Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama or any of its characters.
Title: Iron, Rust and Blood
Summary: The first of the three murders was only the beginning. The real game of hide and seek began when Hijikata Toshiro was taken.
Characters: Hijikata Toshiro, Sakata Gintoki and Sougo Okita with mentions of others
Rating: T
Warnings: Violence, disturbing imagery, blood
Author's Note: This is probably one of the darker, horror-filled stories I've written before. I was inspired by a Gintama story I've read where there was a monster/killer on the loose and another one where Hijikata gets captured and I thought it would be a lovely idea to combine the two. I also decided to try a different style of writing than what I'm used to, just to switch things around. Hope you enjoy!

Warm blood – oh so delicious blood – gushed into its mouth and it revelled in the familiar insatiable coppery taste.

The medication developed from his planet always mixed well with the young and fresh and this human was no exception. Its teeth sunk harder on flesh, drawing out more blood, as it hungrily leaned into the curve of the human's neck, demanding more and more.

The human made an odd harsh choking sound. Ahh yes, it just remembered it couldn't bite too deep. The last few humans died far too quickly and their blood dried up too soon when its teeth punctured their delicate arteries and they bled to death, wasting precious food. It was disappointing to know how fragile humans were compared to other Amanto races yet their blood was exquisitely luscious beyond anything it had ever sampled. It wouldn't make the same mistake with this one.

It eased back, loosening its jaw and the human made less distressing sounds. It breathed in, enjoying another intoxicating mouthful. It was pleased it had chosen this human to keep. The other three weren't very much fun. They simply cried and squirmed and begged. This human knew how to fight and how to fight good. Adrenaline pumping through human blood tasted even better and the rush of a rousing fight was just as appetizing.

The human was no longer struggling, its pulse vibrating dully. It reluctantly took one final drink lest it accidentally deprived the human of all its blood (it had learned the hard way with those other three snacks). The human sagged against the wall once it was released, its eyes half-lidded, mouth slack.

It tapped the human's cheek to see if it was still conscious and the human's head only lolled weakly in response.

Shame. It had expected the human to last longer. The human lasted longer in the fight and it was more fun having a prey fight and struggle to the bitter end than having a prey that was tied up and waited to be feasted on.

It licked the remaining drops of blood over its teeth, quietly contemplating a new plan of action.

~.~.~

In the end, Okita found himself back at the scene of the crime and he wasn't surprised to see Gintoki emerge from the warehouse, blatantly ignoring the bright yellow tape barricading the area.

Their exchange was polite, crisp and short. Neither found anything of importance so they came to a silent agreement to return back to the headquarters. Night had fallen and it was no good for their bodies and beauty rest to continue to slave and toil away for a mayonnaise addict.

They had been about to leave when a flutter and crunch of paper caught their attention. They turned around to see a tiny white slip pressed between the doors that Gintoki had just closed. Gintoki, being the closer one, reached out and smoothed it out to read.

The boss and the captain looked at one another. Gintoki sighed about having to read lousy handwriting and Okita complained about childish games, but both of them were intently scanning the surrounding area.

Do you want to play hide and seek?

The killer was now taunting them. Was this their objective all along? The killer had murdered three people and kidnapped the fourth to make the rest of them play hide and seek?

If you do, follow the papers.

Another rustle of paper in the distance caught their attention. They've become Hansel and Gretel, following breadcrumbs. And unlike the two children in the fairy tale, they foolishly decided to head into a forest where they knew an unappealing gingerbread house and a wicked witch awaited them.

~.~.~

Against his better judgement, Shinpachi found himself following Kondou into the stuffy office building. A businessman returning back to his office to retrieve his suitcase discovered the doors on his floor already opened and the locks broken into. He immediately and wisely called the police. The forensic team quickly alerted the Shinsengumi and told them there were signs that Hijikata was there.

Emphasis on was.

The dimness of the hallway simply contributed to the eerie emptiness of the building. It was strangely appropriate for the place of a kidnapping. Shinpanchi uneasily swallowed. They had not been told a body was found but his imagination went wild and each scenario was as gruesome and ghastly as the next.

Bloody tools of knives, syringes and saws laid neatly on the floor, inviting them to come solve a riddle ... Crimson was smeared grotesquely over the walls, painting vivid imagery of the killer's artwork ... A lonesome detached arm awaited them, fingers twisted into a mocking gesture ...

To his immense relief (and also increasing apprehensiveness), there was no sign of bloodshed or violence. The office space had tables, chairs and things shuffled aside to the corner. A lonely pair of handcuffs and chain dangled innocently at the opposing wall and he held back a shiver, trying not to imagine what the killer was doing or had done to Hijikata.

A forensic team member reported to Kondou and Shinpachi discreetly leaned forward to listen too to learn a few new things.

One: A water bottle was found with Hijikata's saliva.

Two: It contained traces of a certain drug found off planet that induced a faster heart rate.

Three: They were dealing with an Amanto.

Four: Hijikata was still alive and for some unfathomable reason, the killer had took him elsewhere.

~.~.~

He woke up yet again feeling sick to his stomach. He was grimly aware and slightly surprised to find he was still alive.

His neck was impossibly sore and stiff. If he had the mobility to look, he would have seen the grisly splashes of dark bruises and puncture marks decorating his skin. The insides of his throat felt like they were rubbed raw with sandpaper and he almost choked on his own spit as he tried to swallow. His heart was no longer spluttering rapidly but weakly trembling, spent from the exertion it was forced to endure. He felt cold, his old sweat clinging to his skin, and his body shook with exhaustion, trying to replace the blood he had lost.

He buried his face into his shoulder, too tired and too dizzy to even change positions, wishing he could stay here a little longer.

... on the grass?

Raising his head, despite his neck screaming in protest, Hijikata surveyed his surroundings, breath hitched. There was nothing but green and brown for miles around.

He was alone in the middle of a forest and the boy-monster nowhere to be found.

A flock of birds squawked in the distance, nearly making him jump out of his skin. He wasn't familiar with where he was. Edo and its countryside had many scatters of forests and his mouth went dry at the thought of how long he was unconscious and just how far the boy-monster had carried him to.

He remained sitting there like a gawking idiot, slowly regaining sensation back into his numb arms and legs. Was this some sort of trap? What was the boy-monster planning to do? Why had it brought him here? Why did it let him go?

Minutes lengthened and finally, Hijikata stood up, his legs wobbling like a newborn foal.

He took a deep breath and started walking.