Brad Crawford, leader of Schwarz, was staring unseeing at nothing and had been doing so for the last twenty minutes. Fine beads of sweat were starting to form on his forehead and upper lip. The knuckles of his hands where he gripped the arms of the hotel room chair where white from strain as the visions spun through his mind, finally slowing.
He blinked, let go of the chair and sighed, finally relaxing slightly.
�Weiss is in danger,� he said quietly to the red-haired man sitting across the room from him. �We�re going to have to handle it ourselves.�
Schuldig glanced up, knocked out of his own reverie. Abyssinian's mind had been...peculiar to put it mildly. He would stake his life on the kitty having some sort of extraordinary power.
"When you say Weiss, don't you mean Abyssinian and Balinese? I thought Siberian had a rather cushy number nowadays."
Seeing the obvious signs of a rather intense vision in Brad's stance and demeanour, he shut up and prepared to listen. "Okay, vater, what's happening?"
For a moment all Crawford did was stare at Schuldig. When he replied his voice came out in the usual calm, measured way it always did, but there was a bit of an edge underlying the quiet tone. �It�s not just Kudoh,� he informed the German, �Rosenkreuz is after Fujimiya too.� He removed his glasses and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a small hotel towel, his hands visibly shaking from the power of the visions that had torn through his mind.
"I'm not really surprised," Schuldig said. "Having had some access to his mind, finally, I can say categorically that there is something powerful and unique lurking in there." He was unusually quiet and serious for a moment. No matter what their history with Schwarz, he wouldn't want to be in either of the Weiss assassins shoes right now. "So...both sides want them, either dead or alive."
He shot a worried glance at Crawford. The precog was pushing himself way too hard. "You need to rest, vater."
Crawford put his glasses back on and ignored Schuldig�s last comment. �We aren�t going to be able to wait,� he informed the telepath. �Kudoh�s power is surfacing and he�s triggering Fujimiya.� He leaned back in the seat feeling drained and exhausted, but there just wasn�t enough time for rest.
�That bitch from Rosenkruez is going to have at Kudoh tonight. He�s on mission and won�t back down so the whole thing is about to go down sooner than I wanted.� Dark eyes stared at Schuldig, �And Singapura will receive his orders to carry out Endgame. He�s to take Kudoh and Fujimiya out as soon as they�ve reported a successful mission back to Persia.�
"Damn! The little shit doesn't waste any time does he? Should I let Siberian know the truth or should Nagi deal with that?"
�He was trained to be a dog for the Takatori, so we shouldn�t hold it against him,� Crawford reminded the German. �Tell Nagi to handle it. Now. We need Siberian with us by the end of the week.�
He shot another worried glance at Crawford. "Farf and I can deal with things tonight if you want. She's not a talent. Easy enough to dispose of her."
Crawford shook his head, �She isn�t, but there are three others there who are. I just spotted them tonight.� He frowned, �And that bothers me for reasons that should be obvious.� He glanced at his watch, and got to his feet, almost losing his balance, grabbing the chair to steady himself. He frowned knowing what bad form it was to even let his own team see him at less than 100%. Weaknesses could be exploited and, except for Naoe, they were all products of Rosenkreuz.
�It will have to be the three of us,� he told the telepath. �I don�t want you hurt by Kudoh.� He met the German�s eyes, �That bitch is going to drug him, but it�s not going to have the effect she expects.� He smirked. �Things are about to get a whole lot easier for all of us, Schuldig.�
"Not if you fall apart, they're not," the German muttered under his breath. "Give me a moment to reach Nagi."
*Hey, kid!*
*What do you want, Schu?* Nagi's mind voice sounded worn, sad even.
*Time to activate Siberian and get yourselves out of there.*
Nagi's mind brightened considerably at that news but his next thought shocked Schuldig. *I don't think that's a good idea, kid. I'll run it past Brad if you like but...*
*Will you stay out of my private thoughts! I'm not as stupid as you are!* The connection was abruptly severed.
"Little bastard!" Schuldig complained, rubbing at his aching temples.
One dark eyebrow arched in inquiry a slight frown crossing the man�s face at the obvious pain the German seemed to be in. �Did he hurt you? And I�ve already told him no about that other thing.�
"Ach, he was pissed at me. My fault. He shocked me into prying too much. Should I go and wake Farf?"
