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Chapter Eight: Lab Promise:

Tsuzuki rushed to Watari's lab. On the way, he thought of how to word his worries. He could trust his good friend with something like this, right?

The man knocked on the door.

"It's open!" his friend replied. Tsuzuki slid back the door and went inside. He found Watari with Charlotte and Takashi again. His friend looked up from his research.

"Oh, Tsuzuki," he said. "Just the person I want to see." Tsuzuki froze and blinked at him.

"Why?" he asked in suspicion. Watari clapped his hands together.

"I have a couple questions for you," he said.

"Questions?" Tsuzuki asked.

"Yes," the blonde scientist said, "Wait here." He turned and went to the back room. The other shinigami took a seat. He looked other at the couple to his left.

"Hey, I know you," he said when he noticed Charlotte, "You're that hostess in that club back in Tokyo." The woman blinked at first.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But do I know you?"

"I apologize," Tsuzuki said. "My name is Tsuzuki Asato." The hostess still looked confused.

"I'm Charlotte," she replied likewise. 'This is Takashi."

"Nice to meet you," the angel said with his head bowed.

"Yes," the shinigami said. He noticed their fingers laced together as they held hands.

"Oh," he said. "Are you two…" Tsuzuki took a moment to form how to ask this. "Are you two dating?" he asked.

"Dating?" Takashi asked in a puzzled tone.

"Is she your girlfriend?" the shinigami asked.

"Girl…friend?" the angel asked. Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder.

"No, no," she said. "He's my roommate."

"I see," Tsuzuki said. However, he saw it differently.

"So what are you here for?" he asked.

"A check-up," Charlotte said. "You?"

"I just wanted to ask a couple of questions," the shinigami answered. He studied the pair as he spoke. Charlotte reminded him of Anna personality-wise. They both looked like ice queens at first glance. Like himself with his wife, Tsuzuki guessed that Takashi opened up the warm-hearted girl in Charlotte. The angel's whole demeanor around her said, "I will protect her with all of my being." The Shinigami could tell that Takashi would love Charlotte in sickness and in health. Too bad the angel himself couldn't grasp this. He didn't seem to understand the concept of romance and courtship. It tempted Tsuzuki to take him aside and talk to him. Maybe inspire him to voice his true feelings to Charlotte. "Sorry to keep you waiting!" Watari called out as he returned. Both parties looked up as the scientist pulled out a flash drive and plugged it into his laptop.

"Now, who first?" he asked. Tsuzuki raised his hand.

"Good," his friend said. "I have something to show you." He opened a file on the flash drive. "I took a live sample of Anna's core for comparison on my case," he explained, "You need to look at this." Tsuzuki walked up to the screen.

"What the…?" he asked when it first caught his attention, "What… What is that?" The document depicted a live video feed of crystal-like sphere, pulsing and glowing bright pink.

"I put a small shikigami in the sample as a camera to monitor it," Watari said. "I went to check the sample this morning and found this."

"What does it all mean?" Charlotte asked. Watari clicked for a close up on the center of the sample. Tsuzuki's eyes widened in fear at what he saw. The center had a little fox face on it.

"The core's been taken over by a parasite," Watari put in simple terms. He turned his attention to Tsuzuki.

"Be honest with me, Tsuzuki," he said sternly. "Has the Mother started to take over to fulfill the curse?" Tsuzuki lowered his head.

"Yes," he murmured.

"Tsuzuki!" Watari gasped. "When did this happen?"

"This morning," the other shinigami admitted. "After her and me… you know, last night." He looked the scientist desperately in the eye. "Watari, please!" he pleaded. "Tell me how to fix this!" The scientist gave him a sharp nod.

"You didn't have to ask," he replied. "I'm on it." Tsuzuki bowed his head.

"Thank you, friend," he said in a low voice. Watari smiled as a response.

"Sure," he said, "Anything for a friend."