Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Building Our Tomorrow ❯ Two Years Gone By ( Chapter 2 )

AN: Oh, look, you get two chapters in one day. What can I say, I was bored over the holiday weekend, and I pulled out chapters 2, 3 and part of 4. Actually, it works better this way because 2 and 3 kind of need to come at the same time. So here we go… The rest of the Weiss boys start showing up this chapter. Also, 2 and 3 are written just slightly differently than the rest are/will be written. I kind of have sections divided up into a specific person's POV, but it's still 3rd person. These chapter are also mainly some character development, so they're kind of slow but necessary. Chapter 4 will get back into the more omniscient point of view, and it will be where the story starts to pick up. Also, now that Schwartz has been together for a while, they will be referring to one another with more familiarity. One last piece of info, for those of you who don't know: Manx's real name is Hanae Kitada. It took me awhile to find this little tidbit, and I don't want anyone confused when the name pops up, so there it is for you.

 

Reviews

splitpersona: Again, thanks for the review and the note about the formatting. I hate how you can mistype one little backslash and it ruins the whole thing. Anyway, I'll sort of answer your question about the kidnapping. It will definitely be in there, but you'll have to wait a couple of chapters to see what it entails. I've been planning that particular part of the story almost as long as I've planning the story itself. Now, if only I could get more people to review…

 

Warnings: Not much to warn. A little language, violence and a very, very small lime-ish scene.

 

 

Inner dialogue

Telepathy

 

Chapter 2

 

Two years had passed since Brad Crawford had completed the formation of Schwartz. Tomorrow, he would be sending Omi and Nagi to Rosenkreuz for the two years of training that all Esset employs were required to go through. The boys were more capable with their abilities than most adults in Esset thanks to Schuldig and himself, but that wasn't the real reason recruits were sent to Rosenkreuz. Oh, no. They have to be taught obedience and servitude, Crawford thought with a sneer on his face. The Elders would not have any free thinkers within their ranks, but Crawford was confident Esset could never break them; they had been told how to get through their time in Rosenkreuz without giving anything away. Not only had Nagi and Omi advanced well beyond expectations in the use of their talents, but they were also proficient with most weapons and even hand-to-hand combat, though neither were big enough to do more than defend themselves in that regard. Nagi seemed to favor using his telekinesis as a weapon as opposed to using actual weapons whereas Omi tended to like crossbows, shuriken, basically anything he could aim or throw. And the boy has excellent aim, at that. He only occasionally misses a target. I'd think within a couple of years, he'll never miss. It turned out that Omi was doing a little more than aiming, though. They had found out that he was also using his powers to superheat the end of whatever projectile he was handling, as was evidenced by paper targets bursting into flame shortly after a hit was made. Crawford was actually very pleased that Omi had not chosen to rely solely on his power for fighting; it would prove extraordinarily useful in a few years when he wouldn't have the option. He had also ensured that both boys were technologically proficient; it didn't hurt that the two were geniuses as they were now hacking at a fairly advanced level.

 

With all of this in mind, Crawford wasn't overly worried about how the boys would handle Rosenkreuz. There was the one troublesome vision, but he would think about that after going over everything else. He thought back to the previous week's conversation between all of Schwartz. They wanted to make sure Omi and Nagi were well aware of how they needed to behave while at Rosenkreuz.

 

[Flashback - One Week]

 

Crawford decided it was time to speak with Omi and Nagi about Rosenkreuz. They are leaving next week, after all. It hadn't taken much to convince Takatori to permit his `son' to go to school abroad… just a little manipulation on Schuldig's part and a few well-placed words from Crawford, and everything was set. Now here they all were, sitting in the penthouse living room.

 

“Omi. Nagi.” Crawford began. “We need to discuss with you how you will need to behave while in Rosenkreuz.” Two pairs of blue eyes were focused on Crawford. “The most important aspect is the matter of your friendship. You must, under no circumstance, behave as though you are more than two members of a team. Friendships in Rosenkreuz can and will be used against you… Something that can not be allowed to happen.”

