Disclaimer:

I do not own Weiß Kreuz or any of its characters. I just love them to no end and have a very twisted imagination. Please be aware that I am extremely poor so suing me will do you no good. Thanks.

Warning: Lemon Yaoi / Heavy Violence / Explicit Language / Angst

Pairings: Schuldich x Yohji / Ran x Ken / Omi + Nagi / Jei + Aya

FYI: { Telepathic speech } - Inner thoughts - [ Flashback ]

Author's Notes:

Well guys, this is it -- Chapter Seven of Crimson Embrace. This chapter is going to have plenty of angst and a wonderful scene of bloody violence. Also, the supernatural or fantasy, which ever you want to call it, twist that I had originally intended for this fic will become more apparent in this chapter and will continue to become a main focal point in the story. Those familiar with the anime will hopefully recall how different the second half of the anime was compared to the first half since it dealt with Estet and carried a more supernatural twist to it. So it's perfectly understandable for me to have included such a twist into this fic as well. For those of you who are looking for a more realistic fic, try to keep in mind that although supernatural elements will be incorporated into this story, the emotions, the violence, the characters themselves are as real as they can get.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this latest chapter. It's surprisingly a very long one since it sort of got away from me and took on a life of its own. I didn't have the heart to cut it short.

As always, I encourage my readers to send in reviews for they are a wonderful payback to the hard work put into writing these fics. So again, please don't forget to review.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you guys enjoy the fic!

Thanks so much,

Forsaken

Crimson Embrace

"Crawford?" gasped Omi, his shocked voice shattering the silence that had settled over the room the instant the former Schwarz leader had made his entrance.

"Hello Bombay," Crawford quietly replied as the older man moved further into the room. The brunette's serious gaze shifted to Yohji and said, "Balinese."

Yohji gave Crawford a slight nod in response, unable to speak and barely able to breathe as he stared at the man who'd held his lover's heart. Who probably still did. Yohji felt as if a sledgehammer had been wedged into his chest.God, this can't be happening.

His jade eyes watched Crawford limp over to the bed just a few feet away and noticed the grimace the other man made as he sat down. Slowly, Yohji shifted his somber eyes until they fell upon the tense face of the man he loved like no other, the man who had just driven a stake right through his foolish heart.

Thankfully his mental shields, shields that Schuldich himself had helped him strengthen, were still as firmly in place as they had been minutes before when he'd managed to counter Schuldich's probe. The last thing he wanted was for his lover to know how badly he wanted to cry out in despair and fear, to shout out in anger and resentment. Only his pride was keeping Yohji from making his feelings known, keeping him sane.

Schuldich made to move toward him and Yohji took a step back. He didn't know what was happening and until he did, he couldn't let Schuldich near him. He wouldn't be able to stand it. His lover stopped his advance somehow sensing what he needed. But Yohji could tell Schuldich wasn't happy about keeping the distance between them as Schuldich's fists clenched at his sides.

"What's going on here?" Yohji heard Omi ask.

He pried his eyes away from Schuldich and looked over to his right to where Omi was standing in front of Nagi. Eyes that were normally a gentle blue were now dark with anger and hurt as Omi's gaze bore into Nagi's.

"I'll tell you what you need to know Bombay," Crawford answered. "But first, I'd like to make one thing very clear to both you and Balinese."

Yohji tensed as those amber-brown eyes focused on him. Determined not to show any emotion, he stared right back, his face impassive, his eyes cold and emotionless, hard like emerald stones. Fuck, get on with it already. I'm getting tired of all of this bullshit.

"Nagi and Schuldich were acting under my," Bradley paused a second as if searching for the right words, "orders, I guess you could say. They lied to the both of you only because I asked them to. They hold no blame for misguiding you."

Nagi turned and stepped toward Crawford. "Bradley, you don't have to--."

Crawford shook his head, a small grin playing on his chiseled lips. "No, Nagi. I can see the problem my request has caused." The brunette looked at Yohji and then at Omi. "My return was not planned and was quite unexpected. Nagi and Schuldich knew nothing of my presence up until yesterday."

