Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz
is not mine.
And
just when everyone thinks this ficcie has died….ahohoho! its alive! Its
alive! blinks>and 10 pages worth too ^-^
Ok,
what happens here: some explanations on the virus thingie for this part
and prolly the next part. And our ever-loving bad guys finally make an
appearance here. points happily>
Anyway,
on with the ficcie then ^^
Götterdammerüng
(Twilight of the Gods)
Part 16
[Youji]
MYSTERIOUS VIRUS HAS A CURE!
Patients recover in record
time
"Fuck!" I throw down the
early morning newspaper, pinning the doctor with a questioning look.
"Cassandra has made its way
to the public. How could it have gotten past us?" This from Omi who glared
at the paper like it was the devil's own.
Damn straight. Was everything
we did the night before a useless endeavor then? Anger fills me and I restrain
the urge to punch the walls, afraid that Ken would hear it in the next
room.
Fuck it! If Cassandra is
out there then what use did going into Zeiger do us then?
The doctor clears his throat
. "I vud think zat a supply of Cassandra had been handed to ze crime ring
that Zeiger is connected with, ya? Zat vud explain vhy it is now out in
ze public."
"But what can we do now?"
I tell him, frustrated.
"Well, Balinese, you could
try asking me, ne?"
I swivel my head, startled
at the newcomer. It is a familiar voice though so I do not draw out my
wire.
"Manx-san!" Omi cried out.
"Hello, Bombay, Balinese."
She smiled at us, a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. As always,
she is dressed in her patent short skirt. She inclines her head to the
doctor, acknowledging his presence. "Doctor Kanzaki."
"So…how did you find us,
Manx?"
She arches her brow. "Never
underestimate Kritiker, Balinese. It was easy enough to track you. You
weren't exactly trying to hide your movements."
"And of course, Kritiker
has orders for Weiß, no? I gather the higher ups have already formulated
a plan to salvage this botched mission." Of course they had, Kritiker has
never failed to put up a back-up plan, they always did. I just felt like
taunting Manx by implying that it was Kritiker's fault. Not that she deserved
it, poor lady, but I wasn't exactly in the best of moods and I needed to
vent.
Manx cast me an annoyed look,
a little bit needled I would think by the tone of my voice. " Weiß
moves too independently as you well know. If you had asked for back-up,
Kritiker would have provided one. Then maybe this crime ring wouldn't have
gotten past us."
I shrug off the sensitive
topic, this isn't the time or place to dwell on such a sore spot. "Yare,
yare. Let's concentrate on the task at hand, shall we?"
[Omi]
"So, is everything clear
then? Will Weiß accept the mission?"
Of course we are going to
accept. It is a given. We *need* to finish off the Crime Ring before they
spread Trojan throughout Japan.
But even before Youji-kun
or I could answer, Ken-kun stumbles into the room bleary eyed but awake.
"What mission?"
"Ken! You shouldn't be out
of bed at this hour. Go back, will you?"
To hear the worry in Youji-kun's
voice was to hear the voice of infinite concern. Someday, I hope to find
someone who would care for me the same way Youji-kin cares for Ken-kun.
"I'm perfectly fine, Youji.
Now let go will ya? I'm not fragile glass. I can take care of myself."
/Aa, like you've been
taking care of yourself lately, Ken-kun?/
"Manx! Tell Ken to go back
to bed. He is not in any frame of mind to join this mission."
"I'm sorry Balinese but Siberian
has as much right to listen to this as you all do." Manx nodded her head
at Ken-kun who flashed Youji a triumphant look before sitting down next
to me.
I hate to agree with her
but Manx-san is right. Besides, Ken-kun has a very stubborn streak. He
would have protested until we gave in. We don't have time for that.
"As I was saying…" I turn
my head to look at Manx again. She was looking at Ken-kun now. "Kritiker
will prevent the hospitals from using Cassandra to treat the patients but
to stop Cassandra we will need Weiß to stop the crime ring. Preferably
tonight. Intelligence has found out that the masterminds of the operation
will be meeting tonight in their main hideout. In this," A diskette appeared
in one slim white hand, "is the location of the crime ring, as well as
pertinent facts that you might need…"
I make a motion towards the
diskette and Manx flips it towards me. Deftly catching the small plastic,
I turn on my laptop to look at the files therein.
"Will Weiß accept this
mission?"
Again a silly question. I
think to myself as I begin running the files and taking them down to memory.
Would I be doing this if we didn't accept?
"Stupid question. Would the
kid be doing that if we didn't accept?"
Youji-kun echoes my thoughts
in the exact same tone I would have used if I am not so busy typing into
my laptop. Funny how living with each other rubs off personalities.
