Kei pulled off his motorcycle helmet and put it on the hook near the front door. The house was unusually quiet for so early in the evening and he wondered what everyone was doing.
Jas was probably in his room, either sleeping or playing a mindless video racing game; Hisato was probably outside in the hot tub. Tsuki on his computer-- did he ever turn the thing off? -- And knowing Akira he was out shopping.
Kate... God alone knew what Kate was doing. Or Issei for that matter.
"Hi kids daddy's home!" he called to see if anyone would even notice he was there.
�We�re in the kitchen!� Kate called. �You want tea or coffee?�
Kei sat down to pull his boots off, "Coffee. And dinner would be great. Who's cooking?"
�Dinner�s already cooking. It�ll be ready in about half an hour,� the English beauty told him.
"Good. I'm starving." Kei joined them in the kitchen, dropping into one of the seats and gratefully accepting the coffee.
Hisato was sitting at the table with a handheld video game, the man focused on whatever he was playing.
Jas was standing by the back door, looking out at the garden, and Kei could see that Aki was outside cutting a few flowers. He took a good look at Jas, and noticed that the blond's pale grey eyes looked bloodshot. Even the man's very stance showed he was tired. Kei glanced at Kate, a frown pulling at his mouth.
"We played a game with two Essies," Jas said, voice a raw whisper. "Some pyrokinetic I haven't seen before and that thought raping bitch Thoughtwarp. They had an accident and I don't think they'll be bothering anyone for a while. I've got the whole report written. It's on your desk."
Kate opened the oven, peered at something that smelled particularly good then shut it again and stirred a pot that was bubbling on the hob.
�Issei also left you a report,� she said. �He wasn�t terribly impressed with Kudoh although the young one made a reasonably good impression on him.�
"Good. I'll look them over later.
"As far as Kudoh goes, the information that Tsuki pulled from the old Kritiker files on him said the man's got a lot of issues, most going back to why he wound up in Kritiker in the first place." He took a sip of coffee and then sat with the cup between the palms of his hands, but his gaze was on Jas. "And he was still good enough to evade Jas's katana, so he's still worth trying to salvage, even if he's only fit to be emergency back up.
"Besides, he's not the only one that has a problem. I'd say Fujimiya is closer to going under and not coming back up than the blond is. That man is wound so tight you can hear the spring creaking."
Kate�s brows rose and she shot Jas an enigmatic look. �He seemed calm enough when he and Jas had a pissing contest on the road,� she said snidely. �Seriously though, my own thoughts are that he�s lost the will to go on since his sister left the country.�
Jas turned away from the door and walked out of the kitchen.
Kei watched him go without saying a thing. When he was sure the blond was well out of earshot he said, "I want everyone to ease up on Jas. I forgot and I've been riding his ass, and that's my mistake.�
He sighed, "It's five days until his birthday. He's going to be touchy, so let's all treat him like porcelain for a few days."
�Shit! I forgot that,� Kate said. �But it was an interesting reaction they had to each other for all that.� She returned to her cooking as Tsuki entered the kitchen.
�Something smells good,� he said. �How long will it be before it�s ready?�
�As long as it takes,� Kate told him without even looking round. Tsuki stuck his tongue out at her and sat down next to Hisato.
"So which one of us is going to brave the lion's den and take him some food?" Kei asked the Englishwoman.
"Shit," Hisato swore softly and put the game down on the table. "Died again."
�That�s because you�re crap at it,� Tsuki told him with a grin.
"You, Tsuki, are a brat." Hisato looked around the kitchen, "Food ready yet?"
"I will," Kate said. "It's partly my fault he's in this state of mind so nobody else should have to take the consequences."
"What went on with those Essies? Or do I not want to know?" Kei asked.
Aki blew into the kitchen, his arms loaded with roses and other flowers. "I like this house, but the one in England's still my favorite. More roses."
�Let�s just say it was as well Aki was with us. The pyro was quite pissed off when he realized he�d missed Fujimiya.� She sighed and looked Kei straight in the eye. �Jas hasn�t said anything but I think Thoughtwarp messed with his mind before we got the better of them.� Aki grinned at her and said, "Boom!"
She turned back to the stove, opened the oven and lifted out a large chicken, surrounded by roasted vegetables and set it down on the table.
Kei's frown turned into an out and out glower of anger, "That bitch again? Those fucking Essies are damned hard to kill, but I guess that's because they've got those biokinetics to heal them." He took a sip of coffee and smiled when Aki put a sprig of jasmine in his hair.
"Don't be so angry, Kei," the younger man said as he placed the rest of the flowers into the sink. "We'll get them eventually."
