DISCLAIMER: Normal disclaimers apply. If ya don't know the drill by now,
you'll never know it! MuWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ^___^
Warnings: slight OOC-ness, future character deaths, heterosexual relationships(suffer, yaoi fangirls!) (A/N: Excuse that outburst..I don't know what came over me ^_^;;; I really have nothing against yaoi fangirls, honestly.)
Chapter Six - The past returns
"Brad?"
Solera was unmistakably shocked. "Brad, why did you turned to..to this?"
Crawford looked almost ashamed. "I had no choice."
"You had no choice?! Bradley Crawford, you always have a choice in these thing! You kill innocent people for a living!"
"Solera," he was close to tears, "I was forced into this."
"By who?"
"Este."
That name again. "Who are they?"
"The reason my mother and father moved to Japan."
"You didn't go with them?"
"No, I went to Austria instead. To Rosenkreuz.."
"..School for gifted psychics?! That's where Kio went! I didn't know you were psychic! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I was going to, I didn't want you to find out like this."
"What about Kio? Did you meet up with him?"
"Yeah, but I hated him for a while."
"Why?"
"I'm a pre-cog. I can see a little bit into the future, but it comes and goes, I can't control it. I saw Kio ask you out, and I was jealous. I was going to ask you out the day Kio came on the scene, but he seemed to hold your attention better than I could, and nervousness overwhelmed me, so I stayed silent. What happened at the airport was my way of saying how much you meant to me," he moved closer to Solera, "you still mean that much to me."
Solera's legs gave out, it was too much for her. "Brad, can you take me back to Weiss?" she asked, voice shaky.
"Alright Bengal."
"Thank you."
Crawford carried her over to where Weiss were waiting. Yohji was about ready to strangle him with his wire.
"No need, Balinese. She asked me to bring her back to you."
Yohji was stunned, and so was Schuldig, who walked over to Crawford.
"Err, shouldn't you be aiming your gun at them right about now?"
"Not this time, Schuldig," Crawford replied quietly, handing Solera to Yohji, "not this time." He walked away, dragging Schuldig with him.
Four blank stares followed the Schwarz members.
"Well, that was weird, to say the least," said Ken, still stunned.
Aya was holding another female in his arms, the only living victim they could find. The others either escaped or were dead.
Yohji took charge. "Ken, you and Omi take the bike. Solera's in no condition to ride at the moment. Aya, you take the girl we rescued and call Manx. Tell her to meet us at home. I've got Solera." Aya, Ken and Omi nodded.
"You failed, Crawford!"
"Mr Takatori, they-"
"They have an extra member, is that it? Well, you four are psychic, you have the advantage! Why did Este give me a bunch of misfits as bodyguards?"
Crawford still couldn't believe that the man who piloted the plane that left him at the hellhole commonly known as Rosenkreuz, was now his boss, and a bastard at that. As he turned to walk away, Takatori said, "Amber will be at the base in 2 hours. It's your job to look after her."
Oh great, he thought as he left the office, now I have to play baby-sitter to two teenage telekinetics. As it is, I have my hands full with Schuldig trying to invade my mind, and Farfarello trying to put holes in my furniture, claiming it "hurts God".
Amber's arrival was far from pleasant. She took one look at Schuldig and laughed out loud.
"You expect me to believe that Bozo over here is an assassin? It's far more believable that the chibi's one! What did they run out of positions for clowns at the circus?"
// Crawford, can I strangle her? // asked the irate German.
// No, Schuldig. I've been instructed by Takatori to look after her. //
// Tough break. //
// Keep Farfarello occupied so he doesn't attack her, or you can stay in his cell for a while, in one of his straightjackets. //
// Touchy, aren't we? //
// Shut up. //
The Beserker eyed Amber suspiciously, playing with one of his knives. "Oh yes, ye would cause God much grief with this knife embedded deep in your body.."
"Oookay Farf, we're gonna leave the bitch and Crawlie-chan alone to bond."
Farfarello followed Schuldig obediently.
