Chapter 1: So It Begins

Kenshin shifted his weight from his position on a nearby roof to keep the blood flow moving through his legs. Laying on a rooftop all night wasn't his idea of fun and he certainly wouldn't have chosen to work this job if it hadn't been for the girl the group was holding hostage. He shifted again, squinting down at his partner. The tall, spiky-haired man stood casually in the center of a group of thugs, chatting amicably about who knew what. Sanosuke always had the uncanny ability to chat about absolutely nothing and still come away with more information than a wire-tap could gain. Kenshin often wondered how the man did it but kept any probing questions to himself. Chances were he didn't want to know how the younger man picked up such a talent. Kenshin scowled. The area was dark, with deep shadows at odd angles. The thugs had the perfect advantage. An ambush just waiting to happen. He hated this whole situation. The radio crackled to life in his ear. "Two on the roof across from you, Kenshin."

Violet eyes darted to the darkened roof, narrowing as he searched for the ambush. It was his job to ensure his partner came out of the assignments alive and in this business it was kill or be killed. A glint of metal caught his eye and he frowned. Guns. He shifted on his stomach to get a better view. By the looks of the weapons they appeared to be semi-automatic. He spared a brief moment pondering where a bunch of supposed brawlers acquired such weapons before brushing it off. The Black Market no doubt. He'd think about it at another time.

Judging the distance between the two buildings, Kenshin pushed himself away from the edge and stood. He'd cross the distance without a problem, providing they didn't see him first. One final glance at his partner assured him the situation below was calm and Sanosuke had the men well occupied. Moving on silent feet, he leapt the buildings, silencing the men before they had a chance to shout and had just knelt to sort through their belongings when a commotion from below alerted him. He was on his feet before his handler could notify him and in the street before his partner was able to deliver two punches. Moonlight gleamed off the blade of his katana as it swept in a deadly arc. In a matter of seconds, the bodies of the gang lay broken behind him and the leader lay quivering on the ground.

"B-Battousai!"

Kenshin said nothing, the moonlight glinting off long, auburn hair and the distinct cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. He knew he didn't like the situation when they first set out. For a group that was just supposed to be a bunch of low-life thugs, they knew too much. Kenshin kept his blade at the man's throat, never taking his eyes off of him even as his partner approached, cursing mildly, "Damn, the bastard tried to knife me."

Kenshin glanced at him, narrowing in on the bloody gash that ran up his arm. "How's your hand?"

Sanosuke flexed it experimentally. "Kitsune will have to look at it."

The terrified thug tried to slink away but the look Kenshin pinned on him froze him in place. The man seemed to quiver with fear but Kenshin wasn't letting up. He kept his voice low and threatening, "Where is she?"

"I—I don't know what you're talking about."

Kenshin's aura flared sharply and the man yelped, squeezing his eyes shut. Sanosuke grunted, letting his hand drop to his side. "I wouldn't mess with Battousai. Apparently, he's not in a very good mood tonight. Now, where's the girl?"

"Warehouse."

Kenshin growled. "You'll have to do better than that."

Wide eyes stared up at them, the man gasping as the katana blade pressed closer. "The one by the docks. Second on the left. The old tire place."

Kenshin smiled, though there was no warmth to it. "Thank you."

Without warning, Kenshin delivered a sharp blow with the dull side of the blade to the low-life's head and turned away before the body hit the ground. Sanosuke released a low whistle. "I'm glad you're on my side. He's going to have one bad headache when he wakes up."

"Back-up's on the way, Kenshin."

Kenshin sheathed the blade, starting toward the warehouse. "Come on, Tsubame's waiting."

Sanosuke snorted, lifting his eyes to the large metal building they were approaching. "You'd think they'd get more creative. What I wouldn't give for them to choose a hamburger joint or something. I guess there aren't too many hamburger joints by the docks though…"

"Hamburger joints usually aren't abandoned either."

They stopped outside the warehouse and Sanosuke glanced at the smaller man. "Are you sure about this?"

Violet eyes flashed golden so quickly Sanosuke would have thought it was a trick of the light if he hadn't known better. "No one's in there."

Sanosuke shoved his hands into his pockets, hiding the wince when he moved his hand too roughly. "Tsubame?"

