“Fujimiya Ran…” he whispered and violet eyes widened, lips parting in shock. “What the fuck is going on?” he asked.

The mouth on that pale visage opened wider, about to speak before it snapped shut and gem-like eyes narrowed. The man tried to turn away but Youji grabbed his arm tightly and turned him right back around to face furious verdant eyes. “Shi-ne,” the man growled in a deep voice, mouth twisted in a snarl.

“Nice to meet you to.” The blonde said back sarcastically and the man straining against his hold paused for a second, waiting for a physical attack to go with the angry words. When none came, he calmed down slightly.

“Now what would Crawford-san say if he knew I had found you down here?” Well, Fujimiya Ran had been relaxing a little. He stiffened at the mere mention of the businessman. Youji frowned tiredly; it was too early in the morning to deal with this shit. He hadn’t even been able to buy those cigarettes.

“Come.” He ordered, not giving much choice as he still retained his grip on the redhead’s arm. He took the man to the elevators where they stood in silence, Ran having transferred his glare to the floor.

They stood alone in the elevator. Ran leaned against a corner with his head back and eyes closed. Youji frowned at him. “I’m Kudou Youji by the wa-” he started to introduce himself, slightly unsure of what was going on.

“I know who you are.” Ran snapped, interrupting him, “you were hired to find my sister. And you certainly seem to know who I am.”

“Well it wasn’t that hard to tell, that wig doesn’t cover much.” Youji murmured, annoyed at how his attempts as being friendly were thwarted. Violet eyes finally opened, glaring at him. They flashed with emotion for a moment before they filled with ice. There was no trying to fathom that expression as Ran turned to study the ceiling.

The bell finally dinged after what seemed like years and the doors opened. Ran immediately pulled off the wig, revealing his crimson coloured locks. Youji continued to drag him to Crawford’s office. The lady at the front desk called out to them, asking if Ran was all right. The redhead stopped for a moment and nodded to the woman. She seemed to see the hint of desperation in the glint of his eyes for she started to get up but he shook his head and turned back to Youji.

“Lead the way, Kudou-san.” He said bitingly. Youji frowned, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Ran gazed back at him though, a challenge in his eyes, daring him to finish what he started so he continued to lead the man down the corridors.

They were just in front of the office when the door opened and Crawford appeared smiling at them. That was the only thing on his face that changed, Youji noted, no relief, no happiness at seeing Ran – just that same cold calculation.

He invited them in by widening the door. “Thank you Kudou-san, we were beginning to worry about him,” he said, indicating Ran, whose eyes once again were on the floor.

“You shouldn’t go out in the middle of the day like that, it is dangerous.” The brunette warned the man, who nodded to him and bowed, leaving. Ran closed the door softly behind him and Youji settled down into a chair. Crawford gave him a tolerant smile. “He misses the outside world terribly.’ He said the few words as though it explained everything. Though it didn’t. Youji still didn’t know how Crawford had managed to keep the man with him, why he wasn’t out looking for his sister personally, or why he wasn’t allowed out at all. Questions buzzed around his mind like flies, quick and grating and hard to ignore. Hard for him to ignore at least; Crawford seemed to be quite good at it. “Now,” the American said, straightening up slightly as he put a folder away, “on to our business…”

“Thank-you for the update, I am sure you will get the job done. Now, if you could do me a favour and tell Ran I wish to see him, he’s just in the room to the left.” Crawford said, already turning to other business.

Youji walked the few steps down the hall, knocking on the correct door. When he heard a quiet yes, he opened the door and stopped slightly at the sight before him. Ran was sitting in a giant window ledge and the afternoon sun blazed around him, making him glow with unearthly light. The black wig was on the floor beside him. He turned towards the door, his bangs hiding any view of his eyes and any emotion held within them.

“Ah…Crawford-san wants to speak to you.” Youji said, sending a thumb over his shoulder and towards the man’s office.

Ran stood up gracefully, nodding his head. “Aa.” He walked past the blonde, leaving the door to the room open and Youji glanced back to see Ran slip into the office. He was startled to hear raised voices almost immediately…well a raised voice, Crawford's to be precise. Overcome with curiosity, he walked to the wall separating the office from what seemed to be Ran’s room.

“What the fuck were you thinking? Do you have any idea how lucky you are Kudou dragged your ass back up here?” Crawford bellowed, speaking clearly even through the wall.

Ran started to respond when someone put a hand on Youji’s back, making him jump. Grinning guiltily, he looked behind him to see a foreigner with hair the colour of burning ambers and jade coloured eyes. The man smirked back and pointed towards the door. “I think it’s time for you to go, eh? You don't want to be here while the shit hits the fan.” he said, voice slightly accented. It was hard to hear over Crawford’s shout about bringing ‘Schuldig’ into the office, whatever or whoever that was. Youiji moved to go, but stopped and his head whipped towards the wall at Fujimiya’s frantic pleas.

