Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Butterfly Kisses ❯ Knowings Not Enough ( Chapter 4 )

Butterfly Kisses

A Sequel to Pandora's Box

By Jepardy

 

Weiss were the ones to open Pandora's Box, but can Schwarz handle what was inside?

 

WARNINGS: Violence, language, Yaoi (BradxSchu, YohjixOmi, AyaxKen), references to rape

 

A/N: There is some OCC on the part of Nagi, he is more open with his emotions, and acts slightly more like a kid his age would. Maybe a little OCC on the rest too, but I tried to keep them in character as much as possible. And, I've discovered the more I like a character, the worse I am to them. I killed off my beloved Omi in Pandora's Box, now in this one, Brad's, plain and simply put, a TOTAL asshole. Gomen to Brad fans. Also, I took free liberty to the HOW of Farfie's missing eye.

 

 

//italics// means telepathy

`italics' means thoughts

 

Part 4:

Knowings Not Enough

 

Just because Crawford knows the future doesn't mean he can always save it, and this time Pandora might go down with it.

 

 

 

THE PRESENT: OCTOBER 8, 2000

SCHWARZ MANSION

 

The mission was going as well as expected for the most part. They had taken down the target with out a problem. It was on the way out that they ran in to trouble. As much as they all knew latter Crawford would but the blame elsewhere, it was partially his fault as well. He had looked far enough in to the future to see if the mission would be accomplished, and what glitches there might be. He stopped looking once he saw the target fall. Which left them in the spot they were in now.

Pandora had been attacked from behind by a guard that no one had expected. She was more then capable of handling him, so Crawford just kept moving out of the building. Nagi didn't. Instead he rushed over to Pandora's side, to try and help her out. But all that accomplished was leaving him open to the other attacker that the girl had already counted on, but Nagi couldn't see. Just as the man she had been wrestling with dropped, the other swung out a knife towards Nagi. It wouldn't have killed the boy, just sliced his arm up a bit. But the rift that was becoming more of a problem then anything in her head bloomed. She threw herself at Nagi, knocking him out of the way and to the ground, causing his head to hit hard and for him to blackout. And letting her receive a knife to the gut for her effort. She was damaged far worse then Nagi would have been, and already losing conciseness due to blood loss. Now in order to get both disabled members out of there, Farfie and Schu and to turn back and face down the guards that were now on alert and moving in. All four of them nearly got caught, and the youngest two nearly died.

Once they were all finally out of the building and by the car in which Crawford was sitting and fuming, Farfie and Schuldich decide to jam all four of them in the backseat. Neither wanting to sit close enough to Crawford for him to be able to touch them. Even Farfarello, with his immunity to pain, wasn't much for that idea. On the trip back to the mansion, crammed as they were in the backseat, Nagi's eyelashes fluttered softly against the exposed skin of Pandora's stomach, from where her shirt was raised so that Schuldich could apply pressure to her wound. She stirred slightly and mumbled something that sounded like `butterfly kisses'. At that point you didn't have to be a telepath to know that Crawford became even more pissed off. The fact that their speed accelerated from 20 km over the limit to 85 over said enough.

When they finally reached the mansion Nagi was thrown, very literally and unkindly, in to his room by Crawford, while Schuldich tended to Pandora's wound. After being assured by Crawford that her wound would heal with out real medical attention he allowed himself to be brought in to Crawford's bedroom. Though as angry as the man was, Schu wouldn't have been surprised if he had no idea one way or the other what was going to happen to the girl, and didn't care either. Those thoughts were quickly pushed from his head as the door shut, and the lock was snapped in place. Sealing the fate that Schu already knew was coming his way.

 

~*~*~

 

Crawford finally looked up from the newspaper that he was reading, trying to get the lingering anger of the mission out of his head, to give an exasperated look at Schuldich. The German had been staring at him from the doorway to the living room for the last ten minutes.

“You can sit down Schuldich. I don't bite.” he finally said, his irritation bleeding through as he went back to his newspaper.

“No, I can't, and yes, you do.” Schuldich replied to him, in nearly the same tone of voice. This time causing Crawford not only to look up from the paper, but to put it down all together.

“What do you want?” he asked, staring the man down in a manner that told anyone he happened to glance at that it wasn't the time for joking around.

“I want to know just what the hell is up with Panda bear, and why you have to take it out on MY ass! That's what I fucking want!” he shout out at the brunette. Crawford just looked back at him, not unnerved in the least by the red heads shouts.

“I have already told you. You fucked up, you shot her. Now I have to clean up this mess.” he said in a calm tone. Schu wasn't willing to let it go that easy this time.