Eyes narrowed slightly. "Appears uninjured."

Kenshin kicked the door open, waiting a moment as he stretched his senses to ensure no one was there and to check for any unwelcome surprises. Nodding briskly to Sanosuke, they entered the warehouse, quickly sweeping the building. They found the girl huddled fearfully in a darkened corner, hands bound to the pole nearby. Sanosuke approached her slowly, keeping alert in case of a trap. "Tsubame?"

Kenshin pushed a finger to his ear, speaking softly. "We found her, Yahiko. See you at headquarters."

"Sure thing, Kenshin. What do you plan to do now?"

Kenshin glanced at his partner who spoke quietly to the young woman. "I plan on searching the building."

"Wait! Are you shutting me off?"

Kenshin moved toward Sanosuke, motioning to the exit. "You know me. Radio signals interfere. Signing out."

"Ken—"

Kenshin flicked the radio transmitter off as Sanosuke scooped the small girl up and headed to the door. "Do you know what you're looking for?"

A dark eyebrow rose in amusement before Kenshin nodded and smiled. "I'll know when I sense it. It can't remain hidden forever and the fact that the mob had a shield around this warehouse makes me curious."

Tsubame watched them curiously, small hands fisting in Sanosuke's shirt. He glanced down at her, meeting wide brown eyes before leveling Kenshin with a meaningful look. "Do you need her here for this?"

Lids closed half-way over violet eyes in an analyzing sweep of the small girl. Finally, Kenshin shook his head, muttering, "No. If she's—She'd have left a residue."

"We'll wait outside then. Oh yeah, give it to me."

Kenshin stared at him blankly. "Oro?"

Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "Yahiko will blow a gasket if you break it again so I better take it. Whatever it is you do destroys electronics."

Kenshin flushed and immediately removed the radio transmitter, handing over the small device. He nodded and left Kenshin alone in the middle of the warehouse. Kenshin heard the warehouse door slam shut and took a deep breath. He didn't have much time to search before the back-up arrived and ruined his concentration and any trace evidence that may be there.

Sanosuke was placing Tsubame gently into the security van when Kenshin appeared at his side, climbing in next to the young girl. Sanosuke frowned slightly and climbed in after him, calling to the driver, "All right, let's get back to HQ. I'm tired and Kitsune has to check out my hand before she decides she's had enough for the day."

The van moved and Sanosuke turned his attention to the small red-haired man as he tucked a wool blanket around the girl and offered her a comforting smile. "So, did you find it?"

Kenshin's eyes flicked to the taller man and Sanosuke caught the hint of a frown on his forehead before Kenshin's features smoothed. "No."

Tsubame shifted, a slight blush staining her cheeks. "Um…"

Kenshin smiled. "Yes, Miss Tsubame?"

She picked at the wool blanket, swaying with the movement of the van. "They're looking for someone. I didn't hear why they were looking for them."

Sanosuke snorted. "Like that's a lot of help."

Tsubame colored. "I wasn't told much!"

"Maa maa, no one is blaming you. Is that why they kidnapped you, Miss Tsubame?"

"I—they're looking for someone young with dark hair. I think they also have light eyes because the boss was mad that I had brown eyes."

"He didn't say what color though?" She shook her head and Kenshin frowned thoughtfully. "Did they say what they were looking for?"

"A book, I think. They argued about keys, which didn't make sense."

Kenshin and Sanosuke exchanged glances as the van rolled to a stop. She moved toward the car door but Kenshin placed a stilling hand on her as Sanosuke cautiously opened the door and peered around the surroundings. He hopped out, stretching lazily before turning back to the van. "It's clear."

Kenshin helped Tsubame out of the van and Sanosuke led her into the building. Past security, they were met by an agitated young man, black hair standing in all directions. "Why did you shut me off, Kenshin? Something could have happened!"

Sanosuke rolled his eyes and dropped a pat on the young man's head. "Calm down, kid, Kenshin's better than that."

He jerked back, glaring at the older man. "Don't call me 'kid!' I don't care if he's Battousai or not, I'm his handler and if I can't get in touch with him how am I supposed to do my job?"

