Hey all,
after a very long break, here's the next long chapter! Thank u for all the patience.
Enjoy!!
Raven was yawning as Madame Butterfly gave an impressive lecture on the reasons against meeting up with the leader of the enemy. Raven knew all of them by heart but, she would still meet up with Carrion anyway. They needed closure, an ending to their whirlwind romance that was left hanging as Raven made an abrupt exit from the pugilistic world.
"Are you even listening to me, my little bird?" Madame Butterfly huffed.
"Yes, Madame. But I'm not registering anything. You know me better than anyone else; I would not meet the enemy unless I have no choice. I had to meet him. That's my stand."
"You are still so stubborn."
"If I weren't, I'd be dead."
Madame Butterfly sighed loudly. "You could cooperate more often."
"I know better than that." Raven rebutted as she looked out of the stuffy room that Madame Butterfly had chosen to lock her up for the scolding.
"You need to concentrate more on Battousai. We don't want him to die out before the appointed day."
"You don't need me for that. There are over a hundred other people you could assign to this task."
"No one has your intimate knowledge of him." Madame Butterfly pointed out unerringly.
"You want to make my life miserable, fine." Raven huffed. "You should be more subtle than this though, aggressiveness doesn't really fit your image."
"I am sending him and Saitou to Carrion's weaponry base tonight."
Raven let out a lady like snort. "Like the Mibu Wolf is going to do as he's told. What are you? His mother?"
"I have explained that it is in our best interest it be destroyed tonight. It will be the best opportunity to test if Battousai still has the ability to fight at his old standard." Madame Butterfly continued as if Raven never interrupted.
"You used this chance to seduce Saitou," Raven noted, rather dryly.
"He is married, so that is highly improper. You would know, you helped me find the safe house to hide his wife and son."
"You want me to join them?" Raven asked bored.
"No, I want you to be the mole, as Kamiya Kaoru."
"You have no heart."
"Saitou, why did we come here alone without any backup?" Kenshin asked calmly as they stood hidden in woods, eyeing their quarry.
The two men stood far enough to prevent their personal spaces from overlapping, yet close enough for conversing. While they were not always enemies, the tension did not reduce as the stillness of the night threatened to rub nerves raw.
"We need to get these weapons out of the enemies' hands, destroyed is much better than having stores of weapons in the police headquarters like sitting ducks." Saitou commented nonchalantly. His hand subconsciously fingered his hilt as the thrill of the kill all but hummed through his blood.
"There is something else that I should know isn't there?"
"You are too naïve to know so much. Just stick to the plan. We need to destroy this base so that the police can just clean it up tomorrow as a case of arson."
"What of the people inside?"
"The balancers will clean up if necessary. They are much better at catching strays than we are; an added benefit of the dark." Saitou was curt as the guard on duty was slowing dozing off. "Stop questioning and get to work."
The night grew quieter still as the two men ran towards the warehouse carefully camouflaged as a part of the hill. Their feet did not as much as rustle the grass as Saitou swiftly slit the throat of the guard. Kenshin sliced through the locks, wincing only momentarily when the blood splatter on the ground created ripples in his composure.
The painted wooden door creaked open like a worn out squeaker. In the darkness beyond, the men easily picked out the shape of ten ninja that were lying in wait. Battle experience was never more valuable than in situations like this.
Using the knowledge that the ninja had not noticed they were spotted, the duo advanced.
The ninja realized their mistake quickly and at the expense of half their numbers. Now they were circling the duo warily, weapons brandished but grips clammy.
"You should stop playing and show us what you've got," Saitou declared arrogantly. "I dislike having my time wasted uselessly."
The ninja stiffened in what could be distinguished as outrage. Like a pack of jackals, they lunged together all blades with no planning. Their fury had served to increase their strength and in their rage, they still held perfect coordination.
"You should have just kept your mouth shut," Kenshin said irritated as he dodged a swipe that looped the tip of his ponytail off. The ninja were better than he had anticipated, perfectly in their element in the rather cramped chamber.
"You needed a hair cut anyway," Saitou pointed out as he side stepped a kunai aimed at his throat. He was silently congratulating himself on accepting Madame Butterfly's suggestion. The ninja were a disappointment at first but now he was really working up a sweat. There was nothing more satisfying than an invigorating fight.
The ninja were even more incensed as they watched Kenshin and Saitou converse like they were on a leisurely stroll.
One of them spoke up, "Our assignment was to capture Kamiya Kaoru, not deal with you. But as a form of entertainment, we will kill. Watching the life drain out of your eyes shall be the best moment of our lives."
"Kaoru?" Kenshin jerked visibly at the mention of her name. "What did you just say?"
He only got the answer as he slammed the last of the battered ninja to a wall, sword to his throat.
"We were supposed to catch the Kamiya girl. She has been giving us the slip for the past month. Boss ain't happy about that, considering we don't even know what she looks like to start."
