A Demon Like You

Feedback is much appreciated! I tend to update within existing chapters. Look for the divider line with the date in the center for new material. Thanks, C.R.

Chapter 3
I woke up feeling oddly rested that is until I took in my surroundings. I had been dimly holding onto the idea that this had all been a nightmare that would be shed on my rise to wakefulness, but I was sadly mistaken. The sun drenched room was nauseatingly bright due to its total lack of color. The walls, the carpet, the bed clothes were all hard, unyielding white. What do these guys have against colors anyway, I wondered as I slid from the bed and padded across the carpet with a strain of muted swishes. I found the small bathroom to be adequately stocked with single use shampoo and conditioner and a few bars of unscented hotel size soaps. I had to give them this; at least they were cautious and consistent. And again, not even a mirror, geez! I decided to forego the shower since I had no clothes save the ones on my back. My mission clothes had no doubt been burned. Not a loss really since they were near to unsalvageable. I had no idea what had become of my weapons after I lost consciousness in the warehouse. I had been holding my sword as I dangled from the skylight afraid I might land on it if I were to fall. It was my favorite… nothing to be done about it now though. The bugnuks had been expensive, but they were replaced easily enough. I sighed, dipping my hands into the stream of cold water running into the sink and splashed it onto my face.

I needed a plan, but what could I do… The bastard had been right last night. I had no where left to go. I was dead to the world after all. As much as I didn’t relish the thought of serving the ill conceived ideals of a cryptic religious cult and working with a bunch of psychotic superhuman killers, I had to admit my options had been burned down to nothing. I’m alone again…

Cutting the water off, I sat down on the closed toilet lid and contemplated the merit of crying. I quickly discarded the idea. There is no escape,… if Scheier has telepaths like Schuldig; they can find me where ever I go. I hated the killing I did for the Yakuza, but at least I knew my victims were evil men just like those I served. Even when they were not, there were ways around killing. I had once let the wife and children of a corrupt usurer go unharmed after eliminating my target even though the organization had a strict “no witness” policy. I had been severely beaten for my failure to comply with orders and the family had died in a mysterious car accident shortly thereafter. I had been upset that I couldn’t save them… but at least I had the opportunity to try. With the power that the telepath had, I wasn’t even sure refusal of any sort would be an option.

The moment of introspection was shattered as I heard the bolt on my door being thrown and the quiet whoosh of wood on carpet as it was pushed in. I was in no hurry to greet another member of the household, so I took a few moments to get my head together. When I did finally leave the haven of the bathroom, I discovered the telekinetic, Michio, sitting on the edge of my unmade bed. “Ohayou gozaimasu,” he intoned, his expression measured, but not unkind.

“What do you want?” I was not in a mood to be tactful or indulgent.

“Darrow-san sent me to fetch you to breakfast. I was hoping to talk to you before we go though. If you don’t mind, that is…” His voice had tightened a little, perhaps due to my rudeness.

“I am not hungry, but what is it you wanted to talk to me about?” I had decided on a position close to the still opened door in case I felt the need to escape the situation. True escape was impossible, but at least the illusion was somewhat comforting. I leaned against the wall as nonchalantly as possible considering the impressive array of bruises that seemed to have materialized on my shoulders and upper back overnight.

“We were never formally introduced… My name is Yoshita Michio.”

“I’m …. was Shimazu Kyoko,” I had forgotten that my untimely death had stripped me of my name, on top of any chance I may have had at a life of my own choosing.

“Have you given any thought to what you wish to be called now?” It seemed an odd question, but appropriate considering the circumstances. He had leaned forward on the bed, peering at me curiously. Like a caged animal at a bizarre.

“I haven’t thought about it…”

“Might I make a suggestion?”

“Ummm, I suppose,” this was just getting too weird.

“Hikari is a very pretty name. The kanji means “light.” It may help you to keep a sense of yourself. Anyways, it’s just a suggestion. I know you said you weren’t hungry, but Darrow-san’s orders were to bring you downstairs, so if you wouldn’t mind me escorting you…” He rose from the bed in one graceful movement and extended the crook of his arm in my direction.

“If you don’t mind, I’m not much for being touched,” I couldn’t quite look him in the face. I doubt he would understand… nor did I want him to. He was one of my captors after all despite any prettying up of the situation.

