Sleeping Orchids 2nd in 'Flower Saga'

by gal

A simple mission goes terribly wrong when Schwarz appears and Schuldich kidnaps Aya/Ran away for his own... 'purposes'. Will it break Weiß... or will it break Ran? Warning: violence, language, nonconsensual sex, angst.

4. Sleeping Orchids : Chapter Four : Rescue

Sleeping Orchids
Chapter Four : Rescue

* * *

"So Sleeping Beauty awakens. I'm disappointed. I didn't even get to kiss you awake. Ahh right but I'm not Prince Charming, or was it True Love's first kiss that was to awaken the lovely slumbering beauty in the ageless sleep. I'm not that either..."

Dark silken threads that made up Ken's eyelashes fluttered like butterflies on his bronze cheeks. The golden hue of his lids revealing the Mediterranean depths of his stunning aqua eyes. His brow furrowed in confusion at Youji's whispered words muttered softly near his ear. "Youji? Where?"

"You had a nightmare... I think. I asked the nurses to tranq you to keep you from Schuldich's reach while you slept. That's what happened isn't it?" The blonde's voice was still soft, as he took rare liberties with the boy while he was still dazed. Liberties he never would have taken knowing Ken would have rejected him. Long fingers brushed away the soft brown bangs away from his soulful eyes.

He'd stayed by Ken's side the entire time he'd been sleeping occasionally answering question or asking questions of Omi. For the most part he'd left the genki youth to his work knowing the less distractions for him the better. Youji had watched in silence as Ken slept peacefully. Seeing him awaken had been a relief. He knew the boy was exhausted and still would be, but at least he'd be rejuvenated. Straightening he sighed knowing he couldn't keep Ken's wakefulness from Omi. Instead he stood and ruffled Ken's hair playfully. "Nice of you to sleep while the rest of us slave around looking for your boyfriend."

"He's not... You slaved? Oh God we're surely doomed if you actually lifted a finger to help."

Youji clutched at his chest in feigned anguish. "Kenken! I'm hurt! You actually think I'd lay around in bed and sleep while a teammate's life hung in the balance."

"Yes."

"You mean like you just did...?" He had to grin for setting Ken up beautifully like that.

"Eh... You tranq'ed me."

"Only after you had your dream, which meant you were sleeping before that."

"..."

"Aha! Point for Uncle Youji! What's the score now."

"Ken a lot. Youji one."

"Cute."

"I am aren't I?"

"Yes, very."

"..."

"Two points! I'm on a roll tonight! Care to go for three?"

"And give you the satisfaction?"

"No lovin' for Uncle Youji tonight it seems."

"..."

"HA! I knew you loved me Kenken."

"Anyway... Status Omi?"

"Ken-kun!" Omi said brightly after rubbing his eyes, looking over from his work also glad to see the usually very active member of Weiß awake if not still groggy from the heavy tranquilizers. Reaching up, he stretched lightly before wincing in pain. Dumb ribs. "Ah... not much luck, gomen. I wish I could tell you different but..." He shrugged lightly and looked back to the screen and rubbed his eyes again. "This doesn't have the same capabilities as the computer at home, I use this more for work on missions and setting up the detonation on small explosives for distractions."

He sighed faintly and looked over at the two. "Once I get back home it'll be a lot easier... I have a few leads but nothing to get too excited about. Gomen, Ken-kun, Youji-kun." His lower lip puffed out into a slight pout as he looked back to the screen once more.

Blinking as the fog started clearing from his mind, he sighed. "I got a nice vision from Mastermind. If I describe it will it help you narrow down your options?"

"Ken? Are sure?" Long, lean arms crossed over his slim chest as the playboy relayed his concern. "You didn't react to well when you saw it..."

"For Aya... I'll retell what I saw of the area if it'll help Omi. Will it?"

"Hai, Ken-kun. I have a list of some of the safe houses SZ owns." He grinned a tiny bit at that accomplishment. That had taken him months and long nights to get even the short list of locations he did. "And yes I knew it was dangerous if they caught me but they didn't. Unfortunately, the ones I have are all over Japan and where that tracker is... is far from Tokyo. It may help me narrow it down." Reaching over he picked up the can of the highly caffeinated beverage, finishing up the rest. Tapping the can lightly to get it all out, he dropped the can into the trashcan by the bed, his fingers returning to pull up Notepad to jot down what Ken said. "Ready. For Aya-kun."

Ignoring the actions of what were going on in the bed, glazing them over for Omi and his own sake he described what he could of the actual room. More details coming to him as he illustrated that brief glimpse he'd been given. As he went on he began to remember scents outside of the ones from sex those he were familiar with and could dismiss with some ease though they sickened him. He went through every sense to get a feel for the room, temperature, textures of the sheets on the bed, sounds that permeated the walls. Everything in painstaking detail until he could explain no more and all he could see was the coupling in the bed. He began to shake and the tears started streaming from his eyes but he tried to press on and give him more.

"Okay, Ken. Stop..."

"But..."

"I order you to stop, now."

Ken nodded solemnly silently thanking Youji. "Is that enough Omi?"

Sliding the laptop from where it rested on the bed to the small table at his side, Omi straightened up and glanced to the door to first see if it was closed. It was. The boy's small form moved off the bed over to Ken's, his slim arms wrapping about the older male as his own tears fell from his deep blue eyes. "Hai... Ken-kun..." he whispered through his crying for the brunette, ignoring his own aches and pains.

"I'll find him for you. I will find our leader."

* * *

Three days. Seventy-two hours. Four thousand three hundred twenty minutes. Two hundred fifty nine thousand two hundred seconds. It had been three days exactly since the building had blown, Omi noted as he looked at his watch, his eyes blurry from lack of sleep and staring at a computer screen almost without pause since Ken and Youji had entered his hospital room.