�They�re like a freaking hydra, Aki,� Tsuki said in disgust, �you cut off one head and seven more grow in its place. Even the destruction of the elders didn�t stop them.� He frowned to himself. �And now they�ve got Kritiker, who were opposed to them, doing their dirty work too.�
�The Elders didn�t actually pull as many strings as they liked to think they did, Tsuki,� Issei said from the doorway. �Rosenkreuz is the power behind Esset.�
�Yeah,� Tsuki said glumly, �and they�ve been having a big recruitment drive recently. On a brighter note, the little Takatori sent an e-mail to a group called Crashers and they left Kritiker en masse as soon as they received it.�
At the mention of the Crashers Kei's head went up. "Fool me. Tsuki, get on it and find them. Set up a meeting. We could use them too."
Tsuki grinned. �I�ve already got their e-mail address courtesy of young Omi. Do you want me to contact them before or after dinner?�
"Immediately. We can hold dinner while you work. I'd hate to lose the chance to pull them in. We're gong to need all the help we can get against the Essies and Rosen."
Tsuki nodded, left the table and disappeared in the direction of his computers.
Issei frowned slightly and turned enquiring eyes in Kei�s direction. �Who the hell are Crashers?�
It was Kate who answered him. �They were Kritiker�s recon group, four men and one woman, although they do have explosives expertise and are quite capable of using other weapons. Fujimiya was a member about three or four years back.�
Hisato got up and went to the fridge, "Are you sure we want to bring more people into this, Kei? I mean Weiss is going to be hard enough to retrain for our methods. I'm not sure about more people."
"I am. Those Essies are more dangerous than anyone we've faced before."
"Yeah, I know, but bringing in more people when we're trying to fight them is going to wreck our focus."
"You worry too much, Hisato," Aki stated as he picked up a rose and trimmed the stem so it would fit properly in the vase he was doing the arrangement in.
�Talking of Weiss,� Issei said, �how much are you intending to tell them tonight? I got the distinct impression that even though they�ve broken links with Kritiker; they�re going to want to know who we are.�
Tsuki reappeared with a print out of an e-mail. �They�re prepared to meet and listen,� he said with a smile as he placed the print-out at Kei�s elbow.
Kei sipped his coffee, expression pensive. "I haven't decided what I want to tell them. And, honestly, I'm suspecting they've done a bit of digging. They're smart, all of them, so they should have figured out at least who a few of us are."
He smiled at Tsuki. "Good work by the way."
�So now I get to eat?� Tsuki asked with an answering smile.
�Yeah,� Kate said as she placed a jug of gravy on the table, �so sit down and shut up! It�ll be really nice to have another woman involved instead of having to put up with you lot!� Her green eyes were twinkling with mirth as she spoke.
"Well you've always got Aki," Kei said and laughed.
"Yep. Good thing too, with the lot of you idiots," he said mimicking her accent.
"Ah, go on, Kate, you love us really," Tsuki said as he sat back down at the table.
"Yeah, like I love dumb animals!" She put a plate of food together and placed it on a tray. "I'll take this up to Jas," she said.
"Dumb animals?" Hisato repeated. "I'm neither dumb, nor... Okay, I am an animal..." he grinned, "in bed."
�Not that old chestnut again,� Tsuki said as he shot the orange-haired bassist a look.
Kei was chuckling as he said, "Remember to knock. You know how Jas gets."
�Only too well,� Kate said as she went out of the door with the food.
Five minutes later she was knocking on the door to Jas� room. �Jas,� she called, �I�ve brought your dinner.�
The door stayed closed. "Thanks, but I don't want it."
She frowned. This year seemed worse than previous years for some reason. �I also wanted to apologize.�
"Sure. Apology accepted. Night Kate."
Her frown deepened. The incredible sulk didn�t even know what she was apologizing for and by the sound of it didn�t much care. Deciding she�d had enough, she turned the handle and opened the door.
The blond was seated on his bed, minus all clothing, his sleek body clearly revealed in the last traces of sunlight streaming in through the bedroom windows.
Jas' grey eyes narrowed, a slight tint of color rising to his face as he grabbed for a sheet. "Do you mind?" he asked sharply.
Kate quickly averted her eyes but not before catching a glimpse of a toned body and sleek musculature. �Oops! Sorry, Jas. I just thought I ought to remind you that we have to be in the park at midnight.� She put the tray down on a convenient table and turned her back ready to beat a hasty retreat.
"I know about tonight Kate. And please take the food out. I've got a splitting headache and I just want it to go away. Wake me up at ten."
�You really ought to eat,� she said quietly although she did pick up the tray again. �I�m sorry to have disturbed you.�
"I'll be fine, Kate. I just have a headache. I got it playing brain tag with Thoughtwarp." He was watching her, but his eyes were not completely focused in the here and now.
�Enough to give anyone a headache,� she acknowledged. �I�ll be back at ten.� She left him to it, carrying the tray out of his room, but she was frowning slightly as she went back to the kitchen.
"I saved you some food," Aki told her. "The locusts have already gotten into it."
Hisato and Kei both looked up from their meals. Kei frowned when he saw the tray of food.
"I take it he's not eating?" their red-haired leader stated.
She shook her head in answer to Kei�s question. �No and he�s looking inward, not outward,� she said before taking her place at the table.
�Thanks Aki,� she said with a smile.
Kei sighed and considered going up to talk to the American. "He's talking to her more all the time. I'm really starting to worry about him. Maybe all this exposure to the Essie telepaths is affecting him more than we realized." Hisato swallowed a mouthful of food, �He might just be coming unglued on his own too, Kei. Jas has always been wound far too tight.�
�Well he admitted the headache he�s got came from playing �brain tag� with Thoughtwarp,� Kate said as she sat down to eat her own food. �Didn�t Weiss go up against the Elders? I wonder how they did that without talent.�
�Luck,� Issei suggested.
�Very tight mental focus can be a bit of a protection,� Kei replied. �I know Thoughtwarp tried to invade my mind the first time we encountered her. It gave me a headache, but I didn't submit to her desires.� He gave a slight smile, �I think it irritated her that she couldn't make me shoot Jas.�
�I�ll give Abyssinian the tight mental focus bit,� Kate said, �and perhaps Siberian and Bombay but Balinese?�
Issei shrugged. �He seemed focused enough the other night.�
Tsuki glanced up then and ventured a remark. �He�s got a sharp mind for all his faults.�
�Don't underestimate Weiss,� Kei warned. �Now that the pressure is on, you can bet they're going to get focused and be razor-edge sharp tonight. If I didn't think they were worth our time do you think we'd be doing anything but blowing their pretty little heads off from a neat and safe distance?�
* * * * * * *
Aya parked the Porsche a few blocks away from Ueno Park. He made sure it was locked up as tight as possible before heading for the dark area of the park. Then he shook his head at his own stupidity. If this other team were going to kill them they�d have done it by now, unless tonight was planned to get all four of them in one place at one time. It was a conundrum he was far from solving so, as he needed the answer, he was here against his better judgment.
He glanced at his watch and walked at a steady and unhurried pace towards the park the rest of Weiss following him silently.
They reached the spot where Ouka had died and waited in what cover there was just as a distant clock chimed the hour.
A shadow separated itself from the deeper shadows under the trees as the leather clad man with the red dyed hair approached the four Weiss.
He seemed to be alone, but Yohji didn't think that was the case. He could feel eyes on him from the darkness and he was sure he caught the dim glint of a streetlight on metal in one of the shadows. His mind identified the metal as being gun shaped and he made a subtle motion that indicated to Aya what he'd seen.
Ken was scanning the shadows too, looking for any unseen assailants, sure that he'd spotted at least three others, but worried that his eyes could also be playing tricks on him because it was so dark here.
Aya signaled with equally subtle movements that for now they were to wait and see despite armed others being present. He stepped forward to meet the other man, his face a blank and impassive mask.
Behind him, Omi held a dart in his palm, ready to throw it at the slightest sign of hostile movement from those he knew were lurking in the shadows.
�You can call me Darkness. Let's get down to business,� the leader of the other assassin group said as he came to a stop a few feet from Abyssinian.
Yohji forced himself not to snort at the overly dramatic name the man had for himself while Ken watched one of the other shapes detach itself from the shadows and walk slowly forward. He recognized the blond they'd fought with before.
�This is my associate, Silence, and that,� the man said indicating the woman who was joining them �is Shadow.�
Aya nodded in acknowledgement of what were obviously codenames. �We seem to need no introductions,� he said. �You obviously know exactly who and what we are�or were. We�re only here because we have no known reason to fight with any of you and want to know what you want from us.�
�We want to know what you intend to do now that you've slipped your leash and run. You have to know that Kritiker won't let you walk away, and Esset isn't going to take your loss easily, especially not when they were planning to pit you against their other rogue team, Schwarz,� Darkness stated.
Aya frowned, wondering how much of that Crawford had seen before he sent Naoe and the mad Irishman to them. Aloud he said, �We�re in the uncomfortable position of having to run and keep on running. We won�t work for either Esset or the Takatori.� He glanced at Omi. �That decision is unanimous. We know we�ve probably signed our own death warrants but we won�t go down without a fight.�
Darkness offered the Weiss a faint smile. �Well you've been informed of my proposition, but now I'll let you hear it directly from me. I'm offering an alternative. You can join with us or you can start running. But I think we all know you won't get far, don't we?�
Aya�s frown deepened. �Why would you want us to join with you? I�m damned sure we haven�t made the greatest impression on you.�
�I think we both know why your performance of late has been... less than stunning don't we. You realized there was a change in the agenda of Kritiker, but had no solid idea what it was until you were told. Is that wrong?�
Omi spoke up then, knowing that Aya wouldn�t answer that particular question. �I should have looked before I did,� he said with an air of deep chagrin. �I don�t know why I didn�t.�
Aya turned to stare at his youngest team mate. �Possibly because Mastermind or someone like him prevented it,� he suggested.
�Not Mastermind. We've finally confirmed that Schwarz have gone rogue and are strictly working on self preservation. No, most likely you encountered the same telepath we've been fighting with. Her name was Thoughtwarp and I'm pleased to say she won't be troubling anyone after today thanks to Silence and a bulldozer.�
�Schwarz made us an offer yesterday,� Aya said. �We turned them down even though we knew it was almost certain death to go it alone.� If this man was for real he was owed complete honesty.
The man called Darkness exchanged a look with Silence and Shadow before he spoke again, �We believe that Schwarz is becoming desperate. The odds are against them, and they know it, you can be certain. I'm sure Crawford is becoming desperate as he knows he's between two forces both of whom are set on the deaths of his team.�
Darkness crossed his arms and tipped his head at the other assassin team. �But we didn't come here to talk about Schwarz, we came here to discuss your future, or lack of one.�
�So we join you or you kill us, is that it?� Ken asked his voice a bit belligerent.
Yohji put his hand out and touched Ken's shoulder, urging the younger man to stay calm and let Aya handle things. Even though the man said he wasn't leading them anymore, he'd automatically taken the leader's role and Yohji didn't want Ken to do or say anything that might remind the red-head he'd said he wasn't going to lead them anymore.
Aya showed no sign of having heard Ken�s interruption instead he was gazing at the man who called himself Darkness. �We would want to know your allegiances,� he said firmly. �We may be killers but there are still a few things that we will not do. Idealistic�probably, but if you people kill the weak or the innocent, for want of a better word, then there is no deal�whatever the outcome.�
�Actually our business is to get rid of people like your former masters, both Esset and Takatori alike.� The man's gaze went pointedly to Omi, �So, you'll understand if we're a bit... reluctant... to easily accept the presence of one of your team as his own allegiances are somewhat suspect.�
Omi swallowed hard. These people weren�t to know just how much he hated his family.
Aya�s eyes narrowed slightly. �If you know so much about us you should know that one of the Takatori died at his hands. He�s chosen to live as Tsukiyono Omi rather than Takatori Mamoru. And if I can accept that, then you should be able to.�
Darkness gave Aya a wry smile, �For you, it was the loss of your parents. But my family's hatred with the Takatori is a much older and deeper one. Of course it is also one that Tsukiyono Omi is unaware of, so I will offer him the same thing I'm offering the rest of you.
�And while I'm sure you'd like more time to decide, time is the one thing you have very little of as Esset, and more to the point, Rosenkreuz, have mobilized to bring you to heel.�
�They consider us that important or that unimportant?� There was wry humor in Aya�s eyes although his face remained impassive. �How long are you giving us to decide?�
�They need you and failing to get you back, they will not hesitate to utterly destroy the four of you. What you don't seem to comprehend is that they will try and take you alive for re-education meaning they'll take you alive and brainwash you into believing whatever you need to think in order to carry out your missions with your former alacrity.
�As far as deciding, you have as long as you like, or until one of the Rosenkreuz teams captures you to decide. But we won't come to rescue you should they take you, and we won't let you live should we see you after today.�
�So you want a decision right now.� He glanced at the other members of what had once been Weiss. He couldn�t decide for them. As for himself, his mind was made up. There was something about the other man that he instinctively trusted and that in itself was unusual. He wasn�t trusting by nature. It would also be a relief to hand over leadership responsibility to another.
Omi spoke up again. �I don�t think we would be here at all if we weren�t already interested,� he said.
Yohji sighed, �I'm in too. I've got nowhere else to go.�
�Neither do I,� Ken agreed.
Darkness nodded. �Then you're going to agree to join us. Good decision.�
Silence spun around, �Company. A couple of Kritiker operatives have arrived. They've found Abyssinian's car, so they must be looking for Weiss.�
Aya�s face reflected the first real emotion he�d shown since climbing out of that same car, sheer fury. �Damn them,� he said quietly but angrily.
�If they�ve sent talents we could be in real trouble,� Omi said in a hushed tone. He glanced at the assembled company. �All of us.�
The red-haired man was watching his blond companion. "Well?"
"No, these are Kritiker agents." The blond's gaze was unfocused, his attention elsewhere. "Two women. One of them is wearing pink. The other has red hair." Silence blinked, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the Weiss.
"They know all four of you are here."
�Manx and Birman,� Omi breathed before frowning slightly. �Do you think they�re Esset agents as well as Kritiker operatives?� It was obvious the thought did not sit well with him. His frown deepened as he stared at the blond. �How do you know all this?�
Aya was also staring at the man called Silence as if waiting for an answer. He knew he wasn�t likely to get one but he was intrigued to put it mildly. This power, whatever it was, didn�t seem like telepathy as he knew it through Mastermind and yet it wasn�t like Oracle�s visions either. He was at a loss to know what to make of it.
"No, they aren't part of Esset or I'd be off shooting them already. I don't think they're here to harm any of you." the blond replied, ignoring the boy's other question.
It was Darkness that answered Omi, "Silence has his own abilities, but he's not and never has been part of Esset." The man smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant expression. "They can't catch him though they have made the occasional effort."
"They're getting tired of losing people," the blond man stated softly then quirked an eyebrow at his leader.
"Time for us to go. We'll be in touch," Darkness told them as he turned and headed into the night.
Yohji watched the men and woman vanish into the night. "Now those are some damn creepy people. Almost as bad as Schwarz."
"Yeah, no shit," Ken agreed.
Aya nodded and turned to Omi. "Is this exactly where Ouka died?" he asked very quietly. The young blonde nodded sadly. "Then that's our reason for being here if we need one."
A light footstep warned him that they were no longer alone and he turned to face the women that he wondered if he knew at all.
Manx, with Birman right behind her, came out of the night.
"Thank god we found you. We saw the mess at the Koneko and we were worried. What happened? Where have you been all day?"
�We�ve been at the cabin,� Omi told his surrogate mother. �The shop didn�t seem too secure, you know.� He glanced at Aya uncertainly.
Aya had the same predicament as the youngest Weiss. How much did the women know about the changes in Kritiker and would they believe them even if they sought to enlighten them? And should they even make the effort? He was at a loss for once.
Manx exchanged a look with Birman. "Crashers have gone missing," the dark-haired woman told them. "We think Esset has taken control of Kritiker, but we've got no proof. We're all in danger."
The red-head reached into her purse and pulled out a wad of money. "Go into hiding. Run. And don't look back," she said as she offered the cash to Omi.
Omi shook his head and refused to take the money. �We have enough,� he said, �and you need to get into hiding too. I hacked into Kritiker and discovered that my�that old man Takatori has climbed into bed with Esset.�
The thought of his old team having the sense to make themselves as safe as they could heartened Aya almost as much as the discovery that neither Manx nor Birman were involved with Esset. �What will you do?� he asked.
"We're going to make a run for it," Birman replied.
"Take the money. They can trace you by your bank card use, and they might freeze your accounts to draw you into the open," Manx warned.
"And they know your cars, especially yours Kudoh. You've got the only Super Seven in Tokyo."
Reluctantly Omi reached for the cash. �You have enough for your own escape?� he asked.
Manx nodded and smiled at him although her green eyes were bright with unshed tears. �We cleared our accounts. Stay safe, little Omi.� She hugged him to her fiercely and Aya had to look away as he felt a hard lump of pure agony in his own throat. Takatori Saijou�s stupidity had forced so many good people to take a huge leap into the unknown.
"Be safe," Yohji told the women.
Ken was scanning the night, wondering how the other team had vanished so quickly. Frankly they gave him the creeps almost as bad as Schwarz did.
�You too, Kudoh,� Manx said, �And get rid of Seven. I know it�s a wrench but it�s one that might just save your life.� She turned away then and Birman went with her.
Aya watched them leave in silence.
"We need to get out of here," Yohji stated quietly. "I'll get my stuff out of Seven. We can use your Porsche until we can find another car."
He was going to hate losing the car, but if it was that, or lose his life or endanger the rest of his family, the car could go.
Aya nodded. They could only use his car for a short while; it was almost as noticeable as Kudoh�s beloved Seven. Luckily Ken and Omi could keep their bikes. They were neither custom models nor uncommon. �Let�s go,� he said.
Omi was crying silently as he watched the women go but hearing Yohji and Aya speak he swallowed hard and followed them although one small hand found Ken�s in the dark.
Ken leaned down and whispered, "Love you," in the younger killer's ear as they followed Aya and Yohji.
* * * * * * *
Brad was sitting in the living room, rubbing his temples, fighting one of the worse headaches he'd had in months and trying to maintain an outward front of calm.
But he didn't feel calm. He felt like an animal that knew it was being driven into a trap. One that had no other outcome but death.
All his work, every effort, the fight to bring the Elders down and keep his team alive was going to be for nothing.
Weiss was going to join the DSS leaving them alone in their fight with Esset and Rosenkreuz.
And alone they stood very little chance of survival.
Even if they got their revenge against the other killers, against the man who'd nearly taken Schuldig's life, it would do them no good.
Not without Weiss.
He felt sick, helpless, and the ache in his head made it hard to think.
There had to be a way out, if only he could see it.
Nagi slid into the room like a ghost and placed a cup of tea at his leader�s elbow before turning to leave again. He knew better than to disturb his leader at a time like this.
"Nagi?"
The young man turned, brows raised in query as he said, �Yes?�
"I don't want all this to be for nothing. Promise me that if we're caught by Rosenkreuz you'll run and not look back."
�Rosenkreuz don�t know what I�m capable of,� Nagi said. �I�ve always deliberately kept my skills damped down when with any of their or Esset�s agents. But, I promise you, if it looks like the end, I�ll run. After I�ve buried the bastards.�
"We don't have much time left, Nagi," Brad's voice was hollow, almost dead sounding. "Four or five days at the most, then..." he closed his eyes and shook his head. "We're good, but not good enough to survive what's coming for us this time, and running won't help."