Kenshin grimaced when he caught Tsubame's fearful look directed toward him and decided that he'd best interrupt the arguing pair before any more information was unintentionally dispensed. "Maa maa, I didn't want to ruin your equipment, Yahiko. Sano took the transmitter and he would have notified me if something were about to happen, that he would."

Yahiko rolled his eyes, folding his arms and grumbling, "Except that Rooster-head didn't turn the transmitter on."

Sanosuke snorted, waving a hand dismissively as he disappeared around a corner. "Whatever. You haven't even said hello to your girlfriend, kid."

A blush immediately spilled across Yahiko's cheeks and he whirled around to shout after him. "I'm not a kid!"

Tsubame frowned, tugging on Yahiko's arm as he attempted to storm after Sanosuke. Kenshin smiled at the young couple before excusing himself and trailing after the taller man. They had a debriefing to write and he needed sleep if he was expected to do his job tomorrow. Kenshin passed few people as he made his way toward the elevators that lead to the infirmary, offices, and sleep quarters. The Organization appeared as a normal office building on the outside, and even functioned as one on the first floor, but the lower levels teamed with activity hidden from civilians. Things happened on the lower level that had long since faded into myths and legends. The elevator opened and Kenshin slipped inside, leaning against the wall with a sigh. He ignored the almost nonexistent step of someone else boarding the elevator and the soft hiss of the doors closing, preferring to keep his eyes closed. The elevator began its descent and the smell of smoke tickled his nose. "It's impolite to smoke in enclosed spaces, that it is."

The reply was a careless hum and a cloud of smoke in his direction. "Since when do I care for politeness."

Violet eyes cracked to regard the tall, thin man standing casually in the center of the elevator. Gold eyes glinted at the smaller man in the dim light and Kenshin saw a smirk pull at his mouth. "You are getting careless, Battousai. Perhaps it's your age that's wearing you down."

Kenshin tensed, fingers flexing at his hip where a sword would usually hang. "This one recalls that you are older than me."

He flicked the ash from his cigarette, pulling a deep drag before snorting smoke though his nose. "I won't burst into flames at the end though."

Kenshin could feel the elevator slowing to a stop and pushed himself upright. "I do not wish to fight you, that I do not."

"How shameful."

The doors slid open and Kenshin took a step out before the taller man spoke again. "The girl is closer than you think, Battousai."

Kenshin turned to carefully eye the man. "This one's concern is not about the girl."

"If he finds her first—"

Kenshin interrupted impatiently, eyes flashing as he put out a hand to keep the doors from closing. "Speak plainly, Saito. Is this a warning from Tokio?"

Saito smirked, blowing a cloud of smoke at him. "So you do have a brain in that head of yours instead of smoke and ash. You can only find it with the girl and she's closer than you think. They will figure it out soon if you don't."

Kenshin dropped his hand from the doors. "Who is it?"

"Tokio could not say. Goodbye, Battousai."

The doors closed on Saito's smirk and Kenshin turned sharply on his heel, marching down the corridor with a scowl on his face. He absently noted that the closer he drew to the infirmary the louder arguing voices grew. Kenshin slowed his stride, focusing on the argument. He winced as a drawer slammed shut and a woman's voice rose in pitch. "How many times do I have to tell you to let your hand rest, you idiot rooster!"

"I told you it wasn't my fault, Kitsune. The guy's face ran into my fist."

She snorted in disbelief. "And I'm sure you didn't help him with that. You have to let your hand heal all the way, Rooster, otherwise it'll be useless in a few more breaks. Ken-san never causes this much trouble."

Kenshin tensed, just imagining the dark look that crossed over Sanosuke's face. A moment passed in awkward silence before a chair screeched across the tiled floor and the doctor cried out in protest. "Well, we all can't be bloody saints now, can we?"

"Sano, that's not what I— "

"Forget it. Thanks for fixing me up."

Kenshin wisely retreated from the infirmary door to try the casual, I-just-got-here approach. Unfortunately, the door opened and Sanosuke stepped out before he could make it far. Sanosuke froze when he saw him, a sardonic grin tilting his lips. "How long have you been there?"

Kenshin shrugged, smiling innocently. "Not long."

Sanosuke rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets and chewing on the toothpick clenched between his teeth. "Right. Let's go. I haven't eaten yet."