“My apologies…” he looked almost crestfallen for a moment, before a more serious expression forced his mouth into a thin, tight line. “Just so you are aware, Schuldig is not as accommodating when it comes to people’s preference of physical contact. So never let him get you alone.”

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

“No, just to keep you relatively safe. Now please hurry. You don’t want to get me in trouble, do you?” His voice was barely above a whisper as he cast a parting glance over his shoulder, moving off toward the staircase.

This just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. Michio seems so, normal. But it’s best not to jump to conclusions… I reminded myself as I descended the stairs and headed toward the rustling sound of a paper being folded and the scraping of a chair across hardwood. The scene I walked into could have been a twisted, pop culture rendering of a Norman Rockwell print. Darrow sat at the head of the table sipping coffee and reading a copy of the Wall Street Journal, while to his right in front of a draped picture window Farfarello perched precariously on the edge of his chair skewering sausage links with one of his many knives, Schuldig sat across from him nibbling blithely on a piece of toast and staring at me as though I had just sashayed out of the folds of an erotic magazine. The scraping noise I had heard earlier was Michio reseating himself beside the leering red-head. “You can come sit by me,” Michio offered softly, drawing my attention away from the brazen German. He patted the chair situated between himself and Farfarello with a ghost of a smile. I crossed the kitchen, giving Schuldig a wide berth and sat gingerly on the edge of the chair. Of the occupants of the room, the dark haired boy seemed the least unstable.

Moments later the table head lowered his paper and cleared his throat, “We will be taking a trip to the local mall in order to get you some more befitting clothes. You will be escorted at all times, Farfarello and Michio will be your constant companions.” Farfarello trained his single, narrowed eye on Darrow, before going back to torturing his already mangled breakfast. “Buy what you need or anything you desire, Scheier will be footing the bill.”

“I still have not accepted your proposition, nor do I intend to…” I met his self-possessed gaze with steely resolve.

“I have accepted on your behalf.“

“Who are you to accept anything for me?” I growled in wide-eyed disbelief.

“As of eight am this morning, I am your legal guardian, Uotani Hikari.” I shot Michio a sullen glare, before returning the brunt of my Shi-ne vibes to Darrow. “You may of course choose how we will refer to you.”

“I will not….” At my raised voice, the man slammed his paper down making the dishes jump crazily.

“You will do as you are told. I own you, Scheier owns you. Michio, Schuldig and Farfarello own you!”

Seeing red, I leapt from my chair and snatched the closest sharp object I could get hands on, Michio’s still occupied fork, and launched myself across the table at the unfazed adult. My vision blurred out as my body slammed into the hardwood floor just behind and to the side of Darrow’s still seated form. Willing myself to focus, my eyes zoned in on a grinning Farfarello and a slightly startled Michio, Schuldig’s weight was draped solicitously across my lower body keeping me pinned to the floor. I miss my weapons; wonder if I could convince these maniacs to return them peaceably? “If you insist on continuing these idiotic antics, I will allow Schuldig to escort you to your room and keep you company for several- long hours. He seems to be very fond of you already.”

The predatory gleam in the glacial blue eyes made my decision rather easy. I let the fork fall to the floor and remained perfectly still ignoring the lingering weight of his lanky frame over my thighs. The man let out a derisive squeak as he was lifted none-to-gently from my prone form by Michio’s telekinesis. “Mi-chan, you are absolutely no fun…!” The boy dropped the German on his face less than a foot away from me, but it was enough room to up my comfort level by 110%.

“Arigato,” I offered weakly as the young man scrambled out of his seat to pull me to my feet and retrieve his discarded fork.

“My pleasure, Hikari-kun.” The name sounded strange.

“Time to go.” Nothing seemed to truly faze Darrow. Again I noticed he was dressed in the familiar linen suit, while the others were arrayed in various forms of causal dress. Michio, my rescuer was dressed in a pair of charcoal cargo pants and a loose black t-shirt with gray piping. Farfarello was again in his monochrome black: leather pants, motorcycle boots and a mesh black shirt that revealed an impressive set of abs. Schuldig on the other hand was an explosion of loud colors; his button down shirt was a solid red stitched through with metallic blue thread to make it shimmer when the light struck it just right, his pants were a pure, starched white and the bandana used to tie his coppery mop back was a splash work combination of reds, blues, teals, purples and oranges. Thankfully I hadn’t noticed his outfit until after I had a few shocks behind me; I might have been scarred for life otherwise.

