Unable to Feel

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own weiss, 'nuf said!

Notes: Sorry bout the paragraphs and spaces! I'll double check and make sure that this time there are enough breaks and spaces for you to be able to read properly. Thanks for all those who took the time to review the fic c",) J B-) The reviews were a big help! Thanks again! Please review this chapter again. Thanks!

Gewerkschaft der Schatten. Union of Shadows. That was the code given to the hidden agendas of Yamamoto Limited. The shady organization run by Gendo Yamamoto along with the country's other reputably shady but wealthy citizens. The underground operation was known for abducting innocent teenagers and minors and selling them as slaves or toys to wealthy people with a perverse idea of fun and torture for a big, fat profit. Operations were veiled with a heavy cloak of secrecy. The mission was simple enough. Infiltrate the building, get the information and terminate the targets namely Gendo Yamamoto himself, the head of the organization, Yue Izanagi who handles the sales, Keiko Kirisawa who obtains prospective merchandise and Saiha Murasaki, information specialist.

All of them were already at the mission room, Youji sitting in an armchair, Ken and Omi at the coach and Aya leaning against the wall bathed in shadows. Manx had already left. All had the files for the missions. It was scheduled for the next night and since the mission involved scouting, surveillance and gathering of information in less than 24 hours, the Koneko would be manned by Momoe-san tomorrow. Manx had already left and the assassins were left studying the files and formulating a plan. Inside the files were maps of the property that housed the headquarters of the Gewerkschoft der Schotten. It was divided into four buildings. Apparently, the targets worked in different fields of the operation and worked independently of each other often contacting others only when necessary. Although they rarely ever got to see each other, most operations between the four leaders of the filthy organization went without a hitch. Local officials never found any trace of the organization being connected to various kidnappings and abductions. They never left a trail and presented a clean image to the public. It would be satisfying to take them down.

The mission was going to be a bit hard for Weiss. Four buildings meant four separate ways meaning they wouldn't be in contact with each other physically, they would only be able to communicate through their communication units. Naturally, Omi was to go after Saiha Murasaki as he was the one most capable of obtaining the information from her obviously encrypted computer. Ken would go after Keiko Kirisawa, Youji after Yue Izanagi and Aya after Gendo Yamamoto. The next morning, Aya and Ken would stake out the place and Omi and Youji would try to obtain other necessary information about the group. Omi would also be taking up to hacking into the compounds security systems and disabling it before the mission.

Omi laid out their plans for the next night. After terminating the targets, they were to set of explosives in each building marking the Union of shadows officially closed. After careful planning of tactics, all of them finally retired and went to sleep.

Night came. It came too quickly for a certain Youji Kudoh. He was already running late and he hastily out on his watch and coat, the one that he used only for missions. There was going to be hell to pay if he didn't drag his butt down as fast as he could. Fuck. He still had another important thing to do and he had to do it fast. He only hoped that Aya had already gone out of his room.

"Where have you been?" the icy voice hit Youji's ears and was equally matched by a frigid stare from a pair of purple eyes.

"I had to do something." Youji said, dismissing the subject. He turned to gaze at Aya hoping to find some warmth, but all he saw was the coldness that was Abyssinian, Weiss assassin. It figures. When it came to missions, Aya never lost control, he kept his cool. There was no way he was gonna let that confrontation from yesterday affect his performance. Youji sauntered to the car, shooting their leader an indifferent gaze.

"Why does it matter, anyway? I'm here already, aren't I?" he asked dismissively. The purple orbs flickered and turned as hard as gems, splintering the light that came from the lamppost in the street. Youji couldn't help but stare at the sheer beauty of those eyes. Amongst other things, Aya's eyes captivated him. It was an almost inhuman shade of amethyst and even when filled with loathing and coldness, those eyes still seemed beautiful in their own ethereal beauty. Youji was jolted back to reality by Aya's angry reply.

"We cannot afford you running late on missions Youji. We cannot afford to botch up a mission just because we were too late because we waited for you. You're an assassin Youji, you're part of Weiss, being punctual is important, you should know that by now." Angry violet orbs abruptly tore their gaze away and turned to occupy the driver's seat. Youji waved a hand dismissively at the uptight redhead and got into the front seat.

