A/N: Ugh, late update… waaaaaaaaa…. Weird chapter too. But I hope it's okay. I hope… There are flashback sequences too and they're taken at two different times. On AFTER the epi in Gluhen where Schwarz shows up. (the building and blah, Epitaph place) and the other one is well… that will spoil you. But I'll reveal it sooner or later.
Disclaimer: … you know the drill…
Please forgive typos
Warnings: This chapter is just plain weird and screwed.
Locked
Chapter 12
They've finally arrived on the island and everyone was gathered on the solitary building in the whole territory and it's now the time of the auction as all the tyrants and the mafia bosses gathered together like one family. (a family that have no fear of killing each other if ever provoked) Right now they're just waiting for the man behind this all to go on that stage and start business. And everyone was dressed to impress but Schuldig didn't care to change.
Who the hell needs to when you're hot with or without clothes?
He smirked at his thought. Maybe he's being too cocky… nah, he's just modest enough to state the truth.
He turned his head slightly, his hands in his pockets. Ahh… so he attracted the young daughter of a drug dealer and her lady friends from where they were he can see the gleam of lust in their eyes, mind reading for a moment didn't seem so useful. What age would you say was young? 18? He sighed silently. So young and already involved in this kind of crap… how pitiful. He could blend easily in such a crowd… filled with rich foreigners and Japanese people but where ever he fit in… he didn't find so entertaining.
Surely, when he walked around the Tokyo streets anyone could spot him from miles away. He was foreign and the people didn't want him around. But here it was as if he was surrounded by people of his own blood. He didn't want to see the same thing all time and everyday but of course there were exceptions.
Being around the same thing was uninteresting and orthodox and too much of that can kill him. Besides, the thoughts of irritation were one his favorite flavors. So what if he isn't Japanese? He's better than most of them at any rate.
Cutting, for a moment, his inner monologue he took a side glance at his partner who was socializing with the much older men of the dark areas. He narrowed his gaze at one of them, who had a champagne glass in one hand and clad richly in a tux. So he wanted Ran as a future business partner… and if he was lucky a young fuc- toy… And the woman beside HIS Ran… ahh.. the slut with huge breasts and seemed to like holding people and leaning on people and tonight she had picked the young swordsman as a ticket for more cash and a good place to stay.
Dream on… He thought. A waiter passed by in front of him with a tray of martini glasses and he got one swiftly, took in a little of its scent and a small sip. Ahh… Alcohol… The only thing that can comfort him now, he can't get too close to Ran in this kind of place, they both have to look like they're here for business and not to screw around. Something like 'no public affection'.
Or so Crawford had told him. Why did they have to listen to him? Oh yeah… they were in a mission… he always seemed to forget…
Crawford is mean.
And old… don't forget old.
Ugh… big-breast-lady is really pushing it…
He took another sip. If he didn't take any alcohol he'll start burning and get into some narcissistic rage and start killing everyone near Ran. He's jealous… envious of everyone who can be near him. He's obsessed… but you have to obsessed with something yes? No one can live without the blaze of an obsession…
/Speaking of a blaze…/ The German said through a telepathic line to the one who entered through the doorway. He could sense her easily but can't read her thoughts. He turned his head to look at her. /Someone is looking nice…/
Yasumi, dressed in a black backless gown with beading. It had two slits on both sides exposing a large portion of her legs, the cross pendant now connected to a wrist band that she wore. There were eyes filled with interest following her like a dinner being served to the dining table. /Eat it, German./
/Ouch./ He responded mock hurt. He watched her fade away into the crowd with a smug smile on her face. She's being fed to the lions and she doesn't give a crap that she may never come back. Of course… that was just an exaggeration of how vicious the people here are. Yasumi can handle herself, lions or dragons or insanely cute animals, one or all or none at all and can ravage you into nothing… she can handle it.
Or so she LOOKS like she can handle it. You can never really tell with people like her…
Famous or people who want to keep a good image always, anywhere and everywhere they just had to wag their feathers and baam you have the next multi-millionaire. Sad part… you got your money through selling drugs. Good part, they don't know that. Yasu didn't sell drugs… but she was evil to the core and that was his point.