“Cut the crap Bradley!” he bit out as he came to stand in front of the man. “I want some fucking answers here!” Crawford gave an audible sigh before answering.

“Fine, sit down and I will tell you what I know.” Schuldich's face seemed to ice over at the words `sit down' as he deepened his glare on the older man. Crawford simply shrugged it off and began.

“Pandora, also known as the Silver Fox, and Kylala Joseph, was created. She was not a normal pregnancy. In early January of 1981 the Esstet elders realized they might finally run out of time and die before they had the chance to summon the awakening. So they took the sperm of their most powerful man, and an egg from their most powerful woman at the time. Creating a fetus in the laboratory. From there they injected it with their own DNA. Hoping to create something that would be powerful and would take on their beliefs to carry through with the awakening should they not be able to. The fetus was then placed in the womb of the most trusted and loyal woman. She was to hand the child over at birth and it would be raised by Esstet. During her pregnancy, her hormones took over, and she fled. They were tracking her without a problem until September 9, 1981. On that date the child was born, and her powers activated. They ran for five years before they were caught. The woman was killed, the girl was taken to Rosenkreuz.

After it was decided she was too powerful to control on their own, they implanted more DNA of the elders in to her. Causing the tattoo on her neck. She worked for them then, she still had free will, but they had the switch that would disconnect her from their grasp. Once they realized that they could indeed live as long as it took, they had no need for her. They dumped her, and shot her twice. It was then that she said what you heard that day in the ally. Swedish being her first language. She was left on her own, ending up in an orphanage as Kylala, until I was sent to bring her in again. The elders wanting someone with the immense power she had for protection.

At that time the only member of Schwarz I had was Farfarello. So I sent him, and he went a little overboard, but we succeeded in bringing her in. From there she worked with, and against Esstet, for the goal I was trying to reach. After Esstet died, the `switch' they had placed in her turned off. That opened back up a consent rift in her mind. As long as it was present she was forced on one side or the other. Kylala or the Silver Fox. Soft or hard. As long as the rift stayed closed, there was no problem. When you shot her, in the same place as she had been shot before, the rift opened. Now her mind is stuck wavering between two halves.” with that Crawford stopped talking and took a drink from the glass of water next to him. Schuldich stood there and let it all sink in. As he thought about what Crawford said, something Pandora herself said came fluttering back in to his head. She'd told him, `Its one thing to convince those around you of your deceit. But if you can convince yourself of it, then there wont be anyone that can see through it, though you.' She had convinced herself of her deceit, too much so. Making him now realize that she really WAS trying to save Omi in that warehouse back there with her shouts. Then she'd turned around and killed him herself. The rift was already tearing her apart then, and no one knew it.

“What's with keeping her from Nagi though?” Schuldich asked finally getting things in place in his head.

“The child she was before Esstet, and the girl she was as Kylala was soft, sweet, and kind. With only the wish to have a friend. If she is given a chance, connection, and makes that wish real, then that is who she will come back to being. And a soft, innocent, child is of no use to Schwarz. Only the brutal killer that she once was can help us. Once she falls in to her new place, and name, as Pandora, she'll see that too. Nagi is stopping her from closing the rift on her own, becoming a friend to her and pushing her the wrong way. As long as she is kept between to two sides of herself, in the middle of her own rift, she will go insane.” Crawford responded. It was clear from the change in tone that his voice took that he was planning on remedying the situation himself. Schuldich shuddered at what that meant for those poor kids. He remembered too many times when Crawford had decided to `remedy' some of his problems. Or better, he vaguely remembered, considering halfway through he lost conciseness, if he was lucky. Before he had a chance to say anymore though, Farfarello spoke. He had come to stand in the doorway at some point during this little discussion, unnoticed by either of the other two.

“You think I'm insane, just wait till shegoloco.” he said, stringing the last three words together so quickly Schuldich had no choice but to give him a `trust me, you ARE crazy' look. Crawford paid less attention to the words, and more the actions of the white haired man. He was slowly dragging his fingers across the eye patch that he wore.

“humph.” Crawford smirked at him, “You would know about that Farfarello.” he said, with an almost hint of laughter in his voice. At seeing the mystified look on Schuldich's face, he decided to explain. “Pandora is the reason our psychopathic friend only has one eye.”

“I thought you just cut it out in a rage or something.” Schu said, turning to face Farfarello more. All the man could do was shake his head in the negative.

“No. Even he wouldn't go that far. Most of his mutilations don't cause permanent damage.” Crawford explained. "But Pandora does."