 

“No kidding,” Schuldig muttered bitterly. Crawford wasn't sure what had happened to Schuldig during his training, but he did know that he had entered Rosenkreuz at the same time as one of closest friends. Apparently, something had happened to the girl.

 

“Don't forget about the routine beatings.” Farfarello did not look pleased as he said that. Crawford guessed they had had a time trying to `beat' anything into him seeing as how the boy felt no pain. I wonder what they came up with to make Farfarello scream. It had to have been something unusually harsh to make the boy feel it necessary to warn the other two. It truly bothered Crawford that he didn't know what had happened to his two teammates, but he had never been able to get a clear look into what was going on in Rosenkreuz outside of his own time there. He thought it may have had something to do with that most people, while there, were unstable at best, thus making their actions less predictable.

 

“Yes, the instructors at Rosenkreuz will do anything and everything to ensure your total submission, including trying to confuse your mind.” Crawford spoke again. His brown eyes looked haunted at that. One of the telepathic instructors had seen fit to `install' false visions into his head before his shields had become strong. He gave an involuntary shudder at that, causing everyone in the room took look to him with concern. He shook his at; they didn't need the details.

 

“I've made sure that their shields are stronger than anyone in Rosenkreuz. The instructors will not be able to do anything to them.” Schuldig was extremely proud of how well Omi and Nagi had progressed in their mental capabilities.

 

“That in and of itself is good, however, they won't be expecting either of you to be as strong as you are, so you will have to tone it down some. You will need to allow them to break through some of your outer shields so they don't suspect anything. The secrets you guard in the deeper parts of your mind will still remain safe. It would be wise if you kept your secondary talents as one of those secrets.” Crawford looked at the boys, who had remained silently attentive the whole time. He could tell without having any telepathy whatsoever that they were beginning to get a better idea of what was in store for them.

 

“I think there's one more thing that needs to be said.” Farfarello started. “You should appear to be as emotionless as possible. As Crawford said, they can use your friendship against you, but that's not the only thing. They can also hold feelings of hatred, sadness and especially any positive emotion against you.” Having said his piece, Farfarello left the room.

 

“Okay, we're done here. Omi, you need to return to the Takatori estate soon, anyway.” Crawford dismissed the children, who went back to their room to prepare for Omi's departure for the day.

 

[End Flashback]

 

Crawford knew that despite their quietness during that conversation, Omi and Nagi took what was said seriously. He was having a problem seeing the future, though. He could tell that there would be one turning point for both boys that could affect the outcome, and it all depended on Nagi. As he stood in front of the door to Nagi and Omi's room he thought, Damn, but I wish I could have more than impressions of Rosenkreuz. He did know that if he directly warned Nagi about whatever it was, Schwartz would lose both children. If he didn't say anything, they would lose Omi. There was one other option; however, he rarely took on the persona of a parental figure. Yes, he thought of Schwartz as his family and they all knew it, but he generally tried not to display that so as to better lead them into the future for which they were hoping. There would be time for emotions after they were finished. This time, though, he could not avoid the bit of fatherly advice he was about to give Nagi. Here goes. Upon entering the room Nagi looked up expectantly.

 

“You said you have something you need to tell me?” Nagi asked.

 

“Yes. What I'm about to say to you is something that you will need to remember while you are at Rosenkreuz.” Crawford was clearly nervous about this. He really hated trying to act the father. “No matter what goes on while you are there, you must always follow your heart.” Crawford left the room before Nagi could even begin to react. Crawford checked the future again as he was walking to his office. If Nagi remembers those words, everything will work out. If he doesn't, Omi is lost to us. The future wasn't clear, but at least now he had some hope.

 

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“Come on, Jei.” Omi was calling him. He really despised that name. It was a link to those who had betrayed him when he was a small child. Perhaps this was why he felt he could relate so well to Omi. After all, the boy had cast off his name for the same reason. He and Omi were headed to the Schwartz penthouse from the Takatori estate because Omi and Nagi were leaving the next day for Germany. Once they were well on their way, they were able to converse more freely.

