Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Pandora's Box ❯ Pandora's Box ( One-Shot )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

The four beat and tired bodies of Schwarz washed up against the rocky shore. If it had not been for the shield which Nagi had bestowed them, they all surly would have been dead. Schuldich flopped gracelessly on to the dirt and proceeded to pass out. Nagi managed to get to a tree to lean against before he did the same. Even Farfarello was on the verge of fainting, but he also had lost most his blood due to the claws of Siberian. Crawford alone looked as if he was full of energy. He had seen it. His vision had been made reality.
“It’s now ours.” he said out loud to the half alive bunch around him. A very irritated and groggy Schuldich looked up from where he was laying.
“Was it really worth it, all this. I mean was wiping out our fucking bosses really worth it?” he asked his leader with great irritation in his voice.
“If we are the ones that have it in the end, then yes.” Crawford replied as he wiped his broken glasses on the end of his soaking wet shirt and put them back on. Making his sight even worse then before, but it was habit.
“And what is it that we now have?” Nagi spoke up, not moving from where he was, the strain of using his powers so much at once getting to him.
“Pandora’s box.” Crawford told him. Getting a manic look in his eyes and his mouth doing a very good imitation of one of Schuldich’s smirks.
“Isn’t it dangerous to play around with something like that?” choked out Farfarello, still testing out if his vocal chords could work after the slice on his throat.
“Not if you can get your enemies to open it for you.” Crawford spoke, ice and stone both melting in to his words. He looked up at the rise of trees on the mountain before him. Not seeing the object of all his hard work, but knowing it was there. He gave a slight bow of his head to acknowledge them.
“I will be seeing you soon, Silver Fox. Or shall I now say, Pandora.” He whispered under his breath.

On the other side of the same bay, Weiss was also pulling their tired bodies out of the water. As they all crashed up on the shore, getting the strength it took to leave from there forever, Yohji could nearly feel a pair of eyes staring down at him from the mountain above. He looked up in hopes of seeing them, knowing that they would be the same animal like eyes that he had seen so briefly inside. He didn’t find them anywhere, but still, the feeling wouldn’t leave.

TWO MONTHS LATER

Ken lazily traced his finger across the empty pillow next to him. It was only 5:30 in the morning, and he had nothing to do toady till nearly 2:00 in the afternoon when he had to relive Yohji from his shift at the Koneko. He could go back to sleep. Correction, he WANTED to go back to sleep, he just couldn’t. Ever since he had been woken up a half hour ago sleep would not come back to him. In all farness it wasn’t Aya’s fault. He always got up early. He normally just left the bed, and the room silently so that Ken could sleep. But then again they also were normally in Aya’s room. A room that was spotless, with nothing lying on the floor to trip over. This morning they were in Ken’s room, which was very different from Aya’s. In trying to leave this morning Aya had tripped over Ken’s jeans, which was partly Aya’s own fault for throwing them there in his haste last night after he took them off Ken, then he slammed his leg in to the open draw on the dresser, and stepped on a soccer ball causing him to fall backwards on to the floor. After all that noise there was no way Ken could stay asleep. It was all he could do to not crack up laughing. But then at the time it was funny, now after it was certain it that he wasn’t about to fall asleep again, it didn’t seem so humorous.
“NOO!! HELP!! SOMEONE!!” floated in to his room from the open window suddenly. Causing Ken to bolt out of bed and to the window in a blind panic. On the ally below his window a young girl was running desperately, and right behind her was a man draped in a dark cloak. He had a gun out and ready to fire on her.
“HEY!” Ken screamed out at the man as he jumped out his window and started rushing down the fire escape. The man was slightly startled by the shout, not enough to not fire, but enough to not kill her. The cloaked man then ran back the way he had come. Praying that if Ken was a good enough person to intrude, he also would be good enough to go to the bleeding girl and not chase after him. Ken did start to give chase though. All that stopped him was the fact that he heard the girls soft moan from behind him, and the fact that he didn’t even have pants and a shirt on (only his boxers), much less did he have his bugnuks. His thoughts quickly changed directions as he again heard a soft murmur from the girl. He ran to her, inspecting the damage. The bullet had hit her left shoulder, going clean through. It didn’t look too bad to him, but Omi would have to look at it to know for sure. Her pulse was still strong, but her breathing was slightly ragged. She glanced at him for a brief second and mumbled some thing unintelligible before passing out.
“Shit, shit, shit, fuck, damn, shit, fuck, damn, damn, fuck…” and the endless string of curses went on and on as Ken lifted her small body in to his arms and rushed back in to the Koneko.
“What in the hell?” a very shocked Aya questioned, looking up from his book and raising an eyebrow in surprise. He watched the boyfriend he had left sleeping upstairs rush through the shop, knocking over the small table that had once held Aya’s coffee, wearing only boxers and carrying an unconscious girl in his arms.
“This is going to be a long day.” He mumbled as he got up and headed up the stairs to the apartments after Ken.
“What the hell is all this about?” A very uncharacteristic Omi grumbled as he walked in to the room where Ken had laid the girl, which was also HIS room. And after being kept up all night, though at the time he wasn’t objecting, by Yohji, he wasn’t in the mood.
“It’s bleeding on my bed.” Omi grumbled in a tone that was more suited for Aya.
“Well, deal, SHE was shot. Aya’s beds to hard, my rooms a mess, and you weren’t in here.” Ken shot back at him as he made an attempt to patch her arm up with the med kit Aya had given him.
“Why not take her to a hospital?” Yohji yawned as he joined the ‘party’ that had been yelling and cussing loud enough to wake even him up.
“Good question.” Aya stated looking at Ken for the answer. Omi gave up trying to hold on to his pissed off façade and took over stitching and bandaging the wound. Ken looked down at the young girls pale face. She seemed to be right around his age, 19 or so. Pale, yet bright, blue hair slashed out in every angle from around her head, cascading down past her shoulders. She looked delicate and fragile. Like a porcelain doll. He had noticed that carrying her too. She was too thin, and by just looking at her you could tell she was malnourished.
“Some guy was chasing her, he shot her. I don’t know anything else. But if he wants her dead so bad, he would come after her at a hospital. We can protect her here.” he told his friends.
“Yeah, nice idea Ken, but what if he had a good reason to be shooting her.” Yohji asked him as he looked through the girls backpack. She had been wearing it when Ken brought her in and since then it had been discarded in a corner.
“I don’t think…” he stated until he saw what Yohji was holding. Grasped in one hand was a pair of sais, in the other a list of churches and photos of their desecrated clergy. The whole room took on an eerie silence as the three other members looked at Yohji with shocked eyes. It was Aya and Omi who moved too take the items from Yohji. Aya stated combing through the list and photos, as Omi inspected the weapons.
“Not so innocent after all.” Yohji smugly stated as he brought a cigarette to his lips.
“No, I think Ken was right, or at least half right.” Omi stated as he examined the sais. The others looked at him questionably. In answer to them he bent the blades of both sais back, with no effort.
“They look real, but their plastic.” he told the others.
“What about…” Ken started turning towards Aya.
“All of the photos are newspaper clippings, the churches were attacked by someone ‘unknown’ to the police, but from what we know it was Berserker.” he replied, tossing the papers back on to her bag.
“So that just leaves the question, who is she and what does she have to do with Farfarello?” Yohji asked as he looked down at her form. She was slowly starting to stir. Eyes beginning to flutter open. Finally a pair of dull orange eyes, that clashed horribly with her hair, stared out at the four members of Weiss. Then the girl screamed.

***”So who is it? Who to I get to play with?” the slivery female voice asked from a corner of the living room. “Can it be that gorgeous red head? Maybe the cute brunette with the great abs? The chibi is nice for a bishonen and all, but not my style. The tall one with the nice hair might be fun though.” she continued to drone on as she brought the knife in her hands up to her mouth.
“Lick that and I’ll put you in a straight jacket same as Farfarello.” Crawford told her simply, never glancing up from his newspaper. Her tongue, which had been out instead curled up and brushed her lips in a very sensual way before her mouth twisted in to a manic smirk.
“We went to a lot of trouble for you, but it might be worth it Kitten.” Schuldich laughed as he watched her from his spot on the couch.
“Don’t call me that. I’m no kitten, I’m a kitsune(*1).” she replied before filling the room with her eerie laugh as Crawford began to tell her the mission.***