"Why the big secret?" Yohji asked, unable to remain quiet any longer. He'd had enough of all of these secrets and lies. He'd thought he'd left all of that behind him when he had retired from the assassin business. Guess you were wrong, huh Kudou?

Crawford looked away from Yohji to looked down at his intertwined hands hanging in between his legs. "Trust was the main reason. At the time, I did not know how close all of you had become or that Farfarello...Jei had finally recovered his sanity. Schuldich and Nagi were the only ones that I felt I could trust enough with my life. And so, secrecy had been my only option."

"Why are you back, Crawford?" asked Omi as he stepped closer to Nagi. No longer were the blue depths of Omi's eyes cold and harsh. There was a light of understanding now behind those blue orbs.

"He came with a warning," replied Schuldich, speaking for the first time since Yohji and Omi had entered the room.

Yohji didn't look toward his lover, although deep down inside he wanted to. I can't look at him right now. I can't. He just couldn't trust himself to remain aloof, to keep his emotions from bleeding into his eyes.

"Warning?" Omi asked.

"Yes," replied Nagi as he took Omi's hand into his own, relief evident on his face when Omi made no move to pull his hand away. "He came to warn us, to inform us of the arrival of an unknown enemy. But--."

"But what?" inquired Omi.

Crawford sighed and said, "But I'm having a problem remembering."

Crawford looked up at Omi and then at Yohji causing Yohji to take in a silent breath as he stared into the older man's haunted amber eyes.

"Memories of where I have been for the past four years or of who my captives were are slowing being erased. I came here to warn you of a coming threat but twenty four hours after my return, I can honestly say that I don't remember who I came to warn you about. I cannot even remember who we must protect." Crawford hissed and grabbed at his head all of a sudden. Pain obvious on his handsome face.

"Bradley," Schuldich called out as he quickly moved to the other man's side. "You're over stressing yourself again. Take a break, dammit. Let the pain subside."

Yohji's chest tightened as he watched his lover hover worriedly over Crawford. Nagi too had gone to Crawford's side, but Yohji could clearly see the difference between Nagi and Schuldich's reactions. He still loves him. Really loves him.

It was a devastating realization, but before he could allow himself to feel the full brunt of the pain it would eventually cause him, Yohji wanted to talk to his lover. Whether it would be a denial or a confession, Yohji had hear the words come out of Schuldich's mouth. Otherwise, the doubts that had been plaguing him as of late would continue to haunt him.

Once Crawford was settled into the bed and obviously already asleep, Schuldich turned to Yohji, his evergreen eyes solemn. "We need to talk, Yohji."

Yohji nodded, his heart pounding fiercely into his chest. But before he turned to leave, Yohji looked over at Omi who was now speaking quietly to Nagi, his gaze questioning, needing to know that the younger man would be alright. Omi smiled and nodded his head in response, giving Yohji the reassurance he'd been searching for. Yohji's eyes softened, a small grin curving his lips before he moved away from the pair and headed out the front door, knowing that Schuldich was behind him.

Quietly they both walked toward their vehicles, keeping a small distance between each other, neither able to speak past the tension that now hovered over them.

Once in his car, Yohji took a deep breath before he turned his ignition on, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He pulled his car out the parking lot and turned onto the road heading back toward the highway. He glanced into the rearview mirror, making sure that Schuldich's car was behind him and focused his attention back onto the road.

He didn't know what was going to happen next but he wasn't going to have his world turned upside down in public or in an unfamiliar place, so he headed toward familiar territory. He headed home. The place where he'd shared his life with his lover, the place where his relationship with Schuldich would ultimately be changed forever.

Yohji looked up briefly at the night sky, sending a small but desperate prayer to the heavens above.

I love him. God, but I love him. Please don't take him away from me. Please.

"Here you go, Ms. Ogawa," said Aya as she handed a beautiful bouquet of wild orchids to the heavy set woman standing before her.

"Why thank you, Aya. They're lovely as usual. That man of yours certainly has a way with flowers," Ms. Ogawa stated as she sniffed the bouquet in obvious delight.

