cinnamon girl

by julia bebop

Weiss goes an assignment that is very risky. It involves a possible love intrest with Omi. Yet, Nagi fall in loves the kidnap victom.

Cinnamon girl*
By Julia Macgregor
(Song: I wanna live with a cinnamon girl I could be happy the rest of my life, with a cinnamon girl.
A dreamer of pictures I run in the night, you see us together, chasing the moonlight, my cinnamon girl.
Ten silver Saxes, a bass with a bow. The drummer relaxes and waits between shows for his cinnamon girl.
A dreamer of pictures I run in the night, you see us together, chasing the moonlight, my cinnamon girl.
Pa sent me money now, I'm gonna make it somehow I need another chance You see your baby loves to dance, Yeah...yeah...yeah.
(Song by Neil Young)

Aya was going to have another hit on the phone. He had to call his favorite radio station, which played classic rock for tickets to see Mick Jagger and the Rolling stones, live. It seemed strange for the quiet owner of a local Tokyo flower shop to be calling a classic rock station. He caught a snippet of news about Mick and the boys coming on tour coming over for their yearly trek of Japan.

It was strange. Yet, Aya was happy to get out and loose himself in the classic blues world of the Rolling Stones.

Omi entered the back room from the parking lot. He had a smile on his face. He came from school. He was the youngest of the Weiss group. On placing his backpack on a spare table, Omi saw a note addressed to him. It was from Ken telling Omi to give the Black-eyed Susans the daily treatment of food and water.

"Oh, great!" Omi sighed. He rolled his eyes at the note. Nothing was going to stop that good he had. He smiled at the flowers. The faster he did his job the faster he would get to do his homework. Then, a voice quipped, "Look at the face."

"Fool!" Omi yipped loudly.

Ken's voice could be heard from the front of the shop. "The weather is changing so much!"
The other two believe that Mrs. Ozake was stopping over to buy flowers for her late husband's marker.
"How was school?" Yohjo asked. He stepped out of the closet where the supplies for the shop were housed in.

"Great. Prefect. I got a one hundred in my pop quiz for science class!" Omi glared the suave longhaired man who was walking towards him.

Then, Yohji said as he stood in front of Omi in a singsong voice, "You need to feed the Irises. Don't drink any more pop, it costs. Get your homework done before surfing."

"Baka!" Omi muttered. His turned his face a little so his lips could stop their twitching.

"I heard that young man," another voice purred softly.

"Sorry. I'll get to the flowers now," Omi pouted.

Then, he turned to see Aya standing in the doorway. Aya, red haired, quiet leader of Weiss was walking towards the two. He held a packet of bulbs in his left hand. He entered from the front of the store.

"What's with the bulbs?" Omi asked.

Yohji still standing in front of Omi, smirked, "Get to work my dear boy!"

"I'm not talking to you, knit-wit!" Omi pouted as he waved his left hand at Yohji.

Aya watched as the older member teased the heck out of the younger. He rarely smiled and this was one of those times. His somber mood was a great leadership skill. He had three other diverse people as anyone could. He wanted Omi to stay sharp at his computer skills. Yohjo was always the one who had to be truthful when it came to work. Ken was always the physical backbone to Weiss. It was the most prefects of matches to have for a spy ring. Aya was running the florist shop as a cover for Weiss's operations. Aya watched as Omi took a small spray bottle from a worktable.

"I picked up these bulbs for their bright colour and a special surprise," Aya snorted as he shrugged his shoulders a little.

Omi and Yohji were ears to hear the latest in the underground news. They knew Schwartz was on the move. Aya was deeply troubled. He didn't let Schwartz go through with their threat of a kidnapping. Hoping Schwartz wasn't going to go and kill off the victim like the last one. It was a horrific mess when Yohji and Ken found the girl in a dumpster. The girl was hacked up to pieces. They only thing only thing wasn't touched was her face. She had a trace of purple lip-gloss on her lips. The dress was she wore was ripped to shreds as well. She must of have put up a fight when she being tortured. Omi wasn't allowed to see the young girl when the found her. He had seen dead bodies before, but not like this one. Ken told Omi to take Aya away from a minute from the crime séance.

It could bring back horrible memories of his dead sister, Aya if he (Ran) saw the corps. He always considered his sister dead despite being in coma.

"Yea. . .I knew those bastards are up to dirty pool," Ken said as he popped his head in the main doorway. The youthful ex-soccer player entered the room. He was practicing with his team in order to blow off some steam before starting on his work. He didn't have time to change from his uniform.

The corners of Aya's mouth moved in disproval. He glared at Ken as he ordered quietly, "Get a shower and change into clean clothes!"

Shrugging, Ken said, "Yea. I was...But, there was customer and I needed to help her. She is getting forgetful in her age."

Ken walked over to the door leading up the large apartment that Weiss shared. Then, he saw Omi spraying the flowers. Omi was off in his world. Ken quickly jolted Omi back into reality.

He quickly softly, "Did I see you with a girl before you came here!"

Omi was shocked at Ken's statement. He whipped around to see Ken standing with a stupid grin on his face. He grunted, "What did you say?"

"Oh, did I hit a nerve? Sorry! I just thought that girl were you were with is a cutie pie! You have the hots for her?" Ken teased.

"Baka. Umi is a friend from school. That is it!" Omi roared as he dropped the bottle. He lunged forward to grab at Ken. Ken was too fast for Omi to catch up. He laughed as he darted up the stairs. Omi was now ticked off. He was kind of shy around girls. He still was having a hard time adjusting in the real world. Omi needed a friend to help him with being a normal kid.

Aya looked at Omi with a commanding gentleness. He walked over to the youthful, blue-eyed boy. He said as he squatted down to pick up the bottle, "Attend to your work. Don't worry. He's just teasing you!"

"Feh!" Omi grunted. He watched as Aya stood back up.

"Don't let them bother you, Omi!" Aya slightly smiled. He handed the bottle to Omi.

"Yea," Omi sighed as he retrieved the bottle from Aya's hands. He turned to finish the spraying.

Nagi was looking over his report. He sat in a crowded sake bar in Tokyo's club area. He had his last sip of sake for the night. He hated the glare of the light, over hanging just a little above his head. The rice wine softened his hate a small bit. It was used more as a relaxing tool than a stimulate.

Farfarello, the silver haired young man of Schwartz was now entering the space of the table. His one eye grew wide as he asked, "Nagi. . .what's that?"

"This is Miss Umi!" Nagi smiled at Farfarello. He held out the card for the one eyed boy to stare at.

"Such a pretty girl!" Nagi purred darkly. His brown eyes cast themselves in mere cat slits. He placed the sake saucer down on the table. "Umi Kazithoto...age sixteen!"

He glanced at the thin note card with a picture of a young schoolgirl on one corner of the card. He noticed that Umi's father was an opera singer. Then, Nagi's eyes widened. He took a sharp a breath as his eyes fell on the grandfather's job title. The grandfather worked for the defense department.

"Oh, fascinating is she?" Farfarello asked. He felt like he was handed a joke and he couldn't understand it.

"This is very big. That girl is a Prime Minister's granddaughter. You get it?" Nagi asked. He held out his hand to take back the card. "Crawford wants the babe. Her family will pay the largest ransom in the history of all Japan!"

"You are pulling my leg. It's gotta be a freakin' joke!"

Nagi shook his head.

"OH, then. . .how do we get his golden goose?" Farfarello asked. He heard a waitress ask him what he wanted. He said without looking, "A beer!"

"I'm working on it. This will be the best job we ever pulled off!" Nagi nodded.

"She is just a kid. . .and by the looks a very smart one too!" Farfarello uttered in a sour tone. He took the opposite chair, which sat across from Nagi. He hated girls who acted smart.

Nagi smiled as leaned back, feeling the effects of the sake. "God. You don't know me that well!"

"I have worked with you!" Farfarello quipped with a devilish smile.

Avoiding the glare of a flickering strobe light, Nagi said, "I'm going to spy out the babe and what she does, when she goes to school and that kind of crap!"

"Not easy," Farfarello warned. He had a bad feeling that the girl, Umi had a guardian angel on her side.

"Just give me a week. I'll have her in a cage and don't say I told you so!" Nagi nodded sharply.

Farfarello gave a Luke warm response to Nagi's talk on the kidnapping. Nagi retorted by snipping his words with acid, "And you have any idea where I'm going to show up for the kidnapping of course?"

"No. If she's a PM's granddaughter, then she's got bodyguards coming out of every direction!"

"Not necessarily. She works at a local hospital in a gift shop. They can't have those jokers scaring off the patients."

The waitress came back with a tray. She left a small brown bottle from the tray. She said with a smile, "Here is your beer, sir!"

The bottle was placed on the table before Farfarello. He thanked the wateriness for the beer. He grabbed the beer bottle quickly. The waitress left the floor. Nagi looked at Farfarello.

"O.K." Farfarello said before taking in a drag of beer. "It's a deal. You don't come up with the goods. Then, let me take over!"

"Fine!" Nagi uttered in a childish pout. He stuck out his hand for a shake on the agreement. Farfarello took Nagi's hand into his free hand and shook it.

The things that all evil had to agree with, may angels stop the seeds of the darkness sprout.

Umi and Omi were going to class. Omi was helping out Umi with the computer course she was taking. Umi retuned the favor by teaching him about Japanese history. In his classes Omi kept to himself. It was like he stared from the outside of a bubble to the inside. When he hooked up with Umi, he felt as thorough he was on top of the world. Umi never had a boyfriend; Umi hoped he was going to be her boyfriend.

She managed to walk up to his locker. There was a large piece of paper covering the locker. The signs of auto racing, surfing and computers decorated the paper. It might be true that Omi was a closed mouth and shy as a girl. But, his dreams were big. "Omi?" Umi asked shyly.
Omi was getting his books out for the next class. He closed the locker door to revile Umi standing in front of him. "Oh, hi. . .Umi!" he said. Omi raised his arms up a little even out the stack of books in his arms. The books were resting on his chest.

"Hi," Umi bowed slightly.

He glanced at her gray eyes and asked, "What's up?"

"Are you having any tests in Mister Kuo's class?" she asked.

"No. . .why?" Omi asked. He could see the wheels turning in her head.

"Oh, nothing. I want to see how good you are at his class. Remember, Aya really got on your case 'bout bombing in Kuo's class," Umi smiled. She was going be very direct in hitting Omi at his grade level.

"Yea. What about your mom? She wasn't so thrilled when you came home with a C in Miss Fuji's class either. You can do better," Omi pouted. He was going to let her have it back at full force. Then, he grinned slyly as he quoted to Umi, "It's midterm and I got other things besides homework to think of!"

"What?" Umi yipped. She was clutching at her books still in her arms. "Baka-san. . .No wait. You are worst than a fool!"

Omi smiled trying to hold back his anger. On the other hand, he knew when he and Umi were at the breaking point.

A bell rang. It was sign that the next class was going to start in a few minutes.

"Loving little chit of a child!" a murmur of a thought echoed in a viewer's mind. Somewhere in the crowds of students and staff, a stranger was observing the young couple as they talked.
There was a second distance bell humming in the background. Omi snapped to attention.

"You are ready for Mister Kuo's class?" a voice questioned.

Omi glanced at Umi. Another student who was in the same class was now standing in front of the two.

Omi blurted out of fear, "Gotta go!"

He grabbed Umi's right hand. She nearly dropped her books. She gasped loudly as she felt the tugging from Omi, "Wait. . .Omi!"

The two zigzagged through the halls of the school until they reached Mister Kuo's classroom. Omi had a tight grip on his books in one hand and with the other was Umi's hand.

"Made it!" Omi huffed as he let go of Umi's hand. They entered the room.

Umi dropped her books on to an empty desk. Omi was standing next to her. Her heard the teacher a Mister Tohru Kuo entering the room from the other side. He was tall with wavy-brown hair and black eyes. He didn't wear a suit all the time. This was one of the days he didn't wear one. Instead he wore a sweatshirt with a picture of Gandalf and Frodo standing in the middle of a golden ring and a pair of dark green corduroys. It was clear that he was going to teach the class the principals of math through the use of Middle Earth. He got a couple of glances from the students, but what were pulling in the crowd were Omi and Umi having one of their so-called discussions.

Umi was looking over her notebook. She had a couple of lose pages with her history notes in the book. She started to open the book when she noticed of the papers edging out of the book. She gasped as her heart flutter in a panicked rhythm. "No," she gasped again.

"What?" Omi asked as he went to his chair. He had to excuse himself as he made his way

through the gathering crowd of students.

"Baka-san!" Umi snapped coldly. She tore through the notebook to find the other papers.

"What?" Omi asked a second tine. Omi went about his business of opening his backpack and his class notebook.

"Where are my notes?" Umi asked. A hand flew up in the air in a shot. Then, she raked over her hair with the hand.

"You can't find your notes?" Omi asked. He saw the sheer panic in Umi's eyes. He felt bad for pulling his stunt. He stopped his own search and closed the book bag. He said, "Here let me find your notes with you!"

He walked back to Umi's desk. He watched as Umi tore through her notebook. He reached over to take the paper. Umi was too involved on her search to pay any attention to the paper, hanging out of her notebook. He leaned forward to see the paper. On taking it between his two fingers, Omi said to Umi, "What's that?"

"Uh?" Umi gasped. She had to stop before the teacher made her sat down on a chair. She looked at the paper. She read a couple of lines on the paper. She realized what she was reading was the second page of her missing notes. "Oh, my God!" she shrieked. She snatched at the notepaper. Her hand shook with ere. "Where did you get this?"

"It was hanging nearly outside of your notebook. Umi. . .you better take extra care of your things!" then, Omi told Umi to sit down before she fall down. He walked around Umi's desk.

Grabbing her chair, Omi talked to his friend in gentle tones.

When Umi saw Omi being the prefect gentleman, there was only one thing she could do. She grabbed Omi by the neck. Then, she gave him a kiss on the lips. To the now shocked crowd, Omi appeared to Umi's for "real boyfriend!"

No one knew that was in store for Umi as she went about her business during the rest of the day.

"Come on Ken. I want to use the shower!" Yohji gripped loudly as he stood in the hallway of the flat above the flower shop. The flat was Weiss's home base. Yohji was hoping to get a shower before eleven at night. He grabbed his gear, as he believed that the bathroom was free. He did extra hard work unloading the delivering van of ten fake stone urns which Aya had ordered months ago. Yohji hoped for a quick shower and a fresh change of clothes. Then, he could go and see the ladies. Yohji was ticked off when he saw the door to the bathroom was closed. He believed it was Ken taking up the shower after a long day of working and playing soccer. He stood there with his things in his hands in front of the shut door. He started to pound on the door. "Come on. . .Ken. You jerk. I need in there!"

Ken happened to hear his name being called out. He was walking up the stairs to the living room. The hallway to the bathroom was off to the side. He knew that he wasn't in the shower. He trudged thought the living room to the hallway. He saw Yohji standing in the hallway. Yohji snapped, "Come on. You are wasting water and valuable time!"

Ken had to put a stop to Yohji's outburst. He reached out to tap the noisemaker on the shoulder. Yohji was very much preoccupied with trying to drag out whoever was in the bathroom. Then, a muffled voice, coming from the bathroom said, "O.K. Just keep you shirt on!"

Ken said, "Yohji. . ."

There was break in the knocking. Yohji wasn't in the mood for any more disruptions. He said without looking, "Yea."

"Let me get my clothes on," the voice said in the bathroom.

"Good. . .Ken. If you're in a hurry . . .why don't' you get dressed in your room!" Yohji said.

"Yohji! I'm not in the bathroom," Ken uttered loudly in shock.

"What?" Yohji asked. He felt like he was in the middle of bad prank. He was getting ready to break down the door.

"Look at me!" Ken ordered the oldest member of Weiss in a ticked off voice.

"What?" Yohji yipped. "If you are not in the bathroom. . .then where are you?"

"Right here!" Ken yipped loudly. He grabbed Yohji's chin with a hand. Gently forcing Yohji to stare at him.

Yohji as shocked as his jaw dropped when he saw Ken's face drawn up into a perturbed look. Yohji hunched his shoulders and asked, "Then, who is in there?"

The door slowly opened to relieve a clean smelling version of Omi. Omi had a towel draped over his head, wearing his green robe, which clung tightly to his frame.

"Omi?" Yohji gaped.

A slight feeling of a bad joke hit Ken between the eyes. He uttered a little ticked off, "O.K. what were you doing in there, hot shot!"

Omi placed hand to his head. He began to rub the water out of his hair. He said, shrugging his shoulders, "Nothing! I was taking a shower."

"What for?" the two asked the youngest member in the room. They two both believed that Omi had to work before doing any homework, and then it was a full hour on the computer.

"What did you think who was in the shower, Aya?" Omi asked.

"No," Yohji shook his head, trying to cover up the fact that he wanted to be first in the shower before anyone else. Then, a flash of wonderment past Yohji's mind.

"What were you doing in there any ways?" Ken blurted out what was on Yohji's mind.

"I was taking a shower. . .I'm going out for the night," Omi said. He took the towel and wrapped it around his neck.

Yohji and Ken were struck dumb. What was Omi on? It was the first time Omi was going out alone. He had the boom lowered on him. Yohji smirked as he grilled, " Has my little Omi discovered girls?"

He leaned forward to see that Omi was trying to impress who he was going out with.

Omi was now trying to figure out what was both on Yohji and Ken. He realized in a minute that Omi was going out with a girl. He started to pout with an angry stare in his eyes. He said, "You two, lechers. . .There are no than one way to have fun with a girl. You sick pervs!"

He flexed his hands into fists. He was going to punch out Yohji first. What stopped him was a voice saying in a mild tone, "Your first date and you treat her with the up most respect!"

Omi whipped around to see Aya standing in the hallway with a small arrangement of yellow roses and baby's breath in his hands. Omi was dumbfounded at Aya's tiny extra detail to make his first date special. Omi questioned Aya, "Are those for her?"

"Yes. . .now you remember, curfew is at ten. I didn't want to tell you that," Aya nodded. He held out the flowers for Omi to take.

"Thanks!" Omi said. He wanted to spill the beans, yet his first date was a special secret. He was going to help Umi her homework one or another. His face was a picture of complete wonder. Aya was the one who was going to help without being a pain.

The other two were now a little baffled. Omi held the flowers in his hands as she walked pass the two open mouthed jerks. He said, "Thanks, Aya. I have to see if I have any clean clothes to wear for tonight!"

Aya smiled quietly. Then, he walked over to Yohji and Ken. With both hands, Aya closed their mouths by tucking his hands underneath their chins. Gently, but firmly Aya moved the two nosy busybodies mouths until they closed out of a normal reaction.

Omi was now waiting with flowers in hand at the Rose Café. He told Umi to meet him there. He sat up a small quiet table in the back of the café. He watched for Umi. He hoped that she wasn't late. Glancing at his watch, Omi sighed. He reached out for his second break stick. There was a tall glass filled with dark brown bread sticks. Omi forgot to eat before he took off. He usually had an apple or pear after school. In his mad rush, he gathered up enough courage to ask Umi to have dinner with him. He watched as the people were coming and going in the café. Then, Umi entered the café. She was pretty in what she wore when she came into view. Omi smiled at the crushed red velvet top and black cords. She was very bubbly as she walked up to the table. A blush teased Omi's face. He never saw Umi looking so pretty before. He had seen her as she wore her uniform in the dozens of times at school. Yet, seeing her in a different outfit was very pleasing to this shy boy.

"Omi?" Umi asked as she came close to the table.

"Yea . . ." he blushed. "Are you ready for a little bit of food and a ton of studying?"

"I think I am!" she said. She brought her shoulders a little forward like a dove taking off into flight. She looked like a child.

"Nice outfit," Omi smiled. "You look great in red!"

"Thanks! I got this for my birthday last year!" Umi smiled. She reached up with a hand to pat her shoulder.

Omi was going to find his gift. His hand groped the table until he had found the bundle of newspaper. "Oh, here!" he said as he out the flowers from he spot he cover the newspaper. "These are for you!"
Umi was caught off guard, as she stood there opened mouthed. Then, she thanked for the flowers. It was going to be the last night; he was going to see her. Umi pulled out the chair. She slowly sat on the chair as Omi started to looked at the menu card.

Yohji waited for Omi in the school parking lot. He watched, as the girls and boys was they were walking out of the building. A couple of girls noticed him. They ran up to him and asked, "You are. . .Yohji!"

Not passing up any pretty girl, no matter what age, Yohji flashed an award-winning smile, "Why yes!"

The girls let out a loud squeal of delight. One of them asked in a blushing giggle, "do you have any girlfriends!"

Yohji was completely floored. He liked all women. He tired to please them in the store. He realized that the young girls were flirting with him. "Harmless!" he thought. "I'll flirt right back!"

"Yohji!" a voice called from a crowd of kids leaving the school building.

"I'm sorry ladies, duty calls!" Yohji said, still smiling. Then, he bowed in front of the girls. The girls let a loud squeal and a few giggles.

"Oh, good grief!" Omi winced. He stared at the young man who was strolling over to him. He wishes for a rock to hide under. He said, "Listen. You can't pick me up, like this!"

"Oh," Yojhi smirked. He could sense Omi's embarrassment. "Sorry. Aya has some news. Come on."

Yohji's eyes shifted their glanced as he noticed Umi leaving the building. He asked, "Is that the girl!"

"Which girl?" Omi asked. He watched as Yohji's eyes followed Umi as she walked to the sidewalk. He asked, "You mean Umi?"

"Shh!" Yohji's voice was hushed. He placed a finger to his lips. "We can talk about it later. Come with me, now!"

Omi noticed Yohji's face. It was carefree in a normal day. This was a cold anger inside of the suave man about town.

The two young men walked over to the parking lot. Getting into the car, Yohji reached over to the radio. He flipped it on and realized that instead of his Mobey DC playing, heard Mick Jagger and the Stones playing to a full brass and drum set. "Aya!" he huffed.

"Just turn off the radio if you don't' like it!" Omi shrugged his shoulders.

Yohji reached over to stab at the power button. He started the car slowly. Then, he reached over to grab at the safety belt. Omi did the same as he turned his head to see if Umi was there. He watched as she got into a small car. "There she goes!" he sighed.

The car became deadly still. Yohji's presents was starting to spill out onto the car. He drove the car slowly out of the parking lot. Omi remained quiet. A few minutes later, Yohji glanced at the rearview mirror. A motorbike zipped by. The driver honked the bike's horn. Omi saw the driver pass the car.

"You want to know why I'm kind of upset?" Yohji said in his quiet tone of voice.

Omi glanced at Yohji with a slight bewildered gaze. He wondered why his partner was on the edge about something. "Yea, what's up?" he asked.

"Umi. . .you know her?" Yohji asked. He stopped the car at a red light.

"Yea . . .she's a friend. I have been going to school. . .the same school as she had going to for a while," Omi shrugged his shoulders.

"Did you know that she is a granddaughter to a Prime Minster?"

Yohji's statement was a jolting shock to Omi. He tried to remember anything Umi had spoke of her grandfather. He had to shake his head in disbelief. He felt his heart starting to beat rapidly. It wasn't the money for the ransom he was thinking of. His concern was more to Umi's safety. He didn't want to relive the past. He snapped with fear in his eyes, "Are you pulling my leg!"

"No," Yohji sighed loudly. At times like this, the savvy ladies' man would reach for a smoke. He glanced at the youngest Weiss member. He decided jot to smoke. He didn't want to get Omi messed up by inhaling the smoke for a cigarette.

"She must have kept a secret. She's really a shy girl!" Omi sighed as he glanced the older man behind the steering wheel.

"How could you tell? You never met her!" Omi yipped softly. His eyes blinked out of fear.

"Hey, I've got eyes. I can tell. She has away of making your all mushy," Yohji said as he turned to shove ease in his voice.

Omi was now blushing at Yohji knowledge of his personal of secrets. "Yohji. . .why you!" he griped as he glared at the driver. He began to tighten hands into fists.

"Don't worry. . .I wouldn't tell the others," Yohji smirked as he snorted. He shook his head at the young passenger.

Aya waited for the other three with the patient of a saint. He sat in a private and very neatly organized office of the man he and others were being interviewed as soon to be bodyguards. The quiet leader of Weiss knew that Schwartz was on the move.

The door opened and Yohji entered the room. He said as he walked to a dark wooden desk, "I see Aya is here!"

Aya nodded. His eyes moved along the path Yohji had just taken. Yohji asked, "Where are the other two?"

"They are coming. Omi was totally freaked out when I told him about that girl!" Yohji said. He found a chair near the desk. He plopped into the chair with a groan. "Man this is good place to stay!"

Aya knew that Yohji was just being a pain in the neck. He scolded with an extremely gentle, almost still voice, "Don't get too comfortable."

"Yea, yea, yea. . .I know. What does this little chick need protection for anyways? Her grandfather is a former PM. Not the latest model!" Yohji sighed as he placed both hands on his lap.

"I am not too sure about it. . .but, Schwartz is hungry!" Aye uttered. His eyes grew steely.
Yohji could read the lines on Aya's face. The wolves of Schwartz not only needed the money, but also they loved to hurt people in the process. Then, they two heard the door opening for a second time. Omi and Ken entered the room. Ken was telling Omi a funny story to ease Omi's fears. Omi looked like he was kicked in the head. Ken was trying to force a fake laugh from his mouth. Then, he felt the eyes of his leader cutting right through him. Aya said a little coldly, "Sit down!"

"Why?" Ken asked in innocent bluntness. He wondered what was going on with Aya. He was trying to make his best friend Omi feel better. Omi was shutting himself up into a shell. It was like the times he was going through counseling after his kidnapping when he was just a child. He would stare endless into space, trying to piece what little sanity he had left.

Aya said as he pointed to the last two chairs, "Sit down over there!"

Yohji scooted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew when Omi was walking on eggshells when Aya ordered the other three about.

Ken walked over to the chair closest to Yohji. He knew that he was going to get it when they got back to the flower shop. Omi was in his shell now. No way in or out for the other three to get at. Aya noticed as he stood up Omi's face. He walked up to the child.

Omi was staring into space when Aya walked over to see what he could do. Yohji spoke up as he glanced at the two, "Listen. Umi will be protected. O.K."

Aya glanced at the blank expression of the young man's face. He said softly, "I don't think you are getting through."

Aya reached over to Omi by the hand. The two walked over to the last empty chair. Omi saw the chair and slowly sat down. Omi finally spoke up. It wasn't the happy go lucky voice that he used. This was a different voice, distance and terrified, "I want to see Umi. I want to know that she's O.K."

Aya said gently as he glanced at the boy, "Maybe later on!"

He placed a hand on Omi's shoulder.

The door opened and a man with wire rimmed glasses and graying hair entered the room. The man said as he stared at the group, "Hello. I'm Mister Tomoko Kazithoto!"

All four younger men stood up and turned to bow in front of the older man. Aya said, "Good afternoon, sir. I'm Aya Fujimiya. These are my associates. Ken Hidaka."

Ken said, "Hello Mister Kazithoto!"

"And Yohji Kudou!"

Taking off his shades, Yohji said, "Hi!"

"And last . . .you might know him from you granddaughter, this is Omi Tsukiyono!"

It was another minute before Omi murmured loudly, "Hello sir!"

With a small snort of surprise Mister Kazithoto said, "Yes, I do. She has talked endless about you, young man!"

A little floored, Omi glanced at the older man standing in front of him. He gaped, "Yes sir!"
"Gentlemen, please take a seat," Mister Kazithoto nodding to the chairs.

Aya went back to his seat, which was next to Yohji and sat down. Then, the other three members of Weiss sat back down.

"Let me make it clear to you, that I don't care what happens to me. It's my family that I deeply have my concerns for," Mister Kazithoto said as he walked to the desk. He came to his own chair and reached over to pull it out. Slowly sitting down, Mister Kazithoto faced the members of Weiss.

"Your granddaughter?" Yohji asked as he glanced at Mister Kaithoto's eyes. "She's the most vulnerable?"

"At times. She does go to school and it has the best security for an institution of that nature! Yet, she does work at a gift shop in a local hospital. Outside of school and home Umi is in a state of unknown danger!"

"What is Schwartz have do to with Umi?" Aya asked. His eyes narrowed sharply.

"Schwartz," Mister Katihoto asked as his fear began to prick his soul. "You have dealt with those demons?"

His right hand took a sweeping arc across the desk as to drive his point clear.

Yohji lowered his head to peered up at the older man. He murmured loudly, "Yes. We have."

"Dirty scum!" a voice said with fear and loathing. It sounded like a cry of anger, yet at a reasonable rate. This voice was quiet with hate. All eyes turned to see Omi rolling up his left hand into his right palm. There was a furry which was starting to break through the surface in Omi.

Omi's flash back: At a local theme park near downtown, Nagi was using his powers in horrific twists of events. Nagi was the gifted telekinetic telepath member of Schwartz. Omi was in the hall of mirrors when Nagi decided to follow him. The two saw reflections of each other in the mirrors. Omi was only armed with his cross bow. No match to Nagi. The young telepath somehow got inside of Omi's mind. The reflections of himself and his foe turned into multi-access of Schwartz coming towards him at every angle. They were turning into the group who kidnapped him as a small boy. He became terrified at the visions in the silvery glass. He had to get through this for real nightmare with out a scratch.

Omi focused on the on coming air from the middle of the maze. Then, an image of Crawford or what appeared to be Crawford drew out a gun from his jacket pocket. Pointing at Omi, the shadowy reflection pulled the trigger. The mind trick was work very so perfectly as Nagi watched as Omi jumped at the imaginary noise in his head. Nagi had Omi right where he watched the young boy. Nagi was using his powers to the hilt; tricking poor Omi into thinking he was being shot at. Omi did sense pain as the fake bullets pierced his skin. He screamed in the confusion from the telepath's mind-altering trick.

Nagi, holding in his maniacal laughter, watched when Omi feel to the floor in shock. Then, he did something, which caused him to slip up. Yohji was carefully running through the maze of mirrors until he caught a glimpse of Nagi hiding the shadows near a passageway and of Omi lying on the floor in terrified agony. He had to follow the noise of a gunshot when he entered the hall.

After the shot was fired, Omi was the only one who experienced the pain and the noise as the fake bullet pierced his skin. Nagi was lazy in his steps as he began to laugh. He chided when he saw Omi near his pathway, "Poor little boy!"

He walked over to Omi. He raised his one hand over his head. He had the power of his mind to finish Omi off. He was going to use the crushing blow of a sledgehammer to wipe clean of youngest member of Weiss from the face of the earth.

Yohji had to draw back to keep out of sight. Nagi was too focused in his deadly pursuit as he painfully toyed with a weakened Omi. Omi was crying out in loud agony. "Oh, shit!" he groaned as he rolled around on the floor. He raised his hand to see it covered in blood. Nagi was throwing images at alarming rate at him. He groomed again, "Oh, God. Please forgive me!"

"Forgive!" Nagi quipped in a snarling lip. "Why do I want to do that?"

Yohji had to think on his feet. He thought, "I have to use some wire to trap this spider!"

He knew where his wire in his jacket pocket. Quickly, fishing it out from the pocket, Yohji prepped the wire for a snag.

He watched as Nagi viewed a terrified Omi. "That punk!" Yohji thought in disgust. He heard the agony coming from his partner. He had to be careful. If seen by Nagi, Yohji could have been his next target by just turning on him.

"What a pity. . .little Omi has to go through!" Nagi snorted with a dark smirk. He watched at the now fallen Omi through the pain of the fake gunshot wounds. Omi was crying hard as he clutched at his suppose wounded belly. He didn't dream that Nagi was behind the shots. Nagi was going to have a sweet opportunity at his feet.

