Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own weiss kreuz or anything to do with Weiss. If you haven't noticed yet, this is mostly stereotypical southern, mostly. There are some people who live like this and enjoy it so, more power to them.

"So where are we going first, Kay?" Omi asked from the passenger seat of the truck.

"First, dear wee one, we are going to drop Yohji's car off with a friend of mine. He can fix it up just as good as I can and it'll be ready by the time we're done. After that, we're going to the high school to get you registered," she looked thoughtful for a moment, "are you interested in joining the band?"

"I don't know how to play any instruments, but it sounds fun."

"It's great, and if you like my friend can teach you to play the drums. That's probably the most popular instrument and it'll be something for you to do besides killing people every night," Omi's face took on a weird look.

"We have a job every night?" He was getting worried with the new work load.

"No, it's a figure of speech. I just have some things to do almost every night" stupid, Kay, stupid. She berated herself. She needed to drive this little talk somewhere else.

"So you don't only work for Kritiker?"

Shit, this kid's smart.

"No, I also work, er worked, for one other," may as well get the cat out of the bag, "one I am doing everything I can to get out of it and just be a part of Kritiker. I don't actually take missions from them, I just hunt down any of their members who happen to be nearby and kill them. Simple as that."

"How long were you with the first organization?" Omi asked cautiously.

"Ah. The first group got me when I was ten, I'm twenty-four now, so I spent two years with them training and four years with a group. I hated it so I found a way to run away," her face grew really,pissed, "The first organization were the ones who killed my parents to get to me. After the second year they sent me to Japan. That's where Kritiker first heard of me. An anonymous friend got my name into Kritiker and they promised protection in return for service. Of course I agreed."

Omi's mouth hung open and his left eye was twitching slightly. Kay looked over at him, frowning.

"Is all this really so hard to believe?" They stopped at a red light and Kay looked over and studied Omi. "We're coming up to the school. Better wipe that look off your face before you meet the counselors or they'll probably think you're stoned or something." For indeed Omi's mouth was hanging open and he was just staring at Kay like 'What the hell did manx do to us.'

Omi started to say something but hesitated.

"Spit it out, kid. What is it?"

"Have you ever heard of Estet?"

"Yes,"

"Have you ever heard of Schwarz?"

Kay kinda smirked, "Not only have I heard of them, I'm one of them."

"NO! No, no, no. You are not a member of Schwarz. You can't be, you work for Kritiker,"

"Omi..."

"No, I will not accept that you work for the group that constantly tries to kill us!"

"Omi..."

"How could you! How could you work for an organization like that? Their evil, they want to take over the world,"

Kay finallly got fed up and smacked Omi over the head. Omi jumped and gingerly touched his face.

"I was going to tell you tonight when I contacted Manx. The 'mission' that I have tonight is just me meeting an old anonymous friend. He's going to give me information needed to destroy some of Estet's vital files without being caught. It's going to take some computer work but I'll figure it out." She stopped as if something just came to her, "WAIT A SECOND!. You said that Schwarz was trying to kill you. They didn't succeed?"

'Wow,' Kay thought, 'I really underestimated these city boys. They might actually live the first few months.'

"What do you mean, they didn't succeed? Do you want them to kill us? Don't you have any faith in us?"

"Hey now, take it easy kid. Actually, that was a compliment. I'm truly surprised you're alive after fighting them. Schuldig, and Farfarello could easily take you all out within five minutes. Crawford's the only one with any true vulnerability."

Omi had started twitching and was slightly foaming at the mouth.

"Yo, kiddo. Relax, will you."

"I don't really believe you. Schwarz would never let you leave. Neather would Esstet. From what I have heard of them, you should be dead. And what about Prodigy, you didn't say anything about him?"

Kay smirked and muttered, "No one argues with a bezerker," Then she frowned and said, "Who's prodigy?"

"He's their telekenetic," pause, "Are they really that strong? Could they really kill us just like that?"

"Hate to break it to you, kid, but unless they had weakened considerably since I last contacted them, they didn't really want to kill you. I guess they got that telekenetic to replace me after I ran off."

"You ready to check out your new school, or do you want to do something else while you get over the shock. Prehaps it was a bit too much info on your second day here. I gotta go shopping," she added to herself as an afterthought.

"Wait! You're just changing the subject just like that? How, why?