"So Bombay is in."
From the edge of my eye I
could see Youji-kun raise his hand up in the air, twirling the cigarette
he held in glowing circles.
"And Balinese."
"I am too."
"NO!!" Both Youji-kun and
I say the same word at the same time, glaring at Ken-kun for even suggesting
it. Not that I am surprised. On the contrary I would have suffered a heart
attack if he *didn't*.
"Come on you guys. I'm *fine*.
Besides, how the hell are you two going to take down a crime ring all by
your lonesome selves ne?"
/That isn't going to work
Ken-kun./ "Actually, Ken-kun, Youji-kun and I can handle it by ourselves.
This diskette tells us the actual numbers of the enemy and its nothing
Youji-kun and I can't handle." /At least not with a few well-placed
bombs with us./
I smirk at Ken-kun. And see
an identical smirk line Youji-kun's features.
"D..demo…"
"Uh-uh Ken. You heard Omi.
We can handle it." I watch in amusement as Youji-kun pushes Ken-kun back
into the recovery room. "You go rest or take care of Ran. Let Omi and I
handle this."
Once Youji-kun has firmly
closed the door behind Ken-kun, he turns towards me with gratitude in his
eyes. "Thanks, Omi."
I do not ask him how he knew
I was fibbing when I told Ken-kun that we could handle it. Like I said
before, sometimes, living with people for so long, you can't help but know
some things.
The gratitude in his eyes
is something I cannot forget. Youji-kun's green gaze told me that if I
asked him to walk on coals right now he'd gladly do it, just because I
saved Ken-kun from going with us.
I cannot blame him.
Ken-kun, among the four of
us, has always been the one most willing to give of himself. If one of
us was even minutely depressed, Ken-kun would do everything, even make
a fool of himself, to cheer us up, even if he was, in turn depressed himself.
Everybody loves Ken-kun.
I do, he's my best friend
after all. Ran-kun does too though sometimes its hard to tell especially
with that granite mask of non-emotion he dons in front of anyone. And Youji-kun…one
had to be blind not to notice.
If Weiß is a living,
breathing entity, it would have Ran-kun as its head, me as its brain and
Youji-kun as its hands. Ken-kun…Ken-kun would be its heart.
35% chance of living…
And what is an entity without
a heart?
Hell, look at me, waxing
poetically about our little family. If the situation isn't so serious I'd
actually laugh at myself. But it is serious…
35% chance of living…
/You cannot die, Ken-kun!
I know you won't die. Dr. Kanzaki will be able to save you in time and
we'll all go back to Koneko together after all this is over./
Yes, Ken-kun won't die. Ken-kun
can't die…
…
"Omi. Hello, earth to Omi!"
"Itaiii!" I glare up at Youji-kun
who had rapped my head while I had stared preoccupied at a blank wall.
"Oi, Omi. This is not the
time to blank out on me. We have to get ready to storm the baddies' headquarters
remember?"
"H..hai."
"Manx said Kritiker will
be providing back-up for us so it'll be a piece of cake. So get ready all
right? We move out in an hour or so."
"Ryoukai."
[Ken]
"Oi, guys. Be careful alright?
Omi, don't get too preoccupied with that laptop of yours and try to look
around for incoming. Youji, look after Omi. And don't forget to watch your
back too. Remember not to do those flamboyant turns and twists alright?
You know they just make you more visible to the enemy."
"Yes mother!"
I see the two of them roll
their eyes at me as they reply in chorus to my final fussing. I glare and
scowl at them. "I mean it!"
"Yes, we know." Youji said,
drawling out the words as he patted my head. "We'll be leaving now. Make
sure you don't do anything remotely endangering to your health, ne, Ken?"
I arch an eyebrow. "Who's
the mother hen now?"
Youji just shrugs his broad
shoulders.
My two blond teammates go
quietly out the backdoor in their assassin gear, ready to hunt down the
beasts that spread Trojan over Tokyo and here I am like a mother…worrying
about them.
"Ki o tsukete, guys! Don't
forget to take care."
"Alright already. Now go
in before you catch a cold. See you soon, mother hen."
That's Youji's last parting
words as he waves at me from the front of his car.
He seems to be relaxed which
is a good sign. Relaxed means that it is an easy mission, despite the fact
that Omi lied to me an hour ago.
Of course I know he lied.
You don't live with a person for so many years and not know when someone
is fibbing. And Omi's my best friend. I'd have to be a real knucklehead
not to have noticed.
I know that it is a ploy
to get me to stay. They don't know that I made up my mind to stay even
before that. Because Ran needs me here.
