Red Shaman

Bard's Apprentice: Yeah, sorry about the WAFF but they were needed in order to establish emotional connections. Yes, there are sequels, which are finished and posted elsewhere as is this. Glad you liked the last line. I was beginning to wonder if it was a little over the top since no one ever mentioned enjoying it previously. Thanks!

Tazzy: Glad you're enjoying. And very happy that the last line of Farf's seems to have finally gone over well. As for Aya's itching . . . *whistles innocently* You'll see.



**********



Crawford held one hand to his slightly aching head. He was missingsomething, he could tell. He had tried several times to get a hold on a vision concerning Schuldig and just as he thought he had grasped it, it slipped away. He cursed mildly to himself. Skye had something to do with it. He knew she did without needing to See it. Partially from what Sunny had told him and partially because he felt the touch of her energy on his mind. It was subtle, he had to give her that, she was good at this sort of thing. Schuldig, for his part, looked like he was about ready to come out of his skin. He was calm and composed to most outsiders, possibly even to Skye. But Crawford had seen him on many missions and his body language was far more tense than normal while on mission. He was expecting something to happen. What, he didn't know. Yet. He would find out what was so damn important that Schuldig had roped Skye into rerouting his visions.



He must have snarled slightly he thought because Goddess had looked up at him in mild curiosity and lifted an eyebrow in question.



//It's of no concern, Goddess. I'm trying to access something and it isn't coming. Someone is blocking it.//



//I presume you have an idea as to who it is blocking you.//



Crawford nodded. //I do.//



//And?//



//Since it's something to do with Schuldig, I must presume it to be Skye. Though I have no proof and wouldn't dream of accusing her of doing anything manipulative.// He glanced at Blaze warily out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge her reaction to that bit of information.



//I'll see what I can do. Skye?//



//Yes, Goddess?//



//Are you rerouting Oracle's visions?//



//Not precisely.//



//Why? He needs to be able to See as much as you do. If it interferes in this mission . . .//



//It doesn't, Goddess. You know I would never do anything to compromise a mission. It's personal and I was asked to keep it to myself.//



Blaze paused for a moment, thinking what could be so important that Skye would feel the need to tamper with Oracle's visions. It had to have something to do with Schuldig. The answer seemed to hit her hard and she sighed heavily.



//You saw him pass from this world, didn't you.// It was not a question, just a simple statement of fact.



Skye was silent. Biting down on her tongue to keep from saying or thinking anything that might confirm what had just been said.



//You've taken steps to prevent this.//



//Prevent what?//



Blaze smiled. //Good to know. I'm rather fond of the boy.//







Farfarello waited just behind the door.



He felt the slight shiver in the energy of the room as Star sealed all sound within it. Perfect.



A man came into the room, looking for his quarry, Farf closed the door behind him with an audible snap.



“What the . . .” was all he managed to get out before Farf pounced on him. Turning him so the other man's back was to his chest holding one arm across his upper chest and shoulders.



“Say goodnight, filth,” Farf hissed in his ear before grasping the man's chin in his other hand and twisting. He took great satisfaction in the audible snap and grind as the bones splintered. He let him slither to the ground, rolling him away in disgust.



//Farf? You okay?// Nagi asked.



//Fine. Have our comrade send the rest of the garbage to me as they wander down here.//



//Will do.//







Star sat with Ken and two of their targets at one of the small tables scattered along the edges of the room. They talked animatedly about life, good food and wine, the stock market, everything imaginable. Ken kept them distracted for a few moments while Star gently began nudging the innocent bystanders out of the building.



She looked up suddenly, mildly startled at the feel she was getting from one of the two men who had just come down the stairs. Aya was paler than she had ever seen him and looked like he was ready to claw off his skin. Well, paler with the possible exception of the streak of red running across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose.



//Ran? Gods, boy, are you okay?//



//Itches. Hurts. Too hot.// Was the only response she got before he collapsed backward. Fortunately Yohji had the good reflexes to catch him before he fell too far.





Yohji shot Star a scared look over the top of Aya's bright head. Ken had started to bolt up from his seat but Star restrained him. He was still more than slightly stunned at the strength she had.



//No. Hold your position, Siberian.//



//But . . .//



//No//



He relaxed back into his chair somewhat. //What about Aya?//



//Let us take care of Abyssinian. Sis?//



//Haven't the vaguest. I'll see to it.// Skye said, walking over to where Yohji and Aya were on the stairs, dragging a reluctant Schuldig along with her.



//Gods, what a fucking wuss. No wonder we always kicked their asses,// Schuldig sneered.