He now sat in the mission room, his body just bothering him with minor aches and pains, the lighter painkillers the hospital had given him minoring the pain. The hospital had released him a few hours after Ken's collapse, telling them both to just take it easy for a few days and let Omi's ribs heal and Ken to just... get rest. Omi still did not know how Youji had explained that exactly to the nurses. MagicBus was getting somewhat used to... odd injuries from the group.

The boy glanced over to the couch where Ken slept, Youji in a nearby armchair slumbering lightly as well. The three hadn't been out of one another's sights in those days, worry in each of their eyes every time they looked at one another and they tried to conceal it, it was painfully clear. After they'd gotten home Omi had gone directly to his computer in the mission room, passing off sleep as a trivial necessity he simply did not have time for. Aya did not have time for him to sleep.

Munching lightly on an apple he'd disappeared upstairs for a minute to get while the two slept, he looked back to the screen, squinting at the monitor before scrolling down. The tracker had come up with nothing, Schuldich apparently having circled around or backtracked or come back or just gone a complete opposite direction after dumping it off to throw Weiß off.

On his screen was the list of SZ owned safe houses that he had collected up over months of careful hacking, finding a well-hidden loophole in their mainframe, specifically directly into Schwarz's computer systems. Running a hand through his hair and muttering that his eyelids needed to cooperate and stop drooping now, he let his fingers fly over the keys to try to slip into the system once more to try to access the up to date list. Running his tongue over his lips in careful thought, he searched first to get a lock on Crawford's computer console.

Even the genki boy so considerate of his teammates couldn't keep his 'whoop' of cheer quiet as he found the leader of Schwarz's computer inactive. Now he could just mask his tracks to make it look as though it was Crawford doing the looking, not Weiß, should anyone see it...

Startling awake at the excited cry while the blonde strangely curled up behind him and... hugging him remained in his comatosed sleep, Ken sat up and pulled away from Youji's embrace and headed toward the back of the mission room to Omi. Along the way he picked up a mug of still warm coffee from the back table and brought it to his lips as he leaned against the wall. "Tell me you found something, kiddo. Tell me you know where my Aya is."

"I'm back in SZ's system, Ken-kun. If they are able to track me in their system..." He continued hitting a few keys, looking over his shoulder at the sleepy brunette. "...they'll track Oracle's computer system, not mine." Bringing his thumb up to his lips he nibbled lightly on the digit, pulling up windows and searching through the opposition organization's main frame with a nearly dizzying speed.

"Mou but they have a lot of safe houses... I was able to toss out quite a few though, Ken-kun, after doing a lot of searching and detailing on what you told me about that... vision. The list is getting a lot shorter. I'm finding him before dawn. I have to." Continuing to file through the lists, he paused, tilting his head before pulling up the old list he pulled from their computer system and saved to his own hard drive.

Nibbling on his nail in thought more, he bapped himself lightly and picked up an apple slice instead. "I think I may be needing sleep... That--" he pointed to his list, "--one is listed... I just got that one a few weeks ago... but in SZ's files it's gone..."

Well well, looks like when Nagi erased the records of SZ owning the building where Schuldich and Aya were currently was one of the locations that Omi was able to pull from SZ's computers before Nagi erased it from all records... all but one record. The record Weiß had in their possession, unknown to them.

Bending to compare the two documents the current one was indeed missing a record of one specific out of the way safe house. "Omi, run deed and title checks, on that property. Make sure it wasn't sold or destroyed. Then find me photographs of that building if you can, blue prints, what type of security is in that building. Give me everything. Do your little magic." Flicking the screen on the highlighted listing, he let a malicious grin touch his lips. "If everything checks then that's where Aya is. God, Omi. I think I could kiss you."

"Then Aya would have to kill Omi and we can't have that can we. We know how possessive we are of what's his."

"I really wish you'd stop that kinda joking, Kudou."

"Why?"

"Because A) It's none of your business. B) You just wouldn't understand."

"Understand unrequited love? Ok I think I just might, more than you know."

"This is nothing like you and Asuka."

"Who said anything about Asuka?"

Ken stood there silent and stunned just looking at the blonde. He had nothing really to say to that. He didn't know what to think of it. Youji had never before expressed an interest in him or if he had he hadn't been so damn obvious about it as he was now. What the hell did he want from him. It wasn't as if he could change what he felt for Aya, whatever that was. Youji was Youji, and that was that. He'd been more like a brother and the butt of his and Omi's practical jokes for the longest time but... Running a finger through his hair he sighed. "Omi do whatcha can and find me that information. Youji. Go... get laid or something and leave me alone. I'm gonna shower and get a few things together to storm the safe house. Actually Youji. Go to Kritiker's weapon storage and find a rocket launcher and a few canisters of sleeping gas."

"..." Pure Aya moment there. Omi watched the two for a minute, really not getting it. He brightened when he picked up on something. He was far from stupid, but when his teammates bickered back and forth about deep matters of the heart and... *blush* ...sex, he often just didn't follow. Often times he would just blush and fluster their names and try to go back to what he was doing.

"Ne, Ken-kun, why don't you just kiss Aya-kun when we get him back?" Grinning brightly at him, glad to see him smiling again. Looking again, he noted the malicious grin and placed his hand over his, giving him a sweet look of concern. "Ken-kun, daijoubu. We'll have him back soon. It will take me a few hours to get all that information without being caught though."

* * *

A short squeak of pain crossed Aya's lips as Schuldich raked his nails down his back from the intensity of his climax, breaking his skin that had just been bruised and scraped. He pressed down into the pillow as he now often did, not letting him see any expressions of pain on his face. "Schuldich... seems you would get tired of the same things over and over..." he said weakly in a hoarse voice through cracked and bloodied lips.

The entire three days he'd been with Schuldich he had not bathed or eaten once, and the usually impeccably dressed man was starting to be sick with even himself. His pale body was even more so from blood loss, shivering involuntarily from the pain almost continually. The pain of his hunger was starting to almost block out the pain of his battered body, most of his body numbed by his own will. Every time Schuldich came into the room he refused to look at him, keeping up the strength to pull his head away from any time he tried to kiss him or get him to look at him. It was the only type of resistance he still had, denying Schuldich the ability to see his face and his pain.