Actually Ran would say that
he did not need me. So I'll change that thought. *I* need to be with Ran.
*I* need to know that he will be alright.
When I had told Manx that
I was in I knew the other two would protest. It had been a half-hearted
offer on my part.
/And you're feeling guilty
aren't you?/
Of course I am. I mean, who
wouldn't be.
/You can still go if you
want to./
/Oh shut up, stupid conscience.
I need to be with Ran./
/You mean you *want* to
be with Ran./
Same thing. Want, need, to
me they were indivisible.
/Wanting Ran eh? Oohh,
how very naughty of you, Ken./
/I am ignoring you. Go
away./
I shut out the insistent
little voice ringing inside my head just as I ignore the pounding in my
head and the weakness in my limbs. I enter the recovery room, tottering
alittle on my feet, bypassing my bed to opt for the chair near Ran's side.
I sit down on it and lay a hand down on one of Ran's pale ones.
/Why won't you waken,
Ran?/
Worry gnaws at my belly.
I know what Trojan is. I should, because Dr. Kanzaki made me understand
it all before he actually accepted my offer to help him. He had wanted
me to know what I was getting into. You gotta love the doc for that.
If Ran is infected with Trojan,
he should be awake. He shouldn't be experiencing the full effects until
after a week or so. Because Trojan's a deadly mutated malarial strain that
manifests itself in a person's body in the guise of normal fevers and cold
on its onset. That's why no one really notices it in the beginning, they
all think its fever or something non-menacing. It only starts to get serious
in its late stages. Malaria is like that, the great imitator of diseases.
Hence the name Trojan. A nice use of words really.
/The fucking bastards
should have used their intelligence for other purposes. Like go into ad
agencies or something./
A succession of chills with
high fevers that occur every 4 to 8 hours, recurring every two days, itching
skin, cold sores on the eyes, anemia, loss of apetite, headaches, arm,
leg, backpains, rapid blood pressure, nausea…thelist goes on and on, these
are the symptoms of Trojan.
I should know, I experience
some of them myself…some of the lesser ones like the headaches and the
pains. The drug-induced anemia I contracted when I went to Brazil helped
lessen the effects.
This coma-like state Ran
is in shouldn't even be present unless…
Unless…
My blood runs cold, like
ice, in my veins and my hands clench on unresponsive pale flesh.
Unless Trojan was in its
later stages…then, then delirium and coma are the symptoms that herald
this dangerous turn of events.
No.
No it isn't possible.
How can it be possible? It
defies all logic. Ran has just been infected tonight. Even Trojan for all
the menacing effects it has would not be able to infect a body so fast.
Or can it?
/Is it possible?/
There was only one man who can answer what I want to know. I stand up abruptly,
turning over the chair I sat in as I almost run towards the door.
Too preoccupied with my thoughts,
the clatter of the wooden chair striking the floor only makes a slight
impression on me as I shut the door to Ran's room.
[Youji]
Strange. That's how I'd describe
this mission. Very strange.
The moment Omi and I and
the Kritiker back-up entered the building, all we found was silence.
There should be guards by
now. Or at least decoys of guards. I look around.
Not a one in sight.
/Too strange./
I toggle the communicator
on, static cackling softly in my ear as the link came alive.
"Bombay, is there *any* activity
at all in the building?"
I can hear the faint clacking
sounds from Omi's laptop as he tries to take in the situation.
"This is highly unusual,
Balinese. There is no activity in the building at all. If this is where
they distribute Cassandra there should be some guards. Has Kritiker given
us the wrong information do you think?"
"It wouldn't be the first
time." I told him, shrugging. "Double check will you?"
"Ryoukai."
As the communicator dies
down in Omi's wake, I walk stealthily down the corridor, watching for anything
unusual. I am in a welter of impatience to get the person who masterminded
this whole operation.
The reasons are numerous.
For one, they are in Weiß territory and they are committing atrocities.
Stupid. That alone would guarantee them a death warrant.
Two, they are killing off
people for the sake of money. Cruel. I would want it to be a slow death.
And most important of all,
they are behind the whole fucking Trojan mess and Ken would not be infected
now if it isn't for them. They are the reason why everything is upside
down.
They dared to touch Ken,
never mind that it isn't intentional and that it is just a coincidence.
They are going to die slowly and very painfully.
For Ken.
"Balinese! I found some activity
in the central atrium of the building, near where you are now. There are
at least three other people alive in this building save for us."
"I'm going in. Back-up?"
"I'll back you up Balinese.
No need to trouble the others they're all searching the building for evidence.