Amber spoke again, "How can you be calm and composed with a psycho running free?! I mean, isn't it dangerous? What if he stabs someone, namely me?!"
Crawford ignored her complaints and said, "Your room is upstairs, third door on the left."
Amber glared at him, and went to inspect her room. Nagi was in his room on the computer. Finally, Crawford had some time to himself.
Or so he thought.
A loud scream sounded from Amber's room. No doubt Farfarello had left a 'welcome' gift for the unwelcome guest.
"Crawford-san! There's a dead rat on my bed! Get it out of my room!!!"
"You're a telekinetic; do it yourself! I am your leader, not your slave!"
Grrr, Amber thought to herself, men are such pigs! "Fine then!" she shouted back, not the slightest bit happy with anything at the moment.
Crawford sighed and took an aspirin. This was going to be a long morning.
The girl Weiss had rescued was now resting on the couch, forcing Ken to sit on the floor to watch his soccer game on TV. Yohji was watching the girl sleep, a lustful look in his eyes.
Solera saw this. "Uh-uh, Yotan. Remember what we discussed?"
He looked guilty and replied with, "I'll open the shop then. Come, chibi!"
"Don't call me that!" Omi snapped back, and followed Yohji out. The genki boy was frustrated by the night before. He wanted to know why Crawford didn't attack them. Solera's unwillingness to tell them what happened wasn't helping any either.
When Aya saw that he and Solera were alone(Ken watching soccer didn't count; the TV had his full attention), he demanded that Solera tell him what went on.
"Nothing that concerns you!" shouted Solera.
"I need to know, Solera! I'm your leader!" Aya shouted back.
"Back off, Aya! He brought me back to you uninjured, so why all the questions?! I can handle myself! Can't you see that? For crying out loud, I'm the same age as you, stop treating me like a little kid!" Solera stormed out of the apartment and down to the shop. Having a long-lost best friend on the rival team was more trouble than it was worth.
Aya sighed and shook his head. "I can handle my 16 year old sister, I can even handle the schoolgirls at the shop, So why can't I handle my own team mate?"
"I don't know. Maybe you should try being tactful."
Aya looked over at the sofa and saw the girl they had rescued the night before, sitting up and smiling at him.
"Oh, you're awake. I'll tell the others."
Aya ran down to the flower shop and called for Yohji and Omi. The schoolgirls saw Aya and squealed with delight. Aya's eyes widened at the mass of schoolgirls coming towards him, and he bolted for the door that led back up to the apartment.
Maybe I can't handle the schoolgirls, Aya thought.
Omi and Yohji went up to the apartment as soon as the last girl had been kicked out of the shop. Solera avoided Aya completely, and Ken began a conversation with the girl.
"So, what's your name?" he asked.
"Taia," the girl answered, unfazed that she was in a house with 5 complete strangers(to her, anyway). "What happened to me?"
Yohji opted for partial truth. "We found you in an abandoned warehouse. You were pretty beat up. Do you remember why you were there?"
Taia strained to remember even part of the night before. She'd been out of it for about 12 hours. "I.I remember a guy with an eyepatch a.and a knife. He said, 'You must be destroyed; God will cry!'" she pointed to a large gash in her leg, "then a guy with red hair and a thick foreign accent tried to force me to kiss him. I refused, and a boy slammed me repeatedly into a wall without using his hands and I passed out."
Solera winced and thought, the boy must be a telekinetic. "Taia, do you have anywhere to go?" she asked.
"Yeah, I live with my grandfather. He couldn't pay the ransom; he barely makes enough to support the both of us."
Then Aya said something that surprised the other four. "If you like, you can help Momoe-san in the flower shop the times we can't be there. We'll pay you for the work you do, so you'll have more money to support yourself and your grandfather."
"Arigato.uh."
"Aya."
"Arigato, Aya-san! Grandpa will be happy!" Taia smiled, "Thank you, all of you!"
"Anytime," replied Yohji, like it was his idea, "I'm Yohji, this is Omi," Omi waved, "and Ken," Ken waved as well.
