Author notes: I'm back! Finally! Sorry to keep you waiting that long. My mum literally killed my computer and just after the !fourth! technician I got it back workin` again. I really don't wanna know what she did to it. ^^; Anyway! Without any more delays, the next chapter!!
PS: I still don't own Weiß Kreuz. Damn...^^;
What he certainly hadn't planned
Chapter 16 – a short interlude or: Gimme back my clothes!
They were the first to reach the Koneko. No big surprise there, really, since the way Brad had been driving had been at more than breakneck speed. Sighing slightly in an easing manner, Aya unlocked the door of the apartment he and the other members of Weiß shared. 'What a day…' Not only was the boy that he felt closer to than any other had ended up turning out to be his worst enemy, Schwarz now also knew the location of their base. - And he'd managed to drag himself and his teammates head first into a situation which could very likely shorten their lifespans remarkably! To make things from bad to worse, he still couldn't quite keep his eyes from Brad.
The mysterious black-haired one had captured the redhead's attention from the very first moment Aya had looked into the assumed boy's eyes. First it had been suspicion, maybe even aversion those warm amber-browns had stirred in him, but know… It probably wasn't right to call them warm, for they weren't, but they also weren't exactly cold…. Not really, that is. They were more like… frozen.
Yeah, frozen was probably the right word. Like a lake in the winter, they were covered with a thick layer of emotional ice, making it impossible for anyone to see behind that cover. But if you had enough patience and knew how to look… Then, with a little luck, you could maybe catch a glimpse of the life lying behind it.
Aya had seen it.
In a scarce moment of inattention the redhead had been able to catch a brief look of what he suspected was the real Brad. It had been short, just a faint flashing of emotions, really, but it had been enough to trigger the redhead's interest. Eyes like his. Not in color or shape, but in something much more essential. They were hiding something.
A mask, even more perfect that Aya's. Unlike the redhead's simple apathy, Crawford's mask was far more complicated and deeper evolved. A work of years, maybe even decades, as Aya had slowly began to realize while he was trying to get behind it. Why? To be honest, the redhead couldn't really answer that question, not even to himself. It was just that the boy was obviously hiding an important secret nobody was supposed to know, and Aya felt that it was somehow similar to his. Similar, yet definitely different.
No wonder Aya had gotten curious.
After all even the infamous iceman was just human after all, and secrets and things one was _not_ supposed to know or do… Of course Aya had to snoop around. He hadn't been buying the amnesia story from the very beginning and had kept a close eye on Brad. So he had been able to catch the clairvoyant in some of his (very scarce) moments of carelessness. What he'd seen there –distrust, concern which was obviously not directed at himself and sometimes the simple confused-lost look of somebody who had absolutely no clue of what was going on- hadn't been matching with what he'd been expecting.
Those eyes had always been too knowing and experienced than they should have been. Aya sighed and shook his head. He still couldn't read Brad, even though he knew now what had been his secret. That he was Crawford. Schwarz. The leading member of Schwarz. Yet he was still keeping the redhead's mind occupied. What was it about the black-haired American?
Aya really couldn't tell, no matter how much he himself would have liked to. It was just that trying to figure Brad out was like trying to say what was going on in a cat's head. Yeah, that was probably a fitting comparison. Like a cat's eyes Brad's seemed to be plain and simple to read in the first moment, but the longer you kept watching them, the more you realized that that simplicity was just a giant fake. A genuine true fake.
Enchanting.
Come to think of it, where was the black-haired Oracle anyways? Aya hadn't seen the rejuvenated man anymore since he'd pushed through the door behind him. Seeing that the redhead had been off to the land of dreams for quite a while by now, his absence was a bit strange. Before Aya could go looking for him though (discretely, of course), Brad already returned from wherever he'd been and flopped down into one of the comfortable seats of the basement room, for a moment looking as worn-out as Aya himself after battling that telekinetic and the following near suicide bike-tour.
