The Intricacies of Fate
Chapter 14- Beyond The Line
Disclaimers: Standard RK and Flame of Recca disclaimers apply. I do not own any of the characters that would appear in this fic. I am merely borrowing them, if I owned them, I would have animated the Jinchuu Arc series long ago and the second part of FOR. Please don't sue, I'm a good kid.
//- indicates thoughts
// kokoro // - indicates telepathic communication (between Kaoru, Misao)
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// I can't believe we've been captured!// thought Aoshi as he was bound against the wall with steel manacles that bit into his ankles, chest and wrists. The others were bound similarly, with Recca encased in a fire-proof orb that was suspended fifty feet from the ceiling of the laboratory.
It was a cheap ninja trick that served as their downfall. It was an illusion trick that was done so cleverly that they had fallen straight into the enemy's hands.
Everything had gone on well after he and Kenshin located the hideout by following their instinct. But along the way they encountered an illusion that they had no defense for.
It was an image of Kaoru and Misao beseeching for help. Their hands were tied behind their backs, their clothes ragged and dirty. While the rest had bent down to help them, Kenshin and Aoshi's mind was in turmoil. Misao and Kaoru were right in front of them and yet, something felt wrong.
Poison darts began to rain all over them, so fast that Recca, Tokiya or Fuuko were able to catch all. Inevitably, the poisoned needles pierced their skin, rendering them instantly unconscious. It was such a dirty trick that sacrificed the lives of the illusion masters but to the extent that it was a trap successfully carried out.
Right now, held by steel and their weapons taken from them; they were helpless in the most dangerous place for an enemy of Koran Mori. They were in the testing laboratory in the belly of the Uruha's headquarters.
Fuuko was strapped onto a metal table while Koganei was being electricuted, punished for his betrayal of Uruha. Two scientists observed Fuuko carefully, making notes and comparisons. Every now and then, they'd poke Fuuko with a surgical knife while the charts would register changes coming from the wires attached on Fuuko.
"Yes, she's strong... but her lack of control denotes less control and less magnitude of power," murmured Dr. Shura as she walked away from Fuuko who was gritting her teeth at the agony of the experimental stabs. Dr. Amakusa nodded in agreement and dropped the surgical knife. Shura walked over to the captives, stopping before Kenshin and looking at him as if she'd never look away.
"Why is she looking at Kenshin like that?" Tokiya asked Aoshi quietly. Aoshi looked briefly at Kenshin before wearily dropping his head. The poison still made him feel weak and groggy, his muscles felt flaccid as he tried to fist his hand. "Looks like there's history between them," he answered before closing his eyes to gather his strength.
"Kenshin, what are you doing here? Are those Kirisawa sisters a job for you?" asked Shura softly, her glistening eyes gazing into Kenshin's purple eyes. Still light-headed from the effects of the poison, Kenshin smiled slightly upon recognizing her voice. "Shura-dono, I knew you'd find a way to make money for your family," said Kenshin before Shura slammed her fist against his chest.
"Baka! Why would you be so foolish as to go against the Uruha? Koran Mori would never give up the girls you seek to find, never!" exclaimed Shura before succumbing to tears. Everybody's eyes were wide-open at hearing the exchange between the two. Kenshin suddenly raised his head and gazed at Shura with lucid eyes. "Where's Kaoru and Misao?" he asked softly.
With sudden comprehension, Shura backed away from Kenshin with hurt and hate-filled eyes. "Iie! You love her don't you? That girl who keeps calling out your name every time we torture her!" whispered Shura hoarsely. With eyes that blazed with a similar hate, Kenshin asked her, trembling in rage, "You tortured Kaoru?"
Backing away from the wrath in Kenshin's eyes, she turned to look at Aoshi who was also tensed in anger. She gave a false laugh. "Aa, we tortured the both of them so much they fell into a coma!" hissed Shura before Dr. Amakusa took her arm and led her away from the prisoners. "Dr.Shura, calm down, don't provoke those men, they are highly unstable and dangerous," pacified Shogo as he checked the security once more.
