Takatori Mamoru climbed out of the Mercedes that had carried him from the airport and gazed up at the schloss. It was a imposing building obviously conceived for size and splendour rather than having the fairy tale quality of some of the prettier schloss along the banks of the Rhine.
This one had been built by one of the crazier Bavarian monarchs and it showed. Although large there was an almost tangible pall of gloom hanging over the place. Whether this was due to the current residents or a heavy dose of history, he had no way of knowing.
The Rosenkreuz agent who had accompanied him from the airport now ushered him through a set of double doors.
�Master Erik has asked to see you immediately Takatori-san,� he said, �if you will follow me.� He led the way down a long corridor lined with suits of western medieval armour to another set of double doors which he threw open with a flourish.
Mamoru frowned. Whoever �Master Erik� was he had a penchant for grandiose gestures and attempts to make his guests feel at a disadvantage. Not for the first time he wondered exactly what his fool of a grandfather had got them involved in.
He strode into the room to find a motley collection of people, half of whom appeared to be children. His frown deepened.
Seated in an almost throne of a chair, was a boy of about thirteen or fourteen. He had dark, piercing eyes, and thick brown hair and he was watching Takatori Mamoru enter the room with an almost total lack of interest.
Standing beside him were a girl of about ten or eleven with dark hair, and a boy with hair like captive fire who couldn't have been much older than the girl. At his feet were a pale haired pair of boys, one of about five or six, the last one a few years older than the others.
There was no place for anyone but the boy to sit down, and a narrow ornate Persian rug led to the chair on which he was seated.
"And you would be Takatori Mamoru, head of this Kritiker organization we're to assist." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact.
"According to my grandfather�s wishes, yes," Mamoru agreed. "You are 'Master Erik' I take it."
He could feel the power in the room and it made his skin crawl as he knew he was powerless to control it or to prevent those present from using it against him. Mentally cursing his grandfather as an old fool he schooled his thoughts so that any telepath present would only read his determination to destroy those who had once been Weiss, who had betrayed Kritiker, who had disobeyed him. His anger rose as he thought of Zeshin, Ken and Nagi especially.
"Yes," the young teen replied. "I'm Erik Crawford."
�Crawford?� Mamoru almost spat the word out. �You�re related to that bastard?�
The boy's eyes narrowed. "That bastard is my father, thank you," Erik retorted coldly. Of course he wouldn't bother to mention to this waste of oxygen that he hated his father. Human scum didn't need to know things like that.
�Then we have nothing further to discuss,� Mamoru said coldly. �I was obviously misinformed as I was led to believe you wanted the downfall of Schwarz.�
"You weren't misinformed at all, but you do seem to be rather good at making assumptions. It's a bad habit and you really should do something to correct it or it may get you killed," Erik replied. He favoured the Takatori fool with a frosty smile. *Useless wretch. If we didn't want Kritiker I'd just kill him now,* Erik told his gathered team.
*It would be easy. He has no protection from any of us,* the red-haired boy on his left stated silently.
*At least you could let Alec slip in and teach him to behave, Erik,* the girl on his right suggested.
*No. Let the human think he's an important ally for the moment. There will be enough time later to teach him his mistakes,* Erik told them.
*His hatred for Crawford is almost as strong as yours,* Berger sent, *but he really wants Naoe, Hidaka and another like Shinzo dead.*
The boy�s rudeness did nothing to endear him to Mamoru and he turned on his heel after saying, �I�m not in the habit of either making assumptions or working with people who make veiled threats. I believe we are both wasting our time.� And when he got home he was going to kill his grandfather.
The doors opened again to admit a woman who sighed irritably before stepping forward. �Takatori-san, how good of you to come all this way. I�m afraid my son is playing his rather silly games again. Shall we go somewhere more comfortable and discuss how we can be of mutual benefit to each other?�
Mamoru came to a halt and studied her. Smart, polite and cold. Someone he felt he could do business with. �Very well,� he agreed.
Erik stared at the woman who was his mother. Anger seethed just beneath the calm surface he presented, but he quickly got it under control.
"Why thank you so much mother. I'm rather tired and I think I'll be going to bed now," he told her and motioned to his central team, his siblings and the two of Farfarello's get. Together they headed for the other door behind his throne chair that led into a corridor that would take them to the area they shared.
"ERIK!" The woman's voice cracked through the air like a whip. "If you wish to take over at the head of Rosenkreuz I suggest you learn the basics of courtesy and come with Takatori-san and myself. Your team can wait for you here."