//I will never get tired of you, orchid.// Sliding off of him, the German took up the lanky redhead in his arms, pulling his weary body close against his. Aya blinked and batted lightly at his chest but Schu merely took hold of his wrists into his hands. //Do you know how long I've wanted this, waited for this? Ran... I could make this so easy on you... I could make you enjoy this so much. With my powers I could raise the devil from hell. I could give you whatever you want...//

Struggling away from him finally, he curled up on side and turned away from him, putting his marred and bloodied back to the German. He bit his already sore lip as he felt the man pull close to him, his sweat dampened skin on his just sending a chill through him. "I want to go home, Schuldich--"

//Home? Your home blew up years back, miene Hure. You have no home... Do you not remember? Your dead parents? The bomb? Your cute little imouto being struck by a car?//

"I am well aware of that night, Schuldich. I want to go back to Weiß." His eyes squeezed shut and he tried to move closer to the wall away from him, arching his body away from his rubbing. His eyes flashed darkly under his pale closed lids and he felt the anger surge through him but he kept it concealed, just allowing the pure adrenaline to rush through him. He kept his mind as concealed and dulled as possible, just replaying over and over in it basic kendo practices and moves he had memorized and could do in his sleep.

//Weiß despises you most times, orchid. You're cold and they can't talk to you. Why ever would they want you back? You're mine, dear little flower. They'll never find you.//

Tensing as a cold sweat broke over his body, the kendo moves were replaced with images and memories of Schuldich raping him and abusing him. Catching him at weak moments and promising his return home if he'd just cooperate, trying to soothe him with soft kisses before shoving his erection anywhere and everywhere. He still couldn't get the vile taste from his mouth of the last time he had parted his lips with that fleshy shaft, making him gag and nearly wretch with his hard thrusts into his mouth. Fingers yanking on his hair only to shove him aside in anger and strike him once more when he refused to deliver any attentions to him other than just sit there and wait for him to finish, not wanting the taste of him but getting it time and time again. Everything the man was doing to him made him feel ill, and the few things he had in his stomach from many days ago had been vomited after the first time he was forced to go down on him. He had lost count of how many times he'd penetrated his tender flesh or lips, how many humiliations, how many times he had almost broken, how many times he had silently begged for death but refused to ask it, knowing Schuldich would just make some false promise if he would just cooperate he would get whatever he asked, how many strikes and hits to his body, how many times he allowed him a bit of his dignity once more only to rip it away once more in new and painful ways.

Turning quickly he let loose a loud mental cry of anguish into Schuldich's mind as the adrenaline throbbed through his veins, screaming and lashing at him like a rabid animal. Like a scalded cat, scratching and kicking wildly with no sense of humanity in him. He was slowly trying to take even that from him, treating like worse than some whore on the street, just a belonging, a little pet to beat and call back and win affections with little treats. All control he usually held so well was lost, just wanting to hurt the man as he had so many times hurt him.

He screamed and kicked as Schuldich struggled to get away and get the binds once more, sending him a quick telepathic blow to settle him. Still he hissed and seethed as the pain tore through his mind, unable to stop from having his hands tied tightly but the fight had hardly left him. His knee lifted and launched up into Schuldich's groin before his feet too were tied down.

//Still fight in you... impressive. So damn impressive orchid.// A grin touched his lips even as winced in pain from the hard kick.

"Get the hell out Schuldich. Touch me again and I will kill you with my teeth if that's all I can manage. I know they don't fucking want me but that's for them to tell, not you. If they in truth do not, I will go somewhere else. But never willingly to your bed, Schwarz. Ever."

* * *

"Ken-kun...!" Omi said after a yawn, his answer to that being to just sip a bit more Jolt. He could sleep after he got Aya back and safe in Koneko. Looking over at the man sitting patiently on couch, he smiled brightly. The hour was a few hours after dawn. All nighters were hardly rare for the boy. "I think I have everything you needed. Remember when you told me there was that sound you heard in the vision? This mysteriously missing safe house is near train tracks."

Pointing to the screen with his weary but proud smile still on his lips, he taped the information he'd been able to pull from SZ's network. "It wasn't sold or destroyed as far as I can tell from any records I was able to dig up... It's just gone from SZ's." Reaching over to the printer, he handed over a set of blue prints he'd found just a half-hour ago. "Used to be a very small, very well hidden, very little known prison... Used for the top security 'patients' of SZ. It's still well locked up but... it's abandoned. Has been for years." His sapphire eyes met with aqua. "Once we get into the building, I imagine Mastermind will be the only one we have to worry about. Nothing we can't handle though, ne?"

"Nope nothing we can't handle." Ruffling the boy's head he gave him his winning smile and a light squeeze on his shoulder. Ken looked around to his two teammates. "I've got every thing I need in Youji's car. Do we have everything to do this?"

"I got everything you requested Kenken. I got the gas and the launcher for it. The gas is strong. No doubt Aya will get hit by it but it shouldn't be the least bit detrimental to him. In fact, the lab guys at Kritiker told me that it won't even affect us. It's a viral type of sleep agent. All of Kritiker's employees were inoculated to it do reduce the need for gas masks. Worst case scenario though Aya may just fall asleep for a couple hours but I think it'll be a blessing." Youji's arm slipped over Ken's shoulder and hugged the shorter male tightly against his side. Pressing the barest touch of his lips to Ken's temple, he sighed knowing that this would be the first, only, and last time he would ever be able to taste the honey of the former J-Leaguer.

Ken gave Youji a faint smile as he pulled away and rubbed lightly at his temple. Looking between Omi and Youji he smirked softly, "Okay boys. Put your game faces on. For old times sake." Squaring his shoulders, Ken protracted his Bugnuk and held it out between the two assassins. "For revenge."

