Disclaimer:

I do not own Weißß 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 / Violence / Explicit Language / Angst

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

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

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone, here's Chapter 11 of CE. I'd like to thank my sister for her help in this chapter. Her medical knowledge helped me out tremendously and I appreciated her letting me purge her mind. ^_~

Well, that's it for now. Enjoy the fic!

Thanks,

Forsaken

Crimson Embrace

A golden eye full of concern kept a vigil from across the room over the silent redhead whose green gaze had yet to waver from the closed door leading to the room holding their injured love ones.

Jei didn't have to be a mind reader to know that the telepath was terrified for his golden haired lover. The aura of tension surrounding Schuldich alone was proof enough for Jei that the redhead was barely holding on to his hard-earned control.

The telepath was pale and haggard looking, possessing none of his usual arrogance or carefree attitude. Schuldich was eerily quiet, refusing to speak. For almost three days since they'd arrived at the safe house Bradley had somehow managed to obtain for them, Schuldich had sat on the sofa near the door ... waiting.

Sakura had finally arrived at the safe house to supervise Kritiker's efforts in stabilizing the four Weißß members. Three days had gone by with no change in their condition, no response to the medication that had been administered to them in hopes of counteracting whatever was ailing them. Nothing. The four men remained in an almost comatose state.

Jei's heart went out to his friend ... to his brother for he knew that Schuldich was slowly falling apart. Even Aya was faring better than the now aloof redhead. It was true that Schuldich's affections weren't always obvious, such displays of caring a rare occurrence when it came to the German. But for those who knew how to recognize the signs, Schuldich's love for Yohji was as clear as day.

Granted, he hadn't developed such insight overnight. It had taken years of being in Schuldich's presence along with obtaining the telepath's trust for Jei to have gained such an understanding; the latter factor something Schuldich had more than likely refused to share completely with Yohji. Jei sighed. You can be such an ass, Schu.

But Jei couldn't really fault Schuldich for his lack of trust. To do so meant that a measure of control would be relinquished and Jei knew that such an act was almost impossible to accomplish for someone of their background. He remembered quite clearly how hard it had been for him to learn to trust Aya with his feelings and fears.

No, it wouldn't have been easy for Schuldich. Not easy at all. Only one person had truly obtained such a bond from the German, from all of them without even really trying.

Bradley Crawford.

Jei frowned as his thoughts shifted to the former leader of Schwarz, unconsciously tightening his hold over Aya's sleeping form. It still amazed him to know that Bradley was still very much alive and possessing enough pull and power to enable him to call in a few 'favors' to provide them with decent shelter.

He couldn't deny the fact that he was having a hard time in accepting Bradley's surprising return. But why? What' my problem anyway? Why am I feeling this way?

He should be happy, ecstatic over Bradley's reemergence. But he wasn't. For some unfathomable reason, he was apprehensive and suspicious instead and he couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he held ill will for Bradley. On the contrary, he only felt love for the man who had been his mentor, his caregiver, his savior from the horrors of his tortured past.

He could still remember the day Bradley had come for him in the asylum he'd been placed in when he'd been just a boy. Amidst the chaos swirling within his mind, Bradley's patient and quiet tone had managed to filter through the madness that had consumed him, somehow guiding him back to reality. It was a moment that would forever be etched in Jei's memory for it had been the first time since the day he'd killed his family during a fit of uncontrollable rage that light had once again illuminated his dark and despairing world.

He had lived walking the thin line between insanity and sanity during his years as a member of Schwarz, but there had been instances of clarity, times in which his mind had been able to process thought, to distinguish right from wrong instead of just acting on instinct alone. He had lived for those moments. Moments he would never have had if he'd remained in Ireland locked away from the world.

However, those days were long gone having been casted out along with his other personality, the part of him he wished never to remember and Jei could only be grateful for the life he'd been given, for the second chance he'd been granted by God's mercy and by Aya's unwavering love.

But gratitude often came hand in hand with understanding and Jei couldn't dispute what his heart had known to be true. He couldn't dispute the fact that Bradley's intervention in the past had somehow paved the way for Farfarello's demise and for Jei's rebirth. Whether through his gift or by pure chance, Bradley had indeed saved Jei's life and his soul.