"Did you torture Misao and Kaoru?" asked Aoshi angrily as Shogo looked at him intently for a moment. Fuuko who was stretched out on the operating table lifted her head wearily. "If you hurt them I swear you'll know pain you've never known before," vowed Fuuko before Shura jammed a surgical knife against her side.
"Shut up! You're helpless and you're not going to escape like they did!" shouted Shura totally unnerved by the strange aura emanating from their captives. The aura of rage banished abruptly.
"They've escaped?" asked Kenshin as his amber eyes turned back to violet. Aoshi sagged wearily against his bonds, overcome with relief. Fuuko rested her head against the cool metal table, the glow of magic diminishing. She felt unspeakably cold and yet in the deepest recesses of her mind, she can hear a faint call. // Hold on, we're coming...//
"Kaoru...Misao..." she whispered before closing her eyes. She saw Koran Mori step inside the laboratory and a chill washed over her spine. Koran Mori exchanged a few words with Aoshi who began trembling in rage.
"Oh, don't worry Kirisawa, they'll come back. Even if it's just the two of them, they'll always come back for you," sneered Koran Mori as he took Dr. Shura's place in the surgery table, brandishing the surgical knife.
"I should have done this for those two witches before they got away... but at least I get to do it to you," said Mori as he began to laugh. He lowered the knife slowly, watching the determination that burned so fiercely in Fuuko's eyes. He met her gaze as he started, feeling the girl's body flinch in reaction to his knife.
"Fuuko!" yelled Tokiya, struggling madly against his bonds. "Fuuko-onechan!" cried Kuroganei as Fuuko fought against the white-hot pain.
Twisting, trying to evade the knife that pierced and dragged so tauntingly slow Fuuko tried to focus her mind on the rage. She looked at Koran Mori and realized that he wanted to see her use the power. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she looked up at his face and muttered, "You heartless bastard!"
A moment later, her control vanished as she screamed, unable to withstand the torture.
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Like two shadows, they swept inside the Uruha's facilities, wrecking as much damage as a plague. Blood spilled from where they walked and despite the odds, for the enemy it seemed that there was no hope of mercy for them.
In a quick blur that matched Kenshin at his best form and technique, Kaoru swiftly dispatched a half dozen men with one stroke of her katana. Even as she swung in a graceful arc, her hand flashed out in as streaks of fire obliterated the other half dozen. Misao's movements were even a swifter blur, crushing throats with a kick even as she let released kunais from two hands. The kunais' tips were glinting blue and as soon as they struck an enemy, it would release breath-stealing electricity.
With empty hands, Misao faced three men. The ninjas backed off slightly and then grinned when they realized Misao had no kunais left. To their surprise, Misao gave a savage looking grin. "Surprise boys," whispered Misao softly and in one instant to the next, she appeared right in front of them, her hands and legs moving in inhuman speed.
Her elbow crushed the windpipe of the man right in front of her, her fist knocking the ninja beside him down and as she turned, she kicked the other in his kidneys, feeling the small organ burst open at the strength of her kick. She flew into a backflip, catching the fallen ninja down on his back, her feet on each side of his neck. She smiled down almost benevolently at him as she said cheerfully, "Oyasumi." With a pivot, she snapped his neck broken and walked away from the corpse.
Kaoru was just drawing her katana out of the bodies of three ninja but since it was stuck, she gave the still moaning men a kick that hurtled them away against the wall. Grimly, she examined the bloody sword. Blood ran in rivulets down the glimmering edge. "Disgusting," muttered Kaoru as she flicked the blood away from the blade.
"I think it's beautiful," disagreed Misao as she glanced down at the endless rows of corpses. In a flash, Misao drew out more kunais and the tips gleamed bluish in the dim light. There were four kunais in each hand and she gripped them fiercely. "Let's end this now," she said as Kaoru stepped forward.
"Aa. All will end tonight," stated Kaoru as she began stalking forward, following Misao's rapid steps.
