True Identity
by DeamonKatte

Author's notes:

I know you're all anxious to get to the fanfic and so forth, but I would like to make a few comments before you do.

Special Thanks: This fanfic would probably not have come out without the help of Linay. She has been very supportive and helpful in many ways. Her fanfic 'Broken Pieces' was a great influence. I had already been planning to write a similar fic, but after reading the first couple of chapters, I became really determined to do so. Because of this, you may notice that these two fanfics are similar in the beginning. She also was kind enough to preview the chapter before I posted it and made numerous comments which were incredibly helpful. Thank you Linay. (I would recommend 'Broken Pieces' to anyone who enjoys an angsty, romantic, action fanfic. It is now officially my favorite.)

This fanfic is going to be ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, ANGSTY, and SMUTTY.

Since it is alternate universe, expect things to be different. After all, what's the fun of writing an AU if I keep everything the same? Some characters will be distinctly different from the series - Kaoru most of all. In this world, she has had a completely different life and, therefore, is a completely different person (although Kaoru will always be Kaoru). I was actually considering using an original character for her role but being the K/K fan that I am, I couldn't see Kenshin with anyone else. Kenshin will also be OOC and so will Sanosuke and other characters. (No Yahiko in this fic, sorry folks)

All comments are appreciated (especially constructive ones).

Disclaimer: The genius behind the Rurouni Kenshin characters is Nobuhiro Watsuki. Since I'm pretty sure I'm not him, (and believe me I'd know if I was) none of them belong to me.



Chapter 1: Strange Encounter


Battousai wiped the blood off his blade in a sharp, practiced movement. Another dead end. Their 'case', as they called it, was going nowhere. His equally frustrated companion absently cracked his knuckles.

Zanza looked at the bloody, lifeless form before him with cold eyes. The pitiful man had told them nothing useful, only information of illegal dealings of which they otherwise were quite well aware of.

For long moments, neither spoke. Finally, Zanza's roughish voice cut though the cold and silent night, "Let's head back, nothin' left here."

Without hesitation, Battousai sheathed his sword and began to slowly walk away. He almost missed the slight movement in a nearby hedge.

Almost.

It had definitely been there, in the very edge of his vision. Not willing to take any chances, he quickly and smoothly moved towards the spot, closely followed by Zanza. Another rustle interrupted the silence as the two men quickened their silent steps. It was unquestionable now: something…or someone was watching them.

Their suspicions were confirmed as whispers of ragged breathing escaped the nearing bush. Battousai, hand on hilt, slowed his pace. Zanza, however, was fed up with sneaking about and gradual approaches. Passing Battousai, he intended on grabbing whatever or whoever was hiding in the hedge. His plan, however, was deferred as a dark form – of a human – bolted away from them. Battousai was entirely prepared for such an attempt and before another thought could form in the momentarily startled mind of Zanza, he was in hot pursuit of the person. Zanza, having snapped into realization, followed suit, cursing. If the person had seen what transpired, they must not escape.

Battousai could now make out the figure he pursued was that of a girl in her late teens. She dashed recklessly and without direction. He was positive she would not be able to maintain her grueling pace for much longer. Even if she did, there was no way she could outrun him.

She looked back at her hunters, let out a strangled cry of despair and pushed harder.

Zanza, his long legs carrying him without effort, was now on the very brink of his patience. Not only was this night turning out to be as unfruitful as possible, but he was now chasing a panicked teenager who was putting up a, he had to admit, good, but senseless fight.

Both men could see fatigue overcoming determination in their quarry and soon began to lessen the distance between them. The chase was brought to an abrupt halt as she tripped and, with a mournful shriek, fell painfully to the cold cement.

Her pursuers were instantly upon her. Battousai, having drawn his sword, kept her at its point as Zanza firmly and almost roughly grabbed her arm and forced her to stand.

Both men noticed she was shaking, probably of fear and exhaustion. How could she not be afraid if she had seen the transpiration of less than half an hour ago?

Battousai's clear voice cut though the air like a steel knife, "Who are you and what did you see?"

No response.

Their charge continued to shake and stare at the ground; hair spilling over her shoulders. He tried again with the same result.

