Disclaimers: I don't own Weiss or anything related to them. There is no profit to be gained except personal satisfaction. I do, however, own all the weird monsters and assorted dead guys scattered throughout this fic.

Thank you to:

Larania - Better late than never! I'm thankful that you show your support for this fic by reviewing the chapters as they appear. Hope you'll continue to support this fic!

Yue no Miko - Yes, Weiss and Schwarz have another face-off. However, things will be a little bit different given the 'extra' characters that get involved. As for the Twins, one will make an appearance, the other will appear later on. Don't worry, they have the second act to strut their stuff!

Aeris - I'm glad to hear from you again! Things are definitely going full steam ahead so stay tuned!

Genuine_sun - Thank you for your compliments! I'm glad that you like my portrayal of Schwarz. I was starting to feel a little lonely in my belief of them being interpreted in this way. Keep on reviewing!

To all the other 840+ readers – Thanks for reading this fic. However, it would be nice if you would introduce yourself to me personally by leaving a review in the box below. I would love to send you a personal 'thank you' too!

Chapter 10: And the Gates of Hell Openeth…

Hell on earth is an interesting if somewhat exaggerated comment people use when things seem to be against them, either physically or otherwise. For Crawford, it carried a lot more substance since the literal meaning of it was unfolding before his eyes. Cursing his under-functioning pre-cog abilities, he haphazardly dodged the barrage of bullets, demons and other forms of deadly projectiles. He'd lost Schuldig and Nagi in the maelstrom of crazy activity but did not allow himself the luxury of worrying about them.

Knowing the telepath, he would probably hone in on his leader much like a high-tech missile and they would retreat from the carnage. Nagi was an even less worry. The teenager was more than capable of literally clearing the floor before calmly walking to the nearest exit. Farfarello on the other hand, warranted some concern. If he was in his berserker mode, they would be picking up pieces of the Irishman unless his higher mental faculties kicked in to place his survival at the forefront.

Almost skidding round the corner, Crawford barely dodged the sudden slash of a gleaming sword. Cursing mentally, he took in the slightly battered appearance of the Weiss leader. Abyssinian's eyes narrowed dangerously and Crawford suddenly found himself wishing that he was dealing with one of those demonic spawns that were now beginning to overrun the warehouse. Here, furious amethyst clashed with startled gold.

"Crawford…"

The low growl from the swordsman at saying his name caused the American to take a defensive stance. There was no time for fooling about given the situation and both of them knew it. Only one of them would walk away from this fight and given Crawford's current less than functioning pre-cognition and mental fatigue, the chances were decidedly in the redhead's favour. Plus, he had a weapon that had a longer reach than Crawford's arms. Damn it all.

"I believe the current situation is not conducive to our vendetta, Abyssinian. Perhaps another time?" Crawford smoothly interrupted. 'Stall him till either Schuldig or Nagi to get here,' his mind advised him. Gods but he hated being so vulnerable. Now, he could almost sympathise with the non-psychic population.

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Yoji's 'dance' session with Farfarello was abruptly interrupted by sudden descent of a taloned hand that snapped their connecting wire like spider thread. For a moment, both stood and stared at the dangling wire while mentally trying to process what happened. In the next, their reflexes took over and both dove out of the path of the swipe of deadly claws.

"Oh shit! Not these things again!" Yoji cursed as he scrambled away from the creature.

From his peripheral vision, he glimpsed the Irishman attack the monster, his blade glinting briefly before it connected with some indeterminate part of the creature's anatomy. With both man and monster occupied, the lanky blonde took the opportunity to escape. A broken wire was a very poor substitute to Farfarello's blade. Not that it mattered seeing as he held no fondness for either creature or the berserker.

'I hope they kill each other,' was the only charitable thought that came to his mind. 'It'll definitely make the world a better place.'

At that moment, Omi reached out and grabbed Yoji's arm, his fear lending him a sudden strength. The taller man winced at the iron-clad grip but allowed the younger assassin to lead him towards the exit. By now, the screams and loud bursts of automatic gunfire in the enclosed building were drowning out all thought. Ducking through the chaos and desperately avoiding sporadic gunfire in their direction, the two managed to reach it.

