28-May-2002

Breakdown: An Alternate Universe Weiss Kreutz Fanfic
by Nixerchan and bonnejeanne

Contact: nixerchan@aol.com and bonnejeanne@yahoo.com
Category: AU
Pairings: Various, or to put it another way, most of them ^__^;;
Warnings: Weird premise, weird psychic powers, probably confusing plot, um, possibly some OOC, some violence, probably gratuitous use of pointless Japanese, what else... oh yeah, LEMON from time to time... poor Nixers, I'm such a corrupting influence... ^__~
Rating: NC-17

SUMMARY/PREMISE: What if the Weiss boys actually possessed psychic powers similar to Schwartz, which had been suppressed or erased from their memories?

AU TIMELINE: Picks up *almost* at the end of the OAV, just after the death of Gen. Norman Powell.

/something/ - may indicate thoughts, telepathy or other psychic contact.
'something' - indicates just thoughts.

Chapter 2: Liberty (continued)

Aya woke to the sound of a shower running in the adjacent room, a testament to either the care with which the other had slipped out, or sheer exhaustion. Light filtering in through the window still had enough of an orangish/pink hue to tell that it hadn't quite cleared the city's smog in its morning ascent and outside the beginnings of daily traffic were steadily growing in volume.

Getting up quickly, the redhead followed the sound into the small bathroom. After taking care of some necessary things, he eyed the figure silhouetted in the frosted shower curtain. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the curtain at the back a few inches, letting the rings scrape on the rod as a warning.

The water turned down in volume a little bit, and the silhouette, turned back a second before making an enter gesture, "Might as well, I plan on using the rest of the hot water anyway," Ken's voice called above the water. The faint tang of a rather plain shampoo was in the air as he worked at getting it through his hair. "Damn stage blood takes forever to work out."

Aya stepped into the small cubicle and turned the other young man around, ignoring the suds in favor of pulling Ken's strong body against his own and covering his mouth with a hungry kiss. He rode out the aborted protest and just held him, kissing Ken until he relaxed against him. Then he drew back, wiping a little of the shampoo away before it could drip into his eyes. Turning him back, he reached up and began working his hands through Ken's thick hair, getting the lather down into the roots and paying close attention to the areas that had been stained.

Whatever hadn't relaxed during the kiss became downright pliant in the simple treatment. He waited with a contented sort of patience under the other's fingers, only even thinking about the lowered stream of water well after they withdrew. "I knew I waited till morning for a reason," Ken murmured.

Aya didn't answer, reaching around Ken to turn the water up enough to rinse the shampoo out. Then he ran his hands over the former athlete in an almost clinical way, checking for damage, and whether he needed anything else soaped.

"Not before coffee," Ken said, turning the water off completely before initiating a full second kiss, body to body, as he drew back, he continued, "You'll never manage to wake me up a second time."

Aya looked into the jade green eyes, glad he could see them fully in the light. "I haven't finished my shower," he said. "If you wouldn't mind passing the shampoo..."

Now Ken blushed briefly, a hand flipping wet locks out of his face. With an apologetic look he turned the water back on, but didn't relinquish the bottle. "I'll hang onto it for a bit if you don't mind."

Aya shrugged, the glimmer of something like a smile in his eyes. Obediently he turned around and leaned his head back, wetting it in the spray before turning his back to Ken.

Putting a good dollop in one palm, Ken took his time working it into the bright red locks, carefully gathering the eartails with the rest. His actions weren't as methodical, as the taller assassin's hair was nigh but untouched by the same problems. Running from a light massage of the scalp to the occasional wayward trailing of a strand down the back of a neck, it took him a good while before he declared Aya done.

Aya closed his eyes and enjoyed the shampoo and incidental scalp massage almost as much as the nearness of the other boy. Rinsing, he found the soap and went over his body quickly before rinsing that and turning to step out of the shower. He paused for a moment before doing so and took Ken's face in his hands, giving him another deep kiss. Then he stepped out and found a towel, saving the remaining one for the other boy instead of using it on his hair.

Stepping out into the semi-cool air of the bathroom, Ken brushed off most of the water efficiently before reaching for a set of clothes he'd laid out for himself. "Any plan for today or is it still try to spot them first and go from there?"

