An: ^^;; I know, I know, it's been almost half a year since I updated this story… *runs away screaming* But I have good excuses! If someone is willing to move to Canada and do my homework for me from now on, I'll promise to get out a chapter a week =P
Thanks to: Themoonmaiden (Hehe, you're the first. I know, I love twisted guys ^_^), Hikari-chan (I'm done with Chemistry =P well, only have organic chem 2 to go, then I'll be done. You got all the people right except for one though.), SaturnActingChick (Nah, I want to torture readers a little more.), _Krypt_ (Lol, broken finger didn't keep me down, but a ton of homework did -_-), Moon, MoonRyoko (thank you!), Tschubi-chan (O.o you've never thought about the possibility of Schuldig/Usa? Schuldig is the centre of my existence at this moment ^^;;), Tasie (I know ^^;; I'm back again, then I'll probably disappear for another month or two ^_~), Nozomi-chan (^^;; I'm updating, but does that me that you'll update your ultra good depressing fic? You know the one that you posted in the group?), PrincessLesse (Hehe, what has been Usagi been doing? Only she can tell you ^_~), AnimaeChina (Lol, I'm surprised that you're surprised! I wouldn't mind tearing Mamoru apart ^^;;), Jade Nova (Can't tell you what you're going to read in this chapter ^_^ but Schwartz and Weiss are not partners.), Comet-chan (*glomps back* I still can't believe how lucky you are getting the entire HnG set!), moon, Dreama Tsuki, Mingming-chan (We've been missing god knows how many lessons ^^;;), cat, adb, Allure-chan (I think that when you translate his name, Schuldig means guilty one ^^;;)
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Chapter 1
A fairy tale wedding, that was what it was. A beach side wedding, a handsome groom, fresh flowers and silk decorated the whole area. Guests gasped as the bride finally appeared decked out in white satin and diamonds, on the arm of a gorgeous red headed young man.
Tears that everyone though were tears of happiness appeared in the corner of the bride's sapphire eyes. If they only knew the truth. Out of the hundreds of guests, there were just four who she could call family. The rest were just people who were Mamoru's 'business associates'.
But in a perverse way, she was happy. At least she knew now HE never cared about her, like the way she loved him. He was playing with her all along… just like how she used him when she first met him. An eye for an eye. Maybe she deserved it, but she was so confident that she had his heart, just like how he had hers from the very beginning. But he was too stubborn to admit it to her, or to himself, especially after she told him that she loved him. That was when everything fell apart. She didn't know what to expect from him, but she was definitely not prepared for the slap and accusations.
Even this far from the alter, she could see the jealousy in her soon to be husband's eyes, as he saw who she picked to give her away. Was this really the right choice to make? Wearing this dress that she wanted to tear away because he had chosen it. Walking to the Wedding March because Mamoru liked to keep to the traditions. It didn't take much to see how possessive and dominating he was, and it would only be worse once she married him.
It was that moment that drove her to this state. To show him that she could find happiness even if he wasn't there. But no matter how many times she repeated this to herself, there was no way that she could convince herself. It was the thought of her scouts that helped to tolerate the thought of spending eternity with Mamoru. It was their last wish after all.
Five, four, three, two, one. Step by step brought her closer to Mamoru, a dead end to all of her dreams. Just before she let go, beside her Aya have her hand a tiny squeeze, reminding her that it wasn't too late to turn back.
As if there was a place she could return to. If home was where the heart was, then she was kicked out even before she moved in.
Zero. No turning back now.
"I do." She repeated mechanically.
"You may now kiss the bride." the minister announced to the newly weds.
Hateful hands lifted the last barrier separating her and Mamoru. A seemingly gently hand cupped her cheek. The smile on her husband's face masking the strength that he was using to force her head still as he bent down to kiss her for the first time. Even now, she still felt like she was betraying Schuldig even though she belonged to Mamoru. Out of all the time she was with her orange haired devil, she never let anyone else touch her.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see all the guys from Koneko tense, especially Aya who looked paler than usual. And unlike normal people who usually becomes pale when sick, Aya-kun becomes pale when he literally wanted to kill. The only time she had seen him this angry was when she told everyone the news. She had to drug his tea to keep him from gutting Mamoru like the slimy reptile that he was.
Everything about Mamoru made her want to throw up. The way his hands were always freezing to the touch, how he left bruises every time he held her wrist, how he always forcefully hugged her. If he was dissected, she wouldn't be surprised to find that instead of organs, there would be an engine and metal gears. Instead of red blood, it would be blue liquid, but would it still be as thick and warm as normal blood?
Maybe it was because of the intensity of her thoughts that manifested itself into reality, but she could already feel sticky substances on her hands, staining her pure white gown.
Funny how Mamoru suddenly was leaning on her, and why were all the guests screaming? Aya-kun had his katana out and was standing in front of her now. She could vaguely hear Omi-kun calling her name. But nothing registered, except for the fact that Mamoru was no longer kissing her. His blood (which to her surprise was red) on her hand and dress, he was no longer breathing because there was a bullet in his heart.
