Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Light Meets Darkness ❯ Awakening ( Chapter 2 )

Light Meets Darkness

The Awakening

Same warning as in early chapter.

Warning: Yaoi and will build in rating. I do not wish for people to flame me, there are obvious warnings on what this fic will contain. All flames will be cursed and snuffed out at my leisure.

:…: Ken's thoughts

/…/ Schuldich's thoughts

"He's finally waking up."

"Really know how to state the obvious, Brad."

"The name is Crawford."

Ken barely managed to bite back the effort to moan due to the painful throbbing in the middle of his back. It felt like someone had decided to lay him down on a pile of bricks.

/That would be Bradley's fault. He seemed to come to the conclusion that laying you on the couch for several hours would suit you just fine. He forgets to consider the broken springs in the said piece of crap./

In a blind effort Ken kept his eyes shut and remained still, hoping to relay the image of falling back into a state of blessed unconsciousness.

No such luck. This time he was unable to hold back a startled cry when something heavy landed on his stomach, nearly cutting off the ability to draw a deep breath into his body. In resignation he forced his eyes open to face whatever deciding to make itself comfortable on his lap.

A grinning telepath grinned down at him in triumph, making himself more comfortable by wiggling himself into a comfortable position on his trapped 'victim'.

:You need to lose weight, you're really heavy: Ken thought dispassionately, making sure the telepath heard him loud and clear. Ignoring the angry squawk from atop of him Ken took a moment to view his surroundings. He lay on his back on a black leather couch that seemed to be attempting to swallow him due to its large size while attempting to poke holes into him with crooked springs. Two other leather armchairs were seated in a straight line parallel to the couch, a simple wooden table the only barrier between the area between the objects. He quickly took in the heavyset door situated at an angle to his right, possibly the only way out of the determined living room he was now inhabiting.

He didn't bother with anymore sightseeing due to the fact that he was now focused on the leader of Schwarz, Brad Crawford, better known as the Oracle because of his precognitive abilities. Crawford occupied one of the leather armchairs, his elbows resting nonchalantly on his knees, his chin resting on the back of his folded hands. His entire gaze was focused on Ken and the telepath that was attempting to smother him with his bothersome weight. His crème colored business suit was crisp and wrinkle free, the glasses resting upon his face only seeming to enhance the intense stare of narrowed brown eyes.

With an annoyed 'hmph' Schuldich extracted himself from his current seat, allowing Ken to pull his knees towards his chest, his back pressed firmly against the armrest farthest from the telepath.

Seeming to ignore Ken's obvious sign of ill-trust Schuldich plopped himself on the other side of the couch, stretching his legs out to prop them on the lone table while managing to throw his right arm across the back of the couch. He was still wearing the same outfit from before, his jacket spread out haphazardly all over the couch. Snug black shirt and fitting pants melded into one another with sheer easy that Ken had only seen Yohji manage.

Crawford twitched visibly when Schuldich's boots clunked noisily on the table, clearly looking as if he wished his glare would possibly remove Schuldich's limbs from his torso.

"It is safe for me to assume, Hidaka, that you would wish to know exactly how you have come into our care." Crawford's voice rolled smoothly, his tone giving him the appearance as if he was stating 'Yes, the weather is sunny today.'

Ken didn't bother to waste a glare on the precog, knowing it would be wasted. "I didn't think that Schwarz would bother with dealing with Weiss after the failed summoning that took place when Esset tried to sacrifice Aya's little sister."

The smile that Crawford allowed was not very pleasant, giving his face an almost possessed appearance. "Agreed, we would have avoided confrontation as much as possible, but something came to our attention. Namely, the buried powers of all four members of Weiss."

Ken laughed hollowly, not impressed. "You know as well as I do that Schwarz is the one that has members with gifts. Your team has shown us numerous times, especially when Prodigy used his telekinetic abilities to throw Bombay against a wall."