The peacock finally hoisted himself from the floor as Darrow bustled off to put his breakfast dishes in the sink and retrieve his keys from a hook near the inner door leading to the garage. He didn’t wait for us to follow, just strode to the car punching the door code in as he passed. Farfarello, Schuldig, Michio and I slowly trickled out the door and into our chosen places in the car. Michio had claimed the center seat in the rear affording me some cover from Schu while Farfarello assumed shotgun. The ride to the mall was blessedly short but I could have cut the tension with my blade had it been handy. A thought occurred to me; I peered over the seat to make sure my blade wielding escort was temporarily unarmed. He seemed docile enough, but after the manic gleam I had seen in his eye upon our initial meeting I was far from at ease. Luckily, one of my other companions had seen fit to divest him of deadly embellishments.

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Being a Wednesday afternoon, the mall was crowded. The three stories of shoppers’ nirvana really brought on an unbidden case of anxiety. It had been seven years since I had been allowed into a place like this… the noise of the crowd jewed at my nerves. To help speed up the collection process, Darrow and his eye-soring German sidekick elected to acquire mundane items such as toiletries and everyday essentials while the two younger males and I went in search of replacements for my unattainable wardrobe.

Michio led us to his favorite store, HOT TOPIC, and wandered into the ladies’ section calling out greetings to clerks that, I presume, he knew from past patronage. It didn’t take me long to find several pairs of jeans, some cargo pants, a few skirts, halter tops and enough t-shirts to dress all of Hunan Prefecture.

Farfarello, I noticed, wandered about the store aimlessly until he came to the novelty shirt wall. There was the perfect thing … A black shirt that stated simply “Don’t annoy the unmedicated person.” Michio and I helped him find the shirt in his size before taking our purchases to the register. While standing there, I realized we had one more important stop to make before we could track down Darrow and the human peacock. After Michio’s blushing episode in the bathroom, I wasn’t too sure he was up for a trip through Victoria’s Secret and I was pretty sure our thankfully, well-medicated sentinel would rather gargle crushed glass than be drug beyond the threshold. However, essentials are essential.

“Ummm, guys, I need to ….” Two inquisitive and one slightly annoyed eye regarded me calmly. “I need to go Victoria’s Secret and buy …” the sudden red flush creeping up my youngest companion’s neck stopped me from elaborating.

“Well, Darrow-san said we had to be your constant companions, so I guess that means we go too. Right, Farf?”

The Irishman refused to comment, just headed toward the direction of the shop in question. “When we get in there, exactly how close do you have to follow me?” It was my turn to blush a little. Buying intimate apparel with a lover would be one thing, I was sure even though I had never had the opportunity to test the theory, but I wasn’t even sure these two could be considered amiable yet.

“I suppose…”

“Forget I asked, okay?”

The shop loomed up before us and Michio balked. One look at the window display was all the deterrent he seemed to need. Farfarello and I left him leaning against a giant potted plant and ventured into the air condition atmosphere of the store. I found what I needed as quickly as possible… my companion was drawing a lot of attention. It was no wonder, seeing as how exotic and rather gothic his appearance was. He was also obviously ill at ease; it was the first time in our very limited acquaintance that I had seen a crack in his stoic exterior. Nice to know the guy was human after all. The clerk at the counter smiled demurely at me while scanning my purchases and wrapping my plain cotton underthings in the extravagantly scented tissue paper that was giving me a headache. The young woman chatted gamely while, pointedly ignoring my companion’s presence, until he snagged my bag out of her hand and strode quickly from the store. His retreating back rated a level six Shi-ne glare as she handed me change. I accepted the money with an arigato and ambled out of the maze of nearly naked mannequins and into the mall proper.

“What’s wrong, Farf?” I heard Michio ask as his older teammate nearly jogged back with the pilfered bag dangled before him. Without explanation, he shoved the thing into Michio’s grip and quickly vanished into the crowd.

“What’s eating him?” I asked as I drew up beside the boy and gently tugged my new panty stash from his grasp.

“Nothing…”

“Do you think we ought to go track him down?” I don’t know much about him, but I would hate for him to take his frustration out on some unsuspecting mall rat.”

