Chapter one. I had to cut this up into sections, because when I was writing it, I just.. wrote. So I broke it into chapters to make it easier to read. I hope you enjoy it!
As always, none of the characters (unless otherwise stated) belong to me. They all belong to Takehito Koyasu-sama, and the rest of the Weiss troupe, Shin'ichiro Miki, Seki Tomokazu, and Yuuki Hiro. Or is it Hiro Yuuki? I can never remember…. sweatdrops
Omi'd ducked down to hide from the former Black Assassins, but they'd known precisely where to find him.
Schuldig sauntered over, and snatched him up by his ponytail, jamming a gun into his side. "Let's go, Little One." he whispered, yanking Omi away from the hiding place he'd been crouched in. Brad glanced around nervously, watching the men Omi had been fighting as they stared stupidly into space, all mental function eradicated by the powerful telepath. However, it wouldn't last much longer, and he wanted to be far away when the building went KABOOM. Omi went with them surprisingly quiescent. Brad only caught a brief glimpse of why, but he was able to warn Schuldig scant seconds before the attack came. Luckily, they were out of the building, so one fear was eliminated, but Schuldig was clearly on the losing side of the fist fight when Brad intervened.
Schuldig cursed. Took you long enough, he sneered.
Brad merely gifted him with an enigmatic smile.
I have my reasons, Schuldig. You should know that by now.
Schuldig deigned not to comment on that, just brushed himself off. "Man this would have been easier if the Farf, or even Nagi were here." From anyone else, Omi would have thought they were whining.
"They're not, so we're going to have to deal. Now quit whining, and get him into the truck." Brad apparently didn't make that distinction.
Omi felt the cool whisper of a foreign touch in his mind, before he found himself climbing into the back of a white jeep. Schuldig was obviously behind the curious behavior, but since they seemed to want him alive and quiet, and had offered him no harm, Omi sat quietly.
"Tsukiyono Omi. Age 21. Occupation, unknown. Status, deceased." Brad read off a sheet, while Schuldig drove.
"Pretty lively for a dead guy, little Weiss." Schuldig snickered. Brad glared at him, and he concentrated on the road.
"Dead is kind of an occupational hazard." Omi snapped back. "Now, Schwarz, what do you want with me?"
"One, we're not Schwarz any more than you are Weiss." Brad began without preamble. "Two, we need you to gather a new team, and do a little... work... for us."
"Oh, two accomplished assassins, PSYCHIC assassins at that, need a powerless White knight to do their dirty work?" Omi was incredulous. What were they up to? He didn't do the 'for hire' thing anymore. Not since he'd been double-crossed by a former client.
"Yes." Brad was expecting troubles like these. "We went freelance for a while, after you took down Este, but we seemed to have made more enemies than the two of us together can handle."
"What about the rest of your pep squad?"
"Nagi is... unavailable." At this, Schuldig snorted. Brad answered him with a glare. "And Farfarello moved back to Ireland with his..girlfriend."
"So. The two of you, former assassins of high rank, and my enemy, need me? What's in it for me? And why can't you do it yourselves, down two or not? Never stopped you before."
Brad sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We've become too...noticeable. Our work is too recognizable by the people we need to take down for us to be effective here. Believe me, you were a last resort."
Schuldig cut in here with a grin. "One we almost couldn't take. You are damned hard to find. Not even the yakuza knew who or where you were."
Omi took the praise for what it was. He'd worked hard to bury himself underground. Everyone who'd seen his face was dead.
"Yes. But, here we are, and yes, we are asking for your help. Will you accept the assignments?"
Omi thought about it, careful to shield his thoughts. A glance in the rearview mirror revealed Schuldig giving him a raised eyebrow in responce.
"Where'd you learn to shield like that, kid?" Brad, his are better than yours.
Brad hid his astonishment. That would explain why Omi eluded everything they'd tried to find him. Neither Schuldig nor Brad had been able to pinpoint him, only track his kills.
"Don't call me Brad." Omi jumped at the words, quickly deducing that they'd been conversing mentally. All he gave for a reply was, "I've picked up a few things over these past few years."
Brad handed him a file, and the car ride resumed in relative silence.
Omi flipped through the papers, scanning them for information. They revealed that Brad and Schuldig had tangled themselves up in some trouble with some psychics more powerful than themselves, and they needed Omi's 'assistance" in dealing with them. They even presented him with candidates for a new team. He shuffled through those, as well, and came up with three suitable names.
