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Funeral for a friend
By Cheyne
>>>Part 1<<<
Ken's full attention was focused on the computer screen before him. Omi was sick, so his job had fallen on the soccer-player's shoulders. A new mission had come in, and they only had sketchy details. A new group, similar to Schwarz, had surfaced. They called themselves Stryker, and they could all use what they called "magic"... calling fire from the air, and stuff like that.
Frowning, the young assassin scrolled through pages of worthless information. [I'm not sure what makes them think I'll be able to find anything,] he thought, annoyed. [Omi's the computer geek, not me.]
He felt warm hands rest on his shoulders and tilted his head back, looking up into calm violet eyes. The owner of those eyes turned his attention to the computer. "Have you found anything?" he asked quietly.
Ken shook his head, frustrated. "Nothing that we didn't already know," he muttered. "Pages upon pages of crime rates, statistics, and that sort of thing. Nothing about Schwarz or Stryker."
Aya rubbed his shoulders gently. "Don't give up, Ken," he said. "I'm sure you'll find something."
"I hope Omi gets better soon," Ken said, gazing at the screen and silently willing it to blow up so he wouldn't have to research anymore. "You wouldn't happen to have the names of any of them, would you?"
Showing a rare smile, the redhead reached behind him and produced a manila envelope. "As a matter of fact..."
"Oh my God!" Ken yelped, leaping up and hugging him tightly. "I love you! You are AWESOME!" He plucked the manila folder from Aya's hands and sat back down to look through hit.
Aya smiled and patted Ken on the head. "I'm glad you're happy," he said. "Keep working. I'll be down here too, on the other computer."
Ken nodded and absorbed himself in the folder. The first piece of paper he pulled out had a list of names on it. "These are the members of Stryker, then?" he asked. He whistled lowly. [They've got -six- members,] he thought nervously. [This is not good. If they team up with Schwarz, it'll be ten versus four. I don't like those odds.]
"That's right," Aya replied. "Oh, and all those names are aliases, by the way. We don't know their real ones."
Ken sighed. "Right," he said. "I'm seeing some major irony in this. They use dog breeds."
"Try not to think of it that way," Aya said, his attention focused on his computer and the copies of the material in the folder.
"It's a dog-eat-cat world out there," Ken grumbled, flipping through the folder. "They're all at varying degrees of magical power, right?"
Aya nodded. "That's right. Oddly enough, their most powerful is not their leader. In fact, he doesn't seem to play any special role in the group at all. I wonder if he's just a tool of Estet?"
Ken frowned a little, leaning back in his chair as his computer processed his search. "And not an official member of Stryker. That's what you're saying?"
"Exactly so," Aya said.
Youji came clattering down the stairs with his arms full of newspapers. "You'll never guess what I found," the lanky blonde announced, setting the papers down on the coffee table. "This is every record of every strange happening in this city since all this started five years ago."
Ken looked at the papers in dismay. "That's a lot of stuff to go through," he mourned.
"I know," Youji mumbled. "That's why I'm going to start right now, and hopefully be done within this year."
Aya shrugged, looking at his computer. "As it is with all of us, there aren't any records on any of these people."
Frustrated, Ken shook his head. "We're wasting our time, guys!" he said. "We've got everything we're gonna find, I think, unless we manage to capture one of them."
"Right. Hell and snowballs, Kenken," Youji said, leafing through one of the papers.
Sighing, the white hunter got up and flopped onto a couch next to Youji, picking up a newspaper. "That's the worst part of this job, though," he said. "Doing all this research."
"I agree with you, Ken," Aya replied. "However, if we meet up with these people, we have to be ready. All we have are vague descriptions, and we need pictures, if there are any in existence."
Ken waved his hand in the air, not looking up from the paper. "Hai, hai," he replied.
After an hour or so, Youji threw his fourth paper down. "That's it," he said. "We are DONE for tonight! It's past midnight, and we have to work tomorrow."
Aya nodded silently and powered his computer down after saving his work. He glanced over at Ken and blinked, then smiled faintly when Youji was gone. Ken had fallen asleep already, his head pillowed on his arm. Aya walked to him quietly and picked him up. Ken sighed softly and rested his head on Aya's shoulder, putting his arms around the older boy's neck.
Careful not to bang him on the walls or doorframes, Aya slowly walked upstairs with his burden. He took his young lover to his room and laid him down on the bed. The thought of laying next to him and sleeping in his arms was tempting, and he decided to give into it. Slipping off his jeans and shirt, he gently undressed Ken as well. He pulled the covers back and tucked Ken in, and then got in as well, taking the assassin into his arms.
Ken yawned a little and burrowed close to Aya, trusting and warm. Aya just held him, soon following him to sleep, thoughts of Stryker banished in the comforting embrace of the boy he loved.