 

“What was it Crawford wanted you to do that I had to wait an extra hour before we could leave this shithole.” Farfarello was many things and patient was not one of them.

 

“I had to personally make sure Reiji received a bit of information from two years ago. It took so long because I had to wait forty-five minutes before he was free to see me. Ouka was hoarding all his time. She knew I wouldn't leave until I had spoken with him. I swear if I didn't already know she was out to get me…” Omi trailed off, his cerulean eyes shining with something akin to anger and frustration.

 

“Yeah, we all know that, too well, in fact.” Farfarello was beyond livid at Ouka's most recent attempt to destroy her half-brother.

 

“Don't worry, Farf. You know Crawford said that we would eventually get the chance to get her back.” Ah, yes, Crawford had said that, hadn't he. That made Farfarello's bloodlust calm momentarily. He only hoped it was soon. She had nearly killed Omi with her latest scheme only a month ago.

 

[Flashback - One Month]

 

The day had started out fairly well. Omi had spent the last few days with Takatori, who was leaving on a business trip the next day. He would be staying at the Schwartz penthouse during the time Reiji was gone and would be arriving early the next morning. The trip was to last two weeks, and Farfarello couldn't be happier about that. In his opinion, Omi spent far too much time with the insane family. Like I'm one to talk, but at least I actually care about the kid. That, in and of itself, came as a surprise to him when he had first realized it. At some point in the first month or so after Omi and Nagi had joined them, Farfarello had found something the he cared about as much as his crusade to make God cry. Somehow, the boys had paved the way for making Schwartz more like a family than a bunch of people working together with only a common goal as glue to hold them in place. Crawford nearly breaking the door to his room down brought him out of his revelry.

 

“Meeting. Now.” Crawford was certainly in foul mood. He must have had a bad vision. When Farfarello entered the living room, Nagi and Schuldig were already in their customary positions on the couch. He seated himself on the couch and waited for Crawford to come back from wherever he had stomped off to. This must be really bad, Farfarello thought, for Crawford to be so pissed off. His suspicions were confirmed when Crawford entered the room, not even pausing before starting to speak. He almost looks panicked…

 

“We have less than twenty-four hours to save Omi's life. Someone poisoned him with one of Masafumi's experimental drugs. I got the vision too late to stop it; I don't know why I didn't see this before. It doesn't make sense; I check his future every couple of hours when he's not here.” Crawford was definitely very off balance to show concern so openly, and to ramble, at that. Farfarello had only two questions for the man.

 

“Who did it, and how long before I can kill them?” He knew their first priority would be to find a way to save Omi, so he didn't even bother asking about that. They wouldn't be having this meeting if it weren't possible. Looking to Schuldig, he saw that the same murderous look in his blue eyes, whereas Nagi had narrowed his own eyes so that almost not even the color could be seen. They were all beyond rage at this offense.

 

“I couldn't see a face in my vision. I don't know who it was. All I saw was the drug being slipped into his food,” he gave a frustrated sigh before continuing. “Schuldig, I want you to find who did it tomorrow. Tonight, we're going to get the antidote. At least Masafumi's not so stupid that he doesn't keep any. Nagi, I want you to go hack into his lab's mainframe and find where it is kept. Then I want you in control of the security system. Schuldig and Farfarello will be going there to retrieve the antidote, and you will need to monitor their progress and warn them of any danger that Schuldig can't find telepathically.” Crawford turned to Schuldig and Farfarello. “You will leave as soon as Nagi gives you the location. I don't care who you kill or what you have to do so long as you bring it back. Omi will be feeling the effects of the drug by the time he arrives, and we will need to administer the cure immediately.” That said, Crawford tiredly sat down in a nearby chair.

 

“We'll get it taken care of, Crawford,” Nagi said as he retreated to his room to begin his computer work.

 

“Come on Farf,” Schuldig said. “Let's go sharpen your knives. I'm out for blood tonight.” Me too, Schu. No one gets away with hurting a member of our family. Schuldig gave him a smirk at that thought. Farfarello knew that look well, and he agreed with it whole-heartedly. He would bleed the person dry when he found out who it was that gave Omi the drug.