The boy stopped where he was, then motioned for his team to return to their places before he joined his mother and the human. "I'm here, mother," he replied softly with his head bowed, emotions veiled by the mental walls he always kept firmly in place.
�Then let�s go somewhere more comfortable and more conducive to putting our guest at his ease,� she said. �If you would follow me, Takatori-san, there is a rather nice sitting room where we can talk.�
Mamoru inclined his head and followed the woman back down the corridor and through a door on the right. It led to a cosy room with a fire burning brightly in a huge hearth and comfortable armchairs drawn up around it. There was a tray on a low table with two pots of tea and one of coffee plus three cups and some dainty sandwiches on it. He sighed in relief.
Erik sat down and stared at the Japanese man through half closed eyes. He felt nothing but contempt for the former Weiss. The man had betrayed his own team-- not that Erik was incapable of a certain degree of that-- what was unforgivable was his failure to get a job done.
It only frustrated Erik more to realize he wasn't doing too well on that score either as his encounter with Schwarz had shown.
�Please take a seat, Takatori-san,� the woman said as she seated herself close to the tray. �I wasn�t sure if you favoured black or green tea or if your preference was for coffee so I ordered some of each.�
�Green tea would be very welcome,� Mamoru said with a close facsimile of one of his former sunny smiles. His eyes remained watchful, wary and cold however.
"I'll have coffee, mother," Erik said quietly, trying not to do anything else to rouse the bitch's ire.
She poured two cups of coffee and one of green tea and handed round the sandwiches. �I understand you are as interested in the� annihilation of Essett as we are,� she began. �Especially those who betrayed your organisation and� their new-found friends.�
�I had mistakenly believed that one or two of them were already dead,� Mamoru said. �I sent one of those hybrids, like the one you have here, to kill the two most dangerous, as I saw it, but it betrayed me.� He sighed. Neither Aya nor Yohji would have hurt him then. Perhaps he should have handled things differently.
"Never send a lackey to do an important job," Erik stated.
�You�re right. I should have done the job myself,� Mamoru agreed. �Because I didn�t they�ve joined with Schwarz.� He almost spat the name out.
"Considering their past, don't you find that in the least bit odd?" Erik asked, intentionally trying to sow a few seeds of doubt.
�Actually, no,� Mamoru said. �Oh, I did at first, but it was only logical that they would migrate to their own kind. My biggest mistake was entrusting Zeshin with the task.�
"He wasn't ever completely yours or he couldn't have refused you," Erik informed Mamoru. "It's not in their natures to fail, or betray their masters."
�That�s not strictly true, Erik,� the woman said. �My intelligence sources say that he did try but was prevented by Schwarz arriving on the scene. If it is any consolation, Takatori-san, he was yours at the time. Now he belongs to one of the very people you sent him to kill.�
Mamoru frowned. He couldn�t imagine either Aya or Yohji wanting such a pet.
Erik glanced at his mother. "Mother I was trying to spare him a few truths. I'm sure that knowing his former team mates harboured such... deviant sexual natures wasn't something he wanted or needed to find out about."
�On the contrary, Erik-san, the more I can find out about what they�ve become the better,� Mamoru said with one of his political smiles. �I learned from a very young age that one should keep one�s enemies even closer than one�s friends. I was na�ve in thinking they were my friends it seems.�
"So it seems," Erik agreed.
His mother shot him a stern look before turning a chilling smile on Mamoru. �So in exchange for our aid, what is Kritiker offering?�
�What do you need?�
Erik looked to his mother for the answer.
She appeared to give it some thought. �Some expendable manpower to throw at Schwarz while we� prepare.� She shot a look at Erik as she said that. �And the possibility to recruit in Japan.�
Mamoru considered her proposition carefully. Then he smiled. �I have the very people you need. Good at recon, trusted by Fujimiya and explosives experts. As for recruiting in Japan, as soon as Schwarz are dealt with you can have free rein to search for talents in Japan.�
Erik regarded his mother for a moment, "Preparations are well underway, mother." He put on a smile but his eyes were blank of any warmth. "I'll be interested to see what these Kritiker agents can do against Schwarz."
Mamoru put down his cup and steepled his fingers. �It�s my belief that at least one or two members of Crashers are fr�talents and they are well able to infiltrate.� He smiled, the same meaningless lifting of lips that the other two people in the room were so good at. �Especially as one of them is an ex-lover of Fujimiya�s.�
Erik nodded, and tapped his fingertip to his chin as if thinking. "So you think he'll be able to get close enough to them to, what? Carry out an attack?"