"Hi!"
Taia tried to get up, but her leg hurt too much. Omi disappeared for a second, and came back with the first aid kit.
"Hold still, Taia-san. I have to clean your wounds."
Taia was quiet while Omi finished up, then Omi, Ken and Aya went to the shop, and Solera went to her room. Yohji was glad that the others had left, now he could talk to Taia alone.
"So, gorgeous, how old are you?"
Taia blushed, "I'm 19 in two weeks."
Yohji raised his eyebrows. He was interested, and Taia knew it. She had strawberry blond hair and blue eyes that sparkled whenever she smiled. And she had taken Yohji's fancy.
She continued, "So, Yohji-san, still having trouble with the screaming schoolgirls at the shop?"
"Eh?"
"Oh, You don't remember me? I was one of them at one stage. But I had to look after Grandpa when he got sick, so I stopped coming to the shop after school. And," Taia blushed again, "I had the biggest crush on you. Omi was cute, but a little too young, Ken was too involved in soccer, and Aya-san barely smiled. He scared me, too."
Yohji couldn't help but laugh. "Aya's not scary. He can be very uptight at times, but he's not scary."
Solera watched Taia and Yohji from the top of the stairs. They couldn't see her, though.
Why am I jealous? she thought, Yohji and I are just good friends. I shouldn't be jealous. "Hey you two!" she said, running down the steps, "I'm going for a walk."
"Okay, see ya later," Yohji replied, never once taking his eyes off Taia.
Solera frowned and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
"Braaadleeey!"
"Don't call me that!" the irate Oracle replied, giving Schuldig a death glare not unlike Aya's.
"I'm going for a walk. Back soon."
"Whatever." Crawford looked up from his newspaper just as the door shut, shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper.
// Here kitty, kitty, kitty..//
Schuldig was out looking for the new "Weiss kitten", as Farfarello so nicely put it. He didn't get a response. Damn, she must be out of range. He tried again.
// I know you can hear me, so answer! //
Still no response. He walked around for a while, trying to figure out who this girl was. Last mission, he didn't get a chance to see her in the flesh, but the mental image he got off Crawford made him drool.
It was dusk, and Schuldig wasn't watching where he was going. He ran straight into a young woman who's thoughts were along the lines of, "Why my sudden attraction to Yotan? Damn Aya for being such an asshole. Omi and Ken are cute, but they seem a bit clueless at times.." He froze, and a cruel smile crept across his face.
"Watch where you're going, baka!" The woman got no reply. "Hey, did you hear me?!"
She was dragged into a nearby alley. She struggled to get free, but Schuldig had one hell of a grip.
"What are you doing?! Let go!"
Schuldig shoved to the ground roughly. "So you're the new Weiss kitten, Bengal, ja?"
The woman scowled and looked away. "What do you want, scumbag?"
"Aww, now that's not nice," he purred, running a finger along Bengal's lower lip, "I just want to play."
"Well consider playtime over!" Bengal kicked Schuldig off her and tried to stand up, but he pulled her towards him, their faces only centimetres apart, and said, "Oh, but it's just begun."
"Not if I can help it!" Bengal slapped her assailant as hard as she could, but only succeeded in allowing him to tackle her to the ground.
Sitting on his heels, one leg either side of her, he said, // Let's try that again, shall we? //
It was Bengal's turn to freeze.
The familiar hypnotic mental voice, the wild red hair, the mischievous green eyes, the German accent. Schuldig did not expect the next words Bengal was about to say.
"Kio, don't hurt me, bitte."
Schuldig's eyes widened. There were only 3 people he had ever trusted with his real name: Crawford, Nagi and Solera. Last he heard, the Maxwells had been killed in a car accident. But Bengal looked strangely familiar, like an older version of Solera. He slowly got off her and helped her up. She was clearly frightened of him, and when he tried to stroke her cheek, she cowered.
// Solera? //
She nodded. // Kio, please don't hurt me.//
// How could I, Solera? Not knowing what I know now. //
Solera stared into his eyes, searching for truth in what he was saying.
