"Who's there?!" a feminine voice demanded. The voice sounded frightened.
A young woman who looked to be 16 or 17 stepped out of the shadows. She
held three darts in her right hand, poised and ready to be thrown at will.
Her green eyes held fire, and her brown hair was short and curly, not yet
mussed by sleep, and it framed her pale face. She wore a tank top and moon-
print flannel pants, apparently in her pajamas.
Omi cautiously put one foot forward.
"Stop!" The girl glared. "Don't come any closer, until I know you aren't my enemy!"
The young assassin crouched down, never breaking eye contact with the girl. Her eyes followed him as he set his crossbow on the floor, then stood up. "I'm not here to hurt you, miss."
The girl snorted. "That's what they all say. Now, tell me who the heck you are, and what are you doing in my apartment?!" She did not relax one iota as she awaited his response.
Omi held his hands in front of him to show that he was unarmed. "I've been sent.to.ehr." He paused. I can't tell her my mission! He gulped as he felt a sharp object perilously close to his throat. The girl had crossed the room, and was pressing the side of one of her darts against his throat, the tip less than half a millimeter away from his artery. Rather unconventional use of darts.I'll have to remember that one. Omi's blue eyes shifted nervously. If I don't tell her, I may be dead in half a second.I've got no choice. "I've been sent to protect you. Though from the looks of it, you seem to have it pretty well covered."
The girl retained a suspicious expression, but she did let up on the pressure at his throat. Omi rubbed the spot reflexively, then looked at her as she stepped back. His breath caught in his throat. Kami- sama.it's her!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ otakuforChrist Productions Presents. A fanfic by Brooklyn Bridge herself. With characters from WeiB Kreuz, a series Brooky does not claim as her own. And other original characters by Brooky.
Kuchizuke no Promise, Act I: I Will Protect You (It's unquestionably cheesy.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*~*~*~*~*~*The mists of memory cloud the scene*~*~*~*~*~* "No way, Ken-kun, I don't want to go on a blind date. Every time I find a girl I like, the enemy finds out!" Omi glared, a pained expression on his face. Ken put his hand on Omi's shoulder. "Omi-kun. We don't have an enemy right now." He put his other hand on Omi's other shoulder. "I understand how you feel. But you need this break. Badly. We all do." He smiled. "Besides, this girl is exactly your type."
Omi looked at Ken, desperately trying to find a shred of evidence that would prove he couldn't go. Finding none, his expression settled to one of reluctant acceptance. "Alright then." Then his face perked up. "When did she have in mind?"
A couple days later, Omi waited nervously outside Mon Cherie Café, a bouquet of freesia clasped in his hands. He glanced around. I hope I'm at the right place. He turned to look at the outside tables.
"Um, excuse me? Are you Tsukiyono Omi?"
Omi nearly jumped five feet in the air at the feminine voice behind him, and quickly turned around. "Oh.k-konnichi wa, Shya-na-san."
She smiled. "Please don't think I'm rude, but my name is Shawna, not Shyana. I'm American."
Omi blushed. "Oh, g-gomen nasai, Shawna-san, I."
She giggled. "It's okay, Omi-san." As Omi handed her the bouquet, her green eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you! They're so pretty!" She buried her face in them for a moment, then looked at him again. "So, where do you want to go?"
The blue-eyed boy blushed slightly. "Anno.nani go hoshii des-ka? I'll go where you want to go, okay?" He smiled cheerfully.
Shawna tapped her lips with one finger. "Hm.do you want to go to the park? Or we can get some food first. My treat." She beamed. "Ii des yo."
Omi returned her smile and nodded. "Un." They walked together towards the park, conversing as they strolled.
"So, how do you know Ken-kun?"
Omi sweatdropped. "Ee? Eto.he's.a friend from cram school."
Shawna raised an eyebrow. "Someone smart like you attended a cram school? Masaka!" she teased.