*Alec. Berger. Tell me what this creature is thinking. What are his real intentions in sending this ex-lover to Fujimiya?"
*He wants rid of these Crashers,* Berger sent. *Apparently one of them sent him sprawling in public. He�s hoping that the two teams kill each other. Also he really wants an end to Naoe Nagi, their pyro Hidaka and Zeshin their cat.*
*Berger is correct. He wants revenge. And he considers us all freaks.* amusement filled Alec's mental tone, *It would be easy to twist his mind. He has no shields, unlike his former team mates.*
*Yes,* Berger agreed, *he�s only here because his grandfather sent him. The old fool thinks he can manipulate us. The young fool isn�t quite that stupid.*
*Both fools will be dealt with in their own time,* Erik sent to his telepaths. While he himself wasn't one, Alec served as a bridge between him and everyone else.
*For now, I want you to put the idea in his head that he has nothing to fear from any of us. It will make it easier for us later if he doesn't suspect our motives.*
Meanwhile his mother was asking Mamoru his terms.
�Just make sure Schwarz die,� Mamoru said. Then a terrible smile crossed his features. �My grandfather thinks to use both you and me. If you could find a way to get rid of him too I would be grateful.�
Erik smiled. "I think that can be arranged."
�Excellent. Do you need Crashers here or should I send them straight out into the field?�
�Would they know where Schwarz are?� the woman asked.
�I believe an e-mail from them to Fujimiya would get us that information. He�s always trusted them.�
"Excellent," Erik murmured, his lips pulled into a smirk that made the resemblance to Crawford even more apparent.
�So, you want me to send them off on their own?�
"For now yes. We can have some of our people move in as soon as you have their location pinpointed," Erik replied. Of course they already had a good idea where Schwarz was, but Crawford would keep them on the move and that would make it more difficult for the RK teams to pin them down.
"They won't run if they think they're meeting with friends. Just have them tell us where Schwarz is, we'll handle the rest," the boy said with an icy smile.
Mamoru nodded. It was a good plan and the boy was going up in his estimation. He rose to his feet. �Very well,� he agreed. �I�ll spend a night at a hotel to get over my jet lag and fly back tomorrow. Then I�ll send for Crashers and set them on Schwarz. Did we need to discuss anything else?�
Erik again looked to his mother for the answer even though he knew what she would tell the useless human.
She also rose and extended a hand to shake Mamoru�s. �No, I don�t think so,� she said. �Oh, we will need to know where your grandfather and your cousin can be found.�
�My cousin?� Mamoru was completely at a loss. �I thought my half-brothers were both dead along with my cousin Ouka.� It looked like his grandfather had been holding out on him once again. �If there is a cousin my grandfather will have him or her hidden away.�
"It's funny really. You didn't know about your cousin, and Crawford didn't know about his children," Erik commented as he rose to his feet. "I'll be going. My team is waiting for me."
*Berger here is your chance to make up for your mistake. I want him to trust us and I want him to think I'm his new best friend. Can you do that?*
*It�s easy enough if that�s what you want,* Berger agreed.
�Actually I don�t find it at all funny,� Mamoru was saying. �It means the old bastard was plotting against me.� A strange expression crossed his face and then he smiled at Erik with genuine warmth. �I�d be extremely grateful if you�d rid me of both of them.�
"You know..." Erik began, "staying here would be cheaper than going to a hotel, Mamoru. Don't you think so mother? And our food is excellent too."
The woman shot him a look but didn�t argue. �We would be happy to offer you a room here, Takatori-san,� she said.
�Well, if it�s not too much trouble, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you.�
Erik laughed and stood, motioning to Mamoru. "Of course it's not too much trouble, is it mother? You can stay with my team and I. I'm sure we'll enjoy your company."
Mamoru smiled again, the expression making him look his true age. �That sounds like fun,� he said and followed the boy out of the room.
The woman stared after them for a moment, wondering what Erik was up to this time.
* * * * * * *
Yohji was working his way through his second cigarette, standing by the open balcony door so he wouldn't be nagged for it later.
So much had happened that sometimes he had trouble getting his mind around even half of it. This was one of those times.
Kai came up behind him and slipped his arms round his waist, leaning his head against his back. �You seem tense, Yohji, have you rested enough?�
"I couldn't sleep anymore. I think that's a first, actually," he told the younger man. He took a deep inhalation from the cigarette and then tossed it aside. He let the smoke go and turned to face Kai, pulling the smaller man close and just standing there holding him.
�Anyone else awake yet?"
