Bleed

*******

Chapter 2

*******

The scent of blood. The beat of a heart. The faint glimmer of gold
threads. A purring voice, deep inside, clamoring to be put to use,
to be free. A solid weight in his arms. These were the defining
points of Aya's world; everything else had faded away. All that
mattered was Yohji; he wasn't about to let the man be snatched away,
like his sister had been. Aya kept pouring whatever bit of himself
he could into Yohji, forcing the man's heart to keep beating. He
wouldn't let the man die. That wasn't allowed.

From far away, Aya felt a tugging sensation. He gave into it, since
that course of action was easier than resistance, making sure to
clutch tight the solid presence in his arms. Vaguely, he realized he
was walking, but that wasn't important to Aya. It was something the
redhead could ignore in favor of other things. At least until he
felt someone tugging on Yohji, trying to break his hold on the man.
Aya snarled, holding his lover tightly.

"Aya-kun, the doctors need to take Yohji; they have to operate on
him. You need to let him go."

"Get some O negative blood, and lots of it, right now. This guy
looks almost completely drained…"

"Aya, it's okay, we're at the hospital. Shit, Omi, I don't think
he's hearing us. He must have taken a blow to the head."

The words were almost meaningless to Aya; all he cared about was not
losing another loved one. There was a hint of pain, and the voices
become louder and harsher, but still he held on.

<Aya, let him go. The doctors will look after him, and you're only
endangering both Kudoh and yourself with this shit. Stop it now.>

That voice got through to the swordsman, and he reluctantly let go of
Yohji. Once more he felt someone tugging on him, but he kept his
attention focused on making sure that the golden strands didn't
fade. Aya had so little heat left, but it had to hold out. It had
to last. The bindings were in place once more, blocking him from his
power, all but the little bit he had clung to back at the warehouse.

<It'll hold, the Schwanzlutscher is too damn stubborn to die. I'm
not that lucky. He'll pull through, now that the doctors have him.
Now to worry about you. You're a mess, little tuberose. Poor
Rôyama, he thought he was going to have a nice, quiet night at home
this evening. He'll look after you.>

"You said that Kudoh is in the OR? Then I'll handle Fujimiya. No,
that's okay, I'm here now; got the damn page and came all the way
here from home. I'll take care of him. Let's get him into a private
room."

"Dr. Rôyama, is he going to be alright?"

"Let me find out. Help me get him out of this coat."

Aya felt his body be shifted about, and started to shiver from the
cold. But the gold strands distracted him. Was it misplaced hope,
or were they becoming brighter? There was more pain, growing
stronger by the minute.

"…cracked ribs, I want an x-ray of his left forearm, the wrist
appears swollen, several contusions requiring stitches. Let me check
his eyes… uhm, shit… I _think_ he has a concussion, judging from his
reactions…"

He was moved about, poked and prodded, and all that mattered was the
strands becoming brighter. Their light was still so weak, but they
didn't seem as if they would fade into darkness anymore. Yohji
wasn't going to die on him, at least not right now. Aya shoved the
last of his essence down the threads, and felt darkness pressing
against him.

<Ah, ah, ah. None of that. You pass out right now, and Rôyama will
be forced to admit you. That will attract attention, and someone
will notice things, like your eyes. We can't have that.>

Strength flooded into Aya, and he used it to push back the darkness.
The room about him came into focus, and Aya found himself sitting in
a curtained section of the Magic Bus Hospital's emergency room. It
took him a moment to realize that the room appeared dark because his
sunglasses were still on. Omi was sitting beside him on a hospital
bed, and Dr. Rôyama was finishing placing a temporary cast on his
left arm.

"Aya-kun? You okay now?" The teenager reached over and hugged him,
and Aya couldn't help but let a small gasp of pain slip past his
lips. "Oh! I'm sorry. We were so worried about you! The doctor
says you have a mild concussion, and some fractures, among other
things."

Aya didn't want to hear about himself. "Kudoh?"

Omi patted his shoulder, blue eyes filled with tears. "Ken is trying
to find out his status at the moment. He's been in the operating
room for a half hour now. He'll be fine though, I just know it."

A half hour. If he wasn't so exhausted, Aya would try to check the
strands once more, but he couldn't make his mind find them again.
They'd been at the hospital for that long now? It seemed just
minutes ago that Yohji's body had crumpled to the floor of the
warehouse.

Dr. Rôyama was at his side, scribbling away on a medical
chart. "Okay, listen up, Fujimiya. You have three cracked ribs; not
much I can do about those besides give you some painkillers. There
is a hairline fracture in one of the bones in your left forearm,
which is why I put it in a temporary cast. Leave it on, except
during showers, for the next week or so. Come back in seven days,
and I'll take another x-ray, see if it has healed by then. You're
also the proud owner of eighty-seven stitches, and several
abrasions. I uh, wrapped them up for the moment," the doctor
appeared nervous about the matter, and a light blush bloomed over his
cheeks. "Whatever you do, don't remove the bandages while you're
here in the hospital. Also, you have a mild concussion. That means
no sleep for you, not for the next several hours at least.

"Under the circumstances, I should be admitting you, but having dealt
with you in the past, I don't wish to inflict you upon the hospital
staff. Besides, I have a feeling that you will be remaining here
anyway, awaiting the recovery of your teammate." The doctor stopped
writing, and handed something over to Omi. "Here's a list of the
antibiotics and painkillers I want your friend to take; you can wait
for word on Kudoh out in the waiting room. Good night."

The two assassins stared at the surly physician as he shrugged out of
his white coat. Schuldig provided an answer to their unspoken
question. <Someone's grouchy because I made him acknowledge the
page. See how I take care of you, my little tuberose? Any other
doctor would be running to Kritiker right this minute, telling them
about your eyes and the marks on your neck, which sure as hell
weren't caused by the mission earlier. What would you do without
me? I keep you safe.>

Yes, but at the expense of Aya's sanity. Schuldig snorted at that
thought, as the swordsman let Omi lead him out of the ER. His whole
body hurt, now that he wasn't distracted with keeping Yohji alive,
and he was freezing. `How is he, Schu?'

<Always such concern about the blond slut, when you should be worried
about yourself.> Bitterness and jealousy accompanied the words;
Schuldig was clearly not happy, either. <He'll be out of surgery in
a few minutes; the surgeons have closed his wound and have him
stabilized. They're preparing to admit him to intensive care as we
speak. Now relax, people are watching. You keep acting like this,
and they'll wonder why you are so worked up over Balinese.>

Aya ignored the chair that Omi was gesturing to, preferring to stand
instead. If he sat down, he might never be able to regain his feet.
Exhaustion weighed heavy on his battered body; Aya could feel each
one of those stitches and cracked bones.

"Aya-kun, are you alright? Should I go get the prescriptions filled
now? I was hoping to wait until we heard about Yohji-kun, but if you
are in pain, I can take care of them now." Omi hovered by his elbow,
an anxious expression on his face. The teenager's clothes were
splattered with blood, and he was wearing a pair of hospital
slippers, instead of his sneakers. Looking down, Aya was shocked to
discover that sometime in the past half hour or so, most likely
during his examination, his mission clothes had been exchanged for
hospital scrubs. There was something scratchy around his neck,
which, from the feel of it, was gauze. He recalled the doctor
telling him to keep his bandages on, and then Schu mentioning why the
man was in a bad temper. `Schu, what the hell is going on here?'

There was a phantom caress along Aya's right cheek, followed by
another wave of energy that helped the pale man better focus on the
world around him. <Look over by the elevators, but don't stare.>

Doing as he was told, Aya spotted a Eurasian woman, in her thirties
from her appearance, dressed in a conservative skirt and blouse,
smoking a cigarette. Nothing about her should have attracted his
attention, but once he saw her, it was hard to tear his eyes off of
her. For a moment, he felt fine threads tying him to the woman, and
sensed that Omi, Ken and Yohji were also connected, but not as
strongly as he was.

<See the benefits of acknowledging your power? There's a whole new
world awaiting you now. One these boring, ignorant, normals will
never understand.> Schuldig's voice was smooth and insinuating,
echoing throughout Aya's mind. It clashed with the pain and self
hate that arose when Aya reflected on just how abnormal he was.
<You're not a freak, just special. Ach, you won't believe me; we'll
save that for later. That woman is one of the people who actually
runs Kritiker. Poor Persia; he doesn't understand that he only
operates the organization by her and her colleagues' whims. She is
here to personally try and piece together what happened tonight. You
keep mooning over the Schwanzlutscher, and she'll figure out that you
care for him as more than just a teammate. Which would be very, very
bad. Now answer the chibi, before he repeats the question for a
third time, and attracts unwanted attention to you.>

"I'm fine, Omi. We'll wait."