And Schuldig… is he evil? Nope, he's… (since old words are still very much breathing) misunderstood. But… that was the excuse of the insane, the ones in denial, the guilty.
He's spending too much time alone, his thoughts are beyond his usual… sooner or later he'll think too much and come up with complicated philosophies like what Ran's mind has been lately filled with. The thought scared him. Ugh… reminds me of history lessons. Yuck… (Yeah, he promised not to read Ran's mind, but can he help it? He's only human.)
Finally after a while he finished his beverage, he gave a longing glance at Ran before he walked off toward a different direction. The buffet looked like something he might take his anger on.
lllllll
He watched him leave through the other direction. He really wanted to be closer but what can he do? Crawford seemed dead serious, possibly and public affection can jeopardize their purpose. It's always for the mission… all his life. Everything is a mission.
But with Schuldig it wasn't… he wasn't pressured and he was not bound by anything and no one can see what's wrong because it's just the both of them.
But now he's surrounded by these people, who smelled of lust and cigarettes and some intoxicatingly expensive and rich perfume and dressed too richly for comfort. He felt out of place but he had been doing well in hiding that truth.
"We will now begin our main event." The woman dressed in white up that stage spoke brightly and everyone looked at her and the man beside her on a stand and a wooden hammer to be used for the event. Everything then quieted down and it seemed colder than it was earlier. And everyone else around me seemed to swim away and I was left alone… finally.
/Schuldig, Ran… let's go./ Crawford's voice sounded in his head, seems that Schuldig had connected him to their psychic link. He looked around for both men and saw them silently moving closer to stage, where the auction was already taking place and a few items were in the verge of being sold.
"We'll start the bid at 1 million! Who says 1.2?!"
"1.4m!"
"1.4m to the gentleman with a green suit! Who says 1.6?!"
"Me! 1.6m!!"
/Hey, Schu…/ Ran's voice interrupted suddenly causing Schuldig to shrug but he continued walking silently. /I have… a bad feeling about this./
/Nah. Don't worry Ran… everything will be-/
/3… 2…1./ Crawford counted backwards and then a sound of a piercing scream resounded in the air, causing time to stop abruptly and all the good air to be taken in one gasp.
llllll
He yawned unintentionally, I can tell by the way he turned away and hoped I wouldn't notice. We've been waiting here a little longer than intended but does that really matter? Either way we came for the same purpose.
Death.
I peered at the building and took a side glance at my brother, seeing the drowsiness in his eyes I wonder in my own thoughts. "Crimson… what's the matter?"
He looked at me, trying to hold a smile up so he'd look innocent. But he isn't and none of us were. "Nothing Desert… I was just thinking…" He looks away.
He misses him… I can tell. We haven't seen them in months and they left without warning and without a trace. But it's no good for me to wonder on. I've never really been open minded too much and when I accepted my brother's relationship with him I knew something would break it off and I know my brother knows just as well. So why does he bother?... Why? What good will it do?
After Schuldig left he had dyed hair black but mine was kept Crimson. Why? Why is he so bitter still? Why?
"Desert."
I snap out of my thoughts at the sound of my name. I look at my other companion, Lupus, impassive and emotionless. "Let's go."
And I make myself obliged to his command.
llllll
And there were more piercing screams coming from outside the closed doors. People began to panic nearing the stage and keeping away from the doors, trying to pass the stage where the auction had halted Ran stayed still though, by his side was Schuldig who stayed cautiously by his side.
What withers dies
No truth, no lies
In this place where darkness creeps
Please just let me sleep
He didn't know why he didn't move or react or scream or fret or in anyway panic, all he could do was stand and stare at how everyone just somehow ended up laying breathlessly on their own pools of blood. Why he couldn't move he couldn't grasp and why Schuldig didn't move or tell him to move he couldn't grasp either.
What the hell… is happening?