�Nagi and Ken. They had the third watch and are now ordering breakfast for everyone.�
"I'm not very hungry," Yohji commented. "But I could go for a light snack," he leaned down and captured Kai's mouth.
Kai kissed him back, letting some of his �energy� seep into the blond and do it�s healing work. When they broke apart he said, �I think they�re getting a selection. Pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, cereal, toast, tea and coffee. There should be something in there that you might want to eat.�
Yohji's jade eyes warmed. "But I've already found something to eat," he murmured into Kai's ear. He nibbled down the younger man's neck. He hadn't had sex in... well longer than he wanted to think about and he'd smelled it on both Brad and Aya which had gotten him both jealous and aroused at the same time.
Kai wasn�t about to argue. Physically Yohji was at peak condition. It was his talent that had been constantly drained over the past couple of days. He gave himself up to the pleasure he was feeling.
The former Weiss was just about to scoop Kai up and carry him to the bedroom when he heard someone clearing their throat. He knew the voice. Sighing he let Kai go and looked at the Schwarz leader.
"We aren't staying here long enough for even a quickie," he told the blond as he crossed the room. He took Yohji into his arms and gave the man a deep kiss, treated Kai to the same thing, and then pushed them both toward the door. "Let the room service people in."
There was a loud knock.
"I hate it when he does that," Yohji muttered as he headed for the door.
A maid pushed a trolley groaning under the weight of their order into the hallway. �Where do you want it?� she asked.
�Just leave it there, thank you,� Aya said from just behind Yohji, �we can manage.� He handed her some dollar bills and waited until the door was closed behind her before kissing Yohji.
Yohji responded to Aya's kiss, his arms going around the sleek swordsman, his cock instantly hard.
"Enough Kudoh," Brad ordered gently. "We don't have time." To Kai he said, "Get everyone moving. We're got an hour to eat and be on our way."
Yohji didn't let Aya go, holding on even tighter in response to the demand. He didn't give a damn about food. He needed to get laid and he was intent on getting what he wanted for a change.
Aya sighed slightly but pulled away from Yohji to push the trolley into the main room. The rest of Schwarz were appearing from bedroom doorways and heading towards the trolley. Grabbing some bacon and scrambled egg Aya got out of the way of the minor stampede.
Muttering Yohji stalked off toward the nearest bathroom. "Don't think I'll forget this," he snarled in frustration.
Brad strode after the blond. "Save me some of the food. I have something to deal with."
Farfarello yawned and watched Brad going after Yohji. "I can see today is going to be another fun-filled romp," he muttered as he grabbed a plate.
Schuldig sniggered at his lovers� words but soon shut up when Aya directed a glare his way.
�Sorry, Aya,� he muttered. Then he frowned. �Why don�t we just go back and creep up on them right now?�
�Because a few things need to happen first, apparently,� Aya said.
Farfarello hadn't even finished his bacon before Crawford returned. "Save some sausage and two biscuits for Yohji. He'll eat in the car," he got out between gritted teeth.
Only a blind person would have missed the erection tenting the Schwarz leader's trousers or the anger in his eyes as he picked up a plate and started to fill it. Whatever had happened it hadn't turned out the way Brad wanted and it didn't take a genius to know Yohji was in for trouble later.
* * * * * * *
The flight down to Rio had been incident free and all airports had been precisely as they should have been. Schuldig and Nagi got their weapons through check-ins, security checks and customs with no problems at all and the hotel was very nice so Aya had to wonder what could go wrong.
A few moments with Nagi�s laptop catching up on e-mails gave him his answer. Yuushi wanted to know where he was.
The rest of the team had gone looking for food at Brad's insistence, leaving Aya, Crawford and Yohji alone in their suite.
A sharp cry came from behind the closed bedroom door where Brad had taken Yohji. It wasn't a gasp of pleasure. Faintly Aya could hear Brad saying, "Will you obey me without any more of your shit?"
The answer he got was a shuddering whisper that Aya couldn't quite hear.
Aya hoped it was a �yes� for Yohji�s sake. Brad could not afford to have anything less than total obedience during the current situation. He knew Yohji was frustrated and that in turn was making him behave like a prize brat. But they couldn�t afford any bratty behaviour right now. However, with this new problem they didn�t have time for further punishment either.
�Crawford,� he called, �we have a new problem.�
Brad came out of the bedroom. His tie was off, suit coat removed, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and his belt was missing from his trousers. Perspiration glistened on his forehead showing that, whatever he'd been doing had accounted for a great deal of physical exertion.