Omi laughed nervously. "Anyway, how do you know Ken-kun?" He was surprised to see her blush a pretty pink. "We.dated at one point.we've been friends for a long time, actually.he was my penpal before I came to live here. It's kind of a long story, so to keep things simple I'll make it short and say it didn't work out and we're no more than good friends." She shrugged. "It would have been nice, but we were too alike. It was like dating my own brother."
He nodded. "Aa, sou des-ka." The silence that followed them to the park was a bit ackward, but they were both enjoying themselves thoroughly. They spent about twenty minutes in the park, just talking mostly, then went back to the café for a bite to eat. Omi gave Shawna a ride back to the apartment she shared with a girl named Reiko, giving her a slip of paper with his phone number and address on it. "I hope we can do this again sometime."
Shawna smiled. "Me too. Thanks for a fun time today!" At his nod, she smiled and turned to go inside. "Ja, ne." *~*~*~*The mists of memory recede leaving only the reality of the present*~*~*~*
The girl Omi now recognized as Shawna, still keeping one eye on him, reached to turn on the light, then turned her full gaze on him. She squinted, then her green eyes widened in surprise and shock. "Omi-san?!"
Omi took off his hat and goggles, sticking them in his pocket. "Hai, it's me."
Shawna put one hand to her mouth. "Oh my goodness." Scrubbing at her eyes, she glared at him again. "Now you really have to explain why you're here. And what's with the crossbow? Hold on a second." She patted a spot on the sofa. "Sit here, I'll go make some tea."
Omi blinked and sat down as Shawna went into her tiny kitchen. She sure is changeable, that's for sure.
Shortly after, she came out carrying a tray with a teapot and two mugs. After pouring them both some tea, and stirring a generous amount of sugar and lemon into hers, she sat at the other end of the small sofa with her legs tucked under her. "So what's up?" she asked tersely. Her green eyes looked at him over the rim of her mug.
The assassin looked at her, then down at his tea uncomfortably. "..."
Shawna set her tea on the table. "Look, if something is going on that concerns me, I need to know about it." She leaned her elbows on her thighs, her arms crossing loosely. "A lot of.strange things.have been happening lately."
Omi straightened up a little and set his mug down. "Strange things? Like what?"
She pulled the green blanket off the back of the couch and put it around her shoulders. "I've noticed people following me when I'm out. Total strangers. I've also been getting phone calls where I answered and there was only silence. And that's not all." She looked away. "I used to have a roommate. Before I moved here. Her name was Kishiyama Reiko."
Omi's memory flashed back to their date, when he'd dropped her off. I remember.the names next to the intercom button were Kishiyama and Jacques.
"I came home from cram school one day.and." She paused and closed her eyes, as if steadying herself. "I found her lying in a pool of her own blood. She was shot in the head." Shawna's eyes snapped open, glistening brightly with tears. "The police tried to tell me that it was suicide. They said that it was the only possible way. But they never found the gun." After brushing a hand across her eyes, she continued. "Obviously, I couldn't stay there. I called Reiko's boyfriend, and we made funeral arrangements. I moved out as soon as I could."
He made as if to say something, but stopped as she began again.
"For about 2 months, everything was fine. Then I started getting threatening letters. The police told me they were just pranks at first, but when they persisted, they tested the most recent one. There were no fingerprints, no evidence to lead to any kind of solution. But the worst began about 2 weeks ago. I came home from work and my apartment was totally trashed. It looked like someone had gone through my things. All the drawers were dumped out, all the cupboards open. The weirdest thing was that nothing was missing. It's like whoever did this was looking for something. The only evidence was a piece of paper with the word 'Blitz' on it in red ink." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do, Omi- san. But if you know what the heck is going on, you'd better tell me, or I swear, I'm gonna."
"Shawna-san."
She stopped mid-rant.
He held up a gloved hand. "I don't know exactly what is going on. I do know that someone is after you, and that I've been sent to keep an eye on you. At the moment, I cannot tell you who sent me or what exactly I know. But I do know this. The death of your roommate." He paused as she flinched. Hesistantly, he touched her hand. "The death of your roommate is linked to all the other incidents."
