Please forgive me for how long this took to post. I am ashamed that it is already June! I have a bad habit of taking forever to finish a story, but the most important thing is that it's all done. I hope that you all enjoy the conclusion to Angel Eyes!

Turning things inside out was no longer an option. Perhaps he should destroy them all without a single look back. Perhaps he should… Perhaps he might.

M19: Redemption

Yohji, Ken and Aya were sitting in a rented car outside of the flower shop. Yohji was in the driver's seat and was dying to get out and smoke. Ken was in the back seat with Aya. He was able to sign himself out of the hospital and be downstairs and waiting by the time Yohji pulled up with the rental. He gave him new clothes and had each of their weapons in the car. It was nearing nine when they pulled up to the surveillance spot that Yohji and Aya had used earlier in the day. Ken was still a little drowsy, but he wouldn't admit it to either of his friends. He would work through whatever obstacle to be able to save the three waiting for them inside.

Yohji's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out slowly and received the call.

"Hello?"

"Yohji? I haven't seen anything since the kid left," a garbled voice on the other end said. "You guys here?"

"Yeah."

"What now?"

"Keep look out. You remember the warning signals, right?"

"Sure do."

"All right, then. Later." Yohji hung up and looked over to Aya. "There hasn't been any activity since Nagi left."

"You two ready?" Aya asked. Yohji and Ken nodded. "Let's go." Yohji, Ken and Aya all got out of the car at once and started for the flower shop. Yohji reviewed the course of action in his head. Aya would take the front, he would take the back. Ken would stay outside and hidden, ready to lead whomever came out to safety. Yohji reached the cellar's entry and quickly clipped the latch. He cautiously lifted the left door and looked down into the cellar. He couldn't see past the darkness. With haste, he leapt down into the room and landed on the floor.

He hurried across to the far end of the cellar, dodging around the storage boxes, workbenches and other miscellany in his way. He felt along the wall for the switch that would create an opening for him to reach the first floor through. He found it and activated it. Silently, the wall opened up and he slipped through, pushing the switch so that the wall would close up directly behind him.

He felt along the wall to guide himself up the stairs and to the main room where he would meet Aya. As he opened the door, light shone in from the main room. Immediately suspicious because all of the lights should have been kept off, Yohji sprung away from the opening wall and out of view. He heard the gun go off just as he moved and he felt the bullet as it rushed by him. He scrambled away from the opening and waited. Where was the warning signal?

There were no sounds coming from the room, but it was obvious that the light was on. He felt hot and anxious as he waited for something to happen, something that would tell him what his next move was. Then he heard the footsteps coming towards the opening. Yohji prepared his wire and shrunk towards the darkness near the stairs.

"There are a great deal of things that I foresee," came Crawford's voice from beyond the wall. "While I am not always able to see how or why something happens, the outcome is clear and it never changes. I foresaw that you would dodge…and I foresaw that you would move back towards the stairs. I know your exact location, and there is nothing keeping me from killing you right this instant… Except…"

"What?" Yohji called out.

"Except…you are last." Yohji's eyebrows dipped. He had heard that before, hadn't he? Yohji released his wire from his grip and it wound back into his watch. He walked out towards the opening, exposing himself to Crawford. Crawford had already lowered his gun. He looked at Yohji and smirked.

"What exactly is going on here?" Yohji asked.

"Why don't you tell me how it seems, Kudoh," Crawford said.

"Don't give me any run around," Yohji said. "This has got to end. Either Weiß goes down or Schwarz, and I'm putting my money on Weiß."

"The peculiar bit about that particular situation, Kudoh…is that I do, too." Yohji took a step back. "But first…" Crawford said. "First we had to even the score. Schuldig thought it best to recruit one of you to fight for us in place of our deceased member, however, Bombay proved himself a nuisance. We wouldn't be able to leave you three to our four. So, we graciously gave him back to you."

"Tainted," Yohji said.

"Well, he's recovered more than expected," Crawford said. "Most would take what they could get." Yohji scowled. "So…seeing as how our first plan failed, we went back to the drawing board and discovered that we needed to dispose of you one at a time. We needed to first take out the most obtrusive member, which would be easy, as Angel Eyes was already partially under our command. Next, we would get the most tactful, then the most dangerous, leaving behind the easiest of our prey to scamper and wallow in pity alone. An easy and guaranteed kill you were meant to be, Kudoh." How dare they underestimate his skill so much? "But there was another wrench. You probably assume that…because we are in a dirty business that there is no loyalty among us. Perhaps I was foolish to think that there was. There was a traitor among us, a Judas. Someone giving information to the enemy behind our back… Do you know, Kudoh, which of the two of my remaining members it was?"