"I hope to never have to do that to any of you ever again," he stated. There was a harsh grating note in his voice.
"I'd ask what now, but you must realize I already know, Aya." Crawford dropped onto the couch and rested his head on the cushioned back, closing his eyes. He shuddered slightly, "Mamoru has gone to Austria. The game has begun."
�He�s sent Crashers on our tail I think. There�s an e-mail from Yuushi. He may have told them that we�re with you against our will. I haven�t even opened the e-mail just in case.�
"Open the email, but don't let it send an auto reply," Brad replied. "As with everything involving you, what I'm seeing is... indistinct. But yes, I believe that Mamoru has made a promise to those in charge of Esset that he has some way to..." he sighed and shook his head. "I can't tell what he's promised, other than it includes..."
Brad sat up and stared at the red-haired man with narrowed eyes. "Your former lover."
Aya sighed irritably at the look on Brad�s face. �Former being the operative word,� he said. �Yuushi and I stopped being lovers some years ago when Masato got over his injury and rejoined the team.�
He snickered softly in remembrance. �There was hardly a day went by when we didn�t argue about something or other, usually something really petty. I�m fond of them all, Brad, but I have enough lovers to cope with right now, without picking up the pieces with an old one.�
He sobered again very quickly. �I just don�t know what he will have been told.�
"You certainly do have more than enough lovers to deal with. And I'd say they've been told nothing good about the situation. It's either an outright lie, or their version of the truth depending on how you view your being with us."
Brad frowned as his stomach rumbled. "We haven't eaten since breakfast. Do you want to pry Yohji off the floor and go find somewhere to eat or call room service?"
�Call room service. I imagine Yohji will want to eat standing up and he can hardly do that in public. Besides, we need to decide how to answer this, depending on what Yuushi has said.�
Brad nodded. "I want steak, or something else substantial. You can order for me while I try and get a better idea what Esset is doing. Go see to Yohji first though. He's going to need some comforting I think."
Aya�s brows rose but he said nothing. Instead he rose to his feet and went into the bedroom, shutting the door softly behind him.
Yohji was laying on the floor, a fine coating of sweat covering his entire body. His ass was red as fire and covered in well placed welts the width of Brad's belt. His wrists were handcuffed to the leg at the head of the bedframe while his ankles were fastened to the leg at the foot with Brad�s tie.
He wasn't moving, but Aya could hear that each breath was a ragged gasp.
Apart from this somewhat erotic sight there were two broken chairs and a smashed vase. Yohji had not given in without a fight but that was to be expected. He squatted down by the side of his lover.
�Yohji?� He wouldn�t attempt to free his blond lover until he was sure the man knew it was him. A kick in the face was not something he relished receiving.
"Go away," was the tense answer. The blond had his face to the side of the bed and he didn't turn to look at Aya.
Sighing softly, Aya leaned forward to untie Yohji�s ankles before reaching up to undo the cuffs with the key Crawford had left on the night stand.
�I�ll leave you to come out when you�re ready.� As erotic a sight as Yohji bound and beaten had been, Aya was angry. Sure, Yohji didn�t always jump to attention immediately but this was overkill.
"Fucking go away already!" Yohji snarled.
Brad's first words to Aya as he came out of the bedroom were: "Don't even say it. I know exactly what I did and what the results will be."
He took his glasses off and put them on the coffee table. "I ordered food for us, I hope you don't mind but I'm starving. We can try to decide what action to take regarding your former team mates."
�Before we do that I want to know what the results will be,� Aya said as he crossed to the couch opposite Brad and sat down in front of the laptop.
"No more disobedience."
�Does the end justify the means? We�re supposed to be a team, not your lackeys.�
"I didn't treat him like a lackey!" Brad snapped angrily. "I treated him like a man that I love. If he'd been a lackey I'd have shot him."
Aya actually smiled then. �That�s true. Okay, I�ve said all I�m going to say on the subject.� A knock at the door heralded the arrival of food and Aya went to collect it, handing Brad the steak while he was pleased to see a much lighter meal of grilled fish and vegetables for himself.
Brad accepted the steak and started in on the big meal. He'd barely gotten to the second mouthful of steak when a totally naked Yohji came out of the bed room and leaned over the couch between the pair of them.
"I hope there's something for me." He voice was steady, but he was speaking in a more hesitant tone than he normally used, as if not sure how far his punishment would extend.
Brad cut a piece of steak and offered it to Yohji on the end of the fork. Yohji accepted it and started to chew.
