Mind Games

"Frère Jaques! Frère Jaques!" A woman stared quizzically at the singing man. "Brother John! Brother John!" The man tripped on a crack in the pavement and flung his arms out wide to keep from falling. He giggled at his stunt. "Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing! Ding-Dong-ding! Ding-Dong-ding!" Actually, in just a couple of minutes, morning bells would be ringing. That is, if there were any morning bells in Tokyo.

Youji rounded a corner and began singing anew.

"Nagai tsuki-hi kimi to hanare, Boku wa munashisa ni oboreta, Yume wa tada no hiniku da yo to, Machi no zawameki ni suteta hazu sa..." A lone girl walking the rain-drenched street glanced at Youji who was walking without an umbrella and thought that Youji was drunk. Still, after the man had passed, she too began to murmur the words to 'Sweet Nothing'.

"Yogoreta tamashii kakimushitte, Ano hi ni modoru itami ni nare, Samayou tamashii sagashi ni yukou, Tooku tooku too – OOF!" Youji bumped into Aya and stepped back, trying to regain his equilibrium. "Ah, Aya!" he said happily. "Sumimasen! I didn't hear you!" He walked around the glaring Aya to the back of the Koneko no Sumu. "Utsuro de yasashii jidai no sayonara wo!"

Aya watched him as he sauntered off. It wasn't Youji who had bumped into Aya. It was Aya who bumped into Youji. He had been outside taking out the garbage when he heard an angel singing. Curious, he went to investigate. Little did he know that the voice came from his fellow assassin. It was surprising and more than a little disturbing.

"To say good-bye to this world sweet in nothingness!" Youji cried out in the dark, repeating his last sentence before entering the shop.

Still singing, Youji walked into the secret basement of the flower shop. At the top of the stairs that led down, he called out, "It's everyone's favourite bishounen! Kudou Youji!"

The reason Youji was in such a good mood was because he had not been visited by any 'voices'. He had been left in the club, alone and free. It had been some time since Youji had experienced that feeling and he was eternally grateful for the reprieve.

"Shh!" Omi replied to Youji who had made his way to the bottom of the winding stairwell, brows furrowed. "You're going to wake him up!"

"Eh? Ken?" Omi shook his head.

"Iie. Look in your bedroom – but try not to scream," he added.

As curious as a cat, Youji padded to his room silently, trying to make as little noise as possible. He nearly giggled out loud when he got a mental image of himself sneaking around the halls. Still quiet, Youji peered around the corner of the wood door. His eyes widened in absolute shock.

Resting on his bed was Schuldich.

"But-but-but..." he stammered. Ken came up behind him and peeked in the bedroom also.

"Ah, you've met sleeping beauty, I see." The boy wrinkled his nose. "He's been out all day. We've tried everything we could think of but he's just not waking."

"What happened!" Youji managed to burst out. He was horrified beyond belief. Schuldich – a member of Schwarz! INSIDE THEIR HIDE-OUT! Ken blushed.

"Anou, Omi-kun was driving and ah..."

"And what? He ran him over?" Youji walked into the room bravely. Ken muttered a weak 'hai'. Youji walked further into the room. "So how come you didn't just leave him on the sidewalk?" he asked calmly while gazing inquisitively at Schuldich's sleeping form.

"Because that would be immoral!" Ken stated fiercely, amazed at Youji's lack of compassion. "We couldn't possibly just leave him there!"

"We brought him here because there were spectators. They witnessed the event. We brought him here to protect ourselves, not because we wanted to." Aya now stood by the doorjamb, his face a mask, explaining to Youji.

"Well, let's dispose of him then!" To Youji, everything was solved if they just 'discarded' of Schuldich. He never liked the red-head. He barely found any interest in the man. But what distressed him was that Schuldich at times acted the exact same way as he. Like the red-head could have been a close friend of his if the circumstances were different. Youji threw a raspberry to the man and chuckled at his silliness.

Aya sighed exasperatedly behind his back. "We can't. Kritiker has contacted us."

"What?" Youji turned around.

"Kritiker is willing to pay us a great sum of money if we do this last job." Youji's face coloured.

"But Weiss officially disbanded months ago!" Aya tilted his head, acknowledging Youji's declaration.

"But Youji," Ken interrupted. "Something's happening. Something you'll never believe!" He neared the tall man and tip-toed to whisper confidentially in his ear. "Someone's been killing off Schwarz! One by one..." Youji pushed Ken away impatiently.

"I don't care! Let the bastards rot in hell, then! Why should we help them?" He looked to Aya, demanding an answer with his flashing eyes. Aya talked, slowly, tonelessly, with no expression or feeling.

"The same person, or people, have been after members of Kritiker also. They already got Manx." The blood abruptly rushed out of Youji's head, making him light-headed. It couldn't be true. Not Manx. Not Manx. Manx... Aya continued, relentlessly. "They could be after us too. It looks as if this person is going after everyone that was ever after Takitori. At the moment, we don't know why. But if we keep Schuldich, he may reveal to us some information. We need him."

