Alternatives

The Best Laid Plans


Yohji reached under the mattress and retrieved Aya’s katana before heading for the door. He could feel the others in the grounds together with a buzz of emotion that was slightly off key. Farfarello? He shrugged indifferently. Just as long as the psychopath was on their side. He’d be his best buddy if it got them all out of here alive.

He edged the door open and checked the hallway, still not entirely prepared to rely on his empathic skills. The coast was clear so he stepped out of his room and went in search of his love.

It took no more than a moment or two to reach the treatment room. Aya was there, strapped to a bed and a short, balding man was arranging some sort of machinery over his lover’s head.

He dropped the katana and had the wire out in seconds tossing it at the Rosenkreuz agent. He let out a grunt of satisfaction when it caught round his victim’s throat. A quick flick of his wrist and the wire bit in, hard enough to sever the windpipe. The only way the bastard would be breathing from now on would be through the hole in his throat.

Yohji retrieved the wire and wound it back into his watch. Then he kicked the body out of the way and removed the machinery. Aya gazed impassively up at him.

\"Yo! You gonna lie there resting all day?\"

Aya glared at him. \"I suppose I should be grateful that you didn’t decapitate him completely and cover me with even more of his blood.\"

\"It was tempting, but I knew you’d be mad if you got covered in gore.\"

\"I am covered in gore.\"

He grimaced. Aya was not pleased. \"Hold still if you want to be freed.\" He quickly unfastened the straps holding Aya’s arms and legs to the bed and helped his lover to sit upright, chafing his ankles and wrists to restore the circulation. His only thanks was a punch to his chest.

\"Don’t throw my katana around like that.\"

\"What was I supposed to do, let him plug you into the fucking mains?\" He pushed Aya back down when he tried to stand and went to retrieve the katana. Gravely, he handed it back to its owner. \"I’m sorry I dropped it, okay?\"

Aya sighed. \"I guess I’m actually going to have to use it again, today. Come on, let’s get on with it.\" He stood up and followed Yohji to the door. \"Which way?\"

\"I think they’ll be holding Schu and Crawford near to my room. It seems to be an area kept for new recruits and those marked for punishment.\"

\"So you’re what? A good little trustee?\"

\"The stupid bastard was so excited to have me here that he forgot to check my memory. I got a painless crash course in how to use my talent and was then told to find, and lure in, Schu and Nagi. Thing was, I already knew they were on their way, so I could look like a good little agent. Neat huh?\"

\"Incredibly dangerous, you idiot. Suppose he suddenly decided to check your thoughts?\"

\"He’s not a telepath. He’s a suppresser.\"

\"Whatever, let’s go.\"

Ah, okay, so now he was dealing with Abyssinian. Fine. In that case the bastard could wait on knowing he had all his memory back. Sighing slightly, he led the way back from where he’d come. They needed to find Schu and quickly.

* * * * * * *

Schuldig was fighting as well as he could, which wasn’t saying an awful lot. Dietmeiller had years of experience in torturing both Rosenkreuz agents and new talents.

The pain subsided suddenly and Dietmeiller grinned down at him. \"Not so clever with the mouth now, are you Schuldig?\"

He knew he had to buy the others time, Yohji especially, but it hurt so. He glared at the Brain Butcher, hoping that Brad hadn’t fucked up after all. \"Bite me,\" he said very deliberately.

The pain was back and he closed his eyes and bit into his bottom lip to stop himself from screaming.

* * * * * * *

An agonised groan assured Aya that they were heading in the right direction. He motioned to Yohji to enter the room first. Dietmeiller should accept him being there for enough seconds to be able to deal with him.

Yohji nodded his understanding and strolled into the room, Aya just behind him, katana in one hand, saya in the other.

\"What the hell are you doing in here?\" Dietmeiller demanded angrily, before grimacing in pain.

\"Just thought you should feel some of what Schuldig is feeling right now,\" Yohji remarked almost pleasantly. \"Seems only fair.\"

It was all the time he needed to get round Yohji and swing the katana in a swift arc until it was brought to a halt by Dietmeiller’s body. He had made no mistake and the blade had bitten into Dietmeiller’s side so hard it had almost cut the man in two.

There was a groan from the gurney as Schuldig realised that the pain was fading with his torturer’s death.

\"Help him. I’ll find Crawford.\" He left Yohji to it and slipped out of the room only to come face to face with three more Rosenkreuz agents. There was a sharp pain in his head and the katana and saya fell from suddenly nerveless fingers. Cursing himself for being too damned cocky, Aya slid down the wall.

* * * * * * *

Nagi entered the building and ran through its hallways, determined to find his friends. He knew that Omi, Ken and Farfarello were taking out everything behind him. Turning a corner he found Aya slumped on the floor with three agents gathered round him. He lifted his hands and made a squeezing motion. Two of the agents fell like puppets with the strings suddenly cut, their hearts crushed to useless pulp. The third agent turned to face this new threat, his own arms raised. There was a sudden blur of movement and Aya’s katana blade appeared through the centre of the man’s chest.