After returning Aya had headed automatically back to the mission room to wait for the arrival of the others. Now he suddenly felt silly for it. Had he really grown that used to a life full of murdering people? Next to him Brad let out a soft sight. The American was keeping his eyes closed and was visibly relaxing. Obviously the whole affair had worn him out much more than he'd allowed to show.
Frowning, Aya wondered if the American actually had some sort of pain threshold or if he'd just collapse out of the blue when it would get too much for him to stand. Eyeing Brad, Aya was inclined to believe the latter one. Like himself, Brad wasn't anyone to let his weakness being visible. `Hn. Stupid.`
Redirecting his attention to the other male in the room, Aya noticed that he was being watched through half-lidded eyes. Molten ambers stared at him, shining once again with an unreadable expression.
"… Are you planning on standing there the whole night?"
A slight trace of malice had sneaked its way into Crawford's voice, though it didn't happen intentionally, nor was it willful.
All in all, he looked pretty much like a person who was wishing for nothing more than a bed to sleep in and knowing very well that it was going to take quite an amount of time before that wish would come true.
"Hn."
Crawford sighed. "Why aren't I surprised about that answer?"
Aya frowned again. Was the leader of Schwarz mocking him?
"HN."
Crawford let out a soft laugh. "Impressive."
Aya frowned a bit more. Brad just shook his head, indicating that it was senseless trying to argument with the icy redhead. Sighing softly, the black-haired boy tried to stand up and get the first aid kit he'd brought down with him.
Aya's frown got a worried edge as he watched the clairvoyant clearly flinch at the very first stressing of his leg. Grabbing the first aid kid, the redhead quickly headed to the teen and handed it to him. Being confronted with his long-time opponent offering him a first aid kit, Crawford automatically straightened his back and gave him an indignant look.
Aya retuned the look calmly. For a silent moment the two just stood there, half-glaring into each other's eyes. Then, Brad looked down at the offered object. He blinked. When he looked up to Aya again, his eyes clearly indicated the question 'And what am I supposed to do with this?' that the redhead nearly laughed despite himself. Amber-brown eyes frowned at his strange behaviour.
Finally deciding to ask the outstanding question, Brad asked. "…What am I supposed to do with this?" Aya blinked, mildly surprised that the other was really asking. Nevertheless he answered. "Treat your wounds."
For a moment Brad seemed honestly perplexed. Then the corners of his lips twitched up in that special sort of half-smirk that indicated the American's amusement. Placing himself back into his chair (Aya noted that he was carefully evading to put any pressure onto his left leg), Brad folded his hands over his knee before glancing up at the redhead again.
The precog shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's not for me. I got it for you."
Seeing the redhead's surprised look, Crawford smirked.
"Seeing things as they are, your teammates are very likely going to strangle me, should they think that I was trying to harm you."
Aya frowned.
"You need it more than me."
Brad let out a harsh laugh. "Why? Just because I landed a bit less graceful than usual? You were the one that telekinetic used as a punching bag, not me." The frown didn't change. "You also got your share of hits." Crawford chuckled darkly – not the friendly way of chuckling, but that bitter sound that indicated that he didn't really think it funny at all.
"Don't make a fool out of yourself. Those were merely scratches."
Aya stayed persistent. " – which are making you limp? Don't make a fool out of yourself Crawford. I'm not blind."
When he turned to meet the clairvoyant's eyes, Brad was glaring at him. The look in those flashing amber-brown had lost all of its liveliness, the only decipherable thing in them being a cold, almost unholy, calculating intelligence. The look of the Oracle. The look that had met his every time Aya had fought the calculating leader of Schwarz.
Met with these eyes, Aya felt a shiver run down his spine. Then something in those depths turned and the expression in Brad's eyes vanished.
Deciding that he wasn't going to carve in to some pocket-seized Oracle, Aya huffed indignantly and set the first aid kit onto the little table next to the chair. Taking his cloak off, he said. "We're both going to use it. We were both hurt."
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Really, what was he making such a fuss about it? It was just a bruise! Nothing big to act like that! Aya was acting as if he was bleeding like I-don't-know-what. Totally overreacting! Grumbling silently in his mind like this, Crawford slowly pushed up the rim of his left trouser leg until he could see the source of his pain.
