Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Knights and Knaves ❯ Shotgun Blues ( Chapter 1 )

Author's note:

 

Part of the “White Shadows and Black Reflections” arc, set several years into the future (Post-Glühen)

 

Thoughts.

 

//Telepathy//

 

Disclaimer:

Weiss Kreuz belong to Project Weiss and Takehito Koyasu. I just get to play with them.

 

Pairings:

Lots. If I actually get around to writing them depends on the feedback.

 

Warnings:

Bits of bad language and a spot of violence.

 

-------------------------

 

Kimiko was pissed.

 

Not only had her brother been sermonizing her for nearly an hour, no, by now he was shouting at her too. And, ye gads, how much she wanted to yell back at him. But shouting back, telling him what she really thought, what she felt, what she knew would only make matters worse, so she kept digging her nails into her hands and stuck to the occasional “Hai,-onii-san…..gomen, onii-san…”. It wasn't easy.

 

Usually onii-san was so very careful around her, quiet, considerate. There hadn't been a single argument between them since their parents had died. Heck, he didn't even tease her like he used to, and she missed that. She missed sharing the laughter and the joy, and yes, sharing the tears too. And that made her so very angry.

 

She knew very well that he was only trying to protect her, to shield her from the harshness of life. She knew that he wanted her to be happy. But why couldn't he see that he was hurting her by shutting her out? Locking her away in the proverbial tower, like a princess from a fairy tale wasn't making her feel happy and safe. It was making her depressed. And bloody furious. She felt like she was suffocating, slowly fading into the grey abyss of insignificance.

 

So being alive WASN'T always pretty and it wasn't always safe. So there WERE dark and dangerous things out there. So WHAT? She was alive. She was a human being. She wanted to deal with things, not hide from them. She wanted the right to make her own choices, to face her own challenges. And he was denying her that. He was denying her LIFE. He was such a damn hypocrite.

 

Ah well…what did sensei say? “The path to hell is paved with good intentions…”. Damn him for being right…again.

 

“Kimiko, are you even LISTENIG to what I'm telling you? You can't go on like this. Skipping classes, coming home late….failing grades. Yesterday Obaa-san was terribly worried when she came into your room and you weren't there! Nobody knows where you went and you came home at four o'clock in the morning! And you're refusing to tell us where you've been, apart from an “I went out and had fun with some friends”. That's just not good enough!”

 

Inwardly she shrugged. Wasn't her fault that they'd been swamped with contracts and other affairs these last few weeks. But damn if she'd tell him that. Right at this moment, her phone started ringing. Uh-oh. Important call, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered at such a precarious moment. Having a pre-cog as a boss usually made for smooth business.

Glancing up at her brother, she pulled the phone from her pocket and looked at the display. Yep, important. Something must've come up. Shooting her brother an imploring glance, she started to flip the phone open, only to have it rudely ripped from her hands. She winced as it shattered on the wall behind her. Damn. Looked like onii-san was really, really mad at her now.

 

“I can't believe it. How can you even contemplate taking a phone-call while we're having this conversation? This is more important than anything else….Kimiko….”

 

He settled down on his knees in front of her, so that they were now eye to eye. She sitting on her bed, he kneeling on the floor in front of her. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder and she lowered her eyes so that he wouldn't see her hurt and, most important of all, none of her anger.

 

“Where did I go wrong? I know I wasn't there for you as much as you would have liked me too…”

 

Damn right you weren't.

 

//Ah. So that's the reason why you didn't pick up the phone. Family can be such a drag.//

 

Thank you oh so very much. You're helpful as always. Sensei.

 

//My, my, my….a little bit pissed off, are we? Cynicism doesn't suit you, you know.//

 

I had a good teacher. So what's up?

 

//Oh, we have some work tonight and we're going to need your skills. Urgently. Too much work for just Thistle.//

 

Drat. Getting away from here is going to be real difficult with my brother breathing down my neck like that….

 

Onii-san's grip on her shoulder had tightened a bit, and she hadn't really been listening to what he was saying for the last minute or so. Looking up, she realized that she had missed something, something important. His eyes were hard as steel, and his mouth had thinned into an angry line. She sighed inwardly.

 

O.K., tell me. What did I miss?

 

// Nothing much. He just asked you if you understood and promised to be a good little girl in the future. You didn't answer and so he noticed that you weren't paying attention. It firmed his resolve to take some serious action in order to set you right again.//

 

Great. Just Great. You didn't set me up for this, did you? And what kind of serious action, dammit?

