Episode 5: Rescue Mission

Aya-chan slowly opened her blue eyes to encounter a new, bleak room. A tight feeling grasped her wrists and ankles, and she realized that she was tied to a sturdy, metal chair, one which Crawford used to tie Farfarello down when they couldn't get him to the padded room. The back of her neck was stiff, and she could feel the bruises on her arms. Aya didn't remember what happened to her after the park, but she did remember one key thing. Her brother was alive, and he was the "enemy" to boot.

She noticed the chill in the room, which caused goose bumps to erupt on her arms. No sense of recognition came to her. She had no idea were they had taken her, but there were so many things she didn't know about them.

"Crawford? Where are you?"

"Right here Aya. I have been so worried, worried that we had lost you to them." Crawford coaxed from behind. Aya turned to look at him, but couldn't twist far enough around to see him.

"Screw you." She replied cooly.

"Don't be angry. We did it for your own good my dear." Crawford knelt in front of her, a small smile on his lips.

"Right. Did Tot and Nagi know about this? Were they in on it too?"

"There was nothing to be in on."

"Stop lying." She whispered.

"I see you aren't ready to talk." He kissed her cheek and left the room, leaving Schuldig and Farfarello in his place. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We have to go now Omi!" Ken yelled, rummaging through Yoji's stuff for his keys.

"I'm coming." The youngest member of Weiss replied. In his arms were three large guns. "Well, there's only two of us. The guns just might work a little better." He replied to the look on Ken's face. The other boy nodded, taking the largest gun and slinging it over his shoulder.

Seven's tires squealed as Ken pulled out onto the road. "Do we know where we're going Ken-kun?"

"Yup, Aya told us. He slipped it in her jacket. The tracer Manx gave you. Yoji asked her to make it." The soccer player flicked on the screen above the radio. A small red dot bleeped on the monitor which showed a map of the city.

"Good it isn't moving around. Take this left, Ken." The tires screamed, and the chill night air blew over the two youngest assassins as they drove off to save a damsel in distress. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Poor little Birdie. Got her wings clipped." The Irishmen smiled from the doorway, licking his lips. Fresh blood streamed from his side, dripping into a small puddle. The room seemed to grow colder with Farfarello there.

"Did Nagi know?"

"Of course he did. Everyone was in on it, but after awhile Schreient just outlasted their usefulness."

"And you kept Tot around to keep Nagi and me happy." The statement couldn't have sounded more natural. Of course they had, they wanted her happy.

"Until recently. She was getting in the way, so Farf and I had a little fun with her." Fafarello's cold laugh sent a new wave of shivers down Aya's spine. "Then Nagi was going to tell you the truth, so we had to get rid of him too, but just for a while."

"You guys are more twisted than I thought." She nearly shrieked when Farfarello appeared before her, stroking a cold blade against her cheek.

"You have no idea." He whispered.

"Now, now Farfarello. No hurting her. Once she goes through her... re- education we don't want her to be damaged."

"Re-education?" The calm mask she was wearing faltered. A slight tremble of fear slipped in to the word.

"We have to get you back to the way you were. It isn't that bad Aya dear. Only a little painful at first. We only use it on those who need more convincing to join us."

The night waned on. Weariness and fear settled over the young girl, until she didn't know whether to sleep or stay awake and watch the two men standing over her. Blue eyes searched the small room for some way to escape, but every time she considered something Schuldig would look up at her with his jade eyes and smile, shaking his head. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ken pulled up to the spot and turned off the car. The two boys shut their doors with ease, and moved up to the entrance of the apartment complex.

"The basement." Omi whispered, pointing below. The cold metal of the guns reassured Omi as he made his way down the creaking steps, praying that no one would hear them. Only a few green lights illuminated the passageway, giving everything a sickly, eerie glow. His blue eyes darted around them, moving up the stairs and back down them. Ken's thoughts were much more focused. Straight ahead, get the girl, get out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crawford's dreams were uneasy. He twisted in the silk sheets until he could hardly breathe. Forcing his eyes to open Crawford awoke to his same room. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. "What is wrong with me?" He hissed. His head felt as if it were about to explode, and just as he reached his pain threshold a vision came.

The red numbers of his radio clock read 2:37 AM. The two youngest members of Weiss burst through the doors with guns blazing. One bullet hit Farfarello in the head, probably killing him, and three others ripped into Schuldig's chest. He swung the door open just in time to watch it all happen. The brunette untied the girl and scooped her into his arms, carrying her out to his car and driving away, leaving Brad all alone, to watch Schuldig slowly die.

