Force of Habit

by Raz

Schwarz's 5th member, the most highly feared assassin ever has been caught by Kritiker and his mind has been wiped. Now Ran must cope with the result - Yohji. RanxYohji. COMPLETE

5. Chapter Five

Force of Habit: Chapter Five

Author's Note: Okay, apologies to how long this part took to get posted, but it wasn't entirely my fault. As of the first of October I moved to Germany to study Germanistik at university here and found myself buried under a ridiculous amount of forms for residence permits and the like. In addition, it's taken a while to find somewhere where I can get online and upload documents as the internet computers in my apartment block don't have either A: or D: drives. Grrrrr, but as a result of the enforced hiatus, this part is LONG. Hope that makes up for the absence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Manx smiled at Yohji reassuringly as she watched the man lie back on the bed and allow the nurses to place electrodes around his head. "This will be completely painless, Kudoh-san. We simply want to measure your mental activity to determine how well you are recovering from your accident." She turned to the other occupant of the room and glared slightly. "Though I fail to see why you are here, Fujimiya-san. Do you not have work in the florists today?"

Yohji glanced over at the silent man in the corner and grinned at Manx's expression. "Ran decided to keep the shop closed today and give us all some time to ourselves," he explained when it became clear that the violet eyed man had no intention of responding. "And as Ken's teaching the neighbourhood kids football and Omi has to study, that only leaves Ran to show me around the city."

Manx looked positively taken aback. "Fujimiya-san decided …" Quickly adopting her usual professional manner, Manx curled her blood-red lips up into what could have been a smile. "It's nice to know the pair of you are getting on. Now, we are going to show you a succession of images, Kudoh-san, and use the electrodes to gauge any reaction from the memory centres of your brain."

Yohji frowned. "Wouldn't it just be quicker to see if I recognise anything you show me?"

Manx turned away to face the computer screen as her fingers flew over the keyboard in readiness for the test. "Consciously, perhaps. But this will also weigh your sub-conscious into the equation. In short, we will be able to tell if the memories are still there and you are simply unable to access them at this time, or if they have been destroyed by the trauma relating to your accident."

"You mean whether there's any chance of me regaining some memories or not?"

"Precisely, Kudoh-san. Now just relax and don't try to force yourself, you'll only end up inhibiting the machine. Focus on the images projected in front of you."

Yohji did as instructed, but couldn't help but wonder what he was supposed to remember from images that ranged from numerous foreign cities to politicians and other well-known public figures. Although he knew most of the images, he was unable to recall any personal information from them, though, he reflected as a katana of all things flashed up before him, perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.

Manx continued to make notes from the computer readout once the images had ceased, paying little attention to the room's other occupants. Ran rose from his seat in the corner with his usual feline grace and made his way over to Yohji. He paused at the side of the bed, looking down at the blond with yet another inscrutable expression on his face. "Remember anything?" Ran enquired as he reached out to remove the electrodes from the blond.

Yohji opened his mouth to answer, but instead found himself flinching away from the redhead's elegant fingers. Ran hastily withdrew his hands as he looked at Yohji with the wide-eyed violet stare that the man seemed to reserve only for the blond. The expression on that pale face was mirrored on Yohji's own. With a vague frown clouding his face, Yohji shook his head. "Sorry, guess I just don't feel comfortable in hospitals. My nerves are all on edge at the moment."

Ran nodded slowly in understanding, yet his eyes continued to scrutinise Yohji in a way that made the older man feel very uncomfortable. Finally, Fujimiya slowly reached out his hands once again and began to remove the trailing wires. Yohji watched Ran's face as the man methodically removed each of the electrodes, wondering why the remote look of complete concentration on those pale features could be so at odds with the way in which the redhead's fingers gently brushed away strands of hair to remove the small pads as painlessly and as quickly as possible.

Keen to disguise his sudden discomfort, Yohji glanced over at Manx with a lop-sided smile. "So, am I done?"

Manx barely looked up from the computer readouts. "For now, at least. The results will take a while to compute, Kudoh-san, but I shall let you know as soon as possible."

Yohji nodded, less concerned with learning the outcome of the tests than getting away from the hospital. He swung himself off the bed and turned to the still silent Fujimiya. "Let's get out of here, I have a pay-check to spend. Though," Yohji added with a sly grin as glanced at the bulky orange sweater and jeans that Fuijimiya was wearing. "I'm not sure if you're the best person to show me where the fashionable places are."