The four members of Weiss, Aya included, jumped back startled at the girl’s reaction. Her screams seemed to get louder and louder, with no end in sight. She was thrashing around and yelling at them to all back away and stay away, and in the process tearing the stitches out of her shoulder. Finally after they had all backed away considerably from her she collapsed in to a tiny corner of the bed, nestled against the wall, and began to weep.
“Please go away. Stay away from me.” she chocked out between sobs. Aya glanced at the rest of his teammates and nodded his head before heading to the door. Yohji and Ken followed after him, Omi gave one last saddened look at the small girl before also leaving. Knowing that her position had to be killing her shoulder, especially after tearing the stitches. Also knowing just how scarred she was. Waking up somewhere she didn’t know surrounded by people she didn’t know, and having no idea of what they were there for or why. She was terrified. He wanted nothing more then to go to her and comfort her. But he also knew trying to do that at this moment would not be a good idea, so he left.
“Now what?” asked Yohji once all of them were in the living room area. They could still hear her pained sobs floating down the hall.
“We wait. Once she calms down I’ll talk to her.” Ken stated as he started to head to his room, he was still in only a pair of boxers. Aya and Yohji nodded in agreement.
“No, I’ll talk to her. I think I know her situation better, at least to an extent.” Omi spoke up, his eyes were still just staring down the hall, listening to her.
“Omi, are you sure I mean…” Yohji started to ask his young lover. He was cut off though by the determined, yet hurt, look in Omi’s eyes as the boy turned to face him.
“Yes. Besides, the stitches will have to be redone, and she’ll need to trust me before I can do that.” he told the others.
“Fine. Omi will handle it.” Aya said, as if in this too, as like in Weiss, he was the leader. With that he seemed to consider the discussion over and headed back down stairs to set up the shop, they had to open in less then an hour. Ken gave a slight shrug as if to say ‘suits me, I really don’t care’, and went to get dressed. Yohji just continued to look at Omi with concerned eyes. He knew that this was going to bring back unhappy memories for his lover, but if its what Omi wanted, then he wouldn’t fight him.
“If that’s what you think then babe, its all yours, just be careful.” he told the boy, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips before heading down to help Aya. He was already up now, and technically he did have the morning shift. Long ago it was learned that if Aya and Ken, or Omi and Yohji were together in the shop, work never got done. They would always ended up in the storage room, then things would fall and get broke, and so on.
“That’s what I think.” Omi whispered to himself as he slowly started back down the hall to his room, where the girl was, hoping she would take his help.

As he entered the room he was instantly caught in the eyes of the girl. There orange depths seemed to pull him in. Her hair had fallen forward and in her face as she was still curled in the corner of the bed. To Omi she reminded him of a wild animal caught in a trap, just waiting for the hunter to come along and finish her off.
“Um, I need to redo the stitches.” Omi whispered out, afraid of setting off another panic attack in her. She just stared at him, her eyes giving away her emotions more clearly then anyone Omi had ever met. She was beyond terrified.
“It’s okay, I’m not here to hurt you. I want to help. We all do.” He told her, taking a tentative step forward. When she didn’t flitch back he took another. He continued that slow process of step, pause, step until he was knelling next to her. As he reached for her wounded arm though, she pulled back, her breath hitching in her lungs and coming out faster, rushed. Omi pulled his hand back quickly and again waited.
“Where am I?” she finally breathed out in such a quite whisper it almost was nothing. Voice full of pain and fear, softening its childish tone even more so.
“My room.” Omi told her. Knowing she was probably talking more about the bigger picture, but still taking only small steps, this time in dialogue. Her confused eyes glanced around quickly, then down at her ragged, bullet holed shirt, and the blood seeping from the wound.
“I’m bleeding on your sheets.” she whispered, her voice rough and crackling, yet hiding a lost little girl in it.
“It’s okay, I haven’t slept in here in forever, I’m always in Yohji’s bed, it’s bigger and we fit bett…” Omi trailed off in a blush as he realized he said too much. When he did raise his eyes to the girl again, he realized there was a soft smile there. The kind that said she was still scared, but willing to trust in the face of his openness. Omi blushed again, his ‘Omi chibi smile’ returning to his face. The girl moved to sit up better and let out a hiss of pain.
“Your shoulder…” Omi said as he reached again for it. Pausing his hands slightly above her arm. Waiting for her to react, when she didn’t pull away he began to gently touch her shoulder, then he paused again, blush returning. When he had put the stitches in the first time he had to partially take her shirt off, but she had been unconscious so it hadn’t bothered him, now though…
“It’s okay.” She said timidly as she moved to try and take off the ruined garment. It wasn’t easy with the bad arm. “After what you just told me, I don’t think I have to worry about you trying to check out the goods and get a free feel.” her voice was soft and subdued, but with a bit of childish laughter in it. She was trying to ease her own nerves as much as he was. Omi smiled again at her and helped her take the shirt off, still blushing nearly the color of Aya’s hair though. Once it was off she pulled one of the blankets on the bed closer around her, to cover herself. She too gave a tiny blush, fully realizing her predicament now. Omi made quick work of repairing her stitches, trying to be gentle and mumbling any and all apologizes when ever he heard he make a noise.
“There.” He finally said, sitting back on to his heels. She looked down at the wound and slowly tested out how much movement she still had but rolling it just a little. When it didn’t cause her to scream in pain she smiled slightly.
“Thank you.” she whispered out to him, her orange eyes captivating his. She used her good arm to try and pull some of her long blue locks away from her face. Starting a little as she realized that meant she had to drop the blanket, which was her only source of dignity now. She quickly pulled it back up to her and again blushed.
“Umm,…” she trailed off realizing she didn’t know this boys name yet.
“Oh, Omi, my names Omi.” He told her politely, looking away and blushing too. He didn’t have an interest in girls, and had a steady boyfriend to prove it. She knew that too from his little slip, but still this wasn’t the most comfortable situation.
“Omi, can I have my shirt back?” she asked him, peering out from under the thick hair that remained in her eyes from her failed attempt to get rid of it. Omi quickly grabbed for it. Then taking a look at the died and fresh blood around the left shoulder, and multiple other tears and dirt and mud all over it realized it wouldn’t be any good.
“Umm, let me see if I can get you a new one.” He laughed slightly. Then he looked at her and frowned. She was bigger then he was, taller and endowed the way a girl of her age should be, if not more so. His shirts weren’t going to fit. Yohji’s would be even worse, most of them smaller then Omi’s due to how he wore them. And everyone knew that you didn’t take Aya’s clothes without asking, and then he always said no.
“Nani?” she asked him puzzled by his expression.
“Just trying to think of who here would have one that fit you.” he told her with a shrug and playful smile. “KEN!” he screamed out in direction of the door. There was a loud thump, two crashes, and a shout of ‘Oh Shit!’ before the brunette assassin lunged in through the door, panting and limping slightly from whatever he had run in to.
“Nani?” he asked breathlessly, then he widened his eyes in shock as he realized the girl he had rescued was, as far as he could see, only wearing a blanket. “Holy Shit!” he cried out, causing the girl to flinch back. She wasn’t used to his outspoken nature and quick words, normally spoken well before his brain kicked in.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. He’s a good guy.” Omi quickly reassured the girl before turning back to Ken.
“She needs a new shirt. You’re the only one who has something that might fit her.” Omi told him.
“Oh.” ken quickly replied and retreated out of the room still wide eyed in shock. Before he returned there were two more bangs and a crash, followed by a string of curses.
“Here.” he said handing Omi a light blue tank top. It would be a little big on her in the waist, but would make up for it in the chest. Both boys turned their heads as she painfully pulled it on. It had a wide neck hanging low in both the back and front, but not low enough to make it indecent on her.
“Thank you, Ken, right?” she spoke softly, trying to remember the name that Omi had yelled out. Ken’s face brightened in to a smile as he turned back around to face her, taking her words to mean that she was done changing.
“Yeah, Ken.” He reassured her. “I’m the one that pulled you out of the ally.” He informed her. Her eyes slightly gazed over as if her memories of that incident weren’t all that clear.
“Oh, thanks for that too.” she whispered quietly. Knowing it was coming soon, all the questions and she didn’t feel like answering them right now. She was worn out from all of her actions already this early, and she still hurt too.
“Um, listen I know you need to rest, so we’ll leave you be for a while okay. We’ll worry about all the details later, just answer my one thing first okay?” Omi asked her as he stood up. She gently nodded her head, afraid of what that one thing would be, and how she was going to answer.
“What’s YOUR name?” Omi asked. She smiled gently at him, not having to worry about that question. That was the one thing she didn’t have to make up.
“Kylala.” she told him simply. Omi and Ken both nodded and smiled as they backed out of the room for the time being, gently closing the door behind them. In the bed Kylala was still scared out of her mind, but thanks to Omi’s reassuring smile she felt better. She knew there would still be the Q and A session latter, and she would have to figure out if these guys were well meant enough to hear the truth, or just exactly how she was going to lie to them.


