Das Konzert version eins
Part Two: Das Ewige Dasein
Chapter Thirty-four:
The End
~--------Crossing over from beyond the depths of space-time
The last message is going to split the light
What kind of warning? No one is going to recognize it
This invitation to a maddening future~
If not for the vibrant orange hair he would have probably blended in with all the rest of the dirty little children. Really, that hair was a both a blessing and a curse to Schuldich, as it would forever identify him. Just like everything else. Crawford could see he had it pulled into a messy ponytail in some pitiful representation of class. Yet it did it's job, as it was the ponytail more than the hair that caught Crawford's attention.
" Schuldich? " he enounced the name with an accent that would have identified him as Japanese instead of American.
" Ee, " confirmed one of the nameless assistants Esset had assigned him. He looked down at his clipboard. " Our data cites him as a powerful telepath. "
The doctor standing to the left of the assistant timidly added, " I'm not sure if you'd want him for the project though, Mr. Crawford. He's... very unsociable. "
" This isn't politics, doctor. " Crawford left the surveillance room and entered the bigger and more barren one where the group of test subjects were. He continued straight towards his goal, unmindful of the protests behind him and the growing conflict before him.
The other kids, younger and older were surrounding Schuldich. He'd said something to piss them off, obviously: unsociable indeed. The leader against him had cocked a fist...
Schuldich gave him a smug grin. " Oh, you think you're gonna-- " he was cut short as someone new stepped in front of him and beat the other kid to the punch- literally.
The nameless kid hit the hard-packed ground on his back and put both hands to his bruised cheek. Everyone stared at the white-clad man who had intruded on their world.
" He was going to, " Crawford said flatly. " Follow me, Schuldich. "
" Wh- " Schuldich was stupefied into silence. Not by this newcomer or the surprise defense, but by the silence. Inside his head he could hear everything, the clamoring of the other kids, the unpleasant thoughts of the doctors and observers towards him and this... Crawford. Mr. Crawford they were calling him. No first name. As for this 'Crawford'...
Nothing.
And it fascinated him.
(@)
" Che. " Schuldich spat, wincing a little as Farfarello pulled the bandaging around his arm tighter. " I should have known better, thinking I could fool him, ah? "
Farfarello gave something of a noncommittal grunt as an answer. His free hand trailed past the scissors to the thick-bladed knife he'd set next to them. Opting for the more unusual method, this was what he used to cut the excess gauze.
Schuldich shot him a look, then inspected his work. He rotated his shoulder experimentally and bent his elbow back and forth. " Hurts like hell, " he commented. Reaching for his white blazer he stood and shuffled it over his shoulder. " Hidaka had better not be dead. This definitely requires some payback. "
(@)
Omi snatched the gauze and scissors from where Birman had set them down and wiped at his tears with the back of his wrist. Gingerly he lifted Ken's head off the wall and began wrapping the gauze around his head. Kenkun... don't die!
Birman crouched down and watched with interest. " Will he be okay? "
Omi sniffled loudly. " He's lost a lot of blood. But there doesn't seem to be any fractures so far as I can tell. It's hard without an actual doctor and x-rays... but there's no time for that. Kenkun's been in the hospital so much lately... " He squeezed his eyes shut. " We never should have let him go undercover at Takatori's... "
Birman exhaled slightly. " There's no sense dwelling on it now... "
Omi pinned the gauze in place and sat back on his heels. " There. Hopefully that should stop the bleeding. But I can't get in contact with Youjikun or Ayakun... "
" Botan's with them... I'm sure they're fine. "
(@)
" Oh stop it, " she laughed, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.
" You like it, " he teased her back, reaching around her waist and drawing her to him. They might have gone a bit further if she hadn't abruptly pulled away.
" What was that?! "
" Nn? It was probably nothing. Come here Kaori... " he reached for her again.
" There it is again! " Kaori protested. She looked around apprehensively. " Toshio-- " The sound repeated itself behind her and she froze. " T-Toshio? " There was no answer. Swallowing heavily, Kaori turned around to face what was left of her boyfriend. Her scream echoed in the still night.
(@)
The ceiling looked like it had water damage. There was a faded brown stain stretching across the otherwise white expanse of it. He was studying it, trying to keep his mind off the throbbing in his arm. The edges of the stain were a little darker than the middle... definitely water damage.
" I want a cigarette, " he exhaled.
" No, " said Crawford from the desk.
Schuldich exhaled again. His eyes remained on the discolouration above him, like a bloodstain on the sleeve of a white blazer. " How long have you known? " He couldn't help but ask. It was eating him from the inside, he had thought he was doing so well at their little game...
As expected, Crawford never answered.
(@)
" Sit, " Crawford said, and Schuldich sat.
They were in an interrogation room, much like the one that had been Schuldich's introduction to the Rosenkreuz laboratories. His feet were about twenty centimetres from the floor; they made the chairs so damn big, he hated that. It didn't escape his attention that Crawford's feet, wearing immaculate dress shoes, rested comfortably on the cold cement floor.