"You don't seem to be handling this information very well. I'll talk about this more tonight in the meeting room. With everyone else"

"You're right. Let's go to the school, please," desperate to change the subject because his understanding of Kay was dropping by the instant he said the first thing that came to mind, "How did your leg get tore up like that?" He clapped his hand over his mouth as he realized how rude that sounded, but Kay just laughed.

"It really ain't as interesting as it looks," Omi gave her a look that screamed, 'you've got to be kidding'.

"I'm not kidding," they were on the road again,"It was Mardi Gras and I was invited on a NOAA trip into the Mississippi Sound to swim with sharks. Naturally I couldn't resist a chance like this, so I eagerly agreed. At the time, with the festivities, I kept my mind closed to animals because they were really adgitated, and that would put me on edge. Little tidbit for you, the Mississippi sound has the larges population of bull sharks in the world, and bull sharks are one of three of the most aggressive sharks. So long story short, shark bite. Somehow Kritiker's doctors got a hold of me once I reached the hospital, I don't even want to know how they found out so quick, ignorance is bliss, but they thought plastic was too flimsy, so they slapped this damn metal plate on me to hold my leg together. I only just recently got used to the limp."

Omi was scratching the back of his head, "You really do live an interesting life, don't you."

Kay pulled into the parking lot in front of the school and laughed, "You're just a city boy, we'll knock you out of that in no time, though. Then my life really won't seem all that interesting."

Omi looked doubtful.

"Just wait till the races."

Omi looked across the school campus. In the back of the school stands were surrounding a football field, assorted red brick buildings were spread around the grounds. Off to one side, a troop of what looked like army people were running laps around a building and on the other side many small groups of people carrying instruments were making noises that made no sense to him but Kay was wincing.

"Over there is the administration building, that's where we're going, come on." she was getting out of the truck and Omi was scrambling to keep up. They passed a group of the military people and kay said, "JROTC, it's basically a beginning military training, thing. I never was really all that interested." They walked into the administration office and Kay was immediately greeted by an older woman in a brown business suit.

"Hi Mrs. Luleira, how are you?"

"Ah, just fine Ms. Kay. Is this here the wee one you warned me about? He can't be a freshman he's so wee," Mrs. Luleira bent over the counter and pinched Omi's cheeks. Omi, being the kind of kid to put up with anything, just stood there and took it.

"He's a junior, Mrs. Luleira. I'm just going to register him. Cody," she called to a kid behind the counter," could you please bring Omi here to the counselor's office to make him up a schedule?"

"Alright, follow me," Kay pushed Omi after the taller boy.

"I'll be right here, just tell her you want the usual classes plus band and it won't take long. Don' t stay to chit chat or we may never see you again." She grinned as Cody led Omi to the back. Omi heard Mrs. Luleira giggle to Kay, "He looks like a girl."

Omi entered the wooden door to the counsellors office with the overly large nameplate declaring Ms. Rocapocapella.

"Whatever you do, don't make fun of her name, she don't like that. Have fun," he grinned and opened the door for Omi. Omi cautiously stepped through and came face to face to what he could only call a four and a half foot woodpecker. Ms. Rocapocapella was shorter than Omi with a crest of hair flung back at a 45 angle her nose was pointed and no less than three inches long. She was slender, but too much boob. A double D chest overcame her chin as she squealed at Omi.

"Well aren't you cute as a bug in the rug! What'll you want as a schedule? You'll want home ec. now, won't you."

"Wait, no. Thank you but I just want to get the regular courses plus band. That's all."

Ms. Rocapocapella's face fell slightly but the overly-happy face was back before he noticed.

"Okedokey, let's see here, we can put you with Mr. ..." Ms. Rocapocapella started mumbling to herself and in no time a paper started to slide out of the printer.

"Here you go sweetie, these should be some good classes,"

"Thanks Ms. Woodpecker," Omi said before he could stop himself. The affect on Ms. Rocapocapella was terrifying, she became this bird of prey about to come down on poor Omi.

"What was that?" Her voice was a low hiss and Omi nearly peed his pants when he heard it. "NO ONE MAKES FUN OF MY NAME!" She freaked out and chased Omi out of her office. Omi, trained and hardened assassin that he was, shot out of that office like a bullet and stampeded twoards the office where Kay was laughing with Mrs. Luleira.

