Chapter 2 – Here Comes; Authentique


"So those old guys are still alive after all, huh?" commented Ken, pulling Farfarello into his straight jacket.

"Well, what do you expect? They must've spent 100 years or so to reach that kind of level… Beside…-" Schuldich whispered, "there were lots of rumors about those 'old guys'… I heard they were immortal or something…"

Crawford inhaled and exhaled deeply before closing the van's door. After motioning for Nagi to seal the windows he calmly took a seat beside Schuldich and stared across at Manx. All eyes were on Crawford. Then all eyes shifted to Manx. Then back to Crawford and back to Manx…-

"Ugh… Just say it if you know something, It really gives me headache to try to get to your head, Crawford," spat Schuldig, rubbing his temples.

Crawford shifted and laughed, "like the ones you get when you think to hard?" Schuldich stared at Crawford and sent him a mental jab.

"Half. Half-immortal," corrected Manx impatiently, tapping on the island, "the three leaders of SS plus the four heads of Rosenkreuz… seven of them in total. So far, no names whatsoever have been able to be extracted by Kritiker… We even lost 74 agents in pursuit."

At this, Nagi's head lit up from Omi's neck, who was busy clicking away at his computer trying to dig up information on the seven leaders. "But, WE are their killing machine… Those leaders don't dirty their hands for small flies…"

"Sakura did said she saw something…" joined Aya, who, at last, gave up on trying to get his plant back from Yohji, "four kids… Or teens, or something, in liquid tubes… Like the one they had for Masafumi… any info on that?"

Crawford moved to the counter and started pouring coffee.

The coffee filled the cup and soon it started overflowing. Schuldich tilted his head to one side and approached him.

What do you see? – He whispered.

Crawford's head snapped up uniformed with his hand the moment he heard Schuldich inside his head.

"Four kids, teens, or something…-" Crawford started then paused, sensing a feel of deja-vu of what Aya just said.

"1 in his late-teens, two pretty boys and a spoilt-looking girl with wine red hair," continued Aya.

Crawford nodded, "they'll be here in 5-10 minutes. It seems, their sole target is Manx."

It made immediate sense to everyone in the van, except Farfarello, who didn't really care. These 'four kids, or teens, or something' were obviously related to either SS or Rosekreuz or even both. Obviously, they've been the ones doing the killing and keeping all threats out of the elders' way. And Manx, must've been listed in their list 'cause she's the biggest connection in Kritiker right now. Yohji sighed and gave Aya'a plants back to its red-headed owner.

"You better hide that, or we might have to bury it in 15-20 minutes," the blond joked. Aya sent daggers at him.

Unfortunately, the fun didn't last long. After a few minutes of clearing up, Ken started the engine to the van and strated driving towards an alley. The van was driven steadily until all of a sudden… -

Screech! – off went the poor van.

"What was that?" squeeked Ken who felt himself being tossed like a salad in the driver's seat.

"Sheesh, you brain must be really puny… What else can that be?" mocked Schuldich who were snuggled against the counter comfortably, courtesy to Crawford and his handy-dandy visions.

However, the attack that came next caught everyone's –including Crawford and Farfarello this time- attention.

The van experienced a loud thud. Followed by another screeching sound. But not from the wheels this time. It came from the roof of the car. All heads looked up on first instict – including Ken, the driver! – and saw a laser line cutting through the material.

The van took a sharp unnatural turn as Ken got distracted.

"Keep your eyes on the wheel! Farf, cover Ken!" instructed Aya, who obviously forgot that Farfarello was in his straight jacket without a visible weapon anywhere near him!

"Manx, they're after you, it'll safe us the trouble if you stay out of sight for the moment!" continued Aya, instructing away.

Perhaps it was due to the pressing circumstances that got everyone –except for Crawford who was loading his gun- to stop thinking and just do whatever Aya told them. Manx obediently slipped into a large chiller box and Birman locked it. Let us just not think about how she is going to survive there in less than 5 degrees celcius.

Screech… – the laser went steadily through the van's top.

"Schuldich?" inquired Crawford.

"It's our four alright. It's one of the pretty boys cutting with a laser gun… The other boy is attaching himself to the door… I can't really figure out what he's doing though, I can only hear his activities from his friends… I think he might be a strong-minded one, Crawford." Came the answer.

"What about the other two?" Crawford asked again, getting himself ready to be attacked.

"The girl felt weak… She might be the easiest. The last one… I think he's the leader… I'm getting some codes… Ugh…-" Schuldich breathed, inhaling rapidly, "CyberEx… Mime… 'Boss'? That was either a code or a nickname… And… 'Xian'? That's chinese, I think… I can't make it out… Lot's of other languages have that same phrase you know…"

"Yeah, uh, fighting now, education later?" squeeked Omi, shoving the little brown cat into the dust bin, due to the lack of hiding spot. The cat meowed in protest as Omi forced it to fit into the small dust bin that was full of Rose's thorns. The poor kitty.

Clang! – the sound of metal hit the carperted floor of the van rang through the entire van.

A pretty boy jumped in first. His hair was blond and mildly spiked and he was dressed in a weird symbolic white pants and vest. He had a grey shade on and his eyes were piercing blue.

A bit typical teen don't you think? – sent Schuldich to everyone, including Manx who couldn't really see a thing from inside the box.

A mix of Crawford and Aya looking guy in a white suit and a pretty boy in black-and-white striped long sleeve and black pants came down next. One looking very proud and arrogant and the other one smiling up to his ears respectively.

Weird combination… I mean a mime and a businessman? Plus a computer addicted-looking teen? Don't you find that odd? – commented Schuldich again.

Right, and a businessman, a kid in a uniform, a madman in a straight jacket and a loud green-suited guy isn't a weird combination? Cat calling the pottle black… - snorted Ken.

Pot. Pot calling the cattle black idiot – snapped Schuldich, feeling for the first time in his life, he was able to correct someone like Nagi always does to him.

Oh how shock they'll get when they actually find out I'm a Harvard graduate – snickered Schuldich exclusively to Crawford.

The last one was a girl. All, well, most eyes settled on her grand entrance as the long-awaited little girl jumped in with grace that spells poise, wit, elegance yet childishness. A striking wine red-headed girl with black sleeveless top and a matching black skirt with a white cross in the middle.

She disappeared from most eyes the minute she landed. Only Schuldich was able to follow her movement. She moved at top speed around the van and stopped in front of Crawford.

Smooch –

Schuldich felt a red alert going off in his head as he saw what the others witness too. A kiss. The little, fifteen something more or less years old girl kissed Crawford. HIS Crawford. She whispered something to him which Schuldich couldn't pick up fast enough and retreated out of Crawford and his gun's reach.

"Greetings. We're Authentique. And you're dead."


The story is going insane? Big laughs there. Lots of new schocks, no? Authentique made their big appearance, how long is Manx going to be in that chiller? The poor kitty… And Schuldich is a Harvard graduate? What's going on? Stay tune to find out!

(Thank you for the review! I love you guys! Lolx) -Tessa