Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ No Ordinary Venue ❯ One-Shot

“No Ordinary Venue”
By Viridian5
7/11/09

RATING: PG-13.
SPOILERS: None really.
SUMMARY: Crawford plays Eszett’s games by his own rules.
ARCHIVAL/DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere, as long as you ask me first.
FEEDBACK: can be sent to Viridian5@aol.com.
DISCLAIMERS: All things Weiß Kreuz belong to Koyasu Takehito, Project Weiß, Polygram k.k., and Animate Film. No infringement intended.
NOTES: Yes, this was inspired by “One Night in Bangkok.” Don’t judge me. *g*
Pre-reading by tarot_card_ and Syvia.

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“No Ordinary Venue”
By Viridian5
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As Crawford pistol-whipped another thug from the opposing gang, he noticed a swinging seaweed-colored ponytail in his peripheral vision as Schuldig leapt out of the way of Montano’s bullet and took a better shot at him, catching the other telepath through the shoulder, while Khun Adirake looked on in some fascination. It gave Crawford the definite impression that the drug syndicate they currently supported might try to steal Schuldig later. His telepathy and speed had impressed them, while they had no idea that Crawford could see the future.

Schuldig’s seaweed-colored hair still made Crawford do a double take. It had started out deep blue but turned an unfortunate shade of green within a week. Like any feline, Schuldig claimed he’d meant it to do that and kept it. Making him look even weirder, Schuldig had been treating his hair with some product that was supposed to protect it from the local humidity and pulled the slicked-back result into a low ponytail, leaving only the shorter bits in the front loose. It puffed up after a few hours anyway, but Schuldig kept trying.

It surprised Crawford to realize that the usual corona of hair softened Schuldig’s appearance. With most of it slicked and tied back instead, Schuldig’s cheekbones, sharp chin, and wide mouth became more obvious, giving him a more dangerous and rapacious look.

~ Is it such a bad thing that I look like more of a thug? ~ Schuldig asked.

~ Less browsing my mind, more running Montano down, ~ Crawford answered. In these chess matches, Eszett had no problem with the opponents taking out the weaker members.

~ Yeah, yeah. You might want to stay on target yourself. ~

They would let the group they worked for kill the opposing group’s leader, and Crawford directed them toward the man they wanted to take down, but he personally hoped to take out at least one member of the Eszett team on the other side. It would only burnish his team’s reputation and get them closer to qualifying for a third teammate. His talent told him that he needed three people with him to break free from Eszett. He led the pawns to their target and smiled as they killed the rival gang leader in a hail of bullets, but his glee faded when Schuldig said, ~ I ventilated Montano but can’t find his seer anywhere in here. ~

It might be difficult for telepaths to read precogs’ thoughts, but they tended to be aware of a precog’s presence.  ~ You felt Drennan when we first arrived here. You think he left Montano in here alone while he ran off and hid? ~

~ It’s starting to look that way. ~

~ Khun Tong will hardly let us wander off yet to look for him. ~  Khun Tong’s men were already telling him to leave with them, and Khun Adirake had gone off in Schuldig’s direction.

~ Duh, o fearless leader. ~

Damn Drennan for denying them the overwhelming win they deserved.  ~ Maybe we can nail him once we’re back at Rosenkreuz. Not immediately, because that would point suspicions at us, but eventually. ~

~ If you’ve got the plan, I’ve got the firepower. ~

~ Good. Let Khun Adirake find you and direct you out. ~

~ It’s so tiring dealing with my adoring public. ~

~ Just do it. ~

By the time Crawford made it outside Schuldig had already gotten there. The telepath smirked as he stood astride a motorbike. One good thing about returning to Rosenkreuz was that Schuldig behaved himself better and with less of an attitude there. Crawford sat on the motorbike behind him and let his attitude say that he considered Schuldig to be his personal chauffeur.

This part should be simple--present the solution of the problem they’d been hired for, get the last 50% of their fee, and leave alive--yet rarely was. Crawford didn’t need Schuldig’s talent to notice Khun Tong’s sour anger as they entered the room. Schuldig settled into a “ready” position at his side, obviously aware of it as well.