*** The young woman was stretched out across the couch, one leg hanging off the side, the other tossed up and over the top. Her skintight pants were low and the only top she was wearing was a sports bra. One hand lazily drug its self through her hair, as the other tossed one of her prized knives around dangerously over her chest. Her eyes would glint in the reflection of silver it threw across her face. Her lips forever curving in to a more then dangerous smirk. Nagi was sitting across from her, idly watching her actions for the longest time. He was never much for words, so he chose to keep his thoughts to himself, until forced to speak.
“What is it kid, you’ve been staring at me for the longest time now. You wanna fuck or something?” she asked him, voice normal and subdued, never stopping her actions to even look at him. And at the same time, she made her words in to nothing less then liquid silver, running down Nagi’s spine and sending chills through out him. Her words also caused the young Japanese boys eyes to widen and even for a blush to highlight his pale cheeks.
“No.” he choked out before once again regaining control. “I’m just realizing that you’re like a combination of both Schuldich and Farfarello.”
“How so?” she asked, finally giving him enough attention to stop playing with the knife and turn her head to face him.
“Schuldich’s uncaring sexuality, need for unconfined lust, and desire to play with people any way you can. And Farfarello’s manic, near suicidal skills with a blade, and temper, and of course the knife licking thing, and no caring of who, what, how, when, or why you kill.” Nagi told the woman.
“Yeah, well I also have the control of Crawford, and the ability to cover my emotions better then even you.” She said sitting up and staring him down, her cold eyes burning in to the depths of his soul, all formalities of manic glee dropped. “So I’d watch it. Single handily I could replace all of Schwarz and not bat an eye.” And with that she stood and left, leaving Nagi truly contemplating, and worrying, over her words. Hoping it was just his imagination that made them seem like a threat.***

Kylala started awake as she felt someone touch her wounded shoulder. She sat up startled and let out a gasp of pain. Her orange eyes coming instantly in contact with the cerulean depths of Omi’s startled eyes.
“Sorry!” he gasped out quickly. “I was just trying to check your shoulder, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He watched closely as her face stayed in panic mood a few seconds longer before slowly settling in to a more reserved look as her breathing evened out.
“It’s okay.” she finally whispered gently. Omi gave her a big grin to try and relieve any tension. They still had to question her, but if she was still scared out of her mind, it would just send her in to another panic attack. Suddenly there was a soft knock on the door as it simultaneously opened.
“Hey, Omi….Oh, your awake.” Yohji spoke as he entered the room with a small tray of food. The girl jumped at his presence and instinctively squeezed the hand that Omi had been resting next to her on the bed. Yohji knew there was nothing behind it. Omi being the only one who had yet given the girl any peace of mind with that blinding smile and caring personality he gave to everyone. But still he couldn’t help the small twinge of jealousy that went through him at the sight.
“Its okay Kylala, this is Yohji.” Omi told the girl as he gave her a reassuring glance. She looked as if she still wasn’t sure about the man, but released Omi’s hand non-the less.
“There’s some food here if you want it kiddo.” Yohji told her, trying to turn on his suave charms to put her more at ease as he sat the tray down on the nightstand by the bed. She just stared up at him from her sitting position on the bed, still unsure. He gave a slight shrug and turned to start leaving when she spoke.
“Maybe just some water please.” she choked out, her throat dry and tight, because of undying fear and the sleep she had just woken from. Yohji gave a grin. Before he could reply to her though Ken showed up in the doorway.
“Hey guys we…” he started, then stopped seeing the girl awake. “Oh, hi again Kylala.” he told her happily.
“Ken, go get her a glass of water.” Yohji told him as he pulled a chair over closer to the bed, but not to close as to scare her, and sat down. Omi gave him a look from where he still was crouched next to the bed. He knew what was coming now.
“Here ya go.” Ken said holding out the water when he returned a few minutes latter. The room had been eerily silent since he had left, no one talking.
“What took you so long?” Omi asked as he took the water and handed to Kylala who drank it down greedily. Ken just simply tilted his head back to the door, making them all aware of the silent redhead standing there.
“Did you two start going at it in the kitchen again?” Yohji complained loudly. His casual statement making the girl nearly chock on the water she was trying to swallow at the moment. Kens eyes went wide as Aya glared his death stance at Yohji. Yohji just gave a small shrug and turned back to the girl.
“So, up to answering a few questions?” he asked, though his tone of voice had set back in to ‘detective mode’ making sure she understood she really didn’t have a choice. Kylala’s eyes though were intent on Aya. Her brain trying to comprehend just how many strange, gay, men were about to show up. And the others at least had been friendly, this one was glaring at what ever he could, looking irritated to be here.
“That’s just Aya, ignore him, he’s a virtual chunk of stone to everyone but Ken. And that’s only cause Kens fuc…” Yohji started before getting cut off by a smack to the back of his head by a feverishly blushing Ken.
“Well then.” Omi said loudly, trying to turn this conversation back to the girl. Everyone took notice of him, and gave a slight nod to show that they were all on the same page again.
“Lets make this easy. First why don’t you ask us something.” Ken tried, realizing she was still scared to pieces. She looked at him kind of puzzled but nodded in agreement.
“Just who are all of you?” she asked, eyes still roaming around to all of them, and still getting chills from Aya.
“You know our names already, so that’s done. The four of us live up here, and then downstairs is a flower shop…” Omi started to explain.
“It’s the Koneko no Sumu. We run it.” Yohji finished for him. Then Ken took the next part of what was turning in to story time.
“And this morning I woke up to your screaming out side my window as you were being chased by the guy who ended up shooting you, and I brought you in.” He explained.
“Now its your turn.” Yohji said, looking at her with his detective eyes. Going as far as to pull off his sunglasses even. She looked down at her hands for a while. Considering if these guys meant well or not. They seemed like they did. She was still confused as to why they didn’t call the cops but let it go. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, and trusting them with the truth.
“I live, or did live, at the St. Josephs Orphanage. It was connected right to the church. I was there for as long as I could remember. Sister Mary said I just showed up one day curled up next to the milk bottles on the porch. She said I reminded her of a lost kitten. I couldn’t remember my name, if I even had one. So she named me after a cat she had when she was little, Kylala. I grew up there. The nuns, especially Sister Mary, and Father Hiko were my family. They were all I had. About a year ago or so Sister Mary convinced me to go on a visitation with a family. I didn’t want to leave, but I was already 17, if I didn’t get adopted soon, I would never be. That was fine for me, but she thought I should have a family. I went after she forced me too, but, but…” Kylala’s eyes started to dip back in to her head, and she let go of a harsh gasp as she fell back against the pillow, passed out cold.
“DAMN! Was that memory that bad?” Yohji asked jumping up.
“No, it was the water.” An icy voice sounded from the doorway. Aya stood there as if he had been waiting for this to happen. Ken too didn’t look surprised in the least. Omi hopped up and looked at both of them defensively.
“Why would you spike the water?” He asked harshly. Ken just turned and headed out of the room, and to the stairs that bypassed the flower shop and went straight down to the mission room. Aya just held up a plain brown envelope that could hold nothing besides a VHS tape and followed his boyfriend.
“Oh.” Was the combined answer of both Omi and Yohji as they too followed the icy red head down the stairs.

***”You’ve changed since then.” Farfarello simply stated, looking on at the woman who was reading over some sort of folder Crawford had given her to prepare her for the mission. Though if she was really paying any attention to the papers was uncertain. She didn’t really need to be briefed on her target, just turned loose.
“Probably, what’s your point?” She lazily asked him, looking up and in to his single golden eye in a way that no one normal did. A way that spoke of uncaring and unconcern for what he had to throw at her. Her calm indifference nearly spooked even one as cold as Farfarello. Though he would never show it, but it didn’t matter. He figured she already knew the type of emotions one look from her could easily cause.
“Ya dyed your hair didn’t ya?” he asked her. Dropping his normal facade of consent insanity, knowing full well she could all ready see through that. Her eyes flashed for a second in anger, and if he hadn’t been a self-mutilator who could feel no pain, he would have flinched with the thoughts of what she would do to him for pissing her off.
“I have never, nor will I ever, dye my hair.” She snapped at him, turning back to the folder, simply to end the conversation then for nothing else.
“Its longer then.” Farfarello wasn’t content to let her off that easy, she was the first person he had ever met that took him for more then his face value.
“I grew it out. So what?” she responded, though not turning back to him.
“Just wondering why you changed yer self.” he told her. She lazily stretched her arms out above her before answering him. Letting her hands run back through her mane of hair.
“This coming from a person who mutilates themselves.” she nearly laughed. Her fingers finally came to rest on the base of her neck, rubbing it as if there was a knot nestled there that wouldn’t go away. Farfarello caught a small glance of her face as she did so. He had inflicted enough pain on others to know the look of it, even if he couldn’t feel it. And that look was lightly filling in her face before she abruptly removed her hands and stood to leave.
“I’ve changed. I’m not the same person anymore. The silver fox has gone to rest, but her fangs remain. Leave it at that.” and with that she left the small room and Farfarello behind.***

Kylala woke up with a start. It had been that same dream again. The one that had haunted her for all these years and still would. The one that was borne of her very memories of that day years back when her whole life changed. The face of that man still haunted her waking thoughts. She found herself scared, wishing that the others were there, or Omi at the least. He seemed the most understanding. Then again she had only met any of them early this very morning. She thought more closely on her situation and wondered where they had gone any way. She had been talking to them then suddenly she was out. Kylala put it off as being overly tired and stress and not to mention having been shot. She nearly started laughing then, a small childish smile did find its way to her lips. When she had first opened her eyes and the four of them were around her she had gone in to hysterics. Freaking out at them and yelling at them to go away. Now she wanted nothing more then for them to be here.
“I am totally fucked in the head.” she mumbled to her self as she tossed the blankets off and staggered off the bed. Her footing was unsteady and she reached an arm out to brace herself on the nightstand.
“OW!” She yelped, realizing she had done that with the wrong arm and pulled it back. The quick motion caused her to lose her footing and she was down on the bed again.
“This may take a while.” She mumbled to herself as she stared up at the ceiling.

