Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Underneath It All ❯ Learning to Let Go ( Chapter 2 )

AN: Lots of fun stuff this chapter. I don't know why, but I had a lot of fun coming up with Ran's message to Knight. Hope you all get a good laugh out of it. It hasn't come up, yet, but I think it might so I'll go ahead and answer the question now. Ran is definitely going to be OOC from what most people consider him. I personally never got the whole `heart of ice” that most fanfics portray. He's the strong, silent type, yes, but I found it rather obvious, in the anime at least, that he does care about his friends and teammates. Plus, I'll give the same reasoning that I gave for Crawford as to why he's more talkative… he's learned a hard lesson about not taking those you care about for granted.

 

Reviews:

Donna: I have them living in France, and they've been there for six months. It would be inherently stupid of them not to know the language of the land. My point about him not understanding the words of his attackers was that they haven't been using the language long enough to know what's being said without translating it to their native tongue, first. Omi used French for `stop'. As it's been about five years since I've even thought about the language, and I remembered it, I don't see him having any problem in using it when he's had to use the language for half a year. That was probably the only time it will come up, but I wanted to emphasize the fact that he was panicking and could only assume their intentions through actions.

 

Warnings: Language, Violence (in the form of sparring, but I thought I might warn anyway)

 

Disclaimer: Sadly, I can't lay claim to anything officially Weiss.

 

 

Internal Dialogue

Telepathy

Computer Message

 

Chapter 2

 

“Ran.” The swordsman looked up from his late lunch at the sound of the archer's excited voice.

 

“What is it?” he asked. “You look like you just won the lottery.” The remark earned him a quick roll of the eyes, but the smile never left Omi's face.

 

“We just got a reply from Knight,” the blonde informed the elder. “I thought you might want to take a look at it.” Blue eyes turned serious for a moment. “You know him better than any of, so you can tell if something isn't right with his message.”

 

“Alright,” the red head replied. “Let's go take a look at it.” Ran rose from his chair and followed the younger man out of the kitchen up to the third floor, into the room known as Omi's second home. They seated themselves in front the computer that presumably held the reply from the former leader of the Crashers.

 

“Here it is,” Omi said after hitting a few keys and pulling up a window. Ran read over the short message.

 

You're the shithead, Ran. Seriously, though, it's good to hear that you're still alive. We thought for sure that none of you had survived. I suppose you've heard about Reiichi and Masato. I'll wait to tell you about it when we get there. Naru's a bit upset that all four of us couldn't make it. Our plans are open, so just let me know when and where, and he and I will be there.

Yuushi

 

Original Message:

 

Shithead,

I can't believe you just up and disappeared like that, but I can't really talk, can I. Omi managed to track you down, and we were wondering if you guys might want to get together sometime soon… catch up on each other's lives, you know, the usual. There's plenty of room here, so you won't have to worry about finding a place to stay.

Ran

 

“There's nothing here to indicate that anything's wrong,” the violet-eyed assassin stated. “He says they'll be here four days after they receive a location unless we tell them otherwise.” The swordsman paused a moment as he ran amethyst orbs over the message one more time. “Apparently, there's something suspicious about the others' deaths, even given the circumstances. They'll tell us when they get here.”

 

“Anything else?” Omi asked. “Or can I go ahead and send a reply?”

 

“Nothing important,” Aya responded. “The only other thing is that they've stopped going by codenames, but that was to be expected, what with Kritiker the way it is now.” The blonde nodded as he began typing in some code and composing a message.

 

“It's done,” the archer informed the older man. “As soon as he gets the information and closes the message, all traces of it will have vanished, so there shouldn't be any problems with unwanted guests.” Blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully as if the blonde was trying to decide whether or not to say something. “So,” he began in a slightly amused tone. “Are you going tell me about the whole `shithead' thing?” Ran snorted his amusement; he half expecting the question, anyway.

 

“It's really not that big of a deal,” the crimson haired assassin shrugged. “When we first met, Yuushi and I absolutely despised one another. About a week after I joined Crashers, we got into an all-out shouting match, hurling any insult we could think of at each other. At one point, we both yelled out `shithead' at the same time. After that, we kind of glared at each other for a minute before breaking out into laughter.” Omi rose an eyebrow; it didn't really sound that funny. “I know, it's not that funny, and I honestly can't tell you why we found it so amusing, but we did. I guess it was one of those `you had to be there' moments. Since then, though, whenever one of us needs to get a message to the other, we use `shithead'. Since no one outside of the team, and now you, knows about it, it's worked really well.”

 

“That's… that's just…” the telekinetic shook his head, unable to find the words to describe what he was thinking. It became a moot point, however, as one of the other computers let out a shrill beep, alerting the hacker that something was finished. Standing from his chair, Omi moved across the room and typed in a few commands.

 

“What is it, Omi?” the kitana wielding assassin asked.

 

“The program I designed to identify the power behind our new enemy has found something.” Ran stood and joined the younger man at the second computer, looking over his shoulder as information began appearing on the monitor. What they saw made both of their jaws drop; the archer, in particular, was finding it difficult to breath.

 

“It… It's not possible,” his voice was barely above a whisper, the tone somewhere between appalled and lifeless. His knees felt weak, his body cold; Ran barely caught him as his legs collapsed from under him, lowering him into a nearby chair. “They're all supposed to be dead… how… how could we not know about him? And he… because of m…”

 

“Stop it, Omi!” the red head demanded. “No matter the circumstances, it wasn't your fault. You cannot control other people's actions.” We'd just gotten him to stop blaming himself for the tower's collapse and now this has to happen?! “Besides,” he added in a firm but gentle tone. “I've already told you once: Takatori Mamoru is dead; you killed him. You are Tsukiyono Omi.” The blonde looked at him with dull eyes, silently begging for the older assassin to be right, that he wasn't at fault. Ran pulled the eighteen year old into a hug, trying to reassure where words would never suffice. In the background, the dim light of the monitor reflected all the information on the man behind all of their suffering, a man none of them even knew existed, Takatori Saijou, and he was after his long, lost grandson.

