Chapter Two: Love and Pain

The download had just started when it happened. I had been scanning the area, watching, as I always did... waiting. Waiting for anything.... Listening, for anything. Anything. And then, I heard it... Not in my mind, mind you, but through the communicator. My partner heard it too, and his eyes went wide at the sound of Korat's voice, tense and insistent.
"Skogkatt, Angora, get on your guard. I just had a sign- we're getting trouble. Big trouble. Finish up the download, if you can- but be careful. Snowshoe's almost done at our end; we'll be over to help you two in a few minutes."
Angora nodded, his eyes slanting slightly. "All right, will do," he replied- but I could tell in his voice, and from his thoughts that he was nervous. Trouble....
//And what kind of trouble would it be this time?// I mentally asked Korat, a slight frown appearing on my physical face.
//You're not going to like this,// he replied, a bit reluctantly, //But it's Schwarz... and they're going to be here soon. Very soon...//

My breath quickened, a million thoughts racing through my mind. Schwarz.... no. Not this time... why? What did they have to do with this? Ah, but it didn't matter. No. What mattered now was what would happen...
"Hurry up, kid," I muttered, my voice unusually cold. Usually, I wouldn't speak to my little friend in such a tone.. But now, now was different. Perhaps, if we got out of here as quickly as possible...
"I'm trying," Angora muttered, his brows furrowed. "I'm trying... but it won't be finished before they get here, I'm sure of it..." Even without using my power, I could tell he meant it..... Sighing, I clenched my teeth, swearing inwardly.
//All right, just... just be careful...// There was an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach... I knew what it was. Dread....

I could sense them, creeping through the hallways like cockroaches, searching for us... Watching for us... Two, heading toward Korat and Snowshoe. The others, coming our way... I could hear them, feel them, their thoughts screams in my mind. I shuddered and put up a weak shield, nodding to the child. //They're coming,// I whispered into his mind. //Get ready.//
//What should I do?// he asked, his tone holding slight worry.
//Just make sure we get what we need, bishounen,// I assured him. //And when they get here.... do what you have to do. Take Gekitsuu... I'll handle Ai.// I tried to smile, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. Lately, other run-ins with Schwarz hadn't worked out as well as we could hope.. and I am reluctant to say that most of the time, it was my actions that got us into trouble. Because of him.... because of Ran. Because I had thought that there was still something there... but now I know. It's gone. Everything's gone. Ran doesn't exist any more... all that's left is Ai.
I could hear them... they were close. Very close... The time had come.

They burst through the door like demons from hell, shadows in the dark of night. I readied myself, scanning their minds, watching for any moves they might make. No surprises... we didn't want any surprises. One mind, that of Gekitsuu, was clear as day.. I could hear his thoughts so easily in my mind, as he rushed at Angora, darts at the ready... I could hear his screams of pain as my young friend sent him flying into a wall with a mere look. The energy was in the air, thick and hot as Angora worked his magic, doing everything he could to keep the Schwarz member away from me, away from the computer.... I could feel his fear, his hatred, the strain that his powers had on him... But that was nothing compared to what faced me.
Ai.
He was like nothing I had ever encountered before, though I had fought him so many times. Each time was different, as he slowly learned to seal away more and more of his mind.... I'd tried to change him back into the person he'd once been more times than I'd like to remember. It always ended the same... I'd end up captured, beaten, bruised, and then invaded... He'd always use the phrase "You raped my mind- it's time I gave you what you deserved. An eye for an eye, or as close as you can do...". It was a phrase I hated with a passion.... because it was so true. Each time I read someone's mind, whether intentionally or unintentionally, with permission or not, I always felt as if I were doing something horrible... Something that should never be forgiven. More than once, during the time he had me imprisoned, I would close my eyes in the darkness and say to myself, "I deserve this". For whatever it was I had done to him, to change him into the twisted creature he now was... I deserved it.
All these thoughts were a blur as I jumped into action, dodging him as he rushed at me with a cry of "Shi-NE!". It was the same old story- me, dashing about, trying desperately to get into his mind, past the defences that he had put up while he attacked ruthlessly, always managing to get in a few slashes, though nothing that would do permanent damage. He was fast... but I was faster. Yet.. when it came to matters of the mind, he might as well have been another telepath. What he wanted to block, what he cared about blocking- it was blocked, without question. His emotions I couldn't catch... but his thoughts of his actions, yes. I could catch them, read them- it was a bit fogged, but I could catch them. Better every time.... He was getting better every time.
Fear flared up in me. Fighting him was like fighting a tiger... A part of me wanted desperately to reach for my gun.... but my heart refused. I couldn't hurt him... Couldn't kill him. No...
I dashed about, my eyes wide, trying to think of a way out. There had to be a way... This couldn't continue forever. Eventually, one of us would have to leave. Leave, or be killed...
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Yukito fighting off the youngest member of Schwarz. It was an odd scene, like something out of a fantasy novel... Every dart Gekitsuu threw at him, every arrow he shot at him... Angora turned them right back on him, looking as if it was so simple... But I could see clearly the strain he was feeling from it. He stood there, his eyes narrowed in concentration as the darts flew about the room like bees, trying desperately to sting the evil one who had thrown them in the first place. They swarmed, buzzing about in a cloud.. And then, nearly hit their mark.
I could hear Gekitsuu cry out as one of his own darts nearly hit him, and for a split second my eyes roamed to that side of the room- not because I was concerned for -him-, of course.. but because I was worried about Angora. That look, that brief glance.. It nearly cost me my life.

