X-File: Shinigami (an X-Files/GW crossover)

-----part 1-----

The office was dimly lit, the desk cluttered with newspaper clippings, coffee mugs and an empty styrofoam container that had once held a rather nice meal from a Chinese restaurant.

The man sitting at the desk was young, but approaching middle age. He had that look in his eyes that said he knew the universe was weird and that was fine with him. 

The woman who walked in wore a similar expression. Hers had once been more skeptical, but years of working with her partner and now ex-husband had eroded her doubts. 

Their marriage had been good for a while. But when she'd been taken hostage, it had changed. It had reminded him of his sister's abduction and when he'd gotten his wife back, he'd practically smothered her with his overprotectiveness. It put a strain on their marriage, and in the end they'd agreed that a divorce for the sake of their professional relationship was the best thing.

"What is it this time, Mulder?" she asked, hanging up her coat.

"We're to investigate rumors of a person calling himself Shinigami."

"Someone uses a Japanese nickname and becomes an X-File candidate?" Scully asked.

"Shinigami is the Japanese name for the Grim Reaper." Mulder replied. "It means 'God of Death' and it seems this person's living up to his name."

"So, he's a murderer. A regular case then? Not an X-File?"

"Here's a list of the deaths he was present at the time of. In some cases, he was a small child at the time it happened."

Scully read the clippings. "OZ raids... What's OZ?"

"A military terrorist force of some kind from what I can determine." Mulder replied. "They've somehow managed to stay out of the local news. Maybe more from design than luck."

"You think they bought the press?" Scully asked.

"Sure. If you can get a newsman to air a show by promising him money, then you can get him to not air a show by promising the same thing."

"The Maxwell Church." Scully frowned. "I remembered hearing about that. The newspaper said there were no survivors."

"Apparently they miscounted." Mulder replied. "This kid. This 'Shinigami', survived."

"So, how do we find him?" Scully asked. "Any leads."

"Nothing yet." Mulder admitted. "That's why we're heading into town. To find some leads."

*****

After two hours, the two partners met up at a small deli. After getting their sandwiches and sitting down, they compared notes.

"All they said to me was that he wasn't my type and I shouldn't try going after him." Scully reported. "As if..."she rolled her eyes.

"I was told, look for the most beautiful boy in the world, and I would find Shinigami." Mulder replied. 

-----part 2-----

"Hey, Duo," Quatre chimed up as he walked into the safehouse.

The braided pilot looked up from the TV program he was watching. "Yeah?"

"Be careful. Some guy's out looking for you." Quatre was deeply concerned for the long-haired boy. "I don't know why, but I don't know of too many adults who are interested in teenagers for good reasons."

Duo nodded in agreement. "I'll keep my eyes open." he agreed. "Thanks. Anything else?"

"Yeah, I got the sketchpad you wanted. You know, if Heero catches you, he'll probably rip your head off."

"I don't care." Duo grinned. "I'd be more than happy to give him head."

Nearby, Wufei's nose began to bleed once again.

"Some woman was looking for you, too." Wufei told Duo, once he'd managed to get his nose under control. "I told her she wasn't your type."

"They could be together." Duo considered. "In which case the question is not 'what do they want' but 'who are they working for'."

"It's not OZ." Wufei decided. "They referred to you as 'Shinigami' but never mentioned the name Duo Maxwell."

"So it's local people.' Duo hadn't used his 'real' name in public since their arrival. He hadn't used the other pilots' names either, which was okay for most of them. But Heero, who he insisted on calling "Cutie-Pie," was less than thrilled. "Probably just curiosity, then." he returned his attention to the program he was watching.

"Maybe." Quatre wasn't convinced. "All the same..."

"I'll be careful." Duo shrugged.

-----TBC-----