Aya threw the towel in the general direction of a rack and stalked out of the bathroom, gathering his existing clothes from where they had been scattered. "Check the school." He shrugged. "Try and keep ourselves free."

"We have an hour or two then," Ken mused. The first impulse he had was to get his second set of bugnuks as the older pair had been all but sacrificed to the theatrics yesterday, but any place possible to even find replacement parts would be risky. With a reluctant air, he picked up the weapons he'd shed before climbing into bed, toying with them once, before discarding them in the waste bin. He'd dispose of them properly before leaving, he figured. "There's not much in the cabinets and what's left I don't recommend, I haven't been here in a while," he apologized. "If you want breakfast we've gotta go out for it."

Pulling the side zipper on the lavender shirt, Aya found his boots and slipped into them, going into the front room for the long white coat. He slipped the katana into its pocket along the inside. "No coffee? Not even instant?" he asked, flickered a look at Ken with the slightest hint of a pull to the corners of his mouth.

The faint smile got a grin in return and Ken was already moving past for the small kitchenette. "Coffee isn't breakfast. Coffee is necessity," he replied, pulling open a cabinet and fishing out a small, unopened can. "Vast difference."

"Let's stick to necessities for the time being," Aya growled, following him. Coming up from behind, he planted a hot kiss on the back of Ken's neck and then began scouring the cabinets for mugs.

Ken swayed back into it, initiating a brief, if full contact as if it were natural between them. As Aya left for the shelves on the far wall, an almost invisible smile remained. He wasn't quite sure what the morning would be like, or quite expected it to be so... comfortable. He pulled the can opener from one of the drawers and made short work of the tin lid before setting the machine up.

After setting the mugs out, Aya drifted into the next room, attempting to formulate the oft-mentioned and heretofore non-existent plan.

The scent of strong coffee curled out of the kitchen not too much later, interrupting the development.

Drawn by the aroma, Aya appeared next to the mugs a little like a cat appearing next to the milk bowl.

Already putting startling amounts of sugar in his cup, Ken set his aside just long enough to pour a second mug and pass it back to the waiting assassin. "Lemmie guess, you take it black?"

Aya lifted the mug, rocking it slightly to cool. "I do now. I used to like Viennese," he remarked, drifting back into the main room after dropping that unexpected tidbit.

Ken filed away the info for later with a faint smile. Well, couldn't hurt to have it around later, he might like it. He turned the mug impatiently in his hands, waiting for it to cool, and wandered into the front room. Taking the same seat he had last night, he alternated watching Aya pace with a few tentative sips of the still scalding coffee. Out of all of them, he was happiest leaving the technicalities of 'what next' to any of the others.

When the coffee had cooled to 'barely scalding' Aya drank about half the mug and set it down. He leaned against the wall by a window half obscured with overgrown vegetation, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can't figure it," he growled, deciding to admit his difficulties. The truth was, he missed the other half of the team. It wasn't a comfortable thought but he'd gradually admitted to himself over time that they *were* a unit, they worked *well* as a unit, and while he'd always maintained his apparent distance, he'd let himself come to rely on the strength of the whole. In fact what they had just been through with the American General Newman had depended on that unity and clearly shown its extraordinary strength. To have it shattered and taken away now... and for reasons he could not get a grip on...

He thought about how Omi would have laid it out. Knowing he needed the blond's analytical skills badly collided with a bitter vow of vengeance if Youji let anything happen to the boy.

"From Birman," he began, uncomfortable with verbalizing this, but needing other thoughts to supplement his, "It seems clear that there are people in Kritiker that have mental powers. Which they haven't been too free about letting us know... in spite of the fact that we keep running into Schwartz. Normal, or odd?"

"Both.. maybe," Ken said, after a little consideration, "If we are like this, it kinda seems normal we'd have a group like that tripping us up constantly. I've always kinda wondered why they never went all out, you know. Just what Prodigy did a couple of times.. But... odd with Kritiker maybe. You'd have thought they'd want us to be even with who they set us against, if not more so, you know?"

It jibed pretty closely with his own thoughts. "So... they didn't want us to know. Why?"