"Neither," Yohji said. "As I see it, neither betrayed you in the way that you think."

"You don't consider Nagi's loose tongue a betrayal?"

"He thought he could trust those he confided in. Nagi wouldn't play games with you. If he wanted to hurt you or Schuldig, he'd have done it with his own hands."

"Yes…that certainly is true…" Crawford said. He rubbed his nose as if it was running. "It is true."

"Are we going to fight?" Yohji asked, stepping towards him. "I don't have time to sit around chattering with you. The meat of the matter doesn't mean as much as the completion of the mission." He gripped the end of the wire in his teeth and pulled the watch from his mouth. "Are you ready?"

"I already told you, I'm not going to kill you. I very well can't allow you to kill me, but I won't attack you." Yohji took the end of the wire into his other hand.

"But, why?" Yohji asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

"It makes sense to someone holding the tethered end of a lost cause. I can go no further, nor step back from this. The only thing I can do is make sure that the final vision is realized." The door that led to the apartments on the upper floors opened and Sakura walked out. She didn't acknowledge Yohji, or the situation he was in. As she came into the room, Aya-chan followed behind her, then Schuldig. Schuldig looked over to Yohji and smirked.

"I don't know how you survived that cut I gave you, but it doesn't matter," Yohji said. "I'll finish this."

"Don't you want to know what's become of your beloved teammates?" Schuldig asked. After hearing Crawford tell him that he was last and seeing that Schuldig was alive with both Aya and Sakura in his custody told Yohji that the other three members of Weiß were somehow out of commission.

"I'll complete the mission on my own if I have to!" Yohji deployed his wire towards Schuldig and Schuldig reached up to block the attack. The wire wound around his arm and Yohji tugged him forward.

"Stop, Kudoh," Crawford said, moving towards the girls with his gun drawn. Yohji continued to hold the wire taut and Schuldig continued to let it cut through his skin. "You, brown haired girl. Against the wall. And you, you stand behind her." Sakura and Aya followed his advice. Sakura looked frightened. She was shaking and crying now. Aya did as she was told without hesitation. Crawford raised the gun towards the back of Aya's head and stepped towards her.

Yohji realized that he was stuck at that moment. He now knew why Schuldig was letting him hold him. It was to give him little leeway to save the girls. No matter what he did now, he could not get the wire free in time to attack Crawford. A drop of sweat rolled down his cheek and he swallowed hard. Even so, he had to try. Just as he started to clip the wire from the watch, Aya moved. Yohji watched, stunned as she expertly avoid certain death.

She grabbed Sakura by the shoulders and pulled her down while simultaneously lifting her back leg and slamming her foot into Crawford's throat. The gun went off, but the bullet went into the wall. Crawford's body sailed across the room and into a display. It broke under his weight and crashed to the ground, the contents of the multi-tiered shelving landing on top of him.

Aya started towards Schuldig, spun on her heel and kicked at him. He caught her leg. By this time, Yohji's wire was cut and he was free to move. He also kicked at Schuldig, and Schuldig caught him at the ankle. However, he was using his bad arm and his grip was weak. Yohji moved his free leg to sweep Schuldig's legs out from under him, but Aya beat him to the attack. She popped her leg out behind her as she let her upper body sink to the ground and her foot caught Schuldig in the groin on her way down. Schuldig grunted and stumbled to the floor.

Aya immediately sprang up, ran over to Crawford and retrieved his gun. She went over to Sakura and yanked her up from the ground sharply. She turned to Yohji and started for him.

"You used the cellar?" she asked.

"I did."

"You take care of these two," she said. "I'll get Sakura to safety." Yohji nodded and moved towards Schuldig.

Then suddenly, all of the windows of the shop blew in.

Yohji flinched and turned towards the front door. Aya, lead member of Weiß, came sailing into the room. Nagi leapt in behind him and quickly surveyed the scene. When his eyes fell on Aya-chan, he growled. Aya-chan had apparently been startled by the glass and had stopped to see what had happened. When she saw Nagi, she turned to run, but before she could reach the basement door, she screamed out in pain. She sank to the floor and gripped her knee. Her lower leg was lumpy and her face showed that she was in excruciating pain.

"Aya-chan!" Sakura screeched.

"Nigete!" Aya yelled to Sakura. She knocked her towards the stairs to the basement and then grabbed her leg again. "Naze, Nagi?!" she exclaimed. Nagi was still growling.

"I'll kill every last one of you!" he yelled. "None of you have the right to interfere!" Yohji turned to Nagi with his wire drawn. Nagi overlooked him as if he wasn't much of a threat, but then Yohji's body lifted and was tossed into the wall behind him. It was lights out after that.

