Karma Slave

by Yanagi-sen

char info, nothing new Who is REALLY in control of Crawford's life? Brad, or that invisible force called, Karma? rating for language

Karma Slave

by Yanagi-sen

Weiss Kreuz songfic

Usual disclaimers apply.  Brad and any other assorted Schwarz members aren't mine.  (Actually I'm kind of glad, could you imagine being related to Crawfish?)  The song is Karma Slave by Splashdown and is off the Titan A.E. soundtrack, it's an awesome song, I recommend it.  The song doesn't 'fit' into my story as much as my other songfics usually do, but it kind of runs through the background of the whole thing.  (Hope that doesn't confuse too many people… oh well.)

Warnings: mild language, OOCness, not much else surprisingly enough…

/character thoughts/

'mental speech'

/visions/

Today I'll be spinning on a wheel,

I'm a slave to a wheel and there isn't any stopping…

            "So I'm to be a field leader now?"

            "Yes, Mr. Crawford.  I'm not sure if any decision as to your deployment has been made yet, but you are welcome to assemble your team."

            "Am I to choose my subordinates?"

            "Of course, Mr. Crawford, as soon as possible, so that you can become acquainted…"

            "That will not be necessary.  I just want to be sure they are people I can work with."

            "Ah… certainly.  Um.. feel free to use the database on that computer over there."

            Crawford didn't acknowledge the woman, just sat down and waited for her to leave.  /Field leader, hmm?  And the right to select my own team.  They must be happy with me. /  He logged in and called up the personnel database.  There was one good thing about working in recruitment/retrieval; he knew most of the newer trainees.  He'd brought in his fair share after all, perhaps more than his fair share.  Precognition was a very useful tool, his superiors had commented on his uncanny knack for bringing in the best potentials.  There were a couple people he'd been watching.  /Ah, yes.  There he is.  Schuldich… telepath… high rating… no family… good… drug use… hmm, well, that can be managed… age is right… other skills… yes, he'll be useful to me. /  Crawford called up the picture and nodded.  Schuldich was the one he'd been watching, for several years in fact.  The German had been brought in before Crawford had joined the r/r section, but the redhead was well known.  He may prove difficult to tame perhaps, but the result should be worth the efforts.  And the young man was as of yet, unassigned.  Not that that would make a difference, he would have just commandeered him anyway.

            /Next… that young Irishman I brought in last year… what did he call himself?… Farfarello. /  He skimmed the file swiftly.  Crawford wasn't surprised to see that he hadn't been assigned yet either.  The pale teen had been locked in a straightjacket and doped to the gills when he had brought the Irishman in.  Psyche had probably had a field day with him.  According to the records, the man was certifiable.  However… Crawford wasn't looking for sanity; he was looking for a killer.  Farfarello fit that category perfectly.  /Farfarello, actual name, Jei… feels no pain… that's a bonus… killed his family… psychological monitoring essential… okay, that's workable… age, a couple years younger than the German… he may be difficult as well… but the benefits of one such as him…/  Crawford wasn't as confident about Farfarello as Schuldich, but he was following his visions, and they said the pale Irishman was important.  He'd known that the minute he picked up the man from the Esset agents in Dublin, somehow, Farfarello was vital.

            It was the final member that was giving him problems.  They had to be a telekinetic, that much he knew.  But after an hour of scanning Esset's personnel files, Crawford was no closer to finding his fourth team member.  He sighed in frustration and removed his glasses, rubbing his tired eyes.  The vision overtook him swiftly.  /He could 'see' a boy, young, nineish.  His hair a chocolate brown, eyes deep blue and took up most of his too-thin face.  He was living on the street, he looked Asian.  But there were a great many cities in Asia, not to mention Asians scattered all over the world.  A clue, there has to be a clue.  There… on the wall… Japanese. /  Japan.  There he would find his final member.  Perhaps once he was closer he could get a better 'fix' on the boy's position.  A city in Japan.  Apparently, he would have to make a trip; Schuldich would accompany him and start earning his keep.