 

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Ran and Omi had stayed in the third floor room for several hours; most of that time was spent going through every last detail they could find on the old man. It turned out that the threat they faced was actually the newest incarnation of Kritiker. With the deaths of both his sons and his grandchildren, Saijou had begun reforming the organization in way that would benefit him. The only thing missing was someone to act as his figurehead, and that someone he wanted was `Mamoru', the grandson that the twisted old man believed to be alive despite Reiji's, and Shuichi's, lies. It had been that piece of information that caused Omi's initial reaction; once both he and Ran had calmed from the initial shock and subsequent breakdown, they set to work, trying to find out exactly what they were up against. They had been up there for so long that both assassins had missed their scheduled training and dinner; it was well past midnight, and their prolonged absences prompted both Crawford and Schuldig to search them out. To say that they had been less than thrilled at finding their friends hunched over a computer would be an understatement. Yes, the research was important, but they all needed to be in top condition as well, and by the looks of things, they weren't planning on stopping any time soon; the American informed of just that.

 

“And I suppose you don't want all the data we can get on our now identified enemy,” Omi hadn't even looked up from his work; his voice was low and dangerous. Ran simply ignored them. Their behavior, along with the news, caused the two others to shut their mouths for a moment.

 

“Is it that bad?” the German had been the one to finally speak; he had certainly felt the oppressive atmosphere coupled with the anger and hatred rolling off both Ran and Omi.

 

“Takatori,” the swordsman growled. “Takatori Saijou is the one behind everything.” Another drawn out silence settled over the room as the information sank in.

 

“There's… another one?” Crawford's voice was full of disbelief. With all his power, he never once considered that there was another Takatori out there - none of them considered the archer to be one, despite his blood relation. “Where did he come from? Weiss killed both Reiji and his sons, and Reiji killed Shuichi. Was there another brother that we never knew about?”

 

“No,” it was the blonde who answered. “Saijou is Reiji and Shuichi's father. According to what we've been able to find, he's behind everything. He supported both sides in the feud between brothers; now that neither are around, he has taken full control of Kritiker. Since neither Masafumi nor Hirofumi survived their father, he's looking for Mamoru so that he can make him into a puppet, a figurehead in his struggle for power.” The telekinetic was clearly disgusted by the man; it came as no surprise to anyone in the room that he referred to `Mamoru' in third person, having completely cast off that aspect of his past.

 

“He doesn't know what happened to him,” Ran continued where Omi left off. “We intend to make sure he never finds out.”

 

“He set out to kill both Schwartz and Weiss in an effort to win favor with Esset,” the archer picked up the conversation. “From what we can tell, they know that some of us survived, but they have no knowledge of our whereabouts.”

 

“Why would he need Esset?” Schuldig questioned, something that Crawford himself wanted to know.

 

“We're not sure,” the violet-eyed assassin replied. “Our best guess is that he wants the security that comes along with having powerful psychics on his side. Apparently, Esset was more than willing to participate in the alliance. If the old man could arrange for both our teams to `disappear', then they wouldn't have to worry about any real opposition to their plans.”

 

“And since Schwartz was planning to unite with Weiss after the ceremony,” Crawford conjectured. “Esset would have eventually fallen, making this new Kritiker easy prey.”

 

“It makes about as much sense as anything else,” was the German's opinion, one which they all seemed to share. “It's late,” he began. “I assume the both of you have been up here all day?” Two weary nods were his answer. “Thought so. Look, we're all aware of how crucial this is, and I know it's very personal; even if it's more so for Omi, we've all got something invested in this. Let Brad read over what you've managed to find so far and see if he can't get a clearer picture of the future. You two need to eat something and get some sleep.” As full of fury as they were with their most recent discovery, Ran and Omi complied, a true sign of just how much had been taking out of them; sitting in front of a computer screen for nearly twelve hours without nourishment or rest would wear anyone down, not to mention the emotional drain.

 

“Okay,” the blonde conceded, his voice was beginning to reflect the exhaustion he had been willfully pushing back. He and the swordsman stood and followed the telepath from the room, down to the kitchen, while Crawford stayed behind to look over the dozens of reports the two had found throughout the course of the day. It's going to be a long night, he thought, as he massaged his temples in anticipation of the headache he knew was coming.

 

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“What in the hell do you need such a monstrous house for?” were the first words out of the nineteen year old's gaping mouth as he stared in awe.

 

“There are six of us,” Ran replied wryly. “Eight now that you and Yuushi are here,” he added as an afterthought. This fact surprised both Naru and Yuushi as they hadn't realized anyone other than Ran, along with any other surviving member of Weiss, would be there.

 

“Who else is here?” the older blonde wanted to know exactly who they would be dealing with.

 

“Omi, Kitada - formerly Queen to you, my sister, Schuldig and Brad Crawford - I suggest you call him Crawford; Schuldig's the only one who gets away with using his given name.” The amethyst-eyed swordsman either failed to notice or ignored altogether the mounting shock radiating from his old friends' eyes.

 

“You're… sister?” the disbelieving tone was from Yuushi; he and Ran had been close friends while working together, and he was pleasantly surprised to hear that she was apparently out of her coma, causing Ran to smile slightly. The demolitions expert chose to focus his shock elsewhere.

 

“You have members of Schwartz here?!” the teen with dirty blond hair was clearly not thrilled with the news. Violet eyes narrowed at the outburst, the glare effectively silencing the teen.