The poor man grinned despite his split lip. "You know her, don't you? I pity you then. There ain't going to be much left of her when we get our hands on her. For all she is, she's just a pathetic human girl. She doesn't stand a chance."
Kenshin lost his control long enough to slash the man from collar bone diagonally across to his abdomen. The blood that gushed out were a crimson promise that the man would die agonizingly, feeling his entire body lose feeling bit by bit if he was not attended soon.
"Why do you want her?" Kenshin demanded to know. The knuckles on his sword were white and his eyes flickered ominously with gold.
"I don't know. Maybe because she's yours," the man smiled mockingly among the pool of his own blood. A backhand knocked all his defiance out.
"We need to move on," Saitou hurried, silently pleased at the turn of events. The night was becoming more interesting.
The duo progressed through the maze of rooms holding everything from hand guns to cannons. The sheer arsenal was grimly impressive, the cabin was obviously larger than one would perceive.
"They have enough to level the whole of Kyoto and Tokyo combined." Kenshin muttered silently under his breath. They had only run into a handful of guards but the emptiness was not to be taken lightly.
"No wonder Madame Butterfly was concerned. If they have this warehouse, there is no telling what else they could have already hidden. No one is stupid enough to put all their eggs in one big basket." Saitou commented.
The observation was forbidding.
Kenshin took note of the arsenal list from what he assumed was an inventory of the room's contents. Saitou memorized the layout of the area, placing explosives in strategic locations so that the place would be leveled come sunrise. They worked together swiftly, knowing better than to tarry on enemy ground.
A faint smell of something burning caught their attention. There was a gradual rumbling of stones echoing through the corridor warned them before a pair of small hands grabbed them into running.
"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin gasped in shocked as he and Saitou were pulled ungracefully down a series of winding corridors, away from the sound of explosions that rocked the warehouse.
"Someone is setting my explosives on fire," Saitou growled angrily, really incensed by the idea of his own plan backfiring.
Kaoru only nodded as she led them to a dead end. Kaoru had carefully separated her two identities in her mind, both Raven and Kaoru. As Kaoru, she looked different thanks to heavy layers of make-up, more down and tomboyish with very mediocre fighting skills. Raven was elegant in a deadly way, slicing all those who oppose her.
Fiddling with a well hidden switch, she opened up a door in the wall and hustled Kenshin and Saitou in. The explosions wracked the warehouse, causing the floor to rumble as Kaoru hurried them along into the darkness beyond the door. The wooden structure started to burn and Kaoru was struggling not to wince as she stamped out the fire that had latched itself onto her shoes.
Once they were through, Kaoru expertly locked the door again and lit a torch for the benefit of the duo.
The small fire cast enough light for Kenshin and Saitou to make out that they were in a tunnel, relatively large enough for three people to run side by side.
Satisfied that they would cooperate, Kaoru ran off with the torch, forcing them to follow her lead. Despite her reluctance of showing off any of her skills, Kaoru ran at a breakneck pace, easily maintaining her lead of the two men.
"Kaoru-dono, why are you here?" Kenshin asked persistently as they ran behind her with no idea where they were heading.
Kaoru smiled bitterly as she continued on, wordless. She could not have spoken even if her life depended on it.
After many twists and turns as well as what the duo assumed to be a path further down into the earth, they finally reached a well covered exit. The moonlight pierced through the minute holes in the leaf door, indicating that it was not just another tunnel.
Kaoru carefully doused the torch and the torch disappeared in a nook in the wall. Creeping cautiously, Kaoru peered up out of the leafy cover to inspect the area outside. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she directed them to leave the tunnels and head out into the woods.
Turning back, the entrance of the tunnel had already been well-hidden by Kaoru that the pair could not make out the door anymore. The trio was essentially just standing at the foot of the hill, in the woods.
"Nice work," Saitou smirked as Kaoru looked at them blankly. "You came with the Balancers?"
Kaoru drew out a piece of paper from the hidden pocket in her sleeve, a benefit of black ninja clothing.
I am here to get you two back to the Aoiya.
"Are you with the Balancers?" Kenshin asked his expression unreadable as he hid his eyes under his bangs.
Kaoru nodded and produced another piece of paper.
I am what the Balancers call a mole. We are responsible for guiding people where needed. I cannot speak at the moment because we all take a poison when we go on a mission. It robs us of our speech.
"This is cruel way of ensuring loyalty," Kenshin hissed, eyes flaring. He came to the conclusion easily.
"But effective." Saitou nodded.
Kaoru only shrugged as she pointed to a general northern direction.
"We need to move on?" Saitou guessed accurately.
Kaoru nodded again and started running. They made good time running and keeping low. The moon was the only light in an otherwise pitch black forest but Kaoru navigated through them easily.
She only stopped by a small stream when a rickety raft was tied. Using the trees as cover for them, Kaoru surveyed the surroundings as warning bells rang in her head.
"We have company." Kenshin whispered, blending expertly into the shadows.
"Friends?" Saitou questioned, cocking his head towards her.
