Title: Russian fox
By: Wildchild Laio -2002
Mail: Laioism@hotmail.com
::: Chapter 5 :::
All hope is in eclipse?
Schuldig was leaning against the wall watching Crawford, the later siting calm and composed
behind his desk. The German shook his head slowly, continuing.
"…at least now we know one of them are dead…the other one still lost without a trace, hopes
of finding him alive relatively low…and Aloysa have been even more withdrawn since the incident "
Schuldig noted bitterly. "He's ashamed and still thinks we blame him for what happened…"
The Germans eyes were tired and he ran a hand through his messy red hair, letting out a lifeless laugh.
"…And here I almost thought things would be easy for once…" Crawford nodded.
" Even so, Laiho have proven his worth by finding the body when no one else could…now we
got a clue on where to start our search…" Schuldigs eyebrows rose slightly.
"Really?" he grumbled " Do you have any ideas you'd like to share with me on who the
murderer is, or why Estet want him captured so badly?" Schuldigs voice dripped with
sarcasm when he continued. " After all, they usually don't give much of a care when low ranking
people disappear…Why now? What is so important about these two agents Crawford?"
There was a moment of tense, electric, silence.
"…They were spies, " The American finally answered." Infiltrators, and the person who murdered
them has been watched by Estet warily for some time now. The two of them had come close to
him and then they just vanished. That is all I know." Schuldig couldn't help the resigned smile.
"Mister Crawford…once again I get the distinct feeling you're only telling me what is convenient…"
Brad gave him half a smile.
"The lesser you know this time the lesser complicated this will be for you to handle."
"…Mistkerl…" Schuldig swore without much passion and, shaking his head, he made his exit.
"….." Watching the younger man leave Crawford let out a tired sigh.
Schuldig and his relationship had never been easy. The passionate redhead hated that Brad kept
many of his visions secret even though it was for the best of them all. By now Crawford had realised
that his duty as a precog was, not in first place, to use his powers to fight, but to make up good
defences and strategies so that the fighters, like Schuldig and Farfarello, stayed safe in the battlegrounds.
Of course, this placed an enormous weight of responsibility on the young oracles shoulders.
The gift of seeing the future of those who had next to no allies in a world of
enemies was never the easy one…
"Where are you going?"
Farfarello said, cocking his head, where he sat on the steps staring after Schuldig who was
heading for his car in long, determined, strides.
"…Non of you business" came the bitter reply. Farfarello stared at him knowingly.
"You've argued with Crawford again?" he concluded.
"You could put it that way, yes." The German gritted out and then seemed to get something
other in mind. He stopped and turned to the other assassin." Get in the car we're getting out of here.
" He commanded and disappeared into the car. Farfarello shrugged.
"What ever you say…"
Aloysa sat in bed with the covers pulled close around himself, staring glumly out the window
at the grey, ominous, morning sky. It had passed two days since their visit in the warehouse
and the memories of the event kept returning to torture him. The boy buried his face in his
hands sighing, an angry line forming between his eyebrows. He had failed miserably.
Sure, he had found what they'd been looking for, he shivered at the unwelcome memory, but he
had lost his control and done so right in front of the two men he wanted so desperately to
show his worth to.
"Laiho?" a voice was heard, muffled trough the door. Nagi. Aloysa brushed his hair back
from his face and straightened.
"Yeah?"
"May I come in?" Always so polite. Aloysa smiled
"Yeah." The door slid open and Nagi stepped in, carrying a cup of fuming tee. The Japanese boy smiled.
" How do you like your new room?" He sat down on the bed side, and Aloysa took the
offered cup with a whispered "thank you".
"You look better" Nagi commented. Watching the older youth drink down the tee." You don't
have to worry, anyone can make a mistake now and then…Schuldig and Farfarello understand."
" I got carried away…"Aloysa murmured and put the empty cup aside. "I've been taught to keep
myself shielded of the memories I take in…But some times it gets difficult. Its too...strong…to hold back.
I made a dangerous mistake…" He shook his head." Schuldig was right. I'll endanger the rest of you
because I'm not ready…I've not been properly trained yet…" Nagi looked stunned.
"Schuldig said that?" he asked, doubt evident in his voice. Aloysa shook his head.
"Well, not in those exact words…But I'm not one of you, I'm not Schwarz…I've never had the
kind of training…I never was in Rosenkreuz, I was transferred here at once." Nagi shook his head.
"Me neither. Crawford taught me most of what I know. But he, Schuldig and Farfarello underwent
Rosenkreuz before they formed Schwarz" Aloysa nodded, lowering his eyes, staring at his hands
where they rested on the covers.