Youji's soft chuckle filed the air suddenly as his hand fell to Ken's head to ruffle the boy's hair. "You're such a sentimental fluff."

"Just do it."

"Oh fine." The blonde shook out his arm and let his watch slide around the palm of his hand and laid it over Ken's. "To find out if I'm still alive."

Both heads turned to look at Omi waiting for him to completely the seemingly ancient chant. Clasping their weapons in hand in the middle each one calling why they fought for Weiß then chanting Weiß's missions statement which was usually Persia's tagline.

Nodding to the two, Omi rose from the chair and picked up his cross bow from where it rested beside his chair, where he'd kept it knowing that soon they would leave to go retrieve Aya. Looking as serious as possible, and just looking like an angry Pikachu with his bright blue eyes fluffy hair and innocent face, he laid the crossbow across the prongs of the Bugnuk. "For the meaning of life."

Sapphire blue met with first emerald green then aquamarine. "White hunters of evil, pursue the tomorrows of these dark beasts." In unison with Omi the other two assassins spoke the same words.

Giving a lighthearted grin to the pair soften the mood, Omi grabbed up his laptop and the blue prints to the building. He handed out mic sets and easily fitted his into his ear, having done it a hundred times already. Moving to the stairs, picked up a small case holding his poison and tranq darts. "Ne. I call shot gun!"

* * *

"Take a right turn here..." Omi said softly to Ken, looking at the map in his hands. The area around them was highly wooded but down the road was a break in the trees, a large meadow with the old prison in the middle of it, a large electrified fence around it with barbwire atop. The boy scrunched up his nose at seeing that. He would have to test it with a dart in a moment to see if the current was turned on. The records he had found had said the prison was abandoned but he hadn't found mention of whether or not it was operational. Cursing faintly he shook his head faintly. They would get past it.

* * *

Schuldich opened his emerald eyes from where he lay resting in a room near Aya's, light bandages on where the man had dug into his skin like an animal with his nails and teeth. Sitting up he pushed his untamable fiery hair back behind an ear, he looked around and sent out a telepathic feeler.

Smirking he rose to his feet to move towards Aya's room once more, the key in hand. "Weiß comes."

* * *

The three were kneeling on a hill looking down at the abandoned prison. Youji carefully surveyed the building comparing it to the blue prints in his hand. "High windows. No glass. Though hopefully the wall coming down won't do too much damage or scatter too much debris on Aya." Green eyes looked over at his teammate loading up the canister into the launcher. "You know what you're doing with that?"

"Yeah I took out a buncha Takatori's SD troops with one of these before I rescued your ass."

"Oh so that's what you did while I was BLEEDING AND UNCONCIOUS!"

"I saved your ass didn't I? And what kinda moron drives into a wall."

"One who's been SHOT."

"Oh so you admit you're a moron."

"I'm not... Fuck. Just shoot the damn thing."

"Didn't have to tell me twice." Hoisting the barrel of the launcher onto his shoulder, Ken took aim, setting his crosshairs on the small barred window they were facing. With a quick press of the trigger the canister of sleeping agent sailed through the air and cracked open against one of the bars. Another one quickly followed taking the bar and the window out. The third and final one was launched to land cleanly in the room.

With any luck the air ducts would carry the gas throughout the prison and anyone not associated with Kritiker within the building would soon be sleeping soundly.

Even in the stressful situation, Omi couldn't help but let out a giggle as he glanced at the two bickering. "Almost like old times ne? Before Aya-kun joined Weiß..." Maybe it was from lack of sleep but the boy just found it comforting and a bit amusing. Before Aya had joined Weiß, if it wasn't Ken and Omi bickering and Youji keeping the peace, it was Ken and Youji or Omi and Youji. Aya brought a calming strength... and a pair of violet eyes that glared darkly if anyone acted like a child in an improper situation where such behavior wasn't necessary or needed.

As the two had been lugging the sleeping gas and rocket launcher up the hill, he had been walking around the perimeter of the old prison looking for a way in. A single dart thrown at the fence had shown it was operational, and the blue prints of the place showed there were controls. Inside the place though. Smirking, he had just tossed his bag of darts over his shoulder and trekked up the hill after the two.

Eyeing the hill, he looked around and brightened, spotting a tree. Dashing over to it while the two bickered on some more after launching the sleeping gas, he hopped a few times trying to reach one of the lower branches still way over his head. Sweatdropping and bapping himself, he strapped his cross bow to his back and looked over at the tall blonde. "Youji-kun? Lift me up?" Pointing up, he smiled at him. "The fence is electrified. But we're getting in... Schreiend-style!"

It was a method they'd used once before to get into the house where Hel, Schoën, and Tot had Aya-chan hidden. Climb up a high tree and shoot a dart with some of Youji's wire attached, creating a zip-line. It worked then it would work now.

* * *

Blood shot violet eyes glazed over from pain, hunger, and lack of sleep, cracked open as Schuldich once more walked into the room. Coughing faintly before parting his lips he lifted his head but stayed curled on the bed. "What the hell do you want, Schuldich..." His voice was barely above a whisper, not able to make it more. As Schuldich stepped closer after locking the door and pocketing the key, his hand pulling his zipper down, he spat at him.

//Still so feisty orchid...// Schuldich smirked and pulled his clothes off, shoving his head back to the side. Aya winced lightly but turned his head before he wrenched the already sore muscles. The fire-haired man climbed on top of the crimson haired assassin lying face down on the bed, driving hard into him without warning. His little uke flinched but automatically tried to loosen up to ease the pain.

//Just came to give you my goodbye fuck. Weiß is here.//

The leader of Weiß froze, stopping his weak protests as that word echoed through his mind over and over. The fight almost seemed to go out of him, the icy glare in his eyes almost seemed to melt. His eyes closed shut to fight the sudden tears he felt. The man from a few hours ago who'd spat back in Schuldich's face after he forced him to give him head seemed to disappear, replaced by a man who was terribly ashamed and... afraid of how Weiß would see him.

