TITLE: Shades of Gray 10 / ?
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@yahoo.ca
CATEGORY: dark, angst, yaoi,
PAIRINGS: (Nagi) x Ken x Nagi Omi+Aya, (Nagi) x Ken x Aya, Others later.
RATING: varies - PG for this chapter
WARNINGS: Yaoi, het, language, lemon
SPOILERS: The series, Dramatic Precious, Dramatic Image III -Schwarz,
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, Schwarz, or anything connected to them. I make no money from this either.
ARCHIVE: FanFiction.Net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835
NOTES: The fic WILL still make sense if you don't know the Dramatic CDs, but it might be a bit of a spoiler.
FEEDBACK: Please! This is my first WK fic and I'd like to hear what people think so I'll continue writing.
~*~*~*~*~ scene break ~emphasis~
::telepathy:: //phone or headset// ***vision***
Shades of Gray
Chapter 10
It was raining. Omi had left to be with his grandfather, hoping to start a new life now that they'd been released from Kritiker's service while he had stayed behind unable to conceive of a life where he wasn't Weiss, unable to stop thinking about Shion and how to defeat him once and for all. Kikyou's words echoed in his mind as he thought of the man who had haunted his dreams for years. Had he really wanted death? Absolution? Did he have regrets?
"Of course you do, Ran," came a familiar voice.
"Kikyou," he replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Why am I ever her, Ran?" was the answer. "You do have regrets, you want absolution. You're a killer after all, a killer like me."
"It's not true. I'm not like you."
"Really? What are you? A simple florist? I think not. You're a murderer like me, like Shion, like Weiss."
"Leave Weiss out of it," growled the redhead.
"Why?" sneered the other man. "Don't want to think of your precious Omi as a killer do you? He is though just like Ken, like Youji, like. . ."
"That's enough, Kikyou," interrupted someone else.
Turning, Aya was surprised to see Manx standing there glaring at Kikyou. "Manx?" he asked uncertainly. "But you're . . ."
"Dead? I know. So is he." Turning, she looked Aya, appearing pretty much the same as she always had. "Ignore his idiotic babble. He just likes to torment you."
"Me?" protested the other man. "I just speak the truth that Ran here doesn't want to face. He worries about his precious little Omi, and his sweet little sister when really. . ."
"Shut up, you ass," growled the red haired woman as Aya looked on in amazement. He was used to Kikyou popping up in his dreams but Manx was new and he wasn't really sure what to make of their bickering.
"Oh, shut up, both of you,"
Aya shook his head. He wasn't really as surprised as he should have been at seeing that Birman was there as well - all he needed now was Shion and he'd have an entire collection of dead people he'd had a close working relationship with at one time or another.
"Birman?" he asked.
"Hello, Aya," she said. "Sorry to disturb you sleep like this. Normally Manx and I don't bother interrupting when he annoys you, but he's getting irritating now. I wouldn't really worry too much about Omi and your sister - he's more than capable of taking care of himself, and Aya-chan has Weiss to back her up and to help keep her safe enough."
"Why do you two have to ruin things?" asked Kikyou. "He needs these discussions; I'm the only one who understands him after all."
"You are not you. . ."
"Manx!" shouted Birman. "You, Kikyou, only understand a part of Aya and you know it. Leave him alone and let him get some real sleep. You too Manx."
The two looked sullenly at each other before they flickered and vanished. Birman turned to Aya.
"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Those two just don't get along. Go back to sleep and don't underestimate Aya-chan; she's a strong girl. Just focus on yourself and Omi for now, and watch out - something big is happening and you'll need to be prepared."
With that, Birman vanished and Aya was left standing alone and terribly confused.
Aya woke with a start surprised to find that it ~wasn't~ raining at all and he was in his bed. He frowned at the ceiling thinking about the bizarre dream. He was used to having Kikyou appear in his dreams - the man had been doing it since Aya had killed him all those years ago. But Manx and Birman were new. He wondered if he was destined to have dreams about people who were dead because of him.
Sighing, he climbed out of bed, knowing that he wasn't likely to get much sleep now and pulled on a pair of sweat pants. Picking up his katana from its sword rack he went downstairs towards the briefing room. He paused before Aya-chan's door but decided to continue on past it. He'd promised himself that he'd respect her privacy, and he remembered hearing her in her room before he'd fallen asleep. He'd waited up for her in his own room so that she couldn't accuse him of babying her.