His love for Bradley, for that reason alone, held no bounds and the recognition of such a feeling made Jei all the more confused. Why, if he in fact still did care for Bradley, was he compelled to act so aloofly toward the older man? Why couldn't he just be thankful that Bradley was alive and with all of them once again?

Because you're afraid, his inner voice responded. You're afraid he'll disappear again. Afraid that he'll leave you alone and lost like he did before.

Jei's eye widened, his gaze shifting back to the closed door Schuldich was still keeping a vigil on. He ran a hand through his white wavy locks and took in a deep breath as the realization hit home.

Could it be true? Was he afraid of letting himself get too close to Bradley? Was fear holding him back from embracing the older man's return? His golden eye hardened as he came to a conclusion. Yes ... I am afraid.

But why? He knew such fears were baseless. Jei looked down and rested his eye upon Aya's rich dark hair as her head laid gently against his chest and her slender hand remained loosely wrapped around his own. He knew would never again be alone. He had found his home in Aya and had gained a family, a new life in the process.

A small grin curved Jei's thin lips. I guess Schu isn't the only one that's been an ass lately.

The door before them opened, interrupting Jei's reverie and all eyes turned to Bradley and Nagi as they came out of the room.

Jei could only hope that they weren't the bearers of bad tidings.

At the sound of the door opening, Schuldich jumped to his feet, his need to find out Yohji's condition driving his every thought.

These past few days of waiting had seemed like a never-ending nightmare, an eternity of anguish and gut-wrenching fear and Schuldich wanted ... needed it to end. It was becoming too much. Desperation was beginning to consume him and Schuldich didn't know what to do about it.

He didn't need to be a doctor to know that Yohji was near death. All he had to do was search out for the link he shared with Yohji's mind to know that it was bad. He couldn't feel Yohji, couldn't hear him, couldn't find him within the massive scarlet folds that would engulf his mind with every attempt.

Red -- The color was everywhere, surrounding him each and every time he tried to link with his lover. It was endless, vast and so very quiet. And for the first time in his miserable life, Schuldich wished for noise, for the slightest sound to shatter the stifling silence that hovered over the crimson shadows keeping Yohji from his reach.

Schuldich wanted to scream, to lash out at anything and anyone, to destroy this pain that was tightening his chest and gripping his heart in a relentless vise. He was dying inside, dying from not being able to hear Yohji's voice or his contagious laughter echoing in his mind, dying from not being able to feel Yohji's warmth, Yohji's love embracing his soul. He couldn't tolerate this emptiness for much longer. He was going mad.

"How is he?"

Bradley looked at him and Schuldich saw something flicker behind those amber-brown eyes. In an instant, he knew that something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Schuldich ..." Bradley shook his head. "It's too early to tell for sure but I won't lie to you by saying that he's stable. Because he isn't. He's critical Schu."

Schuldich's heart rammed against his chest as his suspicions were confirmed. But there was something else lingering behind Bradley's sympathetic gaze and Schuldich's eyes narrowed. "What else?" he asked, knowing that Bradley wasn't telling him everything.

If it weren't for the fact that he respected Bradley, Schuldich would've found out for himself what the precog was hiding. Having to rely on someone else for answers was frustrating as all hell and something Schuldich wasn't willing to make a habit of. "There's something you're not telling me, Bradley and it's pissing me off."

Nagi stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Schuldich's shoulder. "Sakura is still running tests, Schu. We won't know for certain what's been done to the others or to Yohji until then. But," Nagi paused, his dark blue eyes brimming with concern, "the blood samples Sakura took from Yohji indicate that his white blood cell count is very high. Too high actually."

"Shit, Nagi. I'm not a fucking scientist or a genius. Talk straight to me, dammit," Schuldich snapped, frustration emanating from his tense form.

"When the body's white blood cells increase in number, it means that the body is under some sort of attack. That there's an infection," Nagi explained. "Elevating the white blood cells is the body's way of defending itself against it."

Schuldich paled at Nagi's words. The implications ... No! I'm not going to go there.

"There's more," added Bradley.

Schuldich's eyes hardened. Great. Just fucking great.

"You well know that because of the incident with Estet, with the ritual performed on Sakura, she is able to have ... impressions."