“Schwarz has survived.” Manx’s words still echoed in the heads of all four assassins as they again watched the tape she had left them. Weiss’s worst enemies were not only alive but back to their old tricks. The screen in front of them flashed with shots of all four members. Most of the pictures involved one of them killing someone else, brutally. Bones smashed to pieces by Prodigy’s telekinetics, brains exploded from the inside out due to masterminds telepathy, or a quick kill shot to the heart or head before the victim even knew that they weren’t alone from Oracle’s gun, aided by his ability to see the future. The worst ones though were those of Berserker. They were enough to even turn the stomachs of the trained assassins. Churches, monasteries, anything that had any connection to religion in the slightest desecrated with the mutilated bodies of any one who had been in the area. Body parts scattered, blood splashed everywhere. Aya hit the pause button on one of the more gruesome pictures, which featured Berserker him self in the center, covered in blood, and licking part of the intestines of priest who lay behind him off of his knife.
“Ug, we have to do something.” Ken said, turning his eyes from the sight. Omi just simply nodded, his face an off shade of green. He didn’t trust himself to open his mouth at the moment, fearful that he would empty the contents of his stomach if he did so.
“We can’t move until we know more. We need their location, or at least who they’re working for, or where they’ll next hit.” Yohji said staring at the screen in disgust.
“Omi, you’ll start looking for anything you can to track them down on the net. Yohji will stake out some of the more populated nightclubs for Mastermind. Ken will look in to the churches that have been targeted in the past and try to make a connection. I’ll take night patrols to see if I can find anything.” Aya told the group, receiving small nods of agreement from his fellow Weiss members. He then moved to turn off the tape, but before he could all four of them were distracted by the choked shout from the doorway. Their shocked eyes came to rest on a pair of equally shocked orange eyes, looking in at them from near the stairs.
“Him, its him.” Kylala choked out, eyes staring at Farfarello, still shown on the screen. Before anyone could react though she dropped to the floor with a loud thump. Passed out cold, for a third time that day. The four men looked at each other. Everyone’s face reflecting the same worry. Not of the girl herself, but of what she had just saw, and heard. It was not a good situation for anyone at that very moment.

***She hadn’t liked it there. She knew she wouldn’t. She never did. She was seventeen and too set in her ways to change. Besides she liked the nuns at St. Josephs. She would be content to never have a family, or a real chance at normal things in life, like school, which she felt she didn’t need anyway. She wanted to stay there. To help the sisters, and Farther Hiko, take care of the kids and help get them good families and a real chance at life. After as long as she had been around too she could teach them basic self-defensive skills for when they were in a pinch. That would give her more fulfillment then a bunch of letters on a report card, behind a name that wasn’t really hers. She liked being Kylala Joseph. To her, it made her sound American, which made her different, which to her, made her better. She had gone on this visit though. Protesting the whole time, she finally went just to make Sister Mary happy. She couldn’t stand to see the woman she thought of as a mother sad. They agreed though that this was the last time. Sister Mary really wanted her to get along with this family. It had been hard to find people even interested in a seventeen-year-old street rat. That’s what she was too. Even though most of her time she had spent in the orphanage, she was still influenced by the streets. She was clean, didn’t have a record either. But she did have an attitude. She finally agreed to go on the weekend visit simply because Sister Mary promised her that if she was on her best behavior, it would be her last. Kylala idly wondered as she walked the last 4 and a half miles back to the orphanage if leaving in the middle of the night through a second story window and hitch hiking the first 8 miles counted as ‘best behavior’. Probably not, but it wasn’t as if Sister Mary could find another family anyway.
Kylala was nearly laughing to herself over thoughts such as those, and the expression that would be on Sisters face in the morning when she found Kylala there. It all stopped though as soon as she walked through the doors of the church. Not even two feet inside she slipped and fell. The ground was wet. It didn’t make sense, it wasn’t raining out, not only that but it hadn’t rained in over two weeks. They were in a drought season right now. When Kylala got back to her feet and walked in farther, where there was some light still being given off from the candles on the alter she knew why the floor was wet. Her hands and arms were coated in blood from where she had caught herself. It hadn’t been water she slipped and fell in, but blood. As her eyes became better adjusted to the dim light she could see it now. Everywhere. There wasn’t an inch of the main chapel that wasn’t splashed in the dark liquid. As she looked around in panic Kylala heard a soft moan from the other side of the alter. What she saw there made her instantly retch her stomach. It was Father Hiko, or at least what was left of him. The extent of damage to him was beyond her minds ability to process.
“…not…the…child..ren…” he breathed out gasping. His one eye that was left was gazing off in to the abyss. He was too far-gone for anyone to ever save. Kylala heard his dying plea, realizing that he wasn’t speaking to her, he was still begging the person who had done this to him. Begging them to stay away from the children. A surge of cold fear went down Kylala’s spine. She took off running down the hall that lead to the sleeping quarters for the orphanage. No thought process left. Only the need to see that the kids were safe. They were her friends, and her family. The futures of the world that she wanted to try and save. Nothing could happen to them, it just couldn’t. She flung the door open and tried to race in, but couldn’t. Another body was in her way. Sister Ann’s. And next to that another, and another. When she finally managed to get in she was a wreak. Crawling on her hands and knees, alternating between throwing up, which had become dry heaves at this point, and sobbing. She was covered from head to toe in blood. The blood of all the people she had ever cared about. The sleeping quarters were more of the same. Only this time instead of nuns, it was children. All of them brutally murdered. Kylala let out a pained filled sob at the sight. Then she saw the body she had been praying this whole time never to see. Sister Mary’s. She crawled with the little strength that the horrors of the night had not yet taken from her over there. Sister Mary, like Father, was gone past saving, but still alive.
“Sister, Sister please. Don’t die. I’m sorry, I’ll be a good kid from now on. I’ll even go back to that family and let them adopt me. Just don’t die.” She begged as she leaned over the body of the bloodied nun. Sister Mary’s eyes fluttered open slightly and took recognition of Kylala, barley.
“…my girl…my sweet Kylala…praise lord you weren’t here…you …still…have…a…chance…” and with that she died, her eyes staring up at Kylala’s orange depths.
“NOO!” Kylala choked out in a sob huddled scream.
“Another one.” a raspy, badly spoken, accented voice drawled out. Kylala lifted her head enough to look in to the face of the killer. His silver hair was nearly coated a complete red from the blood that he had been causing to spill from so many people. The one eye that was visible to her glinted in a manic gleam as he stared down at her. His mouth a wide grin, one hand slowly smearing the coating of blood over the knife in his other hand. As Kylala looked up at him, she showed no fear in her eyes. She didn’t have enough strength left to be afraid. She just wanted to die. Die with the rest of her ‘family’. Die like she should have. The man simply huffed.
“Wandering around a church in the wee morning hours, coated in the blood of another. Ye be more like me then you wish to be.” He rasped at her, bending down close and waving the knife a mere inch from her face. Still she held no fear, only a longing in her eyes for the death he promised. The man only laughed. His deep rumbling laugh echoed through her head even as he stood and walked away, never touching her.
“Ye’ll suffer more this way, and the sufferin’ of one a ‘is angels will make god suffer too.” he said as he walked out the door. Kylala took one last gasp of breath, forced in a sob and passed out on the body of the only mother she had ever known.***