 

A malicious chuckle echoed through her mind.

 

//Set you up? Who? Me? Never! I assure you, this time I'm completely innocent.//

 

You? Innocent? Not in this lifetime….. I swear, if you set this up I'll….

 

The telepathic voice grew softer.

 

//No I didn't. Really. His decision was all made even before he came to talk to you. Which is why Brad had me try the phone anyway. Your onii-san conferred with your aunt and uncle this afternoon, and since they just don't think that they can deal with you anymore, he has decided to step in. He's pretty much torn up inside about the whole thing. I'd say try and be nice to him, but I'm afraid it's to late for that.//

 

Normally, in a situation like this, sensei would have kept on teasing her until she was ready to explode. He would have gotten an immense kick out of her brothers' misery and anger and out of her frustration. He would have kept up a running commentary of snippy little remarks, just because he enjoyed rubbing salt in her wounds. The fact that he was being nice for once made her stomach plummet. Something bad was afoot.

 

Nervously she started chewing her lip. Onii-san had gotten up again, and now he was looking down at her, his posture rigid with anger, his voice harsh.

 

“Kimiko, I can't allow you to go on like this. Something has to be done. I know it's been hard, but otoo-san and okaa-san would be so disappointed if they could see you now. I am disappointed. You're leaving me with no choice. You need discipline. A new environment. I'm sending you to a boarding school. ”

 

“But…but onii-san! I….you can't!”

 

“No Kimiko. I can and I will.“

 

She had been afraid that they would have this kind of conversation sooner or later, but perversely, she had deluded herself into hoping that she would be able to avoid it entirely. That hope had just been bashed.

 

O.k. , so what's the plan?

 

// Well, for one, you have to make a choice now. Go to boarding-school as your brother wants you to, forget about your team and your work and make your brother happy….or blow you cover, big time, and start a major family feud between the two of you. Never mind all the other players involved.//

 

And which option are you voting for?

 

// Come on kiddo, you know me better than that.//

 

Tasty, is it?

 

// Incredibly. Well, what's your verdict.?//

 

She heavily resented the fact that sensei was getting off on this, and that he would get off on it even more in the future, but then, nothing in this world was ever perfect and she knew exactly where her priorities lay. And she knew that sensei did too.

 

Pick-up on the way?

 

//The usual. Will be there in about a minute.//

 

Well, let's get this show on the road then, shall we?

 

She looked her brother straight in the face and let tears flood her eyes. They streamed down her cheeks, hot and salty, and she didn't even have to fake them. She added sobs to the tears and half-stammered “I'm sorrys” and then she folded in on her self, her arms going around her legs and her body shaking with emotion. As expected, onii-san went to his knees beside her and cradled her head to his chest. She would miss the familiar scent of sweat and flowers and motor-oil.

 

There was a tonfa hidden beneath the bed on which she sat. Grabbing it and ramming it into her brother's unprotected middle was one motion. She got up and let him slide to the floor as he gasped for breath. She followed up with a hit to the temple. Not hard enough to send him into la-la land, but hard enough to stun him for a moment. Then, she grabbed her laptop and shoved it into her rucksack together with the remains of her cell-phone. There was no sense in letting anything behind to give Kritiker a lead to their whereabouts and their contacts.

 

A motorcycle could be heard roaring around the corner at the end of the street. It was time.

 

Thistle?

 

//Yes. Take the short route, we must make haste.//

 

The balcony was four floors up, but that didn't stop her from climbing over the railing. Thistle and his motor-cycle had stopped right in front of their apartment-complex by now and he was waiting for her, letting the engine roar like a lion marking his territory. The telekinetic would be able to catch her when she jumped, no problem.

 

Behind her, she could hear onii-san gasping her name and she turned briefly to look over her shoulder, only in time to see him stumble to his feet and reach out for her, confusion, pain and pleading in his eyes. It hurt like hell to see him like this, but she couldn't afford regret now. Later maybe. Time to hit the red button and blow her cover to hell.

 

Her voice was harsh and cold and she just knew that by now, sensei would be laughing so hard he'd have trouble standing. Ass-hole. But she'd stick with him anyway.

 

“Gomen nasai, demo mission da. Sayonara WEISS.”

 

Then she jumped.

 

 

-------------

 

Translations:

 

Onii-san : (older) brother

Hai: Yes

Gomen: Sorry

Gomen nasai: I'm very sorry.

Demo mission da: but it's a mission (I have a mission)

Sayonara: Good bye.

otoo-san : Uncle

okaa-san : Aunt

sensei : teacher