Omi began to black out and barely remembered another thing. He had a loose memory of waking up in the hospital. The doctors at the E/R had explained to Aya, Yohji and Ken that Omi was under a great deal of posttraumatic disorder from the event with Nagi. Omi's mind had fuzzy black spaces still. He had to spend a week in the physic ward due to the stair from the attack. Omi was now staring at the floor. He was in grim silence as he stared at the floor.
Then, Mister Kaithoto said as he placed two fingers on the desk. He rapped on the desktop with a light touch. He had a serious look on his face. He was frightened in his eyes as he glanced at Omi. He said coldly," The real fear is my granddaughter. She's so young and innocent. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"She's the nicest girl, you ever want to meet!" Omi sighed. His heart ached for her.

"Oh," Yohji said when he glanced at Ken with a tiny smile.

"She's an angel and easy pray for those scum," Mister Kaithoto said. He folded his hands on his desk.

"Why?" Aya asked as he placed a hand up to his chin.

"This maybe a small fact, but her mother is white. The sweetest girl that my son could have. They met in college.

Yohji asked, "Where did they meet?"
"My son met his wife went he was in the states attending college. She was not that bright when it came to schoolwork. Yet, she was great when it came to running a house," he smiled.
All four members of Weiss glanced at each other, then at Mister Kaithoto. Ken asked in a general manner, "They got married after college?"

"Yes. At first, having a white girlfriend for my son is what I wasn't looking for to in my life. She grew on my wife and me.

"She is a treasure to you, sir?" Yohji asked as he tried to prod a little but deeper. "I mean you granddaughter!"

"Yes. She is my one and only," Mister Kaithoto smiled sadly. He had a flashed back to a time where Umi was a little girl and he was playing with her at his son's house and back yard.

"Grandpa. . ." Umi giggled as she ran to her swing set in the back yard. "I wanna swing!"

"Oh, you do?" Mister Kaithoto nodded slightly as he walked over to the set with her.

"Yea!" Umi nodded with a bright smile.

Mister Kaithoto looked grimly as the flash back began to fade into memory. Aya and Yohji exchanged polite smiling, glances at each other. Ken was thinking about why did a Japanese man fell in love with a white woman. Omi tired to think of one thing, Umi was in terrible danger. Aya saw the pained look on the youngest member of Weiss. He said, "Then, did you except her?"

"Yes. She helps out in the American embassy!"

"And Umi?" Ken asked, trying not to be too pushy.

"She's my little princess. She listens to her mother and minds her father. I have spoiled her since she was a little baby. There were threats in the past. I have taken them seriously. But, this is a down cruel joke. Schwartz is not letting me go that easily."

The words Mister Kaithoto spoke of were a cold slap in the face to Omi. He was jerked to attention be some electrical shock. He instantly vowed in his heart to be Umi's shadow nearly at all times. He slowly, uneasily stood up. He bowed slightly as he said, "Mister Kaithoto!"
Noticing the young man, he said, "Yes, what is it, Omi. . .is that your name?"

"Yes, sir," he said as he stared directly at the older man in the eye.

"I went you to protect my granddaughter at all costs. She's half white which is a contributing factor in this little sick joke that Schwartz wants to pull!"

"Yes," Omi nodded quickly.

Aya nodded after Omi did while the other remained quiet.

"In the years I have known Josie, Umi's mother, there are no ill feelings between her and my family," Mister Kaithoto said in dead earnest. Then, he caught a glimpse of the picture of his beloved granddaughter.

Farefello was going to obverse Umi as she went to and from school. Nagi took over the stalking when Umi went to work at the hospital gift shop. It wasn't easy. He pretended he was paying a bill or visiting someone when he watched Umi at work during the late afternoon. There had to be a chink somewhere in her daily routine. Nagi was horribly surprised asNagi was horribly surprised when he saw Omi stopping over at the hospital. "That little brat!" he huffed in his thoughts. "What is he doing here!"

Omi glanced at the window. Umi was alone in the store. He combed his bangs with a free hand as he carried in the other a paper sack. "Hey. . .Umi, I got you a real treat!" Omi said as he entered the gift shop.

Umi was getting a display of necklaces and bracelets ready for the next day's shopping public. She was somewhat amused to see Omi coming in for a visit. "What is it?" she asked with wide eyes.

"It's your fave!" Omi grinned when he held up the brown bag. He walked over to the counter. "Cheeseburger and fries with a root-beer float!"

"Oh," Umi gaped in a shy tone. She placed the last necklace on the rack. It caught the light.
Omi was dazzled by the sparkle of the necklace. He said as he glanced at it, "That's nice!"

Umi, a little baffled, asked, "How did you know that's my fave?"

Flashing a smile, Omi said, "A little bird told me!"

This little friendly visit was getting underneath Nagi's skin. He was now grumbling under his breath what he would like to do with Omi's body. He quickly walked out of the hallway, which was in front of the gift shop. He had to tell Schwartz what was going on.

On the other hand, Omi was fixing up a space for Umi to have her treat on the counter. The two chattered about school. Umi said, "I have a big history test."
"Oh," Omi said as he placed a large paper napkin that he had fished out from his jacket pocket. "Yea, I know, but. . ." Umi said as she turned the display to the front of the counter. She was starting to blush. In Umi's viewpoint, Omi was starting to grow on her. She told her mom that Omi was a cutie pie.

"I'm in the secondary year, while you are in the first year!" Omi said as he spread out the napkin to cover most of the counter. He reached over for the bag. Laying it out, Omi tore it open. He said, "I have some idea that if you were secondary class, then we can study together."

"It figures!" Umi sighed as she glanced at Omi.

There was a phone call ringing from the back. Umi excused herself to answer the phone. She told Omi that there was a phone in the supply room. She walked over to the door, which lead from the check out counter to the back. Omi went about his work. He inhaled the scent of the French fries. They smelled too good to pass up to take just one. Omi scanned the room to see if Umi was gone. When he saw her not in the room, he swiped one from the carton.

Umi said her goodbyes as she glanced at her watch. She didn't want too be late on her trip home. Omi had his work done when he glanced at a small pink box. The top was in the shape of a flower. He wondered if Umi had anything like that in her collection of person items. She was a PM's granddaughter. Yet, he wanted to spoil her just a little. He heard Umi reentering the room. Omi looked up at the girl and asked, "Was that your mom?"

"Yea! She is running late!" Umi shrugged her shoulders.

Omi appeared to be very innocent as a slight crumb of French fire still clung to one corner of his mouth. Umi stared at the wall and asked, "Omi?"

"Yea what?" he smiled.

"That was my father's office," she gasped. She had a look of terror on her face. "He had been in a car crash!"

A specious stare hit Omi's eyes as he uttered loudly, "What?"

He had to know if Umi was telling the truth. He could tell her face was starting to drain of its color. He darted towards Umi. Umi seemed to be half there as she walked to the counter. She was in a deep daze. It hurt her to hear the news of her father.

He asked in a serious, but gentle tone, "Your father?"

"Papa?" she asked out loud like a child who is lost in a crowd. There was a pain in her stomach. It meant she was starved.

Omi heard Umi's belly going off. He coaxed her by saying, "You have to eat. Here, I'll close up the shop and you go to the back and sit! I'll get your food!"

Umi loved her father deeply. She glanced at Omi with frightened eyes. Omi took her by the hand and lead her to the back office and storeroom of the gift shop. He noticed in the office was a desk and two chairs. He helped her to one of the chairs. He said as he watched her sit down, "Just rest. I'll be back with the food!"

Umi was in shock. It felt like she was out her own body. She stared blindly at a wall as she gasped, "Daddy?"

Omi darted back to the counter and scooped the food with both of his hands after rewrapping them. Umi didn't hear Omi as he entered the room. He saw the fear in her eyes. He wanted to talk to her in order to calm her down. He laid out the packages of the food on the desk.
Umi managed to say out her long silence, "Omi?"

Omi turned to notice if she was talking or not. He whispered loudly as he drew himself close to her, "Eat. Then, I'll take you to your house!"

In the distance shadows, Nagi was waiting with an anxious mood. He was almost cutting his lower lip with his teeth. His lip was drawing a little speck of blood as he gnawed at it. He didn't want to leave Umi alone with him. "How stupid is this!" Nagi thought to himself.

Then, his cel-phone began to ring. He reached over with his hands to riffle thought his jacket pockets. In a second Nagi found his cel-phone and pulled it out. He placed it up to his ear and snipped, "Yes!"

It was Crawford calling on the young Nagi to confirm the situation in hand. He asked, "Is she there?"

"Yea," Nagi sighed bitterly as he glanced thought the store window. "But, she isn't alone. That bratty Omi Tsukiyono is there!"

"What. . .damn. Weiss!" Crawford growled softly on the other end. "Why he is there?"

"For a visit. He is in some of her classes at. . ." Nagi began to say.

Crawford cut him the to the quick, "This is the monkey wrench that we don't need!" Nagi watched as Omi walked out of the hallway leading up to the shop. He wanted to take Umi now. Crawford instructed him to wait for further orders.

Omi waited for Umi to finish eating. HE watched her as she went through the motions of getting her things. He called up Ken on the office phone. He didn't want to have Schwartz kidnapping his friend as they left the room.

When Ken showed up at the hospital visitors' parking lot, he was surprised to see Omi's face. The youngest Weiss member was deeply troubled. Omi had a bad feeling as he opened the large sliding van door. Ken watched as Omi helped Umi enter the van. He noticed the terrified stare in this girl's eyes. She was in desperate need of a sedative. Omi was extremely gently with her. He told Ken after he got in and close the door what little he could remember what had happened.

Turning the key, Ken began to drive out of the parking lot. He remembered quietly as he drove that Umi was a very pretty girl indeed. He could also tell that Umi was frightened out of her mind. Omi could feel the aching terror starting to pour out of her.

Out of the blue, Ken heard a whizzing smack slamming against the van side. He hoped it was a rock hitting the van. He was very wrong. He heard a second loud ping sound. It was a ricocheting from the side of the van. "SHOOT!" Ken yelled out in anger.

Omi asked as he rode on the passenger's side of the van, "What?"
He didn't want anything happening to Umi.

"I think we've got company!" Ken said in a calm voice. He was trying to control his road rage.

"No!" Omi yipped. His face was draining. "Who?"

Ken instantly glanced at the rearview mirror. He noticed a motorbike zooming pass the van in another lane. He had a sinking ache in his belly. It could be only one person who was that deadly with a gun. Farfarello. Ken's mind raced to the one-eye killer from Ireland. Yet, he wondered in his mind who was driving the bike.

Then, hit him, Schuldig could be driving the bike. They were in extreme danger as the bike weaved in, out and around the van. Ken barked out, "Hang on!"
He gripped at the steering wheel. The van was thrown onto a high-speed chase against the bike. Omi and Umi held on to their breaths. The van and motorbike weaved and dodged traffic on the busy streets of Tokyo. Knee had to ditch the bike in order for Umi to be safely at the doorstep without a scratch.

Ken noticed a tunnel sign on the next turn off. If he just took the turn off, then he had to give the two on the bike a hard time. They had to quit. He rammed his foot on the gas. The van jerked into high speed as the turn off came onto view.

The bike was practically on the van's bumper. Farfarello was going to attempt climbing up and over Schuldig's shoulders and tried to break into the van. It sounded too risky of an idea to do. Yet, they had to do. There was a sign hanging over the exit. It seemed that the two on the bike was drawing looks from not only Ken. He noticed that there was over normal overhang from the sign. Ken quickly took the turn off and right into the exit. It seemed that the two on the bike was drawing looks from not only ken. He noticed that there was a sign hanging over the tunnel entrance. He hoped that Farfarello was fool enough not to pull back.

Schuldig noticed the sign as well. He had to act fast or he and his friend were going to end up at the hospital. He noticed an incline near the tunnel. He glanced at it for a second or two before deciding on veering off towards the incline. Farfarello felt a tug on his leg. It meant that Schuldig was slacking off on his duties. "Shit man. . .what are ya doing?" the one eye man yelped.

"Get down. There is a sign coming up!" Schuldig barked back.

"Are you nuts! There is least five feet of space!"

Then, a huge truck happened to try to pass on the second lane. This was an unforeseeable event. Schuldig raised his left arm to loose his grip on Farfarello's arm. He was going to make the one eye baka-san sit down. The truck blared its horn, which made Schuldig jump. As a result, he jerked his arms a little which caused Farfarello lose his balance. He instantly fell over, hitting his head on the bike's windshield. Schuldig couldn't see what was coming and the bike veered off to the soft shoulder. The two were quickly propelled off the bike. They landed, rolling on the pavement. The bike hit a wall and burst into flames.

Ken noticed the bike was now gone. He graduating eased up on the speed when glanced at the rearview mirror. As he breathed a sigh of relief, he said, "They are gone!"

"It's over?" Omi asked a frightened.

"Yea. For now!"

It seemed like years before Farfarello began to wake up. He inhaled a strong scent of medicine. He opened his eyes and found that he was in a hospital room with Nagi sitting at his bedside. He remembered falling off the bike and landing on the pavement in the matter of seconds. That was all he remembered before blacking out. He murmured "Water!"

"Water?" the young man with beautiful face asked.

"Yea," Farfarello asked as he felt his mouth was dry.

"Here!" Nagi said gently. He had a glass of water with a straw in his hand. He placed the straw in Farfarello's mouth with tender touch. He said, "Better?"

The one eye killer nodded slightly before experiencing a short pain shooting up from his neck.
Nagi sat up with fear. He asked, "You want a nurse?"
"Yea," Farfarello winced between gasps. He wanted to raise his arms to see if they were all right. They weren't. Shooing pains hit Farfarello like they were going to kill him.
Nagi stood up quickly as he told Farfarello that he would be back in a minute. He walked past the bed and out of the door. He stopped in front of the door as he heard Crawford slightly yelling at Shuldig. He had to hold his breath to catch what the boss was telling the longhaired red head off.

"Bastard!" Crawford snapped.

"Gomen!" Shuldig yipped.

"Why are you so foolish. I can't believe you let Farfarello nearly climb over you to get to the van that Ken Hidaka was driving."

"It was his idea. . .not mines!"

"Farfarello!"

"You couldn't talk him out of it. There wasn't time!"

"I can't understand you!"

"Yes, he out his freakin' mind. He was going to stop those creeps from Weiss, all by himself!"

"Sir!" a voice filled Nagi's ears.

Nagi jerked to attention by the voice. He glanced around to see a nurse standing in front of him. She said, "Sir, are you waiting for someone?"

"Y-y-yes. My friend needs a painkiller," Nagi blushed as he nodded quickly. He was trying to get out the situation alive without causing a séance.

"Which one?"

"In the other room, the one next to this one!"

"Nagi?" Crawford asked as he came to the door.

"Brad?" he gulped. "Far-farfarello is in pain. I was just trying to find a nurse that's all!"
Brad took time to glare at the young man who was staring back at him.
He had a mere hunch on his mind. "Was Nagi hearing the conversation between me and Shuldig!"

"I'll check up on him," the nurse said as she nodded at the two men.

"Yes," Brad said in a sour mood.

"I have to go home. I've got work to be done!" Nagi said. He bowed swiftly. Then, he turned to leave the hall. He needed to leave the hospital when Brad was in his mood.

"Wait!" Brad said, trying to stop Nagi from going home. "You want a lift?"

"No. I need time to think!" Nagi said without looking at Brad.

"You little rat, you!" Brad thought. "You did hear my conversation with Shuldig. I'll get you when I get home!"

"Look, you shouldn't have Farfarello take such a risk like he did," Nagi sighed, stopping front of another door. "He couldn't have helped if any. You should have left up to me."

"You," Brad uttered before he noticed the error the idea.

Nagi's head swiveled around to face Brad. He wanted to run and hide. Fearing for his life, he said, "I wanted to see her."

"Why?" Brad had to prod this young man's feelings.

"She's worth money. Wealth is another form of power that's all!" Nagi smiled darkly.
Brad was now confused just a little. He wasn't sure what to make out of this quiet mouse of a boy. Was little Nagi plotting something and not telling his so-called friends? Nagi at times could be scary.

+++
Omi and Ken were at the flower shop. They were trying to relax if all possible after the hair raising van ride with Umi. Umi got home safe with very little to think of. She didn't want alarm her mother after she had found out about her father. Josie had enough on her mind without worrying about her only daughter and a wrecked van.

Yohji was out with an order. Aya was in his office, checking over the dailies with his palm pilot.
Ken and Omi quietly slipped in through the back door. Ken was sweaty as he turned on the storeroom light. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He whipped around to see an exhausted Omi.

He nearly screamed, "What did you that for?"

Omi breathed a little sharply, groaned, "Don't feel good!"

"What?" Ken sighed. He noticed that Omi's face was pale. He softened a little by saying, "Why don't you go upstairs, to the living room. I'm sure that Aya or Yohji is here!"
Then, Omi started to cough. He was growing paler by the minute. There was a sign for Ken to do something.

He darted up to throw his arms around the youngest member of Weiss. Forcing him to walk, Ken dragged Omi to the steps of the back entrance way. He knew that Omi was terrible sick. Being thrown about in the van made Omi queasy. Ken kicked opened the door and helped Omi to the outside. The fresh air stirred around the two. Ken said as he walked with Omi in tow, "I'll have to carry you upstairs and call up Manx. You need a good dose of that pink crap in the medicine cabinet!"

Omi's knees began to buckle and finding himself sinking to the ground in a heartbeat. Ken instantly followed him down. Then, Omi began to cough up what he had for supper. Ken shut his eyes in a flash to block out what Omi was doing.

Aya heard the ruckus in the back storeroom went out to check the store. Nothing was touched, nothing was taken. He carefully walked to the back storeroom. On finding the door to the flung open, Aya darted to a wall near the doorway. Pressing himself tightly against the wall, Aya readied himself for fist-to-fist combat with the person on the outside. He counted slowly in his mind, "One. Two. Three!"

Then, he flung himself away from the wall and onto the door. He instantly shielded himself from the door as it flew open. He ran out of the doorway. He nearly smacked into Ken's back. He growled loudly, "Now don't move."

"What?" Ken gasped in shock.

"You heard me, don't move!" Aya ordered in angered tone.

"Aya, wait. It's me, Ken. Omi's here too. He's really sick!" Ken yipped out without moving.

Aya stood on tiptoe to stare down at Omi. He noticed that Omi was very ill. He asked, "What happened?"

"I got a phone call from Omi. He wanted me to drive Umi home. Listen, Omi needs something to ease to stomach!" Ken said.

Aya realized that Ken wasn't lying. He said, "Let's carrying him up stairs and get him to bed. I'll fix him some Jasmine tea."

Omi let out a stifled moan as he gasped, "Umi's safe!"

"You were with her?" Aya gently questioned the two. He walked over to the other side, bypassing the area where Omi got sick on. He said as he noticed Ken's worried face, "Don't think about it. I'll have Yohji hose it off as soon as he gets in!"

"What about Umi?" Ken asked as his concern began to flare up.

"If you got her there safely, then I wouldn't go all nuts over it," Aya shrugged. He took Omi's free arm and placed it aorund his shoulders. He told Omi to lean on him if he needed to.

Ken remained quiet as he and Aya helped Omi back into the shop.

After what seemed like a month instead of five minutes, Omi was now resting on a large over stuffed chair in Aya's office. He looked like he was dreaming with his eyes closed. He half heard Ken and Aya talking. Then, he heard footsteps. It was Aya entering the office with a large mug of tea. Ken waited before he entered the room. Aya said as he came up to the chair, "Here you go!"

He held out the mug for Omi to take. Omi opened his eyes to see concerned Aya.

"Thanks!" Omi murmured.

"Think nothing of it!" he said.

"When is Yohji coming back?" Ken asked as he leaned against the doorway.

Aya watched as Omi took the mug by the handle. The sweetened steam delighted Omi's nose. He loved the way that Aya made Jasmine tea. It almost tasted like Chie! He raised it to his lips and blew on it a little until he took a tiny sip.

Aya said without even looking at Ken, "With in the hour. He said something about getting a clue on where the next time Schwartz was going to raise their ugly heads!"

"Don't worry. They will come looking for her and we will be waiting!" Ken snapped a little bitterly.

Aya didn't have to put two and two together to find out that Crawford was getting anxious. By Ken's statement there was more to this case than expected. "You want to me call to him up!" he asked.

"Yea," Ken sighed loudly. He felt like he was given a sound thrashing by Shuldig's driving.
Then, Aya turned attentions to Omi. He noticed that Omi was sipping on the tea. He asked quietly, "How is it?"

"Nice. Thank you," he murmured before taking up another sip.

Ken wanted to tell what happened to himself, Omi and Umi. Yet, without Yohji there to hear about the chase, Ken felt like he was cheating by telling Aya the facts. Aya said, "Look. You take a bath. You need to unwind. Omi has already been taken care of."

The phone rang on the office's desk. Aya walked over to the phone and checked on the caller ID. He noticed that it was Yohji calling. He picked it up and said, "Moshi-moshi!"

"Moshi-moshi, Aya-san!" Yohji said over the phone.

"When are you coming back?" Aya asked in concern.

"In a minute or two! Why?"

"I have a job for you."

"What?" Yohji groaned. He wanted to go home and eat. He hadn't eaten all day it seemed.

"I'll tell you later. Look, go to the back instead of the front. Omi has some news that will play

out for the rest of the evening, if he stays awake!" "If he stays awake?" Yohji asked as his voice questioned his boss's judgment.

"Please, hurry!" Aya said. Then, he said his goodbyes to Yohji before hanging up the phone.
Omi was nursing the cup of tea. Ken didn't stay too long. He slowly went up to the apartment for a long, hot bath. He climbed up the stair from the storeroom. He needed to gather what wit he had left.

+++
In the rush of the early evening, Yohji had pulled up his red sports car in the back parking lot. He had three flower deliveries all across town. He saw Aya standing in the doorway to the storeroom. He opened the car door and stepped out of the car. He asked, "What's up?"

"Omi's friend, Umi," Aya said as he was very short with his statement. His look was dark as he folded his arms over his chest.

"You can explain to me another time. What's the other job!" Yohji asked as he tried to be business like in his manor.

"Omi got sick and threw up over there!" Aya said as he pointed to the area where he found Ken and Omi kneeling.

Yohji's mouth went dry. He knew that he had to hose it off. Sighing, he said, "I'll get the hose. I'll be done with it in a minute!"

Yohji walked over to the outside shed was. He was very careful in his steps to avoid where Omi got sick. He opened the door to the shed and started to look for the hose. Aya went back to the storeroom. He didn't want to leave either Omi or Ken for a minute.

Yohji found the hose and turned on the water. He walked over to the area with hose in hand. He undid the nozzle to release a powerful spray of cold water onto the pavement. He had to be quick when he cleaned. Something was telling him that there was evil in the air.

Omi was now deep asleep. He had drunk three cups of Jasmine. Aya had checked up on Omi as the youngest member of Weiss slept in the office. He placed a blanket on Omi as the young man slept. Omi began to speak in a heavy slur. He mumbled, "Please. Don't take her."
Aya heard the plea as he tucked the blanket around Omi's chin. He said, "You are very hung up on her, aren't you?"

Omi's voice although drugged from the tea, sounded disparate, "Don't hurt her!"

There was a soft knock on the door. Aya's head turned slightly away from Omi for a minute. He knew it was Yohji returning from the task that he had done. Aya said, "Let Omi have some rest. He has been through too much!"

"Oh?" Yohji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Go upstairs and talk with Ken. He'll tell you what happened!"

"Iya aitsu. . . goshujin neesan. Kesshite!" Omi cried out in hushed gasp.

Yohji's hackles flared up. He wondered as his eyes narrowed what did Aya put in Omi's tea. He

asked, "Did you give a strong dose?"

Aya whipped around, a little angered. How dare Yohji question Aya's judgment at this time!

"He was ill. The van ride made him that way!" he growled coldly, quietly.

"To him. Omi is still a young boy. He doesn't need you drugging him out of his mind!" Yohji warned as he flinched his statement.

"No," Aya snapped back as he blinked back his fury. "I didn't touch any of the pain killers that we keep on hand. I gave him three doses of Jasmine tea. His body had been through enough for one night."

The phone rang for the second time in the night. Ken was coming down the stairs. He was drying his hair. Wearing an old pair of sweats, Ken was now relaxed. He darted to the office, towel in hand. He asked as he popped into the room pushing himself past Yohji, "Is someone going to get that?"

The phone ringing echoed through the office. After the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up. Aya's voice said, "We can't to the phone right now. Please leave a message, thank you!"

Then, the machine let out a beep.

A young voice female voice said, "Aya-san. Please call me right back."

Then, the noises of a phone hanging up could be heard. All three knew who it was. Ken said, "That's Manx. It might be wise to call her back!"

There was deafening silence in the room. Ken had to save face between the two older men. He said in a normal tone of voice, "I'll call her later."

He wanted the mood in the room to ease up a little. Ken thought Aya was just trying to help Omi get what little wit he had left together. Omi was trying to remain professional throughout this assignment. Letting something as small as human feelings could result in a very horrible blunder of judgment. Ken stared at the two with a look of fear. This was no ordinary fear. This was fear of Omi being kicked off the team before anything could happen. He said a little sharply, "You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Fighting like this!"

"Ken. . .back off!" Yohji growled. He was starting to regret this assignment.

Aya was a great obverse in life, said, "Yo-ten. . .he's right."

"Are you crazy? Aya!" the blond man yipped. His moods quickly swung from anger to confusion in a heartbeat. There was pity in Aya for himself. He didn't want any strife between himself and the others. He sighed as he raked back his bangs with a swift hand. He didn't speak for a minute. He was letting Ken to all the talking. Ken said, "Look, Omi had called me up here to pick himself and Miss Umi. Miss Umi's father was in an accident. She needed get home to be with her mother. When we got onto the road, Shuldig and Farfarello were trailing us on a motorbike. In fact, that one eyed creep had fired a few shots at the van."

Yohji was not only skeptical he was surprised. How fast did Schwartz act? He asked in a sour tone of voice, "Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes. If you don't want to believe me, check out the van!" Ken snapped. He was being put through the same testing as Aya.

"Uh?" Yohji said, shaking his head.

"Yes. Farferello shot at the van. He could have taken out either me or Omi to get to Umi!" Ken was nearly on the verge of hitting Yohji.

There were enough facts to point out that Yohji shouldn't open his mouth at all. He muttered,

"O.K. I believe you. Yet, why is Omi getting special attention?"

Aya snorted before saying, "A good question. What I give Manx that call instead of you, Ken?"

"I don't care. As long as we get the job done!" Ken shrugged.

Omi didn't feel Yohji picking him and carrying him to his bed. Omi was tucked in for the night. He didn't know that he was going to force out this assignment because of his feelings for Umi.

The next day, Omi awoke to the sound of birds singing their songs of morning. He felt thick in the head from the Jasmine tea that he drank the previous night. He rubbed the sleep out his eyes and yawned. His body had a hard time getting up. What was ever in the tea made Omi groggy? He slowly looked for the clock in his room. His clock was on top of his computer. It was going on five-forty in the morning. How long did he sleep. He heard the noise of padded feet going down the hall outside of his room. The feet stopped in front his door. He heard Aya

asking, "Omi, are you awake?" "Yea, kinda!" he croaked out loud.

"Look stay there. I'll getting your meal in a minute," Aya said.

"Thanks!" Omi said before yawning. He stretched his arms out. He was still sleepy.

Outside, Yohji and Ken were still sleeping. The two stayed up pass one in the morning talking about the new mission. There was too much going between Omi and Umi. Omi could have been easily distracted when he was alone with Umi. Aya called up Manx and told her about the idea of leaving Omi behind on this mission.
Omi slowly got out of bed. He hobbled across the room. He felt the coldness on the feet coming in waves from the floor. He glanced down to see that he was dressed in the clothes that he wore from the previous night. He needed a shower to clear his mind. He walked over to the bedroom door and opened. There was very little light in the hallway.

"I see that you are up!" Aya said as he carried a large tray of toast and cereal up to Omi's room.

Omi turned to see Aya walking towards his room. He said, "Yes. I wanted to get an early start."

Omi smiled a little nervously. He breathed slowly.

"Go back to your room, I'll set up your breakfast in your room," Aya nodded.

"Where's Yo-ten and Ken-Ken?" Omi asked as he turned to walk back to his room.

"They're sleeping."

The mention of the word sleep, made Omi feel tired. He had to get up and ready for school if he could. He turned to head back to his room. Aya followed Omi back to his room. Once 0mi walked to his bed, Aya walked over to a far wall. A TV tray was set up near the wall. He said, "You need to eat and rest for the day."

"What about school?" Omi asked.

"You can make up a day, can't you?"

"Yea. I have five days that I can miss, that's all I have in my bank!"

"Good, then," Aya said as he placed the tray on the TV tray. "You eat and I'll call up the school."

Omi told Aya that he needed a shower. Aya agreed. Then, he offered an idea of having breakfast before the shower. Omi looked like he could stand a solid meal after the previous night near van crash.

The morning seemed to be dead in the upstairs of the flower shop. Ken, Aya and Yohji were busy with the orders in the downstairs. Omi wanted to do something before he went crazy.
Omi was ordered not to go beyond the staircase. Aya didn't want to play both baby sitter and truant officer. Omi had nothing else to do. Yet, it didn't mean that little Omi could play hook on the computer. He had eaten and showered. The fresh jeans and gray button down shirt smelt a little clean for Omi's liking.

He heard Yohji's voice coming from the stairs. The suave ladies' man said, "I'll be back. I need to call up supplier. With you, Aya having to use the phone in the shop, I need to use the phone in the living room upstairs."

Omi was in the living room, watching some soppy daytime talk show. He gulped his heart from his throat, as he didn't want to move. He didn't want the might Yojhi coming down on him. Omi quickly searched for the remote. He jumped up and started to look on the sofa cushions. He heard feet ascending up the stairs. He had to find that remote quickly. He was also ordered not to sit there and watch TV all day. This maybe an excused day off for Omi but not from his homework. "Come on," Omi yipped as he pulled out the blankets and pillows from the sofa.

"Yohji!" Aya's voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" Yohji's voice asked.

"Do you have the slips from last week? I need them!"

"I have to look in the office."

"Oh, man!" Omi groaned loudly. Then, he felt something long and rectangle in shape underneath a blanket. It was the remote to the TV. He quickly grabbed and raised his hand. Pushing the button until the TV shut off, Omi's heart was going at light speed. He heard footsteps going up the stairs. It meant Yohji was coming. He had to go through the living room to get to the kitchen or even the bedrooms.

Omi threw the blanket and the remote towards a coffee table. Then, he threw himself onto the pile of blankets and pillows to make it look like he had a tussle with the sofa.

Yohji entered the room as he made his way to the kitchen for a bottle of ice water when he noticed Omi lying on the floor. "What in the name of logic are you doing, Omi!"

"Uh?" Omi groaned as he opened his eyes. He had his eyes shut to make it look real.

"Did you have bad dreams?" Yohji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh?" Omi asked for a second time.

"You are needing to see a shrink, badly!"

"No," Omi snorted as he made a bluff of waking up.

"Then, what happened, man?"

"I was half asleep and I was going to go to the bathroom. . .my foot must of got twisted in the blankets!"

Yohji felt a small headache forming as he uttered loudly, "I'll believe anything at this point!"
Yohji rubbed his eyes with two fingers after he raised his hand to brush back a stray bang. He hoped to get out the mission with a straight, clear thinking mind. He heard Ken's voice asking Aya if wanted something from the deli. Omi was now sitting up on the blankets. He smiled nervously at the oldest member of Weiss. Then, Ken said he entered the living room, "Whata you want from the deli, Yo-ten?"

He noticed something in the corner of his eye. He gasped at Omi and the blanket mess. He asked, "What happened?"

"The sofa had thrown off our little lover boy!" Yohji snorted with a pout.

"Look. I'm going to my room. That's all right with you guys!" Omi yipped.

"Yea," Yohji said as he folded his arms over his chest. He was gouging to make Omi clean up his mess. "I want this place neat. If Aya-chan finds out that you were goofing off. He'll have your sorry hide!"