“Just what the fuck are we supposed to do now?” Yohji whispered out in more of a growl then anything else. Shooting Ken a glare that could put Aya to shame. Aya though was trying to prove that he was still the master of the look though by giving his own ‘glare-o-death’ at Ken from the wall that he was leaning against. The only person who wasn’t giving Ken a death ray stare from bringing in a person who just blew their cover was Omi. But Omi was to busy trying get the aforementioned security breach to regain consciousness.
“We’ve dealt with worse. The whole Sukra thing. I mean Kylala didn’t see that…” Ken mumbled. Trying to make his mistake sound better. He didn’t get far though before he was cut off.
“Yeah, but she seen enough to RECOGNIZE Berserker Ken. She already knows him. Now we’re not just looking at a security breach, we’re looking at a fucking infiltration!” Yohji hissed out, causing Ken to shrink even farther back in to the corner he was in. He thought for sure that Yohji was going to backhand him.
“Hey! She’s waking up!” Omi’s shrill voice cut through and stopped the impending doom that Ken was facing. The three men quickly gathered around Omi and the girl on the couch. She was tossing and turning, mumbling under her breath. Fighting demons of a dream as she tried to wake up. And finally managed.
“NOOO!!” she screamed out at the top of her lungs as she bolted awake finally. Sitting straight up, bracing her tensed body on her arms, which caused her to fall right back down against the couch again as the pain from the wound in her shoulder caught up with her. As her back hit the couch again she let out a muffed ‘ep’. As her breathing became a little steadier she looked up and in to the three stern, and one worried, faces around her. And yet again, she freaked out.
“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” she cried out as she launched her self up from the couch and dashed past them to the stairs. It wasn’t the best plan of escape, especially since she didn’t know where the stairs led, but it was the only one she could see.
“Calm down. Sit down. And talk.” Aya snapped out at her. Speaking to her for the first time. His voice was as rough on her ears as nails on a chalkboard.
“No.” she cried out, still backing up the stairs. “You know him, your, you’re his allies or something, your gonna kill me.” In her rush to try and get up the stairs, while still keeping all of them in eye sight, she fell backwards on to the steps. It didn’t stop her though. She continued to make her way up them, on her ass, using only her good arm to do so. Half gasping and half sobbing as she did so. Yohji’s hand was slowly coming up to his watch, readying himself to bring her back down to there level the quickest way he knew. Omi’s eyes were wide and darting around to everyone. Seeing the girls panic, Aya’s death rage boiling over, and Yohji’s readiness to strike.
“EVERYONE JUST STOP!” he yelled out, jumping between his teammates and Kylala. Everyone did stop at his sudden moves. Omi was never one to stand in the way of anything. When he did, it was serious. Last time he’d ever done something like this was when he was protecting his ‘brother’. Once he realized everyone was at least a little calmer, he turned to face the girl that was so quickly becoming such a problem to Weiss.
“Now, Kylala, tell us, tell ME how you know Farfarello.” he pleaded with her. Keeping his voice steady and calm and as reassuring as he could. Her scared eyes melted with slight confusion.
“Who’s…” she barley breathed out.
“The man from the picture, his name is Farfarello. How do you know him?” Omi asked again, but never moving closer to her. Giving her space. Letting her feel that she could still run if she wanted to.
“He killed them. All of them. Everyone.” she mumbled out.
“Who’s everyone?” Ken asked from behind Omi. Trying to keep his voice steady and sure.
“The orphanage, church, Father Hiko, all the nuns, even the kids and Sister Mary. He killed them all. I should have died to. I should have been there. But I wasn’t, so now…” she stopped. Realizing that that was it. That was all she could say, because now she didn’t know what she wanted to do or be done, or anything.
“You want revenge. You want to hunt him down and make him pay.” Yohji finished for her. Remembering the sais and newspaper clippings.
“I want him to pay, but I don’t know…” she tried to convey what she was feeling to them. She wanted him in jail, dead, whatever. But to be the one to do it was just a step farther then she wanted to go, at least at the moment anyway.
“You don’t want his blood on your hands.” Ken said in a saddened tone. This girl was a lot like all of them. She had been hurt and wronged and wanted revenge. But while they were taking it in their own hands, staining their souls red with the blood of those they killed, she didn’t want to go to that distance. At Ken’s words her head nodded gently. She was relived to see that the hardened stares that Yohji and Ken had been directing her way were softening now. Aya’s hadn’t, but she was beginning to feel that just might be a normal thing. Omi’s voice echoed out then. Hard and determined. Shocking his teammates just as much as Kylala herself.
“Then we’ll help.”

***”Little Panda-bear,” Schuldich addressed the young woman as he entered the room she was in. Using his own nickname for the one that was once known only as the Sliver Fox. “That’s not your real name.” he told her plainly as he came to stand above her lithe body spread out on the couch, lazily smoking one of his cloves.
“And ‘guilty’ is yours?” she teasingly asked him with a smirk beginning to form at her lips.
“No. But at least my name makes sense. I know I AM guilty. Yours doesn’t. So just where did you get it from?” he asked her. She stood and took another drag from the clove before gently placing it in his lips.
“Ever watch Inu-Yasha(*2)?” she asked him as she began to walk away.
“No.” he told, wondering how any of this fit in together.
“I do.” were her last words as she went out to the surrounding forests that crowed around the Schwarz mansion.***

It was a slow day in the flower shop, and it was a good thing to. Aya was running it himself, and he normally just insured in running most of the customers away. The rest of Weiss was in the middle of, for lack of a better term, story time. Omi and Ken, and a reluctant Yohji were telling a very wide-eyed Kylala about Weiss, with as little detail as possible, but still managing to convince her they were the good guys and they would get Farfarello for her.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” she mumbled as they finished.
“We’ll get him Kylala. So you wont have to dirty your hands with it.” Omi told her. Resting a hand on her knee.
“Tell me one thing though.” Yohji spoke up, “Just how was it that you got yourself shot? And why the sais, fake no less.”
“I was looking for him. I was doing what I could to bring him in, or anything. I really didn’t know what I truly wanted, besides the obvious. He killed my family. I wanted him to pay. I guess I crossed the wrong person looking for him. The sais, I needed to protect myself, but I figured I’d kill myself if they were real, I don’t know who to use ‘um.” she said. Still in slight shock over what they had told her. The others exchanged a small look, but figured she was on the up and up. The terror, the pain, the confusion and sympathy that was in her eyes and voice was too real to be faked.
“I have to go help Aya before we lose all our business.” Yohji said as he left to go to the shop. Ken also stood, mumbling something about helping out. Omi just stayed sitting on the couch next to Kylala. The silence that crowed around them wasn’t the uncomfortable kind, but the kind that sparked from friendship. A small, yet growing, friendship between the two of them. Finally Omi stood and extended his hand to her to help her up.
“Come on. I’ll show you around so you’ll know where everything is.” Kylala gave him a warm smile and took his arm. Knowing in her heart that Omi, if any of them, would help her, would get Farfarello for her. Knowing she could trust him and the friendship that he was offering so quickly and openly to her.

***”Crawford?” Nagi asked as he walked in to the open door of the elder mans office. Crawford glanced up from the papers he was working at momentarily to met Nagi’s eyes before going right back to his work.
“What do you want?” he asked sharply.
“I was wondering, you keep calling her ‘Pandora’s box’, but what power does she have, what is she really?” he asked the man that had brought her in in the fist place. Crawford didn’t even glance up to answer the boy’s question.
“Powerful.” was the answer he gave. In such a tone that Nagi knew not to ask anything else. That was the only answer that he was going to get from Crawford. As he turned and walked back to his own room he began to wonder if that was the only answer that Crawford had.***

It had been a week since Ken had found Kylala in the ally. She helped out around the shop, which was a blessing. With a female presence around it deterred a lot of the noisy school girls. She seemed to fit in well for the most part. She used Omi’s room, kept her mouth shut about Weiss, and didn’t comment on the sounds that came from Yohji’s room at night. Aya treated her about like he did everyone else, a stump on a log. Ken talked soccer with her and watched the games on TV with her as well. Loving the fact he finally found someone who loved the sport as much as he did. Omi spent nearly every second with her. They had become instant friends. It was Omi who had taken her out clothes shopping, while Ken’s shirts might have almost fit, she still needed pants. She was as tall almost as Aya, but slimmer so they had nothing that would come close to fitting her in that department. It was Omi who showed her around the city, Omi who taught her how to work around the shop, and Omi who she talked to every second she could. And it was her who Omi went to for help on his homework nowadays. They were best friends before the first day was over. Yohji was on the middle ground. He didn’t really lean one way or the other with the girl. He enjoyed the fact that Omi had someone around his age to hang out with, besides just Ken. But he just couldn’t stop the jealous twinges that went through him every time he saw Kylala and Omi together. And there was just something that wasn’t right about her to him. A little voice kept tugging at the back of his head, telling him that something wasn’t right, but he couldn’t place it. He chalked it up to old detective instincts that wouldn’t go away.
Yohji walked in to the living room lazily. Omi was out on re-con with Ken tonight. Aya was, well who ever really knew where Aya disappeared to when he wasn’t needed. Yohji had just finished up closing the shop. He was now ready for a smoke, a drink, and some late night TV until his lover came back. When he heard the TV suddenly explode with cheering and an announcers voice screaming out ‘GOOOOOAL’ for a longer period of time then any person should be able to hold the word out, he knew he had to fight with the girl first for remote control possession.
“Hey Kylala I want to…” he started to tell her as he came around to the front of the couch she was laying on. He stopped though when he realized she was asleep. Her arms crossed below her head, long bright, yet pastel, hair cascading down past her shoulders and in to her back. Her legs and arms were bare. Tan skin extending from the shorts and tank top she wore. He sighed and considered weather he should wake her up and send her to her room, or just let her be. He made his decision when he realized that she was laying on the TV remote, and she had to move before he could get it. He bent down and gently shook her good shoulder to wake her.
“Get up Kylala.” he said in the stillness of the room. As he softly shook her, her thin hair fell away from her neck and over the side of her shoulder, revealing a tattoo at the base of her neck. It was a stunning silver that looked to real to be ink, but was. He couldn’t quite make out what shape it was, only that it looked to be an animal, and that it had a look of familiarity to it, before she rolled over and slowly began to flutter her eyes open.
“Omi?” she mumbled out in her still half asleep state. Yohji gave her a light frown, but dismissed it the best he could.
“No. He’s still out. Go to bed Kylala. I wanna watch TV.” he told he as he pushed her long legs aside to make room for himself on the couch, and grabbed the remote. Switching the channel to something, anything that wasn’t soccer. It had been bad enough with just Ken. She stared at him for a minute with a cute pout on her face. Her orange eyes clashing widely with her hair as it hung down and in to her face.
“I was watching that.” she grumbled to him.
“You were asleep. Go to bed.” He told her as he lit up a cigarette and puffed out a cloud of blue smoke. Kylala made a face at him, partly over taking away the remote, but mostly because of the smoke. She hated it as much as Omi did, another way they were connected.
“Fine.” She said as she got up and walked towards the rooms. Making a point of pinching her nose closed as she did so.

