Chapter Seventeen: And the Bitter Sting of the Future
"That kid will never make it." Adrian said.
Brad turned a stony gaze on him. He formed a fist against the window before slamming through it. Nagi and Adrian jumped as the glass shattered behind the young man. Brad passed them and disappeared into the hall.
He knelt next to the teen.
Schuldig shuddered. /Why?/ he repeated the question.
/You mean why did I look at you the way I did?/ Brad asked. He wormed an arm under the boy's shoulders and pulled him to a sitting up position, supporting him.
Schuldig turned his golden eyes on his friend. /Yes./
/Because it surprised me?/ Brad asked, rubbing his back.
/I did everything but tell you strait out,/ the teen replied.
/Yeah. Everything but./ Brad agreed.
/Sorry. Maybe I should have just come out and said it. It's just...I had no where else to turn./
/It's okay. I'm sorry I hurt you. You just hold an aura of innocence about you somehow. Don't kill me for saying it./
"Innocent," Schuldig scoffed weakly.
"You have moments, just moments." Brad said quietly.
Schuldig smiled slightly. /I don't want to go back in there./
/I'm sorry. No other options./
/Sure there are./
/We have no where else to go./
/Will Julia throw me out?/
/I don't believe so. She has a way of working things to her advantage./
/I really don't see how this can be to her advantage.../
/You're anyone's advantage, tamadachi./
The German smiled weakly. "Danke."
"We have to go back in, ne? I want to wrap my hand up before it gets infected."
Schuldig's eyes went to the hand in question. "What happened?"
Brad ducked his head almost sheepishly. "I smashed a window."
Schuldig cocked an eyebrow. "Fearless leader lost his temper?"
"You say it like that and I sound like the character from Rocky and Bullwinkle."
Schuldig choked back a laugh. "I'd thought of that, but I wondered how long it would take you to notice." A broad grin spread across his pale features.
Brad smiled. "Gaki. Come on, up we go."
The telepath nearly collapsed back to the ground, and would have it not for his friend's stern grip on him.
"Take it slow and easy, we have all the time in the world," Crawford said, holding the German up against him.
Schuldig nodded as he steadied himself. They made their way back into the apartment slowly and Adrian's eyes locked with Crawford's, then turned to Schuldig's.
Never loosing eye contact with Schuldig, Adrian thought into Brad's mind. /I'm telling you now, Crawford, he'll be the death of you./ /I can't think of a better way to die./ Brad replied evenly.
Schuldig felt a coldness wash over him as Adrian continued to glare.
/Ignore him. Julia's almost here./ Brad told him, leading him over to the couch.
The young German sank down to it gratefully. The door opened and the silver haired empath walked in.
She stopped short as soon as she entered, her eyes flickering to Schuldig leaning against Brad on the couch, Nagi sitting stiff in his chair, the shattered window, and her glaring partner. She blinked. "I hope you boys had fun, whatever it was you were doing."
Schuldig shrank back as he watched Adrian advance toward Julia, mumbling a "We need to talk."
She looked over to the two sitting on the couch, noting Brad's death glare on Adrian. Julia nodded and followed him into the hall. When they were outside, she muttered, "What did you do, you baka? They look worse than before!"
"Did you know you brought home a junkie, Jule?" he asked coldly.
"Yes."
"And you brought him home anyway?" he demanded.
"You were always good at pointing out the obvious. Yes I brought him 'home' you dolt, he's in our living room."
"He's going to get those other boys killed."
"Oh, get real, Adrian. They're all going to die anyway. All of us are. In the profession we have, and with the gifts we have, we all get a very short life span."
"They don't need that kid screwing up what they've got, Jule."
"That kid is all Bradley's got, Adrian. Believe me, over the past week I've seen where their loyalties lie. Hell itself wouldn't stop them."
"Is he still on them?"
"I don't believe so, no."
"He will be. Someday he'll loose that fight."
"By then it'll be out of our hands, Adrian. These boys are going to grow up fast, faster than they already have. Then that will be his choice to make. It'll be his choice."
Adrian frowned. It deepened when he saw the young German leaning against the wall for support, listening to the conversation.
Julia noted it as well, but ignored it. "You know how it is, Adrian. When you have nothing, you give everything, hoping to find something. That's what happens. It's what happened to you and me, and Schuldig and Crawford, Jack and Patrick, and heaven knows how many others. We all can make or break each other."