Zanza's patience snapped. It would be sunup soon and they needed to get out of the open. Brutally, he gripped her arm and spun her to face him, "Answer the question," He demanded in a low hiss but received nothing more than shuddering breaths. Cursing, he firmly held her chin and forced her to look up at him. Whatever he expected – perhaps terror or anger – it was not this. His breath caught as he stared openly at her face, too stunned to realize his grip on her arm was to the point of bruising.

A streetlight nearby illuminated a pale face, deathly pale. There were shadows under her eyes that resembled bruises more than anything else. However, this was not what held his shock. It was her eyes. Unfocused and glazed over, they darted uncontrollably in every direction, dilating wildly. Never had he seen anything of the sort.

A sharp intake of breath behind him told Zanza that Battousai was also startled. Both men now noted just how violently she shook and how she was sweating far more than her running should have caused. Her breathing grew more shallow and erratic with every passing moment.

Zanza was about to ask her if she was all right – though the contrary was apparent – when she quivered and fell into a dead faint. He caught her around her waist and shoulder. Both stared at the limp girl.

"What now?" Zanza voiced the obvious. In answer, Battousai inspected the blade of his sword. Zanza stared incredulously, "We can't kill her! Don't you want to know what's going on?"

The reply was short and stern, "Our orders were clear,"

"Aren't you just a bit curious. Come on, Battousai, we'll have that doc of yours look at her,"

Battousai considered the idea. They could certainly kill the girl at any time. Making a decision he would always question in the future, he sheathed his blade and began to walk away. Zanza followed, the girl slung over a shoulder.

* * * *

He shook her shoulder gently, "Megumi, wake up," Sleepy eyes opened and looked at the source of the warm, rough voice questioningly, "Sano…?"

"I have a patient for you," the words acted like a bucket of ice water on the doctor, snapping her completely out of sleep, "Ken-san…?"

"No," he interrupted, "He's fine. Please, just dress and come to your lab as quickly as you can," with that, he left the anxious woman scurrying to find her clothes.

* * * *

Kenshin gazed down at the shivering girl in his arms. It appeared that she was having a nightmare. With a sigh of fatigue he continued to walk toward the lab. There was obviously something very wrong with his charge. Though he'd never seen anything quite like her condition, he presumed she had been drugged or poisoned. As to what the substance used could be was beyond him.

Entering the dimly lit room, he deposited the girl on the nearest table. She continued to shake and toss in her delusions.

Presently, Sanosuke entered, closely followed by Megumi who quickly ran to the girl and began to assess the situation. "So what's wrong with her?" Sanosuke asked after a few minutes. Both men watched as the doctor's brows knit tightly together and she whispered with urgency, "I think you'd better get…someone. Perhaps Takasugi-san or Katsura-san," Kenshin gave her a quizzical look but swiftly turned to do as she suggested. He paused as Megumi added, "You'd better hurry," the assassin nodded and quickly left. Sanosuke repeated his question, "What's wrong with her?" The short answer was what he expected, "She's been drugged." Deciding to let the doctor work in concentration, the gangster crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby wall. So he'd been right. He watched silently as Megumi first took a blood sample, then injected a clear liquid into the arm of her patient. The girl seemed to calm, though neither her breathing nor her sweating or shaking subsided.

A short time passed before Kenshin returned with a tall dark haired man wearing a rumpled white shirt and black pants. Takasugi Shinsaku's expression turned as grave as Megumi's when he beheld the patient. He looked expectantly at the doctor who answered his silent question, "She's been drugged. I'm not sure exactly with what but it is working very quickly. I took a blood sample," she motioned to a microscope, "see for yourself," Each of the three did so as she continued, "Whatever the drug was, it's literally killing her blood - there are very few live cells. However, that's not all. The drug is attacking her nervous system as well. She was in shock when you brought her," Megumi nodded to Kenshin and Sanosuke.

Takasugi considered something and questioned, "Where did you come across this girl?" Sanosuke quickly told him of the events during their assignment.

"Not even something partially related to the problem? Damn!" Takasugi seemed to lose himself in thoughts of what was his biggest worry for the moment. Megumi interrupted his silent musings saying with slight impatience, "About the patient…" All four present looked at the still shivering girl, "Whoever drugged her did not intend on her being alive to see dawn," The three men snapped their gazes to Megumi.

