Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ To Those About To Die ❯ Chapter 18 - War ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter Eighteen - War

 

“What is the meaning of this?” Tsujii spat. “Who is that?”

 

I swallowed and hoped my voice would come out steady. “Naoe Nagi. He came all this way…” I didn't know why I said that; I had no idea where he might have come from. Still, that he had come was the crucial thing.

 

Tsujii blinked, visibly unsettled. “Naoe Nagi? As in Schwarz?”

 

“Psychokinesis…” His power had never been accurately charted. Kiko's deduction made even more sense now: if Tsujii wanted the most powerful psi talent for her clone, but did not know his identity, they surely sent her Nagi's DNA with no warnings. Unmeasurable could very well be the same as unstoppable.

 

Not that Shimojima and his students wouldn't try. No, it was our job to intervene, not theirs. We were trained for Schwarz, though I suspected we would not be strong enough to defeat them. Still we had to try. “Your precious superhumans don't stand a chance against his telekinetic powers. We'll go.” ::Move out.:: We turned as one toward the exit.

 

“Wait!”

 

I paused and regarded Tsujii over my shoulder, unwilling to turn away from the door. “They know how to kill Rosenkreuz operatives…” I began, but Tsujii cut me off.

 

“You stay here and protect the lab.”

 

Her callousness was appalling. I took a deep breath and finished my statement. “Shimojima and those students will be killed.”

 

Tsujii graced me with a self-satisfied smile. “So what? I have another surprise planned. Why don't you stay and watch from the best seats in the house?” She rose and fairly danced toward the tank, her eyes glassy with a near-religious zeal. “You protect this lab… this child… Protect the original god and everything will be fine.”

 

::What should we do, Berger?:: Kiko looked at me, his eyes worried.

 

::I suppose we wait.:: I returned my attention to the video monitor and watched the inevitable play itself out.

 

The enhanced-humans under Shimojima's command stood frozen under the force of Nagi's will as their master shrieked impotent threats and fired his gun.

 

In a ghostly-calm voice, Naoe Nagi addressed the students, as though he had done this before. “It's no use. You can't move.”

 

::Holy shit, Berger,:: Kiko sent. ::He's stronger than they said. They never told us about this, did they?::

 

::No, they did not.:: Nowhere in the briefing materials did they indicate that Naoe Nagi had the strength to hold so many immobile and still carry on a conversation as though he were doing nothing more strenuous than walking.

 

Not wanting to watch the students' inexorable self-destruction, Kiko turned back to monitor five. The two figures were still there, silent observers of the scene below.

 

Shimojima screamed at his students, his voice high and tinny through the speaker. “You are the chosen! Use your will to overcome your limitations. You should be ashamed! These low-lifes are laughing at you! You're being laughed at!”

 

One youth struggled against his invisible bonds. He wrenched hard enough to break his own spine. His last words fell in irony: “I am the chosen elite!”

 

Two other students followed in his fate.

 

Not releasing his hold on them, Nagi informed the remaining students, “If you don't stop, you're going to die.” His tone indicated plainly that he was not bluffing.

 

Their master snapped. “Die!” Shimojima screamed at them. “If you can't stop this lowlife from laughing at you, you're better off dead! You failures! Why? I am chosen, I am elite!” He looked around at the bodies of his superhumans, broken and lifeless, and he started to shake. “How can such trash do this to me? I am chosen!” Shimojima raised a trembling hand, his pistol gripped too tightly in his fist. “I will not allow trash like you to determine my fate!” He placed the muzzle against his temple and screamed, “So, I win!”

 

::Hey, Berger, look.:: Kiko indicated the rooftop monitor. ::I think something's wrong.::

 

I turned in time to see the two figures retreating from the edge and presumably heading for the stairs into the building. ::What is it, Kiko?::

 

::If that's Crawford and Schuldig, then Schuldig don't look right.:: He frowned at me a little. ::He's moving like he hurts.::

 

::Stay sharp, little brother,:: I told him, not knowing what else to say. ::Perhaps they only came to watch, and no one saw them but us.::

 

::I think the guy with the sword saw them, but he don't count. The Girl knows, though.:: Kiko nodded toward the tank. ::Maybe we could chuck her in with the sharks and run for it.::

 

Tsujii began methodically fine-tuning the monitors. Number three showed three of the Weiß assassins, while number four followed Nagi. The intruders were all headed downstairs. Her voice unaccountably excited, Tsujii murmured, “That's right, keep going.”

 

::Maybe we could chuck them both in with the sharks,:: I told Kiko, liking the situation less by the second.

 

The tank beeped. Tsujii hurried over and studied a control panel. She began to mumble. “Sixty percent…seventy…not much longer until he awakens.”

 

Again I turned toward the exit. ::Team, we have work to do. Come on.::

 

“Stop!”

 

I was beyond exasperated with this madwoman. “No matter which way they go, they will get to Epitaph's office.”

 

Tsujii glowered and stated, “You are supposed to obey my orders.”

 

Oh, this would not do. “Our orders,” I reminded her, “are to protect Epitaph, not to protect your questionable data.”

 

Tsujii slammed her hand against the wall and shouted, “You will obey me!”

 

::I'll handle this, Berger. You don't know women like I do.:: Kiko gave a mocking laugh and addressed Tsujii directly. “Maybe you want to settle things here?”

 

She winced at his words and then began to pout.

 

::Remember the drill,:: I told them as the laboratory door shut behind us. ::This is not the time for --::

 

::I'll take care of Nagi,:: the Girl informed us, her very posture defiant. ::You two watch over Epitaph.:: Not waiting for argument, she sprinted down the hallway and out of sight.

 

::Damn her.:: I had a sudden feeling of déjà vu, and it made my skin crawl.

 

“If you come to Nihon…”

 

Kiko regarded me with a sort of excited resignation. ::Berger, you'd better go to Epitaph. I'll run interference, you kiss butt. I'd hate to get all beat up and then be fired on top of things, you know?::

 

::Yeah, I know. Kiko,:: I put my hand on his shoulder for emphasis, ::don't get dead.::

 

He put his hand over mine and grinned. ::Don't worry, Berger. I'm lucky all over. And when this is all done, we toss both those crazy bitches in with the sharks and go to Tokyo.::

 

I smiled at him. ::It's a deal. Stay lucky, my friend.::

 

::You too, Berger.:: His eyes momentarily serious, he added, ::I'll see you on the other side.::