Schwarz Blitz 7

****

Makoto dropped her feet back to the carpet after finishing off her one-hour position of being upside-down in a handstand. The muscles in her fingers had stretched further while on the ground and more obviously her hands started to ache. At first her head was full of pressure and heaviness and it was down to frustration that made her entire skull hard inside and out. Makoto's brain was smart enough to advice her to relax and not think of anything. Plus it was important to concentrate on your balance, especially if you had to close your eyes and keep your head straight for an hour. Having a view upside down did give you a heavy feeling – as though you were in a dangerous roller-coaster ride that went in circles.

Being in a handstand after a stressful day was one of the exercises that Makoto used to make herself feel better mind and body. She had been practising this since the first day of living in Osaka and over the days had grown used to the (sometimes painful) procedure and her balance had improved immensely. From emptying her head during the handstand Makoto felt afresh. It was hard to not stop thinking about your horrible manageress and two men who enjoyed tormenting the hell out of you.

She pulled her body back against the couch, closing her eyelids and recalling the past events during this week. Her job always involved the same tasks. Cooking, serving customers and being bossed at by Aki. The job was most definitely boring in her eyes. Yuka, Mei and Jun must be thinking the same as her right now. Though like they all agreeably stated, this was the only job they could hold on to until the right time opportunity came to leave, which wouldn't be at any time soon. The job availability was in reality at a low level. The statement about Osaka having lots of job opportunities was absolute bullshit that the media enjoyed printing in public.

Makoto wondered how Juuban was these days. Was it the same as she remembered it as a teenager? Most unlikely. She was certain that old school friends from Juuban High must have moved to another town and started a brand new life that had so many career possibilities. Makoto felt like the only one not in this category. What was she in? How would she describe herself in a CV? Well it wouldn't be too hard to describe a violent girl who had the ability to cook expertly and loved to fight challenging opponents. Suddenly the latter made her think twice. Didn't 'love to fight' sound too arrogant? She had a hunch that she was starting to sound like a certain German person.

Damn, why did Schuldig have to come to see her a lot? He was just like all the bullies she had come up against. Annoying and arrogant. There was Crawford too. Who did he think he was? Was he supposed to be the villain in James Bond, disguised as a businessman with a lot of deadly secrets underneath his sleeve? Makoto knew she hadn't had any male company since moving here. She was in no mood for fun with Bishounen because neither one of the males that approached Makoto were honest enough to her. Most of the men were drunk and had no clue that their Hentai personality was controlling their weak brain.

Schuldig and Crawford probably wanted slutty women who slept with them then got paid. These two guys looked like they had money to burn. Makoto still didn't know who they were unfortunately. What she did know was that they could fight and that was all she needed. They were her best challengers so far in Osaka. And she couldn't stop remembering the excitement that her fights against them kept emitting in her thoughts.

It wasn't just excitement. It was also the craving to fight. To feel the bones break and the blood pour down her fingers. She did briefly smack Crawford in the face last time they fought. And shit it felt good even though it was one punch that didn't affect the American by a fair amount. Remembering the last fight against these two strangers made Makoto jump into the air off the couch and her hands automatically went into flying punches.

Schuldig was a fast person to keep up with. Not only was he agile, he was an absolute pain in the butt with his telepathic power. He could be a nosy bastard and take a peek at Makoto's thoughts without her noticing it. Hell he knew she was Sailor Jupiter from the start. He just wanted to play around with her, make her feel awkward on her identity and who she was inside. Dammit what was Schuldig doing to her? Makoto normally didn't have this desirable attitude in fighting. She thought she had retired from the combat world but still those fights kept coming at her when she didn't want them at all. And she wasn't doing a thing to stop the addiction from looming in each night.

Did she have to admit that she really enjoyed fighting and taunting her enemies? This thinking began to give Makoto another headache. Perhaps she needed to go into a balanced handstand again to empty her thoughts. But that suggestion didn't seem like the best plan this time. Makoto couldn't control the ongoing images plaguing her imagination. She may not be psychic like Schuldig or Crawford though she had the feeling her imagination would soon be more powerful than a creative writer's would. Her violent ideas started to be filled with more blood and torturous screams. It was the same people that appeared in her eyes. Aki, Schuldig and Crawford.