What mistake could I have made?

I'm a slave, serving time for a life that I've forgotten…

            "Remind me again, why the fuck I had to come on this trip?"

            Crawford sighed, he had been right, the redhead was difficult.  "Because, you are now a member of my team and I told you to.  Now find something to do, I'm trying to work."

            "Looks to me like you're just sitting on your ass."

            "I'm trying to pinpoint the telekinetic's location.  And don't use that kind of language around me."

            'Bite me, Braddy-boy.'

            "And don't call me Brad."  The redhead huffed but didn't comment; finally he just threw himself down on the couch in their suite and pretended to take a nap.  /Focus, Brad, focus.  A child… on the street… brown hair… blue eyes… A child running… lungs gasping for breath… spinning as he realizes his error, to find he is trapped… the man smirking as he closes in on the small form…/

            "Get up, Schuldich!"

            "What the fuck?!"

            "I've got him, but we have to hurry."

            Against his better judgment, he let Schuldich drive so he could maintain his 'fix' on the child.  It was fading fast though.  His realm was the potential future, not the present, as they got closer to the time of his vision the link he had to the child was disappearing.  'Show me.'  Schuldich's mental voice startled him out of his musings.  With a confused look, he ran the vision through his conscious mind again.  'Shit!  Okay, let's see if I can find him.'  The German made a quick left, drove a couple blocks and then made a right.  He parked the car and sat for a moment with his eyes closed.  'We're in the right area, just give me a minute.'  Crawford watched him in fascination, having never witnessed a telepath of the redhead's ability before.  'Got him.  We need to move.'  He let Schuldich lead the way, more confident of his choice than before.  They heard a high-pitched scream from down a dark alley, a child's voice.

            "Come on kid, just gimme what you got.  I know you gotta have something.  Nothing?  Then you're gonna have to pay in a different way." 

Schuldich's eyes flashed jade fire and he took off down the narrow alley.  /What the Hell?! /  Crawford followed, not happy with his subordinate's lack of patience.  "Who the fuck are you?"  The man was just picking himself up from the trash on the ground, Schuldich stood between him and the boy. 

            'Schuldich!'  The German had to be able to hear him.

            'Yo, boss?'

            'What the Hell are you doing?'

            'You don't want to know what this sick fuck was thinking.  Just beat the shit out of him and let's go home.'

            Disgruntled as he was with the telepath, he couldn't argue with that logic.  It felt satisfying to 'beat the shit out of him' as Schuldich put it.  When the would-be attacker was down for the count, he turned to see the German trying to coax the scared, half-starved boy out from behind the steps where he'd hidden.  'Problem?'

            'He doesn't trust us.  I don't think he even knows what trust is.  Name's Nagi Naoe, by the way.'

            Crawford walked up and stood next to Schuldich, peering down at the boy.  Large deep blue eyes stared back.  The air hummed faintly with power.  'Is he going to try to hurt us?'

            'Felt it too?  He can't focus it too well yet.  But I bet its Hell when he manages to pull something off.  I think we're safe though.'

            "Saa." [come]  He held out his hand, and waited.  After a moment, during which his midnight eyes flickered between the two of them and the man on the ground, the boy reached out his own tiny hand.  Crawford pulled the child to his feet and with Schuldich following, led him from the garbage-strewn alley.

I'm a slave of Karma, spin the wheel and I'm a king reborn.

I'm a slave to Karma, I'm coming back, yeah I'll be coming back,

But for the last time…

            'Schuldich, do you have this obsessive need to annoy me, or is it just fate?'

            'Why, it's all a part of my charm, Braddy.'