Omi-kun was shaking her now, she was in shock. Shock at being freed so unexpectedly… that again she was cheated of making any of her own decisions… that HE still had so much power over her. She didn't want to marry Mamoru, but at least it proved that she was capable of making her own decisions, and that she didn't need to be looked after all the time.
Even before she spied the mop of orange hair behind the palm tree, she already knew who it was. HIM. The person who killed her husband. Schuldig. Always the guilty one.
~*~*~*~
She saw him. Good. It was funny how they could sense each other so easily. It was a good thing that they weren't enemies.
There was no emotion on her face. For a moment, he was engrossed by the sight of her all in pure white, tainted by the ruby red blood. She looked so beautiful and cold, so untouchable, unattainable for him.
She was walking towards him now. Weiß was still looking for him and trying to calm down the crowd of big shot politicians and businessmen invited to the wedding. Humans, they behave as if death was something so taboo, never realizing how common it really was. Everyone was born to die. That was the sole reason for existence, the only relief to this miserable world.
Judging by the look on her face, it was impossible to tell how she would react. Her mind was like the surface of a calm lake, and her face could as well as be carved from a slab of alabaster.
It chilled him to the core to think that she might have reverted back to the state she was in when she sought him out of desperation. If they hadn't met, he didn't dare to think about how she would turn out…
Compared to his own past, she suffered worse ten times over. It was a miracle that she could still trust and love… especially love a bastard like himself.
~*~*~*~
Damn. Another mission. Another night of watching the kittens playing cat and mouse with their victims.
The orange haired telepath swore again, looking down at his ruined trench coat. Crawford that bastard. He must be having fun right now at his cost.
Schuldig wrung out the rain water from his soiled coat. The American had a vision that Weiß would have another mission, and even though Schwartz was still unknown to Weiß, Mr. I have a stick up my ass, ordered everyone to take turns to watch Weiß and observe the habits and skills of their future enemy.
And just to his luck, it was his turn last night when a hurricane decided to make Tokyo into one giant swimming pool. Never one to take any kind of discomfort easily, especially being drenched in icy water, he gave the kittens a little hand, just to be able to get back to headquarters sooner. But apparently 'Bradley' saw what he did in another one of his visions, and he was stuck in his ruined clothes shivering, while listening to his leader bitching about how he could've changed their carefully planned out future in one stupid move.
For once, Schuldig was grateful for Takatori. If it wasn't for the old fox who called Crawford away, he would still be stuck in that annoyingly tidy office getting the sharp end of the American's reckless lecturing.
Tiredly, the German peeled off his trench, to avoid ruining his convertible with the rain water. There was nothing that he would like better than a hot bath and a bottle of wine. Something to warm him up both inside and out. Now if he only had a mind to play around with, then everything would be perfect.
Taking out his car keys from his pocket, having a little trouble as the teeth kept getting caught in the wet fabric, he caught a wisp of jasmine in the dampened air.
Carefully taking out his keys, instead of unlocking the door, the telepath walked around his car. Strange how the fresh floral sent seemed to originate from inside HIS car, since it has been ages the last time he had a female companion in his car.
His fatigue disappearing into the farthest corner of his mind, Schuldig quietly slipped back into mission mode, mentally scanning the entire parking lot for his unlucky victim. It was strange, perhaps for the first time since his train with Estet that he felt unsure of his powers. There was no one in the parking lot, his talents told him that. But call it a seventh sense, but he could feel someone watching him, the hair on the back of his neck was standing on the end, but save for the surveillance cameras, there was nothing else.
Against the small warning inside his head, telling him that he was being an armature and stupid, he couldn't resist the impulse to open the car door. His exhaustion was getting the better of his judgement for the first time…
It was pure luck and skills that saved him from blown to pieces. As soon as his hand touched the door handle, a small red light beside the steering wheel began to blink. Being a trained assassin, his instinct and reflex took control, as he was barely able to throw himself across the cement ground before his Benz exploded in a grand light show.
Cursing both out loud and in his head, he wasn't too surprised when Crawford's voice asked him what the hell was happening in his mind. "How the hell am I suppose to know?!"
The German replied out loud, kicking a piece of burnt metal that was once the hood of his car.
Whoever it was, the person was dangerous. Not even Weiß, if the kittens knew about Estete could get in Estete's headquarters in Japan, and plant a bomb in the car of one of their top agents without being caught.
If he wasn't so pissed about almost being blasted to death after a miserable mission, he would've complemented the person's skills. But in his current state, he wouldn't mind catching the asshole, break every single bone in his body, all the while keeping him conscious enough with a few mind games, before feeding him to the monsters that Masafumi Takatori was having fun creating.
As if to answer his thoughts, bright lights stung his eyes from across, as a motorcycle roared into life. In between his swearing on revenge, and the little chat with Crawford, the red head paid no attention to anything else going on around him.
