Author's Notes: Wai…I didn't forget about this series, or any of the others, I'm afraid that fanfic fell on my list of priorities. However, now that I have some free time, I'm getting back to editing and finishing up some of the fics posted. Enjoy.
Chapter Six: The Bark and the Bite
Everyone was quiet on the way back from the pyramids. Even Schuldig and Yohji kept their tempers down.
Omi turned out to be the most effective at bandaging wounds, even if the rest of them had done it a hundred times. Stuff he'd learned on the Internet, they didn't doubt. The young Weiß assassin had checked over the majority of them, except for Yohji who had politely turned down his offer, and had proceeded to shoo Nagi and Ken into his room to bandage the both of them up. Ken's needed to be disinfected first, and then Nagi's shoulder. /When did that happen?/ Omi mentally chided himself for not noticing the younger boy's wound earlier.
Schuldig hadn't left Brad's side since they had come from the pyramids. They hadn't spoken, at least not that the rest of them could hear, but they remained side by side.
Brad stood at the window, staring out at Cairo after Schuldig had finally conceded to taking a shower. The German had wrapped his ribs for him, since being shot did tend to make one sore. /Four days. What am I going to do with four days?/ he wondered absently. /I don't even think Schuldig could spend twenty million in four days. And that's if we got paid tonight./
He heard the bathroom door open and the steam came pouring out, followed by Schuldig stepping out with jeans and a tank top on. The telepath covered up a yawn. /How do you feel?/
/I don't' know./ Brad replied honestly.
Schuldig looked away. He felt responsible, even if the clairvoyant would probably tell him he wasn't. If he had better control over his shields, he could have kept those two from throwing the attack at him.
Brad continued to stare at the busy city. He wasn't angry, wasn't afraid, wasn't sad that he was going to die. He supposed that it was a fitting end to someone who had committed so many sins in his lifetime. Schuldig...Schuldig was the only reason he lived anyway. /What am I going to do?/ he asked himself softly.
/Make it through this?/ the telepath whispered into his mind.
Somehow, that looked highly doubtful to the American. /Ah./
/That or take me with you./
He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the glass. That had been the only thing wrong about being dead. He'd been alone. And yet, he could never ask that of Schuldig. He'd fought so hard over the years to keep Schuldig alive, to keep the German with him and now...
/I don't want to live if you die.... so don't worry about that,/ the telepath continued. /So, if for some reason you find out that there's no way you're going to make it...../
/Why?/ he questioned. /Why wouldn't you go on without me?/
/Because you're the only reason I'm alive anyway. I hate life, Brad. I only deal with it because you help./
Brad shivered, not really knowing why. /Four days./
/I guess that's four days we have to help, ne?/
/I wish you wouldn't. I know you won't listen to me, but if I die, I wish you wouldn't follow me./
/Sorry, Braddy, but I'm selfish./
Brad grinned faintly. /That you are./
Schuldig grinned openly.
/Suki da./
Nagi sighed outside the door. He'd heard most of the conversation over the link that he shared with the two.
"It's bad, huh?" Omi asked, seeing the look on his face. He ducked his head sheepishly. "I was going to get ice, and couldn't help noticing your expression."
Nagi nodded. "It's not good... demo.... Those two have made it through a lot. I think they'll find a way to make it through this."
Omi nodded. "I hope so. They're not so bad, once you get to know them."
Nagi nodded and smiled slightly. "I don't want to loose them.... they're the only family I've really known. Schuldig would follow Crawford, no matter where he went."
"That's dedication." Omi said softly.
"That's Brad and Schu. They've been like that as long as I've known them."
"If there's anything I can do, you'll let me know, right?" Omi asked.
Nagi nodded, obviously thinking. "I need files about that girl and her powers. There will be something on her, I know it. Even if it's not classified as one thing or another, there will be notes or something if she went through Rosenkreuz." A ghost of a smile fell over the Japanese teen's face. "I can get into the documents, but I'll need someone else to speed up the process of looking around....."
