-Part 3-

An Emanation of Phantom Madness

 

 

Aya clutched the steering wheel tightly as the tiny Porsche flew back down the highway towards the Uguisudani division. He had become very quiet after the explosion in Kaori’s apartment. The girl luckily was not injured, merely shaken by the ordeal. Aya had a deathly look in his eyes, one that always frightened Ken, keeping him from staring the redhead straight in the eyes.

 

Ken hung on to the door, tears slipping down his cheeks. He’d tried begging Aya to explain what was going on, but it was obviously clear. Someone was after them. Ken wasn’t sure who, but even as a trained assassin, he’d had the least experience of them all, and had never been the one as a target. The brunette certainly didn’t like the experience. Reaching out, Ken hugged onto Aya’s arm, swallowing his tears. “Ran..” he whispered. “We’re going to be just fine.. ne?”

 

Aya’s eyes softened slightly and he unhooked his arm from Ken and pulled the younger man closer to him, letting the brunette snuggle against his side. “Of course. We’re going to get Yohji and Omi, and we’re all going to go to Shibuya-ku...we’ll be safe there.” Even though Aya’d  only been with Ken for a short time, he’d become so attached to the busybody. Hell, who was Aya trying to fool? He loved Yohji and Omi as well, which fully explained why he flew nearly ninety down a fifty mph road. He prayed they’d be home and he’d have a chance to get to them.

 

Before they could.

 

Squealing tires signaled their entrance as they pulled into the parking lot being Koneko No Sume Ie flowershop. The redhead sighed with relief when he saw Yohji’s car parked crookedly in its usual spot by the exit. Aya grabbed his keys, and helping Ken out of the car, he unlocked the door and rushed inside. The flowershop was alarmingly still, and as Aya yelled out to Yohji, he cursed under his breath when he got no response.

 

“Ran! Listen!” Ken hissed, after opening the door to the basement. Quiet typing floated up the stairs, and sighing with relief, Ken walked down the spiraling metal with Aya close in tow. A glint of silver shined from the stairs, but was not noticed by either of the men as they reached the bottom. Ken gasped, narrowing his eyebrows, frustrated.

 

The computer terminal was empty.

 

 “Shit! I heard typing, didn’t you?” Ken frowned, placing his hands on his hips. “I could have sworn it was coming from here, but..”

 

Aya scratched the back of his neck for a moment, confused. “Yes, I heard typing too.” Walking over to the computer, he shook the mouse and watched as the screen popped up, various programs running simultaneously across the screen. “Omi’s been here though. He still has stuff pulled up.” Looking at the computer screen, Aya’s back stiffened and he choked back a startled cry as the screen suddenly went blank, and a single message filled the screen.

 

“ESCAPE.”

 

“K-Ken!” Aya yelped. Something was wrong, something was very, very wrong. Someone had infiltrated the system. Someone who wasn’t supposed to be in at all.

 

Ken turned, looking at the blinking monitor. “Oh god! Omi! I have to find Omi, I have to..” Just as the brunette spun to turn and run to the stairs, a murderous scream escaped his lips as he covered his face in horror. “YOHJI!” Ken screamed.

 

Aya turned as Ken screamed, his own eyes widening and springing with tears at the sight of their companion. “Oh Yohji..” he whispered, covering his mouth with his hand, fighting the urge scream.

 

Yohji hung limply by his own monofilm which had been neatly tied to one of the metal stairs. His wrists had been slit completely, nearly severing the limb from the bone, his wire bound around his neck and torso. His emerald eyes lost their mischievous sparkle and now only showed pure terror. Blood pooled around his feet where he hung, inches from the floor.

 

He had died in agony.

 

“Omi.. we have to find Omi.. AYA, WE HAVE TO FIND OMI!” Ken screamed, hysterical.

 

Aya reached out, pulling the sobbing Siberian into his embrace. Warm tears began to slide down his pale cheeks. He couldn’t stand this, everyone getting hurt. They had to save Omi. They just had to. “Shh, we’ll find Omi, I promise, we’ll find Omi..”

 

A piercing scream rang out from upstairs, startling both of the boys. Ken gasped, clutching Aya tightly, his nails digging tightly into Aya’s side, recognizing the cry.

 

Omi.

 

Letting go of Ken, Aya made a dash for the stairs, looking away as Yohji’s body turned slightly from the trembling of the stairs as Aya thundered past, with Ken close behind. Following the scream, he turned the hallway, nearly crashing into the table in the hall as he scrambled up the stairs to the hall.

 

Just as quickly as the scream had began, it abruptly stopped as Aya skidded to a stop outside Omi’s door. It was open just a crack, and stale light flooded into the hallway between the tiny slit.

 

Ken stepped beside Aya, and reaching out, gingerly pushed open the door, truly terrified what he’d find. Aya put an arm in front of Ken, and stepped in the room first. The redhead suddenly choked on his tears, a scream tearing from the bottom of his throat that filled the room.

 

They had found Omi.

 

Ken threw himself back into the hallway, screaming hysterically. He slid to his knees, bawling at the sight of his beloved little Bombay. It had been just yesterday that Omi had been singing, and laughing, and now.. now...

 

Aya walked over to the wall where Omi had been roughly pinned by his own arrows. His arms and legs had been pierced, his arms outstretched as if he laid on a cross. Blood streaked the walls and ran down Omi’s limp limbs. His throat had been gouged with a dart, his soft hair streaked with blood.

 

Strangling his sobs, Aya ran from the room, and leaned against the doorframe, his shoulders trembling in shock. “What did he do to deserve this? GOD, WHAT DID HE DO?” Aya screamed angrily, punching the wall with his fist.

 

“Aya!” Ken whimpered, and his body suddenly went limp and he collapsed to the floor at Aya’s feet.

 

Aya turned in shock, glaring down the shadowed hallway. He shivered to himself. He didn’t like this feeling, this feeling of loneliness. Looking into the shadows, he struggled to see down the hall but couldn’t

 see anything except the flicker of Omi’s favorite candle from the kitchen. “Who’s there?” Aya shouted.

 

A familiar voice giggled quietly, ringing out from the darkness. “There is no god.....  Abyssinian.”

 

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[To Be Continued]