"Speaking of whom…" Schuldich interrupted. On cue Naoe Nagi entered through the same door Ken had noticed earlier. The telekinetic closed the door behind him, the door locking automatically once closed. Without even seeming to notice the assassin known as Siberian occupying a spot on the coach Nagi sat down in the remaining armchair, resting his hands on the armrests. He must have just come from school or some form of work since he was wearing the blue uniform Ken had seen him in on numerous occasions. Ken took a moment to feel slightly self-conscious, sitting with three members of Schwarz who were dressed in relatively classy clothing, while he sported simple blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a red short-sleeve shirt.

Of course Ken's moment of self-consciousness ended when Farfarello entered from Schuldich's side of the couch, his blue sleeveless shirt revealing the numerous scars and white bandages wrapped around his arms and torso. Black form fitting pants and black foots completed his outfit. Ken couldn't help but try to figure out how Farfarello managed to hide the numerous knives he carried due to the sheer simplicity of his clothing.

Ken also couldn't help remembering when he had been in Schuldich's backseat, his back resting against the chest of the Berserker, the same assassin who had numerous times attempted to disembowel him. Schuldich noticed the blush that lit Ken's face and laughed openly.

Crawford took note of Ken's discomfort. "I thought it necessary to have Farfarello accompany Schuldich on his mission to retrieve you. With the facts given to us about your abilities, I knew the role Schuldich would play. However, my Sight gave me a vision on Farfarello seeming to help in a manner that will prove invaluable."

"What…" Ken flinched when Farfarello chose the only available seat between Schuldich and Ken, leaning forward to clasp his hands together in a perverse similarity as if he was praying. However, Ken knew that Farfarello was beyond the ability of praying. After all, Farfarello didn't have any problems with throwing acid in the faces of priests and murdering a nun who happened to be his birth mother. Ken swallowed nervously, regaining his voice, "What do you mean about abilities? What proof do you have that any member of Weiss, including myself, have any abilities similar to any of you?"

"We were sent an anonymous message stating that all members of Weiss were unregistered carriers of abilities of unmeasured power." Nagi's monotone voice answered some of his question.

Schuldich scoffed, pulling his arms in front of him to fold the across his chest. "Someone was able to hack into our system to leave a warning. The message warned of how under strained circumstances the powers of Weiss would possibly awaken. The result would be…very unhealthy." He muttered angrily, his German accent thick from the frustration of not knowing who was capable of slipping past Nagi's firewalls. The only person he knew who had such abilities was Bombay of Weiss, and he knew for a fact that at the time the message was delivered Omi had been working on a report for school.

Ken frowned, easing his arms slightly that were gripped around his folded legs, his forehead wrinkled with concentration. "Was there any other information in the warning?"

Crawford nodded stiffly. "For each member of Weiss there was a personal profile, family history, medical history, recorded and unrecorded history of unusual phenomenon when their abilities began to show themselves."

"All members of Weiss had very interesting information," Nagi said, his stare meeting Ken's determinedly, "but yours was by far unusual."

"Mine?" Ken asked, clearly understanding.

"What do you remember about your childhood, Hidaka?" Crawford asked firmly.

"It was fine," Ken answered, his words firm, "My parents weren't that strict. Both of them died when I was 14. I went to stay with my aunt and uncle, going to a decent school and managed to gain a scholarship through football. What else is there?"

"What about the moment when you healed the broken wing of a bird, Hidaka?"

Ken paled, stuttering, "W…What?"

"You found a bird in the park with a broken wing. You picked it up, touched its broken wing, and it suddenly took flight."

"Ma…Maybe it was stunned."

Crawford seemed to ignore him. "And when you started to cry and beg your parents to stop sounding so angry when they were in a separate room after having a verbal fight?"

"I…I don't…"

"When you were betrayed by your friend Kase, you were seriously burned in that warehouse. Yet by some miracle you managed to come out with not even a scar, leaving the Kritiker funded hospital shortly afterwards?"