Frowning at the red spot that was nearly directly under his knee, the clairvoyant cursed silently. ´Damn! If it looks like that already, it's going to last for a damn long time.' From experience the American knew about the annoying stubbornness of such bruises. Never actually really hurting, they tended to become _very_ annoying.
Next to him, Aya also frowned, taking note of the beautiful cancer-red coloring of the bruise.
"Hn. Damn arrogant asshole. You really should learn not to overrate yourself that much anymore." He handed Brad some ointment. The teen wordlessly took it and started to rub it in.
"… And that coming from the one who tried to catch a helicopter by throwing a katana after it."
Aya stopped from where he'd been treating his own wounds to look at Crawford pointedly. Crawford replied with looking as innocent as a twenty-seven years old ruthless killer turned fifteen could look.
For a moment both emotionally cold men stared at each other. Then Aya slowly lowered his head while Crawford ran a hand through his (once again) ruffled hair, covering his facial expression in the movement. For a long moment they both stayed like this, before their shoulders started shaking.
Seconds later the first of them had started chuckling. Uncovering his face, Crawford looked at Aya. The redhead seemed truly amused by this ridiculous turn of their conversation. For a moment liquid amber-brown and blazing violet met in eyes which were not used in displaying such a gentle feeling as the delight which was now in them.
Grinning, Crawford could feel his chuckles turning into full-blown laughter into which Aya joined. For some minutes, which seemed too long to be so short, their laughing voices were the only thing that existed inside the house.
Crawford laughed. Laughed because of the whole absurdity of this situation, the fact that he was sitting here, trapped in a child's body with Abyssinian next to him, because their ridiculous situation, because Aya was laughing with him, because he was still alive.… But mainly he simply laughed.
Next to him Aya slowly relaxed, all the tension of the recent events and fights easing off of him in this single outburst. As his laughter slowly ebbed away, so did Brad's. The following silence seemed strangely strangled to the redhead's ears, being much louder than their both raised voices just moment s ago together.
Still, it felt good, having all the tension relieved from oneself in one single outburst. Next to him, Brad had also fallen silent, staring off into space with a strange expression. Seeing that expression, Aya frowned. But before the stoic redhead came to ask, the black-haired teen turned to him, saying. "The others have arrived."
Nodding his approval, Aya kept a suspicious eye on the clairvoyant. ´A vision…?´ Somehow he couldn't believe that. Brad hadn't looked like he was having a vision, as far as he could tell. So what else could it have been? Something didn't seem right…
Aya decided to keep a watching eye on the Oracle, and may it just be to stay on the safe side.
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Just what was wrong with him?
Crawford frowned, asking himself quietly that question. What was wrong… He couldn't tell, but something was definitely not like it was supposed to be.
Weren't you supposed to feel relaxed after laughing that much? So, why wasn't he? As seldom as it was, Crawford's laughter had been real, the amusement honest instead of some half-heartedly played fake. So why?
All he felt now, after stopping to laugh, was a strange inner numbness. As if he'd has been stuffed out with cotton wool, or something like that, like some sort of plush toy... As if none of him was real. Had ever been real. ´Just some stuffed toy others were playing with. Is that me?´
He knew that numbness. Crawford had already experienced it once a long time ago, after he'd killed for the first time. Back then he'd also not felt like himself. Like the consciousness of an empty shell… The only thing he'd been able to think back then had been ´I'm dying.' And now he felt the same.
`Does that mean that I'm dying right now?´ Crawford chuckled in his mind, wondering what should be still left there of him to be dying. ´Idiot! Get a hold of yourself!!´ There was no time to get whiny. Whiny meant weak and Crawford wasn't weak at all. He couldn't afford that. Not as Oracle, not as the leader of Schwarz and not as a human being.
´No way…!´
He would find a way. He always found a way. Always.
That's why he was Crawford, after all.
He always found a way.