"Fine!" Omi nodded. Omi would do anything to get away from mind numbing room. He quietly untangled himself from the mess. He quickly fixed up the pillows back on the sofa. Then, he picked up the blankets and folded them. After a neat whip up session, Omi tossed the blanket on the sofa.

After standing up, Omi quickly darted to his private world. He didn't want to get in anybody's way. He had to find out that Umi was safe. He quietly closed the door. The neat room with its desk, computer and large satellite wall clock was Omi's nest from the maddening world. He thought to himself, "Umi. . .I hope are O.K."

Aya was finishing up the dailies when he heard the phone rang. He was in his office. He picked the up the phone on the second ring on his desk. He said, "Hello?"

"Mister Fujimiya?" an older female voice asked.

"Speaking!"

"This is Mister Kaithoto private secretary, Miss Ono!" the older female voice said.

"What is it that you want?"

"I'm just checking in with you. Has Miss Umi been watched?"

Aya bit his lower lip. He hated when people said the 'w' word. He and the other three were not being paid to watch people. Weiss was only meant for the protection of the innocent.

"Oh," the voice sounded either weary or annoyed.

Aya couldn't tell what was going on. He wished that he were on other end of the line to see who was really speaking. He wondered if it was Schwartz or even Schreient. Aya bit his lower lip. He wondered in his head what Schreient was up to. If and how did they get involved in this? Schwartz was into the kidnapping thing. Crawford needed some excitement in his life, if a person could call the taking of another life fun.

There was a long pause before the voice asked; "Miss Umi is safe at this time!"

"Yes," Aya said with a curious tone. He remembered that Yohji was keeping strict surveillance of the hospital. He wasn't going to screw up.

"Thank you!" rang in Aya's ears. It was quick and to the point. He didn't have any time to say anything. Then, he heard the dull buzz of the phone after it was hung up. Aya's nerves were on the alert. He felt like he was kicked the stomach. He stood up quickly and slammed down the receiver. He yelled out, "KEN!"

There was no response.

He yelled out for a second time, "KEN!"

After a minute of silence, Ken stuck his head in the doorway. He asked, "Yo! What's wrong, A-chan!"

"I have a feeling that there is more to the case than previously thought. Those bitches from Schreient are in heat," Aya growled, angrily.

Ken's eyes grew wide at Aya's outburst. He wondered if Aya was right. He asked, "How can you tell?"

"I have a hunch," Aya said as he glared at the phone. "And a phone call!"

Ken was a little unnerved by Aya's instantaneous outburst. He knew that Aya could have mood swings. This was a fine example of Aya's fiery anger. Ken remained calm as he backed away from the door. He said, "Let me get a hold of Yohji. It's going be hard with three people instead of four people."

"Yea," Aya said as he closed his eyes. He was trying to control his anger in.

Then, Omi walked past the door. He was going to sweep up the shop and make sure the store

was shut. He said as he noticed Ken standing in the doorway, "What's up?"

"Nothing to be concerned about, Omi!" Ken said in a hurried tone.

"Oh," Omi asked with a raised eyebrow. He knew that Ken was lying like crazy. Seeing over Ken's fib, Omi went to the heart of the matter. He asked, "Then, why did Aya-chan mention Schreient! I can tell when he's really on a roll!"

Ken nearly bit his tongue as his eyes grew wide and his jaw began to clench.

Aya knew that Omi was talking about the case. He ordered, "Omi! Come here. I need to give a word of advice!"

"What?" Omi said as he came near the door. He stood in the opened doorframe to glance at his boss.

"Stay out of it!" Aya snapped. "Why?" Omi uttered, as he felt confused at Aya's statement. He raised a hand to scratch behind an ear.

"Listen. You are very close to Umi. We can't afford for you to be screwing around and ending up in the hospital or even worst."

Omi closed his eyes. It wasn't Aya glaring back at him. It was boiling hot demon that was controlling the redheaded leader of Weiss. Omi knew there were risks involved in this case. Omi let his hand drop. He said, "If, I can't be physically be there. I'll be there by IM."

Aya had to stop himself. The idea was too good and very dangerous to let go. The good part was Omi could still be part of the group without leaving the flower shop. The bad part was Shuldig could somehow get inside the mind of himself, Ken or Yohji to find out if there was any computer usage, even a Palm Pilot. Schwartz was that low to stop to that level. Aya didn't want Omi to get out of hand because of a feeling he had for Umi. He said, "No. Manx will supply the IM data."

"Wait!" Ken said. He felt like Omi was being left out in the cold. He raised his hand to brush out a stray bang from his eyes. He asked, "You sound like you don't want to take the risk!"

"Bingo!" Aya nodded. "Look Omi, you shouldn't be feeling like you need to involved about her. I just want you to keep your distance."

"How about school. Can't I see her?" Omi asked his heart was breaking inside. He wasn't cold-blooded like Aya. He was beginning to love Umi. He wanted to protect her. What was the saying, 'A person's first love is the most painfully, powerful in their lives, it stays with them for the rest of their lives!'

He stared into the room. He could be leading the others into down a very dangerous path. He begged with furlong eyes, "Look. . .school. Maybe I can keep an eye on her as close as I can!"
Then, he howled wordless, throwing his hands into the air.

Ken jumped back to avoid Omi's hands. He said in calm voice, "Look. . .you are a Hunter!"
He was trying to be careful in his selective memoirs. It was case, which involved a young girl.

The girl was avid biker and drank an unknowing, but very toxic sports drink. He didn't want anything to happen to Umi like what happened to his friend. "Look. Maybe you can help!" Ken sighed as he ran a hand up to his forehead.

"Maybe is a damned four letter word!" Omi snapped.

Ken was getting up set himself. He added coldly, "If you can calm down, then you can help!"
Aya didn't acknowledged Ken's statement. He didn't want to have Omi flipping out on his hands. He just quietly stared at a sign near the doorway.

The next day, Omi agreed with the others to keep a distance, but close eye on Umi.
Things at school were different. Omi walked on eggshells. He felt the mission was going to pull him apart. He went to his locker, excepting to see Umi standing near it in her uniform. There was no sign of his girl. He slowly opened his locker. There was nothing to be seemed that was unusual. He began to find his books for his class. He had to be quick about it.

There was some creature lurking in the shadows. It waited to rip apart Omi's frail walls. This creature had to get inside of Omi's being if it wanted to know where Umi was.

Omi busied himself with schoolwork. Then, he saw Umi in one of his classes. He wanted to talk to her. Yet, his mission was to protect her. Umi noticed Omi sitting at his desk, wanting to say anything. The bell rang which stopped him. He was quick as he got to his chair. He couldn't be in two worlds at once, yet he was at the crossroads.
+++

Omi's will wasn't going to give up. He tired to keep a distance eye on Umi until school let out. He was in for a terrible shock later on in the evening. He was going home; back to the flower shop when Nagi dressed in the same school uniform was walking up the main hallway. Their eyes met for a brief second before, another student shoved Omi into the wall. The student said, "Excuse me!"

Omi remained speechless as he tried to turn around, trying to see if Nagi was still there. There was nothing of Nagi to be seen in the hall after Omi got himself situated.

He had to leave against was what in his heart. An order was an order and it had to be followed. He thought, "Yohji knows where Umi goes after school lets out. I hope it all works out." He walked out of the school building and into the warm afternoon. He hoped that Umi wasn't walking into a trap. Nagi was in the same school as Omi. Yet, it was totally unsettling for him to see his love and a monster in the same building. He kept on walking until he reached the bus stop. He waited for the bus to come.

He heard a noise coming from the bus shelter. He knew that someone was playing a tape machine too loud. He tried to ignore the noise. The bus had to come soon.

"There you are!" a childlike voice that sounded female piped up.

Omi winced at the voice. He turned to see Tot standing right next to the bus shelter. Something was added to the sound from the tape player.

"What the?" he gasped. He knew that she was easy to take out if need to.

"Oh?" she whistled.

"She must be after Umi!" he thought. Then, he felt a cold chill running up his spine. He didn't want to admit that his guts were telling Umi was in serious trouble.

"You like music?" Tot asked in her child like manor.

"Yes. I have a great love for music, if its nice and. . ." Omi said before he noticed the level of the sound exploded a few notches higher.

Tot smiled devilishly as she noticed the pained glance in Omi's eyes. "Poor, boy," she thought.

"This is hurting me," Omi thought. Then, he felt his heart being to beat strangely. "I wondered if the human heart can survive any ear shattering noises?" another voice asked in a deep purr.
Omi winced as he tried to stand up. He didn't want to break down in front of Tot if she was going to pull anything. "Bitch!" he thought.

"My dear. What is that you want to do with him now?" the voice asked Tot.

"You can play with him!" Tot smiled.

Omi felt his heart nearly exploding with pain. He didn't want to admit to Tot that he was in agony. He grunted before he placed a hand up to his chest. He said, "Why are you doing this to me!"

"To stop you!" the voice said.

"I like this!" Tot giggled as she hit a tiny hidden button on her parasol handle. A razor sharp blade came out of the top of the parasol top. "Little boy, you are going to be sushi!"

"This is going to be the end of Weiss as you know it!" the voice said.

"I'll not take this laying down!" Omi yipped loudly before he fell on to the ground. His heart was on the verge of going into arrest"

All was black . . .was still . . .and deadly.

The next thing that Omi felt was a slapping him hard across the face. He woke up with a jerk. He gasped loudly as his eyes flew open. "Little fool!" a strange sounding voice growling sharply.

"Uh?" Omi gasped. He tried to back away from the person who slapped him.

"Look at me!" the voice commanded coldly.

Omi looked up at Farfarello. His mind was cloudy, yet it was very sharp when it came to remembering a face like Farfarello's. He slowly realized that he couldn't move. His hands and feet were bounded to a chair. "What. . ." he groaned in a half drugged slur.

"How about another?" Farfarello asked with a smirk.

"No. . ." Omi begged with sleepy eyes. He didn't like pain.

"I want pay back. I nearly broke me arm when Shuldig and I were chasing after you and that Umi bird. I can't fell any pain when it comes. My broke arm was a mere tickle. I hate being tickled. I want you to suffer for me mere discomfort!" Farfarello growled. He raised his hand to strike Omi fully in the face.

Omi braced himself as best as he could. The sting of the blow sent him into reeling. Then, he heard another voice commanding Farfarello to stop.

Omi tried to move his head to see Crawford standing in the doorway. Crawford was vexed as he quietly observed Farfarello little slapping spree with a bounded Omi. Crawford entered the room and snapped coldly, "That's enough. I don't want our bait to be spoiled. You hear me?"
"You wot?" Farfarello hissed. He spun around to see Crawford nearly at his back.

"Listen, our bait will be good for Miss Umi, if he's not banged up. . .Baka!"

Omi closed his eyes. He felt his one cheek on fire from the smack. He remained speechless as Crawford chewed out Farfarello. He thought, "They are planning to get her!"

"Bastard!" Farfarello hissed as he brought down his hand down towards Crawford's mid-section.

Crawford grabbed Farfarello's hand and held it tightly in his. He pulled the one-eyed man killer close to him. He snarled, "Look you a**, I need Tsukiyono in one piece. So, paws off! You got it?"

"Yea," Farfarello snorted in a sour tone of voice. He turned his face to see Omi's terrified glance. "You're spared, pretty boy!"

Omi wasn't sure to be grateful or not. His mind was trying to think of a plan of escape. There was no way about it. They must of given him a shot of a strong tranquilizer. Then, being tied up wasn't helping either.

The day was getting late. Umi was hoping to see Omi for a minute. She felt like he was distancing himself from her. She was very grateful to be in one piece after the wild van ride from the previous night. She didn't realize that Ken had taken over a shift for a couple of hours until Umi went home.

She went over to her locker. As she unlocked the door, Umi felt a cold chill running up her spine. She had a bad feeling about the rest of the day. She tried to ignore her gut instincts.
When Umi got to the gift shop, she was greeted with a single white rose. There was a note attached to it. It read, "To my darling girl. Meet me at the end of the hall, signed. . ."

There was no name at the bottom of the card. She flipped it over to see if it was signed or not. Umi was surprised to see there was nothing, not even a florist's name. Then, it came to her. Omi worked in such a shop. She thought, "Duh! Omi had this picked out and he didn't sign the card!"

A pair of green eyes was watching her. They were watching every movement of Umi as she picked up the flower and the card. They were waiting for the right time to spring a surprise attack on her. "That's it. You are prefect for our desire," the green-eyed owner thought.

"It's so pretty," Umi sighed. She held the rose up her nose. The light scent was inciting.
The pair of green eyes was belonging to Shuldig. He was released from the hospital in the last two days after the accident. He was very lucky with his injures. He had a set of four broken ribs and a slightly twisted right ankle.

Umi began to rummage for her key in her school jacket. She had to find it if she wanted to get started on her work. Shuldig watched every movement of Umi. He had to be very carefully if he wanted to catch her off guard. He began to limp towards the gift shop.

"Ahh!" Umi said as she felt the key. "There it is!"

Then, she pulled it out and started towards the lock. After she put the key in the lock, Umi noticed a reflection of Shuldig in the door window. She thought, "He must be waiting for me to open."

"That's it. Play along!" Shuldig thought.

When she got the door unlocked, Umi entered the gift shop and hit the light switch near the doorway. She felt her backpack sliding off. She leaned over to one said to stop the pack from hitting the display of vases and teapots. She carefully bent down to undo the straps of her pack. The rose slipped out from her one hand.

"To prefect," Shuldig thought. Then, he watched her as she went down. Then, he telepathically said to her, "Stay put."

"Uh?" Umi gasped.

"Stay there!" he said in inner voice.

"What?"

"Don't even think about moving, little girl!"

Umi felt her legs turning into ice. She experienced the cold like never before. She tried not to move. It was holding her back.

Shuldig was now entering the store. He said in his voice, "Good. I have to just pick you up without a struggle. See, how easy it is?"

Umi asked as she tried to move her head just a little to see who was coming for her, "Who are you?"

"My name is Shuldig. I work for Schwartz," he said as he made his way up to her.
Umi gasped. She felt terrified to see this stranger standing so close to her. Her heart pounded in her chest. His one hand was raised to her shoulder. Brushing a few strands of Umi's hair off her shoulder, Shuldig smiled. "My, you are a pretty one."

"Please. . .the store hasn't been opened that long!" Umi pleaded. "Can I help you find anything you had in mind?"

"Oh. You are so easily trainable that it's a joke," Shuldig smiled darkly.

Umi closed her eyes and breathed slowly. She was able somehow to do those two basic of things. She felt Shuldig's hand resting on her shoulder. She wanted to run; yet under his powers of mental control Umi was a deer caught in the headlights. He stared into her closed eyes. He asked, "what's wrong, my pretty?"

She couldn't speak because of her fear. Her heart pounded twice as hard than before.

"Cat caught your tongue?" he teased. His breath was now blowing into the right ear. He was standing so incredibly close that he could see the main artier beating in her neck.

She was going to faint if she was able to. Shuldig said as he breathed in the scent of her body spray, "Hmm. . .what an odd, but sweet smell. Lily with Cinnamon."

"Please. . .please. . .please!" Umi yipped in a hurried tone of voice.
"I'm just want you to fall asleep that all!"

"What?" Umi gaped. Her mind was now at the brink of falling onto a hypnotic trance. She tried to fight Shuldig's mind games. He had an iron grip on Umi's being.

"Just relax. You are so relaxed that you are starting to float in a pool of warm water."

"Water?"

"Yes. You are warm and safe. Here. Let me help you!" the longhaired, red head held out his hand.

"Safe?" she yawned. She was tired to the point of falling asleep standing up.

"You will sleep for a little while. I'll be here to take care of you!"

"Care of you!"

"Now, close your eyes and just drift!" he said as he watched Umi closing her eyes. In a minute, Umi had fainted into Shuldig's arms, as just he was about to hold them out for her. He smiled darkly when he said, "Good girl!"

Umi didn't know what was coming up on the horizon.

Umi was waking up slowly. She didn't want to leave her dreamland. She felt the warmth of a blanket over her body. Slowly she opened her eyes to a ceiling that was dimly lit. She realized she was no longer in the gift shop at the hospital. She was in a room that smelled of white lilies.

"Oh, good. . .you are awake!" a soft male voice spoke.

Umi instantly sat up with a start to her heart. She could only think of Omi. "Omi?" she gasped as she looked around.

"No!" the male voice said. "You look like you have seen a ghost!"

"Uh?" she gasped. On, looking around the room, Umi tired to find the owner of the voice. She hoped it was Omi. He was very kind to her. She was instantly surprised to see Nagi sitting at her bedside, reading a book. She asked, "Who are you?"

"Nagi Naoe!" he said as he lowered the book to look at Umi.

"Where am I?" she asked as her heart dropped a few notches.

"Uhm?" Nagi said, coming up with an idea. Then, he said to cover up the whereabouts of the hide out, "I'm not sure!"

"Man," she winced. She felt a pain in the back of her head. She was still fuzzy of what really happened to her. She desperately tried to piece to together the events at the gift shop.

"Does your head hurt?" Nagi reached out to touch Umi's shoulder. He had a feeling in his heart that he needed to be good to her. "I'll get you something for it!"

"Maybe," Umi placed a hand to the back of her neck. She began to rub out the pain. "I'm so confused. One minute I was in the hospital gift shop, opening up for the afternoon. Then, the next I'll wake up here. I did I past out. I must be still at the hospital."

Nagi bit his lower lip in fear. He said, "I think so. Look. Well, kind of a clinic."

Umi remembered both her father and grandfather were important men. She heard about other families setting up something at a local clinic to keep their illness a secret. "You stay right there. I'll be back!" Nagi said as he stood up.

"I need to know . . .something!" Umi said.

"What?" Nagi asked as he closed his book.

"Can you ask about a Omi Tsukiyono?" Umi said. She felt her heart breaking. She was missing him. If she was in a clinic, she wondered if when she was going to see him. "If he's here. Bring him to me, please?"

Nagi didn't like Omi at all. He was Schwartz, a slightly dark child with deadly powers. He bit his lower lip and lied, "He hasn't been around!" "I'm sorry," Nagi, said when he glanced at Umi.

Then, the door opened and Shuldig entered the room. He said as noticed Nagi's expression,

"How is she?"

"She has a headache. I'm going to get her something!" Nagi said.

"Oh," the redhead purred as he strode to the foot of the bed. He stopped and placed his hands on the footboard of the bed. He noticed Umi half angered, terror stricken face. He purred, "Poor little one!"

Nagi sensed a cat and mouse game between the two. He said, "I'll be back a little while!"

Nagi walked briskly towards the door. The door was still opened when Crawford showed up. He wondered what was going on between Nagi and Umi. He questioned as he noticed Nagi coming towards him, "What's going on?"

"Miss Umi has a headache. I was getting something for it!" Nagi said.

"Oh," Crawford said before turning his gaze towards Shuldig. He felt a lustful twinge in Shuldig's soul. He said as he forced a fake smile, "There is a box of aspirin in the bathroom. I think we can spare one!"

"Thanks!" Nagi said. He didn't want to say anything that would tip off Crawford to Shuldig's intentions.

Nagi left the room. Crawford moved a little to let the youngest member of Schwartz pass. He said, "I would like to have a word with you!"

Nagi nodded without looking at his superior.

"Umi?" Crawford asked as he turned back to see his captor still lying in bed. He entered the room slowly as he asked, "Are you comfortable?"

"Well, uhm. Sort of!" Umi sighed, squirming slightly in bed. Both Crawford and Shuldig were giving Umi the creeps.

"Good," Crawford nodded. Then, he gave a withering glance at Shuldig. He was trying to convey to redhead to back off or else. This was Crawford's golden goose and he didn't want anyone to be smudging his opportunity. "Shuldig. . .there is other work to be done!"

Shuldig hated to take orders from Crawford. He always believed that he was just as good as that American four-eyes.

"Why?" asked Shuldig with a cold glare.

"I need you to pay Aya Fujimiya a visit."

Shuldig backed away from the bed. He turned slightly towards Crawford. "Why do I have the feeling that you want to pay him a visit!" he asked with a pouting smirk.
Crawford wasn't in the mood for games. He had to think fast in order for his plans to work. He walked up to Shuldig and placed a hand up to red-haired man's shoulder. "You can have fun with this one!" Crawford smiled devilishly.

Shuldig felt a slight push mentally from Crawford as he read the other man's thoughts. He questioned Crawford, "How can it be fun?"

"You can toy with Aya. He does have a heart!"

"That's a joke. He's a cold fish."

"He has to be that way for a reason. He nearly lost his sister."

"Who is Aya?" Umi asked innocently.
Crawford had to be very careful. He was getting Umi too involved in her own kidnapping. He remembered on reading about Patty Hurst, the American heiress who became one of the crowd after she had lived her kidnapers for a little while. She ended up robbing a bank and was caught on film during the heist. Crawford didn't want Umi ending up like Ms. Hurst. He could sense a purity that was rare in girls of her age. He asked as he glared at Shuldig,

"Please, and step outside. I need to talk to you!"

"But, why?" Shuldig asked in dramatic sigh. He raised his hands quickly and dropped them just as fast.

"Just do it!" Crawford snapped coldly.

"Fine!" Shuldig shrugged his shoulders with a pout.

Crawford watched as Shuldig turned to walk out the door. He passed Crawford with a glare of contentment. Shuldig wanted to hit him. Crawford said, "I do apologize to you, miss. He's very different that one."

Then, Nagi came back to the room with a bottle of aspirin and glass of water. He said, "I hope this helps you!"

He entered the room with a shy smile. He noticed Crawford as he asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing. Can you keep an eye on our young guest?" Crawford asked before turning to leave the room himself.

"Yea, sure!" Nagi nodded slowly.

He noticed Crawford's sour look. He walked over to where Umi was resting. Then, they both heard Crawford closing the door. Nagi asked, "What's up with him?"

"I'm not sure. That other guy!" Umi said as she sat up slowly.

"Which one?" Nagi handed the bottle to Umi. He watched as she opened the bottle up with both hands.

"The one with the red hair!" Umi uttered as she shook out one aspirin.

"You mean Shuldig?" He handed her the glass of water.

"Yes. He gives me the creeps!"

Nagi wanted to smile at Umi's statement. She was quite in the right in her feelings. She wanted to see if Omi was O.K. She took the aspirin in her mouth. She hated the bitterness of the pill. Nagi said, "Are you hungry?"

"No. I think I had something."

"Oh," Nagi said, trying to keep Umi's interests going. "What was it?"

"A yogurt drink and a sports bar!"

Nagi knew that it wasn't much. He wondered if she could hold down a sandwich and a cup of tea. He said, "You like tuna?"

"Well, kinda. . .why?" she said after she drained the glass. Then, she handed the glass back to Nagi.

"I have some tuna salad in the kitchen. I can bring you a sandwich with that!"

"Thanks!" she smiled shyly.

Nagi felt his own heart skipping a beat. Something instantly touched him like nothing did. Was it her. She was a shy, pretty girl who didn't ask for much. He nearly dropped the glass as he started to back away. It wasn't the first time he was in love. He realized that Tot was his first love interest. He blushed from his own thoughts drifting back to Tot. Tot with her child like innocence. That was thing in which he was drawn to her.

Umi noticed Nagi's blushing face. She asked, "What's wrong?"

Nagi raised his hand up to his face. The warmth of his blushing could be felt. He glanced at Umi. Was he blushing over her? Instead or not, Nagi had to have a serious heart to heart talk with someone. He didn't want the others in Schwartz to find out that he was falling tip like or even love with a girl. He uttered, nervously, "I'm just a little warm. That's all!"

"Are you sure?" Umi asked.
"Yea," Nagi swallowed hard! His heart was beating faster with even minute.

"Thank for the pills. They are helping me!" Umi said as she lay back down on the bed.

"Oh," Nagi smiled a little.

"I can sleep a little more. Until my headache goes away!"

"I'll get you that sandwich!" Nagi turned to walk out of the room. He smiled shyly. "I hope you like it!"

"Oh, I think I will!" she said as her head hit the pillow. She hoped that Nagi wasn't another one who was kidnapped as well.

It was going on ten after ten. It was not like Omi to call up the shop. Aya had Ken stop over at the library before it closed. That was hour ago. He glanced at his watched as Yohji locked the front door of the shop. They had extended their hours just a little.

There were a few stragglers that stopped in for a potted plant or a few flowers. It was dead after nine-thirty.

The shop bell rang as Aya was putting the last of the tulips in the back to the shop. He asked, "Hello! Are you looking for something?"

He was surprised to see Ken standing in the shop, soaking wet. Ken said, "Sorry, Aya."

"What happened to you?" Aya asked with a concern glance at the wet Ken.

"It's been raining a little bit!" Ken sighed as he ran a hand through his bangs.

Aya didn't want to speak. If he did then, he would feel like he was coming to a blind alley.

"Let me get out these clothes. I'll see you in a minute!" Ken said as he headed for the staircase.

Aya closed the door to the cooler. He had finished his work. Then, he had heard a faint tapping noise. It was a minute of ear staining to find out that the noise was coming from the front of the store. It was another customer, supposable. He turned to walk over to the door. He said loudly as he came to the door, "WE'RE CLOSED!"

There was an eerie silence to the person.

Aya didn't like it. He had to tell the person to leave or nothing would get done in finding Miss Umi or even Omi. He said once again, "WE ARE CLOSED!"

The person raised his hand. In his hand was a lighter. Flicking the lighter, the person reviled himself as Shuldig. Aya was startled to see a member of Schwartz smirking back at him. "Kaibutsu!" Aya growled as his eyes glared.

"Oh, I like you too, Ran!" Shuldig uttered loudly. He knew that he was going to crawl at Aya's soul until Aya screamed.

"UH?" Aya gasped loudly. He took his own sister's name as a sort of tribute when she was brought into the special ICU. He quickly fumbled for the lock on the door. He wanted to know if that blasted demonic red longhaired man was behind the two possible kidnappings. He heard the click of the lock. Glaring at Shuldig, Aya barked out softly in order not to bring any attention, "How did you know my name?"

Shuldig said as he pressed himself close to the space between and the frame, "I know all and see all in your pathetic little mind. You have a sister. You and her share the same name. . .not don't you!"

"I have nothing for you or Schwartz. Maybe," Aya said as he narrowed his eyes. He tried to keep his mind off of his own sister. He had to think about Miss Umi. ". . . you have something for me and the others!"

"Perhaps!" Shuldig purred. Then, he started to fish in his jacket pocket for something.
Aya was on his toes. He knew that Shuldig was a cold blood killer in other ways. "Ahh! Yes. . ." Shuldig smiled grimly. He pulled out a folded piece of white paper. Pushing the paper thought the crack he said, "Here!"

At first, Aya hesitated at the on coming paper. He wondered if it was joke or a ransom note. He said, "Look, where is Miss Umi!"

"If you take a look at the paper, you will find out where she is!"

"Great," Aya thought. He took the paper in his hands. He began to unfold the paper. His eyes grew wide as he gasped. It was a note from Crawford telling him that Schwartz had Miss Umi in their possession. Then, he glanced at something else. It looked like a picture. He gently took one corner of it and pulled it away from the paper. It a picture of boy or a girl blindfolded and tied to a chair. He couldn't tell who it was at first. Then, after a careful study, Aya realized who it was. "You bastard! You've got Omi as a hostage!" he hissed, fire heated his eyes.

Shuldig smiled in wicked delight. He knew that it was too easy for him to get Aya's goat. He said, "Look. . .I'm just following my boss's orders. O.K."

"Does that include taking a boy who has trauma from the past!"

Shuldig snorted. Then, he did something to Aya's left hand. Mentally he was thinking of snapping each finger off.

Aya felt the bones in his hands begin to bent backwards. At first it wasn't that painful. It was a gradual built up of pressure. Then, he was sadly mistaken. He glanced down at his hand. There was nothing wrong with it. Yet, the pain was mounting inside. It was a trick of the mind. He had to stop Shuldig before something else happened. Yet, how?

Ken entered the shop by the back entrance. He noticed Aya standing the main entrance way. It was still light in the shop for him to see. There was someone in the faint shadows standing in front of Aya. He asked, "Aya. Is that a customer?"

Aya couldn't speak from the pain. He had to stop Shuldig from killing him. Ken was transfixed to the spot that he stood at. He felt his mind slipping away from him. He wanted to scream. Was Shuldig working over time in his powers? No one could find out. Then, Aya rolled his hand up into a fist. He howled, "I will kill you!"

"Oh. . .making idol threats is it?" Shuldig mocked in fake horror.

Aya had to make this pouch count. He said, "I want to know. . .where is Omi and Miss Umi?"

"Baka-sama!" Shuldig purred as he placed a hand to Aya's forehead. He felt the mere beads of sweat on Aya's forehead. "Aren't we working just a little too hard."

"Let me go in peace?" Aya gasped in agony.

"Sure. In a little bit!" Shuldig said as he savored each affording pleasure of watching Aya's mind snap in two.

Then, by a fate of God, Shuldig heard footsteps. He had to stop his little game. He said as he backed way from Aya, "Listen. I'll make myself clear. Stay away from us or your precious little boy child is dead! Got it?"

He glared at Aya before turning around to walk into the darkness of the night.

Aya wasn't fast enough for the punch. Instead he collapsed at the doorway. He began to breath heavily. The pain was less, but still there. He gazed up a streetlight, which was on over the shop. It wasn't bright enough for him to see which way Shuldig was headed for.

Yohji was walking towards the shop. He had parked the store van in front of the alleyway when he noticed Aya kneeling at the doorway. He noticed a shadowy figure standing at the doorway for just a minute. "What was going on?" he thought to himself as he climbed out of the van. Yohji was walking towards the shop. He had parked the store van in front of the alleyway when he noticed Aya kneeling at the doorway. He noticed a shadowy figure standing at the doorway for just a minute. "What was going on?" he thought to himself as he climbed out of the van.
He glanced at Aya who was now cradling his hand. "Aya!" Yohji asked a little surprised.

"We got visited by Schwartz! They have both Miss Umi and Omi," Aya managed to said as he waited for the pain to stop after a minute of trying to block it out.

There was a long moan coming from half way in the shop. It was Ken who was trying to get his bearings back. He rolled over to his back. He felt the floor, which had been pulled from under him. His head was spinning too fast. He couldn't form words in his brain. All he could see was shadows and mere glimpse of strained, pale green light.

"I hear someone!" Yohji said he bent down to see how badly Aya was.

"Where is he?" Yohji asked as he craned his over Aya. He tried to find where was Ken in the darkened shop.

"It's in the back. . .I think!" Aya said as he bent his sore hand.

"Come on. . .let's get in before someone else comes!" Yohji said. Yohji helped Aya stand up. Then, the two walked over to the counter. There was a chair near the counter. He told Aya to wait for a couple of minutes. Yohji was going to close up shop.

It was either day or night, Omi couldn't tell. He was still tied to the chair. The room was lit with a very small table lamp. He tried to see if he viewed his watch if he would move his head. He tried it for a minute as he craned his neck around to where his left arm was. There was a pain in his chest. It was from the beating he had received from Farfarello days ago. When Crawford wasn't there to protect Omi, Farfarello hit Omi for two minutes with his bare knuckles.

"Oh, man!" Omi winced as he felt the pain shooting up from his chest. He couldn't see the watch from the angle that he was in. He relaxed himself and repositioned himself back to his former pose. He said, "I'm not going to do that again."

There was a knock on the door. He asked, "Who is it?"

The door opened and Hell walked in. She was holding a tray in one hand. She noticed Omi's slightly battered body. He said, "What are you doing here?"

Hell walked over to Omi said, "I should ask you the same question!"

Then, she examined Omi's face. "My goodness. . ." she sighed in fake concern. "Look at that face!"

Then, she noticed a tiny reddish bruise near Omi's left eye. She bent down close enough to see his eyes. He noticed her eyes and her glasses. He asked, "What are you doing?"

"That mark. . .where did you get it?" she asked.

Omi wondered out loud, "What mark?"