Aya smiled, pride swelling up in her chest for the man she loved. "He does, doesn't he? I tell him so all the time but he never listens to me. He's ridiculously modest."

The older woman chuckled as she raised her purse's strap over her shoulder. "That is a rarity but I'm sure that you'll find a way to convince him, my dear." And with a sassy wiggle of her gray eyebrows, Ms. Ogawa turned and left the shop.

Aya chuckled as she watched the gray-haired woman exit the shop a little amazed by what the elderly woman had implied. I guess all of them aren't so old fashioned after all.

"What's so funny?"

Grinning, Aya turned to look into her brother's questioning violet eyes. "Oh, nothing. Life I guess."

Ran's red eyebrow lifted, giving Aya a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look and Aya's grin broke into a full blown smile. Her brother was just too cute sometimes with that ever so serious attitude. Aya's eyebrows suddenly arched as she noticed the faint blush on her brother's face. It wasn't an embarrassed blush. It was more like a I-just-got-a-quickie kind of blush. Aya's smile turned sly and knowing. "So, where's Ken? Isn't he working the evening shift with you tonight?"

Ran looked away and Aya's smile nearly grew from ear to ear. She just loved teasing her brother.

Ran cleared his throat before he spoke, looking everywhere but at Aya. "He'll be down in a minute. He had to take a shower."

Take a shower, huh? I'll just bet he did. ""Really, but I thought he'd already taken one right after he'd gotten home. That was, what? Two hours ago?"

Ran blushed, a well and truly embarrassed blush at that and Aya couldn't help it. She began to laugh. Her brother wacked her behind her head and she chuckled even more. "Ow."

"Serves you right for having such a perverted mind," Ran replied, a small smile playing at his lips.

"What perverted mind? I didn't say anything." But the look on Aya's face was giving her away better than words ever could.

"Didn't say what?"

Aya and Ran both turned around at the sound of Ken's voice coming from behind them. The afterglow written all over Ken's face, a mirror image of her brother's, had Aya snickering once again.

Ran elbowed her just as Ken reached them and said, "Nothing, love. My little sister was just having one her mental episodes."

Aya giggled and ribbed Ran in the side. She walked past her gasping brother and pressed a sisterly kiss on Ken's cheek before she headed toward the back room where Jei was.

Smiling, Aya entered the room and gasped the instant she found Jei on his knees by his workstation. "Jei!"

Jei looked up at her as she rushed to his side and Aya's eyes widened at the wild look found in her lover's golden gaze. Jei flinched when she reached for him and Aya stilled. His reaction reminded her of...No. No. He's alright. He's Jei. My Jei. ""Jei? What's wrong, love?"

"Aya? Is everything alright?" asked Ran as he and Ken came rushing into the room, apparently having heard Aya calling out Jei's name.

Aya raised her hand, imploring for her brother and Ken to stay where they were. Ken and Ran looked at one another but obeyed Aya's silent plea.

Jei was now sitting on the floor, holding his head in between his hands as he rocked back and forth. Aya's heart clenched in fear as she beheld her beloved. He looked as he had in the past, when he was Farfarello. Oh God, please help me. I can't lose him.

Aya swallowed before she once again called her lover's name. "Jei? Jei can you hear me? It's Aya, Jei. Aya."

Jei suddenly stopped rocking and looked up at Aya, blinking his eye as if trying to focus his vision. Slowly he reached over with a shaky hand and touched Aya's cheek. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ran make to move but fortunately Ken stopped her brother's advance. She didn't need him startling Jei.

Jei traced her face with his finger and Aya slowly moved her hand to touch his wrist. Jei looked at the hand holding him before turning his attention back to Aya. He blinked a few more times and his brows furrowed. "Aya?" he asked, his voice hoarse and confused.

Aya's heart began to beat once again at the sound of Jei's voice and the light of recognition in his yellow eye. "Yes, love. It's me, Aya. Are you okay?"