Nagi nodded to the swordsman in thanks. Aya nodded back and clambered to his feet before bracing his foot against his victim and withdrawing the sword from his lifeless body.

\"Did you find Schu and Crawford?\"

\"Schu, yes. I was just going to look for Crawford.\"

Nagi nodded and turned to investigate the rooms on the left, leaving Aya to deal with those on the right. He found Crawford in the second room he tried. The man was in some pain and Nagi guessed that he was experiencing several visions at once, having had them blocked for a while.

He crossed the room quickly and touched Crawford gently on the shoulder. He received a brief smile and a mumbled word of thanks. He was about to reply when Farfarello burst into the room and flung himself down by the bed, murmuring incoherent apologies for leaving them all. Nagi smiled slightly and undid the restraints holding Brad to the bed.

Farfarello took the hint and started rubbing Crawford’s arms. Nagi moved to his legs and concentrated on getting the blood moving. A hiss of pain told him he had succeeded. Pins and needles would be a real bitch for the next few moments.

Aya and Yohji appeared in the doorway, supporting Schuldig between them. \"Let’s get out of here,\" Aya said. \"We’re in no state to take on the whole of Rosenkreuz.\"

Nagi nodded and he and Farfarello helped Crawford to sit up. The man tried to stand and Farfarello was immediately there, one shoulder under Crawford’s arm. They crept out of the room and met Ken and Omi in the hallway. Nobody said anything, the enormity of what they’d done had not yet sunk in completely.

* * * * * * *

Two hours later they were at Munich airport, waiting for the next flight to London. \"So,\" Ken wanted to know, \"where are we going to fit two more people? In the attic?\"

Schuldig chuckled softly. \"That rather depends, Kenken.\" He watched in some amusement as Ken blushed and Aya and Yohji glanced at each other uncomfortably. He moved a little closer to Ken and spoke directly into his mind.

*I always thought you were the trusting hothead. Fools rush in and all that shit.*

Ken scowled so prettily. *What’s that supposed to mean?*

*Hmm. Perhaps you are as oblivious as everyone seems to think you are…*

*Schu…* Almost a whine there. Then Schuldig got a shock. *I thought you and Brad were a couple.*

He felt his eyes widen in surprise. *Mein Gott! No! We irritate the hell out of each other. Besides, the Farf would gut me if I even looked at him.*

*Farf?* Now it was Ken’s turn to be surprised. Schuldig nodded, eyes twinkling in amusement. *Yes. He’s had a crush on Bradley for years. I think he only realised it when he ran off with a woman.*

*So you and Crawford aren’t…?*

*Perhaps not so oblivious after all, liebling.* Ken’s eyes widened at the endearment then he blushed and smiled.

*I just thought I never had a chance. I’m just a dumb jock and you’re a sophisticated man of the world.*

*Stop putting yourself down, Kenken. You’re brighter than you look.*

It was perhaps just as well, Schuldig decided, that their flight was called at that precise moment.

* * * * * * *

Omi was somewhat amused and taken aback when Nagi’s head rested on his shoulder once they were on the plane. It was strange. Even on their flight from Japan to England, he would have been very upset about such a public display of affection. Now he simply placed an arm round his lover’s shoulders. \"Tired?\"

\"Not especially. I didn’t need to do anything really spectacular, after all. Mamaru?\"

\"Yes? Though actually I think I’d prefer to be Omi again.\"

\"That was pretty much what I was going to ask. And if you were intending to return to Japan.\"

\"I’m not entirely sure, Nagi. I think, especially now that there seem to be eight of us, that we all need to sit down together and decide where we want to go from here. Yohji was right, I didn’t do well by the three men I regard as my elder brothers. I don’t ever want to put them in that kind of danger again.\"

\"There’s something else, too. Well, a couple of somethings. First, you now have two new talents in your ‘family’ and that needs to be addressed as we’ve only hurt Rosenkreuz, not destroyed them. Second, I don’t want to work for you anymore. If this relationship is going to go anywhere, then it’s going to be because we’re equals.\"

Omi smiled and squeezed Nagi gently. \"I agree on both issues. We really are going to have a lot to talk about.\"

Nagi twisted his head so he could look up at his boyfriend and his rare smile lit up his features. \"You know, there’s hope for you yet.\"

Omi grinned back down at him. \"Don’t make me resort to the tickle torture.\"

Nagi snorted in amused disdain. \"As if you could pin me down for long enough.\"

\"I can always try. Sleep, love, we can do all the discussing and plan-making later.\" He hugged Nagi close and closed his own eyes. Time enough to talk when they were all rested and whole again.