A/N: I noticed that this story got the most reviews in the period since I last updated anything. So, I decided to break my annual Halloween deadline, and update.

About this story: As you've figured out, this IS a Ranma/Kenshin fusion in an AU world inhabited by monsters that live side by side with mankind, though mostly in the shadows, if not the dark completely. It's less of a 'civilized vampire' world, and a bit more of a 'I saw a hobgoblin jumping up and down on my car hood today and had to call the police' kind of world. I like the idea of Kenshin being on Akane's side even before Ranma meets her, though this story is RxA. I'm glad you guys are still reading this!

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"Saotome?" Kenshin's stance relaxed marginally, and they both saw it. "You're Genma's boy?"

"That's right," Ranma replied, still holding the girl in his arms. He could understand what Kenshin saw in her. She was cute, with her big brown eyes, and slender figure. She didn't tremble against him, but instead stood stiff and unyielding. Brave, too, Ranma allowed.

Saotome's boy. Kenshin silently let out the breath he'd been holding. "Release Akane, then," he said. "You are welcome to come inside if you let her go."

Ranma cocked an eyebrow at the sword Kenshin was still holding. Kenshin looked pointedly at Ranma's grip on Akane. Ranma felt a bit silly holding on to the girl when Kenshin so clearly wanted to avoid violence, so he released her and stepped back as she whirled around.

"Jerk!" she yelled and slapped him.

"Hey…" He started towards her, but she scooted back into the safety of the hall, allowing Kenshin's body to partially block access to her.

Kenshin lowered his sword and put out a hand, biting back a chuckle. "Ranma, is it? She had every right to do that. Now, consider yourselves even. Come in."

He led Ranma into the living area, the one dominated by the enormous view of the city from the glass wall. Ranma stood for a second, impressed. Then he strode to a couch and sat, casually propping one ankle on a knee.

"Tell me where my father is," he said.

"What makes you think I know where he is?" Kenshin questioned. Akane scowled at Ranma from the kitchen doorway, and he scowled back at her, still feeling the sting of the slap. He turned back to the red-haired swordsman.

"You were the last person he mentioned before he ran off," Ranma accused. "To come here all the way from China, he must've had a good reason to see you. All he left me was a stupid note that's impossible to read. His handwriting sucks."

As Kenshin listened, his memories went back to two weeks ago. "Himura," Genma Saotome said. "I need to stay here for a night, but I'll be on my way again tomorrow."

"Where are you going, Saotome?" Kenshin asked, worried.

"It's better you don't know. Your expertise with that sword…"Genma's eyes moved to the scabbard at Kenshin's waist. "It's something rare….And I may have need of you eventually. But this part, I must search alone. Except for what sources I can use occasionally."

"I haven't seen him for two weeks," Kenshin said now. "Your father stopped here for a night, and then took off."

A buzzer sounded in the background, and Akane took off. Ranma caught the scent of warm laundry.

"Where was he going?" Kenshin could sense Ranma's frustration, and felt some sympathy for the boy.

"He was trying to find someone…or something. He never explained what. But his eyes were always terrified when he spoke of it."

"My father? Terrified?" Ranma shook his head, like he couldn't picture it.

"The only thing he mentioned was going to Chinatown to find something," Kenshin wished he had something more concrete to give the young man. But Ranma suddenly sat up.

"Chinatown?" he asked, something lighting up his grey eyes. Had he remembered something?

"That's all I can think of, I'm afraid," Kenshin said regretfully.

But Ranma stood up. "No, that's great! Uh, which was is Chinatown?"

"Any cab driver can take you there," Kenshin suggested. Then he paused. "Do you…have a place to stay?" Even as the words left his mouth, Kenshin couldn't help wondering if he should check his horoscope for the month. Did it say something like 'This month you will meet many mysterious strangers, and open your home as a Bed and Breakfast to them."

But Ranma was shaking his head. "Nah, I'm good. Wouldn't want to cramp your style, with your girlfriend here."

Kenshin paused, startled. Then he began to laugh. "Akane is not my girlfriend," he explained. "But if you ever need a place to come back to, come here. I can do no less for Saotome's son."

"All right," Ranma nodded, and rose to leave. He hesitated for a second. "Tell Akane I'm sorry, about what I did."

Kenshin dipped his head. "I will. Good luck with finding your father, Ranma."

