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Birman was unusually silent as she descended the metal stairs into the Weiß mission room, her eyes focused on the package in her hand. Kritiker had set up a new safe house for the four boys since they had dragged themselves from the sea after the fall of the Triad of Aste. They now lived in an unpreposing apartment with four rooms and the basement converted into another mission room. The four assassins lounged about, Ken idly cleaning a blade of his bugnuks with Aya leaning into the wall just behind him. Youji and Omi were teasing each other playfully, the older assassin trying to see just how red he could make Omi's cheeks. "Ne, chibi, how do you know that women don't like that? A little twist here, little push there" "Youji-kun!" Youji turned with a smile as he heard the click of heels on the steel of the stairs. "Ne, Birman. New pair of shoes?" He turned from Omi, bright smile fading quickly as Birman walked by. The playful mood evaporated as they saw the seriousness of Birman's figure and the way she held the tape that contained their mission like it would burst into flames at any moment. After loading the tape, Birman took a step back from the television, turning her head as the video message began to play. Ken should have taken his cue from her, covering his mouth with his hand as he fought to keep from vomiting. The room went cold as police photos of bodies flashed by, the bodies those of young boys, no older than Omi. Their bodies had been tortured, the pale skin mottled with dark bruises and terrible cuts. Whole sections of skin had been removed from their arms and backs, leaving nothing but bloody muscle exposed. Runes had been carved into their chests, huge symbols that struck a terrifying chord within Ken. It was almost as if he knew what they meant, but the explanation was just beyond his reach... The pictures played across the television screen with Persia's voice softly explaining the images. "Another body was discovered today, the fourth in as many weeks, along the riverbank. Authorities are saying the victim was killed within the last two days, and left to be found. The body was mutilated by obscene, occult symbols carved into the flesh on the chest, probably while the victim was alive." Four young boys. Dead, tortured, mutilated... Ken looked up at the sounds of retching, his stomach tightening in sympathy with Omi's heaves. Youji stood by the boy's side, rubbing slow circles on his back for comfort. He glared slightly at Birman for not giving any forewarning, but the woman was too lost in her own shock to notice. Persia continued with his account throughout the ordeal. "We believe it is the work of five women who have banded together to form a coven. Their behavior is consistent with people trying to call upon the power of Satan." Aya gave a soft snort. "What a stupid reason to kill." Ken nodded in agreement, studying Aya's profile instead of the gruesome pictures on display. The red headed boy had shown no signs of being bothered by the gruesome film, though his violet eyes had begun to glow with determination. Nothing short of Hell could stop Aya from taking this mission now. "White hunters, hunt down the tomorrow of the dark beasts!" Ken sighed as Aya turned off the TV. Thank God that's over with. He rose carefully, not trusting his trembling legs. He may have not given into the physical urge to run and hide, but his body still felt the terror that those pictures brought out; harsh, unexplainable fear that made his heart beat wildly. The entire situation was beginning to feel like an episode of déjà vu, after it had been detoured through the Twilight Zone. ::They have their final victim. They will kill them tomorrow, on the Hallow's Eve.:: Ken staggered slightly, a hand rising to his forehead. The voice in his head had been so clear...but it had sounded like Aya speaking to him... Omi made his way to where Ken was standing, his brows drawn together in confusion. "Ken-kun?" The soft words made Ken jump. Great, Hidaka. You're becoming a basket case. The thought almost made him laugh aloud. His choice of careers alone made him certifiable; why shouldn't he be hearing voices that were not his own? "Gomen, Omi...daijoubu?" Before Omi had a chance to answer, Birman cleared her throat loudly, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. "We have triangulated the locations of the bodies against a map of Tokyo. The killers are working in a pattern, that of a pentagram. And if they remain with their pattern of killings, we believe that the next murder will take place on..." "Halloween." The room was coldly silent as all eyes turned to Ken, who had found a surprisingly interesting spot on the ceiling tiles. He knew his friends were waiting for an answer...an answer he didn't have to give. How could he explain the creepy feelings that had overcome him since seeing those terrible runes...or the voice that had finished Birman's sentence for her? The ex-soccer player was starting to have a really bad feeling about the whole thing. Aya broke the awkward pause. "That only gives us a couple days. What is the connection between the victims?" Birman flipped through the folder in her hand, drawing out a black and white picture of the front of a dance club. Youji let out a low whistle at the customers lined up out front. Most of them were young teens, wearing clothing that would server better as washrags. Each of them wore heavy makeup, intensely "goth". "One of your usual hang outs, Youji?" Ken said softly, intending to break the heavy silence. The joke fell flat as it met with the tension that had built since Birman's arrival. The dark haired assistant drew out another photo, this time of a woman more conservatively dressed, but still exuding the same dark sexuality that the teens outside of the club were striving for. Ken felt himself go cold and repressed a shudder. The woman's face was eerily familiar. "This will be your target. Her