Schuldich nodded. He remembered quite clearly that day five years ago when out of the blue Sakura had been plagued by visions. They had very nearly driven her insane by the time she had asked for help. At first, they had all thought she had developed an ability similar to Bradley's, but they had soon discovered that Sakura ability was more closely tied to those of a necromancer's than that of a precog. She had the ability to communicate with the dead, with spirits ... ghosts. It had been a downright freaky discovery.

Worst still, was the fact that her strongest impressions came from evil spirits. She had been practically defenseless against such psychic attacks and it had taken both Bradley and Schuldich to help her develop her mental shields as quickly as possible. She had been forced to learn in a matter of days what it had taken Schuldich and Bradley years of training to accomplish and Schuldich had been impressed not only by Sakura's strength but also by her courage.

However, there was one thing that no shield could prevent from infiltrating Sakura's mind. She could, no matter what, sense if someone with strong psychic power was nearby. The invasion of her mind would be disorientating at times and so she had developed stronger shields, but nothing could stop the impressions from washing over. Over time, she had learned to shut them out swiftly 'but' not entirely.

"Well, she's sensing something from Yohji."

Schuldich's brow furrowed, his heartbeat picking up its pace. "What are you saying?"

Nagi sighed, taking hold of the conversation once again. "What he's saying is that whatever is coursing through Yohji's body right now, whatever is attacking his system, isn't a normal infection. It goes beyond science, beyond what we're capable of treating. He's changing, Schu ... Sakura can sense an elevation in his psyche."

"No," Schuldich whispered, a part of him not willing to accept Nagi's words. This couldn't be happening. They had saved Yohji and the others. They hadn't been too late to save them from the Sodinu's intentions. We weren't, dammit. We weren't!

"I'm sorry Schu, but it's true," Bradley said to him. "Even 'I' can sense Yohji now." Bradley paused for a moment before he added, "And the others as well."

Schuldich closed his eyes in despair. No. Dammit, no. We saved them! We ... They had failed.

"And they're getting stronger by the minute," Nagi stated quietly.

"Stronger how?" asked Jei as he approached them from the left.

Schuldich looked behind Jei and was relieved to see Aya sleeping comfortably on the sofa. He didn't want her hearing this. Not yet anyway.

Bradley looked at them somberly. "Their energy levels are increasing. And," Bradley shifted his gaze so that his amber-gold gaze met Schuldich's evergreen one. "Yohji is by far the strongest of the four. So much so, that I'm guessing he's at Nagi's level of strength right now."

To say that Schuldich was stunned would have been an understatement. "What?" he asked, his voice nothing more than a whisper. What is he saying? It's not possible. Yohji ... He can't be ... No, it's impossible!

"From what we've been able to surmise through Sakura's findings, Yohji's normally dormant psychic strand is now at full strength and very active."

The memory of what he'd seen within Yohji's mind shortly after the battle against the Sodinu suddenly came to Schuldich's mind and he gasped as he realized what exactly he had seen that night. "Holy shit," he whispered, dismay flooding his insides.

"What?" asked Bradley.

Nagi stepped closer to him clearly concerned. "Schu?"

Schuldich looked up at the three men staring at him and swallowed. "I saw it," he replied. "I saw the strand when I was in Yohji's mind. It was ... It was changing, not only in size but ... it was merging with his other mental strands. There was this light coursing through it and ... I was shut out before I could see more." Schuldich shoved a shaky hand into his flame-colored mane. "I was fucking shut out of his mind. God, I didn't realize ... dammit."

"It's as I feared," said Bradley, his worst suspicions confirmed. "The spheres were serving as processing tanks. The enhancement began the instant the four were placed within them."

"Oh my God," gasped Nagi as he wrapped his arms around his slender waist, despair etched into his beautiful features.

Jei placed a comforting hand on Nagi's shoulder before his yellow eye fixed on Bradley. "What do we do now?"

"There's not much we can do." Bradley pushed back his metal-framed glasses higher up on his nose. "Not until they awaken. Only then will we be able to determine the damage done to them by the enhancement."

"The enhancement is irreversible, isn't it?" asked Nagi, his voice solemn as he whispered the question.

Even before the brunette spoke, Schuldich knew the answer; the look on Bradley's face said it all and he felt as if the floor had suddenly dropped from beneath his feet.

Bradley shook his head. "The changes occurring within the four are permanent. If they survive the enhancement, their abilities will soon become apparent and will be a part of them for the rest of their lives."

"Excuse me," a soft voice interrupted from behind Bradley.

Heads turned and all eyes focused on Dr. Sakura Tomoe as she stood near the doorway waiting patiently to speak.

"How is it possible?" asked Eleud, his voice full of dismay and fear as he turned to Ergnas. "How could the Trinity be defeated so easily?"

"No," replied the youngest Elder named Odeim as shook his head. "Their defeat did not come about easily. This battle was careful planned."

"What does it matter how they were defeated?" interrupted Ynoga, his voice full of anger and frustration as he faced the other two Elders. "They were destroyed and we are now as good as dead."

"Ynoga!" exclaimed Ergnas.

Ynoga whirled to his left and stood before his leader. "It's true, isn't it? She will have our heads for this. We might as well slit our own throats. It would be less painful to die by our own hands than by hers."

Eleud shuddered and lowered his head, the hood of his robe falling over to conceal his face even further. "What are we to do?" he implored.

Ergnas took in a deep breath. "There isn't much that we can do. We've failed our Lord and punishment will be handed out." He paused as his eyes shifted to his blood brother. "But, I will take full responsibility for this loss."

"What?" asked Odeim incredulously.

Ergnas looked away from his brother and stared into the blue-yellow flame emanating from the altar before them. "I am leader here," he stated, his voice full of authority and determination. "I will be held accountable for the Trinity's demise and for the loss of the Chosen Ones."

"Brother, no," pleaded Odeim as he came to stand before Ergnas. "We all shared in the task of collecting the Chosen Ones. We are 'all' to blame for what has happened."

Shaking his head, Ergnas was about to speak when the chamber's large wooden doors blew open; the force of whatever had opened them practically tearing them off of their hinges. All four could feel a familiar dark power approaching.

"I fear," replied Ynoga, "that the matter of blame is no longer ours to decide."

An ominous wind blew into the chamber, swirling around the four robed figures, bringing with it a whispered promise of pain. The flames of the altar gave way under the assault and were extinguished, plunging the chamber in virtual darkness. Only the lit torches remained, somehow unaffected, allowing the Elders to see the bearer of such power.

Morta, the Priestess of the Sodinu, appeared before them, her hands surrounded by crackling waves of energy.

"You have cost us the Chosen Ones!" she spat, her tone one of utter hatred and rage, just before she waved her right hand in front of her.

In an instant, all four Elders were levitated into the air and hurled upward into the ceiling. Their collective gasps echoed throughout the dark chamber as Morta continued her approach.

"I've lost him!" she shrieked, her hand once again slicing through the air. "You've ruined everything!"

The fire within the altar burst to life once again, directly below the helpless bodies pinned above as Morta stormed her way to the altar. Eyes as black as death itself stared up at the four Elders as the flames grew fiercer. Her hands began to glow and her onyx eyes sparkled with power as she lifted her head up even higher to look at them.

Ergnas tried to speak, tried to shelter the blame for their failure to himself, but he could not speak; the force driving him into the stone ceiling preventing him from speaking, from even uttering a sound.

Morta raised her glowing hand, palm up, well above her head, her eyes narrowing with maliciousness. Power pulsated along her skin as she looked upon the ones responsible for the loss of her Lord's savior.

"You will now pay the ultimate price for your lack of judgement."

The air shifted and more gasps could be heard along the chamber walls as Morta's hand snapped into a fist and the force holding the Elders against the ceiling suddenly vanished.

"How are they?" asked Nagi, as he walked up to the petite brunette.

"Omi, Ken and Ran's vital signs are stable and their EEGs are showing an increase in brain activity. They're still very much asleep but not as profoundly as before. They're reacting to sound and to touch. All good signs that their levels of consciousness are rising." Sakura smiled in encouragement. "They'll wake up soon, Nagi."

