from the dragoyle.
"Err… thank you."
"Come on in," Duo said, making an inviting gesture with his hand. Shinigami flapped around and perched himself on Duo's right shoulder again. The spirit hunter was clad in a comfortable, light grey pair of sweatpants and a tomato red shirt, that said 'Kiss me, why don't you?' His long braid was neatly tied off with a similar tomato red tie, and swung behind his back with every move he made.
"I'm sorry, I was busy making dinner. I know it's late, but I don't follow a regular working schedule. I need a good meal before I get to work."
"I see," Heero said. The delicious smells wafting from the kitchen reminded him of his own quick dinner, consisting of a cup of instant noodles. His stomach was growling, and he almost started salivating. Duo went into the kitchen, calling out to him, "I always cook way too much food. Would you like some? There's more than enough!"
Heero found himself answering "Yes please" before he could restrain himself. Shinigami flew back and forth from the kitchen as if it wanted to keep an eye on Heero.
Curiously, he peeked into the kitchen. It was fairly small and jam-packed with a huge cabinet filled with a myriad of dishes, cups, cutlery, terrines, and bowls; a table with a colorful block-patterned tablecloth and two chairs. Pots and pans hung on the wall, along with a large rack with kitchen utensils. Duo moved around the clutter with ease, taking two plates from the large cabinet and putting food on it.
"I don't have a dining room," he apologized, "so take your plate and let's go to the living room, all right?"
Heero didn't protest. He took his plate and followed Duo to the living room. He was taken aback by the colorful furniture and large, plush cushions on the sofa. A stack of magazines was on the oak coffee table, and the art on the walls showed a cartoon-ish influence, with bright colors and funny subjects.
Duo saw Heero look around, and smiled as he teased him, "What? Were you really expecting black furniture, dark walls, skulls and candles, and a pot brewing with a mysterious potion?"
"I'm sorry," Heero said.
"Don't be. You're not the only one." Duo shrugged and put his plate on the large coffee table. He also carried a bowl and put it on the floor, next to the colorful rug. Shinigami swooped down to start eating. Heero couldn't help but to look at the gobbling creature.
"Don't worry, he's not eating zombie meat." Duo laughed, showing nice, white teeth. "He loves chicken. I usually give him the leftovers. He's the ideal trash can, except for fish. He really hates fish."
Heero sat opposite of Duo and waited for the other to hand him a large napkin and utensils. His plate was filled with pork chops, vegetables, potatoes, and gravy.
"Dig in," Duo said. Heero didn't hesitate. A cup of instant noodles was not enough nutrition, and Duo's food was tasty and plentiful. He complimented him.
"I'm not really a good cook," Duo answered modestly, but he had a warm glow on his face, obviously pleased with the compliment. "But it's also a little distraction, you know?"
Heero nodded, but actually he didn't know. To him, cooking was equal to put stuff into the microwave and nuke it until it was hot and ready to serve.
"You said you need a good meal before going to work," Heero continued the conversation. "What do you exactly mean?"
"Dark entities prey upon energy," Duo answered, digging into his mountain of potatoes. "Both physically and mentally. If you face them feeling feeble or weak, you can kiss your ass goodbye. Eating a good meal gives you more than enough energy to withstand them."
"I see." Heero was surprised by Duo's honesty. He hadn't expected the other to talk so freely about his 'work'; most people would think of a self-called spirit hunter as crazy, or weird, or worse…
They continued to eat in a pleasant silence until both their plates were finished. Duo cleared the table and returned with coffee, black for Heero and loaded with sugar and milk for himself. When he noticed Heero cringing at the concoction, Duo winked.
"Hey, I'm an American, I live off of sugar and cream." He reclined on the sofa and propped up his legs. Shinigami nestled himself next to him, like a puppy lying next to his master. A scaly, scary, red-eyed puppy... "So, what's this all about Winner's property?"
"A lot of complaints, as of late." Heero tapped on his suitcase. "I have reports and testimonies of people harassed by entities, property desecrated and vandalized, strange apparitions… You name it, it's in here."