Jei gave her a confused look and lowered the hand that had been touching her. "I don't know," he answered. "I was working on an order when everything sort of faded around me. I...." Jei shook his head, a look of fear written clearly over his face. "Something's going to happen, Aya. I can feel a presence approaching." Jei reached over and grabbed Aya's arms, his eye clouding over, holding a far away look. "I sense three, Aya. I sense three...."

"Jei!" exclaimed Aya as Jei suddenly pitched forward into her arms. Ran and Ken quickly moved to her side and Aya's panicked eyes turned to her brother. "Ran, I'm scared."

Ran reached over and lifted Jei's unconscious form with Ken's help. Placing one of Jei's arms over his shoulders, Ran looked down at Aya. "It'll be alright, sis. Let's just get Jei to your room for now. We'll worry about everything else later."

Aya nodded, fiddling her hands nervously as she followed after them as they headed toward the front. They paused briefly by the stairs leading to the apartments above so that Ken could close the shop's door and switch the 'Open' sign to read 'Out to Lunch'. They climbed up the stairs in relative silence and Aya's mind became lost in thought as her worries began to slowly escalate.

His gift. It was the only thing she could think of that could explain Jei's strange behavior. Jei's gift must have once again grabbed a hold of Jei's mind but this time with near devastating results. And the realization of that frightened Aya more than she could ever say.

Jei had barely recognized her. What if it happened again? What if next time she couldn't bring him back to her? And what in the name of God had he been trying to say to them before he'd passed out? Jei had said he'd sensed three.Three what?

Aya couldn't begin to guess. But as she opened the door to her bedroom and watched Ran and Ken place Jei gently onto her bed, Aya somehow knew that they would all soon find out and she prayed to the heavens above that the answer wouldn't tear their world apart.

"Why won't you answer me, Schu?" Yohji demanded as he and Schuldich entered their apartment.

"Dammit Yohji! Stop this!" yelled Schuldich as he stalked furiously by Yohji and headed toward their bedroom. Yohji quickly followed.

Yohji's heart sank as he watched the redhead pace their bedroom. Why isn't he looking me in the eye? Ever since they'd left the parking lot downstairs and started arguing in the elevator, Schuldich had avoided meeting his eyes.Shit. ""It's true, isn't it?" he quietly asked his lover, feeling suddenly numb. "You still love him."

Schuldich swung around and grabbed Yohji's shoulders, anger clearly etched into his handsome face. "Fucking Christ, Yohji! You want to hear the truth? Well here it is, Yohji. Do I still love him? Yes, goddammit, I do!" he yelled at Yohji, his grip on Yohji's shoulders tightening. "I told you a long time ago that I would always love him. That he was everything to me. Are you happy now? " Schuldich shook Yohji angrily. "I've spent the last three fucking years with you. It's not like I don't care about you. But you couldn't just fucking let it go, could you Yohji? You had to make me hurt you. Dammit!"

Abruptly, Yohji was released from Schuldich's hold, causing him to stumble back a bit. With empty jade eyes, Yohji watched Schuldich stalk over to the chair where the telepath had thrown his jacket.

Schuldich grabbed his leather jacket. "I can't think straight here. I'm going out," he said as he brushed by Yohji. "Don't wait up for me." Schuldich paused briefly by the bedroom door. { I'm sorry, Yotan. }

Yohji didn't move to stop his lover, didn't say a word to delay Schuldich's departure. He heard the echo of the front door closing and Yohji knew Schuldich was gone. Blindly, he stared at the carpeted floor beneath his feet as a storm of tears began to trail down his now pale face. His hand came up to his chest and Yohji rubbed at the area around his heart slowly.

It hurt. It hurt so much that Yohji could hardly breathe, the pain almost too much to bear. Quietly, he walked over to the bed and sat down, his legs too weak to keep him standing. He reached over to his left and slowly dragged the pillow found there over to him. After looking at it for a few minutes, Yohji hugged it to his chest and buried his face into its plush surface. Despair swept through him as he breathed in his lover's scent and Yohji's shoulders began to shake.

Why couldn't you love me, Schu? His faint sobs could be heard in the otherwise silent room. Why did you have to chose him over me?