"Hn," Ran snorted, throwing Yohji a glare that seemed more for appearances sake than out of any real rancour. Yohji's smirk grew as he turned to follow the redhead out of the room.

"One moment please, Fujimiya-san. While you're here, I wish to discuss some case details with you. Kudoh-san, if you could be so kind as to wait outside for a moment? I promise I won't keep him long."

Yohji and Ran traded glances as the blond shrugged. "Sure. Whatever." He patted Ran on the shoulder as he left, noting that for once the smaller man didn't stiffen at his touch. Though that was probably due to the fact that the entire focus of Ran's hostile vibes was currently being directed at Manx and he therefore didn't register the brief moment of contact.

Leaving the two redheads behind, Yohji sauntered out into the corridor. In actual fact, he was glad to have a moment to himself as there was something fluttering around his thoughts which was bothering him. It was too vague for him to identify, little more than a sense of unease and restlessness. Propping himself against the wide window ledge as he gazed at the throngs of people down below, the irritating fluttering in his head seemed to grow stronger for a moment and the blond felt himself shiver. It felt as though someone had just walked over his grave. There was an air of familiarity about that sense of a whispering voice in his head, perhaps it was a memory or his past self trying to make itself known, but whatever the voice was saying, it was too quiet to hear. Shaking his head, the sense of otherness in his mind was abruptly gone and Yohji leaned his forehead against the cool glass just in time to hear the door open behind him. A blur of crimson reflected in the glass beside him as Ran stepped up to join him.

"Is there something wrong, Yohji?"

Stepping back from the window, the blond shook his head again and threw Ran a laid back grin. "Nah, just thinking."

"Don't strain yourself."

Yohji blinked at the man beside him in surprise. Ran's face was as unreadable as ever, and his voice had lacked any intonation to indicate emotion, but the blond was almost positive the man had cracked a joke. Well, either that or he had a really low opinion of Yohji. The two men headed towards the elevator, falling into step behind an extremely thin young man that appeared to be far too warmly dressed for the time of year. Yohji found himself frowning again as he watched the stiff-backed gait of the stranger. There was something about both the way in which the man moved and the layers of clothes that covered virtually every inch of skin that seemed to stir something in his memory.

Seemingly unaware of the confused stare that was literally burning a hole in the back of his head, the young man ahead of them stepped into an open elevator, drawing his arms tightly against his body as he did so as if to avoid any possible contact with the other occupants. Ran and Yohji followed him in, turning to face the closing doors before Yohji could see the stranger's face. Pressed next to Ran by the large crush of bodies, Yohji found himself worrying less about strangely dressed men and more about how to remain upright during the lift's jerking descent without grabbing hold of one very temperamental redhead.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Well? Have you found anything yet, or are we going to have to find ourselves a new mastermind?"

His concentration broken, Schuldig opened his eyes to glare green daggers at the immaculately dressed American who was currently leaning back in the seat opposite, sipping on a coffee. The German bit back the urge to snap at the man, choosing instead to turn and regard the passing stream of pedestrians through the coffee bar's windows. "You could have chosen somewhere a little quieter," he muttered as he stirred another packet of sugar into his now cold coffee. "It's hard enough to concentrate as it is, let alone look for Void."

Crawford replaced his own cup neatly on the saucer. "You've known the man the longest, you should know what his mind feels like by now."

"I'll tell you what his mind feels like, a fucking black hole, that's what," Schuldig retorted, not caring about the shocked looks his language and tone were attracting. Crawford was frowning at him slightly in rebuke, but the German tossed back his hair and snorted. "Trying to find him could take forever."

"Then you had better start again soon," the American replied. "Our superiors are already aware of the situation and will not look favourably any perceived failings in our attempts to relocate Void."

Schuldig glanced over at Crawford, startled. "Shit. Esset know? How? It's not like they can predict Void's movements."

"The Delphic Unit became concerned about a week ago when they began predicting the elimination of Schwarz by a group of outsiders who obviously had inside help from a member of our group. When they were unable to identify the traitor, they realised it had to be Void. I'm expected to answer directly to Janus himself." Frowning again, Crawford adjusted his glasses. "However they were no more able to account for his actions, than I was."

Unable to stop himself, Schuldig shivered. "They're not sending Janus over, are they? That guy's got an even bigger stick rammed up his arse than you. I remember when I first arrived at Rosenkreuz; he was the first person I met. Those eyes of his completely-"

Not really listening to the man, it took Crawford a few moments to notice that his companion had abruptly stopped speaking. The American assassin glanced up to see the German frowning in concentration. The redhead's frown deepened before he suddenly pitched forwards and grabbed at his head. "Shit!"