"Maybe it was just luck."

Crawford's gaze seemed to narrow even further. "Three days, Hidaka. During that span of time you were found by Kritiker agents before the warehouse crumbled on top of you, rushed to the hospital, and finally left the hospital the afternoon of the third day. The burns covered almost your entire back, the back of your legs, and parts of your waist. You were lucky not to have died from the shock."

Ken wasn't able to say anything for a moment. He had wrapped his arms around himself, his body shaking from a sudden chill that seemed to burn down into his bones.

"My…parents said that…the bird and fight were coincidences. There was nothing wrong."

"They took you to a psychologist for an evaluation," Crawford said, "what they didn't know was that the psychologist was an extraordinarily powerful telepath that had the capacity to sense your abilities. He took it as his responsibility to set up a mental barrier to lock them away so that they would not be able to suddenly overwhelm you when you yourself had no idea what you were capable of doing."

Ken had a hard time forcing his dry mouth and lips to form coherent speech. "I remember that. I thought he was a strange old man. He seemed to know everything about me."

It was true. Ken still remembered the shock on his parents' faces when he had broken into a crying fit when he had heard how angry they were. For some reason he didn't know, they believe him that he had heard them, heard how angry they were. His parents took him to the psychologist as soon as they could get an appointment.

The man he met there had been very strange. He had the brightest blue eyes, and a braid of graying hair that brushed his shoulder blades whenever he shifted suddenly. Ken thought back to a certain moment when the psychologist had rested his fingertips on Ken's temples, and then…everything stopped after that. No more strange incidents with birds flying away after suddenly being healed, no more hearing the muffled sounds of anger and frustration ringing through his head like the beating of a drum. His parents made sure to not take him back to the psychologist when he had supposedly 'fixed' Ken. They also didn't speak about the strange occurrences ever again.

:And then they died,: Ken thought hollowly, :just like that they were gone. I don't even know how they really died. All I know is that my aunt and uncle came to pick me up and said we had to leave. They told me I couldn't come back to the home that I had lived in for 10 years:

/What amazes me is how Rosenkreuz never figured about you and your abilities./ Schuldich's thoughts brushed through his mind, the sensation that of a cool presence pressing down on the pain of memories long buried rising to the surface like old scars mocking Ken in all of their tainted glory.

:Is that how Rosenkreuz recruits new agents?:

/They hunt them down, whether they're willing to join or not./

"Which is probably the reason why the psychologist you met as a child put the mental barrier up. Not only could it control your unawakened abilities, but it could possibly have shielded you from being tracked by any followers of Rosenkreuz." Crawford cut in, obviously having a link to the silent conversation between Ken and Schuldich.

"What about the rest of Weiss?" Ken barely avoided shouting that, his fear for his friends being taken away and forced into being some sort of slaves forming a sick sensation in the pit of his stomach.

"Sheer luck on their parts." Nagi intoned.

"How many of Rosenkreuz are there?" Ken asked, almost fearing the answer.

He wasn't disappointed. This time Schuldich offered up his own morbid grin. "After the fall of the sacrificial ritual with Abyssinian's sister, we took it upon ourselves to eliminate members of Rosenkreuz."

Farfarello laughed softly, his hands clenching further. "We painted the sky red with their blood."

Ken couldn't believe it. Here he was having a conversation about his past and the possible lives of his teammates, and he hadn't made a single attempt to run screaming from the room since he had first woken up in the presence of Schwarz.

:It's official, I've lost it: Ken groaned silently to himself.

Without warning Schuldich sprung forward, rising to his feet in one fluid movement. "Enough of this depressing shit. I think its time we go and greet the rest of Weiss in their little flowershop."

"Agreed. We must form a unit among both teams." Crawford added, rising to his feet and pulling a set of keys from his pant pocket.

Nagi rose as well, following Schuldich and Crawford to the front door.