name is Mary Denninger, but she goes by the alias Yuki. Apparently, she and her accomplices own a night club called Clavicula Nox." The hair on Ken's neck stood on end and he rubbed at the sudden goosebumps on his arms. He could see each of his companions react to the name, as if it were familiar to them. But Ken was sure none of them, even Youji, had ever been to a club by that name. Birman continued, unaware of Weiß' discomfort. "We talked with witnesses at the club and they say they saw each boy leaving with her on the night of their deaths." Omi nodded, his face still pale from his retching. "Will one of us have to pose as a victim?" Birman flinched, as if she had dreaded the question, but recovered quickly. "If it is possible. Ken and Omi are within the age range they are looking for, as well as the same physical attractiveness." She laughed hollowly. "It seems our so called witches prefer their victims to be pretty before they torture and kill them." Ken swallowed hard. Lucky me. "Is there anything else we should know?" It was a good thing Aya was still thinking clearly. Ken couldn't shake the feeling of impending disaster and would have missed any small details the Kritiker agent might offer. "Use extreme caution. The members of this cult are reputed to have "supernatural" power. And after your dealings with Aste, I think it's safe to assume those rumors might be true." Oh, this just keeps getting better and better... §*§*§*§*§ The nightclub, Clavicula Nox, was teeming with activity. Kids barely older than sixteen lined up in hopes to gain access to the exclusive night spot, flesh bared to the cool October air so that they might fit in with the dark crowd that populated the club every night. Meter tall letters flashed a garish blue onto the street below, the hum of neon nearly lost beneath the music blaring within the club's confines. Ken could feel the bass thrumming from his vantage point on the rooftop across from the building, dark techno music that was strangely erotic. He most definitely didn't want to think about what the subtle vibrations were doing to his body... Youji's voice rang in his earpiece. "Are you ready, Ken?" "H...hai!" Ken cursed at his nervous reply, waiting for Youji to return with a joke. When no reply came, he looked down to the street where Aya and the blonde were waiting their turn in line. Youji was busy talking with a very tall, violet-headed girl. Ken had only seen that shade of hair color on an anime shoujo. He wasn't sure it could be reproduced in real life, but here was the living proof. Aya did turn and look up, his gaze fixed on the moon behind Ken, but he could almost see the question in the cool violet eyes. Daijoubu? Ken felt himself blushing at the thought. Since the fall of the Triad and Schwarz, he and Aya had become closer, drawn to each other by the desperation of the life they had taken up. They were dead to the world, even Aya's beloved sister, but they had not forsaken the cause they had begun as agents of Kritiker. The dark haired assassin had noticed the change in Aya...strange glances while working, accidental touches...no, Ken was being fanciful. He shook his head and laughed at himself. You're falling for someone who will never love you back... "We're going in, Siberian. You have our backs." Ken nodded in response, turning his mind to the mission at hand. He watched with a small smile as Youji and Aya pushed their way to the front of the crowd, the offended teens silenced by Aya's chilling glare. Youji merely smiled and approached the barrel-chested bouncer, leaning in close like he was going to kiss the large man, then stepping back and through the door. Aya followed closely, long jacket swirling in the warm air that surged from the building. Soon, they were gone. "Take care, Ay...you guys." Ken whispered, turning up his audio pickup. It was his only connection to the boys inside until they made visual contact with the target, and he'd have to be ready if either gave the code word for extraction. Once they had located Yuki, they would start a video feed so that they could study her and her accomplices before tomorrow night, when they made the hit. The "witches" were only to be followed tonight. There was something too strange about this case and Ken could feel something familiar tugging at the edge of his thoughts. Something was going to happen...and Ken had an awful feeling it would change their lives forever... ~*~*~*~ Youji strode into the club, smiling at the disappointed pouts of the scattered teens at the entrance. Some of them thought his incredible looks had gotten him in; wearing bright red leather pants that left nothing to the imagination was certainly a good way to get the bouncer's attention. But then again, so were a few thousand yen bills. It all depended on how you looked at it. Aya was close at his heels, violet eyes scanning the crowd for their target. He was appalled at the mass of people writhing at the center of the club, their bodies pale in the violet of scattered backlights. It was like a half clothed orgy and he did not relish the idea of making his way through it to search for Yuki. Youji on the other hand was sliding through the crowd easily, his hands gently pushing people out of his way in a manner that made them smile with pleasure. He lived for the looks his body drew, dark, half-lidded gazes that promised forbidden pleasures should he desire them. With long practiced grace, he accosted a passing waitress by looping a long arm about her waist, pulling her to him until they were almost kissing. "Ne, lovely lady, do you know where we might find a woman named Yuki?" The girl stared into the jade eyes in shock. Aya watched her face darken as Youji ground his hips against hers. "Na...you can find her in the Private Ring, upstairs. Her's..." The girl swallowed hard, trying to keep herself upright. "Her's is the last door." Youji kissed her darkened lips
tenderly, reaching down to give her buttocks a playful squeeze.