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"- I can't believe that you really did that! There's _no_ way Aya isn't going to kill you!"
Ken was beside himself. Scratch that, Ken was at about the tip of an edge before panicking –if you had a likening for understatements. Currently the sporty brunette was leading the two members of Schwarz down to the basement room, trying to cope with what he'd just found out.
´As if that car ride of horror wouldn't have been enough. There's no way that we'll survive this! Aya's going to kill us!! I don't wanna die!´ His mental wailings got interrupted by the German's voice in his head.
/Kill us? I don't see any reason for what he should kill _me_./
Ken nearly felt the spiral staircase down. He wasn't used to any voices except his own speaking in his head. 'Would you please stop that? If you keep on I'm gonna trip and fall down the stairs!´ Behind him, Schuldig looked bored. /And what would be new 'bout that?/
Ken let out a low growl. `Are you trying to say that I'm clumsy?!` Schuldig shrugged his shoulders. /I? No, ne~ever. Where we all exactly know what an example of natural grace you are Siberian./
Ken glared at him. Schu grinned and tried to look as innocent as possible. (Not exactly much. ^^;) "I really don't get why you're making such a fuss about that car. It's just a car after all."
At that Ken whirled around, chocolate eyes wide. "Just a car?! It's a Porsche, damnit! _Aya's_ Porsche to be exact! Do you know what he's gonna do with us?! And just because of him!"
He gestured at the smirking Farfarello (who was still wearing his crash helmet, by the way). Schuldig glanced briefly back at the psycho in question, noting the satisfied expression on his face. The Irishman was clearly enjoying the situation he'd created.
"Get mad and try to ´shi-ne!´ us until he trips over his own sword?"
"That's _not_ funny!"
Nevertheless Ken couldn't quite keep himself from laughing at the picture that words created in his mind. Aya tripping over his own sword…
His laughter got stuck in his neck when he found himself right in the center of the human icicle glare of doom when he reached the bottom of the stairs. A fine red eyebrow rose when the unofficial leader of Weiß took in the appearances of the other members of Schwarz. Ken assumed that it was because of the crash helmet.
"…"
Ken sweatdropped. /My, what eloquence./ /Shut up, Schwarz!/ Hey, he'd managed to speak intentionally telepathic! Oops, no time patting himself on the back. Aya was watching him suspiciously. Ken grinned feebly, barely repressing the urge to scratch himself on the head sheepishly. Hey, he hadn't done anything bad, right? There was no reason worrying that Aya could drag him in on his revenge! The brunette still wished that he could be somewhere very far away when the redhead found out what had happened to his car.
"… You're not upset because we took your bike?"
It was just half a question. At Aya speaking, Crawford raised his head, looking for the first time at the newly arrived. He didn't seem disturbed by Farfarello's strange getup. Ken started wondering if that was normal within Schwarz. ´Uh, better not think about it.´
Just now Ken noticed the fact that Aya and Brad – he momentarily forgot that the boy was in reality Oracle- also weren't fully dressed the way he had seen them the last time anymore. Well, not completely, that is.
Aya had taken off his cloak (meaning that he was now just in shirt, pants and boots) and Crawford was still in the clothes he'd left with, though the not-really-teen had been straightening his left trouser leg until Aya had spoken.
Now two equally unreadable stares were directed at him. Ken started sweating. So much unshared attention made him uncomfortable.
Schuldig had also noticed their different state of dressing. Leering, he silently asked Crawford. /We wouldn't have happened to disturb you two in something private, have we?/ The mirth was obvious in his mental voice. Crawford directed his scowl at the telepathic redhead. /I don't know what you're talking about./ Sculdig grinned like the ancestor of all Cheshire cats. /Of course you don't. Aya-chan on the other side, maybe…/ He caught the American's annoyed glance.
After a few moments passed, Crawford tilted his head almost invisibly in Farfarello's direction. /…You drove again?/ Schuldig grinned widely. /Ja… Kitty's been pretty impressed with my driving skills./
Crawford nearly rolled his eyes.