�There�s an e-mail from Yuushi,� Aya told him unhappily. �We were just about to figure out what to do about it.�
"Yuushi? From Crashers? Why would they contact us?" he asked as Brad offered him another bite of the steak which he accepted.
Brad took a bite of his dinner. "Open it and read it," he instructed.
Mentally thanking all internet gods everywhere for web mail, Aya complied. Yuushi�s message was short and to the point.
�Just thought you ought to know that Mamoru has set us against Schwarz. We�ll play along for now.
Yuushi.�
"A warning. Do you think we can trust it?" Yohji asked, looking from Aya to Brad who fed him more of the steak.
"I believe we can," Brad replied as he chewed. "What we need to decide is how to turn this to our advantage in order to bring Takatori and his allies in Esset down."
Aya was thoughtful as he gazed at the e-mail. �Crashers would almost certainly help us against Rosenkreuz if asked,� he said. �The question mark is over Queen. She might feed info back to Takatori. Once we take his playmates out of the equation Takatori Mamoru is relatively easy to deal with.�
He glanced up then and fixed the two men with a hard stare. �When we do, he�s mine.�
Brad smiled. "Of course. You always get dibs on any Takatori you want."
"I wonder if he still has Manx and Birman working for him," Yohji said.
"Birman yes, Manx no. She's done a disappearing act. She didn't care for the way Mamoru treated us," Brad told him.
�Makes sense,� Aya said with a shrug. �It was Birman who sent us to Hokkaido. She must have known what Zeshin was intended to do there.�
Yohji's jade eyes narrowed. "I'd say we can bet on that."
"And you'd be right," Brad stated as he picked up his glasses and put them on. He glanced back at Yohji, reached up and pulled the blond lower so he could kiss him.
Yohji pulled away. "Don't."
Brad pushed his glasses up. "So my food is good enough for you, but not my love?"
Aya raised a brow. That was the second time that Brad had spoken of his love for the blond.
But right now he was more concerned with Queen�s position. She was to Crashers what Manx had been to them. Then something else Brad had said sank in.
�Manx disappeared? She virtually raised Mamoru, told us he had our best interests at heart when she gave us the files on Kai and Zeshin. I find it strange that she would abandon him� unless�� But the answer was obvious. Like the rest of them, Manx had loved Tsukiyono Omi, not Takatori Mamoru.
Still didn�t answer his concerns about Queen though.
Brad turned partway around on the couch to regard Yohji.
"Yes she did. I don't know where she's gone. All I saw was Birman's reaction to the news. It wasn't a very detailed vision either, but it makes me wonder.
"I want to have Nagi see if he can hack the Kritiker system while we're here. Right now we're well ahead of any RK or Kritiker agents. They don't know where we've gone, but that won't take them long to discover."
The Schwarz leader reached up and touched Yohji's cheek. When the younger man didn't pull away, Brad tried to kiss him.
Yohji started to pull away, but relented and let Brad have what he wanted, an involuntary gasp coming from him as Crawford ran a gentle hand over his abused ass. Tears blurred his vision. It still hurt. Even being shot hadn't hurt like this and he hoped to hell he was never on the receiving end of the other man's anger again.
He'd fought hard to keep Brad from doing it to him, but it hadn't helped. Brad had easily blocked every effort to hit him while getting in a few punches that had finally taken Yohji down.
Brad ended the kiss. "When Kai returns he can take some of the sting out of it."
Yohji nodded.
"Go rest."
And Yohji did as he'd been told without an argument.
Brad waited until the door closed then picked up his fork and took a bite of the cooling steak. He shook his head and set the fork down.
"You wondered why I was so hard on Yohji, so I'll tell you. He still has an attraction to women, and from what I've seen Queen could have lured him away into danger. I've made sure that won't happen."
Aya put his hands to his temples and sighed. His first instinct was to trust Crashers but Queen was the unknown entity of the team. �I think you�re right, we need to find out what�s going on in Kritiker and who is loyal to whom.�
"And that will take Nagi to accomplish." Brad shoved his plate aside. He'd been hungry when it arrived, but somewhere between then and now he'd lost any appetite for the rich meat.
"Eat your dinner, I'm going to give this to Yohji. He's probably more interested in it than I am." He stood then paused, an odd expression on his face.
"Erik's had Berger tamper with Mamoru's mind." He shook himself. "that boy is up to something that not even his superiors realize." He turned to Aya, "He's going to try and stage a coup and take over Esset himself."