 

The mission itself was simple. They went in, they killed everyone they came across, they got the antidote, and they returned to the penthouse without a hitch. Nagi and Crawford were clearly relieved at their return. Omi would be arriving at the penthouse in about an hour. They may have made it back earlier had they not made sure no one was left alive, but no one was begrudging them the temporary satiation of their revenge for this attack on one of their own. The only thing Nagi had said upon their return was that he had wished he could have been there to do some damage as well. Crawford himself looked as though he seconded that sentiment.

 

When Omi arrived, he looked pale and tired. Apparently he had done well to hide his condition as no one accompanied him to the door. Either that or no one cared. As it was, as soon as he entered their home, Omi collapsed into a heap on the floor.

 

“Omi!” Nagi was the first one at his side. His used his power to lift his friend and carry him to the living room couch.

 

“Nagi,” Omi's voice was strained and weak. “I'm not feeling very well. I think maybe…” he trailed off as he lost consciousness.

 

“Schu, do you have the antidote ready?” Nagi asked, worry in his voice.

 

“Almost. Damn stuff wasn't mixed or anything, and it takes an hour over heat before it's ready for use. Give me a couple more minutes and I'll give it to him.” Farfarello watched the whole thing from the hallway with Crawford. The really couldn't do anything more than what was being done, though Crawford looked fairly relaxed.

 

“He'll get the cure time?” Farfarello asked.

 

“Yes, and he'll be completely fine by this evening.” Crawford responded as they watched Schuldig administer the drug. “Schuldig, once you're finished, you can go to the Takatori estate and find who did this. Don't do anything to them; I want to make sure of our course of action before they die.” Schuldig nodded as he lifted Omi up and carried him to his and Nagi's room, after which he left to complete his assigned task. Farfarello went to watch over Omi with Nagi. They stayed with him until the moment he was awake and able to walk around. He was still weak from the poison, but he would be back to himself in few hours. About the time they were all headed to the living room to relax and watch TV, Schuldig returned.

 

“It was that little bitch Ouka!” He all but shouted. Crawford appeared from his office while Omi looked on with confusion. As of yet, no one had told him what had happened.

 

“She drugged your food last night,” Farfarello answered his unspoken question. “That's why you were feeling so sick this morning.” The blonde's eyes widen at that, then they narrowed, burning with anger. The temperature in the room rose a coupled of degrees before he calmed down. Farfarello knew exactly what the boy wanted; he wanted the same thing: revenge.

 

“You can't do anything to her, yet.” Apparently, while he was catering thoughts of bathing in Ouka's blood, Crawford was checking the future.

 

“You've got to be kidding. That whore deserves to die a slow, painful death,” Schuldig seethed.

 

“I said yet,” Crawford reiterated. “The time isn't right for her to die. However, you will all have your chance to pay here back.” Fine, Farfarello thought. So long as she gets what she deserves.

 

[End Flashback]

 

Farfarello's thoughts of revenge were cut short by Omi's voice.

 

“We should probably pick up the pace. I need to get back so Nagi and I can have one more day of freedom before we leave. We're planning on going to our tree in the park before nighttime.”

 

“Sure kid,” Farfarello ruffled Omi's hair as he spoke. “Let's go.” He knew the boys would be in for hell starting the second they left tomorrow, and he wouldn't be the one to deny them a little time to themselves beforehand.

 

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I wonder what that was about. Nagi was reasonably confused as Crawford left his room. `Follow your heart' he said. What does that mean? He knew that Crawford never said anything without meaning, though, so he would make sure to remember the uncommon advice. The only other time Crawford had give him any sort of advice had been right on the mark. Roughly six months after he had been saved from the streets, Crawford had told him that he needed to face his past in order to move on, and he had been right. Crawford and Schuldig took him to the house where his parents lived. To say they had been both surprised and angry would be an understatement.

 

[Flashback - One Year, Six Months]

 

“Where the hell have you been you ungrateful little brat!?” Nagi's mother was screaming at him. She looked as if she would start hitting him any moment. His father had the same air about him. Nagi was afraid. Even though he knew he could defend himself against them, he couldn't quite get past his fear of them. It's okay, Nagi. We wouldn't let them touch even if you couldn't take care of yourself. Schuldig's words brought him a great deal of comfort as he turned confident eyes towards his parents.

 

“We have come here to inform you that you no longer have any claim over this child. He is now under my care.” Crawford stated with in a voice that just dared them to argue.

 

“And just who the hell are you, you son of a bitch. This is our son. You have no right…” His father was cut off as Schuldig spoke out.

 

“You don't deserve Nagi. You have no right to call him your son. Nagi,” Schuldig turned his attention to the boy. “Today is the day you completely break free of these people. You can do whatever you want, say whatever you want to them.” Nagi looked to Crawford, who nodded his head in assurance. Turning to look at his parents, he felt something inside him snap.

 

“I hate you!” Nagi shouted. His parents both gaped at him. “I want you know what I felt each time you hit me; you will know what each broken bone felt like, how painful it was for me.” His eyes were glowing an eerie red, and a wind picked up around him, ruffling his coffee-colored hair. His parents were beginning to look fearful. Good, he thought. Now they can see what they put me through. With that thought, Nagi began systematically crushing every bone in his mother's body. Once he was finished with her, he started on his father. He wouldn't kill them, he decided. He wanted to make sure that they would feel every bit of pain he could give them. Schu, could you please make sure they don't pass out? Schuldig smirked at that. Anything you want; it is your day after all. And he continued raining down any torture he could think of, which was a great deal thanks to living with Farf for the last six months.

 

“I'm finished. They don't deserve the honor of dieing by my hands.” Crawford looked pleased at that statement. With one last look in the house, Nagi turned his back and flicked his wrist to throw his parents against the wall one last time.

 

“I wiped their memories of the whole evening,” Schuldig said as he closed the door. “But they will be feeling this night's events for a very, very long time. Oh, and I also made them forget they have a son at all, so they'll never think to bother you in the future.” Nagi smiled in thanks as they walked to the car.

 

[End Flashback]

 

Nagi had gained a great deal of confidence that night. That was when he realized he wasn't some weak little child to be preyed upon. Since then, he had had no problem going out anywhere with Omi or even alone.

 

“Hey, Nagi,” a cheerful voice said from the door, taking him from his reminiscing thoughts. “Are you ready to go to the park for a while?”

 

“Yeah, let's go. This will be the last time for two years. I don't want to waste a second of it.” He and Omi had grown to be the best of friends in the time they spent together. Sure Farf and Schu were good friends, too. There was just something about Omi that made him different. He knew Omi thought the same thing. They had talked about it once; they figure it was because they were essentially the same age and therefore had more in common.

 

“Oh, Crawford said we're going to run into to a boy and girl in the park tonight. You're not supposed to show yourself to them, but I'm supposed to introduce myself as Tsukiyono Omi. Weird, huh?” Nagi considered for a moment as they walked toward their destination and couldn't come up with anything.

 

“I don't know, but if that's what Crawford says, then that's what we do. At least you don't have to pretend to be Mamoru.” The blonde boy nodded at that. Nagi knew how much he hated having to act like a Takatori. The boys continued the rest of the walk in a companionable silence, making their way to the tree they almost always sat under. I really am going to miss being able to do this. I wish we didn't have to go that Rosenkreuz place. I won't even get to really talk to Omi anymore since I can't use my telepathy without fear of getting caught. Then he remembered a trick Schu had taught him.

 

“Hey, Omi! I think I know a way we can still talk while we're gone,” Nagi said enthusiastically.

 

“That would be great!” Omi replied. “What is it?” And so Nagi began to explain how Schu said he could set up a telepathic link that could remain buried beneath their shields. That way they could talk to each other anytime they wanted to without it being used against them. Omi immediately agreed, and thus two blue eyed boys formed a deep telepathic bond, hoping to maintain their friendship during what would be one of the hardest times of their young lives. Once completed, they sat quietly under their tree just enjoying the time they could spend together.