/I`m not going to doubt that./
Still grinning, Schuldig stretched and leaned against the wall. "He was actually pretty riled up about that whole bike-thingy, but when he decided to put it into the garage…" Ken quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, not too accidentally using a bit more force than necessary.
Cursing, the redhead pushed it away, before smirking again. "Soo~… Who was the lucky one who learned how to drive a bike?"
Aya shot Crawford a surprised glance. "I thought you knew how to drive it." Crawford shrugged nonchalantly. "I never said that I actually did it." Aya gaped at him, not believing that Brad had tricked him like that. Schuldig started to laugh. "He told you that he could drive a bike? And you believed him?!" Still too dazed, Aya nodded simply. Schuldig laughed even more.
Crawford glared at the annoying German hyena. "I did learn it once." Schuldig gasped between his laughters. "That time you later said that you had been sleeping 'bout half of the lecture?" Aya glared at Brad. Crawford managed to look more innocent than he had been for a _very_ long time. Schuldig broke down laughing while Ken just sweatdropped. Farfarello was looking barely amused.
Yohji, Omi and Nagi (who had to be carried) chose just that particular moment to come down the spiral stairs. The two members of Weiß looked noticeable pale. Having noticed the first aid kit lying on the table, Omi gave them a concerned look.
"Ah… Ohayou Aya-kun, Brad-k- Crawford-san. Are you two alright?"
Aya whirled to look at the newly arrived, while Crawford barely rose an eyebrow. "Perfectly fine, Omi." The petite blonde sized them with a doubtful look but nodded, then abruptly scurrying over to Ken to make sure that his friend also was all right.
What he left was a Yohji who was slightly at a loss about what to do with the unconscious burden in his hands. Catching sight of Nagi, Schuldig stopped laughing. Within seconds all attention of the other three Schwarz members was focused on their youngest member.
"Giv´ him to me."
It was Farfarello who spoke first, taking the young telekinetic from the lanky blonde's hands and cradling him gently. Nobody else seemed surprised by the carefulness with which the Irish albino was handling Nagi.
"We need a place where he can rest. No idea what those bastards have done to him." The German's voice had turned into a low, ferocious growl at the thought of the ones who'd done that to their chibi.
"You can bring him into the room I've been using." Biting down the pain that was accompanying the movement, Crawford stood up and led the way.
Watching Schwarz leave, Yohji asked. "Are you two really ok?" It was clear that the playboy still didn't trust their enemy team at all. Why should he?! They were all Weiß fought against, though he wasn't as sure about that point as he'd formerly been.
"Yeah…sure." Ken tried to smile reassuringly at them, while Aya simply glared at Yohji. The redhead was still angry that he'd been taken by Crawford that easily. Embarrassing. ´Not that you`d actually haven`t enjoyed some of the results of being tricked. That bike ride had been rather nice except for that getting ourselves nearly killed several times part.´ Aya growled at the annoying little voice in his head, knowing that it was telling the truth. It _had_ been nice to be so close to Brad… Stop! Hentai thoughts again! ´Must not think about it! Must not think about it…´ It was useless. Already felt the redhead the beginnings of a light flush starting to paint his cheeks.
´Not in front of everyone!´ And also it was senseless anyway. No way the Oracle of Schwarz would ever return any sort of feelings to him. Definitely not. Not that Aya had any sort of romantic feelings towards the withdrawn clairvoyant in the first part, not at all, it was just that in the case of … ´Grrr, cut it! There's NO way I'm still going after him. Not now, where I know that he's the enemy…! A very adorable and impressive enemy, but still- Argh! Stop- Right- Now! I'm-´
"Aya-kun? Daijoubou?"
Omi's worried voice brought Aya back into the real world. All of the others were giving him worried looks. ´Great´
"Aya?"
"A-Aa."
Before anyone was able to ask any unpleasant questions, Aya left the room. Ken blinked surprised.
"What was that for?"
Frowning, Yohji shrugged. "I don't have the slightest clue."
…
"So, does that mean that Schwarz is going to stay?"
