Weiss II, Arc II
#4: Twists of Fate
By: Aries Draco
A/N: This chapter is up thanks to @_@. I got a pic of Mirai and Schu! *smile* If you wanna see it, I might post it up somewhere. Or I can just send it to you. Requests?
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The atmosphere in the safehouse was too oppressive. That was why Ken had chosen to go out and quite far away. The cabin was located in the woods in a small clearing. Which was good because it was hard to find and bad because it was hard to find should there be an emergency. Absently, he started dribbling the soccer ball. From the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow move. He spun.
"Can I play?" asked the person. It was a gaijin with dark gold hair. He seemed familiar.
"I've seen you before," stated Ken. "You're... Kristian?"
The young man nodded, pleased. "Yes. I saw movement in this direction. My family is here for a picnic so I decided to explore." There was an air of innocence around the youth. "Can I play with you? It'll only take ten minutes. Not that I can play longer than that."
"Sure," replied Ken cheerfully. Once soccer was in his mind, it was hard for him to be distracted by anything else. They passed the ball between them, practising tackling and such. Kristian was surprisingly good at the game.
Ken ran forward, stealing the ball from Kristian, laughing happily as they played his favourite game. To his surprise, Kristian knelt down on the ground, a hand on his chest.
"Are you okay?" asked Ken worriedly, going over to his side.
"I... I'll be okay in awhile," replied Kristian, eyes shut in pain. He looked up and smiled Ken. "Thanks for the game. I haven't enjoyed myself so much for a long, long time." Slowly, he stood up and went over to a tree, pulling a backpack from behind it. He reached in and popped a pill, swallowing it with a sip of water.
"Are you feeling better?"
Kristian nodded. He suddenly looked a little sad as he glanced down at his watch. "I have to be back now," he said. "I wish I could stay but I have to go."
"Oh. Bye, then."
Kristian smiled slightly, then disappeared through the trees.
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Sünde clutched at his stinging cheek, glaring up at Ryan. Their leader looked ready to slap him again.
"What is your damned problem, Sünde?" yelled Ryan. "Playing around with the enemy? What were you thinking?!"
"Can't I even have a little fun?!" Sünde yelled back. "God damn, I'm nineteen! I don't need you hanging over me like some deranged mother hen. Can't I even pursue my interest?!"
The hand came down again, this time hitting so hard that Sünde cut his lip. Ryan glared down angrily at the German. "Not if it's going to get you killed," he snapped. "There is a reason why I disallow you to do certain things. You are too weak to play soccer."
"But not so weak that I cannot kill," returned Sünde, seething with rage. "Well, f*ck you, Ryan." He got up and ran off into the forest.
They were there to spy on Weiss on sudden orders from above. Was it his fault that he wanted to play for awhile? It was not like that ex-Weiss assassin had recognised him or anything. Tears of rage spilled from his eyes as he ran aimlessly through the dark wood.
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"Oh, you're back," commented a voice.
Ken looked up. It was one of the new Weiss assassins. What was his name again? Nakata Kushin, was it?
"Yes?" replied Ken noncommittally.
"These are for you," said Kushin, holding up a set of files. "This is the current information we have on Neu Schwarz. Takatori-san thought that it might be good for everyone to recognise Schwarz's faces."
"Aa. Thank you." Ken took the file from the youth and started flipping through. He froze as he stopped at the profile for Faceless of Schwarz.
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Mirai was under strict orders to stay in bed while he recovered from his fever. The doctor ordered nutritious food so Schuldig went to the kitchen to get some for Mirai.
"Schuldig?"
The telepath looked up at the sound of his name… straight into brown eyes shaded by spectacles.
"Schuldig, do you remember me?" asked Crawford.
"Yes, why?" replied Schuldig, step-siding the man to get to the refrigerator to get some milk. Milk contains calcium which would help Mirai mend faster.
"Do you remember all of your past?"
"Almost," said the telepath stiffly. "Please get out of my way, Crawford. I have to bring breakfast to my Master." He started and nearly dropped the tray when Brad grabbed him by the wrist.
"If you remember, why are you still calling that boy 'Master'?" demanded Brad. "Why are you hovering by his side?"
Pain crossed the German's beautiful emerald eyes. "For the past five years, I have not been allowed to say anything other than 'Yes, Master' and 'No, Master'," said Schuldig, more than a little bitter. "Even then, I was scolded and beaten if I even dared address them. It was Mirai who saved me from it. I was abandoned and he found me. I was broken and he mended my mind. Where were you five frikin' years ago?! Bastard! You probably left me for dead! Do you know that every day for the past five years, the only thing that kept me from totally losing it was the hope that you would find me and get me out of that hell?
"But you did not. I waited in vain. Do you expect me to go quietly back to your side and abandon Mirai? To abandon someone who cared enough to help me when you didn't? He did not even know who I was and he was willing to risk his sanity to save me! How about you? What have you ever done?"
Schuldig spun angrily, nearly upsetting the tray. He wanted to leave as soon as possible and go back to Mirai's side.
Crawford could only gape. His protests died on his lips. Yes, it was true that he gave Schuldig up for dead. What could he have done? He had no resources, no clue. The first year or two, he had kept a look out but gradually, his career engulfed him. It was much easier, then, for him to pretend that the possibility of Schuldig surviving was non-existent. It was his fault. Had he looked out more, maybe this would not have happened.
Brad shuddered as he remembered the animalistic look on Schuldig's face just the previous day. What had the poor telepath been put through that he became like that? Today was a great improvement from yesterday. It looked like Mirai was not so bad after all.
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"Schu is upset," noted Mirai.
Schuldig looked up, startled.
