Hello! Um... In order to read this, I hope you have first read my other story, "Nefarious Scheme." This is a sequel, so there's a lot of pertinent information in there. This story involves an original character, who I hope to bring back. Yay angst!
"Get out."
The sharp slap was followed by a resounding thud as Schuldich was knocked out of the bed.
"Brad --"
"Get out!"
Schuldich stumbled to his feet. "Bradley, what --"
Crawford grasped the German's chin roughly. His eyes were ablaze with fury as he spoke, his voice a low growl.
"Get your stinking, lying, treacherous body out of my bed and into the street where a whore like you belongs." He let Schuldich go, flinging him across the room.
Schuldich's sleep-addled brain, coupled with the sudden awakening and pain, left him confused.
"I don't understand..."
"Don't play innocent with me, Schuldig," Crawford sneered, emphasizing the German word. "You've lied to me. You manipulated me for your own pleasure."
He turned around. Schuldich had gone pale as realization sunk in. "But no more! Your treachery has outdone you, Mastermind."
Schuldich swallowed. "Bradley, please." His voice was barely audible. "I may have lied to begin with, but other than that single lie, I meant what I said. All of it." His hand turned the doorknob. "If you don't want it, I'll leave."
The door closed behind the telepath with a quiet *snickt,* leaving Crawford alone to curse him and the darkness.
*I don't suppose you had any part in this,* Schuldich muttered to Nagi as he passed his room.
*Wha --?* Nagi was asleep.
Schuldich rummaged through his room, dressing hurridly. *Bradley found out. I don't know how he fucking did it, but he knows.* With a sharp click, he pulled back the clip of his gun, making sure it was fully loaded, then shoved it back in place.
Nagi stood in his door. "Schu, you're not gonna..."
Schuldich smiled sadly. "No, I"m not going to shoot the bastard. Though he deserves it for not trusting me.
"I'm just leaving." Pulling out a credit card, he showed it to Nagi. "I'll be using this card. Don't let Bradley track it."
"Where are you going?"
Schuldich smiled slightly as he brushed by Nagi on the way out the door.
"I'll tell you when I find out."
He walked through the darkened park, a silent shadow, leaving no trace of his passing. The dewy grass sprung up beneath his step, dampening the hem of his pants. The light seemed to avoid him, leaving him to flee in silence.
*What am I doing?!* Schuldich thought furiously. *When I started this, what was I looking for? When did I begin to mean what I said?*
He wasn't prepared for this. He'd thought Bradley would never find out about his deception. He'd certainly never thought that he'd leave in the middle of the night, after a fight, and with no warning.
He shook his head, then ducked to escape a branch as he entered a slightly forested area.
He slumped against a tree, keeping himself upright by slinging an arm around a branch over his head.
He sighed, looking back at the field, lit an eerie grey by moonlight. He hadn't felt this unsure since...
He pulled his mind off the self-destructive train of thought. He wasn't called Mastermind for nothing. He could make this work.
Just as soon as he found some place to sleep and lick his wounds.
"Get out."
The sharp slap was followed by a resounding thud as Schuldich was knocked out of the bed.
"Brad --"
"Get out!"
Schuldich stumbled to his feet. "Bradley, what --"
Crawford grasped the German's chin roughly. His eyes were ablaze with fury as he spoke, his voice a low growl.
"Get your stinking, lying, treacherous body out of my bed and into the street where a whore like you belongs." He let Schuldich go, flinging him across the room.
Schuldich's sleep-addled brain, coupled with the sudden awakening and pain, left him confused.
"I don't understand..."
"Don't play innocent with me, Schuldig," Crawford sneered, emphasizing the German word. "You've lied to me. You manipulated me for your own pleasure."
He turned around. Schuldich had gone pale as realization sunk in. "But no more! Your treachery has outdone you, Mastermind."
Schuldich swallowed. "Bradley, please." His voice was barely audible. "I may have lied to begin with, but other than that single lie, I meant what I said. All of it." His hand turned the doorknob. "If you don't want it, I'll leave."
The door closed behind the telepath with a quiet *snickt,* leaving Crawford alone to curse him and the darkness.
*I don't suppose you had any part in this,* Schuldich muttered to Nagi as he passed his room.
*Wha --?* Nagi was asleep.
Schuldich rummaged through his room, dressing hurridly. *Bradley found out. I don't know how he fucking did it, but he knows.* With a sharp click, he pulled back the clip of his gun, making sure it was fully loaded, then shoved it back in place.
Nagi stood in his door. "Schu, you're not gonna..."
Schuldich smiled sadly. "No, I"m not going to shoot the bastard. Though he deserves it for not trusting me.
"I'm just leaving." Pulling out a credit card, he showed it to Nagi. "I'll be using this card. Don't let Bradley track it."
"Where are you going?"
Schuldich smiled slightly as he brushed by Nagi on the way out the door.
"I'll tell you when I find out."
He walked through the darkened park, a silent shadow, leaving no trace of his passing. The dewy grass sprung up beneath his step, dampening the hem of his pants. The light seemed to avoid him, leaving him to flee in silence.
*What am I doing?!* Schuldich thought furiously. *When I started this, what was I looking for? When did I begin to mean what I said?*
He wasn't prepared for this. He'd thought Bradley would never find out about his deception. He'd certainly never thought that he'd leave in the middle of the night, after a fight, and with no warning.
He shook his head, then ducked to escape a branch as he entered a slightly forested area.
He slumped against a tree, keeping himself upright by slinging an arm around a branch over his head.
He sighed, looking back at the field, lit an eerie grey by moonlight. He hadn't felt this unsure since...
He pulled his mind off the self-destructive train of thought. He wasn't called Mastermind for nothing. He could make this work.
Just as soon as he found some place to sleep and lick his wounds.