He looked at his hands, then glanced up at the boy, "Don't tell them. I don't want Schuldig or Farfarello to know."
�I understand,� Nagi said in his stoic way. �It was perhaps a pity that you allowed Schuldig and Farf to toy with Weiss as much as you did. If it hadn�t been for their games Weiss might have joined us.�
"I know. It was a mistake we're going to pay for, I just don't want you to pay for it too."
�Would mundanes such as Weiss really have given us any edge over the combined might of our former masters?� Nagi asked.
Brad met Nagi's gaze squarely, "Ask yourself this, Nagi. How did they hold their own against the might of the Elders? Do you really think they're totally mundane?" the American replied. "Would Esset want them if they were?"
Nagi thought about that and back to the fight with the Elders. He frowned slightly. �They may have held their own against the Elders,� he said, �but they didn�t do terribly well against us in the fight for Aya�s sister.� He took a deep breath, knowing that Crawford would not like what he had to say next. �Schuldig is our Achilles heel. First Kudoh almost kills him, then the DSS blond.�
"I know," Brad replied. "And if we left him, just walked away, we'd probably survive, but I won't do that. Farfarello can go with you if he wants, but... I won't leave Schu."
Nagi nodded. �I know,� he said, �anymore than I�d leave Farf. So we�re just going to have to do this together aren�t we?�
Crawford just nodded, picked up the tea and took a sip. "Yes."
Nagi gave him one of his rare smiles. �Then I don�t want to hear anymore about running away. I�ll fight to the end to stay free.�
Crawford hid the pain he felt as the future shifted to show him a brief glimpse of the destruction of his team. And this time, even Nagi was dead.
* * * * * * *
Tsuki couldn�t settle. The computers were monitoring both Weiss and Schwarz but, as Weiss were presumably in the park and the Schwarz freak hadn�t logged on tonight he had nothing to do but worry about the four of his team who had gone to the park.
Leaving the computers to do their thing on their own, he wandered downstairs and into the kitchen, hoping there would be somebody else around.
Aki was unloading the dishwasher when Tsuki walked in. The blue haired explosives expert offered him a slight smile. "I wonder what's taking so long."
Tsuki returned the smile but it quickly died. �You think they�re taking a long time too?�
"Yes." Aki glanced out at the night wrapped garden. "Much too long. It's after two; I expected them to be here by now."
Tsuki picked up a tea towel and started fiddling with it, constantly pleating and unpleating it again in his agitation. �Do you think they�ll be okay?� he asked, his black eyes intent.
"Jas won't let anything happen to them, don't worry," Aki said, doing his best to sound convincing, but the truth was he didn't always trust Jas and his ghost-sister to keep the team safe.
�You sound about as certain as I feel,� Tsuki said with a slight snap in his voice. It wasn�t directed at Aki though. It was simply his own fears manifesting themselves.
The youngest member of Shadow Soul just turned a glare on Tsuki, "I don't know what you're worried about. It's not like you really care about them."
�What?� Tsuki was really surprised that Aki should think that. �Why wouldn�t I care?�
"You haven't been with us that long, so why should you?"
�What has time got to do with feelings?�
Aki just stared at him for a moment. "Well then you tell me, why would you have any attachments to us?"
Tsuki reddened uncomfortably. �It doesn�t matter. Believe what you like. I�ll go back upstairs out of everybody�s way. I�m sure you�d all prefer that.�
"I'm sorry..." Aki glanced out of the sliding glass doors hoping for headlights but not seeing any. "I get bitchy when I'm scared."
Tsuki sighed. �Hisato is interested but, although I like him, I�m not. Not only because of my past but because... Ah forget it. I�m a fool anyway.�
"If you're talking about wanting Kei, then yes, you are. He's never shown any interest in anyone that way. At least not inside the team. Oh, he teases Kate or Jas sometimes, but that's all it is."
Tsuki flushed again. �Damn! Is it that fucking obvious?�
"To a few of us, yes. Hisato was the first to notice. Nothing gets past him, at least nothing sexual. And he mentioned it to well... I guess all of us."
He wanted to crawl into a corner and die quietly and preferably alone. He felt the heat suffuse his face and he hid it behind his hands, their black-painted nails digging into his scalp. �Oh�shit,� he whispered.
"I wouldn't worry too much really. No one pays much attention to him about those kinds of things, and well..." Aki looked a little embarrassed as he hesitated, then added, "Kei just gave him an odd little smile and told Hisato to stop harassing you. Not that it means much, Hisato never listens to Kei, at least not about that."
�It�s not his teasing that bothers me,� Tsuki managed to say after peering over his hands at Aki. �It�s the fact that he chose to share his assumptions with the whole damned team!� But the smaller man�s words had given him a tiny ray of hope amongst the sheer discomfiture of knowing that Kei knew.
