Two days later, the two opposite groups stood facing each other. Yohji and Schuldig seemed to be having a glaring contest, Aya and Crawford each had a careful, yet neutral eye on the other team. Farfarello was too busy licking his knives to care, and Ken was keeping a very close eye on the madman. Nagi and Omi seemed the most comfortable around each other.
Julia leaned against the pillar in the airport, Adrian by her side. The two groups hadn't noticed them yet.
Adrian shook his head. "You think this will actually work?"
Julia nodded. "We have them at a stalemate. All of them want to be paid, and they all know that if one of them slips and injures another, all of them are dead. Of course, we may have to try to prevent that...."
Adrian lifted an eyebrow. "Leave it to you to work it all out. I trust you," he said with a small smile.
"I'm glad. We've only been partners how long?" She teased. Their flight number was called and the couple stepped forward into the groups. "All right, gentlemen. I thought it best since this is a very long flight that I should do the seating. I really don't want you dead before we even get there." she announced.
A small smirk crossed Schuldig's pale features. "There are things worse than death, ne, Julia?" he asked with a slightly evil smile.
She glared at the younger man. "Don't make me separate you from Crawford..."
"Then he couldn't keep me from doing what I want."
"No, but I'd put you next to Adrian."
The German paled slightly. "That's quite all right....."
"All right, Yohji you're by the window, Aya next to him, Brad then Schuldig. On the other side I want Ken, Omi, Nagi, then Farfarello. Got that?"
"Where are both of you going to sit?" Schuldig asked, hoping the tall Asian man wasn't going to be right behind him, watching his every move.
"Right behind you, watching your every move." Adrian said with a smirk.
"Eh.... is that necissary....?"
"Yes." Julia, Adrian, and Brad echoed.
"Demo...."
Julia took the inside seat, and Adrian sat on the isle seat directly behind Schuldig. "Behave and you have no reason to fear me." he said.
"Even if I DO behave I feel like you're breathing down my neck....."
Adrian titled his seat back and closed his eyes.
"It's your imagination."
Schuldig's
shoulders sagged. "Why do I doubt that?" he muttered.
Julia gazed down the row of eight assassins. Yohji was drumming his fingers on the arm of the seat, and staring out the window, obviously not thrilled with the arrangement. Aya was flipping through a brochure that had been in the seat in front of him, determined to go through with it. Brad was watching Schuldig, not liking the expression on the German's face. Schuldig was plotting something, Julia was sure. Ken had leaned his seat back and was trying to sleep. Nagi and Omi were already chatting it up, and Farfarello had found a plastic knife to keep him happy. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
Schuldig leaned his chair back, wondering silently how far it would go back and how little leg space it must give the man behind him. /Not bothering you, am I Adrian?/ he asked, not really caring.
Adrian swiftly kicked the back of Schuldig's chair, making the German jerk forward slightly. /Not at all./
Brad rolled his eyes. /You're both broadcasting, and acting like children./
Schuldig shoved his chair back a bit further. "Nah we're not, Braddy," he said with a grin.
The plane took off, on it's way to Cairo, Egypt. Julia shook her head at the irony of the situation. All of them put together were ten of the most dangerous people in the world. Julia frowned. /She's close./ she thought distantly.
/Who's close?/ the German telepath's voice popped into her head.
Julia cursed loudly in her mind. "It's none of your business." she grumbled. /Nosy German./
Schuldig grinned back at her. "Nosy? Me?"
"Hai, nosy you. You were born a cat, Schuldig. Curiosity up the wazoo."
The German grinned again. "Nah, just bored."
"Bug Brad, then. He looks lonely."
"Nah, he'll get mad."
"Better him than me..."
"But I never get to see you!"
"Schuldig, what are you up to?"
"What do you mean? I told you I'm just bored. I hate plane flights."
"Why do you hate planes so much, anyway?"
"They're boring," the German said with a slight frown.
"My Lord, Schuldig, you're how old and you can't find a decent way to entertain yourself?" Julia asked dryly.
Yohji tore his gaze away from the window to look at Aya who had leaned forward. The Weiß leader had suddenly gotten a lot more pale than normal. Yohji put a hand on his back. "Ayan? Daijoubu?"
Schuldig's golden eyes flickered over to the other redhead. "Aww... did the kitten get plane sick?" he purred.
Yohji's eyes narrowed to slits. "I should have known you'd..."