            'Lucky me.'  Crawford groaned as the telepath smiled wickedly at him then turned to bug Nagi who was sitting on the other side of the plane.  The kid had rather pointedly sat as far from the German as possible in the small, private jet.  Brad suspected that it was an attempt to 'hide' from the redhead, who given any opportunity, would tease the Japanese boy.  Farfarello was curled up on the floor, asleep.  Schuldich wouldn't have bothered the Irishman anyway.  They seemed to have an odd sort of truce between them.  The telepath didn't annoy him, and Farf didn't try to carve him up with his knives.  Crawford didn't have nearly as much luck with the pale man.  He supposed Schuldich was good for something after all.

            "Schu!" 

            Crawford groaned again, defiantly time for the aspirin.  He looked to the side where the redhead was hovering over the boy.  That alone was enough to get Nagi agitated, he didn't like people loaming over him.  To make matters worse, the German's hand was very close to the keyboard of the boy's laptop.  That was enough to get someone injured.  "Schuldich, leave Nagi alone."

            "But, Br…"

            "And don't call me, Brad."

            "But I was only…"

            "You have no idea what you would have done.  I've been working for hours on this and you almost lost everything."

            "Oh come on.  That's why you save, right?"

            "Brad!"

            "Schuldich, sit down and leave him alone.  That's the second time I've had to tell you."

            Grumbling the redhead did as he was told.  "I don't see what the big deal is.  Hey, why do you get to call him Brad?"  Crawford looked up, curious as to what Nagi's answer would be.  He himself didn't know why he let the kid get away with it, but it didn't seem to bother him as much coming from Nagi.

            The telekinetic looked up with a small smile, that alone spelled danger, the boy didn't smile too often.  "Because he likes me better than you."

            Crawford was hard pressed to restrain his chuckle.  Schuldich was actually rendered speechless, a rare occurrence at anytime.  Trust Nagi to come up with a way to silence the man. 

            -Excuse me sirs, but we will be landing momentarily.  Please make sure your seatbelts are secure and Master Nagi, please deactivate any electronic devices as soon as possible.  Thank you.-

            They disembarked shortly after landing, their passage through customs facilitated by their escort.  They were on their way to meet their new employer.  Well, the one they were to serve, for now.  They claimed their luggage, which one car would take ahead to their new residence, and climbed into a waiting limo.  For once, Nagi didn't immediately bury his nose in his laptop, but eagerly peered out the tinted, and Crawford suspected bulletproof glass, at the bustle of the city. 

            'The kid's excited.'

            Crawford acknowledged Schuldich with a nod.  'Well, it is his first time back in Japan since we picked him up.'

            'Ja.'

            Schuldich turned his attention to the minds of the people around them and Crawford continued his observation of their youngest team member.  Five years, since he and Schu had rescued Nagi in that dirty alleyway.  Five years of training and care had turned that scrawny, half-sick little boy into the beautiful young man he was now.  When they had returned with him, the doctors had said the boy probably wouldn't have survived the winter.  He was still small for his age, delicate almost, despite regular meals and medical care.  Too much damage had been done, Nagi would never grow much taller and his powers seemed to sap his body of a lot of its strength and energy.  But he never complained.  Not when they proceeded to drag him all around the world, rushed him through training at a breakneck pace, demanded so much of his time and efforts.  He never seemed to miss not being able to be a kid; then again, he probably hadn't had much a childhood to begin with. 

            'Heavy thoughts, boss?'

            'Not really.  Thank you.'

            'For what?'

            'Nagi.'  He didn't need to explain farther, Schuldich knew what he meant.

            'Don't mention it.'

            The car pulled up before an immense structure of steel and glass.  The chauffer opened the door and their escort led the way into the building.  They rode up the elevator in silence, except for Schu's running commentary on everyone they passed; it was actually quite amusing and served to pass the time.  Down a long hallway and then a secretary, a very meek and proper appearing Japanese lady, opened a door and gestured them in.

            A man stood before a wall of glass.  He was quite large, imposing, with steel gray hair, he turned, and they got their first look of their newest client.  Takatori Reiji bowed politely.  Nagi and Crawford returned the greeting, copied a moment later by Schuldich and Farfarello.