Entering the briefing room he shoved some of the furniture aside, clearing a space before he began to practice. It was a task that relaxed him, let his mind drift as his training took over, guiding him through the exercises.
He didn't really want to think about Kikyou, so he decided to focus on what he'd been dreaming of before he'd been interrupted. Omi. It wasn't a difficult task actually, as his mind usually found its way to him whether he wanted it to or not. He often found himself admiring the glint of sun off of the golden hair, the smiles and cheery disposition, the precise, professional manner during missions, the sound of his voice. He was fascinated by the fact that somehow, regardless of what Kikyou said, Omi was still above it all. He ~did~ kill for a living, had in fact been doing it longer than Aya, but somehow Omi didn't let it affect him. While he himself brooded, Youji drank or hid in his room, Ken . . . he didn't really know what Ken did actually, but all of them had some negative way of dealing with what they did, while Omi was. . .normal.
Around Omi, Aya didn't feel like the murderer that Kikyou insisted he was. He didn't see himself as one of the dark beasts rather than one of the White Hunters. He saw hope for the future as well as something of the person he used to be when he was Ran. Aya wished that he could achieve the level of self-acceptance, the sheer normalness that made up Omi, yet at the same time he didn't understand it. He couldn't comprehend how someone could do what they did and ~not~ be overtly influenced by it.
He wasn't naïve enough to believe that Omi ~wasn't~ affected by it at all - if that were the case he'd be one of the dark beasts and Aya wouldn't care for him as much as he did. It was just that Omi seemed to keep it from eating at him somehow - he had kept it from tainting him as it had tainted Aya, Ken, and Youji.
And then there was Aya-chan. He loved her dearly, but he couldn't see how she could stay in the same room with him. He had no idea how she could say that she forgave him, that she still loved him, when he'd killed in her name. He'd tainted her name, yet she stayed. Because of this, he was never really sure how to deal with her. Was he the protective older brother or the man she should keep furthest away from? Was he a confidant, or a burden? He didn't know, and most of the time he wasn't certain which was best.
There was a clatter upstairs and Aya stopped, breathing hard. He glanced at the wall clock and was surprised to see that he'd been practicing for an hour and a half. He did some quick cool down exercises before heading upstairs for a shower and a change of clothes.
Aya looked up from his book as the soft clicking of the keyboard stopped momentarily. He was reading quietly in the briefing room simply because it ~was~ quiet there, and also because Omi was using the computer and it gave the redhead a chance to watch him without being obvious about it. Omi's cheer had done a great deal to help lighten his mood that morning and he wanted to spend more time with him, even if they weren't really talking. The younger man's cheerful presence was what he needed now since he was growing concerned with his sister.
Aya-chan had come down briefly for a bottle of water and some leftovers from the fridge before promptly locking herself in her room again. She'd waved off his concern with what seemed to be a false smile and it bothered Aya. He thought that she was upset about something, but Ken had told him not to worry about it, reassuring him that she was only tired. It didn't stop Aya from worrying however. How would ~Ken~ know what she was feeling anyway? They appeared to be friends, but what did the brunette know that he didn't?
There was a sound of footsteps on the stairs and both Aya and Omi turned to look at the source of the sound.
It was Korat.
Closing his book quickly, Aya sat up straight. Omi crossed the room and bounded up the steps to get Youji and Ken while Aya watched the woman with quiet expectation. He wasn't particularly fond of her, but then he hadn't been too fond of Birman when she'd taken over for Manx either. Thinking of the two women reminded Aya of his odd dream, and he scowled even more.
A moment later Omi returned followed quickly by Ken and Youji. "There's a new mission," she stated quickly. "It's a single man infiltration mission to a club called 'The Harem',"
"A strip club?" asked Youji in surprise. "Why would we need to infiltrate a strip club?"
"Young men have been vanishing from there with a startling frequency in the past few weeks. Employees for the most part, both the strippers and the waiters, and their bodies have been turning up at the harbour. The only connection they have is that they were all recent employees at the club and that they had needle marks in their arms that aren't like the regular track marks of users. Whatever they were injected with was incorporated into their systems completely so we are unable to identify ~what~ was used on them. Your job is to find out who's responsible, as well as what was used on them."
"Um, which one of us did you have in mind?" asked Omi with a slight blush.
"Youji," said Aya bluntly. "He has the most experience with clubs and the like."