“No, no, you need to go,” the man said, in an accent now recognizable as German without the American yelling in the background. “Don’t try to deny me my fun.” He murmured and Youji felt the compulsion to obey despite the odd comment. The man lead him out of the room, pushing him towards the elevator and away from Crawford’s office. He glanced back, part way down the hall to see the German walk into the American’s room.

The same secretary as before glared at him with all her secretarial might as he pushed the down button for the elevator. A little taken back by the malice in the gaze directed towards him he asked what he had done to offend the woman so terribly.

The woman sniffed. “I just don’t see what he did to you that you had to drag him back to his own personal hell without even giving him a few minutes to enjoy what he's being punished for.” She said, sounding self-righteous. He blinked at her, wondering what she was talking about. “Your elevator.” She sneered after a few moments, pointing towards the open doors. He walked towards them and they closed behind him with a slight, far too cheery for his mood ‘ding’. He stood there, trying to think about everything but what she had said.

And dammit, he still had to visit and deal with Manx.

Youji stood in yet another elevator after a much longer then necessary chat with Kritiker’s security. At least, much longer in his opinion; he had a feeling Manx had enjoyed making him wait before she cleared him. At least she was pretty, he thought, despite those weird socks she always wore with her heels. He walked into her office, slightly amused at how different it was then Crawford’s. Folders were everywhere, along with multiple windows on her computer and pink was a frequent colour throughout the room. Some the tension from the day drained away as he imagined Crawford sitting in the pink chair. At it’s with that image in mind that he managed to smile at the woman. She doesn’t bother to smile back, rolling her eyes at him and frowning. Oh well, at least he'd tried to be civil. Let the games begin, he thought caustically.

“Kudou, I don’t have to time to deal with you without an appointment.” She muttered, glancing at the phone where there were two lines beeping, telling him the people on the other side were waiting.

“You do have time actually. Because for one, you never would have let me up here if you really didn’t want to speak to me and two, we seem to have an interest in the same case.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She denied, looking at him straight in the eye.

“I know where the brother is,” he said, dangling the tidbit of information in front of her, like a piece of meat, already knowing she wouldn't grab at it.

“So do we,” she snapped, sounding annoyed that he thought her people were too incompetent to find out where the mam was. Youji grinned at her as she took a moment to realise that she had fallen into his verbal trap.

“Why are you still alive, again?” she asked a few seconds later, rubbing her forehead as she finally sat down in the office chair.

“Because I’m a half decent contact, there are people in the police who would look into my death that you couldn’t kill off. I am the only one who can tell Persia just how his son his doing, and,” he paused for effect, enduring her glare, “you secretly love me.”

She snorted derisively at the last bit. “Why did you get involved in this case Kudou?” she asked, sounding tired. It had been a while since he had heard her that exhausted.

His grin turned into a slight grimace, “For the money, mostly…and because I felt bad for the kids…” he added, remembering the redhead’s desperate pleading as he spoke to Crawford. He rubbed his neck, trying to get rid of the tension in his muscles.

“How could you be so stupid!?” she asked, exasperated, “I mean I know Asuka was the intelligent part of the team but” she cut herself off and continued in a softer tone at the glare she received. “How could you believe Crawford had good intentions?”

Youji shrugged, and spoke sounding petulant, “ I didn’t really, but the case piqued my curiosity so….” He trailed off.

“You and your damned curiosity.” She muttered. “He can’t stay where he is…he isn’t being treated…properly.” She continued, sounding reluctant to speak.

Youji swallowed and digested that information with what seemed to be a stone, both the knowledge and the rock settled in the pit of his stomach as guilt and the secretary’s words came into his mind. He came to a realization as he reheard Manx’s words. “So what, you’re going to get his sister and then supposedly save him. Promise to keep his sister safe if he does a bit of work for you. I know how Kritiker works.”

“We have the most ability to keep him safe,” she started speaking, then sneered at the blonde from across the desk, “What were you going to do, Kudou? Pet him and feed him and call him George?”

“At least I didn’t want to use either of them for my own purposes.” He stated, standing abruptly from his chair. "Bullshit," she shouted, "you said yourself you only took the case for the cash." "But I would never hold saving his sister over his head, unlike some people," he shot back, a little hurt, “Your supposed intentions are as fake as your hair colour Manx.” He slammed the door shut as he stormed out of the room, ignoring Manx’s call for him to come back and Birman, who walked past him in the hallway, frowning.

He pushed the elevator button with viciousness, angry that not only had he found out nothing he didn’t already know, but had antagonized a powerful organization. He headed out of the building and into his seven, driving towards a bar where he knew the bartender. It might be only five in the afternoon but he planned on getting seriously, seriously drunk.

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