Title: Karmesinrot Rache

Mission: 11 Melodie – Melody (Song of Sorrow)

Time: Kapitel, AU

Date: 06-11-04


Schuldig set the tiny helicopter down beside their two cars. The Kundalini sacrifice had not stirred since her second kidnapping. Farfarello was under strict orders to keep his hands off the girl and he obeyed, knowing Crawford was not in a good mood. Schuldig didn't try to read his leader's mind because his gun was still in his hand. Schuldig knew there was a high chance he might get shot right now.

Schuldig opened the pilot's door and got out first. The brisk air caused him to shiver slightly. Farfarello stepped out with the girl in his arms. Crawford came out last, his cream-colored suit looking gray in the darkness. Crawford stalked off towards their house without a word.

"What about Nagi?" Schuldig asked him. "We left him there!"

"We'll go back for him," said Crawford in a clipped voice to Schuldig's relief. Schuldig hadn't wanted to leave their youngest teammate buried underneath the rubble of Seian but it was Crawford's decision to leave the area before they were caught in the telekinetic storm.

Crawford opened the door to their spacious house and stopped. Schuldig accidentally stepped on his heel but Crawford didn't say anything. "Someone's here," Crawford warned in a low voice. He brought his gun up. Schuldig did the same. Farfarello laid the girl to the side of the door. The three Schwarz assassins crept into their living room. They stopped, shocked at the sight of Nagi unconscious on the longest sofa flanked by two strange men standing beside each end.

"Shoot them," ordered Crawford immediately to Schuldig. They made ready to fire at their intruders.

The largest of the duo shook his head and spoke in his grave voice, "Do you want to repeat the same mistake of shooting Eszet?"

Crawford narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. How did they know about that? Are they a part of Eszet? "Who are you?" Crawford demanded. "How did you get in here?"

The smaller of the two men stood up, his violet eyes shining brightly as he held out his hands, showing Schwarz he was unarmed. Schuldig gasped slightly, recognizing the violet eyed stranger from a mind he read. His tailored clothes were freshly laundered and a hint of musky cologne was his trademark each time he met with Jade. The man was Chimera!

"We've come to make an exchange and a deal with Schwarz," said Manticore as he gestured to Nagi.

"You didn't answer my question," snapped Crawford. Schuldig spoke in Crawford's mind, telling him what he wanted to know. Crawford's mouth formed a thin line. Farfarello grinned broadly after Schuldig revealed the identity of their guests.

"By now, Mastermind has already informed you of who I am. But yes, I am Chimera," said Manticore boldly. He smiled at Schuldig, acknowledging his excellent control over his powers. "But he has not introduced my companion." He gestured to the large man in the black suit. "My bodyguard."

"Does he have a name?" Crawford asked suspiciously.

"No," replied Minotaur. Schuldig's breath escaped in a short laugh of amusement. He pried at the minds of Manticore and his bodyguard in the large black suit. Muscles bulged tensely underneath the fabric when Minotaur sensed Schuldig's mind seeking entry. He slammed down his barricades, preventing Schuldig access.

"A bad move on your part," warned Manticore in an ominous voice after he did the same to foil Schuldig. "We came only to make a deal."

"No deal," replied Crawford as his finger slid onto the smooth metal of the trigger.

"If you kill me, Eszet will not be happy." Manticore met Crawford's eyes with his own. "Eszet and I are business partners. My life ending equals your life ending."

"We're not interested in what you have to offer us," said Schuldig with a smirk.

"Do you speak as the leader?" Minotaur wanted to know. "Eszet has told us Oracle is the leader of Schwarz. We weren't aware the positions changed." Manticore's next words silenced Schuldig's cursing. "You want independence from Eszet." Manticore held Crawford's gaze. "Am I wrong?"

"I want you dead." Crawford gave Manticore a dark look. "Your life is the only thing that you can offer me."

"It's not easy to kill me," Manticore responded with a deadly look in his own eyes. "Do you really think I would walk into your home without having some sort of weaponry?"

"No," Crawford replied coldly. "But I'm willing to take the chance."

"Take a chance on this. You want Raven dead," Manticore said coldly. "I can make it happen."

Schuldig's mouth fell open slightly. "But you're their boss! Why are you doing this?"

"Karmesinrot Rache is alive because they are under my protection," said Manticore. "Make the exchange with me for Prodigy. You'll need him."

"He allowed Tot to live," Crawford spat out. "He chose Schreient over Schwarz."

"Love makes people do foolish things," said Minotaur, leveling a steady look on Crawford's tense face. "Even brilliant people like you will do foolish things for love." Manticore smirked at Crawford when his partner's words rung true. "Isn't that what this is all about?"

"Shut up," Crawford demanded. "That's none of your business."