Several Moments Earlier

Aya snuck across the main room of the shop with his hand on the hilt of his sword. There were no sounds in the building, but he was sure all three occupants were still there. He hurried over to the door to the apartments when the door to the secret passage to Omi's room opened. He looked to see who was there. It was Omi.

"Omi!" Aya exclaimed. He tugged him into his arms and then pulled back to look him over.

"Aya…" Omi murmured. He reached up and touched his collar. "The girls are coming down through the back," he said. "I have to get this off before I can leave." Aya moved him into the moonlight and quickly found the release mechanism. The collar popped off and toppled to the floor. Aya took Omi by the arm and ran with him out of the shop. He hurried him across the street to where Ken should have been.

"Ken?" he whispered. There was no answer. Aya swung Omi around to the front of him and had him kneel behind a car.

"I can help," Omi said, realizing that Aya wanted him to stay put. "I have a few darts with me."

"Just stay here for now," Aya said and he took off to the back of the shop. Omi swallowed hard and looked around for Ken. Who he saw instead made his skin crawl. Crawford walked straight into the front of the building and the lights came on. Omi wished there was some way he could warn Aya. As he stood up, he felt cold fingers grip the back of his neck.

Aya reached the cellar. Omi had told him that the girls would be coming out the back but the only thing Aya could see was that Yohji had safely made it in. He looked down into the darkness of the cellar, unable to make out anything or anyone. He stood back up and looked towards the street where he had left Omi. Ken was standing right next to him, shrouded in darkness. Aya took in a sharp breath.

"Ken!" he said. "What are you doing here?" Ken's response shocked Aya to the core. He lifted his right arm and swiftly hooked Aya, who went stumbling to the ground.

"Operation Angel Eyes will be a success…" Ken said in monotone. He reached down and unsheathed Aya's sword. He tossed it into the cellar, and then lifted Aya by the collar. He added pressure to the release on his glove so that the claws extended partway and he tucked them under Aya's chin. As they began to walk, the closest claw pierced his skin.

"Ken…"

"One more word and I'll kill you, Abyssinian." Aya steeled himself as they walked into plain view. Aya looked towards the car where he'd left Omi and he felt Ken's eyes staring at the same spot. Then his hold loosened. "Shit. The brat is here." Ken tugged Aya towards the front of the building. When they rounded the side of the building, Aya spotted Omi and Nagi a few feet away, staring silently at each other. Nagi turned very slowly to them and Omi's eyes followed.

"Ken-kun!" Omi exclaimed.

"Let him go, Schuldig," Nagi said. Ken released Aya and tossed him to the ground. Omi immediately went to his side.

"What's gotten into you, Ken-kun?" he asked. Aya quickly got to his feet.

"Schuldig is controlling him," he said.

"We're all here…" Nagi said. "So then it's perfect…" Nagi looked at Omi. "We can definitely break free of them tonight, Omi," he said. "And then there won't be anything keeping us from fleeing this world together." Omi stiffened. Nagi stepped closer to him. Aya clutched Omi tightly and pulled him away.

"You won't lay a finger on him." Nagi smirked.

"I'll see you all in hell," he said. Omi felt Aya move behind him; his hands slipped from his arms. Aya went flying into the shop through the windows and Nagi leapt in after him.

Omi followed Nagi into the building through the front door. Nagi grabbed the unconscious Aya by the jacket lapels and pulled him up. "Omi belongs to me!" he screamed in his face. He hit him and Aya slumped to the floor again.

"Yamete, Nagi!" he exclaimed. "Just stop!" Ken rushed in after him.

"Omi!" he called out. Nagi turned to the both of them. Then he looked to Schuldig.

"Do it after all!" he ordered. Schuldig's body lifted from the ground. "Follow through with your plan, or I'll crush you!" Schuldig leered at Nagi, and then looked at Ken. Ken's body straightened out and he walked into the room towards Yohji. "Make him do it!" Nagi exclaimed. Omi stepped to Ken's side and tried to hold him back.

"Don't Ken," he said. "Don't."

"Omi, step away from him," Nagi said.

"Nagi, you've got to stop this chaos," Omi said. "I told you we could get away from here, so let's go."

"You think I don't know that they'll be back for you?" Nagi asked. "We can't be peaceful unless every last one of these scum are obliterated!" Nagi looked to Schuldig. "Do it!" Ken reached behind himself and removed the gun tucked into the back of his pants.

"Ken!" Omi pushed him and Ken stepped away. He looked at Omi, then at Yohji. "Stop Ken!" Nagi grabbed Omi by the hair and pulled him away.

"Don't interfere!"