Crawford opened the folder on the table before him and scanned the information with disinterest on his face. " Schuldich... " he said the name again with that unfamiliar accent.
" It's derived from the German word for 'guilty', " Schuldich gave a wry grin, " my mother had a twisted sense of humor, they say. " He spoke in English, with a slight accent reminiscent of a language he'd already forgotten.
" Do they? " Crawford prompted, flipping to the second page of the folder's contents.
" They don't say it out loud, of course, " Schuldich expounded. " They have this notion that telepathy is something that can be turned on and off. " He pushed stray hair from his eyes and looked to the side scornfully. " It's not. " To say he looked scornfully wasn't enough, for he was smiling as he did it. " Their thoughts are like honey to me, sweet and addicting. Everyone's heads stick in mine until there's nothing left of me. "
" Do you know what I brought you here for? " Crawford asked, closing the folder and fixing his pale eyes on the telepath.
Of course he didn't. The room was silent, and he was relishing in it. He'd never said so much to anyone before; and certainly not with such poetic analogies. Here he was... something he couldn't be. Schuldich met the older man's gaze with a self-satisfied smirk. " It's more fun if you tell me, 'Mr.' Crawford. "
" You will become a part of Schwartz and work under me- drop the 'Mr.' it's unnecessary. You will be fitted for suitable attire, and this evening we leave with Farfarello for Switzerland. " Crawford closed the file folder and stood. Before he left the room he had only one thing to say, " Don't disappoint me. "
" Mr. Schuldich? "
" Oh, it's 'Mr. Schuldich' now, is it? " he sneered at Crawford's assistant. Getting up off the chair he shoved both hands in his pockets and latched onto the assistant's mind for information. " Let's go make sure I don't disappoint my new owner, shall we? "
Crawford was older than he looked, he noted from the information he was gaining, though not by much. A precognitive, that was interesting. Explained the punch incident in any case. Schwartz was apparently something being set up by Esset- but there was nothing else on that in the assistant's hyperactive caffinated brain. Ah- there's what he was looking for. Crawford's first name was Brad.
(@)
The fact that he was dreaming made him feel lightheaded. It wasn't just the nothingness surrounding him, or the comforting warmth... it was that he felt like he was floating, embraced by the darkness that supported him with a gentle wind.
" Nagisan... desu ne? "
He opened his eyes to a voice but couldn't see the owner. " Aah, " he confirmed the question. A point of light pierced his darkness and he couldn't see into it. Nagi shielded his eyes, squinting and trying to see the source of the light. But he couldn't. He couldn't see. " Who...? "
Reality hit him like a shot to the temple, and pain careened from head to toe and back again. Nagi gasped for air and his vision blurred. His hand flailed, brushing against another figure in the bed and he turned his head.
" A... ya...? " he rasped. But as his vision cleared he realized it was the wrong Aya; and he couldn't remember the brother's real name again.
(@)
A scream caught Omi's attention and his head shot up. Scrambling to his feet, he took half a second to look anxiously between the direction of the scream and Ken in deliberation. He looked at Birman and the decision was made. Together they ran off into the night towards the scream.
(@)
" Farfarello always was the most reliable member of Schwartz, " Straughn said with a smile over her tea. " I remember the day Crawford brought him and Schuldich before us in Switzerland. Schuldich was a fine choice, but he was too much like Crawford. "
Fludd looked amused. " You think Crawford and Schuldich are alike? "
" You don't agree? " In her voice the surprised curiosity sounded forced, fake.
" I must admit that I too am confused, " Maier inputted. Also with him, the tone was false, with the flattened and tenuous flow of an oft-read script.
Straughn sipped her tea methodically. " Really? I would have thought it was obvious. If only in how Farfarello is different. "
(@)
Omi and Birman careened through the city streets. They rounded corners at breakneck speeds and eventually found themselves skidding to a stop before their destination. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the destination they were futilely hoping for.
And it could only get worse.
Kaori's body slumped to the ground, lying on her back next to Toshio's. Her head lolled, and wide eyes that were blank with death stared straight at Birman. The blood oozed across the pavement that was already soaked in it.
Birman gasped. " Korat! "
Omi looked at her. " Nani?! "
" Motosuwa Kaori... 'Korat'... she's-- "
" Kritiker, " sneered the murderer. He stooped and dragged his fingers through the blood congealing around his victims. Farfarello stood, the deep red liquid dripping from him to rejoin the rest. The sound of the drops was deafening, stealing all sound from Omi and Birman's voices. When he was upright, the pale Schwartz member dragged his crimson fingers from his cheekbones to his chin, his tongue protruding just over his full bottom lip to get a taste of his kill. His pale amber eye entranced his audience. " Kritiker... shine. "
(@)
Even after being fitted the deep green blazer was still a little big on him. While it hugged his torso well, the sleeves hung to his knuckles and the bottom the blazer hung a bit lower than it would have on any normal man. Even the cream coloured slacks bunched up a little around his ankles. He didn't care though, they certainly served their purpose. With them he was no longer a test subject to be poked and interrogated, he was another one of them. With this transition he'd lost the ponytail, letting his uneven hair tumble over his shoulders and down his back; kept from his eyes with a headband that almost matched the colour of his pants and a pair of shades he'd whimsically put over the headband.