"Chill out, Aya. I was only a few minutes late. Besides, I had to drop something off to someone equally important." The blonde retorted a sly and playful smile beginning to form on his lips.

"What the hell is more important than a mission?" Aya practically shouted not caring that the other two younger assassins were looking at both of them quizzically. They were probably surprised by Aya's reaction to Youji's being late for a mere five minutes and shocked that their leader would have taken to lecturing Youji even if they were still ahead of schedule.

The smile on Youji's lips widened even more. He glanced at his redheaded companion noting the grim set of his mouth and the tension in his body. He let another smirk cross his lips and put on his sunglasses. "Oh you'll find out soon enough."

Aya was fuming. He did not know why he had reacted like that. Youji wasn't that late and they weren't late. They were probably still ahead of schedule. He just couldn't help it. The blonde's total lack of reaction made him uneasy. After all that had happened, Youji was treating him just like he did during any other mission night. It was unnerving to see how unaffected the blonde was given the current situation. He glanced sideways and saw Youji gazing at the roads outside the car and smiling contentedly. Stupid bastard. Aya hissed to himself. Then he mentally kicked himself for having thought of such a thing. Youji hadn't done anything to him and sure as hell didn't deserve the insult, silently said or not but he just couldn't help it. What Youji had said a while later had unnerved him, drop something off to someone equally important. Those were his words. Who the hell? Aya thought to himself, then stopped himself. He was surprised to know that he wanted to find out who it is, he wanted to know what Youji was hiding. Or maybe you're just jealous. An inner voice nagged at him. "Oh shut up." Aya muttered silently to himself and concentrated on the drive towards the compound of the Schatten.

"Siberian?"

"I'm in."

"Bombay?"

"Clear."

"Balinese?"

"In."

They had managed to enter the compound undetected, thanks to Omi's skill of tampering with the security systems. They split up and sought their own targets.

Omi was up in the air vents of the building that housed Saiha Murasaki. Stealthily making his way from room to room, he managed to find the vent leading to the hallway of the main office of the information specialist. He peeked in between the bars and fired a couple of shots with his crossbow at the two guards standing guard near the target's door. He hit one at the heart and the other at the throat, emitting an almost inaudible gurgle. Blood sprouted from the guard's mouth. Omi checked to see if any guards were coming. When he found none, he quietly pried open the vent, jumped down to the hallway and entered the office. He switched on his comm. unit and muttered, "Approaching target, Bombay out.'

Ken had managed to get in, dodging a couple of guards and killing some in the process. Thankfully, his entry had gone unnoticed and he hid in the hallway adjacent to the target's office, Keiko Kirisawa. He peered into the office's hallway and stealthily made his way towards the guards when he saw that none of them were paying attention. With a violent move, a slash and a ripping motion, both guards were killed by bloody gashes that hit their vital parts. Ken sheathed his claws for the moment and looked around, expecting to find more guards coming. Hen he found none, he stealthily made his way towards the target's office switch on his comm. unit, muttered "approaching target" and went in

Youji was in. he had used his wire to sever the guards stationed outside the building and had used it yet again to choke off some others who stood in his way. He ran down the hallway, feet making no noise as he approached his target's office. On his way there, he ran across some more guards. He stopped and looped out his wire, twining it on one mans neck then the other man's neck, flashing them an evil smirk, he tightened the cords in one fluid motion and severed both men's heads. The third guard had recovered quickly from shock of seeing an infiltrator and had begun to draw his gun but Youji was too fast. His wire snaked its way to the guard's arm, rendering it unmovable and again twined it around his next. He pulled the wire taut causing blood to rush from the guard's mouth. He pulled at the wire again choking the man. Silently, he hauled his wire back and padded down the hallway. The guards at the door of the target's office were clearly not paying any attention. It was easy for Youji to slip in, wield his wire and kill the obstacles. Once done, he calmly pulled back his wire into his watch, stepped over the bodies and proceeded to enter the office of Yue Izanagi. He switched on his comm. unit and muttered "approaching target," the smirk almost discernible from his voice.

