Chapter 7

The connection deep within part II

-Oh my god.-

I rolled to the side as Yoji shoved mercilessly at my shoulder flinging me further into the corridor; yet that was only after clocking Ran so hard on the chin that it sent him reeling back into Omi's room.

-Oh my…god.-

It was all I could think as I jumped up from the roll I had landed in and sat crouched there for a moment just watching the scene before me.

Ran.

Ran attacking us…no it wasn't Ran. I knew Ran. I didn't know this man who stood in front of Yoji now, blood leaking from his split lip as it twisted up into a sneer. Yoji visibly flinched as he slowly moved in front of Omi, almost as if he thought any sudden movement would set the redhead off.

"…What are you doing?" he asked perfectly reasonably, the question almost too reasonable considering the situation.

His voice was calm, but the waver behind it betrayed the anger, upset and utter confusion he was truly feeling. The redhead narrowed his eyes at him, his glare bloodcurdling, yet admirably Yoji stood his ground.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Yoji asked a little more harshly as he regained a little of his scattered wits, and quite reasonably so considering the circumstances.

Yet Ran gave no answer. Instead he decided to just snarl at the lanky assassin, the action inadvertently springing Yoji into action. In one swift slick move Yoji sprang forward, swing out at Ran with one hand while he blocked Omi from the attacker's path. It gave the young blonde just enough time to scramble to his feet and dart down the stairs hopefully, I thought, to get at his crossbow. At least the introduction of weaponry would give us some leverage and hopefully pull some sense out of the enraged Ran. I looked back to see that Yoji's hit had landed, but in his haste to help Omi he had over swung just enough to give Ran an advantage. The redhead sent him toppling to the ground with a deft flick of his arm, subtly snapping a hit onto the back of Yoji's neck. I was on my feet in seconds, running, blinded by a haze of anger and fear as I barrelled into our distracted attacker. Yet he was only distracted for a moment, and as soon as I touched him, as soon as my shoulders came into contact with his body I could feel the power surging around him. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, made my skin crawl and my heart shudder in my chest. It was like static electricity in the air, and aura of surging electrons warring with each other for space, pushing at me and buzzing around me. It made me freeze on contact with him, like I had been electrocuted, just from the sheer unnatural feel of it. I felt paralysed, and it scared the shit out of me!

As I lay propped against Ran's stomach, willing my limbs into some semblance of coherency, my mind raced, and the only comparison I could muster for this strange feeling made my skin crawl.

When Prodigy used his power.

That was the only other time I could think of that I had felt that itching in the air, that  surge like the hum of electricity that made you hair stand on end. The only problem with this was…Ran wasn't a telekinetic. Well, at least that's what I thought until I found myself flying through the air before becoming pinned up against the opposite wall, spread-eagled, my head spinning and the air knocked in full from my lungs. It took me a moment to realise what was happening, to figure out why I hadn't hit the floor yet. Yet even when I figured it out, there was still that part of my mind that refused to believe it was true. Then I saw Ran's flaring eyes upon me, his gaze holding me against the wall almost all by itself. His hands were outstretched just like Prodigy did when he used telekinesis; I couldn't believe it.

The hard plaster had shattered on impact and I could slowly feel little pieces of dust and brick tumbling past my bleary eyes. It was as if they were moving through water, distorted and sluggish. It was like I was moving in slow motion along with the rest of the world. Yet I didn't fall. I just stayed there, stuck like a butterfly on a pin, staring into Ran's manic eyes. I tried to move then, yet felt just as paralysed as before. I felt his power pushing more into me, harder and stronger, the plaster shattering further, the cracks twisting out like a cobweb. I was vaguely aware of Yoji lying just beyond my field of vision, pushing slowly up on shaky arms.

-But how…- I thought numbly, feeling like my lungs were going to come rushing out of my mouth any minute from the pressure on my chest, -…only one punch and he's down that badly?-

I couldn't breathe, I felt my body compressing, the pressure building in my joints and muscles, sure to splinter and pop at any moment.

"Ran…please…" was all I could gasp out before my vision dimmed as dark spots began to expand in front of my eyes.

I knew then I was going to die. I just knew it. This was insane. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't! Not like this! Not like this…not him…couldn't breathe…

"Stop it!" Yoji's voice echoed throughout my scattered mind as if through a tunnel; and then the pressure was gone.

I felt the ground rushing up to meet me with an impact which was entirely unsympathetic to my injuries. The air rushed back into my lungs almost painfully as I gasped and wheezed and tumbled out over the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. It was as if I had no control over what I did with my limbs, they had a mind of their own; and at that moment their mind was thinking that they should lie on the floor and not move at all. The sounds of a struggle were far off and blurred around the edges, like I was wearing earmuffs. Forcing myself into a sitting position, pulling up the wall like a baby who hadn't learned to walk, I managed to get my head up far enough to see what was going on. The scene swayed savagely as I finally got my head righted, the vision of Yoji grappling hands with Ran lolling from side to side before finally settling back to horizontal. I tried to move to help him, tried to even shout out at least, but it was hopeless. All I could do was gasp, the mere act of drawing breath still like knives stabbing into my lungs. So all I could do was watch in vain as Ran slipped from Yoji's infallible looking grasp and strike out hard against his chin. The blond flew back, slamming into the wall before crumpling in an unconscious heap on the floor.

"Yoji…" I croaked out not being able to stop the pained look that crossed my features as I spoke.

His broken sunglasses lay dejected at his side, reflecting the manic look in Ran's amethyst eyes. The look that was now directed on me.