 

“Yes,” he replied evenly. “Not only are they now our allies, but friends, as well.” Yuushi leveled his gaze on the crimson haired man.

 

“Are you sure they can be trusted?” the former Crasher was obviously suspicious, not having any knowledge of the events of the last seven months.

 

“A lot has happened that you don't know about,” he answered. “As was pointed out to me, appearances can be deceiving. Schwartz was never the threat Kritiker thought them to be,” he paused while motioning his companions into the house and led them to the den, where he sat in an armchair facing the couch the other two had taken. “They were never our enemies,” he picked up as if he had never stopped. “A great deal of what they did was either staged for the benefit of their superiors or because of a threat to Weiss and Schwartz that we weren't aware of.”

 

“So you've been working with them all along?” Naru questioned, his curiosity peaked.

 

“No,” Ran replied. “I wasn't aware of any of it until after Yohji and Ken died. It was actually Omi and Yohji who knew about Schwartz's motives. They had independently become involved with different members of Schwartz, who in turn let them in on their plans. Apparently,” he added, “They were so good at keeping up the act that Crawford only found out shortly before I did.” His voice was laced with amusement at the knowledge that the four assassins had been able to pull one over on the precog, something which had probably annoyed the man initially.

 

“So,” Yuushi began. “We have the power of two psychics on our side. I suppose that will be next to nothing as compared to whatever we're facing, but it's better than what we had before.” The blonde man started at the smirk twisting Ran's lips.

 

“Actually,” the swordsman was clearly enjoying giving his friends a good shock. “There are four psychics on our side, and,” his expression sobered, “we do know what we're up against. We found out just after sending you our location.” Deciding that he wasn't quite ready for any bad news, Naru asked about the identity of the other two psychics.

 

“Who else has that kind of power?” his eyes were full of interest in the answer. “Que… er… Kitada never had anything like that, and we would have heard about it if either you or Omi had any sort of extraordinary abilities… that leaves Aya, but then who's the fourth?”

 

“You're correct in assuming Aya is one,” the violet-eyed assassin replied. “She developed the ability to see into the past, most likely brought on by the attempt to raise a demon using her body. We're not exactly sure how that happened since a decoy was used in the ceremony.”

 

“That explains part of it,” the older blonde's voice was wary. “But that doesn't tell us who the fourth is; what are you hiding?” There was a pained look in amethyst eyes at the question.

 

“It's not that I'm hiding anything,” he spoke softly as his mind drifted back to the day that Omi presumably inherited Nagi's telekinesis. “It's that the circumstances are difficult to talk about.” He took a calming breath before continuing. “Omi's the fourth; he's telekinetic.”

 

“I don't understand…” Naru trailed off as he realized Ran wasn't finished.

 

“Omi had a very intimate relationship with Nagi, the Schwartz telekinetic. After the tower collapsed on us, Nagi died in his arms and somehow, Omi received his powers,” he paused again, trying to decide whether or not to tell the rest. “About three weeks ago, Omi was attacked by some of a local gang on his way out of an electronics shop; the power manifested while he was trying to stop them from…” Omi can tell them that part if he wants them to know. “Suffice it to say, he killed six men with one telekinetic blast before he lost consciousness.” Both former Crashers knew better than to ask about what wasn't said; they were perceptive enough to know that whatever it was, it was something that only the archer could reveal, besides which the haunted look in Ran's eyes was practically spelling it out for them. No, it was better not to ask.

 

“You said you know who we're up against?” Yuushi wisely changed the subject. Immediately, Ran's look turned murderous.

 

“The combined forces of Kritiker and Esset,” he stated, venom dripping from every syllable. “Headed up by Takatori Saijou.” He didn't begrudge his friends the looks of horror and rage that crossed their faces. He had acted much the same way, though for different reasons.

 

“We knew something was wrong with Kritiker,” the blonde teen stated. “That's why we left in the first place… But to join with Esset? And did you say Takatori? I thought they were all dead.” The whip-sword wielding man interjected with his own thoughts before Ran could answer.

 

“You're still leaving something out,” he intoned. “And I have a feeling that whatever it is makes this already impossible situation that much worse.”

 

“You're right in that,” he muttered, though it was loud enough for the others to hear. “This Takatori is the father of Reiji and Shuichi, an…”

 

“Shuichi?” Naru interrupted. “Why doesn't that sound familiar?”

 

“He was Persia, or King,” the answer came from the doorway; Kitada made her way into the room, sitting in a recliner near Ran. “He didn't want anyone to know his heritage, worried that some of his more single-minded agents would come after him.” She earned a glare from the crimson haired assassin for that remark.

 

“I've more than proven that I can look past a name,” he retorted, causing her to smile and nod.

 

“That's true,” she conceded. Yuushi and Naru watched the exchange, still in the dark as to what was being discussed. The younger of the two cleared his voice, prompting Ran to continue.

 

“As I was, saying, Saijou is their father,” he began again. “And he's after his only remaining heir.”

 

“What?!” Naru again interrupted but quickly closed his mouth at the three looks promising death if he didn't shut up.

 

“Takatori Mamoru, Reiji's third son,” Ran explained. “He's still alive, in the strictest sense of the word, and Saijou wants him by his side.”

 

“And by strictest, you mean…” Yuushi prompted; he knew Ran was being evasive, and he wanted to know why.

 

“It means that, while `Mamoru' is still alive, he no longer considers himself to be a Takatori. Neither do we, for that matter.” Ran sighed and tugged at a crimson eartail. “Technically, Omi is the last of the Takatori. It's only a matter of time before our enemies find out, and they come after us.”

 

“Omi is the long, lost, presumed dead Takatori?!” Naru burst out incredulously. “And you, of all people, haven't killed him, yet?” He received twin glares from green and violet eyes.

