Chapter 10- Desperation
"Genichi..Genichi no.." Aoshi's head snapped up. "GENICHI!!!"
"Aoshi! It's all right, calm down!!" A soft voice called to him. He found himself in the familiar old temple, though it was almost too dark to tell. He squinted to see who it was that stood over him.
"Omasu, where is he?" Aoshi half-asked, half-demanded. "Where is my."
She shook her head sadly. "They.they took him, Aoshi-san."
Panic seized his aching form. "Who.who took him?"
Okina hobbled towards the bed, leaning heavily on a crutch. "Some terrorists burned down the Aoiya and took.took Genichi."
Aoshi was silent now, his arms resting in his lap, his head bent low. How could he have let this happen? Why his son? The last thing he remembered was shoving Genichi behind him and going for his kodachi. Then something hard hit him behind the head. Before blacking out, he had heard his son cry out for him.
His hands balled up into fists. "I'll get him back."
The Oniwaban gasped, but then nodded. But Okina frowned. "Aoshi, you've been out for an entire day now."
Aoshi's eyes met his in an "I dare you to get in my way" expression. But the old ninja's gaze remained firm, unmoved.
"I'm not saying that you should rest some more." He said slowly. "We couldn't shackle you to that bed if we tried. But what I am saying for you to do, is to wait for someone to help you."
The okashira read him like a book and snarled. "I will not have Himura take any part in this."
"Excuse me, sir." Kumo spoke up hesitantly. "But I think it's a little late for that." He stepped aside from the door as four people came in. It was Kenshin, Kaoru, Kenji, and Yahiko!
Kenshin's serious demeanor upon first entering changed back to normal. "I think we know who to look for, that we do."
Yahiko's face never looked so serious. "It's a league of terrorists known as the Jigoku Blades."
Aoshi's frown deepened. "What do you have on them?"
"We looked into their history a little ourselves, sir." Shiro said, handing him a piece of paper. The okashira sat up in bed some more so he could see with the lantern.
"The group was formed not long ago, when the Tokugawa Dynasty was ending." Shiro went on.
"And since then, they've been gathering more and more loyalists to wreak havoc on those who helped to establish the Meiji Era." Okina finished. "Hai, I remember the name well."
Aoshi finished reading and glanced up at the crowd. "We've faced them once before."
"Hai, back before you even became the okashira." Okina agreed. "Perhaps they found out about us while traveling through and decided."
".That now would be a perfect time for revenge." Kenshin concluded.
"Okon, my kodachi." Aoshi ordered sternly.
She didn't object and rushed to get them. Trying not to show any signs of pain, he shifted so his feet dangled off the floor before standing. Okon returned with his weapons and his trench coat.
Once he was back in gear, the okashira shuffled out the door and into the evening air. The wind ruffled his long, unruly hair in the direction of the east. He took a step forward. "Himura."
Kenshin nodded. "Hai, I'm coming." He peered over his shoulder towards his own family. "Kaoru, Kenji, Yahiko. You all should stay here, you should. Aoshi and I will settle this." With that, he headed after the already departing okashira.
Okina, Shiro, and the others watched them go. "Do you think we should follow?" Kumo asked.
Okina gazed thoughtfully after the duo. He shook his head. "No, we will wait here. Aoshi would prefer to settle this all on his own anyway."
Yahiko scoffed. "Aw crap! I'm not gonna sit around here at this dreary place and wait for them to come back half-dead!"
"Oh no you don't!" Kaoru intervened, grabbing him by the back of the shirt.
"Let go of me, you.KENJI! GET BACK HERE!!!"
Little Kenji zipped away into the tall grass, his amber ponytail bouncing over his head. "Father and Aoshi aren't going to do this alone!" he thought determinedly.
"That stupid baka!" Yahiko cursed, breaking away from Kaoru to speed after him. "Kenji! Wait up!"
"Kenji! Yahiko!" Kaoru called, but the Oniwaban members held her back.
Okina shook his head. "Those two know better than to go barging in there. It would be best if you stayed, Miss Kaoru."
Her blue eyes filled with worry, she stole one last glance the departing warriors. By now Kenshin and Aoshi had disappeared and Kenji and Yahiko were fast vanishing into the night. "Be careful."
.......
"Boss! Hey boss!"
The band of raggedly-dressed warriors paused in their campfire meal as one of their own came running at them. He presented them all with a yellow- toothed smirk. "The plan worked! They're coming up over the hill!"
Everyone else smiled equally disgusting smiles before turning their attention to the cloaked figure at the front. A faint snicker escaped his concealed mouth. "Excellent.excellent."