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"Are you sure about this, Kenshin?" Akane questioned nervously as the plush elevator opened into the sub-basement. Most tenants couldn't even get in here. Kenshin had used a special key to override the access restriction bar set in the control panel.

"Don't worry, I'll be right outside the bars. And even if you turn, I would never hurt you. I've got this, remember?" He held up a tranq gun. Akane shivered when she saw it.

"That's doesn't reassure me much, but it's better than me running around loose as a rogue werewolf," she admitted. She followed Kenshin into a narrow antechamber, where a heavy door was embedded in the wall. He opened it, and led her in. Within, Akane could see vents and pipes on the ceiling, some leading into the floor. In one corner, a cage of strong iron bars had been created around the opening of the furnace.

Kenshin produced a small key and presented it to Akane. "You yourself will be the key holder," he said. "After all, you can't open it as a werewolf, and as a human, you're safe. I have a copy anyway. And remember your cell phone. Call me if you need anything."

Akane smiled. She immediately felt more in control with the key in her hand. "Thank you, Kenshin." She took a deep breath, slid the key in the lock, and pushed open the door. She stepped into the cell. Parts of it were hidden in shadow, and she moved around, making sure nothing was hiding there. It was clean. High up where the wall met the ceiling, a small painted over window could be barely made out. She hoped nothing came through there. She locked the door behind her and held the key tightly in her hand.

"Do you want me to wait right here?" Kenshin asked, looking at her worriedly through the bars.

"No, I have my ipod, I'll be ok. Just going to try and get some sleep," Akane assured him. "I'll just feel more nervous if you're here."

Kenshin nodded, and stepped out of the room. He'd be waiting behind the large generator near the elevator. When it was moonrise, he would come to check on her.

Akane huffed out a breath. It came out misty. Here in the sub-basement, it was cold even through her cardigan. But it was worth it. Once moonrise was over, she could go back upstairs. Tomorrow morning, she could call in to her boss, let the police check her out, and go back to her normal life.

She sat down on a bench to wait, turning her music on.

Outside, behind the rumbling generator Kenshin settled down to wait. He would have felt easier waiting with Akane, but he could understand that if she really was going to turn, she wouldn't want him to see. She was strong, and apparently used to dealing with her fears alone.

Time passed. He glanced at the hour hand to judge the time left to moonrise. Well, he would…

The phone rang. Kenshin swiftly pulled it out. "Akane?" he asked, worried. "Are you ok?"

"Akane? Who the hell is Akane? You should be worried if I'm okay, bro! Are you shacked up with some chick again, Kenshin, huh?" The indignant voice on the line yelled up into Kenshin's ear, the volume nearly piercing his eardrum.

Kenshin winced, then let out a breath in relief. "Sano," he whispered.

"Where the hell are you, asswipe? You're over an hour late!"

"An hour?" Kenshin glanced at his watch. Oh, damn. He'd been supposed to go to Sano's place for his birthday party tonight. It had completely slipped his mind. Totally not on purpose. He hadn't even gotten him a gift.

"I, uh…forgot," he muttered lamely.

The stream of invectives that buzzed through the phone made him wince again, and also made his sharp ears miss the sound of the elevator doors silently gliding open, the sound of footsteps moving down the hallway, passing a few feet away from Kenshin, and moving into the furnace room as the door opened and closed.

"Listen, I can explain," he said.

"This better be good, Kenshin. What excuse could ya possible have for missing my birthday bash? I know you're a loner, but this takes the cake!"

Kenshin began to explain how he met Akane.

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Akane was almost in a trance. As the hours passed, she'd finally lain on her back on the cold bench, allowing the music from her iPod to wash through her ears. She barely registered when the door opened, and she turned her head to watch as two figures slipped into the room.

Alarm gripped her. Neither of them were Kenshin, and their furtive manner suggested that they weren't the janitor and his assistant either. As they came further into the room, Akane revised her assessment further. They looked like tenants.

The man was tall and handsome, but it was his partner who captured the eye. Tall, dressed in a knee length leather skirt and a red blazer, as well as killer 4-inch spike heels, the woman was beautiful, in an Amazonian kind of way. Her long red hair flowed down her back to her waist, and she tossed it back as the man said something too low to hear.

"You worry for nothing!" she hissed. "This building of yours is far from them, they'll never think of looking for us here." She looked around. "It's so very...respectable." The word was filled with contempt. "If anything, we must find out here, where no one we know will hear about it."

