Freak ~Juuzou x Reader AU~

Chapter 25: A Conflict

I'm not sure how I ended up on the sofa.

I think my knees buckled and I collapsed onto it, but I'm not quite sure. All I know is that my body went numb, my heart beating vigorously in my throat.

A body. Another body. No mention of children. No mention of any arrests. Nothing like that. But there is a body. There is another fucking body.

"The body of another young woman was found tonight inside the old Linkin Airport," the reporter says, her blonde hair whisking in the breeze. "The body was found approximately twenty minutes ago after investigators began what was supposed to be a raid on an illegal ghoul auction. There have been no comments made at this time."

No comment. They've made no comment. Why? Why haven't they?

My head is reeling, leaving me spinning with so many questions. Why is there another body? Have they found the children? Where are they? What's going on? What's happening? Did they expect this? Did –

No...no, I don't think they were. I don't think anyone ever expects to stumble across a body. The way they're running around in coordinated movements tells me they weren't.

"Y/N? Are you still there?" Mrs. Warner's voice – now on speaker – chimes through my ears, almost jolting me. Almost. "Y/N?"

I want to answer. I want to say something. Anything. Something that'll tell her I'm still here. That I haven't disappeared, but I can't. I can't talk or speak. The words...they are lodged in my throat.

And I see it. Like a glorious angel shimmering in the night, I see him. It's his hair I see first. Messy strands of black whisk in the breeze, contrasting against ivory flesh. A thin frame, neither masculine nor feminine takes long and steady strides as he walks.

Juuzou.

I can recognize that build from anywhere, and I know who that is. It is him. It is Juuzou. What he is doing – what he is saying – I do not know. He is nowhere near the camera, but I do know he is saying something. I can see him talking to a couple of the other TSC investigators, pointing as he does so.

He's there.

He's actually there. He, himself, in the flesh. The highest-ranking officer at TSC, there, investigating. Logically, I knew he would be at one of the locations, but to actually see him there...

"Y/N?" Mrs. Warner repeats, a hint of concern in her tone.

Still speechless, I jolt, glancing at Clay. He is standing at my side, his eyes observing me. He must see the panic because he reaches and gingerly takes my phone, speaking calmly and clearly.

"Mrs. Warner," he says, his deep voice almost like a hum. "I apologize, but Y/N is currently in shock."

"Oh. Oh, my. I understand," she replies, her tone uncertain. "I didn't mean to stir anything up. I just thought she should be made aware of what's happening. I'm so sorry, Y/N."

I perk up at this, my voice croaky. "I-it's okay, Mrs. Warner. Really. I appreciate your concern."

I do. I do appreciate her concern. But I still don't know how to take all this in. It's a lot. It's a lot for one person to absorb. Then again, there's been a lot thrown my way over the last couple of weeks.

"Of course," she says, her tone evening. There is a brief pause, then: "But I do have a question. Did they mean for this to get out?"

I knit my brows. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's a raid. Wouldn't they want to keep it secret?"

I exchange glances with Clay. "I suppose... I don't follow. What are you saying?"

What is she saying? What is she getting at? Is there something I'm overlooking?

There is some movement on the other side of the line, followed by Mrs. Warner's voice replying, "If it was meant to be a secret, then why is the news crew already there? Only twenty minutes after finding a poor girl's remains, no less."

I open my mouth to dismiss any concerns she has, but then it clicks. She's right. There's no way Juuzou would leak this. Neither would Abara. I can assume neither would anyone else involved in this raid. But she has a point. The news crew is there. They are already on the scene. Almost as if...

Almost as if someone tipped them off.

**Bello lovelies! How are y'all doin'? I hope y'all are doin' good! If not, I hope your day/night gets better! As for me, today is a dreary, rainy day. Oh, and I have work in about two hours. So, there's that too. But at least it's warm today. Spring is here. Spring is here to stay. Yay! Anyway, thank y'all so, so much for everything! Y'all are the bee's knees! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross