Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Building Our Tomorrow ❯ Two Years in the Making ( Chapter 3 )

AN: This is relatively short chapter. I just wanted to set up a little bit of background. Chapter 4 should be up by the end of the week. Enjoy.

 

Warnings: References to child abuse, language.

 

 

Internal dialogue

Telepathy

 

Chapter 3

 

It had been a typical school day for Aya, and now she was having lunch with her brother. They were sitting on a bench just outside the school. It was a beautiful day with a clear sky and the sun shining brightly. She loved being outdoors. Aya always made sure to eat with Ran or he would end up sitting inside by himself, ignoring everyone around him. She also thought he could stand to be out in the sun more; his skin was so pale. What would he do without me?

 

“It's too bad Takatori Mamoru is away for school,” Aya started. “That dinner papa made us go to would have been more fun with someone our own age to talk to.” Ran nodded his agreement. At first she thought he wouldn't respond; he generally only spoke when they were in a less public setting.

 

“I know,” he surprised her by replying. “But I don't think it would have mattered. Father is trying to get a job with Takatori-san, and I doubt three kids disturbing their discussions would have been welcomed. Besides, he's been at some boarding school for the last five months, so there's really know point in thinking about it.” Always the practical one ,aren't you Ran. She thought wryly.

 

“I know, I know, but I still think it would have been nice for us to make a new friend, especially you.” Ran rolled his amethyst eyes at her and went back to eating. Aya really wished her brother would make friends. Sure, he had fun and did things with her, but he had no friends of his own. Her brother spent too much time in his solitude for her liking. And, she thought, I know he would be happier if he had someone besides me to talk to.

 

“Come on, Aya,” a voice called out. “We have to get to class.” Checking the time, she was surprised to find how late it actually was.

 

“Be right there,” she called back then returned her attention to her brother. “See you after classes, Ran.”

 

“See you later,” he replied as he walked off towards his own classes. As she watched him walked off, Aya couldn't help but try to think of ways to bring her brother out of his shell. I'll just have to start bringing him along when I go out with my friends. With that thought she walked towards the group of children waiting for her before heading off to class.

 

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For the last two months, his sister had been dragging him along to anything she was doing with her friends; he found it to be rather annoying, but he could never say no to Aya. Ran suspected she knew that little fact and was using it to her advantage. Apparently, he thought, she's decided to try and force me to make friends. He really couldn't understand why it was such a big deal. Currently, he was walking a few feet behind his sister on a crowded sidewalk as they made their way towards some festival that Aya had been going on about. They were going to meet up with some of her school friends once they got there. Then, Ran would be standing off to the side while his sister had fun and laughed with other people. He himself hated being in large groups of people; he could just find a way to relax around almost everyone. Sure, he occasionally craved the company of a select few individuals, but generally he kept to himself. He preferred the quiet company of a book or listening to music, and more recently, he found he enjoyed the calming sensation practicing new kata brought him. He wasn't sure what it was about swinging the katana that was so peaceful; it was certainly difficult to learn, but the day he had begun his lessons, he knew that it was for him.

 

Getting back to his thoughts on his sister, he wondered if she really understood that he was happy with the way things were. He had his family, and that was all he really needed or wanted, though there had been that one boy a few months ago. The little blonde was the first person he had ever met that he wanted to get to know. I wonder what happened to him, he thought as he remember the day he met Omi.

 

[Flashback - Seven Months]

 

“Aya, be careful. You could fall.” He sister was running along the side of a steep hill, and he was worried she would tumble down, getting hurt in the process. Not even a second after the words left his mouth, she tripped and went rolling down the hill with a scream. Ran rushed over to the edge of the hill and started to slowly make his way down. It won't do Aya any good if I fall and get hurt. As he was climbing down, he saw another child rush over to his sister and kneel down next to her as she sat up. As he approached them he heard his sister talking to the boy.

 

“I'm okay, now,” she was saying. “I was just scared.” Ran decided to make sure for himself.

 

“Are you sure you're okay, Aya?” She nodded yes, and he turned his attention to the blue-eyed boy next to them. “Thank you for checking on my sister,” he said politely.

 

“It was no problem. When I heard her scream, I just thought I would make sure everything was okay.” The boy smiled at him. “By the way, I'm Tsukiyono Omi.”

 

“I'm Fujimiya Ran, and this is my sister Aya.” Why in the world do I feel like I can talk to him; I only just met him, and it seems like I've known him for years.

 

“It's nice to meet you both. I've never seen you here before, and I come to this park all the time. Are you new in the city?”