They met more ninjas on the way, some were even Uruha assassins but it was of little challenge to their wrath.
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"They're here," said Koran Mori in satisfaction as he withdrew his surgical knife from Fuuko's collarbone. Trembling in pain, with sweat and tears running down her face, Fuuko moaned softly. Kaoru and Misao's presence was close, so close and she can feel the blood that clung so thickly around the two.
At his words, he walked over to Aoshi, quickly jabbing the surgical knife in his side. Aoshi grunted as Mori left the knife sticking inside him. Mori paused and said, "Even though you're the okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, I'm afraid I can't let you live Aoshi." With a wicked laugh, he pressed a red button as he walked out of the room.
"Sayonara, minna," he said before closing the fiberglass door of the torture chamber.
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Koran Mori was waiting for them outside the laboratory, sitting on a high-backed chair.
Kaoru stood stiffly, her shoulder bleeding as she clutched the wound, her other hand holding the katana. Misao's temple was bleeding and there were bruises on her cheek. She still held three blue-tipped kunais in her hand. Their dark ninja clothes were splattered with blood, making the black fabric seem as if half was coated in red.
"Looks like you defeated all my subordinates," drawled Koran Mori as he absently fingered a small panel of buttons. He smiled suddenly as he pressed the blue button. A fiberglass orb with Recca imprisoned inside was lowered from the ceiling. He was banging against the cage, trying futilely to free himself the orb.
Raiha and Kurei emerged from the shadows as well, wearing grim masks. Raiha's raijin flashed in warning as Kurei's fire flared readily. His flame, Scarlet bore not even a trace of a human soul... it was lost when the ceremony was interrupted. Their faces bore no hint of mercy, no sign of the men who had given them aid and weapons earlier in the night. They were once again, Koran Mori's mercenaries. Koran Mori gestured vaguely at the two.
"These two... they are the greatest warriors of Uruha. I wouldn't have hesitated to place my life on the strength but now... I'm not so sure. But they know their duty to me. If you two witches wouldn't bind my soul to Hanabishi's body, you wouldn't live to free your beloved swordsmen and cousin," announced Koran Mori as he leaned back against his chair, watching the tension slowly thicken after threatening the lives of Shirofuji and Hikoshichiro.
"You know we would fight you to the death just to save their lives," said Misao in a monotone, her eyes straying briefly in Kurei and Raiha's direction. Her short glance also included them, showing that she would allow no mercy in the face of battle. Kaoru pointed her gleaming sword towards the three figures who bared their way from rescuing Aoshi and Kenshin. Koran Mori merely shrugged as he gestured for Raiha and Kurei to match up against Kaoru and Misao.
"To the death then Koran Mori," stated Kaoru as she stepped into a Kamiya Kasshin Ryu fighting stance. Kurei faced Kaoru while Misao and Raiha faced each other grimly. Kaoru's sword gleamed with a white fire, turning her katana blade white. Misao flicked her kunais in each hand, each tip glistening blue.
"Let's finish this battle now Raiha and see who's the victor," challenged Misao as Kurei drew Scarlet fully out.
Kurei gave a grimly dark smile. "The final battle begins now Kirisawa sisters. The battle for your lives," he announced as the air shimmered with power and tension, signifying the storm that brewed imminently.
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Author's Notes:
Please R&R minna. If you noticed that Misao and Kaoru's characters were totally out of the ordinary in this part (re: powers, blood-thirsty killing), my first explanation for their power is that, since they'll be facing off Kurei and Raiha in the final battle, I decided to even out the odds and give them powers of their own (Binding Spells). Misao's blue-tipped kunais were a lightning ability, while Kaoru's katana was white fire, signifying a death carried out for the noblest intention-- to save the life of another. I know this is such a contradiction to her Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu but in this battle, they cannot afford to lose. Besides, earlier on, they were captured and tortured by Mori's men, I don't think either Kaoru or Misao feel any love for them to spare their lives. Both women are bad-tempered enough to be depicted as a hitokiri (sort of) but calm enough to carry out the deed.
~*Jo-chan