// Can I really trust you, Kio? //
Schuldig sighed, and began to walk away. To say yes would be a lie.
// Is the guy I loved still in there? //
His eyes welled up with tears that rolled down his face onto the ground. He hated what he'd become, and he hated that Solera was with the enemy.
// Solera, do you know what I've become? My father, that's what! I murder for money! //
// You and I are in the same boat, I'm afraid. //
// I know, Bengal. Believe me, I know. //
Solera thought for a minute. If he knew she was with Schwarz, then he must be with..
// Schwarz? Ja, I'm with Schwarz....so's Brad. //
Solera dropped to her knees, sobbing. Her mind was screaming, NO! Why is this happening? Is this some horrible nightmare?!
Schuldig's heart ached. He wanted to be with her, to tell her everything was okay, but fate had a way of complicating things.
// I love you, Solera Maxwell. //
With that said, he headed back to the Schwarz apartment as the rain fell heavily, mixing with his tears.
When Solera got back to the Weiss apartment, Yohji was just getting out of his car. He had taken Taia home.
"Solera? Oh my God, you're soaked! You'd better change."
Solera barely acknowledged that Yohji was talking to her, but she went upstairs to change anyway.
20 minutes later, Solera was laying in bed, eyes closed, trying not to think of what had just happened with Kio, when she heard a soft knock at her door.
"Come in."
Yohji came in and sat on the bed. Solera managed a sad smile.
"What's wrong, Sol?"
"Nothing."
"So, um, did you meet up with anyone on your walk?"
"Yeah, my past." Solera began to cry again.
"Do you want me to go?" Yohji asked gently.
"No, stay. I could really use the company right now."
Yohji was surprised by the answer, but he lay down beside her, hugging her closer to him.
That was how Omi found them the next morning.
"Ken! Ken!!"
"What? What?" Ken replied, mouth full of cereal.
"Do you know what I just saw?"
"Uh, Aya in the nude?"
Omi threw a sock at him. "NO! I went to check on Solera, only to find Yohji in the same bed with his arms around her!"
Ken's mouth dropped open, and half-chewed cereal fell on the table.
Aya heard the last part, stopped mid-step and ran back upstairs. Sure enough, Yohji was in bed with Solera. Aya was half-tempted to chase Yohji with his katana for sleeping with a team member, but good sense and prior experience told him to be quiet.
Unfortunately, good sense told Ken and Omi nothing, and when Solera and Yohji came downstairs, Ken said, "So, did you two have fun last night?"
Yohji, usually the first to know about these things, looked confused.
Omi saw the confused look, and said in an exasperated tone, "I saw you and Solera in bed together. You had your arms around her and we sorta figured...Is there something you wanna tell us?"
"There's NOTHING to tell!" Solera replied heatedly, "Only that I was upset and Yohji was comforting me, that's as far as it went. We didn't DO anything!"
Three sets of eyes looked at Yohji incredulously. For once the playboy didn't take advantage of the situation, maybe he had changed.
Solera snatched a piece of toast out of Ken's hand. "I'm going to open the shop. Come and help me when you're ready, boys."
Aya followed after her.
Ken went to take a bite out of his toast. "AAAAHH!!!! My toast has disappeared!!" he cried.
"Baka! Solera took it!" said Omi, laughing at his expression.
Ken whimpered and made some more.
Solera worked her first shift at the shop with Aya. She had decided to forgive him, and he was relieved.
Solera's eyes widened at the insane amount of schoolgirls that walked through the door. "Aya-kun, do you want me to run back to the apartment and grab our katanas? It looks like we'll need them."
"No, it's okay. Excuse me." Aya stood on a chair and shouted, "If you're not buying anything, get out!!"
This only made the girls swarm towards Aya.
"Kuso," he muttered under his breath, "Damn the entire Japanese schoolgirl population.."
~End Chapter 6~
A/N: Ooh, that's two people from her past that she's found! She's done what she set out to do. What next?