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He woke up to the sound of debating voices.
Frowning, Nagi tried to make out the different voices that sounded through the haze which was in his head. They sounded familiar… Nagi concentrated a bit more.
"- but Braddy-!"
That nasal voice…
"Schuldig."
His eyes flew open at that firm reprimand. There was just one who talked like this. "Crawford-" For a moment he saw shadowy figures hurrying over to where he was lying. Finding the surrounding light too bright, Nagi squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to block out the offending rays which were hurting them.
"Hey Naggs-"
"Nagi –"
"…Heh…"
Now he knew. The ones around him were nobody else than Schulding, Farfarello and Crawford, the other members of Schwarz. The ones which were more or less making up his family… They sounded worried. For a moment senseless joy flooded his mind. They were worried about him. They cared…
"Nagi, do you hear me?"
Pulling himself together, Nagi nodded weakly. "Hai." Somewhere he heard a relieved sigh. ? That wasn't fitting to Crawford. Was there anybody else with them. Somebody else was pushing Crawford aside. "Hey, chibi. How do you feel? Are you all right? Have those bastards touched you? I swear, if they`ve just laid a single finger-!"
He was once again cut short by Crawford's reprimanding voice. "If you pester him with questions that won't help anybody. Leave him some rest." Nagi could literally see the German's astonished expression at those words. Since when did Crawford sound like he cared? Schuldig had obviously silently asked the same question, for the clairvoyant's next words were "Since I had the pleasure of experiencing the same drug they probably used on Nagi." "…" Another mental question. "Idiot. Natürlich nicht![1]" The switched back to Japanese after a short pause, sounding once again all matter of fact. "They seem to use some special kind of drug to weaken our mental constitution."
´Huh? What are they talking about? Who're they they're speaking about?´ Clearly Nagi had missed something. Why was Crawford suddenly there? Was it really Schuldig there or was it that woman again? Farfarello? Had they came to rescue him? Nagi forced his eyes to open, ignoring the dizzying fog in his head.
"I'm alright… Just a little tired." Nagi winced at the sound of his own voice. Clearing his throat, he looked around. For sure there were Farfarello and Schuldig, standing next to his bed, but where was Crawford? Nagi was sure that he'd also heard the American. Didn't he want to be seen?
"Where are we?"
"…With Weiß."
"Weiß?!"
"Ja. Funny, ne? The safest place for us to stay is currently our enemies home base." The German laughed, while Crawford watched in silence. The American wasn`t so sure if it would be a good idea to enlighten the small telekinetic right now over his little ´restriction´. Surprised telekinetics could be nasty. Schuldig seemed to be a different opinion.
"Hey Naggs, guess what. Our dear stick-up-his-ass leader has finally got it. I bet Crawford-chan didn't plan _that_ one!"
The smirking redhead tugged the resisting precog into Nagi´s view. Impressive midnight blue eyes widened in amazement. That… wasn't Crawford. No way that that little boy should be the tall American. Familiar expressionless amber-brown eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"I don't think that that's particularly funny, Schuldig. Like this, I won't be able to fight properly." Schuldig smirked, ruffling the teens black hair in a careless gesture (and risked his hand getting bitten off, while we're at it). "When have you ever?"
The teen – Nagi still couldn't believe that it was really Crawford – seized the redhead with an annoyed expression. "Watch your mouth, Mastermind." Schuldig fakely frowned, giving the American a hurt look. /Why so unfriendly, Crawlie? Those Weiß bastards wouldn't have managed to pull you over, have they?/ An amused light shone in the mind reader's hauntingly green eyes.
"Schuldig."
Nagi shuddered inwardly. 'All right. Now I believe it.´ Schuldig could count himself lucky that expressions weren't able to kill. The tone Crawford had used meant as much as ´another word and you'll find yourself with a nice hole in your head, right there where your brain's supposed to be.´ Yeah, that sounded like the Crawford he knew. Like usual, the redhead absolutely ignored the warning. And, of course, that pissed Crawford off even more.
