Weiss II: Closing Arc

#3: Sin, Sin…

By: Aries Draco

A/N: Once more, the alternating time frames thingy. One time frame is about a day before Mirai showed up at the Koneko posing as Setsuna. The other is when Mirai was still with Schwarz, after Arashi was killed. Hope that's not too confusing. On with the show!

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She lay, as if in a coma but he knew that she would be waking soon. The drugs would wear off in another day or so. She would wake and perhaps forget everything she went through these few days. If she was lucky, that is. If not…

"Aya…" he murmured, looking down at her from his position at the doorway. Let her wake soon. Please. Mirai said that he would be back when she woke. Let her wake soon.

^i^

A sharp cry escaped Hikaru as he took the brunt of the blow for Uriel. Hikaru was trying to protect Uriel but to little avail.

"How could you?" screamed the man. "How could you let my precious son die?"

He rained blow after blow with his golf club on the duo. "You were supposed to watch him! You were supposed to protect him!" He gave Hikaru such a vicious kick that the boy was sent flying.

"Hikaru!" cried Uriel, reaching out but he was merely kicked down again. He bit down fiercely on his bottom lip as he felt his arm breaking. "Sünde, do something!" Those usually impassive eyes were pleading.

Sünde hesitated. He wanted to help them, of course, but how?

"And you!" cried their employer, spinning around to face Ryan. "Why did you assign these misfits to look after my precious Arashi?!"

Ryan looked up calmly. "I didn't," he said simply. "I assigned Sünde to do it."

"What?!" yelled the German boy. He did not have time to protest as their employer's rage turned to him. He did not get that assignment! Hikaru was the one assigned to it. He was assigned to look after their prisoners! "I didn't… ah!"

He could hardly find the breath to scream as he was beaten up. Beseechingly, he looked up to their leader. Ryan was… Ryan was… pleased?! Pleased that Sünde was getting punished for something he did not do?! "Ry…"

"Shut up," snapped the leader maliciously. "I've pampered you enough."

Pampered?! PAMPERED?! A scream tore out of him as the metal came into contact with his spine. Black spots swam in his vision as he struggled to keep conscious. The beating suddenly stopped. Through a haze of pain, Sünde saw that Hikaru had grabbed hold of the golf club.

"It was not our fault," said the boy evenly. "We did not kill your son. Weiß did. Sünde was not even in charge of this. I was. However, it was weiß that killed Master Arashi. If you want to hate someone, hate weiß and Kritiker."

"Who died and made you boss?" seethed Ryan but their employer brushed him off.

"Weiß? You mean that annoying team that you've been up against?" pondered Mister Kagami. A cruel glint appeared in his eyes. "Now, more than ever, I want them dead. You are all dismissed."

"Sünde?" came Uriel's voice. "We have to go."

"I… I know," Sünde choked out. It hurt, hurt to move, hurt to even breathe. "I… I…"

"Get up," said Ryan coldly.

Sünde looked up, the action sending jolts of pain up and down his back. Why was he being treated like that? "Ry…"

"I said, get up," repeated their leader flatly. "Or you will be left behind."

"Can't you see he's hurt?" argued Uriel, surprisingly. He sounded almost… concerned? "Come, I'll help you up."

He was offering a hand. Blood was already seeping through his coat sleeve on his other arm, yet he was offering to help. Sünde reached up.

"Leave him be," said Ryan sharply. "He can get up on his own. If he wants to come with us, he will get up."

Uriel shot a dirty look at their leader and for a brief moment, they held a contest of wills. Then, he dropped his gaze and stood.

Sünde bit his lip, fighting back tears. He ignored the screaming pain in his back as he struggled to his feet. Slowly, using the wall as a support, he stood. Perspiration trickled down his face as he gasped in pain. Ryan merely smiled complacently and continued walking.

He managed to hold out until they got to the car. Then, he collapsed into the back seat, trembling in pain. Silent tears coursed down his face as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"Sünde…" whispered Hikaru, obviously worried.

"Leave him be," came Ryan's voice. "He'll be fine by the time we get home."

Home? Sünde felt like laughing. Home? Since when had that place been a home? He wanted to scream that he was not okay, that it fucking hurt, but he would not. He could not. Those pesky black spots danced in front of his eyes again. This time, he did not bother to fight them.

^i^

Ken unlocked and opened the door to the safehouse. It had been a fortnight since they left it but he came back. After all, he no longer had a place to stay. His landlady kicked him out after he neglected to pay his rent for the past two months. He had lost his job due to his absence for quite awhile and the last of his money was spent paying the landlady back. The safehouse was the only place he could think of, if only to stay for a little while until he could find another job.

He stepped in, then froze as he heard a sound from inside the house. Slightly worried, he crept quietly toward the source of the sound. It was coming from the kitchen. Ken pressed himself against the wall and stalked forward, up to the door frame. He jumped out suddenly and crashed into the person walking out.

"Ah!" cried the person as their combined momentum sent them both crashing to the floor in a very awkward position.

