A/N: Special thanks to 'Suninun' who reviewed the last chapter and gave me a grin with her depictions of everyone's favourite evil assassins plus one OC's expressions! Hope this chapter meets your expectations! And guess what? I think this chappie might even make a decent length! ;;
Disclaimer: Did I say I owned Weiss Kreuz ::points to the guy standing next to her:: wasn't me! Don't sue!! ;;
Telepathic communication
Flames Of Insanity – Chapter 11
Crawford blinked twice, trying to figure out what the hell had happened to the entrance hall that he could have sworn was there when he left. It took him a moment to register the fact that the out of place object, which had obviously triggered a lot of other mishaps, such as the shattered vases, tables and mirrors, was a banister wedged on a crazy angle between the walls of the hall and blocking and further progression. The entire hall was covered with dust and to top it all off the American couldn't for the life of him see a way to get through it all to the other side. Just as he was beginning to collect his thoughts on the matter and who was going to be to blame when his thoughts were verified with a familiar German voice calling,
"Hi, Braddie! Nagi redecorated – do you like it?"
Fighting to keep his voice calm, biting back as much sarcasm as physically possible without causing a vein to burst, Crawford called back, hoping to hell that Anna couldn't see past him into the hall,
"It looks lovely, Schuldig. Now can you and Nagi make a path through this chaos so that our new friend can get through the front door?"
Schuldig zipped down the stairs grinning, passing a dumbstruck Nagi on the way, to stand at the opposite end of the hall to Crawford. Upon seeing the leader's face contorted into an odd grimacing scream he was very glad that there was a good two and a half meters of chaos between himself and the American as he snickered and quipped,
"But you're not new, Braddie! We see you almost everyday!" Grinning more broadly now Schuldig continued, "And you're already through the front door!"
Crawford was very tempted to reach for his gun, the only thing stopping him was the knowledge that the Telepath would dodge it and that unfortunately the German was an important part of their team. Not even Crawford would claim to be a better manipulator or quicker in a tight spot than the red- head. Forcing his face into a vague semblance of it's normal state, only the drastically creased brows showing any hint of his true emotions he said,
"Thank you for that enlightening speech. Can you let us through now?"
Crawford was suddenly very aware that Anna was shifting restlessly behind him and his vision blurred, a searing pain dashed across his temples, spreading across behind his eyes and he clenched them in pain. Schuldig's annoyance eliciting face dropped and he said quickly,
"Crawford, what is it?"
The hallway was still in chaos, but he feels something push his shoulder, electric blue eyes caught his in a deadly glare as they leapt past. With a sinking heart he saw the girl nimbly flit up the crumbling pile of debris. He is astonished that she can move so silently up the precarious pile, so swiftly and still not dislodge a single piece. Astonishment turns to gut wrenching shock as small fireball forms in her hand. Her freak-like eyes locked on Schuldig...
His vision cleared as quickly as it had left and he whirled around to see those blue eyes catching his as they passed and he bit back a strangled yelp. Watching his vision unfurl, still impressed with the way the girl moved – swift and silent in a way that couldn't be taught. Regaining his senses he yelled with all the might his fumbling mind could muster,
Schuldig! MOVE!!
The German winced as Crawford's yell shattered his well- constructed mental shields. Seconds later he had rebuilt them, but by the time he returned to the normal mental plane he saw the tiny Pyrokinetic girl standing with her feet spread and braced as she balanced on the teetering banister that sat on a crazy angle in the hall. A fist- sized vortex of fire was spinning in her hand. Schuldig didn't move instantly, though every muscle was twitching with nervous energy, instead he raised his navy eyes to meet the girl's electric blue's, the flames in her hand reflected in their depths. Slowly, maintaining eye-contact, he bowed and said,
"Forgive my manners, a pleasure to meet you."
Anna raised an ebony eyebrow and merely remained watching him. Schuldig smiled slowly and asked cryptically,
"So, little firefly, what shall I call you?"
Schuldig...Crawford's voice rang a warning in his mind and he merely blinked and responded calmly,
Quiet, Braddie. I'm investigating...
The corners of the teen's mouth twitched and she replied,
"Little Firefly sounds excellent."
She's 17, nothing off the top on her history...she likes Elvis, that's different!
Schuldig smiled and said aloud, his eyes never leaving the girl who had him guarded,
"Well, Little Firefly, welcome to the humble abode we care to call home. We hope you will have a pleasant stay..."
She smirked and her electric blues shifted with suppressed laughter for a minute moment before returning to their expressionless former state,
"If the entire 'abode you call home' is crafted like this, I'm sure I will."
She's likes romance novels, she's never been outside of Japan...
Schuldig chuckled loudly then and grinned at her saying,
"You're good."
She smirked again and replied,
"Yes, Telepath, I am."
Schuldig called over to Crawford, who was standing perplexed behind Anna,
"Ignore all that, Crawford, she was feeding me a load of crap!"
Anna chuckled and leapt silently off the banister, flames still in her hand. This time Schuldig really did move, sashaying to one side so the girl landed soundlessly on the well sprung wooden floorboards and grinned at him,
"Scared you."
Schuldig shrugged and replied coolly,
"Touché, Little Firefly."
She chuckled, a little louder this time and Schuldig heard a clear, distinctive voice slip past his mind, he caught it just before it left,
So, Telepath, how do I know I can trust you?
Ahhh, now that would be telling, Little Firefly. I don't tell anything until you tell first.
I asked first.
Close, but no cigar, Firefly.
You haven't even asked me what you want me to tell, I have. Answer and I'll consider answering yours.
Heh, Firefly, you play a quick game, except for the fact that I'm the master and you are the novice in this exercise. If you'll only consider answering mine then I will only consider answering yours.
So consider away, O Master Telepath, for although you are good, I'll admit. You are not the best – otherwise this 'novice's' trick would never have fooled you.
Firefly, someone has trained you well, however what makes you think I didn't just play along...?
Crawford stood doing his best stunned mullet expression - the one that got used about once a year and was reserved for special occasions such as Farfarello creating a particularly creative method by which to kill a person, Nagi's various 'mishaps' such as the one displayed before him at the current moment and Schuldig's ability to worm his way out of seemingly anything. Though he couldn't hear the conversation he knew that gleam in Schuldig's eye and swore that if Anna could slip her way out unscathed he would shoot himself. It was a feat he had not yet been able to manage. He also didn't want to stop them, the German often brought out the worst in people and Crawford decided that before he could trust this girl he had to see how she dealt with a truly tricky Telepath.
Telepath, why bother? If you were able to see through my little charade you must have been able to access the real goods.
Firefly, you amaze me, were you a Telepath in a past life?
Not last time I checked.
Schuldig shrugged and said with a slowly growing smirk,
Firefly, you would do well to remember this. Never play mind games with a Telepath – you won't win.
He looked over at Crawford and said,
"Crawford, she's quick I'll grant her, but she's not a natural Telepath, only Pyrokinetic. She's well trained but she could be broken down. She's got brilliant shields but they have flaws. She's got grey areas but I'm not stupid enough to touch them...yet. She's smart and has an excellent grasp of English."
He grinned at the girl whose eyes had widened slightly with shock,
"Sorry, Firefly." He stuck out a hand and said, "My name's Schuldig."
Anna slowly raised her eyes to meet his again and she said with a wry smile and she nodded to his hand,
"Du bist wirklich Schuldig, Telepathische." (You are truly guilty, Telepath)
Schuldig chuckled and called to Crawford,
"And she speaks lovely German!"
Crawford groaned inwardly.