 

 

 

NOVEMBER 18, 1996

TOKYO, JAPAN

 

Farfarello had returned to the temporary apartment that housed Crawford and himself the night before, bloody and empty handed. Crawford quickly decided that the man was never to be sent on a mission involving a church ever again. Or at least not without himself there to protect the future. It was still early in the morning, he figured that he wouldn't have to call Esstet for at least another hour, maybe two given the time difference, to let them know of the outcome. They couldn't hardly blame him for this either. Everyone who had ever worked for Esstet knew the stories of just how powerful that Silver Fox was. Sending just his still partial team in to get her, they were lucky either of them were still alive.

He had just sat down on the couch with his morning coffee and paper. Farfarello was busying himself in the kitchen with the blender in ways Crawford shuddered to think about. He suddenly, and with much annoyance, sat down his cup and stood to answer the door. His hand was already on the knob when the knock sounded. Precognition was good for something. He barely had a chance to open it though before it was thrown wide open by one of the most powerful energy spikes he'd ever felt. On the other side of it stood a young girl. She was completely encased in black leather. High boots, tight pants, and a lace up vest all made of the material. Her arms were bare down to the leather cuffs that spanned from her palms to forearms. Wild hair was tousled about her face, and orange eyes, radiating animal hunger shown out form underneath where it fell in her face. As she stared down at him, with a glare so painful he nearly winced, her command was shouted though his head. //MOVE!// the scream was literally bouncing off of the inside of his skull. He staggered over and had to hold the wall for balance just so he wouldn't collapse. Once he was out of her way the girl calmly stalked off through the apartment and towards the kitchen. He watched her go, confusion radiating across his face in a manner that wasn't common on faces of those who could see the future. He stood straight again and was ready to just as calmly follow her, and demand to know who she was, when he heard the scream.

He flew in to the kitchen at top speed. The sight before him making his draw drop. Farfarello was on the floor near the counter. Curled in to a near fetal position and holding his hands over the bloody remain of what used to be an eye. The girl was calmly whipping the blood off of a sai, on to his dishtowel, before placing it back in to the wrist cuff. She looked up at him then. The cold, heartless clarity of who she was ringing through him now.

“He sure screams a lot for a guy who can't feel pain.” She told him as she finished with adjusting the cuff. Then took a position more suited to her attitude. Cocking one hip out and lazily placing a hand on to it while cocking her head to the side.

“Now, what the fuck do you want with me?” she asked him, spiting venom with her words. He let his face come back from the shocked look, and even drew a small smirk across his lips.

“Silver Fox, My name is Crawford. And I think we can help one another.” he told her. Knowing that from this moment, his world would be forever changed. Knowing this was his key to destroy Esstet from the inside out and get the power he wanted for himself. And also knowing she would do anything to help him. Being the only person to hate the elders more then he himself did.

 

 

THE PRESENT: OCTOBER 9, 2000:

SCHWARZ MANSION

 

Crawford stood in the doorway and looked down at the figure of Pandora in her bed. Her face gave no indication of the turmoil that he knew was swarming in her brain. She seemed to be resting peacefully, the early morning light streaming in the window and on to her body laid out on the bed. The wound in her stomach already mostly healed. It was never as bad as the others thought it had been anyway. It wasn't even from blood loss that she had passed out. It was because the knife had hit her right side. It was because she had been hit trying to save Nagi. It was because Nagi had been trying to help her. So to some it up, it was because the rift was growing. She was torn between two halves of her own self. She had never had the choice to simply be one or the other as far as Crawford knew. She was a child, then suddenly switched to a killer, then the child, then back again to the killer. One or the other. Now she was stuck in the middle ground, and for the first time she alone had the choice which way to go. There was no switch, no influence, no anything. If she was stronger, emotionally and mentally, she could live as both. But she wasn't. He should have known that at the time. He told her he did know, and he had for the most part. He hadn't counted on her going as deep undercover as she had. He hadn't counted on Nagi actually excepting, and returning, friendship from her. The first he couldn't do anything about. It was the past, and he was a man who dealt with the future. And that he could change.

He stepped out of her doorway and shut it behind him. Coming face to face with Farfarello.

“Why are you out so early?” Crawford asked the man. Farfie just shrugged in response.

“Want'd to.” he said finally, pulling out a knife and beginning to chew on the end of it. Not so much that he wanted to at the moment, just knowing Crawford hated it. And sure enough, the other man shuddered a little at that movement.

“Go tell Nagi I wish to see him before school.” Crawford said as he headed to the stairs that led down to the gym Schwarz used for training. “Oh and Farfarello,” he turned back to call just before he started down the stairs.