Aya cut him off by grabbing the brunet's arm. "It's not him." he rasped.
Schuldig's face suddenly became serious. "Rosenkreuz..." he breathed. Everyone that came out of the hell on earth had a distinct presence to them. A presence Schuldig was almost frightened to pick up on.
Julia and Adrian's heads shot up, and Brad looked up as well. "He's right." The young woman murmured. She glanced at Aya. /And he knew it first. I thought so./ Adrian nodded. "But it's not Sushiko. It's the girl."
Schuldig shivered slightly. "What is she?"
"Bad news. Her gifts have never been identified, but we assume..." Adrian started.
"She has telepathy and empathy." Aya said quietly. "Among many other things."
"Kind of like Geheim was, ne?" Schuldig asked with a humorless smile.
"She's more lethal than he was." Adrian said flatly.
"I can't believe that."
Yohji stared at Aya. "How did you know that?" he asked.
"I don't. I don't know," the swordsman whispered.
"We called them heartseers in Rosenkreuz." Julia said quietly. "There weren't many of them, and all of them were corrupted nearly as soon as they got there."
Schuldig's eyes widened. "Him.....? Are you kidding?"
"No." Julia said. "Heartseers have the ability to look at a person and instantly know the heart motives of that person. Whether they are good or evil. It's kept him from making several wrong kills on missions. There's something else, too. With training, heartseers can also instantly know what -or who- that person holds closest to them."
Aya stared at her for a moment, finally regaining his composure and returning to his natural colour.
He tried to keep that composure as he felt everyone staring at him, mostly with their mouths partially open. "What?" he snapped.
A small smile appeared on Schuldig's lips. /How does it feel to find out you're one of us, ne, kitten?/
Aya turned steel cold violet eyes on him. "No matter what...ability... I have, I will never be one of you." he said softly and dangerously.
/You'd be surprised,/ the German countered. /I used to be as innocent as your little blond boy over there. Things change when you have to fight to keep yourself sane from your "gift"/
"Not everyone looses control." Nagi said quietly from the other side of the isle.
"Telekinesis doesn't affect the brain to badly, last I checked."
"He's not a telepath." Nagi countered. "Heartseeing is based on empathy. You're the only one who'd make him crazy."
"And why's that?" the telepath snapped.
"Because you make everybody crazy!"
Schuldig grinned. "True."
Omi grinned. "Well, I think it's cool, Aya-kun. You'll be able to pick them out of any crowd."
/I've seen one of your kind before,/ Schuldig's voice echoed in his mind. /They didn't turn out too well..../
"Yoh-" Julia started, half standing, but she was too late. Yohji had nearly jumped over both Aya and Brad and was proceeding to strangle the German by the collar of his shirt.
"If you don't shut the hell up I swear I will kill you right here on this plane." He growled.
Julia smacked Adrian on the arm. "Look what you've done by channeling!" she exclaimed.
Schuldig grinned. "Go ahead and try, but I'll be forced to retaliate....."
Aya and Brad blinked at their struggling companions. "Did you see that coming?" Aya asked.
"Nope." Brad said.
Aya reached over and grabbed the sleeve of Yohji's jacket. "Yohji, stop. He's not worth it." He coaxed, not wanting Schuldig to resort to mental attacks.
Schuldig smirked. "Aren't I?" he shrugged. "Doesn't look like the flight attendants even notice our presence, much less your outburst."
Yohji allowed Aya to pull him back to his seat, still glowering at the German. "Enough." Julia sighed.
"Schuldig, leave Aya alone. Talk to him telepathically again on this plane ride and I'll sick Adrian on you. Yohji, stay away from Schuldig, please?"
"Why do you always use that threat...?" the telepath whimpered.
"Because it's the one that works."
/But he hates me,/ Schuldig said telepathically.
/He does not. He just wants you to act your age./
/I do!/
/Then what am I going to do for fun?/
Julia reached over and whacked him over the head. "I'm not your entertainment box, Schuldig! Sleep, read, read the minds of other passengers, watch the movie, do something normal!"
"Right. Whatever." Julia grumbled, settling back in her seat. THey had bigger things to worry about than Schuldig's mind entertainment.
Yohji squeezed his way out into the isle and began walking towards the back. Schuldig gave a satisfied smirk as he sunk down in his seat to sleep.
Aya turned to look over his shoulder. "Where is he going?"
"Bathroom." Julia answered, picking up her book.
Aya nodded as he turned his eyes out the window.