Strange Times

Aya pulled on his gloves, and did his best to think boring thoughts. He wasn’t thrilled about leaving so early, but any later and his apparent quest for groceries would become infinitely less plausible. And the last thing Aya wanted or needed was a Schuldich who was curious enough to realize he wasn’t as lazy as he wanted to be. Weiss had decided against killing the telepath on mere principle, but that didn’t mean they would welcome him sauntering into their base of operations as they went over last minute preparations for the evenings mission.



“Hmm?” Schuldich called from the kitchen, most likely catching his name drifting through Aya’s thoughts.



“Keep your brain in your head.” Aya snapped, more out of habit than out of any expected compliance.



“Where’d the fun be in that?”



Aya could hear the damn sneer in Schuldich’s voice. Schuldich’s laughter danced down Aya’s spine, bringing gooseflesh and the memory of warm breath and tangled limbs with it.



Aya snatched his coat and bolted, furiously convincing himself he wasn’t fleeing, he was just putting as much distance between himself and the telepath as possible lest the bloodstains come out of his security deposit. Schuldich’s laughter followed him for quite some time, but at least the telepath stayed safely home. Aya really didn’t want to have to try and keep his teammates from killing someone who really, all things considered and weighed evenly, deserved it.



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Schuldich hated being on the receiving end of a social dodge. No one, not even Aya, could spend more than an hour gathering groceries. Hell, the man hardly ate. He couldn’t need that much food. The kittens must be off playing, leaving poor old Schu to fend for himself.



Schuldich started fending by messing up Aya’s carefully alphabetized bookshelf. Then he made sure to leave mug rings with his coffee cup on the counter, on the kitchen table, and even on Aya’s nightstand. Newspaper was rumpled and reorganized according to Schuldich’s whim and ice trays were emptied but not refilled.



Mild irritation gave way to boredom, and Schuldich decided to prod Aya into coming home. There looked to be some fantastically bad movies on later in the evening, and those were only really any fun with company. Stretching his telepathy, Schuldich sought out his not so reluctant keeper, and froze.



Aya’s mind smelled of leather and tasted like blood. Thick and angry, and sharp with pain…it was definitely not an evening with the boys sort of mentality. Unless one happened to be an assassin.



Pain.



Aya was hurt.



Schuldich didn’t even bother with his hair as he stalked out of the apartment, leaving a wave of domestic violence in his wake.





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Stupid. He should have seen it coming. Aya tried to blink blood out of his left eye, panting as he watched more guards file into the room. Someone in Kritiker hadn’t done their homework this time. Easy in and out? Like hell.



“Abyssinian?”



“Busy, Bombay.”



“Got company on this end as well, Bombay.”



“Balinese is headed your way, Siberian.”



“He should hurry his ass.”



“Ran into a little trouble, Siberian. Be there soon.”



Aya eyed the number of guns in front of him and allowed a frown to get through Abyssinians usual icy façade.



“Abyssinian, I’m coming in.”



“You’ll stay right where you are.” Aya snapped. “No point in giving them another target.”



“Weiss, withdraw.”



“I’d love to, but these guys seemed determined to stay between me and the way out.” Yohji drawled. Sultry under stress. In any other situation, Aya would have found it irritating.



“Seems like they knew exactly how to get us, guys.”



“Noted, Siberian.”



Aya tensed, ready to drop into a crouch as soon as the firing started.



“Stop.”



It was an unsettling sensation, having to remind ones heart to keep going. Aya choked on his next few breaths as his lungs seemed intent on following the order that had been snapped across the room, hauled through every neuron of his mind.



It was equally unsettling to see Schuldich stalk in from behind Aya’s attackers, hands shoved in his pockets in some feral mimicry of casual. There was nothing casual, and little human, in Schuldich’s narrowed eyes, in the way he seemed to flow more than walk. The first guard Schuldich passed dropped with a pitiful whine, eyes rolling back as the bitter tang of urine added to the gunpowder ambiance of the room. Schuldich locked eyes with another guard, who instantly dropped his gun and clutched at his head, mouth gaping open in a silent scream as nightmares flashed through wide eyes. The third man took the initiative and shot himself in the face before Schuldich even finished the mental command.



“Smart boy.” Schuldich crooned.



The last held still despite the panicked spasms trying to spark his body into a frantic retreat. Schuldich reached out a hand and brushed across the man’s cheek, smiling. “Didn’t know this one was mine, did you?” The man managed a strangled whine before Schuldich whispered in his ear.



Aya was glad he couldn’t make out what was said. The look on the man’s face was enough.



“Abyssinian?”



The fourth guard started to rock slightly, eyes jerking in a blind effort to track things that weren’t there, and Aya found himself the center of Schuldich’s attention. Telepathy raked through his mind as Schuldich’s eyes took in every bloodstain on Aya’s body.



“Schuldich?”



“Abyssinian? Schuldich is there?” Omi didn’t sound surprised. Or pleased.



“You’ve really got to train your pet better.”



“Balinese, be quiet.” Aya eyed Schuldich, measuring the concern mixed with the fury radiating off the telepath. “Schuldich, we need to withdraw. Help me get the rest of the team out.”



“Like hell!”



“Stand down, Siberian.”



“You can’t honestly…this is Schuldich, guys.”



“And he just dropped a roomful of guards.” Omi’s voice was a tense sort of resigned. “Schuldich, backup Abyssinian.”



‘I don’t take orders from you, kitten.’ Schuldich bared his teeth in a vicious smile.



“You will from me.” Aya snapped. “We need to get out. Now.”



‘I expect a reward later.’



Aya didn’t know which was more disturbing, the violence or the innuendo.