Crawford's other acquisition- Farfarello stared at him with one deadpan eye as he followed the assistant into the garage. The white haired man was about his age, and when he caught bits of his mind he was met with a numbing insanity. Farfarello made him feel sane, and that made him smile.
" You can drive? " Crawford questioned. No greeting, no tone.
" Yeah. "
" Good, " and Crawford moved to the passenger side door.
" You dragged me out of here to play chauffeur, ah? " Schuldich slipped into the driver's side and adjusted the seat.
Crawford looked out the side window. " I'm sure you'll leave most of the other work to Farfarello. "
" Ouch. "
(@)
The pain in his arm was overpowering. It had grown to numb all other sensations; even the urge for a cigarette was gone. It was all he could think about, all he could focus on. Even the vague and blurry memories of a time long gone were wilting under it's onslaught. It was driving him mad. Schuldich's breath passed silent and steady over his lips.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
And then he felt it. Slowly, stealthily, a single drop left a wet track down the side of his nose until he could taste salt on his lips. He made himself imagine it was the water damage above him.
Because he wasn't about to give anyone- not Hidaka and not Crawford- the satisfaction.
(@)
Youji felt as though he was being torn between two worlds.
One was Botan and Manx. Manx stood to the side of him, her stance and mannerisms all the same, but he wasn't so angry that he couldn't see the sadness in her eyes. Botan was beside her, face still red from when Youji had been strangling him. He and Manx were speaking riddles, talking about something they both knew about and he did not.
As for the other...
Shaa-
Wind through a white trenchcoat as it moved through the air, spinning and following the centrifugal force that acted on it without protest.
Clang-
Metal on metal, quick and efficient, unyielding in a way that still was pliant to the wills acting upon it. The blades caught the sparse light, creating small starbursts in the air.
It all mixed together with the sounds of steps on pavement, shoes skidding across stones to grasp for a brief foothold, and breaths echoing in the night to create a stunning melody. It was a conversation in another language, an ongoing argument that Youji didn't- couldn't- understand.
Honjou had retrieved his sword, using a thin wire on his wrist to recall it much as Aya sometimes did. Youji realized it was probably the white-clad man who had taught Aya the trick. The fight had resumed, and Aya had that look on his face that told of his characteristic narrow-minded determination that wouldn't be deterred. Even after all this time, Youji couldn't figure him out. He was usually such a good judge of character.
Aya grit his teeth, parrying a thrust by Honjou. " Knight... "
" You're the Chi no shi, Ran-kun. You've become nothing but a killer- you should have stopped after Takatori, but you didn't. Did you, Ran?! " Honjou attacked with more fury. " Does the fact that she didn't wake up give you the right to continue giving others an unending sleep? Do you think that if you stain your hands dark enough they will call her back? "
With an echoing yell, Aya lunged, knocking the belt sword away and driving Honjou past the curb into the wall beyond. The flat of his blade hovered before Honjou's throat, quivering with the force it took to keep his rage at bay. His eyes were hidden, and only his bared teeth could be seen. " If I had stopped this life, " he hissed bitterly, " would it have saved her from the enemy? " The blade shook precariously closer to Honjou's skin and he looked up, eyes sharp as flint, and his voice broke as he screamed, " Would it have saved them from you?! "
Youji's breath caught in his throat, and he was graced with a startling image from memory: of the young boy from Schwartz, sitting on the floor with a wilted white rose. Do you see? I found this on the floor. It's a withered white rose, and look... the leaves have all died. Do you think, it was there waiting for me, or for you?
And then Aya at the bedroom door, his eyes hard and angry. He will come with me.
" Them? " Honjou repeated softly. " You mean the boy. "
Aya said nothing.
Honjou's hands reached up and rested his finger tips on Aya's jawline gently. " You're a kind person, Ran-kun. "
" Tell me why, " Aya demanded, the sword still shaking but the rage quieted.
" Because I'm already dead, " Honjou answered, eyes closing as he smiled.
~(@)~
~--------tsuzuku~
[Written by Inseiko, 2002]
Translation notes;
Ee - an agreement, something like 'yeah'
Che - 'damn'
Nagisan desu ne? - 'Nagi, isn't it?'
Aah - an affirmative, something like 'Ee'
Nani - What
Shine - die. (imperetive)
Chi no Shi - 'Death of Blood'