Chapter Twenty-Seven – And Punishment
About a fortnight later Schuldig sought out Nagi as the 'phys' boys were trooping towards their dormitories. With a nudge and a wink Schuldig convinced the second year in charge to let him have Nagi for a bit. He dragged the tiny boy away from the relentless marching columns of students to a doorway that led outside.
Nagi stared around the tiny area Schuldig had brought him to. The door was placed there to give access to the outside raised septic tank, and the smell was bordering on overpowering, but there was a handful of spring flowers, a square of darkening blue sky and a general sense of being much more free than one got anywhere else in Rosenkreuz. Unbeknown to both students, this was where Bradley had picked flowers for Tanya, many, many years ago.
"You've been avoiding me," Schuldig accused, unaware of Nagi's developing ability to understand most of what he was saying. "Someone hurt you and you didn't come to me. That pisses me off."
Nagi said nothing and thought determinedly in Japanese, carefully trying to avoid giving away that he was beginning to understand Schuldig's rants.
"You're mine, Nagi, and I don't like people hurting my people. If someone laid a finger on Brad I'd be after them like a shot, and I'm going to do the same for you. Tell me who raped you and I will rip their fucking throat out."
If only it had been his throat doing the fucking, Nagi thought wryly, rather than mine. Last night had been different, in ways that were simultaneously infinitely better than any form of rape Nagi endured before and infinitely worse because he couldn't detach himself like he always had before. Like the egg mayonnaise sandwich Rammi had scrounged for him, months ago, the taste still lay on his tongue, slimy and warm and slightly salty. Nagi's stomach lurched at the memory.
Schuldig was staring at him. "Nagi?" he said slowly. "How much do you understand?"
Nagi widened his eyes and shrugged and shook his head, but Schuldig was no longer fooled. He produced the Japanese-German dictionary and showed it to Nagi. "I'm trying to learn your language," Schuldig said, still speaking very slowly. "Have you learnt mine?"
Nagi held up a hand, thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. Schuldig smiled and nodded.
"Can you tell me who hurt you?"
Nagi shook his head. "No know," he murmured, voice steady.
Schuldig frowned. He handed the book to Nagi who gripped it tightly and reached out to rest one hand on Nagi's forehead, trying to let the kid know what he was about to do. Memories were always tricky.
Nagi jerked backwards. "Rape," he muttered.
"I know that," Schuldig sighed. I just want to see if I can work out who." He reached out again but Nagi backed away, shaking his head vehemently.
"Head… rape." He flicked through the dictionary desperately. "Mind rape. Thought rape." Schuldig flinched with each phrase. He knew that that was exactly what he did, but it had never bothered him before. He realised that he wanted to earn Nagi's trust, his respect, his companion ship, if he couldn't have any of that from Brad. He was lonely.
The door swung open and smacked into the wall with a bang. Rammi stood there. "Leave him alone," he snapped at Schuldig, reaching a hand out to Nagi. Nagi paused, looking from one would be protector to the other. They both claimed to want to help. They both claimed they wanted to be his friend. They had both let slip that they saw him as someone they owned.
Nagi stared at both, looking slowly from one to the other. Schuldig reached out to him as well.
"Nagi, you can't trust him," Schuldig urged. "I know what he'd thinking. He wants to use you, to steal your pow- Huh? You can do that?" this last question was addressed to Rammi, who stolidly ignored it.
"Nagi, he lies. I can feel it. He said so himself, you are his. You don't want this. Who took the trouble to learn your language?" Rammi spoke in Japanese, trying to win Nagi's trust. "Who brought you extra food? Who owes you their life?"
Nagi laughed. It was harsh and bitter, and as the sun slipped behind the Austrian mountains and a late spring frost began to form, it was hard to say which was colder, Nagi or the air. He gave a tiny, contemptuous smile.
"Nagi not yours, and Nagi not yours," he addressed them in turn. "Nagi mine." There was a creaking and an ominous sloshing sound. The two older boys, about the same age, turned. With a slow, drawn out crash, the septic tank collapsed. A wave of raw sewage hit Schuldig and Rammi. Nagi was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Brad opened the door to his apartment with a relief that was remarkably short lived. Schuldig had come back; perhaps he'd forgiven him? No, Schuldig just needed to use his shower. Not even the most hard-hearted of bastard could have turned away the sodden figure in the doorway, though those who thought cleanliness was next to godliness might have.
Brad waved Schuldig in and grabbed a mop to chase after him as the shit covered teen made a dash for the bathroom. Brad flinched as he heard Schuldig vomit, but was appreciative when he heard the shower start going at full tilt. Before long steam was billowing out from under the ill-fitted door and the stench was beginning to lessen.
Almost two hours passed before Schuldig emerged, naked and shameless. Brad shook his head ruefully and tossed him a towel from the airing cupboard. Schuldig used it to dry his hair, now back to it's usual orange as opposed to the dank brown it had been when he arrived. It took a lot of will power on Brad's behalf to keep his eyes on Schuldig's face.
"Schuldig…" Brad began awkwardly. "The other day… I was, perhaps, a little harsh. No doubt you have been trying, and well, I shouldn't push you like that."
Schuldig frowned vaguely at him, then pulled the towel away from his head. Brad flinched. Schuldig had had the previously white towel wrapped around his ears.
"An apology?" Schuldig queried. "Hm!" He looked quite pleased with himself, but said nothing more until something occurred to him. "Crawford, is there a talent that can, you know, steal other talents?"