Time to get Schuldig out of here, Brad told himself and nodded, �Yes. We need to get going. We won�t be coming back here, so grab what the pair of you need. I�ve already packed.�
Crawford waited until Schuldig was out of the room and dropped back into the chair feeling the pain lance down his arm as his heart protested the strain. He pressed a hand to his forehead, fighting a few lingering images that would not subside.
Kudoh and Fujimiya wrapped in one another�s embrace. Lovers. Bitter anger rose in his heart and he shoved it aside. He�d known there�d never been a chance of what he wanted. His sole purpose was to keep his people alive, and to ensure that he had to have Kudoh and Fujimiya.
He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, rubbing his left arm as the pain slowly subsided.
* * * * * * *
Nagi felt a little guilty about thrusting Schuldig out of his head so quickly, but he'd been told his wish was impossible already and didn't want to upset Brad. Now his patience was paying off and Hidaka could be brought into the game, which also meant he would be free of Kritiker and its new boss.
He packed quickly and left for the new flower shop in Sendai where Ken was situated. He wondered if the jock would believe him as his history suggested he'd once been very fond of Bombay. Time to find out.
Ken was standing outside the back door of shop, back to the wall, eyes turned heavenward.
It just wasn�t the same and he couldn�t shake the hollow ache in the middle of his chest where his team mates had once filled the emptiness.
Yohji and Aya gone. It didn�t make sense. Of them all he�d have expected at least one of them to have made it out of the sea. Aya and his stubborn resolve to care for his sister, or Yohji who�d always been part of the Weiss Ken had known.
He kept expecting to hear Aya telling the girls to buy something or leave. Kept waiting to hear Yohji�s drawled comment on being glad to take care of any girls over eighteen.
Over three months but he couldn�t get over the loss. Not even having the new team helped. Singapura and Bengal, both of them younger than he was. And being around Singapura hurt because the boy�s quiet polite ways were too damned much like Aya.
Nagi watched Siberian silently for a moment or two, wondering how he should make his approach without the athletic young man trying to attack him. Then again, Hidaka was quite aware of who he'd been working for since the Ani incident.
Done staring, he stepped round the corner and into view. "Hello, Siberian. I've got some news for you."
He felt a pang of conscience as he realised that Ken's dark brown eyes were full of pain as they came to rest upon him. Was his news going to make that pain even worse?
�So spill and leave, Prodigy. It�s late and I�m going to bed.� Of course it was a lie. He was probably going to go out and have a few beers and remember the times Yohji had dragged him out to do just that.
Yohji�d be the first one to tease me about being maudlin about them being dead too, if he was around to do it.
Nagi sighed at the tone but he was here to do something and Hidaka's mood was not going to stop him. He reached into the pocket of his hooded sweat jacket and pulled out a wad of photos.
"Okay, Siberian, pin your ears back and listen. You've been lied to for the past three months. Both Abyssinian and Balinese are alive and at least one of your new team knew it. Here's the proof."
He sorted through the photos, pulled out one of Yohji drinking in his car and floated it over to Ken.
Ken snatched the photo out of the air and stared at it. He didn�t know where Seven was parked, but it certainly was his dead team mate�s car, and that certainly was Yohji in it.
�Bullshit! Cut the crap, Prodigy. This could have been taken months ago,� he snarled as he ripped the picture in half and tossed it into the alley. �Go play mind games with your old friends and leave me the fuck alone!�
He turned to open the back door of the shop so he could go inside and end the sick game the little prick was trying to play with him. �I was at the funeral for them both, remember?�
"Funerals can be arranged without bodies," Nagi remarked calmly. "Try this one then."
This time the shot was of Aya in the kitchen of a safe house that Ken recognised. The unusual part was that he was cleaning up cuts on a drunken Yohji and it was Singapura that was helping him.
He floated a third across, this time with Bengal and Birman included in the scene.
"Still convinced they're dead, Siberian? They're very much alive but in serious trouble." He retrieved the photos before Ken could tear them to shreds too and turned as if to leave. "Of course, if you prefer to abandon them like your boss has..."
Ken spun around and grabbed Nagi, �Where the fuck did you get those pictures? And what do you mean about Omi abandoning them? What the fuck is going on!�
He was shaking in fury, angry, hurt, confused. He wanted to smash something to pieces. He wanted to kill someone if this was a lie. He wanted to cry.