Brad's eyes opened again. He plucked his glasses from their spot on the dresser and searched the room, his amber eyes landing on the red numbers of his radio clock. 2:36 AM. "Shit!" He jumped from his bed, taking the gun out of his side drawer, and ran out into the hallway. As he ran down the stairs, jumping down three at a time he could see the events happening over and over again. The basement door was open and just as he reached it the sounds of guns firing filled his ears. He threw the door open, already knowing that he was too late.

Ken swept Aya-chan into his arms, and smiled down into the innocent face. Omi turned the gun to the open door, glaring at Crawford.

"Out of the way. You don't have any tricks this time." He hissed. Crawford looked around the room. Just like his vision. Schuldig was lying on the ground, bleeding from three places on his chest, but the German was still alive.

"The sooner we leave the sooner you can help him." Ken said softly, knowing the look on Crawford's face. It was the same look that Yoji had.

"Get out." The American said, his voice low and broken. Ken pushed past him, keeping Aya close to him. Omi followed, running up the steps.

Crawford knelt beside Schuldig, lifting the orange head onto his lap.

"Why... didn't you... kill them?" Schuldig asked. Blood streamed from his lips, dripping on the crimson floor.

"We have to get you to a hospital." Brad whispered, nodding.

"So... that's what's been wrong with you. Nagi and... I weren't... the... only one to...fall..." Schuldig took in one last shuddering breath as the darkness crept across his jade eyes. "In love."

"Schuldig? Schuldig!" Tears streamed down the executive's cheeks for the first time in over a decade. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you think we made a mistake Ken-kun? Letting Crawford live?"

"Omi, that man will be in mourning a long time. When the person you love dies, it's kind of hard to function. We're going to have to be the strong ones for a while. Yoji won't be handling Aya's death well, and Aya- chan..." Ken glanced back at the girl sleeping in the backseat, a small smile gracing her gentle features. "She'll be more than heart broken."

"What did you promise Aya? In the house?"

"I promised him that we would get out, Omi. And now that she's safe I think we should. Maybe even move. There isn't anything left for us in Tokyo."

"Then where would we go?" Omi turned to Ken. There was a small smile on his face, and a sparkle in his eyes.

"I know a place." He whispered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(3 Months later)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yoji, where do you want the rosebush?" Omi asked.

"Over there, by the gate." Yoji replied, rolling through the grass in his new wheelchair. "Near the lilacs." Omi pushed the pot around until Yoji was satisfied with its position. Pulling out two spades Omi dug into the earth and planted the bush. Red roses waved gently in the breeze, adding to the colors and fragrances.

The house was white, and large enough to fit all four of them and then some. Two stories rose above them, sending a shadow over the meticulously kept backyard, were an impressive garden was growing. Lilac, cherry trees, and roses bloomed all around them in a dazzling display of colors.

Laughter drifted around the cheery house, and in the corner were two boys playing soccer.

"Ok Lei, when you give it a lot of power don't aim so high, in fact aim lower than you intend, that way it won't go over the net."

"Sure Oni-chan!"

"Lei! Ken! Come on guys, supper's up!" Aya-chan smiled form the kitchen window. A girl with curly jet black hair and cyan eyes stood next to her, looking out at the four boys in the yard. "Thanks for everything Hana." Aya whispered, hugging the girl gently.

"No need Aya. The singing career does have its advantages. Like a big enough salary to buy your long lost brother and all his friends a huge house."

"Did you know that Ken wasn't dead. Deep down somewhere?" Aya sat down as the familiar tears formed in her blue eyes.

"Somewhere inside I always knew. Why do you ask?"

"Just a question really."

The boys came in and settled at the table. The delicious smells of home cooked food and the fragrance from the red roses on the table mixed together, giving the kitchen a very peaceful atmosphere. Sunshine streamed in the open windows and a soft breeze ruffled the white curtains.

"Today, we are thankful for everything we have. New family, new life, new happiness. All thanks to Aya... I mean Ran. Today is his day." Yoji lifted his glass, a sad smile on his lips. "To Ran."

"To Ran." The others replied in unison.

And outside watched a man, with a happy smile on his face. A lock of crimson hair fell from the carefully placed hood into a pair of violet eyes. A single tear fell from his cheek as he turned away from the house.

A/N: And so it is over! Or is it?