"Okay, Aya-kun."

The two Weiß fell silent after that exchange. Aya resisted the urge
to stare at the smoking woman, while mentally willing Ken to show up
with an update on Yohji's condition. He couldn't do anything but
stand here while under her supervision. Deep inside the redhead, a
kernel of anger and hate formed, directed at his employers. The very
same people who had taken an innocent Ran and given him a sword, and
sent him out to kill; who had done the same to Yohji, Omi and Hidaka
as well. The ones that subjected him to those damn psych sessions,
and now stood here observing him, as if he was a lab rat of some
sort. It was so much easier to focus on that rather than tonight's
revelation. Aya might not be able to hide from himself any longer
the fact that he wasn't remotely normal, that he was like Schu and
the rest of Schwarz, but he could push that to the back of his mind
for the moment, in favor of other distractions.

While Omi fidgeted in his seat, Aya quietly stood there, refusing to
give in to the exhaustion and the feeling that a pair of arms was
encircling his chest, coaxing him to relax and accept their comfort.
<Stubborn idiot.> Aya didn't answer that comment, saving his energy
for waiting for Yohji to be brought out of surgery.

A couple minutes later, and Ken trotted up to Omi and him; like Aya,
the brunet was dressed in hospital scrubs, with a slightly damp
orange shirt worn over the outfit. "He's out of surgery, and in
recovery at the moment. They'll take him up to the ICU in a few
minutes. What say we head on up there, and you can sweet talk the
nurse into letting us see Yohji in his room, Omi."

Omi nodded his head, and the three assassins made their way to the
elevator. As he walked past the woman, Aya made sure not to look her
way. Nonetheless, he felt a pair of eyes on him until the elevator
door closed.

*******

Smoke stared at the closed elevator doors, then dropped her cigarette
to the floor, not even pausing to grind it out. She walked over to
the ER's workstation, reaching out an arm to rummage through the
medical charts hanging in a rack. A nurse moved to prevent her, a
glare on the woman's face, but one of her co-workers stopped the
woman with a hand on her shoulder and a shake of his head. Finding
Orchidee's chart, Smoke tucked it between her side and her elbow, and
walked towards surgery.

At the OR's station, she once more confiscated a medical chart, this
time Balinese's. Ignoring the no smoking signs liberally posted
about the hallways, she lit another cigarette as she searched out a
quiet waiting room. Smoke found it on the third floor, and settled
down to read.

Balinese's femoral artery had been severed; the doctors could not
believe that the man still had been alive when he was brought in.
The assassin had been in stage IV of hypovolaemia… Smoke sputtered
and tried to decipher the medical lingo. In short, Balinese had lost
over forty percent of his blood volume, and should have been in
respiratory distress, or suffering a stroke or heart attack; yet none
of these things had occurred. His prognosis was excellent; thanks to
the massive transfusions, his most pressing concern would be healing
the leg wound. Very curious.

As for Orchidee, his chart painted an interesting story as well. He
had required some medical attention also, but had no life threatening
injuries. What stood out was, despite the amount of damage he had
taken, it was nearly all centered on non-vital parts of his body,
excepting the concussion. Another thing that stood out was Rôyama's
refusal to admit the assassin for further tests and observation. For
a moment, the woman contemplated having another doctor check Orchidee
out, but decided to let the matter ride for the time being.

Something was going on here; she could sense it, but didn't
understand what was wrong. Maybe the mission report would shed some
light on the situation; someone should notify Manx to contact Weiß
and to get the information they had been sent out for, as well as
debrief the assassins. However, Smoke was beginning to have her
suspicions about the agent; she had been so loyal to the former
Persia, and still insisted on interacting with the man's pet team,
even when ordered to leave them alone. Perhaps it would be best to
have Gaijin assist in this matter.

Rising to her feet, Smoke clutched the charts to her chest and left
the quiet room. She had work to do tonight; the sooner she got the
mission report, the sooner she could figure out what went wrong. The
woman decided to start with reviewing the transcript from Orchidee's
session with Dr. Arai today, and see if she could pick up anything
out of the ordinary.

*******

Omi stared down at Yohji, unable to believe that the normally
animated man could be so motionless, and his face so blank. Even
when the older blond was standing still, one could tell he was
actually posing more than anything else, and there was almost always
an emotion of some sort on the expressive face. Not at this moment,
however. For Yohji to be this still… it brought home just how bad
the man's injury must have been. As did the amount of equipment
hooked up to his friend, quietly humming and beeping all around the
bed.

Aya had claimed the sole chair, and was sitting next to the bed, his
arms resting on top of it, with his head on the uninjured one. It
seemed purely coincidental that his left hand rested so close to
Yohji's, at an awkward angle on the bed because of the cast; a pale
finger would flex every few seconds and stroke the golden skin,
almost as if by nervous habit.

"Aya-kun, remember, you can't fall asleep for a few more hours." All
he got back in response was a grunt, but Aya's eyes were wide open,
staring at his lover. Omi wanted to suggest that the redhead go
home, but knew that Aya wouldn't leave Yohji's side. He just hoped
that nothing happened like it had the last time the three of them
were in a hospital together.

"Hey, got some nice, hot coffee here, guaranteed to be worse than the
stuff I make." Ken walked into the room, carefully holding three
paper cups in his hands. Amazingly enough, he hadn't spilled out all
their contents on his way from the vending machine to the room. "The
creamer was broken, so it's black, but I swear the machine dumped
about five teaspoons of sugar in each one. And if that isn't enough
sugar for you, I have a couple of candy bars as well."

Omi eagerly grabbed two of the cups, and walked back over to the
bed. "Aya-kun, have some coffee. I think you could really use it
right now." A pale hand reached out for a cup, and didn't flinch
when some of the hot liquid spilled onto it. Aya sat back in his
chair, but his eyes never left Yohji's face.

"You still not getting anything out of him?" Ken inquired sotto
voce. Omi shook his head and then sipped his beverage, immediately
making a face as it touched his tongue.

"Ouch, hot and terrible. Ken, this makes your coffee seem divine in
comparison." The brunet flashed him a tired grin, then motioned his
head towards the bed.

"The docs say Yohji won't wake up for another couple of hours, if
even then. Can't we send Aya home? It's not good, him being here
like this. What if someone notices that he's a touch too concerned
about Yohji?"

Shaking his head again, Omi raised an eyebrow. "You want to be the
one to tell him to leave?" Ken blanched at the suggestion, and
dropped the subject. He crossed the room, taking position at the
window, while Omi settled at the foot of the bed. The two of them
munched on candy bars, and as soon as Aya finished his coffee, the
redhead was once more leaning on the bed, his finger brushing against
Yohji's hand.

Hearing the door open, Ken and Omi looked up from their snacks. Manx
walked through the door, pausing when she caught sight of Yohji. Omi
jumped up from the bed and hugged the woman. "Manx, are you here to
see Yotan?" He couldn't immediately think of any other reason for
her to be at the hospital in the wee hours of the morning.

Manx hugged the teenager close for a moment, and only Ken noted the
grim look on her face. "I'm afraid I'm here on business, and not a
personal call. Kritiker needs to know what happened on the mission,
and wants the information you downloaded, Omi. Let's take this into
another room, if you don't mind. Hidaka, Fujimiya, I'd like for you
to be there as well."

Frowning, Omi ended the embrace and fetched his backpack, pausing to
touch Aya on the shoulder. He was glared at in return, and had to
repeat Manx's request to the swordsman. It was clear that Aya didn't
want to leave the room, however, it was equally clear that Manx
wasn't going to let him skip the debriefing.

"Fujimiya, I want you to participate in this. Something went very
wrong tonight, if a skilled agent was almost killed, and we need to
find out what. Now come on."

"Aya-kun, it would be best if you came along. We don't want to
disturb Yohji-kun."

Aya snorted, a patent indication that he wasn't buying the excuse,
but stood anyway. The glare was bumped up to shi-ne intensity, and
immediately directed toward Manx. The woman ignored it as she walked
out into the hall.

The debriefing was to be held a couple rooms down from Yohji's. Omi
blinked when he realized that someone was waiting for them in it; a
foreign man with a kind face.

"Here, let me take that," the stranger said as he reached for Omi's
laptop. "I need to download the files off of it. Could you help me
with the passwords?" The youth complied, bypassing the security on
his pc so the man could get the files he needed.

"I'm sorry; it wasn't a complete download, and there didn't seem to
be many files on the target's computer." The blond youth felt the
need to justify his failure to complete his part of the mission,
since there was a stranger taking part in the debriefing.

