[DISCLAIMERS] : Can we have Ken? *get bricked* Uh, guess not.

[AUTHORS] : Yoippari & Phenocrystian

[WARNINGS]

Yoippari : *wide eyed and all innocence* Warning? What warning?

Pheno : *nods* We're puritans. *gets bricked* OW! Ouch! Damn, what's wrong with these people?

Yoippari : *smiles angelically* I'm pure. You're not.

Pheno : *sweatdrops*

I'd just like to give Yoippari, one of the most talented writers I've ever met a monstrous snog for putting up with a loser like me and for being such a wonderful friend and co-writer. *glomp* You're the absolute best, you know that, Yoippari? *squeezes* I had so much fun working with you!

And oh. If you find this chapter boring, the next chapter is going to be a LOT more interesting, I swear. *snickers* Cross my heart and hope to die.

     

- CHAPTER ONE -

Hidaka Ken raced down the spiral staircase and sped down the lobby.

"Left, right, left, left, right," the mouthpiece crackled. The sound was vague. Faraway.

"Left?" Ken repeated.

"Right."

Ken spun right and smacked his face into the wall.

"Omi!" he yelled, outraged. "You said right!"

"I said: Right, it's left."

Ken flew into a string of curses and took the opposite direction. He was breathing hard by the time he cracked open the knob of the rosewood door and bounded into the dimly lit storage room.

The target. Must find the target. Where was the door to the office?

A low chuckle echoed through the room. Ken froze in his tracks and stared.

He was not alone.

The tall lanky redhead jumped off the crates and landed gracefully on his feet and Ken involuntarily stepped back. The redhead shadowed his movements and Ken gasped. So fast!

Schuldich prowled around the young member of Weiss, circling him like a shark closing in on its prey.

"So. You're…Siberian." Schuldich snatched the name from the swirling current of thoughts racing through the adrenalin-shot mind of the assassin crouched before him.

Ken's fingers tightened further, claws fully extended from his knuckles.

Schuldich's cold laughter echoed through the dark warehouse. "You don't need to ask, Weiss. I'll give you my name. Gladly."

Ken's thighs tensed as he readied himself for his attack. He didn't have time to waste on this arrogant piece of Schwarz trash.

"Mmmmm…not nice, Siberian," Schuldich chided, picking out Ken's thoughts one by one, moving ever so closer. "Where are your manners, little one?"

A low growl started deep in Ken's throat.

"Schuldich." Schuldich said pleasantly, as if introducing himself to a friendly acquaintance. "It's only fair to share my name with you before I kill you," he declared matter-of-factly.

Ken lunged at Schuldich, an angry shout accompanying his attack. But Schuldich easily evaded Ken's blind lurch in an effortless twist. Wearing a smug smile. He'd ascertained the assassin's plan even before Ken had formulated the complete thought.

Schuldich spun around, catching Ken roughly by the hair and hauling him up against the brick wall. The stone scraped at his back and he bit back a wince. "You can't win, Siberian." Schuldich smiled into Ken's ear. "Not against me. Not against Schwarz."

Schuldich's laughter echoed through the empty space once more. Vicious, cruel, confident. Schuldich released Ken, shoving him away violently, causing Ken to stumble and fall to his hands and knees.

"I love playing with Weiss," Schuldich sighed nostalgically as he advanced on Ken again. "You aren't much of a challenge..." he cocked his head thoughtfully and brought a hand to his chin, lank red tendrils obscuring the mocking green gaze. "But you try so hard," he said condescendingly, with the slightest hint of a pout to his lips. He shook his head sadly, disappointed.

"Fuck off, Schwarz," Ken spat, never taking his eyes off the German's.

"Oooh. Such strong language from the little Weiss pawn." Schuldich drawled.

Schuldich. The harsh forceful tone forced its way into Schuldich's thoughts.

Not now, Crawford.

Why aren't you in position?

Schuldich. This time the youthful, biting thoughts of the telekinetic.

Schuldich. Crawford again.

Ken caught it. A slight shift in the German's eyes. He could tell that Schuldich's attention was momentarily diverted but as soon as he saw his chance, it was wiped away clean. Schuldich's eyes narrowed. His self-satisfied smile morphed into a malicious sneer.

"No. It's not that easy, Weiss."

Ken swore under his breath. There must be a way to kill this bastard, at least catch him by surprise, so that he could escape, and get on with the mission.

But how?

"Mmm… good question, Siberian…" Schuldich taunted. "Very good question."

Schuldich. More insistent. Angry.

Not now!

Get into position. NOW. Nagi is waiting.

Ken saw his opening. He didn't hesitate.

He slammed into Schuldich, forcing the German into the wall, jamming the tips of his razor-sharp knives into the tender, pale flesh of the redhead's slender throat. Drew blood from identical punctured wounds. A thin line of red trickled down smooth alabaster skin, tinting the snow-white fabric in a blushing shade of crimson.

"Yes. It is that easy, Schwarz," Ken hissed.

Schuldich was taller, but Ken was stronger.

Schuldich could have disabled the assassin with a single thought. Twisting the neuropathways, manipulating the young man's chemistry, inflicting unbearable pain upon his assailant. But he didn't. Because when he ventured deeper into the brain of the man pinning him helpless to the wall, he discovered a mixture of the expected hate swirling in a sea of anger and uncontrollable rage and beneath the blatant fury, the violence, ran an undercurrent of barely checked lust.

