The story is set after Weiß Kreuz Glühen and before Weiß Kreuz Side B. WK Side B characters can be mentioned, I don't know yet. SPOILERS everywhere.
Language: I must warn everyone that English isn't my first language. I'm sorry for any mistakes I may have made here. Gomen nasai.
Pairings: Ran/Ken, Schuldig/Ken, Schuldig/Crawford. Love... Square?
Disclaimer: Weiß Kreuz is not mine. If it was, why would I write fanfiction? Everything would be original. Ne?
Missing
Chapter 01
- Right! To the right!
Hidaka Ken was yelling at the top of his lungs, almost jumping in excitement, near the soccer field inside the prison. The assassin, while in jail, had became a kind of couch to the others, teaching them how to play the British game.
Almost everyday, Ken would organise two teams, who played against each other. Usually, the winners would have the other team's dessert at lunch; but no one truly cared about their "prize". Having fun was the only thing that really mattered there.
Ken brushed a few strands of brown hair away of his face, getting a proper vision of the soccer field. Three guards were watching the youth: how could he manage coaching two teams at the same time?
- Satoshi! To the centre!
The goalie followed Ken's advice and caught the ball. The players from the other team sighed in frustration.
- Very well, time is up! Everyone get inside now!
The guards left their position and joined a few others, who began to conduct the prisoners back to their cells. Ken sat down, using a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. It seemed like he had actually played the match, not just coached the teams.
- Hey, you! Aren't you coming?
Ken raised his face and found one last guard waiting for him to join the other prisoners. The former soccer player had a quick shower and returned to his cell. Just before being locked again, he heard footsteps outside, and some guy from the penitentiary's administration showed up.
- Number 1257? Your lawyer has arrived and is requesting your presence. Go to the visitor's area.
- My... Lawyer? - Ken's blue eyes widened. Since when he had a lawyer? - But I...
"Just come."
- Yes?
- Nothing, nothing... - Ken got up and left his cell. That voice... That voice could only belong to one person. Schuldig.
"Very smart. Now come, Kätzchen."
The prisoner followed one guard, frowning slightly. It wasn't possible that months after the incident with the Rosenkreuz members, Schuldig could be among the living people, safe and sound. Thinking again, it wasn't that surprising, because Nagi was still working for Kritiker, so... Crawford and Schuldig could be alive.
Ken took a seat, looking through the glass that divided the prison from the visitor's area. No one was seated across him, there was just a black briefcase lying on top of the small table.
Raising his head, he spotted someone. A man with his back turned to him, wearing a black suit. The orange hair tied into a long ponytail stood out from the black clothing.
- Schuldig? - Ken couldn't hide his surprise.
The man turned around, his trademark smirk on his lips. If it wasn't the German himself, it was his clone.
- The only and one. No clones... At least for a while. - Schuldig's smile faded slightly, only to come back again - How have you been, Ken?
The soccer player couldn't talk, ignoring the question. It was too shocking to the see the German redhead there. And as his lawyer.
Sighing, the telepath sat down.
"Keep in mind that I hear your thoughts."
"Tell me something new. Since when you're a lawyer?"
Schuldig smirked.
- Kätzchen... You know nothing about me.
Ken crossed his arms.
- I've noticed that.
The German laughed and opened his briefcase, picking a small white card from it. He gave it to Ken.
- Johann Christian Schön... Schönthaler? - Ken stumbled over the name, getting the telepath's attention.
- Ja.
"Did you think that Schuldig was my true name?"
"Yes."
Ken raised an eyebrow:
- Graduated from Munich University?
- I told you know nothing about me. Now, let's get down to business.
Schuldig leant forward, and two strands of orange hair from his ponytail hung lose, framing his face in a handsome way. Ken studied Schuldig for a while: it was very, very different to see him like that, dressed as someone serious and without strange hair styles. The contrast between his blue eyes and orange hair was astonishing. The German was... Gorgeous?
"Thank you for your compliments. Shall we proceed?"
Ken jumped. He often forgot that Schuldig could hear everything he thought.
"Ja, exactly. And who could say that your uniform would match your eyes?"
Ken froze, without fully understanding the telepath's comment, who was smiling again. He winked at the prisoner, before switching into a serious mode.
"Siberian."
The former player shifted his position, uneasy. He was using his codename. That meant... Trouble.
"Exactly. All this time being in a prison has improved your... Mental skills, huh?"
- What happened, Schuldig?
The German redhead lowered his astonishing blue eyes, before focusing them again in Ken, finding another pair of blue orbs.
- Ken... Crawford's been missing. And...
Before the assassin could say anything, Schuldig resumed his sentence.
"And so has Abyssinian."
Ken almost fell off his seat.
- Ran? Missing?
Schuldig nodded.
- You need to get out of here, Ken. If you want to see him... - Schuldig's lips curved into a new smirk. Ken felt his face flush.
- And I assume that you're concerned because Crawford is gone too?
The telepath blinked, caught off guard.
- Ja. But still... We'll need to work together. If you want to meet Ran - Schuldig slowly mentioned Aya's true name - again, Ken. Isn't it the thing you're looking forward to? Meeting him?
Ken nodded quickly.
- And you want Crawford...
"Yes."
- Right. I'll help you.
"Actually, it's quite the contrary. I'm the one helping here."
- So why did you come all the way here?
Schuldig didn't reply.
"Tomorrow I'll pick you up. Enjoy your last night in the prison, Siberian."
"As if I couldn't leave this place by myself."
"You got me. By the way, how did you manage to keep in such a good shape?"
Ken blushed in deep shades of read. Schuldig had been checking him out.
"If you were the coach for two soccer teams everyday, and when bored worked out in your the cell... You'd know."
"I see."
- I see you tomorrow, Ken.
- Sayounara, Schuldig.
As if on cue, a bell rang somewhere. The visiting time was over. Schuldig winked at Ken one more time before leaving the building.
The former player let himself be conducted to his cell again. He stared at the dark ceiling.
- Ran...
Images from his old teammate were dancing in his mind. He had last seen Ran at the airport, when words hadn't even been spoken properly. Some images of Schuldig dressed in such a different way were also in his mind, to Ken's own surprise.
"My my. Someone's impressed."
"Conceited."
"Of course..."
"Get out of my mind!"
"When I feel like it."
- SCHULDIG!
To be continued...
A/N²: About Schuldig's true name: I made that up. I don't know his real name, and I'm serious. But Mr. Johann Christian Schönthaler does exist, I just borrowed his name (because I wanted a good German name). Oh yes, he graduated from Munich University.
Reviews are always welcome. Ne? -winks-