Manx sat down on the vacant bed, making sure to cross her legs and
tug her short skirt down as she did so. "What about the target? Is
Hirai dead?"

"Yeah, Aya took him out." Ken snagged the room's chair, turning it
around and sitting on it backwards, forearms crossed on the back of
it. "Weiß managed that much, at least."

Omi thought he saw the foreigner start at that comment, then the
blond man smiled at him and resumed typing on his own laptop.

"Start from the beginning, I want to know about the whole night."

There was something odd in Manx's voice, Omi realized. It was a bit
higher than usual, as if strained by tension. Turning his back to
the computer technician, Omi raised an inquiring eyebrow at the
redheaded woman. Green eyes flicked from him, to Aya, and then to
the technician, before returning to his face for one intense moment,
and then dropping down to the floor. The message was clear; this had
something to do with Aya. Omi waited for the moment he could
interrupt Ken's recitation, fervently hoping that the man didn't say
any more than he should. The gods seemed to be favoring him for
once, as Ken didn't report anything incriminating.

"-looked behind me for Aya, only to find him taking out the target,
and Yohji falling down wounded. Aya fixed up a tourniquet real
quick, and we aborted the mission, not that there was much left to it
by that time. We drove here, and that was that."

"Fujimiya, do you have anything to add?"

Aya didn't even look up from where he was leaning against the wall
beside the door, his eyes fixed on the floor. "No."

The technician coughed, causing Manx to flinch, just the slightest
bit. Both Omi and Ken caught the movement. "What is your version of
tonight's events?"

"….."

"Abyssinian, please give a summary of tonight's events."

Aya's body tensed in anger, immediately causing the man to let out an
explosive puff of air in pain. His head still tilted downward, so
his long bangs covered his face; the only other movement the redhead
made was to lift a hand and brush it along his cheek. "We arrived at
the warehouse; Bombay departed for the office, Siberian and I
surveyed the place and found a dark corner to hide in, and Balinese
remained hidden, waiting for the target.

"When the target did arrive, Siberian and I created a diversion, and
started to take out the guards. Balinese went after the target, but
had interference from the man's bodyguards." Aya paused, the hand
still cupping his cheek. "When I turned to check on Balinese's
progress, I saw the target approaching him with a weapon. He failed
to heed my warning, so I left Siberian to deal with the remaining
security so as to assist Balinese. I managed to kill the target only
after he wounded Balinese, and immediately gave my teammate the
necessary medical attention." The deep voice fell silent, and Aya
seemed unaware that four sets of eyes were focused on him, waiting to
see if he would continue.

When it was clear he wouldn't, Omi reported his version of events.
His report was a bit different from the others', since he had been
hidden away in an office during the fight. Omi reported Yohji
mentioning the heavy security, and then cutting off communications
with him as the older man had started for the target. He'd had to
abandon the download when Ken called for the mission to be aborted,
due to Yohji's injury. Finished with his debriefing, Omi stared at
Manx, waiting for her response.

"Why was Kudoh selected to take out the target?"

That wasn't what the teenager had expected to hear, but Omi had an
answer ready. "Because of the anticipated security, I thought it
best to have someone with a long range weapon be assigned to the
target. That way, Yohji wouldn't have to be as close to the man as
Aya or Ken would have to be, in order to take him out."

There was a pause in the clacking of keys behind Omi, and Manx
frowned for a moment, as if unhappy with something. "So you were the
one who chose the mission roles?"

"Yes, I normally do. No one had a problem with the assigned
positions; in fact, Yohji had looked forward to being the one to take
out the target for once."

"Yeah, Aya had tried to-"

Omi started to cough furiously, glaring over the hand covering his
mouth at Ken. The athlete seemed to get the hint, and quickly shut
up. After a few more seconds, Omi stopped and smiled sheepishly at
the woman. "Sorry about that."

Tugging at her skirt, Manx nodded her head. "Have a drink of water,
Omi. All three of you look as if you are ready to collapse; maybe
you should go home and wash off, and get a little sleep. I'd hate to
have you become ill."

"I'd like to stick around until Yohji wakes up, if that's alright
with you. But maybe Ken should go home; he could bring me a change
of clothes, and post a sign saying the Koneko won't be open for
business for a day or so. Right, Ken?"

Picking up on his chance to escape, Ken nodded his head. "I'll go
right now, and will be back in a couple of hours. You want me to
bring back anything special from home, Omi? Aya?" When neither
young man specified anything, Ken was quick to flee.

"If there is nothing else you want to know, Manx, could we please go
as well? I'm anxious to see how Yohji is faring." Omi held his
breath, waiting to see if there would be any more questions.

Manx nodded her head, a tired look on her face. "I'll get in touch
with you if there is anything else we need to know. I am heartened
to hear that Hirai was taken care of; Kritiker will have a better
idea of where we stand with the smuggling ring as soon as we go over
the information you brought back. Weiß can count on hearing from
someone soon; this mission is far from over." She stood up,
smoothing down her skirt again, the nervous gesture at odds with her
calm demeanor. "I hope Kudoh recovers quickly. Now try to get some
rest before you make yourselves sick with worry."

Suppressing the urge to hug the woman, Omi bowed and turned to face
the `computer technician'. "Are you finished yet?"

"All done. You might want to defrag your computer sometime soon; it
would help speed things up. But as you mentioned, there really
wasn't that much to retrieve. I also hope your teammate will be
fine." The foreigner smiled again, and started to gather up his
equipment.

"Thank you." Omi offered a smile in return, and turned around to
find Aya already gone. Shooting another glance at Manx, he followed
the swordsman's example.

Upon entering Yohji's room, Omi discovered Aya once more at the
playboy's side. When the pale man showed no sign of wanting to talk,
Omi sighed and curled up on the wide windowsill. He stared at the
couple for a few minutes, taking in how Aya's sight never wavered
from Yohji's face, and how he kept touching the unconscious man's
hand. Maybe it was his imagination, but Yohji appeared to have a bit
more color to him now.

Then Omi thought about the mission debriefing. Who was that
technician, really? He had never come across the man's profile
before, and being so obviously a foreigner, the man's face would have
stayed in Omi's memory. The teenager seriously doubted he was some
sort of lackey, or else he'd never have been allowed in a debriefing
like that. And there was no question that Manx had been upset over
something other than Yohji's injury. It didn't take much thought to
come to the conclusion that it was about Aya. Omi didn't want to
think about Ken's slip, and the potential trouble it could cause them.

*******

Ken straightened up with a groan, his left hand massaging the small
of his back. He'd managed to clean up the Seven to the best of his
ability; someone from Kritiker would have to take the vehicle to
completely remove the bloodstains he couldn't remove. Yohji better
damn well appreciate his efforts, though. Gathering up the dirty
rags, Ken stopped by the laundry room, tossed them in the washer, and
started the machine. That tended to, he entered the Koneko.

That was another half hour of cleaning; this time, taking care of the
mess that should have been attended to the previous evening. Once
the place appeared presentable and the plants were watered, Ken made
a mostly legible sign to inform the store's customers that the Koneko
would be closed for the foreseeable future.

After that, the athlete headed to the kitchen, and made himself a
couple of sandwiches. Still munching on the last one, Ken decided to
grab a shower, and then sleep for a couple of hours before returning
to the hospital. The doctors were almost certain that Yohji would
completely recover; he didn't think that the dumb blond would be too
upset if he wasn't present when Yohji woke up. All he'd care about
was where Aya was, most likely.

Turning on the hot water until the shower was just short of scalding,
Ken started to rinse off the sweat and blood stuck in his hair and
the feeling of grime from his body. Scrubbing his hair, the young
man thought about the odd debriefing he'd taken part in before
leaving. It was strange, having an outsider there for the meeting.
And Manx and Omi had definitely been acting odd. Why had Omi hushed
him when he'd mentioned how Aya had wanted to take out the target,
instead of Yohji?

Something inside Ken told him the strange occurrence was focused on
the silent redhead. But he couldn't figure out why, not yet. But he
was convinced that Omi was keeping secrets from him, and decided he
didn't like that, not at all. Once things calmed down a bit, he was
going to make it his mission to find out what exactly it was that the
youth was hiding from him.

*******

Schuldig sat in an empty doctor's office, his feet propped up on the
desk and his eyes closed. So many tasks that needed taking care of,
and he was so tired at the moment. About to fall asleep, a twinge in
his left hand jerked him back awake. Opening his eyes, he regarded
the star cut into his flesh. What the hell had possessed the old
witch tonight?

So Aya had finally acknowledged his power, but was the price worth
it? The risk was so great; each time the Japanese man used his
talent was a chance that someone might notice what he was doing, and
then all hell would break loose. Once word of a catalyst got out,
certain organizations would never rest until they found the prize.
Cass had risked all of them with her games tonight. It better damn
well be worth it.