"What is it?" Crawford asked, watching the other man as Schuldig blinked rapidly and shook his head, causing the overlong strands of orange to fly across his face. "What's wrong? Did you find Void?"

"I felt a mind that seemed familiar," Schuldig began with a frown. "It could have been Void, but it also wasn't."

Crawford sighed slightly in impatience. "Explain. Clearly. Was it Void, or wasn't it?"

Schuldig glared back at his fellow Schwarz member. "He was sane for a start. Think of the amount of minds I've been in contact with since that blond bastard was last in full command of his wits and you might understand why I'm having a little difficulty in being certain." Pausing, Schuldig poured another packet of sugar into his coffee and began to grind the granules against the side of his cup with the back of his spoon. "But that wasn't the problem."

"Oh? Do enlighten me." Crawford matched the glare that was being directed at him with one of equal coldness. He had no time for idle chitchat when Janus was breathing down his neck.

"It would appear we're not the only ones hunting Void," Schuldig said with deliberate slowness, clearly determined to wind the older man up as much as was humanly possible. "The reason I couldn't stay in there long enough to make certain of Void's identity was due to the fact that someone obviously has the bastard monitored and sent someone to block me. Legion, to be precise."

Crawford muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse. "If that neurotic fop is here, then the rest of them can't be far off."

Schuldig nodded as he watched the expressions that flittered across his leader's face, wishing yet again that he could simply read the man's mind. "You reckon they'll try and take him again?"

Crawford shrugged minutely. "We shall have to wait and see. If we knew where Void was, we may stand a better chance of tracking him. Our only lead there is, of course, that rather stubborn swordsman who refused to just lay down and die," Crawford broke off at the smirk that was spreading across the German's face. "What?"

"It just so happens, I think I found something of interest in that matter," Schuldig replied. "Or rather someone."

Crawford raised an eyebrow, silently encouraging the man to continue.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ran leaned back against a nearby pillar and watched the blond with something approaching amusement. "Are you planning on spending your life in clubs, or will you actually buy something that covers more than a fraction of your chest?"

Grinning Yohji picked up his latest bag of clothes and winked at the smaller man. "If you've got it, flaunt it, Ran." With a final flirty wave to the blushing sales assistant, the tall man walked over to stand beside the redhead. "Up for a coffee break? I'm exhausted."

Ran shrugged, which Yohji correctly interpreted as assent, and the two men began to make their way down the busy street. Glancing over at the smaller man, Yohji frowned slightly in concern as he noted the pensive expression on Ran's face. 'Hey, is there something wrong? If you'd rather do something else, you can go. I'm pretty certain I can find my way back from here."

Ran blinked in surprise at the pair of worried green eyes that were regarding him from such a close distance. Glancing away, he shook his head, vaguely wondering why he was having to fight the urge to blush. "It's nothing. Let's get that coffee. There's a very good café just around the corner from here."

Yohji's face split into another grin, this time one of relief. "Man, if it impressed you, this place must be superb!" Turning his attention away from the redhead for a few moments, the taller man began to rummage in one of his bags and triumphantly pulled out a pair of sunglasses, which he balanced on the end of his nose. Peering at the pale redhead, Yohji grinned at the shocked expression on the man's face. "Pretty cool, aren't they?"

Ran fought to control the sudden wave of panic that swept through him and chose to disguise it with a scowl and a snort. "Idiot. Summer's already over, what did you waste your money on those for?"

The blond shrugged and continued to regard the crowds around him over the top of the tinted lenses. "I don't know; they just seemed to call out to me. I think they really suit me."

"They make you look like you're vain." They make you look like you're Void. Ran noted they had finally reached the café and busied himself with making his way through the bustle of customers to reach his usual table. Despite his best attempts to focus on the blond only as he appeared now, Ran kept finding Yohji's smiling face being overlaid with another one from his memory. A face completely without expression, surrounded by long waves of blond hair and a pair of tinted glasses effectively blocking the man's eyes from sight. Mentally berating himself for being such an idiot, Ran forced his gaze back to Yohji and passed the slightly concerned looking man the menu. "Here. I recommend the Viennese Blend, it's strong without being bitter."