"I'm cooking tonight…"

"Great. I'm going home with you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Break~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kaoru Kamiya knew it was going to be a bad day when she woke up late that morning. For some reason, her alarm didn't go off and so she missed half of her first class for the day. She'd tripped over a stack of books near her desk in her rush to get to the showers, discovered there was no hot water and she was out of shampoo, and then realized she'd forgotten her towel. At that point she should have just gone back to bed and pretended that the day never happened. Any other day she would have done just that, but it was Thursday.

Every Tuesday and Thursday at one o'clock she had ancient Egyptian history. It wasn't that she particularly liked ancient Egyptian history—in fact, she should've taken Constitutional history except she was avoiding that professor for a number of reasons—but ancient Egyptian history was taught by Dr. Himura and she'd drag herself into class half-dead just to see him.

Dr. Kenshin Himura was a short man who kept his hair abnormally long for a man in the professional world. Surprisingly, the long hair suited him and Kaoru couldn't picture him with short hair. He taught many of the upper level courses at her small university which was located nowhere spectacular in a tiny, southeastern corner of the United States. Kaoru heard a number of his female students—and even some of the male ones—sighing dreamily about him. She hadn't understood the sighs until she'd taken one of his general history classes. Despite the small campus, she'd never seen the professor in passing and that first day was eye opening. Kenshin Himura didn't necessarily draw attention to himself, but her eyes were constantly drawn to him and she suddenly feared her gift was acting up. It set her on edge and wrapped her in warmth at the same time.

So, ancient Egyptian history was the only reason she got out of bed that Thursday she should've said "screw it!" and crawled back into the comfort of her blankets. At present, Kenshin was flipping through slides of Egyptian artifacts and explaining their significance while the class took notes. He paused on a grainy slide and Kaoru gasped, her vision fading to white for an instant before coming back into focus so fast she had to lay her head down to prevent herself from falling out of her seat…or passing out. He didn't appear to notice as he shifted on his stool and addressed the class, "This is believed to be the Book of Thoth. Thoth is the Egyptian god of writing and knowledge. He is the keeper of the law and is one of the judges in the afterlife.

The book is said to contains several spells: the gift to speak the tongue of animals and the knowledge of the gods. The knowledge of the gods would give one the ability to control the universe and perhaps return the dead to life."

Someone in the back of the class snickered. "Zombies."

"Braaaains," someone else croaked out.

The rest of the class laughed and Kenshin smiled, twisting in his stool to glance at the class. "Not zombies. A true return to life. Naturally, the knowledge contained in the Book of Thoth could not fall to mortal hands for then that mortal could rival the gods.

"Thoth hid the book in a series of boxes and set guards of snakes and scorpions in addition to a snake that no man could kill. Knowledge and curiosity have always been weaknesses for mankind. Adam and Eve in the Garden. Pandora and her box. The Book of Thoth was no exception. Neferkaptah sought out the book and stole it. He was cursed by the gods and great tragedy befell him and his family.

"Sente stole the book from Neferkaptah's tomb generations later. The knowledge brought him nothing but evil until he returned the book to the tomb.

"Now, since the book has never been found again, it is believed the Book of Thoth is entirely fictional. In this slide," Kenshin flicked to the next image, "you can clearly see several scrolls. The archeologist who found them claimed they were the book, but his claims have never been verified and unfortunately he met an untimely end and the scrolls were never seen again."

Kaoru took a shaky breath, pushing the nauseated feeling back and tried to focus on her notes. The projector clicked and the slide changed to a monument and Kenshin was lecturing about Egyptian conquests and pharaohs. The person behind her tapped her on the shoulder, leaning forward and whispering, "Are you going to tell him?"

Kaoru quickly shook her head, slumping lower in her seat and putting entirely too much attention into taking down the dates and names Kenshin wrote on the board though she had no idea what he was saying. She'd long ago stopped listening. Misao Makimachi was not one to be waylaid with a mute answer and she nudged Kaoru again. "He might be able to help. He is a history professor, after all, and we are studying Egypt. He probably knows all about…whatever it is…"

Kaoru glanced up at the board, making sure Kenshin hadn't noticed their conversation, before shooting her a glare over her shoulder. "Father said not to tell anyone. No matter what."

Misao rolled her eyes, sighing. "Very well. It's up to you."