But despite the danger, Schuldig had to admit that several new
possibilities had opened up in front of him. He now had one more
thing to use against his heart, to bring the man around and make him
his. Tonight's revelation should only serve to make the man distance
himself from his teammates and friends, and hopefully Kudoh as well.
The telepath had every intention of doing what he could to isolate
Aya from the others; the fewer people Aya had for support, the
better. The smaller redhead needed someone to focus his attention
and emotions on; despite his icy exterior, Aya was a very emotional
person who needed someone to ground him, and because of that, had
formed ties with the rest of Weiß, and a few other individuals as
well. Time to strip that support from him, until he was the only one
the swordsman could turn to.

Schuldig had already taken steps to ensure that the annoying girl who
had been stalking Aya had backed off, by manipulating events until
she discovered just what exactly her crush did for a living. That
night had been especially productive, as the prick Kudoh had another
run in with Neu from Schreient. Being a bit of an expert at messing
with people's minds, Schuldig knew that the man-whore had to be
fixating on the encounter, and on the woman who so resembled his lost
love. All he had to do was ensure that Weiß met up with the female
assassins once or twice more, and the prick's obsession with the
woman would take care of things for him. Then the German would be
able to truthfully tell Aya that he had nothing to do with Kudoh
abandoning the man for one of the enemies who had captured his sister.

But that was the future, and right now, the present demanded his
attention. Two of Kritiker's uppermost echelon were here in the
hospital, investigating what had happened during Weiß's mission
earlier tonight. With a bit of luck, and a little mental nudge here
and there, Schuldig was hoping to lay the blame squarely on the bitch
queen's shoulders. Let Dr. Arai take the fall; it would spare his
little tuberose the psychiatric sessions, and if he played things
just right, maybe put an end to them once and for all. Kritiker had
to realize that the more they meddled with Aya's talent, the less
they would like the results. And once the bitch was smarting from
her takedown, Farfie could finish the job with her. Hell, the
Irishman was almost as excited as when Crawford had given him
permission to track down his real mother, and allowed him to play
during the hunt.

Reaching out with his talent, Schuldig found the psychiatrist asleep
in her bed, frustrated as all hell over the fact that she hadn't been
able to reach the same state of bliss as she had when Farfie had cut
her. Hee, she wouldn't have to wait for too long.

Another scan revealed a worried Omi, about to fall asleep. The boy
was anxious about the debriefing, and what it signified. The fool
should realize by now that when anything threatened Aya, Schuldig
wouldn't be too far away, taking care of the man. Just like he was
doing right now.

Kudoh's brain was showing signs of activity; the man-whore was
dreaming. It wouldn't be long before he woke up. Beside him was
Aya, who was tenaciously clinging to consciousness, despite his
exhaustion and injuries. Dammit, the prick did not deserve such
devotion, not when he caused Aya so much pain. Schuldig felt
jealousy wash through him, causing him to grit his teeth at the
intensity of the emotion. A couple more months; that was all he had
to wait, and Kudoh would be a stupid enough ass to hand Aya over to
him. Until that time, he would take every opportunity the cocklicker
presented him with to bind the catalyst to him even more.

*******

There was a hint of pain in the far off distance, gnawing at the
edges of Yohji's awareness. He tried to ignore the sensation, and
focused on the man curled up on top of him, kissing him breathless.
Yohji was laying on the wet ground with Aya sitting on him, and rain
falling down about the two of them. The taste of the man, mixed with
rainwater, was making him almost as dizzy as the lack of oxygen. All
Yohji wanted was to pull off their soaking clothes, reverse their
positions, and fuck his kitten senseless. Damn, but something about
the combination of Aya and rain made him so incredibly hungry for the
man.

Tearing off Aya's sweater, Yohji flipped the man onto his back, and
settled between his legs. His lover graced him with a small, wicked
grin, and rocked his hips upward. With a groan, Yohji resumed
kissing the redhead, grinding his hips downward, becoming all the
more inflamed with the need to possess Aya. Pulling back to yank off
his own shirt, Yohji lifted the wet material up, and lost sight of
Aya as the shirt clung to his face. Once free of the hindrance, he
found the smaller man gone.

"Aya, love, where did you go?" Yohji jumped to his feet, and began
searching for his boyfriend. He became more frantic by the minute
when he couldn't find Aya. "This isn't funny, love, show yourself."

There was a flash of lightning, which illuminated a slim figure off
in the distance. Yohji ran in the person's direction, his sight
hampered by the darkness and pellets of water hitting his face. As
soon as he reached Aya, he wrapped his arms around the man and hugged
him tight.

About to kiss the man, another flash of light revealed the person he
was holding not to be Aya, but Neu of Schreient. "What the hell?
Where is Aya?"

The woman said nothing, just stood there like a statue. Clutching
her by the shoulders, Yohji shook her violently, trying to make her
answer him. Then before his eyes, the woman's visor melted away,
revealing Asuka's face.

A wave of guilt washed through the blond as he looked down at his
dead lover. "Asuka, what is going on?"

"Ah, at least you still remember my name, Yohji. I thought you might
not, since you replaced me so quickly. You promised me that you
would love me forever, didn't you? Has it been forever already?
You're so fickle, Yohji. And now you've lost your new lover as
well. Did you promise him forever too?"

"Asuka, where is Aya? What did you do to him?" The woman's eyes
narrowed, filled with hurt and malice and jealousy. Yohji had never
seen such an evil expression on his former partner's face before, and
it filled him with foreboding. "Asuka, please, tell me."

"Never, Yohji, never."

The woman faded into mist, disappearing into the rain and darkness.
But her laughter remained, bitter and harsh, as it never had been
when Asuka was alive. "You'll never see him again, Yohji. You broke
your promise to me, and now you have to pay. Try spending forever on
your own, your lovers gone, because of your sins."

"Asuka, please? I'm sorry, what was I to do? You were gone, and I
was so alone. Bring him back, please." Running about in the
darkness, Yohji fell to his knees, tears blending with the rain. He
couldn't take losing both of them, he couldn't. "Please, Asuka, come
back. I'm so sorry." She had to forgive him, and return Aya to him.

"Someone else always pays for your sins, don't they, Kudoh." That
was Aya's voice, filled with ice and pain. Green eyes searched the
darkness, but could find no sight of the pale man. Forcing himself
back to his feet, Yohji called out to his two lovers, begging Asuka
for her forgiveness, and Aya to come back to him. The pain grew
stronger, all the while.

*******

Aya shifted his head about on his arms, and hissed at the pain. His
headache was only getting worse; he should have taken his medication
hours ago, but that would have meant going home. And Aya wasn't
leaving until Yohji woke up; he had to be here for that. Even if at
the moment the pale man didn't know which was worse, the pain or the
exhaustion that filled his whole being.

I got a hole right here
My eyes are burning through their lids
I can't remember when I've closed them
I think of searing off my lips
So I can't scream your name

The song wouldn't leave him alone, but played over and over in his
head. The repetition annoyed him, but it was also a distraction of
sorts, and something for him to focus on. Aya was just so incredibly
tired; even though he had passed the point where he had to stay awake
because of the concussion, he still couldn't sleep. Not until Yohji
woke up, and he was assured that the man would indeed be fine.

Sunlight streamed into the hospital room, flooding it with light.
Aya was grateful for his sunglasses, which had remained with him
throughout the night. The redhead was amazed that Omi managed to
remain asleep, curled up in the window as he was. He must be as
tired as Aya was. The boy's face was tight with worry and
exhaustion. If it hadn't meant leaving his lover's side, Aya would
have spread a blanket over his young teammate. But he couldn't force
himself to move, not even that little bit of distance. Not even to
fetch a blanket to prevent himself from shivering.

And I cannot believe
The one that you would reach for in your sleep
Is now writhing at your feet
And you just let me bleed

Yohji had to wake up, it was as simple as that. He'd lost his
sister; even though he knew she was alive, Aya was still eaten
through with guilt over failing to keep her safe. And now Yohji,
wounded before his eyes. Maybe if he hadn't hid from his freakish
nature, he could have kept his lover from harm. But Aya always
failed the ones he loved the most, it was as simple as that, and
Kudoh had been no exception. When would he learn that he was just a
murderer, and didn't deserve to have anyone care for him, no matter
how much, deep inside of him, he hungered for that affection?

He was distracted from his dark thoughts by Yohji stirring in his
sleep. Forcing his battered body upright, Aya sat back in his chair,
but kept holding onto the blond's hand. Yohji muttered for a moment,
then became still once more.