"Can we go, please. I don't want her to find me," Omi whimpered and inched twoards the door.

"You made fun of her, didn't you," Cody sighed.

"I didn't mean to!" Omi was about to cry, "It just kinda, slipped."

"What did you call her?" Cody asked with unfeigned interest.

"Ms. Woodpecker," Omi whispered. Kay and Cody just let go laughinig but Mrs. Luleira was a bit more reserved and bit her wrist to keep from laughing out loud.

"We had better get going, I've got a lot of things to do and little time in the day. See ya when I see ya," Kay smiled at them and she and Omi wandered back to the truck. The band was still preforming.

With Schwarz

Crawford's nails have dug ridges in the leather upholstery of the rental car. Schuldig was continually grumbling about this red neck, hillbilly, end of the world place. Five miles back Brad had Nagi throw Farfarello into the trunk of the car because he was carving words and symbols into the windows. There has been a steady grating sound coming out of the trunk ever since so Crawford was more than expecting to see many anti-religious symbols on the interior by the time they let him out.

Nagi started driving after Crawford nearly drove an eighteen-wheeler off the road while yelling at Schuldig.

"Nagi! Take that exit!"

"Dammit Crawford! Tell me before we get ten feet from the turn," Nagi snarled at the older American but a pothole in the road ruined the effect. The grating sound in the trunk stopped.

"We should be home in about twenty minutes, Nagi. Just keep on this road." Crawford pulled out a bottle of asprin and proceded to place half a dozen in his mouth. Nagi hit another pothole in the road and Schuldig banged his head on the god-cursed windows.

"Shit, son-of-a-bitch, what's with this road. Doesn't this county care about these roads at all."

"Apparently not, because of those," Nagi pointed to a couple of trucks tearing down the road digging ridges a foot deep.

Dust came in through the open window and made nagi sneeze which cause him to jerk the steering wheel and fishtail right into the mud pit that Yohji nearly got stuck in. However, Schwarz doesn't have a truck. Crawford was slowly counting to ten and Nagi was cursing his allergies. Schuldig was unconcious against the rear window. Farfarello was knocking on the trunk of the truck, "Will you let me out now? Mud is getting everywhere and I don't look forward to drowning back here."

"Nagi, let Far out and try to lift us out of this hole. I'm going to hunt down some cyanide." Nagi nodded and the hood of the trunk popped up and Farfarello popped out of it like a Jak in the Box. He scowled at the mud and climbed onto the top of the car. Nagi started concetrating really hard and the car shuddered roughly but didn't budge. Nagi eyes unfocused and he got lightheaded and vomited out the door.

"Sorry, Crawford, but I just can't do it. We're probably about two feet into this mud," he dug out some tylenol and swallowed two. "We'll just have to hope someone comes along so we can call a tow truck." Crawford sighed and stopped digging around the bags for the pill.

"Farfarello! Keep a lookout for a car."

"No need, here comes one now." Indeed, a truck's roaring engine could be heard coming down the road and an eighteen-wheeler came around the corner. The truck stopped and a man stepped out of the cab.

"Hello, there. Need some help?" He stopped at the edge of the puddle and grinned.

"Aye, matey. We seem to of run ashore and we're takin' on water fast,"

"Farfarello, shut up," Crawford yelled at the irishman, "sorry about that, yes we are stuck and need help getting out. Can you call a tow truck for us?"

The man laughed and said, "Call a tow truck, why, I'll do one better and get you out myself. All I have to do is unhook my trailer and I'll have you out in a jiffy."

"Thank you very much. Far, go help him."

The psychotic albino jumped off the top of the car and landed next to the man. The man's smile never left his face, "Nice jump, but I don't really need any help."

"I'm curious to see how it's done," Far said and followed the man behind his truck. "You sure it's a good idea to send Farfarello off with him?" Nagi asked from behind the drivers seat.

"Don't worry, he really is curious about trucks. Thought it might be a good idea for him to see something about it, and he's off our back for a while." They saw the trailer jump a bit when it was released from the truck and the man and Farfarello got into the cab. Crawford couldn't tell what they were talking about and Schuldig was still unconcious. They snaked their way around the car and backed up to it. The man jumped out and wiggled under the car to hook a chain around the axle. He came back up completely covered in mud.

"You really didn't have to do that, we could have just called someone."