"You see the distant future, don't you?" the teen asked Adrian. The older man nodded, still glaring. "Do you see us dying?"
Adrian opened his mouth but Julia shut him up with a snarl. "Shut up, Adrian. You have no right to tell him what you see."
"Tell me." Schuldig eyed the man, matching his glare. He would know, by force if need be.
"Be careful what you ask for, Schuldig. Those who are not gifted with the sight of future have no right to know what it holds." Julia warned. Adrian let a cold smile grace his lips.
Schuldig narrowed his golden eyes. "I would think that if it has to do with my life, or the lives of my friends, I have every right."
"I agree." Adrian said.
"Don't, for the love of Jude, Adrian," Julia warned.
"Yes, I do see you dying. You want to know what else I see?" he got closer to the teen. "I see him dying by your hand. His blood is on your conscience."
"Tell me how so I can change it." He refused to allow his best friend - brother- die because of him.
"You can't change it. You can't change your destiny. This isn't just your future, it's your final act of being an assassin." Adrian said coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"For pity's sake, shut *up* Adrian," Julia growled.
"What I mean is this: You're going to hold the gun to his heart and pull the trigger, whether you like it or not. That's what your meant to do."
Julia backhanded him.
"Liar!" the German teen hissed. "I'd never do that."
"Oh, but you will. You will." Adrian said.
Julia seethed at him. "You are a complete fool, Adrian." she snarled. He rubbed his cheek.
"I wouldn't," the golden-eyed teen repeated. "I wouldn't be able to. Not to Brad."
Adrian shut his eyes and sent Schuldig images of the event he said would come to pass.
Julia hit him again and threw up barriers between them. "Stop, Adrian, or by God I will kill you." she growled.
Schuldig stumbled back, eyes wide. "Nein...."
Author's notes: Jeeze we made Adrian out to be such a bad guy in this... ^^; Well, hold your breath folks, there won't be any more updates until I find a missing chat. -__- my computer is out to get me. But never fear! If I don't have it, Chase-chan might. You can let your breath out now. Breathe in, breathe out...Good! Keep it up. ^^ Thank you all again for your support. And now I must find the missing chat...
"That kid will never make it." Adrian said.
Brad turned a stony gaze on him. He formed a fist against the window before slamming through it. Nagi and Adrian jumped as the glass shattered behind the young man. Brad passed them and disappeared into the hall.
He knelt next to the teen.
Schuldig shuddered. /Why?/ he repeated the question.
/You mean why did I look at you the way I did?/ Brad asked. He wormed an arm under the boy's shoulders and pulled him to a sitting up position, supporting him.
Schuldig turned his golden eyes on his friend. /Yes./
/Because it surprised me?/ Brad asked, rubbing his back.
/I did everything but tell you strait out,/ the teen replied.
/Yeah. Everything but./ Brad agreed.
/Sorry. Maybe I should have just come out and said it. It's just...I had no where else to turn./
/It's okay. I'm sorry I hurt you. You just hold an aura of innocence about you somehow. Don't kill me for saying it./
"Innocent," Schuldig scoffed weakly.
"You have moments, just moments." Brad said quietly.
Schuldig smiled slightly. /I don't want to go back in there./
/I'm sorry. No other options./
/Sure there are./
/We have no where else to go./
/Will Julia throw me out?/
/I don't believe so. She has a way of working things to her advantage./
/I really don't see how this can be to her advantage.../
/You're anyone's advantage, tamadachi./
The German smiled weakly. "Danke."
"We have to go back in, ne? I want to wrap my hand up before it gets infected."
Schuldig's eyes went to the hand in question. "What happened?"
Brad ducked his head almost sheepishly. "I smashed a window."
Schuldig cocked an eyebrow. "Fearless leader lost his temper?"
"You say it like that and I sound like the character from Rocky and Bullwinkle."
Schuldig choked back a laugh. "I'd thought of that, but I wondered how long it would take you to notice." A broad grin spread across his pale features.
Brad smiled. "Gaki. Come on, up we go."
The telepath nearly collapsed back to the ground, and would have it not for his friend's stern grip on him.
"Take it slow and easy, we have all the time in the world," Crawford said, holding the German up against him.
Schuldig nodded as he steadied himself. They made their way back into the apartment slowly and Adrian's eyes locked with Crawford's, then turned to Schuldig's.
