Fan Fiction ❯ Bereft Opulence ❯ The Crossing ( Chapter 1 )

Title: Bereft Opulence

Chapter One: The Crossing

Author: Stygian

Rating: R (… For now…)

Warnings: Chaos, violence, language, yaoi.

Notes: Thanks to Lil'D for lending me `Commander Takamara', and giving me the idea of space pirates.

"It's simple, little one," the voice caused a painful throb to pound within his temples, head aching already. Even the silence seemed deafening, but to add the booming vocals increased his pain tenfold. He gritted his teeth to clench the cry that wished to escape him, as his head was jerked up, barely able to peek his dark eyes open. "You do as I say and we'll never have this discussion again. I know you could care less about death, or perhaps you wish I would simply kill you…" There was a taunting chuckle, the deeply accented voice speaking to him with sweet threats, "But I like you far too much to do that. Instead, the penalty will be excruciating if you dare disobey me again."

There was the feel of warmth on his blood-smeared lips, a tongue thrusting into the confines of his mouth. He didn't dare to fight in his condition; it would only fuel the other man's anger, and drive him into a frenzy to inflict more pain upon him. He slumped fully, submitting to the man silently, hoping there would be nothing more than the kiss that the man wanted.

"Mm…" the sound was almost like a deep purr of satisfaction, "You're blood arouses my senses so." The hand released his chin, and his head fell lifelessly, hearing the footfalls of classy boots on the steel floors. "Clean him up. I want him back in working condition before the day is out."

`Clean him up.' Yes, slap a breathing mask on him and throw him into a tank to quickly heal the fatal cuts and gashes of his beating. Just like so many times before. Most of which were caused not by his own actions or disobeying, but because of his master's urges and lusts. Whatever the situation, he was meant to go back to `work' as soon as possible. He wondered who would be the next target… but his approach was almost always the same.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Explosions surrounded the young Korean, blazing heat licking over his body, little beads of sweat rolling over his brow. His arm was grabbed firmly, jerking him up from the corner that he was huddled in.

"Come on, Seung! Keep your head down!" The brawny man pulling him commanded, his voice nearly lost in the booming eruptions tearing their current ship apart. Some long locks of his dark crimson hair limited his vision as they ran through a hall, attempting to get away from the intruders that had forced themselves on board, and the ship's defense crew. A gasp escaped him as the metal confinements of the hall seemed to shatter, a fragment slicing across his cheek. What seemed to happen in the same moment was the motions of the body in front of him diving, dragging Seung with him and into the safety of another room. The thick doors slid shut behind them, his companion quickly activating the doors' panel to lock it; leaving them alone in the main control room of the relatively small space vessel.

"You all right?" The larger man managed, checking the Korean's blood covered cheek with a dour expression.

"Nei, nei," Seung breathed, waving the other's hand away, "And you, Claude?" He asked the sandy-haired man. Of course, he didn't receive a reply, the large man pulling himself up and stalking over to the controls to press a few buttons, glancing out into the dark abyss of space just beyond the window. Debris from their destroyed ship floated idly, and the glow of their attackers' ship remained steady with their own, having latched on to it for the invasion.

"The doors are air locked, albeit the rest of the ship's gone, we'll be able to survive in here for a few days at least… if we're not found first." Claude muttered while running his hands back through his very short, spiked hair.

Seung slowly picked himself up, rubbing his cold arms while walking over to the panel. "Then let's push the damned distress button now; I sure as hell don't want to be hanging around here." He glared and flipped open a small panel, pressing down the button within.

"… I was just getting to that, brat," the other man's stolid expression never changed.

"Verpiss dich (Fuck off)," the Korean replied in a language he had learned quite well: German. In response to the derogatory phrase, he was backhanded roughly and with enough force to send him to the floor. Tears sprang into his eyes from the searing of his cheek, and he shuddered thoroughly.

"I advise you hold your tongue- I am the one keeping you safe now, Seung," the man's piercing eyes narrowed on him, unnaturally red and burning, but still no emotion flickered across Claude's face. Afterward he turned away and threw the Korean a blanket, "Now we wait." The blonde returned his gaze out the windows into the darkness, watching the ship beside their own dispatch and thrust off into space, leaving them to die. One finger caressed the defined spike rings he wore.