Although the news wasn�t great, Aya smiled. �You�re seeing your visions again,� he said, �and not just your own death.� He sobered quickly. �Though I wonder what he�ll try next.�
Brad nodded absently at the first part of what Aya had said. "He's dangerous, Aya. Very dangerous." He picked up the plate. "I'm going to feed Yohji, I'll be back."
He wasn't gone long, but when he came back his cock was hard, his face was flushed and there was an amused glitter in his eyes. "Kudoh has forgiven me apparently."
Aya snorted in amusement and pushed his plate aside, food finished with. �It never takes him long.�
He was thoughtful for a moment. �We�d better let Nagi loose on the computer before I even think about answering that e-mail.�
Brad thought about it for a moment. "I agree. The path ahead of us is quite indistinct. And just so you know, I've figured out how to adjust my own talent so yours no longer distorts it."
He leaned over the back of the couch where Yohji had been not too long ago and kissed Aya, not minding the flavour of the food he'd just eaten.
Aya returned the kiss for a moment but it was obvious that his mind was only half on the show of affection, working on what Brad had just said and still distracted by the e-mail. When Brad pulled away, however, he did murmur, �I love you.�
Immediately after he said, �we�re stepping through a minefield and it�s not all of that boy�s making now. Even when he was one of us, Takatori was a formidable opponent.� There was a wealth of pain in his voice as he said that.
Brad sat there thinking about what Aya had said. He steepled his fingers and sat there tapping them to his lips, his expression thoughtful.
When he started to speak it was in a soft murmur, meant only for Aya's ears. "Takatori is, unlike the rest of you, susceptible to mental tampering. Erik has already discovered that, Schuldig knew it and chose to play his games with your 'Omi' even then."
He let his hands drop, "I wonder exactly how he was made into the killer he was trained to be. It's possible that his mind was tampered with even before Schuldig touched him, and it's also possible that is why he's changed so much in the last few years."
Aya nodded slowly. �That makes a lot of sense,� he said, just as quietly. �Even at his best, it was like living with two different people: the smiling schoolboy and the cold-hearted killer. I always thought he was living in denial although I was never quite sure which side of himself he was trying to deny.�
�Compared to Ken or Yohji, we were the pragmatists, the ones who did very little soul-searching about what we were, but he took it to lengths that just wouldn�t seem possible in a normal person. I had to virtually shut down my emotions in order to remain sane, he never did. And I�ll never forgive him for the way he used Ken, Zeshin and Nagi.�
"Nor would I suggest that you do so. But consider a few things. We know nothing of how his training was carried out. Your Persia and Manx raised him as their own, never suspecting he wasn�t the son of Takatori Reiji. And we all know how those men hated one another. We also know who your Mamoru's real father was now. But before that, I'm sure the man never considered the long term cost of brainwashing a child and turning him into a killer. And he probably never considered the side-effects of Stockholm Syndrome either. None of that would have mattered. The ends of course being justification for the means. It's the way that Kritiker treated all you Weiss."
Aya had a sudden flash of memory. �We do know one thing about his training,� he said slowly. �When we were at the shop a dog got knocked down by a car outside. Ken brought it in and argued that we should take it to the vet. My reaction was that we should find the animal�s owner and let him pay for the vet.� He shrugged. �Aya-chan was still costing me most of my money then. Yohji said we should keep the dog as our own if it survived while Omi� � A shudder. �Omi tried to kill it.
�Our various reactions tell anyone with eyes to see volumes about us but �gentle� Omi trying to kill it worried us all. We asked him why he would want to kill the poor animal.
�He told us that when Persia was training him, he�d been given a puppy. He�d raised it with love and it had grown into a large dog. He didn�t know what had been done to it but one day it attacked him and Persia forced him to kill it to stop its �suffering.� He said he was trying to put our dog out of its pain.�
He glanced up at Brad. �It was all I ever wanted to know about his training.�
"None of that really surprises me. He's as mentally damaged as anyone in Esset ever was." Brad replied.
Brad took the laptop from the red-head and set it aside before he turned so he could rest his head on Aya's thigh. "My head is starting to hurt again. Just let me rest here for a few minutes."
Aya frowned, wondering if Brad and Schu would ever get over the frequent headaches the vampire telepath had left them with. He stroked Brad's hair gently.
Brad closed his eyes and sighed. "Keep doing that and I might just have to buy you a Porsche. And not the cheap model you had before either."
Aya smiled. �I never did like that car. If you really want to buy me something flashy make it a Ferrari.�
"That's doable," Brad replied. Lying there with his head in Aya's lap felt... well it felt very right. The only thing that could have made it perfect is if they were in bed with Yohji and Kai.