"I.…When this is over I'll probably be sent there…Have they told you anything of what it's like?"
"No" Nagi replied. Lying. He had heard very little about RosenKreuz, and what he knew was what
Crawford had told him, giving a short explanation on why he'd insisted on raising Nagi himself
instead of sending him off. It was out of mercy, Nagi had realised, out of mercy and deep hatred for
RosenKreuz. What ever had happened to the three older members of Schwarz back then, they clearly
hated and feared Rosenkreuz. Feeling a sharp sting of regret, Nagi decided not to tell Aloysa, knowing
that the other one had enough problems at the moment and wanting to spare him the knowledge of
what was surely to come when his short time in Japan was at it's end.
As he drove, Schuldig kept thinking about what Crawford had said.
Yes, Aloysa had proven himself. He had succeeded. But at what cost?
Schuldig knew what Aloysa had gone through. When he had been recruited and started his
training, he had been drowned in other peoples thoughts and emotions until he had learnt how to
keep his gift under absolute control. What had happened to Aloysa was the same.
Only the kid had shared the memories and seen the world trough the eyes of a man who had been
beaten, tortured and then shot to death. The kid had experienced some pretty nasty stuff
already, Schuldig had discovered so from his little mind prying, but he was till human enough
to feel compassion. And, Schuldig knew, as long as he had that kind of empathy, he would
continue to make mistakes. Mistakes that would not be tolerated in the world of Estet.
Schuldig knew that when Aloysa was returned Estet and was transferred to RosenKreuz, they
would do their best to beat that weakness out of him, the same way they had beaten
it out of Schuldig himself. The men and women of RosenKreuz would change him for their own purpose.
He would become another one of their weapons, another pawn in their great game.
And, Schuldig knew bitterly, there was little he or Schwarz could do about it.
" You're awfully quiet today" Farfarello remarked suddenly without tearing his eye from
the window. " You're thinking about Russian aren't you?" Schuldig smiled inwardly. Farfarello, although
no telepath, had the ability to read minds other ways.
" .…Among many things," he confessed." And there's just something about all this that is…weird…"
" Is it?" Farfarello mused." Is this really so different? Crawford usually keeps his visions to himself…
we are told what we need to know to complete the missions, nothing more, nothing less….Why is it that you
are hesitating now Schuldig?" The German had no answer to give.
(TBC)
By: Wildchild Laio -2002
Mail: Laioism@hotmail.com
::: Chapter 5 :::
All hope is in eclipse?
Schuldig was leaning against the wall watching Crawford, the later siting calm and composed
behind his desk. The German shook his head slowly, continuing.
"…at least now we know one of them are dead…the other one still lost without a trace, hopes
of finding him alive relatively low…and Aloysa have been even more withdrawn since the incident "
Schuldig noted bitterly. "He's ashamed and still thinks we blame him for what happened…"
The Germans eyes were tired and he ran a hand through his messy red hair, letting out a lifeless laugh.
"…And here I almost thought things would be easy for once…" Crawford nodded.
" Even so, Laiho have proven his worth by finding the body when no one else could…now we
got a clue on where to start our search…" Schuldigs eyebrows rose slightly.
"Really?" he grumbled " Do you have any ideas you'd like to share with me on who the
murderer is, or why Estet want him captured so badly?" Schuldigs voice dripped with
sarcasm when he continued. " After all, they usually don't give much of a care when low ranking
people disappear…Why now? What is so important about these two agents Crawford?"
There was a moment of tense, electric, silence.
"…They were spies, " The American finally answered." Infiltrators, and the person who murdered
them has been watched by Estet warily for some time now. The two of them had come close to
him and then they just vanished. That is all I know." Schuldig couldn't help the resigned smile.
"Mister Crawford…once again I get the distinct feeling you're only telling me what is convenient…"
Brad gave him half a smile.
"The lesser you know this time the lesser complicated this will be for you to handle."
"…Mistkerl…" Schuldig swore without much passion and, shaking his head, he made his exit.
"….." Watching the younger man leave Crawford let out a tired sigh.
Schuldig and his relationship had never been easy. The passionate redhead hated that Brad kept
many of his visions secret even though it was for the best of them all. By now Crawford had realised
that his duty as a precog was, not in first place, to use his powers to fight, but to make up good
defences and strategies so that the fighters, like Schuldig and Farfarello, stayed safe in the battlegrounds.
Of course, this placed an enormous weight of responsibility on the young oracles shoulders.
The gift of seeing the future of those who had next to no allies in a world of
enemies was never the easy one…
"Where are you going?"
Farfarello said, cocking his head, where he sat on the steps staring after Schuldig who was
heading for his car in long, determined, strides.