They let Khun Tong’s men give a run-down of the raid, only intending to jump in if the underlings tried to impart incorrect information. Although they’d gotten a telepathic download of the language at Rosenkreuz, they couldn’t pronounce it well enough to sound fluent. They understood it much better than they spoke it. Crawford hated sounding stupid.

After the underlings’ report ended, Khun Tong asked, “Does this sound correct to our foreign hirelings?”

“Yes,” Crawford answered.

“I have reason to believe that your organization used us.” He made a gesture that sent all the underlings out of the room but five and Khun Adirake, and those five stepped up to stand closer behind Crawford and Schuldig.

Great. “Not so. We simply had our own reasons in taking this job aside from your pay, which gave us more incentives. It’s good business sense, and it worked out for you because you paid less for our services than you would have otherwise. We didn’t use you.”

~ Didn’t foresee this coming, Brad? ~

~ Didn’t hear this coming, Schuldig? ~

~ ...no, dammit. I’ve been juggling too many things. Besides, you know I’m not allowed to influence our boss here by the rather viciously enforced rules of the game, so I haven’t spent as much time reading him as I usually would. ~

~ Try now. ~

~ He had some suspicions, but Drennan confirmed them. Smart boy. Too bad he’s not on our side, and now I really want him dead. ~

~ Indeed. ~  Crawford’s team to come didn’t need another smart, ambitious precog anyway.

But there was something off about what Drennan had done, a reason why more playing teams didn’t do it. Crawford would have to think about it more after he got his team out of danger.

Khun Adirake stepped up to speak very quietly into his leader’s ear, and Khun Tong made a gesture in Crawford’s direction that very eloquently told him to stay silent. Annoyed, Crawford said to Schuldig, ~ It’s a shame that we can’t just kill them, since Drennan might use that to claim a victory. ~

Schuldig’s rage roiled through his mental voice.  ~ I need to kill something right now! ~

~ What are they discussing? ~

~ They’re trying to think of a way to keep and turn me, since I have such an unusual talent. They’re pondering just killing you since you’re stuck-up and strong-willed. ~

~ They really don’t know you. ~

~ Duh. ~

~ So Drennan didn’t let him know I’m a precog? ~

~ Nope. That may be the one thing he kept his mouth shut on. Or maybe he assumed Khun Tong already knew. ~

“Our organization still has interests in this city,” Crawford said. “If you disposed of us, our organization would move against you and offer its employees’ services only to your enemies. I doubt you want that.”

“After this they would know not to toy with me,” Khun Tong answered.

“After this, they’d work to wipe your group off the map. There are plenty of people around willing to respect and properly employ our organization’s agents. Schuldig is not the only agent who has special talents. Far from it.”

After briefly glaring at Crawford for calling him common, Schuldig said to their employer, “There was no toying with, just a mutually beneficial course of action.” Crawford could almost feel him struggling not to telepathically influence Khun Tong.

Khun Tong simply looked at them for a while as the silence and tension became ever heavier, while Crawford seethed over the situation. Someday no one would be allowed to do this to his team.

~ Schuldig, what’s he thinking? ~

~ He’s weighing everything, so he’s not just doing this for the drama. ~  Schuldig left the “unlike some people” unsaid.

Khun Tong finally said, “I’ll let you go in the interests of working with your organization in the future. You’re free to leave.”

“With the pay we earned. It wouldn’t be respect you’re showing us without it.”

“Is it more important to you than your lives?”

“This is about respect. In any case our organization won’t work with a man who breaks his contract.”

Schuldig’s telepathic voice just about seared Crawford’s brain in its anger.  ~ I’m sure whoever finds our corpses will be really impressed by the size of your balls, Brad. And I wore a fucking suit for this job, so they can just roll me into a coffin and nail the top down if they don’t drop my body in a ditch or just cremate me. Is that why you demanded I wear this thing? ~

He didn’t have time for this bitching, not when this was taking so long and Khun Tong seemed to be developing a facial tic. ~ Hush, Daddy’s working. ~

Schuldig sent a brief mental image of himself flipping the finger. At least it was brief, silent, and concise. Crawford could nearly feel Schuldig telepathically focusing on Khun Tong’s train of thought, listening but forbidden to influence. When Schuldig relaxed a tiny bit....