I'll be there in a minute."
I nod. I'd rather have Omi
as back-up any day.
"Will be on standby until
rendezvous then."
"Hai."
[Omi]
"Ready?"
I nod at Youji-kun's whispered
question, holding on to the darts that are my security in the eventuality
of a fight as he opens the door slowly, trying to remain silent so as not
to attract the attention of the room's occupants.
We shouldn't have bothered
because even before we could get inside, a voice slices through the thick
black darkness. A niggling familiar voice.
"What took you so long, Weiß?"
Schuldich! My infrared goggles
affirm this as I see the redhead lounging on a chair.
/Farfarello and Nagi Noue
too./
I note as I see the figure
of the Irishman licking his knife and sitting on a corpse beside the German.
The Japanese boy famed for his telekinetic ability is on Schuldich's other
side, standing and staring quietly at us with haggard features.
The American leader is strangely
absent though.
Goddamn! I thought they had
perished along with Estet.
My body reacts much faster
than my brain, relying on battle-ready reflexes that are almost automatic
as I throw my first batch of darts at the Schwarz team. Out of the corner
of my eye, I see Youji-kun is also doing the same.
Our attacks are futile though
as Nagi almost impatiently waves his hands in the air. At the same instant,
the darts I threw flies into the opposite direction, embedding themselves
into the wall with a dull thudding noise. I am thrown back, as is Youji-kun.
"Stupid." The Japanese boy
said, almost unemotionally.
Schuldich laughed. "You seem
to have forgotten Nagi's abilities, Weiß. Not a good thing to do."
"Schwarz! How did you survive?
Why are you here?" Youji-kun asks.
"Aa, curious I see. It's
a rather long story. You see…"
"We don't have time for this
Schuldich." I stare in surprise at Noue. His tone is harassed and I can
detect a faint touch of alarm in his voice.
/What is his problem?/
"But Nagikins! Its been so
long since we've seen our old friends here. Surely a friendly chat is in
order." Schuldich threw back at the telekinetic with a mock expression
of pleading on his face.
"Shut up or I will throw
you out of this building, Schuldich."
"Touchy, touchy, Nagi."
"Schu should just shut up.
Or Nagi'll hurt God through Schu." Farfarello interrupted, which in my
mind is a good thing for the German since the telekinetic's eyes are glowing
in suppressed anger.
"Look, this is touching.
It really is. But can we fucking get on with it? Let's fight now and finish
this. We have to do something important."
"Like you can take us down
when you are severely undermanned, Weiß." Schuldich sneered.
"I said shut up, Schuldich."
Nagi interrupted and turned towards us, holding up his hands. "We are not
here to fight."
"Then what are you here for?"
I burst out. I can't take it anymore. The questions are going around and
around in my head. Schwarz never shows up unless they have a reason. Could
they be the masterminds of the crime ring?
::Iie, bishonen. Wrong guess.::
I jump in surprise. I have
forgotten that Schuldich could read minds.
::I'm hurt. I thought I made
more of an impression than that.::
"Omi's right. Why *are* you
here?"
Nagi hesitates. I get the
feeling he is going to say something he doesn't want to say at all. "We
need…your help."
I blink. That is unexpected.
Schwarz asking Weiß for help. I am sure there isn't a precedent for
this one.
"Our help?" Youji-kun's voice
echoes my own incredulity. "Why the fuck do you need our help? And what
makes you so sure we will help you?"
Nagi shrugs. "You will help
us, in exchange for our help. As you see, we have cut down your work for
you." He extends his hand over the corpses littered around the room. "We
have killed all of the ring's leaders save for one…unfortunately the mastermind
of the whole operation did not show up at this meeting. Not that this will
prove to be a deterrent. Unlike you, we know what he looks like and we
can hunt him down. That we will do in exchange for the favor we will ask."
"Still…"
Noue's piercing gaze slices
thorugh Youji-kun, effectively silencing him. Not that I blame my teammate.
It is the first time I have ever seen the Schwarz telekinetic so intensely…driven.
"You *will* accept, Weiß,
because there is no other way. Your organization might be able to contain
Cassandra but you will not be able to stop the mastermind from spreading
it again somewhere in Japan. He might at this very moment be working on
another infinitely more dangerous Trojan and then where will you be?"
He sounds like Crawford,
which is eerie. The American leader usually handles these kinds of confrontations
with Weiß. He is strangely missing on the scene and I wonder if he
is the sole casualty Schwarz sustained that ill-fated day.
"In return for what?" I ask.
It is all well and good that they are offering to help but having been
enemies for so long, I need to know what they need too. Schwarz never offers
freebies. And I doubt they'll start now.
