Author: Swythangel
Email: swythangel@hotmail.com
Title: Götterdamerüng (Twilight of the Gods)
Type: Series 5/?
Teaser: With their return to Weiß, Ken and Ran find old feelings resurfacing...
Rating: PG (just to be safe)
Spoilers: I don't know, let's just assume there is
Warnings: Strong Language, Shonen Ai leaning towards Yaoi
Keywords: Ken, Aya/Ran, Youji, Ran/AyaxKen, YoujixKen, angst, a lil fluff
This chapter has been stewing in my hard drive for two weeks…proly because it was so awkward to write….please don't be too harsh, onegai!
Domo to Siberian-chan for nagging me grins and playfully whacks Siberian-chan with plushie mallet and to everyone who commented…just love you guys!
Oh and if ever anyone doesn't understand Dr. Kanzaki and his yerman accent, tell me ya? And I will give you a completely straight english translation. grin Blame Axn for Schneider's german accent in Ruronin Kenshin for my bright idea.
Twigbrnch, after this, tell me if you still like Dr.Kanzaki, ya? chuckles and runs off
Götterdamerüng
(Twilight of the Gods)
Part 5
[Ken]
I watch as Ran, Omi and Youji enter Doctor Kanzaki's office and sit down in the seats in front of the good doctor's desk after I introduced them. With 5 of us in the room, the doc's clinic looks like a closet.
I shake my head at Omi who is patting the seat next to him, indicating that I should sit there. I prefer to stand here, near the door. This way I can watch for their reactions. After all, I already knew the things Dr. K will be discussing with them. And then some.
So far so good, I whisper to myself as I lean against the wall, relaxing as the doctor started explaining. I close my eyes for a second, trying to will my headache to go away before anyone notices that I'm a little pale.
"Zo….you are here to learn about Project Trojan Horse, ya? I von't beat around ze vush zen. Trojan haz been Zeiger's pet project sinze last year. Zat waz ze time zey pulled me out of ze hospital I vaz vorking in to head ze team vorking on a cure for it…"
The doctor broke off and looked in puzzlement at the three before him. "Vat? Iz zer a problem?"
The quizzical expression on the doc's face made me quirk an eye in puzzlement, puzzlement that faded when I saw the others' faces.
Omi looks like he's facing a gigantic math problem that he's determined to solve, Youji has this perplexed irritated look on his face that said "What the fuck…" and Ran, Ran's wearing one of his blank masks that said volumes. It was what I called Ran Fujimiya's damn-if-I -let-it-show-that-I-don't understand-look.
Dr. K will be waiting until it snows on Mt. Sinai if he thinks he's ever going to get a response from the three so I decide to help him out. I shove away from the wall, stumbling a little. Damn, I'm getting a bit dizzy. I frown at my weakness and catch myself before anyone can see my little stumble as I turn to the good doctor to explain.
"Zey…I mean, they, aren't used to people with German accents, doc. That's what accounts for the puzzled looks."
"Ah, I understand. I'm zorry, I have been zo used to Ken and Rika understanding vhat I say zat I zid not realize…I will go slower, ya?"
You gotta love the doc. He's just so accommodating.
"Zo…vhere vaz I?
I sigh. He's also forgetful.
Before I can tell him where he left off, Ran beat me to it.
"You left off vhere Zeiger pulled you out of ze hospital to vork on ze cure, ya?"
My mouth is hanging open and I probably look idiotic. But I can't help it. Did…did Ran just crack a joke? Ran?
I stare at him all stoic and serious, his arms crossed on his chest. The very picture of solemnity. He looked like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.
I am thinking that my condition is making me delusional but as I look at Youji and Omi, I know that I'm not. Both are wearing similar looks of astonishment.
At that instant Ran turns his head slightly to look at us with a wry look. And all of a sudden my astonishment fades as laughter bubbles up inside me. Ran cracked a joke…a laugh of delight escape my lips…a small sound that I smother by clamping my hand across my mouth.
Dr. K hasn't noticed our looks of astonishment and was talking continuously. I didn't want to interrupt so I go back and lean against the wall, laughing silently.
Somehow, the headache has vanished as I float in this euphoric happy bubble that comes from the simple fact that Ran who, as Youji told me often enough, seems to have a stick perpetually shoved up his ass, cracked a joke.
[Ran]
I can't believe I actually did it…I cracked a joke, a very lame joke at that.
Disgust and wonder war inside of me as I feel three pairs of eyes staring at me. I put on my most stoic mask and add my most wry expression to look at them unemotionally for a minute or so, afterwhich I turn back to the doctor, trying to absorb what he was saying. Nothing much is filtering in since I'm having an internal debate with myself.
