The Hunting – Chapter 4: Night Descending
Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss, I don't own Schwarz, I don't own Japan, I don't own the weather, I don't own beer, I don't own food, I don't own the Koneko, I don't own water, I don't own pop, I don't own Ritalin, I don't own America, and I don't own snow. I own nothing, except for the ummmm idea? I think... I might not even own that either. 0.o
Ran pushed a beer in front of Schuldich. "Okay," he said, sitting down opposite the telepath, opening a can of pop. "So, have you decided to tell me what you've done with Ken and Omi?"
"I personally did nothing, nor did the other two young ones from Schwarz. But," he took a swig from his beer, "I have a theory."
"Oh, holy day! He has a theory," he proclaimed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Ran narrowed his eyes. "Theories won't save them."
"They might." Schuldich shrugged. "Anyway, I think that we oughta pool our information. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you. Maybe more. And definitely before it's too late."
This was one thing Ran caught. "Too late?" He asked. "For what?"
"End of the world, my man. You know, that whole thing. Something similar to a mass revenge, I suppose." He took a long good drink from the bottle, sighed, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand while Ran waited, semi-patiently for him to speak. "Anyway, I think we both have reason to believe it was Crawford who kidnapped the children. But it's not reason enough. It's all... well, circumstantial evidence we're leaning on here."
"You mean to say that you don't know that Crawford took them?" Ran sounded both doubtful and disappointed. "How can you not know? You're a telepath."
"As true as that may be," Schuldich nodded, "Crawford has these shields that keep me out. I don't always know what goes on in his little head. I think... I think he's up to something, and it's not just about your stupid Ritalin, got that?" He pointed a finger at Ran. "I need your help, as much as it pains me to say that."
"My Ritalin's not stupid," Ran muttered. And then, after Schuldich cocked an eyebrow at him, he said, "You're stupid... Stupid."
"If I'm stupid, what does that make you? Completely brainless? Retarded? Help me out, would you? I can't think of anymore names to call you." He waved his beer in the air. "Come on, help."
"Ha! Look who's brainless now!"
"Shut up! You're the one who thought I knew something about your stupid children!"
"They're not stupid either!"
"They're the ones who got themselves kidnapped. Stupid children couldn't fight against an old man!"
"Hey! He's only twenty-seven, according to Omi. And he can see the future. You call that fair? They're not stupid!"
"Yes, they are! They're all stupid!"
"Stop yelling!"
"Okay!"
Ran rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. So why does Crawford want my teammates? And why does he want my Ritalin?"
Schuldich was busy sucking down the last of his beer. And then, "I don't know. Do I look like I know?"
Ran nodded.
"Well, I don't. I was hoping you would get me more beer, wench, and then you could tell me what he wants. I don't know why he wants the children, but that's because I've been led to believe that he wants your damned Ritalin."
"Why do you think that?" He stood and got Schuldich another beer. Best to keep the assassin occupied with the sweet nectar.
"Because you thought it."
Ran stayed where he was and blew up, coming to a realization. "He doesn't want the Ritalin! I was only worried about taking it. I wasn't sure if I'd already had some that afternoon, or not. Besides, I hate shots."
Schuldich banged his head on the table. "We're in deep shit."
Ran looked out the window. "It's night. They're going to be here soon. That shit just got deeper."
Schuldich looked up at him. "Do us both a favor, okay? Don't attempt to be funny, okay? You're not good at it."
"You're going after Yoji tonight, aren't you?" Ken asked Crawford when he next visited with food. His eyes were on Omi. The little boy was asleep in one corner, wrapped up like a mummy in the tattered blankets.
"Yes." He stood and left.
Outside, the snow was up past his waist. He muttered to himself about his plan, and how he hated weather with a passion burning of the fires from the pits in the bowels of the hottest Hell. He had until the end of the week, and off to America it was, and then Japan would be gone.
There would be no blame on them. It was a perfect plan. Except that he would have to get out of there before he died with the rest of them of the cold, if he wasn't on schedule. He had to cut it pretty damn close. He would come back and recruit the survivors. It was supposed to be fun. That's all it ever was. Fun. World domination was fun. So was destruction.
After all, what would the world have been without chaos? Even in Genesis. In the beginning, there was nothing, and then, begotten of nothing, was chaos. Destruction world start the world anew, with them, the most powerful of mortals, at the top. Though, it wasn't power they were working towards, it was the cleansing of the human race, and satiating of their boredom.
