A/N Hey! This is my first fic, just thought I'd try some creative writing
for a break from my usual drum playing. Need to exercise a different
muscle of the artsy part of my brain. Besides, I have too many blisters on
my left hand already. Please review. I know you hear this a lot, but I am
a fairly busy person with my band, and your reviews let me know you want me
to keep going. Thank you very much!
Disclaimer: I don't own, so you don't sue. Thanks.
Chapter One: Misgivings
He knew he should have never let her come.
"Oh my.......... spiderspiderspider......" Misao whispered urgently, pointing a slender finger at the hairy intruder.
Aoshi fixed her with an icy glare that clearly said , "Shutup", before reaching in front of her and squashing the helpless arachnid. It wouldn't do them any good to die because of the irrational fear of spiders Misao possessed.
".....Thank goodness....." She exhaled quietly before resuming her post, clinging to a cobweb-ridden rafter in the dingy, decrepit factory's ceiling, watching the arms dealers, and their wares, very intently.
The factory the duo was holed away in was an old, musty, wooden one on the outskirts of Tokyo, in a rough section of the neighborhood. Although built solidly, it had been neglected for years, and avoided by the locals due to their collective knowledge of shady dealings. No one wanted to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The shabby exterior and non- existent windows belied the workings within. Perfect for illegal activities. The cavernous interior also had many shadows tucked away in its corners, which were appealing to the members of the Oniwaban.
Aoshi still couldn't figure out how he had ended up in this situation. He ALWAYS worked alone. Backup or partners just got in his way. He was always a loner. Yet here he was, hiding in the rafters of a dirty factory ceiling, searching for vantage point as good as the one Misao had secured. Fate just had a sick sense of humor sometimes...
*Flashback*
It was a lovely spring day in Kyoto. Clear skies, bright sun, and a nice breeze just added to the perfection. The flowers' buds were just starting to open up. The birds were singing, children were laughing, fish were jumping, water was sparkling...
And Misao had heard talk of a mission.
"A mission? Arms dealings, you say? Very dangerous? Woo HOO! About time I got some action!" Misao screeched as she hopped down the squeaky clean hallways of the Aoiya, with a flustered Okina hot on her little heels.
"Wait a second Misao, it's not..."
"Yay! Mission! Mission! Mission! Oh kunai, where are you?" she cooed as she skipped down the hall.
"It's only espionage work! And any case, you won't even be..." he trailed off into a wheeze after pursuing Misao through the building.
"Did you say something, Gramps? Have you seen my kunai? My favorite set? There's no way I could have used THAT many in that last fight..." she continued grumbling to herself, as she rooted through some drawers in her room. "And this way", she continued, "I'll finally be able to prove myself as Okashira of the Oniwaban group!"
"That's dandy, Misao, but the mission, he doesn't want to take..." he trailed off as Misao bolted out of her room, through her door, and straight into Aoshi!
BAM!
The force of their collision sent Aoshi into the opposite wall, with Misao tumbling over him to end up skidding and sprawled on the floor.
"...you." Okina finished.
Five seconds of silence passed by, then the Weasel Girl exploded in a rage. "What. Did. You. Just. Say? Oh, no. I AM going. You can't protect me forever. If I can't fend for myself, how am I supposed to fend for the Oniwaban group? The Okashira must take the same risks as her followers. To do less is absolutely wrong." Misao finished icily, leaving little room for argument.
Shaking off his stupor, and ignoring his bruises, Aoshi picked himself up off of the floor, readjusted his kodachis and trench coat, and waited for Misao to move out of his way. After 30 seconds of the standoff, it became clear to everyone that Misao wasn't going anywhere but with Aoshi. Out the door.
"Aoshi-sama, I am going with you. Whether you like it or not."
"No." He stated flatly.
"Give me fifteen seconds to grab my kunai, and I'm out the door. Even you can't get very far in fifteen seconds. I'll hunt you down and follow you."
Aoshi considered his situation for a moment. It was a habit of his. When stuck, analyze. He really didn't want her to go with him, but if he knew Misao at all, she was definitely coming. She would just get in the way though, or botch the mission. No, Misao was too capable to do something that stupid. She'd proven that to him by her actions in his absence. She had a very cool head when under pressure. Then what was nagging at him? He was worried. Worried? About what? About..... about.....about her getting hurt. About her welfare. What? Now he was confused. This wasn't the type of worry he displayed about the other members of the Oniwaban. This was a whole different animal. Then what was it? 'Ah damn it', he thought, 'I'm wasting time. I'll save this introspection for another day...'