Ken didn't get a chance to rise to his feet. Farfarello took it upon himself to suddenly grab Ken by the left wrist, pulling him to his feet alongside the resident psychopath. He pulled Ken leisurely alongside him, both assassins following the rest of Schwarz.

Ken cursed silently to himself, ineffectively trying to loosen the firm grip leading him after the Berserker. He might as well have tried to just cut off his wrist, he wasn't going anywhere other than where Farfarello dragged him.

:I don't think the part about being with the Berserker bothers me. It's the part about what's waiting for me when we arrive at our destination:

To Ken's profound joy, note the sarcasm, he was not disappointed once reaching the Koneko. After spending around ten minutes sandwiched between Schuldich and Farfarello in the backseat of Crawford's car, they parked in front of the shuttered Koneko, the 'Sorry, we're closed' sign plastered on the inside of the glass door.

So, being the gracious guests that they were, Schwarz decided not to use the barred front door to the Koneko. Instead the group moved to the back, pulling Ken along like extra baggage.

"Honey, I'm home!" Schuldich announced the members of Weiss whom occupied varies areas of the kitchen. Ken was pretty sure from the stunned and open-mouthed expressions on his teammates' faces that the scene they were witnessing was not exactly what they had ever anticipated.

:True enough,: Ken thought sarcastically, :they're probably wondering if Schuldich somehow decided to turn my brain into mush:

Aya must had been thinking along the very same line. His amethyst eyes seemed to glow with an emotion bordering that of the insanity Ken would see within Farfarello's single gaze. Ken 'eeped' slightly from his position next to Farfarello, quickly vacating it to hide slightly behind the Berserker.

"Schwarz!" Aya howled in fury, rushing at the members of Schwarz, his katana seeming to appear out of thin air.

/Shit, where does he keep that thing, up his ass!?/ Schuldich's thought cutting through Ken's mind before both teams rushed at each other headlong. The only person sounding somewhat entertained by the sudden drama was Farfarello, his laughter ringing through the room like breaking glass.

"Wait, wait! Cool it! Stop! Sit!" Ken shouted uselessly, not feeling entirely brave enough to step into the middle of the fighting taking place. He winced when the refrigerator slammed into the wall courtesy of Nagi. :Oh, that's going to be hard to explain to Manx!:

"Damn it, Kenken, move it!" Yohji snarled, somehow managing to get past the members of Schwarz and in front of Ken's stunned form. Yohji grabbed Ken by his shoulder, obviously planning to get Ken out the immediate area.

The low animalistic snarl from behind Yohji stopped both members of Weiss utterly, their instincts screaming 'Danger!'.

"Fucking-" Yohji cursed colorfully, forcing Ken behind him as he spun to face the enraged presence of the Berserker.

Ken's entire focus was on Farfarello, not mindful of the presence of his wire-wielding companion or any other individuals within the room. Farfarello took up his entire focus. The same snarl echoed around Ken, the sound seeming to make his bones tremble. Farfarello's single gold eye was focused entirely on Yohji, his fury unmasked, the bloodlust filling his entire being.

/He's fully beyond pissed, kitten! Can't you sense it?/

"I don't-"

Suddenly it felt as if a bolt of electricity shot up Ken's spine. He wobbled unsteadily, his forehead falling against Yohji's back.

"Ken?!" Yohji yelled, wanting to turn to aid his companion but not willing to risk their lives to turn his back on the Berserker.

Ken gasped unsteadily, the shock from the sudden sensation sending his body into a fever of sudden chills and intense heat. The very skin on his body felt like he had just stuck his hand into an electric socket. He clutched desperately at the back of Yohji's shirt, his grip the only thing keeping him steady in both a physical and emotional sense.

:Something…wrong…there's something…inside of me…: Ken barely smothered a startled cry of pain when the same sensation rocked his entire body. He barely registered the echo of Yohji's similar cry of pain. Ken didn't realize that somehow the sensation had passed through him and into Yohji, almost sending the playboy to his knees.