"Strange." Duo frowned. He cradled the cup of coffee between his hands, occasionally blowing at the hot liquid. "When I cleansed Hilde's house, I didn't feel anything else but the presence of the gwynnfyr."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said, I didn't feel anything else. A dark entity is seldom alone, and a gwynnfyr likes to… raid in large packs. Especially when an entire building feels wrong, because of the location or the used materials."
"You mean, like Ghostbusters or the Poltergeist?"
"Exactly like the Poltergeist." Duo's voice dropped to an unfriendly, icy cold tone. "Do you really think it was just a Hollywood movie about a house on an ancient burial ground? It'd piss you off in the living world. How do you think it'd piss of the dead, when their rest is disturbed, their honor violated and treated like crap? You build and build, you destroy and you desecrate, and then you need guys like me to get things smoothed out."
"Guys like you," Heero repeated. "What are you?"
"I'm a spirit hunter," Duo answered. "I hunt and take care of dark entities and malevolent spirits in the sleeping world."
"Sleeping world?" Heero parroted.
"There are many worlds out there, not just this world, Earth, as you know it. There are also more words to describe them." Duo sipped his coffee. "The waking world for our current world, the planet we walk upon, Earth. Then you have the sleeping world, or demon world… the otherworld, whatever you'd like to call them. Those are the worlds for everything that doesn't belong here."
"I just want to know why and how it's possible that Winner's properties are… ah, under attack."
"I don't know. Like I said, I only felt one presence in Hilde's house. When I cleansed it, there was no residue left. What are the people complaining about exactly?"
Heero grabbed his suitcase, well aware that Shinigami was following his every movement. He opened the suitcase and rummaged through the files. "Electricity switched on and off, chairs stacked together, the yard completely ruined, clean dishes getting dirtied…"
"It sounds almost playful, not aggressive." Duo looked pensive. "How are the people feeling?"
"Complaints about exhaustion, fatigue, coughing…"
"How bad was the exhaustion?"
"One woman needed to be hospitalized, others were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, but they all felt better after their house was cleansed."
"By who?" Duo asked sharply, sitting up straight.
"By Chang Wufei. Do you know him?"
"I do." Duo leaned back into the cushions again. "He's very careful, very knowledgeable. I'm glad to hear he has done the cleansing. I'm wondering why Winner's property is being targeted, though."
"Why do you call it 'targeted'?"
"Dark entities are almost always completely random. They don't work together, they don't obey orders, and they're fickle and reckless. It surprises me that they sort of 'choose' Winner's property to show themselves and do their vandalizing work."
"Is it possible for you to… scan the environment or something?"
"Yes, but not from a distance. I need to be physically present to detect the entities, dark or not. I can't tell you anything about Winner's property if I'm not there."
Heero felt disappointed. He had figured Duo could give him an answer to everything, but he found himself left with more questions than ever. This was a disaster. This whole research project was a disaster. Duo couldn't help him much more. Maybe he should ask Chang Wufei, if the man would bother to return his call.
"If you can get me onto Winner's property, it's no problem to check what's happening there," Duo interrupted his train of thoughts. "I can figure out a pattern if there's any, but once again, I have to be there. I can't feel it from miles away."
"How well do you know Chang Wufei?" Heero asked. Duo didn't seem to be taken aback by the sudden change of topic.
"He's virtually unmatched as a spirit hunter, well, except perhaps by me." Duo grinned. "He knows a lot of rituals, and his knowledge of demons and the otherworld is uncanny. If I were you, I'd talk to him, but I figure you're smart enough to have reached the same conclusion."
"Thank you," Heero said sarcastically. "I will search him out."
Duo chuckled behind his large mug. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure he knows by now, and then he will search you out. But let's not talk about Wufei." Duo straightened his shoulders. "How come you're involved with Winner?"
Heero told him the simple truth about the visit of Barton and Winner to his office and the importance of discretion.
"I know all about discretion," Duo snorted. "Before I start my rituals or cleansing, people make me sign all kinds of paperwork that under no circumstances, not ever ever, should I open my big yap." He looked outside, where night had fallen. "I have to get to work."
Heero got up from his chair. "Thank you for dinner."
"You're welcome." Duo stretched as he got up from the sofa. Shinigami rolled over by his sudden movement, and snorted loudly. "You know, Treize Khushrenada bought himself a Winner villa not long ago. He throws nice parties regularly. If you can get me an invitation, I can check the premises for entities and have a good time as well."