While Aoshi was waging his mental battle, Okina was watching him closely. What he saw in the stoic man's eyes was emotion, which was rare enough for Aoshi, but this emotion appeared to be concern. Very interesting...
"I leave in ten minutes for Tokyo. With or without you." Aoshi stated flatly.
"Yay! I knew you couldn't resist my charm! Tokyo, here we come! Mission, mission, mission..." She trailed off to gather her kunai and necessary supplies.
*End Flashback*
"Aoshi-sama, something's happening!" Misao hissed, breaking Aoshi's reverie. He nodded to acknowledge her, and carefully shifted his weight on the factory's rafters to get a better viewpoint. What he saw astounded him. Crates of firearms, cannons, swords, and explosives were being carried out of one of the doors. Money was changing hands. Shouted orders were being carried out all through the factory. The place had suddenly come alive!
However, in all the hustle and bustle, Aoshi had failed to notice a small man sitting on a crate in a dark corner of the factory. He had shaggy brown hair, like Sano's but tamer, that formed erratic spikes on his head. He had cold, dark blue eyes, which complimented the belt of heavy silver discs he wore around his waist. Two swords were tucked into his belt. Black boots with silver trim, black pants, and a forest green shirt with a high collar completed the picture. This man was Ishtou, skilled hunter, tracker, and shadow assassin. In spite of his cool exterior, he had been scanning the room relentlessly the entire time the operation had been going down. He was going to earn his pay tonight. And he was going to start by flushing out some spies.
Hopping off of his perch, he swaggered over to his greasy employer, Naku. "Sir, I believe we have some nosey rats in our rafters."
The greasy crime lord didn't like this one bit. His Western-style black suit bunched as he tensed in irritation. He ran a beefy hand through his thinning, slimy hair, and sighed audibly. "Oh yeah?" He drawled, trying to be casual. He really didn't trust Ishtou. Smart man. "How do you want to handle it?"
"Hm, let's see..." Ishtou considered a moment, while playing with his belt. "Let's surprise them..." With that, he unclipped two of his signature discs, checked to see that they were of the blunted variety, and hurled the pair at the rafters. He would save his killing discs for later.
All done! I have all kinds of plans, bwahaha... This is fun. Don't know how long this story will go. As long as I want to, because I'm in control! Feel the power! Ok, I'm done. Please review. It will make me a very happy person! Thanks much!
Disclaimer: I don't own, so you don't sue. Thanks.
Chapter One: Misgivings
He knew he should have never let her come.
"Oh my.......... spiderspiderspider......" Misao whispered urgently, pointing a slender finger at the hairy intruder.
Aoshi fixed her with an icy glare that clearly said , "Shutup", before reaching in front of her and squashing the helpless arachnid. It wouldn't do them any good to die because of the irrational fear of spiders Misao possessed.
".....Thank goodness....." She exhaled quietly before resuming her post, clinging to a cobweb-ridden rafter in the dingy, decrepit factory's ceiling, watching the arms dealers, and their wares, very intently.
The factory the duo was holed away in was an old, musty, wooden one on the outskirts of Tokyo, in a rough section of the neighborhood. Although built solidly, it had been neglected for years, and avoided by the locals due to their collective knowledge of shady dealings. No one wanted to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The shabby exterior and non- existent windows belied the workings within. Perfect for illegal activities. The cavernous interior also had many shadows tucked away in its corners, which were appealing to the members of the Oniwaban.
Aoshi still couldn't figure out how he had ended up in this situation. He ALWAYS worked alone. Backup or partners just got in his way. He was always a loner. Yet here he was, hiding in the rafters of a dirty factory ceiling, searching for vantage point as good as the one Misao had secured. Fate just had a sick sense of humor sometimes...
*Flashback*
It was a lovely spring day in Kyoto. Clear skies, bright sun, and a nice breeze just added to the perfection. The flowers' buds were just starting to open up. The birds were singing, children were laughing, fish were jumping, water was sparkling...
And Misao had heard talk of a mission.
"A mission? Arms dealings, you say? Very dangerous? Woo HOO! About time I got some action!" Misao screeched as she hopped down the squeaky clean hallways of the Aoiya, with a flustered Okina hot on her little heels.
"Wait a second Misao, it's not..."
"Yay! Mission! Mission! Mission! Oh kunai, where are you?" she cooed as she skipped down the hall.
"It's only espionage work! And any case, you won't even be..." he trailed off into a wheeze after pursuing Misao through the building.