"Maybe they considered it the same deal as with what they did to Omi... some warped 'for our own good' idea," Ken shrugged. "Or, well, both of us have taken off on our own once or twice..."

There it was... the thing that pushed his fury nearly over the edge, nestled in between Ken's remarks. For 'their own good' he didn't buy. He didn't buy that even for Omi - it had been a cold blooded act on Persia's part to get what he wanted. He might have saved Omi from the kidnappers but if he'd loved the boy, he'd have sent him far away, not turned him into an assassin. The man was lucky he'd paid with his life when he did. No... what enraged Aya was simpler.

"They... tampered... with us."

Ken glanced down, not quite watching the lukewarm, dark water tip back and forth. It was more of a numbness that he was battling, and a good feeling that showing it would only send the redhead over further. "Probably," he answered, draining the rest of his drink in a few efficient gulps.

Aya watched Ken for a moment or two. "You blanked out after it happened yesterday. And you... you blanked out after the test, didn't you? For a moment?"

Ken nodded, a little uncertainly, after a moment. "Seems like it," Ken shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'd rather use my gloves anyway than, whatever it was."

The swordsman watched his partner closely. "It's not what you use. It's *being* used," he said tersely. "They wouldn't keep us around, like this, if they didn't intend to use it at some point."

"Then why haven't they?" Ken asked, playing with the empty cup. "Getting your sister back wouldn't have been such a close thing... And after.." He frowned, something else not sitting well. "Ne, Aya, do you remember how we got out, anyway?"

The redhead didn't even hear the question. Ken's earlier remark had started a chain of thought that moved far too quickly. Easier to get Aya back... easier to have never lost her... what if... what if I could have simply told her to wake up... then the chain of thought skipped further/faster.... seeing hidden purpose behind everything, what if... as powerful as he apparently could be, what if Aya-chan... genetic... what if she... what if the coma... Birman... Kritiker....

Setting the half filled cup down without seeing it, he walked into the kitchen blindly and found an empty spot on the wall. The first blow with his fist dented the sheetrock, the second went through. Cheap housing materials.

On the third or fourth blow a hand caught his wrist, the momentum pulling the interloper a few inches before Ken managed to brace his body right. Jade eyes sought his, level and serious. "Save it."

Aya's body froze, everything stopping instantly. After a moment, he leaned forward, until his forehead touched the now-damaged wall.

"I'm going to take them out."

"You want the killing blow, fine." The hand on his wrist loosened, but lingered there. "But there's no way in hell you're going to even get close alone. No way you'd manage to keep me out of it anyway." There was a pause. "Omi too if we can get him."

Aya took a breath and turned, facing Ken more fully. "You understand what I mean? Taking Kritiker apart... completely. It will be the bloodiest thing we have ever done."

The prospect didn't bother him so much. He'd walked in and out of bloodbaths with, usually, a calm stomach. It was something he'd said himself. The only difference between Akira and Weiss was Kritiker, take away that element... There were faults, many and deep, especially as the group had reformed after Persia's death, but he still had a bit of hope in the ideal of it.

"Where will that leave us?" Ken asked, "Afterwards... Take out a few fine, but there's still a purpose. Otherwise we've all just wasted a whole lot of time over shit."

Aya's eyes bored into Ken's. You really thought it was something else? he thought, but kept it away from his eyes. Ken probably did. Honesty and even some kind of ideals were possible for him. It was part of what drew Aya to the boy and much of the reason he'd stayed so away from a desire that was of long duration. After a moment, he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose for a moment. "I don't know. But we may not have a choice." He shrugged and realized he was going to have to leave it at that for the time being. Then the fact that it was Ken he was facing nudged him hard in the solar plexus and he forced one more thing out, knowing he owed the other boy what honesty he could give. "I thought Aya-chan was safe now." He left it at that. Ken would be able to understand the implications. It depended on what Kritiker was willing to do to stop them or get them back, but Aya's weakness was so well known it was practically legend.

The realization visibly hit Ken. He withdrew after a few seconds and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the counter, facing Aya. "You know that's going to be the first place they'll be waiting for you... whether she has anything or not," he said, sounding a little defeated even to his own ears. It was no argument and he knew it.