The blond in question shook his head. "No good - I've been there as a customer, I'd never be able to get a job there. I ~could~ however work as a contact to whoever ~did~ go in."
Aya frowned. Ken was just too innocent seeming and Omi was. . . there was no way he'd let ~Omi~ go on this mission.
"I was thinking of Omi," the woman said. "He'd get a job with no problems."
"No," said three voices at once leaving Omi blinking in astonishment.
"Omi ~can't~ go," said Youji firmly. "He'd be serving a lot more than drinks before too long and I for one won't help with a mission where one of us has to whore himself to accomplish it."
The younger blond's eyes widened and he blushed deeply. "Besides," said Ken, "I doubt that Omi could pull it off believably with that blush reaction."
Aya nodded. "Omi is needed to do the research here once we get information on whatever was injected into the bodies. I'll go."
The others looked at him sceptically. "No offence, Aya, but you stand out ~way~ too much," drawled Youji. "Besides, I can't really see you stripping, or serving drinks in nothing but a thong."
Blinking in surprise, Aya looked at the oldest member. "A thong?"
Youji smirked and nodded. "That's about the extent of the clothing that the waiters wear. If you don't count the body oil that is. Sometimes they wear transparent gauzy pants, but only sometimes."
Ken smirked at the man. "Just how many times have you gone to this place, Yotan?"
Youji shrugged. "Enough to know what the waiters wear. I stopped going when they switched the management - I didn't like the new feel to the place."
Still smiling a bit, Ken shook his head. "I guess that leaves me," he said reluctantly. "So, when do I start, how long is the mission, and do I get to kill anyone?"
Korat smiled coldly at the brunette. "You start today, it's as long as it takes, and no, you probably don't get to kill anyone unless they try and take you."
"So, basically, there's the potential that I'll be stuck there for weeks."
Nodding, Korat looked to Youji. "You'll be the main contact then since you're known at the club. Radio communication will have to be kept to a minimum in case the place is monitored."
"Of course," muttered the brunette. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to go and get ready." Ken got up quickly and went upstairs. Omi gave them all a concerned glance and followed leaving Youji and Aya alone with Korat.
"I know that this will leave your team short handed for a while, but I'll try to balance your mission load to take that into consideration. Any more questions? No? I'll leave you then." With that she swept up the stairs and, presumably, out of the building.
"Well, that was certainly odd," said Youji softly. "Do you trust her?"
"I have no reason ~not~ to trust her, but Kritiker. . ." Aya shook his head. "Do you think that Ken can handle the mission?"
Youji tilted his head in consideration. "Strangely enough, yes. He may put on the good boy act, but I don't think that he really is one, aside from the assassin thing that is. I understand he goes clubbing a lot so I think he can handle it, especially if he's just a waiter."
"I hope so," said Aya, relieved that neither Omi nor himself would have to go, and feeling guilty at the somewhat selfish thought.
~*~*~*~*~
Omi followed Ken up the stairs both relieved and annoyed at the over-protectiveness of the others. It was true that he ~didn't~ want to go on the mission, and for that matter, he didn't want Aya to go on it either, but he hated that all three of them had essentially forbid him from taking it without consulting him first. He supposed that his reaction was somewhat childish, but he couldn't help it - he didn't want to be babied by anyone anymore.
Knocking on Ken's door, he entered when he heard his friend's voice. He wondered if Ken could even pull the mission off - after all, he blushed whenever he ~talked~ about sex, how was he to work in a strip club? Wearing only a thong at that. Glancing at his friend and picturing him in a thong made Omi blush deeply. Definitely not the best line of thought to pursue at the moment.
"What's up, Omi?" asked Ken with a raised eyebrow.
Omi took a deep breath. "Are you sure you can do this mission?" he asked in a rush. "I mean you're such a, well, a good-boy. . ." He trailed off at Ken's snort of disbelief.
"I meant besides Weiss," corrected the blond.
Ken just smirked. I'm not really," Ken said, moving towards his closet.
"What do you mean you're not?"
"Just that, Omi. I haven't been a 'good-boy' since that whole other Weiss team thing. I'm a murderer who enjoys his work, and, in all honesty, I'm a bit of a slut, though I do have a boyfriend at the moment."
Omi's eyes widened as he tried to wrap his mind around what Ken was saying. He knew about Ken's blood lust, though he didn't like to think about it, but the idea of Ken as a slut was simply unbelievable.
