Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ It's All Relative ❯ It's All Relative ( Prologue )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"Braaad, tell me we are here for a damn good reason. I hate New York! It's dirty. It's cold. There are too many people to block out of my head. I want to go home."


Crawford ignored Schuldig's whining complaints as usual, only registering them on a subconscious level as an irritating buzz to be later examined at leisure later in case anything of importance had been said.


"Crawford, I am talking to you!"

Crawford continued to ignore his partner. The moment of his vision was close at hand. The man he had 'seen' months ago was coming close and totally oblivious to his danger. He was walking slowly through the crowds on the sidewalk, head down and apparently lost in thought. Crawford was vaguely irritated at the absent minded posture. Had the fool lost all of his instincts and sense of self preservation in the intervening months since the battle at the academy? His vision had shown the man attacked and badly injured, but not how. It personally and professionally offended Crawford that it would happen from mere distraction.

"Be quiet, Schuldig." Crawford never raised his voice beyond normal speaking level, but such was his authority he might as well have snapped a command. "Our target is almost here."

Never liking being told to settle down like a child Schuldig sneered and said, "If you gave some clue I could help locate him."

"There's no need." Crawford said, smugly. "He's coming right to us."

Schuldig swiped his wild orange mane from his face and widened his eyes in shock at the Weiss kitten, Fujimiya Aya, meandering down the street. Abyssinian was their target? What the hell was Crawford up to now? The man had been alternately meditative and unpredictable in his decisions for months. Schuldig knew that the final battle with Berger had severely injured his leader, but now he was convinced That Crawford had sustained some sort of brain damage.

The battle had been brutal and not only physically injurious but emotionally as well. Farfarfello would not be returning to Schwarz, having found something he considered more worthwhile to pursue, and Nagi chose to work for Takatori Mamoru. Schwarz was reduced to it's two original members just as in the beginning.

Schuldig was fairly sure that Crawford had not taken a freelance contract to kill Fujimiya so he must have other plans in mind. Schuldig jerked in surprise as the truth hit him. Crawford didn't want to kill Abyssinian. He wanted to recruit him. The unlikely thought made the telepath laugh out loud and earned him a slight frown of disapproval from his leader.

"You have got to be kidding me! He'll never agree to that."

"I've reason to believe he will." The Precog returned, coolly. "After all he will owe us his life."

"What?!"

"Watch and wait, Schuldig. It's all about to unfold. We just have to get there before the other group picks him up first."

"What other group?"

"Wait and see."

Gods, Schuldig hated it when the bastard was being cryptic, but there was nothing to do but wait. He only hoped that Crawford was being guided by a vision and not just some crazed idea.

A flurry of disturbance in the crowd revealed a child, not yet out of grade school run through the crowd and headlong into Fujimiya. Schuldig's sharp eyes caught the pained grimace after the collision, but Fujimiya kept on walking as if nothing had happened. Only the hand wrapped around his abdomen betrayed any pain. Crawford sent Schuldig for their waiting car while he shadowed the wounded man's slow, faltering steps. Eventually, Fujimiya could go no further and slumped down against a mailbox. People passed him by without a second look, assuming him to be either drunk or a vagrant. Humans had amazing talent for ignoring unpleasant sights.

Crawford moved undetected right to Fujimiya's side. He heard the man whisper with some degree of irony.

"Guess Yohji was right after all."

The black sedan pulled to the curb just as Crawford caught the body sliding over into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

"Hello, Abyssinian. Been awhile." Crawford smirked but kept the man from hitting the pavement.

Fujimiya struggled to focus on the vaguely familiar voice. Recognizing Crawford he gave a little bark of a laugh, trickling blood from his mouth.

"Always knew I was going to hell. I would never believed you would be the welcoming committee." He rasped and dropped into the blackness.

Crawford easily lifted the unconscious weight with the strength bestowed by his gift and placed his burden into the backseat of the luxury sedan, climbing in afterwards and pressing a folded handkerchief firmly over the wound after removing the blade. Schuldig watched with suspicious eyes before moving smoothly into traffic at Crawford's nod. He already knew they were returning to their newly stocked safe house.

"So, we have an injured kitty. Now what, Oh Secretive One?"

Satisfied that the acquisition had gone as smoothly as he had envisioned, Crawford all a small smile, just barely lifting the corners of his mouth, grace his face.

"Now it begins."
TBC