"…Non of you business" came the bitter reply. Farfarello stared at him knowingly.
"You've argued with Crawford again?" he concluded.
"You could put it that way, yes." The German gritted out and then seemed to get something
other in mind. He stopped and turned to the other assassin." Get in the car we're getting out of here.
" He commanded and disappeared into the car. Farfarello shrugged.
"What ever you say…"
Aloysa sat in bed with the covers pulled close around himself, staring glumly out the window
at the grey, ominous, morning sky. It had passed two days since their visit in the warehouse
and the memories of the event kept returning to torture him. The boy buried his face in his
hands sighing, an angry line forming between his eyebrows. He had failed miserably.
Sure, he had found what they'd been looking for, he shivered at the unwelcome memory, but he
had lost his control and done so right in front of the two men he wanted so desperately to
show his worth to.
"Laiho?" a voice was heard, muffled trough the door. Nagi. Aloysa brushed his hair back
from his face and straightened.
"Yeah?"
"May I come in?" Always so polite. Aloysa smiled
"Yeah." The door slid open and Nagi stepped in, carrying a cup of fuming tee. The Japanese boy smiled.
" How do you like your new room?" He sat down on the bed side, and Aloysa took the
offered cup with a whispered "thank you".
"You look better" Nagi commented. Watching the older youth drink down the tee." You don't
have to worry, anyone can make a mistake now and then…Schuldig and Farfarello understand."
" I got carried away…"Aloysa murmured and put the empty cup aside. "I've been taught to keep
myself shielded of the memories I take in…But some times it gets difficult. Its too...strong…to hold back.
I made a dangerous mistake…" He shook his head." Schuldig was right. I'll endanger the rest of you
because I'm not ready…I've not been properly trained yet…" Nagi looked stunned.
"Schuldig said that?" he asked, doubt evident in his voice. Aloysa shook his head.
"Well, not in those exact words…But I'm not one of you, I'm not Schwarz…I've never had the
kind of training…I never was in Rosenkreuz, I was transferred here at once." Nagi shook his head.
"Me neither. Crawford taught me most of what I know. But he, Schuldig and Farfarello underwent
Rosenkreuz before they formed Schwarz" Aloysa nodded, lowering his eyes, staring at his hands
where they rested on the covers.
"I.…When this is over I'll probably be sent there…Have they told you anything of what it's like?"
"No" Nagi replied. Lying. He had heard very little about RosenKreuz, and what he knew was what
Crawford had told him, giving a short explanation on why he'd insisted on raising Nagi himself
instead of sending him off. It was out of mercy, Nagi had realised, out of mercy and deep hatred for
RosenKreuz. What ever had happened to the three older members of Schwarz back then, they clearly
hated and feared Rosenkreuz. Feeling a sharp sting of regret, Nagi decided not to tell Aloysa, knowing
that the other one had enough problems at the moment and wanting to spare him the knowledge of
what was surely to come when his short time in Japan was at it's end.
As he drove, Schuldig kept thinking about what Crawford had said.
Yes, Aloysa had proven himself. He had succeeded. But at what cost?
Schuldig knew what Aloysa had gone through. When he had been recruited and started his
training, he had been drowned in other peoples thoughts and emotions until he had learnt how to
keep his gift under absolute control. What had happened to Aloysa was the same.
Only the kid had shared the memories and seen the world trough the eyes of a man who had been
beaten, tortured and then shot to death. The kid had experienced some pretty nasty stuff
already, Schuldig had discovered so from his little mind prying, but he was till human enough
to feel compassion. And, Schuldig knew, as long as he had that kind of empathy, he would
continue to make mistakes. Mistakes that would not be tolerated in the world of Estet.
Schuldig knew that when Aloysa was returned Estet and was transferred to RosenKreuz, they
would do their best to beat that weakness out of him, the same way they had beaten
it out of Schuldig himself. The men and women of RosenKreuz would change him for their own purpose.
He would become another one of their weapons, another pawn in their great game.
And, Schuldig knew bitterly, there was little he or Schwarz could do about it.
" You're awfully quiet today" Farfarello remarked suddenly without tearing his eye from
the window. " You're thinking about Russian aren't you?" Schuldig smiled inwardly. Farfarello, although
no telepath, had the ability to read minds other ways.
" .…Among many things," he confessed." And there's just something about all this that is…weird…"
" Is it?" Farfarello mused." Is this really so different? Crawford usually keeps his visions to himself…
we are told what we need to know to complete the missions, nothing more, nothing less….Why is it that you
are hesitating now Schuldig?" The German had no answer to give.
(TBC)