Kaoru opened her mouth to retort when Kenshin cleared his throat, making her snap her attention back to the front of the room. "Miss Kamiya, do you have a question?"

She could feel her cheeks flush and she quickly shook her head, releasing a relieved sigh when Kenshin returned to his lecture. Kaoru picked up her pen, tapping it with a frown, annoyed that her friend knew as much as she did about the secret Kaoru was unsuccessfully hiding. Chairs scooting back caused Kaoru to start in surprise. Apparently class had ended without her noticing and Kenshin was standing at his desk, calling over the noise of packing students, "Homework is to read chapters five and six. Please have your papers on my desk by Tuesday. Remember, every day late is ten percent off. The unit test is next Thursday."

Kaoru's eyes widened and she turned to Misao who was already slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "We have a paper? What's it on?"

Misao shrugged, squeezing behind Kaoru's chair. "No clue, I wasn't listening. I'll have to ask someone next time I run into them. You could always ask Himura. Later, Tanuki, I'm going to lunch!"

Kaoru scrambled to gather her books and papers, ignoring the tall man who casually sauntered into the classroom as the last of the students left. He glanced at her, grinning at Kenshin when he saw him watching her. "Oi, Kenshin, is this your girlfriend?"

Kaoru's head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes at him, completely missing Kenshin's surprised squeak or the light blush that dusted his cheeks. She straightened, pointing an accusing finger at the stranger. "Girlfriend? I'm not his girlfriend! I'm in his class!"

Kenshin hurried to intervene. "Sano, is there something you need?"

Kaoru slammed her books into her bag and stalked down to the front of the room, completely ignoring her professor's attempts to distract her. "I don't know who you are but—"

A nervous laugh cut her off and she turned to Kenshin in time to see him make soothing motions. "Miss Kamiya, Sanosuke didn't mean anything by it, that he did not."

Sanosuke shoved his hands into his pockets, grinning mischievously at the two of them. "Wow, Kenshin, you get the fiery ones."

He seemed to find the statement amusing, though Kaoru couldn't say why. She stiffened when he chuckled, sapphire eyes narrowing at the tall man. Kenshin's eyes narrowed as well, pinning him with a dangerous look, as if suddenly deciding that seriously maiming his friend might not be such a bad idea. "I will not stop her if she decides to kill you."

Sanosuke smiled easily, not at all concerned. "Fine, I'll leave you and Missy alone."

Kenshin shook his head, turning to stack his papers and books and looking expectantly at her. "Do you have a question, Miss Kamiya?"

Kaoru blinked, tearing her eyes away from the annoying man to look at her professor blankly. "No, Dr. Himura. I—no."

Kenshin smiled and Kaoru quickly hurried from the room to hide her blush. Low laughter followed her and she heard Kenshin's quiet reprimand. Apparently he didn't appreciate his friend's humor any more than she did.

"What is it, Sano? You don't usually come to the school unless there's a reason."

"Shouldn't we go to your office or something?"

The seriousness in his voice caused Kaoru to pause. He didn't seem the serious type and he certainly hadn't acted that way when he'd arrived. There was a moment's silence before Kenshin spoke, his voice cautious, "It's fine."

Against her better judgement, Kaoru pressed her back against the wall, clutching her book-bag to her chest and holding her breath. Sanosuke's voice was low and excited as he spoke. "They've found it."

Curious, she crept closer to the open door, waiting for Kenshin's response. He sounded surprised and a little anxious when he spoke, "They have?"

"Well, not quite. They're close though. If you wait much longer they will find it."

Kaoru heard Kenshin sigh and the sound of footsteps as he stepped around the desk. "This one would like to wait until the semester is over. Egypt is a long way away, that it is. Have they found the final key?"

Kaoru gasped, the vision returning to her with a staggering force. A sword flashing in the desert sun, auburn hair flying as the swordsman swung…and a cross-shaped scar…

"Miss Kamiya?"

Her eyes snapped open to meet the concerned amethyst eyes of her professor and the suspicious gaze of his friend. Dimly, she realized she'd slid to the floor outside the door but didn't take the time to think about it as she scrambled to her feet, almost dropping her backpack in her hurried effort to right herself. "Dr. Himura! I–I was feeling a little faint and…"

She suddenly noticed the flesh colored bandage on his left cheek and her words trailed off as she stared dumbly. How had she never noticed it before? Kenshin shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, tilting his face away from her to keep the bandage hidden. "Are you alright, Miss Kamiya?"