"Genichi..Genichi no.." Aoshi's head snapped up. "GENICHI!!!"
"Aoshi! It's all right, calm down!!" A soft voice called to him. He found himself in the familiar old temple, though it was almost too dark to tell. He squinted to see who it was that stood over him.
"Omasu, where is he?" Aoshi half-asked, half-demanded. "Where is my."
She shook her head sadly. "They.they took him, Aoshi-san."
Panic seized his aching form. "Who.who took him?"
Okina hobbled towards the bed, leaning heavily on a crutch. "Some terrorists burned down the Aoiya and took.took Genichi."
Aoshi was silent now, his arms resting in his lap, his head bent low. How could he have let this happen? Why his son? The last thing he remembered was shoving Genichi behind him and going for his kodachi. Then something hard hit him behind the head. Before blacking out, he had heard his son cry out for him.
His hands balled up into fists. "I'll get him back."
The Oniwaban gasped, but then nodded. But Okina frowned. "Aoshi, you've been out for an entire day now."
Aoshi's eyes met his in an "I dare you to get in my way" expression. But the old ninja's gaze remained firm, unmoved.
"I'm not saying that you should rest some more." He said slowly. "We couldn't shackle you to that bed if we tried. But what I am saying for you to do, is to wait for someone to help you."
The okashira read him like a book and snarled. "I will not have Himura take any part in this."
"Excuse me, sir." Kumo spoke up hesitantly. "But I think it's a little late for that." He stepped aside from the door as four people came in. It was Kenshin, Kaoru, Kenji, and Yahiko!
Kenshin's serious demeanor upon first entering changed back to normal. "I think we know who to look for, that we do."
Yahiko's face never looked so serious. "It's a league of terrorists known as the Jigoku Blades."
Aoshi's frown deepened. "What do you have on them?"
"We looked into their history a little ourselves, sir." Shiro said, handing him a piece of paper. The okashira sat up in bed some more so he could see with the lantern.
"The group was formed not long ago, when the Tokugawa Dynasty was ending." Shiro went on.
"And since then, they've been gathering more and more loyalists to wreak havoc on those who helped to establish the Meiji Era." Okina finished. "Hai, I remember the name well."
Aoshi finished reading and glanced up at the crowd. "We've faced them once before."
"Hai, back before you even became the okashira." Okina agreed. "Perhaps they found out about us while traveling through and decided."
".That now would be a perfect time for revenge." Kenshin concluded.
"Okon, my kodachi." Aoshi ordered sternly.
She didn't object and rushed to get them. Trying not to show any signs of pain, he shifted so his feet dangled off the floor before standing. Okon returned with his weapons and his trench coat.
Once he was back in gear, the okashira shuffled out the door and into the evening air. The wind ruffled his long, unruly hair in the direction of the east. He took a step forward. "Himura."
Kenshin nodded. "Hai, I'm coming." He peered over his shoulder towards his own family. "Kaoru, Kenji, Yahiko. You all should stay here, you should. Aoshi and I will settle this." With that, he headed after the already departing okashira.
Okina, Shiro, and the others watched them go. "Do you think we should follow?" Kumo asked.
Okina gazed thoughtfully after the duo. He shook his head. "No, we will wait here. Aoshi would prefer to settle this all on his own anyway."
Yahiko scoffed. "Aw crap! I'm not gonna sit around here at this dreary place and wait for them to come back half-dead!"
"Oh no you don't!" Kaoru intervened, grabbing him by the back of the shirt.
"Let go of me, you.KENJI! GET BACK HERE!!!"
Little Kenji zipped away into the tall grass, his amber ponytail bouncing over his head. "Father and Aoshi aren't going to do this alone!" he thought determinedly.
"That stupid baka!" Yahiko cursed, breaking away from Kaoru to speed after him. "Kenji! Wait up!"
"Kenji! Yahiko!" Kaoru called, but the Oniwaban members held her back.
Okina shook his head. "Those two know better than to go barging in there. It would be best if you stayed, Miss Kaoru."
Her blue eyes filled with worry, she stole one last glance the departing warriors. By now Kenshin and Aoshi had disappeared and Kenji and Yahiko were fast vanishing into the night. "Be careful."
.......
"Boss! Hey boss!"
The band of raggedly-dressed warriors paused in their campfire meal as one of their own came running at them. He presented them all with a yellow- toothed smirk. "The plan worked! They're coming up over the hill!"
Everyone else smiled equally disgusting smiles before turning their attention to the cloaked figure at the front. A faint snicker escaped his concealed mouth. "Excellent.excellent."