"Arigatou, ojousan. You've been most helpful." There was a crackle of static in his ear that sounded like a sigh of disapproval. Youji made no sign that he had heard it as he continued to part the crowd and make his way to the wrought iron stairs that snaked their way up the wall of the club. Aya glanced up briefly, his gaze met by darkened eyes that hid a despair that chilled him. The girl couldn't have been more than thirteen, her body starved looking in the skintight shirt and pants of shimmering black. Thick black hair fell about a face of fine beauty, but her eyes He had seen that look in his own eyes before, when it seemed nothing could be left to live for. Aya-chan was awake, living the life she should have had. Takatori and Schwarz were gone, buried in the past. It was that despair that had driven him to continue Weiß, to bring back purpose to his life. And in Weiß, he found his new life, his new reason for living. And for the first time since Aya-chan's accident, the ice had melted from his heart, and he saw the world through someone else's eyes. Aya shook his head, elbowing a passing dancer particularly hard as he growled in frustration. His feelings for Ken were clear to him, but it seemed that Ken...no, Ken could never want a man whose cold heart was too hard to reach. He stared hard into the eyes above him until their owner turned away in fear. He watched the pale figure retreat into the deep shadows under the roof of the balcony, nearly running...in the direction they were headed. Aya grabbed his partner by the arm, just as Youji was about to take a step onto the black iron stair. "We've been spotted." Youji didn't question Aya's statement. He nodded and continued up the stairs, feeling Aya's steps behind him. He tried not to let it show, but the fact that they had been spotted made Youji's skin crawl. How could you find someone you didn't even know was looking for you? ~*~*~*~ Wrash stumbled back from the railing as she broke gazes with the blood haired boy near the steps below. The power behind those eyes was boggling; his entire body fairly glowed with magic...and he was surely ignorant of it. She could see the golden aura of his companion as well. Both were...intense. The minute they had entered the club...Wrash had felt them on the edge of her consciousness, bright powers that beat against the dark magic that suffused her own body. Her mistress would want to know of them. Too bad either of you is too old to be sacrificed. Your power would surely raise the Key from its Void... ::Wrash...return to me:: Wrash nodded, biting back the pain that accompanied her mistress' voice. She made her way quickly to her mistress' door, entering into the darkness beyond. As her eyes adjusted to the low light, Wrash kept her gaze trained on the floor, afraid to meet the cold eyes of the woman seated before her. Yuki smiled at her familiar's terror, breathing the fear as if it were perfume. Soft sourceless light suffused the darkness, highlighting Yuki's pale body. She stood, her whip thin form surrounded by lengths of dark silks that spilled across the dais where her throne stood. Slender fingers beckoned her pale servant forward, drawn to her mistress by invisible hands. "What have you seen, my servant?" Wrash swallowed hard, trembling hands pulling at the thin material of her black shirt. "Two boys, mistress. They have incredible natural magic..." Yuki cut her off with a wave of her hand. "But too old for our sacrifice." Wrash only nodded, awaiting her next orders. "Come here, child." Sudden terror seized Wrash's limbs. She knew what the mistress meant to do and her body feared the pain... Agony washed through her frame as Yuki stepped forward to grasp either side of her head with cold hands. They felt like a corpse's touch on Wrash's fine skin, dry and unnatural. The witch's mind thrust painfully into her own, tearing through the memories of the two boys. The blonde, thin and elegant, moving with an unconscious grace that made Wrash's knees weak...The blood haired boy, so sad and distant, his violet eyes failing to hide his secret pain... "Weiß..." Yuki released the drained girl, turning from the huddled figure. "Weiß has returned. And two souls have already been reunited..." Wrash could barely concentrate on Yuki's words, her head throbbing to her heartbeat. She felt her body go cold as she caught one word...Weiß. "But...they have no memories, mistress..." Yuki's laugh was cold. "Yes,
girl. They are too late to interfere. Tomorrow, we will summon