 

A loud shriek broke peace that had settled upon them. Looking up, they saw that a dark-haired girl had fallen down the side of a steep hill, where a crimson-haired boy was trying to climb down from. These two are the ones Crawford was talking about, Nagi. Will you wait for me? I have to go meet them. Nagi nodded. I'll be up in the tree watching and listening. As Omi walked the short distance to the fallen girl, Nagi disappeared in to the tree and listened via his connection with Omi. Apparently, the girl was fine, just a bit frightened from the fall. The boy turned out to be her older brother, and he was concerned that she had hurt herself. Here come the introductions. I wonder why this is so important… Ah, their names were Fujimiya Aya and Fujimiya Ran. Omi was working his empathy on them, making sure they would feel comfortable around him. No wait, that's just directed at the boy. He must be shy or something. Anyway, it's working. Omi chatted with them for about twenty more minutes before returning to the tree. Once the Fujimiya siblings were out of sight, Nagi came down from his hiding place.

 

“I think I did whatever I was supposed to do. Crawford only seemed to want me to make sure they liked me. I didn't have to do anything to influence Aya, and all I really had to do with Ran was make him feel comfortable in my presence.” Omi stated as they began the walk back to the penthouse.

 

“I could tell. The link we formed seems to have made it so we can feel what each other is feeling if we want or need to,” Nagi replied. He was glad for that. This way, he would be able to tell if his friend was ever in serious trouble and vice versa. Together, the two boys walked home, chatting about nothing in particular, trying to avoid thoughts of the following day.

 

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It was frustrating not knowing what the precog knew. If he didn't trust the man as he did, he may completely refuse all the seemingly asinine instructions he was given. As it was, Crawford had never once been wrong, and the one time Schuldig had ignored him, he had wound up unconscious for nearly a day. That had been about a month after Nagi and Omi had joined them, and it wasn't something the telepath wished to repeat. So the next time Crawford told him not to go somewhere, he damn well stayed home. He may have been what was considered a rebellious teen, but no one could claim Schuldig was stupid; he learned from his mistakes. Today's order had been a little odd, though. Crawford had told him to teach Nagi an advanced telepathic technique that he wasn't sure the boy would be able to handle at his current level. Crawford assured him that not only could he handle it, but it was necessary. That had been hours ago. Now he was staring at the ceiling in his room waiting for the boys to get back from their trip to the park. He wanted to say goodbye to them before he went out for the night, as he would be on a mission in the morning when they left. Here they are now, he thought, rising from his place on the bed and walking towards the front hall.

 

“Hey guys, I just wanted to say goodnight before I headed out,” Schuldig started. “I've got some business in the morning, so I wanted to catch you before I left. And be careful you two. Don't do anything to get yourselves hurt in that place.”

 

“Thanks, Schu. We will. I promise.” Schuldig knew Omi didn't make promises lightly, so he felt a little better about the situation.

 

“Yeah, it'll be okay. We'll make sure to do everything you all told us while we're in Rosenkreuz,” Nagi reassured with a smile.

 

“Goodnight,” the boys said together as they headed of to their room to get some sleep.

 

“Goodnight,” he called back. Now it was time for his date, the thought of which brought a lustful smile to his face. Within the hour, he would be in bed with the most gorgeous blonde he had ever met. He knew the relationship wouldn't last; Crawford had told him as much while at the same time encouraging him to pursue it. Well, at least for now, he was having some of the best sex of his life thanks to one Kudou Yohji. He thought back to the night he had first met the green-eyed sixteen year old.

 

[Flashback - Three Months]

 

Schuldig was in dire need of a drink. Crawford never cared if he occasionally came home drunk, and since he didn't have anything to do the next day, he figured why not. Showing his fake ID to the doorman, he was permitted to enter the club and headed towards the bar where he sat down and ordered his first drink.

 

“Mind if I join you?” A deep voice said from behind him. Looking back he saw a tall blonde-haired, green-eyed teen.