-Two hits and Yoji's down? – I couldn't understand it, the blond assassin was never that easy to knock out, - but Ran, his eyes…he doesn't know what he's doing…-

Before I could ponder it further said person lunged at me from across the room, his trench coat flying out behind him. I let out a hoarse cry of protest but what little breath I had regained was soon knocked out of me as a foot stormed into my gut. My head fell lazily onto Ran's shoulder as he crouched down in front of me, the shock of the injury removing all my inhibitions towards the situation. I could almost feel my eyes bugging out of their sockets from the blow, the sheer force of it sending my vision for a spin. Then my head was snapped up by the hair, the ferocious vision of Ran's countenance bobbing in front of me, and his eyes…

-Oh god, he really doesn't know what he's doing…he really doesn't recognise me…-

His eyes were that same deep heliotrope colour they'd always been, but now there was something else lurking in the back of their glassy depths. It was like the glowing embers of a fire, like rage embodied in a look. It was pure hatred. The only other time I had seen that look in Ran's eyes was when Takatori was mentioned during the days not long after we'd met, or when he found out his sister was gone from her hospital sanctuary. Yet never, NEVER had I seen it turned on me; not even Yoji, and certainly not Omi. He used to snipe at us, shout at us, but never had he looked at us like that. It was as if someone completely different was staring down at me, like it was someone else in Ran's body making him act out this manic façade. It was as if he didn't know me…and I was sure that if he did…

"Ran…" I managed somehow to croak out of my broken throat, "…it's me…Ken."

His grip on my hair tightened as I spoke making my name sound more of a squeak than anything else as I spoke it. I tried futilely to ignore the extreme ache and pain shuddering down my back and legs, the sickening slur of my mind finding it hard to do anything of use. His eyes were boring into my own dazed ones as if he could look into my very soul. I felt like that was what he was doing, staring into my very essence as if the glassy orbs of my eyes were nothing but holes. I shuddered slightly in his grasp, just as much as my withering strength would permit.

"Ken," was all I could say then, hoping it would spark something in his memory "Ken."

Then there it was; I almost missed it I was so delirious. It was nothing but a slight twitch at the side of his mouth, a slight hesitation in his actions. Yet it was enough to give me hope, enough to make me gather my remaining vigour and try again.

"Ken," I said again, louder this time, "Ken…remember?"

He narrowed his eyes and growled at me, but his grasp seemed to loosen on my hair. I could vaguely hear footsteps running, but I ignored them. I focused on holding the redheads gaze, making sure he looked at my face as I pleaded with his memories to resurface. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity, even though in reality it was probably only seconds that passed. I began to think that my analysis had been wrong, that Ran knew well fine what he was doing and that he was trying to kill us…kill me…no. NO! I wouldn't believe it, it couldn't be true! He was my best friend, my brother…I couldn't believe it, I wouldn't believe it…

"Ken?" it was nothing but a faint whisper, almost missed amidst the thumping of my heart.

I blinked once I realised he had spoken, noticing the distinctly different look on his face as I stared at it obsessively. The rage had melted to be replaced by confusion. The hatred in his eyes was once again that placid inner strength.

"Ran?" I breathed out hopefully.

He opened his mouth to speak, frowning as he noticed the blood I could feel running down my chin, but he never said what he was going to say. All that emanated from those lips was a cry of pure agony. Blood spurted all over my face, landing on my tongue as I cried out and wriggled in Ran's weak grasp. I could feel the hot fluid mixing with my own life blood as it trickled down my face, not wanting to open my eyes. Yet I was forced to as Ran hauled me up along the wall, my feet dangling off the ground. I saw then the thick sturdy arrow bolt protruding from his shoulder and Omi crouching at the top of the stairs, crossbow in hand. I tried not to cry out in frustration and hurt as I saw that Ran's control had once again been relinquished to whatever force I was sure was controlling him; his eyes were once again crazed, the look not his own.

-He couldn't be himself, not after that little lapse into reality, - was all I could think.

I vaguely heard the squeal of tires and again the sound of footsteps but again I ignored it. I had to concentrate on Ran. So I stared down at him, ignoring the sounds of doors and voices and all those trivial things.

-If I could only get him to…- but I didn't get the chance to finish the thought.

The air rushed over my face as I flew through the air, Ran's powerful arms tossing me along the corridor as if I were nothing but a paper aeroplane. Yet I didn't fly so well, or land with such grace. The banister rushed up to meet my face before I could bring my unresponsive arms up to shield myself. My head felt like it was being split in two as my skull cracked off the metal piping, the pain shooting right down my spine and jarring my feet. I heard Omi cry out, but I didn't catch what he said; I was too busy trying not to slip in a coma.

Then the world became nothing but a wild fuzz of movement, splodges of colour here and there, a funny green shape rushing up the stairs, the muffled sounds of gunfire. I tried to hang on to reality for as long as I could, hoping I could come round and help Omi, but it was a futile effort.

The last thing I remember was the odd feeling of warmth surrounding me and then the world lurching in an odd way as I was lifted from the ground. Then an oddly familiar voice that I couldn't quite place at that moment cut through my unwilling mind like a knife.

-Sorry we're late katzchen-

Then I was gone.

An: Whoa! Schuldich being nice!?!?!?!? Naah, just sarcastic, heh heh, so that's okay. Anyway, Schwartz to the rescue…! Feedback very welcome, please R&R. I promise I'll get round to Aya-chan next chapter, mwooahahaha! And hopefully the next one wont be so late, ahhhh! I hate work! Bah humbug!