"I know." I need Omi, dammit. And... I need Youji. Aya shook his head trying to dislodge the last thought but it stuck like a burr. He growled an short, unwilling protest to it. "I don't suppose it would do any good to suggest that you take off and stay gone for the rest of your life?"

"You know better than that."

"Aa."

Ken glanced up at the squarish clock hanging high on the kitchen wall. "We can probably catch him between periods if we go now."

With a short nod, Aya pushed away from the wall. It brought him closer to Ken and, seized with an impulse he didn't bother to control, he slid his hand around the other boy's neck and held him for a short, but intense, kiss. As far as Aya could tell, the last curtains shrouding the damning secrets surrounding his life were being pulled away and he had a very strong sense that he probably wasn't going to live to see another birthday.

Omi toweled his hair coming out of the bathroom, b-lining for the open laptop that still sat in the pizza box, in the small motel room. Grabbing a piece of somewhat dried out pizza from beside the machine, he absently gnawed at it while looking at something scrolling on a window of the small screen. "I'm pretty sure I know where they are. The question is, do you want to go find them or let 'em find us?"

"If they were going to be smart about it, they wouldn't be in the country right now," Youji said, "However, there's a good chance they'll be looking for us already." Going to where they are would be risky enough, at least until we know how they're reacting to all of this. "Care for an escort to school, Omittachi?"

Omi wrinkled his nose, the pizza slice still clenched in his teeth. "Yeah sure... hey... you said I could help with Aya... how upset is he at you?"

"I think I'm only somewhat below 'Shi-ne', but not much," Youji confessed, "He's pretty convinced I was going to kill Ken." He slouched onto one elbow, looking for all the world like the arm of the chair was the only thing keeping him upright.

The pizza was gnawed and the remainder discarded. "Were you?"

"I was supposed to," Youji said. First thing out the door, he resolved, was a stop for cigarettes and something harder than beer. "If Aya'd taken any longer in stopping him I sure as hell would have had to make a better try, though by then, it'd probably been too late."

Omi tapped a few keys on the laptop and then turned to grab clothes out of a bag and start pulling them on. "What would have happened, Youji-kun? If you'd been... too late, and Aya hadn't... 'stopped him'?"

Youji did a few quick calculations. The base was pretty isolated a few miles away from the city proper. "Would have leveled the based and probably scorched everything to about halfway to the city limits.. even then, people on the edge of town probably would have felt a good hot breeze anyway. Depends if he just took from the air or figured out how to use the electrical systems or not."

Omi looked up from lacing his shoes and favored Youji with a long stare as if trying to determine if he were exaggerating. Finishing the tie, he straightened up and tilted his head. "So, close to Nagi's strength..." he mused aloud.

"Little less, but yeah. He's still got no refinement." Youji shrugged, "I can bend spoons, Nagi could play origami with the Tokyo Tower if he wanted." He gave a little wry smirk, "Lucky for tourism he doesn't have a sense of humor."

Omi snorted softly. "How do you know all this?" His blue eyes shadowed for a moment. "Have they.. we... been... tested?" And we didn't know it.. he added mentally.

"Yeah, just once," Youji said, "All of their info is way behind though, most of what I'm saying is my own estimates... little stuff to notice. Ever notice when Aya gets really pissed, the school girls do leave? Any other time, you'd need a crowbar."

Omi cocked his head again, thoughtfully. "What about me?"

"Empathy and influence through it," Youji said, then with a look at Omi that contrasted with the still casual tones, "That's all they know about, so you can relax."

Omi's attention sharpened. He walked up to Youji and tilted his head to meet the man's eyes. "I can, huh? So how come... if you know something else, you didn't tell?"

"Same reason I haven't mentioned anything about Aya and Ken bleeding through," Youji said, "Same reason you had a laptop hidden under the RV. Just in case. Clever by the way."