"Abyssinian in and approaching target," Aya muttered to his comm. unit. He was a bit perturbed, even a bit wary. Gaining entrance to the compound had just been too easy. He had had few run-ins and virtually no guards made their presence known. He had a nagging feeling in his gut. It was too easy and Yamamoto's building was supposed to be the most heavily guarded of the four since he was the head of the Schatten. Aya quietly slipped inside the office, and was surprised to find nobody there. Aya tensed. Gendo Yamamoto was a deadly man, according to the file he had read. He wasn't like the usual wealthy filth that they exterminated who needed an army of bodyguards to keep them safe. Gendo was no ordinary man. He was well trained in martial arts and was once said to have been an assassin, such as himself, lending his skills to shady businessmen without a care for the job as long as it brought him a big, fat profit. He gazed around the room once more, taking in the surroundings. A prickling sensation rose on the back of his next. He turned around and gasped letting loose a torrent of curses under his breath. Gendo Yamamoto stood before him, a smirk visible in his slimy features.

"Come to get me, assassin?" he mocked Aya. Aya chose not to respond and glared daggers at the man. He raised his katana high and was just about to charge after the man when Gendo raised a finger and wagged it. The smirk widened and the man said, "Wait. You amuse me, assassin. Thank you for your help. I happen to know that as of now, your accomplices have made their way towards my colleagues and have killed them. I appreciate the help since I've wanted those three dead so I could run the Schatten all by myself. I hardly imagined that a group of assassins would be the ones to help me. I also have it in good authority that you came here to kill me. But you must understand something, to get me, you'll have to go through them." he smiled even more widely as he gestured towards the open doorway. Aya's senses jolted him back, rrealization hit him. We helped, God, we helped him. He thought to himself frantically. Gendo must have seen the look ion his face since his smirk widened even more. He slipped out and in his place came an army of guards. All highly trained. All carrying guns. All guns aimed at him. Shit.

Omi was out. He had successfully killed the target and escaped. He switched on his comm. and called for the other guys.

"Siberian? You out?"

"Yeah, Bombay, I'm coming. Got delayed by a few guards. How're the others?"

"I'll check. Balinese? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Bombay, I'm heading out. Where's Abyssinian?"

'I don't know he hasn't contacted yet, I'll try to reach him."

Omi was just about to call out to Aya when he heard the unmistakable sound of deafening gunshots in his headset. Shakily he switched back to Balinese.

"Balinese/"

"Bombay?"

"Abyssinians in trouble."

"Shit. I'm going after him."

"Balinese, no…"

"You stay out there with Siberian and stand guard, I'll go get Abyssinian. Balinese off."

Omi turned off the comm. unit and felt a feeling of unease wash over him. Aya was in trouble. He felt tense. He spotted Ken coming up from one of the farther buildings along the compound, jogging towards him. When Ken saw the fear in the younger assassins eyes, he gently inquired. "Bombay, what's wrong?" Omi stared up at ken with watery, unseeing eyes. He didn't even bother with the code. "Ken, Aya's in trouble." The older boy was shocked. Shit.

Youji quickly rushed towards the building next to the one he had come from. Aya was in trouble. Shit. Why had the man insisted on taking up Gendo Yamamoto alone? Stupid, stubborn prick. Youji felt himself tense as he entered the building, within seconds he again heard the deafening sounds of gunshot. "Jesus fucking Christ." He cursed silently. Hold on Aya, I'm coming.

"SHI-NE!" Aya shouted and launched himself into the guards that blocked the doorway. He ran towards them, decapitating and injuring them all at once. He brutally wielded his sword clearing a path for him to escape. So far he only had a few more hallways to go before he could make it out into the lobby of the building and run out to safety. The number of guards were increasing and Aya brutally sliced through them determined to gain an exit. He didn't notice an almost infinitesimal thread of wire snake its way into the throng and decapitate a few couple of heads. He only noticed them when the heads had fallen off and behind them stood Youji. His brow was knit in concentration as he worked the wire towards two other guards and pulled it taut. Working together they managed to make it down to the lobby. Aya was injured, hit in the leg and was limping. Youji let him go first. Just when they thought they were safe, a new army of guards came. Youji saw them and he pushed Aya out towards the door just as the guards began shooting. He tried to use his wire but he had now taken a shot in his shoulder and one in his side that burned like hell. He tried to crawl towards the door but it was slammed closed by one of the guards. Youji, already drowsy with blood loss, was kicked in the ribs causing the pain in his injured side to flare up and a few ribs to break. He now had two gunshots and fractured ribs. A man made his way slowly to him, smirking in a way that made Youji want to kill him. He chuckled softly and said, "So, you've come to save your redheaded friend, ne? Lucky for him, he got away but not so lucky for you isn't it?" as if his current injuries wasn't enough, he was knocked on the head by the butt of a gun. He fell unconscious and his last thoughts were I saved you, Aya. I love you. Then all turned black.