Nagi weakly grinned inwardly at the image of those two. There would be no regular day where the German and the American wouldn't start at least one fight. Also, of course, nothing ever actually happened. Sure, Schuldig would do everything to get on Crawford`s nerves and Crawford would growl and glare at him like some angry animal, but they never went as far as to honestly hurting each other. To Nagi, it seemed a bit as if the two were secretly training their willpower, probing every day how far they could went before one of the showed nerves. And like always, Farfarello was just standing there and watched them, feral smile on his lips. Things like this made Nagi so loyal to Schwarz, the other members of the team, no matter how strange they were, had become his substitute family. A strange, freaky, totally crazed off substitute family, admittedly, but a family nevertheless. But that wasn`t answering his questions.
Nagi decided that the best way was to ask them right out.
"Crawford? Why are you like that? What happened? Why´s Weiß there? And who attacked me? She looked like Schuldig…"
He was cut off by the telepath, who had now grown serious. "Too many questions at once, but the chibi`s right. Who are those guys? You really owe us a good explanation." Farfarello nodded silently, showing his interest in those questions too.
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Crawford frowned at them. It was seldom having all members of his team agreeing with each other like this. It made them look closer than they really were. Well, propably it was just the shock from nearly losing one of them.
Silently, he surpressed the urge to shake his head, carefully making sure that his shields were up again. ´There`s no way I can tell them.´ It was impossible to tell them that he had no clue as well. That`d be impossible. Simply impossible. As the Oracle, his power was based on knowledge. Forget that, it _was_ knowledge paired up with quick enough reflexes to react to it. He couldn`t tell them that he knew close to nothing as well, probably even less than them. ´Impossible´
Nagi stopped eyeing him curiously, long enough to yawn widely. Smirking internally, Crawford began to speak. The Oracle knew them well enough to recognize a breach when seeing one.
"I will answer your questions -" Schuldig looked up, green eyes sparkling with curiousity. "- but not immediately. All that you have to know right now is that we`re safe here. Nagi…", he gave the boy in question a pointed look, "…has to rest. You others should too."
Meeting his stern look, none of the other three psychics in the room dared to protest. Why should they? He was Crawford, he`d know what to do best.
"… I`ll go and make sure that Weiß won`t make any problems."
And with that he left, leaving two surprised psychics and a suspicious telepath alone in the room.
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Schuldig frowned. All the time, he`d not gotten any hints from the American`s mind, and was thus unable to tell what was going on with him. Schuldig didn`t like that.
As the American`s longest companion, he'd gotten pretty good at reading the precog, not depending on his abilities anymore. He knew the suble signs as well as the clairvoyant knew his, and what he`d seen right now didn't mean anything good. Something was troubling their leader – and he was going to know what.
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When Crawford re-entered the basement room, he once again nearly collided with Aya who was about to leave. Things like this seemed to happen rather often, recently.
Frowning a bit, (and not knowing if it was really bothering him or not), Crawford entered the room. Aya also stayed, leaning against a wall with an expressionless face. Minutes later Schuldig and Farfarello followed his example, entering quietly.
Some time and many (partwise heated) discussions later, the sleeping arrangements were more or less settled. Nagi, since he was still in a bad shape from his imprissionment, was going to stay in the guest room. Farfarello would be staying in the basement (nobody wanted to try to sleep with him in the same room). Omi had his room for his own and Ken, Yohji and Schuldig were still battling it out. Last, Brad and Aya were going to share a room.
Aya honestly doubted that he would manage to sleep this night…
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Sighing, Aya turned renewedly, wishing once again that the couch he was lying on was a bit more comfortable.
After it was settled that Schwarz would stay for a while ("Would you rather try to throw us out by force and find a good explanation for a bunch of Kritiker agents and angry neighboors? No? Then it`s settled.), the redhead had left his bed to Crawford without as much as an attempt to fight. Actually, he`d already been lying on the couch and pretended to sleep when the Oracle had finally entered the room. The American had stopped short for a tiny moment, seemingly surprised that he was getting the obviously more comfortable opportunity to sleep on. Out of the corners of his eyes Aya had been able to see the precog frown shortly before a slightly amused expression had quirked the corners of his lips. Shaking his head with a nearly inaudible sigh, Crawford had quickly changed and went to bed. Just minutes later the Oracle had fallen asleep.