REVIEWS ACCEPTED, FLAMES IGNORED, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES APPRECIATED. I PROMISE I'LL SHARE! ^_^
~Blue Silhouette~
Warnings: slight OOC-ness, future character deaths, heterosexual relationships(suffer, yaoi fangirls!) (A/N: Excuse that outburst..I don't know what came over me ^_^;;; I really have nothing against yaoi fangirls, honestly.)
Chapter Six - The past returns
"Brad?"
Solera was unmistakably shocked. "Brad, why did you turned to..to this?"
Crawford looked almost ashamed. "I had no choice."
"You had no choice?! Bradley Crawford, you always have a choice in these thing! You kill innocent people for a living!"
"Solera," he was close to tears, "I was forced into this."
"By who?"
"Este."
That name again. "Who are they?"
"The reason my mother and father moved to Japan."
"You didn't go with them?"
"No, I went to Austria instead. To Rosenkreuz.."
"..School for gifted psychics?! That's where Kio went! I didn't know you were psychic! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I was going to, I didn't want you to find out like this."
"What about Kio? Did you meet up with him?"
"Yeah, but I hated him for a while."
"Why?"
"I'm a pre-cog. I can see a little bit into the future, but it comes and goes, I can't control it. I saw Kio ask you out, and I was jealous. I was going to ask you out the day Kio came on the scene, but he seemed to hold your attention better than I could, and nervousness overwhelmed me, so I stayed silent. What happened at the airport was my way of saying how much you meant to me," he moved closer to Solera, "you still mean that much to me."
Solera's legs gave out, it was too much for her. "Brad, can you take me back to Weiss?" she asked, voice shaky.
"Alright Bengal."
"Thank you."
Crawford carried her over to where Weiss were waiting. Yohji was about ready to strangle him with his wire.
"No need, Balinese. She asked me to bring her back to you."
Yohji was stunned, and so was Schuldig, who walked over to Crawford.
"Err, shouldn't you be aiming your gun at them right about now?"
"Not this time, Schuldig," Crawford replied quietly, handing Solera to Yohji, "not this time." He walked away, dragging Schuldig with him.
Four blank stares followed the Schwarz members.
"Well, that was weird, to say the least," said Ken, still stunned.
Aya was holding another female in his arms, the only living victim they could find. The others either escaped or were dead.
Yohji took charge. "Ken, you and Omi take the bike. Solera's in no condition to ride at the moment. Aya, you take the girl we rescued and call Manx. Tell her to meet us at home. I've got Solera." Aya, Ken and Omi nodded.
"You failed, Crawford!"
"Mr Takatori, they-"
"They have an extra member, is that it? Well, you four are psychic, you have the advantage! Why did Este give me a bunch of misfits as bodyguards?"
Crawford still couldn't believe that the man who piloted the plane that left him at the hellhole commonly known as Rosenkreuz, was now his boss, and a bastard at that. As he turned to walk away, Takatori said, "Amber will be at the base in 2 hours. It's your job to look after her."
Oh great, he thought as he left the office, now I have to play baby-sitter to two teenage telekinetics. As it is, I have my hands full with Schuldig trying to invade my mind, and Farfarello trying to put holes in my furniture, claiming it "hurts God".
Amber's arrival was far from pleasant. She took one look at Schuldig and laughed out loud.
"You expect me to believe that Bozo over here is an assassin? It's far more believable that the chibi's one! What did they run out of positions for clowns at the circus?"
// Crawford, can I strangle her? // asked the irate German.
// No, Schuldig. I've been instructed by Takatori to look after her. //
// Tough break. //
// Keep Farfarello occupied so he doesn't attack her, or you can stay in his cell for a while, in one of his straightjackets. //
// Touchy, aren't we? //
// Shut up. //
The Beserker eyed Amber suspiciously, playing with one of his knives. "Oh yes, ye would cause God much grief with this knife embedded deep in your body.."
"Oookay Farf, we're gonna leave the bitch and Crawlie-chan alone to bond."
Farfarello followed Schuldig obediently.