"This one!" she pouted out with a carefully trimmed finger. She glanced at it once again. It didn't look right. She had to check it out. "Does it hurt?"

"I hurt, but not there. My chest hurts!"

"How badly!"

"It hurt when I breathe a little!"

"Wait!" Hell said as she walked around the chair that Omi was sitting on. "Let me untie you!"

"May that's it?" Omi asked a little curious.

"Yes. How long have you been in this position?"

"I don't remember. I can't see my watch to see what time it is!" he sighed.

"Oh," Hell asked, now she stood behind Omi. She began to very carefully loosen the knot. She tried to be gentle. "Tell me if it hurts?"

Omi felt the ropes trying to loosen themselves away from his wrists. He yipped out for a second. Then, he said, " I can barely feel anything!"

"Then, why did you scream?"

"I think I pulled my hand out too fast. There is a little bit of blood flow that's all!"

"I can give you a pain killer!"

"No. I don't want a shot!" Omi pouted. He knew something was up in Hell's mind. "How about just a pill?"

"An aspirin. That's all I want!"

"Fine!" she shrugged her shoulders. Hell was finished with the untying of Omi's wrists. She viewed him when he slowly brought his arms together in front of his chest.

"Oh, that feels good!" Omi sighed as he began to rub the circulation back to his wrists. Then, he noticed his watch. It was getting close to nine at night. His belly had gone numb from the lack of food. He thought, "I have been here that long!"

Hell noticed Omi's expression. She asked, "What's wrong?"

"I starved for one thing. . .and other I don't have the strength to walk," Omi sighed as he tried to lift his legs.

"Baka!" she giggled a little as she noticed his legs still tied to the chair. "You have to wait for me to undo your legs!"

"Don't tell me," Omi griped. "My legs are tied up as well!"

"Yes. Now, I'm going to help you walk," Hell said as she bent down.

It seemed too prefect of an idea to just kick Hell in the face. He couldn't feel anything from knees down. He tried to move his legs for a couple of minutes. He winced at the pain, which was on coming. "Dear God!" he groaned.

"You need something more than just a simple aspirin!" Hell said.

"I don't need your shots, woman!" Omi barked out softly. He hid his pained anger by turning his face away from Hell.

"Calm down!" she sighed. She took one leg between her hands. Hell began to gently knead the calf muscles behind his legs. She took one leg between her hands. Hell began to gently knead the calf muscles behind his legs. Then, she noticed Omi's face. It was very tense as her fingers rubbed some of the leg parts. "Does it hurt that badly?"

" I think so!" Omi winced.

"I hope that you can eat. I'll get that aspirin in a couple of minutes!"

"I don't think that Farfarello tried to choke me. Crawford would have something to say if he saw me dead!"

"How?" Hell asked. She felt the muscles melting into lumps of flesh.

"I am used as a fake decoy of sorts. Weiss will come after Miss Umi if she is found. That's all!"

"Or so they think."

Then, Omi gasped in agony. He felt his calf muscle twitch. It was going from good to needle like pain. He said, "I think I can't go on! Please give that aspirin now!"

"O.K. You need to calm down. You have to be patience with me."

"I have no idea what can happen next!"

There was a knock on the door. Hell asked as she turned to glance at the door, "What is it?"

"Is our prisoner O.K.?" a deep sounding American voice asked.

"No! I think he needs some aspirins right now!"

"Fine. Is he untied?" the voice asked.

"Yes," Hell said slowly. She glanced at Omi. He was still wincing from the pain.

"I wondered," the voice said. Then, the door opened up as Crawford and Shuldig entered the room. Shuldig stood at the doorway while Crawford walked over to where Omi was sitting at. "What happen, Omi!" Crawford asked.

"I was roughed up by your one-eyed demon. Listen, what is up with your mind? One minute, you want me killed. Then, the next you are trying to keep me from getting banged up. What gives?" Omi uttered loudly. Then, he threw his head down.

Crawford and Shuldig noticed Omi's face. It was instantly drawn into a peaceful sleeping pose. It was so incredibly odd to see him going from one feeling to the next. "Hell?" Crawford asked as he glanced at Hell. "What did you just give him?"

"A shot of a muscle relaxance. Don't worry, I didn't give him much!" she said as Hell stood up. "He was in too much pain even for me!"

"Farfarello is taking too many liberties. I'll have a talk with him," Crawford sighed.

Then, all three heard a strange slur coming from Omi. He murmured about Miss Umi. He said, "I'll protect you!"

Then, he started to drift in and out of incoherency. He was in a twilight sleep. Crawford never knew about between in this state before. It could be useful. He asked Hell, "What did you give him?"

"Sodium Penotothal. It will relax him for a little bit. He will be sick for a while. I'll be with him until he wakes up."

"You are a danger to this mission. I want you to be a tiny bit more careful that's all!"

"Understood!" Hell nodded.

Crawford turned to see Shuldig smiling darkly. Crawford had a bad feeling about Shuldig. He could trust for another things instead of watching over both Omi and Miss Umi. He said, "Come with me, Shuldig!"

"Why?" Shuldig asked. He glanced at the sleeping Omi. "I'm having fun!" "Listen, stupid," Crawford glared. "I want this mission to run smoothly. I have a feeling that Weiss is up in arms about their brainy protégée. I have to be careful. Mister Kazithoto is on pins and needles just waiting for any word about his precious granddaughter."

Shuldig, still smirking said, "You are such a wet blanket!"

Crawford took off his glasses and rubbed both of his eyes with the other hand. He said, "Yes. I'm a wet blanket. You can have your fun when Weiss gets here. Not before. In fact, you can help Hell put Omi to bed. It isn't safe for Omi to be up in a chair like that!"

Shuldig instantly pouted for a minute before saying, "O.K. I do want to see Aya squirm a little after he shows up!"

"You are the devil underneath your flesh. . .aren't you!" Crawford smiled in evil delight.

"Thank you, Crawford. I like getting those praises from you. It gives my ego a boost!"

Crawford replaced his glasses back on his face after he had stopped with his eyes. Then, he left the room as he pass the German devil.

The first night without Omi wasn't sitting too well with the rest of the members of Weiss. Ken did use the computer in order to get a hold of Birdman. His basic knowledge of the computer was surfactant. Yet, Omi was better at hooking up his laptop with any computer outlet.
Yohji was trying to find out where Miss Umi was spotted the last time she was out. It wasn't that hard to figure out that he had run up to a dead end when he came to the hospital. He couldn't ask anyone at the main visitors desk about Miss Umi. She worked at a different department. He had to find her and fast.

Then, there was early break through. He had a need to get to the walk way near the second floor gift shop. He took the lift from the first floor in the main building

He waited for the second minute ride before the lift stopped at the second floor. He noticed two security guards dressed in business suits standing near the gift shop entrance way. He felt an uneasy sense in his belly. Something was terribly wrong. He watched as the guards milled around the opened gift shop. He noticed a nurse walking pass the entranceway. He asked, "Miss. . .what happened?"

"Well. . .I'm not liberty to say!" she said.

"Damn!" Yohji thought. Then, he smiled at her with sexy grin. He thought a second time. "Let's see what this brings!"

The nurse didn't notice that the handsome blond was pouring on the charm. She said, "I can't talk right now, sir."

She smiled back in a giggling schoolgirl grin.

"Well. Miss," he said as he glanced at her nametag. "Miss Saki! What about after work?"

"No. . .I can't I have to work and double and then my husband has to pick my up!"

Inside, Yohji was wincing at the bad move. Outside he still smiled as he said, "O.K."

"Strike one!" he thought. Then, he watched her dart down the hall after she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Why is it the really cute ones are snapped up first!"

Then, he heard a cop walking up the hall. He had to disappear and fast. He looked around for a door to hide behind. He noticed that the officer in question was not a cop at all. It was Crawford dressed a plain-clothes officer. "Great!" Yohji thought. "Schwartz is playing cops and robbers."

Yohji noticed a door marked entrance to the DCU near the gift shop. He darted over and quickly went pushed the door open. He darted inside as he hoped that Crawford didn't notice him. He turned around and pushed the door just a hair to see Crawford talking to a guard.

Crawford stood in the hallway as he spoke to the guard. He asked, "Are you sure that is what you got on tape?"

Yohji thought, "Someone from Schwartz messed up!"

"Yes, Officer Ishinomori! I have the tape from early this afternoon. The young girl in question is one of our employees!" the guard said.

"Can I see it?" Crawford asked.

Yohji's mind raced. He had to call up Aya or Ken about Schwartz's undercover operations. Then, he heard someone or something sneaking up on him. He quickly turned around to half expect Nagi or Shuldig standing behind him with a baseball bat in hand. Instead, it was Nurse Saki who was standing in front of him. She had a sour look on her face. She asked, "What are you doing here!"

"Nothing. Lost my way," Yohji grinned nervously. He was hoping that he wasn't going to be kicked out of the hall in from of Crawford.

Nurse Saki rolled her eyes as she sighed, "Not another one!"

A little light blinked to life in Yohji's mind. He wondered if he had stumbled on something brilliant. He was going to kiss his way in getting the information. He liked kissing girls, yet she was a married woman. He was truly flirting with danger. He quickly grabbed Nurse Saki by the arm with one arm. He groaned a little as his free hand, Yohji pushed back his bangs. He gasped, "I need…I need!"

"You need, what sir?" she said in a calm voice. She was cool under fire. She knew something wasn't right with Yohji.

"I need this!" Yohji said as he quickly snatched up a shoulder with his free hand. He spun Nurse Saki around so fast that she didn't know what to expect next. Then, he pressed her to the wall and began to kiss her fully on the mouth. She struggled with every once of her being. He heard Crawford leaving the hall. He had to be careful when he left the hospital. He quickly released Nurse Saki. He noticed her face with all its confused anger.

She gasped loudly, "What did you do that for!"

"All nothing. I need a little TCL that's all!" he smirked. Then, he rolled his lips as his eyes played an innocent gazing stare. "Sorry."

Nurse Saki wanted to punch Yohji's lights out. Yet, when was the last time she was at the receiving end of such a passionate kiss? She was still young and pretty. Did her husband see that in her? She was wondered in a daze when Yohji thanked her for the kiss as he glanced out the door. Crawford was now gone.

There was no time to loose. Yohji carefully stepped out of the doorway after he slowly opened the door. On walking towards the shop, he glanced around to see it was still open. A guard was finishing up inside. Then, he noticed something lying on the carpeting. He quickly bent down to find out it was an earring in a shape of a tiny red rose, which dangled from a black stem. He quickly pulled out a piece of notepaper from his jacket pocket and picked up the earring. He wondered if it had belonged to Miss Umi. He pocketed the earring in his jacket with the speed of a pickpocket. "And now for some film viewing!" he thought.

Yohji walked over to the lift and pushed the down button. He waited for the lift and wondered how was he going to get to the guard's office without being spotted.

+++
Yohji found a janitor's closet in the back of the hospital. It wasn't easy to find. It took him a while before he could find it thought the many pathways in the maze called a hospital. He watched as two or three men either entered or left the room marked 'private, employee only'. Then, he noticed a rather small roadblock. On the wall near the door was a slide card keypad. It was used for the employee when either checked in or out of the hospital.

"I wonder if I can get by without one!" he wondered in his mind.
He was hoping to disguise himself as a janitor and take a peek in the security office at the surveillance video. Then, an opportunity walked past him. A janitor was getting off of a round. He was putting his cart away. Yohji was noticing that the cart had a bad wheel. He wasn't going to let a golden goose go by him that easily. He said with a charming smile, "Hey, let me help you!"

"Thanks!" the janitor said as he struggled with the cart. He pulled out a card from his shirt pocket. He stopped at the keypad and swiped his card with a quick movement.

"Is that a pain in the neck or what?" Yohji asked, innocently.

"In a way!" sighed the janitor.

"I have the same thing happen to me!"

"Oh," the janitor said. Then, he pulled out the cart a little to straighten out the wheel. "The ID thing or the cart!"

"The cart! I work in a flower shop! We have a really terrible one!" Yohji heard a buzzer go off.

"A flower shop!" snorted the janitor with a smile. He opened the door with a hand. "It must be nice!"

"Yes. In a way," Yohji said as he threw back his head little. He hinted a note of pride in his voice. "The ladies like to see all the pretty flowers!"

"I have to admit that my wife likes to get flowers."

Yohji placed his hands on the end of the cart facing him. He pushed gently on the edge at first. He was going along with his little plan. He noticed that the room wasn't very big. He had to be careful when he followed the janitor in.

"And for the dramatic flare!" Yohji said as he gripped the cart. He pushed the cart into the janitor when a force in which the janitor felt the wind was being knocked out of him.

"Hey!" the janitor said as he felt the lunging cart ramming against his belly.

"Oh, sorry!" Yohji said with a smile. Then, he pushed again, this time a litter harder.

The janitor didn't have time to another word. He felt the wind exploding from his body. Then, he felt another object hitting him. It was the door to the floor cleaner cabinet. It stood out a The janitor slumped to the floor. Yohji had to be careful. He wondered about a surveillance video camera in the hallway. He wasn't going to be on film if he had to. He was going to a shadow within the machine. He shoved the cart over to one side. Then, he squeezed himself inside the doorway. It was a tight fit, yet he made it. The door closed behind him.

Within a ten-minute period, a new janitor stepped out the closet. It was Yohji in disguise. He had switched clothes with the janitor. Then, he stuffed his Weiss uniform in the dirty trash bag inside of the cart. "There!" Yohji thought. "I'm going to get Omi and Miss Umi back before Schwartz kills them!"

He quickly walked down the hall. On checking out the hallway to see if it was clear, Yohji turned the corner.

Nagi was sitting with Umi in what appeared to be a library. He lied about being in a clinic. He had to be careful about what was said in front of her. She was hoping to see Omi. Yet, Nagi was kind of a cute distraction. He looked like some other boy that Umi knew way before she hooked up Omi. They were looking over books in the library. He said with a shy glance, "you like to read?"

"Yes. I do!" Umi nodded, blushing.

"What do you like?"

"Like some Sci-Fi and historic novels!"

It wasn't to Nagi's liking as he stared at her for a minute. He liked poetry and books on learning wood making. He had a cleaver mind and he was using on it all the wrong things. "What else?" he asked.

"Manga!"

Nagi nearly busted out laughing. He never opened a manga to really read it. He was always too busy with his own studies and collative his telekinetic powers. He giggled as he placed a hand up his mouth, "Manga!"

Umi was wondering what was so funny about reading mangas. She asked, "What is up with your outburst?"

"You like mangas?" he sighed as he tried calm down from his laughing.

"What's wrong with that?" she uttered as her eyes flashed a little anger.

"Nothing, if you like Sailor moon!" he smiled. He placed a hand to his chin.

"I liked Sailor moon!" she pouted with her arms folded over her chest. "When I was just a kid!"

"Aha!" Nagi said. His smiled grew a little more. He liked this teasing, it seemed like more of a dangerous wine of happiness. A feeling that he never felt with his heart. He said, "I watched a little of some robot show when I was just a lad, myself!"

"What was it?" Umi blushed. She toyed with deadly boy's heartstrings.

"I don't remember it all too well. I can remember it was about computer and trying to save a world. That's about it!"

"Oh!"

Nagi was going to switch gears and asked, "How was the sandwich?"

"It was good! I didn't like the pickles. Yet, I couldn't stop myself from wanting another!"

"You don't like pickles?" Nagi squealed in surprise.

"I don't like things that taste too sour!" Umi grimaced. She looked cute as her face puckered up.

Nagi felt a giggle bubbling up inside him. "She is cute," he thought, trying not to blush.

"But, I do like chocolates. My favs are the ones from a store that carries tons of them from all over the world!" She smiled slyly. She was going to tease back Nagi.

"I love chocolates too!" Nagi nodded. He noticed sweet seductive glance. Was his charm turning her on? "Whoa!" Nagi thought. "Who would be that hot? She's just seventeen!"
She wanted to see if he would react if he were given a quick peek on the cheek. Umi leaned forward to see Nagi would turn his head away from her. He was just staring at her with a little frightened expression in the eyes. Then, as she came close to him, something happened. She let out a small burp. She blushed uncontrollable. Nagi let out a laugh. This was the first time that he laughed at something other than what happened to a victim. "Sorry!" Umi said.

"For what?" Nagi sighed as he let the music of moment play out.

"I like onions, but they don't like me!"

"Hey," Nagi shrugged his shoulders. "That's understandable!"

"Oh!" Umi said as she placed a hand on her belly. Her belly was telling her that the onions from the sandwich were setting up light housekeeping. "I think I need Tums or a yucky drink of baking soda water!"

"Baking soda water?" Nagi asked with a raised eyebrow. He tried to keep from laughing.

"Yea, my mom makes it up for me when my stomach is up set!"

Nagi placed a hand on Umi's right shoulder. He was trying to be sympatric to his flame guest. He said, "It must tastes awful!"

"You got it!"

"I just wish that Omi was here. He knows about my stomach. Maybe about my grades!" Umi sighed. She had a yearning for Omi in her heart.

Nagi didn't like the name of Omi Tsukiyono. He didn't show it. Then, he noticed Umi's pendent. It was a small blue gemstone set in a sliver square. He asked, "Where did you get that?"

He was hoping for a different answer than Omi giving it to her. "My grandfather gave it to me last year." He heard a little more than he was thinking of when he talked to Umi. He found out that Umi's father was a classic trained singer and her mother was an American who lived in a small farming village in Pennsylvania. He also heard about Omi and how Omi was really a kid brother to Umi. Umi wanted an older man to treat her like a woman. She didn't like to be treated like a little kid. She was thinking on the lines of being an older woman by the way she was acting in front of Nagi. "How old are you, Nagi!" she asked, hoping that Nagi was at least eighteen.

To be asked a question like that sent Nagi's head spinning. He knew that he was a year younger than she was. He felt a cold chill running down his spine as he stammered, "F-f-fifteen!"

"Are you cold?" she asked.

"N-n-n-no why?" he gulped. His heart was racing. He wished that he were seducing her, not the other way around.

"You look cold," she said in an innocent tone of voice. "No!" he breathed loudly. He didn't want to admit to her that he was just a kid.

Umi blushed as she turned her head shyly away from him. She said, "I would like see a movie with you. I'm kinda sorry that I asked about your age!"
Nagi was now instantly confused. He wondered why the sudden change in Umi. He asked as he noticed the innocent act that Umi was playing at, "A movie."

"Yea, I thought you were older and we could see a r rated film!" she sighed.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I want to see a really historical r film!" Umi winked at Nagi.

Nagi wasn't sure what Umi was talking about. He asked out his puzzlement, "I don't know about historical r rated films! Do they make them?"

"Yea," Umi nodded. "The Patriot was one!"

Nagi racked his brains a little as he said, "That's the one with Mel Gibson?"

"Yep. Look," Uri sighed. She shifted her eyes to glance away from Nagi. Nagi watched her as she said, "I like older boys. Like seniors because they are cool!"

"Not always!" Nagi shrugged.

"I would like to be kissed by, some day!"

Nagi bit his tongue. He had to play it cool if he was going to get without a kiss. He was truly turned to see Umi leaning so far forward, that he couldn't stop her. As she puckered up, Nagi could only do one thing, close his eyes. He felt somewhat velvet lips brushing against his. It was wild and yet not strange. He felt the dozen or so kisses planted on those some lips from Tot. Tot was still a child in his eyes. He didn't mind the sloppy kiss. Yet, this soft gently almost pulse of a kiss was that dream which was along ago forgotten. This was a woman. A woman who was breaking through gently like if she was an egg by cracked very slowly. He wasn't sure what to make of her. His heart pounded in his ears. It was like he was inside of a drum. He felt his cheeks burning hot now. It was like burn of a drug that he wasn't familiar with. He was hoping that she wasn't going a further with the kiss. He quickly broke away from her. She clouded his thoughts. Umi said with a smile, "And I think this was the day!"

She stood up to leave Nagi in the room by himself to collect his thoughts.

There were so many dead ends to this case that Aya was going to call in the police for this one. Both Yohji and Ken protested to very idea. They didn't want the police snooping in their private affairs. Then, there was a break in the case. Somehow, Tot was messing about with Omi's laptop. Omi was still a prisoner to Schwartz. Yet, he had some leeway to play with against his captors, but using his noodle and his laptop.

Tot was trying to break in Omi's e-mail. She wanted to know if he was e-mailing Umi. Tot didn't want any sort of competition from Umi. She was a little snake ready to strike if Umi got too friendly with Nagi. She was bright in the way of fighting and helping out in the lab. For breaking into computers, that wasn't her thing. She grew frustrated at the laptop when she tried everything number combination that she could think of. "Rats!" she huffed at the laptop which she had sitting at a table in the lab.

"What are you doing?" a deep voice asked.

"I'm playing!" Tot snapped a little bit. Then, she glanced over her shoulder to see Farfarello standing behind her. She knew that he was unwanted. She asked, "Who let you in?"

"I let myself in!" Farfarello smirked.

"Feh!" she snorted. Her mouth was now in a scowl. She didn't want to make it a habit with him by letting himself in whenever Farafarello felt like it.

"Why you little brat!" Farafarello hissed as he noticed Tot's expression.

"I don't like you!" she glanced at the one-eyed freak that was pulling at her chain.

Meanwhile, Ken was sitting at the computer desk. He was looking at the latest fact on the streaming video of the six o'clock news about the kidnapping of Miss Umi. Ken wasn't going to let the facts get miss led. He noticed a little red mail box opening its side door. It was telling Ken that there was mail of some sort coming in. Was it from Omi?

As Ken held his breath, he slowly placed the streaming video on hold to open the e-mail. When he got the general e-mail box, Ken was floored to see the lettering done in bright red. It meant Omi's laptop was being broken in to. He read the so-called ransom note that Shuldig had given Aya several nights ago. He felt his whole body ache for a taste of revenge. He read it over to make sure Omi wasn't pulling Ken's leg.

"What are you reading?" a deep voice asked over Ken's head.

Ken craned his head up to see Yohji staring at the computer screen. He said, "It's a note or a warning. Omi's laptop is been broken into."

"What, man!" Yohji gasped. He hoped Omi was safe.

"Omi had rigged his laptop in case someone had broken into without his password!" Ken said. He wondered where was Aya. "Is Aya with his sister?"

"I'm not sure. He might be. Let me get a hold of him!"

"Do you know which hospital his sister's in?"

"Tokyo South!" Yohji said as he reached down to grab his cel-phone from his jacket pocket.

Then, the screen went black. It meant that the signal was cut off. Both Ken and Yohji were stunned. "Shit man!" Yohji griped loudly.

"Sorry. I'm not as fast as Omi, but we do have a led!" Ken shook his head. Then, he rolled up his right hand into a fist. He slowly let it dropped onto the desk edge. "I hope that there was a back up to the warning!"

"For tracing?"

"Omi would have told us!"

There was a buzz coming from the upstairs. It meant either of one thing. There was a customer coming in or Aya was back. Yohji told Ken that he was going up stairs to see who was in the store. Ken sat in front of the computer trying to figure out if Omi was there or was someone else messing around with his mind. Yohji turned to see Aya walking down the spiral staircase. He heard the conversation between Yohji and Ken. There was both excitement and dread in the air. Aya asked as he stopped at the landing, "What happened to the computer?"

"Omi could be trying to reach us. There are no leads except this e-mail I got a few minutes ago!" Ken said without looking at Aya.

Aya's cool demeanor was shaken a little at Ken's statement. His eyes narrowed a little as he walked towards the computer. "I think we can work on it."

Yohji glanced at Aya's face. Then, he shifted his head to one side to work a kink out of it. He uttered, "Omi is the computer whiz. He would be missing at this time when we needed him the most!"

"I do remember how sneaky Shuldig was in that vid. He must have used that mind control on Miss Umi," Yohji said as he recalled seeing the security film from the night Umi turned up missing.

"Then, what happened?" Aya asked.

"He carried her out. There was no one to be seen! He waited for the right time before leaving the floor or there would have been some questions to be answered that night!" Aya and Ken felt their blood grow cold. There was an extremely edginess on Yohji's part. He was just playing on a theory. Yet, theories could turn into deadly facts, latter on.

The second stumbling block that made Schwartz trip up very badly was at a garage at Tokyo Airport. Ken was delivering some flowers to a lady who was coming in on a late flight. It was a normal everyday delivery. He didn't think anything of it. Then, he noticed two people getting out of a car. It was hard to look at the people when Ken noticed the car parked out of the lot in of the garage. He had to give a second glance at Nagi. There was a cool look on Nagi's face. Was he going to be the good boy for Crawford and paid attention to all of Crawford's demands?

Ken climbed onto his motorbike as he tried to look busy. He stared at the two when they entered the garage. "Oh, man," Ken, thought. "What is going on with those two!"

Gracefully, quietly, Ken kicked started his motorbike. It roared into life causing Ken to wince. "Shit. I'm causing a séance."

Then, he glanced at the garage one last time. He noticed them not paying attention to him, "Good. They didn't see me!"

The bike pulled away from the parking lot. Ken drove up to the garage for a better view of the situation. He noticed no lights, no signs and no activities inside. The windows were fifthly and hard to see if there was anyone inside. He had to chalk it up to mistake of two people who he thought they were a part of Schwartz. Ken was about to turn away when another car nearly rammed into his bike. He heard the tires screech out of control as the car halted behind the motorbike. Ken felt the back of his neck break out in a sweat. It was either Shildug driving or one of the girls from Schreient driving the car. He held his breath, as the car didn't move.

Ken slowly inched the bike towards the entranceway leading to the street. The car followed him. Ken felt the heat from he car's front hitting his back. He didn't want to cause a séance. He thought to himself, "Let them think I'm just lost."

Ken's bike quickly pulled away from the car. He didn't have a chance to look. The bike sped down the street. The car wasn't going to follow him. It was going to give him a little bit of a scare before pulling to the parking lot. Ken glanced at his rear view mirror. The car wasn't behind him. Yet, he wasn't taking any chances.

Ken went back to the florist shop but he took some back ways to get there.

He noticed the shop was running as normal. He had a feeling of dread as he parked his bike. "The calm before the storm," he thought.

As Ken entered the shop, Aya was swamped with orders. Aya was calmly taking the time on the phone with the customers. Yohji was keeping the young ladies at bay with his charm. It was easy for him to be pleasant with the ladies. Ken wanted to wake from this dream of sorts and find out that he was walking into a normal day in the shop. There was one thing holding him to this strange feeling. Omi wasn't here. Ken went back to the workstation to start on an order. He glanced at the stack of notes and order forms that were piling up. He thought, "Roses. Omi had a special touch with them!"

Then, he noticed a hastily scribbled note to him from Aya. It read, "After the shop is closed, there is a video I want you to see, Aya!"

Ken glanced in Aya's direction. Aya turned at the same time. Their eyes met as Aya gave a customer a fished order. There wasn't a word spoken. Yet, Aya was telling him that Persia was on the video and it was truly a hot led on finding Omi and Miss Umi.

At the basement of the florist shop, Aya was trying to figure out where Persia got the tip. He stood and glanced at the note from Persia. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Ken and Yohji walking down the stairs. They were hoping to have Persia's help in cracking this case.

"This better be good!" Yohji sighed as he raised a hand up to his hire. Pushing it back, he saw Aya's face. It was tired and angry.

"I have only one thing on my mind. That's if Omi's safe!" Ken said.

"If Schwartz is keeping Omi hostage, then God only knows!" Aya said.

"Hey," Ken said as he stared for a second at Aya. "Yes. Manx had heard about Omi being kidnapped. Persia is not happy!"

"Is Persia isn't happy, then we have to work our fingers to the bone to find Omi and Miss Umi!"

"The only thing is that we keep on hitting against dead leads," Yohji groaned.

Aya and Ken noticed Yohji's face. He was hoping to have Omi safe and sound. He was afraid that Omi would have brainwashed into another member of Schwartz. It would have been too prefect to have Omi as a trump card on the computer for that low life scum, Crawford. "I have been thinking how frail Omi is really!" he said.

"Yes. He does have those nightmare of the past a few times in the last week when he was here," Aya said coldly. He folded his arms over his chest.

A door opened from the back of the basement. Manx entered the room. She had an extremely sense of fear in her eyes. Aya turned to see her walking up towards him. He said, "It's about Omi, right."

She nodded slightly. Then, she said, "And about Miss Umi!" "Is Persia upset with the situation?" Yohji asked.

"No, in a way. He understood that Omi is expendable. Yet, it wasn't his call!" Manx said. Then, she crossed over to the large LED TV screen. She pushed a button for the video conference call. "Miss Umi on the other hand."

"She was the one that Schwartz was after in the first place!" Ken asked he glanced the screen.

After a minute of warming up, Persia's face was on the screen. He began to speak, "Hunters of the night. I was informed that one of your members have been adducted earlier in the week. I'm sorry to be informed of this matter."

Aya, Ken and Yohji glanced at each other for a second before turning back to the screen.

Persia continued, "I was also informed about a Miss Umi Kazithoto. She is the granddaughter of former Prime Minster, Tomoko Kazithoto. Her father and mother are most alarmed at the fact that she had been missing for at least a week."

Yohji winced as he took a chair in the back of the room. He said a little loudly, "Great he knows it. I bet he's going to give it to us. We have messed up royally!"

"Shh!" hissed Aya as he turned to glare at Yohji.

"At first," Persia still continued on. "They believed she was at friend's house until they received a phone call later on during the first night. The call came from Brad Crawford, a member of Schwartz!"

"Damn!" Ken snapped mutely.

Manx turned to see Ken's face. He was most up set with the sting of being told that Crawford was low enough to tease Kazithoto family about their missing daughter.

"You are assigned to take back Miss Umi and Bombay! Destroy Schwartz. Then, take back the night!"

"We will!" Aya nodded sharply. He was going to stick that vow to very his last breath.

The three remaining members of Weiss were staked out in the warehouse area of Tokyo. Ken was at one of the alleyways near an empty warehouse that supposable Schwartz was keeping both Miss Umi and Omi hostage. Yohji was camped out in his car with Aya. Both Yohji and Ken were wearing wires for communications purposes. Aya had his cel-phone in hand, ready for any sort of further instruction from Manx. Time stood stock-still.

Then, it happened. A door from somewhere opened with a slight squeak. Ken's senses began to snap tightly around in his head. He breathed softly, "Dear God. Don't make me screw up!"

"There is nothing we can do for now," an Irish voice said.

Ken had run up to the building before the door was fully opened. He had pressed himself against the building and held his breath.

"She's like cash advance place. Once her father gives us the money, we might turn her over!" another voice snorted. This time the voice was in German.

"Great!" Ken thought. "Farfarello the creep and Shuldig the rat are here!"
He figured that he was numbered. He had a tiny slip of memory when he ran blindly to the building. He was still wired for sound. Yohji was listening in at the car. He heard the two other voices coming in loud and clear from his head set.

Yohji said, "Aya, put the phone away. I think Ken needs our help!"

"You think?" Aya answer as he placed the phone in his coat pocket.

Then, Yohji heard shots rang out in his ears. He knew that Ken was in too deep at the monument. "Damn. Let's go!" he snapped as his finger flew down the car door latch.

"Ken?" was all that Aya said as he did the same to his car door latch.

The two ran to the chain link fence. They stopped at the fence. Yohji nearly ran into the fence with his body. There was a whooshing noise followed by a noise of metal rubbing against metal. Aya turned his head for a minute to glare at Yohji. "No screw ups!" Aya growled softly.

"Gomen!" Yohji huffed. Then, he noticed a red headed man looking towards the two. "Shoot!"

"I know. What a prefect time by spotted!" Aya winced at the slight oversight of noise.

"HEY!" the redhead yelled out in a German voice.

"Time to strike!" Yohji said as he prepped some wire from his wristwatch. The redhead pulled a gun and started to shoot in the general discretion of where Aya and Yohji were. "Great!" Yohji winced as bullets whiz past him and over his head. "I'm a sitting duck!"

"What about me, baka!" Aya glared at the blond. "I'm just as easy picked off!"