 

“Yes,” Aya answered him. “Our father lost his job in Kyoto, and we moved to Tokyo. He said there were good jobs for bankers here.”

 

“Well, I don't know anything about that, but I'm sure he'll find something.” Why was Omi's presence making him feel so calm and reassured? Ran decided it didn't matter; he genuinely liked this boy if for no other reason than the fact that he had helped his sister. They sat and talked for a while longer before they had to be home.

 

“It's time to go, Aya,” Ran said. “Mother wants us back before it gets too late.”

 

“Okay,” she replied. “Thank you again, Omi. Maybe we'll see you again soon.” Omi gave her a smile.

 

“Maybe. It was nice talking to you both. I hope your father is able to find a job and you can stay in Tokyo.”

 

“Bye, Omi.” Aya waved as they walked off in opposite directions. I hope we meet up with Omi again, Ran thought as he glanced back at the blonde's retreating figure.

 

[End Flashback]

 

Ever since that day, whenever he and Aya went to the park, Ran always kept an eye out for Omi. He was disappointed when the boy was never around. Ran shrugged that thought off. His family probably just moved or something. I really would have liked to gotten to know him better. Maybe Aya's right and I do need to make friends, but no one other than Omi has ever really seemed like someone I could talk to.

 

“Come on, Ran,” Aya called back to him. “Hurry up! We're almost there.” Ran smiled at her enthusiasm and quickened his pace to catch up with his sister. As they approached Aya's friends, Ran thought about how happy his sister looked and his smile grew. So what if he was essentially a loner. His sister was happy, and his father had finally been hired by Takatori-san. As long as my family is happy, so am I. I don't need anything else.

 

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She was more intelligent than he gave her credit for. Hanae Kitada had found out well beforehand that Mamoru would be out of Shuichi's reach for the time being, though she had kept the information to herself; she was a very resourceful woman. It would still be another year before the man's son returned from the German boarding school. Shuichi had been beyond furious when he had discovered Mamoru would be gone for two years. Fortunately, the man seemed to maintain enough of his reason to leave it as it was. What happened to the Takatori Shuichi I first started working for?

 

When she had first been hired to work with the younger Takatori, she had admired and respected the man and his goals. He had seemed to be such a good man who wanted nothing more than to improve the world around them. However, when Shuichi had discovered that he was in fact the father of Kikuno's child, he had changed - become borderline obsessed. And things have gotten progressively worse since Kikuno's death. Kitada actually had her own suspicions regarding the apparent `suicide'; she knew Shuichi had gone to see the woman that night three years ago. When she saw him the next day, he had been smiling like the cat who got his cream about something. He kept going on about how it wouldn't be long until his son was in his rightful place, by his side. Once she had heard about Kikuno, she began to wonder if maybe Shuichi had had something to with it.

 

Kitada was beginning to seriously consider changing her line of work. The only reason she had not done so was because she was very fearful of what might happen to Mamoru were Shuichi to get his hands on the child. Oh, she didn't hold any illusions that Takatori Reiji was any better, but moving the child to Shuichi's side of the family's war would not improve things. It was a question of one devil over the other. She had no doubts that Shuichi would be able to get a hold of his son; Persia had already informed Manx of the mission that would get Mamoru into Kritiker hands, and it would work for the simple fact that her employer had left enough clues for Reiji to question the boy's true parentage. They both knew that once Reiji knew for a fact that Mamoru was not his son, he would want nothing to do with the child. So she stayed on as Manx with the hope that she could ensure that Mamoru was properly looked after.

 

None of this would happen for another year, though, so she had time to iron out her own plans. She had an idea for a specialized team of assassins - Weiss. This team, once fully formed would be sent on missions to eliminate those who could not be reached by the law. The beauty of this plan, Kitada thought, is that the team will have only minimal contact with Persia for secrecy's sake. She knew that this would go over well so long as she put the correct spin on it. She knew Shuichi didn't really care about his son one way or the other, so convincing him that Mamoru didn't need to know his father was training him to be an assassin would be easy. It would also eliminate any questions from Mamoru about why his father was turning him into a killer. Those questions would definitely come as the boy got older, and he did not need to carry the extra burden that he was doing his father's dirty work. She only wished there was some way to avoid stealing this child's life altogether, though she knew it wasn't possible. Kitada could only try to make sure this feud between brothers would not destroy the child completely.

 

As she rose from her desk, Kitada slipped into her Manx persona. It was time to talk to Shuichi about Weiss while he was still in Persia mode. Approaching him while he was Shuichi would be a mistake; the man hid his obsession much better when acting as the head of Kritiker. Upon entering his office, Persia looked up at her expectantly.