"I'll look into it." Heero said. Was the American really asking for a free invitation to a Khushrenada party? Who did he think Heero was: a celebrity lawyer?
Duo showed him out, and Shinigami, riding on Duo's right shoulder as usual, breathed a little fire at Heero. The door closed behind him and the cold emptiness of the night came crashing down on him. He shivered and quickly went home.
Heero was looking forward to a hot shower. All that talk about other worlds, dark entities and demons had chilled him to the bone, and he hurried along. It was a strange thought that Duo was going to 'work' now. So close to midnight... the Witching Hour. The concentration of ghosts and all things supernatural was probably the strongest at this hour. Well, he wasn't going to spend one more thought on entities. He was going home, and after that hot shower, he'd go to bed immediately. It had been another long day. He was tired.
Driving into the underground parking area, Heero sought out his private parking spot. Yawning, he went to the elevator and pressed the button. His apartment building was far more luxurious than Duo's; that was for sure.
How much money would a spirit hunter make? Duo didn't look like scammer to him. And why was he still thinking of him? Hot shower, hot shower…
Finally, he arrived at the second floor and walked into the hallway, suitcase and coat in one hand, keys in his other hand. Heero didn't notice the shadow until it was too late.
An arm snaked around his upper body and yanked him away from the door. Heero dropped his keys and suitcase, but his move was cut short by a razor sharp katana, hovering just a millimeter from his throat. His breathing all but stopped, the shock paralyzing his body, he stood all but frozen.
"I received your phone call," a voice whispered in his ear. "What is it you want?"
"Ch… Chang Wufei?" Heero guessed.
"One and the same. Who are you, and where did you get my name?"
"Drop the weapon, please," Heero said.
"No. Answer my questions first."
"My name is Heero Yuy. This is assault. I'm asking you kindly to drop the weapon."
"What is it you want?" The sharp blade didn't move. Heero breathed through his nose.
"I want to hear about your experiences with exorcism concerning Winner's property."
"Winner?" The blade was so swiftly removed that it almost seemed impossible it had been there in the first place. Heero let out a sigh of relief. "Open the door and go inside."
Heero gathered his keys and suitcase. He wondered if Wufei would have used that blade on him if he had made just one wrong move. It was sharp enough to cut off his head. Heero shivered. He opened the door, and Wufei gave him an impatient push.
Throwing his coat over a seat, Heero went into the kitchen and busied himself with making coffee, of all things. He stared at the machine, hearing its oddly comforting sounds as it brewed the coffee, and slowly but surely got his breathing under control again.
His brain started to work, now that the shock and short burst of adrenalin had worn off. His cell phone was in his coat. His coat was over the seat close to the windowsill. How fast could he call the police? If Wufei really wouldn't hesitate to use his blade, he could impale Heero from wherever he stood.
He reminded himself to be calm and returned to the living room, his cup of coffee in his hand. Wufei was standing in the middle of the living room, dressed in white pants held together by a black belt, and his dark blue shirt was embroidered with a golden dragon. His black hair was tied back so tightly that he had to have a constant headache, and his general appearance was stern and severe. He had opened Heero's suitcase and leafed through the files at his own leisure.
"Those are confidential records," Heero snarled. "Put them back!"
"This is what you visited Maxwell for," Wufei snorted. He gathered all the papers together and put them back with just one swoop, messing them up. Heero groaned. It was going to take precious time to reorganize them. Then the meaning of Wufei's words dawned to him.
"How did you know…"
"Please." Wufei made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It's a small world. Certain problems can only be solved by the very few."
"And you are one of the very few." Wufei radiated danger, an ongoing threat, but Heero thought it was more the man's natural attitude. The other certainly didn't seem to appreciate relaxing.
"When it comes to the extraordinary."
"Do you mind answering the same questions I asked Duo?"
"I ask questions. I do not answer them. Whatever you have asked Maxwell, I am sure his answers are the same as mine will ever be."
"So you're close friends, huh?" Heero said, looking over the rim of his mug. It was a low shot and a hit, as he saw Wufei stiffen up even more, as if stung by an insect.