            "Crawford-san, I presume.  Please, sit."  Brad seated himself in a large chair facing the desk as Takatori sat behind it.  Farf was staring with childish delight at a daisho display, Schuldich standing nearby to babysit him.  Their employer looked curiously at Nagi and then waved him toward the other chair beside Crawford.  Looking to Brad for permission, the boy sat, his slender body dwarfed by the large furniture.  "How was your trip?"

            "Most pleasant, Mr. Takatori."

            "That is good to hear.  I thank you for arriving in such a timely fashion."

            "Thanks should go to Esset, they are the ones who make the assignments."

            "Of course.  And how are our illustrious leaders."

            "Well, last I heard."

            "Sou ka, that is good.  And your associates are?"

            "Gomen.  The red-haired man over there is Schuldich.  The one admiring your beautiful swords is Farfarello.  And this young man is Nagi."

            "I'm sure you want to get settled in.  The driver will take you to your residence.  As requested, I have secured several locations for your use.  The one you are going to now is the most pleasant.  We will meet in a few days to discuss what this opportunity will entail.  Welcome to Japan, Schwarz."

            'Opinion?'  He tossed the thought out to Schuldich when they were back in the elevator.

            'The man's an ass, Brad.'

            'Besides that?'

            'We're fucking slaves.'

            Crawford really couldn't argue with him on that point.

Today I'm a king on the wheel,

Still a slave to the wheel, but this time around I'm smiling…

            'Your thoughts are heavy.'

            'Are they?  I didn't realize you were able to see them.'

            'I can't unless you want me to, you know that.  But you're brooding, I can tell.'

            'How?'

            'Your aura's dark.'

            'Ah.'  He didn't understand how Schu could do it, but somehow he could.  For some unexplained reason, he could read people's auras.  Maybe it was a byproduct of the telepathy.  It was one of those things they'd never told Esset.  He was glad they hadn't, the way things were turning out.

            "So what's up?"  The redhead slunk into the kitchen and turned a chair around, straddling it.  He crossed his slender arms over the back and rested his chin on them.  Schu's jade eyes were serious for a change, and concerned.

            "I'm trying to reach a decision."

            "About?"

            "Esset, and us."

            "Ah."  He understood, Brad didn't have to explain.  He had been there, in their loving embrace for the longest, except for Crawford.  He had seen how Esset worked, how they dealt with failure, and betrayal.  Farf had been more or less oblivious to it all, as delusional as he had been at the time.  Brad suspected Psyche had kept the man that way to study him, like some type of human guinea pig.  Farf refused to speak of his time there, and oddly enough, Schuldich refused to 'peek'.  Nagi of course, had spent almost no time with Esset.  They had gotten him basic training in his telekinetic power, it was easier if each specialty trained their own, but even that had been rushed.  The rest they had done themselves in the field.  Besides, Nagi had only been nine; too young to really understand the workings and intrigue that went on in that particular layer of Hell.  Thank goodness for small favors.

            "So what choices do we have?"

            "Huh?"

            "With, Esset.  What are our options?  I mean, you're not doing this on your own are you?  Despite what you might assume, Schwarz is more than just a field team.  I would hope you would let us lackeys have a little input as to our future."

            Crawford blinked.  He hadn't considered that.  He just figured he would make the decision and they would obey, like always.

            "You weren't going to, were you?  You were just going to decide for us."  'Brad, when are you going to realize, that we care for each other, that we care for you?  And somewhere, deep inside that cold heart of yours, you care for us too.'

            "That's not how it was supposed to be."

            'It's not what you planned on, but who's to say what the future brings?  Point is, this affects all of us, not just you.  Think about that.'  He rose, righted his chair, and left after snitching a beer from the fridge.  Crawford didn't even bother him about that, deep in thought.