Aki eyed the team's hacker, his stare measuring. "So tell me, was he wrong?"
�I think my reaction should have told you that he wasn�t,� Tsuki said with a wry smile. �But you said it yourself, I�m just a fool.�
The blue-haired man was scrutinizing the hacker as he said, "I also told you I get bitchy when I'm scared or worried, and right now I'm very much both scared and worried. They really should have been back already."
He sighed, "And as far as you not being attracted to Kei goes, I'm not convinced because I've seen how you watch him."
Tsuki shook his head at how obvious he�d apparently been. He�d always thought he�d watched Kei when nobody else was looking. He sighed as Aki�s worry transferred itself back to him and he glanced up at the kitchen clock. It was nearly two-fifteen and still no sign of any of them.
He took a deep breath. �Okay, I�m going to make some coffee and tea. They�ll probably want a warm drink when they get here.�
"Tea for Kei, Jas will probably go straight to bed, or want a shot of something a lot stronger than either tea or coffee."
Tsuki smiled at the blue-haired man. �Okay, tea for Kei and what about Kate and Hisato, if I decide not to feed him rat poison that is?�
"With those two you never know. Hisato might drink tea or coffee, or he might decide he wants something like fruit juice or a beer. I never try to guess what he'll want."
Aki glanced at the clock, and then walked to the kitchen table, dropping into the chair. "Where are they?" he asked, the pallor of his face showing how worried he was getting.
�Are Weiss really that good?� Tsuki asked, more to take Aki�s mind off his worry than any real desire to know.
"Kei thinks so, and that's all that really matters." He couldn't sit still so he got up and walked to the back doors but there was still no sign of headlights coming up the driveway.
It was Tsuki�s turn to glance up at the clock but only two minutes had passed since last time he�d checked. Deciding that he needed to do something other than worry himself sick he filled the kettle with water and set it on to boil. The distant sound of powerful engines made him look up and stare out of the window.
"It's them!" Aki said relief in his tone as he opened the back door and stepped outside.
Silently thanking every deity he could think of, Tsuki carried on with his tea making. Outwardly calm, his heart was thumping as loudly as Aki�s base drum.
Jas was the first one into the driveway, the blond already coming inside before the others were more than bright lights on the street.
Aki watched the older man go striding past without so much as a word. He frowned but kept his mouth shut, able to tell what sort of mood the man was in by the closed expression on his face and the iciness of his grey eyes.
Tsuki watched Jas storm through the kitchen, his black eyes concerned. Silence was never very communicative but tonight he looked positively forbidding. It did not bode well.
Kate was next through the door and she didn�t look nearly as grim. She even went so far as to hug Aki. �You shouldn�t have waited up.� Then her eyes fell on Tsuki and the teapot. �Is that tea? You�re an angel!�
Aki offered her a shy smile and blushed at the hug she gave him. "Is everything all right, Kate-san?" he asked her softly, not wanting Jas to hear them.
Hisato was the next one up the driveway, but instead of coming inside he crouched down by his bike to check a tire.
Aki frowned. "Something must have happened. Hisato is checking out one of his wheels."
Kei was the last one up the driveway, his bike barely stopped before he was getting off of it, wrenching his helmet off and stalking toward the house. Dark or not, Aki could see the tension of barely controlled anger in the man's posture.
Kate grimaced slightly and got well out of Kei�s way. �As far as Weiss is concerned, yes, it went well,� she told Aki. �As for the rest�� She threw her hands palm up in a gesture of minor irritation. ��ask one of them!�
She moved across the kitchen like a stalking cat and took the cup of tea that Tsuki held out to her. �Thanks,� she said.
The guitarist stalked past but they all heard the door to the entertainment room slam, which was followed immediately by the sound of two men snarling at one another in anger.
"They're going to fight," Aki said dismally as he dropped into a kitchen chair.
�Looks that way,� Tsuki agreed with a slight grimace.
�They�re both behaving like fucking children!� Kate said succinctly. She frowned slightly as she sipped at her tea. �If I didn�t know better I�d say Jas had something against Abyssinian.�
Hisato came inside, heard the voices and shook his head. "Something is definitely not right with Jas. I mean, besides the usual pair of meltdowns he goes through every year." He got some coffee and joined the others at the table. "Ever since he had his run in with Weiss the other night he's been acting really weird, even for him."
Aki frowned, "It's like he wants Kei to hurt him."
�I still say it has something to do with Abyssinian,� Kate said. �A woman�s intuition is never wrong.� Her bright green eyes were raised to take in all their faces in turn. They came to rest on Aki. �You were there when they had that little pissing contest on the road, Aki. Am I wrong in thinking there was something else going on?�
Her head turned slightly and she smiled sweetly at Tsuki. �You�d have noticed it.�
Tsuki sighed, resigned now to everyone knowing his feelings thanks to Hisato�s big mouth.