Something in Ran's face must have set Yohji at ease, as he visibly relaxed and accepted the menu with another careless grin. "Bit of a caffeine addict, are we? Must be all those night shifts you work." The blond pushed his sunglasses slightly higher up on his nose to prevent them from falling off and focused on the large selection of coffees on offer. "Still, you must really love your work. It must be great to know that you're helping people; saving lives and all that."

Ran turned away to look out of the window, trying to keep his face neutral. "It's just a job. And you can never save everyone. However much good you do, at the end of the day, there's still blood on your hands." Reflected on the glass, he could see Yohji frowning at him.

"You always are so negative about things," the taller man observed. "I know if I had the chance to do some good like you do, I'd focus on all the people who were living better lives because I helped them, rather than the few that I couldn't do anything for."

The waitress showed up at that moment, depriving Ran of the chance to answer. Bowing low in apology, the teenaged waitress smiled at the two men, strands of hair dyed in rainbow shades escaping from her tied back hair. "I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting, but we've been very busy today. May I take your order, or would you like me to come back in a few minutes?"

Yohji glanced across at Ran. "I'll take the Viennese Blend in a large cup, please."

Ran nodded at the waitress. "Make that two."

The young girl scribbled hastily on her pad. "Two large Viennese. It won't be long." With another smile, she vanished off into the crowd in a flurry of activity.

Feeling Yohji's gaze on him, Ran looked up warily. His suspicion was increased at the sight of the grin the blond was aiming in his direction. "What do you want?"

Yohji's grin widened. "Well," he drawled slowly, obviously savouring the expression on the face of the man opposite him. "I was thinking that with all this coffee in our systems we won't be needing to sleep tonight. And we are in Tokyo, after all, it would be a waste not to experience some of the nightlife."

Ran snorted and turned his attention back to the passing stream of people outside. "Absolutely not. You'll have to find someone else to lead you into depravity."

Yohji wasn't dissuaded. "Aw, come on! We could get Ken and Omi to come along as well, do something with all four of us." Catching the violet-eyed man glancing towards him, Yohji gazed at him imploringly with wide green eyes. "We haven't done anything all together since I got here, it doesn't have to be the whole night if you have to work or something."

Ran opened his mouth to refuse, but found himself hesitating under the force of those pleading eyes. "I guess dinner wouldn't hurt," he heard himself grudgingly concede and kicked himself for giving in to man. Now the blond was going to think he could walk all over Ran just by turning on the charm. Keen to temper his earlier statement, Ran glared at the smirking man with the most chilling gaze he could currently muster. "But I should remind you that you have a morning shift tomorrow that you will be present for, hung over or not."

Not in the least bit perturbed by the glare that was being levelled at him, Yohji leaned back in his seat, content in his victory. "Great, we'll have to talk to Ken and Omi, see what they're up for. Me, I could really go for steak."

The waitress abruptly appeared again, carrying two large steaming cups that she carefully placed on the table. "There you are, two large Viennese. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like."

Ran raised an eyebrow. "That was awfully quick. It normally takes twice as long."

Smiling, the waitress shrugged, brushing some blue and pink bangs away from her face and behind her ear. "Like I said, we've been very busy today. I think we've all got into the routine of working twice as fast to deal with the rush. Enjoy your coffees."

There was a brief silence as both men sipped at their coffees. Finding his a touch too hot at the moment, Yohji replaced his on the table. Ran continued to drink his, the hot liquid serving as a sufficient distraction from the thoughts and emotions that had been troubling him since his conversation with Manx earlier. He couldn't work out how he felt about Yohji. He knew he was warming to the easy-going, if somewhat flirtatious, man despite himself, but underneath that was a tangled mess of confused emotions. Wariness and unease that the man was getting past his guard so easily, backed up by the worry that he had brought this all on himself by being the one to introduce this new personality into the man. There was also more than a little envy. He'd given Kudoh a clean slate; a fresh shot at living a normal life unhampered by any of the guilt or haunting memories that Ran himself suffered from. Perhaps that also explained the protectiveness he felt towards Yohji whenever Kritiker showed an interest; having freed the man from the clutches of Schwarz, Ran was understandably reluctant to simply let Kudoh get tainted once again by dealing with yet another organisation that sent its operatives out to kill. In the end, it was probably the same reason he hadn't simply made the man into a compliant puppet and handed the strings to Kritiker. Unlike the rest of them, Yohji now had the chance to choose his life.

Glancing across towards Yohji, Ran noticed the blond was looking at him expectantly. "What?"