Smirking at Omi's obvious disbelief Ken gestured for the younger man to come to the closet. Omi's jaw dropped in shock at the clothes there. There were some casual jeans and t-shirts, but most of the clothes were plastic coated or leather, skin tight by the looks of it, and a lot more scandalous than anything Youji had ever worn.
Laughing, Ken stripped off his t-shirt and tossed it on his bed and pulled out a thin black v-neck t-shirt and pulled it on. Omi watched with embarrassed interest as it clung to every single contour of Ken's torso. It was also practically transparent and Omi could see the darker spots of his friend's nipples through the fabric.
Gulping, Omi turned his back quickly when he saw that Ken was simply going to drop his shorts and continue dressing. The blond found himself very happy to be wearing baggy shorts and a baggy shirt - he'd never really thought of Ken as being sexually desirable before, and he knew that if he continued watching him get dressed, he'd make a fool of himself. Looking up to stare at the wall, he turned beat red when he saw Ken's face grinning at him from the mirror, tight black jeans still unzipped, showing off the other's obvious lack of boxers ~or~ briefs.
Squeaking embarrassingly Omi clapped his hands over his eyes, trying to will his growing erection away. he repeated to himself, with little effect as the man in question chuckled seductively.
"In case you're wondering," Ken said in a low, breathy voice, "I go clubbing whenever I'm bored or stressed. You can look now."
Cautiously peering through his fingers, Omi saw that Ken was indeed dressed, but it didn't really help much since he radiated sex appeal. Trying not to look at his friend, Omi noticed a white business card on the floor. Stooping to pick it up he was surprised to see that it had the name 'The Harem' across the front.
"What?" Omi began.
"You trust appearances too much, Omi," said Ken. "You need to look for less obvious clues if you want to keep close tabs on who people really are. Someone tried to hire me for 'The Harem' already, so I'll have no trouble establishing my cover."
Omi just blinked and said nothing. Things were ~way~ too weird right now. He couldn't believe that he'd been so wrong about Ken. It didn't really seem like a ~bad~ misjudgement really, but his image of Ken was totally different from who Ken seemed to be. He still couldn't really believe it.
"Well," said Ken, "I'm going to say good bye to Aya-chan and tell her that I won't be around for a while. You coming with me, or going downstairs?"
"I'll, uh, go with you," he said, suddenly curious to see what Aya-chan would make of the outfit.
They left the room and went to the next door over where Ken knocked. "It's me, Ken," he said. "Omi's here too. I have a mission that'll take me away for a while."
The door opened a bit and the girl peered out. "Come on in," she said, opening the door wide. "Where are you going?" she asked looking him over. "Those aren't your mission clothes."
Ken grinned. "They are right now," he replied. "I'm going undercover at that strip club called 'The Harem'. I'll probably end up wearing less than this most of the time."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Like that's a problem for ~you~ Mr. Who-needs-a-bedroom. Know how long you'll be gone?"
"Dunno," was the reply. "Couple of weeks at least. Will you be okay?"
She nodded. "I'll be fine. What do you want me to tell your boyfriend?"
"I'll leave it to your discretion. If all else fails, it's a family emergency." Looking at his watch, Ken shook his head. "I'd better get going. You going to come watch me confuse the hell out of Youji and your brother?"
Aya-chan smirked. "Nah, I think I'm going to spend some time on the roof." She suddenly flung herself at Ken, wrapping her arms around him. "Take care, okay?" she said softly.
"Don't worry, Futago," he said, returning her hug and stroking her hair. "If you really need someone to talk to, ~he's~ a good listener, and so's Youji. I want you to be careful too - you know how dangerous it gets at night."
Aya-chan kissed Ken on the cheek. "I'm always careful," she said, though her smile seemed a bit strained.
Ken gave her another quick hug before leaving the room. Omi stood on the threshold a moment longer before smiling at Aya-chan and following Ken towards the others. He was so caught up in thought that he barely noticed the shocked look that Ken got from Aya, and the appraising one he got from Youji. Things were just too strange right now. He wondered how much he'd missed about his teammates if he'd missed something as obvious as Ken's clubbing and Aya-chan's knowledge of it judging by her lack of surprise at the revealing clothing.
One thing was certain, he was definitely going to start paying more attention to the others - he didn't want to miss anything else of importance concerning his Weiss family - they were all he had and he'd do anything to protect them.
TBC.
