Part Sixteen
Why you shouldn't kidnap telekinetics and other fun with poltergeists
Nagi looked around the room and then flexed his telekinesis, testing things that he could lift. He could open the lock on the door, but he wasn't sure how many people were outside it or how heavily they were armed. Even he couldn't stop sixty men with Kalishnikovs, or at least not for long. He certainly couldn't protect three other people from sixty men with Kalishnikovs. He couldn't even protect Schwarz from sixty men from Kalishnikovs. He was stuck here until they came to rescue him, come what may. Although he was angry and upset that Omi had pretended that he hadn't known him at the Okiya he had to be firm, and he was Schwarz, after all, they would have him back by nightfall at the latest. He had a tracer in one of his fillings, his only advantage to cavities. Crawford would kill everyone here, even if there were sixty men with Kalishnikovs.
However as much like Crawford as he could be he could also be like Schuldig. He smiled, but it really was more of a smirk than a smile. "Everyone," he said looking at the other three, they were still huddled together like puppies. "I'm going to tell you something, and you have to trust me. I work for the government, I'm part of a group called Schwarz, I have a tracer, they'll come and get me, and they'll free us." He did his best to look sincere, he didn't mention the fact that he worked for an evil group as it wouldn't really help them. "I have a gift, things are going to move, like in that film, poltergeists. We are going to be rescued, but I'm going to make their life hell first." The smirk got broader and much more malevolent. "When I tell you, start screaming."
Crawford flicked open his mobile phone and selected option 9 on the menu, then option 1. A loose map flicked up on the coloured screen. "We're within range." He said.
Murasakiiro looked a little dazed as she stood next to him. Normally she was the one in traditional dress but now she wore jeans and he wore chihaya and hakama. She looked over his shoulder at the rudimentary map. "You have him bugged?" She asked.
"In my line of business it's best to have an idea where your team mates are at any time. He's not that far from here." Crawford titled the phone until it beeped once, "this way."
"I know this isn't really the time, Crawford." she said, walking along side him down the path as he followed the beeping of the tracer on his mobile. "But we do need to talk."
"Look," he said, scanning the street. "If this was about my declaration this morning, I'm sorry." Crawford raised the mobile to better the reception. "I was aggravated because you cast me aside, and I assumed that if I was more forceful you might pay attention to me, obviously I was wrong."
Murasakiiro grabbed him. "It's not that." She pressed him up against the wall, and kissed him hard, "It's not that I want to, it's that I can't."
"Aya," he gasped out into her hair, "I knew." He murmured, "I always knew."
Aya looked at him and then laid his head against his shoulder. "You knew?" He asked. "Everything?"
"That you're Weiss Abyssinian and you're only in Kyoto for a mission, of course I knew, I recognised you long before I had a vision." He put his arms around Aya and rested his head against his forehead. "What kind of Oracle would I be if I didn't know?"
"I'm sorry," Aya said, putting his own arms around Crawford's waist and resting her weight against him. "I didn't want to lie to you. I do really like you."
Crawford's answering smile was wickedly cruel. "I know, but Murasakiiro never lied to me, now before I murder Bombay for letting something happen to Nagi let's go rescue the boy."
"I'm not armed." Aya protested.
"In the inside of my blouse." Crawford said, "at the back, I have a spare katana."
"You knew." Aya protested with just a little mock hurt.
"I can see the future." Crawford said, "of course I knew."
"You are smug, I'll just have to break you of it."
Crawford stole a kiss. "I'll hold you to that."
Everyone in the room screamed as Nagi levitated the water cooler. He started to rip up the carpet tiles, although he had said to scream he had the impression that flying carpet tiles and the levitating water cooler would have made them scream. He rattled the door in the frame, he shattered the small window. He started whipping their clothes about them. The door opened and a man with a machine gun came in. He was short and round with a sweaty face. "Shut up." The man said waving his gun around. Nagi slammed the door shut behind him, making sure to catch the guard on the ass.
He started to swirl the glass from the broken window around Miko's head and started the wind lifting her hair. He was going to be starving later from using his gift this much. "We've got a ghost." Miko screamed, doing her best to hold perfectly still.