Yohji rolled his eyes and took a large drink of his coffee. "You weren't even listening, were you? Man, when you brood, you really go for it, don't you?"

Ran frowned slightly. "Did you ask me something or are you just trying to get a rise out of me?"

Yohji laughed. "I can get a rise out of you without trying anytime I want. You're far too uptight." Smiling at the glaring redhead in amusement, Yohji shook his head. "I asked if you had any idea what time Ken and Omi were meant to be getting back to the Koneko."

"Ah," Ran drained the last of his coffee before turning his attention back to the older man. "Anytime now. It's starting to get dark, so Ken will see the kids home and Omi should be back already. Apparently he gets hassled by schoolgirls if he stays in the library too long."

The blond man grinned. "All that attention from cute schoolgirls and he wants to run off home? If I was him, you couldn't drag me away."

Ran snorted slightly. "Perhaps some of us are a little more conscientious towards our work than you."

Yohji simply smirked. "And perhaps some of us need to live a little."

The smaller man sighed as he brushed some crimson bangs away from his eyes and looked at Yohji expectantly. "Finished?"

Rolling his eyes, Yohji gulped down the last of his coffee and reached to get his wallet as he rose out of his seat. A hand on his arm stopped him, and he looked up to see Ran watching him calmly with his usual unreadable expression. "I'll get the coffees this time," the redhead quietly offered. "I doubt you've got enough left in that wallet to even buy water."

Yohji blinked in surprise at the offer, before winking at the other man. "Trying to buy my affections with coffee? I'm touched."

Ran rolled his eyes and headed over to the waitress from earlier who was now refilling the sugar bowls. Yohji collected his bags from around the table and turned to watch the redhead pay and begin to make his way back towards the blond as the waitress with the multicoloured hair resumed pouring the pale granules into glass bowls. Something about the movement of the sugar from the young girl's hands looked familiar to Yohji, and he idly wondered if he spent much time in coffee bars before his accident. Ran's appearance at his side jolted the lanky blond back to the present. Both men headed out of the now emptying coffee bar, Yohji glancing back at the waitress as he crossed in front of her. The girl looked up and noticed his gaze, for she smiled cheerily. "Bye, come back soon!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With a contented sigh, Ken dropped the last garlic breadstick into his mouth and leaned back in his seat. After much bargaining between Yohji and Omi, who had proved himself to have begging powers exceeding even that of the elder man's, the group had decided on pizza. The two younger florists had been very keen to eat out and escape from what Omi described as "the terror of Ken's cooking", the fumes alone of which, Yohji had been assured, "could kill from ten metres away."

Unconcerned with any slight done to his culinary prowess, Ken grinned across at Yohji. "Okay, you've gotta tell me how you managed to convince our very own man of ice to come out and pretend he's a normal human being."

Smirking both at the brunette and the glaring redhead, Yohji airily waved a hand in the air. "I didn't have to do anything, Ken. This was actually Ran's idea."

From his position beside Ken, Omi began to choke on a mouthful of pizza. Finally managing to swallow his mouthful, courtesy of a couple of helpful thumps on the back by Hideka, the young blond stared across the table at the silent Fujimiya and grinning Kudoh. "Ran suggested we go out?" Omi repeated in complete disbelief. His wide blue eyes blinked before narrowing at the taller blond in suspicion. "What did you threaten him with, Yohji?"

"He didn't threaten me with anything," Ran countered in his usual low voice. "He simply pointed out that we haven't gone out as a group since he arrived."

"That was it?" Ken asked sceptically. "How come it never works when Omi or I ask?"

Yohji shrugged as he drained the last of his beer. "It must simply be the old Kudoh charm, never fails."

Ran simply snorted and turned his attention back to the slice of pizza on his plate, picking off the thin pieces of topping and leaving them to one side.

Omi glanced at Ran before turning his attention to Yohji. "How are you adjusting to everything after your accident?"

Ken nodded in agreement. "Yeah, have you remembered anything yet?"

Yohji shook his head as he played with the empty beer glass. "Not a thing … well nothing concrete. I keep getting the strangest feelings every now and then, like I'm looking at something I should recognise, but I can't." Noticing that Ran had ceased pretending to eat his food and was instead simply staring at his plate, Yohji frowned for a moment. Okay so Violet Eyes probably felt like he had a personal interest in Yohji's case, what with having spent an awful lot of time with him, but sometimes Yohji couldn't work out what results the man was hoping for. At this very moment, for instance, the redhead looked almost tense at the thought that Yohji might be starting to remember things. It struck the blond as very strange, surely the smaller man should be feeling tense at the thought of Yohji not regaining his memories, instead of the other way around? After all, wasn't he supposed to be one of Ran's cases? Turning attention away from the pale figure next to him, Yohji smiled instead at the obvious sympathy and disappointment on Omi's face. "Hey, it's not all bad, chibi. That idea you had about trying lots of different things to work out what my tastes were was a stroke of genius. I may not know who I was, but at least I know who I am now."