The boy continued to look into Youji's eyes for a long moment as if he could see a lot more in them that the older man might like. Then with a little smile, he ducked his head. "No big deal. I have 'em here and there. The RV has always been bugged. They went a lot further with it than they did at the shop. We aren't going to be able to use it for long, but if we ditch it they'll figure out what's going on. There's one more thing, though. They've been moving away from the traditional kind of wiring lately. Been using chips and satellite tracking. I've taken a chip out of your watch three times in the last four months."

The corner's of Youji's mouth tightened at the edges. "And I've needed it repaired about that many times. Convenient." He shook his head, letting whatever was building up go. "Should have figured. Thanks on that."

Omi shrugged brightly. "Don't worry. I replaced it with a dummy chip every time. They just probably figured they got a bad batch from the vendor," he smirked. Then his expression became more serious. "But the point is, they've been trying to keep tabs on all of us a lot too closely. I keep myself pretty clean except for the ones I know how to deal with. Since we didn't know who had Manx, I got everything off you guys at the beginning, so the guys are probably ok for now but we have to be careful about where we get stuff... equipment, weapons, clothes...."

"You know what to look for, so I'll let whatever comes through by that means go to you first." Youji pushed himself up and went to the window, "Closer tabs and I've almost all but lost communication with the few I'd trusted within. Manx swore she was out of all of this after Persia died as well, and she turned back up.. what... three weeks ago? No explanation at all."

Omi perched on the bed, resting his chin on his knees. "I think... she's worried about... us. Okay, me." He watched Youji soberly. "I don't think she likes Birman much."

Youji shook his head, "I'd be happier if we lost Birman all together."

Omi made no reply to that but Youji caught another very brief flash in the wide blue eyes of something that just didn't go with what most people considered the 'normal' range of Omi-expressions. It wasn't dark, just dispassionate and so devoid of feeling as to be colder than Aya's ice had ever been.

"You asked me if I felt anything just after you came out of the room. I didn't then, like I said. Manx seems to be able to block or dampen what I feel from people. But I did feel something about twenty... maybe thirty minutes later. From Birman. She was.... real angry. Then... real... *real* scared."

"So she tried to stop them," Youji said, stating the obvious. There was an irrational sort of guilt that his actions had very likely gotten her harmed and a greater hope that the other two /had/ made it clear, confused with a nervousness stemming from that selfsame hope. "Still alive I assume?"

Omi shrugged. "Think so."

"Can't make any assumptions from that then," he turned away from the glass to look at Omi fully. "You know that there's a point that you can trust Manx to, right?"

Omi returned the look directly. "I know she... loved Persia. And she found something out about three weeks ago that made her want to.... try and protect me. I don't know how far that goes really. It seems to go pretty far but," he shrugged.

"And they've probably found out she knows it," Youji said, considering it as he went. "It's just too convenient that they put her in that position when Birman's been our regular contact for longer now."

Omi frowned. "You think... they were trying to... get her killed with this Powell thing?" He privately didn't think Kritiker knew or cared what Manx had discovered three weeks ago. It was something that would have mattered only to a very small number of people, most of whom were dead.

"I'd keep it as a consideration until we have something more to go on," Youji replied, moving to scoop up his overcoat. "I'm not discounting anything yet. Come on, bishounen, you'll be late."

Omi nodded, jumping up. He looked at the laptop with mild regret and reached into a pocket, taking out a small ampoule. Cracking it over the keyboard, careful not to let the fluid touch his hands, the laptop started to hiss and then fumes and small sparks came from it before the plastic casing started to melt over the now destroyed internal works. Closing the pizza box he grabbed his bag and bounced out the door, dropping the box in the trash cart of a maid who was servicing the rooms further down the hall.

Youji followed behind Omi's energetic pace, watching the activities behind mirrored sunglasses. It wouldn't be the first time, he mused, that he was fervently grateful that Omi was /with/ Weiss.

In the RV, Omi carried on a half cheerful, half worried conversation about why Aya and Ken hadn't shown up and where they might be, and when they might hook up, all for the ears of whoever might be listening. He made sure to sound concerned enough to be believable but unconcerned enough to keep from sounding like a threat. He also talked about the noise the engine was making. It wasn't making any particular noise but Youji noticed that if you remark on engine noise, suddenly several things the car was doing already that never bothered you suddenly sounded ominous. Omi ended up suggesting that they park down the block from the school and that Youji see about getting it serviced sometime during the day.