It was so strange... I could hear it, a voice in my head- Ai's voice, cold and dark and soft as silk, whispering to me... Whispering, something I couldn't understand..... That voice startled me, frightened me, and I fell, hardly knowing what had happened. My eyes flew wide as I landed on the hard floor.. And found myself with a sword to my throat, staring up at my former lover.
No... No. It couldn't end this way... I drew in my breath, looking into his eyes. They were cold and emotionless, like two amethysts embedded in ice... There was nothing within them. Nothing....
His voice, in my mind, was clear, sharp... He wanted to be heard. //Well, well,// he murmured, a smirk upon his face. //It looks like my little kitten has finally run out of lives, hmm? Ah... I thought your time would never come....//
I didn't reply. I couldn't reply... I merely closed my eyes, waiting. He could kill me. He -would- kill me. He had always said he would... And there was nothing I could do. He had blocked me, somehow... and if I so much as moved, I would be dead any way.
"Just tell me one thing," he murmured as he pressed the blade in ever-so-slightly, creating a thin cut in my skin, as if caused by paper. "Why did you always come back?"
I cringed inwardly. I couldn't tell him the real reason.. That I still loved him, the way he used to be.... For a moment, I tried to think up an excuse, but none presented itself... And so, I remained silent.
//No reason? Fine. That's good enough for me..// The blade pressed harder against my throat, and I prepared myself for what was about to come...

...And what came was something I didn't expect. There was the sound of something slamming against a wall and a strained cry of "No!" from Angora. My eyes opened wide, in time to see Ai thrown against a wall, his katana ripped from his hands by my teammate's power. The sword clattered to the floor and I stood, shaking. That had been close... much too close.
//You all right?// Angora's thoughts were loud in my mind. My shields had collapsed...
//Yeah,// I replied. //Just a little shaken up..// That, indeed, was an understatement. He had almost... almost..
I could hear the enemy in my mind, so clearly, save for Ai's voice. The voices of the other two Schwarz members as they spoke through their communicators to Ai and Gekitsuu... The thoughts of the young assassin, filled with spite and hate... And the darkness that was Ai, so cold and strange...
I barely saw the looks exchanged between Ai and Gekitsuu, barely heard the whispered words, "It's done... For now." I was too dazed, too confused to make sense of anything... And so as they left like shadows in the night, I barely noticed. I barely noticed...

"Skogkatt, are you all right? Please, say something..."
I blinked, frowning as I turned to look at my worried teammate. I couldn't say anything, no.. I couldn't speak to him. All I could do was nod, placing my hand on his shoulder as reassurance. The look in his eyes was odd, worried.. It caused a strange sort of pain to flare up inside me. I couldn't read his thoughts through my shields, but his emotions rang loud and clear. Disappointment...?