 

“If I ever, ever, hear you speak that way concerning Omi, again,” Kitada's voice was quiet, firm and cold. “I will personally see to it that you cannot speak at all.”

 

“He is Tsukiyono Omi,” Ran added heatedly. “He's already trying to shoulder this entire burden himself, taking blame for something he has no control over.” His icy, amethyst gaze swept over the two blondes, making sure they understood. “We had just gotten him to stop taking the blame for the others' deaths when we learned about Saijou's existence and plans. It may not be his fault, but he feels that by simply being alive, it is; you will not make him feel worse than he already does. If anything, we want him to believe otherwise.” Both Naru and Yuushi marveled at the protectiveness Ran was showing for the archer-cum-telekinetic, as if Omi was his brother.

 

“We trust you,” the older offered.

 

“I'm sorry for saying anything,” Naru added. “I should have held my temper and waited for you to finish.” The demolitions expert managed to look ashamed. “I should know by now that you only trust those who are worthy. If you say that he is not a Takatori, then he is not.” Both red heads looked satisfied and allowed it to drop.

 

“Why don't I show you two where everything is then let you settle in,” Kitada stood as she spoke. The former Crashers nodded and stood as well, following their former `Queen' out of the den. Not long after, Ran also left, making his way to the training facilities; he had a bit of frustration to work off.

 

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Schuldig was thoroughly pissed at what he had inadvertently `heard' echoing through the minds of one of their new housemates. I'm definitely going to have to teach those two some basic shielding techniques, or I'm going to have a permanent migraine, the telepath considered the more practical issue first. I'm also not liking the way that kid is thinking about Omi. I know he told Ran that he would trust his judgment, but it's clear he doesn't; at least that Yuushi is true to his word.

 

“Hey Brad,” the German started as he entered the American's office. “Got a minute?”

 

“I already know about the problem,” the precog looked up from his reading material. “There's nothing we can do about it; it has to run its course.”

 

“You know he's just going to try and undermine Omi's every action,” Schuldig still wanted to discuss it. “He's got enough to deal with without having the little bomb-boy breathing down his neck.” Crawford gave him a level stare.

 

“I know,” he stated evenly. “But it has to play out like I've seen it. It won't be easy, not by any stretch, but it will be for the best, in the end.” The green haired man reluctantly accepted that he could do nothing to circumvent the situation. When Crawford got like this, he was always right.

 

“Your visions must be getting clearer,” Schuldig commented idly. “You haven't been this confident about anything since the tower fell.”

 

“Knowing our enemy has cleared up quite a few things,” the brunette informed his teammate. “It will be long, difficult battle, but we will win.” The light from the window reflected off his glasses, making Schuldig shake his head and smirk. Those damn glasses, he thought with no little humor. You think they hide so much, but they really tell anyone who cares to look everything, but I guess that's not the case anymore, is it, Brad? It's nice to know for sure that you care about us instead of us having to assume so.

 

“That's good to know,” was all he said. “By the way, Ran's in the training room taking his anger out on a few helpless practice dummies. I think he might appreciate a live partner, someone who can give him the outlet he really needs.” Crawford looked interested in the prospect, always enjoying the mock-battles between himself and the crimson haired swordsman.

 

“I might just do that,” he said more to himself than the German. Said German took that as his cue to leave and went off in search of Aya; it was his turn to train the young woman in her mental capabilities.

 

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Low grunts and panting could be heard as Crawford entered the training room. Just as Schuldig had said, the red head was all but destroying one of the life-sized practice dummies they used for honing their skills.

 

“Perhaps you would prefer an opponent who fights back?” the precog question after a few minutes of silent observation. The barrage of attacks on the doll ceased, and violet eyes turned to meet brown.

 

“Yes,” Ran replied. “I think that might be better. Otherwise, we won't have anything left to practice on.” The fact that the joke lacked any humor did not escape the American's notice. Approaching the swordsman, they both took up their preferred fighting stances.

 

“Does this have something to do with what your friend said?” Crawford asked as he easily dodged consecutive jabs.

 

“You `saw' that?” Ran evaded both the question and the counter-punch artfully.

 

“Your anger is justified,” the brunette responded while throwing a right hook; the violet-eyed assassin blocked with his forearm. “Naru said all the right words, but he hasn't changed his opinion.” A roundhouse kick to his head paused his speech as he had to duck to avoid being hit. “However, the other one, Yuushi, never once had a doubt; he wasn't even disturbed by the news.”

 

“I know,” the younger man gasped after Crawford landed a hit to lower-left side. “I know them both well enough to read them.” The redhead retaliated with a high kick that managed to graze the precog's right shoulder. “Is it going to interfere with anything?” he asked as he sent a fist towards the older man's face to which the man easily side-stepped.

 

“Not in the way that you might think,” Crawford' reply was cryptic, and Ran knew he wouldn't get anymore form the precog on the matter. He only gave out information on the future if he wanted to ensure that something didn't happen. The redhead blocked an elbow flying towards his abdomen, grabbing it at the same time and flipping the American onto his back, pinning him to the ground. The two men stayed there for a moment, catching their breath, before Ran stood and reached a hand to help Crawford up.

 

“You let your guard down,” he accused.

 

“No,” Crawford replied. “You're getting better at being spontaneous with your techniques.” Brown eyes gave an appraising look at the man before him. “That will come in very useful should you ever face another precog.” It was a bit of a round-about way to give a compliment, but it was a compliment nonetheless.

 

“Thanks,” the swordsman responded, though it wasn't to the compliment of his fighting abilities. The short match with Crawford had helped relieve some of the pent up tension from an earlier conversation.