“Nani.” the white haired man asked around his knife.

“You were right.”

“'Bout what?” he asked.

“It is indeed dangerous to open Pandora's Box, no matter who actually does it.” and with that he was moving down the stairs. Farfarello just shrugged, honestly not caring about that. He was hoping Crawford would tell him he was right about his `hurting god' obsession. But he took what he could get.

Down in the gym Crawford began to get ready to workout. Knowing that the sedative that Pandora had been given the night before must still be working in her system, or she would have been awake by now. And even he couldn't see the future of his actions clear enough to know weather or not her being there was a good thing. So he walked the safe path and made sure she wasn't there. Even as his fists began to hit the weight bag in front of him, letting the learned instincts of a boxer come over him, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering. Back to that day when he told a ruthless killer that he KNEW what was going to happen. And honestly wondering that if he had known ALL of what was really going to happen, if he still would have done it.

 

 

JULY 12, 2000

OUTSKIRTS OF TOKYO, JAPAN

 

“Humph, you did survive.” the cold voice filtered down through the trees and to Crawford, causing him to stop his walk through the forest.

“I told you that I knew we would. I always know, even in this.” he answered as he glanced up through the branches of one of the trees. Pushing still wet hair from his eyes, and shivering a little as a cold breeze swept through the area, reminding him that he was still drenched in the salt water he'd just come out of.

“You told me a lot of things that day Crawford. Whether or not I was listening is another thing.” the young woman perched in the branches of the tree that was before Crawford responded. Not bothering to look down at him, still staring off in the direction of the fallen coliseum, listening to the waves that could still be heard. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Crawford staring up at his prize, her not caring for a second that he was there.

“I would suggest that you get down from there.” Crawford stated, finally breaking the silence.

“And why is that?” she asked him, moving her head just enough so that she could stare at him with the lethal orange eyes she possessed.

“Because in 3 minutes, you will fall.” he stated plainly, with the matter of fact tone that only those who see the future can get away with using and not be considered arrogant. She complied, jumping down in a fluid motion and landing at his feet. She crossed her arms before her and looked in to his eyes. Glaring with all she had, knowing that even he would feel the pulse of power she held behind it.

“I DON'T fall.” she bit out as her teeth remained clenched in what was nearly a snarl.

“You would have, for your tattoo will be, for lack of anything better, turned off.” he told her, meeting her eyes.

“The elders are already dead. It would have happened by now.”

“No. The coliseum was being shielded, that shield has to this point contained the excess power that was set loose. Now its falling apart.” he told her, feeling a smirk begin to come to his face. This was the exact moment he had been waiting for.

“So, then do you know this? Do you know what's gonna happen?” she asked. Letting some of the coldness filter off and be replaced by mild curiosity.

“Yes, of course. It wasn't so much the elders that your genetics were tied to, as it was their powers. If they had turned off the switch so to speak, you would simply become you own person. Their death though makes it so that those powers will be forced to follow through to the other end of the binding that held you together.” he said, the smirk blooming in full on his face, only seconds were left.

She began to open her mouth to say something else, but it never got past her lips. Instead she hit her knees in a ball of pain, clutching at the mark on her neck. Feeling as if a dozen hot pokers were prying at it. All of her body felt like hot fire was spreading through it, strengthening the inbreed power that she had even more so. As it finally stopped, she was left panting on her hands and knees at Crawford's feet. She looked up at him, tousled hair falling forward in to her eyes. Her hair was instantly more blue then it had been. It was still pale and streaked through with silver, but it was once again, more hers, even its length had seemed to grow in that one instant. Her skin had also lost some of its paleness, picking up a hint of a tan through out it. The orange depths of her eyes seared in to Crawford's honey brown ones. The animal hunger was still there, but it was dispersed now by something else. Something he couldn't decipher. Confusion, hurt, possibly even fear.

“Now what?” she asked in a breathless, near childlike tone, still gazing at him from her position.

“Now,” he said as he reached down a hand to help her to her feet. “Now, the Silver Fox is no more.” She stood even with him once again and looked at him with the expectation of more.

“Then, who am I?” her voice made it plain to tell, she didn't want to go back to the nameless person she had been before all of this.

“Now, you are MY Pandora's Box.” the smirk on his face widened as he watched that set in to her. She abruptly turned then and started to head away. Crawford was about to shout out at her, to find out just where the hell she was going, when she paused and turned back to him. Settling all of his fears with her statement, and the smirk, that was nothing but evil, that accompanied it.

“Are you coming or what? I believe there's some poor little kitten that needs to be proven that Pandora's claws are just as deadly as the Silver Foxes once were.”