But the person on the motorcycle didn't look like an Estete agent. The person must've been here for a while… but why didn't he feel anything? A nasty smirk appeared on the telepath's face, he would worry about that later, but in the meanwhile, he had a little debt to payback.
~*~*~*~
By the time Schuldig got home, it was well past midnight. In his mind, he just multiplied his planned revenge a hundred times for the little nameless assassin who caused him so much trouble. And trust Crawford to lock him in that office all over again to question the entire incident. He was pissed off enough from the wet cold and the unpleasant ending of his car to make himself a complete pain in the ass during the whole time. Just a little pay back for Crawford's inconsiderable nature.
"Welcome home Mr. Schuldig." A female voice greeted him. "I hope that you are not angry with me barging in on you like this. But I am kind of disappointed that you do not live up to your reputations."
"Well, if you did your homework on me lady, then you should know that I aim to disappoint." the telepath snarled out, temper wearing out after a frustrating day. His hand slow crept under his coat, to caress the cold metal of his gun. "I don't like to pick fights with ladies. So mind telling me why you blew up my car?"
There was no doubt in his mind that this woman was the one who planted the explosives in his car. It made him uneasy to know that she was able to block him in her mind, and that she was good enough to slip pass Estete's state of the art security.
"I just wanted to say hi." A innocent tone replied.
"Most people don't greet others by trying to kill them."
"If a trained agent can't even get out of such a easy situation, then there's no use for him in the society."
If he was in a mood to kill, then now he was in the mood to drop an atomic bomb. "Just get the hell out of my house already!"
The chair swirled around behind the desk. A pair of leather boots was propped onto his desk. With no light except the moon shining behind the window, the only thing Schuldig could see were strands of pale gold illuminated under the cold moonlight and a pair of brilliant sapphire eyes. He's mind was more than read to supply the images of soft cherry red lips, smooth lily white skin over high cheekbones, and a slim curvy body that filled the leather bike clothes generously.
"Are you sure that's what you really want?" the sweet voice asked sarcastically, as if she was able to know exactly the images his mind was supplying right now. "I'm sure that you will regret it for the rest of your short life if you kick me out now."
"Say what you have to say and get out of here then," the telepath said churlishly, for the first time confused about how the tables have been turned around so easily in her favour. He was always in control of the situation, the one who played around with the other person. But today, everything this mysterious but enchanting woman just kept him unbalanced, something that Estete took more than ten years to accomplish.
"I need you to do me a favour." a white hand slipped into a pocket and handed him a photo. "Do you know him?"
"Chiba Mamoru. Who doesn't know him? The prince of demons who rules the tobacco and narcotics business in Japan." Schuldig recalled the information Schwartz was given a couple of months ago about the young but ruthless gangster.
"Good. I want you to get ride of him for me. When the task is done, I'll give you anything you want as payment."
Mocking laughter was her reply. He couldn't help it. Here was a woman who wanted to kill the biggest and most powerful crime lord in Japan. And she was asking him for help!
Whatever she was expecting, the bewildered look on her face told him that she never saw this coming. "You won't accept my offer?"
"Let me tell you something lady. I'm sure that you did some research on me. So you should know that Schwartz was given the assignment to protect Chiba. What makes you think that I will kill him for you?" the telepath asked, lighting up a cigarette, smiling as she made a digested face at the smoke blown at her.
"Because he will never suspect it if it came from one of his own body guards," an annoyed sigh came from the woman as if she was talking a kid.
"Why didn't you ask Crawford? You should know that he's stronger than me and has more connections."
"I don't like him," he could almost see the childish pout in the tone, before it was covered up by another more quiet voice. "I hate people who can see the future."
The passionate tone made the German pause and stare at the dark feminine outline. "Who are you anyways? If you were able to block me out, and set a bomb inside Estete's building, then why can't you just kill Chiba yourself?"
A dark smile gracing her face. The blonde finally got up. Green eyes followed her movements carefully as a suitcase was placed on the desk and opened. "Here is fifty million dollars. If you agree, and after the deal is complete, I'll pay the rest in double."
Leaving the money on the desk, the woman brushed past the unmoving German to leave.
A strong hand on her wrist jerked her back just before she left. Turning on the hallway light, Schuldig pressed the blonde against the wall with his body, while using a hand to tilt her head up into the light. For the first time, taking a good look at his client.
A startled breath escaped him. The 'woman' looked on more than a high school student. "Who the hell are you?" The question appeared for the third time.
The girl smirked, reaching up, she tangled her hands into the long orange hair, before gently pulling his head down to whisper in a slow yet playful voice in his ear. "Tsukino Usagi. The fiancée of Chiba Mamoru."
AN: Lol, I'm surprised that I actually finished something. ^_^ I guess that I just got inspired after watching WK Gluhen ^_^ Did I mention how GOOD the ending song is? Even though everyone's new look still bothers me, especially poor Yohji's new hair style .