Almost twenty minutes later, the door opened. "Morning. He still
out of it?" Ken walked into the room, a bag of bagels in one hand,
and a carry out tray of coffee in the other. Omi jerked awake at his
entrance, blue eyes blinking for several moments in an effort to
focus.

"Ken-kun, you just get back? How is Yohji?"

Aya didn't say anything, just rested his aching head back on the
bed. He ignored the offered refreshments, unable to stomach any more
coffee, and definitely not any food at the moment. The other two men
congregated by the window, with Omi throwing worried glances in his
direction, and asking Ken if he had taken care of a few things.
Tuning them out, Aya stared at Yohji's fingers entwined with his,
brushing his thumb over the nicotine stain on the golden skin.

I think the sun was out today
I can't remember when I've felt it
I keep waking up to waste away
In this empty room

Yohji took to mumbling again, a frown forming on the handsome face.
Aya leaned forward to brush away strands of honey-blond hair, hoping
his touch would soothe the man.

"Please, Asuka, come back. I'm so sorry."

The pale hand stopped stroking through the sweat-dampened locks, as
Aya felt a new pain spring up in his chest. Yohji called out the
woman's name again, and then groaned in agony. The noise drew Omi
and Ken's attention, and they rushed towards the bed. Omi patted
Yohji's other hand and spoke softly to the man, asking him to wake
up. All Aya could do was sit there, one hand holding onto Yohji's,
the other hovering over the blond's forehead.

As if in slow motion, a pair of green eyes slowly opened, clouded
with pain. Ken let out a yelp of joy, and ran to find a nurse as
Yohji groaned again. Aya just stared at the man, face impassive,
trying to tell himself that it was foolish for him to feel this
hurt. [You chose, little star. You chose your heart over your soul,
back on the cliff. Decided which one to live for.] He had
sacrificed so much for the man, and still Kudoh thought of his lost
love.

I know you see
That I am just a shell of me
How is it so easy
For you to watch me bleed?

"Yotan, are you alright? Do you recognize me? It's Omi. Ken's gone
for the nurse, you'll feel better in a moment. We're here for you,
all three of us." The teenager continued to babble on, and Aya
merely sat there quietly.

"Aya, you're back." Yohji's voice sounded weak and harsh, and he
didn't speak after that. The blond clutched at Aya's hand, then
closed his eyes in pain. Ken returned to the room, followed by a
young man in a doctor's coat.

Letting go of Yohji's hand, Aya pushed back his chair, making room
for the physician. The man checked Yohji's eyes and pulse, then
consulted the machines hooked up to the playboy.

"Kudoh-san, do you know where you are?"

Yohji managed to more or less rasp out the name of the hospital, all
the while his eyes sought out Aya.

"Good. You seem to be in pain, so I'm going to increase your
painkillers." The young doctor fiddled with one of the IV drips, and
after playing with the various tubes feeding into Yohji, and checking
the heart monitor one more time, faced the other members of Weiß. "I
think he'll be fine; it's a very good sign that he's woken up so
soon. The medication should make him sleep again, which is good. It
wouldn't do for him to move his leg, and tear any stitches, but the
worst seems to be over." With that, the doctor left the room.

Yohji groaned again, and the fingers on his right hand flexed. "Aya."

Despite his hurt, Aya once more shifted closer to the bed and held
his lover's hand. The touch seemed to calm Yohji down, and in a
matter of moments, the lanky man was asleep once more. Gazing
wearily at Yohji, Aya started at a touch to his shoulder.

"What?"

Omi looked down at him, concern shining in the blue eyes. "Aya-kun,
I think you should go home and rest. He's alright now, and you need
to take care of yourself. Do you want Ken or me to take you home?"

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, and then Aya shook
his head. "No."

With a snarl of frustration, Ken yanked the redhead out of the chair,
heedless of Aya's hiss of pain over the rough treatment. He glared
at the soccer fanatic, but at least the pain helped to wake him
up. "Listen to me, Aya. You look like shit. Right now, Yohji
appears to be in better shape than you do, so unless you want to end
up in a room next to his, go home and sleep. I'll stay here and keep
an eye on the idiot, and I'll call you as soon as he wakes up again."

"I'll stay around a little longer as well, Aya-kun. But as I said,
one of us can give you a ride home, or some money for a taxi. If
Yohji wakes up again and sees you like this, it will only make him
worried. Go home, please."

With both men pleading and glaring at him, Aya felt too tired to put
up with their nonsense, and gave in. Besides, he had to get out of
the hospital for a little bit; it held too many bad memories for
him. "Stay here with him, I'll be fine."

Ken appeared dubious at this statement, but pressed a few yen into
his hand. "That should be enough to see you home. Be careful, and
we'll call you if anything changes. Get some sleep."

Not even saying goodbye, Aya simply turned around and left the room.
He shoved the money into a pocket of his scrubs, and made his way out
of the hospital. There was a bus that passed in front of the
building every twenty minutes or so that should see him home.
Stopping at the curb, Aya leaned against the bus sign and waited.

Moments later, a cab pulled up in front of him, and the back door
opened.

<Get in.>

Aya hesitated, but when the voice spoke inside his head again, he
crawled into the cab. The door closed behind Aya as Schuldig said
the address of the Koneko out loud to the driver. Remaining quiet,
Aya sank back into the padded seat, closing his eyes and awaiting
what came next.

<Which is me getting you home in one piece, and putting you to bed.
Though I must admit I'm surprised that you listened to me, and got
into the taxi without a fight.>

Did it really matter anymore, the nonstop fighting between the two of
them? Aya was too tired to care at the moment, and at least by going
along with the man, he was ensuring that Yohji was safe back in the
hospital. Schu couldn't harm the injured man if he was occupied with
Aya.

<You are so damn frustrating, I'll have you know. I told you, as
long as you don't fight me in the dreams, I won't harm the slut.
Have I ever broken a promise to you yet?>

The pale man shook his head, ignoring the pain that motion caused.

<Then forget about the prick. He's safe enough at the moment; I told
you to worry about yourself. You're about to pass out from
exhaustion, little tuberose, due to your injuries and from using your
talent.>

Anger started to build within Aya over Schuldig's attention. He was
being lectured about his health by the man who, willingly or not, had
participated in the deaths of his parents, had tormented him for
years, drugged his boyfriend and sent him to rape Aya, and who still
occasionally tried to kill his teammates. "Go to hell, Schu." Aya
waited to see if any more venom would spill forth, and was stunned to
find none. Maybe he was just too exhausted to want to try and kill
the man or something. As it was, he was taking the fact that
Schuldig was accompanying him to the Koneko rather easily. Granted,
the man was a telepath, and could have that information from any of
the Weiß's minds whenever he wanted it, but…

"You're thinking too much. I've known where you live for ages now,
ever since the first day you moved in. Remember, the one when Hidaka
beat you up? Nice roommates you have there, Kätzchen."

Aya refused to rise to the bait, and just waited for the cab to reach
home. When the vehicle pulled up behind the Koneko and the door
opened, he jumped out, leaving Schuldig to deal with the cab driver.
Moving as fast as he could, Aya made it up the steps leading to the
kitchen door, and had his key in the lock when an arm encircled his
chest, pinning both of his arms to his side. Schuldig pressed
against him, and finished opening the door. <Aren't you going to
invite me in for some coffee?>

"Shi-ne, Schu."

There was a warm breath of air against Aya's ear as the telepath
chuckled and forced him into the building. The pale man was entirely
too conscious of the fact that he didn't have his katana with him; it
had disappeared sometime after Yohji's injury. Aya felt a wave of
self-hate and guilt, so angry with himself for being defenseless, and
misplacing the precious item.

<Omi has it safely tucked away in the trunk of the Schwanzlutscher's
car. But you don't need it right now, I'm not here to hurt you.
Just want to tuck you into bed, like I said.>

Letting his chin fall to his chest, Aya slumped his body, giving in
to the exhaustion. When Schuldig shifted his grip to hold him
better, the swordsman brought his heel down on the arch of the other
redhead's foot, and then jabbed both of his elbows backward. There
was an unpleasant tingle down the injured arm at the impact, but it
got him free of the embrace. Aya tried making it to the counter,
where a set of knives rested in a wooden container, but Schuldig had
him once more.

The pain from his cracked ribs being squeezed so roughly had him
blacking out for a few seconds; when Aya came to, he was being
carried up the stairs to his room. Trying to struggle, he found his
body no longer responded to his commands. `You fucking bastard', he
thought to Schu.