Ken blinked away the stars in his vision as he looked up. His eyes widened in shock. "You're…?!"

^i^

He awoke to the sensation of a cool towel on his forehead. Blinking, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the light.

"Daijoubu ka?" asked a voice softly, as if afraid of jarring him.

Sünde started to get up, then winced and fell back into bed. There was some kind of frame put on him. It was damn uncomfortable.

"Don't," chided the oddly familiar voice. "You'll only hurt yourself further. The doctor says that you have a fracture in your spine. Though it's not serious, just a small crack, you need to make sure it heals and doesn't get worse." Finally, he could place the voice.

"Mirai?"

"Aa. I'm here," said the boy. Sünde turned his head and saw amethyst eyes staring at him keenly, worried. Mirai was worried for him?

"Does it hurt very much?" asked Mirai, gently stroking back Sünde's sweat-soaked hair.

"Why should you care?" he shot back bitterly. Yes, it was frikin' hurting every time he breathed. But it was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his heart. As cliché as it sounded, it was true. What had happened? Why was Ryan treating him like that?

Suddenly, he felt lips touching to his. Shocked, his eyes flew wide open. Ruby orbs glittered at him, looking down in compassion, in love. The pain was fading, slowly but surely. Mirai broke their chaste kiss and stepped back.

"Feeling better?" he asked, smiling tiredly. He seemed to look paler, more worn than just a moment before.

"What did you do?" asked Sünde suspiciously.

Mirai shook his head. "Feeling better, Sünde?" he repeated.

"Yes, " replied the German honestly. The sharp stinging pain had faded to a dull ache that he could live with. "Mirai?"

"Hm?"

"What was that all about?"

"What was what?" inquired the boy, feigning ignorance.

"The kiss."

A smile played over Mirai's face. "sore wa…" [that is] he murmured. "hi~mi~tsu!" [secret] His eyes were amethyst again and glittering with humour. "Rest well, Sünde." He left, leaving Sünde to ponder the meaning of nothing.

^i^

"Neu Schwarz!" The ex-weiß pushed the person off, rolling onto his feet. To his surprise, he was not attacked. Instead, the Schwarz assassin curled up, whimpering.

"Please don't hurt me," whispered the person, a frightened tone in his voice. His eyes were shut and hands clasped in the manner of prayer. "I have no weapons on me and I mean no harm to anyone."

It could be a trick, it could not. "You're Faceless, aren't you?" asked Ken warily.

The boy winced. "I was," he replied.

"You *were*?"

"Yes," said the boy softly. He gazed up at Ken, eyes pleading. "I'm no longer with Schwarz. If… if you don't believe me, I can prove it to you. Upstairs is one of the girls I helped kidnap before. I think she was called… Fujimiya?"

"Aya?" cried Ken. Ran would be ecstatic. But… what if this was a trap? "Get up," he ordered Faceless. "Go up to where you've kept her."

Meekly, the boy stood and started walking. It was then Ken noticed that he was limping slightly, as if in pain. It could be an act, it could not. The boy pushed open one of the bedroom doors.

"Here she is. She will be awake by tomorrow, hopefully," offered the boy. He leaned against a wall, sighing softly.

Ken went over to the bed. Yes, it was Aya-chan, in one piece and alive. Still, it did not prove anything. Had this safehouse been converted into a Schwarz base? He turned to face the boy, ready to speak, then froze.

"What happened to you?" he blurted out before he could help himself. Come on, Ken, get a grip. This is your enemy. He's probably just acting pitiful to get you to let him off.

Sünde smiled slightly, a twisted, sardonic smirk. He could not help himself. "Ryan happened," he said simply. "So I had to leave." Why did so many people care while the only person who mattered did not? He could not maintain the smirk for long, though. Tears tumbled down his cheeks even as he berated himself for being so weak.

It was no act, it could not be. No actor could fake pain so well. "Faceless… no, Kristian?"

He remembered? He remembered the 'poor little boy' who just wanted to watch soccer? Sünde raised his head. "Sorry," he sniffed, though he knew not why. He just felt the need to apologise. When was Mirai coming back? Mirai could deal with weiß. Mirai could deal with him. Mirai could protect him.

Ken watched as the boy sank onto his knees, curling up. It seemed that the world no longer existed around him. When was the last time such a display of helplessness and abject despair took place? Ken did not remember. This is your enemy. Be wary, a cornered beast will fight, even if injured. Somehow, he could not keep thinking that way. He… wanted to help?

^i^

"No, Ryan, stop, please! No like this, please no!"

"Sleep no more, Sünde! Hear my voice and come back to me!"

He woke screaming, fighting the arms that held him. He was sick, sick to the core. No more, no more!

"Sünde!" cried the voice sharply. Not Ryan, of course not Ryan.

"Mi…" sobbed Sünde softly. He stopped struggling though mere physical contact was making him nauseous. "Mirai." As if chanting a prayer, he repeated that name over and over while the boy rocked him. Just as he was calming down, he was torn from the warm embrace.