"It is my business. Raven is mine," replied Manticore, his eyes hardening. "You want her to know despite your cruel words towards her. Let me set the stage for you."

"What do you want?" Crawford asked them.

"Karmesinrot Rache needs to be terminated." Manticore gave Schwarz a hard look. "I want you to do it for me."

"Why?" Crawford asked.

"Their use is over. You will need Prodigy's help. Prodigy's recent show of power will greatly aid your split from Eszet. Without him, you might as well forget all your careful plans." Manticore smiled down at the young telekinetic. "He was right, Oracle. He did find me. I was with Eszet in her suite the night you came bursting in." He looked at Crawford. "You should be proud of him."

Crawford's gaze fell on the battered Nagi. Dirt marks marred the pale face and tears in his navy blue school uniform revealed his skin. "Is he all right?"

"He was tended by the best doctors in our organization. You have my word no drugs entered his system that was not necessary for his speedy recovery," Manticore vowed. He laughed lightly. "The same cannot be said for you. I am aware of how you gained one of Panther's cell phones."

"If you give us Nagi, who do you want from us?" Crawford asked them.

A creepy smile filled Manticore's face. "Fujimiya Aya."

Farfarello's golden eye narrowed in confusion. "What do you want from her?"

"Nothing in particular except for the fact it would put a strain on the performance of the Kundalini ceremony."

"You said Eszet was a business partner," said Schuldig, crossing his arms. "Why do you want to do that?"

"Schwarz wants their independence from Eszet and the best way to do that is to kill Eszet," replied Manticore. Crawford gave him a startled look. "That is your plan, isn't it, Oracle? You intend to break away during the Kundalini ceremony."

"It might be," Crawford said sullenly.

"Japan's Eszet are focused on preserving their powers but the three leaders have gotten so delusional to the point they resorted to such an unconventional ceremony. If you kill them and become free, it leaves a wild card in the form of Fujimiya Aya. You can kill her as well if you wish but that doesn't guarantee Kritiker and Wei? would stop hunting you for revenge. Having to watch your back on the run from Eszet and fight Wei? places unwanted limitations on your freedom. Give Fujimiya Aya to me and I will take away the second risk."

"Wei? is no match against Schwarz," Schuldig scoffed.

"But Schwarz is no match against the organizations of Eszet, Kritiker, and Chimera," retorted Minotaur smartly. "Three very powerful organizations will be after you if you kill Fujimiya Aya."

Crawford gave him a steady, calculating look but no reply.

"You kill Eszet, Wei?, and Karmesinrot Rache with my help. I will help you set your stage so you are in control," Manticore offered. "Their deaths will solve our problems. Giving me Fujimiya Aya prevents Eszet from succeeding in their ceremony in the small chance that it works. If Eszet does revive the Great One, Schwarz will be crushed."

Crawford mulled over the new circumstances of having the men in his living room. They made many valid points. Schuldig failed to read their minds. His plans to break free from Eszet would get receive help, adding a large degree of security in having it work out. And Nagi's immediate return was beneficial. His powers were the strongest of all four of them, judging by his outburst.

"We have a deal," said Crawford. "Here's what I want to do." Crawford launched into a detailed plan.


The large house burned. Wei? and Karmesinrot Rache escaped to fight outside. There was no stopping the blaze from consuming the wooden home when their attention was focused on the blue and black beast dancing across the roof, shooting blue lightning as he laughed at them.

Naitsuusha pulled the fire off the roof in sheets to disperse in the air but more fire kept forming when the lightning touched the wood. Wolf shouted back at her, repeating her curses while he blasted deep pits in the structure. Omi and Kayla shot arrows at the blue-haired man to distract him. Jade scaled the back wall using the patio deck to get on the roof with Aya close behind her.

Yohji's eyes were on another man who kept vanishing and reappearing too fast to be caught in his wire. None of the assassins could see his features except for a blur of black and purple as he teleported around them. Ken, Yohji, and Kirei protected Manx and Merache while the others fought against Wolf.

"Who are they?" Manx wondered, passing Merache one of her guns. Merache shrugged, knowing they were both working together to end his life.

A whoosh of air brushed past Manx's face. She whirled around but the man had already teleported to another location. Yohji's silver wire formed a web around the area from its use. Yohji knew it was too much to hope for the man would get caught in it but was worth a try.

"Die, you damn bastard!" Jade's angry voice shouted a challenge. Wolf jumped back, tossing lightning without weakening from its use. The metal sword was hot in her hands. Jade grimaced at the touch of the heated metal. Aya suffered from the same problem.

"I don't think so!" Wolf rode a large lightning bolt towards them. It split into two balls and was thrust into Aya's and Jade's bodies to send both flying off the roof. Wolf howled, springing off the weakened roof.