***Crawford walked in to the kitchen for his morning cup of coffee. This was alone time. His quite peacefulness of the day. Farfarello was still locked up. No one ever let him out before 9. Nagi had left for school ten minutes ago, and Schuldich didn’t wake up before noon, ever. He was slightly surprised then to smell fresh coffee brewing as he neared the kitchen door. He realized then that he wasn’t the only morning person as he saw Pandora sitting on the counter slowly drinking a cup of coffee and puffing on one of Schuldich‘s cloves. Staring out at nothing in particular.
“Good morning.” he said to her as polity as he could as he poured his own coffee and went to sit down at the kitchen table with the newspaper.
“You know what still surprises me.” she told him, though still not looking anywhere near him. It took Crawford a moment actually to realize that she was even talking to him.
“No, what?” he finally replied to her. If she was anyone else he would have ignored her. He wasn’t much for conversations to begin with, much less before his morning coffee and in the middle of the business section. But this woman wasn’t someone you ignored.
“I’m surprised that you didn’t kill me too.” she told him. That caught Crawford’s attention enough to force him to put down the paper and turn to her.
“Whys that?” he asked, with just enough genuine curiosity to make her keep going.
“You hated my Grandfather so much. I mean the way he would squeeze your heart, literally, every time you spoke to him. Bringing you that one step closer to death and making you realize it was his choice to kill you or not. I just assumed that your hate for him would filter down in to me, and you’d want me dead.” she finally turned her head towards him now. Letting him try to read her unreadable face.
“Your grandfather was an old crone who didn’t know what he had. You are not. You can do much better for me and my Schwarz alive then your dead body could.” he told her with an almost smile fluttering to his face. “You are after all my Pandora’s box.”***


Yohji woke up late the next morning. Well late for normal people at least. It was going on 2 in the afternoon. He still felt tired though. He had waited all night for Omi to come in. Then after the two of them finally went to bed, neither one of them had gone to sleep, finding better ways to use the bed. He awoke to find the bed empty, and in need of a shower, and a piss. He strode in to the bathroom wearing only his boxers, not caring that the door had been shut, or that someone was in the shower already. If it was Ken or Aya, he’d piss and leave, if it was Omi, he’d stay. Kylala had not been there long enough for Yohji to remember her. He should have though.
“Hello. Don’t you knock.” came an irritated voice from the shower stall behind him as Yohji began to relive himself. Causing him to jump about ten feet in the air.
“HOLY SHIT! Sorry, I’ll leave.” he hurried in apology as he moved to the door, casting the barest of looks through the clear stall door. Her hair was wet, making it look darker then its shimmery color really was. She flashed out her deep orange eyes at him as he made to leave.
“Not like anyone in this place wants me anyway. Every last one of you is gay.” she mumbled to him. He turned from the door to stare at her openly as she shut the water off and grabbed the towel to wrap around herself in a show of modesty.
“I resent that. I’m bi I’ll have you know.” he told her.
“That’s right, it’s a girl that put you in this place to begin with.” she said, as if it was common day conversation, like discussing the weather. Yohji’s looked instantly darkened. Her hair, eyes, and that damned tattoo, it all just seemed to familiar to him.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked her coldly.
“Oh, nothing.” she said as she picked up a brush and began to head to the door. Yohji was still staring after her as she said one final thing that nearly sent chills down his spine, and really made him distrust her even more then before.
“Just wondering if a girl you didn’t even love put you here, what’d happen if something ever happened Omi, the man you truly love.” and with that she was walking out and in to her temporary room, closing the door and locking it behind. Yohji just stared after her. Knowing that her words were probably just the mindless ramblings of a girl who didn’t know any better. But to him it just felt like there was more to it then that.

“Wow.” Omi gasped as Yohji laid down next to him, drawing out of the tight warmth of Omi‘s body. His breathing was as raged as Omi’s. Yohji let a satisfied smirk trace his pleasure dulled face as his lover curled next to him. Using the older mans bare chest as a pillow. Yohji had returned from his re-con work an hour ago. And the two of them had spent that hour the best way they knew how to. Just as Omi was beginning to lose himself in sleep, Yohji spoke.
“Omi, can I ask you something?” Omi lightly groaned, but moved to a better position to listen to his lover. Yohji did this all the time. He would wait till after mind-blowing sex to talk about the really serious things. That way Omi couldn’t argue too much with him, still feeding off of the throngs of bliss.
“What is it?” Omi asked tiredly as he looked in to Yohji’s deep emerald eyes.
“Do you really trust that girl?” he asked, eyes steaming in there sincerity of the question.
“Kylala, of course, why not?” Omi was suddenly alert. Kylala was the first person he could actually count as a friend in a long time. And he didn’t want to have to choose between her and Yohji. He would of course choose then man that held his heart, but he didn’t want to lose her in the same.
“Some things just arn’t right about her. She asks to many questions…”
“She’s curious. Anyone in her place would be.” Omi was instantly defending her.
“She knows too much…” Yohji tried again.
“I answer her questions.” Omi told him in almost a ‘duh’ tone of voice.
“The way she takes care of her shoulder. She uses it as much as she can, constantly stretching it out and testing it, like one of us would do, like someone trained would.”
“I told her too. I trained her to. That way it’ll heal best.”
“And she has this tattoo…”
“She told us, she spent time on the streets, you have one too and…HEY! How’d you see a tattoo on her?” Omi suddenly asked, changing his tone as soon as he realized he’d never seen one on her despite all the time they had been together. Yohji grimaced slightly and pulled Omi closer. The boy easing his thoughts about the girl.
“Never mind, I guess its just me.” he told him as they both again began to fall asleep.
“There’s still just something about her…” he mumbled as both him and Omi fell asleep tangled in each others arms and love.

***It was that night all over again. The seaside coliseum was already beginning to fall. The three elders were cornered, and ready to meet their end by the hands of Weiss. Omi was covering one, Ken had his sights on another, Aya was ready to bring about the last strike on the third. Yohji was distracted. In all the chaos he had managed to see *something* high on the one ledge, nearing the window. He barley caught a glimpse, but then he seen it again. It was the same person that he had seen earlier, the one that had made him almost not get to Ken in time to save him from that sniper. He saw the hard eyes staring down at them, no, at the one women only. He knew enough to realize from the twisted smirk that played on their lips that they were talking to her. Answering a plea that no one else heard.
‘SILVER FOX! Do not forsake us! Save us! We are of your same blood!’ the old women sent out telepathically as a last desperate plea. She was not one to show fear and weakness to her enemy’s. But she would admit it to herself. They needed that damn women now if they were to live.
‘No.’ a silvery voice echoed back in to her head. ‘You’ve forsaken me long ago. And it’s only your blood cause I have no choice. I’ve waited my existence to shake you off my tail. I have no intentions of dieing now. I’m outta here. You meet the maker for me.’ and with that the figure turned and leapt out the window, as Ken drug his claws in to the back of the old women. Yohji turned back away to see what had transpired. Knowing that if she was gone now, there would be no more threat from her. Behind him the other members of Weiss had the last surviving Esstet leader cornered. It was time to get back to his job and put all thoughts of that other women, with the cold eyes that burned right in to a persons soul, out of his mind forever.***

Yohji woke up in a cold sweat. It had been a long time since he had dreamed of that night. They had all almost died then. And even when it did come back to plague him, it had never been of that moment. It had never been of THAT women. In fact he had completely forgot about it all together. Tossing it off as nothing, and pushing it away from his memories. Now it was bugging him. Why would he have a dream like that now? That women had bowed out before, so he thought she wouldn’t touch them now. But he had always had those gut instincts. The kind that let him know when to be scared if nothing else. The kind that had made him a good detective, and an even better assassin. If now that women was coming back, they would be in trouble. If Schwarz had survived, so had she. She had taken off even before the real shit had come down. He sat there in bed for the longest time thinking about it, her. The thing that troubled him the most was that he couldn’t remember what she looked like. He had two close calls with her that night, yet he couldn’t remember. Only that her eyes burned your soul, and her voice was like liquid silver poured down your spine, sending chills everywhere. And as an opponent, he knew by looking only, she was deadly. Far worse then any before, or after.