Shawna's hand clenched into a fist under his touch. "But what am I supposed to do?! My life has been a living hell for the past two months, because I never know if I'm going to live to see the next day!" She withdrew her hand and put both to her face. "I'm so afraid, Omi-san." A tear slipped through her fingers, glittering as it fell. "I'm afraid that someone is going to steal my life, and I can't do anything about it because I don't even know who I can trust anymore." She broke off as she cried, her shoulders shaking from both sobs and fear.
Omi would have been at a loss if she was Japanese, but since she was American, she wouldn't be insulted if he touched her. He gently put his arms around her, her face against his shoulder, his lips close to her ear. "Let it out." He knew that saying anything else at that moment wouldn't help her much, so he merely held her until her sobs became less violent. She leaned against him, drawing shuddery breaths and keeping her eyes closed. Omi kept his arms around her, understanding her feelings of fearful solitude. "I will protect you."
She sat up suddenly, her eyes red and puffy and her face flushed. "But.why?"
Omi was slightly taken aback, and he was a little unsure of how to answer her tearful query. Then he smiled gently. "The people who killed Kishiyama-san and are after your life are evil. They have to be stopped, and they must never be forgiven." He put his hands on her face. "I have to make sure they don't steal another precious life."
Shawna threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."
He was very surprised and he felt his face go hot. He sat there, uncertain of what to do, but was saved by her pulling away.
"Omi-san? It's getting really late.I should probably try to sleep." She peeked out the window. Unseasonal rain poured down in sheets, the wind driving it slanted. "The weather's nasty right now.if you go out in it, you'll get soaked." She sniffled, then smiled. "Why don't you sleep on the sofa tonight? It's really comfortable."
The petite pretty boy blushed, then returned her smile. "If it's not a bother to you."
Shawna went over to a cupboard and pulled out an extra pillow and two more blankets. She tossed them to Omi, who wasn't paying attention and was hit in the face. She whisked the tray to the kitchen, and paused on her way into her own room. "Sweet dreams, Omi-san." She patted his shoulder and disappeared into her small bedroom, the door closing behind her.
A small smile spread across his face. "Sweet dreams, Shawna-san." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Next time: "Weib? What's that?" "You're what?" "It's not what you think!" Stay tuned for Kuchizuke no Promise, Act II: What Must Be +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Omi cautiously put one foot forward.
"Stop!" The girl glared. "Don't come any closer, until I know you aren't my enemy!"
The young assassin crouched down, never breaking eye contact with the girl. Her eyes followed him as he set his crossbow on the floor, then stood up. "I'm not here to hurt you, miss."
The girl snorted. "That's what they all say. Now, tell me who the heck you are, and what are you doing in my apartment?!" She did not relax one iota as she awaited his response.
Omi held his hands in front of him to show that he was unarmed. "I've been sent.to.ehr." He paused. I can't tell her my mission! He gulped as he felt a sharp object perilously close to his throat. The girl had crossed the room, and was pressing the side of one of her darts against his throat, the tip less than half a millimeter away from his artery. Rather unconventional use of darts.I'll have to remember that one. Omi's blue eyes shifted nervously. If I don't tell her, I may be dead in half a second.I've got no choice. "I've been sent to protect you. Though from the looks of it, you seem to have it pretty well covered."
The girl retained a suspicious expression, but she did let up on the pressure at his throat. Omi rubbed the spot reflexively, then looked at her as she stepped back. His breath caught in his throat. Kami- sama.it's her!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ otakuforChrist Productions Presents. A fanfic by Brooklyn Bridge herself. With characters from WeiB Kreuz, a series Brooky does not claim as her own. And other original characters by Brooky.
Kuchizuke no Promise, Act I: I Will Protect You (It's unquestionably cheesy.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*~*~*~*~*~*The mists of memory cloud the scene*~*~*~*~*~* "No way, Ken-kun, I don't want to go on a blind date. Every time I find a girl I like, the enemy finds out!" Omi glared, a pained expression on his face. Ken put his hand on Omi's shoulder. "Omi-kun. We don't have an enemy right now." He put his other hand on Omi's other shoulder. "I understand how you feel. But you need this break. Badly. We all do." He smiled. "Besides, this girl is exactly your type."