"Why is Schu upset?" asked Mirai innocently. "Will SchuSchu tell Mi-chan?"
"It… it's nothing," replied the telepath. He took another spoonful of cereal and fed it to Mirai.
Mirai cocked his head curiously. "Mi-chan doesn't want SchuSchu to be sad," he declared. "Let's go outside. Mi-chan wants to go outside. Mi-chan has not been outside for a long time." He looked a little pensive at that.
"Sure, why not? If it makes you happy, Master," said Schuldig. He found that his smile did not have to be forced, for a change, and he really meant it.
Mirai immediately grinned. "SchuSchu is the best!" he cried, giggling. Then he winced slightly. Of course. His sickness might have worn off but injuries take more time to heal.
"Master?"
"Don't call Mi-chan that anymore," said Mirai with a pout. "Just call Mi-chan 'Mi-chan', okay, SchuSchu?"
"Aa…"
"Come on, let's go!" cried Mirai enthusiastically.
"Wait. You need to finish your breakfast," said Schuldig.
"Do I have to?" whined Mirai. He looked up at the man with his best puppy-dog eyes.
The telepath laughed softly. "Sorry, Mi-chan, that's not gonna work. Finish your food, then we go out for as long as you want."
"Okay!"
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Sünde clutched at his chest, gasping for air. Running off had *not* been a good idea. At the rate he was going, he was going to get himself killed. Whimpering quietly, he sank to the ground. Why did he listen to that American pain-in-the-ass anyway? Oh yeah. The self-destruct button.
He was found without a face, without any memories whatsoever. Ryan restored to him what he had lost so he made up his mind to follow the leader wherever he should go. He was only, what, eleven? Eight years. He had spent eight years of his life with Ryan. Ryan saved his life.
If there was one thing he loved more than anything else, it was life. Movement, living, breathing, thinking objects. He did not want to lose his life before it was absolutely necessary. That was why he managed to survive for who knew how long on his own in the streets. That was why when Ryan found him dying on the cold ground, he managed to pull through. That was why he dared not rebel.
He had something implanted within him to keep his heart beating. However, it was barely enough to keep him alive. That was why he could not keep up strenuous activities for more than ten minutes. When he was being operated on, someone decided to plant a suicide device there too. If the enemy should ever catch him, he had instructions to use it if he could not escape. Many a time, he caught himself thinking of pressing that button. He had one control, Ryan had the other. Ryan held his Fate, so he could not rebel.
Unless he wanted to die, he could not tear free of this Hell. He did not want to die. He wanted life.
"Sünde," came Ryan's voice filled with concern.
Sünde opened his eyes. "Ryan," he whispered. "Make it stop. Please, make it stop."
"Stupid boy," snapped the leader, though it was half-hearted. He scooped the youth into his arms. "Just rest for now. It will get better."
"I guess I never learn my lesson, do I?" mumbled Sünde. He smiled weakly up at his leader.
"Idiot."
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Why? The question bugged him even as he raged. Why Mei? Setsuna had confined himself to his designated room and was pacing impatiently. Why did Schwarz want Mei? There was a sound coming in the direction of the window. Immediately, he spun, katana in hand. The person entering froze with the blade at his throat.
"Schwarz!" hissed Setsuna, pressing down slightly so the blade broke the skin.
"Tsk, tsk," remarked the Schwarz assassin. "Have you forgotten my name already? I'm Ryan."
"What have you done to my imouto?" demanded Setsuna. Oh how he wanted to slash into that exposed throat and wipe that smug grin off Ryan's face. However, his first priority was to find Mei and to do that, he needed information. He need Ryan… alive.
The Joker stopped smiling. Instead, he looked at Setsuna seriously. "I'm going to wake her up," he told the youth. "So far, the hospitals do not have the technology to but Estsett does. I do. I will wake her up."
Confusion flashed across emerald eyes. "Why?" asked Setsuna. Then his eyes narrowed. "Unless this is some half-baked plot to get me to join you."
Ryan met his gaze squarely. "I'm doing it for you," he said quietly. "Because it would make you happy. You look beautiful when you smile."
Setsuna took a step back, face hot with embarrassment. "Wha… What the heck are you talking about?" he snapped.
At this, the Schwarz assassin grinned. "We are met to be, Shirokawa Setsuna. I am willing to do anything to gain your trust and affection."
"Shut up! God, you sound like a love-sick idiot!"
"I'm not a God but can I be yours?"
Setsuna stared in numb horror. It was not happening. His archenemy was not trying to hit on him. Especially not with corny pick-up lines. And he was not enjoying the attention. Not one bit. In fact, he hated that smugly grinning, drop-dead gorgeous gaijin. Angrily, he banished all thoughts from his mind and concentrated on Mei.
"If you 'love' me so much, give Mei back."
"Sure," replied Ryan cheerfully, to Setsuna's surprise. "My car is downstairs. Come with me to go get her."
His desire to get his sister back overrode his suspicion of Schwarz. Further more, if they could wake Mei… he would do anything to see Mei healthy and alive, awake.
"Anything?" asked Ryan thoughtfully.
Damn. He had been broadcasting.
"You still have a chance to change your words. They have not yet been spoken."
"I will do *anything* to see Mei awake," declared Setsuna, glaring at the Schwarz assassin. "And I mean it."
"Aa," Ryan turned and headed back for the window. "You'd better not regret it," he said softly as he jumped out.
Setsuna followed suit. Regret it? Definitely not.
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To be continued…
A/N: And the plot advances! Cheers. I shall do a mini survey here. Up to now, which is your favourite character in this story? Depending on the vote, I might try my hand at another fan art.