 

“Anytime,” the American said. “And don't worry,” he added, deciding the crimson haired man could use a little reassurance. “In a few days, this particular source of stress will have straightened itself out.” He turned to leave, thinking of taking a quick shower. Though his eyes were focused ahead of him, he had already seen the grateful smile that graced Ran's face.

 

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“I don't understand how this will help me with my power,” Aya semi-complained from the chair next to her desk. Schuldig was teaching her to manipulate her mental shields, and it was extremely difficult; it would be an understatement to say it was coming along slowly.

 

“It's all about discipline,” the telepath explained, shifting in his perch in the window. “You need to have better control over your mind if you want to have an ice-cube's chance in hell of controlling your visions. Omi is getting the same training from me. It works that way with all psychics; you have to have a handle on the easy stuff first before you can begin to take on your core ability.”

 

“So,” the brunette started. “It's like learning to crawl before learning to walk.” Schuldig nodded his confirmation to her analogy. “And by doing this, I'll eventually be able to see the things I want to see, and not what randomly tries to present itself to me?”

 

“Exactly,” he replied. “It was a subconscious effort on your part that you saw what happened at the tower. We need to show you how to tap into that consciously; you've been doing well with the most recent past events, but you lose it after trying to go back more than a month. This will help improve that.”

 

“Alright,” she conceded the point willingly. “So what next?”

 

“I'm going to send you random thoughts telepathically, and I want you to try and block me out,” he instructed. “You will have to figure out just how strong my `attacks' are and adjust accordingly, but nothing I do will cause you any harm.” Aya close her eyes and took a deep breath, focusing her concentration inward, before nodding once for Schuldig to begin. I want this to become second natured to you, Aya, he began a stream of unending dialogue. This technique is useful for your training, but it will also be vital that you can block an enemy telepath's thoughts from…

 

“Block an enemy telepath's what?” she interrupted the German who looked at her in surprise.

 

“Block their thoughts from your mind without having to think about it,” he replied. “That was fast. I was using over half the power I'm capable of, and you managed to block me in less than thirty seconds.” He sounded somewhat confused. “I don't think the problem with controlling your power is mental,” Schuldig paused as an idea of what may have been holding her back occurred to him. “What were you thinking about when you saw the events in Esset's tower?” The teen took a moment to contemplate the question, trying to recall exactly what had been going through her head.

 

“Well,” she began. “Omi was talking about how he hacked into Esset's database looking for any information he could find about their activities and names of those on their `blacklist'.” Aya looked at her hands as she remembered what had been going through her mind. “I started thinking about how angry it made me to know that they were somehow connected to what had happened, to all the suffering and death that brought us to this point,” her voice was raising with every word, the rage coming through loud and clear. “I was… am so disgusted by them… they have no right to ruin lives like that. That's when the vision hit me.” She finished, her breathing hard as she tried to calm herself.

 

“Emotions,” the statement seemed random.

 

“What?” Aya asked.

 

“Your power stems from your emotions,” Schuldig seemed excited at the revelation. “Your ability is completely opposite of Brad's. I should have known. He's completely analytical, detached, when he uses his precognition. You, on the other hand, have to throw rationality out the window in order to see anything.” Aya's brown eyes slowly changed from confused to comprehending as her brain absorbed his words.

 

“So,” she started. “My visions are triggered by my emotions. That means that I have to feel strongly about something in order to see it. That would mean that I can't see something that has no effect on me, which means that there will some things, possibly important things, that I'll never see.”

 

“That's not entirely true,” the telepath stated. “Your first vision had nothing to do with you in any way, right?” He continued without waiting for a response. “But you were so moved by the personal nature of the story Kitada was telling you that you were pulled into past as if it had been you.”

 

“Well, yes,” the teen replied. “I saw how it effected her, and I couldn't help but sympathize.” He eyes widened in realization. “What happens when I get angry in the middle of a fight? I can't just go into a `trance' while trying to defend myself; that would be too dangerous.” The green haired man nodded his head in agreement.

 

“The training Brad and I give you will help you to keep from losing yourself in the visions,” he explained. “You've noticed that unless it's a particularly harsh vision, Brad doesn't miss a beat?” At her acknowledgement, he continued. “I imagine he used to have the same problem as you, but now he can use his precognition all the time. That's how he fights; sometimes he lives several seconds in the future, enabling him to either avoid or counter any attack coming his way. Though your glimpses of the past won't do the same for you, you should be able to remain in the present while part of your mind delves into the vision.”

 

“That makes sense,” clarity shone in her eyes. “I think that maybe I should train more with Crawford, though, since he has more experience with this.”

 

“Probably,” the German conceded. “But I'll still need to work with you on your shielding… Actually, I should probably work with everyone,” the last bit was added as a reminder to himself more than anything. “After all, who better to teach defense against a telepathic assault than a telepath.”

 

“I think we could all use the practice,” Aya stated. “You did say you wanted the blocking to become second natured. I know I blocked you faster than you expected, but I was concentrating solely on that.”

 

“Yes,” he agreed. “And now that you mention it, we should get back to work.” Once more making themselves comfortable in their seats, the two prepared for another couple of hours of mental training.

 

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“Naru hasn't said anything outright,” Yuushi was saying, “but it's clear that he doesn't trust Ran's opinion.”

 

“I know,” Kitada sighed. “But there's nothing we can really do. Crawford told both Schuldig and Ran that whatever is going to happen between them needs to happen.” She propped her elbow on the kitchen table, resting her face on a fisted hand. “I just hope that Omi doesn't relapse. He's only just starting to sleep again, what with finding out his last living blood relative is after him on top of the rape.” Green eyes widened as Kitada realized her slip and moved the hand to cover her mouth. The redhead had forgotten that not everyone in the house knew what had happened to Omi only three, short weeks ago.