"You've got all the information?" a dark, scratchy voice asked.
"You bet, boss," another voice drawled, tossing a packet of papers down onto a dirty table. "Everything we need on those kids."
"Good work, Retriever." the boss replied, looking through the packet. "You even got pictures. I'm impressed."
"I do my best," Retriever replied, his voice smug. "It was pretty hard, too. But all I needed to know was where they work, and from then on, it was easy."
Another voice spoke up. "Shall I go investigate?"
The boss nodded slowly, looking through the information. "Soon, Terrier. For now, we still need to lay low. I'm fairly sure they won't find any information on us, but there's always a slim chance."
Retriever shook his head. "I don't think we're at any risk at all," he said smoothly. "They have no idea who we are. All they know is our group name."
The boss glanced up. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
The blonde's smile became nervous. "Not at all, Bulldog."
"That's what I thought," Bulldog replied, going back to the papers. "Where's Dalmatian?"
Terrier shrugged. "No idea," he replied. "I saw him for a little while, but he disappeared, like he always does."
Bulldog frowned. "Try to find him." he ordered. "I have to speak with him."
Retriever and Terrier nodded. "Right," they said in unison. They disappeared through the doorway together.
Sitting down heavily, Bulldog tossed the papers back onto the table. He put his feet up and frowned at the ceiling. Dalmatian was an enigma to him, and he hated people like that. He couldn't get anything at all from the delicate-looking boy. No emotion, no thoughts, no nothing. It was almost like the boy was a robot, trained to kill and nothing else. [And kill he does,] the boss mused. [He kills quite well.]
The dingy room got darker as the sun set outside. [Almost time to go out and hunt,] he thought, taking his legs off of the table and getting up. [Hopefully, we can take care of those pesky housecats and their masters all at once. They're seriously cramping my style.] He walked into his room and started to change into his assassin gear. [I wonder what else there is to do,] he mused. [I know the higher-ups ordered us to kill more than the cats, but I can't remember. Dalmatian knows, I'm sure. He talks to them all the time.] A faint sneer appeared on Bulldog's face. [Ass-kisser.]
When he left the room, he found Dalmatian waiting for him in the living room, already dressed to go out. [Dramatic as always,] Bulldog thought, slightly annoyed. Dalmatian was a slender, tall boy, with short silver hair and a brilliant green eye. The other one, he kept hidden behind an eyepatch. Bulldog knew for a fact that he did indeed have two eyes, but none of them could pry it out of him, why he kept the patch. He never removed it in their presence. His assassin outfit was a pair of baggy black pants tucked into knee-high black leather boots. He wore a short-sleeved black blouse with a cape, and fingerless black gloves.
Altogether, it was quite a stunning effect. Bulldog had the itching suspicion that Dalmatian knew exactly how good it made him look, and how nervous it made everyone else.
Dalmatian had made it quite clear that he would accept no advances from anyone. He used his magic when threatened, and he had done some serious damage to the former Doberman. They'd had to get a replacement, and magic-users were extremely rare. [Little bitch,] Bulldog sneered to himself. [Keeping himself so pure and clean in this filthy place. Someday, he's gonna meet someone more powerful than he is, and he's gonna be fucked. Literally.]
The thought gave him some amusement.
"You called for me?" the boy asked softly, his voice a quiet, melodic tenor.
Bulldog nodded. "Yes," he said shortly. "You are coming with Doberman and I to exterminate the cats."
Dalmatian nodded. "As you wish," he said. He retreated to the shadows in the corner of the room and stood still, waiting for Doberman to appear.
As if on cue, the other man entered the room. Doberman was a really big guy, with huge muscles. He was -not- someone to mess with. [I'm glad we've got him along, though,] Bulldog thought in satisfaction. [What he lacks in offensive magic, he makes up for with strength. Magic and strength aren't a common combination.] His strength was the one quality that set Doberman apart from everyone else. He was just huge, with arms like steel pipes and legs like tree trunks. He dwarfed Dalmatian dramatically, making the other look even more frail than he really was.
Out of all of them, those two represented the dramatic differences in their power: Strength in body and weakness in magic, weakness in body and strength in magic.
"Let's go," Bulldog said shortly. "We'll sneak into their base and kill them while they sleep. All except for the redhead, remember. Abyssinian. We capture him and bring him back here."
Dalmatian and Doberman nodded their understanding, and Bulldog led them out into the dirty streets. He glanced around, wrinkling his nose at the smell. [Fucking slums,] he thought bitterly. [Why do we have to hide out in such a dump? We've been mugged more times than I can count. And we can't do anything about it, because we have to keep our powers hidden. Damn Estet!]
The three prowled through the alleys, keeping away from streetlights. [Almost there,] Bulldog thought, starting to get a bit nervous. [They should be all asleep.]