Worst of all the things he wanted, he wanted it to be true so he could have his only friends back.
Nagi removed Ken from his person by the simple expedient of tossing him into the air and holding him there.
"Calm down, Siberian, and I'll tell you everything I know," he said. "The pictures were taken a week ago by Crawford and Schuldig. I know you don't trust them before you bother to say it, but hear me out. They have been sent on a mission to Hokkaido and, once it's completed, they're....expendable. If you have a computer I can show you the files."
He tilted his head to one side as he gazed up at Ken. "If I let you down now, will you play nice?"
Fury blazed in Ken�s eyes. �If you�re telling me the truth I�m going to take that little Takatori bastard apart with my bare hands. If you�re lying, you�d better run, because I swear to God I will find a way kill you and the rest of those Schwarz bastards!�
"Will you believe the files?" Nagi asked, totally unphased by Ken's show of temper.
�Let�s see them, and I�ll let you know,� Ken snapped. �Now put me the fuck down!�
"Okay," Nagi said and let Ken down in a controlled fall contrary to his desire to drop the jock on his ass. "So, where's the computer?"
Ken shoved the back door open, �Office. Zeshin�s the only one that knows how to access the Kritiker Network on the damned thing though. He was supposed to show me and didn�t.� And that brought another burst of anger that only turned up the heat on Ken�s already bonfire hot fury.
He stalked down the hallway and shoved the office door open to show the computer to Nagi. �I guess you won�t have any problems accessing the Kritnet though, will you?� he asked bitterly, knowing that the Takatori would have given Naoe an access code and the ex-Schwarz hacker could have easily found out anything he wanted from that point.
Nagi gazed coolly at Ken for a moment, wondering if the athlete realised that he'd never had to kill for Schwarz, before seating himself in front of the computer. His hands touched nothing but the computer was booted up and the keyboard was busily typing in data.
"There," he said as the screen came to rest on a file marked top secret.
Ken frowned. The name of the file was �Endgame.� He reached for the mouse and clicked the file open, brown eyes wide and staring as he looked at a picture of Aya and Yohji. He knew the picture. It had been taken by Omi at the Koneko almost six months ago. He frowned and opened what appeared to be a group of emails.
The first simply said, �Mission start. Report to the designated safe house, you are covered with Weiss Four. ~ Persia�
Next was, �Mission begun. I have arrived. ~Z�
�Rosenkreuz in Hokkaido mission, exercise due care. Birman reported resistance from Balinese. Handle this if it becomes detrimental to the mission. ~Persia�
�Abyssinian is dealing with Balinese. Hokkaido on track for results. Balinese suffering DTs. Advise. ~Z�
�DTs inconsequential unless mission is jeopardized. If problem arises, enact Endgame on Balinese, place blame on Rosenkreuz agent. ~Persia�
�Mission is moving forward, Rosenkreuz agents identified. ~Z�
�Conclude Hokkaido. Enact Endgame on conclusion of Hokkaido whether mission is success or not. Balinese and Abyssinian pose risk. ~Persia�
�Hokkaido to be successfully concluded in 24. Endgame necessary? ~Z�
�Endgame absolute. Carry out Endgame mission. That is an order. ~Persia.�
�Understood. Endgame at conclusion of Hokkaido. Hokkaido delayed by 24. Balinese and Abyssinian in town to deal with Balinese DT issue. Will return in 24 for conclusion of Hokkaido. ~Z�
�Confirmed, Hokkaido in 48. Endgame to follow. No more delays. ~Persia.�
�Understood. Hokkaido 48. Reconfirm Endgame.~Z�
�Endgame imperative. You will carry out Endgame mission! ~Persia�
�Endgame imperative. Respond. ~Persia.�
�Understood. ~Z�
Ken closed his eyes and sat down on the floor abruptly as his world shattered.
His voice was a broken whisper as he said, �Omi what have you become? They are our friends. Yohji saved your life at the Ani, Aya saved us all from SD and this is how you repay that?� Tears filled his eyes. �You even lied to me and... I loved you... how could you do this to your own family?�
Nagi sighed softly. "Weiss isn't his family anymore. Takatori is. That's the difference. I was never the competition, Hidaka. I hate him even more than you do."