            /He's right.  I've only been thinking about what I want.  But what is best for the team?  Esset is not pleased with us.  We let Weiss kill Takatori.  Well, the man was supposed to die anyways, what was the harm in letting those 'flower boys' do the work for us?  Besides, it served to get them off our backs for a bit.  That whole deal with Schreient was a mess.  Esset wanted Masafumi to take over for his father?  Why?  The man was deranged, his pet assassin-girls not much better.  And now, this whole 'summoning' ceremony.  What are they trying to accomplish?  What do they hope to do with that power?  No, it's not just 'power', it is a demon, devil, yatu; whatever name you give 'it', it's not a good thing.  'Power', I don't have a problem with.  'Power' is neither evil nor good, it simply is.  But what Esset is trying to raise, is evil. /

            "Schuldich?"

            "Yeah, boss?"  Schu looked in from the living room.

            "What do you say we talk about throwing off the yokes?"

            "Bout damn time!"

            Crawford smiled.

Keep me cautious, keep me safe, just in case there's a chance I can leave this wheel behind me…

            It was clear; staying with Esset could only lead to disaster.  They had sat around the table in the kitchen, and for the first time, actually discussed what Schwarz would do.  He had to admit, Schu had been right, this was something that Brad could not just dictate to them, cause it was more than just money or power this time, it was their lives.  Regretfully, Fujimiya Aya had already been turned over to Esset for preparation.  They needed to find another way to disrupt the coming ceremony.  Schu and Farf had been in favor of simply bombing the leaders' plane, till Nagi pointed out that there was no way to tell exactly what powers the three had.  The German grumbled and commented that the unholy bastards would probably survive anyways. 

            How to do this… how to break away from Esset without dying in the process?  Farf, after expressing his desire to 'send those freaks to Hell', had lost interest and drifted away from the conversation.  Nagi had been sent off to bed when Schu noticed how late it was going, the kid had school after all.  Brad was seriously considering the boy's request for home schooling.  He was, quite frankly, bored in school.  Even with his lack of real education until the age of nine, he was too bright for most academic programs.  He had gotten used to studying on his own with all the moving around they'd done in the last few years.  And he missed a lot of days due to their, 'other' work.  It helped that he appeared so sickly, made the excuses easy, but he still deserved better.  If they survived the next few weeks, Brad promised himself that he would look into Nagi's request, maybe then the kid could get some sleep.

            So now, it was just Schu and himself, a couple cups of coffee, and a huge problem.

            "Hey, Braddy?"

            "Don't call me that."  It was automatic, nearly a joke between them by now.  "What?"

            "You know that girl… the one we've seen following Fujimiya."

            "What about her?"

            "Well, I don't know if you've noticed… but she looks a lot like Aya, the sister."

            He rested his chin on his folded hands and thought about it.  She did resemble the comatose girl.  Hair color was lighter, but the facial structure, the height, body shape.  The first few glimmers of a plan started to form in his mind.

            "You may be on to something, Schuldich.  I've got an idea…"

            Would it be enough?  Would they be able to leave Esset behind them?  Was this the right choice?  What would happen if they stayed with Esset?  The questions whirled around in his mind.  Brad settled into the comfortable chair in his room.  Everyone else was asleep; this was to time to try to uncover what exactly was in store for them.  He had waited till there would be no distractions.  Slipping into a light meditative trance with the ease of long practice, he actively sought out the visions.  His power worked in two ways, most often; the visions simply came to him.  But with concentration, he could focus use his 'sight' voluntarily.  /What would happen to us, if we stayed with Esset? /

Stand in the middle and you won't get dizzy…

/The redhead stumbles down the dirty alley… jade green eyes hazy with pain… clothes torn and dirty… needle tracks down his thin arms… the man coughs, a strained, sickly sound… "No!!!  Get out!!!  I want it to stop… stop it all… stop the voices…Why Brad?  Why did this happen?  Why didn't you tell me?  Why…"  The man collapses, crying brokenly.  Years of pain/anger/hurt/frustration falling over him like a noose.  He reaches into a pocket of his stained green jacket… his delicate seeming hands pull out a knife… and slashes his arms from elbow to wrist… The man known only as Schuldich collapses in a pool of his own blood… /