 

“I won't say anything to Naru,” the blonde stated from across the table, correctly interpreting her reaction. “Though I assume that, that would be the incident in which Omi first realized his powers?”

 

“Yes,” the woman responded, straightening in her seat. “We all know about it, but it really isn't our place to speak of it to those who weren't here.”

 

“I understand,” he replied simply before lifting his glass and sipping at the water. “I assumed it was something like that when Ran first mentioned it, but to hear my suspicions confirmed is something else altogether.” Kitada silently agreed; it was as if not saying it aloud would make it less real, though she knew that wasn't the case.

 

“”Maybe it's for the best,” she muttered absently while stirring her tea.

 

“What's for the best?” Yuushi, not having the ability to read minds, was lost as to her train of thought. She looked surprised, as if she hadn't known she had spoken at all.

 

“I was just thinking that it may be best if Naru confronts Omi about his doubts,” at the confused look from the former assassin, she elaborated. “It may push Omi into defending himself, give him the opportunity to actually see that he's really not at fault.” Kitada sighed. “He may be right; we `baby' him too much. Instead of pushing him to confront his demons, we just let him bury them, and they just come back to haunt him as soon as something else happens, only to have him bury then again.”

 

“You think of him as a son,” the blonde was extremely perceptive. “Mothers always want to protect their children from everything, but children have to grow up sometime.”

 

“Yes,” she smiled wistfully at the insight. “I know, and grown up he has. Despite the fact the he's been an assassin since age eleven, I was just too blind to see it until all this happened. It takes some getting used to.”

 

“But at least he always knows that you'll be there for him,” Yuushi stated, reaching across the table, covering her hand with his own in a gesture offering as much comfort and understanding as he could without having the experience to truly know what she was going through. Her green eyes filled with gratitude as she turned her palm to face upwards, returning the gentle grasp.

 

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It had been three days since Naru and Yuushi joined the team, and it was the first time all eight gathered together in the conference room. It didn't go unnoticed by anyone, Omi included, that Naru had chosen the seat farthest from the archer. To say that his distrust for the blue-eyed teen was high would be an understatement, though completely understandable if one looked at from a neutral perspective. After all, Omi was still technically the grandson of their current nemesis. On the other hand, no one has a choice as to the blood to which they're born.

 

“As everyone knows by now,” Crawford began the meeting, ignoring the thick atmosphere. “Omi has found the identity of the man behind all our current problems to be Takatori Saijou.”

 

“He probably knew all along,” Naru mumbled, though not so quietly that everyone couldn't hear.

 

“Unfortunately,” Crawford continued after sending a heated glare, along with several others, to the demolitions expert. “We can't go after him, yet; there are other groups we must take care of, first.”

 

“You mean Weiss, right?” Ran clarified, referring to the original team of assassins by Weiss, as he and Omi no longer identified with that name.

 

“Weiss and the rogue Esset cell,” the American confirmed.

 

“There's something I don't understand about that,” Aya interjected. “Why is it that, if Takatori is allied with Esset, he's also working with the team that broke from them?”

 

“From what I've been able to find,” Omi was the one to answer. “They haven't really broken from Esset. It's more likely that they've made it look that way so as to draw our attention in hopes of luring us out.”

 

“Did they not think we would check up on them?” Kitada was amazed by the apparent stupidity of these people.

 

“They did do a good job of covering their tracks,” the archer replied. “It took me until last night to find that their monetary resources could be traced to Esset. Besides,” he said offhandedly, “they probably never expected us to learn that they partnered up with a man who's officially dead.”

 

“Have we found out what abilities they have?” Schuldig questioned.

 

“Not definitely,” the precog replied. “The police reports I've been able to get a hold of all point to the involvement of a telekinetic, but other talents aren't so easy to identify given that the remaining talents generally don't leave physical evidence.”

 

“What about the fires?” Ran asked. “The reports all state that arson was involved.”

 

“It's possible,” Crawford conceded. “But I've never know there to be any pyrokinetics in Esset's ranks.”

 

“If I understand correctly,” Yuushi put in. “Then Esset suspected you of betraying them long before they made their move to join with Takatori. Would it not be reasonable to assume that, that kind of information would be withheld from you?”

 

“I agree,” Aya added her opinion. “It wouldn't be in their best interests to give you access to that.” The brunette had come a long way from the naïve girl she was when she initially awoke from her coma, having easily slipped into an assassin's logical mindset; everyone was stunned at her ability to accept not only that her brother and his friends were killers, but that she would eventually become one herself. It was a testament to just how much the failed summoning ceremony had affected even her unconscious mind.

 

“Can you get into Esset's records, Omi?” Crawford asked.

 

“I'll need someone to help; it's a two person job,” the hacker replied. “What do you need me to do?” He looked as though he already knew and just wanted specifics.

 

“Find the identities of the Esset team in Canada, along with what powers they have, as well as how strong they are; any other information you can get would most likely prove useful, as well,” the American stated, confirming Omi's thoughts. “Though I don't know who can help you; you're the only one here who can break into complex computer systems with any sort of ease.” He had a point; since Nagi was no longer there, Omi was the only true hacker, though they all had skill in that area, to a certain extent.

 

“Ran's probably the best choice,” he turned to his crimson haired friend. “Is that okay with you?” he asked.

 

“I can do it,” an unexpected voice spoke before the swordsman could open his mouth, surprising everyone in the room. All eyes turned to Naru, suspicious of the offer given the teen's transparent dislike of the archer. “What?” he asked at the looks thrown his way. “I'm the best choice; who do you think did all the research for the Crashers.”