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@yahoo.ca
CATEGORY: dark, angst, yaoi,
PAIRINGS: (Nagi) x Ken x Nagi Omi+Aya, (Nagi) x Ken x Aya, Others later.
RATING: varies - PG for this chapter
WARNINGS: Yaoi, het, language, lemon
SPOILERS: The series, Dramatic Precious, Dramatic Image III -Schwarz,
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, Schwarz, or anything connected to them. I make no money from this either.
ARCHIVE: FanFiction.Net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835
NOTES: The fic WILL still make sense if you don't know the Dramatic CDs, but it might be a bit of a spoiler.
FEEDBACK: Please! This is my first WK fic and I'd like to hear what people think so I'll continue writing.
~*~*~*~*~ scene break ~emphasis~
::telepathy:: //phone or headset// ***vision***
Shades of Gray
Chapter 10
It was raining. Omi had left to be with his grandfather, hoping to start a new life now that they'd been released from Kritiker's service while he had stayed behind unable to conceive of a life where he wasn't Weiss, unable to stop thinking about Shion and how to defeat him once and for all. Kikyou's words echoed in his mind as he thought of the man who had haunted his dreams for years. Had he really wanted death? Absolution? Did he have regrets?
"Of course you do, Ran," came a familiar voice.
"Kikyou," he replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Why am I ever her, Ran?" was the answer. "You do have regrets, you want absolution. You're a killer after all, a killer like me."
"It's not true. I'm not like you."
"Really? What are you? A simple florist? I think not. You're a murderer like me, like Shion, like Weiss."
"Leave Weiss out of it," growled the redhead.
"Why?" sneered the other man. "Don't want to think of your precious Omi as a killer do you? He is though just like Ken, like Youji, like. . ."
"That's enough, Kikyou," interrupted someone else.
Turning, Aya was surprised to see Manx standing there glaring at Kikyou. "Manx?" he asked uncertainly. "But you're . . ."
"Dead? I know. So is he." Turning, she looked Aya, appearing pretty much the same as she always had. "Ignore his idiotic babble. He just likes to torment you."
"Me?" protested the other man. "I just speak the truth that Ran here doesn't want to face. He worries about his precious little Omi, and his sweet little sister when really. . ."
"Shut up, you ass," growled the red haired woman as Aya looked on in amazement. He was used to Kikyou popping up in his dreams but Manx was new and he wasn't really sure what to make of their bickering.
"Oh, shut up, both of you,"
Aya shook his head. He wasn't really as surprised as he should have been at seeing that Birman was there as well - all he needed now was Shion and he'd have an entire collection of dead people he'd had a close working relationship with at one time or another.
"Birman?" he asked.
"Hello, Aya," she said. "Sorry to disturb you sleep like this. Normally Manx and I don't bother interrupting when he annoys you, but he's getting irritating now. I wouldn't really worry too much about Omi and your sister - he's more than capable of taking care of himself, and Aya-chan has Weiss to back her up and to help keep her safe enough."
"Why do you two have to ruin things?" asked Kikyou. "He needs these discussions; I'm the only one who understands him after all."
"You are not you. . ."
"Manx!" shouted Birman. "You, Kikyou, only understand a part of Aya and you know it. Leave him alone and let him get some real sleep. You too Manx."
The two looked sullenly at each other before they flickered and vanished. Birman turned to Aya.
"Sorry about that," she apologized. "Those two just don't get along. Go back to sleep and don't underestimate Aya-chan; she's a strong girl. Just focus on yourself and Omi for now, and watch out - something big is happening and you'll need to be prepared."
With that, Birman vanished and Aya was left standing alone and terribly confused.
Aya woke with a start surprised to find that it ~wasn't~ raining at all and he was in his bed. He frowned at the ceiling thinking about the bizarre dream. He was used to having Kikyou appear in his dreams - the man had been doing it since Aya had killed him all those years ago. But Manx and Birman were new. He wondered if he was destined to have dreams about people who were dead because of him.
Sighing, he climbed out of bed, knowing that he wasn't likely to get much sleep now and pulled on a pair of sweat pants. Picking up his katana from its sword rack he went downstairs towards the briefing room. He paused before Aya-chan's door but decided to continue on past it. He'd promised himself that he'd respect her privacy, and he remembered hearing her in her room before he'd fallen asleep. He'd waited up for her in his own room so that she couldn't accuse him of babying her.
