Tsuzuki lets the glass fall before he even takes a sip. He is trapped here, in this place, again. Alone with Muraki. Again.

"Tsuzuki-san," Muraki says, coldly, "That was a waste."

The wine pools around their feet and Tsuzuki shudders. "Why must you always take hostages?"

Muraki has backed him to a wall now, which is what made Tsuzuki lose the grip on the wineglass Muraki had pressed into his fingers. Muraki smiles, very thinly. A smile like knife-blades pressing into chests or sides. "Ah, well. It makes things more interesting, and you would not give me what I want willingly."

"My body," Tsuzuki says.

"Yes."

"For you or for your experiment?"

Muraki's gaze flickers, his glass eye gleaming. "My experiment? Ah. Do you mean what you saw when I last held you captive?"

Tsuzuki nodded. His memories were vague, but still present: A table, a vat, a head.

"You destroyed him," Muraki said, almost pleasantly. "Destroyed what was left of him. I wished to do that, Tsuzuki. Your willful attempt to die destroyed my life dream. But yes, I still want you. I want to break you apart. I want you as mine. I want you to take his place."

Tsuzuki shuddered, turned his head aside as Muraki leaned in to kiss. "Don't."

"You can't stop me," Muraki pointed out. "If you try, the boy Hijiri will die."

"Don't," Tsuzuki said, but nothing else. /I've given up too many times/, he thought hopelessly as Muraki's fingers worked deftly on Tsuzuki's buttons. /If I give up again that'll be the last. I almost didn't survive last time and I won't - I won't - but I can't help it-/

"Good boy," Muraki breathed.

Tsuzuki shivered in spasms, unable to help himself. It wasn't arousal, though he read that - or something like that, some Muraki-equivalent - in Muraki's living eye.

And then, in the distance, "Tsuzuki!"

"Ah," Muraki said, disapprovingly. "It's the boy. Saving you again. Aren't you glad, Tsuzuki-san?"

But despite the disapproval, Muraki was smiling as he turned to face Hisoka's approach.

Tsuzuki's knees went weak with fear. A trap. Clearly, "Hisoka, no!"

But Hisoka was in the room and Muraki's hands were raising. Tsuzuki looked around for something, anything -

There were no knives this time, no second chances. He had nothing else to do, reached up to place his hands on Muraki's back and *shoved*.

Hisoka's gun went off.