 

“It's not that,” Omi started. “Despite the fact that we, with the exception of Yuushi, weren't aware of your computer expertise, I have no doubt you're capable.” He paused a moment trying to find a way to correctly describe everyone's discomfort with the suggestion. Settling for straightforward, he continued. “The problem is that you don't trust me,” Naru failed at trying to look innocent at the accusation. “Don't try to deny it,” the telekinetic halted any retort. “We're not blind; you can't even sit in the same room with me unless someone is there to act as a buffer, and even then, you tend to stay as far from me as possible.” There was nothing the brown-eyed teen could say to that; it was the truth. Instead, he chose this time to air his grievances, though it was really not the appropriate time.

 

“You're right,” was the simple response. “I don't trust you; you're the reason everything has fallen apart. They,” he gestured to the others at the table, “may chose to ignore or it, but I don't. If it hadn't been for your existence, no one would have died… Not your teammates, not their teammates, and not mine.” There was the real problem; he blamed the telekinetic for the deaths of his friends as he was a convenient target. Omi didn't, couldn't say anything to that. Naru, someone who had only been in the house for all of three days, had said everything he had been feeling, whether it was true or not. Aside from that, though, he was - angry was too mild a word. Next to him, Schuldig nearly recoiled at the raw emotion pouring from the eighteen year old; he had never felt such rage coming from Omi. If something wasn't done to stop this, the archer might let years of pent up anger explode. The telepath knew that deep down, Omi didn't really blame himself; it only felt that way when there was nothing he could do about all the tragedy that surrounded him. He was about to speak up when he saw Crawford shake his head, also noticing the restraining hand the precog had on Ran's arm. Brad? He questioned. This is what I said would happen. Let the others know not to interfere. Knowing that things were about to come to a head, he sent out a message to everyone, save Omi and Naru, telling them to let things play out, let the archer finally admit to himself and everyone else that he wasn't to blame for other people's cruel actions.

 

“You have no right,” Omi finally spoke up, though his head was bent down as if to avoid eye contact. “You have no right to say that,” the volume of his voice rising with every word. “I didn't ask to be born Takatori Mamoru.” The name was spat as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. “I didn't ask for any of this,” he finally looked up, causing the demolitions expert to gasp. There was so much pain and anger and so much more swirling in those cerulean depths, that Naru instantly regretted his previous words and actions, realizing that the archer had suffered just as much, if not more, than they all had; he opened his mouth to speak, but Omi wouldn't let him.

 

“Don't think for one minute that you're the only one who lost someone,” the archer continued as a single tear burned a path down his face. “I lost two very close friends and the person I loved more than anything in this world. So did Schuldig and everyone else in here.” His words were becoming more heated by the second, and his eyes were slowly losing their azure quality, becoming closer to the shade of Ran's hair. Those who noticed backed away from the table and held their breaths. “Do you see any of them trying to throw the blame to anywhere other than where it belongs? Do you?!” Naru just stared, his brown eyes widening at the volume coming from the normally soft-spoken teen; he had never been one to think things through, but he had really screwed up this time and wouldn't blame the younger blonde for lashing out. Suddenly, as if Omi suddenly came to his own realization, his eyes changed back to their original color, and his tone once again became soft. The several sighs of relief went unnoticed by the two blonde teens.

 

“I guess I'm really not one to talk, though,” he stated in self-recrimination. “I've been trying to blame myself for everything since the beginning, even though I knew it wasn't my fault.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sometimes, I guess, it's easier to put everything on myself rather than where it belongs when I can't immediately do anything about it.”

 

“I'm sorry, Omi,” Naru said, sincerely meaning it this time. “You're right. It is easier to place the blame on the closest target instead of with the truly guilty party.” The faint smile from Omi told him that archer didn't need the apology but had accepted it nonetheless. As if only just noticing that everyone else was in the room, both teens flushed red, causing several of the group to laugh, effectively killing off the last of the tension.

 

“I think we've all had enough drama for one night,” Kitada remarked once everyone had quieted down. “Unless there's anything else, I suggested we go relax until tomorrow.”

 

“Actually,” Omi spoke up, his face still slightly pink with embarrassment. “There was one more thing I wanted to discuss.” Once he had everyone's attention, he continued. “I think I may know of someone else who would be willing to help us.”

 

“Who?” Schuldig asked; he was as curious as everyone else, thinking that they had already looked into every possibility.

 

“Tot,” the hacker responded. “I hadn't thought of her until a couple of days ago, but she would be willing to help.”

 

“What makes you think that?” Ran wanted to know. “She only ever showed loyalty to Masafumi.”

 

“And,” Crawford added. “Not even I've been able to determine where Nagi hid her.”

 

“Actually,” the archer had a bit of a smug look on his face. “I know exactly where she is. There were several occasions when Nagi and I would go visit her in the last few months before the tower. I checked to make sure, and she's still there.” He looked around at the four stunned and three confused faces.

 

“Who's Tot?” Aya was the one to ask. Apparently, no one had ever informed her of the Schreient incidents, which also might explain why Omi had never given it any thought.

 

“She's the only surviving member of another group called Schreient,” her brother explained. “They were the ones who originally kidnapped you.” A look of comprehension crossed her face; she wouldn't judge the girl for her actions seeing as how both Crawford and Schuldig had played their parts in that as well.

 

“Still, she was loyal to Masafumi to a fault,” the German reminded them of Ran's initial concern. “How can we be sure she would help us.”

 

“Because,” the hacker's eyes turned completely serious. “After Nagi saved her, Tot began to look to him as a brother, and not in the same sense that she saw Masafumi as a father. Once free of his twisted grasp, she began to see the reality of what had happened and changed. She'll want revenge for Nagi's death just as much as we do for his, as well as the others.”

 

“You're sure about this,” Omi didn't blame Crawford for his skepticism as her presence could change the future he saw should she not be trustworthy.

 

“Yes,” he replied, voice full of conviction. The American accepted the answer.