"When this mess is done with I'm having a bed custom built that we can all be comfortable in."
There was a chuckle from Aya at that. �That sounds like an excellent plan and will keep us all happy.�
Kai, at first a perceived rival for Yohji�s affections, was now an indispensable part of all their lives. The hotheadedness and bad temper noted by Kritiker seemed to have vanished leaving a happy and sexy young man behind. Perhaps it was just Kritiker and its ultimatum that had made Kai such an angry young man. It had certainly had that effect on him.
"Oh yes, happy listening to Yohji and Kai complain that they wind up trapped in the middle or stuck on the edge of the bed which makes them feel unloved." Brad chuckled. "Or you complaining that someone has stolen the covers."
Of course it was usually Yohji who'd managed to take the blanket and sheet, and half the time Brad's pillow too but the Schwarz leader didn't mind that. He was actually very fond of the blond.
"Do you love me?" Brad asked as he reached up to caress his lover's beautiful face.
�I believe I told you so just a little while ago,� Aya said with a slight smirk. �Yes, Brad, I do love you and even more than that, I trust you implicitly.� If the American knew him as well as he claimed to he would realise that trust was never something Aya gave lightly.
"So you did. Hmm..." Brad gave an appreciative murmur to show Aya that what he was doing felt good.
Ken and Nagi came in then, happy and laughing after their trip to Copacabana beach.
The old Aya would have moved but the new model simply stayed put, hand still running gently through Brad�s hair.
�I borrowed your laptop, Nagi, I hope you don�t mind.�
Nagi shook his head. �As long as you never let Ken, Farf or Schu loose on it, that�s fine,� he said. He glanced from Brad to Aya and back again. �Is there something you need me to find out?�
�Hey it's not like I'll ruin anything," Ken complained as he headed for the room that he and Nagi were sharing. He was wet and wanted to get changed.
"Yes. I want you to see if you can hack into Kritiker again and get any information on Queen, the woman who serves as the mission advisor to the Crasher's team. The littlest Takatori has decided to send them after us and I want to know as much about her, Birman and Manx as possible."
�I�ll get straight on it. Give me half an hour�an hour tops. I know all the ways into the Kritiker databases already.�
He picked up the laptop and sat himself in one of the armchairs with it. For a while the only sound in the room was the sound of the keyboard clicking at something approaching the speed of thought. Then Nagi broke the silence with a gasp and glanced at Aya.
�There�s a confidential report here from Birman to Takatori Saijou. By the looks of things she�s working directly for him now. It states that so far she has been unable to find and execute Manx.�
He let the keyboard do its stuff for a few more minutes. �Interesting. There seems to be a struggle for power going on between Mamoru and his grandfather. Queen and Crashers have been working less and less for either side and a memo from Rex to Birman states that Queen has not been seen in the office for some considerable time.�
He glanced up. �Looks like both sides consider Crashers expendable. Whether or not they know it is another question entirely.�
Brad had come up out of his doze at Nagi's first word, he opened his eyes and looked at the firm underside of Aya's jaw and smiled. His lover was truly beautiful at any angle.
"It looks as if Kritiker is heading for a complete implosion," Brad remarked. "And we still have the same question: do we let the Crashers near or do we evade them?"
"I personally don't want anyone connected to Kritiker getting close to us," Ken stated honestly.
�You don�t know Crashers, Hidaka, I do. They are just as idealistic as we used to be, perhaps more so as they are not specifically a kill team, and they have just as much right to survive as we do.�
The news about Manx was more problematic. He respected and even liked the woman but they had too many problems of their own to be able to help her.
�To defeat your enemy you have to think like your enemy,� Nagi murmured. �Mamoru and Rosenkreuz deal in the double-cross, perhaps we should too.�
"Aya, look that's not it at all. I'm not saying anything about them having a right to live or die, I'm talking about the way the Takatori goes about things. Nagi's right, he and Rosenkruez are masters of the double-cross. My bet is that he's really expecting Crashers to follow orders, try to kill us, and get killed themselves. They're just as expendable as you and Yohji were when he sent Zeshin after you," Ken replied. "And any time he sends someone from Kritiker to bring us in, he's got to know what the end result is going to be: they're the ones that will die. We're freaks remember? He knows the kind of power we have and there is nothing and no one the little bastard can send against us that has a hope of staying alive... unless we allow it."
Brad smiled. "Finally thinking instead of reacting. Very good, Hidaka," Brad remarked.
"Thanks daddy Schwarz," Ken replied acidly, but he was smiling.