Brad sighed, disliking the use of his surname. Schuldig, it seemed, was nowhere near forgiving him. "Yes, Schuldig, there is, but it's incredibly rare. 'Leeches', people with that gift are nicknamed. There hasn't been one at Rosenkreuz since I've been here. They're not usually recognised, as they pick up someone else's talent early on and use that for the rest of their life. It doesn't occur to them to try and pick up someone else's."
"How do they do that, pick up talents? I mean, do they kill the other person, or knock them out, or just, you know, touch them?" Schuldig moved closer, perching on the back of a chair so that as long as Brad remained sitting he was at eyelevel with Schuldig's groin. With a suppressed groan Brad stood up and walked around Schuldig so that he was no longer exposed to that specific area of attention. Unfortunately, Schuldig turned too.
"It varies from leech to leech. Generally they just have to concentrate and preferably be in close contact with their victim. I suppose there is one here? It's the only reason I can think of for you to suddenly bring this up?"
"Ja, there is. That Indian guy stalking Nagi. Rammi. If it was just touch, he'd have stolen the gift already, but… what happens to the other person, Brad, the one who loses their talent?" Schuldig's brows knitted in concern.
"Nothing, as far as a I know. Sometimes they don't even lose their talent. There aren't many leeches, so it hasn't really been studied. It's possible that by merely being in proximity Rammi can share Nagi's gift. Has he being trying to gain Nagi's trust?" Brad folded his hands together, linking his fingers, in front of him. It had the dual advantages of looking pensive and professional whilst also hiding the growing bulge in his trousers.
"I guess so," Schuldig sighed. "Nagi doesn't trust me anymore. I gave him that dictionary, by the way. Actually, Nagi doesn't trust him either. He knocked the sewage on both of us and pulled a vanishing act."
"He's a bright child," Brad mused.
"He's a fucking child prodigy," Schuldig corrected lazily. "Look, I'll find out what this leech does to nab Nagi's gift, and you get him, right? Take it to Hertz, tell him you had a vision or I read his mind and we'll nail the bastard."
Brad sighed as something else occurred to him. "It won't be nearly that easy. To be a leech you need at least one psychic parent. Most of them are bred, but don't last long. If Rammi's a leech there's an extremely high chance his father or mother is an Estet operative."
"So I find out who, and we deal from there. I mean, as long as it's not Hertz, it's okay, right?"
Brad gave a dismissive shrug. "We need more information," he said blandly. "Now, do you recall that I was looking for you the other day?"
"Yes, Crawford," Schuldig gave him a scathing look.
"You and I are going to London."
Schuldig was about to make another snide comment when the words caught up with him. "London? Why? Both of us?"
"I believe that is what is implied in the phrase 'you and I', Schuldig," Brad smirked. "I have had a vision of another potential student, and they have requested I locate him. There is some question as to whether the boy is actually talented or just a freak, which is why I suggested you accompany me." Brad's face said nothing, but inwardly he was a mess. He'd made the suggestion before he and Schuldig had fallen out. He wondered why he hadn't seen the brief but resonant argument coming.
"So, London. In England. Cool." Schuldig seemed pleased to be included. Brad allowed himself a sliver of hope.
"We will meet him on the Baker Street underground. His name is Jei and he has dark red hair, darker than yours. He… I… Something is going to happen," Brad finished lamely. "We're going to have to make a quick exit. Be ready."
Schuldig sneered at him. "Right now?" he asked sarcastically. "Oh, I'm so very ready for bad 'things' that might happen."
Brad sighed. Schuldig was still upset, very upset. He'd pushed too hard and Schuldig had given up trying to win his approval. So Schuldig was punishing him by being outwardly cold, for Schuldig at least. And it hadn't even occurred to Brad that Schuldig had wanted his approval.
"Not approval," Schuldig said softly. "I don't give a damn about your approval. Just… a bit of trust, a little respect, that was all." He shrugged awkwardly. "I don't like the way you think about me. It's the same way as everyone else."
Brad stared at him. "Well, you didn't do much to dissuade me," he said uncomfortably.
Schuldig folded his arms and fell silent. He wanted to object, wanted to complain. He was hurt, naturally, but if Brad hadn't got it by now he never would. He had done everything to dissuade Brad, he'd gone out of his way to, but Brad hadn't taken a blind bit of notice.
"Don't give up," Brad murmured, almost below hearing. Schuldig's head snapped up, but he didn't say anything. He stood up and walked past Brad to the bedroom to find something to wear, not even bothering to sway for Brad's benefit. It wasn't lost on Brad, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. It was worse than any beating, any scolding, anything his father had ever said. It can as a shock, knowing that Schuldig's approval meant more to him than his father's had. And, just as with his father, he'd lost what small chance he ever had of obtaining that approval.
Tum-te-tum… Sorry I've kept Farf's fans waiting so long, but hopefully you'll appreciate his entrance. It's very… him, I think.
'New Rules New Ruler' (one of my other fics) Spoiler – do not read if you haven't read NRNR, it spoils a twist towards the end of the fic:
Hmm, guess Tash isn't quite so unique in her gift, though she's much stronger than any other leech, and can store multiple talents, which others can't. Yeah, I've just decided that ^_^. Tash's method is dependent on her ability to possess others and kill them, while other leeches tend to be a bit less drastic in their absorption. We'll see how Rammi goes about it later on…