Never loosing eye contact with Schuldig, Adrian thought into Brad's mind. /I'm telling you now, Crawford, he'll be the death of you./ /I can't think of a better way to die./ Brad replied evenly.
Schuldig felt a coldness wash over him as Adrian continued to glare.
/Ignore him. Julia's almost here./ Brad told him, leading him over to the couch.
The young German sank down to it gratefully. The door opened and the silver haired empath walked in.
She stopped short as soon as she entered, her eyes flickering to Schuldig leaning against Brad on the couch, Nagi sitting stiff in his chair, the shattered window, and her glaring partner. She blinked. "I hope you boys had fun, whatever it was you were doing."
Schuldig shrank back as he watched Adrian advance toward Julia, mumbling a "We need to talk."
She looked over to the two sitting on the couch, noting Brad's death glare on Adrian. Julia nodded and followed him into the hall. When they were outside, she muttered, "What did you do, you baka? They look worse than before!"
"Did you know you brought home a junkie, Jule?" he asked coldly.
"Yes."
"And you brought him home anyway?" he demanded.
"You were always good at pointing out the obvious. Yes I brought him 'home' you dolt, he's in our living room."
"He's going to get those other boys killed."
"Oh, get real, Adrian. They're all going to die anyway. All of us are. In the profession we have, and with the gifts we have, we all get a very short life span."
"They don't need that kid screwing up what they've got, Jule."
"That kid is all Bradley's got, Adrian. Believe me, over the past week I've seen where their loyalties lie. Hell itself wouldn't stop them."
"Is he still on them?"
"I don't believe so, no."
"He will be. Someday he'll loose that fight."
"By then it'll be out of our hands, Adrian. These boys are going to grow up fast, faster than they already have. Then that will be his choice to make. It'll be his choice."
Adrian frowned. It deepened when he saw the young German leaning against the wall for support, listening to the conversation.
Julia noted it as well, but ignored it. "You know how it is, Adrian. When you have nothing, you give everything, hoping to find something. That's what happens. It's what happened to you and me, and Schuldig and Crawford, Jack and Patrick, and heaven knows how many others. We all can make or break each other."
"You see the distant future, don't you?" the teen asked Adrian. The older man nodded, still glaring. "Do you see us dying?"
Adrian opened his mouth but Julia shut him up with a snarl. "Shut up, Adrian. You have no right to tell him what you see."
"Tell me." Schuldig eyed the man, matching his glare. He would know, by force if need be.
"Be careful what you ask for, Schuldig. Those who are not gifted with the sight of future have no right to know what it holds." Julia warned. Adrian let a cold smile grace his lips.
Schuldig narrowed his golden eyes. "I would think that if it has to do with my life, or the lives of my friends, I have every right."
"I agree." Adrian said.
"Don't, for the love of Jude, Adrian," Julia warned.
"Yes, I do see you dying. You want to know what else I see?" he got closer to the teen. "I see him dying by your hand. His blood is on your conscience."
"Tell me how so I can change it." He refused to allow his best friend - brother- die because of him.
"You can't change it. You can't change your destiny. This isn't just your future, it's your final act of being an assassin." Adrian said coldly.
"What do you mean?"
"For pity's sake, shut *up* Adrian," Julia growled.
"What I mean is this: You're going to hold the gun to his heart and pull the trigger, whether you like it or not. That's what your meant to do."
Julia backhanded him.
"Liar!" the German teen hissed. "I'd never do that."
"Oh, but you will. You will." Adrian said.
Julia seethed at him. "You are a complete fool, Adrian." she snarled. He rubbed his cheek.
"I wouldn't," the golden-eyed teen repeated. "I wouldn't be able to. Not to Brad."
Adrian shut his eyes and sent Schuldig images of the event he said would come to pass.
Julia hit him again and threw up barriers between them. "Stop, Adrian, or by God I will kill you." she growled.
Schuldig stumbled back, eyes wide. "Nein...."
Author's notes: Jeeze we made Adrian out to be such a bad guy in this... ^^; Well, hold your breath folks, there won't be any more updates until I find a missing chat. -__- my computer is out to get me. But never fear! If I don't have it, Chase-chan might. You can let your breath out now. Breathe in, breathe out...Good! Keep it up. ^^ Thank you all again for your support. And now I must find the missing chat...