My thanks to Nonasuki-chan for beta.


Chapter 8

Shock. Disbelief. And then concern.

"Aya-kun…" He moved towards me, touching my arm lightly, afraid that I would shake his hand off. "What happened? Are you really all right?"

"Aa. I just run into Farfarello this morning."

"That's not exactly a definition for being all right," he said checking me for wounds.

"I have just few scratches."

"I know your scratches," he murmured but calmed down a little. I could almost see how his brain shifted up. "Where did you meet him?"

"I'd rather save my breath and wait until Manx's here. You're going to inform Kritiker, right?"

He hesitated. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't?"

Interesting. "No, go ahead," I said and moved aside. With one last look he left my room. I closed the door, for a while standing still. I didn't give a damn about Kritiker, but the rest of Weiss should be aware of this possible danger.

I gave Manx fifteen minutes, carefully thinking about what I was going to say. Then I headed downstairs. Yoji was already in the mission room, sprawled on the armchair. He glanced at me before focusing on staring at the black screen again. Still not on speaking terms, then. But that was what I expected. Yoji let himself to be pushed only to a certain limit and it seemed that I had crossed it.

Quick steps as Ken raced down the stairs. He sat down on a chair looking at me curiously. Omi was the next to come followed by Manx.

Leaning against the wall, I lifted my head when she stopped in front of me.

"Abyssinian," she said, "Bombay's reported that you had an encounter with a member of Schwarz."

"Aa," I confirmed.

"Interesting," she moved little backward. "Please, start from the beginning." Even though she tried to stay calm, I could hear excitement in the tone of her voice. My lips almost curved into a sardonic smile. There was nothing for her to feel like that.

I told her reduced version, leaving out my dream, Farfarello's interest in me and my interest in Schuldig.

She was tapping fingers against her cheek, frowning a little. Obviously, she felt that I'd skipped something.

"So," said Ken, "you've lost against Farfarello." He was smiling, half-closed eyes watching me with some sort of amused benevolence.

"And?" I asked, wondering about what the hell was going on with him. He was becoming too much enthusiastic during the missions.

He just shrugged. "Next time take me with you."

"Ken-kun…" protested Omi.

"Try to fight against him only with knives," said Yoji calmly, "and we'll see."

I squinted up at him. He was sitting comfortable with arms folded across his chest. Hair swept back in a ponytail revealed a face devoid of any expression except a small frown between his eyebrows.

"What I find curious is that he didn't kill you," said Manx, returning all my attention back to her. "In fact, according to your own words, you've just got some scratches." Her eyes run over my body, studying me.

"I don't believe that they've ever really tried to kill us," I answered calmly despite a sudden desire to hit her.

"Why do you think so?"

I shrugged my shoulders slightly. "With the powers they have, we would be dead for a long time, if they wanted."

Ken just snorted while Omi was contemplating my words.

"What about Schuldig, then?"

"Schuldig?" I repeated blankly.

"Bombay reported me about that incident during the mission in the factory. We didn't pay too much attention to it, but you seem to have some… problems with Schwarz."

I went rigid, not looking at Omi at all, hiding anger beneath calm surface. "He was just taunting me and I lost my temper. That's all," I said succinctly.

Our gazes locked, she didn't believe me but I wasn't in a mood to try to persuade her.

"Schuldig knows how to get to you," spoke up Yoji, forcing her attention to shift to him. There was nothing unfriendly in his expression, he just looked little embarrassed if anything, raking a hand through his hair. "Because of that damned telepathy he knows exactly what to say to push your buttons. I'm quite used to it by now, but then again, I also don't have as much of a temper as our redhead." He grinned at me.

"Piss off, Kudou," I murmured.

He knew better than anyone else that I was hiding something. Still trying to protect me, Yoji?

"Well," said Manx with irritation, "if you have trouble with sleep or any other kind of problems, you ought to turn to our specialists."

I didn't deign to reply her and she was not waiting for it. Omi saw her off, while Ken was looking at me, entertained.