A half an hour later, Schuldich was pacing back and forth in Bradley's room. Nagi and Omi had just left, leaving Schuldich alone with Bradley. Unaware that Bradley was watching him from the kitchen, Schuldich continued to pace, rubbing at his chest in a gesture that unknowingly mirrored his lover's.

His chest hurt and he knew why. Sadness welled up inside of him for he knew he was feeling just a small fraction of Yohji's pain. Christ!

It was always like this. Throughout the course of their three years together, Schuldich's link to Yohji had evolved into more than mere mental contact. He couldn't describe it really. It was like he was somehow connected to Yohji, connected in a way that even he couldn't quite comprehend or compare to another. He had a similar connection to Bradley but it was somehow entirely different from the bond he shared with the blonde. Shit, I even confuse myself.

"What's wrong, Schu?" asked Bradley as approached him, a drink in each of his hands.

"Nothing." Schuldich took the offered drink and downed the smooth liquid in one swallow.

Bradley smirked and shook his head. "When are you going to learn that you can't hide anything from me, Schu?"

Schuldich sighed. The jerk's right. He might as well spill his guts. "I'm having problems with Yohji."

"What kind of problems?"

Suddenly uncomfortable about talking to Bradley about the fight he'd had with Yohji, about the reason behind it, Schuldich shook his head. "It's personal, Brad. It's not something I should be talking about to you of all people." Schuldich winced at his tone. He'd sounded like a prick just now and Bradley didn't deserve that. "Sorry, I'm just stressed out."

Bradley stared at him for a moment before the brunette quietly walked over to the table next to the small kitchen. Once settled into a seat, his former lover looked at him and asked, "Do you love him, Schu?"

Surprised by the question, Schuldich walked over to Bradley and lowered himself onto his knees in between Bradley's legs. He placed his hands over Bradley's and looked directly into the other man's amber eyes. "How can I love him when I'm still in love with you?"

Bradley smiled at him and gently caressed Schuldich's cheek. Schuldich closed his eyes in pleasure, having missed even that simple touch.

"I'm remembering."

Schuldich's eyes snapped open and he grabbed Bradley's hand, excited and worried at the same time. "Tell me."

"It's not much. I had another memory shortly after you'd left with Balinese. It was somehow clearer probably due to the fact that I was asleep at the time when the memory occurred."

"So what did you remember?"

"The Sodinu have sent their elite to this city in search of more recruits. They've already targeted them. I," Bradley's brows furrowed as he strained to remember more. "Damn, I can't. It's already slipping away from me."

Worried, Schuldich reached up and cupped Bradley's cheek. "It's okay, Brad. We'll figure it out soon enough. Don't get all worked up over it. The last thing you need is another headache."

Bradley's frown deepened and he lowered Schuldich's hand. "No, it's not okay. Don't you see, Schu? My remembering will help prevent the people the Sodinu have targeted from becoming victims. Those people were chosen because they have the potential of becoming very powerful and useful."

Bradley gently pushed Schuldich aside and stood up. He limped over to the window and stared out at the darkening sky. Schuldich didn't know what to do or what to say. He felt helpless.

"I have to remember soon, Schu."

Schuldich straightened and walked over to the somber man. "Why? Have you 'seen' anything?"

Bradley shook his head. "No. Whatever the Sodinu did to me has somehow blocked my ability to see the future. I don't think it's permanent though. It's more like I'm recharging."

"Shit, Bradley. You're not a fucking battery."

"Actually, that's exactly what I am...to the Sodinu. That's what all psychics are to them. They drain us of our power, increasing their own in the process. That's why they're constantly searching for psychics and even those that are sensitive enough to be enhanced."

"Enhanced?" Schuldich asked, not daring to point out to Bradley that he was recounting things he had supposedly forgotten. Schuldich was afraid that if he did, Bradley's mind would once again block out the information.

"Yes," Bradley replied, nodding his head as he continued to stare out into the night. "If they find someone with a strong enough thread of psychic ability, the Sodinu can home in on it and enhance it. The thread will then be multiplied and will eventually evolve until whatever dormant ability that person possesses is fully matured and at full strength."