"Did you say something, Gramps? Have you seen my kunai? My favorite set? There's no way I could have used THAT many in that last fight..." she continued grumbling to herself, as she rooted through some drawers in her room. "And this way", she continued, "I'll finally be able to prove myself as Okashira of the Oniwaban group!"
"That's dandy, Misao, but the mission, he doesn't want to take..." he trailed off as Misao bolted out of her room, through her door, and straight into Aoshi!
BAM!
The force of their collision sent Aoshi into the opposite wall, with Misao tumbling over him to end up skidding and sprawled on the floor.
"...you." Okina finished.
Five seconds of silence passed by, then the Weasel Girl exploded in a rage. "What. Did. You. Just. Say? Oh, no. I AM going. You can't protect me forever. If I can't fend for myself, how am I supposed to fend for the Oniwaban group? The Okashira must take the same risks as her followers. To do less is absolutely wrong." Misao finished icily, leaving little room for argument.
Shaking off his stupor, and ignoring his bruises, Aoshi picked himself up off of the floor, readjusted his kodachis and trench coat, and waited for Misao to move out of his way. After 30 seconds of the standoff, it became clear to everyone that Misao wasn't going anywhere but with Aoshi. Out the door.
"Aoshi-sama, I am going with you. Whether you like it or not."
"No." He stated flatly.
"Give me fifteen seconds to grab my kunai, and I'm out the door. Even you can't get very far in fifteen seconds. I'll hunt you down and follow you."
Aoshi considered his situation for a moment. It was a habit of his. When stuck, analyze. He really didn't want her to go with him, but if he knew Misao at all, she was definitely coming. She would just get in the way though, or botch the mission. No, Misao was too capable to do something that stupid. She'd proven that to him by her actions in his absence. She had a very cool head when under pressure. Then what was nagging at him? He was worried. Worried? About what? About..... about.....about her getting hurt. About her welfare. What? Now he was confused. This wasn't the type of worry he displayed about the other members of the Oniwaban. This was a whole different animal. Then what was it? 'Ah damn it', he thought, 'I'm wasting time. I'll save this introspection for another day...'
While Aoshi was waging his mental battle, Okina was watching him closely. What he saw in the stoic man's eyes was emotion, which was rare enough for Aoshi, but this emotion appeared to be concern. Very interesting...
"I leave in ten minutes for Tokyo. With or without you." Aoshi stated flatly.
"Yay! I knew you couldn't resist my charm! Tokyo, here we come! Mission, mission, mission..." She trailed off to gather her kunai and necessary supplies.
*End Flashback*
"Aoshi-sama, something's happening!" Misao hissed, breaking Aoshi's reverie. He nodded to acknowledge her, and carefully shifted his weight on the factory's rafters to get a better viewpoint. What he saw astounded him. Crates of firearms, cannons, swords, and explosives were being carried out of one of the doors. Money was changing hands. Shouted orders were being carried out all through the factory. The place had suddenly come alive!
However, in all the hustle and bustle, Aoshi had failed to notice a small man sitting on a crate in a dark corner of the factory. He had shaggy brown hair, like Sano's but tamer, that formed erratic spikes on his head. He had cold, dark blue eyes, which complimented the belt of heavy silver discs he wore around his waist. Two swords were tucked into his belt. Black boots with silver trim, black pants, and a forest green shirt with a high collar completed the picture. This man was Ishtou, skilled hunter, tracker, and shadow assassin. In spite of his cool exterior, he had been scanning the room relentlessly the entire time the operation had been going down. He was going to earn his pay tonight. And he was going to start by flushing out some spies.
Hopping off of his perch, he swaggered over to his greasy employer, Naku. "Sir, I believe we have some nosey rats in our rafters."
The greasy crime lord didn't like this one bit. His Western-style black suit bunched as he tensed in irritation. He ran a beefy hand through his thinning, slimy hair, and sighed audibly. "Oh yeah?" He drawled, trying to be casual. He really didn't trust Ishtou. Smart man. "How do you want to handle it?"
"Hm, let's see..." Ishtou considered a moment, while playing with his belt. "Let's surprise them..." With that, he unclipped two of his signature discs, checked to see that they were of the blunted variety, and hurled the pair at the rafters. He would save his killing discs for later.
All done! I have all kinds of plans, bwahaha... This is fun. Don't know how long this story will go. As long as I want to, because I'm in control! Feel the power! Ok, I'm done. Please review. It will make me a very happy person! Thanks much!