Kaoru shook her head. Only one mole was assigned to guide people, never more. Biting her lower lip, she considered her options. She only had until dawn to get back and the longer route asked too much.
Kaoru signaled for them to move forward. There was no better option.
The trio moved out into the open.
When they were nearing the raft, the first sign of trouble erupted behind them. Numerous masked men jumped out of the woods, throwing kunai and shuriken. Dodging them, Kaoru quickly readied the raft as Kenshin and Saitou fended the attackers off.
"Get the girl." One of them yelled as a new pack of them descended. Kaoru's lips thinned into a line. She was the real target.
Using a whip she had the foresight to bring, she kept the men at a distance. Kaoru was quickly calculating her chances, her feet were burnt and bleeding from the run and the distraction was effectively leaving her a lone ranger. Not great motivation.
Whistling to get Kenshin and Saitou's attention, Kaoru quickly launched the raft right to the middle of the stream. Kenshin and Saitou obviously had no problem zipping through the crowd to hop on the raft, those who followed were promptly smashed on the head into the river.
Kaoru used the strong current of the stream to leave the pursuers far behind.
All this while, Kenshin was boring holes into her with his eyes. Kaoru ignored his gaze and concentrated on her task. Her vision was becoming hazy, all in all a good reason to get back now. Kenshin was had slight cuts from some lucky shots while Saitou was marginally better. Wounds that irritated and had not damaged, for which Kaoru was relieved.
The time seemed to drag on until Kaoru anchored the raft to a pole much further downstream. The two men hopped off the raft gracefully as they tried to orient themselves in the forest. Kaoru stood at the raft, hesitant. Her feet were bleeding, leaving enough breadcrumbs for any three-year old to follow.
Kenshin noticed her dilemma and offered, "I could carry you."
Kaoru's head snapped up. She was not expecting him to take the fact that she was being used as a mole well.
"Do it. We need to get back soon, don't we?" Saitou snapped.
Kaoru nodded and almost cried when Kenshin swept her up in his arms. It was so warm.
Gathering herself, Kaoru pointed out the direction. Kenshin and Saitou ran quickly and silently through the forest as Kaoru clung to Kenshin's gi and occasionally adjusted the direction a little.
They almost reached the outskirts of Aoiya when Kaoru felt a sharp stabbing pain in her heart.
What's happening? Kaoru thought, bewildered. Her hand clutched her chest involuntarily as the pain came in waves. This is not supposed to happen.
"Kaoru, are you alright?" Kenshin asked his voice rumbling in his chest.
Kaoru could not answer as the pain grew sharper and her eyes started to sting. Frantically searching her mind for any clue, she started to panic. There was a strange faint smell when she entered the cabin to find Kenshin and Saitou. It was familiar in an unwanted way, almost like someone already knew a mole would be sent. Kaoru's eyes widened in horror.
Someone had used the Balancers practice of poisoning their moles to poison her further.
Carrion would know how to, Kaoru thought vindictively as the pain increased.
"We'll be there soon," Kenshin assured her or maybe himself as Kaoru started to curl in a protective ball in his arms.
By the time they reached the backdoor of Aoiya, Kaoru's eyes were dyed a bloody red. Tears of blood streamed down her pale cheeks as she fought to stay still in Kenshin's arms.
"Hey Kenshin, you're late." Sano cried out as he waved his hands. Beside him were Aoshi, Misao and surprisingly Megumi whom the Balancers had kidnapped, with medical supplies in hand. They were informed by Blade who was looking on that Kenshin and Saitou should be returning.
Thankfully, the poor lighting kept them from recognizing her until Kenshin and Saitou were approaching.
"Hey Ken-… Kaoru, is that you?" Sano gaped as he saw Kaoru crying bloody tears in Kenshin's arms. Megumi and Misao's jaws dropped while Aoshi's eyes only widened faintly.
Breathing heavily, Kaoru tried to reach out to Blade who had descended from her lookout position. Her flailing hand was caught in Blade's calloused ones as Blade inquired, "What the heck happened to you?"
Kaoru ignored the pain coursing through her and painstakingly signaled a few hand signals.
Blade's face grew grave as she interpreted the signals. "I'll go get my antidotes, you hang in there. Do not fall asleep!" Blade instructed as she ran off. The main reason Blade was assigned to the Aoiya is that she was a poison expert thus able to keep an eye out for underhanded tactics that could be employed by the enemy.
The force which Blade pulled Kaoru as she left caused Kaoru to fall out of Kenshin's arms and fall hard onto the floor.
"Kaoru!" Kenshin called out as he gathered her in his arms. Kaoru was too busy trying not to pass out to give a reply. Stars were doing the waltz in her eyes as Megumi took charge of the situation.
"Get her inside the house. Boil water. I need clean linen," Megumi ordered as everybody in the yard scrambled to help, except Saitou who only took a long drag of his cigarette.
Hope you all like this chapter.
Pls R&R!
many thanks to ginny for beta.