"Takatori seems glad that his son is dead," Schuldich said as he leaned against the wall of the hallway.
"Did you ever think he cared for his family?" Brad replied.
"No."
They were at the elegant auditorium that was catering to the 7th Jigen Party Promotion Party and had been ordered by Takatori to over see the set up. Nagi had the ground floor and Farfarello was patrolling the rooftop. Brad and Schuldich had the main area, keeping a bored watch over Hirofumi, the eldest Takatori child, one who was devoted to his father to an almost fanatic degree. Schuldich had no doubt that his fanaticism would cost him one of these days.
A movement beyond Brad caused his head to jerk up and he watched as three shadows moved over the floor, disappearing from his view. He smiled slightly, mockingly.
"Hm?" Brad said as he looked over his shoulder.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz. Three nosy flies flying around."
"Leave them alone. A fly's life is short. They are destined to die," Brad ordered, a tiny smile flitting over his lips.
"Death is good. But you know what's even better than that?"
"I'm afraid to ask but what?"
Schuldich flashed him a sultry grin. "Sex."
Brad closed his eyes and shook his head. "You've got a one track mind, Schuldich."
"You're only *now* figuring this out?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
The party was not his thing.
Dressed in a white suit and bored to death, Schuldich stood near Brad and surveyed those who had come to impress and scheme. The battle of money and prestige; to see who could gain the most power. Schuldich akined them to a pack of rabid dogs. He hated baby-sitting.
/Schuldich./
He shot a look over at Brad but the older man wasn't looking at him. /What, Brad?/
/Across the room. Hirofumi is leaving with that boy./
/So? He's probably looking to get some. If I was in his place I'd--/
/Schuldich, ger your mind out of the gutter,/ Brad snapped. /That boy is part of Weiss. Go after them./
The German rolled his eyes. /Don't get so anal, Brad. Oh, wait. You already are./
/Schuldich--/
/Consider me gone./
Quickly Schuldich darted through the crowd and crossed the room. He stepped out into an empty hallway but it was child's play to cast around for Hirofumi's mind. Finding it he moved towards the room they were in. It was connected to a smaller room and he entered it by that way. Coming through the side door, he languished in the shadows unnoticed, watching the scene before him play out.
"Mamoru, what are you?" Hirofumi demanded of the boy from Weiss.
"Huh?"
"Why did you try to kill me? I want to know why."
"Niisan--"
/How interesting. They're related,/ Schuldich thought to himself.
"Someone gave you the order to kill me. Who was it?"
"Niisan, listen to what I have to say."
"Answer my question."
"Niisan, don't you think it's wrong that people would scheme like this in politics?"
Schuldich mentally laughed. /What a child./
"Don't act like you know what's going on," Hirofumi snapped. "I'm sacrificing my flesh and blood so that father can become the ideal politician. Mamoru, you're being tricked. You're being used by forces who are against our politics."
"It's not like that!"
"Mamoru, please tell me where your friends are."
"Niisan--you're way is wrong. Admit your crime and turn yourself into the police."
Hirofumi laughed harshly. "You're still a child. One day when you grow up, you'll understand how I feel."
"I'm not going to grow up to become an adult like you!"
Schuldich watched the boy leave and shook his head. Idealists annoyed him. He stepped out of the shadows, startling Hirofumi. "You hate that brat, don't you?"
"Schuldich. Since when . . . ?" Hirofumi said.
Schuldich smirked and tilted his head a bit as he leaned against the wall. He didn't even have to scan the other man to read what he wanted. Looking into his eyes was proof enough.
"Leave it to me. I'll do as you want."
For a moment he thought Hirofumi would decline the offer but he had guessed right. The simmering anger in those eyes wasn't something he had misread. Hirofumi nodded once before leaving the room. Schuldich waited ten minutes before he bothered to walk over to the window. Pushing it oopen he sent his mind skimming over the crowd inside the building and smirked when he caught ahold of Mamoru's. He was on a balcony not too far away, nearly alone.
/Hm. Interesting. He calls himself Omi,/ he thought to himself as he jumped up into open air. /Before this night is over I wonder if I can call him dead?/
The girl, Takatori's only daughter, saw him first, but Schuldich didn't care. The boy turned around too slow and found the German's fist buried in his gut. Omi collapsed against him and Schuldich slung him over his shoulder before jumping onto the balcony ledge. He paused and looked down at the girl and smirked.
"I'm going to borrow him."
Then he was off and running with her voice echoing in his ear. Schuldich rolled his eyes. /Women. I should give the kid some advice. Fuck them but don't love them./
He took the boy to Hirofumi's apartment complex by limo and deposited the boy in his older brother's tender loving care. He watched in amusement as Hirofumu beat his younger brother as he screamed for answres. Schuldich had to admit, the boy had guts--which wree rapidly being hit to a lovely shade of purple. He'd yet to shed a tear ar break, which was making Hirofumi furious. Just when Schuldich was starting to become bored from the rants, his sensitive mind picked up the arrival of three minds.
He pushed the curtains that covered the glass doors a little apart and smiled out into the night. "They've come."
It didn't take long for them to show. The moment Omi drew the line between himself and his family, he sealed Hirofumi's fate. Schuldich kept himself telepathically cloaked for the first few hectic seconds that it took for the three Weiss members to break in. With a sigh he dropped the cloak and threw his mind into the redhead's as he slid between his sword and Hirofumi.
The members of Weiss looked at him in confusion as the redhead stumbled back a step. With a cold smirk he looked at Hirofumi out of the corner of his eye. "Run," he ordered.
The other man did as he was told and then Schuldich had to deal with the three nosy flies as they rushed him. Calmly he dodged their attacks and ignored their orders. He played with them for a few seconds more before jumping over them all and landing on the windowsill surrounded by broken glass.
"I've seen your faces. I'll have your lives."
Then he jumped backwards into open air and took the fall to the ground with a smile. He landed easily enough and turned around to face Brad. The American had Nagi and Farfarello with him and all three were still dressed in their white tuxes.
"This game is starting to become interesting," Schuldich told them.
Brad tilted his head back, moonlight flashing over his glasses. "Hirofumi will die tonight."
"One more down," Nagi murmured.
"God will hurt," Farfarello hissed gratefully as he licked his knife.
Schuldich smiled. "How long does a fly live, Brad?"
"Long enough to be useful."