"My God," Schuldich gasped, completely amazed by what Bradley was telling him.

"They haunt me, Schu. Visions of poor innocent souls screaming out in pain as their minds changed into something they couldn't even begin to understand." Bradley closed his eyes briefly. "Some survived the metamorphosis but there were many that couldn't handle the power coursing through them unguided and out of control." Bradley turned his head and looked at Schuldich, his eyes old and weary. " I need to remember who the chosen ones of this city are, Schu. There's an urgency inside of me that has to be fulfilled." Bradley's amber-brown eyes suddenly became hard with determination. "And you're going to help me."

Startled by the intensity in Bradley's gaze, Schuldich stared at Bradley as he pondered the other man's words. Bradley couldn't be asking him to enter his mind, could he? But as he looked at the resolve in Bradley's eyes, Schuldich knew the answer. Shit, no fucking way. Shaking his head, Schuldich voiced his thoughts. "You can't be serious, Brad."

"Yes Schu, I am. I'm deadly serious." Bradley reached over and grasped Schuldich by his shoulders. "You are going to enter my mind and you're going to search every twisted facet until you can find and unlock the answers that we're seeking."

"But----."

"No," Bradley cut him off. "This has to be done. We don't have the time to wait for my memories to return on their own." Bradley raised a hand to Schuldich's cheek. "Please Schu, do this for me."

Schuldich knew he couldn't refuse his former lover anything. "Do I have a choice?"

Bradley smiled. "Thank you." Bradley took a step back from him. "Just give me a few minutes to prepare and then we shall begin."

Schuldich eyed Bradley warily as he watched the other man limp to the bathroom. His eyebrow arched in question when Bradley stopped in the bathroom's doorway to turn to face him.

"By the way Schu," Bradley said, a gentle smile curving his lips. "You never did answer my question."

And then he was gone, closing the door quietly behind him.

Confused, Schuldich stared at the closed door. What the hell did he mean by that?

Bent slightly over the bathroom sink, Yohji splashed cold water onto his face desperate to cool himself off and awaken his dulled senses. Rivulets of water trailed down his cheeks and dripped off his chin as he closed the faucet. Reaching over to his left, he pulled a blue-striped towel off the rack on the wall and used it to dry his face.

When he was done, Yohji placed the towel on the edge of the beige colored sink and straightened his lanky frame. He looked into the mirror and winced as a pair of red-rimmed green eyes stared back at him. He looked as bad as he felt. I feel like shit and now I look like shit. Just great. Yohji smirked and pushed himself away from the sink.

He didn't know how long he'd sat on his bed crying, but when the tears had finally subsided, Yohji had felt utterly exhausted. The water had helped to remedy that, his senses once again sharpening, but nothing could help replenish the emotional drain he'd suffered.

Once again Schuldich's words rang in his mind and Yohji cursed as he felt his chest tighten at the memory. He ran a hand through his honey-blonde hair and stalked out of the bathroom berating himself for being so weak.

He walked into his bedroom and stopped in his tracks. What the fuck am I going to do now?

The man he loved with every fiber of his being had just confessed to loving someone else. How the hell was he supposed to handle that? Yohji felt his eyes begin to water again and he rubbed at them fiercely refusing to give in to the despair threatening to consume him. No more tears, dammit. Letting himself fall apart would do him little good and would change nothing. The agony he was feeling would only be prolonged if he let himself break now.

So snap the fuck out of it, you ass. Schuldich had made his choice, hadn't he? He had to accept the fact that Schuldich loved someone else, loved Bradley Crawford. Only then would he be able to move on.

Standing in the middle of the room, Yohji looked around the bedroom he'd shared with his lover for the past three years. His eyes roamed around the dressers they shared, the desk and computer they barely used, and the bed they had constantly made love in. Shit, I can't stay here. His place was no longer by Schuldich's side.

Despair once again threatened to overwhelm him but Yohji pushed the feeling aside and took a deep breath as he came to a decision. He would go back to the Koneko. Ran and the others wouldn't mind having him back. They would understand his need to come 'home'. Besides, he told himself, he would need his family's help to get over losing Schuldich.