“No, he’ll be okay. He probably just went to find a quiet spot to collect himself. Say, do you want to get crepe and I can fill you in on Eis?” He smiled, chafing to rush after the other boy. Instead, he sent a mental alert to Schuldig to be on the look out for him.

“Sure, why not…” so off to the crepe vender we strolled, bags swinging idly between us. Just two teens out for a day of mall crawling. It’s odd to think that as bloody as I am, that I can pass through this sea of innocent oblivion without tainting it. Life’s wonders are clearly boundless.

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Farfarello hustled through the crowded aisles of the mall, desperately trying to find a spot in which to collect himself. Finally nearing a restroom, he ducked inside and bolted himself into the very last stall as far away from people as possible. He had felt his temperature slowly rising while threading his way thought the shop, but had been unable to leave the girl unattended and that damn Michio was too weak to suck it up. He knew exactly why his young friend had feigned unendurable embarrassment. The teen could not have spent more that a few minutes in the sickly sweet scented shop without having to hide his arousal. Michio, though young, was experienced well beyond his years due to his days as a ‘rent boy’. He rarely indulged with a partner anymore, though the boy was fond of pleasuring himself to the sound of Darrow’s and Schuldig’s individual conquests. Farfarello himself was not beyond the clutches of raging teenage hormones. Being a physically healthy if mentally derange nineteen-year-old had its disadvantages. Where Michio had the self-control and moral sensibilities to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate sexual conduct, his older comrade lacked both the ability to make and the concern to heed these distinctions. His control had nearly snapped. Hurting the girl would most definitely hurt God, but he had been able to curb his bloodlust.

Farfarello had no idea how long he had been rocking his heated frame in the floor of the stall when he noticed two pairs of familiar shoes come to a halt before the door. ::Farf, come out. It’s time to go home. The girl has found everything she needs.:: The American said.

::Ah need muh pills, before Ah try ta leave, unless ya want ta clean up the mess.::

::What exactly happened to you?::

::Mi-chan, said you went into Victoria’s Secret… So, did she pick out something slinky?:: Schuldig’s mental voice cooed slyly as his shaken comrade climbed to his feet and slid back the bolt.

“Give me muh damned pills, NOW!!!!” the white haired boy demanded with a guttural growl, drawing a hand across his brow to wipe away the sweat that had gathered during his struggle to remain lucid. Seeing his friend’s face, Schu quickly uncapped the bottle and pushed two robin’s egg colored pills into his palm before stepping out of his way. The scarred boy didn’t even glance in his leader’s direction before swallowing the tablets and sticking his face under the faucet.

Darrow pulled a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit and approached his charge wrapping his arms around him in a gesture of both comfort and potential restraint. Using the mental link, the older man spoke :: What happened?::

:: Damn girl! Ah hate her. Ah want to break her and watch her bleed out her life. Stupid cunt! Ignorant little bitch…::

The two older men exchanged glances over the tousled head of white hair. Muting the link to Farfarello, the German telepath observed ::He’s lying….::

Into Farf’s mind he quipped, :: No satin or lace, just cotton and grace…::

Raising his still dripping face from the sink, the boy gave a grim parody of a smile before cackling madly into the echoing stillness of the men’s room. Thanks to Schu’s special brand of mind control it was easy to convince all those would-be-intruders that the restroom was closed for cleaning. It would be a shame if the Berserker were loosed in this pristine citadel of materialism; then again… the German pushed the thought away with a whimsical grin. Another time perhaps.

When they were sure Farf’s medication was in full effect, they exited the john and headed for their designated contact point.

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“I hope Farf’s okay,” Michio fretted shuffling his feet impatiently and looking at the huge clock that stood as a landmark in the center of the sprawling mall. ::Schu, have you found him yet?::

::We have him and are headed your way. Michio… keep the girl out of sight for a while after we make it home. Farf is having an allergic reaction to her feminine wiles.::

::Great, of all the times for him to flip out! I’ll keep my eyes on her.::

:: Maybe that’s not all you’ll keep on her, huh, you sexual reprobate?::

::Sometimes you are too much of a hentai to be believed…::

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Why in the world is he glaring at nothing like that, I pondered my own question for a moment before coming up with a pretty good answer. “Michio, is everything alright? I know your talking to that weird German guy. Have they found Farfarello yet?”

