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THAT SAME NIGHT ::The witch's eyes were like slivers of cold obsidian as she rose from her position over the body on the table. The unfortunate youth was slowly bleeding to death and there was nothing he could do to help the boy...except for making sure that the witch didn't live to take another life. He inhaled deeply, hands raising in mock prayer to his chest. He dropped all natural barriers, opening himself to the force of the world. His body trembled as the invisible rush began, filling every cell of his being. He felt like he was being torn apart, the natural magic coursing through his body like a conductive rod...more power than any human was capable of using. He heard someone cry out, their voice breaking in terror. "Nagi! NO!!":: Nagi screamed into the darkness of his bedroom, hands clutched about his chest as he fought off the imaginary pain that had followed him into waking. There were dull thuds as objects began raining about his bed, including his bedside lamp, shoes, any small thing his unconscious use of power had picked up. He carefully crawled from under his blankets, sweeping his sweat soaked hair from his eyes. That's never happened before... The dream. The dream had triggered his power. The crushing feeling from the vision was similar to when he loosed a particularly powerful surge, like the destruction Masafumi's lab. His body filled with unseen energy until it seemed he would die from the burning in his veins. And when he released...They were probably all lucky he hadn't leveled the house. There was a muffled click as his door was opened. Light from the hall fell onto his back, replaced by the long shadow of a familiar head. "Ne, bishounen...are you okay? You were screaming like a girl for a second there." The fire headed German managed to make even the smallest show of humanity into some form of condescension. Nagi was sure he was keeping score somewhere how many insults he could fit into one sentence. The dark haired boy was long since past caring about Schuldich's words. He knew what was in the German's heart. The boy paused before answering, unsure of his voice. ::A nightmare. One that triggered my power.:: That caught Schuldich's interest. The incident at Masafumi's lab was enough to make the telepath wary of his young teammate. A lot of power lay dormant in that tiny body. ::Any damage?:: ::No. I'm fine now.:: ::Hn. I'm going out to meet with the witch. Try not to obliterate the place before I get back, ne?:: Nagi waved impatiently at the red head, glad when the door finally closed again. His skin prickled as he recalled Schuldich's meeting with the head of a local coven, one that had grown powerful enough to gain the interest of Aste. It was Schwarz's job to make sure that the offer to join the global organization was accepted before Halloween. Their rest had been brief since pulling their bruised and sorry asses from the sea. Aste had been forgiving of their best team, sending them back to Tokyo to continue to work for their ends, though Nagi had the sneaking suspicion that Aste was quite aware of their little coup in the temple that led to the destruction of the Triad. The mission was entirely too strange. The deadline had been the first curious condition of their mission. Aste was obviously aware of what the coven was doing and needed to make sure that they were on the correct side when that was finished. The second curious thing about the assignment had been the strange dreams that Nagi had been having; flashes of voices and faces that were too vague to put a name to. Though tonight was the first time those visions had caused him to respond with his power. He was certainly glad that Crawford had assigned Schuldich to the initial meeting with the mistress of the coven. A strange feeling nagged at the back of his mind, a tiny itch that was steadily becoming fear. And Nagi knew with certainty that it centered around the woman Yuki. Be careful, Schuldich, he thought, though he knew his teammate probably already had his shields up, muting the everyday voices that assaulted his mind. Nothing is what it seems. §*§*§*§*§ ::Nothing is what it seems...:: Schuldich smiled at the whisper of Nagi's voice at the edge of his mind. It was tinged with fear, the strange feeling that the German had been sensing from his teammate ever since their assignment had come down from Aste. He was tempted to try and tease the satisfaction to his curiosity out of the pale youth, but that fear had put all of them on edge. Nothing ever is, bishounen... Schuldich chose to take the rooftops across town, his speed sending him gracefully along his path. He came to a stop on the roof of the building just across from the club where he was meeting Yuki, unaware that Weiß had vacated that particular area no more than five minutes before. He smiled at the crowd below, feeling a slight stir in his groin at the sight of the half dressed crowd that buzzed with repressed sexual energy. Pale faces were bloodied by the neon sign flashing above them. Schuldich knew immediately that it was his kind of place, a place to get lost in the dark and perfect the art of commandment breaking. So many delicious little minds to feast on. Schuldich sent his mind searching through the club, his focus on finding the unique psyche that would mark the mistress of the dark coven. An unnatural chill passed through his limbs as he made contact, making him feel