Nagi sighed in relief, a hopeful grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

Sakura looked over at Schuldich, her smile fading. "I wish I could say the same for Yohji, Schu. But, I can't. He isn't faring as well as the others."

Schuldich swallowed, his heart skipping a beat. Get a hold of yourself. You knew it was bad. But it was time for some answers. "What's wrong with him, Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head, her brow furrowing. "I'm not really sure, Schu," she replied. "He has a high fever and ... energy is gathering inside of him at an alarming rate. I don't know what to make of it …… or how to treat it."

Anger and fear intermingling within Schuldich as he turned away from Sakura without saying a word. Breathe. Dammit, breathe. You won't be able to help Yohji by falling apart now. Schuldich took a deep breath, willing the turbulent pool of emotions swirling inside of him to calm.

When he'd composed himself, Schuldich turned back to face the young physician. "Do you think he'll be alright?"

Sakura's eyes darkened with apprehension. "I don't know, Schu. We can't even begin to imagine how much more his energy levels will increase," Sakura paused and swallowed before she continued in a quiet tone, "or how much more his body and mind will be able to handle."

"Dammit, Sakura, be honest with me. What's your professional assessment?" Schuldich demanded. He wanted answers, dammit. Straight answers, answers that would either give him hope or add more fuel to the burning hatred he felt for the Sodinu.

Sakura sighed, obviously understanding his need to know the absolute truth and looked at him with eyes that were open and serious. "The next 24 hours will be critical for Yohji. The injuries he sustained were severe and the elevated count of his white blood cells along with the high fever are all sure signs that Yohji's body is failing him.Professionally speaking, I believe that Yohji has a 40/60 chance of survival. "

Schuldich released a shaky breath and rubbed at his chest; the unconscious habit not going unnoticed by a pair of watchful amber-brown eyes.

"But professionalism aside," Sakura added quietly. "I believe Yohji will pull through. He's strong and too stubborn to let this beat him." The willowy brunette walked up to Schuldich and placed a soft hand on his cheek, understanding and compassion lighting the depths of her large eyes. "He loves you too much to leave you."

God. Schuldich felt his lips tremble and his eyes begin to water as he stared into the eyes of the strong-willed girl he'd met years ago, of the determined and proficient woman that girl had grown up to be.

He wanted more than anything to lean into that gentle hand and seek out the comfort it was offering, to let his despair claim him by releasing a torrent of tears. But if did so, if he gave in to the almost overwhelming feeling threatening his control, Schuldich feared that he would never be able to stop. And he couldn't let that happen. He would break under the onslaught and he would be no good to anyone ... to Yohji. No, he had to be strong. He couldn't allow himself to weaken. Yohji needed him to be at his best.

Schuldich pulled away from Sakura's touch but nodded in acknowledgement of her words before he walked past her to stand near the open doorway, leaving the others behind to continue talking. His eyes roamed the large room full of medical supplies and equipment, thanks to Manx and Kritiker, and gazed upon the prone bodies of the former members of Weißß. Side by side, the four retired assassins laid in deep slumber hooked up to useless machines and antibiotics.

Schuldich moved forward and walked over to where Yohji rested to the left of the other three. He sat down on the chair next to his lover's bed and lifted Yohji's limp hand into his own.

[ No tears. No fears. Not when hope is strong and so very near. ]

Schuldich smiled at the memory. Yohji had said that to him once when the blonde, going through a 'romantic stage', had read the sappy phrase in one of his romance novels. Schuldich could still remember the gag reflexes he'd made after Yohji had recited those words and how Yohji had punched him half-heartedly in the gut for being an insensitive bastard.

Schuldich's smile faltered.

"No tears. No fears, Yotan. No tears. No fears," Schuldich whispered, just before he placed his forehead over the warm hand he now held lovingly within his grasp.

Yohji felt as if he were floating, his body swaying gently in place. He struggled to open his eyes, fighting the oppressing weight keeping them shut and felt pain bloom across his temples. Darkness greeted him when his green eyes finally opened and Yohji gasped in surprise. He could see nothing but the shadows encircling him. God, where am I?