Entering the briefing room he shoved some of the furniture aside, clearing a space before he began to practice. It was a task that relaxed him, let his mind drift as his training took over, guiding him through the exercises.
He didn't really want to think about Kikyou, so he decided to focus on what he'd been dreaming of before he'd been interrupted. Omi. It wasn't a difficult task actually, as his mind usually found its way to him whether he wanted it to or not. He often found himself admiring the glint of sun off of the golden hair, the smiles and cheery disposition, the precise, professional manner during missions, the sound of his voice. He was fascinated by the fact that somehow, regardless of what Kikyou said, Omi was still above it all. He ~did~ kill for a living, had in fact been doing it longer than Aya, but somehow Omi didn't let it affect him. While he himself brooded, Youji drank or hid in his room, Ken . . . he didn't really know what Ken did actually, but all of them had some negative way of dealing with what they did, while Omi was. . .normal.
Around Omi, Aya didn't feel like the murderer that Kikyou insisted he was. He didn't see himself as one of the dark beasts rather than one of the White Hunters. He saw hope for the future as well as something of the person he used to be when he was Ran. Aya wished that he could achieve the level of self-acceptance, the sheer normalness that made up Omi, yet at the same time he didn't understand it. He couldn't comprehend how someone could do what they did and ~not~ be overtly influenced by it.
He wasn't naïve enough to believe that Omi ~wasn't~ affected by it at all - if that were the case he'd be one of the dark beasts and Aya wouldn't care for him as much as he did. It was just that Omi seemed to keep it from eating at him somehow - he had kept it from tainting him as it had tainted Aya, Ken, and Youji.
And then there was Aya-chan. He loved her dearly, but he couldn't see how she could stay in the same room with him. He had no idea how she could say that she forgave him, that she still loved him, when he'd killed in her name. He'd tainted her name, yet she stayed. Because of this, he was never really sure how to deal with her. Was he the protective older brother or the man she should keep furthest away from? Was he a confidant, or a burden? He didn't know, and most of the time he wasn't certain which was best.
There was a clatter upstairs and Aya stopped, breathing hard. He glanced at the wall clock and was surprised to see that he'd been practicing for an hour and a half. He did some quick cool down exercises before heading upstairs for a shower and a change of clothes.
Aya looked up from his book as the soft clicking of the keyboard stopped momentarily. He was reading quietly in the briefing room simply because it ~was~ quiet there, and also because Omi was using the computer and it gave the redhead a chance to watch him without being obvious about it. Omi's cheer had done a great deal to help lighten his mood that morning and he wanted to spend more time with him, even if they weren't really talking. The younger man's cheerful presence was what he needed now since he was growing concerned with his sister.
Aya-chan had come down briefly for a bottle of water and some leftovers from the fridge before promptly locking herself in her room again. She'd waved off his concern with what seemed to be a false smile and it bothered Aya. He thought that she was upset about something, but Ken had told him not to worry about it, reassuring him that she was only tired. It didn't stop Aya from worrying however. How would ~Ken~ know what she was feeling anyway? They appeared to be friends, but what did the brunette know that he didn't?
There was a sound of footsteps on the stairs and both Aya and Omi turned to look at the source of the sound.
It was Korat.
Closing his book quickly, Aya sat up straight. Omi crossed the room and bounded up the steps to get Youji and Ken while Aya watched the woman with quiet expectation. He wasn't particularly fond of her, but then he hadn't been too fond of Birman when she'd taken over for Manx either. Thinking of the two women reminded Aya of his odd dream, and he scowled even more.
A moment later Omi returned followed quickly by Ken and Youji. "There's a new mission," she stated quickly. "It's a single man infiltration mission to a club called 'The Harem',"
"A strip club?" asked Youji in surprise. "Why would we need to infiltrate a strip club?"
"Young men have been vanishing from there with a startling frequency in the past few weeks. Employees for the most part, both the strippers and the waiters, and their bodies have been turning up at the harbour. The only connection they have is that they were all recent employees at the club and that they had needle marks in their arms that aren't like the regular track marks of users. Whatever they were injected with was incorporated into their systems completely so we are unable to identify ~what~ was used on them. Your job is to find out who's responsible, as well as what was used on them."
"Um, which one of us did you have in mind?" asked Omi with a slight blush.
"Youji," said Aya bluntly. "He has the most experience with clubs and the like."