When the Koneko was in view, Bulldog held his hand up to stop the group. "Okay, listen up, dogs," he said softly. "There's a light on. We'll go in quietly, kill them, and bring the leader back. Is the mission perfectly clear?"
He received two silent nods in response.
"Good," he said softly. "Let's go."
The three entered through the back door. Dalmatian made quick and easy work of the doorknob and lock, merely melting them both. The door swung open to reveal a darkened hallway. They could hear music playing upstairs, and the soft sounds of moaning. [Great,] Bulldog thought, irritated. [We'll have to walk in on one of them. Or maybe more. This is just fucking -perfect-.]
Dalmatian noted the sounds and walked forward softly, towards the room they were coming from. He nodded to Bulldog, who heard the boy's voice in his mind. ((One of them has a woman. Shall I kill her, too?))
((Yes, dammit,)) Bulldog replied impatiently. ((Kill everyone in this fucking place except the leader!)) Annoyed, he crossed his arms. [Why the hell is that so hard to understand?] he thought.
Dalmatian melted the lock again, and the door swung open. The girl let out a shriek, and the boy gave a startled yelp. Doberman walked through the door. Bulldog waited, as he heard the sickening snap of bones breaking. The woman gave a high-pitched scream that was cut short, and then all was silent. Doberman came back out, splattered with blood.
((It's done,)) he said, his telepathic voice faint. Because of his meager magical abilities, telepathy was difficult for him, and he could only use it at very close range.
The sound of thundering footsteps on the stairs alerted them to the presence of two more. ((Get them!)) Bulldog ordered.
Doberman charged forward, knocking the brunette off his feet. Dalmatian swept forward as well, grabbing the redhead and paralyzing him with a whispered word of magic. Another word, and the redhead was unconscious. Bulldog went to them and lifted Abyssinian up, slinging him over his shoulder. ((Good work,)) he said approvingly. The brunette lay on the stairs, blood slowly dripping down them. His arm was at a twisted angle, and bone protruded from the skin.
((One remains,)) Dalmatian said softly. ((There are four of them. Shall I take care of him?))
Bulldog considered this. [We have what we came for, but our orders were to kill all of them...] ((Yeah, go ahead,)) he said, making his thoughts heard. ((We'll go back to headquarters.))
((Understood,)) the silver-haired one whispered into his mind. He disappeared up the stairs.
Bulldog nodded to Doberman. ((Let's go, man,)) he said. ((We've got what we came for.))
The two left the Koneko no Sumu Ii, running back through the alleys towards their headquarters. Bulldog grunted a bit under the redhead's unconscious weight. [For someone so thin, he sure is fucking heavy,] he thought while running. [Hmm... and he's pretty, too. I think my puppies will have fun with him.]
When they arrived at their headquarters again, Bulldog dropped Abyssinian onto the couch, not caring a bit if he hurt him or not. [Time to get some information out of him,] he thought. "Okay, Doberman," he said. "You know what to do."
"Right, Boss," Doberman said. He lifted the unconscious boy and took him to the basement of the building. Bulldog resolved to follow him as soon as he found Labrador.
Labrador was their lightning-magic specialist. He could do anything, from bringing in huge storms to messing with static electricity. Sometimes, he unnerved Bulldog even more than Dalmatian did, but he usually chose to ignore everyone. Bulldog knocked on his door, and it was opened almost immediately.
"We've captured a cat," Bulldog said with a slow smile. "Care to come play with it?"
A cruel grin slowly spread across Labrador's face. "Of course," he said. His voice reminded Bulldog of a snake. [We shoulda named him Cobra or something,] he thought, turning to go downstairs with Labrador following him. [He's really scary sometimes.]
The two walked into the room in the basement that they reserved for questioning. Doberman had already strung the kitten from the ceiling, hanging it by its wrists using a thick rope that would be impossible to break. "Good work," Bulldog said. He spoke a few spidery words in the language of magic, and the redhead started to wake up.
Bulldog waited for a moment, and when Abyssinian's eyes met his, he smiled coldly. "Welcome, Abyssinian," he said in a soft, deadly voice. "You're in Stryker's headquarters. We've brought you here for questioning." Bulldog saw the he was going to say something and interrupted. "Oh, and don't think your friends will come save you. They are all dead."
Pain flashed through Abyssinian's eyes, but it was soon replaced by a burning rage. [If he weren't tied up, I think we'd be in serious trouble,] Bulldog thought. [Good thing we used the really thick rope.]
"Shall we start the questioning?" Bulldog asked in silken tones, smiling coldly.
