Disclaimer: Weiss settings and characters belong to Koyasu Takehito and others
Beta-ed by Sybil Rowan
Time: shortly after Botan's death. Aya-chan is still missing.
Ordinary surveillance would have just seen only dark shadows in darkness, heard screams and shots. Crawford's talent got a clearer, fuller picture and added the slaughterhouse smells.
Weiss were hunting their latest dark beast, a general who liked giving selected troops live ammo and victim practice on a northern island. Only a psychic could have followed Weiss through pine-woods at night. They hesitated a moment as they realised the victims were not as helpless as they'd thought, but armed and fighting back. Not even Crawford's talent could see how they agreed to go forward.
Crawford saw Aya facing an abused, panicked teenager with a gun in his hand. It was a him-or-me situation. Crawford could even read the momentary flicker of relief as the boy pulled the trigger, before the bullets and the pain hit.
Some politician-faced doctor had talked about the power of modern medicine, and Omi and Yohji had let themselves be reassured he would still be breathing tomorrow, and ushered out with reassurance they would be phoned immediately if...but Ken knew Aya's will was stronger.
He stayed a little longer beside Aya, listening to his life support. The personnel of this wing of Magic Bus Hospital cut Weiss as much slack as they could, but the night watch was on. The nurse, a hard-eyed, middle-aged woman with a long open jacket, touched Ken's shoulder. He nodded and stood. He bit back pleading. Dead family, lost sister, and Ken remembered Botan in flames. If Aya felt it time to go, Ken would let him go without making it harder for him.
He walked out, head down. He'd learned the path to and from this room step by step. Anyone who got in the way would have to look out for themselves. He kicked his motor into a howl of protest and charged Tokyo's traffic.
He needed Aya. Everyone else left and changed. Kase had learned to hate him. Omi was his best friend, and a good friend too, but he was growing up into a life Ken shared ever less. Yohji had proved with Yuriko he put Weiss before Ken. Aya remained a solid rock.
Ken wanted to feel grief, and it came out anger. The wrong emotion to feel, but more and more anger and the release of violence was all he did feel. Soon he'd have nothing else, like Schwartz' lunatic.
He pulled up safely in front of the Koneko thanks only to other drivers, his mind on Yohji's drinks. It was understood he could help himself when he wanted, as long as he eventually replaced what he drank. He knew Yohji had some Irish whiskey. Very fitting.
Aya lay in the hospital bed with his face to the wall, and waited for the ebb tide.
There was a sneering laugh.
Not all Aya's kills had been loud fights with multiple gunmen. He remembered on such a night as this, walking quietly through the corridors to kill. He 'd worn a doctor's coat then. It was only fair he die the same way.
"I don't need to finish you off, do I?" Schuldig's smirk was more a sneer, and his ice-blue eyes hard screens. "They won't be wasting any time on your sister when you've gone, so it looks like we've managed to make a clean sweep of the Fujimiyas."
Yohji was pretty sure he had something extra to be drunk about, but the nice thing about it was he couldn't remember what it was. He sat on the Koneko steps and gazed up at Manx, too drunk even to leer. "Don' wanna sober up."
"How about clean up?" She looked down at Kudoh as if reckoning roach powder. "You can get up, can't you?"
Too drunk even for innuendo, Yohji contemplated this question and decided he might need another drink to answer it. Another toast to another dead friend. "Gimme a hand and we'll see."
Schuldig stood over over him. Even drugged Aya could feel the danger rolling off him. "Thanks for your team. What do you think's going to happen next time Farfarello gets to play with your little Hidaka if you're not there? He might not kill him, but he could amuse himself for a good long time."
When Omi was twelve years old Persia had made him kill his dog.
Now he was momentarily expecting to be ordered to kill Aya-kun. Or did Persia expect him to do it without being told? Or would Birman be told to do it? Could he protect Aya from her, and it would it be kind? He hated even the idea of doing it, but wasn't his wanting this to be over almost the same morally?
He was trying again to find some trace of Aya-chan on the computer. In stories they always succeeded at the very last minute. Soon he would have to turn to the next mission. Weiss' grief must give way to the lives of civilians.
Persia hadn't told him anything about getting Aya-kun. This time, again, he wasn't telling them whether they would have another member.
There was a loud clatter at the front door. It slammed open loudly and shut even more loudly. It wouldn't be Ken-kun, who was getting quietly, desperately, drunk in his own room.
Manx' voice was a little less cool than usual. "Will someone help me with this keg of liquor?"
Omi wiped his face dry and answered his handler's summons.
Schuldig held Aya's jaw hard enough to leave bruises. It was the first thing Aya had felt through the blanket of drugs and despair that had wrapped him since morning. "Typical Fujimiya, doesn't like getting his lily whites dirty. 'Oh, no, Takatori-san, I couldn't possibly engage in something so underhand'. He left it to Kritiker to clean up after him, and so will you."
Aya thought of strangling Schuldig with the i-v feed, shoving the needle in his eye. He could barely summon the strength to hold Schuldig's gaze with a glare. Schuldig dropped him back on the pillow and stood back. "Our win, Fujimiyas."
He laughed and swaggered out of the room.
Four o'clock in the midwinter morning. Yohji was dead drunk. Ken was dead drunk. Omi had asked Manx to leave, knowing she would tell Persia if he showed weakness. The phone rang.
Crawford's head poked out the door of his bedroom. Not that he was really anxious. If Weiss was weakened it was merely an inconvenience. Still... "Well?"
Schuldig was still grinning. "I have a positive report."
.
FIN