the Key and they cannot stop us." Youji hummed lightly as he worked at the lock, thin wires twisting expertly. The door opened with a satisfying click and the blonde assassin stepped aside with a bow, allowing Aya to enter first. Aya ignored the smug look and drew his blade from his jacket. Low moans came to him and he shrugged in distaste. He had seen his fair share of dark pleasures in this club and it made his stomach turn. Ignoring the writhing on the bed in the center of the room, he walked up and placed his blade on the back of the topmost figure. The room was suddenly very silent as they noticed Aya's presence. A freckled face peered out from under the silk blankets, green eyes fearful. Aya did not move the katana, but gave a small smile and gestured towards the door with his head. The girl nodded and turned back to her companion. Youji bit his cheek to keep from laughing as the naked youths scrambled for the door, wearing nothing but the sheets from the bed. "Arigatou gozaimasu!" he called as they slammed the door behind them, refusing to look back at the boy with the sword. The tall assassin walked to the bed, flopping down with a sigh. "You know, Aya. With your people skills, I'm surprised you don't have more friends." Aya did not deign to answer his friend's barb. Instead, he walked over to the wall that led into Yuki's room, removing a thin drill from a pocket. The machine was nearly noiseless as it ate through the painted drywall and into the chamber beyond, leaving a hole no bigger than an American dime. Youji crouched beside him, silent as his leader worked. When he was done, Youji touched his communicator. "Siberian, are you ready for video feed?" ~*~*~*~ ::Ken winced as Omi bound his leg, the strips of cloth tightening to stop the bleeding. "Omi..." Soft lips silenced his protests. He could taste Omi's blood, the youth suffering from horrible internal injuries. They had both taken a terrible beating...but they had succeeded. The dark coven was cast once again into the spirit world until they were reborn anew. "I miss the others, Ken-kun." Ken's heart broke at the sadness in his lover's voice. It had been many years since all of them had been together, the five souls of Weiß. He caressed the boy's cheek, wiping away tears with his fingers. "Youji promised. We will be together again. Have faith, koibito." Omi nodded. "I know. Someday...":: Ken started sharply from his doze, cursing himself for having fallen asleep. He had been soothed by the music, as loud as it was, his earpiece turned down to save what was left of his hearing. He touched his lips, fully expecting to feel the warm blood that had been in his dream... "Siberian? Are you ready for video feed?" Youji's voice crackled into his ear. The last remnants of his dream faded away as Ken hauled himself to a sitting position, his legs cramped from disuse. A small monitor and recording deck was set up in front of him. The screen showed a somewhat fish-eyed view of Youji staring down the end of the optic fiber. Ken smiled and turned his headset back up. "Hai. Recording now." The view blurred as Youji turned and the optic was threaded through the hole that had been made in the wall. It was dark for a moment before the wire thin camera snaked out the other side. Ken squinted to try and make out anything in the half darkness. The picture cleared as the optic compensated and the assassin could see two figures talking. One was a rail thin girl kneeling before another, the woman Yuki. "Target confirmed." Aya's voice returned. "Wakkata. Securing visual feed. Sending through audio." Scratching came through the speakers as the audio fiber followed the visual. Ken smiled as he began receiving Yuki's voice clearly. "...they cannot stop us." "Audio is perfect, Abyssinian. Secure and get the hell out of there." "But we were just starting to have fun," came Youji's pout, followed by a sharp cry of pain. Ken smiled as he imagined Aya smacking his wayward teammate. "Hai. Balinese out." Ken's earpiece went dead. He stared in fascination at the screen before him, his mind overwhelmed with the idea that he had seen the woman on the dais somewhere before...somewhere long ago ::Yuki will try to raise the Key on Halloween, when the veil between worlds in thinnest...:: Ken bit back a cry of pain. Again Aya's voice echoed in his head, the words chilling his heart. It was steadily becoming more than a mission, something that was tearing at the very fabric of the world they knew. The assassin stood, turning back to the club to watch for Youji and Aya. His blue gray eyes were drawn to the flashing neon sign, the words Clavicula Nox glowing an eerie red in the darkness. Clavicula Nox...Key of night...the key Ken slammed his fist on the top of the short wall, ignoring the pain that flared up his arm. It was like he was trying to remember something, but there was a darkness between him and the memories he needed. And his mind and heart knew that he needed to remember, no matter how hard it was. Their lives depended on it. |