“Ah man! No way! That goalie should have seen that coming!” Ken’s voice drifted down the stairs as he yelled out at the TV in the living room. Omi just shook his head and continued to type the report he was working on. Soon Kylala’s soft giggle could be heard as she made her way down to the mission room to join Omi.
“I thought you were watching the game with Ken?” Omi asked her as she pulled a spare chair over by him and flopped in to it.
“I was, but it’s the last half and Jamaica is kicking butt 9-1. They’re going to win no matter how much Ken yells, and all that yelling is beginning to hurt my head.” she laughed out as she leaned over to better see what Omi was working on. She herself had never gone to school, but had enough smarts to be a great help to him on a lot of his work.
“Cellular mi-what-is?” she asked looking at the title on his report. It was Omi’s turn to giggle now. This wasn’t one of the things that she could be helpful with.
“Its for science class.” He told her, nearly laughing again at her mystified expression.
“Why can’t you write about like rainbows or something. I could help you on that, I know a lot about rainbows.” she told him matter-o-factly, still looking at the computer screen. Slowly she turned her head to face Omi. As both of them looked in to each others eyes they explode in to a laughing fit. Her orange eyes lighting up with the true innocence of a child, and Omi’s reflecting that, and gladly getting lost in it. Suddenly there was a loud beep from across the room, near the commutations system.
“Bombay, Siberian, come in.” Aya’s voice cackled over the speaker system. Omi flew over to it and picked up the other end. Kylala was left sitting by the computer with both a hurt and concerned look on her face.
“Bombay here Abyssinian, go ahead.” Omi told the man on the other end.
“We’re at the location. Schwarz has shown up, but something is off. We need you two here. It’s time. Abyssinian out.” and the line went dead, only the only occasional static bleep coming across. Omi slowly turned around from the system and glanced towards the stairs. Ken was standing on them, having been alerted by the first beep that had come across. He gave Omi a sharp nod of his head and turned to walk back up them, getting ready for the battle. Omi to stood and began to head to the stairs.
“Wait!” Kylala’s girlish voice cut through the still air and in to Omi’s head. He jumped slightly and turned to look at her. He had all but forgot that she was still there. News of the mission pushing even her from his mind.
“We’ll get him Kylala. Tonight, now. We’ll get him for you.” Omi’s voice held a certainty that one couldn’t compare to anything else. His blue eyes washing in to her orange ones.
“I wanna go.” She whispered out in a tone so soft that she herself wasn’t sure she’d said it.
“No. Your hands are clean. I wont let them be soiled by blood.” Omi told her as he came to stand in front of her. He was younger then she was, and shorter too. But as he stood above her she was completely intimated by him. His eyes and harsh tone of voice did nothing but add to that intimidation.
“My hands already have the blood of my only family on them because of that man. The least you can give me is the satisfaction of seeing him fall.” she pleaded with Omi. He just shook his head.
“No. Stay here, listen in on the comm. That’s as close as you need to be.” He told her, then walked away. Heading up the stairs and out for the mission.
“Just please be safe Omi.” she whispered out as she watched him go. “Don’t let him take you too.”

***”We’re out numbered here.”
“How can we be out numbered, its four to four.”
“All that we have spotted is four this time…”
“But we heard them say something about when the ‘woman’ shows up.”
“You mean their waiting on a fifth member…”
“That’s why they haven’t moved yet.” Enough was enough. Kylala shut off the comm system and nearly flew up the stairs. She knew where they were and she’d be damned if she let them die. She probably wouldn’t be any help, most likely just get in the way, but she had to do something.***

The warehouse looked like one of those you only saw in bad horror movies from the 80’s. As her eyes took it in she had to gulp down the lump of fear that was in her throat. ‘Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all.’ she thought to herself. It was too late to turn back now though. She steeled herself as much as possible and crept inside. Hoping that she would find Weiss, not Schwarz, in this part of the building. As soon as her feet hit the cement inside of the building someone yanked her arm, her bad one, and pulled her over to the side. Causing her to fall on her ass with a small yelp of pain.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?” Ken growled out at her as all four assassins stared her down. Her wide eyes peered up at them with innocence and shock. Yup, she’d found Weiss, but by the looks of it she just might have been safer with Schwarz.
“I wanted to help. I had to do something.” she told them as she stood up and brushed herself off. Black leather pants were stretched around her legs, widening slightly at her ankles to allow the dark boots she wore to fit. Her front was draped in a black tank top. Blue hair was tied back and out of her face in a ponytail that hooked at the base of her neck. Orange eyes were accented by black makeup that seemed to deepen the intensity of them. Her arms were bare down to her wrists where matching black leather cuffs were hooked. Coming slightly over on to her palms and spreading up in to her forearm. On the underside of each one the handle of a sai could be seen, barely coming out. Omi just looked in shock. Yohji was staring her down in way that clearly spoke of the fact she looked familiar, like this, but he couldn’t place it.
“Where did you get those clothes?” Ken asked her coldly as he took her in. She didn’t need to answer though, Aya did it for her.
“Those are MY pants.” he growled between clenched teeth. Kylala just gave a tired smile.
“Well, I kinda needed something black. So I went looking.” she told him. Ken roughly grabbed her arm and pulled one of the sais free from its hiding spot. Taking the tip in his hand he bent it back.
“And how much help did you think you would be with TOYS as weapons.” he growled out as he tossed it away. Kylala shrunk back from them.
“It’s all I had.” she whispered out. Before anyone had time to yell at her more though, an evil laugh cut though to them from the other side of the building. Schwarz.
“It’s time. Move out.” Aya said to the others, then as he looked at Kylala he shoved her back father in to the corner they were in. “YOU stay HERE.” he growled. She just minutely nodded her head at him.
The four members of Weiss moved out and stood opposite the four members of Schwarz. They stood like that for a minute easy. Just staring down each other. Then as if on some unspoken command all eight moved in for the attack. Kylala hid behind the crates peering out as the battle went on. As much as she wanted to believe them, that they would take down Farfarello, she didn’t know if they could. Schwarz was backing them right back in to a corner, literally. HER corner in fact. Suddenly a sharp blow caught Ken off guard and sent him back in to the crates that had been her hiding spot. Scattering them everywhere and sending Kylala flying back. She landed with a sharp yell and tried to scoot farther away from the battling men. Coming to help had seemed like a good idea, but now she was just scarred shitless. Before she had a chance to move away again, she was spotted by Schuldich.
“Ah, so that’s where you’ve been hiding, I knew I could feel your mind around here.” he all put purred out at her as he began to step towards her. He was stopped abruptly though as Yohji’s wire cut in to him, yanking him back, but not doing any damage.
“I don’t think so!” Yohji hollered out as he pulled the Schwarz Mastermind away. As Schuldich broke free from the blondes hold another set of sparing ensured between them. Kylala looked around then. Aya and Crawford were locked in battle on nearly the other side of the building, Yohji and Schuldich were quickly heading off to another location as well. Ken was leading Farfarello around in circles, and Omi was trying to get Nagi farther away. All the Weiss members were trying to keep the fighting away from her. And in the process getting their asses kicked. ‘I should have never come, then they wouldn’t need to worry about me, and could just fight.’ she mentally chided herself. And that’s when it happened.
Yohji’s wire landed a solid hook around Schuldich’s neck. Nagi had to ignore Omi for the moment and throw the blonde off of his teammate. As Schuldich moved back in to play, he realized that Nagi still had a hold of Yohji, so he moved in to target Omi instead. In the brief pause Omi was given from Nagi’s attacks, he had rushed to see if Kylala was still okay. With his back turned, he didn’t stand a chance of seeing the faster then light German as he approached from behind.
“NOO!!” Kylala suddenly yelled, bolting up and in to the middle of the battle. Stepping between Omi and Schuldich.
“What?” the German asked, stopping in his tracks to look at the girl. //Back away.// he added as a mental warning in to her head.
“NO! Don’t touch him! He doesn’t deserve to die!” She yelled back. Now her cries were beginning to draw the others attention as well. Omi just stood on the other side of her looking flabbergasted.
“He’s Weiss. He dies like the rest!” Schuldich shouted back. //What the hell do you think your doing, MOVE!// came the scream in her head.
“I don’t care if you kill the rest of them, but DON’T TOUCH HIM!!” she screamed back. //He’s better then this, I wont let you kill him.// she shouted in her head, directing it with everything she had back to Schuldich.
“Fine, then I wont.” he said with a laugh. Kylala looked at him, briefly puzzled, then she saw it. In the uproar that the three of them were making, Ken had paused in his fight against Farfarello just long enough to let the Irish man escape. Farfarello was now heading full force towards Omi, knife drawn, and no one was close enough to stop him. Except Kylala. With speed and courage she didn’t even know she possessed she charged at Omi, throwing both their bodies to the ground just as Farfarello hit them. All three were sent in to a tangled pile on the ground. Farfarello jumped back up nearly as soon as he landed.
“Enough! Leave!” Crawford yelled out then. Instantly the three other members of Weiss were abandoned as Schwarz fled the compound in what appeared to be the blink of an eye. Aya and Yohji moved closer over to where Omi and Kylala had hit the ground. Both of them were waiting for the two to stand back up. Ken was already near them. He wasn’t breathing correctly though. Choked breaths were all that was coming out as he stared at the bodies. At first the others thought it was simply due to his fight with Farfarello, then they saw what he already had. Kylala was almost completely covering the body of Omi from how they had fallen. And coming out from underneath their jumbled bodies was a dark crimson pool, spreading out to cover the ground around them.
“NO!” Yohji yelled out as he swiftly moved to untangle them. To see which one of them was the one bleeding, and from where. As he pulled Kylala off she let out a small moan, but nothing more. There was a gash on her forehead from where she had hit the ground and been knock out. Blood was coating her entire body as well. The blood wasn’t hers though. It had been transferred to her clothing while she lay on top of Omi. It was his. It was coming out of the stab wound through his heart.
“NOO!” Yohji choked out in a sob as he picked up his fallen lover and cradled him to his chest. Smearing even more of the dead boys blood around. Ken bent down and picked up Kylala, motioning with his head to Aya that they should leave. Let Yohji have peace to grieve over his true love.