"Always such a sweet little tuberose. Dangerous pleasure sums you up
perfectly, you know. You should have been named after that flower,
and not Ran." Schuldig kicked open the door to his room, and then
carefully laid Aya down on the bed. The foreigner took a moment to
close and lock the door, then set about removing the slippers that
Aya was wearing in place of his boots. "But I forgot, you aren't Ran
anymore, are you? He was a quiet, good little boy, obeying every
order he was given. He would have spent his life working at his
father's company, a glorified secretary, assisting the man who would
claim what was rightfully his."

Schuldig straddled Aya's hips, leaning forward so he was on all fours
above the smaller man, their faces centimeters apart. Reddish orange
locks cascaded around Aya's face, until all he could see was
Schuldig's face. The jade green eyes burned with passion and a
twisted, possessive love. "He died that day, you know. He died,
along with the mother who had washed her hands of him when it became
clear her husband would never approve of her first-born child, and
with the father who despised him. You were born in his ashes, a true
phoenix, as rare as that legendary creature. Something stirred in
you that day, and bound the two of us together. And you became
mine. Kudoh might have named you, and found his way into your bed
first, but you are mine."

Violet eyes glared back at the man, but try as he might, Aya couldn't
invoke the hate he usually felt towards the German. There were only
the sensations of hurt, anger and confusion inside of him. Where had
the hate gone?

<Does it matter? The truth is, you don't hate me anymore. You
should realize by now that I'm not the one to blame for the tragedy
that befell your family; I was just the hand used to carry out the
order that came from Takatori. Just like you carry out the orders of
Persia, and that woman by the elevator. We are the same, in more
ways than one. No one else can ever understand you the way I do.>
Schuldig leaned down and kissed Aya softly on the mouth, then shifted
back to look him in the eyes.

They were so much alike, killers both. Nothing he had ever done had
sickened Schu, and now… now they shared something Aya never would
have believed possible. Something that Yohji would never be able to
understand.

<That's right, you are talented, just like me. You used it that day,
to save your sister. Just like you did tonight, to keep Kudoh safe.
You belong with Schwarz, not with Weiß. What do you think will
happen when they find out that you aren't a powerless waste of flesh
like they are? They will hate you for it at worst, and fear you at
best. Can't deny the truth any longer, meine weisse Kamelie.>

"You lie." That statement was a falsehood itself; Schu's words
wouldn't hurt him half this much if they weren't the truth. Aya felt
something in him start to crumble, and for a moment, everything
seemed to darken. He was reminded of the dream he had after Aya-chan
had been kidnapped, and recognized the cliff looming before him.
Fighting to remain away from the edge, he glared at the other man.
Desperate for a distraction, Aya recalled what else had happened that
night, several weeks before. "Yohji and Omi, they know the truth.
They saw me in my sister's room, when I let the power take over.
They know, and don't hate me for it."

Schuldig growled, and Aya sensed the man's unhappiness at having his
flawed logic pointed out to him. "But Hidaka doesn't know, and he
despises anything with talent. Poor thing, maybe I was a little too
rough on him? He has no sense of humor, but he does possess Omi's
heart. Which of you do think the boy will choose, when it comes down
to it? Hmm? As for Kudoh, he still pines for his first love.
You're just a replacement, precious Aya."

No more; Aya didn't want to hear any more. He was so damn tired, and
everything hurt so badly; why did Schu have to torment him so? That
was more than enough reason to hate the bastard, but his emotions
were, as always, so uncooperative. Aya flinched as a hand stroked
through his hair, radiating concern and affection. The redhead felt
himself relaxing at the touch, and realized that he'd had control
over his body for some time now, but couldn't summon the strength to
toss Schuldig off of him.

"Leave me the hell alone! Why won't you just go away and find
someone else to torment?" Aya was so tired; he tried to fan the
anger so it would give him strength, but all the emotion did was
drain him.

<Shh, I keep telling you, you need to sleep. Why you have to argue
with me so much, I will never know. You're mine, and I always look
after what is mine, as well as protect it. One day soon, you will
realize how much I've done for you, and that I am the only one who
will ever understand you. I won't push any more, at least not now.
You can't hide from the truth any longer, Aya. You're fighting the
people who would keep you from harm and stop Kritiker from using
you. Why do you think they started the sessions again? Not because
of your sister. No, they have an inkling of your power, and they
want it all for themselves. They'll use Kudoh and the others against
you without a qualm; you're endangering the ones who care for you
again.>

"I want it gone, Schu. Make it go away," Aya whispered hoarsely. "I
can feel your threads in my mind, holding it back." He bit his lip,
not wanting to beg Schuldig of all people, but desperate enough to do
just that.

The German leaned down again, and captured Aya's mouth for a kiss.
Like before, desire and need rose in the pale man, making him kiss
Schuldig back, his arms rising to hug the man close, ignoring the
pain in his battered body. Before Aya could regain his senses and
shove him away, Schuldig ended the kiss, but pulled Aya upright so he
could hold him close. Soft lips pressed against his temple, a hand
caressed his cheek.

<I can't make it go away. You woke it up, Aya; you called on
something that was content to lie dormant. First to save your
sister, and then to distract me on the rooftop, months ago. It will
always be a part of you. The more you try to hide from it, the more
it will struggle to escape. But I'm here, to help you hold it back.
Trust me, and I can even show you how to use it.>

Schuldig's voice was soothing, but Aya didn't want to trust him. His
mind hurt, was filled with pain and was now conflicted over just how
much he could and should rely on a man who was his enemy. Yohji
should be the one holding him and telling him that things would be
all right, even though Aya would only snarl at him for the concern.
But Yohji was lying in a hospital bed because of him, dreaming of the
woman he had loved and lost. Yohji wasn't here, but Schuldig was.
The man never left him alone and could never be driven away.

"That's right, little tuberose, I'm never leaving you. Not even if
you drag me down into madness will I leave your side. I never let go
of what is mine. Now let's get you into bed." Schuldig slowly
released him, and Aya found that it took all of his strength to
remain sitting upright. Everything hurt so bad, from his head to his
toes. Without the other redhead holding him close, he started to
shiver again. Maybe this was all a dream; the room around him was
blurry and indistinct, and Schuldig was the only thing that seemed
real. If that was the case, then he couldn't risk antagonizing the
telepath any further, and breaking the agreement between them. Yohji
wasn't able to defend himself, at the moment.

The next thing Aya knew, Schuldig was pressing some pills into his
right hand. "Here; part of the problem is you forgot to take these
today. Or more accurately, last night. They help to hold your power
dormant most of the time, so make sure not to skip them again."

For a moment, Aya wondered just how much Schu knew about the pills,
and how the man seemed to be very familiar with his doctor. <I told
you, I look out for you; that's all you need to know. I won't let
Rôyama rat on you to Kritiker. Now swallow them.>

Once he had done that, Aya crawled to the top of the bed, and slid
underneath the down comforter. The sheets smelled like Yohji; of
cigarette smoke and musk and spice, and for a moment he imagined the
blond was there with him. That must have been why he didn't notice
the mattress shifting under an additional weight, or the blankets
being lifted, and another body curling up behind him, until Schuldig
wrapped him in his arms. Aya felt a wave of panic at having someone
other than Yohji spooning against the back of him, and immediately
found himself rolled onto his other side. "Schu - get the hell out
of my bed, you bastard."

"No. I'm just as tired as you are, so shut up and go to sleep.
Don't worry, I won't assault you like the Penner does. At least not
this time."

Aya tried to shove the man out of the bed, but found himself held
against Schu's warm body, his arms trapped between them, causing a
dull ache in the fractured one, and his head tucked under the man's
chin. Between his current physical condition and the drugs, he
couldn't work up the energy to fight any more, or decide if this was
real or not, and the only thing he was conscious of, besides being
warm for the first time in hours, was a hand combing through his
hair. For a moment, Aya tried to pretend that it was Yohji holding
him close, which would explain why his body merely relaxed into the
embrace, and why it felt so natural. Then Schuldig's voice in his
head disabused him of that illusion.

<You're mine, Aya. I'm never letting you go.>

*******

Schuldig felt Aya pass into unconsciousness, the catalyst's mind
snarling with anger and confusion, even as the slender body snuggled
closer to his. He'd finally managed to get Aya in bed with him, in
the real world. Granted, the man was battered, exhausted, and off-
balance, but he would take whatever concessions he could get from the
short-tempered bastard. The whole entire time he'd been beside Aya,
even during their discussion, there hadn't been a single flash of
hate directed towards him. His poor little tuberose was so confused
about that, and if he was awake or not, that it had to make the
German smile.