How she wanted to get them back for the damage they had done to her. Makoto knew her current 'goody two shoes' shell in the café would have to be melted soon if Aki decided to piss her off as usual in the kitchen. She didn't give the slightest shit that Aki was the boss. When it came to fighting, Makoto was the one doing the hard work – and usually winning. What is wrong with you? You're going crazy Walking into the bathroom, Makoto observed the redness developing in her hands and her cheeks as she stared into the mirror.

The hot flushes were the result of her aggressive fantasies. Was she becoming a violent person without realising it? Did it have anything to do with Schuldig and Crawford's annoying presence in Osaka?

"Oh man," Makoto murmured and splashed cold water onto her heated face, "what if my violence goes out of control? I'll…" She didn't want to think anymore on what could happen in the future. Oh god what was happening to her mind and body? Her face buried into her wet palms as she leant over the sink, sighing worriedly.

****

Schuldig was bored with the news this evening. It was the same headline that repeated every four hours. 'Violence increases in busy streets of Osaka' – that was the top story that spread everywhere on the news channels. The German's ruffled orange hair covered most of his lazy face while he lied across the leather material of the settee, his arms hung over the arm of the furniture. Dinner wasn't very special for Mastermind and Oracle. All it consisted of was raw fish and sushi. Crawford sat by the dining room table, indulged in a Japanese novel. Didn't the smartly dressed Schwarz leader have anything better to read?

Schuldig wasn't exactly as literate as his leader or completely computer crazy like Prodigy was. He didn't know how kids like Nagi and that Weiss kid Omi could stay in front of the screen for over three hours and not move from their seat. Schuldig turned back to the TV where scenes of dry bloodshed filled the screen widely. Tch, maybe Makoto did all the damage He thought humorously. His lips twisted into another grin. Gee he was doing this a lot whenever he thought about the Japanese girl. She sure was…something.

Mastermind could sense the anger boil to its maximum level in Makoto's thoughts, especially when she saw him. That was the kind of woman he liked. Somebody who could fight and stay pretty at the same time. Younger high school girls were fun to read but this particular girl struck him with more interest than teenagers. Her aggression had followed her from an adolescent age and never left her side. She was strong physically. However, was she strong in her mind? Schuldig had been testing her to see how much more she could handle when confronted by his taunts on being a fighter or a special person.

"Crawford, when did you say Mr Honda's men were likely to attack?" The German asked. The American placed his book down to look at his team member. That stern look behind those glasses meant he was in a serious mood to discuss important stuff.

"In two days time, I believe," Crawford replied, referring to his last visions. Nodding understandably, Schuldig slumped deeper down on the couch The young Fraulein is going to be in for surprises. That Aki does have something in mind for her. Poor girl. Shit why did he have to think sympathetically all of a sudden? Perhaps it was because he didn't want anyone else picking on her except him. It was a way of saying he and Crawford had the rights to pick on Kino Makoto and no other person. Not even that bitchy manageress Honda Aki.

"You like her a lot, don't you?" Crawford said with his head looking at the pages of his book. "You keep thinking about her." Schuldig threw his body forward and sat up erectly on the couch. Crawford knew he was right from observing the delightful grins the German wouldn't stop showing. Of course it was true. He kept repeating the memories from Makoto's brain. They were too irresistible to leave behind. It felt nice to feel her aggression and watch it in his own eyes.

"So what if I do?" Schuldig said.

"Be careful. You wouldn't want your thoughts to be mixed too much with the sweet taste of her mind."

"Don't worry, Crawford. I'm in control of how I feel about her…" Using his agility, he swiftly moved from the couch to slide by his leader's chair in less than a minute. "But are you?" The black haired man looked at him suspiciously. His eyebrows moved downwards. Uh oh it was a sign to say he was angry now.

"What do you mean by that?" He questioned innocently.

Schuldig patted Oracle's shoulder, laughing. He leant over to his ear to whisper, "Looks like I'm not the only one who admires her." Crawford rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You just said 'as if.' Ha-ha. You're denying the truth."

"Don't start playing with me." The American closed his book loudly and stood on his feet to leave the table. Schuldig wouldn't let him budge past. Knowing the German wasn't impressed, Crawford gave in to his urge for the truth. "OK I admit, she is attractive. But I don't think highly as dirty as you do nor see her as my source of amusement."