Amber spoke again, "How can you be calm and composed with a psycho running free?! I mean, isn't it dangerous? What if he stabs someone, namely me?!"
Crawford ignored her complaints and said, "Your room is upstairs, third door on the left."
Amber glared at him, and went to inspect her room. Nagi was in his room on the computer. Finally, Crawford had some time to himself.
Or so he thought.
A loud scream sounded from Amber's room. No doubt Farfarello had left a 'welcome' gift for the unwelcome guest.
"Crawford-san! There's a dead rat on my bed! Get it out of my room!!!"
"You're a telekinetic; do it yourself! I am your leader, not your slave!"
Grrr, Amber thought to herself, men are such pigs! "Fine then!" she shouted back, not the slightest bit happy with anything at the moment.
Crawford sighed and took an aspirin. This was going to be a long morning.
The girl Weiss had rescued was now resting on the couch, forcing Ken to sit on the floor to watch his soccer game on TV. Yohji was watching the girl sleep, a lustful look in his eyes.
Solera saw this. "Uh-uh, Yotan. Remember what we discussed?"
He looked guilty and replied with, "I'll open the shop then. Come, chibi!"
"Don't call me that!" Omi snapped back, and followed Yohji out. The genki boy was frustrated by the night before. He wanted to know why Crawford didn't attack them. Solera's unwillingness to tell them what happened wasn't helping any either.
When Aya saw that he and Solera were alone(Ken watching soccer didn't count; the TV had his full attention), he demanded that Solera tell him what went on.
"Nothing that concerns you!" shouted Solera.
"I need to know, Solera! I'm your leader!" Aya shouted back.
"Back off, Aya! He brought me back to you uninjured, so why all the questions?! I can handle myself! Can't you see that? For crying out loud, I'm the same age as you, stop treating me like a little kid!" Solera stormed out of the apartment and down to the shop. Having a long-lost best friend on the rival team was more trouble than it was worth.
Aya sighed and shook his head. "I can handle my 16 year old sister, I can even handle the schoolgirls at the shop, So why can't I handle my own team mate?"
"I don't know. Maybe you should try being tactful."
Aya looked over at the sofa and saw the girl they had rescued the night before, sitting up and smiling at him.
"Oh, you're awake. I'll tell the others."
Aya ran down to the flower shop and called for Yohji and Omi. The schoolgirls saw Aya and squealed with delight. Aya's eyes widened at the mass of schoolgirls coming towards him, and he bolted for the door that led back up to the apartment.
Maybe I can't handle the schoolgirls, Aya thought.
Omi and Yohji went up to the apartment as soon as the last girl had been kicked out of the shop. Solera avoided Aya completely, and Ken began a conversation with the girl.
"So, what's your name?" he asked.
"Taia," the girl answered, unfazed that she was in a house with 5 complete strangers(to her, anyway). "What happened to me?"
Yohji opted for partial truth. "We found you in an abandoned warehouse. You were pretty beat up. Do you remember why you were there?"
Taia strained to remember even part of the night before. She'd been out of it for about 12 hours. "I.I remember a guy with an eyepatch a.and a knife. He said, 'You must be destroyed; God will cry!'" she pointed to a large gash in her leg, "then a guy with red hair and a thick foreign accent tried to force me to kiss him. I refused, and a boy slammed me repeatedly into a wall without using his hands and I passed out."
Solera winced and thought, the boy must be a telekinetic. "Taia, do you have anywhere to go?" she asked.
"Yeah, I live with my grandfather. He couldn't pay the ransom; he barely makes enough to support the both of us."
Then Aya said something that surprised the other four. "If you like, you can help Momoe-san in the flower shop the times we can't be there. We'll pay you for the work you do, so you'll have more money to support yourself and your grandfather."
"Arigato.uh."
"Aya."
"Arigato, Aya-san! Grandpa will be happy!" Taia smiled, "Thank you, all of you!"
"Anytime," replied Yohji, like it was his idea, "I'm Yohji, this is Omi," Omi waved, "and Ken," Ken waved as well.