"Ken…what's happening-" Yohji managed to force his question through grinding teeth.

"I can feel them." Ken whispered hoarsely into Yohji's back.

It was true. So many emotions were ricocheting through his head. He could feel them in a sense entirely beyond anything he had ever experienced since he was a child.

Anger…

Frustration…

Fear…

Damn that Absynnian…!

We're wasting our time with this…!

The desire for revenge, to destroy his enemies…

I'll kill them for attack Weiss!

Oh god, what did they do to Ken?!

Kill…

Tear…

Rip…

Make him bleed, make him bleed…

Die, die, DIE!

stop it stop it stop it stop it stop it stop stop stop stop

"Stop it!" Ken screamed, covering his ears in panic, trying to block the sensations from his mind.

I'll kill him!!!

Ken jolted out of his self-induced panic attack, shoving Yohji away from him. "Don't hurt him, Farfarello!" He begged, throwing himself at the Berserker.

Ken didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry when Farfarello yanked him against his chest, dropping down into a crouch and bringing Ken with him, giving the appearance of trying to shield Ken from some unseen force.

"Don't hurt him, please. Make it stop, oh gods, it hurts!" Ken's words ran together in a desperately plea. He buried his face against the shelter of Farfarello's shirt, trying to hold onto any semblance of control keeping him from a screaming fit.

"Shhhhh..." Farfarello shushed him, one arm wrapping around Ken's shoulders to keep the shaking assassin against him, his other hand coming up to rest in the middle of Ken's back. "Breathe slowly. It will fade away ."

Ken didn't have any choice but to comply, his gulps for air unsteady. Slowly his shaking began to ease, but the sensations seem to beat at the edges of his mind.

/Relax, kitten. That's where I come in./ Schuldich's very presence was a balm to his mind, mercilessly easing away the foreign sensation from his mind. Within seconds his body calmed and he slumped weakly against Farfarello, not having the strength to support himself.

"Kenken…" Yohji's soft inquiry registered to Ken slowly and with a painful effort Ken turned his head to stare at Yohji's kneeling form ten feet from him, his position on the tiled floor due to Ken's reckless shove to get his friend out of any immediate danger from the Berserker. Yohji obviously didn't know what to make out of the scene before him, one teammate suffering a sudden fit and collapsing in his enemies arms, the same enemy holding the smaller assassin as if he would break into pieces without any effort.

It wasn't hard to tell by the sudden silence in the kitchen that all other members had heard and seen the distress of the claw-wielding assassin, witnessing his fight to keep his mind intact from the sudden assault that had hit him and had traveled into Yohji as well.

/You're lucky, kitten. A few more minutes of that mental barrier being down and you're mind would've shut down./

:Lucky…: Ken thought blankly, shuddering from the thought of it and burying his head once again against Farfarello's chest, not truly caring what the others thought of him, :then why do I feel that I've already lost some important part of me?:

It took at least an half-hour to get all members of both assassin teams to ease to a level of calm, finally moving themselves into the mission room below the flowershop. Omi contacted Manx to inform her of what had taken place with the arrival of Schwarz and Ken's sudden attack.

Manx looked at all assassins critically, her arms crossed around her waist. She tapped one red high-heeled foot in thought, clearly taking in the information presented by both teams.

The rest of the members of Weiss weren't as collected as Manx, especially once learning about the means of Ken's disappearance and the information that had been provided about them from some anonymous hacker. Aya was being the most difficult having not agreed to relinquish his katana that was at the moment laying within its sheath across the swordsman's lap after deciding to trade in his orange shirt and black pants for his assassin gear.

Yohji was the semblance of indifference, sprawled out on the armchair closest to the computer terminal, the only sign of his discomfort was the fact he would re-light another cigarette even when he had only finished half of the previous one. Surprisingly Aya had yelled at him for smoking in the mission room, another sign of how off-balance the leader of Weiss was.