Yohji's eyes widened as he realized that the area around his body was not being affected by his surroundings. He was able to breath, to see past his nose even though he could feel what seemed to be liquid whisking through his fingers whenever he moved his hands. How the ……

A light suddenly appeared above him and Yohji winced lowering his gaze in protest to the sudden intrusion. He lifted a hand over his brow, protecting his eyes, and looked up once again. Blinking rapidly, Yohji reached out with his other hand toward the light just an arm's length above his head. But the harder he tried to move upward the further away the light became, his body growing tired from the exertion until he could no longer keep his arm up.

No, dammit. Panting, Yohji focused his remaining energy and reached out with his hand once again, trying to reach the light. Ripples began to disturb the calm of the dark sea he was in and Yohji's heart despaired as the light began to fade away.

He stared with wide eyes as a red substance shot into the dimming light, slowly spreading around him until he was surrounded by walls and walls of scarlet. What ... What's happening? What is this?

Yohji gasped as his lungs began to struggle for air; the bloody liquid suddenly penetrating his barrier, entering his nose and mouth, saturating him internally until it grabbed a hold of his heart. He could feel his heartbeat slowing its pace, heard the irregular pulse of blood rushing through his ears as he fought to breathe and panic gripped him as the realization of what was happening dawned on him.

His eyes began to close just as his body went limp and he felt himself draw his last breath. He was slipping away.

No ... Please ... No ... I can't go yet ... Too much to do ... I have too much ... Needs me ... He needs ...

Schu!

"You should get some sleep, Schu," Nagi suggested as he stood up from where he'd been sitting next to Omi. "Yohji wouldn't want you to burn yourself out like this."

"Like you're any better than I am," Schuldich retorted with a smirk as his gaze shifted to the wiry brunette.

"At least I've taken a few naps in between sittings. Can you say the same?"

Schuldich looked away from the too knowing telekinetic he loved like a brother. "Don't worry about me, Nagi. I know my limits and I haven't reached them yet."

Nagi sighed and crossed his arms over the soft black sweater he was wearing. "You're so damn stubborn. I'm surprised Yohji's kept you for as long as he has."

Schuldich forced himself to smile, shrugging his shoulders as pain pierced his heart. "Hey, what can I say? I'm too wonderful to throw away." But you threw him away, didn't you? You broke Yohji's heart.

Nagi rolled his eyes. "Whatever," the younger man said as he walked passed Schuldich and headed out the door for some much needed sleep. Nagi paused, however, when he reached the doorway. "Just make sure you get some rest soon. Limits or no limits, if I see that you're going to fall flat on your face, I'll put you to sleep myself."

And with those quietly delivered words, the telekinetic left the room.

Schuldich smirked, but was too tired to 'send' a proper retort Nagi's way. He rubbed his tired eyes with his free hand, keeping the other wrapped around Yohji's and tried to suppress a yawn. Damn, fucking days are starting to catch up to me. When had been the last time he'd slept, even if for a moment?

Schuldich blinked as he fought the urge to close his eyes. Stay awake, dammit. It didn't matter if he'd only slept but for a few hours in the past couple of days. He couldn't let his guard down. Not even for a moment, fear for his lover's safety taking precedence over his own needs.

He looked down at his beloved and reached out with his hand, his green eyes following his fingers as they gently ran through Yohji's hair. He moved himself up a bit and lowered his head until he was able to bury his face into the soft honey-blonde tresses. Schuldich closed his eyes and inhaled, breathing in Yohji's unique scent.

{ God, Yohji, } he projected without thinking. { Please wake up. Let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours. Please, just wake up. }

{ Schu …… }

Schuldich's eyes snapped open and quickly pulled away from Yohji, rising to his feet. "Yohji?"

A soft sigh escaped Yohji's lips and Schuldich's eyes widened in terror when he realized his lover was no longer breathing.

Alarms went off suddenly and a long shrilling beep exploded through the silence of the room as a flat line appeared on Yohji's heart monitor.

"No!" Schuldich yelled in desperation as he began to shake Yohji by the shoulders. "Wake up, Yohji! Don't do this to me!" he yelled at Yohji's limp form. "You can't leave me! You fucking can't leave me!"

A cry, full of agony and despair, sliced through the air as Schuldich's world began to collapse around him.

"Yooohhhjjjiii!"

Previous Next

Forsaken Author Pairing Rating Subject