//Now is not the time to antagonize them, Schu,// Skye warned.



//Seemed like a damn good time to me.//



//Star, Skye, what happened to Abyssinian?// Came Blaze's question.



//No idea yet, Gran.//



//Remedy this as quickly as possible. We don't have that much time.//



//We know, Gran.//



//If all else fails, Abyssinian and Balinese have done their jobs for tonight and can keep out of the major part of the fighting if they need to.// Blaze said, a frown creasing the skin between her eyebrows.



//Goddess, are you sure there will be any real fighting tonight?// Yohji asked.



//Yes.//



Yohji blanched a little and shifted Aya's weight in his arms while Skye ran gentle hands over Aya's face and shoulders then down his chest and arms. She glanced up at Yohji and smiled weakly.



“I can't find anything initially wrong with him, Yohji. Did he complain of any trouble other than the itching?”



“Nothing. Other than he said it felt like someone was poking him with hot acupuncture needles who didn't have the faintest idea how to use them.”



Skye frowned and looked over her shoulder to catch Star's attention.



//Did you notice anything strange when you opened up the neuropathways in order for him to communicate the way we do?//



//Not really. Other than some seriously freaky hardwiring.//



//How do you mean?//



//He's a lot closer to primal than most are. But he's also got a tighter hold on it.//



//He has control of that side to his nature? How unusual.//



//Yeah, but it's something else as well. I've seen this before but can't remember where or who it was.//



//Try to remember, that might be very important information.//



//Gotcha.//



“Yohji, I think there's an infirmary just upstairs. I'm sure he'd be more comfortable there,” Skye said.



Yohji nodded and tried to stand but in the awkward position he was in both trying to hold on to Aya and getting up was proving to be nearly impossible.



//Star, cover this.// “Here, I'll take him,” Skye said, lifting Aya from Yohji's arms as though he weighed no more than a small child.



Both Yohji and Schuldig blinked in startled surprise at her. She smiled and walked up the stairs with a grown man cradled in her arms like a baby. She glanced over her shoulder at the two men still staring at her.



“Are you two coming?”



Schuldig recovered first. “Not at the moment,” he said grinning.





The majority of the crowd had suddenly started complaining of the heat being too much in the building. Some wanted to leave and convinced whomever they had come with it was time to go. Little trickles of people started wandering out to the gardens. The staff seemed to need things in the adjoining supply storage. Even the bartenders left their posts for more ice or whatever. Within twenty minutes the rooms had been cleared of any and all who had no responsibility in the operation of the slavery ring.



Crawford smiled a little and while still making polite conversation with the two men in front of him, pulled the Beretta and shot them both. He brushed at the flecks of blood that splattered his pristine white silk tux in mild disgust.



“I'll never be able to explain this to the dry cleaners.”





From her place upstairs in the infirmary, Skye heard the gunshots and felt the first two drop and all others in the room start to panic. She slammed all the doors shut and sealed them before turning back and continuing to examine Aya.



//Skye, we'll need you down here in five,// Blaze said.



//Understood. I'll be there. What about Farfarello?//



//Leave a gap in the shields that only he can get through.//



//I will. What about the babies?//



//They can pass through your shields. Ghost knows the frequencies almost as well as you and Sunny do.//





Ken had vaulted over the table swinging and connecting with the nearest target. Drawing perfectly parallel lines from his stomach to his throat. He was moving on to the next target before the first hit the floor. Star smiled a little as she sat back and sipped the Jack Daniels in her hand, all the while reaching into the mind of the target to her left and turning their brain to the equivalent of tapioca.



Sunny, feeling the need to take out a few aggressions that had built up over the course of the last few hours settled for beating his opponent to death. It took all of three blows. One crushed the man's chest and caused several of his ribs to puncture heart and lungs. The next sealed off his throat and embedded his trachea into his spine. The third caved in his skull.



Blaze sighed heavily as she felt two very familiar energy signatures materialize behind the wooden bar. She turned and began to walk toward them just as one of the targets lunged for her. She caught him by the throat and with a simple twist of the wrist snapped his neck. Then proceeded to drop the still twitching body to the floor and in a burst of white flame incinerate it to ash within seconds.



“I thought you two had left?” she said, eyes narrowed at them.



Watari smiled and handed Tatsumi his drink. “We did, koishii. We just came back to watch you work.”





Crawford shook himself from the last cloying remnants of the vision he'd just had and walked to Blaze. She turned on feeling him approach.



“Goddess, I believe the members of your team are the only ones who are capable of handling what comes next.”