The blond in question shook his head. "No good - I've been there as a customer, I'd never be able to get a job there. I ~could~ however work as a contact to whoever ~did~ go in."
Aya frowned. Ken was just too innocent seeming and Omi was. . . there was no way he'd let ~Omi~ go on this mission.
"I was thinking of Omi," the woman said. "He'd get a job with no problems."
"No," said three voices at once leaving Omi blinking in astonishment.
"Omi ~can't~ go," said Youji firmly. "He'd be serving a lot more than drinks before too long and I for one won't help with a mission where one of us has to whore himself to accomplish it."
The younger blond's eyes widened and he blushed deeply. "Besides," said Ken, "I doubt that Omi could pull it off believably with that blush reaction."
Aya nodded. "Omi is needed to do the research here once we get information on whatever was injected into the bodies. I'll go."
The others looked at him sceptically. "No offence, Aya, but you stand out ~way~ too much," drawled Youji. "Besides, I can't really see you stripping, or serving drinks in nothing but a thong."
Blinking in surprise, Aya looked at the oldest member. "A thong?"
Youji smirked and nodded. "That's about the extent of the clothing that the waiters wear. If you don't count the body oil that is. Sometimes they wear transparent gauzy pants, but only sometimes."
Ken smirked at the man. "Just how many times have you gone to this place, Yotan?"
Youji shrugged. "Enough to know what the waiters wear. I stopped going when they switched the management - I didn't like the new feel to the place."
Still smiling a bit, Ken shook his head. "I guess that leaves me," he said reluctantly. "So, when do I start, how long is the mission, and do I get to kill anyone?"
Korat smiled coldly at the brunette. "You start today, it's as long as it takes, and no, you probably don't get to kill anyone unless they try and take you."
"So, basically, there's the potential that I'll be stuck there for weeks."
Nodding, Korat looked to Youji. "You'll be the main contact then since you're known at the club. Radio communication will have to be kept to a minimum in case the place is monitored."
"Of course," muttered the brunette. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to go and get ready." Ken got up quickly and went upstairs. Omi gave them all a concerned glance and followed leaving Youji and Aya alone with Korat.
"I know that this will leave your team short handed for a while, but I'll try to balance your mission load to take that into consideration. Any more questions? No? I'll leave you then." With that she swept up the stairs and, presumably, out of the building.
"Well, that was certainly odd," said Youji softly. "Do you trust her?"
"I have no reason ~not~ to trust her, but Kritiker. . ." Aya shook his head. "Do you think that Ken can handle the mission?"
Youji tilted his head in consideration. "Strangely enough, yes. He may put on the good boy act, but I don't think that he really is one, aside from the assassin thing that is. I understand he goes clubbing a lot so I think he can handle it, especially if he's just a waiter."
"I hope so," said Aya, relieved that neither Omi nor himself would have to go, and feeling guilty at the somewhat selfish thought.
~*~*~*~*~
Omi followed Ken up the stairs both relieved and annoyed at the over-protectiveness of the others. It was true that he ~didn't~ want to go on the mission, and for that matter, he didn't want Aya to go on it either, but he hated that all three of them had essentially forbid him from taking it without consulting him first. He supposed that his reaction was somewhat childish, but he couldn't help it - he didn't want to be babied by anyone anymore.
Knocking on Ken's door, he entered when he heard his friend's voice. He wondered if Ken could even pull the mission off - after all, he blushed whenever he ~talked~ about sex, how was he to work in a strip club? Wearing only a thong at that. Glancing at his friend and picturing him in a thong made Omi blush deeply. Definitely not the best line of thought to pursue at the moment.
"What's up, Omi?" asked Ken with a raised eyebrow.
Omi took a deep breath. "Are you sure you can do this mission?" he asked in a rush. "I mean you're such a, well, a good-boy. . ." He trailed off at Ken's snort of disbelief.
"I meant besides Weiss," corrected the blond.
Ken just smirked. I'm not really," Ken said, moving towards his closet.
"What do you mean you're not?"
"Just that, Omi. I haven't been a 'good-boy' since that whole other Weiss team thing. I'm a murderer who enjoys his work, and, in all honesty, I'm a bit of a slut, though I do have a boyfriend at the moment."
Omi's eyes widened as he tried to wrap his mind around what Ken was saying. He knew about Ken's blood lust, though he didn't like to think about it, but the idea of Ken as a slut was simply unbelievable.