The only thing in his head was the fact that…
he had this incredulous desire
…to sleep and fall into the land of dreams.
And he awoke.
What the hell? He asked himself that same question, now regaining the liberty to move but now really couldn't due to the fact that he was tied down to a pillar. He looked around silently, noticing the other people who have been tied down and who were all unconscious.
/Thank God you're actually awake…/ He heard the voice of the German in his head.
/Schu…?/ he spoke back in the telepathic line, he searched his radius more urgently. /Where the hell are you? And why is everyone tied up?/
/I'm right behind you, in the other end of this gods forsaken pillar with this strange wire like thing that NOTE: I strangely cannot break…/ Ran looked down taking note of at the source of the other man's irritation, how the black thick ropes seemed eerie and he looked around too see everyone is else tied down by the same material. /I don't freaking no why I'm tied or why anyone is, I was SOMEHOW, ME, was ACTUALLY rendered UNCONSCIOUS./
/Schu… did you get drunk?/ Aya cut in but to have his remark go unnoticed.
/And I have no idea where Crawford, who is, once again, NOTE: is ignoring me and Yasumi freaking disappeared and I feel so freaking drunk and freaking pissed and freaking tired and… other freaking things that I cannot freaking put into freaking words!!!/ He complained nearly violent enough to give Ran a headache. /And you, YES YOU RAN don't you dare try to ignore me!/ He said demandingly when he heard Ran mentally sigh and then felt him jolt back to life with the telepath's command. /…Do know how lame a freaking curse word 'freaking' freaking is?!... It's like-/
/We have to get out of here./ Aya cut in monotone and irritated. Mental ranting is so much worse than the actual hearable ones. He looked around again. /And there are no guards or whatever around here… is the work or terrorists?/
/Ran, love, as important you are to me…/ He paused. /and as important it is to get the hell out of this place… I would greatly appreciate it if you kept quiet and allow me vent my almost secret feelings for you and for the ones around you, who I noticed love you SO MUCH…/ He said with a hint of sarcasm on the part where he spoke of the strangers that were around Ran.
/Schu, dear, as MUCH as you really are ANNOYING me right now… I am willing to forgive you if you keep quiet and help me find a way to get out of here and leave this shit hole…/ He said exaggerating a few words, his head hurt and he was still feeling groggy after all that had happened and he wanted to go lie down and sleep till he can't sleep anymore.
/Fine! Be that way…/ He said and added a 'sniff' for the 'sad' effect. /Just freaking promise that after all this is over…/ There was an intense pause.
/What?/ Ran said impatiently.
/That…/ He paused again. /That I am allowed to screw you senseless and we can call it all even!/
Ugh, what the hell. As long as he shuts up… /Fine…/ He said dryly and got some strange giddy yelp from the German as a reply. He's drunk he'll probably forget anyway… He spoke again to himself. He had enjoyed their love making. No doubt but then he was you know…
Not feeling ready again?
Ugh… Not now… think about later it, Ran… later when you're not some hostage… With that he tried again to struggle away from his ties but it was as expected, completely futile. /Schu, what the hell do we do?.../
/…Wait…/ And in a few moments the bonds were loose and on the ground on top of his feet. /There! All finished!/ With that remark he can feel the grin spread like mayo on Schuldig's lips.
/…I thought you said you couldn't FREAKING UNTIE US!!/ Ran screamed and maybe even echoed at the vastness of his own now empty mind.
/Well you know… Yeah…/
/DID YOU JUST TRICK ME INTO… UGH!/ He screamed mentally and almost thought he nearly said it aloud for everyone to hear. And once again easily lured into the German's net of evil immoral schemes and then he took a deep breath. And then he exhaled that bundle of bad air, he needed to calm down. The man is drunk… He will forget… He will not take a promise against him… because he will forget… /Let's go…/ Think happy thoughts…
/Aww, Ran you're so cute all vulnerable./ Schuldig answered taking small strides toward the door. /Let's go, Crawford is waiting for us in the boat./
Another lie…
Somehow… he didn't think he was drunk period… he will remember.
llllll
And nothing else mattered… No one else matters.