´He must have been pretty exhausted…´, Aya mused, absentmindly wondering how strenuous the use of psychic abilities had to be. Enough, it seemed. ´So much has happened today…´ Turning again, Aya tried to untie the knot of surprising events of the day, just to find his mind wandering back to the sleeping clairvoyant once again. Brad was Crawford… no wonder that he hadn`t been more open. How would he have reacted in such a situation? Not that different, Aya was sure. `But how did he get like that? Not that it actually bothers me, that body of his is quite fine, but…´ Biting onto his bottom lip, Aya resisted the urge to slap himself. There he was, doing it again. ´Hentai!!´ He was _not_ attracted to Brad. Definitely not. He was _no_ pedophile!! And that boy wasn`t just any boy, it was Crawford! Schwarz!! His worst enemy!! Aya did _not_ like him!! … But why was he trying to help him then? Just because he hadn`t tried to attack them or used their trust otherwise for his own good? Nah, couldn`t be. All he was doing was trying to aid his own team, and when it meant coming to a truce with Schwarz for a while, so it should be.
´Great. Now I just have to get myself believing that stuff.´ Sighing silently, Aya kept tossing around until he finally fell asleep much, much later.
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It sounded as if hell itself were let loose when Aya woke the next morning to the sound of thumping feet and angry shouts.
Yawning widely, the redhead noted that Brad had already left, leaving the room's door open a bit. By the time he entered the kitchen, Schuldig and Omi were already there, as was Crawford. The latter was silently sipping on his coffe while Schuldig was obviously trying to hypnotisize the coffeemaker to work faster with doubtful success. When Aya entered he was only greeted by Omi, while Crawford shot him just a noncommittal glance. The other redhead didn`t even bother to look, being too busy with the coffeemaker.
"Good morning, Aya-kun!"
"…I wouldn`t stay standing there, if I were you."
Perplexed, Aya automatically made a few steps forward, just in time _not_ to get overrun by an insanely giggling Isish albino who was wearing – and there Aya had to look twice to believe his eyes – what seemed to be a black gown.
A black gown with white straps forming a cross over the sleeves. The lunatic was wearing Yohji`s assassin gear (actually it was just the coat)! The wrong way round.
Following the insane lunatic was a _very_ imaginatively- cursing playboy. Crawford watched the others sweatdropping, looking as perplexed as hell.
"Cross-dressing hurts God!!"
"Wha-?! I`ll show you ´hurt God´!!"
Grinning silently to himself, the precog took another sip of his coffe.
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End chaper 16
[1] Idiot! Naturally not!
Ja – Yes, yeah
Well, that was the sixteenth chapter... I'm not really glad how it turned out. Please view it as a calmer connection-part for the next chapter –which will take definitely less time to come out than this one. ^^; Versprochen. (Promise).
About the questions... The crash helmet. Farfie probably knew Schu`s driving style and stole the one of Ken`s bike. (Remember? We see Ken always drive with one, but when Brad and Aya got to the bike, there was none.) Which leads immediately to the second question, Schu`s lack of a driving license. I honestly doubt that any public authority of the world would give out a license on the name of a Mr. Guilty. ^^;
About a lime scene... I haven't thought about one yet, but if I write one I`ll put it on something more private and just link it to ff.net. (Don`t want to be thrown out for wrong rating or such... ^.~)
As always much much thanks for reviewing Suisei Lady Dragon, Shirogane, PinkSpider, kyitumon, B6 – B6J6, Shuo Ri, straycat cayra-chan, Kyra, Ryuke-Naoe, Yami no Tenshi, Jenny, Moku, Rei Eien, S.Wing and Dje for the great tip. ^_^ Arigatou!!
… review please? ^^