"I knew you liked her the minute you fought her, Crawford," Schuldig yelled after his leader as he walked into his bedroom. He snorted entertainingly when he was alone in the room. The TV was still left on at a loud volume though he didn't seem to care right now. Although Crawford was his leader, Schuldig wasn't exactly willing to share his fun with him this time. He caught his prey first and therefore Makoto was rightfully his entertainment. Besides, Crawford rarely ever liked Schuldig and his fun games. He was too busy with planning their assaults on their latest cases. Perhaps Crawford was worried that Makoto would be too intimidated by Schuldig's brainteasers, which would explain his small attraction to her.

If that's how he feels then he should just leave me alone so I can do as I please with her Schuldig thought decidedly I can have fun when I want to, right?. He didn't mean to sound babyish. It was just that he hadn't been amused by anyone in a while. And he was currently enjoying himself with Makoto. He sat back on the couch to think back through Makoto's memories. All those violent thoughts flooded into him and already Schuldig was in the happy zone once again.

Apart from feeling her aggressive behaviour and imagining it through his eyes, he was able to sense her physical presence. Her soft brunette strands flew across her face as though in a rhythmic trance. Her green eyes looked at him with a mixture of anger as well as desire for a decent fight. Somehow Schuldig was certain that her desire also had an urge to feel close passion from the opposite gender as well as violence. This was another taunt he could throw at her later on if he wanted to see her again. He loved seeing her flush in embarrassment.

He could definitely see why he liked her a lot. It was the same with other men too though they ended up getting broken bones because their approach to her was not satisfactory. Or they gave her the wrong impression. Schuldig knew Crawford was asleep and tiptoed out of the apartment. I want to see you again, meine Fraulein. You always make me feel good He thought, sniggering charmingly.

****

Aki sat next to her father in the conference room patiently. The four other guests who had attended this meeting listened to Mr Honda speak in a very political tone, waving his hands in the air to gesture his explanations.

"We have to clean this society up because right now it stinks like hell," Mr Honda said. "Osaka has become a real dump these days and it's up to us to make it as it was before. So far the boys are doing a good job by showing they are ruthless on TV."

"We also have another main target on our hands," Aki added. Mr Honda stared at his daughter, surprised that she insisted on interrupting his speech. She moved over to the OHP to display a coloured photo of a brown-haired girl who looked like she was aged 19-20. "This is Kino Makoto. She is the reason that I am in this foul mood and why most of my friends are in hospital. It's been rumoured that she has a violent reputation and is sensitive. She thinks she can just walk into my town and be the ruler of Osaka by taking out her toughness on my buddies. For goodness sake, they were trying to be friends with her." Aki couldn't stop spitting with huge revulsion while she described this girl. "She has no manners and her violent outrage has to stop. Then we'll take out anyone else who is like her."

"I have to agree with Aki-san," One person said. The other three guests chortled agreeably amongst each other. Aki pushed her chest out proudly from the work she had pulled off. This was the kind of support she needed. She was going to do whatever she could to eliminate Makoto from this town. Even it meant killing her. Knowing the press, they were too stupid to understand the truth and would make some cover story up that involved an accident.

"When does this operation begin, Aki-san?" Another quiet voice echoed in the room. Everyone else around the table stared at the shy boy sitting behind his laptop. Aki frowned briefly then let the pride sink in again to say, "It starts in two days time. Makoto is worth a lot of money to kill so boys if you and your friends want fun with her then I suggest you take it in turns with shooting your guns, ok?"

****

Her loud tone overpowered the shy boy's laptop noises, which was a good thing because she had no idea what he was doing. She just guessed that he was typing in all her words to remember them for the operation. But she was wrong. Nagi typed in the exact details in his email message and pressed the send button to Crawford's email address. It was a good thing that he was chosen to be undercover. Schuldig would use his time to play with people's minds rather than fish out information. Farfarello was amazingly behaving himself as he sat in the room to listen to the meeting. He hadn't lashed out in any insane manner with Aki or Mr Honda (yet). It seemed that Berserker was listening to Prodigy's advice for this investigation and agreed that it wouldn't be wise to mess up their undercover status.

Whoever this Kino Makoto was, she was going to be in deep shit by Aki and other ruthless assassins she intended to hire. However that didn't matter at the moment for Nagi. What was important was to take Mr Honda and his daughter out. That was Crawford's main intention on this investigation. They'll be after Schwarz too Nagi thought in concern. He and Farfarello couldn't do much right now – except send information to the other two Schwarz team members about what was happening with Aki and Mr Honda.

TBC

Sorry that this chapter didn't have any action in it. I wanted to give more info on what Aki and her father are up to. I know that all of Schwarz are OOC too -.-