Aki looked from Kate to Tsuki, then he frowned, "You're right. He kept watching Abyssinian." The blue-haired man's eyebrows pulled closer together as he thought about how Jas had behaved.
"So what do you think is bugging him?" Hisato asked as he took a sip of the coffee. "You've got to admit Jas is weird on a good day."
�Jas isn�t weird,� Kate said. �Just because he�s not driven by his hormones like you are�� she stopped, frowning. �Okay, Jas notwithstanding, Kei wants Weiss. How do you guys feel about that?�
Tsuki shrugged. �As long as the little one stays away from my computers I�m not too bothered either way.�
"I'm not sure about it honestly," Hisato said as he left the table to find something to eat. "It's not that I don't think they're good enough, but we already have a good team, why change a good thing?"
"Kei wants them," Aki stated, "and what Kei wants..." he shrugged.
Issei had wandered into the kitchen as they�d been talking and now added his two cents worth. �We�re a good team but so are they. We deliberately went to their cabin when Balinese and Bombay were alone and they immediately presented a united front when presented with us. I admired that.�
Kate nodded slowly. �Yes they�re very much a team. They proved that again in the park.� She put her teacup down and sat back in her chair. �I actually find myself liking them.�
"Don't get me wrong here, I don't dislike them, I just think that having them with us is going to add more stress especially where Jas is concerned. He's part of our team and has been for a while now, and if having Weiss is going to affect him this much, I say we don't need them," Hisato said as he searched for something he wanted to eat.
�Well, whether we need them or no, the deed is done,� Kate said with a shrug. �You and Jas will just have to put up with them.�
The sound of raised voices finally came to an end and everyone in the kitchen went still, waiting� perhaps wanting to escape the aftermath, perhaps worried about the damage that might have been done� whatever their thoughts were, they kept them to themselves.
Kate glanced round at them all. Issei seemed undisturbed, Aki nervous, Tsuki tense, and Hisato resumed his scavenger hunt for food.
The sound of someone running up the stairs was soon followed by Kei joining them in the kitchen. His face had the look of a typhoon, like a dark raging storm filled him.
He said not a word as he got a cup of tea and then walked to the sliding doors where he stood looking into the night and their peaceful garden sipping his tea.
Aki looked at Kate as Hisato joined them at the table with a single serving container of mixed fruit.
Kate shook her head in warning. Now was not a good time to ask questions or make comments. By asking their opinions she had taken on the responsibility of passing them on if the need should arise, but she would keep quiet until asked.
Aki sighed and slumped in his seat, his delicate features showing his unhappiness. Something was going on between Kei and Jas, and whatever it was wasn't good.
Hisato chewed fruit and watched Kei's back, keeping quiet. If Kei wanted to talk, he would, but Hisato knew that was a big if. Fighting with Jas always left Kei fuming and frustrated and it was just not a good idea to bother him.
Kate was pretty sure she knew what Jas�s problem was. It could be summed up in one attractive, streamlined package � the Weiss redhead. And, if she was any judge, the confusion was mutual.
Issei sighed quietly and turned to leave the kitchen. If Kei wasn�t going to talk to them, there was no point in staying up any longer.
�I'd appreciate it if everyone would keep an eye on Jas. He's depressed because it's that time of year again, but he's worse than I've ever seen him and...� he turned to face them, his face showing the pain and worry he was feeling, along with the frustration, �I'm worried about him.�
�I�m sure you noticed the same uptight syndrome in the Weiss redhead,� Kate said quietly, �and I think he might just be part of the problem. Jas and he were very odd around each other on that mountain road. So much so that I�d be willing to bet there�s a mutual attraction there.�
Kei's eyebrows looked as if they were trying to merge with his hairline. �Really?� he asked, incredulous. He joined them at the table, �So tell me what you saw, Kate. You're good at reading Jas. What did he do?�
�After a preliminary exchange of insults, he very carefully tried to refrain from talking to the redhead at all,� Kate said. �Then, after he cleared the road, he was staring at Abyssinian as he drove past. And the Weiss man actually turned to take a second look at him.�
She smiled. �It was like watching fire trapped within ice with both of them.�
Kei glanced into his tea, thoughtfully. �Well that would explain Jas' resistance to the idea of Weiss joining us. If he is attracted he won't know how to act or what to do or say.� He sipped some of the tea, and then looked up at Kate, �Jas isn't comfortable with strangers to start with, and sexual attraction isn't something he's ever felt to my knowledge. I think we're all in for a rough time of it until he either gets over or gives in to the attraction.�
Hisato smirked, �This could be fun.�
Kei shot a hard glance at the other man, �Don't even think about teasing him. Not if you want to keep breathing. He's touchy as a feral cat right now and I don't want to hear you bitching when he knocks your teeth out.�
�So we should make sure he doesn't hurt himself or something, but otherwise just let him alone?� Aki asked.
�Yes. Now let's get some sleep,� Kei replied as he finished his drink and took the cup to the sink.