Yohji rubbed at his chest over the vicinity of his wrenching heart and sighed deeply. How could anyone get over losing the other half of their soul? I guess you're going to find that out, huh Kudou?

But first thing's first, he told himself. He had to look presentable. Yohji Kudou, playboy extraordinaire, couldn't go around looking like shit. He had a reputation to maintain after all.

With that goal in mind, Yohji walked over to the large oak dresser near the bedroom door and picked up his hairbrush. He began to brush the tangles out of his dark blonde locks until his hair once again shone like spun silk. He finished making himself presentable by tying his hair into half ponytail and went back to the task at hand.

If he started packing now, he would be gone in about an hour and would no longer be in the way of what Schuldich wanted. You'll be free to love the one that means the most to you, Schu.

Decision made, Yohji walked to the closet and rummaged through it until he found the black suitcase he used for traveling. He pulled the suitcase out of the closet and walked over to the bed, placing it over the quilted comforter before walking back to his dresser. He opened the top drawer first and one by one began to remove the clothes within the drawers until the suitcase was full to its capacity. Shit, I need another suitcase.

He was halfway to the closet again when a feeling of unease washed over him. Yohji stopped in mid-step and slowly shifted his gaze toward the door, his eyes focused and his ears listening for the slightest sound.

Instinct honed by years of training had Yohji backing himself slowly against the wall. The hairs on his neck rose and Yohji cursed the fact that he no longer carried a weapon. He looked around the room quickly, his green gaze searching for a possible weapon and noticed the scissors Schuldich had left on top of the dresser he was next to earlier. He reached for them and gripped them firmly. Long and sharp, the scissors would have to be enough for now.

Trying to ignore his pounding heart, Yohji took a deep breath and moved closer to the door. He flicked the light switch as he passed by it and plunged the room into darkness. Reaching down, he slowly turned the nob and as quietly as he was able opened the door. He blinked several times until his eyes adjusted to the darkness, cursing at himself for keeping the apartment so dark. Me and my damn habits.

On silent feet, Yohji moved along the dark hallway, his back against the wall and gripped the scissors tightly in his right hand. His eyes darted side to side as he approached the living room. Unfortunately for him, the living room was almost pitch black. The moonlight coming through the balcony doors the only thing saving him from walking blindly into the room. He would have to rely on his acute hearing, something he'd managed to retain even after years of retirement.

With his heart ramming against his chest and his stomach clenching into knots, Yohji entered the living room. His jade eyes peered into the darkness, his senses on alert for the slightest movement as he walked past the sofa in the middle of the room. Dammit, I can't see anything.

Was he being paranoid? Was he freaking out over nothing? No way. He wasn't imagining things. He still felt uneasy, as if he were being watched.

Yohji gaze shifted to his right, his eyes locking onto the front door and moved toward it. The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood up once again and Yohji stopped dead in his tracks. Somehow he knew that he was no longer alone and he whirled around as quickly as he could. He was fast but not fast enough to avoid the hard object that was rammed into his face.

Yohji's vision blurred as his head connected hard with the wall behind him, making him see stars before his eyes. Blood flew out of his mouth when he was hit again, the impact causing him to release the scissors in his hand. Glass broke and crashed to the floor as his body was rammed against the glass cabinet near the door. Yohji gasped and fell to his knees as the pain coursing through him nearly made him pass out.

Broken glass was scattered all around him and Yohji somehow managed to think past the haze of pain surrounding him. He picked up a large piece from the floor and peered into the darkness. The piece's jagged edge was cutting deeply into his hand but Yohji maintained his grip over it.

Breathing heavily, Yohji blinked several times trying to clear his vision. He concentrated on the balcony doors highlighted by the moonlight and waited for the wooden doors to come into focus. His eyes cleared and then widened as three silhouettes suddenly appeared in front of them. Fuck! Get up Kudou!

Grunting, Yohji stumbled onto his feet, holding an arm to his aching side. The room took a quick spin and nausea assailed him but Yohji swallowed back the bile in his throat and kept his eyes focused on the three deathly still shadows just a few feet away from him.