Stand in the middle and you won't fall down…

            /The too-thin, sickly looking young man runs through the narrow streets of the warehouse district… he gasps painfully, trying to pull air into tortured lungs… an Esset agent appears in front of him, and then goes flying through the air to connect with the building's wall with a bone-crunching thud… the boy falls to his knees clutching his head as if in pain… migraines from using powers too much for too long… shouts echo down the street… he drags himself to his feet, pushing chocolate bangs from midnight blue eyes… he starts to run again and turns, to find himself boxed in, with agents behind… he backs up till he hits the rough concrete wall, eyes widening in fear… "Sorry, kid.  Looks like your time's run out."  The agents take aim… Nagi falls to the ground, trickling out of his mouth as he coughs weakly, blood blossoming like red flowers on his thin chest… /

If you stand in the middle you can keep your balance…

            /The pale Irishman slams his thin body once more against the barred door of his 'room'… the one wall, the one they watched him through, was bullet proof glass… not even a mirror so he couldn't see them… they came everyday, in their white coats, to watch him… like a rat in a cage… they ran tests to see how much pain was too much… even if he couldn't 'feel' it, his body was damaged… electricity, acid, razors, he couldn't feel it, the physical pain… but they found a way to hurt him… emotional pain… repeatedly showing him the deaths of his teammates, the only people who had ever cared for him… and psychic pain… using him as a lab rat for new telepaths and telempaths to practice on… no privacy, no dignity, no hope… he sat despondent, waiting, wishing that for once, they'd screw up… the latest round of torture was over for the day, the white coats pack up their equipment and notebooks and scurry off to their homes and families… wait… a forgotten article of clothing catches his eye… a scarf… stretching, he can just barely reach it… he cradles the slim piece of fabric as if it were a holy relic… maybe it was… silk… and strong…  it's just long enough to wrap around the top support for the bars of his 'cage'… he slips the makeshift noose over his head and smiles… "Fuck you, God!"… he lets his knees bend, the noose tightens… /

Stand in the middle while the wheel spins round and round…

            /It was an odd facet of his power… that he couldn't see himself… he could see things as if through his eyes, but he couldn't see himself the way he could the others… he stood in the center of a whirling maelstrom… images, dreams, visions, flew by too fast to see or comprehend… where was his future?…  did he have one?… Suddenly, all motion stopped… and he realized he was looking at… himself… "Who?"  "You should know me."  "But, I can't see myself." "Not your current incarnation, no." "I don't understand." "I am you, but not you." "Me but not me?" "Yes.  I am the 'you' of the past… or the 'you' of the future… it does not matter… but I am you."  "So you're me, but not me, from the past or the future?"  "Perhaps… perhaps I am merely a shadow of yourself, an illusion if you will, created by you, and destroyed by you." "I'm not going insane am I?" "Perhaps… or perhaps you are ready for the truth." "The truth?  Of what?" "Your existence.  You seek answers that do not exist.  What happens in the future is caused by the past.  You see beyond the present, by some accident of fate.  But that knowledge does not always help you to arrive at the correct answers does it?" "No."  "You are concerned for others, not just yourself.  That is a noble thing.  It may be the one thing that can save you." /

I'm a slave of Karma, spin the wheel and I'm a king reborn.

I'm a slave to Karma, I'm coming back, yeah I'll be coming back,

But for the last time…

            Schuldich's fun with Sakura and that Weiss kitten had been entertaining, but now it was time to get down to business.  Their headquarters had been infiltrated, it was time to leave.  He gave orders for the transportation of the girl and left with Nagi.  Farf would be coming with Schuldich and Sakura.  Events were racing forward.  Soon the time would come and they would cast off their chains, or die trying.  The vision hit without warning and he swore.

            "What's wrong, Brad?"