Gathering up the last of his reserves, Schuldig employed his talent
and delicately entered Aya's mind. He found the newly recovered
memory of what had happened in the hospital room the night of Aya-
chan's abduction, and substituted a new one. Aya would now believe
that his display of power hadn't been evident, and that none of his
teammates suspected that he was a talent. Schuldig hadn't been happy
when Aya had thrown that fact in his face a few minutes ago, and
risked tampering with a catalyst's mind enough to ensure that Aya
would only be able to turn to him over the matter. He wanted to
isolate the man from the rest of Weiß, and anyone else, as much as
possible. The mental cover-up should be slight enough that the
smaller man's mind wouldn't fight it.

That task taken care of, Schuldig hugged his heart close, mindful of
the cracked ribs. He took some of Aya's pain onto himself, just
enough to ease the last of the tension in the man's body. He kissed
a pale forehead as he thought with pride at how the swordsman had
kept himself from shattering when faced with the harsh truths he'd
lobbed his way. Aya was showing the core of steel within him,
confirming to Schuldig how right his choice had been. When the time
came, Aya would survive Kudoh's rejection.

Closing his eyes, Schuldig let himself drift asleep. He needed to
rest just as badly as Aya did, though he would remain aware enough to
sense anyone entering the house. A few hours of sleep, and he'd be
ready for whatever Brad wanted him to do that night. But until then,
he would enjoy every moment possible of having Aya in his arms, truly
his for the time being. And savor the fact with great relish that it
was all thanks to Kudoh.

*******

Teddy looked up from the magazine he was reading to watch Mickey walk
into his apartment, a closed look on the big man's face. "Hey, bro,
what's wrong?"

Mickey sat down on the couch, and after regarding his brother for a
moment, sighed and covered his eyes with his hands. "Kudoh's in the
hospital."

"What? What the hell did the idiot do now? Is Red okay? Was it
during the mission last night, or did Aya catch him cheating?" Teddy
tossed question after question his sibling's way, as he jumped to his
feet and started to pace across the tiny living room.

"He got hurt during the mission, from what I understand; Aya was
injured but not badly, and there was no cheating involved." Mickey
thought about that last bit for a moment. "At least I don't think
so, since the man is still alive. I don't see Red doing only half a
job on Kudoh if he really was stupid enough to fool around."

Teddy snorted in agreement. "Well, if Kudoh did manage to survive,
he'd be singing soprano, that's for sure. What hospital is he in?
Magic Bus? Let's go." Teddy made for the door, then smacked his
head as a thought occurred to him. "Oh damn, guess the guys are at
the hospital as well, which means we won't be able to stop by the
Koneko and pick up any free flowers. Got any spare cash on you,
Mick?"

"Theodore Robert, sit the hell down. I'm not done." The kilted man
blinked in wonder at the serious tone his brother was using, then
meekly did as he was bid. It never paid to piss Mickey off; he'd
learned that lesson at least during his lifetime. "What is it now?"

"We have a mission tonight. We're to check out the docks and see if
any more shipments come in for Hirai's ring. Get some sleep now; we
will be out late tonight." Mickey stroked his goatee for a moment,
an unhappy expression on his face. "Bring the Glock, and whatever
backup gun you have. And I want you to be dressed in black from head
to toe, I don't want to think what these guys would do to some
stranger caught wearing a `skirt' in that area of town."

A grin on his face, Teddy plopped down in the older man's lap, and
gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek, causing his sibling to grimace
in disgust. "Ah, Mick, I just love it when you pull the big brother
routine. Don't worry, I'll be carrying so much hardware, I'll set
off a metal detector from twenty feet. Maybe Koyu has a pair of
black jeans I can borrow."

With that comment, a thought occurred to the younger Stout. "Hmm,
need to come up with a good excuse to explain to the lover why I
won't be home in bed with him tonight."

"Tell him I'm working bar for a party, and that I roped you into
catering."

If Mickey wasn't his brother, Teddy would love him for his brains
alone. "You're a genius, bro." Giving the man another kiss, he
leaned back, a slight pout on his face. "Mick, why can't I just tell
Koyu the truth? I hate lying to him. We can trust him, I know that."

"Because if Kritiker ever found out, we'd be in trouble. You know
how they are, especially after being betrayed because of an agent's
boyfriend. Sorry, Teddy, but it would be best if you just kept on
lying to him." Mickey patted his younger sibling on the head, then
hugged him for a moment. Teddy sighed and hugged him back, knowing
it wasn't his brother's fault that he couldn't tell Koyu the truth.
But he still wasn't happy about the matter. He didn't want to do
anything that might jeopardize their relationship, and feared that
sooner or later, the blind man would see through his excuses, and
leave him over them.

Deciding to change the topic, the smaller American got off his
brother's lap. "So, you're sure Kudoh is alright?" Mickey
nodded. "Maybe we can stop by tomorrow then; I bet Aya has to be
pissed that Yohji let himself be injured. Besides, it'll be fun,
being able to torment him when he's not in top form."

*******

Omi tucked back a strand of Yohji's hair, and then jerked his head
towards the door. "Can I talk to you for a moment, Ken? Let's go
for a walk." The brunet nodded, and the two of them left the
hospital room.

They made their way to the top of the hospital, and found an
unoccupied corner of the roof. "Ken, did anything happen during the
mission that you didn't tell Manx? I still don't understand how
Yohji got injured; he's too good at his job."

Ken stared down at his feet for a moment, watching his toe grind a
cigarette butt into shreds, then looked up at Omi with serious brown
eyes. "I'll tell you every little detail, if you tell me the truth.
What the hell is going on here, Omi? What was with that debriefing?
And don't tell me nothing, because I know something's been going on
ever since Aya's sister was nabbed. Tell me the truth."

The `or else' hung in the air between the two assassins. Omi
carefully schooled his face, letting a touch of confusion and hurt
show, but nothing else. He knew that Ken had suspected something for
the past month or so, and hadn't been real happy with him and Yohji's
sketchy explanation of what had occurred that night. He also knew
that he couldn't lie to the man, or else Ken would never forgive
him. The only option left to him was a careful skirting of the truth.

"Ken..."

"Omi, tell me. I know it has to do with Aya. Please." Ken's voice
was rough and pleading, and Omi didn't have the heart to break the
man's trust.

"I think you are right, and that the debriefing has something to do
with Aya. That night, when Schreient took his sister…" The youth
shook his head, ridding himself of the memory of Aya glowing in the
dark room. "Aya more than `freaked', he wasn't himself. He
destroyed the medical equipment in the room, and I don't think he
knew we were there with him. He didn't even listen to Yohji. I'm
afraid that Kritiker has their eye on him now, and that they might
take him away from us, if he proves to be too `unstable'." Omi held
his breath, hoping that Ken bought the story.

"They've always been weird, as far as he's concerned. Come on, Omi,
Birman held a gun to his head to make him join up with us. I know
she sure as hell didn't do that to Yohji and me. Then they sent
Botan after him to make him return to the team? He's pulled more
shit than all of us combined, and Kritiker lets him."

One had to remember, that as oblivious as Ken seemed to anything
outside of soccer and motorcycles, the young man was actually rather
observant. He should have counted on the athlete picking up on those
odd occurrences. "I think… all that happened in part because my
uncle felt so guilty, for what my father had done to his family, and
because of Mastermind's interest in Aya." Ken tensed at the mention
of the telepath.

"Why, Omi? Why is that sick fuck so interested in Aya?"

Now that question was skating dangerously close to the truth. He
wanted to say he had no clue, but the lie choked in his throat. Ken
continued on, unaware of his reaction.

"There has to be some reason. Maybe he just likes pissing Aya off?
Or wants in his pants that badly? But why doesn't he just rape him
then? I can't see Mastermind not taking what he wants. It has to be
something." Ken furrowed his brows, trying to figure the matter out.

Omi swallowed a couple of times, until he was sure he could speak
normally. "I don't know what to say, Ken-kun. I'm sorry."

The brunet smiled wanly at him, and shook his head. "I know I'll
figure it out sooner or later; I'm not the idiot Yohji goes on about
me being. But you could have trusted me and told me just how much
Aya lost it. Let's face it, after living with the man this long, the
last thing I expect is for him to act completely sane. Or even
remotely sane, when he's really upset about something. I'd be
shocked if Aya didn't over-react upon finding his sister gone."

That brought a smile to Omi's lips, and he couldn't argue with Ken's
appraisal of the situation. "I know. It surprises me, how well he's
taking Yohji being injured. Other than the incident when we arrived
here, he's been so quiet."

"Hmm. I think it might have something to do with what Yohji said to
him after he got hurt. I think he believes the idiot blames him for
it." Ken leaned over the edge of the roof to look down on the
street, and let out a yelp when Omi spun him around. "Yohji said
something? What?"