"Weiß... Schuldich... get off me..."

//Not until I get off, Liebechen...// He gave him a lecherous grin and continued thrusting even as the sleeping gas filtered in through the air vents as Weiß had opened. Any falling debris was across the prison so it never touched the pair on the bed.

Opening his eyes as he felt Schuldich grow still on him, he blinked back to see the slight fog entering the room from an above duct. It made his eyes tear lightly but nothing else even as it promptly put Schuldich into a deep sleep. The low-pitched buzz in the back of his mind finally shut off, letting him know that Schuldich was fully asleep. Biting his lip, struggled to get out from under him, only managing to fall to the hard floor. Wincing as he smacked his elbow on the concrete, he eyed the door across the room and just shook his head weakly. Way way way too far.

Sighing faintly and trying to pull in cool air across his parched throat, he just picked up the short sleeved shirt Schuldich had been wearing and curled up in it as best he could, lying on the floor and just staring at the door.

* * *

It had been little matter to get past the wire fence. Once Omi had been given the boost it had taken only seconds to get to the compound. From there the trio moved quickly and silently though the area looking for the guard house where the main security system ones for the interior and exterior of the prison. It had been an easy system for the boy to hack in and shut everything down. The emergency lights immediately flicking on, without any of the security measures.

While there Ken took the opportunity to figure out where Aya was being held. Comparing the building manifest they had to the one currently on the wall, Ken noticed a set of missing from the wall. Pointing to the area of the map where that room was located Ken looked to his teammates. "This is where he is."

"And you know this how."

"No keys for this room here."

"I knew Kenken wasn't stupid."

"Uh... Thanks I think. Let's go." Leading the way once more the trio of assassins made it through the corridors without mishap. It was dark with the only light being the harsh yellow lights from the emergency bulbs overhead but it was enough light to navigate by. They came upon the door. Testing the door it seemed to be locked some how. "Shit. Omi. What can you do about this annoying thing. If you manage to get it open let me in first." Turning to face it, Ken banged on it lightly, "Aya... are you in there. Please be okay. I'm coming to get you out."

"There is no 'if' about this, Siberian..." Omi said softly as he pulled out one of the other cell's keys he'd picked up in the security room and dropped to his knees to get better light on the lock.

Waving the other two away to not block the emergency lights, he pressed an ear to the thick metal door, able to hear faint shuffling in the room. He could practically feel Aya in the room. Inserting the key he wiggled it lightly, trying to get a feel for the slots and pins in the mechanism. If all else failed, he had small bombs he could place on the door but didn't want to do that, one reason to not harm Aya if he were close to the door, second he wasn't sure what was in the air in this prison. Mastermind had most likely known they were coming and could have put some type of explosive and not easily detectable gas into the air to blow the three up at a single spark. He wasn't sure and wasn't about to take a chance like that. Schwarz was crafty and heavens only knew the materials SZ had at their disposal.

Pulling out of his pocket a small case with files and metal pins, he skimmed a finger over a few and picked them out by touch, inserting them in at an angle to try to touch on the parts of the lock the wrongly shaped key wasn't. "Come on... arg, prison locks... they actually make them relatively easy to pick as long as you can get a hold of one of the styles of keys the prison uses..." he muttered lightly under his breath as he worked. "The whole theory of carving a soap key though wouldn't would... it's too soft. And after having that be such a popular urban legend, I'm sure prisons give the inmates soft soap so it never could wo-- AH!" Pulling the key and pin out carefully as he felt the door jerk and creak lightly, he smiled and got from his knees, brushing off the dust. "You get Abyssinian, Balinese and I will go find Mastermind ne?"

* * *

Aya's pale violet eyes stayed shut even at Ken's call, his dark lashes fluttering lightly on his pale blood streaked cheeks before falling still once more. Whether he was asleep or just trying to hide the pain from the past few days obvious in his eyes was uncertain, perhaps even to him. He'd been in a nightmare state, always somewhere between a waking hell and a sleeping nightmare. A part of him feared that Weiß coming was just another of Schuldich's lies, and another part of him feared it was true. If it was true.... he didn't want to see their reactions to first seeing him. He could only imagine how he looked.

Even as the door creaked open an inch he stayed where he was, curled on the dirtied floor in a room that reeked of sex and blood, the smells closed in along with other dirt and grime. The room he had spent three days in, his only way to tell he wasn't fully in hell being the tiny barred window at the top of one of the walls, open to reveal the deep blue skies of the day, the same color of Ken's eyes. Every day he had stared at it, wondering if that was the only way he'd ever be able to see the brunette again.

His legs were pulled in close to his body to try to hide the long welts that ran over his abdomen and thighs, his entire lithe form streaked in blood crusted over the pale flesh, grease, grime and evidence from Schuldich's 'visits' other than just the bruises and cuts. Aya pulled in slow shallow breaths as he lay on the floor completely naked except for the small shirt curled close against his battered and bruised chest. He looked like hell, to be completely honest. And the devil himself was lying buck naked and asleep with a hard on still in the filthy bed a foot from him.

The first body Ken saw was Schuldich. "Bombay, Balinese... Mastermind in here." His eyes roamed in the dim light. From the window beamed the bright rays of sunlight onto the dirtied floor. He followed that light to the floor. He noticed a slight movement. "... Aya...." Ignoring his condition, just relieved to see him he went in and dropped to his knees before the male. Ken's hands found his and brought them to his lips, oblivious to the dirt and filth on his perfect hands. Blue met lilac and for the briefest of moments all Ken saw was the male who owned his heart.

Reality slowly clicked in as Ken fully took in Aya's condition. His eyes darkened menacingly, hatred and anger and rage burning in them. A soft phrase with hate and malice uncharacteristic of the charming youth fell from his lips, "He's going to pay for what he did to you...." His head turned sharply toward the door. "Bombay don't come in here, go find Abyssinian's gear. Balinese come here and give me your trench coat."