like he had stepped through something too filthy for words. He had touched millions of minds in his short lifetime, some of them depraved beyond measure. This mind was...true evil. No soul lay in that mind, no remorse, no regret. The witch was as heartless as a living creature could be. ::Schuldich...:: He swallowed hard, trying to push away his discomfort. ::Yuki-sama...:: The mental voice poured like liquid darkness through his mind. ::Come inside. I await Aste's word.:: The German felt himself moving at her command, his body separate from his mind. Long, powerful legs not under his control took him quickly to street level and past the bouncer at the door. There wasn't even a look of confusion as Schuldich moved faster than thought, the door swinging open to greet him. He tried to fight the impending dread that had crept into his mind as he dodged gracefully through the mass of bodies that blocked the dance floor. The dread became unfamiliar fear as he ascended the wrought iron stairs and dashed down the hall, pausing before the last door. It opened without a sound and Schuldich fought to keep himself from walking forward. Yuki had trapped him within his own head, the power of her personality easily overcoming even the strongest of his barriers. He was at her mercy. *~*~*~*~ Yuki smiled as he entered, pale figure illumined by hundreds of candles that had been set up around her dais. His eyes were wide with carefully controlled fear, but her will ground against his, watching as Schuldich felt his control being torn away. "Pretty warlock. Are you all that Aste sends me?" For the first time in his life, Schuldich's words failed him. His head nodded, hair falling about his paling face. He was frozen as Yuki rose from her throne, pacing deliberately towards his trapped form. The folds of her silk gown spilled to the floor, the dark material accenting her alabaster skin. Her lips moved, forming words that came too quickly to understand, the syllables blending with the shush of dragging material of Yuki's dark gown. She stopped before the German bishounen; Schuldich's eyes were glassy as her spell stole his resistance. "Yes, a warlock. Such potential." She grasped both sides of his head with chilling fingers, dark eyes boring into shocked blues. Deep in his mind, Yuki could feel the faint vibrations of his mental scream as she violated his mind, digging farther into his consciousness than even he had dared to go. There! The connection... A tendril of power connected Schuldich to a mind far away, the faint line fading into the darkness of the collective unconscious. ::Yuki.:: A thousand voices seemed to be contained in that whisper, the power behind the sound overwhelming. If Yuki had not been supporting Schuldich, the Schwartz's consciousness would have vanished in a burning flash. As it was, he was developing an incredible headache. Yuki pushed her mind along the connection. ::Honorable, Aste.:: The distaste was apparent in her voice. ::I know that you fear what I am about to do. You want the power for your own. What do you offer me that will not be mine once the Key is summoned?:: The reply seemed hesitant. ::We offer you the security that is Aste. We would let you...:: ::Let me?:: Yuki sneered, laughing at the pain her shout caused the boy in her arms. Schuldich began to pray that it would end soon. ::You would let me rule the world? The Key is nearly mine and there is nothing you can do to stop me!:: Again the multivoiced whisper flowed. ::What of Weiß? They are four...:: Yuki laughed shortly, the sound ringing in the German's head. ::They have no memory yet of their previous lives. They will be too late to stop me.:: The witch pulled back from Aste collective mind, using her voice for emphasis. "Once I have summoned the Key...Perhaps you should begin to tremble now, mighty Aste. Even your pitiful coven cannot defeat me." The connection was severed quickly,
making Schuldich grunt with unexpected pain. Though he had been
unable to stop her, he had heard everything. Aste was terrified
of Yuki and the power she sought. "Ahhh, Schuldich. How right you are." She held his head tighter, bringing the German's trembling lips to her own. "Aste has made their mistake and will pay for it soon. "For now...return to your home. Remember nothing of what has happened here. I will see you again, beautiful Schuldich." The power dragged itself from his mind, replacing memories with false ones as it went. The last part of Schuldich that had resisted Yuki's strength faded and his vision became black. §*§*§*§*§ Omi was sleeping when they finally got home, since he hadn't been allowed to come with them because of school tomorrow. Tomorrow evening was going to be rough enough without all of them missing some much needed sleep. Thankfully, they had unanimously agreed to close the shop for Halloween, not only to study their targets as thoroughly as possible, but to catch some rest before the mission was joined. Youji shuffled up the stairs for a shower, peeling off his clothing along the way. Ken laid the video equipment on the front counter, working the stiffness from his arms. He gave it a cursory look, making sure the remote feed was still active. Even if he wanted to, he was too tired to look at the information it was recording. It was the constant worry and sense of strangeness that ate away at his energy. His nerves were keyed for a danger he knew was there but couldn't find. He jumped when Aya's hand