 

“Yes, Manx, what do you need?” Good, he's in a patient mood.

 

“I've got proposal for a new team I think she be added to Kritiker's ranks,” the green-eyed woman began. “This team could be just what you need once you bring Mamoru in.” Persia looked extremely interested at that statement. Manx launched into the speech she prepared, leaving out no details as he listened intently without interrupting.

 

“Something of that magnitude will take years to build,” he said once she had finished. Damn, he's going to turn it down. I'm going to have to come up with something else. “But,” he continued, “I think you are correct. This… Weiss, as you called it, is just the kind of group our organization needs. I will leave all the planning to you. I would suggest, however, that when searching for members to place in this team that they are in some way connected to Takatori Reiji. It will make things go much more smoothly should they all have a vendetta against him.”

 

“Of course, Persia. I'll begin training Mamoru once he is in our custody. After he has been placed in Weiss, I will look for three others to join him, using your guidelines.”

 

“Thank you, Manx.” He dismissed her. “Oh,” he added, “Make sure to continue checking on Reiji's activities. I want to know as soon as possible when he discovers he is not Mamoru's father.”

 

“Yes, sir.” With that Manx left Persia's office, heading back to her own. This is going to complicate things. Bringing in people with a grudge against Takatori Reiji won't be problem; the problem will be narrowing down the. The man has his hands in everything illegal in Japan, and I'll be hard pressed to find the correct group of three who will be able to live this kind of life. She had time though, so she would keep an eye open for anyone who would fit into Weiss, and, adding her own criteria, would be good for Mamoru.

 

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Blue-green eyes took in the sight in front of them. Twelve year old Hidaka Ken was in an almost trance-like state as he watched the people racing back and forth across a green field. The sun warmed his already tanned skin as he cheered when one of the teams scored. He loved soccer, every aspect of it, in a way that no one except his friend Kase understood. How could such a young child look at something with such obvious passion as he did this sport? This was question often posed to him by the nuns that ran the orphanage he lived in. The thing is, he thought, why wouldn't I. Everything else had been taken from him, his home, his family, even his friends. His parents had died in a car accident four years ago, forcing him to leave the only place he had ever known for a new city. Soccer was the only thing he had left of his past; it reminded him of happier times, so he continued play with a conviction that even most adults did not have.

 

Ken was the best goalie in the youth league he participated in, and he knew it. He and Kase were the stars of the league, and they were both looking forward to continue playing once they entered high school, though that was still over a year away. They had discovered that the high school coach was already scouting them, and they were ecstatic. And maybe one day, we'll both be in the J-League together. This was dream the two often shared with each other.

 

“Ken.” He was so caught up in his daydream that he didn't hear the voice calling his name.

 

“Ken,” the voice repeated, louder this time.

 

“Wha - Oh, Kase, hey. I guess I spaced out there.” Ken smiled sheepishly at his friend. Kase laughed at that.

 

“Baka,” he said with a smile. “Did you forget we have practice in twenty minutes? We gotta get going if we want to be on time.” Ken stood from his spot on the ground and came up beside his taller friend.

 

“I really wanted to see how the game ended,” Ken whined as they walked side by side. Kase snorted at that.

 

“It didn't look like you were paying much attention to anything. I bet you don't even know what the score was.” And so the banter continued s they made their way to practice. Once an end was called to practice, Kase walked with Ken back to the orphanage.

 

“See you tomorrow at school, Ken,” Kase called as Ken climbed the stairs to the door.

 

“Yeah, see you then.” Ken replied. As he opened the door, he turned around and called back. “Hey, Kase? We'll always be friends, right? No matter what?”

 

“What?” Kase replied as turned and headed up the stairs to his friend. “Where did that come from? Of course we'll always be friends.”

 

“It's just that, well, you're the only person who ever talks to me, really. You know I don't have anyone else. I guess I'm just worried you'll disappear, too.” Ken wasn't sure where this train of thought came from, but he had to ask. I spent way to much time thinking of the past today, he decided.

 

“You don't have to worry, Ken. I'll always be there for you. I promise.” Ken gave a grateful smile at that.

 

“Thanks,” he said. “I guess I should go in now, so goodnight.”

 

“ `Night,” was the reply he heard as he walked through the doors. As he slept that night, Ken dreamt of the day he would be in the J-League, doing what he loved the most.