 

“Contact her and find out if she's willing to come here and join us,” the precog directed. “If she says yes, I'll make arrangements to bring her here. I assume she's still in Japan, given that you and Nagi visited her without raising any suspicion?” The blonde nodded. `That will make things more difficult as Kritiker is still based in Tokyo, but we'll figure something out.”

 

“Anything else?” Schuldig asked after stifling a yawn. He took the silence as a `no' and stood up. “Good. It's late and I'm exhausted.”

 

“Same here,” Aya stated, also rising from her chair. The others followed their lead, leaving for their rooms, with the exception of Omi and Naru, who remained a moment longer.

 

“I'll still help with the hacking, if you want me to,” the brown-eyed teen offered.

 

“I would appreciate it,” the archer responded. “But let's wait until morning. Schuldig was right; it's late, and I have to get a message out to Tot soon. Once that's done, I'll be ready to drop.”

 

“No problem,” the older replied with a smile. Nothing was mentioned regarding the earlier outburst; that they were going to start over with the air clear didn't need to be said. The two left the room together in a companionable silence before going their separate ways for the night.

 

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The message from Omi had been a shock, to say the least. The blue haired girl must have stared at her computer for a full ten minutes before realizing that it was indeed real, and that had been what had stunned her. She had thought that he, along with Nagi, had died that day all those months ago. Now, here she was, reading the unexpected, but welcome, message for the umpteenth time in six days, in which she learned that Omi, along with a few of the others, had survived. She was saddened to learn that Nagi had not made it, but she had already dealt with the loss, so the pain wasn't as overwhelming as it could have been.

 

The bluenette was currently on flight heading towards France, and the approach had just been announced. The teen smiled to herself, excited that she would be reunited with her friend. A dark look crossed her blue-grey eyes as she recalled the reason she was leaving the home Nagi had found for her in Kyoto. The jerk of the plane landing broke her from her thoughts, and she once again felt the excitement that went along with no longer being alone. Sure, she had made a few friendly acquaintances, but none of them could ever understand the kind of life she had led, the kind of life she was about to pick up once again. When the time came, she slowly rose from her seat and walked from the plane, through the corridor that led her into the heart of the airport and through customs. Her face lit up upon spying a certain blonde assassin waiting for her at the baggage claim.

 

“Omi,” she practically flew into his arms, wrapping her own around his waist in a show of sisterly affection. “I'm so glad you're alive,” she whispered. He smiled down at her as he was somewhat taller than she was.

 

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Tot,” he kept his voice low, not wanting to attract any attention. “Things have just been so hectic, what with trying to figure everything out.”

 

“Nanami,” she said, stepping away from him to claim her bags, causing him to blink, confused.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“My name,” she clarified. “My name is Nanami. Hibino Nanami. I started using it after you guys didn't come back. I was worried that someone might recognize my other name, so I went back to the original. Besides,” she added in all seriousness. “I don't want to go by a name that a crazed scientist gave me, not anymore.”

 

“I don't think that will be a problem,” the archer stated. “I know exactly what you mean.” And he did know, probably better than anyone else, what it was like to have a name that represented everything you hated about the world.

 

“Yes,” she replied, sympathy lingering in the back of her eyes. “I imagine you do.”

 

“Come on,” Omi picked up her bags from the floor and began walking towards the exit. “Schu's waiting for us in the car.” Catching up to him, the two walked out of the airport towards the nondescript vehicle that was driven by the German.

 

“So,” Nanami began once they settled into the car and were on their way. “Who all is going to be there?” The messages she had received from Omi had been vague, only giving her enough information to get her safely out of Japan.

 

“Well,” the telepath replied. “Obviously, there are us. Brad is also there, as is Ran and his sister, Aya.” The bluenette nodded in recognition, seeing the gesture in the rearview mirror, Schuldig continued. “There's also Hanae Kitada, the former contact for Weiss.”

 

“The red headed woman?” the teen asked, having a vague idea of who he was talking about.

 

“That's her,” he confirmed. “The last two, you probably won't recognize, though. Their names are Honjou Yuushi and Uhyou Naru, formerly members of the Crashers, a non-lethal team from Kritiker. That's everyone.”

 

“And you all live in one house?!” her voice clearly showed her disbelief. “What, did you do? Rip off every wealthy corporation you could find and buy a mansion in the countryside?” Though the comment was meant to be sarcastic, she received a serious answer.

 

“Yes,” the archer confirmed. “That's exactly what we did. I transferred funds from any organization that was affiliated with either Esset or Kritiker. We have everything we need and then some.” A slightly mischievous glint could be seen in his eyes as he turned to face the young woman. “Isn't it ironic that they'll be funding their own downfall?” Nanami could just hear the smirk in Schuldig's short laugh, and she couldn't hold back the giggle that bubbled its way through her throat. I think my life is definitely going to get a bit more interesting from here on out. Settling more comfortably in her seat, she turned her face to look out the window at the country which would be her new home, a place where she would have a new start and could make up for a past that she both despised and regretted.

 

 

TBC

End of chapter note: I like Tot; she's a very interesting character. I also think, that based on her short appearance at the end of Kapitel, that being away from Masafumi allowed her to actually become slightly more stable. She'll still have her moments, but mostly, she's going to act her age (same as Omi - eighteen). Obviously, I imagine her treating Nagi more like a brother (because Nagi belongs to Omi), so she would do the same with Omi, seeing as how the two guys were together during any interactions they had with her. I still have one more player to added to their team, but he or she won't show up for awhile. Oh, and I don't dislike Naru, he was just a convenient `outsider'. I needed someone to push Omi past all the lingering self-doubt, and Naru fit the bill; there will still be a little tension between the two, but that will be resolved next chapter, as will what really happened to the other Crashers.