Akane cursed. Just her luck that the night she was about to turn werewolf, two drunk tenants would make their way down here for some illicit shagging. Where was Kenshin?

"But it's almost moonrise, Stella," the man insisted. "Use the cage, at least."

Akane tensed in the shadows, a dreadful suspicion creeping over her. Surely, there couldn't be two

The woman, Stella, flicked a contemptuous glance at the cage. Neither of them had seen Akane. "You're joking. This is all just an elaborate hoax, anyway. I…"

Suddenly, she bent over, clutching her stomach. "Owww," she groaned. The man paled, and backed away. She grabbed his wrist. "You're not going anywhere, Kristof. This whole thing was your idea!"

"But…but…I can't be here when you turn…"

Stella released his arm as another shudder wracked her body. The man stumbled backwards, landing on his butt on the dusty floor. Akane froze on the bench, unable to believe her eyes.

Stella had dropped to her knees now, coughing as pain wracked her body. She placed her hands on the floor, and watched as her nails lengthened, growing into talons. She could feel sharp teeth growing in her mouth, forcing her jaws wider.

Kristof slid backward, his eyes wide with terror. His back hit the door, and he turned around, scrabbled for the handle, and pulled himself up. He slipped through the door, slamming it shut, leaving Akane alone with a turning werewolf.

Akane sat up slowly. Stella was curled up on her haunches on the floor, her bunched thighs making her skirt looked so tight it looked as thought it would rip. And then it did, a long tear appearing in the fabric, the sound of leather ripping loud in the room.

Stella raised her head, as though she could sense the full moon's pull many stories overhead, her jaw lengthening to accommodate the large, jagged teeth pushing through her mouth now. She screamed in agony, and the scream became a growl of rage.

Outside, beside the generator, Kenshin tensed as he heard the scream. He looked up just as a man ran past his hiding spot. Who was he? Kenshin glanced at his watch again and swore.

"Listen Sano, I gotta go. Things are going downhill, fast."

"You need help, Kenshin?" came Sano's urgent question.

"No, I can handle it. Enjoy your party." Kenshin snapped the tiny phone shut and came to his feet with a single smooth motion. The man was rapidly pushing the button for the elevator.

A roar of rage echoed through the subbasement, and Kenshin had no time to worry about him. He ran for the furnace room.

Inside, Akane was crouched on the bench, watching fearfully as the woman, Stella, became a full blooded werewolf. Not again, she thought. The werewolf was completely changed now. It stood nearly seven feet tall, tatters of clothing on the floor around its lethal extendable claws. Misty breath erupted from its nostrils as it drew in the cold air. It looked around at Akane immediately, its keen nose swiftly pulling her scent out in the enclosed room. Akane flattened against the wall, fear turning her bones to water. The werewolf came forward, its claws clicking on the stone. Its fiery yellow eyes were intent on her. Strangely, they remained human even though there was nothing recognizably sane in them. It growled softly.

It charged, and banged against the iron bars, its arms reaching through them to claw at Akane. She shrieked, shrinking back as far as possible. The bars that had been meant to keep her in was now keeping a werewolf out. Her bars had become a prison indeed.

"Kenshin!" she screamed. She remembered the cell phone, and grabbed it out of her pocket. But the damn thing's numberpad was just way too small to use, gripped by terror as she was. She fumbled with the numbers as the werewolf growled in fury, and threw itself against the bars of the cage. She screamed as she heard the distinct rattle of the bars in their holes. She wouldn't bet on them staying standing much longer. This werewolf was strong, and maddened by the scent of human flesh.

Kenshin pulled at the furnace room door, but the man seemed to have jammed it somehow. It refused to open. He pulled at it futilely, hearing the werewolf's growls inside, mistaking them for Akane. He felt sad, that she had been infected after all. He had to bring her down safely.

Inside the cage, Akane moved as the werewolf tried to reach through the bars at her. It was throwing all its weight against the bars, which were so slowly bending. She could hear someone, she guessed it must be Kenshin, pulling at the door. But by the time he got in, the werewolf would be through the bars.

Akane glanced at the small window. It was her safest chance at the moment. She dragged the bench to the wall, and climbed onto it. It was still high above her. She jumped, missed. Jumped again, and her fingertips caught the edge of the sill. She pulled herself up, breathing heavily, up to chest height, and brought an elbow up onto the sill, resting some of her body weight on that.