"This has been happening all day." Shinji said. "We can't stay here, there's no telling what will happen to us. It might be a demon, it might eat us."
Nagi snatched the gun and fired a round into the ceiling. "It's a poltergeist." He shouted. "We've got to get out of here, please." It was all he could not to burst out laughing. The man's face had gone very white and it made his sweaty skin resemble nothing more than a slug in a black T-shirt.
"Be quiet." The man squeaked. There was no power in his voice at all.
Nagi opened the door again and made sure he caught the man again. "The door keeps locking and unlocking, please, you have to move us."
There was a distinct loud bang, one he recognised perfectly. Everything dropped, including the water cooler on the man's head. He laughed. "That's Crawford." he said, with a great smile, "I'd know that magnum anywhere." He offered his hand to Miko, she was nearly a head taller than him. "Let's go home." He said.
Crawford shot the man clean through the head. Abyssinian was beside him, the katana glinting as he moved through a series of katas. His hair was long and flying behind him. It was something to behold. Crawford felt a line of saliva running down the length of his chin. He wiped it away angrily and then shot another man. Nagi waved at him with a smile from a doorway as Abyssinian killed the last of the men.
"Hi," Nagi said leading the others forward. "Thanks for rescuing me, these are the other hostages of a child smuggling and slavery ring."
Aya smirked as he realised that he had just completed his mission, "I'd also like to mention that Murasakiiro has died." He lifted his hair and cut it short around his head, "goodbye evil extensions."
"Murasakiiro." Nagi said, blinking in shock, "you're Abyssinian, why I never." It sounded suitably sarcastic. "Can we go home now?"
Nagi walked hand in hand with Crawford who hadn't done that with him since he was seven. Aya walked to the other side of him, they were suspiciously quiet. They had taken the three children to the local police station but not inside, because as groups of assassins they weren't the best witnesses, before they headed back to the Okiya.
When Aoi saw Nagi she launched herself out of Ken's arms and smothered his face in kisses. "I'm so sorry," she wailed, loudly. "I," Nagi silenced her the best way he knew how, by kissing her soundly.
"Bless," Ken said looking around for Aya and Crawford before he realised they were missing.
"This is going to be difficult to hide." Crawford said, sitting on the outside wall with Aya, they were holding hands.
"I know." Aya said.
"I really can't do this." He lowered his head and frowned, "I still am though." He turned his head and smiled. "and we are still enemies."
"Of course." Crawford answered with a smile. "Do you still sneak off to see your sister?" He asked.
Aya nodded.
"Then slip off one more time a week, come to this address." He handed him a business card. "I'd really like to continue our conversations."
Aya held the card as if it was a priceless treasure. "I'd like that."
Three weeks later Crawford received a letter in the mail, Schuldig who was still recovering from the "prague malady" as he called his hangover just handed it to him without bothering to read it. It simply read
In the morning I am empty
Of everything I used to be
I will write away my feelings
So no one would ever read
If I had all of the answers
I could poor salt on my wounds
I could fill this room with sorrow
So no one would ever see
I want to wake up and drink from your river
I want to reach out and tear down the sky
To know I'm alive
I want to learn how to feel without bleeding
I want to learn how to live by your side
And know that you're mine
And why
We gotta swim against the tide to each other
To find the other side of the river
And why
If I offered you a picture
And the paint is yet to dry
Could you live with just a whisper?
A flower is meant to die
There was no return address and the letter was not signed, he didn't even recognise the hand writing. Nevertheless he cherished it.
Authors Note
The ongoing and quite complicated love of Aya and Crawford will be continued in either An Assassin and White baby, or an assassin and white Christmas, whichever I get round to writing first.
The song is the River from Breed 77 which I have fallen in love with.
Of course Crawford knew, he just didn't care. Smirks evilly and sticks out tongue, mwa ha ha.
Feedback appreciated.
Due to requests for the pic and a deal I did with my beta that if I got 75 reviews he would pay for a year's subscription, (I did so did he) the pic is now on my profile for anyone who wants to look, and Hannah, you still forgot the end of the email address.
So this one's complete, for now.