To their horror, it was made know that the strange German was in fact, Shildug coming towards them with his gun a blazzin'. "Boys…boys…boys!"
The gun had stopped, but there was still the wolf on the prowl. Shildug was now within a few feet from Aya and Yohji. His smile was full of acidic evil which burned thought the night's stillness. "No, fighting. Or do I have to punish you both?" he chuckled darkly. He sounded like a twisted adult on a violent binge. "What in the hell!" Aya snapped with venom.

"Go and walk off and short peer!" Yohji growled in equal stance.

"Boys! I do have to punish you two with this!" Shuldig said as he pulled out a long special cut knife. There were four notches cut on the side of the blade.

"Great!" Aya said as he pulled out his katana from its sheath. He noticed that Shuldig's knife was one out of million to be had. It was called the bone slider on the streets for that reason. "It means more work for us!"

"Ken!" Yohji said as he tried to get a hold of Ken through his head set with a wireless mike.

There was not even a sound expect for heavy breeathing on the other of the wire. It meant either Ken was being a jerk and breathing into the mike or Farfarello was trying to corner Ken into a trap. "Shoot!" Yohji said slowly as he heard the next statement.

"Stay put or it will hurt more!"

Ken was now a trapped rat. He could see Farfarello coming towards him with a piece of board. There was no idea of how he was going to get out this one. He did have a small, but important ace up his sleeve. He had his Bugnuks with him. He could use them to claw at Farfarello. Yet, Farafrello had a mean swing. He noticed that Farafrello was making a swinging pose like he was going to use Ken as a cricket ball.

He had to move or else. He noticed a blind spot that was in front of Farfarello. Ken wasn't too sure how to use if Farfarello was going to flatten him out. He balled himself into a tight bunch. Then, he started to run in front of Farfarello. Then, he instantly ducked as Farfarello noticed the oncoming Ken. It was very old soccer move, but it was very effective to say the least. "This is for Omi!" Ken said as he tackled to the ground the one eye killer.

Farfarello was quick in his movements as he swung the board at Ken. He moved back to avoid Ken. He heard the board struck something soft. He wondered if he had hit an arm or a leg. He was instant in his movements once again. Other swing and Farfarello hit the side of Ken's neck. Ken let out a yelp. He smiled as he said, "Gotta, you little rat!"

Then, Ken had his Bugnuks on the ready as he rolled up his fists. He took another swing and struck at Farfarello's belly. Razor sharp blades dug into soft, but firm muscle. It meant that Ken was on the right place to pull up his glove. It was in the area of the belly near the ribs, which could receive the most damage. "You bastard!" Farfarello gasped as he felt he blade hitting his belly.

"That's right. I want you feel pain, you jerk. I always had a hunch that you were not all powerful against pain."

Farfarello gasped deeply as blood started to ooze out of the cut.

"There!" Ken smirked. He was trying not to show is evil side. He was part of Weiss and he wasn't going to be swept away with taking out a life. "Now show me where Omi is!"

"Not on your life, fool!" Farfarello said as he tried to block out the pain. He still stood. He was going to take Ken out. Yet, he didn't realized how deep the blade had gone in.

"What?" Ken asked as he watched Farfarello instantly double over to stop the bleeding.

"You…" was the last word that Farfarello gasped before falling over in a heap. Then, Ken heard another voice saying, "What in the world is going on!"

In the light of the room, which was now spilling out of the opened doorway, Ken locked eyes with Crawford. Crawford was very surprised to see a shadow that didn't look like Farfarello. He asked, "Who's there?"
Ken didn't speak. He readjusted himself to make a break for the inside. He ran into he opened doorway. Crawford said as he pulled out a gun, "Hold your horses, Mister!"

Ken noticed the gun and let out a cry of anger. He was going to get shot at by Crawford if he could get into the building to find Omi. He was risking his own life for another. He said, "Where is Omi!"

"Fool!" Crawford said as he took aim. He was going to toy with this ex-football player. He took an aim over Ken's head as a warning shot. "Why should I bother with you."
Ken dodged the bullet and ran into Crawford. After slamming to the American, Ken threw him on to the ground. "Bastard…where is Omi!"

"He's still with us!" Crawford snarled.

Then, Ken winced as he tried to block out an ear splitting shirk with his left shoulder.

Crawford noticed an opened situation with his assailant.

"Shit, he's going to kill us!" Aya said as his voice came through the earpiece.

"Great!" Ken thought.

"You really up a creek without a paddle," Crawford smirked with a twisted grin on his face.

"I have to fight," Ken thought for a second time.

Crawford took a chance by trying to roll Ken on to his back. He had his arms around Ken's shoulders when Ken had his on Crawford's shoulders. They struggled for a half a minute before Ken reached over with his knee and kicked in Crawford in the belly. Crawford felt his lungs and belly being slammed hard and up towards his shoulder blades. His stopped breathing for just a minute, His eyes grew wide as he gasped. "You…fu…" Crawford gasped as he loosened his grip on Ken.

"You never under mind your advisory!" Ken gasped as he rolled over. He was now on top and Crawford was on the bottom. He gave Crawford a medium head-but with his own forehead. Then, he wiggled out of Crawford's grasp.

While that was going on, Aya and Yohji were having their hands full with Shuldig. Aya was fighting against his own will to kill himself. He was tricked into thinking that by the German long hair. Yet, the last encounter made Aya a little wary of this creature.

Yohji had his wire on the ready for anything. He had to be careful if it should land on Aya. He didn't want to get the wrong person entangled in the wire. He thought, "Omi…I wish you didn't get kidnapped."

Aya thought of a brick wall, a trick that he had heard about from a movie that he had watched years ago. He watched as he took a swing with his sword. Shuldig was like a cat as he backed away from the blade. Shuldig felt the wall coming and was highly annoyed at Aya's thoughts.

Then, Shuldig made a grim distraction. He turned on Yohji. Knife in hand, Shuldig went at Yohji. Yohji ran backwards in order to get away from this mad man. He wasn't fast enough. It seemed like Shuldig got inside of his head and slowed Yohji down to a crawl. The German thrust the knife in a quick flash into Yohji's side.

Yohji felt the hot blade slicing through his skin and into his lung. He wanted to scream, but the pain was stopping him. He gasped loudly as his eyes grew wide.

Aya noticed Yohji falling down onto the ground. He screamed as he glared at Shuldig, "You son of bitch…Yohji please speak to me.

"How nice is it when you want to care for someone, but you are too slow to even help them!" Shuldig sneered.

"You…" Aya snapped. Then, he ran up to the German longhaired. He proceeded to slice Shuldig like Shuldig did to Yohji but with a little more blade. "Take that!" Aya growled as he aimed for Shuldig's midsection.

The blade sliced through cloth and flesh as Aya run into Shuldig. He felt the blade searing into his belly. The pain was too much for him as he felt the blade being pulled out of his belly as instantly as it entered his body. He loosened his grip on the knife. Both Yohji and Shuldig dropped like lead weights onto the ground. Small pools of crimson fluid started to seep out of wounds.

"Yohji!" Aya said as he ran towards his friend.

"Aya-chan!" gasped the blond as he smiled weakly.

"I'll get you to the doctors quickly!"

"Are you sure about that, buddy. I feel sick!" Yohji said as he tried to move. He heard Aya scold him. "What happened?" a voice cried out. It sounded like Ken in the distance. His voice came through he earpiece on Yohji's set. The other two members of Schwartz were eliminated. It was just two members of Weiss who stood in the darkness.

Aya quickly, gently pulled off the headset from Yohji's head and said as he placed the set up to his ear, "Yohji's hurt."

"And Shuldig?" Ken asked.

"Just as equally wounded as Yohji," Aya said grimly. He glanced at the other body.

Shuldig was murdering something in German. He glanced over to Aya without even moving. He gasped, "Damn!"

He weakly placed a hand up to his belly.

"Are you hurt, A-chan?" Ken asked.

"No…just angry!" Aya snapped a little.

"Are you sure about that?" Yohji said as he tried to breath. He winced through the pain he was putting up with. "Why do I feel so tired?"

"Baka!" Aya said as he forced a fake smile on his lips. "You are bleeding like mad."

Yohji smiled when he reached up to grasp the air. Aya reached up to take
Yohji's hand in his. Aya said, "Don't move. They are coming!"

"Omi!" Ken nearly shouted.

Aya turned his head to see a small figure coming out from the building. He was totally horror struck to see Omi nearly dragging himself in a drug induced state. Ken was running up to see what he could do to snap Omi out of the state.

Omi was very much a zombie when he some how got out of Hell's grasp. She had slipped up as she tried to see if she could break up Umi and Nagi before transporting Umi and Omi to another building.

Umi wasn't in a stupor. She was told that she was going to a hotel for a couple of day before reuniting with her family. She was very excited as she told Nagi about her grandfather.

She was taken to another side door on the opposite end of the building. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen next. With the horrible state of both Weiss and Schwartz, there was a chink of desperation.

"OMI!" Ken screamed. He reached over to give Omi was slap on the shoulder.

Omi didn't stop, didn't notice Ken standing next to him. His mind was totally asleep in a waking body. Ken grabbed the shoulder next to him. With a small pull on Omi's body, Ken flung Omi around until they were face to face. "Omi!" he gasped. He stared at Omi's glassy eyes. They were too disturbing to even glance at. He looked like death warmed over. "Shit!" Ken hissed.

Somehow the hissing noise caught Omi's attention for just a brief second. He glanced at Ken's over-rot face. Then, he went back to his avoid.
"Great…" Ken thought. "What in the hell did they give you!"

Omi just stared into space.

It was long moment of time before Yohji woke up. He didn't want to wake up. He was having a wonderful time just sleeping. He smiled as he opened his eyes to see who was holding his hand. He was drugged slightly, but never the less he was shocked to see Aya was holding onto his hand. "You…prev!" Yohji grumbled in a sleepy slur.

"I like you too, Yohji!" Aya snorted softly. He could see the wires and tubes running across Yohji's body!

"Don't be so smart!" Yohji huffed.

Then, Aya's mood changed slightly. He said as he roved his hand from Yohji's grasp, "I have some good news and bad news!"

Yohji could see the somber excitement in Aya's eyes. He knew the bad news was more than just bad. He asked, "Give it to me straight!"
Aye never beat around the bush. He straightened himself a little more in his seat. He said, "good news…we've got Omi back!"

"Are you pulling me leg about it!" Yohji huffed. He didn't want to believe that Omi was back. He became worried on the youngest member of Weiss's condition. He began to breath raggedly. He forced himself out of bed, yet Aya was there to stop him.

"Relax. You just got stabbed!" Aya snapped softly. He placed a hand on Yohji's shoulder.

"Don't…" Yohji said as he forced himself back down. Then, he felt a sharp pain hitting him hard. He closed his eyes to block out the pain. He breathed hard as reached up to squeeze the living daylights out of the bed rail.

"I'll get a nurse!" Aya said as he reached over to push the call light on the bed rail. "You don't realize that the bottom part of your left lung was spliced."

"Uh…wha…" Yohji gasped. His eyes were narrowed from the medicine he was on.

"Just take it easy…O.K.?" Aya asked. Then, he heard a nurse asking about Yohji's condition. Aya said that the blond fool was trying to sit up. The nurse told him to tell Yohji not to pull any thing stupid. She would be over in a minute. Then, Aya said, "Omi doesn't look good."

"Why?" Yohji asked.

"It's the drugs he was on."

"Shit!" Yohji huffed. He wanted to fold his arms over his chest. Yet, the one arm was ensnared with IV tubes.

"I can understand. We have got two people down and just it leaves me and Ken!" Aya sighed. Then, he glanced at the clock on the wall. "They were probability questioning him on Miss Umi and ourselves if Schwarz found out."

"So, they pumped him with dope to see how far they can go with him until he crack up!"

"Or zone out!"

Yohji felt his last breath leave his mouth. He believed that Schwartz had gone over board. They had turned Omi into a veg. "How bad is Omi?"
"I'm not sure. The doctors in the de-toxic are trying to make him snap out of it."

"Heck!" Yohji gasped as he heard the nurse entering the room. She told Aya to step out for a minute. She noticed Yohji's face. He was starting to worry about Omi if only for a little bit.

The silent dripping of another IV was the only thing that made the other member of Weiss curious. Ken sat at Omi's bedside at the drug clinic on the third floor of the same hospital that Yohji was recovering at. He sat on hard plastic chair and rested his hands on the bed railing. Omi was very much unconscious for the night.

Ken hated hospitals. Yet, he remembered how Aya visited his sister in one almost everyday. He heard the gentle beeping from the monitors. Omi looked like a sleeping angel as he was going through withdrawal. The doctors quickly realized what kind of medication Omi was on. Ken drove both Omi and a bleeding Yohji to the hospital. Aya somehow crammed himself in the back with Omi. Yohji was past out from the bleeding. There was a temporary bandage on Yohji's wound made from his own shirt and Aya's coat belt. He didn't look like he was going to make it, but he managed to squeak by.

When they got the hospital, Ken ran into the E/R and grabbed a nurse to see what she could do. Then, it was a blur of doctors, stretchers and rooms. The waiting was a test of nerves. It was nearly eleven at night when they admitted Yohji for surgery. Then, they took Omi for testing. Aya told Ken that he would be with Yohji when he got out of O/R. It was up to Ken to watch over Omi as he began to withdrawal from the drugs that Hell pumped with him. There was a slight twitch coming from Omi's hand. Ken watched as Omi's hand relaxed for only for a minute or two. Then, the twitching came back for a minute. It was like Omi was fighting some demon inside of his soul. Ken said as tried to think of what kind of darkness Omi was in, "Fight…Omi…fight. That's all you can do."

Ken heard the intercom paging various people to different departments. He felt alone. Aya was there for Yohji. He had to pull out of this one too. Then, he heard a long sigh coming from Omi. Ken had to smile. Omi was still a young man with a frail heart. He said, "Are you thinking of her?"

There was not even a hint of smile on Omi's lips. His lips appeared to be dry as the vent tube was carefully poised over one side of his opened mouth. They had to be caution as the withdrawal drew out the poison from inside his body. Ken picked up Omi's hand. It felt cold. Ken glanced at the delicate fingers that tapped keys on a computer and created such sweet displays for the holidays. "I think she's cute," Ken said as he recalled the only times he had seen Miss Umi.

Ken felt a slight flex from Omi's hand. Ken smiled sadly. "You little jerk. You really like her…do you?"

There was a beeping noise, which started and made Ken's only heart stop.

He believed that it was Omi's heart stopped beating. He remained calm as he pushed the nurse's call light. He said to Omi in a still voice, "Don't you dare!"

Omi looked so incredibly young to be checking out like this.
A nurse came in and said, "How long has this machine been beeping like this?"

She didn't even bother to look at Ken. She went about her work as she glanced at the IV machine.

Ken squeezed his eyes so tightly they hurt. He forced his voice to say gently, "Not long!"

"There!" the nurse said after she punched a few buttons on the IV machine. The beeping seemed to soften a little. She walked over to Ken. She bent down to said, "He's O.K."

Ken felt a hand on his shoulder. On opening his eyes, Ken uttered, "Is he?"
"Yes, he is! His IV bag was getting low!" she said gently as she glanced at Ken.

"Thank you!" Ken uttered. His feelings were taunted him deeply. He turned to look at the young boy who was still deep asleep.

Nagi was other part of town. He watched the late night news. He had some company in the way of Schwartz's abducted victim. They sat in a posh living room.

The warmth of the blanket draped around them seemed nice. Miss Umi was given special treatment. They had a few things in common. He was in the first time happy without being forced. He glanced at her for a minute before saying, "I'm surprised you enjoyed the movie!"

Nagi was coming out his shell even more. It seemed like a good push in the right direction was all it took for his spirit to feel this great. Umi said, "I haven't seen a movie in a while!"

Nagi nodded with some knowledge of being busy, "That's understandable!"

He was sitting extremely close to Umi. He could smell her lily-white scent, faintly. It had been while since she had her favorite body cream on. Never the less it enticed his senses. To smell her sweet wine, seemed to tease him as well as giving him a feeling of calm. Then, she said on reflection of missed days, "I miss school!"

"I didn't know you missed school!" Nagi asked. He was a little surprised. Since he was part of Schwartz during his early teens, Nagi never knew of school or a normal life like what Umi had. He blushed slightly as he said; "I have a private tutor for my education!"

"Oh…luckily. I have to go to a regular school!" Umi pouted, tossing her head to one side.

"Is that where you met Mister Tsukiyono?" he asked. He was going to pry into Umi's life ever so gently.

Umi somehow hopped upon Nagi's lap. She was now sitting on his lap and Nagi's tried to remain calm. He said, "I don't think is right!"

Umi didn't say any thing. She leaned forward to give Nagi a kiss. Nagi at first didn't want to kiss her at this fast pace. He was very torn between Umi and Tot. His face leaned backwards as far it as could go. Then, he felt soft lips brushing against him. He said, "I like you too. But, what if we got caught!"

"Idiot!" Umi hissed. She reached over to take Nagi's head into her hands. "The others can't get in. I have locked the door."

Then, she pressed her lips against Nagi's. His heart exploded into a wild dance. Umi said after she broke away, "Was that so bad."

"No…" Nagi huffed, blushing.

"Put your arms around me. Please?" she asked as she slipped her arms around his neck.

"Uh?" Nagi gaped. He didn't realize what to expect next.

"Idiot. I would like to have you put your arms around me," she whined.

"Like in a hug?" Nagi questioned her in a semi-shocked voice.

"Well, sort of!"

Now Nagi had hugged Tot purely by chance at one time. He didn't want to her die before the battle of Schreient vs. Weiss. Umi wrapped her arms around his neck. He inhaled the sweet, but faint odor of lily. "That's nice!" he said, softly. He tried to be gentle with her. He didn't want to rush into anything. "I like your scent!"

Feeling her cheeks warm up a little, Umi said, "Thanks!"

"The scent of lilies. A frail odor that reminds me of spring!" Nagi said. His eyes grew soft. He felt like kissing her anyways. He knew that Tot would kill if he would be caught in other woman's arms.

"Why does it remind you of spring?" Umi said as she felt a hand rubbing a spot between her shoulder blades.

"It runs between winter and summer. Two seasons of extremes. One very bitterly cold, other so fiery hot that I can't stand it at times!"

"Oh," Umi said, shrugging her shoulders. Her blush grew in her cheeks.
He watched her turn her head a little away from him. He said, "Shy?"

"Well, kind of…sort of!" she said.

"Then, I'll just kiss…I promise you that!" then, he watched her close her eyes before doing the same. He carefully brushed his lips against her's. It was the same, warm and passionate. His heart pounded in his head. He felt like he was going to die. This was a strange sensation.

Umi pulled back to let her breathing go back to normal. Both Umi and Nagi were trying to catch their breaths as well as slow their heart down. She puffed out after she turned her head, "Sorry!"

Nagi swallowed a drag of air. He said, "That's O.K. I have nothing against you. If you want to be slow, then slow it is!" "Thanks…it was kind of fun. I do like you, Nagi Naoe. You are so different from Omi Tsukiyono," Umi said as she began to smile.

His head throbbed until he placed a hand up to. He said, "Oh…why am I so different?"

"You are a guy who loves me for being a woman. Omi hasn't even held my hand passionately yet!" she pouted as she closed her eyes.
Handholding was a first step in the relationship game. Then, came kissing and holding. Although, Umi was making up her own rules as she went along. This goes as you want to stuff with the kidnapped victim was making Nagi's head swim. He sighed a little. He didn't know to expect next. He held Umi on his lap and began to sway a little. She wondered what he was going now. She asked, "Nagi?"

"What?" Nagi sighed. She was soft and light as a rag doll. He started to like the idea of having her on his lap. His hands slid down to her side facing the wall.

"Why are you rocking me? I'm not a baby!"

"I think you are. You're starting to grow on me!"

"Oh?" she shivered. Yet, she felt his arms holding her fast to him.

"Cold?" he asked.

"A little?"

"Then, just let me hold you until you warm up!" He reached up to snuggle his cheek against her right one. His sense of joy was overflowing.

It was Aya's turn to watch over Omi. He had the quiet manor of man whose sister was taken away from him. He never showed his feelings about losing a sister. He didn't talk for a couple of minute while he sat across from Omi's bed. He didn't talk for a couple of minute while he sat across from Omi's bed. He remained quiet. Then, he heard the chatter of two nurses as they did their rounds. "Omi…" he said.

Omi was still lifeless, contented to a machine. The only life that Omi was clinging to was computerized.

"I wondered about you while you were gone!"

There was no response from Omi.

"This is hard. I can take a one sided conversation with my own sister and string out for hours!" Aya sighed. He leaned back in the chair he sat on. He ran a hand up to his head. He rubbed a spot between above his eyes. All that Aya could talk about to Omi was just work and Weiss. School was just another part of Omi that Aya had a little bit of an idea about. How long was it when he was in school. There was really nothing to connect between the two. Then, he said, "The next shipment of roses are in."
Omi's right hand flinched a little.

Aya took as a sign that Omi needed fight his way back to the flower shop. He didn't want just lay there in bed. "Come on, Omi…Weiss needs you!" Aya said.

There was a sigh pause in Aya's voice. He didn't want to admit that Miss Umi was still missing. He didn't want to dwell on the present. They needed to work on the future.

There was nothing Aya could do. He didn't feeling fighting at the time. He wasn't going to let Yohji or even Omi suffer like they did. Yet, he wished Weiss wasn't the predicament that they were in. Then, he uttered as he leaned back in the chair, "You miss her?"

Omi's hand twitched.

"I wonder if you can wake up at all?" Aya said.

Then, he heard a thing, which made him do a double take. It seemed like Omi wanted to wake up. Omi wasn't letting go that easily to the poison. He had to quit being so afraid of what he wasn't capable of doing.

His youth and willowy body frame was the prefect vessel for the drugs in which Hell pumped into him. He was flawless for her dark will. Yet, he wasn't what he seemed in the inside. From all the short years of being with Manx and Persia helped to strength him. His kidnapping might have shaken him up into a shell of his former self; yet Weiss helped him break away from it.

"Yohji was being a fool by flirting with the nurses. He couldn't let them alone!" Aye winced a little form his embarrassing statement.

When Aye mentioned about Yohji's passes at the nurses, it sparked Omi's annoyance level. He didn't like it when Yohji got a little over board with the girls. He grabbed at Aya's fingertips. Aye had let his own hand rest on the bedrail of out habit. "Omi?" he uttered in astonishment. He was going to guide the youngest member of Weiss from this brink of this drug filled nightmare. "Come on!"

Omi's hand started to grope clumsy. He was totally blinded by the mercy of the de-toxic meds. Omi had no idea Aya slip his hand under his own.

"Is it Miss Umi, you want to fight for. If you do…please wake up!"

There was a long rasping whistle coming form the ventilator Omi was on. He was fighting with the vent. Aya's heart was pounding in chest in semi-excitement. "Omi, you are Weiss. You must fight even in your mind. Fight those who appose you!" Spirited by Aya's words, Omi gasped another long drag of pure oxygen.

"The ones we fight for, the one who can't defend themselves. We were brought to the by Persia for this propose!" Aya's voice was full of passionate courage. He feared something could go wrong. He called for the nurse. His own feelings overwhelmed the quiet Aya. He always remained cool under pressure. This was a different story.

Omi groaned. His hand squeezed hard Aya's hand.

"Nurse!" Aya shouted. He blinked hard. Blinking back the tears in his eyes.

An orderly entered the room. He asked, "What's going on?"

Then, Omi opened his eyes. Feeling the tube running down his mouth and throat, Omi nearly gagged out of reflex.

"Omi?" Aya asked as he witnessed Omi's propulsion into the waking world.

Wincing, Omi turned his head to note a slightly blurred figure, sitting in front of him. The red hair and long golden dangly could be only one person, Aya Fujimiya. "Hey," Omi breathed slowly. "A-Chan!"

Then, Aya smiled ever so slightly as he placed his head on the bedrail. The long dream was over for Omi.

Tot wasn't going to let this little flirtation between Umi and Nagi go unnoticed. When she found about out about Nagi's love triangle with Umi, Tot was steamed. She had to keep Nagi all to herself. She didn't another stealing the only she loved in the first place.

Tot went out to buy the most prettiest of dressed she could find. She thought of a way to get Nagi to come to her. Fixing herself up, Tot remembered the how Nagi met her at Schreient's HQ. She was till a child, never wanting to grow up. Nagi was drawn to her when she ran out of the house. She had a fight with someone and her feeling got brunt in the process. First time he felt love stirring in his heart. He found her in the woods outside of the house. He used his powers to bring a whirlwind of cherry blossoms in a snow type shower around her. Tot was upset with tears in her eyes. Nagi was going to comfort her a special gift.

Tot went the flat where Schwartz kept Umi captive. She knew Nagi was going to be there with Miss Umi. She posted herself in front of the entranceway. As Nagi left the room where the computer was, an arm grabbed him. Nagi yipped, when he was into the semi-darkness, "What's going on?"

Nagi was now on the defensive. He hated to be toyed with. Feeling like taking the assailant down a few pegs was just what he wanted to do. Nagi snarled, "I demand of you…tell me who you are!"

High tinkling laugher filled his ears. He hated to be caught with his guard down. He didn't have the insight like Crawford had. He had to fight off whoever pulled him in. he was caution about it as well. He loved to pull apart the opponent. Then, he was assaulted with a pair of velvet lips. He blushed as he gasped. "This lips!" he thought. "I can taste pink lemon-aid!"

For a minute he waited. Two hands rested on his shoulders. Then, he thought, "Tot!"

He reached up quickly for the hands. He turned his face away from her. "What in the heck are you doing?" "I'm kissing you!" she giggled in his ear.

"Kissing me!" he thought. "That's the last thing I want from you, Tot!"

Nagi was growing a little cooler towards her. His eyes narrowed darkly. He didn't want anything to do with this mindless girl. He was started to really feel for Umi. Umi was a shy, yet bold creature that puzzled him. She was smart, funny and quite cute. "Look. I was busy with work!"

"First off…how did you know it was me!" Tot asked. She was shocked to hear his voice change. "Second, why are you busy!"

Dropping her hands onto her hips, Tot turned her head away from Nagi.
"I can tell you when you wear that lemon-aid lip balm. It's too sour!" He huffed. He didn't like the taste. Nagi leaned forward to glare at Tot. He said, "I've got work for Schwarz to do."

"Fhmm!" Tot huffed. She turned her head to the other side. Her face was angered with a pout.

"It's true. This is a delicate operation. Brad wants this to run smooth. With Shuldig in the hospital, I have to be more careful with my computer sights!"

"Fool!" she growled. Then, she reached up to slap Nagi on the face.

Nagi winced on the heat from this little monster's hand. He became mad, yet his face wasn't filled with any sort emotion.

He stared at the childish girl. He uttered flatly, "Why did you do that for?"

"Tot hates you. Lair!" she hissed. She forward so incredibly close that she could have bit him on the face.

"I am not!" he said in the same flat voice.

"This little working scheme that Brad has you on, makes Tot very mad!" she growled. She broke away from Nagi's grasp. She started to walk down the hall. She was now fuming at his words. Pouting, Tot folded her arms across her chest. "You are in love with her. Tot knows!"

Nagi gasped loudly. He didn't want to admit it. He tried to keep a low profile in his love life. He wondered how did Tot know about his growing affection for Miss Umi. "Tot doesn't know why Tot loves you!" Tot howled. She felt like hitting him again.

"What?" Nagi snapped. He backed away from her. He wasn't going be to assault again.
"Children...children!" a dark German accented voice purred deeply. Two people were walking up the hallway. One was a red-haired Shuldig.

"Good grief...what are you doing out of the hospital?" Nagi asked in shock to Shuldig.

"I just couldn't stay away!" Shuldig smirked.

"Neu…why are you here?" Tot asked. She had to blink at the two new comers to see if they were real or not.

"I had to…this baka knows something I think even Masafumi would be interested," Neu sighed. She liked to be around this mind reader at all. He clung to her like a bad scarf.

Tot instantly huffed, turned and walked away from the growing crowd. Shuldig wondered about Tot. He asked as he turned back to walk to
Nagi, "She's all right?"

"That girl?" Nagi sighed. He had to retool his thinking about women. Not all women were going to be like Miss Umi. Some were just plain two faced. +++

Tot went to her room to lick her wounds. She hated Nagi for sure at this time. He was a mean person to be throwing her away like that for another woman. Tot ran to her bed and threw herself on it. She picked up her Rabbi-chan from its perch on the pillow. She sniffed loudly, "Tot…hates Nagi-chan!"

In a childish voice Tot replied back as if her Rabbi-chan was talking back to her, "Why…Tot?"

"He likes another girl!" Tot snapped with tears in her eyes.

"Poor Tot. Tot is pretty…Nagi likes pretty girls like you, Tot!"

"Tot knows that Tot is pretty. Nagi doesn't see that!"

"Tot?" a voice called out. There was a knock on the door.

Tot sniffed before asking whom the person was. It was Hell. She was checking on the young girl. Tot said, "You can come in, Hell!"

"Tot, what's wrong?" Hell asked as she entered.

"Nothing. Tot hates Nagi!" Tot sounded flat as Nagi was.

Hell came up to the bed. She placed a hand up to her chin. "That's what I figured on!" she sighed. She tried to be a big sister to youngest member of Schirent. "Nagi has to fall in love with Miss Umi!"

"What? What?" Tot gasped. The idea of the big sister was falling to pieces before Hell could start.

"Opps!" Hell grimaced. She glanced at the pink bed and Tot. She tired to come up with an idea of why Nagi was falling in love with Umi. "Nothing. Tot hates Nagi!" Tot sounded flat as Nagi was.

Hell came up to the bed. She placed a hand up to her chin. "That's what I figured on!" she sighed. She tried to be a big sister to youngest member of Schirent. "Nagi has to fall in love with Miss Umi!"

"What? What?" Tot gasped. The idea of the big sister was falling to pieces before Hell could start.

"Opps!" Hell grimaced. She glanced at the pink bed and Tot. She tired to come up with an idea of why Nagi was falling in love with Umi.

"Uh?" Tot asked before letting out a wail.

Hell wanted to scream at Tot for being such a little baby. Yet, what was love? A feeling that most normal people had, owned and shared for the most part. Tot had experienced a little bit of quit. Now she was dashed against the rocks of be dumped like she was from Nagi's own personal change in women.

"Get out…Hell!" Tot sobbed. She didn't like Hell at this point. She wanted to toss something at Hell to make her leave.

"O.K. O.K." Hell gasped as she began to back away from the troubled Tot. She turned on her heels, about ready to leave.

Then, Tot noticed a pink pillow with the word girlfriend printed on the pillow face. She picked it up.

Hell noticed Tot's intentions. She quickly darted out of the room. She stopped at the doorway and said, "I hope you get over this tiff soon!"

"GET OUT!" Tot howled. Then, she threw back her hand clutching the pillow. Tossing the pillow with a good throw, Tot watched as Hell ran out of the doorway.

In the shadows, Hell didn't know she was being watched. Someone with red hair was watching her as she stormed out of Tot's room. The hallway suddenly grew cold. The red-haired person waited until all was quiet. Tot appeared in the doorway, sniffing. She was visible upset with herself. "Poor, little girl!" the red head thought.

"Just wait...I'll help you, Tot!" the red haired person sighed in his mind. Then, the person limped back to his bedroom to recover slowly.

Omi was finally released from the drug rehab. He looked still shaken. He went home quietly with Aya. Aya wanted to pick up Omi because; the young man needed peace of mind. Yohji was still recovering. He was moved from ICU to a privatize room. Ken was keeping an eye on the school to see if Nagi was spotted. Somehow word got to Weiss about Nagi's enrollment and sudden disappearance from school.

Nothing seemed clear for Omi or for that matter for Weiss in general. Aya tried to keep order with the other two. He knew that Omi didn't want to be coddled. The young member of Weiss wasn't a baby.