�Give me the pictures, Naoe,� Ken said, his voice oddly quiet as he pulled the printed emails from the printer tray. �I�m not worried about Balinese or Abyssinian. Persia can order Zen to kill them, but he can�t give him the skill to do it.�
"He very obviously doesn't want to do it," Nagi said as he handed over the photos. "Mamoru has got very adept at getting people to kill for him." He stared straight at Ken, his dark eyes expressionless. "The only reason he's alive is because I had to save Farf. Same goes for you actually, though I've never wished you harm. I'll take you to the Kritiker building of you wish."
And I'd better be doing the right thing or Brad is going to be furious with me.
Ken shoved the papers and pictures into his jacket, grabbed his motorcycle helmet and the gym bag with his mission gear left, not even bothering to lock up or get any of his few possessions.
Nothing here held any meaning anymore. The only meaning left was behind a pair of blue eyes in the face of a liar.
Nagi contacted Schuldig. *Mission accomplished. Hidaka heading towards Takatori. I'm going with him.* Then he followed Ken out of the house, feeling guilty about what he'd done to the athlete.
By the time Nagi got outside Ken was on his bike and racing off into the night. The gym bag that had contained his bugnucks lay empty on the ground as did a single picture. One with the four of them in the shop with Omi hanging onto Ken�s ear, Yohji smiling, and Aya looking a bit shocked in the background.
An errant gust of wind caught the picture and blew it high into the air.
* * * * * * *
Takatori Mamoru sighed slightly as he packed his briefcase and switched off his computer. It had been a long, difficult and tiring day. He hated what he had to do but neither Aya nor Yohji could be allowed to develop their powers. They would be far too dangerous if they did.
He had just reached for his coat when there was a commotion in the outer office. He frowned as the door burst open and Ken charged in.
"Siberian, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Ken had the bugnuk on, down by his side. He tossed the papers and photos onto Persia�s desk. �Want to explain this?� he asked quietly.
"Where did you get these?"
�Does it matter? Now start explaining... Mamoru,� he spit the name out like it had left a foul taste in his mouth. Truthfully the knowledge he�d carried over his broken heart had left a foul taste in his mouth and a soul deep wound in his psyche that might never heal.
He�d gotten over Kase, but this....
"Naoe, it was him wasn't it? Don't you recognise Schwarz handiwork when you see it, Ken-kun?"
It wouldn't be a good idea to let Ken know the truth.
He pulled one picture out of the stack and shoved it under the younger man�s nose, �Explain that one.� It was the picture of Aya and Zeshin in front of the safehouse. �Better yet explain the emails to me. Or how about the fact that Zeshin, the kid you�ve had me working with is carrying out a solo mission to kill our old team mates? I seem to clearly recall him asking a lot of questions about how the two of them fought too. I also seem to remember going to a funeral for empty coffins.�
He leaned closer to the other man, his words a razor-edged whisper, �You know what else I remember? I remember you didn�t shed one fucking tear.�
"Why would I when I know they're alive?" Mamoru said, abandoning pretence and sitting down rather hurriedly. "Ken-kun, there are things you don't understand. Both Aya-kun and Yohji-kun are freaks. Just like Schwarz are. I cannot afford to have them turn on Kritiker. Besides, they're both worn down with the stress. Yohji-kun is virtually an alcoholic and Aya-kun is suicidal. How can I trust either of them anymore?"
Ken�s dark eyes lost the tiny spark of light left in them as he replied, �What makes you think you can trust me, Mamoru?�
The blue eyes, once so bright, had a steely glint in them as Mamoru replied, "I can't, Ken-kun. I can't trust anyone anymore."
�Yeah. Sad world, isn�t it?� Ken�s mouth tightened. �I thought I�d learned. I thought I knew the score.� He laughed, the sound bitter, �I�m still a fool because I haven�t even learned to play the game.�
He sighed, gave the younger man a sad, tired smile, �That�s me, Ken-kun ever dependable and slow on the uptake.�
Chocolate brown eyes closed, Ken took a slow breath, �I�m sorry Omi. I really am.�
Blood splattered across the wall and Ken turned away, unbuckling the straps that held the bugnuk to his hand. It fell with a thump to the floor, blood dripping from the blades.