De: Akiko Fuyukaze <akiko@mitsukaranai

Title: Schuld und Verzeihung

Author: Akiko

email akiko at mitsukaranai dot net

rating: pg-13

date: 10/25/01

archive: yes to mailing lists and nanjou-san; others ask. I'll send you

an html file once I get it finished (I hand-code all html.)

Disclaimers: Weiss Kreuz is the property of Animate Film, Koyasu, Media

Blasters, and some other people. No profit is being made from this

amateur work.

Notes/spoiler warning: This chapter is set around episode 3. Words in

[brackets] are thoughts.

Schuld und Verzeihung, K. 2: weder Teufel noch Tod

(Guilt and Redemption, Ch.2: Neither devil nor death)

"Will you let me do this job?" Yohji asked. He knew it would be dangerous

to take on a large company like Riot, with a business in prostitution and

murder, on his own, but he was determined.

-----

The ringing of the telephone dragged Omi out of a pleasant sleep.

A woman's voice told him where they could find Yohji and that he was

injured. He heard a gunshot in the background, and after he hung up, he

ran to wake Aya and Ken and told them about the phone call.

"I'll go get him," Aya stated. "My car is more practical for this than

your bike, Ken."

"I'll help," Ken offered.

"I can do it myself."

Ken tilted his head. "Are you sure? What if he's too injured to move on

his own? You can't carry him by yourself."

Aya's eyes narrowed. [He's right, you know. You shouldn't be so

stubborn.] "You're right." He grabbed his keys from a drawer. "Find a

blanket or something. I don't need him bleeding all over my backseat."

Ken went to the closet that Momoe had filled with linens for them and

picked the least nice-looking thing in there.

When they arrived at the location they had been given, Aya jumped out of

the car and ran to the limp, bleeding form lying on the street. "Yohji!"

[Aya? Is that you?]

He knelt down and felt for a pulse, sighing heavily when he found

one. "Ken, bring that blanket over." [Where's that wound?] He gently

pulled Yohji's shirt up and saw the purple cloth wrapped around his

midsection. [Who did this? The girl who called us? Probably.]

[Aya... you came for me. Ken, too.]

"Is he okay, Aya?" Ken asked.

"He's alive. Looks like he's been shot in the side. Let's get him back."

He turned back to Yohji. "Alright, Yohji, Ken and I are going to pick you

up and take you home." He hooked his arms under Yohji's underarms and

lifted him up.

[Ow. Don't be so rough.]

Ken wrapped the blanket around Yohji, and they carried him to the car,

laying him gently across the back seat. When they got back to the

flowershop, they carried him inside and up to his room.

"Omi, can you get some water, bandages, and antiseptic?" Ken directed as

he struggled to get the limp, heavy form up the stairs.

They laid Yohji on his bed, carefully peeling off the tight black clothes

and unwrapping the purple cloth around his waist.

"It doesn't look too bad," Aya stated. "Looks like he lost a lot of

blood, though. Ken, could you get a glass of juice or something? I'm

going to wake him."

"Sure." Ken headed to the kitchen, nearly running into Omi, who was

delivering antiseptic and bandages.

Aya bent over Yohji and tapped his shoulder. "Yohji. Yohji. Wake up."

He stirred. "Tired." [Depressed is more like it.]

"Wake up. I'm going to clean your wound, and it's going to hurt. Who

shot you?"

"Mrrf. Riot. Cops. Don't know." He winced as Aya dripped hydrogen

peroxide into the bullet wound. "Ow!"

"I warned you. Stop being a baby."

"The girl -- did she get away?" He had run into a prostitute, Maki, who

was fleeing from Riot, while he was searching for the data.

"I don't know. Someone called to let us know where you were."

"That was before ... Nngh, don't be so rough, Aya." Yohji pouted.

Ken returned with a glass of juice. "Here, Yohji. Drink this. It's

pine-orange-banana - your favorite."

"Thanks, Ken. Now that the doctor is finished hurting me, maybe I'll be

able to drink it."

Ken watched as a vaguely hurt expression flickered across Aya's face at

Yohji's mock scowl. He thought it was a mock scowl, anyway. Feeling

suddenly very uncomfortable, he said, "Well, I'd better go see how Omi's

doing," and hurried out.

"Aya, have I ever told you about Asuka?" [Have I ever been able to have a

real conversation with you?]

"I don't believe so. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Yohji lied.

[Does it have something to do with the girl? I wonder.] "I should let

you rest. You lost a lot of blood." Aya turned and walked out the

door. [Does he have some past contact with Riot? Why was he so eager to

take this mission alone? How does this Asuka fit in? Who is Asuka?] He

walked to where Omi and Ken were at the computer.

"We're doing the mission tonight," Omi said.

"What about Yohji?" Ken asked.

"Leave him alone," Aya replied. [He needs to rest, and if my suspicion is

correct, he needs to pull himself together.]