Omi came to a quiet home. He wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary. Ken did manage a very small surprise. It stood on the table in the back storeroom. It was two blue balloons with the messages of get well soon.

Aya told Omi to rest up for a little while. He was going out.

Omi closed up the shop and went up stairs. He heard the phone going off. He let the machine take the call as he reached the landing. He was still thinking of Miss Umi. He had to wonder about her well-being.

Omi went to his room. Things weren't touched. He was pleased to see Ken didn't straighten up his room. It was painfully neat as it was. Omi had to keep it neat because of his laptop. He always threw a fit if he couldn't dust his room at least once week. He was a normal kid, his room was his holt. His room was only place of refuse.

Then, he heard a noise coming from the down stairs. He wondered if it was Ken entering the building. Omi checked the clock on his workstation. It was going on four in the early evening.

Omi was too tired to worry about dusting for once. He headed for his bed. The plain brown bedding was good enough for him. He pulled back the covers. He sighed as he climbed in.

Ken stuck his head in Omi's opened doorway. He asked, "You want anything?"

Omi turned his head to see Ken. He sighed, "No! I'm not really starved!"

"How about a bowl of soup. There are some instant noodles that Aya bought a couple of weeks ago!" "Maybe later. I'm going to sleep for a little bit!" Omi said as he pulled up the blanket to his chin.

Ken noticed Omi's face. He had to smile. Omi was still tough, yet his face was that of little boy who needing someone to protect him.

Omi was deep sleep after Ken closed the door. It wasn't long after his head hit the pillow that Omi was out like a light. Ken quietly went about his busy with the shop. He had the radio tuned in on a local station. He was putting the last of the displays up for the throng of girls. On half hearing the top of the hour's news, Ken didn't want to be caught short with the flowers. He dusted off the counter, checked on the clock and made a list of new orders for shipping later on in evening.

"In other news, former Prime Minster Tomoko Kazithoto will giving a public address on the disappearance of his granddaughter, Umi Kazithoto," the news caster said on the radio.

Ken's blood froze. He had to stop what he was doing and call up Aya. He had to do it quietly in order not to wake up Omi. He knew if Omi would start asking questions. Then, he wanted to go back on the case. With his de-toxic and slow recovery time Omi was very vulnerable. Ken walked over to the storeroom to make a phone call from there.

Aya was sitting in his car. The car sat across from the hospital where his sister was still a patient. Aya had the doors locked as he talked on his cel-phone. He said, "What was about the news?"

"The newscaster said something about Kazithoto having a press conference," Ken said.

"He is trying to make face with the press. I have notified him about Umi. I think we are getting close!"

Ken wasn't sure what Aya was telling him. Yet, he didn't want to appear stupid. He asked, "Did Manx tell you something?"

"Remember, Manx is our mole. She had heard about the Takatori family trying to help out with the Kazithoto family."

"How?" Ken asked.

"She knows Miss Umi's mother. The two ran into each other at the school. Manx was trying to get some of Omi's schoolbooks. Miss Umi's mother asking the school for any possible clues to the case."

"I hope Omi doesn't get involved. He is still too weak," Ken warned.

"I understand. Yet, he has to be use as back up!"

"Look…how's Yohji?"

"Everything is normal. He's still in extreme pain. That's dammed knife went in too deep and spliced his lung."

"It means Yohji has to stay in for two or three weeks?"

"At least. He can't wait to get his hands on Shuldig. When he heard about Omi's condition, Yohji was angry."

"Look…it's getting late. I asked Omi if wanted to eat. He didn't want to. He doesn't have much of an appetite."

"He needs to eat. The drugs had messed with him. Fix something. Anything he wants!"

Omi was sleeping for a long time. He didn't want to wake up anytime soon. He was trying to keep some sense of the last few pieces of sanity he had left. He was terrible drugged out of his mind before waking up in the hospital. He remembered Hell entering his room with an IV. Crawford had made a subjection of brainwashing Omi to Schwartz's side. He was just equally gifted on the computer as Nagi. It would be the advantage to Schwartz to have a mole in their service as a back stabbing complement for Weiss. Weiss had Manx for thier mole.

He remembered the first IV. It was a basic saline drip with nothing added. He didn't like the needle in his arm. He couldn't move anyways because he was strapped to the bed. Crawford didn't want his other golden goose to fly the coop. Hell was gentle with the prep. Omi didn't want anything do with her.

She tried to talk to him as she administered the IV. He noticed someone lurking in the shadows. Was it Nagi watching him or was it someone else. He didn't or couldn't remember. Hell produced a smaller bag of a highly constrained of pain killers which make Omi's heart stop for a second.

Omi remembered a little before Hell started with the painkillers. He felt funny like his arm was going numb on him. Then he watched as Hell contented the smaller bag to the IV line. Gasping loudly out his fear, Omi asked, "What's in there?"

Hell noticed Omi's face. She said, "It's a little medicine to make you feel better!" "Yea, right!" he thought. His sour glance told reams that words couldn't begin to describe.

"Just relax if you can. If you don't like the needle, turn your head"! Hell sighed, rolling her eyes. She didn't like Omi's beating around the bush. She was going have him doing back flips after he was exposed to the painkillers if need to.
"You just have me right where you want. Yet, there is something more to this…I'm right?"

"In way. You are just another piece of the puzzle that we have thrown out for your comrades."

He wanted to run. He wanted to hide. He wanted to scream until his vocal cords went raw. Omi couldn't do anything after Hell placed the painkillers in his IV. He felt nothing as he tried to move. Then, his mind started to drift in a second or two as he turned his head to see the IV drip. He tried to fight it off, yet he was being instantly backed into a corner. It was wonderful. To sleep and not to think...not to move. It was like taking a long extended nap.

"There...you'll feel conformable in a minute!"

Omi tried to keep his eyes opened. It was no use. The medicine was winning. He was completely under its spell in a minute. He was now deep in his slumber.
The séance changes into one of a wooded area. It was beautiful with green trees rustling in the cool breeze. Omi woke up, feeling pretty refreshed. He sat up on a sleeping bag. On yawning and stretching, Omi looked around to see anyone else was around. He wondered if he was the only one in the woods. "Oh…this must be my time off and away from everyone," he thought to himself.

Birds chirped happily. Distance sound of water flowing in a stream filled his ears. It was something that Omi always wanted. He breathed in the sweet scent of wild flowers. He rolled the kinks out his neck. He started to unzip the sleeping bag to get himself ready for the morning. He had no laptops or palm pilots. His cel-phone was the only way that the others could get a hold of him. "What a nice day," he sighed as he stood up. He pulled on his hiking shoes over his feet.

A beautiful voice started sing to somewhere in the distance. It caught Omi's attention. He was rolling up his sleeping bag, when his ears began to pick up the singing.

He quickly got himself ready for the day. Yet, the singing seemed be to drawing him to the stream. He began to walk towards the stream. There were fish swimming around in the stream. Omi noticed one or two who swam up towards the shoreline. He smiled at them. Then, he glanced up at a beautiful girl sitting on a stump. She was dressed in a white peasant dress. He stopped near the stump and waited for her to end her song.

It was a minute after Omi said, "That's pretty!"

The girl gasped as she turned around to her audience of one. She said, "Omi?"

He was surprised to hear the girl speak his name. He asked, "Where did you hear my name. I didn't even introduce myself!"

He pointed to himself as he spoke.

"I can read your thoughts. Is that nice?" the girl smiled.
He felt totally creeped out. He gaped as he tried to think of something to say.

"You want to know my name?" she asked.

Omi felt a cold chill running down his spine. This was no normal girl. He said, "Maybe…why?"

"Because, someday that you will need to know it."
Omi in the real world was now tossing in his sleep. It felt like he was being tied down to the bed. His breathing was labored. He murmured in his sleep about Miss Umi.

In his dream the girl was now walking towards him. He said, "What is that you want of me?"

"Nothing…" then, she looked down. "Maybe a kiss?" He began to stammer as he stared at her. Then, taking a deep breath, Omi asked, "Is your name Umi?"

"Yes…it is. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know that's O.K."

The two just stared at each other for a minute before Omi came close to Umi. The scent of wild flowers hit his nose. He felt warmth in his heart. He said, "I'm sorry...I want to love you, but I was so scare to show it!"

"That's O.K.?" she said.

Then, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I love you, Miss Umi!"

He closed his eyes and leaned forward. He was preparing himself for a kiss.
Out of the blue, a dark presents started to leak out of the ground. It ran past the path and headed for the two young lovers.

It came up to the young lovers and exploded through the dirt. Omi felt terrified as he opened his eyes. On glancing down, Omi broke away from the kiss. He said, "Miss Umi…run!"

"Uh?" she asked in an innocent glance. "What?"

"Run!" he ordered as he began to back away from her. Then, he felt the voice changing into ooze that began to slurp around his feet. It dragged him away from her. He panicked as he screamed, "RUN!"

"Omi?" she cried out.

"Please!" he gasped in his sleep. His arms groggily reached out to grasp at air. Omi was now in trouble. He was now in a large pool of the black ooze. He felt himself being dragged from under his feet. He began to scream as he was engulfed in the ooze. He caught one last glimpse of her before a wave of darkness struck him in the face. He thought to himself as he heard a scream coming from Miss Umi, "Please...I need to help her!"

Then, Omi woke up in a cold sweat. He was shaking so hard that he screamed. Both Aya and Ken entered the room. They noticed Omi's whitened face. Aya came to the bed and asked, "Are you O.K."

"I'm not sure," Omi gaped. His stomach burned as he began to cry.

"You must have a bad nightmare. You need some tea and rest up! O.K." Ken said gently.

"I'm too sick to even drink!" Omi said as he shook.

"Calm down!" Aya said as he embraced Omi until the youngest member of Weiss stopped shaking. Then, he stared in Omi's eyes for a minute, "Tell me what happened?"

"I had two separate dreams. One was just a flash back to what happened with me and Hell!"

"Schreient!" Aya asked.

"Yes…she had pumped me up to keep me quiet with drugs. That's why was in the state was I when Ken found me!"

"Nothing surprises me," Ken sighed darkly as he folded his arms over his chest.

"There is one thing…I have seen how they were kill off their prey!" Omi said.

"Who?" Aya asked.

"Schwartz or Schreient?" Ken asked.

The two glanced at each other before turning back to Omi.

"Either. I think Miss Umi is great danger!" Omi said as he placed a hand up his forehead.

"Schwartz does watch their prey suffer in long periods. Ken, you do you remember what happened to that lady you sold the flowers to and it turned out she was looking for Farfarello!" Aya asked.

"Yes. She was shot by him!" Ken sighed painfully as he dragged a horrible memory from his mind.

"I don't want that to happen to Miss Umi!" Omi said before he choked back a sob.

"She will be O.K. I think Crawford will not let them hurt her," Aya said.

"Are you sure?"

"She is a granddaughter of a Prime Minster. Crawford would like to keep the peace with the rest of Schwartz!"

Omi glanced at his friends. Then, he felt a headache forming. He didn't want to rest. Yet, the other two needed to keep an eye on him.

"Look. You need to rest. We take from here!" Aya said. Then, he pushed Omi quietly back down on the bed. He wasn't going to leave him until Omi promised to sleep his stomachache off.

Ken told Aya that he would keep an eye on Schwartz if something would go wrong.

Omi tried to sleep; yet he just lay there in bed until he faked a nap to get Aya out of the room. He wanted to cry on his own with no one around.

It seemed like everything was prefect in Nagi's life to a point. He had a new girlfriend who nicer than Tot. He liked Tot, yet Miss Umi was quiet, gentle and sweet. He had to shake Tot loose if he wanted to have Umi all to himself. There was also Shuldig. The redheaded creep was getting in his way when it was connivance for Shuldig. Nagi didn't like to be bugged like that. He stopped at a local bookstore to get Umi a book that she was reading in school. It was Ernest Hemingway's Old man and the Sea. He had told her that he never read yet. She had to have it to finish out the book if she wanted to know how it ended. He was very careful as he shopped. He avoided the main streets in case Weiss was watching. He stopped at another shop to buy a candy bar for Miss Umi. Crawford spoiled her, yet she didn't let it go to her head. Nagi was happy, a rare thing for him to feel. He was cold to the point of being a non-human. He tried to be warm to Tot. Yet, he was slow with her. Miss Umi? She was easily the one to kick down the door of his walled feeling with both feet.

Nagi quickly ran back to the hotel. He carefully watched for Tot. She was still fuming from the previous nights failed recapture of Nagi's heart. Slipping in and up the stairs, Nagi carried his little bundle of gifts in his jacket pocket. He hoped that the candy bar wasn't smashed.

Crawford was waling down the hall. He was smiling slightly, a rare thing for Nagi to see. "What on earth you grinning about, Brad?" Nagi asked.

"Life," Crawford snorted. Then, he stopped to see what was in Nagi's hand, "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" Nagi said a little weary. He glanced down at the packet. "It's a book…that's all!"

"And?" Crawford probed. He knew that there wasn't anythiing was hidden from his eyes.

"Oh," Nagi thought. He couldn't hide anything from Crawford. He pulled out the candy bar in a reluctant jerk of the hand from his school jacket pocket.

"A treat…that's O.K." Crawford said as he glanced down at Nagi's hand. Then, he nodded, "Enjoy!"

Nagi bit his lower lip before leaving as he went down the hall. He knew that Crawford could read his mind if he slacked off in his mind control. He thought, "That was close!"

He came up to Miss Umi's room. He gave a soft knock on the door. Miss Umi said, "Yes?"

Then, she slowly opened the door a crack to see whom it was knocking. She looked tried, like she had been crying for a reason. Nagi asked, "What's wrong?"

"I miss home. I have been gone for least two weeks. I go to home!"

"What a brave thing to think. Home!" he said as he stood pressing his face towards the crack. He noticed her eyes. It appeared that she was crying for a little while. He wondered if she needed to talk about her feelings. "I wonder if I could come in. I would like to talk about things!"

"Oh," she said as she opened the door a little wider. "I wanted to talk about how I feel so long, thanks!"

Nagy stepped in the room. "I have something for you!"

"Oh," Umi asked, she brightened a little at his kindness. "What is it?"

"Just a little something for you. I hope you like them!" he handed her the packet as he entered the room. He asked, "Are you wanting to call home?"

"Maybe," she said as she walked over to the table to open her gift. After ripping the brown paper. Umi noticed it was a paperback book. She said, "Oh?"

"Are you sure about your homework?" Nagi said as he glanced her face. She wasn't expecting a book as a gift. She thanked him for the book. Pulling the book out of the brown paper, Umi said, "It's really nice!"

"It's my curiosity. I know about your schooling must come first!"

"Hemmingway. I have to read this, but it's getting to a good part."

"What's that?" Nagi jerked his head a little.

"The old man was fighting with a fish. He caught this big Marlon and wanted to have the fish for himself. He tied to a side of the boat. It a day or two later that sharks came up and started to attack the fish!"

"Then, what happened?" Nagi said as he became slightly interested.

"He had to give up, yet he ended with still the bones and a little bit of the meat intact!" she smiled.

"You kidding me?" he asked as he was shown to a chair in the room.

"You want to read it when I'm done?"

"Sure. I have nothing better to do!" He smiled back at her.

The two found a set of chair and pulled them out in room near a small round table. Nagi remembered what he had his jacket pocket. He pulled out the candy bar. He said, "This is for you!"

"What?" she asked.

"This," Nagi said as he handed the candy bar to Miss Umi. He sat across from her "I hope you like it!"

"Oh," she said as she light up as she glanced at the wrapper. "This is my favorite. Thanks!"

"I didn't know that!" he smiled slightly.

"I have something to give you!" Umi said as she blushed a little.

"What?" he asked with innocent eyes.

"This…" she said as Umi leaned forward a little and closed her eyes. On giving him a small peck on the check, Umi blushed a little. She said, "You are very nice to me…and I have nothing to show my graduate for it!"

"Oh…" Nagi said, as he wanted to hold her again. He felt like he could run away with her, forget his past and live a normal life. Nagi wanted to see if Umi was going to be fine. Peering into her eyes, he wondered if she needed another pain pill.

Then, she smiled weakly at him. "Gomen!" she sighed.

"Hai?" asked he as he watched over his friend's suffering.

"I think I am getting visited!"

"Uh?" Nagi said as he realized that she was using a code. "By whom?"

"No, but what?" she smiled before she felt ill.

"Umi, you are getting sick?"

The pain was growing too much for Umi. She sighed as she curled up into a ball in front of Nagi. "I need to lay down!" she said. She slowly pushed the chair from the table. "I'm not hungry, so of you need to fix me something, don't!"

"What?" he asked as his confusion began to grow in front of him. He stood up as well. Nagi slowly walked over to Umi. She walked over to the bed with him standing next to him. She didn't know he was there. Nagi helped her into bed. He whispered as he knelt at her bedside," I'll get Hell over here."

"Thanks!" she murmured back.

Crawford had opened the door to Umi's room. He was checking up on Nagi and Umi. Nagi turned to stare at a surprised Crawford. Nagi thought in a telepathic way, "Get Hell, here. Miss Umi isn't well!"

"What?" Crawford said as he glanced over to Umi. "She is ill?"

Nagi nodded as he stood up. He said, "She needs medicinal treatment."

Then, Umi cried out in pain, "It hurts!"

"It's o.k." Nagi cooed softly. Then, he glanced back at Umi.

"What have you done?" Crawford said.

"Nothing. I haven't touched her!" Nagi uttered loudly. He heard Crawford's footsteps coming towards him. He spun around to see Crawford's face. Crawford was furiously at the young boy. "We were talking and bang! She got sick."

"Are upon telling me the truth!" Crawford asked as he glared at Nagi.

"Yes," Nagi nodded.

"I have a hard time thinking that you wouldn't hurt her. Yet, you wouldn't hurt her. I can tell!"

"You would do this one thing for me, please?" "Yes, I get her here as soon as possible!"

Then, Umi rolled over to her side. "Nagi," she gasped.

"What…you need some medicine?" Nagi asked.

"I want to go home. I have some pills that can help me!"

Nagi wanted to tell the whole story of the reason why Schwartz kidnapped her. He had to remain quiet. He could feel the pain inside him. He was very aware of what pain was like for her. Crawford noticed Nagi's pale face. He said softly, "You can feel what she's going through?"

Nagi nodded. He bent down to be at eye level with Umi. She glanced at his eyes.
He smiled gently. He reached over to stroke her cheek. "You just relax. I'll be here for you!"

"I need my pills. They help me with my problem!"

Crawford excused himself from the room as he turned to leave. He wondered what was wrong with Umi. She didn't look good.

Hell had examined Umi for any possible problems her physically. When she left the room, Hell closed the door. She had a concern, yet cold stare in her eyes. She said when she noticed both Nagi and Crawford standing in the hallway, "Miss Umi is O.K. I gave her a strong pain pill. She is resting right now."

Nagi asked with a pensive stare, "Is she going to be O.K.?"

"Yes. She is in delicate state for right now!" Hell said as she glanced at Nagi. Then, she smiled at Crawford. She had a feeling that he was reading her mind. She glanced back at Nagi. "You can see her, but be quiet. I think she needs the rest!"
Nagi thanked Hell for taking care of Umi. Then, he quietly went back to Umi's room.

Hell turned her attentions to Crawford. She said, "The reason why Miss Umi is in pain is because she is on her monthly period!"

"What?" Crawford gaped. He knew all about women and their habits from Masafumi. He raised his hand up his chin and said, "All the times to pick her."

"You don't know," Hell sighed as she glanced at the American. "Things happen. Yet, I haven't seemed the amount of pain she's in for a long time. Her body is very young and it's trying to grow." "What do you mean?"

"Her body is changing. She has a problem. Some woman has that pain of their periods, others don't. I think it all depends on the amount of physically actives they do!"

Crawford shook his head as he tried to figure out what was going on with Umi. Then, he said, "O.K. I have been completely in the dark. Yet, she has low tolerance for pain, that I can understand."

"If you want any more information, please feel free!" Hell smirked. She knew that Crawford in the dark about Umi's condition.

He hated when he was being taken advantage of. Crawford snapped, "Don't pull my chain, Hell!"

Then, he turned and walked down the hall. He began to murmuring to himself about Schirent.

It was a long while since Nagi had left the room. He sat at Miss Umi's bedside watching over her. Umi looked like an angel as she slept. He wanted to read the book that they talked about. Yet, he didn't want to wake up Umi with the light from the bedside lamp. He smiled as he heard a sigh coming from Umi's lips. He wondered if she was dreaming about him. They only met in such a short time.

There was a knock on the door. Nagi was surprised to hear it. He stood up from his chair and walked over to the door. He opened the door to see Shuldig standing in the hall. Nagi said, "What are doing here?"

"I thought you would like to have a drink!" the red head smiled.

"Yea?" Nagi asked as he cast a weary eye at Shuldig. He knew that Shuldig was up to no good!

"Yes. I have some tea if you like?" he asked.

Nagi was still a little nervous as he glanced at his watch. "Maybe!"

"Good. I'll make it in a little bit. You just go back to what ever you were doing!" Shuldig said with a fake smile.

Nagi closed the door and tried to reason with himself. He did was a little too jumpy and needed to relax. He realized that he was too wrapped up with this kidnapping. Then he turned to look at Umi. His heart was beating too quickly once again to think straight. He said to himself, "I really love her. I could leave here and forget my past. I have some money. I wonder if she does. Maybe we could go to the states and live quietly."

He went to the desk. He found the book that Umi was reading for langue studies. She hadn't opened it yet to start marking it up with lines and tiny notes off to the side of the page. He glanced at the chapters of the book after picking it up. It was very plain that Mister Hemingway didn't like to mince words with the titles for the chapters. He began to read the book after he turned to the first page. He realized how plain even the text was. Yet, he was drawn into the book very carefully. Then, he heard Shindig entering the room. He said, "That was fast!"

"I did the water in the microwave. I hope you can stand my sugar tastes. I like my tea with at least two teaspoons of sugar," Shindig said as he walked over to the desk. He glanced at the sleeping Umi in bed. "What happened to her?"

"She's not well. There is a problems with pain," Nagi sighed as he took the mug from Shuldig.

Nagi walked back to the desk. He placed the mug of tea on the desktop. Shuldig noticed the book that Nagi was reading. He asked, "What's that?"

"Hmm? You mean this?" Nagi said as he picked up the book. He studied the cover and said, "The old man and the sea."

"Never read it. I find reading more of a labor than something relaxing!" Shuldig sighed, rolling his eyes.
"You want things fast and easy. Sometimes I wonder about you!"

"Thanks! That's the only way for me!" Shuldig smirked. He watched as Nagi began to drink the tea. He glanced at Umi. She was so heavily drugged that she lay in bed with no idea what was going to happen next.

Nagi was taken back by the sweet and heady flavor of the drink. He had to sip, because it was still a little hot to the touch. He stopped for a minute and said, "Thanks. I needed this!"

"Think nothing of it! I was going to be making some and I thought you need a drink!"

Nagi breathed, as he grew tired. He took another sip. "This is so different. What flavor is it?"

Then, he placed the hand, which was holding the mug off to the side. He felt so warm and unable to keep his eyes opened that he tried to sit up in the chair. It was no use. The tea was making groggy. Then, he closed his eyes in a feeble attempt in fighting off the feeling.

The mug slipped thought his fingers. It landed with a thud after spilling the left over tea onto the rug.

"Nagi's asleep!" Shuldig smiled. "Good boy...Nagi!"

Then, he started to probe Nagi's mind. He felt the drugged mind so carefully that Nagi tried to speak in his mind. All that came out of Nagi's mind was a few slurred mumbles.

Shuldig smiled as he said, "Nighty, nighty...little bunny!"

He moved every so carefully that Nagi didn't opened his eyes to stare at the moving monster. Umi was some what commanded to open her eyes. She swam in the sea of painkillers. She opened her eyes very slowly. Then, she felt someone's hands running past the top covers of her bed. She couldn't speak or move without knowing what was going to happen next. She could make out a man with red hair hovering over her. The covers were pulled back to make room for one more. She wanted to tell Shuldig to move away from her. She didn't like him at all. Why was he trying to get into her bed?

"No…get away!" she thought in scared tone.

"Uh…why?" Shuldig asked as he read her thoughts.

"I don't like you. You're evil."

He smiled as he realized that she knew what he could be capable of doing to her.

He smiled as he started to undo the buttons of her sweater. "I have been called worst. The devil, murderer and others. It's old news…why throw back at me!"

"What are you doing to me? I can't move!"

He stopped as he got to the last button. Looking a little crushed, Shuldig said, "I'm just having a little fun. Why can't I share with you?"

His hands were now hovering inches over Umi's neck. "What a pretty girl you are!"
Then, it traveled just a little above her collarbone. She wanted to scream. Yet, her voice was silenced. Shuldig heard another voice in his mind saying, "What in the hell are you doing to her?"

"Nothing, Brad. Get lost, fool!" he thought. He knew that Crawford was snooping around. Crawford was getting a little too close for Shuldig's comfort. He felt a presents outside of the room. He bet to himself it was Crawford.
"No!"

"Do I have to drug you as well?"

"What?"

"I drugged poor little Nagi. I will do the same for you if you invade my personal space. I hate that more than anything!"

"You fool. I let Nagi have Umi as a sort of friend. If we don't treat her like a normal girl, then she will be willing to leave!"

"That's a joke. We have her right where we want her!"

"I don't want you to hurt her. She is like money in the bank."

"Yea…I have to make some fun with her."

"You sick jerk."

Then, he heard pounding on the door. He warned, "Crawford! That's not going to work. I have locked the door so you or Farfarello wouldn't infer."

His one hand reached down to play with the neckline of Umi's shirt. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack. Umi tried to move. Yet, she didn't have enough strength to even pull herself out of the drugged induced state that she was in. "What are you doing to me?" she asked.

Shuldig smiled as his one hand raced down towards Umi's shirt hem. Then, it went underneath her shirt.

+++
Omi was placing another order together at the shop. He wanted to try and keep his mind busy with things. He had a set of pure white roses, which was laying of the cutting board, ready for a large crystal vase. He was getting the baby's breath for the vase. Ken and Yohji were in the cooler putting away a large shipment of tulips and mums.

Omi grabbed a pair of cutters from the table. His hands were now starting to tremble. His mind started to tremble. He didn't know why he was feeling this way.
"That is that!" Yohji said as he wiped his face from the cold. He had taken it easy with the work. He had just been released from the hospital.

Omi was posed over the cutting board. The cutters were posed a little too dangerously over his one wrist. He could end his life with one swift stroke of the blade. Omi had been through too much. Yet, he had to be strong for Miss Umi.

He slowly cut the ends off of the flowers. As Omi was getting ready to put the flowers in the vase, he felt pain. A great deal of pain coming from his belly. It was worst then being kicked. Yohji was entering the back when he heard the cries of pain coming from the shop. Omi was now bent over in pain. He quickly walked to the workstation. He noticed Omi still holding on to the cutters in his hands. There were no questions to be asked in Yohji's mind. He whole hearted believed that Omi was killing himself. He called out for Ken. Ken entered the room when he asked, "What's going on?" He noticed the cutters. Yohji was going to take the back as he gave Ken a look of danger. He said, "Omi? You o.k.?"

"Oh, my God. The pain!" Omi screamed. His stomach felt like it was being ripped apart. He fell to the floor with a force of a lead weight.

"Quick, Ken the cutters!" Yohji said. He walked over to where Omi was now on his knees. He slowly carefully posed himself over the now huddled Omi. Ken was coming close to Omi. He bent down in front of Omi.

"Give me the cutters, please Omi-chan!" Ken said in a soft voice. He knew that something wasn't right. He had a feeling Omi was headed down the path of destruction.

"Oh," Omi gasped as he let loose the cutters. They slipped out of his hand slowly. He passed out as he fell backwards. His body was now resting in front of Yohji's knees.

"Is Aya…here?" Yohji asked in a calm, but troubled voice.

"Yes," Ken nodded. "Down stairs with Manx. She is giving him another clue to where Schwartz could be keeping Miss Umi.

"Right. I'll stay here with Omi. You get Aya up here." Yohji was going to be Omi's shadow for a little while.

After Ken got a hold of both Manx and Aya, the three went up stairs to the back of the shop. Aya noticed how pale and frightened Omi was. He said to Yohji, "What happen to him?"

"I'm not sure. He started to have pains. I just happened to see also had a pair of cutters in his hands," Yohji said a little shaken. It finally struck him that Omi could have taken his life in front of Yohji or even ken and not thought of stopping.

"He must have dropped them when he passed out!" Ken said. He glanced up at the other three.

Aya bent down to see the unconscious Omi. The youngest member of Weiss was not good at all. He was red in the face as a result of a growing fever. "He doesn't look good. He needs to be back in the hospital. I even hate to admit that," Aya said as he reached out to take Omi's temperature.

"Yes, Yohji has been released and now…" Manx sighed. She glanced at Ken, then at Yohji.

"We have to play it be the rules. One is down, and then we have to cover. That's our case for now!" Ken said.

It seemed like years before Nagi finally had woken up. He was still groggy as he heard crying coming from the distance. He wondered who would be crying. He thought, "Miss Umi?"

He opened his eyes to find a terrified Umi curled up in bed, with a tiny pool of blood nearly soaking the sheets. He sat up in the chair he was sitting on. He yawned and stretched. The sleeping pills were still clouding his mind. He said, "Miss Umi?"

Umi didn't make a sound as she huddled on the bed. Nagi stood up to see what was going on. He noticed Umi's body. It was nearly naked body. It looked like her clothes were neatly pulled off of her body. There was pain and fear in her eyes. "No," he gasped as he tried to figure out what had just happened to his first real love.

Nagi just stared at her. He slowly, carefully pieced together what had happed to her. She had been raped. It took him a few minutes to figure out that Shuldig had drugged him. While he was asleep, Shuldig had sex with Umi against her will. She had been bleeding for a couple of minutes. Shuldig was brutal to her. He didn't smack her and ripped her clothes. Yet, he was a master of taking someone's soul and ripping apart with his. He had an ore that Umi hated. "Miss Umi. He hurt you!" was all the words that Nagi could say.

Looking up with swollen eyes, she gasped, "Yes."

Nagi felt the anger starting to build in his mind. He never had this feeling of pure hate against Shuldig. He wanted to kill him in a heartbeat. He was always a cold, non-feeling human before Miss Umi entered in his life. She was the warmth that even Tot didn't even provide for him. He bent down to see how badly she was. "My love," he gasped, feeling the tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. She didn't even glance up at Nagi. She could see his hand. Somehow she knew it was his hands and not Shuldig's hands that were resting on the bedside.

"Sorry for what?" he asked very gently. He didn't want to touch her just yet. He knew that his fingerprints could be mistaken in the questioning by Crawford if Crawford had to investigate.

"I couldn't stop him!" she sighed.

There was a knock on the door. Nagi said, his voice sounded angered, "who is it?"
Then, he turned back to see his now broken angel. He said very softly, "That's O.K. I wish I was there to protect you!"

Hell opened the door and entered the room. She stopped short of her walking. It was a shocking surprise to see what had happened to Miss Umi. She gasped loudly as she scanned the reddened bed sheets.

Nagi felt Hell's presents. He said, "I what you to come here. Miss Uri is in more pain than before. Please be careful with her."

"Did you do this?" Hell asked. She was incensed to see the outcome oaf a nearly botched kidnapping. She knew that Nagi wasn't going to be trusted for now on.

Nagi felt every ounce of his being exploding in rage. He stood up and whipped around to stare with anger at Hell. He gasped trying to keep his feelings under control, "What gives you the right to be saying that. I was drugged and was sleeping. Shuldig had tricked me into drinking a cup of spiked tea. I was unconscious while he rapped her."

Then, the heard a dull thud coming from the hall. Hell had to instantly jump away from the doorway when she heard both Crawford and Shuldig entering the room.

Crawford yelled at Shuldig, "You scum!"