Smirking at Omi's obvious disbelief Ken gestured for the younger man to come to the closet. Omi's jaw dropped in shock at the clothes there. There were some casual jeans and t-shirts, but most of the clothes were plastic coated or leather, skin tight by the looks of it, and a lot more scandalous than anything Youji had ever worn.
Laughing, Ken stripped off his t-shirt and tossed it on his bed and pulled out a thin black v-neck t-shirt and pulled it on. Omi watched with embarrassed interest as it clung to every single contour of Ken's torso. It was also practically transparent and Omi could see the darker spots of his friend's nipples through the fabric.
Gulping, Omi turned his back quickly when he saw that Ken was simply going to drop his shorts and continue dressing. The blond found himself very happy to be wearing baggy shorts and a baggy shirt - he'd never really thought of Ken as being sexually desirable before, and he knew that if he continued watching him get dressed, he'd make a fool of himself. Looking up to stare at the wall, he turned beat red when he saw Ken's face grinning at him from the mirror, tight black jeans still unzipped, showing off the other's obvious lack of boxers ~or~ briefs.
Squeaking embarrassingly Omi clapped his hands over his eyes, trying to will his growing erection away. he repeated to himself, with little effect as the man in question chuckled seductively.
"In case you're wondering," Ken said in a low, breathy voice, "I go clubbing whenever I'm bored or stressed. You can look now."
Cautiously peering through his fingers, Omi saw that Ken was indeed dressed, but it didn't really help much since he radiated sex appeal. Trying not to look at his friend, Omi noticed a white business card on the floor. Stooping to pick it up he was surprised to see that it had the name 'The Harem' across the front.
"What?" Omi began.
"You trust appearances too much, Omi," said Ken. "You need to look for less obvious clues if you want to keep close tabs on who people really are. Someone tried to hire me for 'The Harem' already, so I'll have no trouble establishing my cover."
Omi just blinked and said nothing. Things were ~way~ too weird right now. He couldn't believe that he'd been so wrong about Ken. It didn't really seem like a ~bad~ misjudgement really, but his image of Ken was totally different from who Ken seemed to be. He still couldn't really believe it.
"Well," said Ken, "I'm going to say good bye to Aya-chan and tell her that I won't be around for a while. You coming with me, or going downstairs?"
"I'll, uh, go with you," he said, suddenly curious to see what Aya-chan would make of the outfit.
They left the room and went to the next door over where Ken knocked. "It's me, Ken," he said. "Omi's here too. I have a mission that'll take me away for a while."
The door opened a bit and the girl peered out. "Come on in," she said, opening the door wide. "Where are you going?" she asked looking him over. "Those aren't your mission clothes."
Ken grinned. "They are right now," he replied. "I'm going undercover at that strip club called 'The Harem'. I'll probably end up wearing less than this most of the time."
The girl rolled her eyes. "Like that's a problem for ~you~ Mr. Who-needs-a-bedroom. Know how long you'll be gone?"
"Dunno," was the reply. "Couple of weeks at least. Will you be okay?"
She nodded. "I'll be fine. What do you want me to tell your boyfriend?"
"I'll leave it to your discretion. If all else fails, it's a family emergency." Looking at his watch, Ken shook his head. "I'd better get going. You going to come watch me confuse the hell out of Youji and your brother?"
Aya-chan smirked. "Nah, I think I'm going to spend some time on the roof." She suddenly flung herself at Ken, wrapping her arms around him. "Take care, okay?" she said softly.
"Don't worry, Futago," he said, returning her hug and stroking her hair. "If you really need someone to talk to, ~he's~ a good listener, and so's Youji. I want you to be careful too - you know how dangerous it gets at night."
Aya-chan kissed Ken on the cheek. "I'm always careful," she said, though her smile seemed a bit strained.
Ken gave her another quick hug before leaving the room. Omi stood on the threshold a moment longer before smiling at Aya-chan and following Ken towards the others. He was so caught up in thought that he barely noticed the shocked look that Ken got from Aya, and the appraising one he got from Youji. Things were just too strange right now. He wondered how much he'd missed about his teammates if he'd missed something as obvious as Ken's clubbing and Aya-chan's knowledge of it judging by her lack of surprise at the revealing clothing.
One thing was certain, he was definitely going to start paying more attention to the others - he didn't want to miss anything else of importance concerning his Weiss family - they were all he had and he'd do anything to protect them.
TBC.