Back at the Koneko no Sumu Ii, Ken woke slowly. He winced, then gasped in pain when he tried to push himself up. [Oh, fuck, that hurts,] he thought dizzily. [Damn... what happened?] He lay perfectly still for a few minutes, then his eyes widened. [Stryker! They came here... they took Aya!] Quickly, he sat up and looked at his arm. [That's gonna have to be treated before I can do anything,] he thought grimly. He looked at the pool of blood on the stairs and sighed. [Good thing I didn't bleed to death. Omi, Youji... where are they?]
He stood up shakily, leaning on the wall. "Omi! Youji!" he yelled. "Where are you?!"
His reply was a faint creaking sound. [Sounds like it's coming from Youji's room,] he thought. Slowly, he made his way there and pushed the door open. He reeled back, gagging. "Youji!" he cried. The blonde swung back and forth slowly, hanging from the ceiling fan by his own wire.
"Oh, Youji," he breathed, covering his eyes with his good hand and backing out of the room. "Oh, my God," he whispered, dropping to his knees. He fought waves of nausea and stood, running up the stairs.
"Omi!" he screamed. "OMI!!" He banged into the sick boy's room. Omi lay on the bed, the blankets bloody. "Oh, noooooo!" he wailed. From all the losses, this one hurt the most. [He's just a KID!] Ken thought hysterically. [He can't be dead! He's only a kid! There was so much he wanted to do! This can't be happening!] He staggered to the boy's bedside.
A soft moan broke him from his thoughts. "Omi?!" Ken asked, his eyes wide.
"Nnn..." Omi groaned, opening his eyes slowly. "Ken-kun..."
"Shhhh, don't talk," Ken said softly, brushing blonde hair back from clear blue eyes. "It's okay. I'm gonna call an ambulance. We both need it."
Omi cried out softly in pain, tears running down the sides of his face and pooling in his hair. "Ken-kun," he whimpered.
Ken gently surveyed Omi's injuries. He was hurt, but it was nothing life threatening. The wounds no longer bled. The sheets and blankets were soaked, however, and he worried that the young boy's heart would fail due to blood loss. "Just stay calm," he said in a soothing voice. "I'll get you out of this mess, I promise."
He reached for Omi's bedside phone and dialed 911. The responder picked up almost immediately, a woman with a kind voice. "911. What's your emergency?"
Everything hit him at once, and he started shaking as he talked to the dispatcher. "A group of people broke into our house and attacked us," he said, fighting to keep his voice even. "I'm hurt. My arm is broken good, and the back of my head hurts like crazy. There's another boy here who's got multiple lacerations, almost like he was stabbed. He's lost a lot of blood." He hesitated, wondering if he should tell about Youji. He moved out into the hall. "One of us is missing, and the other is dead," he said quietly. "We need help fast, or we'll be dead too."
"I understand," the dispatcher said. "I've traced your call, and the ambulances are on their way. Stay on the phone with me. What's your name?"
"Ken," he said, starting to feel lightheaded. "Hidaka Ken."
"I need you to stay calm, Ken-kun. You're doing great. Don't worry about a thing. The ambulances will be there within five minutes. The police will come to the hospital to do further investigations. You said one of your friends is missing, and the other is dead?"
"Yes," Ken said, his voice breaking. "They took Aya. Youji's dead. Oh God, they hung him..."
"Stay calm," the dispatcher said soothingly. "I want to help you. Just stay calm and breathe deeply. That's it. Just relax..."
Ken heard sirens screaming in the distance. "The ambulances are here," he said shakily. "I've gotta go. Arigatou goziamasu." He hung up and tossed the cordless phone to the floor, racing downstairs. He tripped and fell halfway there and landed hard on his broken arm. He screamed, feeling warm blood running down it. The medics heard his scream and the door to the Koneko broke open.
The medics ran to him, gently lifting him into a sitting position.
"Where's your other friend?" one of them asked, an older man with a gentle expression. "Come on, son."
"Upstairs," Ken managed through clenched teeth. "Ohhh, crap..."
The medic ran upstairs. Another went into Youji's room and let out a stifled cry when he saw the two bodies. "There's two of them in here!" he called. "We'll need another ambulance."
[Oh yeah,] Ken thought fuzzily. [Youji had a girlfriend in there.]
The older medic came downstairs, cradling an unconscious Omi in his arms. "Put this one on an IV immediately," he said. "Do you know his bloodtype, son?"
"O," Ken said faintly. "Mine's B."
The medics bustled around quickly. Ken felt himself lifted into strong arms and placed on a stretcher. [Aya,] he thought, tears springing to his eyes, half of physical pain and half of emotional. [Are you still alive, or are you dead too?]
The ambulances whisked them both away to the hospital. Ken felt a slight stinging in one arm and blinked at the older medic. "Don't worry," he said gently. "It's a powerful painkiller and anesthetic. We've gotta get you under now so you can go into surgery as soon as we get there. We'll have you as good as new before too long."
Ken's vision swam. "Aya," he murmured, sinking into oblivion.
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