"What do you want?" he demanded, his voice hoarse and raw. He grimaced at the metallic taste of his blood pooling into his mouth. His lip was bleeding badly. Shit, that hurts.

Suddenly, one of the shadowed forms moved forward, the one in the middle, and Yohji took a step back. His eyes widened in shock as the shadow walked right through the sofa. How the hell did he do that?

Scared shitless, Yohji kept his eyes locked onto the approaching form. The painful stinging in his hand was a constant reminder of the shard of glass waiting to serve its purpose and Yohji remained alert and ready to use it.

The shadow stopped a mere inches away from where he stood but no matter how hard he tried, Yohji couldn't see it clearly. Dammit. The 'thing' remained a blur, an unclear and undefinable entity. Why the hell can't I see it?

The silence in the dark room was shattered when the shadow before him spoke.

"You have been chosen to become one with the Sodinu. You will now take your place."

Yohji winced as the shadow's distorted voice echoed like a thousand whispers in his mind. Take my place? Yohji's eyes narrowed, a rivulet of blood trailing from the corner of his bleeding mouth. The hell I will.

He didn't know what the hell was going on, but he did know that he was at a disadvantage. Yohji slowly began to inch backward toward the front door, his eyes never wavering from the three dark figures eerily highlighted by the moonlight behind them.

None of the shadows moved to stop him but Yohji wasn't foolish enough to believe that they would remain immobile for long. Somehow he knew that he was running out of time. The evil emanating from the three shadows was almost tangible. Their dark auras were surrounding the room getting stronger with each passing second. Shit, I have to get out of here.

Yohji's heart began to pound in his chest, fear coursing through him in waves as he prepared to move. Now. Without warning, Yohji sprang for the door. His jade eyes widened as he felt the dark aura hovering over the room shift. Shit.

He was almost to the door, already reaching for the nob when something pierced deeply into his back. Blood exploded from his mouth splattering over the shirt he was wearing and Yohji screamed in agony as he was lifted off of his feet by whatever had been embedded into him.

Yohji couldn't think, couldn't see past the pain consuming him. He tried to move but was only able to lift his arms once before they limply fell to hang by his sides, the shard of glass falling to the floor.

"You will now take your place." The voice once again declared.

Fear seized Yohji as he watched with pain filled eyes the three shadows levitate over him. Yohji's body suddenly arched and he howled in agony as the object in his back was wrenched out of him. Oh, God! His body shook and convulsed but remained hovering in the air, a few inches away from the ceiling.

Blood ran freely from his back and Yohji could feel his body going into shock, shutting down from the loss of blood. Cold and weak, Yohji watched the looming shadows with half-lidded eyes. As if from a distance, he began to hear voices echoing all around him, chanting in unison in a language he couldn't understand.

The shadows began to circle around his body, picking up speed with every circular spin. Faster and faster, they moved until their forms began to blend into one another forming a solid mass, a dome. It began to glow a blood red color as it increased in size and Yohji's eyes widened as the dome started to descend upon him.

Panic filled him, cutting through the thick haze Yohji had been in as the dark red mass began to surround him. He used what little strength he had left, struggling to lift his arms up to impede the dome from closing around him but to little avail. Despair quickly replaced the panic as the red cocoon began to cover every inch of his body. No! Dammit, no!

In silent horror, Yohji felt the dome consume him, closing completely around him. A crimson glow surrounded him and Yohji screamed, arching his back in agony as an electrifying force shocked his entire body. Blood pooled in his mouth and poured out of the wound in his back and Yohji could feel the hot liquid drenching his clothes and his hair, saturating his skin as it flowed steadily out of his body and into the dome.

Schu! Help me, Schu. Make it stop. Schu!

Yohji's eyes widened and his body convulsed again as another wave of energy coursed through him. The color of jade bled into the white of his eyes and they became a solid emerald green as Yohji's mouth opened in a silent scream.

His body stilled and all thought, all feeling was lost as Yohji was plunged into darkness.

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