"Hi!"
Taia tried to get up, but her leg hurt too much. Omi disappeared for a second, and came back with the first aid kit.
"Hold still, Taia-san. I have to clean your wounds."
Taia was quiet while Omi finished up, then Omi, Ken and Aya went to the shop, and Solera went to her room. Yohji was glad that the others had left, now he could talk to Taia alone.
"So, gorgeous, how old are you?"
Taia blushed, "I'm 19 in two weeks."
Yohji raised his eyebrows. He was interested, and Taia knew it. She had strawberry blond hair and blue eyes that sparkled whenever she smiled. And she had taken Yohji's fancy.
She continued, "So, Yohji-san, still having trouble with the screaming schoolgirls at the shop?"
"Eh?"
"Oh, You don't remember me? I was one of them at one stage. But I had to look after Grandpa when he got sick, so I stopped coming to the shop after school. And," Taia blushed again, "I had the biggest crush on you. Omi was cute, but a little too young, Ken was too involved in soccer, and Aya-san barely smiled. He scared me, too."
Yohji couldn't help but laugh. "Aya's not scary. He can be very uptight at times, but he's not scary."
Solera watched Taia and Yohji from the top of the stairs. They couldn't see her, though.
Why am I jealous? she thought, Yohji and I are just good friends. I shouldn't be jealous. "Hey you two!" she said, running down the steps, "I'm going for a walk."
"Okay, see ya later," Yohji replied, never once taking his eyes off Taia.
Solera frowned and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
"Braaadleeey!"
"Don't call me that!" the irate Oracle replied, giving Schuldig a death glare not unlike Aya's.
"I'm going for a walk. Back soon."
"Whatever." Crawford looked up from his newspaper just as the door shut, shrugged, and went back to reading his newspaper.
// Here kitty, kitty, kitty..//
Schuldig was out looking for the new "Weiss kitten", as Farfarello so nicely put it. He didn't get a response. Damn, she must be out of range. He tried again.
// I know you can hear me, so answer! //
Still no response. He walked around for a while, trying to figure out who this girl was. Last mission, he didn't get a chance to see her in the flesh, but the mental image he got off Crawford made him drool.
It was dusk, and Schuldig wasn't watching where he was going. He ran straight into a young woman who's thoughts were along the lines of, "Why my sudden attraction to Yotan? Damn Aya for being such an asshole. Omi and Ken are cute, but they seem a bit clueless at times.." He froze, and a cruel smile crept across his face.
"Watch where you're going, baka!" The woman got no reply. "Hey, did you hear me?!"
She was dragged into a nearby alley. She struggled to get free, but Schuldig had one hell of a grip.
"What are you doing?! Let go!"
Schuldig shoved to the ground roughly. "So you're the new Weiss kitten, Bengal, ja?"
The woman scowled and looked away. "What do you want, scumbag?"
"Aww, now that's not nice," he purred, running a finger along Bengal's lower lip, "I just want to play."
"Well consider playtime over!" Bengal kicked Schuldig off her and tried to stand up, but he pulled her towards him, their faces only centimetres apart, and said, "Oh, but it's just begun."
"Not if I can help it!" Bengal slapped her assailant as hard as she could, but only succeeded in allowing him to tackle her to the ground.
Sitting on his heels, one leg either side of her, he said, // Let's try that again, shall we? //
It was Bengal's turn to freeze.
The familiar hypnotic mental voice, the wild red hair, the mischievous green eyes, the German accent. Schuldig did not expect the next words Bengal was about to say.
"Kio, don't hurt me, bitte."
Schuldig's eyes widened. There were only 3 people he had ever trusted with his real name: Crawford, Nagi and Solera. Last he heard, the Maxwells had been killed in a car accident. But Bengal looked strangely familiar, like an older version of Solera. He slowly got off her and helped her up. She was clearly frightened of him, and when he tried to stroke her cheek, she cowered.
// Solera? //
She nodded. // Kio, please don't hurt me.//
// How could I, Solera? Not knowing what I know now. //
Solera stared into his eyes, searching for truth in what he was saying.