Omi looked at Ken, desperately trying to find a shred of evidence that would prove he couldn't go. Finding none, his expression settled to one of reluctant acceptance. "Alright then." Then his face perked up. "When did she have in mind?"
A couple days later, Omi waited nervously outside Mon Cherie Café, a bouquet of freesia clasped in his hands. He glanced around. I hope I'm at the right place. He turned to look at the outside tables.
"Um, excuse me? Are you Tsukiyono Omi?"
Omi nearly jumped five feet in the air at the feminine voice behind him, and quickly turned around. "Oh.k-konnichi wa, Shya-na-san."
She smiled. "Please don't think I'm rude, but my name is Shawna, not Shyana. I'm American."
Omi blushed. "Oh, g-gomen nasai, Shawna-san, I."
She giggled. "It's okay, Omi-san." As Omi handed her the bouquet, her green eyes lit up. "Oh, thank you! They're so pretty!" She buried her face in them for a moment, then looked at him again. "So, where do you want to go?"
The blue-eyed boy blushed slightly. "Anno.nani go hoshii des-ka? I'll go where you want to go, okay?" He smiled cheerfully.
Shawna tapped her lips with one finger. "Hm.do you want to go to the park? Or we can get some food first. My treat." She beamed. "Ii des yo."
Omi returned her smile and nodded. "Un." They walked together towards the park, conversing as they strolled.
"So, how do you know Ken-kun?"
Omi sweatdropped. "Ee? Eto.he's.a friend from cram school."
Shawna raised an eyebrow. "Someone smart like you attended a cram school? Masaka!" she teased.
Omi laughed nervously. "Anyway, how do you know Ken-kun?" He was surprised to see her blush a pretty pink. "We.dated at one point.we've been friends for a long time, actually.he was my penpal before I came to live here. It's kind of a long story, so to keep things simple I'll make it short and say it didn't work out and we're no more than good friends." She shrugged. "It would have been nice, but we were too alike. It was like dating my own brother."
He nodded. "Aa, sou des-ka." The silence that followed them to the park was a bit ackward, but they were both enjoying themselves thoroughly. They spent about twenty minutes in the park, just talking mostly, then went back to the café for a bite to eat. Omi gave Shawna a ride back to the apartment she shared with a girl named Reiko, giving her a slip of paper with his phone number and address on it. "I hope we can do this again sometime."
Shawna smiled. "Me too. Thanks for a fun time today!" At his nod, she smiled and turned to go inside. "Ja, ne." *~*~*~*The mists of memory recede leaving only the reality of the present*~*~*~*
The girl Omi now recognized as Shawna, still keeping one eye on him, reached to turn on the light, then turned her full gaze on him. She squinted, then her green eyes widened in surprise and shock. "Omi-san?!"
Omi took off his hat and goggles, sticking them in his pocket. "Hai, it's me."
Shawna put one hand to her mouth. "Oh my goodness." Scrubbing at her eyes, she glared at him again. "Now you really have to explain why you're here. And what's with the crossbow? Hold on a second." She patted a spot on the sofa. "Sit here, I'll go make some tea."
Omi blinked and sat down as Shawna went into her tiny kitchen. She sure is changeable, that's for sure.
Shortly after, she came out carrying a tray with a teapot and two mugs. After pouring them both some tea, and stirring a generous amount of sugar and lemon into hers, she sat at the other end of the small sofa with her legs tucked under her. "So what's up?" she asked tersely. Her green eyes looked at him over the rim of her mug.
The assassin looked at her, then down at his tea uncomfortably. "..."
Shawna set her tea on the table. "Look, if something is going on that concerns me, I need to know about it." She leaned her elbows on her thighs, her arms crossing loosely. "A lot of.strange things.have been happening lately."
Omi straightened up a little and set his mug down. "Strange things? Like what?"
She pulled the green blanket off the back of the couch and put it around her shoulders. "I've noticed people following me when I'm out. Total strangers. I've also been getting phone calls where I answered and there was only silence. And that's not all." She looked away. "I used to have a roommate. Before I moved here. Her name was Kishiyama Reiko."