touched his shoulder. "You're tired." Ken didn't even have the energy to point out that Aya was just restating the obvious. Still, he refused to give into the exhaustion. Strangely, he was afraid to dream... Ken stumbled, falling hard against Aya's chest. The taller boy caught him before he slipped to the floor, strong arms going about his shoulders in a protective embrace. Oddly, Ken found himself near tears, teeth buried in his lip to keep from sobbing. Aya's arms tightened as he noticed the slight shaking of his friend's shoulders. "Daijoubu ka?" Ken stood, wiping a hand across his eyes. "It's nothing, Aya. I'm...just overly tired." He couldn't explain to himself why he was crying; how could he tell Aya about the overwhelming fear that had seized his heart since the mission had begun...and the eerie feeling that he had done this some time before... Some time before... The red headed boy didn't buy the excuse. Instead, he bent slightly, pulling Ken's long legs out from under him and cradling his shoulders. The dark haired assassin eeped in surprise but didn't fight as Aya carried him up the stairs and into his bedroom. Ken couldn't take his eyes from Aya's as the taller boy laid him on the bed. With a gentleness he never knew the red head possessed, he was freed of his weapons and goggles. He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it next to the bed. He lay back on the pillows and sighed in contentment. Aya placed the objects in his hand on the dresser next to the door, pausing as if he had something more to say. Ken struggled from his half doze. "Aya?" The other boy turned and regarded his teammate with patient eyes. Ken was nearly asleep already, his voice slurred by exhaustion. "Yes, Ken?" "Stay with me." Aya could not stop his gasp of surprise and he turned his head to hide his eyes. He gripped the doorframe hard enough to bruise his palms, torn between his desire to stay and the knowledge that he shouldn't. If anything were to happen between them...they would be in danger...they would be weak Would that be so terrible? "Ken...I...I can't" He heard the other boy shift on the bed. "Please, Aya...I don't want to dream tonight..." Aya looked sharply over his shoulder but Ken's blue gray eyes had closed in slumber. With graceful steps, the red headed boy walked over to stand at his friend's bedside, pale hand reaching down to brush the errant brown hair from Ken's eyes. His cool touch seemed to sooth away some of the tension in Ken's face and suddenly he knew there was no way he could abandon the boy he loved. Careful not to disturb his sleeping love, Aya sat at the head of the bed, leaning against the wall. Sleep overcame him as he whispered words that had come to his mind, unknown but familiar. They seemed the right thing to say. "No harm to thee as long as I remain by your side." And Ken dreamed no more that night. §*§*§*§*§ ::Youji stroked Ken's hair, trying to comfort the young warlock as memories overwhelmed him. The boy was shocked by the images that played in his head; visions of his own repeated death at the hands of the witches they were to face. It was unnerving to see yourself die for hundreds of lifetimes. Youji didn't have all his memories back but instinct told him it was only a matter of time. Once one's memories returned, the rest were quick to follow. "You always were more sensitive to the magic than the rest of us, Ken...":: The blonde awoke with a start, staring into space as he tried to hold onto the last vestiges of the dream. He could still feel the silk of Ken's hair beneath his fingers, and the fire that swept through his body as he realized it had been a lover's touch. "Now, now, Kudou. You're gonna need an ice bath you think on that much longer." He pulled himself from bed, the lingering sensations disappearing along with what he had been able to keep of the dream. Late afternoon light spilled through the window, a strained orange color as the sun fought its way through the thick curtains. Youji sighed dramatically as he pulled on cotton pajama bottoms and lit a cigarette. After a thoughtful drag, he got up and left his room, heading for Ken's open door. Youji leaned against the doorframe to Ken's room, cigarette in his graceful fingers. Both Aya and Ken were spooned together on top of the blankets, the red head's arms wrapped possessively about the younger boy. ::Together again...just like I promised...:: The blonde ignored the twinge of pain in his head. He was happy to see Aya finally coming out from his cold façade and showing his feelings for their soccer playing teammate. Youji knew that everyone had their own pain to hide, Kami knew he had a fair share of his own, but he still liked to see others around him happy. Even if he couldn't be. Youji smiled as Aya stirred, sleepy violet eyes looking about in surprise. He propped himself up on an elbow, his gaze finally settling on the still form of Ken next to him. "Ne, Aya? You might want to escape if you want to keep your cover intact." The blonde assassin laughed off the glare he received in response. He heard the squeak of mattress springs before he stumbled gracefully down the stairs, squinting at the sunlight that filtered through the shades. A knock at the front door made him groan. He recognized the sound, just as easily as he would have recognized her legs or perfume. With a grandiose flourish, he swept the door open. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Manx." |
