"Do you think he'll win the election?" Schuldich asked. It was days later after the short, confrontational meeting between father and son and Schwarz was not yet needed.
Brad glanced up from the book he was reading. "Do I think or do I know?"
Schuldich put one of the two small ear phones into his left ear and pressed the play button on his discman. "Do you know."
"I know. I always know."
"Care to tell me?"
"Not particularly."
Schuldich smriked. "Same old arrogance," he replied as he turned the volume up.
"I could say the same about you."
"You always do."
Brad rolled his eyes but said nothing more. Schuldich stared at him for several minutes before he got to his feet and walked over to Brad. He leaned over the older man and slid his hand down the American's torso. "This song makes me want to fuck you," he whispered in a sultry voice.
Brad willed his body to not respond. "And your point would be?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"No."
Schuldich brushed his lips over Brad's ear, his hand moving steadily downwards. "I want to fuck you like an animal," he whispered, voicing a single line.
Despite his resolve, Brad shivered and Schuldich smirked. "Back off," Brad snapped.
Schuldich laughed and detangled himself from Brad. "As the leader commands."
Brad glared at him out of the corner of his eye. "Do something usefull--"
"Like jerk you off?"
"--go find Nagi."
Schuldich mock-pouted. "That's no fun."
"It's not meant to be."
"Fine," Schuldich said as he put in the other earphone. "I'm taking Farfarello with me."
"Make sure he doesn't kill anyone."
"You're taking the fun out of my whole day, Brad. Lighten up."
Schuldich left the room and headed down the hall to Farfarello's locked room. Undoing the locks and chains he stepped inside the dimly lit room. There was a single candle burning before a large crucifix nailed to the wall. The single window had been boarded up and barred with wood and electrical metal. Farfarello was hanging upside down from the ceiling in his straight jacket. The German leaned against the door and removed his earphones.
"Want to go out, Farfarello?"
A single golden eye flickered over to him. "Killing?"
"No. Brad wants us to find Nagi. I already know where the boy is. It shouldn't tale too long to get there."
There was silence for a long moment. "Do I get a knife?"
"If you want one."
"All right."
Schuldich pressed the button that released Farfarello's ankles and watched as the Irishman flipped in mid air to land on his feet. Silently Schuldich undid the straight jacket and pulled it off. Farfarello dropped his arms to the side and flexed his hands.
"Knife," he demanded.
Schuldich pulled a hilt with a crosstree on it, but no blade, out of his pocket and handed it over. Farfarello took it greedily and pressed it to his palm. Moments later a long, thin blade popped out and he grinned, a fanatic gleam coming into his eye.
"I swear, you get off on something sharp more than you do me," Schuldich mused.
"You're only human," Farfarello muttered as he licked the blade.
"And you're insane."
"I never denied it, have I?"
"Nein. Now let's go. And try not to kill anything. Brad will be pissed when we get back if he finds blood all over you."
"I like blood. It means God hurts when I see it."
Schuldich rolled his eyes and gestured for Farfarello to precede him. "Whatever. Move."
They left the building an headed to the garage, getting into Schuldich's car. He started the engine and sped out into the street. Farfarello's hand was clenched around the dagger like knife and lay in his lap, the blade shining in the sunlight. He was stroking the edge with his other hand and looking down at it, mesmerized.
"So where is the brat?" he asked.
"Where do you think?"
"I'm not the mind reader."
"That you aren't. But you'll see soon enough."
The rest of the drive was made in silence. City turned to suburbs, suburbs to forest, forest to nowhere. Schuldich stopped the care on a cliff over looking a large mansion and got out. Farfarello tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.
"So he's here."
"Where else did you think he'd be? If not addicted to his computer, then he's either here or nowhere. Now get out of the car."
Farfarello hopped over the door and stared at Schuldich. "He could be with you. But he's not. Jealous?"
Schuldich looked at the Irishman and arched an eyebrow. "Of a woman? Never."
Farfarello nodded slightly, as if agreeing.
"What about you?" Schuldich asked.
"What about me?"
"Jealous?"
"No."
"And here I had hoped you'd want me."
He took a few steps forward and kissed Farfarello on the mouth so hard that he cut his lip open a bit. Farfarello kissed him back just as hard, the knife pressed between them at a dangerous angle. When they broke apart, he licked Schuldich's blood off his lips. "Slut," he said.
Schuldich merely smirked. "Old news, Farfarello."
"Truth."
The smirk deepened to a smile.
At that moment sakura petals shot around them suddenly and Schuldich looked up at hte petal strewn sky, green eyes narrowing. "Come on," he muttered, snagging Farfarello's wrist.
Without a word he dragged Farfarello along at the speed that only he was comfortable with. They arrived in the meadow a minute or two later and Schuldich dropped Farfarello's arm. In that distance a blue haired young woman was running away as the sakura blossoms floated to the ground.
"Have you fallen in love with her?" he asked as the pair stepped into the sunlight.
Nagi didn't bother to turn around. "What are you talking about?"
"She'll eventually be killed when we get the order."
Nagi said nothing.
"You can't have what she is," Farfarello muttered.
"I know."
"Innocence is beyound you, Nagi. Give it up," Schuldich told him. "You're reaching for something so far out there that you'll die wanting it."
"Like you?" the boy hissed back.
Schuldich shrugged. "I want many things, Nagi. Innocence isn't one of them."
"No. Just a body and a mind to call yours."
Schuldich's green eyes narrowed to slits. "Watch your mouth, Nagi. It'll get you in trouble one of these days."
"So will yours."
Schuldich sighed in irritation. /Brad?/
A moment of silence. /Yes?/
/I found him./
/Good./
/He's angsting and becoming annoying./
/And that reminds you of no one?/
/Very funny. We're coming home./
/No. Don't leave yet./
/Why not?/
/Tonight there's going to be fire works./
A slow grin slid over the German's face. /Really. How interesting./
So they stayed and watched the day turn into night and waited in silence until the night lit up with fire and noise. They watched as the mansion burned against the back drop of a night sky and collapsed in on itself.
"Weiss is pretty good," Schuldich mused.
"It's going to be fun, isn't it . . ." Farfarello said. He brought his knife to his lips and licked it with his tongue.
Nagi averted his head. /Something I cannot have,/ he thought to himself.
Innocence.
Gone.
The fire had taken his dream, his want.
He was cold.
But Schuldich's smile was colder.