Omi fiddled slightly with the edge of his large white shirt, the shorts hanging to his knees shifting occasionally whenever he decided to fidget around in his seat. He glanced between Manx and the assassins of Schwarz awkwardly, appearing on the edge of attempting to saying something yet not having the courage to do so.

"What is it, Omi?" Ken asked from his seat beside him. He had made a clear point of sitting away from the members of Schwarz, opting to sit next to the youngest member of Weiss. Aya had taken the single chair between Schwarz and the rest of the members of Weiss, positioning himself in a way to ensure fast action in case something went wrong.

Omi bit his lip, considering how to begin. "With what Crawford said about all members of Weiss having innate abilities, and the reaction you had when your own abilities were starting to awaken, it seems that it's obviously not going to be a very pleasant process when our own awaken. Basically I was wondering if Yohji would be the next one to have his abilities awaken.'

"What? Me?!" Yohji sputtered, sitting straight up, more focused on the conversation than he had been previously.

"You were pressed up against Hidaka when his abilities were beginning to tear through the mental barrier set up by a powerful telepath. There is a significant chance that your abilities will be the next to awaken, possibly relatively soon." Nagi's explanation apparently didn't comfort Yohji.

"Shit, just great." He muttered sullenly, pulling out a fresh cigarette from his crumpled pack.

Manx cleared her throat, "Other than the fact of how unpleasant these abilities will be in the beginning, the anonymous hacker still worries me." She noted dryly.

Omi sighed, not looking forward to the night ahead. "Well, I guess the only thing we can do is get a good night's rest. Tomorrow I'll see if I can find out anything new about the hacker.

"I'll help you." Nagi offered, blushing when Omi smiled brightly in return.

"Great!" Omi's smile dropped fractionally, "Where are any of you and your men going to sleep, Crawford?"

"We will be staying here." Crawford scowled slightly, appearing to either not enjoy Omi's stunned expression or the glare Aya was now directing to him.

Schuldich grinned, letting himself up the stairs towards the bedrooms. "By the way, I'll be staying with the kitten! Farfarello will probably be joining us as well."

"What-"

"You gotta be kidding!"

"Screw this, get the hell out!"

Ken groaned, burying his forehead in his hands. It was only nine o'clock at night. He had spent the day working morning shift, gotten kidnapped by Mastermind and Berserker, found out he had long-buried abilities just waiting to tear through the mental barrier containing them, and now he had to share to same bedroom with his two kidnappers.

Not going to happen! No way, no how!

Tbc

Chaosdreamer: Man, does Manx have red high-heels? I've seen them worded differently in other fics.

Yohji: Does it really matter?

Chaosdreamer: Quiet, blondie. Remember, I control your fate. This is a yaoi fic, there's going to be pairings.

Omi: Between who?

Chaosdreamer: I'm pretty sure about Ken's pairings. *Grins at the now pale Ken who was trying to creep away from the room*

Aya: And do you know how you will decide the pairings?

Chaosdreamer: Yep! *Pulls out hat* All of your names have been put into this hat. I'll just have to pull out a name…*Reaches in and shuffles the names around* Aya's guy will be…

Schuldich: Well?

Chaosdreamer: *Looks at name, squeaks, and stuffs name back in* It's a secret. This one's going to be entertaining.

Aya: Give me that paper!
Chaosdreamer: Too late! *Sticks tongue out, then runs away with Aya chasing after with his katana.

Author's Note: I am so happy by all the people I have seen reading so far! Thank you for taking the time to do so. I know the first chapter was short, but I'm going to try and make them longer.

I'm considering writing a lemon of sorts for the next chapter. If anyone thinks that I'll be relatively safe with doing that so early on in the fic, let me know! I don't mind advice or information on where I might need more information on the groups of Weiss like Esset or Rosenkreuz. But remember, flames shall be snuffed out. ^_^