"Geez, relax Omi, not a real bright idea to startle someone when half
their body is fifteen stories off the ground. Didn't you hear him?"

The archer gritted his teeth together. "If I had, would I be
asking? Remember, he cut me out of his comm."

Ken huffed for a few seconds, not willing to concede that
point. "Well, when Aya showed up to save his hide, after yelling at
him not to do something, and then to watch his back…" He paused for
a second, a frown on his face as he thought about something.

"Ken-kun!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, Yohji yelled at Aya about
ruining things. I don't know what the hell he was talking about,
unless he'd wanted to die. Weird, huh? I decided it would be best
not to mention that part to Manx, or else Yohji would be going
through the psych evals as well."

His mind in overdrive, Omi tried to decipher that cryptic statement.
Why would Yohji blame Aya for anything, especially when the man was
trying to save his life? For that matter, why had Yohji been so
insistent on being the one to take out the target? It didn't make
much sense…

He managed to bite back on the curse before voicing it and arousing
Ken's curiosity. Yohji had wanted to handle Hirai; that was a fact.
Aya had killed Hirai; another fact. He'd killed the man, because if
Ken and Aya's testimony was to be trusted - and why on earth
shouldn't it be - Yohji had had difficulty taking out the target.
Which never should have happened. Granted, security was pretty tight
that night, but Yohji had successfully completed more difficult
missions. And why was he mad at Aya? What had Aya ruined? Aya had
been the one to salvage at least one of the assignment's objectives.

Which meant that Yohji hadn't wanted Aya to kill the man. And there
was only one reason Omi could think of why he wouldn't. Which was
going to get the blond, chain-smoking idiot killed after all.

Right before Aya-chan's abduction, Yohji and Omi had talked about
Aya's upcoming medical exams, and possible options for making
Kritiker leave the swordsman alone. Yohji had proposed messing up a
mission, just to make it look as if Aya's power wasn't working. Omi
had pushed the idea aside, judging it to be a bit on the risky side,
and had assumed that Yohji had forgotten it as well. He was partly
to blame for this situation, thinking the playboy would ever ignore a
possible solution to a problem plaguing a loved one, no matter how
incredibly stupid it was.

And on top of all of that, Yohji had implemented the plan without
consulting Omi beforehand, and had brushed aside Aya's prediction.
The result of the man's phenomenal stupidity was that he was now in a
hospital, after nearly dying, and Aya was once again under Kritiker's
scrutiny. Oh, Omi hoped Yohji healed very, very quickly. He didn't
want to have to wait very long to be able to kill the moron.

*******

Schuldig moaned as he woke up, unhappy with the prospect of no more
sleep. Especially when Aya was snuggled against him, a pale arm
about his waist and their legs tangled together. The catalyst
wouldn't be waking up for another hour or so, at least. Neither
would Schuldig, if he didn't know that he had to report back to
Schwarz soon. Crawford had said that there was a mission tonight,
and he needed a couple of hours to get ready.

Nuzzling a mop of crimson hair, the telepath just reveled in the
feeling of Aya in his arms for a couple of minutes. The man was so
deeply asleep, he didn't even start at the caress, or move in the
slightest when Schuldig regretfully untangled the two of them and
slid out of bed. He made sure to tuck the comforter around the
smaller man, and spared a moment to brush back the long bangs and an
eartail that trailed across Aya's mouth. Giving in to temptation, he
leaned in for a brief kiss, savoring the way his tuberose tasted.

Stepping into his shoes and shrugging into his jacket, Schuldig did a
quick scan of the house. Hidaka was still at the hospital, or at
least not at home, and the chibi was fast asleep. Tsukiyono had
shown up a couple of hours ago, but had only taken a quick shower and
collapsed on his bed, thanks to a little mental urging on Schuldig's
part. But it would be best if he left now, rather than risk
discovery. First, though, he would stop in the shop for a brief
moment, and ensure that Aya really didn't dismiss their discussion as
a dream.

The matter seen to, Schuldig stole one more kiss before slipping out
of the Koneko. He used his power to shanghai a cab, and within a
half hour, was back at the current safehouse that Schwarz occupied.
Walking through the front door, he found Nagi once more playing some
computer game, and Farfarello was sitting next to him, bound in his
straightjacket.

The Irishman looked up at him, an unholy gleam in the amber
eye. "How is the fallen angel?"

"Tired, a bit bruised, but tucked all nice and snuggly into bed."
Schuldig couldn't help leering a bit. "It was sheer hell leaving
him."

"Ah, I hope you made God cry, to see what his lost one was up to."
Farfie fell silent as he watched Nagi decimate a hoard of demons on
the television set, while Schuldig leaned against the wall for a
moment. He could sense that the madman wasn't done. "When do I get
to play with the witch again?"

"Tomorrow." Employing his talent, the telepath smiled
wickedly. "Oh, she is soooo not happy at the moment. Bad day at
work, after a disappointing night with the toy you left her. She's
hoping to see you again, too."

Farfie smiled a moment, his scarred face graced with beauty and
peace. "She's such fun, and so eager to experience more bliss.
Thank you for my new toy."

"Any time, Farfie."

Nagi was the next to speak, in an aggravated tone of voice. "Do the
two of you mind? I'm in the middle of something here."

Schuldig stuck his tongue out at the boy. "So sorry, the world will
end if you don't get a new high score. Just save some energy for the
mission tonight." That set off Farfarello, who rocked back and
forth, talking about all the different ways he wanted to slice some
poor victim up that night. At Nagi's growl of frustration, Schuldig
left the room.

He didn't bother to knock on Oracle's door, just walked in and
collapsed on the couch. "Well, I've had a busy day, I'll have you
know. You do anything besides getting all excited about the pile of
paperwork on your desk?"

Crawford didn't even look away from his computer screen, and kept
typing the email he'd been writing when the German had invaded his
sanctuary. "I've kept track of several new developments, and had a
meeting with Schreient. They should have the results from the tests
on Abyssinian's sister in a couple of days. I can't believe they
actually bought the story about the girl being a factor in reviving
their beloved Masafumi."

"Whatever. I take it you'll be sending the results off to our
beloved leaders when you get them?" Crawford nodded his head.
Schuldig closed his eyes for a moment, and wondered when he'd be able
to fit in that little talk he'd promised Cassandra. He had to know
what was going to happen in the next couple of months, and keep a
close track on the events that would make Aya completely his. He'd
stock up on aspirin before that little visit; though he wouldn't be
the only one in pain by the end of it, if the old bitch didn't start
cooperating.

"Well, what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"We have to make sure that a shipment of weapons arrives without
interference. Weiß managed to shake up a smuggling ring that Esset
has been keeping an eye on last night, leaving us the perfect
opportunity to take advantage of the situation. We'll spend the next
couple of weeks ensuring that their operations recover somewhat, and
when the kittens move in to finish their assignment, appropriate all
the smuggled goods." There was a smile on the precog's face that
made Schuldig a touch suspicious and even more worried. "So be
prepared to spend the night waiting at a dock, and dress
appropriately."

"Huhn. I'm thinking white might not be a good fashion choice; too
much filth and grease." Schuldig examined a lock of hair for split
ends, and then changed the subject. "You mind if I let Farfie play a
bit the next week or two? I'll make sure he doesn't commit mass
homicide."

There was another suspicious grin on the dark-haired man's face. Now
things were getting scary; Crawford never appeared this happy. "No,
I think you can fit his exercise in around this assignment. And pay
a visit or two to Abyssinian, as well."

"Okay, Crawford, what the fuck is going on here?" The man was almost
happy; just how unnatural was that, Schuldig thought. "You are way
too smug over something, and you usually fight me over anything
dealing with the Kätzchen. Tell your Schu-Schu what you've seen."
Which shouldn't be much, what with Aya's catalyst nature blocking
most visions. But it was possible the man had seen something,
considering how intertwined Schuldig and Aya had become lately.

"Let's just say… Abyssinian is already proving his worth to Schwarz,
and leave it at that. I don't want to spoil the surprise." With
that, the American resumed his paperwork.

Picking up on the hint that his presence wasn't wanted anymore,
Schuldig got off the couch, and grumbling the whole way, went to get
something to eat. He refused to let the uptight prick's cryptic
nature get to him, not after the day he had. Schuldig could still
smell Aya on his clothes, and he sent a mental caress to the sleeping
man. He'd held Aya in his arms, with only one attempt at murder on
the tuberose's part, and very little mental distress over the
situation. Deep down, Aya knew he belonged to Schuldig; all it would
take now was another blunder on Kudoh's part, and he'd have the
catalyst all to himself.

*******

Song is Bleed, by Tapping the Vein

Retour Chapitre 3