Shuldig appeared to be trying to avoid Crawford's presents. He half jogged to the other end of the room. "You fool, damned you to the torment waiting for you on the other side!" Crawford nearly yelled.

"What the?" Nagi gasped. He and the two girls watched as Crawford stood there throwing a fist at Shuldig.

Shuldig express any other feeling expect a smugness that he loved to share to the world. He felt like he had done something to make the world a dirtier place to live. "Hn!" he smiled as he spat out blood from one corner of his lip.

"Yes. You were told not to lay one finger on her. You went against my rules," Crawford said.

Shuldig straightened himself back up slowly. He knew that Crawford was going to see his way in the future. Yet, Crawford was different. He could change his mind at the last second and leave Shuldig completely in the dark.

"I need to have a taste of a sweet peach," Shuldig snapped a little coldly.

"And she was the sweet peach?" Nagi hissed. His eyes were now narrowed to mere cat slits.

Shuldig smiled as he glanced at now furious Nagi. He purred as he smiled darkly, "Why yes…little boy. She was a honey kissed peach. I have had taken the pit away and you are left with nothing!"

Nagi was now to the boiling point. He had to keep his cool. He was only one in the room with kinetic powers. He snapped, "You have no idea...what you have do to me or her!"

He wanted Miss Umi to himself. He was growing to love her everyday. Nagi was pushed into this feeling and needed to be control by his heart instead of his mind. "I want to have her left alone!" he snapped.

"So, you can have her all to yourself?" Shuldig smirked.

"You fool!" Nagi said as he glared at Shuldig. His fingers were now twitching hard. His kinetic powers were kicking in. He was about to take out the German redhead. Crawford had just skimmed the very edge of hurting Shuldig. Nagi wanted to finish the job.

"You wouldn't hurt me!" Shuldig said as he glanced at Nagi's hands. "You want to bet!" Nagi glared.

Crawford had to calm Nagi down in a hurry before he started to hurt Shuldig. He could see the youngest member loosing his grip and taking out a key figure in Schwartz. "Calm yourself," Crawford purred deeply. He was changing his mood quickly to ease Nagi's anger.

"How should I be? He had raped her. He is sick!" Nagi hissed as he pointed a finger at Shuldig.

"I'll deal with him. You take care of Miss Umi!" Crawford said without even a hint of a smile.

Crawford pulled out a gun and pointed at Shildug. He said as he waved the barrel of gun, "come on, you monster. I have to deal with you!"

"Oh," Shuldig pouted as he walked back to the doorway. "If you command it!"

"I do!" Crawford raised it to Shuldig's head.

"If you say!"

The two men left the room; Shuldig went first, then Crawford. Nagi and Hell where left to treat the crushed Miss Umi.

Omi was quickly taken to the hospital. He was admitted to the E/R after, Aya and Yohji had taken Omi to the hospital.

Aya was in the waiting room as Yohji went to outer entrance way. He had phoned Ken who was now holding down the fort at the shop. He said as he stood in the entranceway, "We can't be broken up likes every time we turn around."

"I can understand. We couldn't say no to a former prime minister, yet I did have a bad feeling about this!" Ken said.

"Did you get to see any of the doctors about Omi?"

"No. They want to perform a scope on him. They want to make sure that he is O.K."

"How is Aya taking it?"

"Not good!"

"That's all we need!"

Ken heard a tapping on the door of the shop. He was standing in hallway between the back and the main part of the shop. He excused himself for a minute. He didn't carry the coldness. He said to Yohji, "Can you give me a minute?"

"Yea, sure!"

Ken walked over to the front of the shop. He noticed the neon lighting casting a blue, green effect on someone standing in the doorway. He did have a pair of cutters in his pants pocket. He remembers the run-in with Shuldig the last time he showed up to threaten Aya. He didn't want to have any more mistakes. He glanced up at a young figure dressed in a clear plastic rain jacket. He said, "We're closed!"

The figure held up a hand with palm facing out. The figure said in loud tone, "I have to talk to you!"

"What?" Ken asked. He was a little puzzle and wondered in his mind, which would be out in this late hour.

"The shop is closed. Come back tomorrow!"

"You are sure, I have some urgent news for Aya Fujimiya. It's about a young woman!"

"What?" Ken gasped. He thought of only two things. One was Aya's sister, also named Aya. Then, second was Miss Umi. She had been missing for the two to four weeks.

"Yes," the figure said.

"The doctors will coming out soon, Aya," Yohji said.

"Yes, " Aya shook his head. He remembered the hate swelling up inside him. He wanted to hurt Schwartz for what they did to Omi. He icy outer shell was coming to ahead. He said, "You want to call Ken back?"

"No, he said that he would!" Yohji said.

"I had a bad feeling about this case from day one, yet…Omi is our only hope!"

"What if Schwartz hurts him again?"

"No, that's not their style," Aya shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. They are too neat!"

"Yet, they are like dogs. They hunt the most weak of people and torture the innocence until the people scream for mercy!" Yohji said. He padded his jacket for a smoke. Realizing he was in the entranceway, he told Aya that he was going out for the smoke.

"Yes. I understand that. Farfarello loves to toy with his pray like a hawk before he swoops down and kills it."

Aya glanced at up Yohji. The blond glanced over his shoulder. There was a look of quiet contempt on Yohji's face.

"There is nothing that Crawford or even Nagi would do to watch us squirm!" Yohji sighed.

"Yes, I have my own idea on that too!" Aya snapped softly. His eyes narrowed darkly. He wanted to make Schwartz pay for everything they had done so far. Yohji turned his head to look out the large sliding glass door. He felt like this open and shut case of simple kidnapping was turning truly into a game of cat and mouse.

Omi was waking up finally in the recovery room. Yohji was watching over him as he sat at his bedside. Omi whispered loudly, "Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital, pal!" Yohji smiled. He had to put on a fake smile to hide his fear and anger. "You past out on us!"

Omi noticed the over sized bed with rails as he groggily scanned the area he was in. Then, he let his eyes traveled up the plain light blue walls and even lighter blue drapes of the room. He felt the IV needle in his hand. "I feel sick!" he murmured.

"That's from the dope they used on you!" Yohji sighed. He leaned forward to see how pale Omi was. "I'll call the nurse!"

Omi nodded slightly as he closed his eyes. Yohji watched over his friend. He thought back to the point where he got the phone call from Ken.
*Flash back two:

Ken spoke over the phone. He said, "This is too weird. Nagi from Schwartz dropped in for a visit."

"What?" Yohji said as he stood in the parking lot. He pressed his cel-phone on his ear. He didn't want to admit that he was shocked.

"Yea, he looks awful like he was kicked in the face or something!"

"What was he there for?"

"All he did was hand me a note and told me call you as soon as I read it!"

"And?"

"He didn't say another word. He just turned to go down the street. Once I read the note alone, I was shocked."

"About what?"

"It's about Miss Umi!"

Aya had borrowed the car from Yohji and was now speeding back home. There was something wrong about the whole situation with strange showing up from Nagi. Nagi wasn't a one to be ending up at Weiss's doorstep.

Aya noticed a figure standing in the middle of the intersection of the road. He was shocked to see it a small thin boy standing in the middle of the road. He slammed on the breaks before the headlights danced along the boy's body. Hitting on a large puddle of water, Aya sent a large spray of water onto the boy, slapping on to the boy's school uniform. He gasped as he stared at Nagi.

Nagi looked like a ghost. Aya felt his heart roaring in his ears. He wanted to get out of the car so badly that his hands were now gripping the steering wheel. He said, "Nagi?"

Nagi didn't move as the water hit him fully in the face. He wanted to get Aya's attention. He was achieving the effect that he yearned for. Nagi didn't speak as he stared at Aya. Aya slowly opened the car door. He carefully pulled out his Katana from the passenger's side of the car. He cried out, "Nagi?"

Nagi nodded.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

Nagi called back with no emotion to his voice, "I want to tell you what happened to Miss Umi Kazithoto."

"What?" Aya's eyes grew wide. He had a lump in belly. It was fear that was now growing in his belly. "Tell me, she's in danger?"

Nagi wanted to scream. Something inside of his soul was eating at him like a madding demon. The rape and the discovery of Shuldig's own lust was a driving force to make the ghost boy turn trader. Nagi nodded slightly. His own heart burned as he said, "I want to be free from the pain that Shuldig had caused. He hurt only me in my so-called trust in him. He had gone and hurt the one I love the most, Miss Umi!"

"Nani?" Aya asked as a cold fist of fear smacked Aya right between the eyes. "What in the hell did he do to her?"

"He," Nagi said before swallowing a lump in his throat.

"What?" Aya half coaxed, half snapped at Nagi.

"He…," he said as the words were finding a hard time coming out of his mouth. "He raped her…O.k."

"He did what?" Aye gasped. His mind was about ready to explode in pure angered hate towards Schwartz.

"Raped her." Nagi's vice faltered as he felt tears and the rain intermeddled on his face. "Having sex against her will!"

"Who did this to her?" Aya ordered in his cold, gentle voice. He could tell that Nagi was having a hard time piecing things together in his mind.

Nagi wanted to whisper the name. Yet, his soul forced his mouth to scream out in pain, "SHULDIG!"

"Very devil himself!" Aya thought. He watched as Nagi fell over on to the cold-wet pavement. It was too much for Nagi to face up to. Aya could feel another soul being torn apart inside of his own. He said in a murmur, "This finally draws the line in the sand. The devil shall be destroyed by fire from Heaven!" Then, Nagi felt like he was being crushed from the inside outside. He closed his eyes, as he felt cold as ice. Then, he swayed back and forth until he hit the ground.

End of flash back.

Aya had quickly bundled up Nagi in the back seat of the car. He felt as light as a feather as Aya picked Nagi up from the pavement. Aya didn't have time to call up Ken from the car. He drove the car in a harried panic. The shop was just a couple of minutes away from where Aya found Nagi. Nagi was now unconscious as he rode in the back of the car. Aya was now torn with his feelings for letting the young boy go and heal his broken heart or handing Nagi to Persia. He said to himself, "This is an over the head idea where even I can't handle. Me, helping out a hired killer for the Takatori family."

The car pulled up at the front of the shop. Aya closed his eyes in deep thought for a minute. He had to save a life to find a life. He had a feeling that Shuldig was out for Nagi's blood. He heard his cel-phone ring. He picked it up from the cup holder near the middle of the car. Flipping it opened, he said, "Ken?"

"No," a strange voice said in a slow draw. "This is Brad Crawford!"

"Crawford!" Aya snapped.

"Yes!"

"What are you calling for?"

"A barter!"

"A trade…for what?" Aya said wearily. He knew something was wrong with where the path is going.

"A life for a life!" Crawford purred deeply over the phone. "Maybe even two lives for the same amount!"

"You bastard. You want to mess with Nagi. He told me everything!"

"I can't help that. In fact, I have punished Shuldig. He will not be able to get around for the next two weeks!"

"What did you do to him!"

"Break his legs. I had my orders…Masafumi wasn't happy. He didn't like it when one of my ranks jumps ship!"

"And that's how you treat your own."

"Rules are rules and I have to follow them!" Crawford teased Aya with a fake dramatic smile.

"I haven't got time to play. Please cut to the chase!" Aya hissed as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you are very pensive, you are not Ran?"

"Toying with me is like toying with a cat. You better not watch out or I'll will scratch you up!"

There was a five-minute brief short silence before Crawford came with a plan of letting the girl go if Nagi was returned to Schwartz. Aya didn't like the sound of that. He felt like he was being pulled down to their level. Then, the door opened and a bell rang softly in the distance. Aya heard the noise but it didn't register with him. He was too engrossed with the phone call. Ken was who was now closing up the shop. He turned to see Nagi huddled in the backseat of the car. He was sleeping like a child. He came up to the passenger's side of the car. As Ken noticed Aya still talking on the cel-phone, he suddenly became cold inside. It was like an icy long dagger being pulled up long his spine. There was evil this mix, yet Ken couldn't share in his feelings until Aya had spoken to him.

"I would have only one promise to myself," Aya said. His eyes were now mere cat slits.

"And what is that?" Crawford asked in a coy voice. "I promise to destroy monsters like you!" Aya hissed. He heard a noise of a car door opening. He swung his head over to see Ken standing in the opened car doorway. He was shocked to see Aya making decision with the rest of Weiss being there. Aya was vexed to the point of hitting Ken as he entered the passenger's side of the car. Aya clicked off the phone before throwing it down to the car-floor. "Damn!" he hissed again.

"What?" Ken said in a careful tone of voice. He knew not to push Aya around.

"That was Crawford!" Aya said coldly without even shifting a glare at Ken.

""Oh," Ken breathed. He paid attention to Aya's anger. He felt the heat of the hate in which Aya had towards Crawford. He said, "Does he know about Nagi being in the car of your car?"

"In a way, yes," Aya nodded. "I have been working on the possible contention between Nagi and Miss Umi!"

Ken was a little suspired to hear of any sort of connection between Nagi and Umi. Omi was completely in the dark about the goings on with Schwartz. He was another kidnapped victim like Umi. "Like what?" he asked as he stepped into the car.

"I think Nagi was starting to like Miss Umi…in sort of a girl friend mode!"

"And then?"

"Shuldig had wanted to get rid of Nagi. He was lusting over Miss Umi!" "He is a monster. I have a bad feeling that he will hurt her another time!" Ken murmured loudly. He ran a hand up to his bangs. Brushing them back, he breathed out his anger.

Aya said as gently as he could, "The reason why he's here, I'm mean Nagi. He fainted and I fear for his life!"

"Is he turning against Schwartz?"

"Maybe. He will turn if he was pushed. I have a feeling that Miss Umi had to have a shoulder to cry on after she was kidnapped. It seemed like a normal thing to have Nagi as that shoulder," Aya said as he heard Ken closing the door. He started the car as he checked the rearview mirror to see if he was followed or not. After a minute of waiting, there wasn't another car to be spotted within miles. Aya pulled out slowly in order not to cause suspicion.

"Where are we going?" Ken asked as he watched as city moved away from the car.

"Some place where they can't find us!" Aya said. The wheels of his mind were turning at alarming rate. He was thinking of getting back at Schwartz.

"Where?" Ken was playing devil's advocate. "Right under their noses. They have Miss Umi somewhere in this town. Crawford wasn't specific when he told me about trade. I don't feel like he or his associates aren't going to let her off the hook that easily."

"Yea, he loves to toy with people's heads, like Shudlig. They play fish until they have a victim in their trap and boom…" Ken said as he smacked the dashboard with an opened palm. "…the person is caught like rat in a trap!"

"We do have a trump card!" Aya shot a second glance at the rearview mirror.

"What…shall I say who?"

"Nagi Naoe!"

"Now that's a real twist!" Ken shook his head. "To have a member of monsters who we were ordered to destroy!"

"Life is getting a little too strange. Yet, I cannot complain. We are given orders to have the very demons from Hell vanquished," Aya said as he glanced at Ken.
The car drove through the now darkening streets of Tokyo. Ken and Aya were going to pick up Yohji at the hospital. If they could pull there strengthens together. Then. Weiss would still the victorious.

Yohji sat in the room, watching over Omi. Omi was sleeping peacefully. When Aya entered the room, Yohji was a little surprised. He asked, "What's up?"

Aya didn't speak as he shook his head. He was afraid to tell someone that Miss Umi was in another turn of serious danger. Aya glanced at Omi. Then, he asked, "What did they find?"

Yohji sighed as he glanced down at his hands. "Nothing!"

"Are you serious?" Aya groaned. He felt like he was going around in circles.

"Yes. They did a scope and found not a thing."

Aya shook his head at Yohji's statement. He felt like he was being toyed with from another angle. He said, "You fooling with me!"

"No, I wish I was. Yet, there is nothing to be found. He is clean. The doctors told me that he could have a bad stomach or it could be a fluke!"

"Then, let me chalk it up to a fluke. I haven't got the time for this craziness!" Aya said. His finger felt the lining of his gloves tighten around them.

"O.K." Ken said as he glanced at his watch. It was going on midnight. For past twenty-four hours, Ken, Yohji or Aya didn't have the time to eat, sleep or think. It was like they were being driven to the breaking point. He had to let Omi rest. Omi was the first to be pushed over. "Look. Let's leave here…Omi can't be involved with this. We made a serious mistake."

"Did we?" Ken asked. He had known about the fine line between friendship and commitment.

"Yes," Yohji nodded slowly. He was beginning to feel the same way as Aya did.

"Then, we blurred the line. We can't change the past!" Aya said as he glanced down at the ground. "We always held back very carefully. Yet, Omi had a weak point and fell out of grace with the commitment of Weiss!"

The other two didn't speak as they reflected back to their weak points and their falling out times.

"We have to be careful. Now, let's call up Manx and found out we she knows!" Aya said.

"Yea!" Ken said as Yohji nodded.

Nagi awoke to find himself in a strange apartment. He felt like he slept for days instead of just a mere three hours. Things were too confusion and painful for him. He sat up on a sofa with a strange green quilt covering him. He glanced down at his arms. His old school jacket hung the back of a chair. The room was neatly plain with a TV and a stereo on the other side of the room. He noticed that his white shirt was still buttoned. Where was he? A cel-phone rang some where near him. He bent down to see a small blue mobile phone buzzing on the floor near the sofa. Slowly, he picked it up with one hand. He noticed the face of the phone was lighting up. It wasn't his phone. Yet, something urged him to answer it. He pushed the talk button and asked, "Moshi-moshi?"

A voice gave back the same greeting.

Nagi tried to recognize the voice that was talking to him. He said, "Where am I?"

"Where you are is not important right now. I have some questions for you concerning a Miss Umi?" the voice said. It sounded deep and older.

Nagi felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. He wondered if Miss Umi was O.K. or not. He had to swallow as words formed in his mind. Was Weiss using him as bait to set up a trap for Schwartz? He wanted to scream; yet his mind was at complete control. He said, "Where is she?"

"I wanted to ask you the very same question."

"What?"

"Yes. You and her were friends, I take it!" the voice said, noting hints of a strained tension in Nagi's voice.

"Yes," Nagi said, sounding flat. His heart was beating so hard in his chest that it hurt. His mind was still focused as he tried to reason with both his mind and soul. He wanted to be back with Umi. He had to play along if he wanted to see her once again.

"Good," the voice said before pausing. Then, it came back as it asked, "You kidnapped her, right?"

"It wasn't me, it was Shuldig. I was there when Miss Umi woke up. She needed someone that she could trust. I was picked…maybe because I was close in age!"

"You are telling me the truth?"

"Yes!" The words were become icy as Nagi spoke. His old being was surfacing back to the foreground. He wasn't going to push around like he was in the past.

"Was she treated in fair fashion?"

"What kind of a statement was that?" he thought. He didn't want to tell the real situation behind the raping his only love for now. He had an instant gnawing at his belly. He loathed the feeling. He said, "Uh…I'm going to be set free if I tell you the truth?"

"You sound like you are stalling and bringing?"

Nagi was now trapped into to corner. He felt like he was being kicked in the face for opening his mouth. He had to tell the truth even if it hurt.

"Well?" the voice chided.

"Are you wanting me to tell you what happened to my friend?" Nagi felt like throwing the phone across the room with his bare hands. He wasn't going use his powers if he could.

"No," the vice hesitated for a minute. Then, it knew that it was stepping over too many lines in this conservation. "If you feel uncomfortable. Then, you can stop if you like!"

"Thanks!" he sighed. A great wave of relief swept past Nagi's soul. He didn't want to relieve the pain of his heartache.

"If you are tired, then I think I should stop for now. I have someone else to talk to…" the voice said. Then, it paused for a minute before saying. "By the way…my name is Persia. I hope you can forgive me for intruding like I did!"

"Persia?" Nagi said before thinking.

"Yes…" the voice said.

Nagi was going to say something yet; he was instantly cut off by the voice as the phone went click in his ear. Nagi was totally in the dark about the situation that he was in. He wondered if he too was a pawn or a kidnapped victim of Weiss.

Gently he replaced the phone. He began to stare hard at the widow. He was hoping that he wasn't doing the wrong thing.

Ken, Yohji and Aya were in a fix. Without Omi to help out with the computerized systems, the rest of Weiss were forced into breaking into Schwartz's layer on their own. Aya had a plan like they did the last time. Yet, they were a little more than just mere caution. They were pulling out all the stops on this one. He sat with Ken and Yohji in a parking lot near where Aya found Nagi. Nagi was a key piece of the puzzle. He wasn't thinking of the outcome when Aya found him a few hours ago. Ken had decided to take his bike instead of riding with Aya. It was a good idea of not brings any attention to themselves.

Ken was now leaning against the car door. He said, "Now, we got Nagi…would they come to find him…or not?"

"That's up to Crawford!" Yohji said. He didn't smoke for the longest time. Everything was too stressed out even for the usually calm ladies' man.

"Crawford should be a little more careful!" Aya interrupted. "Maybe," Aya sighed. He reached over to grab the shop's mobile phone. He knew that he could review the incoming calls on the answering machine without Nagi be disturbed. He and Persia had set up a special phone call for Nagi. He wondered if Persia had followed through. Then, the phone went off in a hushed tone. He placed up to his ear and said, "Persia?"

"No…it's me, Manx!" a familiar female voice said on the other end.

"Manx?" Aya asked. His eyebrow shot up.

"Yes…we have found a missing link."

"What was that…besides, we are kinda busy at the minute!"

"Someone who was part of Kazithoto's party was paying off Schwarz to kidnap Miss Umi!"

"It figures. Now, we are going in."

There was a second of dead silent before Manx said, "Good luck!"

Aya whispered, "Thanks!"

Then, he quickly replaced the phone back into his jacket pocket. He nodded to the other two that he was going in first. Ken had his claws extended as far as they could while Yohji was prepping another foot of wire from his watch. It was a séance played and replayed in the short life of Weiss. Aya nodded quickly as he bent down. He was watching over the door as his life was depending on it.
"She is damaged goods!" a deep voice snarled.

Aya had to stop breathing to hear the voice. It sounded like Crawford's voice. The anger grew in his mind.

Ken and Yohji glared at Aya as he said in hushed tone, "Just you wait!"

They wanted to stop the other Crawford and the other two in their tracks.

"What are you waiting for?" Yohji said.

"Sh!" Aya hissed. He raised his finger up to his lips. He tried to listen in the conversation.

"She was wanting it!" another voice said.

"What?' the first voice growled again.

All three were now trying to figure out who were the second voice as well as the sickening idea of what happened to Miss Umi. She was a young woman who didn't want to be raped. She was still just a child even in Omi's eyes. It was Yohji who recognized the voice. He said, "That's Shuldig!"

"Are you sure?" Aya said before he had to make another quick dissection.

Yohji nodded.

"You are walking on a very thin line!" Crawford said. "So, I have been told. That is nothing new!" Shuldig snorted.

Yohji sighed loudly as he glanced up at the sky. He whispered, "Monster!"

"And the first voice is Crawford?" Ken asked. His heart rang in his ears. He and the other two were too edgy to wait any longer.

"Now?" Yohji said as he glanced at Aya.

Aya nodded as he squinted down to view the situation between Crawford and Shuldig. He watched as Yohji ran past him and towards the entranceway of the building.

Ken said, "we can get Crawford out…no problem."

"Yes, yet it's Shuldig can read our minds!" Aya said.

Yohji nodded once to let the other two that the entrance way was free. Ken ran up to the other side of the entranceway. He was to help Yohji with a little project.
Crawford was now standing at the doorway of the building. He had a feeling that something wasn't right. He had to let Farfarello know that one of their own was now gone. He had a mobile phone in his hand as he stood over a bruised Shuldig. The two got into a fight over Miss Umi. Crawford tired to stop Shuldig from hurting her. Yet, the hotel door was a heavy oak, two-hour fire rated door. Hard to break down, even for Farfarello if needed to by Crawford's will. Crawford had to teach Shuldig a lesson one way or another. He hit hard as smacked Shuldig around. Shuldig had to avoid this American's fists when he fought back. Yet, Farfarello stepped in to see what was going on. He was ordered by Crawford to hold Shuldig in place. Farfarello did what he was told as the three fought in the room that Crawford was using as an interrogation room. Farfarello came behind Shuldig and pinned the redhead German's arms to their sides. Shuldig swore in German that he was going to kill off Crawford by using Farfarello as a puppet.

Crawford just smiled as he warned, "How can you? Farfarello very much his own person. A real demon. Very hard get into his mind." "Damn you to hell!" Shudlig snarled. He struggled with both arms pinned back. He tried to use another reason with Farfarello. He pleaded in a whinny tone, "Farfarello. Please…let me go!"

There wasn't a response from the one-eyed Irish man. Shildug howled as he braced himself for a slap in the face. He was shockingly wrong. Crawford instantly punched Shudlig in the belly.

Aya and Yohji heard the noise of the scuffle coming from the room. "What in the heck?" Yohji asked. He wondered what was going on.

"I take it that Crawford wanted Miss Umi unharmed. Yet, Shudlig wanted a taste of that peach!" Aya said. Then, he turned to see Ken coming up from behind. He asked, "Ken… you go find Miss Umi. Be careful. Tot or Neu might be undercover, waiting for us!"

"Right!" Ken said as he walked passed Aya and up the hall very quickly. "What are we going to do?" Yohji asked Aya in a hushed whisper.

"We are going to wait for a couple of minutes. There was something wrong. I haven't pinned it down yet. I have a feeling that Crawford wanted to be on good graces with the Takatori family. He didn't want anything to stand in his way of being a lap dog of the Taktori family."

"Man! What a way to go!" Yohji said as he winced.

"There is power been in being a lap dog!" Aya snorted.

The door opened and Farfarello was now dragging a broken Shuldig by the scuff of his neck. He didn't look like he was badly beaten. Aya and Yohji noticed the bloodied arms and sides of Shulidg's head. After Crawford used Shuldig as a punching bag, Farfarello did some dirty work on his own. Shuldig was gasping in unrecognizable German that he was in pain. He pleaded for the aching to stop. Farfarello had mentally blocked out to the pleading.

"I will take your living soul and rip it apart!" Shuldig scratched.

The voice had now gone from the redheaded German as he lay on the floor. He appeared to be sleeping. He was punched one last time Shuldig. He stopped been breathing if only for a second of time. Farfarello had let Shuldig drop to the floor.
Aya and Yohji heard the last few seconds of hellish-pain that Shuldig had suffered before falling to the ground.

He was now unconscious as he was still bleeding. Aya was the first to notice that Shuldig was trying to cling to life as much as he could. Aya said to Yohji, "There is no way we can stop Farfarello. There is only one way we can find Miss Umi!"

"Isn't Ken looking for her now?" Yohji said.

"Yes," Aya said as he glanced over to the blond. He noticed that Yohji was standing behind him with his hand up his sunglasses. "Yet, Crawford is out…maybe talking to Takatori on his mobile phone."

"That leaves the door wide open!"

Aya had to be quick as he and Yohji to left Shuldig behind. They knew once they
had found Miss Umi, then they were go back for Shuldig.

Ken was running down the hall, trying to find Miss Umi. He had checked with some of the rooms to discover that the doors were locked. He was very upset with the outcome. He had to find her if she was going to life another day free from the demons of the rape that she forced into. He heard a slight squeak from somewhere in the hall. He turned to see Neu leaving a room. Their eyes met. He slowly brought out his fists with bagnuks flashing in the hallway light. Neu had to laugh as she noticed Ken's attends. She said, "Little boy…how many times do you have to die?"

"As many times as you will!" he growled as he raised his fists up close to his chest. He was prepared to die in this hall to protect the ones he swore to uphold.

"Oh, how cute!" she snarled. She pulled out a gun. Taking careful aim at ken's chest, Neu was going to kill off Ken like a mere spider on the wall.

"You witch. You can not stop us."

"It's pointless."

"What?" he gaped.

"Yes!"
Persia's voice rang in Ken's head for a second, "Hunters of the night. Destroy all that is evil"

"Come on…take me down!" Ken barked out loudly. He wasn't afraid to be killed off so another life could be spared.

"That's O.K. I'll put that on your grave stone!" Neu said.

Then, Ken bent down slightly as he began to run towards her. He was going to block the shot if need to. He hoped that Neu was a terrible shot and could smack the gun away from her with his claws. She pulled back the gun safety. Then, she opened fired on him. He could hear the gun go off. His lighting reflexes threw him down to the ground as he scrambled to the floor. He gaped as he said, "That was lousy!"

"Blast!" she hissed.

Taking another aim, Neu was going to hurt Ken for good. He was too quick for her. He seemed to bounce off the floor. It was like he was playing soccer in a tight corner. He wasn't going to cut Neu if she had a gun. He had to wear her out if all possible before taking the gun away from her. She could see straight with Ken leaping into the air like a cat. She hissed, "Stand still."

"Can't," he tried to smirk between breaths. "I'm having too much fun!"

"Baka!" she hissed again. She had to close her eyes if she wanted to stay focused.

She slowly closed her eyes and let her ears take over.

"Good. She is very easily distracted!" Ken thought. He fell to the floor with the mere sound of his feet hitting the boards. "Now is my chance!"

Aya and Yojhi were now running in another hallway. They were trying to find were Crawford was. The two spotted him as he left the main hall.

He was slipping up in his end of the kidnapping. He knew that Nagi could be the leak in the possible end of Schwartz's acting on world stage. He hissed as he took off his glasses. "Damn!" he growled loudly as he glared at Aya who was now running towards with his katana at full tilt.

"Crawford!" Aya barked as he took a swing at the American.

"Stop! You are just a pest!" Crawford yowled.

"Oh, really…what about Miss Umi Kazithoto. She yearned to be found!" Yohji huffed. He prepped a thin, long strand of wire from his watch.

"No…she belongs to us now!" Crawford said as he ducked out just in time before the blade even reached him.

"What?" Aya snarled, taking another aim.

"You heard me!" Crawford barked. He made a grab for the sword.

"You will not brain wash Miss Umi. She is not like you!" Aya hissed.

"She's not your toy!" Yohji howled as he raised his head up to see what Crawford had up his sleeve.

"Are you so sure of yourselves!" Crawford smiled darkly. He made a feebly attempt to hit Aya squarely in the face by arcing the sword's blade with one hand.
He tried to hold on to the blade as he swung with his free hand at Aya's chin with an upper cut.

Aya whipped backwards to avoid on coming attack from Crawford. He tried to jerk out the blade from Crawford. Yet, Crawford wasn't going to let go. Aya howled, "Why are you doing this?"

"To prove a point. Even in death, MP is not invisible!" "What do you mean?" Yohji gasped.

"You heard me. We have a mole!"

"What? Are you going to use her as a mole!" Aya huffed.

"Bingo!" Crawford smiled darkly. Then, he felt something hitting his back nearly missing the base line of his neck. He pressed down on the blade with a great deal of agony. He gasped for a minute before slumping down to the floor. Then, he was now on his knees as he gasped, "We are going to twist her through the use of brainwashing. She will be prefect."

Both Aya and Yohji looked up at a very pale Omi. "Omi?" Yohji gasped.

"Yea," Omi winced. He was wearing his jacket semi-tightly over his hospital gown. "It's me!" "What in the name of God are you doing here?" Aya barked. He was very upset at Omi because he wouldn't stay put at the hospital.

"S-s-sorry, A-chan. I had a feeling that I wanted to be here!" Omi smiled weakly.

"Baka!" Yohji said as he sucked at his teeth.

"I want to see Miss Umi!" Omi said he held up a dart. The other two knew that Omi has used a dart to stop Crawford from going any further. Then, he started to tremble from the loss of something. "I love her," he winced before nearly falling to the floor.

Yohji was fast on his feet when he reached out with both hands. He instantly caught Omi in his arms. Omi felt heavy in Yohji's arms. He said, "Omi…hang in there!"

Omi nearly choked, "Miss Umi!"