-----

Yohji lay on his bed, sobbing. [I am such a fool. I told her to escape,

just like I told Asuka to escape, and neither of them made it out, yet I

still live. Why? They were both more deserving of life than I,

especially since I sold my soul for money. I'm nothing but a paid

murderer -- a hit-man for the keepers of justice.] He turned onto his

good

side and drew his knees toward his chest. "I couldn't save her," he

moaned, and he was never sure which /she/ he meant.

-----

Quietly, Yohji crept out of his room to check the computer. [Tonight.

The president and his buddies are here tonight.] He slipped into his

assassin gear and sped to Riot headquarters.

Three members of Weiss were standing outside the Riot building when the

fourth limped toward them. Aya caught his eye, his expression both

warning and concerned. Yohji's return glance was determined.

Once inside, they split into pairs, each seeking a target. Mission

accomplished, they headed out, stopping to pay final respect to

Maki. After a moment, Aya turned and left. [He needs his privacy.] Omi

and Ken followed him.

Yohji saw Maki's smiling face, laughing with him, then he gazed at her

cold form. [Shit.] He lay an orchid on her breast, turned, and left.

Back outside the building, he walked to where the others were standing.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, he walked to his car.

Ken and Omi followed Aya to his car.

"Those people were so awful. I hope their organization never comes

back," Omi stated with a shudder.

"We put the ringleaders out of commission," Aya replied.

"But what if someone takes their place?" Omi suggested.

"Then we'll just have to take them out as well," Aya stated emphatically,

returning his focus to the road ahead.

Omi and Ken sat in silence, thinking, as they watched the buildings pass

by, all with their lights extinguished, asleep.

-----

[Who is Asuka? Why did that prostitute's death have such an impact on

him? There is probably some connection, but he'll have to tell me about

it. I'm not a mind reader.] Aya lay sullenly on his bed, wearing boxers

and an old t-shirt, door cracked, awaiting Yohji's return. [Why do I want

him to confide in me?] Aya asked himself. [Because you want a friend,]

Ran replied. [I don't need a friend.] [But I do. And Yohji is

interested in being our friend. I think you should let him.] [But if he

confides in me, he'll expect me to confide in him, and I'm not ready for

that.] Ran was silent a moment. [Do you think you ever will be,

Aya? Will you let him past your feigned exterior of ice?] [Maybe

someday.]

When Yohji returned, he saw Aya's door slightly open. He changed out of

his trenchcoat into his satin pajama pants, then peeked in the door. Aya

was lying on his side with an unidentifiable expression on his

face. [Even in sleep, his mind is troubled. Yet there is some amount of

peace, as if something is keeping his trouble partly at bay.]

Aya's eyes snapped open, the familiar hardness settling over his

features. "Yohji. I've been waiting for you."

Yohji jumped. "I never knew you were such a light sleeper."

"Please, come in." Aya sat up.

Yohji crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Who's Asuka?"

[Straight to the point, as always.] "She was my partner when I was doing

detective work. She was killed when we were infiltrating Riot."

[The connection.] "Did you love her?" [Jealous much?] [Shut up.]

[That was unexpected.] "Maybe I did. She was a good friend, and she

laughed at my stupid jokes."

"Did the prostitute remind you of her?"

"Somewhat," Yohji sighed. "And it's my fault they died."

Aya blinked twice. "Oh?"

"In both instances, I'd been shot. I told Asuka to escape without

me. She ran, and they shot her. Then I did the same thing to Maki. I'm

a fool."

[What do I say? I've never done this before!] He said nothing.

"What right do I have to still be alive? Asuka and Maki deserved to live,

dammit. I'm just a murderer." He spat the last word from his mouth,

choking on it. [Will not cry. Not here. Not in front of him.]

"We're all murderers, Yohji." Aya's hand crept toward him, then jerked

back. "You, I, Ken, and Omi. We all have our own ways of dealing with

the guilt." [Building a cold facade is easier than one might

think. Don't let it touch you. Don't let anything touch you.] [Be

careful, though, or the true self may become lost forever,] Ran whispered.

[I guess that ice is just a front. I knew it.] "It's normally not so

bad, but this time I was reminded of the old time, when I was a detective,

not a hired thug. It's just overwhelming." His voice caught, and a shiny

tear escaped and made its way down his cheek.

[Hold him,] Ran urged. [But what if he expects me to confide in him after

this?] Aya panicked. [He won't. Just hold him. He needs it.] Aya

tentatively reached out his arm to encircle Yohji's shoulder. When Yohji

leaned into the proffered arm, the other closed around him. [That's not

so bad, is it?]

They sat like that, the comfort of the embrace relaxing them, until,

sleeping, they lay down, still embracing each other.

~tbc

Keeper of Duo's Kurosawa DVDs || GLOCK Contessa of Bishounen

Conditioner

Member of the Societies Against the Complete Bastardization of Zechs

Marquise and Treize Khushrenada

akiko.mitsukaranai.net

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>>>>>>>>>>>>> * Hi! I know I told some people this would be out sooner than now -

apologies!! I've been super busy with my classes lately (4 exams next

week *ugh*) and any sort of motivation to write has dried up and

disappeared. *sigh* Anyway, here's chapter 2.