Damn! Am I *that* staid that they can't believe I can crack a joke?
Ran Fujimiya, stone cold bastard with no sense of humor…yeah, that about describes you…
Oh, shut up, who asked you anyway?
Still…those looks of astonishment. Shit! Now they probably think that I've gone nuts.
Well, you knew this was bound to happen if you cracked a joke, why did you do it in the first place?
Because…I search my brain frantically for the answer, finding and shying away from it in the same instance, trying to find a more acceptable one.
Because the doctor's German accent was really very funny and I couldn't help it.
Try again Fujimiya that's too lame, even for you. Who are you trying to fool?
I know from previous experiences that my damn inner voice isn't about to stop until I admit the truth to myself. I wish I can silence my inner voice with a glare but since it isn't really a tangible person...
You're learning, Fujimiya…so why did you crack a joke?
Its just now that I realize what a total asshole I can be.
Why, Ran, why *did* you crack a joke?!
A VERY one-track asshole.
Cut the crap and admit it.
Damn friggin inner voice.
Its because I noticed how pale and pinched Ken looked when he came out of the doctor's inner office and I wanted to make him laugh. Satisfied?
Quite.
Goddamn it! Now leave me be and let me attend to the mission. I block out all internal struggles and glance up. I realize I've missed some of the information already and resolve to ask Omi about it later.
Meanwhile, I steal a look at Ken, just to see if he's alright. I find him leaning against the wall. He seems more relaxed. At least some good came out of me making a fool of myself.
Careful, Ran. He's just your teammate. Don't let yourself slide into the past. Remember the darkness…
Then, as if he knows I am looking at him, Ken locks eyes with me and smiles. I can feel myself smiling back, letting down my guard. Like I did more than two years ago.
No!
I break eye contact, a solid ice mask slamming down on the smile. I look away quickly but not quickly enough not to catch the hurt in Ken's eyes.
I feel a twinge of guilt at the thought that I hurt Ken.
No! Damn it Hidaka! Why are you playing games with me? You were the one who left me! You don't have the right to look hurt.
I will not allow myself to feel guilty. And I certainly will not apologize. I promised myself long ago that I wouldn't allow Ken to hurt me anymore. That I wouldn't let myself be lured into that vulnerable state again and the darkness...the consuming darkness…
The mission. Concentrate on the mission instead. I tell myself over and over.
[Omi]
Wai! Ran-kun cracked a joke. A lame joke but still…I chuckle a little.
OI! I almost forgot the doctor. I dismiss Ran-kun's joke from my mind as I turn my attention to the doctor. I need to gather information after all. I missed the first part of what he has been saying but its no big deal, he's just getting into the important details right now.
Dang, the doctor's accent is hard to decipher! But I must persevere. No way is a german accent going to get the best of me.
"Aa, zo…avter a vew months, my teammates and I had vound a cure for ze virus or so ve thought. Ve named it Cassandra, a very powerful antibody zat seemed to heal ze patient from Trojan easily. However, after a vew days, ve found out zat the effects vere only temporary. If anyzing, it made ze patient's condition vorsen. It vas vack to the drawing board for us. After a few veeks, I, again, found a possible cure for Trojan and I named it Astyanax. Zeiger's Voard of Directors vere pressuring us vor ze cure already by zen and zat got me suspicious…suspicious enough to try and find out vhy zey vanted ze cure at vonce…"
The doctor pauses for a while to catch his breath and plunges on.
"I found out zen zat zey vere planning to unleash zis virus into Japan and make money zelling ze antidote. I vanted nozing to do wiz it. I told my teammates and ve planned to resign but zey didn't allow us too. Zey imprisoned us in ze laboratories and forced us to vork. I got angry and erased all traces of Astyanax in ze database, vitout it, zey couldn't do anything. But zey knew I still retained the knowledge and…"
A brief flash of pain enters the doctor's eyes as he falters and stops.
"I'll do it doc." I turn my head to see Ken-kun pull out of the shadows looking at the doctor with sympathy in his eyes. "I'll tell them the rest."
He turns to the three of us with a look that could have frozen the lake on a sunny day.
"Doctor Kanzaki's teammates were tortured and killed one by one when he refused to give them his research. If not for the courage of his teammates, Dr. Kanzaki would probably have died inside Zeiger. But they formulated a plan to escape and that's why Dr. Kanzaki is here."
I can hear the flat anger in Ken-kun's voice and I know just what is running in his head. It's the same thought running in my head. Injustice and unfairness probably topped the list.
"Fucking bastards." I hear Ken-kun mutter.