It had been three days since that horrible accident that left Weiss a member short. Kylala had been checked in to the local hospital. She was given the promise that one day Weiss would kill Farfarello for the murders of her ‘family’ and now also her only friend. In return she had sworn that she would never open her mouth about anything she’d seen or heard. And as soon as she left the hospital she was to move to Kyoto. Manx had set up a place for her there, and never again was she to see any of Weiss.
Yohji walked heavyhearted through the hospital corridors, a small clump of flowers in hand. Kylala was getting out tomorrow, and after that he could never see her again. Today was his one and only chance to tell her thank you. For trying at least. And to apologize for treating her so bad in the first place. As he walked in to her room he froze. The bed was empty. In place of her being there all that it held was a small piece of white paper, with a delicately drawn fox in bright silver on it. It was the same as her tattoo. The flowers fell to the floor as Yohji forgot about them completely, and the full memory of that coliseum battle with Schwarz over took him in its entirety.

***They had just entered the building. You could still hear the waves crashing from outside. Omi went to the armory, Aya took off in a near blind rage looking for his sister. Ken and Yohji were left to scout out the rest of the place and dispose of as many guards as possible. Ken had just rounded a corner. Yohji was right there, following and giving him back up. Suddenly a flash of silver caught his eye. He whipped around and found himself looking directly in to a pair of bright orange eyes. At first that was all he saw. The eyes. Burning in to him with a near animalistic hunger. A brief thought fluttered through his mind that it was an animal, the eyes were a cold, deadly orange, fierce and nearly painful with there intensity. Then she emerged though, farther from the shadows that had surrounded her. It was a young woman. Yohji all but gasped, knowing without knowing he would have been better off with an animal. She was tall, only a few inches shorter then he was, and thin. But that made her only look more powerful somehow. Her long legs were draped in dark leather. Clinging to her in all the right places, but not making her look sexy, just dangerous. A simple black tank top was covering her front. Her bare arms held a small tan that extended down to her middle forearm. There she had two leather cuffs, one on each wrist. They extended nearly until the middle of the back of her hand. Her lips held a twisted smirk, that spoke only of death. Her hair was fairly short, not touching her shoulders, but close. It had a brightness to it that could not be described. It was a pale blue, but in the fading light around them, it nearly looked silver.
It took Yohji less then a breath to take her in and begin to move. But it was one breath to long. She had already pulled out twin sais from her wrist cuffs. Easily pushing aside his wire as it flew at her. Before he had a chance to move on her again, she spoke.
“Don’t bother. A cat will never stand a chance against a fox.” her words were not spoken loudly, almost a whisper in fact. But they rang through Yohji’s entire existence all the same.
“I’m not here to stop you anyway. You’ll be my pray for another day.” she told him with a glint coming to pass over her orange eyes. Then, as she turned to leave, Yohji saw a hint of silver at her neck. Bright yet small enough to be a lose strand of his own wire. He thought for a second it was only her hair, as it came almost to touch that spot. Then he realized it wasn’t, her hair had too blue of a color. It was a tattoo. A fox curled up and peering out at what ever pray was around. It was drawn in a silver that looked to real to be ink. Then she was gone, disappearing in to the shadows that she had come out of. Yohji didn’t have much time to linger his thoughts on her either, as he seen the sniper that was about to shot Ken. He moved out and attacked that man, pushing the woman from his mind.***

As Yohji stood there staring down at that small piece of paper he realized it. He had been right all along. The girl had been the enemy. She had been against them. It wasn’t Farfarello that had killed his lover, it had been her. He knew she was most likely the most powerful enemy that Weiss would ever take on, but at that second in time he didn’t care. He wanted her dead. By his own two hands.

The young woman walked in through the door of the Schwarz mansion with out a care in the world. As she slammed the door behind her she lazily striped off the arm cuffs she was wearing. Dropping them on the floor, and the one, real and now bloody, sai they had still concealed as well. She sighed as she began the climb through the house. Moving to go find Crawford, and let him know she was back. As she removed her long bright blue hair, that in dim light nearly looked silver, she all but moaned. She loved the feel of it cascading down her back.
“Panda Bear?” came the question, purred from the mouth of the German man who also had discovered the finer points of long hair.
“What?” she asked him, nearly using the same tone of voice she had become accustomed to as she’d been masquerading as Kylala. Slowly now that she was back she was letting those points fall away from her, and letting herself become the deadly silver fox once more.
“What was up in that warehouse?” he asked her, coming near enough to be able to stare in to her orange eyes, but not doing so. Those eyes gave him chills, and not the good kind.
“Its one thing to convince those around you of your deceit. But if you can convince yourself of it, then there wont be anyone that can see through it, though you.” she told him, a small smirk toying her lips as she walked away from him and up the steps that led to the roof. She knew that wasn’t where Crawford was, but it would be where he came to find her once he learned she was back.
“Excellent job Pandora.” came his voice not even ten minutes later. Floating over to where she sat perched on the ledge, looking out and into the city.
“Yes, but next time, you don’t have to have your boyfriend shoot me to get it all started.” She told him as she flexed her left shoulder, dropping the clove that she was smoking down to the street 40 stories below her.
“He is not my boyfriend.” Crawford told her as he came to lean against the edge next to her. “All Schuldich is is a tool for my use. And as that, he just serves to be a multipurpose tool.”
“Another tool, just like I am to you?” she asked, though already knowing the answer.
“Yes. And just like him, when you have out lived your usefulness, you will die.” he told her with a calm simplicity that didn’t give a person room to doubt his words.
“Ah, but you cant kill me. At least not until you know what my power is.” she replied, the smirk evident even in her tone of voice.
“I know already that whatever power you may posses, with it you could destroy all of Schwarz, but you haven’t. So I feel there is no reason to worry about that.”
“Aren’t you afraid of being bite by the great ‘silver fox’?” she asked him.
“No. The fox is dead. All that there is left is Pandora’s Box. And that I own.”

Yohji stood in front of the headstone. Unshed tears filling his eyes and a sadness deeper then any before filling his heart. He placed the single red rose down on the ground next to his lovers name. Kylala’s, no that wasn’t her name but it was all he really had, words came floating back to him from that day he had interpreted her shower, ‘Just wondering if a girl you didn’t even love put you here, what’d happen if something ever happened Omi, the man you truly love.’ Yohji hadn’t known what to think then, but now he did. He knew what he would do even if it cost him his own life.
“I will make her pay for this Omi. I will make her pay.”


*1) Kitsune is Japanese for fox.

*2) The comments of Inu-Yasha work two ways here. Both for the ‘silver fox’, to hopefully throw a person off a little, and as Kylala. For non Inu-Yasha fans, Inu-Yasha himself is a silver/white dog/fox demon, and Kylala is a demonic cat from the series.

A/N: Hopefully you get by now that ***words*** deems a dream/back flash scene. I couldn’t tell you that at the beginning because it would ruin the twist. Oh and for Omi fans out there, GOMEN!!! I really do like him!! And can anyone else smell a sequel, let me get some reviews on this and we’ll see where I can go!
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