Noue's eyes turn hard. "The
antidote to Trojan."
"The antidote? What would
you do with the antidote?" Youji-kun asks suspiciously.
Noue's shuttered expression
didn't mask the slight flickering I see in his eyes at Youji-kun's question.
"None of your business."
"I beg to differ." I interrupt.
"We need to know why you need it, Schwarz. It is not something we take
lightly. This is an antidote for an epidemic currently ravaging Tokyo.
How do we know you are not going to use it to further harm the citizens?"
"It is personal." Noue said,
almost under his breath.
::Too too personal, bishonen.
Do not be too hard on the kid.::
Too hard? That is stupid.
We are enemies. There's no such thing as too hard with enemies who tried
to kill us so many years ago.
::Touché.::
"No deal Schwarz! If you
cannot assure us of the purpose you need that antidote for then you won't
get our agreement." This from Youji-kun.
"Besides," I add. "There
is, as of yet, no antidote."
"Not now, bishonen, but soon.
Very very soon. In a few hours, in fact. The antidote is on its way." Schuldich
said, smirking.
"How did…." I did not complete
the thought.
"Tut, tut, Weiß. How
do you think? Crawford saw it. Your little Kenken is going to make the
decision soon. Another reason why you should just agree with us so you
can go back to where your precious teammates are." Schuldich sneers.
"What decision? And what
about Ken?" Worry again and concern betrays Youji-kun's voice. Even Schwarz
could probably see Youji-kun's vulnerability when it comes to Ken.
"No time for this talk."
Noue told Youji-kun. "Decide now or we lose track of the mastermind and
you won't get through in time to see your teammates either."
Youji-kun is wavering and
I can read the thoughts in his mind. The subtle hints of a dire situation
brewing in Dr. Kanzaki's office is tearing Youji-kun with indecision, his
concern for Ken-kun obstructing rationality.
"No." I interrupt. Youji-kun
is in no frame of mind to talk or decide. I need to be the one to clear
everything. "Not until you tell us *why* you need the antidote. Personal
or no."
"There is no time, Weiß.
Especially for you." Noue said, brushing aside my question. His reluctance
to talk speaks volumes and the threats are so blatantly hiding something.
"Make time." I grit out in
irritation. "If not, we do not have a deal. You do not get the antidote
and we risk having the mastermind escape."
I do not want to let the
mastermind escape of course but I cannot risk giving the antidote over
into their hands without knowing why they want it. Schwarz, for all the
bitching we do about them being psychotic and insane, is a brilliant team.
The possibilities of them using the drug for ill-purposes are endless.
My eyes collide with the
glittering eyes of the telekinetic and I stand my ground. I am not about
to back down.
Seconds pass then minutes…and
finally the Japanese Schwarz member sighs. "You win. We need the antidote
for…for Brad." The last two words were spoken in a whisper, barely loud
enough to be heard.
"Nani?"
"Crawford, Weiß. Crawford
has been infected by Trojan. Late stages I would say." Schuldich replied,
taking over the conversation from Noue who had gone strangely silent, his
hands clenching and unclenching at his side.
Aa, now it all comes into
place.
"And that is all? You need
the antidote for Crawford? Nothing else?"
"Yes."
Youji-kun and I lock stares
and I nod. We are not sadists to deny our enemies the antidote. If they
had told us that in the first place, they need not have even offered to
kill the mastermind. We would have agreed to give it to them regardless.
::Aa, but that is not Schwarz's
way.::
Yes, it would not be Schwarz.
And I guess, as in everything we do, we adhere to what we are.
Youji-kun clears his voice.
"You have a deal then. Kill
the mastermind, submit proof and as soon as the antidote comes out, we
will rendezvous."
"Ryoukai. And might I suggest,
Weiß that you hurry back to your teammates?"
Youji-kun's face tightens.
And I know my face mirrors the same worry at the implication Schuldich
threw our way.
/What is happening in
Dr. Kanzaki's lab? Is it Ran-kun?/
::Not Abyssinian, bishonen.
And that leaves you a grand total of one possibility does it not?::
Ken-kun…
TBC ^_~
Its been so long since I
sent out an installment I almost forgot to ask the magic words…lol>anyways,
comments onegai?
Ok, the Trojan virus does
not really exist. Malaria does, the symptoms are from malaria. I just fabricated
Trojan to make a deadly strain because malaria already has a cure. What
can I say, I'm twisted ^o^ ahohoho!
Anyways, sorry for Schwarz
ooc if ever. ^-^ And lookie, did you guys notice the BradxNagi hints? lol>