 

“Are you even old enough to be in here?” Schuldig asked.

 

“Are you?” the stranger shot back. Smirking, Schuldig waved him towards the seat next to him.

 

“I'm Schuldig, and you are?” He asked, smiling. He definitely wants more than a polite conversation. Inebriation or sex… tough choice there. Schuldig was never one to be above using his ability to find out about people who approached him. He had to be suspicious in his line of work. This time his suspicions paid off in a different way.

 

“Yohji,” came the answer. “So are you here alone, or are you waiting for someone?” Direct; I like that, Schuldig thought.

 

“Nah, I'm just came for the drinks, but I think I just saw something a little more appetizing than this beer.” If Yohji wanted to get straight to the point, who was he to be subtle. Yohji leaned over, brushing his leg up against Schuldig's thigh.

 

“Want to get out of here?” Yohji whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

 

“Definitely.” With that, the two left their drinks forgotten on the bar and headed for the door, Schuldig's arm draped across Yohji's shoulder. They were nearly on top of each other by the time they reached Schuldig's car. Trailing kisses down Schuldig's neck, Yohji started pulling at his shirt.

 

“I can't wait,” he gasped.

 

“We can use my car,” Schuldig was just as breathless. It had been a couple of months since he had been with anyone, and he had no problems with making a small mess in his car if it meant taking this beautiful man. And take him he did. It wasn't long before both had recovered, allowing Yohji to have a turn on top. Yes, Schuldig thought while recovering from his second, or was it the third, orgasm. This was definitely much better than getting completely wasted.

 

“We really have to do this again sometime,” Yohji voiced his thoughts.

 

“Mmm. I agree. Soon, too.” This was just too good an opportunity to pass up. After basking a little longer in the afterglow, the two exchanged contact information and made plans to meet up the next night before going their separate ways.

 

[End Flashback]

 

After that first night, he and Yohji had actually started dating. They got to know each other fairly well, all the while acting like any healthy, horny teenage boy would. I figure we have another couple of weeks before things end. Yohji's mother had found out about them and had beaten him half to death. She wouldn't tolerate having a gay son. The fact that he was actually bi didn't change anything. Crawford had told him in no uncertain terms that he was to leave it alone. Every time the two got together, Schuldig could tell Yohji was closer and closer to the point where he couldn't deal with it anymore. He would give into his mother's demands and stop seeing him. He was kind of upset about it, but he figured he would run into Yohji again in the future, otherwise Crawford would never have pushed him to continue seeing the blonde. Maybe one day we'll be together again. Until then, I'll enjoy the time we have and let him go when he needs me to. Schuldig just had a feeling that Yohji and he would eventually be together permanently, and as long as he played things the way Crawford said he should, everything would work out.

 

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Everyone, save Schuldig who was out on assignment, was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. Omi could tell he and Nagi weren't the only ones harboring anxious thoughts over their departure. Farfarello was nervously fingering one of his knives while Crawford looked to be constantly checking visions. All in all, it was a very quiet, if not nerve wracking, morning. He himself had barely touched his breakfast, and from the looks of it, Nagi was only poking at his rice.

 

“It's time to go,” Crawford abruptly got up from the table. Nagi, Omi and Farfarello weren't far behind him.

 

“Take care of yourselves,” was the only thing Farfarello had to say before he turned in the direction of his room. They had spoken with Farfarello the night before. No one wanted any long, drawn out goodbyes, especially when they would be returning in two years. Everyone was just worried about what they would face at Rosenkreuz.

 

“We will, Farf,” Nagi replied as they walked out the front door towards the elevator. The short trip to the car was a silent one, though the silence was broken by Crawford once the last door was shut.

 

“I will not be accompanying you to the airport terminal. You will be met by an Esset agent once inside. The moment you set foot out of this car, your act must begin.” These were Crawford's last minute instructions to the boys. They were once again sitting in silence. Omi was lost in his thoughts, trying to visualize what this facility would be like. It seemed that every time someone said something about it, that image only became darker. Maybe I should try to stop figuring out what it will be like and just face it once I'm there.