"Absolutely." Omi grinned. "Let's get started."
Yohji grimaced as he peeled his jacket off his right arm. "No way to save that coat." He grumbled absently. Next came the shirt, and Yohji silently cursed himself for liking tight leather. It was definitely not paying off. He stared morosely his bloodied arm and sighed. /Um, hey Julia? I hate to bother you, but I've got a tiny question.../
/And what would that be?/ she replied slightly distantly.
/Do you have to be directly hit by one of those orb thingies to get the four days, or would a glancing blow do it?/
/Excuse me?/ Julia asked, her attention now fully on Yohji.
/I kind of knocked Aya out of the way, and it kind of ripped through my right arm. I don't want to alarm him, if that's at all possible.../
/Come over here. We'll have a look at you./
/Just answer me, Julia. I don't want to be patronized./
/It might. I'm... not entirely sure. Just come over here, Yohji, please?/
Yohji sighed again. That would require getting around Aya. /Fine./
The link was cut and Julia sat back on the bed. "We've got more trouble," she murmured.
Adrian looked up from his suitcase. "What kind of trouble?"
"Yohji was hit."
Adrian groaned. "Where?"
"Arm. He's coming over here now."
Yohji wiped as much of the blood off his arm as he could with a damp washcloth before hesitantly pulling the bathroom door open.
Aya was lying on the bed, half asleep. Maybe, just maybe, he could make his way out without disturbing the redhead...
The brunet assassin had one hand on the doorknob when Aya mumbled his name. Yohji held his breath, and Aya rolled over. He was half relieved, and half disappointed. However, there were more pressing things to be concerned about. He vanished down the hall.
Two violet orbs blinked open. "Yotan?"
Aya could instantly sense that he was alone. He stood, heart beat rising slightly, and walked towards the door. As he reached for the handle, he looked into the bathroom and saw the bloodstained washcloth. He flung open the door. "Yotan?!"
Julia stood and made her way over to the door. "Hello, Yohji.
"I didn't even knock.....
"The wonders of having a precog in the room," she answered as she motioned back towards Adrian. "Come on in."
The door shut behind him just in time to cut off Aya's slightly frantic call.
Yohji glanced at her and held out his right arm for inspection. "Anou?"
"You've lost a bit of blood, haven't you?" she muttered as she checked over it.
"If that's the worst of it, I'll be grateful."
Adrian tilted his head. "I think you've alarmed your partner."
"He's panicking out there," Julia added.
"Oh, Lord," Yohji breathed. "I thought he was asleep..." He yanked the hotel door open. "Ayan?" he called.
Aya's eyes were wide as he caught sight of him. "Yotan?" the redhead whispered.
Yohji smiled softly. "Hey..."
"There was blood in the bathroom... Yohji... what...?"
Yohji waved his uninjured hand in a motion of unconcern. "I just got a scratch, and Julia was kind enough to look at it for me. You were asleep, and I didn't want to wake you. It's fine though, right Julia?" The look he gave her told her not to say otherwise.
Julia smiled demurely. "Of course. Everything's fine. Just keep it wrapped so it doesn't get infected."
Yohji nodded. "Will do. Thanks." He led Aya down the hall and back to the room that they shared.
Julia sighed as she watched them go.
/The boy's not okay, is he?/ Adrian's voice rang in her head.
/I don't know. All the cases I've seen had hits near the heart. Yohji's right arm was hit. He'll still have the side effects, but we'll just have to wait and see for the result./ Julia answered.
/He could be dead before we find out./
/Damn it I know that. But there's nothing we can do either way. You and I both know that the girl has to die for Brad to survive. To kill the girl we have to kill Sushiko, and that's not going to be easy. We have a little less than four days. All we can do is fight or wait./
/Schuldig will do something stupid if we wait./
Julia sweatdropped. /I somehow doubt it. He knows...he knows Brad is dying. He won't leave him now, no matter what./
Adrian smiled slightly as he cupped his lover's face in his hands. "Do you see the future?" he whispered
/You know I'm not a precog./
/That's my point,/ he answered.