"Pirates," Seung scoffed and hugged the blanket around his lithe frame, curling up in a corner to keep warm, "Damned beasts they've turned out to be." For that, he received a simple glance from Claude, and a faint nod. It was unfortunate that he had to be locked in a small area with the other man, considering he was claustrophobic and Claude was not much company. A heavy sigh parted Seung's lips. If only he could have had a real vacation, away from it all by himself, or at least with someone he could stand.

"The other ship has left our radar screen, which means someone else is coming in this direction. Yes, here they come," Claude tapped the screen faintly and gazed out into the stars. "You're on in five, brat."

The youth faintly glared in the other's direction, then shifted and drew the blanket up beneath his chin, blood slipping down over both cheeks now. "Are you sure it's them?" He asked, quirking a smooth eyebrow.

"This radar is insignificant to what I have worked with before."

"Meaning: You can't get the kind of craft it is, right?" Seung asked, shaking his head faintly. Claude and his way of working around a direct answer got rather annoying

"Correct. I will be able to identify when they come somewhat closer," he replied, staring outward in direction of the object of which they spoke. "There weren't any other ships heading in this direction or around this area, or I would have been informed by now."

"Of course," came a mumbled response from the Korean boy.

"… And here they are."

Seung stood slowly and walked to the window to gaze out, the blanket wrapped tightly around him. Straining his eyes, he still couldn't make out anything but the stars in the blackness all around them. Glancing over to Claude, he new immediately that the larger man had pinpointed the other craft's location and a slow nod of the blonde confirmed their expectations of a specific vessel.

Claude moved a hand over the panel of the ship, pressing a button and speaking to no one seemingly, "1800; Said ship approaching to investigate the source of the distress beacon. `Todesengel' (Angel of Death) and `Vormund' (Guardian) are the only remaining members of the decoy ship as planned," the large man's shoulders rose and fell as if he had taken a deep breath, "Contact will be made in less than two minutes, after which we will report again. End of transmission."

"I hate him," Seung whispered in the silence of the room, lowering his gaze. "For killing them, they shouldn't have even been on this ship. Some of his own men could have passed as the captain and crew."

The other man nodded slowly in agreement, "But it was a sacrifice needed to be made. Had they been his own men and they remained alive with us, we would have a lesser chance of boarding the other ship… two survivors from a pirate raid on a little ship are far more likely of odds than a whole crew."

"His men should have died then, not some innocent people. It's not their job to die to please him. The bastard."

"Enough. We have our own jobs to do; our work begins the moment they transmit. Understood?"

"… Whatever…" Seung lifted his hands and played with the long messy locks of black and crimson falling about his petite shoulders and over the blanket that covered him. He smeared some of the blood from the cuts on his cheeks idly, dark eyes gleaming along with the black tribal markings that were tattooed over one eye. Totally in disarray was what he attempted to express, "How do I look?"

There was silence from Claude, only the red eyes skimming him over slowly. Once more, a sigh escaped the Korean and he glared faintly, "Don't look at me, you pervert."

"Now listen here-" Claude began in retaliation to the Korean's bold remark, but the screen in front of them flickered, drawing both their attentions. Pixel by pixel the image began to form, details melting into place, sharpening, giving them the view of the interior of another ship; orderly clean and the crew working sufficiently.

But, what obviously caught their attention first and foremost was the figure in the foreground. An august face regarded them, eyes the glorious color of sapphire gems: hard and cold, yet holding hidden warmth behind them. What fascinated the Korean the most was the ebony dragon marked onto the skin above and below the man's left eye, peeking from the silk locks of white hair, platinum strands contrasting with the depth of his eyes.

Unconsciously, the teen had lost control of his jaw, which he was sure was on the floor. Owlishly he blinked his dark eyes and swallowed, moistening his lips faintly before he inched behind the larger form of his blond companion. A blush had begun to tint his cheeks, and he kind of wished he did look better than his current style, taking into consideration that he was actually known for those looks… or else he wouldn't have been in such a shitty situation. Had he been `ugly' by any means, perhaps he would still be on the streets on Earth, trying to survive… not stuck here, trying to survive just to please another man and his greed.