A few moments passed before Takasugi asked, "Do you think you can save her?" Kenshin and Sanosuke gazed at him with slight surprise. However, before the doctor could reply, all attention was diverted as the girl began to toss and turn violently. Megumi rushed to her saying, "Ken-san, Sanosuke help me," She injected more of the clear liquid into the girl as the gangster and assassin held the patient down. The girl seemed to calm, but her shaking was soon worse than before. "Please watch her," Megumi said, "I need to run more tests," she disappeared into the next room with a vial of blood.

Takasugi turned to the two remaining, "Keep me posted. I want to know about any changes in the…situation," He left without saying another word.

Kenshin glanced at Sanosuke, "I'll stay,"

The gangster gave him a calculating look. He was sure Battousai would not try to kill the girl now that Takasugi had shown an interest toward her, but he could never tell what was going on beneath that fire-red hair. Then again, he was very tired and surely Megumi would make sure nothing happened to her patient. With a solemn nod, he left the assassin watching the girl.

* * * *

Takasugi Shinsaku walked silently through the shadowy halls, deeply engrossed in his thoughts. He paused for a moment then changed the direction of his route, walking briskly and with purpose.

* * * *

When Megumi returned with the results of her analysis, she was surprised to find Kenshin leaning leisurely against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. Had she not known better, she'd say he was asleep. However, through experience she knew that the Hitokiri Battousai's senses were as good – of not better – when he was asleep as when he was awake. It struck the doctor as odd that he had been the one to remain. Megumi had been a member of the organization for almost as much time as he – she had become an assistant doctor several years after gaining her credentials. In the long time since then, she'd come to know the assassin quite well. She could almost say their relationship was something resembling friendship. Megumi was sure he'd rather just kill the girl. It was how he had always been: cold, indifferent, and completely dedicated to his work.

Shaking her head, she moved towards her patient. Her condition was none the better. Taking out a syringe, the doctor filled it with a bluish liquid. This was all she could do at the moment. Megumi had not heard of a condition remotely like this since Medical School. Even then, the professors had never gone into much detail because it was so rare. Injecting the entire contents slowly, she continued to sift through anything she could remember about this condition.

Nothing.

Her mind drew a complete blank. Frustrated, she nearly slammed the now empty syringe on a nearby tray. She crossed her arms, frowning at the girl…what was this?

Kenshin's eyes snapped open and his shoulders tensed. Golden pools scanned the room for the source of the sound. The tension left his posture as he saw Megumi, shoulders rigid with aggravation, glaring at her patient. Suppressing a wry smile he moved to stand silently behind her.

"What's the matter Megumi?"

She nearly jumped at the low murmur behind her. Spinning around, the doctor let out a sigh of relief when realization of who it was came over her, "Kenshin! Don't do that!"

Now he let a small smirk creep across his features. Silently he moved his gaze towards the sleeping patient.

"I don't know Ken-san," He could see the irritation returning to her features.

"You are upset because you don't know what's wrong with her," It was half question, half statement.

A sigh preceded the bitter reply, "I have an idea and nothing more,"

"Do you-" He was cut off as the sleeping girl before them was once again overtaken by intense shudders. Kenshin quickly moved to hold the girl down as Megumi once again injected her with a depressant. The patient became calm again.

A silence followed which Megumi broke, "I can't keep drugging her like this. It is already making the situation worse and could possibly kill her," no reply came. She sighed, "I need to run more tests." She left without another word.

* * * *

Her eyes fluttered. She was awake. Years of experience, however, had instilled a sense of caution and scrutiny in her. First, she forced herself to listen. She was in a medical room, no doubt. She could hear the beeps of the machine she had been hooked up to, in tune with her heartbeat. They sounded rhythmically and the pauses between them where quite long – too long for someone who was awake. Smiling inwardly, she continued to listen. Next to her seemed to be an IV pump and across the room someone was typing on a computer. Turning her attention back the room she was in, she had to strain her ears to hear the deep, slow, and near-silent breathing of someone else. Deciding to take a chance, she slowly opened her eyes.

She was in a strange room, no doubt a medical one as she'd already determined. Someone was leaning against the far wall. Satisfied and not waning to give away her consciousness, she closed her eyes and forced her mind to remember what had happened.

Dark. Cold. Fear. No matter how hard she tried, that was all she could decipher through the cloud that seemed to have engulfed her memory. Feeling fatigue overcome curiosity, she allowed herself to once again fall into the warm darkness of sleep.