Merache shifted his footing every time he heard a sudden whoosh of moving air. Ken was utterly confused by the man's ability to teleport from place to place. Kirei's fans crackled with electricity, its metal transmitting Wolf's excess energy in the atmosphere.

Wolf landed in front of her with a wide grin. Kirei slashed him. Her blades were blocked quickly by the second attacker. The man crossed his twin daggers to capture her shukusen. His face was empty of expression behind the oval eyeglasses. His purple hair was windswept from his teleportation. The movement sent the shiny black cloth of his outfit flying.

"It's about time, Hawk," Wolf snapped at the leader of their team. Hawk pushed Kirei back and vanished again. Now the path was clear. Wolf summoned a storm of lightning. Jagged energy entered Kirei, throwing her back through the air. Her flight ended when she smashed into a tree trunk. Snow cascaded from the tree branches and buried the stunned girl in a mound of white. A fireball from Naitsuusha caught Wolf in the back and he went flying forward into Yohji's wires. The current from his powers raced through the makeshift conduits of the wires and set the wood on fire.

Jade leapt through the thick web of wires, aiming to pierce the man through while he fought to free his body and clothes from the twisted wires. Before her no dachi could gut the man, Hawk reappeared in front of him and blocked Jade's sword with his daggers. Jade felt his hand grabbing her from behind and tossing her away before she could comprehend Hawk was no longer in front of her.

Aya charged into the battle, bent on protecting the others but Hawk grabbed his katana and vanished with it. Then Ken's bugnucks were torn off his hands by Hawk and lost in the resulting confusion. Wolf shredded the wires using Aya's katana after Hawk handed it to him. With Ken, Kayla, Omi disarmed, and Kirei unconscious, the two hunters were getting more hits in.

"Let me return this to you since it was so helpful," Wolf shouted after he charged the katana full of lightning. Aya went down after receiving a powerful shock from touching the sword. Naitsuusha stood over his unconscious body, her fire forming protective rings around them.

"Tch," Jade growled. She sent Manx running to get the car. Hawk and Wolf let Manx leave; their orders were to kill only Merache. "Stay behind me," she ordered Merache who held his gun tightly. Merache nodded, following Wolf with his eyes.

"It's not going to be enough!" Hawk's flat voice stated. He appeared behind Jade and wrapped his arms around her, dragging her away before he tossed her into the treeline. Wolf tackled Naitsuusha through the fire shield, breaking her concentration. The two moved out of the sight as they fought, tooth and nail, against each other.

"Chimera hopes you'll do a better job in your next life," Hawk whispered behind Merache. Merache fired off three bullets at him but a swish of silver in the night sliced through the hand that held the gun. Merache screamed in pain, cradling the bloody stump against his chest. He staggered back, searching the ground for the gun.

Hawk vanished and reappeared so fast that those who witnessed the murder only saw bloody pieces flying as Hawk hacked Merache into red ribbons.

"Merache!" Jade screamed out in horror. She ran towards Hawk but it was too late.

The gruesome sight was too much for Manx who watched from her car, horrified to the point she could no longer move. Hawk vanished when he executed the last blow and took Wolf with him. Naitsuusha came running from the side, her heart thumping hard against her chest. She skidded to a stop before the blood on the ground. "Did they-?" Naitsuusha stopped speaking, her mouth falling open at the sight the body of Merache.

Jade couldn't answer. She stood over what was left of Christopher Merache. She hadn't like the man but she knew his death was her fault. Karmesinrot Rache promised to protect him. It was another failure for the team.

"Chimera did this." Jade knew. She heard Hawk speak the death message to Merache. "We're not working for Chimera anymore."

Aya stirred on the ground. Yohji appeared next, carrying the snow-covered Kirei, still unconscious, after he dug her out. Omi aided Ken's search for his lost bugnucks. Kayla consoled the distraught Manx.

"We leave here. Now." Jade said grimly. The group agreed except for Naitsuusha whose eyes fell on the second death of the night. "Raven, we're going."

"My house!" Naitsuusha cried bitterly. Her house burned like a grand funeral pyre. It lost the structural supports and now formed a large rough triangle of timber.

"Raven," said Jade again, begging with her. Naitsuusha needed to see how desperate the situation was getting. "Naitsuusha," said Jade softly. "We have to go. C'mon."

Naitsuusha stood there, framed against the dark night. Her home collapsed with a loud boom. The fire grew brighter. Uncontrollable tears leaked from her eyes as her memories of her family were destroyed in the blaze. Her powers couldn't save the house anymore. It was too far gone. Naitsuusha said good-bye to the home that had protected her past from her present. Wei? and Karmesinrot Rache escaped from the scene in their cars, fleeing with the knowledge Merache bestowed upon them. Karmesinrot Rache knew no matter what happened in the future, they would never work for Chimera again.