"How could he?" demanded Tobias, voice trembling with rage. "How could he do this to you?"

Sünde cringed back, wailing in fright. He did not want to see Ryan's brother, he did not want to see anyone. He did not want to be screamed at and scolded and beaten. He was scared, so scared. He yanked up the covers and hid beneath them as he heard Tobias rage. He heard the muffled voices but he did not care. He did not want to. He just wanted to hide.

"How could Ryan do this to Sünde?" cried Tobias, sadness seeping into his voice. "If it had been anyone else but…" He trailed off, unable to speak again.

"Tobi, Ryan is insane," said Mirai calmly, coldly. Hell would freeze over at the tone of his voice. "You know that."

"Yes," sighed Tobias. He looked exhausted all of a sudden, so much older. "But he is still my brother. And I thought that Sünde… Sünde whom he loved most…"

"Did you really?" asked Mirai sarcastically. "You thought that he would never touch his favourite pet?"

"Sünde is not a pet! I remember. Ryan loved him as a SON, Mi-chan. How could he…?"

"Do not try to fathom the mind of a lunatic," said Mirai, still keeping his cool façade. "I have tried before and I still do not understand the workings of my mind. Ryan. Is. Insane. Need I spell it out more clearly? He's lost all sense of reason."

"No," countered Tobias softly. "He's losing it but he has not lost it yet. His memory is going too. He's afraid."

"So that's a valid excuse for taking it out on an innocent?" sneered Mirai.

"There is not excuse for what he did to Sünde!" said Tobias hotly. "Even if he would have died, then he should have instead of… instead of… violating his own son!" It was so hard to put it in words. Once he did, it seemed all too real. "I love both of them," he confessed. "Ryan is my brother, after all, and Sünde is Sünde. He is just a child!"

"Not by most laws nowadays," interjected Mirai. "I will kill him, you know."

Tobias nodded mutely.

"He will kill you first," continued Mirai. "All those around him will die."

"Including Sünde?" asked Tobias sorrowfully.

At that, a flash of emotion flickered over the younger boy's face. "I will not let him," he stated flatly. "Never."

Tobias nodded once more. "I think I shall leave now," he said softly. "I will go and talk to Ryan. Maybe he will see some reason."

Disbelief was clearly spelt on Mirai's face but he refrained from saying anything. He merely gestured at the door. After Tobias left, he went back over to the bed and sat down by Sünde. Tentatively, he tugged at the covers.

"No!" came the muffled shout.

"Sünde, it's me," coaxed Mirai. "Tobi is gone."

Sünde choked back more tears. He wanted to stay under the covers forever but Mirai was worried. And maybe…

"Take the pain away," he begged, peering out from beneath the blankets. "Please, Mirai. Take it away."

The cool mask on Mirai's face shattered. Frustration was evident in his amethyst eyes. "If I could, I would have, rather than let you suffer," he whispered angrily. Angry at himself. "But even if I died, it would not be possible. I can heal your body but not your mind."

Sünde shut his eyes. Yes, he was asking the impossible. He could have asked for the sun and the moon and Mirai would bring them to him but these hurts, these memories were his to bear. No one could take them from him. Still, he could hope, right?

Gloved fingers caressed his face and he looked up at Mirai. "Don't cry, Sünde," said the boy softly, gently. "Though I cannot protect you from your past, I can protect you from now on. And I will. I will not let anyone hurt you, ever again."

Where had he heard those words before? Ryan had uttered them once, a long time ago. And he had believed… only to be betrayed. How could he trust again? How…? Thoughts died in his mind as his eyes met Mirai's. In those amethyst orbs was a story, a story of loving, pain, insanity and conquering it. How could he trust again? Because it was Mirai.

"I will take you away from here when it is time for me to leave," whispered Mirai. "I will protect you from now on."

And he believed.

^i^

"Are you going to kill me?" asked Sünde. His eyes were downcast, staring at the squeaky clean floor. At that, he could not help a small chuckle. He remembered cleaning the whole safehouse from top to bottom the first day he arrived, just to take his mind off things. Mirai was so amused. At least he would die in a clean house.

"No," replied Ken, a little confused at the laughter he heard.

Sünde's head snapped up in shock. "No?" he echoed faintly.

The weiß assassin coughed nervously. "Well, this place is fairly huge and Aya-chan isn't exactly the best company," he said lamely. "Plus I trust that you will not kill me in my sleep."

The boy's eyes lit up. "Can you teach me to play, then?" he asked.

"Huh?" came the not so intelligent reply.

"Soccer!"

"Oh, that. Sure!"

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A/N: A light end to a heavy chapter. Oh well. There was supposed to be more but this thing is already about the length of one chapter. Never mind. I'll get started on the next chapter soon.

Is anyone confused about anything, by the way? I would gladly explain. Also, would anyone want to see the backstory of Ryan and Sünde? One last question: Which Weiss II character do you like most, (if you even like any)?

Anyway, as per normal, review = chapter and flame = no more. ^_^

~~ Aries Draco 100103