Having kept up a minimum in the conversation so far, Youji gave Omi a sideways glance at the request, but pulled it over just in sight of the high school. "I could bring it in later, she's had a lot of wear recently."

Nodding, Omi grinned. "Come on then. You forgot? You have to come in with me. Once a quarter guardian meeting with counselor thing. Good thing it's you. Aya scared 'em last time, and they keep trying to enroll Ken in school again..."

"Bleh, that again," Youji sighed, before adding with desperate hope, "Tell me you've got some hot teachers this year."

Hopping out and heading down the sidewalk, Omi shrugged. "Math teacher's kind of hot. I like the culture teacher, but she's probably too old for you."

"I suppose I'll have to judge for myself," Youji declared, sliding out of his side of the RV and straightening the sleeves of his jacket. "I can't rely on your estimates for another year, sadly," Youji complained with a wink.

Omi hadn't mentioned that the "hot" math teacher was male. And blond.

Eyes shining innocently, Omi dug into his books while Youji made conversation with the young man. On the break, a number of his female classmates surrounded Omi and asked questions about his "big brother". Omi informed them mournfully that he didn't date undergrads.

At the end of class, Omi was met with Youji at the door, a disapproving look sloppily plastered over his face. "Tsk, Now I know you can do better than a B+ in mathematics." Omi got a nudge in the side, "And you neglected to mention the gender of the teacher," he finished tragically, though Omi just barely caught Youji slipping a small sheet of paper into his pocket.

Eyes widening slightly, Omi pinned Youji with a betrayed look. "That's not fair!" he murmured, only partially joking. "I saw him way first!"

The slip of paper reappeared, held between two fingers, just a little above Omi's reach. Youji sniffed. "Now you could do so much better," he admonished, a little half quirk to his lips before putting the folded paper down to eye level. "For one, he's a little short..."

"First age, now height," Omi huffed. Tossing his head, he distained the folded paper. "Ah, you're right. He was just a substitute for something I'll never get anyway." Aiming a smirk over his shoulder he turned away. "Lavatory break. Meet you in 204, that's study period next."

"In the second building?" Youji shrugged and gave Omi a lazy wave. "Don't be to far behind." A little further down the hall he crumpled the small sheet and tossed it casually into one of the hall wastebaskets. A shame after all that effort to palm a blank sheet.

As he walked between the buildings, fortunately not too thick with foot traffic, something reached out and pulled him around a corner behind a large bush. He found his back against the building and a pair of lavender eyes boring into his.

After the initial shock and adrenaline, Youji quelled the impulse to look aside or fight. The grip on his arms was more than enough already for whatever Aya wanted to do. "Well, get it over with," Youji said, not really sure to who.

Aya shook his head once. "What happens to you depends on what Omi says to Ken," he growled. "While we are waiting, tell me why?"

"Why what? Why I didn't tell you?" Youji asked, "You wouldn't have believed me until now. Good chance you'd have taken *me* in to get my head examined."

"Why did you do such a great job of pretending to be my friend," Aya's growl was so soft it sounded more like a purr. "Why are you a part of this? Why do you get to know and no one else does?"

"I was allowed because I'm, relatively, not dangerous at all. I'd already found out a whole lot of shit before Kritiker even snapped me up, so they gave me a choice, either lose it, and what caused it, or keep an eye on the others they put in the group," a cool sort of anger rose underneath the words. "And let me tell you Fujimaya, my job would have been a hell of a lot easier if I *was* pretending."

There wasn't any kind of visible thaw. "If something happens to Aya-chan, I'm starting with you. You're pretending *something*. Either to be a friend, or to do the job. If it's the second..." The hands tightened and then released him altogether. "Your employers are going to be displeased."

"Probably not," the other replied, idly rubbing some circulation into his arms. There was very little he could say to convince the other.. except... Youji internally winced but spoke up, "If you're so suspicious, why don't you just do it again? I can't lie to you if you don't let me." Another look at violet eyes, and there was some doubt, but if baring the throat was what it would take... "You'd feel it if I fought or tried to evade."