"Siberian, Abyssinian! Do you copy? Bombay calling, please respond!" Omi shouted frantically into the mic. The static was getting louder and he could barely hear Ken's voice over the earpiece. Of Ran, there was no response.

"Abyssinian! Balinese here, respond immediately!" Yoji yelled into his mic. There was a sudden 'pop' and he heard a name that sent a chill down his spine. "Shit, Crawford's cornered Ran."

Omi's eyes widened at hearing it but there was little they could do. The situation was turning out very badly and they now had more than just Schwarz and the Yakuza to worry about.

"Where's Ken?" Yoji started, suddenly remembering the sole response to Omi's call.

"He's at the rear of the building opposite to where Ran was supposed to be," Omi began before he was wrenched along by the taller man in the direction of their team mate. Skirting round the metal supports, they drew up short as they came face to face with two very unwelcome faces.

"Look like our little kittens are lost, eh Nagi? Think we ought to be good Samaritans and help them find their way home?" The long-haired German smirked at them. The younger teenager simply stared at the two men, his unwavering gaze further unsettling the two Weiss assassins.

"We don't have time to waste with you, Schuldig," Yoji growled, his hand reaching for the remains of his wire. He could sense Omi readying his darts in case a fight started.

"Well now, you do remember me. I'm touched. And here I was thinking that you would have forgotten all those wonderful times we had together. But then again, you do have an exceptional memory, Kudou." Schuldig baited the taller blonde.

It was only Omi's tight restraint that prevented Yoji from launching himself at the telepath. Laughing at the man's rising anger, Schuldig failed to realise that something was approaching. Only Nagi's gasp and Weiss' sudden dive to the floor saved him from a very messy end. Landing ungracefully on top of the younger Weiss member, he felt the gust of air as it swept over him. A moment later, he found a very sharp dart pressed against his jugular.

"Don't even breathe more than you have to, Schuldig," Omi whispered hoarsely as he pushed the point a little closer to the unprotected throat. "Nagi's a little busy squashing monsters but if he so much as looks in your direction, I'll kill you."

"You've grown very cold, kaetzchen," Schuldig rasped out before he felt a sharp pricking that quickly silenced him. He could see that Nagi was caught in a dilemma as Yoji had placed himself in a position to either quickly attack the teenager or block the psychic attack. Either way, Schuldig knew that he would be taken out first. Trying to probe Omi's mind only brought a tightening of the assassin's hold around his chest and a rough jab that drew blood.

Nagi weighed the options before him. After eliminating several of those creatures, his strength was draining rapidly. Given the latest attack, the teenager knew that he had little ability in saving Schuldig before Bombay slashed his jugular. And the tall blonde watching him intently made things a lot harder. Nagi hated it. He hated having to choose between Schuldig and himself. If he chose his survival over Schuldig's, then the guilt would haunt him. If he sacrificed himself, he had no guarantee that Schuldig would survive. Despite appearances, he knew that the telepath was still recovering from his earlier injuries.

'Nagi, go to Crawford. He needs you more than me. Abyssinian's making things rough for him.' Schuldig's voice broke into his thoughts.

'But what about you?' Nagi's worried reply shot back.

'I'll be fine. These kittens are more afraid of you than of me. Go quickly before our pre-cog leader ends up as sushi from Abyssinian's sword. You know that Crawford's worth in the organisation outstrips any of us. And I know that you're tiring. Get the rest out of here before there's no more Schwarz.'

Nagi gave the three a final inscrutable look before stepping back into the gloom. Yoji watched the teenager disappear before turning around to glare at the telepath still sprawled on the floor. He could see the trickle of blood at Schuldig's throat soaking into the shirt's collar and he was a little surprised at Omi's violence. But it got the point across and that was all that mattered. Giving the watchful German a feral grin, Yoji thought that maybe tonight might not be so bad after all. Heck, they might even get an extra big bonus for the Schwarz telepath.

'Nice to know how much I mean to you, Kudou.' The German's snide comment broke into his thoughts and rudely jolted him back.