"I accept your job, your payments, and your team. When do we start?"
Brad smiled, the first real smile Omi'd ever seen on him. "We're going to collect your teammates, of course. Who'd you decide on?"
"Leelia Vincennes, Kouri Shiro, and Alexa Seppi."
Schuldig smirked. They were only five minutes from the first house. "Well, looks like we get to drop in on an old friend."
Manx began the meeting as soon as they were all assembled. Ken looked around at the four people who were seated in a semicircle around the vibrant redhead.
Aya, Yohji, and himself, as well as someone he'd never seen before.
"I've gathered the four of you here today to ask your help in a matter that has to this day, eluded us. You may recognise this man-" here she slapped up a picture of a familiar looking person, with blonde-brown hair drawn back into a short ponytail, sea blue eyes that seemed to stare through your soul, who was clearly an assassin of some sort. He was wearing flexible leather pants, low, functional boots, a black shirt, and a long white trench-coat. Two guns were holstered at his side, and Ken had no doubts that there were other weapons concealed by the coat. "Word on the street is that he's known as 'The Shimmering Death. No one can tell us why, because everyone who's ever come face to face with him is dead."
Yohji raised his hand, a frown marring his face. "Manx.. Who is he?"
Aya nodded. "He does look familliar."
Manx smiled briefly, but it was not a pleased smile. "The world knows him as the shimmering death. You three...four...know him as Omi Tsukiyono."
Whatever else she might have said was lost under a sudden barrage of noise. Shouting, papers flying, chairs scraping, desks overturning.
Birman came in and took over. "SETTLE DOWN!"
Ken stared at the picture of the man with the cold stare, and lethal weapons. It couldn't...couldn't...be the fun loving, smiling Omittchi who'd kept them all alive in Weiss, both on and off the battlefield. If it weren't for his cheerful enthusiasm each day, the other three would have cracked and crumbled like ancient stone walls. How could three years make this icy man out of the warm drop of sunshine that used to be Omi. But now that he knew who it was, it was obvious. The hair color, and shape of his eyes... He even still had that earing. Around his neck, on a long cord, was the black and red cross Aya had bestowed upon him just before leaving Weiss forever.
Yohji could hardly believe his ears. It made perfect sense - Omi's disappearance, the sudden drop in crime, even after the breakup of Weiss... He'd obviously turned around, and continued. Aya and his sister still worked the flower shop, this time out of habit and love, rather than using it as a cover up. He'd been out of the loop for over two and a half years, but he and Ken and Aya were still the same; this man was a complete stranger.
Ran was more surprised than any of them to realize who it was. More than once, the stranger with Omi's face had walked into the store, and looked at the flowers... Chatted up his sister a few times, and looked almost longingly at Ran as he smiled and laughed with the regulars. He'd never thought much about it, assuming that it was just another fan. He'd never worn the trench into the flower shop, nor the weapons, but the outfit was the same. Longish blonde hair, wide blue eyes.. I always did think he reminded me of Omi, but I never guessed that it WAS Omi!
Birman stared down the fourth young man. He'd been as shocked as the rest, but not as loudly. She knew who he was; she'd collected him personally. And she knew also who he had been. The real danger would be when the other three found out.
He stared right back at her, not cowed in the least. They'd asked him here, and given him only a brief report of exactly why. Still, it had been more than three years. It was beyond time to put the past in the past and keep it there.
Manx took over again. "Aya, Ken, Yohji. You know you're all here because you were his team-mates. You three knew him best, better than anyone...Except maybe this person here." She looked right at him, and the others finally looked him over.
He was reed thin, with delicate features framed by luxurious strands of dark-chocolate colored hair. His eyes were reminiscent of Omi's cerulean blue, but with a haunted quality to them. They reminded one of the ocean at midnight. He stood up, and faced them, and they were shocked by how tall he was. Lengthy yet slender legs were encased in loose black jeans, and a long sleeved shirt covered him completely with fabric to spare. He bowed slightly. "Hello." Like his eyes, his voice had a deep, haunted aura to it. "My name is Naoe Nagi."
This is where a short blurb about the chapter would normally be found. Pretend you see one.
All flames will be used to burn Nagi and Tot fanfics, before being fed to my fire-eating chocobo. Thanks. Constructive criticism welcome.