Julia suddenly pulled back and violently slapped him. "Damn you, don't you patronize me, Tomeda Adrian." She snarled. "If you know everything then why don't you go kill them all by yourself?" she demanded. "It's not like you ever needed me around to help you anyway." She said with finality, storming out of the hotel room.
Adrian frowned and growled a curse under his breath. He debated momentarily whether or not he should go after her, but his concern out ruled his anger.
Adrian glared slightly, but followed. "Jules!" he called out.
Aya leaned against the doorjamb of the bathroom and watched Yohji try to wrap his shoulder. The brunet was sitting on the edge of the bed, not having a very successful go of getting the bandage to actually stay on his shoulder. He might have actually gotten on if he had been focusing on it, but his mind was a million miles away. Aya stepped towards him and sat next to him on the bed. He gently pried the first aid kit out of Yohji's hands.
"Let me." He said quietly.
Yohji looked at him, mildly surprised, but allowed him to take over the job.
They were silent as Aya disinfected the cut and wrapped it. When he was finished, he slipped the kit under the bed. Violet eyes slid shut and Aya rested his forehead against Yohji's shoulder blade.
"She was lying, wasn't she?" he whispered.
"Eh?" Yohji responded halfheartedly. "Not as far as she told me...."
Aya cursed mentally. He could feel it on her, on Adrian. They had lied....
"Ayan?" Yohji asked, bringing the younger man out of his thoughts. "Diajoubu ka?"
Aya looked up at him with fierce eyes. "Don't lie to me. I could never forgive it."
Yohji sighed and brushed his thumb against Aya's cheek. "I just don't know, Ayan. Julia didn't know. As usual with me, nobody knows. But hey, it's me. I could survive anything short of nuclear holocaust."
Aya grinned faintly. "And you be one to try." His expression turned serious. "But if you're sick…"
"I'm not. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me."
Aya nodded slowly.
"Julia!" Adrian called out again as he grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her so she was facing him.
Emerald eyes flashed as she jerked her arm out his grasp. "What?" she snapped.
Something akin to hurt flashed through Adrian's dark eyes. "Jules.... I was warning you. That's it."
"Well then warn Schuldig, if he's the one you had a vision about."
"I thought you might have wanted to know what was going on."
"Schuldig doing stupid isn't knowing what's going on, it's knowing his daily routine."
"Then I won't let you in on it next time," Adrian growled. "Don't expect me to be quite as protective over him, though. If he wants to go get himself killed, it's his business. I thought you might have wanted a say in it, though."
"I am so sick of your self-righteous, all-knowing attitude...." Julia started to say, but was cut off when the air was robbed from her lungs. She gasped and grabbed the wall for support.
"Julia?" Adrian called to her. He hadn't seen this..... what was this? "Jules?"
She looked up at him, eyes wide with pain and fear. "Adrian?" she whispered. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.
"Julia! You...." he growled, knowing the girl could hear him. "Let her go!"
Kuroyuri sighed from her place down the hall and toyed with a strand of her black hair. "On my word, this isn't my doing. I wasn't here for her."
"Then leave her alone."
"Aren't you listening? I'm not doing this."
"Then who the hell is?!"
She shrugged. "How should I know? Perhaps...yes, that's it."
"What?"
"You said that the last time Julia used her healing powers she was comatose for a week?"
"What of it?"
"Well, she would have been fine except that with people like Julia and I, overexertion is a killer. Her heart rate went through the roof during your little tiff and -bam- her body couldn't take it." She walked over and patted him on the cheek. "You're bad for her health, dear." She moved past him.
"You can save her though, can't you?" he growled out.