I stared at him and he stared back. His green eyes locked into mine and couldn't help but smirk. He's angry and I am the source of that anger. He is bitter and I am the source of that bitterness. He is Guilty and I am the source of that Guiltiness. Reality couldn't change that in any other way. Nobody can. Nobody will.
There was a thick mist surrounding us like a choking blanket, unable to see anything but each other, unable to think of anything else but it each other.
"It was you wasn't it?" He asked, his voice has lost its annoying playful tone that it usually bore. "You were the one who made me this way."
"Was I? Aren't you a lot older than me?" I responded calmly.
"You got me into trouble in the first place. You had them find me, how old were you? 13?" He answered his voice is shaking; he is finding it hard to talk without bursting his anger at me. He knows that if he does he will lose. He knows that I am stronger than him and he will lose. "Why did you do it?"
"I began killing people when I was 10. Kogo started when he was 13." I averted away from his questions. I don't need to answer, not now anyway. "Because I was better at it than he was. And you were at the wrong place at the wrong time, Lance. Or must I use the name Schuldig?"
He nearly laughed, but it was dark and so was the grin forming on his lips. "You got me into that hell, Rosenkreuz… You were the one who killed my father."
It was my turn to laugh. "You sound like you have a grudge, but really you don't. Not on me anyway." He snorted and I smiled back. "That's why you named yourself, Schuldig. Because you know you are the marked and I, I'm simply one who wants to follow you and you wouldn't be alive today if you didn't get into Rosenkreuz." I paused. "You wouldn't have met Kogo. You wouldn't have met Schwarz, either. And both of us wouldn't have this lovely reunion surrounded by a cloak of white that defies us both."
Silence screamed.
"We're very the same… Aren't we, Yasumi?" he spoke almost as it relieved him of his mark. Guilt.
"Only because we are marked by the same demon." I answered and he laughed.
"Yes, the very same demon."
llllll
"They are coming." Crawford said allowed and Yasumi, who was by his side nodded. Behind them was the helicopter and inside was Lupus, ready to leave when they had to. "We didn't find the morph, did we?"
"We did." The woman answered and the taller man looked at her quizzically.
"Oh?"
"Yes, but she is with some other team. So we no longer need to worry about her."
"I see." Came an impassive reply, he looked at his wrist watch and then looked ahead to see two faint silhouettes. "They're here." And then both figures came into view and stopped at the side of the helicopter. "You're late."
"We had a little people to take care of." Schuldig answered in between pants. When are we leaving?"
"After a certain event." The American replied and looked at his watch again.
"Event?" Ran asked confused. Then a ticking sound came into his ear. He became even more dazed. He didn't even understand why he was tied up in the first place and now this? No one seemed to wasn't to explain the situation at this time and Schuldig hasn't said anything since they were in that room. So what now?
"5… 4… 3…2… 1." Crawford whispered
Boom.
The island exploded once in the middle, then one and the left and right. Dust started to make it's way around and the boat was swaying from side to side at the impact.
"I hope Winters was in that explosion." Yasumi remarked and Schuldig nearly laughed but probably couldn't due to the fact that the bat was still moving and swaying frantically. "Weiss really does have a way with explosives."
Weiss?
"You mean-" before the young red head could finish his sentence Yasumi nodded and everything began to settle and calm.
"I'll fill you in with the details later." She answered and got into the helicopter first. And the rest followed soon after.
llllll
"They are getting away, sir." A woman remarked. Face covered by darkness and she was regarding the man who sat relaxed on his chair.
"I know."
"You won't be able to stop them, will you sir?" She asked.
"Can't even if I tried." He answered, calm, taking a sip from the red wine he had on his hand. "We will get them later."
"Yes sir." With that she vanished. And he was left alone in the hollowness of his own abyss.
Tsujiimoto. FujimiyaTBC…
I would like to apologize for this chapter was REALLY weird and blah. Sorry, sorry! But if you enjoyed that would be great. -smiley-
Review please!