"Yea, but I would have had to wait also and I have a deadline to meet. Here," he tossed the chain at Farfarello who caught it and wrapped it around the hitch. "Is he alright?" the man saw Schuldig unconcious in the back.

"Don't worry about him, just a bump on the head." Crawford said.

"You a'aight kid?"

Nagi nodded slightly but his head still hurt from trying to lift the car, "Just a little headache." The man grimaced but waded through the mud back to his truck. He took off his cowboy boots and emptied the mud out of them. He walked barefoot into the truck and started to pull the car out. It came out with almost no resistance at all. Farfarello waved his hands at the driver when the car was out. Far unwrapped the chain from the truck and the driver shook it out from under the car and checked the axle.

"Good, pop the hood so I can check that no mud got into the engine and you can be on your way. Turn on the engine," he said. Nagi turned the key and the engine coughed and shuddered and black smoke came out of the muffler.

"Uh, I'm going to deliver this to someone who can fix your car, I'll tow you there," the man grimaced and scratched the back of his head. Crawford groaned and banged his head on the roof of the car, "Fine, just please. This is our first day here and it really isn't getting anywhere."

"Are you moving here?"

"Yes"

"What's your address?"

"Right down Old Nicholson road. It's a yellow stucco house."

"I know that house! Helped the family to fix it up before they sold it. I can take you right there and give you the number to the mechanic. You're house isn't fifteen miles from here." The man was almost jumping in his clothes and was laughing.

"We really couldn't ask that much from you-"

"It's really not that much trouble, my stop is just around the corner, and you need help."

"Thank you very much, how can I repay you?"

"There's no need, like to help anyone." The man grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You're phone's ringing," Farfarello called from next to the cab. The man jogged back and answered the phone.

"I don't trust him," Nagi said after the man had disappeared into the truck. "Why not?" Crawford leaned up aggainst the hood of the car.

"No one is that nice and helpful. He's after something,"

"I like him," Farfarello said and crouched on the hood of the car. "And why would you say that?" Nagi asked.

"He's Jewish,"

The man came back and said, "I can take yau'll back no problem. My delivery site doesnt' have anyone there so I got a couple of hours to kill," the man barked a laugh and shrugged, "I don't mind. It's hours I'm being paid for. I'll hitch my trailer and hook up your car to it and we'll be on our merry way." He smiled and got his trailor hooked up. He backed his truck right through the pit and came back. After Farfarello helped him hook the car up to the trailor, they all piled up into his cab. Crawford thought about putting Schuldig in the back of the cab but decided to leave him in the car. So he got in shotgun and Farfarello and Nagi made themselves comefortable in the sleeper.

They turned a corned and the man pointed at a small shop right off the road.

"That's my drop off, but I got a few extra hours." They passed the shop and Farfarello snorted at the name, Four Bald Eggs. "I was told the story behind the name once but I done forgot it." They drove on for a few more minutes before the man said, "This is you're turn," and he took them down that road. About five more miles and he stopped in front of this huge yellow stucco house. Nagi looked past Crawford and his jaw dropped.

"That's our house," Crawford pulled some papers out of his coat pocket, "Twenty-five hundred feet of living space, not counting the wrap around porch, and five acres of land. Five bedrooms, three baths. Welcome home."

"Cute kid, you're son?" Crawford glanced at the man over the car and said, "Yea, my wife died three years ago, he's my brother," Brad nudged Schuldig, "and we picked Far up off the road." He was a very good liar.

"Very funny," Farfarello said and picked up Schuldig and slung him up over his shoulder and carried him into the house.

"Well, I gotta get going. Maybe we'll run into eachother again. Oh, here, this is the number of the mechanic," he handed Crawford a slip of paper and turned to go but Crawford caught his shoulder.

"Here, for your trouble," he handed a bill to the man.

"I couldn't accept, it's really no problem,"

"No, please, here," Crawford pushed the money to the man and turned him to his truck, "Have a good day." The man shook his head but went over to the truck and took off.

'Gotta check on the children' Crawford thought, he picked up some slightly mud-soaked bags from the trunk and headed inside.

The man was down the road at the Four Bald Eggs when he looked at the bill Crawford gave him, it was a hundred.

"Damn"

Author's Note: Sorry this is taking so long to write, very busy. Please review.