The coat was in Ken's hands even before he finished asking it. "Anything I can..."

"Help me get Aya into this."

"Schuldich?"

"Mine."

Nodding curtly he aided his teammate in helping their leader into the large trench coat. The soft leather soon covered the battered form of the redhead. Ken sighed and leaned forward to press a light kiss on Aya's forehead brushing the matted and dirty strands of murky crimson hair from the male's face. "Everything is gonna be all right, Aya. I promise. Youji is gonna take you back to the car and Omi is gonna get your stuff okay? Hang in there Aya, please. I... I need you."

* * *

Resisting the temptation to look in to see their much-missed leader as soon as he heard the slight hiss of hatred fall from Ken's lips, Omi shuddered faintly, shaking his head. The bad ones always die. 'Never forgive the bad ones'. Closing his eyes and putting a hand to his mouth to block out the quick trace of the smell in the room, he cast his eyes to the floor following the footprints in the thick layer of dust in the prison, a path obviously treaded often in the past few days. Following it away from Aya's cell, he came to a room, which Schuldich must have obviously stayed in while not... with Aya.

Walking in slowly and carefully, he spotted the black-violet trenchcoat, pants, shirt, and katana lying carelessly on a table. Moving into the room he glanced to the side and quickly shut his eyes, seeing a row of whips stained with fresh blood hanging on one wall, along with other... things. They were of the varied sort that Schuldich used on some of his visits with Aya when he was more than a little upset and being none too gentle with his beating or penetration. A slight hiss touched his lips as he grabbed up the usual assassin gear of the katana wielder, repeating over and over the phrase as he made his way back down the dark hallway to Youji.

* * *

"Don't touch me..." Aya whispered firstly when he slowly opened his eyes, freezing the moment he saw someone beside him. It must have been a lie, Weiß wasn't coming, he was here until he died from starvation or blood loss or until his body just gave out or until Schuldich just got sick of him. He tried to struggle away but froze at the tender kiss to his dirtied hands, the only part on him not bloodied just covered in three days of grime.

His lip quivered like a reprimanded child's at the hatred burning in Ken's eyes, dropping his head to look away to not see those clear turquoise eyes burning a near white blue with anger. Logic failed him in his state, not connecting up the look with the words meaning Schuldich. All he could remember was Schuldich's cruelly correct-seeming words of Weiß despising him and their bickering over the mic set before Schwarz interrupted the mission. Why had they come? Schuldich said they'd never find him. He shook lightly and his eyes burned, but he hardly had enough fluid in his body to even release a tear. After the two had slipped the jacket around his limp body, receiving no help or struggle from him, he pulled up the strength to wrap his arms about his torso defensively and sunk back to his knees, not able to look into those emerald or aqua eyes. "I'm sorry..." he whispered in a dry low voice while trying to still his shaking, his body shuddering with sobs he couldn't even release.

"Aya. Don't be sorry. Aya look at me. Please... Aya... Aya... aishiteru, Aya..." Ken's arms lightly wrapped around the redhead's body and pressed sweet kisses along his forehead just hoping that his words would get through to him.

Youji turned immediately at the words and at Ken's pleas. Damnit. He felt like shit for feeling the way he did. Here was Aya his teammate, friend and leader and he was suddenly burning with jealousy over Ken's admission. His fist clenched as did his jaw. He inhaled softly and deeply trying earnestly to fight back the tears which threatened to fall. Twice now he'd lost out on love. Maybe it just wasn't for him. Maybe he was doomed the life of a playboy until that last mission that finally sent him to hell. He sighed softly to himself and stepped away a bit but still there if Ken still needed his assistance with Aya. There was still the matter of Schuldich he knew Ken wanted to deal with personally.

* * *

Outside the cell Omi was studying a set of blue prints, trying to see where the weak points in the prison were. Beside him carefully folded sat Aya's mission gear. In his hand he held a small pen bomb detonator taken from a case with the rest of his explosives he was well trained at using. Surprisingly calm eyes looked over the layout of the building, a pen in hand to circle a few places he picked out to place the larger bombs. After seeing that whip and the other things in that room, he didn't even need to see Aya's condition to know that Schuldich needed to die.

And this prison.... He looked around and shuddered, not wanting to be in this place any longer than necessary. He wanted it to burn. He felt like a pyro. But he wanted this place to burn like the fires of hell, the hellish torment that man who called himself the devil would feel comfortable having as his grave. He wanted this place to burn with the smoky embers of hell Schuldich had put their leader in for three days. Still he repeated the phrase like a mantra as he picked out the locations quickly and effectively.

The bad people always die.

* * *

Aya... Aya... aishiteru, Aya...

The words he had heard in his mind when Schuldich had mocked making love to him... the exact same only Ken was right here, his fluid voice smoothing over the most beautiful words he'd ever heard. God if this was a dream he never wanted to wake up. He didn't want to return to the hell Schuldich was delighting in showing him the nine circles of.

He looked up from the dirty ground and gazed through his matted hair at Ken's deep sky gaze, feeling his lips moisture cool on his dry filthy skin, his arms carefully around him to not hurt him. Lifting his weary arms, he placed them about his waist tentatively and dropped his head to his shoulder heavily, still shaking but not as violently as before. "... Ken..."

"Aya..." A light smile on Ken's lips as his cheek fell lightly against Aya's hair. "Youji's here. He's gonna take you to the car. And then we're gonna go home and I'm gonna take care of you and make you all better." Tears fell from Ken's eyes as he held the man in his arms. He tried desperately to not let his voice crack as he spoke to Aya, but he failed miserably. "I've just gotta talk to Mastermind for a little while. Tell him what happens when he tries to hurt the people I love. Go with Yotan okay?"

