From: Gonyosoma
Title: End of game?
Rating: M / MA – references to violence

Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, the boys belong to Project
Weiss. I just borrow them for a while. There is no money made with that fic.

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story up like some nice comments …

End of game ?

Suddenly, Crawford jumps up and starts to run. Out of the living room,
through the floor and the stairs down into the cellar. Schuldig and Nagi
look at each other and follow behind, curious about their leader's
agitation.

They find Crawford standing in a heavy metal door frame, the door still
in his hand. He stares into the dimly lit room on a slender figure,
sitting on an old, uncomfortably looking stool.
Ran has his hand on a dirty computer keyboard, the index finger hovering
right above the enter key.
"Don't!"

A cold smile slipped over the redhead's face.
"I knew you would be there for the final."

Crawford ripped his magnum out of its holster and points it on Ran. The
redhead just presses the enter button and stands up in one fluid motion.
His coat isn't belted closed. It swings open. Ran is nearly naked beyond
it; he just wears a pair of black briefs. Angry red criss-crossing
stripes are revealed on his body, just deep enough not to bleed - not to
scar.
It looks like Crawford had quite his fun last night, teaching the
redhead his place.
Nagi gasps in horror. He knows about Crawford's sadistic games but
seldom saw the outcome that bad. Schuldig looks between Ran and Crawford
forth and back.
"What did you do?"
It isn't sure to whom the question is directed.
Crawford stares transfixed on Ran's body. Conflicting emotions shows on
his face. Hurt, Anger, Pain, Sorrow and slowly, as realisation hit him,
Despair.
"No, please don't ... Please don't tell me you did this."
"I might have been an enemy, an ally, a Comrade-in-Arms and a Tool - but
I have never been nor will I ever be neither a slave nor a toy. For no
one. I recommend packing."
Slowly, he undid the dog collar on his neck and throws it at Crawford.
The Oracle just stands there as the heavy leather piece hit him in the
chest and falls to the ground. He still points his magnum at Ran as if
to shoot, but the otherwise steady hand shivers.
The elegant man walks over to the little group, right up in front of
Crawford.
In spite of the whip marks, bruises, rope burns and numerous other
lesser injuries on his body he holds himself proud, is his walk graceful
and fluid.
"What's going on here? Ran, do you need a doctor? Crawford, what is
happening?"
Nagi's voice takes a hysterical edge on.
The hand holding the Magnum falls down, Crawford slowly slumps. He rubs
with his other hand over his face in despair; tears start to gather in
his eyes. He looks down on the ground.
A deep, pleasant voice vibrates in the Cellar room. It is still coarse
from screaming last night but unmistakably Ran's.
"Esset never knew the extension of your involvement of the Elders death.
They just thought you to be some runaway agents who used the ruckus to
get away and start new. They could tolerate that, especially in the
chaos of rebuilding Esset and minimise the damage. They always wondered
why Kritiker was that successful and never fully resolved the accident.
"Now they know. You better get going."
Nagi stares at the old, dusty computer screen. Internet sites pop up
with information; pictures jump on the screen and got overlaid by new
sites and other pictures. It is so fast, he just sees glimpses of it -
but already knows what they show. Schwarz killing the last elder and
prancing in their victory.
Nagi gazes up in the beautiful violet eyes. For once, Crawford spared
Ran's face last night so they glitter brightly. There is a hint of
regret in them, directed on the teenager.
"He won't stop until I am dead or broken" Nagi knows exactly who "He"
is. "So I decided to take Schwarz down with me. I wish I could have
spared you. You deserve a better future. Please take care."
Nagi nods. "It's okay, I will manage. Just get out of here soon, before
you are caught in the crossfire."
In this second, Crawford leaps in action.
"You are not going anywhere." His hand closes around Ran's to thin upper
arm, bruising it with its force. The American stares at him with a
mixture of anger and fear.
"You won't leave me."
Ran turns him, so his coat swings open again and his front is fully
exposed to Crawford. The red stripes seem to scream in accusation, every
cruel mark on this body a charge against the Oracle. He coldly ignores
the brutal grip on his arm.
"You need accomplices on the run, not unwilling prisoner. Either you
shoot me now or you let me go. There is no time for something else and
you know it."
His body is thrown against the concrete wall, a bigger body presses up
against it, trapping him. Crawford holds his gun just under Ran's left
eye, pointing upwards. His other hand catches Ran's face, stroking it.
There is a feverish glint in Crawford's eyes.
"They will kill you, too. You had a part in the fall of the tower,
remember? You will come with us and we escape together."
Ran narrows his eyes staring into Crawford's. Suddenly, the bigger man
crouches down and holds his crotch.
Surely he didn't see THAT coming.
Untouched, Ran climbs over him and steps into the doorway.
"Esset were on war with Kritiker then. They will kill me, if I stumble
in their way but won't put much effort in finding me. Beside, "Fujimiya
Ran" is a rotting corpse on a cemetery in Tokyo and Fujimiya Aya doesn't
exist anymore, too. No Crawford, there is no way I am coming with you.
This is your chance to kill me. Either that or I am leaving. Right now."
When the man on the ground utters only inscrutable words which might -
or might not - have been a protest, Ran turns to look at Schuldig and
Nagi. Both have been very quiet during the exchange, especially
Schuldig.
"Never should have gone that far. Get going kitten, we are running out
of time - all of us."
Ran nods silently to his former enemies and vanishes up the stairs into
the living quarters.
Nagi and Schuldig stay behind to help their leader up. It seems that
Oracle's plan to turn the kitten into his sex slave backfired badly.
A slam of the front door announces the departure of Fujimiya Ran, former
Kritiker Agent Abyssinian.
Nagi is disturbed in his musing, when a pitiful wail is heard. He and
Schuldig stare amazed on the despaired, drowned in tears face of their
usual so reserved leader. Crawford stretches his hands in direction of
the staircase and all he manages to whine is ...
"Get him back, please get him back."