Khun Tong laughed. “Yes, you’ve earned your pay. But the next time I hire people from your organization you better not be among them. Next time I’ll kill you. You can approach me now.”

Crawford did so, accepted their pay while covertly making sure it was real money and all there, and through sheer will power didn’t smirk at their employer. He and Schuldig left them politely but as quickly as possible, checking for ambushes and tails all the way, even after they got on their motorbike and sped off.

Ten minutes later, still high from his success, Crawford had to gloat, ~ See? ~

~ You calling me reckless is the pot calling the kettle. ~

~ It was a controlled risk. ~

~ My ass. ~

~ I won. ~

~ Let’s get the hell out of this country before you get any more bright ideas. Eszett better not send us into one of these chess matches for a while after this, or at least they should send us someplace cooler or where I can dress as I like instead of having to cover myself up and button my shirts all the way up. ~

~ Cargo pants and your ‘Fuck Art, Let’s Kill’ T-shirt aren’t appropriate attire anywhere. I’m not letting you wear it in the airport or onto the plane either because we’ll still be in Thailand. ~

~ I’d wear a jacket over it to hide my gun harness, and I would take off the gun stuff before I went into the airport. Really, Brad. ~

~ Not good enough. ~

~ You don’t appreciate me enough. ~

Crawford had to smirk.  ~ I’m well aware that in the game of human chess you’re my side’s queen. ~

~ Leave the witticisms to me from now on. ~

When Schuldig’s long tail of hair hit Crawford in the face and caught on his lip, Crawford knew it had to have been intentional. He spat it out and briefly tightened his grip on his telepath’s waist enough to hurt as a warning. Schuldig shook his head but didn’t incite him further.

As they waited to board their plane, Crawford said, ~ I know what the problem is. Drennan telling our employer can’t be legal. If the game allowed the pawns to have some idea of what was going on, rival teams would be revealing each other left and right and everyone would know that Eszett plays these games. ~

~ Yeah, if it were allowed we would have done it ages ago. ~

~ So why does Drennan think he can get away with it? ~

~ He left Montano to us too casually too. He didn’t have to do it that way. Yeah, we’re all heartless bastards, but a team wins more points if it comes through unscathed. ~

~ You’re right. Do you think he’s a player instead of another game piece? ~

~ Like they did this to further test us? I think it’s totally possible. ~

They all needed to die for this, but it would take time. Someday no one would be able to fuck with his team.

Hunching down into his seat, Schuldig pulled his hair tie out and pressed his fingers against his temples. He had small lines of strain around his mouth and eyes and on his forehead. Telepaths didn’t handle airports and flying well, not with how emotional and tense passengers often were. If Schuldig had his way he’d medicate himself to stave off the headaches, but he always sensibly decided that he didn’t want to chance arriving at Rosenkreuz groggy. He’d probably try to nap on the plane to get through the pain and distraction and to pass the time.

Every time Crawford became frustrated with Schuldig’s bouts of attitude or frivolousness, he reminded himself of things like this. Besides, he needed a risk-taker and rule-breaker to go along with him toward his intended goal. His foresight hadn’t led him wrong in choosing this telepath for his team.

~ What do we do about it? ~ Schuldig asked as he gently brushed his hair.  ~ Keep it to ourselves and reveal it later? Confront them about it when they debrief us? ~

~ I’m thinking about it. I might not get a definitive answer until I read the room. Whatever I decide, follow my lead. ~

~ Of course. You know what else this means? Khun Tong’s syndicate probably isn’t long for this world. ~

Eszett couldn’t let any outsiders who knew about the games survive unless it saw a major use for them.  ~ If so, it would save me from having to take my own revenge for being treated so poorly. ~

The person who met them as they came off the plane this time was Holzschuher. As usual, he didn’t speak to them, simply gestured and expected obedience, and they said nothing to him in return. It wasn’t his place to know what they’d been doing nor theirs to reveal anything to him. Those given chauffeur duty had one job: to get Rosenkreuz’s charges back inside as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Crawford and Schuldig packed their luggage into the tiny trunk then folded their own bodies into the tiny backseat area, too tall to be comfortable. Knowing what to expect, they’d left their coats out and carried them onto the plane instead of packing them, letting them put them on and stay warm now. After days of Bangkok’s humid heat the dry cold here seemed to cut more cruelly into their bodies. They didn’t speak or mindspeak to each other for worry of who might be listening.