"Hang in there, Omi!" Yohji said for the second time. There was a warm stickiness coming from Omi's jacket, oozing onto Yohji's one hand. On gently turning Omi over to face him, Yohji stared down the blood smearing his one hand. Both Yohji and Aya glanced down at the opened slit neatly torn through Omi's jacket. It appeared like Omi had gotten entangled with Farfarello.

"It looks like Farfarello's dragger blade had found a new sheath," Aya said.

"That creep!" Yohji hissed. "We have a real problem on our hands."

"Right…let's hope that Ken can find Miss Umi. If all else fails then we are doomed!" Aya sighed loudly.

At the same time, Ken was now at his knees, staring back up at Neu. Neu had grazed him with a neat shot at the right ankle. He was backed into a corner on his knees with Neu and her last bullet. She wasn't going to be stupid by letting Ken get away from her.

"You are so full of yourself, idiot!" Neu smirked.

"You witch," Ken thought in a glare. Then, he started to move and felt the knife like burn coming from his ankle. "I can't do this without looking at it first. I have been stupid to be hoping around. I should have more careful and used the direct approach."

"Poor little baby," Neu said in a teasing way. She was trying to belittle him. "Does mommy have to kiss it?"

Ken watched as Neu had to check to see if she had one or two bullets left. He knew that Neu was very sharp with firearms. Then, fate had another plan in store for the pair of them. Neu leveled her aim at Ken. Ken said to himself, "I can't run. I hope that she is a lousy shot!"

There was a ceiling light overhead. It began to flicker in a normal way as if a bulb was going out. Neu was now a little upset with the light. "All of the times to go," she huffed as she glanced up at the light. She lifted her gun front of her. Undoing the safety pin that held the gun barrel in place, she checked to see how many bullets were inside.

Ken held his breath as he watched. Then, they heard it. They head a buzzing like the light was going to pop and be done. It seemed too normal of a set up. Neu brushed off the idea of nothing hurting her. She was going to take out Ken and move on. She was terrible, utterly wrong!

The light began to break away from the ceiling. It was like two pairs of unseen hands pull the light from its foundation. Followed was a second humming that made Neu and Ken glanced up at the light itself. Then, the light broke away as if the unseen hands gave the lights a good yank. Electricity shot out of the sockets. Buzzing and humming filled the room. Finally, the light fell on top of Neu, knocking her unconscious. The room grew dark as Ken moved ever so slowly towards the middle of the hall. He wasn't sure of the next minute or two until he checked out Neu. She looked very much like she was hurt.

"Leave her!" a voice rang in his head.

Ken stopped as he glanced around the hall.

"I told you…leave her!" the voiced said for the second time.

Ken found himself asking the voice, "What?"

"I want you to find someone else!" the voice spoke.

"Who are you?" Ken asked. He glanced around the hall in order to find this unseen voice.

"No one, you be concerned about…please find Miss Umi!" the voice said.

Somehow he had to trust the voice in his head. He thought he was going crazy for only for a minute. Yet, he was going to follow his gut instances to the letter if he wanted to find Miss Umi. He said, "Shai!"

Then, he quickly skirted around the fallen pieces of light fixture. He winced at the burning which still gnawing at his ankle. He wondered for a minute if Neu was still alive. The voice said, "Don't worry. She's O.K."

"What?" Ken said as he walked in a quick pace down the hall. "What in the heck are you saying?"

"I can read your mind," the voice said.

Then, Ken spotted someone that was totally white and distance. At first, Ken was totally surprised at the sight of Nagi standing in the hallway, looking like death warmed over. He wondered if Nagi had been beaten as well as Shudlig for even looking at Miss Umi. Nagi's eyes were ghostly as he stared at Ken. He asked, "Are you O.K., Nagi?"

Nagi said, "No…I had to use my powers to contact you by the use of your mind!"
Ken wasn't completely in the dark, yet he felt a little confused. He said, "What happened to Miss Umi?"

It took Nagi a couple of minutes before talking. His mind was still reeling from the pain he felt from Miss Umi's troubled mind. "She was rapped!"

Ken stood in the hall with sickening emotions that kicked him the belly. He wanted to fall to the floor. How many times that he wasn't there to protect the innocent and weak. Hate was his only feeling that he own for right now. He swallowed a little as he said, "Raped. Are you sure?"

Nagi bit his lower lip so hard that torn at the flesh badly. Blood started to flow into his mouth. The salty saliva burned in his wound. He said when he body started to shake, "Yes. That bastard Shuldig drugged me! I thought I could trust him…I was so wrong!"

Ken said as he started to walk up slowly, "Please, calm down. It's O.K. I'll help you find her!"

"Oh," Nagi said as he had a flash back to the time he was drugged. "When I was out cold…he hurt her…hurt her like he had done a couple of other times!"

"What?" Ken gaped. He stopped a few steps in front of the troubled boy-child. He tried to think of what was happening to everything. Did Crawford want everything to be untouched by the rest of Schwartz? Ken didn't want to push Nagi's buttons any further. He could just image that Nagi would kill off anyone with one glance. "Look. We have to see about finding her…I want her to be safe!" Ken said.

"Safe!" Nagi murmured as he stared blankly at Ken. "How!"

"I'm not sure. Look you must trust me," Ken said he started to walk towards Nagi. His arms were at his sides in a sign that he wasn't going to hurt Nagi.

"Trust…ah! That's a foolish joke!" Nagi hissed before he felt tears rolling down his face.

"Come on!" Ken said as he walked past Nagi. He turned to make a grab at Nagi's shoulder. Nagi ducked a little to avoid the contact. Ken wanted to hit Nagi. Yet, he held his feeling in check. "If you don't want to…""I want to!" Nagi said as he near staggered in the hall. It was like Nagi was running out of energy in order to find Miss Umi.

"Are you sure…you don't look so good!" Ken said quietly as he glanced at Nagi's pale face.

"Yes," Nagi murmured loudly as he tried to walk in an even pace. He was headed for the last place that he could remember where Miss Umi was staying.
Ken had to follow Nagi no matter what cost.

Aya was nursing as best he as could a few badly injured Omi. There was a first aid kit in his car. He had found three large packages of gauze and an unused roll of medical tape. He and Yohji had carried the sleeping Omi to the car. Ever so carefully placing Omi in the front seat, Aya went to work on a temporary patch job on Omi's cut.

Yohji went to see if what Crawford said was real. Did Crawford really break Shuldig's legs? He did see the redheaded German being thrashed about by Farfarello. Yet, it could be a ploy to destroy Weiss once and for all. Yohji stopped in front of the room where he and Aya heard the screams of Shuldig. He pulled out a skeleton key from his jacket pocket. He had some difficultly jimmy up the door. Yet, after a minute Yohji forced the door to open. As Yohji opened the door to see what was going on in the room. He was easily stunned into staring at a broken man. Shuldig was lying on the floor barely breathing. He was crying out in a gasping moan. Farfarello had done one hell of a job on his teammate. Shuldig was sprawled out on the floor. Yohji waked over to where Shuldig was lying. He noticed one leg nearly ripped out of its socket. The room was shattered. Bending down carefully, Yohji asked, "Are you O.K.?"

There was murmuring in half German, half Japanese babble. Shuldig opened his eyes to stare up at Yohji. He breathed, "Pain."

"It's going to be fine. I'll get someone to help you!" Yohji said as he made one of his snap decisions.

"Oh, yea…" a voice hissed above Yohji's head. "Is that so!"

The voice made Yohji's heart stop. It was like an icy hand reaching around his neck. Yohji could think of only one person that he has that kind of a voice, Farfarello. Not craning his neck to see who was behind, Yohji balled up his hands into fists. He instantly whipped around to give the one-eyed slayer a sucker punch in the legs.

Farfarello knew that he was in for it. He quickly backed away before Yohji could move. Crutching down in a dodging movement, Yohji slammed right into Farfarello, nearly knocking the one-eyed man over. Farfarello hissed some words in Gaelic as he fell back wards.

Yohji felt an arm going around his middle. He knew that Farfarello wasn't going to be that easily taken down. He thought, "Shoot. Ugly is so hard to throw out of the picture."

Their eyes clashed as Farfarello landed on the floor. Farfarello had only one thing on his mind, to wipe clean any possible traces of Weiss from the planet. If allowed, then he could have fun watching Yohji screaming his last before dying in front of him. Yet, Yohji had to save his own life in order to find Miss Umi. He had to be quick with his movements. He curled his fingers into claws. He turned them over and threw them on Farfarello's hands. On proceeding to drive his point home, he said in Japanese, "Choudai riaru, hito. I'm not iki daun!"

"Fool…" Farfarello said, as he didn't any flitch on the pain, which Yohji was trying to inflict on him hands. He pressed very quickly on Yohji's ribcage. Yohji felt the wind being dragged out of him. He also experienced a sense of queasiness.

He wanted to throw up. Yet, he had to control his body if he was going to win. He pressed hard on Farfarello's hands. Then, he tried a weak attempt in jumping. He tried to move. Farfarello wasn't going to even move. He hissed again, "Listen, stand still."

"No!" Yohji gasped. He was on the edge of passing out. Where is his wounds where were now screaming in heated pain.

Insulted by Yohji's words, Farfarello hissed for a third time, "The more you struggle, the less time you will have on this earth!"

With every last ounce of strength that Yohji had, he raised his one foot. With a heavy movement, he stomped on Farfarello's foot. Normally Farfarello would not usually scream, yet he didn't like the idea of being stomped upon like a common bug. He squeezed even harder. Yohji felt his ribs being pulled in as he tried to struggle with every passing second. He thought, "What a way to go!"

Then, they both heard a sound. It came from the entranceway. The slight cocking of a gun meant it was all over for Yohji. Then, it seemed like it was changing. A loud pop rang out. Farfarello fell to the ground after the bullet pierced his one ankle. He still had a hold of Yohji. Yohji had to follow suit to the floor. Yohji heard a voice as he tried to roll over with Farfarello attached to him. "Let him go!"

"Wha?" Yohji thought, his mind going numb.

The voice said, "I told you to let him go!"

"You can't make me!" Farfarello growled. He was growing stubborn as he felt the weight of Yohji's body sitting on his stomach and ribcage. He had a high resistance to pain.

"All right, you asked for it!" the voice said.

There was a sound of footsteps coming towards the two. A man was now standing over the two. He wore a dark suit and glasses. Yohji recognized who the man was. He gasped, "Birman!"

"Yea…Balinsee!" the man said a he stuck out a hand to help out Yohji off the floor.

"What are you doing here?" Yohji said as he tried to elbow Farfarello in the chest. "We have a very small problem!"

Birman said as he reached over to help Yohji free himself from Farfarello's grip, "I can see that!"

"I want to hurt him!" Farfarello protested. He tried to not let go of Yohji. It wasn't working.

Birman pulled out a small pocketknife from his jacket pocket. With a free hand, he unfolded the knife blade from the casing. He bent down on one knee with the knife posed in his hand. "Now…this might sting!" he said as if Farfarello was a little boy.

"Great!" Yohji gasped. He felt hands still in a bold lock around his middle. He gave Birman a 'hurry up' look.

"Cut the acid, you jerk!" Farfarello smirked.

Yohji was beginning to grow very light headed. He tried to fight off the feeling. There was not enough oxygen getting to Yohji's body. Was this the beginning of the end of Weiss? Birman wasn't giving up that easily. He went straight for Farfarello collarbone. The knife blade dug into the flesh as Birman's free hand went for Farfarello's mouth and nose.

He was going to smoother Farafrello just a bit until he had let go of Yohji. Birdman prayed for a miracle. It was hoping against the devil himself. Yet, Birman was going to take the risk.

It wasn't longbefore Farafrello began to struggle. He tried to move his head to one side. It wasn't working. He felt Birman's hand clamping down on his mouth. Breathing was the one thing both Yohji and Farafrello wanted to do so desperately. Then, Farfarello's hands slip from their iron grasp around Yohjji's middle. He was now tried to move in order to bit at Birman's palm. Yohji now weakened used the last of muscle in his hands to tear at Farfarello's arms.

"Are you all right?" Birman asked.

Once the hands were removed, Yohji rolled off slowly. He felt a sharp stabbing pain in his belly. The new wounds from the last time that he and Shuldig crossed paths were now screaming back at him. He gasped, trying to catch his breath, "Yea…I'll be…O.K."

"They loved to hurt people in all forms!" Briman said as he bent down to look at Yohji.

Yohji forced a lung full of air into his lungs. He had push back the pain with his mind. After a minute of relaxation, Yohji said, "don't I know it!"

"What else can happen!" Birman wondered out loud.

It seemed like Ken had a feeling of entrapment with Nagi leading blindly down the hall. He couldn't tell him that Nagi that he was going to hurt him if he was leading Ken down the wrong hall. He noticed how nervous Nagi was. He did see how badly Nagi's anger was turning into revenge. Was this like Nagi to pull such a stunt?

"I hope to find her without a scratch!" Nagi mumbled. He pushed a stray hair from his eyes with a mere fingertip.

Ken had to ask something of Nagi. Yet, the feeling of not wanting to seem like a fool was pushing him to keep his mouth shut. Then, Nagi felt something hitting him like a brick against the face. He glanced up at the wall. His eyes blurred for a split second before another hit. He glanced all around at the walls in the hallway. He said, "What?"

Ken said as he came up to Nagi, "What's wrong?"

"I can feel more pain!" Nagi gasped as he stared blankly at the wall.

"What kind of pain? Who's in pain?" Ken asked very softy. He knew that Nagi was telekinetic person and had a mental link with Shuldig.

"Miss Umi!" Nagi whimpered loudly as he could sense all of the pain that Miss Umi was going through from the kidnapping to the present point in time. "They are going to torture her until she is brainwashed into a killer." "What?" Ken gasped. He ran up to Nagi, unsure if Nagi was pulling a fast one on him.

"I wish she wasn't here. I want her to be safe," Nagi said as he began to stare blankly at the wall. His one hand reached up to touch the wall to see if it was real. He reeled back in pain. It seemed like the wall was full of electric energy. Yelping at the sudden shock to his hand. It seemed like the walls of the hallway were alive and telling Nagi to keep away from Miss Umi.

Ken was taking all in like he was watching a train wreck. He wasn't sure at first to the séance unfolding in front of him. Yet, he was not going to just standing around. He grabbed Nagi's other hand. Pulling at Nagi to go, Ken said, "Please snap out of it…for know!"

"Uh?" Nagi gasped. He tried to hold on to any small fragments of reality. He trudged in a blur of confused senses. "Great!" Ken sighed loudly. He placed a hand up to his forehead. He began to rub a small area of his forehead.

"I can't go on any further!" Nagi said as his senses started to swing out of control.

"Come on. You have to pull together, now. For her sake!" Ken ordered. He sounded like Crawford, as the American would give Nagi orders.

Then, Nagi felt sick to his stomach with every step. He wanted to die on the spot. The ideas of using Miss Umi were a puppet made him feel ill. He began to shake out control. It was like someone else was pulling him down. Nagi felt sick with every step her took. He looked around the hall in a daze. Ken wasn't sure what except of him. He heard Nagi mumbling words in a loud and confused mass. Nagi uttered, "I wish I didn't take that dammed drink from Shuldig. He tricked me!"

Ken came up Nagi as Nagi brushed a few hairs from his face. Ken wanted to ask the important questions about Miss Umi. Yet, he noticed that Nagi's lament was tearing Nagi apart right in front of him.

"My love…" Nagi howled. He was starting to unhinge with the fast and on coming visions of the future. Nagi grappled a handful of air as his hands reached out to clutch at a void.

Ken had enough as he reached up and pulled at Nagi by the shoulders. He barked out, "I had enough…"
He reached out to smack Nagi on the face.

Ken grabbed one of Nagi's shoulders. With the free hand, Ken's palm struck the pale, frail face of a young man who was now a quelling pile of fresh. He said, "Forgive me!"

It was like he was getting smacked in the face and not giving it as a form of snapping someone out of a daze. Nagi reeled a little as he felt the sting on his cheek. He whimpered slightly, "What did you that for?"

"Pulling you together. Please. I need you to be strong!" Ken sighed loudly.

There was no remorse for ken's actions in. he had to be quick if he wanted to save a life. He said, "If Miss Umi gets killed then, what will happen to you!"

Ken was throwing the worst-case scenario at Nagi. Nagi wasn't going to pull any more things to stop Weiss from completing a job. He dragged Nagi down the hall.

On reaching a door numbered twenty-three, Ken and Nagi stopped. Ken wondered if this was the right room or not. Nagi kept on uttering about the number twenty-three. Ken was a little puzzled about why Nagi had chosen that number and room above all the rest in the building. He asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Nagi nodded grim faced. He could sense a thick cloud of fear and pain coating the room from the inside out. He was crying very softly as he stood in front of the door. He was crying very softly as he stood in front of the door. He didn't want to open the door to a nightmare that he couldn't control. Ken said, "Look. It's fine if you don't want to help."

"I want to!" Nagi said.

Ken sighed as he geared up to kick down the door. He told Nagi to step back. It could get ugly.

Miss Umi was lying on a bed with an IV attached to her arm. There was a near deadly mix of painkillers and mind warping drugs. She was staring into space as noise of a wood splintering was making its way. The room was entirely black. Ken fished out a flash light form his pants pocket. He flipped it on to see what was in room. In the darkness, Ken entered the room with a stealth foot. Scanning the room, he found a bed, a stand and two chairs. He felt cold as he moved about in the room. He knew the air had to be on. He could hear a gentle hum of an A/C unit purring somewhere in the room. He ordered Nagi to stay put. Nagi felt so sick that he wanted to throw up and pass out. He had to hold what little power he had. He said, "Please…if you find her…make sure that's she's safe!"

Ken said, "Don't worry. I have been through this before!"

The flashlight beam fell on a figure on the bed. Ken prayed it was Miss Umi. He heard a slight sigh of air coming from the air A/C. If he would rush in, then he would be terrorizing Miss Umi. Nagi stood in the doorway. He obverse Ken as Ken walked ghost like in his search for Umi. Nagi shook with a sort of fear that he never experienced.

As Ken came closer, he said in gentle voice, "Miss Umi?"

"Miss Umi?" a female voice gasped loudly.

"Yes…it's me, Ken Hidaka."

"Ken Hidaka?" the voice asked.

Ken tried to scramble for a reason why the voice sounded so desperate. He noticed a gambit line dangling in mid-air. He wondered if it was an IV or not. He cast his flashlight on the line. His hunch was right it was an IV. He walked up to the pole. On reading the large label on the bag, he was shocked to find that Hell and the others were trying to brainwash Umi. He had to be careful still. He had still the feeling that there was a trap just waiting for him in the room.

The A/C clicked off. Ken bent down to be at eye level with Miss Umi. He said, "I'm here to help!"

"Are you?" Miss Umi whispered loudly. She noticed Ken's brave face.

"Yea!" Then, her eyes closed. Ken wondered in his mind if Miss Umi was being poisoned. He said to Nagi to get a hold of Aya. Aya was still somewhere in the building. He reached over to the IV line and pulled out the cord by the bed. Saline water gushed out when the bag was ripped opened. He quickly grabbed the IV line. He quickly and gently pulled at the needle in Umi's arm. She didn't wake up as the needle was pulled out. "Damn!" Ken hissed.

"What?" Nagi asked as he wondered why Umi didn't wake up and scream from the pain.

"Nothing!" Ken lied. He saw the small bubble of blood coming from the area. He grabbed a hold of small piece of gauze on the nightstand. Ken found a roll of tape near the gauze. Making a small bandage, he was hoping that Farfarello or Crawford didn't find him or the other two.

He didn't get his wish. "There she is!" a voice said.

Ken felt an icy hand gripping around his neck. He didn't like it. He hoped it was Farfarello or he and Nagi would be just blobs on the carpeting after the one-eyed Irishman mopped the woodwork with them. He turned to see Crawford and Hell standing in the doorway. Crawford was both angry and relieved to see Nagi had returned. He said, "My…my…my! The prodigal son has returnth!"

"You slime!" Nagi snapped. His anger was pushing his powers into an overdrive that was too fast too quick. He glared at the two with fire in his eyes.

"Touchy!" Hell smirked. She noticed Ken standing in the room with his hands over Miss Umi's arms. "What is he doing here?"

"I think he trapped our young guest!" Crawford smiled as he reached out to pat Nagi on the shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Nagi spat.

"Are you serious?" Hell asked. She glanced at the now frightened young boy.

"He realized that his newly prized gift was spoiled. He hates Shuldig for what he has done to her. Then, he also has the knowledge of what you are doing to her now," Crawford sighed.

"Yes," Nagi hissed. Then, he implanted into Ken's mind the thoughts and actions of Shuldig. Ken's mind raced with the idea of that German had raped her after drugging Nagi.

"You let her be hurt by that thing and you could not have stopped him!" Ken gaped. His eyes were now wide with fury. "You are just equally the monster as he is!"

Miss Umi let out a scream in which made Ken's blood run cold. It was like a nest of demonic bees or ants swarming around her. She was so drugged out of her mind that Ken had only one idea he could think of, take her to the hospital for drug de-toxic.

"We are very deeply sorry that she was taken advantage of by him. Yet, I did give him some just sort of punishment," Crawford sighed as he placed a hand up to his glasses.

"Sorry. You're sorry that happened. Are you following all the other sick and twisted minds out in the world," Ken barked out. His anger was now boiling over.

"Yes, in a way!" Crawford said before dropping his hand. In an instant, a small switchblade, hidden from view was resting on Crawford's cupped hand. He smiled as he pointed the blade part down. Hitting the release button, Crawford said, "Come here and get yours, Ken Hidaka!"

Gently tossing the line over to the bed, Ken said, "Bring it on!"

He raised his own fists with his gloved claws extended. Even before Crawford entered the room, Nagi had finally snapped. He didn't want to hear any more misery or grief surrounding Miss Umi. He loved very quickly and deeply. He had to stop Crawford. He had to help out Ken. His eyes grew large as his powers kicked in. he appeared to be like a mad man on his very kill. Hell noticed him staring at Crawford with blood in his stood straight as he raised his hands. There was a glow coming from his fingertips. He said, "This is for Miss Umi."

"Are you mad?" Crawford gaped a little. He was a surprised to see the young man standing in front of him appeared to be deeply possessed.

Hell didn't want to speak. Aft first she was watching Nagy's moods fly from one extreme to the other. She was deathly quiet as she obverse. This was only one time she saw him like that. Hell didn't want to push her luck if she wanted to escape with her life. She backed away as best as she could.

Nagi said, "You let that monster hurt her."

"Yes…I'm terrible sorry that I couldn't stop him!" Crawford said in a gentle tone of voice. He was tried to be soothing. He knew that Nagi was angry.

"I wanted her to safe, happy," Nagi said as he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. He was crying softly. His heart was breaking. His angry spoke out as he howled in a breath's time, "How can you let her be in danger!"

"He had tricked me as well!" Crawford said as he thought fast on his feet.
"Lair!" Nagi growled. His anger was now red hot.

"You never knew he has a power of fooling people!"

Then, things grew on the most dangerous of edges, Miss Umi had an unknown reaction to the drugs that Hell was using to brainwash her. It was a very extreme dose. The medication that she was using on Omi was nothing to compare to what she was pumping into Umi's body. She opened her eyes what seemed to be one last time. Ken could hear the breathing. It was turning into choking. Ken had to remain calm as he heard the breathing. He asked, "What in the heck did you give her?"

"I can't tell you!" Hell said as she felt her plans back firing.

"Didn't you know about any sort of allergies?" Ken asked.

"No!" Hell said as she tried to think of anything to say. "I didn't brother to ask."

"What?" Ken gaped a little.

Then, Umi glanced at Ken if to find a possible way out of her pain. Finally, she gasped. Ken threw himself onto his knees as he said, "She's suffocating!"

"What?" Nagi gaped. He felt the world being pull from right under him. He gasped as his powers kicked in. he had to remain calm.

Ken quickly placed the wristbands of his right glove up to his mouth. He tore at it with his teeth. He got it lose and quickly threw it off. The left one was done the same way. He could notice her trying to get a breath in, yet it was at a difficult measure. He placed two fingers up to her neck. Feeling her irate pulse, Ken through of keeping her breathing. He had some degree of first aid training as he eased his right hand from under the pillow. He placed the other under Umi's head. He hoped to pull out the pillow to make it level for Umi to breath. His hand grasped at the pillow and began to pull it away from Umi's head.

"What are you doing?" Crawford asked, noticing Ken's actions.

"Pulling out the pillow. She has to keep her level with the bed or else!" Ken snapped back.

"She will die?" Nagi yelped loudly. He heard a slight stirring of feet. He whipped around to see Hell backing away from the hallway. She had found an opened door down the hall a little ways.

"Not if I have an counter agent," Ken interpreted.

"What?" Crawford snapped. He had never heard around a counter agent working on just hospital medicine.

"It's a real long shot, yet it does work."

Nagi's arm shot out in front of him. Like a wizard performing a trick, Nagi flexed his out stretched hand. He was making sure that Hell didn't jump ship. Hell felt the skin around her neck being to tighten. She had a strange feeling that Nagi was using his powers to kill her. She gasped, "What are you doing to me!" Nagi tightened his fist. The feeling on hell's neck was getting too much. He hissed, "You can join miss Umi and tell her what you had done to her!"

She began to gasp for air. Hell pleaded for air as Nagi stared at her. Miss Umi opened her eyes to stare at Ken. It was like she was pleading for her life. Ken said, "Call the hospital…now!"

Then, he heard Hell begging for her life. He didn't need to think. He knew that Nagi wasn't playing with a full deck. He barked out, "Nagi!"

There was no response from him. He tried again. "Nagi!"

The second time seemed to break through if only a little bit. Nagi loosened his grip as Hell fell to the floor. He glared at Crawford before entering the room. He bolted into the room to notice the situation. He asked, "There is no phone here."

"What?" Ken gasped. He knew that time was a thing in which was becoming a scarcity. He said, "She needs attention now. We can't wait!"

"You have a cel?" Nagi asked. He realized the tension building up in the room. He also knew that some of the rooms didn't have phones. Hell didn't want Umi calling up the police if for the slightness of chances.

"Yea…"

Then, Umi somehow sat up in bed, nearly gagging. She felt worst with every breath. Ken instantly pulled out his mobile phone from his jacket pocket. He noticed Umi's hands shake. He hit the hospital phone number by using a speed dial on his phone. Aya had walked down the hall, trying to find both Ken and Nagi. He had a gut feeling about everything. He didn't want to point a finger at anyone. He knew that time was too short. He noticed Hell on the floor, sprawled and Crawford appearing to be scared out of his mind. Then, as he entered the opened doorway, he saw Ken and Nagy keeping a trained eye on Umi. She was sitting up, fighting for every breath. He asked, "What happened?"

Crawford said, "I have nothing to do with what Hell is doing her here. Miss Umi is fighting to stay alive."

It seemed like Crawford was holding back. Aya didn't ask.

Finally Umi let out a loud gasp before collapsing on the bed. She had turned a bright red in the face. The medicine had done the unthinkable. It had taken a life in a heartbeat. Umi had stopped breathing. Her face was now turning bright blue right in front of both Ken and Nagi. Nagi's stopped at the same time if only for a minute. He past out and landed at foot of the bed. Ken heard the phone ringing and murmuring to himself, "Come on and pick up!"

Aya knew instantly what to do. He bolted into the room. He asked, "You calling the medics?"

"Yea…" Ken replied without even glancing up at Aya.

Aya was now standing at the bedside near where Ken was. He said, "I'll try to perform CPR. You get the hospital."

"I'm way ahead of you!" Ken said. It sounded very confusing at first. Yet, both Ken and Aya were on the same page. Then, he heard a series of phone rings until he heard a voice telling him, he had called Tokyo general. "Hello. We had a drug overdose. Send an ambulance right away!"

Aya walked over to the other side. He said, "I wish you weren't in danger!"

He had never seen someone in the throws of death like he was saw in the last few minutes of what could be the end of Miss Umi's life. Ken stood up from his spot. He hovered over Umi's body. Placing two fingers on her neck, Ken could feel a weakened pulse. He had to act fast, when he removed his fingers from her neck. Umi felt her world being turned upside down as she tried to make peace with herself. She didn't want to go to heaven. She wanted to stay where she was at with Omi and Nagi. She was far too young to be dying like this. She could see Ken performing CRP on her. It was like watching a dream unfolding in front of her. She appeared to be dead already. Then, Umi heard Nagi's voice telling her that needed to be free. He had an extremely bad feeling about what both Hell and Crawford was doing to her. Then, what had happen with Shildug? The nightmare was going to end if she was going to fight for her right to live. She glanced over to see Nagi. He appeared to be sleeping on the floor. He had special powers, yet was he strong enough to contact the near death with them?

Then, she was instantly pulled back into her body.

Darkness.

The next thing Umi heard was Omi's voice speaking. He said, "She's coming around!"

There was another sound of a slight beeping noise in the far distance. Umi opened her eyes very slowly. She heard Omi's voice saying, "That's it…come on. I would like to see you open your eyes for me!"

Staring at her friend, Umi said in a slurred tone of voice, "Omi?"

"Yea…I'm here!" Omi said.

Umi felt a hand squeezing her hand. Then, she asked in the same voice, "Mom?"

A female voice said in a slight loud whisper, "I'm here."

Umi realized she was in another room. She was told by her mother that she was in the de-toxic center of Tokyo General. She was tired after her ordeal. It was good be free from the nightmarish world of Schwartz. Outside of the glass fronted room, two men stood in the hallway. One was Aya; the other was Tomoko Kazithoto, Umi's grandfather. They were talking about what had happened to both Umi and Omi. Mister Kazithoto said, "I'm very grateful that you had found her when you did."

"Hai!" Aya said as he gave a curt nod. He had watched as Omi who was still sitting a wheelchiar since the time he was aloud to get up from his operation. Omi was dressed in a long brown robe that was once Ken's. "She was spared for a long before she was raped!"

"Yes…then the drugs. I have it my head they were really planning to kill her for the money. Yet, one young man had a crush on her…what was his name!" Mister Kazithoto asked as he placed hand up to his chin.

"Nagi Naoe!" Aya said quietly. He knew there was still a human being still left in the shell of young killer.

"You have no idea that young man was really in love with my granddaughter?"

"Yes. The thought had crossed my mind. I wondered if Omi loved her as well!"

The two men stared at Omi for a second. Omi watched Umi like a hawk when she was still asleep. He didn't want any laying a finger on her.

"Hey…when are we going home!" third voice asked.

Aya spied Ken standing next to Yohji in a second wheel chair. He said, "When I'm done with Mister Kazithoto."

He breathed a sign of long suffered relief. He knew Yohji was going to be all right after another week in the hospital. Yet, Omi's wounds were on the edge of being in ICU for a couple of days. There was a trouble of waking up Umi. She was totally in a serious state of being in coma for the rest of her life. Hell did go over board with the drugs in the brainwashing. Aya was shocked to hear from the de-toxic doctor about how many forms of drugs were in her system. Both Farfarello and Shudlig were on different wards of the hospital. They were under house arrest even in the hospital. Crawford, Nagi and Hell were in jail waiting for a court date. Aya watched as Omi talked to Umi about the latest new game out on play-station.

Epilogue:
It was four weeks when Umi was released from the hospital. Her mother and father were waiting for her in the hospital's lobby. She was still a little pale from the weeks of de-toxic. She was out to be leaving the hospital.
When she got home, a small white bud vase with yellow rose was sitting on the side porch. When she picked it up off the porch, she read the note. "I didn't want you to be hurt. I love you and very sorry that others had hurt you!"
At first she believed it was Omi, pouring out his heart from all the past nightmares she had gone through. Yet, something inside told her differently as she pondered about Nagi. Was the rose from him? She was asked by her mother were the rose came from. She didn't want to open her mouth as she began to smile sadly at the lost of a friend. She just told her mother it was a present given freely by an angel of Heaven. Her mother glanced at her daughter's face and didn't press her for any more answers.

this is my favorite of my stories and it is done. i am very pleased that you have read it.

thanks