Yoji left the room without a backward glance.

Sometimes I was an idiot.


/ Schuldig, where are you? Hallo, you German bastard, I'm thinking at you. You poor caricature of human, do you hear me? /

I decided to spread the misery around. Locked in my room, I didn't want to see anyone, especially not Omi. He tried to speak with me through the closed door, while I was pointedly ignoring him, until Yoji came and said him to give me time to cool down a little.

/ Sadistic arrogant nitwit. /

How could be Yoji so forgiving? Was the situation reversed, I would let Manx grill him more. What the hell should I do?

/ I hope I'm giving you a headache. /


Wandering through the darkened city, I gave him a chance to meet me. If he was really hearing me, then it had to brother him enough to come. At least I hoped. Running out from all insults I knew, I continued calling his name. It was tiring but I was resolved not to give it up.

"If I had a touchy disposition, I'd feel offended."

I swirled around, surprised. I didn't expect him to come closer to me in such busy street.

"That was the purpose," I said, trying to stay calm.

He just snorted, orange hair messy without a bandanna to keep it back. He was wearing his old green coat again and I wondered if there was any purpose in it.

"Of course. I wouldn't take my new coat to kill you. It's a nuisance to get blood out of leather."

I watched him carefully, trying not to think about a knife I had.

"Will you wake up my sister?"

"You repeat yourself. Why should I?" He seemed to be in foul mood. Despite his words, there wasn't any trace of cold amusement he usually treated us with.

"I saved your miserable life," I snarled.

"And you were so generous in doing it," he said in a low, vehement tone, taking few steps closer me. The people around passed us as if we didn't exist. For Schuldig, deserted alley and a main street didn't make a difference.

I stood still, refusing to retreat. "Farfarello is not going to be happy with you, if you kill me," I remarked, hoping that it would distract him enough while my hand moved towards the knife.

"I'm not afraid of Farfarello," he said and I froze, smelling alcohol in his breath. Acting without thinking, I smashed him against the wall, the knife pressed at his throat. His body didn't offer any resistance, taking the whole hit from the contact with the wall. I pressed at him, feeling unsure. Something was wrong, he had to be drunker than it seemed. But if it was that case, how could he still control people so efficiently?

"So," he drawled, piercing blue eyes never leaving my face, "now that you have me, what are you going to do?"

I stared at him, the alarm bells ringing. Something was so wrong.

"Do you think that I won't kill you just because the people around will see me when you die?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Wouldn't that be interesting?"

I swore, wishing we were in some alley. I knew that this was some kind of game for him, but at the other side, the knife in my hand was so real. It cut the skin on his throat enough to draw blood. He didn't move, watching me intently, lips quirked in a wry smile. I looked into his eyes, nearly losing myself in that ice gaze. My hands began to tremble.

Without witnesses I would… Two so similar faces dances before my eyes.

He gripped me by the wrist, his hand cold from an evening air. In those fingers was more strength than I had expected, cruelly digging into flesh. Pressing the knife away without much difficulty, he twisted my hand until I dropped it. Then he pushed me roughly away from himself.

I quickly found my balance, glaring at him.

"In this world, there are only two kinds of people," he said. "Those who are afraid of you and want to kill you and those who want to use you. You seem to have trouble choosing."

I stood still, my heart pounding rapidly. I wasn't sure, but…

"Don't follow me," he said flatly. "Or I'll kill you without hesitation."

He turned, walking away, arrogant that his gift would warm him.

It wasn't the threat that stopped me, but the bitterness I heard in his voice.


Sitting on my bed, I stared at the bruises around my wrist. Some long-sleeved shirt for tomorrow, then.

Someone ran up the stairs quickly. I heard Omi's laugh and then Yoji's voice, teasing him.

Yoji… better to leave him out of this. The less he knew, the safer he was. Both from Schwarz and Kritiker.

I was used to fighting alone. And I couldn't afford to lose.