"Hello," Claude greeted simply, eyes continuing to watch the man on the screen with silent caution, "I'm afraid we're in need of assistance, as you might have noticed."

"Yes, I did note you seem to be lacking in parts." The unnamed man replied smoothly, wary eyes studying them.

"I am Claude, and my bashful companion…" He stepped aside to expose the Korean once again, slanting him a look sharply.

Seung chewed on his lip momentarily before giving the image a coy smile, a slender hand lifting in a faint wave, "Anyagasayo, I am Seung." The youth placed a hand on the panel and leaned forward somewhat to gaze intently at the screen, pleased to find the man pausing while regarding the enchantingly dark Korean gaze.

"… You seem to be in high spirits for a boy that's just had his ship dissected, the crew slaughtered, and possibly not have had a chance in hell of living had my crew not persuaded me not to ignore your signal. And you're injured, no doubt." The fair-haired man said without fault, almost as stolid as Claude.

"Yes, well," Seung started, his sly smile never waning, although his head did slightly tilt. "It's not everyday I get to be saved by a handsome fellow like yourself. I'm honored," came a soft reply from the youth, "Although I could do with some livelier conversation."

"Ignore him," Claude advised the unnamed image on the screen, pushing the Korean out of the way with little effort. "Assistance would be much appreciated. Perhaps, take us to the nearest porting station where we can at least register a room and have someone send a ship for us?"

"The nearest port is at least a week of traveling if we're lucky," the white-haired man explained and glanced around the control area of the commercial travel ship. The Korean was sure those calm eyes never missed a detail.

"Only a week? You must have a fast space craft for that kind of travel," Claude replied calmly, although he recalculated the previous plans in the back of his mind.

"Yes, I take pride in her capabilities." There was another pause from him, "When you board this ship, your weapons will be confiscated accordingly and you will not be allowed to handle the ship's controls. You will be under surveillance at all times and assigned separate rooms below deck. If you have any objections…"

Seung seized the opportunity and leaned into view again, "Can I sleep with you?" And again he was pushed out of the way from the larger blond man, Claude's eyes rolling in irritation.

"We understand your general cautions, and will do all we can to stay out of the way of you and your crew, Captain...?"

"Commander Takamara," the ship captain replied, faintly drumming his fingers on the arms of his authoritative chair.

The Korean sighed and attempted to push Claude in return, beginning to bicker angrily at him in another dialect other than the Common Language. Consequently, it was Korean, and the larger, obviously not Asian, man returned the argument in the same language. Momentarily Claude's fist clenched and it seemed he retained from striking the little `brat' again due to their current audience.

Commander Takamara's eyes caught the gleam of those spiked rings and then returned his impassive eyes to the two again with an inaudible sigh. To his crew he spoke now, disregarding the quarreling civilians, "Prepare for civilian boarding, extend porting bridge-" The screen went black again, returning to its normal status as a window overlooking the endless reaches of space.

"I will report you to Herr Koen if you remain in this current disposition, Seung."

"He's already seen me in this `disposition', I can't very well go all innocent and sweet on him." The Korean replied with a growl, jerking with the movements of the ship as the porting bridge bumped the remaining of their own to prepare for them to board.

"You're supposed to have a convincing character guise, damn it." Claude hissed.

"It's pretty damned convincing if it's really me and not a character, isn't it? Moreover, I knew right away he wouldn't be won over if I had been all gushy and sweet. It's hard to tell his sex appeal at the moment." The Korean crossed his arms defiantly.

"Then I recommend you influence his homosexuality to peak while we're on board. The surveillance can easily be avoided, but not while the captain's breathing down my neck. Do you understand me?"

"I'm not stupid. I'll do my job; just stay the fuck off my back. Do you understand ME?"

Claude's eyes narrowed on the small young man, observing him a moment. No matter how they dealt with the Korean, he remained a hellion bent on slowly driving them insane. He only hoped that would be enough to keep the majority of the crew on the other ship from suspicion. It was apparent Commander Takamara was not going to be swain easily.

He pressed a few buttons again and spoke, "Contact results were positive, we will be boarding ship #84 momentarily. Scheduled plans for rendezvous will occur at least four days sooner than expected. We will keep in touch. End transmission."