"Get the fuck out of my head, Schuldig. Or I'll ask Omi to test his new dart on your jugular." Yoji was now all business. Having his mind read had now made him very alert and attentive to things. "Hands out, nice and slow. Any twitching and we'll find out how long it'll take for you to bleed to death."

Schuldig gave a small pout and slowly stretched out his hands. He felt the younger assassin shift slightly to allow his movement but gave him no quarter in taking advantage. If anything, the sharp dart made its annoying presence felt even more. It seemed that Weiss had learnt to be extra careful since the last time they met. Damn it.

Feeling the wire dig into his wrists, Schuldig forced himself not to wince. His gun was useless without bullets but he had lost it earlier anyway. His Lady Luck was apparently on vacation and obviously not planning on checking in anytime soon. Unless Nagi and Crawford made it back in time, preferably with Farfarello in tow, he might not have a chance of escaping. But until then, he would remain silent and watch for any opportunity to appear. Besides, he could use the forced time-out as his ribs were beginning to protest at his recent exertions.

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Aya made her way along the side of the building, her senses alert for the presence of evil. She had been training very hard to master the skill of sensing demonic emanations but was still a little unsure. Her Hunter's skills and senses had been increasing exponentially since her acceptance of her role and the subsequent training and field experience.

Momoe-san and Seki were pleased with her progress and she had struck up a friendship with the bubbly Nanami. She was curious about Seki and Nanami but didn't know how to broach the subject. Perhaps she should just let it be. Aya knew how uncomfortable it was to be probed about her background and had learnt to respect others' privacy. She was now a very different person from the little busybody she had once been.

'Nii-san would so shocked if he knew what I've become. He was always telling me to grow up and be strong but he still wanted me to remain his little imouto-chan,' Aya reflected. For a moment, she almost felt herself being overwhelmed by a whirl of emotions. After forcing herself to calm down, she mentally chided herself for not focusing on the job at hand.

Easily hidden in the shadows, Aya allowed her senses to flow out and through her. The sensations of the light breeze, the smell of the sea, oil and other signs of humanity filled her but she nudged them aside. She didn't care for that, she was searching for something else. Something that seemed to tickle at the edges of her heightened perception. Directing her senses towards it, she could feel the emanations pulsing.

They were coming, and there were more than before. Worrying her lower lip, she wondered if she should call for assistance or try to handle them alone. Momoe-san had said that her Guardians would be there but could she rely on them? The members of Schwarz had not been all that capable in handling the earlier demons, would they now be able handle these new ones?

'Stop wasting time wondering since it's not going to help any.' Squaring her shoulders, she approached the side door. As she touched the handle, she felt the powerful surge of demonic energy before the sounds of terror and heavy gunfire. Forcing the door open, she slipped into the building prepared to face down those creatures from the netherworld. And judging from the way her senses were jangling, she had a feeling that it was going to be a very long night.

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Author's Notes: Well, that was a trying exercise. It's supposed to be action but I think I may have been stingy on the excitement factor. But then again, there's still a couple more continuing chapters to this to complete this story arc. Therefore, 13 chapters to an Arc. It seems like an anime series. Then again, it works in my favour. What about the 'bad guys' like the Baron and his posse? Well, they'll appear more often later on. I like to build up on the suspense and take time in sweating the details. That's not a bad thing now, is it?

Btw, for those of you wondering - kaetzchen means 'kitten' in German. Since I don't know how to accent the letters, I had to use the English way of spelling. After all, one must show a little respect for the language(s) we either use or borrow, yes?

Hmm, seems that I'm guilty of putting Schu-schu in the hot seat again, aren't I? And Crawford is not exactly lucky either but hey, gimme a break! Schwarz is always a little too good to be true so I've tipped the scales a little. Besides, I think I enjoy being mean to them. They're usually nasty to others so I figured, let's put them in a spot to be a lil' more pathetic than Weiss… *runs for cover from rabid pro-Schwarz fans*

So let me know how things are going for you with regards to the story. I love reading your comments and reviews as they let me know how much my work is valued. So until the next chapter, enjoy! And before I forget:

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2003!