Aya's gaze stayed pinned to Youji's for only a second or two longer, allowing him to see a flash of something before the look was turned away. Shifting to a position beside Youji - right beside him - so he could get his back to the building, Aya took a long moment before he answered, and did not look at the blond while doing so.

"Believe me, that was my first intention. I had planned to have you spilling your guts within five seconds of getting close to you. Everything. Everything you ever knew about anything." The breath Aya took was silent and did not entirely cover the slight, tense shudder. He flashed a very quick look at Youji and away. "But if I do that... with you... I won't..." ...be able to stop with you... he couldn't allow those words out into the air. "I trusted you," he hissed, and for a split second Youji saw a very brief glimpse of a very young man whose world had gone from nearly perfect to hell in one night and had never done anything but get worse from that point on.

"I know," Youji replied quietly, turning to look towards the bushes - through a couple of spots you could see the crowded walkway, now taking a faster pace in anticipation of the second bell. "So now we wait for Omi and Ken?"

"Now we meet them," Aya said, refusing to explain what he'd told Ken - that they would both meet them in the back of the athletic building in ten minutes, or don't wait.

"Lead on," Youji said pushing away from his spot a little. With a an audible breath, he asked, "Is he safe?"

Aya flashed a look at him. "Are any of us?" Without waiting for an answer, he took a route around the building, keeping under the eaves, and trailed back to the soccer and other game fields and the building beside them.

Omi trotted to the lavatory, took care of some personal business, and then spent a lengthy amount of time washing his hands, while other boys filed in and out, the room emptying as the bell for class rang.

A set of not entirely unexpected footsteps came from behind the row of stalls. Without any pretence or dramatics, Ken simply walked up to the other side of Omi, "Hey," he said, tucking the small book he'd flipped through while waiting half into his jacket pocket.

Ken had to brace as Omi's body impacted his and he was squeezed by a pair of strong arms. "Ken-kun!" Omi kept his voice low but it was tight with emotion.

Omi was lifted briefly off his feet as Ken returned the hug with enthusiasm. A hand ran through his honeyblond locks, as much checking as it was a fond gesture. "You all right?" he asked.

A late student entered, saw the two embracing and stopped.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Omi demanded of the poor kid, then stuck out his tongue. "Use the second floor, we haven't seen each other in a month, okay?"

The kid took off as if he had been stung.

Moving back, Omi winked at Ken. Then he examined the former soccer player visually and minutely. "I'm fine. Youji said you flipped! You ok? What was it like?"

Ken released Omi just enough to rub the back of his head, very aware that the color from the latest encounter hadn't gone down. "Aya said I did too," Ken admitted, shrugging. "Yeah, I'm okay, but I couldn't tell you what it's like. Probably better that way."

Omi's eyes shadowed just for a moment. "How's Aya?"

"Just about homicidal last I saw him," Ken said, with a quick glance towards the window where the athletic center was in the distant view. "He's worried about how this is going to affect his sister. And Youji, how much did he tell you about what went on?"

"A lot," Omi answered readily. His expression became serious. "Aya-chan. I hadn't thought of that. If talent runs in the family... but..." he shook his head, realizing it would take some serious digging and brainwork to get that aspect into focus. "He said you nearly blew up the area for several kilometers," he added, grinning lopsidedly. "If you ever do that, I wanna watch. From a safe distance, of course."

Ken blinked at Omi, surprise written clearly on his face. He'd only seen the damage in the room. He shook it off, and worked on a return grin for Omi. "With enough advance notice for popcorn, or is impromptu alright?"

"I love surprise thrills!" Omi answer cheerfully. More seriously, "You got the best blocks, looks like. We can work on those."

Ken didn't quite answer and took a few seconds to nod an agreement. "It seems like Aya has hardly anything," he offered. It made sense that Youji had explained that far. It confirmed Aya's guess anyway. There seemed a bit of hope that they could have the full team on this... if he handled things as straight with Aya. "We're making a break, but we need your help." Ken asked, watching the younger boy for a reaction.

"Of course, Ken-kun," Omi answered immediately. "We do it together. I'm glad, really. It's big but it's harder doing things alone, believe me. I was wondering how long this would all last anyway."