* * * *

Kenshin slowly opened his eyes. Scanning the room, he noted the IV now slowly pumping blood into to the wrist of the patient. Uncrossing his arms and legs, the assassin slowly moved to the only occupied table in the lab.

The girl actually looked better – the shadows under her eyes had lightened, though they were still dark. Her ashen face had regained some its color and she slept peacefully. She was also no longer sweating.

Turning slowly, he strode towards the adjourning room. He could see Megumi as she slept, hunched over a keyboard. Moving quietly, he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently awake.

A slight groan escaped the lips of the doctor as her eyes opened. She straightened and winced as her back and neck cracked. Megumi seemed to stare blankly at the screen before she turned to look at him, "Kenshin."

Without any expression crossing his face, he said, "Good work, whatever you did seems to be working."

Her head snapped to the door of the room. After a moment's hesitation, she darted to the adjourning room. Kenshin followed, curious.

Megumi leaned over the patient as she examined every detail about her condition. Having finished with her scrutiny but by no means satisfied, she stepped back and just stared at the girl, and expression of bafflement on her face.

Kenshin came up behind her, "What's the matter, I thought you wanted to save her," He did not bother do conceal the amusement in his voice.

"I didn't."

He raised a brow, "What?"

"I didn't do anything."

Silence followed. Not being able to comprehend her statement, he voiced his confusion. She sighed, "All I did was hook her up to the IV and give her extra blood. Given her condition, there is no way that could have had this effect. Not that alone at least,"

He didn't know what to say to that. After a few moments, he just moved back to his spot by the wall, leaving Megumi to continue dealing with the girl.


Not much time passed before she decided to transfer her patient to a more permanent spot. With Kenshin's help, she moved the girl to one of the adjourning patients' rooms in the back of the lab. Megumi had almost finished hooking the heart rate monitor back up when assassin and doctor heard someone enter.

Tension was replaced by curiosity in Kenshin when he realized just who it was.

The two men walked silently and impassively. There was, however, a distinct contrast between them. While one was dressed in a stylish and classy business suit, the other wore rumpled black pants and an unbuttoned white shirt. While one was neatly groomed and had every hair in place, the other had a generous amount of stubble and his hair was extremely ruffled. Yes, these men were completely different. Nevertheless, one word from either of them, and any task, no matter what it may be, would be accomplished in a matter of hours.

As the two men approached, their eyes never left the still form on the medical bed.

Megumi was the first to speak, "Katsura-san, Takasugi-san," she inclined her head to both who, in turn, acknowledged her greeting. Kenshin followed suit.

"What is her condition?" Katsura spoke, steady gaze moving to the doctor.

Megumi seemed to be wandering what to tell them. In all honesty, she had no idea whatsoever. "Well," she began, "She has actually improved drastically since last night. Her blood count is back to near-normal and her fever is down. Also, the shudders and sweating have stopped," she paused, unsure of how to continue.

Takasugi raised an eyebrow, "So soon? What did you do?"

The doctor sighed and shrugged, "Honestly? I don't know," This earned her several questioning looks. "The only thing I did was give her a blood transfusion and several injections of depressant drugs. Given her condition, there is almost no way that could have been so effective," she added, "At least not on it's own,"

All persons present seemed to lose themselves in thought of what Megumi had said. All, that is, except for one red haired assassin who once again was leaning casually against the wall.

The silence did not last long. "Wake her," Takasugi nodded to Megumi.

"But Sir…."

"Now. Do whatever you need to,"

"Sir, I would not advise giving her any more drugs. Especially a stimulant…."

Katsura turned to the doctor, "Megumi, it is imperative that we speak with her now," He was composed and his voice was almost warm, but the way he spoke, whether it was his gaze or tone, left no room for discussion.

With a sigh, the dark haired woman went to a nearby cupboard, closely followed by four pairs of eyes. Looking at the various labels on the numerous vials, she selected one and took a syringe out of a nearby drawer. Slowly, she walked back to the patient and three men, a grave expression on her beautiful face. The doctor filled the syringe, carefully measuring the amount of liquid and squirted out just a drop to make sure the needle was working properly. With a last glance at Katsura and Takasugi, she bent over to make the injection.

Megumi was about to puncture the skin of the patient when the syringe was swiftly plucked from her fingers.

End Chapter


I will probably post the next chapter in a week or so.