// Can I really trust you, Kio? //
Schuldig sighed, and began to walk away. To say yes would be a lie.
// Is the guy I loved still in there? //
His eyes welled up with tears that rolled down his face onto the ground. He hated what he'd become, and he hated that Solera was with the enemy.
// Solera, do you know what I've become? My father, that's what! I murder for money! //
// You and I are in the same boat, I'm afraid. //
// I know, Bengal. Believe me, I know. //
Solera thought for a minute. If he knew she was with Schwarz, then he must be with..
// Schwarz? Ja, I'm with Schwarz....so's Brad. //
Solera dropped to her knees, sobbing. Her mind was screaming, NO! Why is this happening? Is this some horrible nightmare?!
Schuldig's heart ached. He wanted to be with her, to tell her everything was okay, but fate had a way of complicating things.
// I love you, Solera Maxwell. //
With that said, he headed back to the Schwarz apartment as the rain fell heavily, mixing with his tears.
When Solera got back to the Weiss apartment, Yohji was just getting out of his car. He had taken Taia home.
"Solera? Oh my God, you're soaked! You'd better change."
Solera barely acknowledged that Yohji was talking to her, but she went upstairs to change anyway.
20 minutes later, Solera was laying in bed, eyes closed, trying not to think of what had just happened with Kio, when she heard a soft knock at her door.
"Come in."
Yohji came in and sat on the bed. Solera managed a sad smile.
"What's wrong, Sol?"
"Nothing."
"So, um, did you meet up with anyone on your walk?"
"Yeah, my past." Solera began to cry again.
"Do you want me to go?" Yohji asked gently.
"No, stay. I could really use the company right now."
Yohji was surprised by the answer, but he lay down beside her, hugging her closer to him.
That was how Omi found them the next morning.
"Ken! Ken!!"
"What? What?" Ken replied, mouth full of cereal.
"Do you know what I just saw?"
"Uh, Aya in the nude?"
Omi threw a sock at him. "NO! I went to check on Solera, only to find Yohji in the same bed with his arms around her!"
Ken's mouth dropped open, and half-chewed cereal fell on the table.
Aya heard the last part, stopped mid-step and ran back upstairs. Sure enough, Yohji was in bed with Solera. Aya was half-tempted to chase Yohji with his katana for sleeping with a team member, but good sense and prior experience told him to be quiet.
Unfortunately, good sense told Ken and Omi nothing, and when Solera and Yohji came downstairs, Ken said, "So, did you two have fun last night?"
Yohji, usually the first to know about these things, looked confused.
Omi saw the confused look, and said in an exasperated tone, "I saw you and Solera in bed together. You had your arms around her and we sorta figured...Is there something you wanna tell us?"
"There's NOTHING to tell!" Solera replied heatedly, "Only that I was upset and Yohji was comforting me, that's as far as it went. We didn't DO anything!"
Three sets of eyes looked at Yohji incredulously. For once the playboy didn't take advantage of the situation, maybe he had changed.
Solera snatched a piece of toast out of Ken's hand. "I'm going to open the shop. Come and help me when you're ready, boys."
Aya followed after her.
Ken went to take a bite out of his toast. "AAAAHH!!!! My toast has disappeared!!" he cried.
"Baka! Solera took it!" said Omi, laughing at his expression.
Ken whimpered and made some more.
Solera worked her first shift at the shop with Aya. She had decided to forgive him, and he was relieved.
Solera's eyes widened at the insane amount of schoolgirls that walked through the door. "Aya-kun, do you want me to run back to the apartment and grab our katanas? It looks like we'll need them."
"No, it's okay. Excuse me." Aya stood on a chair and shouted, "If you're not buying anything, get out!!"
This only made the girls swarm towards Aya.
"Kuso," he muttered under his breath, "Damn the entire Japanese schoolgirl population.."
~End Chapter 6~
A/N: Ooh, that's two people from her past that she's found! She's done what she set out to do. What next?
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~Blue Silhouette~