            "Dammit!  I knew we shouldn't have underestimated that girl."

            "Who?  Aya?"

            "No, Sakura."

            "Did she escape?"

            "Oddly enough, no.  But Schuldich thinks she did."

            "Then what's the problem?"

            "She took Aya's place and left the girl hidden in a closet."

            "So we go back and get her."

            "Weiss will have retrieved her before we arrive.  Damn!  Do not breath a word of this to anyone!  We will be meeting with the Esset leaders upon arrival; they can't know we don't have the girl.  It's our heads if they do."

How do all the wheels inside the wheels revolving,

Go on, and on, and on, and on, and on…

            /It is imperative that I project cool confidence.  I cannot let them know things are out of control.  If they suspect us of failure, they will kill us.  If they suspect us of betrayal… death would be preferable to what they would do.  They can't know the 'host' is missing.  Damn that girl!  Why the Hell would she do such a thing anyways?  I hope my shields are holding.  I had Schu test them before we entered, had him test all of us.  No one broke, and he is the strongest telepath I've ever met.  Even if the leaders are more powerful, they haven't had to use that power in so long, they are rusty.  They've become complacent over the years, confident in their dominance of Esset.  No more.  WE WILL BE PAWNS NO LONGER! /

            'If you don't calm your thoughts, you are going to make them suspicious.'

            'Schu?  I was projecting?'

            'Not yet.  Aura.'

            He calmed his roiling thoughts and focused on the task at hand, convincing the three wizened relics in front of them of Schwarz's sincerity.

Spinning on the wheel the souls of one evolving,

Live on, live on, live on, live on, live on…

            "She wanted him to see his sister… how… nauseating."  Brad tried not to smile at Schu's disgust.  He'd had it with the girl.  She was a menace.  He was sure her motives were pure and all that crap, but it was interfering with their plans.

            "Nagi.  Go to the flowershop and deliver a message for me."  He thought for a moment and wrote it down.  "Tell them this."  The young man took the paper and read it only once, photographic memory.  He tossed it in the trash and started out.  "Nagi, be careful.  I don't think they will attack you but…"

            "I will, Brad.  See you later, Whore."

            "Bite me, Brat."

            Crawford waited for Nagi to leave.  "Schu, you and Farf wait for Fujimiya to leave, and then go in and get the girl."

            "You don't think he'll bring her to the meeting place?"

            "No chance.  Not after he's gotten her back.  Sakura and I will go meet our kitten."

            After they left, he dragged the young girl out to his car and shoved her in, none too gently.  "Why are you doing this?"  Oh God, she was nearly crying. 

            "We are just trying to survive."

Anyone who claims that they know the answer's, Coming back again, again, again…

            'Braddy, is this going to work?'  They'd done all they could; all they had to do now was wait.  The switch had been made, no one noticed when the host was wheeled out, that her hair was a little too light and that she was drugged, not in a coma.

            'Don't call me Braddy.  I don't know.  It's hidden from me.'  They had done their best.  They waited in the museum's tower room for whoever would come. 

            'Hidden from you?  Why?  Who could do that?  Those old fools?'

            'No.  They couldn't do this, even if they were aware of our plans.'

            'Then who could block your 'sight'?'

            'Only myself.'

            'Brad?'

            Schu's telepathy was so much a part of him, that he couldn't conceive of anyone deliberately blocking their power in this way.  But Crawford saw his talents as more of an extension of him, rather than a part of him.  Kind of like the way a sword or gun was an extension of the body, where as the fist was part of it.   'Schuldich, there are times when knowledge does not help you to arrive at the correct answer.'

            'I don't understand.'

            'I know.'

Who's at the center of the Wheel? The inventor of the Wheel?  Or another spinning servant?…

            /Well well well, one of those wizened old fools actually survived.  He doubts that we will kill him, that we can kill him.  What an idiot.  We served this for all these years.  We should have done this a long time ago. /

            Schu had linked them all, easier to coordinate attacks that way.  He sent his warning through the link.  'Watch out, he's gonna try something.'