The boy look startled, but regained his composure quickly. “How did you know I was talking to him?”
“You had this ‘eat shit and die choking’ glare that was starting to creep me out. I figured it must be him. So, have they found him yet?” When in doubt repeat yourself.

“They have him and are coming by to pick us up. When we get back to the house, would you like to try out the new computer game we picked up?” His smile was genuine if frayed around the edges.

He had drug me to the electronics store after we had finished our crepe in order to check out some new descry software and the latest version of Legend of Cain, the guy has a thing for vampires, go figure. “Sure, I’d enjoy that very much.” I intended to continue our getting to know you interrogation, when the last three members of our party arrived. I must say that Farfarello looked a little worse for wear. His already pale skin was ashen and the far-away, yet deranged smile that stretched his lips was unsettling.

After getting everyone arranged and secured in the car, the ride home was uneventful. Michio and Schu lugged all my stuff up to my room, except for my Victoria’s Secrets bag which I was intent on never leaving unattended around the German hosehound, while Darrow secured Farfarello in his bedroom.

Michio and I were on our way to his room down the hall from Farf’s when we heard Darrow’s soothing bass issue from behind the door, “You handled yourself admirably today…”the rest of the conversation was lost to us as we proceeded down the hall and into Michio’s room.

When the lights were switched on, my eyes took in methodical neatness of the surroundings. The boy had three computers, only fitting since he is the group’s hacker, arranged on the desk that encompassed an entire wall of the room. The full bed was covered with a plain grey comforter and mounded with hulking pillows. The final wall was engulfed by shelves full of books, the boy had confided in me that his other favorite past time is reading. Another interest that we both share. “Feel free to look around. If you see any books you want to borrow, just take them. I’m always happy to share.”

“Thank you… I feel lost without something to read, so if you really don’t mind,” my eyes roved hungrily over the laden shelves, soon alighting on a book of English poetry. Plucking it from the shelf, I thumbed through it quickly, “I’ll take this one for now.”

The boy glanced up before smiling shyly at me, “That is one of my favorites. You should read the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Henely when you get the chance. It is really moving.” Turning back to the largest of the computers, he finished loading the game program and set to filling me in on the history and intriguing attributes of both the story line and the characters of Legend of Cain. Before we realized it, it was past midnight and my younger friend was yawning widely.

“I suppose I should head off to bed, so you can get some sleep,” I offered, rising from my perch on the makeshift stool to belay any arguments. “Good night, Michio and peaceful dreams.” I gave the sleepy kid a deep bow and retrieved my borrowed book from the floor before making my exit.

I shut the door on his returned wish of pleasant dreams and shuffled down the hall toward my own room. A lot had changed today. I thought I would be the one who made critical decisions about my life, but any control I had was stripped away, along with my given name. The funny thing is I really don’t feel the loss is so great that I cannot look to the bright side of things. As Calliou was always fond of saying, “We shade the world to the darkness of our own liking.” I tend to gravitate toward the light. Ironic that a total stranger would choose that name for me… Hikari.

The appearance of my door called me back from my musing long enough to slip inside and push all my new belongings off the bed and into piles on either side of the floor. I didn’t bother to change my clothes, just crawled under the covers still clutching Michio’s poetry book. I barely heard the bolt whisper locked as I drifted off.

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Darrow’s reassurances echoed over and over in his head as he lay half off his bed, short white hair jutting out, barely distinguishable from the plush carpet. No harm was done… You handled yourself admirably … You will get used to being near the girl in time and then you will be able to control your reactions… His hard won control had been shattered today because of the brainless little bitch and Michio.

The younger boy had spent most of the night in his room with her. Farf shivered at the recollection of their jovial chattering and her soft tinkling laughter. He hated the sound, her cries and barely contained gasps on the rooftop were much more to his liking. He had enjoyed the calculating glitter that he had glimpsed behind the mask, that strangely arrayed shield that she had, for some reason or another, chosen to hide behind. What guilt could have driven her to hide her true face even from the scum of the earth?

Several rather interesting theories flittered through his mind as he lightly traced patterns into the carpet with one of his smaller throwing knives. What he wouldn’t give to rake his blades down her tender flesh and hear her whimper as her thin frame leaked crimson tears onto the snow whiteness of the carpet. Perhaps, he would soon make his fantasy a reality.

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