A Dog Among Cats

By: Atsureki

Disclaimers : If they were mine Weiss would be very diffrent. *evil grin*

Warnings : Shonen-ai (for now), OCC, angst, blood and stuff, twisted badguy, death… (if you're VERY sensitive you might not want to read this)

Notes : Stuff written in Italic are thoughts. Stuff within //yadayada// is the telepath talking in someone's head
Zakennayo = Fuck you (along with a ton of other nice things it can mean *hehe* It's a great word)
Kuso = Shit

Chapter 6. Actions Of Guilt

Ken retracted the claws and walked away from the dead guard. His blood was boiling in his veins. He didn't even know how many guards he had killed and he didn't care. With a snarl he reached the top floor and took a peek into the corridore. Carefully and quietly he stepped out from his hiding place and started checking the doors. He had done the exact same thing on every single floor. Five rooms checked, all empty. With a frown Ken opened the next one and stared at a young man. There was something very familier about the man's auburn hair and deep blue eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. Ken recognized that voice.
"Scamp?" The brunette frowned deeply. That was the same man that had given him water when Takagi had caught him. Ken's brain worked overtime until it finally put two and two together. "You're Marcus, Borzoi's son, aren't you?"
"Yes but how do you… "
"I think you better get out of here," the brunette sighed and pointed to the door.
"What about my mother? Takagi has her and he'll probably kill her," Marcus said slowly.
"I'll get her out of here too. I have to ask… How old are you Marcus?" The young man smiled slightly.
"Fourteen but I know I look older. Mother always said we could be siblings instead of Mother and Son." Ken smiled briefly. Suddenly it all dawned on Ken. The boy they had rescued before had just been a decoy, the real Marcus had been with Takagi all along. It actually made perfect sense to Ken. If Marcus had been only four years old Omi should have found out about him. But since he was 14 Kritiker probably hadn't even known he existed.
"She's right. Now get going Marcus and be careful. I think I've killed all the guards but I can't be sure," the brunette growled.
"You're here for the redhead aren't you?" Scamp asked quietly and walked towards the door.
"Ran? Malice told me Takagi…" He couldn't finish what he had started to say, it hurt too much.
"I don't think he's dead. Takagi beat him up pretty badly earlier but he was alive the last time I saw him. You'll find him at the end of the corridore."
"Thank you," Ken sighed with relief. Maybe his lover was still alive. With new energy the brunette left the room and stalked down the corridore. There was a chance that Ran still was alive. The sentence repeated itself inside Ken's head over and over again. Please, I'll never ask for anything ever again if Ran is alive, he promised. Finally he reached the end of the corridore. There were two doors. After a moment of thinking Ken chose the one the on the left.

His body was killing him. Everytime he so much as thought about moving it felt like he was being ripped apart. He was bleeding badly which made him weak but that just seemed to amuse the man holding him up by his hair.
"You're little friend is here to save you red," the man laughed and tugged at his hair. He wanted to answer but no words managed to make it past his lips. "It will be so much fun to kill you infront of him, even more fun than it was getting Malice to tell him you were already dead." Ran shuddered. Takagi had told Ken he was dead through Borzoi. He didn't even want to think about how that much pain that must have inflicted on his lover.
"Hmph," the redhead managed to snort under his breath.
"Now, now don't get overexcited, you might want to save yourself if you want to say something nice to your kitten before you die," Takagi smirked and pulled his hair harder. Ran cried inside. He didn't want to die but even more so he didn't want Ken to see him being killed. The brunette had been through enough already and alot of it was his fault. I should've know he'd never betray our relationship, Ran sighed inside. If he just would have used his brain he would have understood that. Ken was too honest, open and kind to do something like that but with Malice's 'talant' what could he have done? "Ah I think your sweetheart is here now." The redhead forced himself to lift his dazed gaze from the floor. The door opened slowly and Ken appeared.
"RAN!" he called out and almost rushed up to his lover but then he saw Takagi and froze.
"Welcome to the party kitten."
"Get away from him you fucking bastard!" Ken snarled and raced his hands, bugnuks ready.
"Not in this lifetime. You see Abyssinian here has a price to pay. He took my son's life and it's only fair that I make him pay," Takagi growled and rested a knife against the redhead's throat. "By the way… It was really amusing how you thought Malice was on your side."
"Your game with Marcus went rather well," Ken smirked. "Unfortanelly for you I'm not quite as dumb as I may look. Scamp is safe so your leverage is nowhere in sight anymore." The other man frowned deeply and pressed the knife against ivory skin.
"Doesn't matter anymore. I'l take care of Malice later," Takagi growled and raced the knife.
"Ken," Ran whispered. There was no way things would turn out good now, he would have to say good bye. "I…"
"NO!" the brunette roared. "Don't you dare give up on yourself. If you do I might as well let that sick bastard kill me too. Ran I know you're hurting badly but please fight, for me." The redhead drew in a deep breath.
"Fight?" Takagi smiled. "Please, don't make me laugh. Red here is beyond fighting, he's weak and useless. Actually you should be thanking me for taking him off your hands. Who wants a lover with icewater running through his veins anyway? Ken you can't seriously think he loves you?" Eyes the color of the sea glared at the black haired man with hate.
"I know he does!"
"Does he now? Has he ever told you those three little words? Has he ever whispered them in your ear?" Takagi asked, suddenly sounding very serious. Ran lowered his eyes in shame. He was right, those words had never left his lips. But he did love Ken, more than anything, it was just hard for him to express himself. Slowly Ran squinted up and looked at his lover. The brunette's hands had fallen against his sides and his face looked uncertain. No! Ran cried out inside, don't doubt me now Ken.
"Ran?" that familier soft voice asked. The redhead looked up. "Ran?" he asked again, pleading with his eyes.
"You know how I feel in your heart," the taller assassin whispered and supressed the pain talking caused him.
"Bullshit! You're just trying to get him to save your worthless life," Takagi snapped and roughly tugged at red hair. Ran growled deep in his throat.
"Zakennayo!" he spat out and shoved his elbow in the black haired man's guts as hard as he could manage. The sudden punch caused Takagi to flinch back slightly.