From behind Ken-kun, I see Dr. Kanzaki take a great shuddering breath and place an arm on Ken-kun, chuckling affectionately. "Zere iz no need to get angry at my expenze, Ken. Now let me continue my story, ya? Zo ve can get a plan vorking already…"
"Aaa…zo, az Ken zaid, I escaped from Zeiger and changed my name and face to escape pozzible recapture. And for all zis time I have been zearching for a cure for Trojan."
Sou ka…after all that muck the doctor is still finding a cure for the virus. I can learn to admire this person besides liking him. I had my doubts at first, even when I saw that Ken-kun liked the doctor. Its not that I don't trust Ken-kun's judgement but sometimes he is just so totally naïve about these things.
"And have you found a cure doctor?"
Aa. Ran-kun. Always fixated on the mission at hand. That's what makes him a good leader.
"Az I zed, Astyanax iz in the works. Ze virus waz more complicated zan I first thought…"
"How long?" Ran cut off the doctor abruptly, his expression serious. He sounds almost rude but I can't blame him. With so many children coming down with the virus and now a few grown-ups, the imminent danger of an epidemic is forcing us all to hurry.
The doctor glances at Ken-kun and I can see a tightening in Ken-kun's features before he gives the doctor a curt nod. I can't put my finger in it but somehow I have a feeling they're reaching a sort of agreement. I wonder what it is…
"A month, maybe more." The doctor said.
A month? Iie, a month is too long. I want to scream at the doctor. In a month, the crime ring can infect the whole of Tokyo. I move to tell the doctor that but Youji-kun beat me to it.
"Fuck! A month is out of the question, doc. As of the moment, there are adults also coming down with Trojan. In a month, the whole frigging city might be infected!"
Youji-kun's outburst does not stun the doctor in the least. Instead, the good doctor seems to be muttering to himself. "Ze bastards did not even deign to make a real cure for ze virus…Cassandra vill appear in ze market any moment zen."
I feel that Dr. Kanzaki is sorting it all out in his head, formulating a plan in his mind. We might as well be furniture in the room for all the attention he is giving us. And then all of a sudden, he looks at us.
"Zat iz vat ve have to vatch out for, ven Cassandra appearz, ze situation vill get better for avhile and zen go from bad to vorse…"
Watch out for Cassandra? We can't just go idle and watch for that to appear, it isn't our way to wait and just react, if possible, Weiß prevents. I can't resist telling the doctor this.
"Uh, doctor? We can't just sit here and wait."
"Zut! Zat iz true. And I have a plan." The doctor is smiling at me like I I just told him he won a prize. I am wondering if the doctor is just a bit crazy.
"Zer iz absolutely no vay I can speed up Astyanax. To do so vould be to commit ze same mistake I did vith Cassandra. Zat iz vhy vhile I vork on Astyanax, you, Weiß Kreuz, must try and prevent Zeiger from spreading the virus in Tokyo. You vill have to destroy ze virus in zeir labs. Und if you can find ze crime ring spreading ze virus and eliminate it, zat would be a great boon to us."
The doctor just told us the exact same thing Persia ordered us to do. I hear Ran-kun stir in his seat.
"Ninmu ryoukai."
Mission accepted.
Well, it looks like my laptop is going to see some action in the next few days. Knowing Ran-kun, we'll probably start preparations for the operation almost immediately after we leave the good doctor's clinic.
It's going to be a busy week. I sigh as we move to go out. I do hope I can still get to do my homework for school. I mean, Ran-kun and the others might think I'm a frigging genius but that doesn't mean I don't have to study or do my shitty homework…
(Author's note: Hurray! This part really gave me a hard time and I know its a bit boring for words but I have to get it out of the vay , oops, I mean, way, before I go on with the whole story. Just so you know what Zeiger is doing…:
The virus Trojan Horse is obviously from greek mythology as is Cassandra and Astyanax. The trojan horse is the hollow horse the greeks used to fool the Trojans into letting the army into the city in the Trojan War.
Cassandra is the princess of Troy with the gift of foresight from Apollo, Sun God, who loved her. But because she spurned his love, Apollo cursed her in that she can still tell the future but no one will believe her. She told the people the Horse was bad news but they didn't listen. Hence, like in the story, Cassandra is an ineffective substance that could have worked but didn't work. Just like the semi-cure drug in our story. :
Astyanax is the son of Andromache and Hector. Since all the doozy came from Hector and Paris in the first place, Hector's son became the last sacrifice to end the Trojan War, the last male in the city to die by being thrown from the walls. Violent greeks! Like what happened in the Trojan War, in our story, the sacrifice of Astyanax will end the virus…you don't have to be a psychic to understand the implications…if you don't want Astyanax sacrificed, tell me onegai! I'm still wavering on whether Astyanax be sacrificed or not….the story will ultimately decide though so its all up to my muses who are unfortunately taking a vacation riht now -_-)