Wiping his eyes hurriedly he turned to look at Youji who just nodded. The transfer of Aya to Youji was slow and easy taken with delicacy worthy of the flower Aya was truly named for. Aya was lifted carefully into Youji arms. With a worried glance at Ken, the brunette merely nodded to the blonde. Who quickly left with Aya in his arms.

Ken closed the door to the cell once more and stood there for a minute contemplating what he would do. The German found himself alone with Siberian. He found himself lifted and dropped carelessly on the bed. Finding the handcuffs that had been used on his teammate, Ken made quick work in strapping him down in the bed to lay in all the filth. Blood, dried semen, spittle, and Aya's own waste. Schuldich was about to find out quickly what he'd allowed his teammate to suffer.

His usually warm blue-green eyes glittered with revulsion and loathing as he gazed at the telepath. He stood at the edge of the bed and pulled a .22 from where it had been hitched into the back waistband of his jeans unbeknownst to his teammates who were thankfully out of the building. It was firmly leveled on the telepath. He looked at him carefully for any signs of wakefulness, but none were forthcoming.

"Mastermind. Wake up."

Nothing from the bed.

"I said. Wake the fuck up!"

Still nothing.

"Okay so we do this the fun way." Ken dropped the gun down slightly and pulled the trigger. Suddenly where Schuldich's proud column of rigid male flesh once stood fully erect, now there was nothing but a bloody stump.

Emerald green eyes shot open as a high-pitched scream filled the room. A shot of blurred from the sleeping gas telepathy shot out to all the nearby minds of Weiß giving them a brief feeling of the pain he was in until even that was impossible from the blood loss.

//Guten tag(8*), Siberian...// He reached out to get a weak hold on Ken's mind even as he started to quite painfully bleed to death. //Come here often?// As he continued to grin even while his eyes showed every bit of pain he was in, he made the mistake of glancing down at himself in disbelief that a certain important part was missing. //...//

Ken smiled cheerily at the German. The gun was still pointed at the telepath. "That was for what you did to Aya. If you live, which I highly doubt, you won't be able to do that again." The brunette began to pace at the foot of the bed keeping the gun trained on him. "Do you know what my favorite movie is Mastermind? Princess Bride. True the heroine was Buttercup but we both know it was an orchid you tried to ruin here. You know what my favorite part was? The 'to the pain' part. Let's see. How did that start again? Oh. That's right. Hands below the wrist and feet below the ankles. Hrm. I don't have a sword though." Shrugging lightly four gunshots were heard, one going into each extremity. "Should I go on or do you have something to say?"

Schuldich jerked and let out another scream as each bullet entered him at the wrists and ankles, nearly taking off his hands and feet. More blood soaked into the already disgusting bed but he still kept his grin. Somehow. //Tried nothing, Katzchen. I'll be watching from hell the first time you ever try to touch him. Do you think he'll readily tell everything I did to him? Ever be able to get past that? Every single time you touch him he'll be reminded of the things I did. He is mine, miene Hure, Siberian. I took something from him and even you with all your good intentions can't ever give it back. Is hurting me close to how I hurt him making you feel better, Katzchen? Because it sure as hell isn't making him feel better. Right now he's hearing in his head every single scream I issue. I've been linked up with him for three days... in many ways... It's not a connection I am willing to let go of so easily.//

Taking in a shallow breath as the blood continued to leave his body, leaving his skin a deathly white pallor. The hum in Ken's mind weakened and blurred but still stayed there, a mere whisper into his mind. //I don't.... think you're going to get to the pain part, Katzchen.// His eyes fell shut but he still continued to breath shallowly, his body shuddering in light convulsions.

//Do you know what my name means? My name... means guilty... Wenn man vom Teufel spricht, dann ist er nicht weit.(9*)//

His rage turned up a notch at Schuldich's words but he ignored them or tried to. He refused to give the German further acknowledgement of his deeds. He was too determined on his path.

Ken stepped up on the foot of the bed ignoring the filth under his feet and suddenly dropped himself to sit on the telepath's stomach reloading another five shots into the revolver type .22 caliber pistol that their leader always carried. "Next was tongue, then the left and right eye correct? Well seeing as you don't use your tongue much..." The barrel of the gun was shoved violently into the redhead's mouth. He didn't even bother trying to pry open the man's jaw. Anger fueled his strength as he ripped passed lips and teeth shattering them to press the mouth of the gun against Schuldich's tongue. "You're talking to a man who simply doesn't care anymore Mastermind. When you raped him, you raped me and stole from me everything good and pure about myself. You take with you the satisfaction that you made me into you. Only... difference is..."

The report of the gun was suddenly heard once again as Ken pulled the trigger. Blood sprayed everywhere over his hand and face and clothes. Ken wasn't through yet, unfortunately. The gun was removed from the bloodied cavity, and pressed against the left eye of the German and once again the trigger was pulled. It then found its bloodied mouth on the right eye and discharged again.

He stood from his 'seat' and fired once shot at his heart, another into the center of what remained of his forehead. The last and final bullet was fired into the bed itself. He leapt off the bed and put the bloody pistol back into his jeans. Turning to look at the bed he grinned, his eyes gleaming maniacally. "The only difference between us is... you're dead."

Walking over to the German he protracted his Bugnuk and sliced off a finger. Dipping it into the ocean of crimson covering the dead body he wrote a little poem for whoever found him to read.

'Little Mastermind lay on the bed.
'Little Siberian shot him quite dead.
'All of Schwarz's mind games.
'And all of SZ's lies.
'Couldn't put Mastermind back together again.'

He grinned pleased with his little reworking of 'Humpty Dumpty' and walked out of the prison to wait for Omi.

"Ken-kun?" the younger boy said as he saw the older assassin walk out of the cell, his clothing and exposed skin coated in blood and filth. Moving over to him after placing a final small explosive on a support beam, he looked him up and down and handed over the detonator to Ken. "Youji-kun and Aya-kun are already in the car. I was able to find the control room and open the main gate so we could all get out. I have bombs all over this place to completely level it." Slight anger flashed through the boy's innocent eyes as he gazed towards the cell, the door thankfully closed. "Mastermind...?"