Ken saw his chance as the man holding Ran winced just a little. As fast as he could he darted forward. His right arm shot out towards Takagi and hit him in the side, but the claws didn't penetrate deep enough. With a loud snarl the bigger man pushed Ken away.
"You little bitch! You're gonna pay for that." Takagi's hand moved forward and Ken could hear himself scream as the knife buried itself in Ran's back. For a moment he just stood there staring as his lover sank down on the floor with the knife sticking out from his pale back. Numbly Ken moved his eyes to Takagi.
"You… you killed him," he whimpered.
"No shit Sherlock," Takagi smirked. "It's your fault for stabbing me! If you would have stayed out of this I would have spared his life! But you forced me to kill him and now it's your turn!" Ken shuddered from hate, sadness and rage. He saw red and it wasn't blood. With a roar he launched forward and knocked the larger man off his feet. He didn't think he just acted when his bugnuks sank into the soft flesh of Takagi's belly.
"Go to hell!" Slowly Ken pulled up and then back. The wound wouldn't kill him right away, even if the black haired man's bowls where hanging out. Takagi was already coughing up blood when the brunette rose to his feet. "Have fun choking on your own blood while your entrails try to run for cover!" he added and turned to Ran. The rage died out just as fast as it had appeared. With a low sob Ken sank to his knees and carefully lifted Ran up. His lover was still breathing. "Please…" Almost as an answer to the brunette's plea amethyst eyes fluttered open. The redhead tried to say something but started coughing instead. "Sch Ran it's okay, don't try to speak. I'll get you to the hospital and you'll be alright." Shakingly Ken pulled out his cellphone and called for help.

Yoji sank further down on his chair and hissed in pain. Being sliced like a fucking tomatoe isn't half the fun it's cracked up to be, he muttered to himself sourly. He hated hospitals, doctors and nurses! Well actually some of the nurses were okay, but still he hated the damn place. With another hiss he turned his green gaze to Ken. Since he had arrived at the hospital with Ran the brunette hadn't said a word. Slowly the lanky blonde touched his friend's arm.
"Hey Ken, he'll be fine." The former soccer-player turned his head to look at him but said nothing. "Why don't you go and see Omi and the kid? They're both on this floor." Without a word Ken got up and walked away. Yoji sighed. It was something more than fear for Ran's life that ran through the brunette and it had almost looked like guilt. But guilt for what? Surely Ken couldn't be stupid enough to still blame himself for Takagi getting his hands on Ran? The blonde rubbed his tired eyes and growled from pain. He had been stitched back together but he had refused the painkillers and now it was starting to seem like a very stupid idea.
"Kudou-san," a voice said and pulled him away from his dark thoughts.
"Hai," he answered and looked at the doctor standing beside his chair.
"Fujimiya-san is being brought out from surgery. The knife punctured his left lung and he lost a lot of blood but it looks like he'll be fine." Yoji sighed with relief. "Oh and your other friend is awake now," the doctor smiled.
"Thank god," he mumbled. "And the little kid?"
"Will be fine as well. You were all really lucky." Yoji gave the man half a smile and slowly made it to his feet. "However, I suggest you go lie down Kudou-san."
"I will as soon as I find Ken and tell him the good news," the lanky blonde promised and staggered down the corridore.