Ken grinned at the expression on Yohji's face. "And that is?"

"An extremely sexy lady-killer, Ken." Yohji emphasised his point with a wink and a charming smile towards the dazed looking waitress that was approaching their table. 'And one who's about to get another phone number to add to his black book, by the look of things."

Ignoring the flirting going on between the elder blond and the waitress that was showing far more interest in securing Yohji's phone number than in clearing the remains of the meal, Ran fixed Omi and Ken with a penetrating violet glare. "Do either of you know if Manx phoned while I was out?"

Both younger men shook their heads as Omi frowned slightly at the expression on the redhead's face. "Not that we know of. Why? Were you expecting some news?"

Ran nodded slightly. "She had some important information on a case for me that we needed to discuss."

Ken groaned. "She doesn't want you to work again tonight, does she? You know I can't cover your morning shift."

"I don't need to work tonight, I just need to speak with her." Ran frowned at the tablecloth as though the innocuous piece of fabric was personally responsible for Manx not phoning.

Trying to lessen the Fujimiya glare, Omi leaned forwards and smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry, you can always speak to her tomorrow. I'm sure it can wait until then."

Ran glanced at Omi briefly and then away across the restaurant. "It'll have to."

Rejoining the conversation with a slip of paper held loosely between his fingers, Yohji smirked at the others. "Looks like I won't be heading home with you guys. Keiko finishes her shift in ten minutes and is very keen to show me some of the local nightlife."

Ken frowned, immediately realising the implications of the statement. "Don't expect me to cover your shift tomorrow morning. I've already made plans."

Yohji rolled his eyes. "Relax Ken, one all-nighter isn't going to kill me. I'll be in the Koneko tomorrow morning, just maybe not tonight."

The brunette laughed. "That's a very confident statement considering you've only just met the girl."

"I am a very confident person," Yohji countered. "And anyway, how else am I going to find out what my type is?" Readjusting his sunglasses, Yohji winked at Omi. "It's exactly the same principle as with the music."

Shaking his head, Ken got up from the table. "That's your excuse anyway. Well, enjoy yourself and don't even think of trying the 'I forgot where the Koneko is' line.

Yohji laughed and watched the other three pay and leave before turning his gaze to the approaching Keiko, whose very nicely proportioned figure was even easier to appreciate out of her uniform. Yes, the blond mused, tonight was going to be a lot of fun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gritting his teeth, Ran blinked the sweat out of his eyes as he focused along the elegant line of the katana. The only sounds in the basement were his breathing and the quiet whisper of the sword's movement through the air. Immediately after returning from the restaurant, Ran had descended into the basement to practise with his katana. Now several hours later his body was moving through the positions independently of the redhead's troubled mind, the muscles automatically remembering the graceful motions.

Ran was not worried. He was absolutely fine. Manx's earlier words were not going to cause him any extra stress. Fujimiya Ran did not get panicked about possibilities. The blade of the katana flashed in the light as it was swung in an arc.

// Having successfully completed the kill and obtained the important data file, Ran hurried back along the narrow passageway that would take him back into the central storage area of the warehouse. His eyes and ears were alert for any guards that may have appeared since he entered, but Ran was feeling confident. His first mission as an assassin had been completed without a hitch; he had proved himself. His quiet sense of satisfaction carried him all the way into the cavernous expanse of the main storage room and past the first set of crates. Then he realised he wasn't alone and spun around, drawing up his sword protectively, the metal glinting off the moonlight that poured in through the high windows as the blade swung through the air in an arc.

"What do we have here? It seems someone's been letting in strays." The nasal, accented voice came from one of the walkways above Ran's head. He glanced up to see a European man with bright orange hair leaning over the railing watching him with vast amusement. Beside him stood another man, this one with pale hair and one yellow eye that gleamed malevolently as it regarded the swordsman below. The other man turned to his silent companion. "What do you think we should do with this little kitty?"