"Dead." Ken shrugged as if it were every day he brutally and animalistically killed another man and enjoyed every torturous minute of it. Wiping the blood from his face, he only managed to smear it further. Sea green eyes met innocent blue eyes. He noticed the anger and hate in the boy's eyes. He was glad Schuldich hadn't seen that. He would have lapped up the boy's anger and lashed onto it twisting it until he'd broken the boy. He resisted the urge to hug Omi to him but decided that he didn't want any of Schuldich's blood near the youth. It was bad enough he had to be here seeing what he did. Another thing to be coated as Ken was from head to toe in that evil and feel it seeping into his pores like an acid eating away at his humanity.

Nodding to the boy he ushered him out of the prison. Seeing the familiar Roadster and Aya sitting in the backseat he breathed a sigh of relief. The brunette climbed into the backseat and curled the redhead into his arms as he lay horizontally in the back seat. He let his teammate rest his head on his chest. Aya seemed to counteract the burning he felt from Schuldich's blood covering him. He held the male gently in his arms being ever careful as he touched him lightly. He felt the car start and roll away. Once they were a safe distance out he pressed the detonator on the explosives and listened to the building and Schuldich burn and crumble descending into hell where he and that place belonged.

* * *

"It seems that Mastermind is dead, Crawford," Nagi said as he looked out the window of the BMW they were in, sitting atop a hill overlooking the compound as the fires of the explosive moved through the building, indeed leveling as Omi had set it to do. The white Roadster sped off in the different direction but still the car holding the remaining three members of SZ sat with the engine off, just watching the building burn to the ground, the mid day sunlight scorching the black roof of the car.

His small hand touched lightly on the window, a tiny bit of sadness in his otherwise flat voice. The bright flames glinted in his midnight blue gaze until he turned it away to look at the front seat where Crawford and Farfarello sat.

"SZ will find us another telepath," Crawford said in a short hiss. They had watched Weiß enter the building and come out in pairs, the blonde carrying the redhead they were supposed to have interrogated and killed. Sighing the American slid his glasses back on and opened his eyes. This was not how things were supposed to have gone.

"Hopefully one with a bit more sense this time."

"Should we follow the kittens?" Farfarello said, poking his blade lightly on the car window as he eyed the white car racing along a curving road below, leaving the burning building behind.

"No. Now it would not be wise to approach them now." Reaching his hand back, the dark haired man turned the key in the ignition, pulling from the gravel edge of the road. "Though we are both one member down..." he twitched lightly at his own mention of Schuldich being dead, "...things would not be fortunate for us to approach them now. Another time... They will not escape us next time."

* * *

As Youji had carried him to the car, Aya had whimpered softly, hearing the screaming start in his mind as Ken let the first shot ring out. Pulling the trench coat tighter about his naked and dirty form, the redhead had pressed his face into the man's chest weakly to try to hide his welling tears at the screams, so similar to the cries of passion and the cries of pain Schuldich had torn from Aya for three days. As he pressed close he inhaled the scent of the Montclair cigarettes Youji continually smoked.

Sighing faintly as he put him down on the backseat, he curled up into a tight ball, using the long coat as a blanket, the assassin's gear still having the heady smell. It was an aroma he never thought he would enjoy being surrounded in but it was familiar and comforting, far better as well than what he'd been surrounded by for three days.

As he felt Ken pull him close and the car started, he stayed curled in his tight defensive fetal position, never fighting Ken's soft touches but never returning them either. He continued to shiver even with his head resting comfortably on Ken's chest, hearing the slow steady rhythm of his heartbeat under his ear. A tiny sigh passed over his cracked lips... just resting on Ken's chest and snuggling was something he'd never done even with all the months he'd gone to his bed, never holding the man after having his way with him. That was something that was associated with lovers... not a man who deserved no love.

Hearing the heartbeat and smelling the traces of cigarette smoke, Aya started to relax and fall to sleep before his eyes popped wide open. Ken. Youji. Omi. Where was Omi. Struggling to try to sit up while still holding tight to the jacket covering his battered weakened form, Aya whipped his head in a slight panic, not seeing the slight form of Omi in the passenger seat.

"Omi... where's Omi... Omi! We have to go back! We can't... can't leave him with him! Give me back to him just... not Omi!" His voice was strained and panicked as he looked down at Ken. Before blinking as he felt a small hand touch on his leg.

"Oi, Aya-kun, I'm right here. We're all safe. No one's... with him anymore. No one will be with him ever again." Meeting his bright sapphire gaze to those tortured and still beautiful violet eyes, wide and pale in shock, Omi gave him his best bright genki bishonen, incredibly pleased to see him again despite his condition. Digging in one of his pockets, he pulled out a partly squished brownie still in its cellophane that Youji and Ken had snuck to him in the hospital. "Here! These always make me feel better!"

Ken took the brownie from the boy and smiled. "When you're more up for it, Aya you can have the brownie. Nothing but Gatorade and broth until you feel better. As soon as we get back home it's straight to a shower with you." Pressing soft kisses to the crusty mat of red hair he sighed. "I'll stay with you in there and bathe you and when you're all clean we can sit in a nice hot tub and you can fall asleep on me if you like... Just let me take care of you, Aya. I need to."

Youji was silent as he continued to drive quickly back home. It had been a terrifying thing to hold their proud leader in his arms. Frail, battered, broken. If Ken hadn't killed Schuldich, Youji would have. The fact that Ken was covered in blood didn't phase him what did was that look of death in his eyes as if Ken had felt everything their teammate had gone though. That had been the scary part. He knew they both had a long road of healing toward them, and from the looks Ken was giving the redhead. Ken had enough love in him for both of them. He only hoped that for Ken's sake it would indeed be enough.

(8*) Good morning
(9*) Talk of the devil and he is bound to appear