Omi pouted and allowed himself to wallow in selfpity for a moment. First he got his ass kicked during a mission and now he had been shot several times. Japan's bad guys seriously needed to cut him some slack. A quiet knock on the door made him smile. Finally someone came to visit him.
"Hai," he said and turned his blue eyes to the door. Ken came in looking horrible. "Ken-kun?" The brunette sat down beside the bed and patted Omi's hand absently. Blue eyes narrowed slightly. One of the nurses had told him about Ran but the look in Ken's eyes was far worse than just sad. "Are you okay? Ran isn't…"
"No... they're still working on him," Ken finally answered with a hollow voice.
"He'll be fine Ken-kun," the blonde smiled.
"Omi I need to ask you something."
"Sure anything."
"If you were to blame for one of us getting hurt during a mission what would you do?" Omi stared at him.
"Why are you asking me this Ken?" The brunette refused to meet his eyes and sighed.
"I'm leaving Weiss," he then said instead of answering the question.
"What are you talking about?! Ran will be fine…" Omi objected and took Ken's hand in his.
"You don't know that."
"No but I do," Yoji stated and cause both of his friends to jump. "I just talked to the doctor. Ran's gonna be fine." To both of the blondes' surprise that didn't change the expression on Ken's face at all.
"Yoji, Omi, please take care of Ran and… tell him that I'm sorry for almost getting him killed," the brunette almost whispered and rose from the chair.
"What the fuck are you babbling about Hidaka?!" the lanky playboy demanded to know and grabbed Ken's shoulder.
"Ken-kun?"
"Just let me go, please. I've already hurt Ran enough." With disbelief in his green eyes Yoji allowed his hand to fall from the brunette's shoulder. Ken brushed past him and left.
"Um Omi have you got any idea of what the hell is going on here?" The petit blonde shook his head.
"I think Ken is … falling apart."
"That I could tell but… Kuso! Why are things never easy?" Yoji grumbled and sat down.

Ken slowly walked away from Omi's room. He felt empty, lost, broken, lonely but most of all he felt guilty. Takagi's words still echoed in his head. The man had told him he would pay for trying to kill him. Oh Ken had paid alright. The sight of that knife in Ran's back would keep him paying forever. First he had cheated on his lover, forcing him to leave, making it easy for Takagi to get his hands on him, then he had doubted Ran's feelings for him and finally he had almost gotten him killed. If he stayed who knew what he would do to his lover next? Sighing deeply he stopped outside the door to the room where the kid they had rescued earlier was.
"Um excuse me? I'm sorry but I never got your name." Ken turned around.
"Oh Marcus. It's Ken," the brunette answered slowly.
"Ken-san I just wanted to thank you for trying to help my mother," Marcus said and smiled slightly.
"Help her?"
"I know you wanted to save her." The people that had sweaped the building hadn't found Malice and that was another thing that ate away on Ken's conscience, he had failed another promise. He had promised Marcus to try to save his mother but that was another promise he hadn't been able to keep. "I know she's never coming back again but at least we can still talk to each other," Marcus sighed sadly and tapped his forehead.
"So you're… like her huh?"
"It runs in our family. How's the redhead?"
"He's gonna be fine." Marcus frowned slightly and came closer.
"I'm sorry for poking around in your head, it's a real bad habit but… Why are you blaming yourself?" The brunette lowered his eyes.
"Takagi tried to kill Ran because of me," he answered quietly and felt how tears flooded his eyes.
"Ken-san, Takagi was a bastard! He would have tried to killed your friend no matter what you would have done. Getting back at him was the only thing Takagi lived for."
"It doesn't matter Marcus… By the way who is the boy?"
"Oh you mean Suzuki? He's the son of one of the hookers working for Takagi. She was killed two years ago and mother took care of the kid. We don't know his first name and he was too little remember it, that's why we call him Suzuki, it was his mother's family name," Marcus explained.
"I hope you'll be okay Marcus.. I'm gonna go see Suzuki now," Ken sighed and turned his back at the young man.

~TBC~

YAY!! Ran is alive, sorta *phew* I had myself worried there for a moment! Jin and fei, you're happy now ne? Um well Ran is alive, barely.*S* Glomps to all my reviewers!!!!!!/Atsureki