"Don't do this, Nagi!" Ken turned his gun on Yohji and moved closer to him. Yohji was slumped against the wall, unconscious. Omi tried to get away from Nagi, but he could feel his hair being pulled out as he struggled. He wouldn't break free of that tight grip. Ken cocked the gun and started to pull the trigger. Omi hurriedly retrieved a dart and tossed it at Ken. It hit him in the thigh, but it was too late. Bang! Ping!

"No!" Omi exclaimed. "Ken!" Suddenly, Nagi let Omi go. Omi stood up straight and tried to run towards Yohji to help him, but stopped when Nagi let Schuldig go. His body fell to earth with a crash; blood oozed from a wound at his side. He had been shot. Ken had already dropped his gun and now slumped to the ground from the effects of the 'Sleeping Beauty' dart Omi had hit him with. Yohji wasn't bleeding as far as Omi could tell. What the heck had happened? Then he heard a rattling noise and both he and Nagi looked to Aya-chan.

She was sitting on the floor, trembling fiercely, her gun still pointed upwards. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she looked downright delirious. Omi realized what had happened. In an attempt to save Yohji, Aya had fired at Ken to knock the gun from his hand. That ping was the sound of the bullet hitting the metal of Ken's gun. The bullet had then ricocheted from Ken's gun and into Schuldig's body, inflicting a fatal wound. Aya let out a dreadful whine.

"Oh God…" she cried. "Oh God…" Nagi knocked the gun from her possession with his powers and approached her. Omi pounced on him, and they both fell to the floor. Omi got him into a sleeper hold.

"Don't hurt her, Nagi!"

"…turning…on me…" Nagi gargled beneath him. "…s unforgivable." Omi applied more pressure. Nagi swung his head back and it hit Omi's chin. Omi's teeth clattered and his head snapped back. Nagi was free of his grasp moments later. He grabbed Omi by the neck and slammed him to the ground.

"I will never forgive you for turning on me!" The grip was so tight it felt as Omi went numb immediately. But he was prepared for this with a technique he had used few times before. He slipped a needle from beneath his tongue to the top and held it steady with great difficult. All he needed was one more breath, just a single breath. Nagi lifted him and knocked his head against the floor. Omi nearly bit off the tip of his tongue, but managed to hold the needle steady. "I'll destroy everything," Nagi said. "I'll destroy everything!" Things in the room began to lift from the ground around them. "Everything!" Nagi shouted. "Everything!" Omi was beginning to realize that Nagi wasn't going to let him go, but for some reason he couldn't fathom, he did. And the moment he let go of Omi's throat, Omi gathered a breath in through his nose and exhaled it across his teeth, tongue and lips. The needle shot out and stuck Nagi in the neck—off target, but effective nonetheless. Nagi grabbed his neck and gasped. His eyes burned into Omi's even as they rolled up into the back of his head.

"O…mi…" he breathed. Then he slumped over and hit the floor along with everything floating in the room.

Omi gulped in air and rubbed his neck as he sat up to look around the room. Aya-chan was the only other conscious person there, but she was fading fast. Omi tried to muster the strength to move, but he was so exhausted from lack of breath, moving made him feel dizzy. He settled back against the leg of the table behind him and tried to get himself together. As far as he knew, Schuldig and Nagi were dead and the members of Weiß were still alive. Aya-chan was alive. But what about Sakura?

The door creaked open and Birman hurried in, gun drawn.

"Omi!" she exclaimed. Omi pointed at Aya-chan.

"Help her," he said. He pulled him up from the floor and leaned against the table. Men dressed in protective gear and black clothing stormed into the room. One of them grabbed Omi and helped him out of the shop. The street was full of vehicles and was swarming with people. It was noisy; how long had they been out here? Omi didn't recall hearing anything while inside the shop, but he should have been able to. As the agents helped him into a car, he looked around to see if he could get a better grasp on the situation. Then he saw her.

Sakura was talking with great animation to a female agent in plain clothes. Omi felt relief as he slid into the car. Another plain clothed woman slid in next to him on the other side.

"What happened in there, Bombay?" she asked. "We knew you guys would have to go all out to defeat Schwarz, but sheesh!"

"It's a long story," Omi said. The woman fingered his hair.

"You've got quite a knot," she said. "Should I call another ambulance?"

"No, no," Omi said.

"You're sure?" the woman asked. "We'll need a complete report from you, all right?"

"Of course…" Omi said. Then the woman stepped out of the car. Omi looked down as he thought about her words. He would make a report, all right, but it would be far from complete. This was the first time Omi felt that his report would need the input of the other three members. Just how much would they reveal about the end the Weiß versus Schwarz saga?