Her hand lifted toward the bandage and he took a step back to avoid her questing fingers. At his retreat, she blinked out of her daze, frowning slightly. "What happened to you?"

His own hand reached up to brush the patch, eyes distant for a moment before he snapped back to the present and smiled disarmingly. "This one was involved in an accident several years ago."

Sanosuke nudged him, still darting suspicious looks at her. "Let's go, Kenshin. Time waits for no man and if you don't hurry there will be no man."

With that enigmatic statement, he started down the corridor. Kenshin nodded and started after Sanosuke before he thought of something and turned back to her. "The paper that is due on Tuesday, email it instead. I want it in my inbox by midnight. I'll send the class an e-mail letting everyone know."

He was down the hall and around the corner before Kaoru could form a response and she stood staring after him for several long moments. She frowned, replaying what she'd overheard in the classroom but still unable to make sense of it. With a shrug, she picked up her backpack and headed for the dining hall. Misao would be there, no doubt searching out something high in sugar and low in nutrition, and probably pestering the serious theology grad student if she could find him in the crowded cafeteria.

The line into the dining hall was long and Misao was waiting impatiently for the person in front of her to slide their card when Kaoru found her. There were several grumbled protests as Kaoru skipped ahead in line to Misao. The girl greeted her with a raised eyebrow and a grin. "What took so long? I thought you might have kidnapped Himura for lunch."

Kaoru glared even as a blush stained her cheeks. "I got…distracted. It was nothing."

She added the last when she caught sight of Misao's knowing smirk. She breathed a sigh of relief when Misao didn't say anything further and they entered the cafeteria. They separated to find their choice of meal. Three minutes later, Kaoru found Misao seated next to a tall, dark-haired, stoic grad student chattering away. Kaoru sighed. It appeared Aoshi was unable to make his escape before the girl zeroed in on him, though he didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave either. Kaoru sat down across from her with a grilled cheese sandwich, eying Misao's mountain of ice cream. Misao grinned, popping a scoop of ice cream into her mouth and loudly enjoying it.

"So," Misao said as she returned her spoon to her bowl to scoop up more ice cream, "did Himura cause the distraction or was it…something else?"

Kaoru didn't miss the meaningful look Misao gave her and she glanced at Aoshi. He didn't seem to be paying the conversation any notice, but she still felt unsettled. She picked at the bread of her sandwich, trying to decide how she wanted to answer before finally sighing and admitting, "It was kind of both."

Misao paused with her spoon in her mouth and Aoshi lifted his eyes from his book to give her an assessing look. Misao pulled the spoon from her mouth with a faint pop, leaning across the table and lowering her voice, "What do you mean both?"

Kaoru darted a quick glance at Aoshi before giving Misao a slight shake of her head. "I think Dr. Himura is going to be absent for a while."

Misao frowned. "He didn't say anything in class."

Kaoru took a bite of her sandwich. "I think it's last minute. A guy came by as I was leaving. Dr. Himura called him Sano."

Aoshi's book snapped shut and Misao turned to look at him as he slid it into his book-bag and glanced at his watch. Misao's expression fell. "Oh, are you going?"

He gave a short nod, rising to his feet. "I have a lecture in a few minutes."

He picked up his tray and hesitated a moment, looking down at her. Kaoru caught the quick glance in her direction before he cleared his throat and spoke to Misao, "I'll see you tonight?"

Misao beamed happily, chirping, "Of course!"

Aoshi nodded farewell to both of them and they watched him walk away before Kaoru spoke, "So, you and Aoshi."

Misao blushed. "Yes."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Oh," the other girl gushed, "it's so new! I didn't believe it at first. I was going to tell you the first chance I got."

Kaoru finished off her sandwich, checking the time and gathering her bag. "I've got class as well, but you're going to tell me all about it as soon as I get back to the room."

AN: I'm reworking this story again. I've decided I've made this far more complicated than it needs to be so there are going to be some changes. Chapter replaced April 8, 2014.