Something in the phrasing triggered a very tentative connection. Ken looked down at Omi curiously, "You've had some idea before this?" he asked.

Omi frowned thoughtfully. "Not exactly what it was, but that there was something - yeah. Honestly? For a little while I thought maybe Aya, you, even Youji-kun might quit, after we saved Aya-chan. Thought I might end up with Kritiker by myself. Figured I'd better know what was going on, as much as possible."

Ken took a step back and walked for the door, indicating Omi should follow. "At the time I didn't even consider it, I'd wondered if Weiss would stay together, and hoped we would. But I couldn't stop what we were doing yet."

Omi kept on his heels and then beside him in the halls. "Aya wanted to," he said softly. "You should have. Youji too. But knowing this... I guess they wouldn't have let you anyway."

"And you didn't?" Ken asked, "Want to that is?"

Blue eyes flashed at him briefly. "What else am I good for?" he answered softly. Then he shrugged and smiled. "I guess I wanted to stick around and find out, sometime, who was really pulling the strings."

Ken shot a look back at Omi, "Just about anything you've tried," he answered as the both exited the building and into the fresher air of the now deserted walkways. The second he filed away, to ask about later.

The boy beside him shrugged. His expression remain cheerful even when his eyes flickered through a couple of other moods. "It's not the doing so much as the not doing," he mused aloud. "I can't seem to see rules anymore as anything but loopholes to move through."

The older assassin turned it over in his mind a couple of times, burying the anger that tried to boil up in the other's defense. It wouldn't do any good without a clear goal. "It shouldn't have to stop you," he said, "Sometimes I wonder more about where, after this, rather than what."

Omi glanced at Ken and his grin widened slightly. He answered with a nod, feeling an almost-settled contentment. Ok, they were in the middle of possibly the worst situation so far, but it felt good finding his family even after an absence of a day.

Closer to the building on the far side of the fields, it was easy to spot the bright spot of red hair, and after a few more steps the sandy yellow of Youji's hair. Lifting a hand to them briefly to catch their attention to the side route, Ken commented, "They're both here, that's something," with a note of relief.

Omi tilted his head but didn't ask, it was too easy to figure out the reference.

The two figures turned and went inside the building through a nearby door. Omi switched to a trot and crossed to the building with a quick grin over his shoulder at Ken.

The other kept up easily staying a pace or two behind for the short distance, more than a little curiosity at the impish look.

Youji was treated to the view of Omi impacting Aya's slender body. Ken only got to see the aftermath.

Ignoring the potential chill, Omi hugged the redhead quickly and then backed off just as quickly, not surprised at the blank expression on the redhead's face, but a little startled when one arm brushed his back briefly.

Missing the minute gesture, Youji was busy covering his amusement at the whole situation. Turning from them briefly, he gave Ken something of a wave as he entered. "Good to see you again," Youji called, wisely cutting off anything else, teasing or not.

He received a nod in return, still on the edge of guarded, before meeting Aya's eyes, "Omi'll help out," Ken informed him.

Aya acknowledged the small announcement with a nod, and no apparent surprise. His eyes met Ken's and stayed on them, allowing the other boy to see his mild disquiet, but not sheer hatred or total distrust of the taller blond. He threw a glance at Youji. "You helping out too?"

Youji opened his mouth for a semi explanation, then with a quick, almost amused glance at Omi, he simply settled for, "Yes."

"Well," Ken said, taking in more from what he read from his partner than what he heard from the blonde. "We have a chance at it now."

"First," Omi began, then glanced at his watch. "Um, Youji-kun... was there anything in the RV you couldn't live without?"

Youji looked over at Omi sharply, a twitch of his eyebrow apparent over his sunglasses. "Besides my CDs?" he asked, an useless warning in his tone.

"Oh I can replace those," Omi answered cheerfully. There was a sudden, very loud explosion from a few blocks away.

Alarms at the school went off immediately.

"I think we need a place to go," Omi suggested innocently.

Forehead in his palm Youji muttered, "Shame the engine had to go like that," dryly. Then, "Ah well, the beds /were/ hard on my back."

TBC

Breakdown: Part 4

Love & Gundams