"We certainly are not," he said, his voice almost painful. "His methods are far too loud and flashy and not really suitable for the delicate work with entities."
"He did manage to catch himself a gwynnfyr, if I'm not mistaken."
"I said we are not close friends, but we are colleagues. I appreciate him in our field of work. Delicacy he might lack, but when it comes to determination and death, Duo Maxwell is the best."
"'Determination and death'?" Heero almost choked on his coffee.
"A gwynnfyr is a corrupted soul of a dead person. When it comes to dark entities, it's one of the worst."
"How did he manage to catch it?"
"Maxwell's methods are his own." Wufei shrugged. "He wields a holy scythe, just like I wield a holy blade." He tapped on the katana. "Nataku and I have returned many dark, corrupted souls to the light."
"Nataku?"
"I would not dream of naming my weapon myself," Wufei said. "It was passed down in my clan. A wonderful name for a wonderful weapon, and it belongs to me."
"How did Duo get his scythe, then?"
Wufei shrugged again. "The history of our weapons is our own. Most spirit hunters pass knowledge and weapons down, from generation to generation."
"A corrupted soul…" Heero shivered. Wufei narrowed his eyes.
"There are a lot of souls out there," he admitted. "The number of corrupted, dark and twisted souls far surpasses the number of innocent, kind and gentle souls, unfortunately. Not many people have knowledge of this, or wish to gain knowledge about it. When it comes to the supernatural, people think of bad movies or TV shows, or of weird people who claim to 'see dead people'. They can revel in their stupidity and ignorance. But Winner is smart. He deduces correctly that something is going on. And what I gather from your paperwork and that you asking for help from me and Maxwell, all leads me to think that something terrible might be going on."
"Like what?"
"That someone, or something, is organizing the dark entities. If they already manage to single out certain properties, what are they capable of when they are truly organized? Do you realize what that means, Heero Yuy? Someone organizing and being in control of the dead, of angry spirits, of vengeful spirits, accumulating to the Gods know what?"
"I didn't think of that," Heero said, taken aback. "I'm just doing research, that's all."
Wufei slung the katana over his shoulder so he had both hands free. He pointed at Heero with his right hand. "I have work to do," he said. "Get some sleep. You will be busy enough as it is."
"What? Why? Don't boss me around."
Wufei showed him an unpleasant smile. "You have no idea how deep you are in it already. I am sure Maxwell told you that you had to be physically fit and well-rested before entering any ghost world. Think about that."
He was out of the apartment before Heero could call him back.
"Mister Barton has called for you," Harriet said as soon as Heero returned from the courthouse. "How was the Sedici case?"
"We won," Heero said, "full acquittal."
"I didn't expect anything else." Harriet adjusted the glasses on her nose. "Mrs. Peacecraft would like to see you, when you have a minute."
Heero decided to give priority to Relena. Barton probably called for an update after receiving Heero's extensive e-mail, detailing his meetings with Duo and Wufei. He yawned. He hadn't caught much sleep after Wufei's departure. He was about to leave his office when the phone rang.
"Yes?"
"Mister Barton for you."
"Put him through." Heero sat down. Relena would have to wait. "Good morning, Mister Barton."
"Good morning, Mister Yuy." Barton's voice was low and neutral. "I read your e-mail. A thorough report, as expected. Mister Winner is very pleased."
"Thank you."
"I read that both exorcists can't say what's going on if they're not in the presence of the source."
"Yes," Heero admitted. "I don't know the exact details of their work, Mister Barton. They seem very serious in what they do, but neither one offered to let me to tag along."
"You're pretty skeptical."
"More like realistic."
"I know; that's why we hired you." Barton chuckled briefly. "In any case, Mister Winner asked me to put a little haste on the case. We've received more complaints, and the intensity of the 'pranks' are getting out of hand. More so, we had someone viciously attacked just yesterday. I'll have the documents brought to you by courier immediately."
"What about Maxwell and Chang?"
"If they can only spot the problem when they're around, they have to be around. You'll notice that the bulk of the complaints come from the Khushrenada compound. Fortunately, he still likes to throw parties; I'll make sure you all get invitations."
"But I…" Heero wanted to protest, but Barton had already disconnected. "…am just doing the research," he spoke to the empty air.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 |