Crawford stepped into the Koneko through the door and immediately cursed. He would have to hurry. They would catch him soon. He had ten minutes, nothing more, nothing less. They would know he was there. Seeing the future did not tell him his fate, it gave him warnings so he could make his own fate, or at least feel like he still had a choice. After all, free will is a gift from God.
He picked out Yoji's room and stepped in. Shocked eyes met him and then the blonde assassin was up, lunging at the intruder. Crawford clamped a hand over his mouth and held it here. Yoji struggled some in his arms, then went limp as a doll.
It took Crawford a moment to realize that a girl was staring up at him in horrification. He took her too. Her blood would be put to waste if left there to freeze or poisoned with a bullet. If she had stayed, she would tell the others who took the beloved assassin. She would throw away his entire plan.
The footsteps were coming, and he knew it. He would have to leave here and now. He pulled open the window, and then, with each body held under an arm, he jumped out, surprised that his muscles didn't protest. It was exhilarating, landing in the snow. He ducked under and dug through the powdery snow with his body, making a frosty getaway beneath the blanket of Mother Nature. Shortly, he grew sore, and he had to find someone to help him. He paid them handsomely when they got to the hiding place.
"Wait here. I'll give you more when I'm finished," he commanded, going on into the room. He dropped the lecherous man to the floor at Hidaka's feet.
"I'm hungry," Ken complained.
"I'll take care of it," Crawford assured him, and then turned. "Give me a few hours. I'll bring food and water." He left. The man he'd paid to wait was shaking of the cold, with the half naked woman in his arms. "Come here," Crawford said.
He killed him, and then the woman, took the riches, and buried them far away, where snow would soon pile up, holding them forever in her icy grip. These were the lucky ones, the ones to die before freezing.
"Good God!" Ran exclaimed, bursting into the room. "He jumped!"
"We still don't know for sure that it was him," Schuldich pointed out as they both looked out the window, eyes on the massive imprint of a man who held two bodies.
"Where did he go? There are no tracks, except for where they landed." Ran was going mad, just a little bit, it seemed, by the frantic sound of his voice. "God! Yoji had a... a..." He was at a loss for the right word.
"A friend?" Schuldich supplied.
"Yes. Yes, a friend. God... He had a friend here."
"And she's gone."
"Yes." A long sigh of regret followed.
"You state the obvious," Schuldich said," and need to be told the obvious," and then he leaned out the window. He jumped from the ledge. "Come on, Fujimiya! It's not so bad down here!" He dug through the snow some. "Hey! A tunnel."
Ran shook his head and jumped out, and then groaned when he landed. "I can't believe that I'm actually working with you, my sworn enemy."
"First of all, I wouldn't say I'm your sworn enemy. Maybe the Takatoris, but it sure as hell is not me. And, second of all, I can't believe I'm letting you work for me. Also, I can't believe that I'm not drunk yet." He ducked down and began crawling. "Come along, Abyssinian."
"I'm cold," Ran complained as he crawled behind the German. "And I can't see. It's much too dark."
Schuldich ignored him. "It looks as if they carried both bodies at the same time. One in each arm. Whoever it is, is very, very strong. Probably buff, and probably really hot. I don't think it's Crawford." He stopped, and then cursed and called Ran some very bad names in a few random languages when the redhead ran into the telepath's ass and his own had collided into what felt like really cold brick.
"Why'd you stop?!" Ran yelled at him over and over while taking the verbal abuse. "Why'd you stop?!"
"The damned tunnel collapsed, idgit!" Schuldich screamed.
"Well, dig through it!"
"It's solid ice. And you have to back out. Now, go, okay? Go!"
"I'm going you... frickin'... tyrant!" Ran was having trouble dealing with calling people bad names.
"Come up with a better name while you're at it, too."
As he'd promised, Crawford brought more food. "With the three of you, I'm going to have some difficulty keeping you asleep, keeping you from plotting an escape..." He suddenly smiled, a malicious grin placing itself across his face. "I've got an idea," he said to Ken whom was the only one awake, and in turn, greedily consuming the food and water.
He looked up slowly from lapping up the water. "Wh... What... is it?" he asked carefully, wiping his dripping chin.
Crawford savored the puzzlement and fear in Ken's voice. Then, he looked to Ken, not turning his body. "Every one has his day to die," he stated. He bent down and picked up the sleeping boy. "Or rather, night."
He stepped out into the night, and destroyed Omi's soul. Eternal Night descended upon the boy, enslaving him to Her will, gripping him, pulling him into and beyond Death. Into the Holiest of Unholy Nights.
To Be Continued...