A smile lit up a face that was already patch-worked with scars. "Make it bleed."//

A stab forwards and then a swift spin to the left. Void was destroyed. Ran had personally sent the shocks through the electrodes taped to the man's head, destroying the neural pathways that connected up to any memory even remotely concerned with the assassin's past. There was no way Kudoh would be able to access them again, Ran was sure of that. The sword was brought down in a forceful blow and then spun across his body and to his right. His breath burned in his lungs and throat and his muscles were beginning to tremble slightly with exhaustion, but Ran paid them no heed, his thoughts engaged elsewhere. So what if the test results showed activity in those parts of Kudoh's memory centre that should have been destroyed? So what if some unknown urge made the man choose the exact same pair of sunglasses that he had worn as a killer? They didn't mean anything. Ran was not going to blindly follow Manx's orders without some kind of tangible proof. He brought his katana up and noticed distantly that it shook in his weakening grip.

// Ducking behind a stack of crates, Ran doubled over as he hurriedly sought to force some air back into his lungs. His grip on his katana trembled and he forced his hands to clench around the hilt. The others would find him any second, this respite had to be used to the maximum advantage. Dragging himself upright, Ran narrowed his eyes as he quickly weighed up the situation. He couldn't beat them. Perhaps maybe just that yellow-eyed maniac by himself, but he was no match for any of the other three out there and especially not together. He was lucky to have even held his own this long, but there was no hope of success in a fight against those assassins with their strange abilities. If Ran wanted to survive, he'd have to find a way out. His sense of pride caused a surge of anger to wash through the man at the thought of turning tail and fleeing like a coward, but escape was the only option. He had what he came for.

There had been a fire exit back along the passageway to Ran's left; the one that led to the overflow storage room. Glancing in that direction, he saw that the route appeared to be unguarded and broke into a sprint. There was an exclamation behind him in what sounded like German, but Ran didn't know enough of the language to understand what was said. He did know that the nasal laugh that followed him wasn't a good sign, but there was no time to think about that – he was nearing the overflow room. If he could just get out …

There was someone waiting for him. //

Jerking his head roughly to one side in an attempt to dislodge the bangs that had plastered themselves across his eyes, Ran continued to follow the well-practised routine. His still healing side screamed in protest as the muscles stretched and flexed, ripping through stitches and the dried blood. Kudoh was not going to become Void again. The katana continued to glide through the air, the smoothness of its movements a testament to its wielder's determination. Ran was not going to let Kudoh revert to his former self.

// Standing in the centre of the room was a tall figure clad in tightly fitted black that clung to his lean and muscled frame. The moonlight from the open door at the far side of the room reflected on long blond hair that cascaded freely down the man's back. His head was bent, his arms loosely at his side in a posture of calm patience. He gave no indication of being aware of Ran's presence, simply continuing to stand there almost as a penitent prays before his god – or a marionette whose strings had yet to be manipulated. Cautiously, Ran moved forwards a single step, his footfall seeming to ring in the silent room.

The man's head snapped up at the sound, revealing a face whose eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Not a single muscle on the man's face moved to indicate any emotion or even recognition, it remained blank. Ran felt his hand clench reflexively around his katana. So far this evening he'd encountered two men who'd seemed to know his every move before he made them, one who didn't show any acknowledgement of the injuries Ran had inflicted upon him and a young boy who had somehow been able to fling him against a stack of crates simply by looking at him, but none of them had instilled the sudden sense of dread that now unfurled in the pit of Ran's gut. He needed to see the man's eyes, if only to prove that it was a man that stood before him and not a cleverly made robot.

One of the man's gloved hands twitched and a slithering, hissing noise broke the silence. Ran felt the katana in his hands jolt away from him and noticed too late the coils of silvery wire that had wrapped around the weapon's hilt. Another tug and the sword was wrenched from his grasp, skittering across the concrete floor to rest at the blond stranger's feet. Without even thinking, Ran surged forwards, intent on regaining his katana. The man simply remained in position as the redhead approached, not showing the slightest hint of either movement or emotion.

When the man did eventually move, it registered too late in Ran's tired mind. A burning, white hot pain kindled in his chest and the redhead looked down to see the blade of his own katana embedded within him. He looked back up to see his pale, wide-eyed face reflected back at him in the twin mirrors of the blond's sunglasses. Sudden flames of pain scorching a path across his chest caused Ran to cry out as the blade was twisted. The face in front of him never changed; it was as though the man's body was acting independently for even when Ran's second choked cry was forced from his throat, not a muscle moved on that tanned visage.