Kuroyuri let out a short laugh. "You're kidding, right?"
"I'll do whatever you ask."
That sparked her interest. "Really?" she purred.
"You heard me."
"Very well. Daniel and I are building a puzzle. It's missing a piece. If you promise to get it for me, I'll heal her."
"I said anything, didn't I?"
"Give me your word as a man of honor."
"You have it."
She smiled widely. "Wonderful. This piece gives off an energy pulse. Neither Daniel nor I can attune to it, so we can't find it. But I can attune you to it. You have two days, Tomeda Adrian." She snapped her fingers and Julia sucked in a ragged breath and blinked several times. Kuroyuri vanished. Her other target could wait.
Adrian dropped down next to Julia, pulling her close. "Jules?"
/I'm sorry.../ She whispered mentally, trying to get her bearings.
/I am too.../
/What happened?/
/Nothing that you need to worry about, Jules./ He scooped her up. /Just rest./
/I didn't mean the things I said.../
/I know. Don't worry about it. Everything's going to be all right./
/I love you, Adrian./ She said, falling asleep against his shoulder.
/I love you too..... and I'm sorry...../
Aya fussed a bit more with the wrap job he had done on Yohji's arm, but finally he finished and gave Yohji's arm a gentle pat. "You're all set." he said softly.
Yohji grinned and stretched his arm out. "Good as new! Domo!"
Aya made a small noise of acknowledgement and sat back against the headboard, eyes distant.
"Hey, you're not still worried, are you?" the darker haired man asked as he sat down next to him.
"We should have stayed in Tokyo." Aya said raggedly.
"Nah... Think about what this money could do for Aya-chan, ne?"
"You can't be replaced by twenty-million dollars, Yotan."
"I'm not going to have to be replaced."
Aya let his head fall to Yohji's shoulder. "No, you won't."
Yohji smiled as he put his arm around his friend and hugged him. "No one's going to die out here, Ayan. Don't worry."
"Promise...you won't leave me behind..." Aya murmured, not realizing he'd said it aloud.
"I won't leave you behind."
Aya smiled and let himself fall asleep against his companion. Yohji kept his word, no matter what.
Schuldig stirred from where he had fallen asleep next to where he had fallen sleep next to Brad. His golden eyes fluttered open. "Brad?" he mumbled.
The American woke at the sound of his name and found that he was shivering uncontrollably. "Yeah?" he murmured back.
"You okay?"
Brad cursed mentally as the chattering of his teeth caused him to bite his tongue.
"I'm just cold."
"You sure? You're shields seem weaker."
Brad shrugged. "Headache... Did you need something?"
The German shook his head as he looked away. /I'm just worried about you./
/I'm all right.../ Brad said, trying to huddle under the covers. He was so cold....
/Please don't lie.../
/I'm just cold.../ or so he thought. He realized in the next instant he was going to be sick. He threw the covers back and stumbled for the bathroom.
Schuldig's eyes followed him and he stood slowly. "Brad?"
Brad leaned his head against the cold porcelain of the toilet seat after his stomach returned to its normal place and out of his throat. This wasn't good.
Schuldig's cool hand pressed against the American's warm forehead. /We can't just sit around here and wait./
/What can we do?/
/I can do something. You just hang tight./
Brad grabbed his wrist. /Where are you going?/ he demanded.
/To find you some help,/ the telepath responded, pulling his wrist free.
The American found his words stuck in his brain, unable to get them out, unable to ask the German not to leave him, and by the time he could control his thought process Schuldig was gone.
The telepath walked down the hallway at a decent speed. He would not let Brad die. He'd give up his own life before he'd let the American give his.
/Nagi!/ Brad rasped into the younger boy's mind. /Nagi, get after Schuldig!/
/What?/
/GO!!/ The clairvoyant bellowed.
Nagi was nearly blown over by the mental shout. "Something's wrong," he mumbled to Omi, and disappeared into to hallway.