 

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Six months, he thought. Six months and the year will be over, and I'll graduate. Then what? Kudou Yohji was most definitely at an impasse with himself. He was sitting in a bar near his tiny apartment mulling over his life. He had gotten fed up with his mother's drunken abuse, both verbal and physical, and had moved out on his own a couple of months ago. Damn it, now I'm thinking about that again, he thought bitterly.

 

[Flashback - Two Months]

 

It had been an especially bad night for his mother and, by default, Yohji. He had been sitting quietly in his room working on some school project or another when she stormed in reeking of alcohol. She was screaming something at him, though he couldn't understand the words coming out of her mouth as slurred as they were. All he knew was that she was pissed at him, and he didn't know why. I haven't done anything at all lately. Then again, she's never needed a reason before. As this thought was going through his head, he felt a hand across his face. He knew he wouldn't be going to school tomorrow. She was so drunk that she wasn't trying to avoid hitting visible skin. He heard something crack, shortly after which he was having trouble breathing. She's never been this bad before, but I can't do anything to stop this. I could never fight back; she's my mother. The next half-hour was by far the longest of his life. When his mother had finally passed out in a drunken stupor, it was all he could do just to stand up. Somehow, though, he managed and made his way out of the small house, hoping to reach help before he collapsed.

 

Yohji could feel his legs begin to weaken as he stumbled in the general direction of the nearby hospital. As he began to collapse to the ground, a strong arm wrapped around his waste and supported him. Looking over he was met with the blurry site of his ex-boyfriend. “Schu…” he whispered as consciousness left him.

 

When he opened his jade eyes, Yohji found himself in a strikingly white room on a bed. He must have gotten me to the hospital. Looking around the room, he noticed Schuldig was sleeping, slumped over in a chair near the bed.

 

“Schu,” Yohji tried to awake him. Schuldig blinked his eyes a few times before realizing where he was.

 

“Yohji, you're awake. You scared the shit out of me when I saw you on the street. I thought you were dieing or something. What happened to you?” Of course Schuldig already knew the answer to that; when they were dating Yohji had told him of how his mother treated him.

 

“You know, the usual. No big deal.” Yohji tried to lighten the situation. Schuldig narrowed his eyes at that.

 

“I know we're not together anymore, and it's probably none of my business, but you should really move out of that house.” He could tell Schuldig wasn't expecting answer, but he gave him one anyway.

 

“I can't just leave her like that, Schu. She's my mother.” Though maybe he's right. If it hadn't been for him, I might have died because of her tonight.

 

“Some mother,” was the sarcastic reply. “What was it this time? Were you walking through the living room too loudly? You know you don't deserve to be treated like this. You need to leave. I'll help you find someplace to live. Just don't go back there anymore.” Schuldig was practically begging him. I wonder why he still cares after the way I left him. Yohji knew he was right, though. He wasn't sure how much longer he could survive living like this.

 

“Okay,” he whispered. “You're right. I'll leave as soon as I get out of here.” Schuldig looked relieve once he agreed.

 

“Good,” he said while standing up. “I'll let you get some rest, now. I'll come back tomorrow to check on you,” Schuldig gave him a soft smile.

 

“Thanks for everything, Schu.” Yohji said as he drifted off to sleep.

 

[End Flashback]

 

Schuldig had kept true to his word, and the day he was released from the hospital, Yohji was led to the small apartment that would be his new home. And I haven't heard from him since. Yohji had wanted to ask him more about that night. Why had the red head been anywhere near there? It could have been a coincidence, but he had a feeling it wasn't, which led to the aforementioned question. On top of that, he had all these new worries. What was he going to do with his life? College was definitely out of the question. He could barely afford to eat and pay rent as it was. So he had to find a job, but what could he do? Private Investigator, a voice sounding suspiciously like Schuldig whispered in his head. Why the hell am I hearing Schu's voice? I must be losing it. Whatever, it was as good an idea as any. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. I have always been pretty good at getting information out of people and puzzling things out. Plus I could set my own hours. It might not be so bad. So that was it, then. He would finish up school then start as a private investigator. He had six months to get his name out there, but he had no doubt that he could do it. Well, he thought, at least I have a plan, now.

 

“Hey,” a female voice interrupted his thoughts. “Can I sit here? There's no where else.” She was the most beautiful woman Yohji had ever seen, with her dark blue, nearly black hair and deep, brown eyes.

 

“Go ahead. I could never deny a beautiful woman. The name's Yohji.” He introduced himself as she took the seat next to him.

 

“Hi, Yohji.” She smiled at him. “I'm Asuka.”

 

 

TBC