Desperate to see something, Ran struck out with his hands, ripping the sunglasses from the man's face. The blond dropped his hold on the katana as the eyewear shattered on the ground, and Ran sank to his knees, taking both sword and wire with his falling form. Looking up, Ran saw the man's eyes were green, a deep shade of emerald. They might even have been beautiful if they weren't so glassy and empty, just as devoid of humanity as the rest of that face.

Ran felt blood in his mouth and spat on the ground as his hands gripped the katana's hilt. He closed his eyes briefly as he prepared to remove it, before taking a strained breath. Wrenching it from its resting place between his ribs, Ran swung the blade in front of him only to find the blond no longer stood before him.

No sooner had that fact registered, than something was wrapped around Ran's throat and pulled tight, choking the redhead. It felt almost silken against his skin and Ran realised with shock that it was hair. The bastard's wire was still wrapped around his katana, so the blond was simply using the next best thing to hand. Swinging the katana over his shoulder in a blind stab, Ran heard a slight grunt of expelled air and strands of severed blond hair fell onto his bloodstained coat. Without the choking rope keeping him upright, Ran fell forwards heavily, his katana dropping to the ground beside a hand that lacked the strength to keep hold of it. Clenching his face with the effort, Ran tried to rise to his knees, but the pain in his chest seemed to be constricting his lungs and he was finding every agonising intake of oxygen harder to make than the last.

A boot edged its way under Ran's chest and kicked, causing the redhead to roll over onto his back. The blond man stood over him, looking down at Ran without even the most basic sense of recognition. The left hand side of the man's hair now hung at shoulder length, the result of Ran's frantic stab. Ran had no idea of how much time passed like that: the blond simply watching the redhead bleed slowly to death on the floor before him with that distant, blank expression.

Footsteps were heard and the orange haired man from earlier appeared at the blond's side, smirking in amusement as he looked down at Ran. "I see our little kitty ran into you too. Perhaps his employers will finally learn that curiosity killed the cat and stop sending us this irritating strays." Apparently unconcerned with the complete lack of reaction from his blond companion, the other man tilted his head to the side. "Shame really, this is quite a pretty piece of work. He might have been fun to play with, but you know what Oracle is like when it comes to deadlines. We have to go now, his employers are already on their way." The man pulled a gun from his long green coat and passed it to the blond. "Finish him off."

Ran saw the gun rise. There was a flash and yet another centre of pain in his chest as he heard the gunshot echo around the room. With another smirk, the orange haired man patted the blond on the shoulder and turned to leave. With a final stare at the redhead, the man dressed in black turned to follow and Ran felt anger beginning to stir in him, fury that they should be able to walk away without a scratch, while he lay bleeding out most of his arteries. His hand clenched, felt the smooth hilt of the katana and closed around it. Gathering reserves of strength that he barely knew he had, Ran forced himself upright and flung the sword after that retreating blond shadow. Unable to remain conscious long enough to even see if it reached its destination, the redhead pitched forwards again and passed out. //

The katana trembled in his fatigued grip, and fell to the floor with a dull clang. Ran felt his knees buckle and sagged against the wall, dragging oxygen into his lungs. Pausing for a moment, he slowly made his way up the stairs, suddenly acutely aware of his overriding exhaustion and liquid muscles. He pushed open the basement door and headed towards the stairs up to his room, leaning heavily against the wall. There was some noise from the kitchen behind him, but Ran was now only concerned with getting into his room before weariness made him pass out. In the morning he had to talk to Manx, had to convince her that Kudoh wasn't going to become Void. His feet stumbled on the second step and Ran slumped to his knees with a dull thud.

"Hey! Careful!" Warm arms encircled him from behind, helped the redhead back to his feet even as Ran's nose was assaulted by the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. Turning his head, he saw Yohji looking at him with those expressive emerald eyes full of concern and felt something that could have been a vague smile tug at his lips. He'd been right, that first time. Those eyes were beautiful when there was emotion behind them.

"Ran? Shit, Ran, what the hell have you been up to?" Too tired to answer, Ran let his head slump forwards, feeling sleep beginning to overtake him. The arms around him tightened to support the redhead's weight as Yohji obviously realised Ran wasn't going to support his own weight anymore. Eyes now closed, Ran could only feel Kudoh's grip around him, and reflect on how the man had changed. And he wasn't going to change back. Kudoh Yohji was going to remain as he was, Ran would make certain of it. With that thought, the redhead felt slumber overtake him.

TBC