 

“Omi,” Crawford interrupted his thoughts, “Did you give the information to Takatori personally yesterday?” Okay, he knows I did. He must be just as nervous about this as Nagi and I are.

 

“Yes, he wasn't happy that once he realized its significance, but then again, it went as expected.” Crawford nodded at that. That had been an understatement. Omi could feel the rage rolling off Takatori in waves as he had left the man yesterday.

 

[Flashback - One Day]

 

“You can go into see your father, now, Mamoru.” Finally; Ouka has been in there forever.

 

“Thank you,” Omi responded as he entered his so-called father's office.

 

“Ah, Mamoru. Are you looking forward to going to school abroad, son?” Reiji asked as he sat down.

 

“Yes, father. It is a great opportunity.” Omi replied in the way expected of him.

 

“Excellent. Now, my secretary told me you have something you needed to tell me before you leave.” Reiji was all business after the brief pleasantries.

 

“Yes, sir,” Omi started. “I wanted to give you this,” he said as he handed Reiji what looked like a business card. Takatori looked over the card with a bit of confusion.

 

“This is your uncle's business card, Mamoru. Why would you need to give me this?” The man was truly perplexed.

 

“I thought you might want to know when and where I found it, father.” Omi was not looking forward to the next part of this conversation. “Two years ago, when I saw mother's…” This was more difficult than he thought it would be. He tried again. “Two years ago when I found mother, that card was on the floor just outside her door. I kept it not knowing what it meant. Recently, I came across it as I was packing for school and showed it to Crawford-san. He told me that I should give it to you immediately.”

 

“Yes, that was the correct thing to do. I have some business to take care of, Mamoru. You'd best be on your way. Have a safe trip tomorrow.” Takatori responded to him in an absent manner as he pondered the card. As Omi stood from his chair, he was nearly knocked over by the anger suddenly coming from Reiji as he realized just what that card signified. Omi quickly clamped down on his empathy and hurried out of the office to go find Farfarello.

 

[End Flashback]

 

He could feel himself shudder as he remembered the magnitude of hate that he had felt from Takatori. Nagi looked over at him with concern; that telepathic link was working really well. It's nothing, Nagi. I was just remembering the meeting with Takatori yesterday. Nagi nodded and returned to his own thoughts. Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled into the airport and Crawford dropped them off. Here goes, Nagi `pathed to him. Yeah, he thought, here goes. The agent from Esset met them in terminal and told the boys to sit down without speaking, to which they complied. About an hour after they arrived, the three boarded the plane and took their seats; Nagi and Omi were still not permitted to say a word. Omi spent his time adjusting to thinking in German. It had been quite interesting learning the language from Schuldig. Initially, he had tried to teach them using a book, but Schu had proven to be a terrible teacher. That was when he had his brilliant idea. Schuldig decided that he would put the knowledge of the language directly into their heads, and it had worked. The only problem was that dumping a complete language into anyone would cause repercussions. Had they not already been sitting down, Nagi and Omi would have dropped to the floor with the most severe headache either had ever known. That is an experience I never want to repeat, though in hindsight, it was really convenient. It had taken both boys several hours to recover, and Schuldig received a nice, long lecture from Crawford, but everything worked out for the best. They were now both fluent in German, which was the point to all of it anyway.

 

Several hours later the plane landed, and they were on their way to Rosenkreuz. Are you ready for this? Omi asked. I guess so. I'm pretty nervous, though. Everyone at home was acting like they would never see us again. It couldn't be that bad, could it? The link between them was already proving useful as they silently began to calm one another's nerves. Upon arriving, the boys discovered that they would not be training together for the most part. They were assigned to the same section of the institute since they both had kinetic abilities, however where Nagi was assigned to train with a group of telekinetics, Omi was assigned to work with the pyrokinetics. Omi could already tell from the amount of fear and pain leaking through is empathy blocks that this was definitely worse than he had imagined. The next two years would be hell for him and Nagi, but they would succeed. Neither he nor Nagi would disappoint Crawford; if nothing else, of that he was sure.

 

TBC