Ken and Omi saw it. Aya was thrown outside the building looking like he was shoved all the way out. His leg was bleeding. The younger assassins ran up to their leader. They saw him get up and race back towards the door but it slammed close in his face. The redheaded assassin tried to break open the door, kicking and pushing with all his worth. Then they heard him scream, "Balinese!!!" Ken and Omi froze. Youji was inside, trapped. With no way out. They reached Aya just in time to pull him away from the door as a hail of bullets shot through it.

"Let go! Ken! Omi! Let go! Youji's in there! I've got to get him!" The younger assassins were alarmed. There was a trace of what sounded like hysteria in Aya's voice and it made him all the more scared.

"LET GO!" the redhead shouted but Ken and Omi dragged him away.

"No, Aya. You'll only hurt yourself. If you go with us now, there might be a chance to save Youji but if you return there and get caught we just might not be able to see him again." Omi reasoned.

The redhead stopped struggling and let himself be dragged off. When they were a fair few miles away. They turned back, guilt coursing through them for leaving one of their teammates in a place like that. Both ken and Omi stared at Aya. He had an indiscernible look on his face and when the lights from the street illuminated his features, Omi saw a single tear slide down his cheek.

The three assassins made their way back owards the Koneko. Their return trip was quiet. Ken had driven and Aya had sat in the front seat and kept quiet with a glazed look over his features. Once they entered the place, Aya quickly went down to the mission room and began riffling through some files about their target, Gendo Yamamoto. He was like that when Ken and Omi followed him down. Slowly, omi approached aya while ken stayed behind wary of the mood of the temperamental redhead.

'Aya, maybe you should go to sleep." Omi suggested timidly.

"No. I need to find a way to bring Youji back.' The redhead said almost desperately, a touch of panic creeping up his voice.

"Aya, I'll help you in the morning just not now. You need to rest. I promise you, Aya, we'll get him back." Omi said.

"Yeah, Aya, we'll bring Youji back.' Ken murmured almost quietly.

Omi stared at the redhead's hands. They were shaking and Aya's breathing was ragged. "I have to find a way now, Omi. I have to find it now." The redhead whispered.

Omi laid a hand on Aya'a arm. Aya stared at him thorugh wide, haunted eyes. Omi choked back a sob, seeing Aya like this was enough to break his heart.

"Aya?"

"Yes?"

"Do you love him?"

The words jolted Aya. He tensed, stiffened and faced Omi. A pained expression crossed his face. He let go of the sheaf of papers he was holding, letting them float towards the floor. He held Omi's gaze for a moment then tore out of the room.

Aya ran as fast as he could upstairs. He wanted to go, to leave, and to do something to help Youji but he didn't know what to do. He climbed the stairs as fast as he could and quickly entered his room. He switched on the light and his gaze fell on the middle of his plain and made bed. His mind flashed back to the words Youji had said earlier that night. "I had to drop something off to someone equally important." Now Aya knew why Youji was late. Now he knew exactly what that something was and who that someone was. His heart ached and tears flowed freely down his cheeks for there, in the middle of his bed rested a singled cattleya flower tied with a jade green ribbon that was the exact same color as Youji's eyes. He slumped in his doorway, his feet crumpling up from the night's exhaustion, from the gun shot he had taken and from the clenched grip that was currently tearing apart his heart. He bowed his head and murmured silently, in a voice so defeated, to the air that hung in his room.

"I don't know what to do anymore…"