Schuldig had already lost a lot of his luster and crackling energy in anticipation of returning to the school. He’d acted out at Rosenkreuz much more often before joining Crawford’s team. Every time Crawford asked about it Schuldig provided different answers.

Once they reached Rosenkreuz they went to their shared room to change into their uniforms and go out in silence to be debriefed. Schuldig’s seaweed-colored hair actually went with the dull gray of the uniform better than his natural bright fiery color. Once they ascended high enough within Eszett they would start wearing white for official functions. Until then Crawford could only wear his white suit during missions.

Three male officers he’d never met before sat behind the table as he and Schuldig entered the room, with another to close and lock the door behind them. He didn’t know what psionic talents they might have, and he didn’t dare try to get Schuldig to find out for him. As they waited for the prompt to speak, Crawford tried to read the people in the room through foresight and their faces and body language. So far he hadn’t received any hints.

“Report, team leader,” the one sitting in the middle said.

“Yes, sir.” He went through all the details even as he hoped to get some clues on how to talk about Drennan before that part of the narrative arrived. Given none, he went on instinct. “Upon returning to be paid, we found out that Drennan had spoken to our employer about Eszett and the game, flouting the rules and revealing dangerous secrets to outsiders. Will he be punished?”

“You apparently survived the revelation.”

“Yes. I even made sure our employer paid us.”

“Hand it over.”

As much as it galled to give away his hard-won earnings, Crawford did so without comment or a change in his facial expression. In his peripheral vision he noticed that Schuldig hadn’t shown any reaction either. Good.

Once they started counting it, Crawford said, “Drennan either broke your rules in ways detrimental to Eszett or he was a ringer with permission to do it as part of a test for me and my team. My thinking is leaning toward the latter.”

“Do you think we would admit it if he were?”

“Do you think this will remain quiet without giving some concession to us for our pains?”

“Are you threatening us?”

They could kill him and Schuldig both without anyone protesting. Life was cheap in Rosenkreuz. They used the corpses as fertilizer and made sure every student knew that, in a way, they ate the failures during every meal. Even without their guns he and Schuldig would defend themselves and give their attackers hell, but they were horribly outnumbered.

“I’m negotiating.” Crawford saw Schuldig give a brief hand signal to let him know that, if attacked, his telepath would tackle the guy behind them first before speeding to help him with the ones behind the table. Just in case. They waited.

“Your team now qualifies for a third member. You should know that revealing any other details of this meeting to others will result in punishment or death.”

Neither Crawford nor Schuldig relaxed yet, though Crawford said, “Yes, sir. Of course.”

“Team leader, you’ll be contacted later about the selection process and the applicant pool. Dismissed.”

Crawford and Schuldig saluted then back out of the room. Crawford didn’t let himself start to feel that he’d truly won until they made it to their room without attack. Then he smiled.

“Third member,” Schuldig muttered as he sat down on his bed and fluffed his hair up more. “How the hell are you going to find someone else who will put up with you?”

“It’ll happen. It’ll all happen.” The longer he followed his path the more likely his goal became.

“It’s a good thing you’ll have me around to deflate your swelled head when necessary.”

As much as he hated to admit it, that might actually be needed at times. “I won’t forget that you’re my queen.” Crawford foresaw the pillow getting flung at him about 20 seconds before it flew.

  ***********************THE END**********************   More Viridian5 stories can be found in The Green Room version 3.0 at http://viridian.shriftweb.org/ No-frames but no-frills access available at http://viridian.shriftweb.org/index2.htm