And that's the bottom line, thought Youji as he sat down dazedly in a chair. Who cares about Manx? This is a mission. Schuldich is a lead. Forget everything else; we have a job to do. Forget the innocent women who get caught in the cross-fire...

"What do you want me to do?"

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A massive change came over Youji in the past few days. Before, when he had been light-hearted and carefree, he was now extremely reserved and intense. He even acted slightly like Aya but it was much more frightening for the people around him because he had never been that way a mere day ago. Youji was quiet, serious, almost in an ethereal condition and alarmingly so.

"Do you think that Youji'll be alright?" murmured Ken. Omi shook his head.

"I don't know. I don't even know why he volunteered to be the one to take the main role in this operation. Taking into consideration what happened with Asuka... I just expected him to be the one that was unwilling." It was Ken's turn to shake his head.

"Maybe it's his past with Asuka that's driving him on. And don't forget, Manx was always a favourite of his." Omi made a small noise in his throat in agreement but Ken's words didn't settle Omi's nervous disposition. It didn't even settle Ken's. They both looked at the tall member of the re-established Weiss Kruez as he potted a lily.

Youji moved efficiently and was totally impassive. He placed the flower in the ceramic bowl without really looking at it and stuffed dirt around the roots. He then placed a blue ribbon around the pot and set it on a shelf near the front of the store where it could be viewed easily.

Aya sneaked a glance at Youji and then pretended as if he Youji was his old self. The man had taken and wanted the job to befriend Schuldich and wring as much information out of him on his own. Things would have been so much easier if Schuldich would just give them the information but Aya doubted that. First, Schuldich was one of their oldest enemies and secondly, because Schuldich himself didn't even try to find out who killed off his companions. And if they were to ask him, there could be a chance that Schuldich would refuse to give them the information merely because he wished to antagonise them; after all, Schuldich had a history of enjoying others' pain and frustration. Yes, it would be best if one of them got close to Schuldich. It was the best way to ensure that the information would be obtained. Youji would do the job right, if not for Schwarz or the team, then for Manx. Aya trusted him enough to leave him alone and to not contemplate the man committing suicide, but that was tentative. Aya would have to keep eye out for Youji for the entire mission and it didn't help things that Youji had been getting roaring drunk for the past few days.

Aya looked at Youji again. Maybe when Schuldich woke up Youji would–

"Schuldich!" Omi yelled out loud. As if realising that no one was supposed to know that they had the man in their custody, the youth hastily placed his palm over his mouth and looked around. Luckily, there was no one in the store at the moment. Taking the initiative, Ken grabbed Schuldich's arm and dragged him back downstairs, to their secret headquarters.

"Youji–" began Aya, but Youji was already following Ken; already doing his duty.

"Schuldich! Are you okay?" spoke Ken softly. He didn't know why but he felt that he should speak quietly. Steering him round the screw stairs and to Youji's bedroom, Ken scanned Schuldich's face for any signs of sickness; yes, it was there, and quite evident. Many times during the short journey, Schuldich's legs failed him leaving the shorter and lighter Ken with a grown man's weight upon his shoulders. "Ah! Schuldich! Dammit, you should keep off the sweets!" Ken and Schuldich were almost to the bedroom but Schuldich was limp in Ken's arms and this time, it didn't seem like he was going to regain his footing again.

"Youji! Here, help me," beckoned Ken as the older man appeared, but Youji didn't bother helping Ken, he just hefted the red-head, as if he was no great weight, and took him away. Ken was left behind wondering about a few things but no longer impeded. Shrugging any thoughts away, Ken walked after the pair.

"Schuldich," murmured Youji softly. Schuldich groggily moved his head to the other side; Youji was whispering in his ear. It took Ken a moment until he realised that Youji was going after Schuldich. He silently left the two to their own devices.

"Schuldich," Youji repeated, overlooking Ken's well-timed exit. He ran a hand through the thick mass of hair sensually. It tickled the pads of his fingers and felt soft against his palm. Schuldich mumbled something unintelligible. Youji leaned forward farther to hear the man's words.

Clumsy fingers brushed up and under Youji's Armani sweater. They glided over hardened muscle and pliant skin, up and up. Now Schuldich was blowing in Youji's ear, moaning and becoming short of breath.

"I want you." The simple words nearly made Youji recoil in revulsion. A playboy to the core, Youji never had considered yaoi relationships for himself – though he had caught Ken imagining himself with Aya several times since their leader had joined Weiss. Calmly taking the straying hand in his own, Youji straightened and looked down on Schuldich without emotion playing on his features. He would let Schuldich make the first move.

Schuldich was asleep. The redhead had apparently fallen unconscious again. Youji thought ruefully, maybe I was a little too much for him; but there was no humour in the sentence. Placing Schuldich's hand on the mattress beside him, Youji took an extra blanket and a pillow; he would be sleeping on the couch for the next few days.