Omi's memory flashed back to their date, when he'd dropped her off. I remember.the names next to the intercom button were Kishiyama and Jacques.
"I came home from cram school one day.and." She paused and closed her eyes, as if steadying herself. "I found her lying in a pool of her own blood. She was shot in the head." Shawna's eyes snapped open, glistening brightly with tears. "The police tried to tell me that it was suicide. They said that it was the only possible way. But they never found the gun." After brushing a hand across her eyes, she continued. "Obviously, I couldn't stay there. I called Reiko's boyfriend, and we made funeral arrangements. I moved out as soon as I could."
He made as if to say something, but stopped as she began again.
"For about 2 months, everything was fine. Then I started getting threatening letters. The police told me they were just pranks at first, but when they persisted, they tested the most recent one. There were no fingerprints, no evidence to lead to any kind of solution. But the worst began about 2 weeks ago. I came home from work and my apartment was totally trashed. It looked like someone had gone through my things. All the drawers were dumped out, all the cupboards open. The weirdest thing was that nothing was missing. It's like whoever did this was looking for something. The only evidence was a piece of paper with the word 'Blitz' on it in red ink." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do, Omi- san. But if you know what the heck is going on, you'd better tell me, or I swear, I'm gonna."
"Shawna-san."
She stopped mid-rant.
He held up a gloved hand. "I don't know exactly what is going on. I do know that someone is after you, and that I've been sent to keep an eye on you. At the moment, I cannot tell you who sent me or what exactly I know. But I do know this. The death of your roommate." He paused as she flinched. Hesistantly, he touched her hand. "The death of your roommate is linked to all the other incidents."
Shawna's hand clenched into a fist under his touch. "But what am I supposed to do?! My life has been a living hell for the past two months, because I never know if I'm going to live to see the next day!" She withdrew her hand and put both to her face. "I'm so afraid, Omi-san." A tear slipped through her fingers, glittering as it fell. "I'm afraid that someone is going to steal my life, and I can't do anything about it because I don't even know who I can trust anymore." She broke off as she cried, her shoulders shaking from both sobs and fear.
Omi would have been at a loss if she was Japanese, but since she was American, she wouldn't be insulted if he touched her. He gently put his arms around her, her face against his shoulder, his lips close to her ear. "Let it out." He knew that saying anything else at that moment wouldn't help her much, so he merely held her until her sobs became less violent. She leaned against him, drawing shuddery breaths and keeping her eyes closed. Omi kept his arms around her, understanding her feelings of fearful solitude. "I will protect you."
She sat up suddenly, her eyes red and puffy and her face flushed. "But.why?"
Omi was slightly taken aback, and he was a little unsure of how to answer her tearful query. Then he smiled gently. "The people who killed Kishiyama-san and are after your life are evil. They have to be stopped, and they must never be forgiven." He put his hands on her face. "I have to make sure they don't steal another precious life."
Shawna threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much."
He was very surprised and he felt his face go hot. He sat there, uncertain of what to do, but was saved by her pulling away.
"Omi-san? It's getting really late.I should probably try to sleep." She peeked out the window. Unseasonal rain poured down in sheets, the wind driving it slanted. "The weather's nasty right now.if you go out in it, you'll get soaked." She sniffled, then smiled. "Why don't you sleep on the sofa tonight? It's really comfortable."
The petite pretty boy blushed, then returned her smile. "If it's not a bother to you."
Shawna went over to a cupboard and pulled out an extra pillow and two more blankets. She tossed them to Omi, who wasn't paying attention and was hit in the face. She whisked the tray to the kitchen, and paused on her way into her own room. "Sweet dreams, Omi-san." She patted his shoulder and disappeared into her small bedroom, the door closing behind her.
A small smile spread across his face. "Sweet dreams, Shawna-san." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Next time: "Weib? What's that?" "You're what?" "It's not what you think!" Stay tuned for Kuchizuke no Promise, Act II: What Must Be +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++