And that intrigued Schuldich.

Schuldich. Nagi again. Where are you?

Busy.

Schuldich delivered Ken a full-lipped pout. Relaxed. Sultry. Almost flirtatious. A lazy grin without a trace of fear. Smokey green eyes sparkled. Whether from amusement or anticipation, even he himself did not know. Perhaps a little of both.

He laughed.

Ken faltered, sensed the first wee pinprick of doubt. The laughter was not a bluff, he was certain. Schuldich should have been terrified… at the very least, worried. But he wasn't. He was cool. And calm. And absolutely indifferent to the lethal weapon poised to rip his throat apart.

Either Schuldich was very sure of his powers, or he had some serious backup on the way.

And to Ken, neither alternative seemed to be a very compromising choice.

"I like the way your mind works, Kenken," Schuldich purred, his voice low. He lingered over the petname with careful deliberance. Toyed with it.

"Shut up," Ken snapped, his patience waning. A thigh rubbed suggestively against the aching juncture between his legs and he tensed, sucked in his breath at the erotic friction it caused.

"Make me," Schuldich challenged in a fierce whisper.

Ken thrust his face into Schuldich's personal space, their noses almost touching, livid.

Schuldich's confidence. Schuldich's easy smile and knowing smirk. Ken wanted to bash his fist into the German's goddamn beautiful face. And he wanted to abuse that angular body. In more ways than one.

"Got a soft spot for me in your heart, little Siberian?" Schuldich mocked, extending his neck forward, forcing the blades to dig deeper into his pale skin.

Ken wavered. Uncertain, incapable of comprehending the mixed, complicated emotions flitting across his brain. He was furious; he was outraged by his enemy's bizarre behavior. He was almost overconfident, heady with pride at the victory that lay within his grasp as he held the German immobile against the wall.

Schuldich's wicked smile deepened. His eyes glinted in the darkness as he followed the Weiss pawn's thoughts.

Shame. He felt it, burning in his cheeks. Shame at his body's reaction to this man. His enemy. He fought the thought. It wasn't… he shuddered at the word... lust. It was just adrenaline. The heat of the battle. The thrill of victory. The claiming of blood. His eyes flicked to the dark stain spreading across the neck of his captive. He couldn't tear his eyes away.

Ken was tempted and guilty of being tempted.

His eyes snapped up, locked with Schuldich's.

Oh god. No.

Schuldich knew. Knew what he had been thinking. Even if he hadn't allowed the thoughts to fully coalesce, Schuldich knew.  As he stared at the redhead, fury boiled up inside him and a frightening realization slammed into him. Schuldich knew he had him, had him good.  And the smile, that fucking smile gloated the very fact in his face.

Ken snarled in anger and slammed his ungloved fist into Schuldich's cheek, effectively erasing the goddamn irritating smirk from his vision. Schuldich groaned as Ken landed another hard punch in his washboard abdomen. The German crumpled to the ground and Ken kicked him repeatedly, venting his fury. His anger with Schuldich. With himself.

"Ken."

Ken froze. Shocked by his berserker rage, by his complete irresponsibility. The mission.

"Hai."

"We're ready."

"Hai."

Ken took one last long look at the unconscious man at his feet, resisted both the overwhelming desire to rip the German's throat out and the contradictory temptation to feel for a pulse. He took off at a full run.

Never looking back.

:+: OUTTAKES :+: (The Assassins at the Round Table)

Yoippari : Admit it. You love us.

Pheno : *bounces* Whee!

Ken : And you love me.

Yoippari & Pheno : *chorus* Yes, yes, yes! Ken-sama!

Yohji : What about me?

Yoippari : Oh yeah. No question, Yohji hon. Love you to pieces.  *growls like a kitty*

Pheno: *slowly scoots away from Yoippari and bounces hyper while pulling on Aya's eartails* 

Pheno : *high on caffeine*  Whee!

Aya : *irked* Knock it off, you crazy little hentai.

Pheno : WHEE!!!

Omi : Ash-san, will you please calm down?

Pheno : WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! XD

Farfello : *fwaps her with a knife hilt*

Pheno : *drops like a sack of potatoes*

Aya : *pokes body with katana*

Yoippari : You've killed her. And now you're stuck in this outtake until she gets up and writes you guys away.

Everyone : *moans* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yoippari: What do you mean, no? You have ME. *smiles angelically* Love me, worship me.

Nagi : *urgently* Schu! Do something!

Schuldich : Shut up, I'm listening. *cocks an ear and nods* She thinks she needs to be kissed awake by a certain prince charming.

Everyone : *regretfully* Damn, she's fine.

Farfello : That would be me.

Pheno : *comes back to life miraculously* NO! NO! I'm alive! I'm alive!!!!!!!!! *chibifies due to lack of caffeine*

Yoippari: *nudges Ash* They never admitted they loved us. They sent Ken in to do that distraction thingy and he does it so well . . . *props her chin on her hand and bats lashes at Ken*

Aya: *clears throat and sharpens katana* Ahem.

Yoippari: *completely ignores him and wraps her arms around Ken's middle with a happy purr of contentment*

Pheno: *waves distractedly at a fuming Aya, stares at Ken's biceps and squeezes them a couple more times* Aya… could you get me…  *gasps like a beached fish* Could you be a dear and fetch me some more coffee, please? Uh... *topples over and vanishes from the table and the meeting altogether*