There was a screaming of metal, and a growl of triumph from the werewolf. She didn't dare glance back. Instead, she used her bare left fist to smash through the glass, wincing as she did so. The window was so small that most of the glass shattered, but some shards still stuck up, Akane carefully picked away the most dangerous looking ones as fast as she could, and levered herself through the window.

A furious bestial growl below her told her that the werewolf had entered the cage, and was pissed off at being robbed of its dinner. She wriggled through the window frame as carefully as she could, dropping on her stomach onto the neatly mowed wet grass outside. She lay there for a while, panting, feeling cool damp grass blades brushing her cheek. Inside, the roars of the frustrated werewolf shook the wall.

Kenshin finally slammed through the door, and watched the werewolf inside the torn cage trying to clamber up to the broken window. What was going on? Quickly, he shot the monster with the tranq gun a couple of times. He'd thought he'd be able to shoot Akane as she was trapped inside the cage, giving the tranq time to take effect. But the werewolf was free and she came straight for him. He was forced to pull out his sword, though he had no intention of harming her. He skipped backwards as she charged him.

He'd never fought a werewolf like this before, being forced to keep it alive. It made it harder for him to stay out of its reach, but not impossible. All he had to do was give the tranq time to take effect. He ducked and danced around the werewolf in the confined space, not daring to leave the furnace room in case the werewolf got loose in the building.

Kenshin ducked again as the wolf charged him again, swiping her claws viciously at him. It wasn't hard. She topped him by more than a foot, anyway. He made a slight turn, and whacked the wolf's ribs with the blunt edge of his sword, wincing apologetically as he did so. The wolf groaned, and stumbled for a second.

Akane had recovered her strength, and now peeped through the broken window, shocked that the wolf was now hunting Kenshin. As she watched, she realized that he was holding back, that he thought it was her.

"Crap! How can I tell him without distracting him?" She chewed her knuckles, hysterical laughter at the insane situation rising within her. She tamped it down, and considered going down to help him.

No! You've forgotten any martials arts training you ever had, a voice within told her sternly.

Not completely, she told it. I remembered those katas this morning.

Doing katas are a far cry from attacking a werewolf, a supernatural ravening beast, with rusty martial arts, the voice dripped contempt.

"Kenshin!" Akane finally called out.

His head turned, shocked, but his attention stayed with the red-furred werewolf, which was regarding him with anrrowed eyes. "Akane?"

"Kenshin, that's not me. Someone else came in while we were waiting, and turned into a werewolf! Watch out!"

Kenshin leapt over the wolf's head, landing on one of the hot pipes that criss-crossed the ceiling. His startled gaze slid to where Akane peeked through the broken window.

"Shit! What?" he exclaimed, shaking his head. He glared down at the wolf that was now stalking the floor below him in a circle, growling softly. "So I can kill it."

"Well, you tranqed it anyway, right?" Akane questioned. "You might as well wait. Besides, it's a woman." She knew many martial artists had codes against harming women.

"Shit," Kenshin swore shortly. He sheathed his sword, watching as the wolf's circling became slower and slower. Eventually, it lay down, snuffling tiredly. And then it was asleep.

Akane ran around the building, to the lit entrance hall where a doorman and a greeter guarded the elevators. She passed it cautiously, and kept moving around the side of the building, where Kenshin waited at a service entrance to let her back in.

"What are you going to do with it?" Akane wanted to know as Kenshin ushered her back up to his apartment.

"I don't even know who it is," he muttered.

"Her name is Stella. That's what that guy called her." Akane shrugged. "That's all I know. And the guy's name was Kristof."

As Kenshin opened the apartment door, Ranma came rushing out into the hallway, eyes wild. "You guys know you've got a sleeping werewolf in here?" he demanded.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Akane shouted, her already high adrenaline spiking at seeing him. "Did you break in?"

"Calm down, Akane, I left the door unlocked," Kenshin soothed. "Ranma's welcome here. We ended up on a werewolf-bagging expedition after you left," he told the younger man.

Ranma whistled. "Come inside," Kenshin continued. "The werewolf will be out for a while, and we could all use some tea."

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A/N: Well, I tried to add more horror to the mix, as you can see, and plan to add even more. I love werewolf movies, though the perfect werewolf movie is just an ideal in head, and not something I've ever seen on screen. Though Dog Soldiers was decent.

Now click and review! 