            The man's awesome power rippled through the floor, the crack snaking it's way toward Nagi.  /How stupid!  Aim at the one Schwarz member who can actually STOP a physical attack.  Hmm.  Maybe he just thinks because he is young, Nagi is an easy target.  What an idiot! /  'Will someone just kill this asshole already?'

            Farfarello didn't even bother to respond, just made one of those amazing leaps of his, and ran his poniard right through the old fossil's chest.  The former leader of Esset collapsed with a pathetic groan, just as the door was flung open.

            'Oh look, the entertainment's here!'

            It took all of Crawford's control not to laugh.  'Now now, Schuldich.  Let's at least try to be serious.'

            'You be serious, I'm gonna have some fun.'  He moved in to confront Youji.

            'Schu, kindly remember he is an enemy.  You can jump him when this whole mess is over with.'  The telepath didn't respond.  'Farf, Nagi, Fujimiya's mine, you take the other two.'  He ignored the presence of Sakura, even when that redheaded bimbo former-secretary for Persia showed up.  He let them leave with Aya.  He had what he wanted.

I'm the master of my wheel,

Of my very own wheel, universal and recurrent…

            The building was starting to shiver dangerously.  Those explosions earlier must have damaged the integrity of the cavern beneath the massive museum.  He had one last flash of 'sight'.  'Everyone brace yourselves… the floor is going to collapse soon.'

            'Will we survive, Braddy?'

            'I don't know.'

            'If not… I'll see you in Hell.'

            'Can we hurt God from there?'

            'Sure Farf, we can hurt God plenty.'

            'Is it too much to ask that you guys think positively for a change?'

            'Optimism, Nagi-kins, from you?!'

            'Shut up, Whore.'

            'Bite me, Brat.'

            'I love you guys.  Thanks for saving me.'

            'I think I'm gonna puke.'

            Their private conversation died away as the floor fell out from under them.  Weiss, Schwarz, it was every man for himself.  As he hit the icy water, Brad wondered if any of them would survive.  He decided that it didn't matter.  He, and all of Schwarz, were pawns no longer.

           

/"Who?"  "You should know me."  "But, I can't see myself." "Not your current incarnation, no." "I don't understand." "I am you, but not you." "Me but not me?" "Yes.  I am the 'you' of the past… or the 'you' of the future… it does not matter… but I am you."  "So you're me, but not me, from the past or the future?"  "Perhaps… perhaps I am merely a shadow of yourself, an illusion if you will, created by you, and destroyed by you." "I'm not going insane am I?" "Perhaps… or perhaps you are ready for the truth." "The truth?  Of what?" "Your existence.  You seek answers that do not exist.  What happens in the future is caused by the past.  You see beyond the present, by some accident of fate.  But that knowledge does not always help you to arrive at the correct answers does it?" "No."  "You are concerned for others, not just yourself.  That is a noble thing.  It may be the one thing that can save you." /

I'm a slave of Karma, spin the wheel and I'm a king reborn.

I'm a slave to Karma, I'm coming back, yeah I'll be coming back,

But for the last time…

-sin sin, tis done-

Well… that was a weird one.  I told Blaze I was writing a sympathetic Crawford and he asked if I was sick.  Said he wanted to take my temperature.  LOL  Oh well, I guess my muse has a sense of humor, or irony, after all.  I'm not sure which yet.  And it actually fit in with the show.  That's amazing by itself.  Glad I was finally able to use this song, I've only wanted to for about two months.  If you haven't listened to it, I recommend you do, it's really cool and sounds very Indian, especially at the beginning.  Being about Karma, what do you expect, ne?  Well, now that THAT's out of my system, we will return to our usual portrayal of Brad (you know, the cold-hearted bastard you love to hate…  ^_~  Gomen nasai, Crawford fans… but he DID slap my Nagi-kins…).