Chapter 9

The smack resounded through out the room. It had to hurt but his smile never faltered. He just looked up at his attacker with a bittersweet realization in his eyes. He knew he wasn't getting out of here alive. Saitou glared down at him with a blank stare. Okita sat next to him and sighed, trying to ignore how alike he and the prisoner looked.

"Just talk," Okita finally settled on.

"I'm not a traitor like you," Soujirou replied, smiling at his double. "First your family, now your employer."

Okita's smile twitched a bit but Saitou had already moved forward to deliver another blow. Kenshin caught his arm and shook his head.

"It's not working," he said. "There's no point in continuing."

Saitou shook his arm free and walked back to his spot on the tub's edge. Kenshin looked at Soujirou and frowned. The younger man was staring at the tiles on the bathroom floor seemingly oblivious to everything. The rest of the group, minus Aoshi and Hiko who simply couldn't fit in the cramped bathroom, continued to stare at him relentlessly.

"Seta-san," Kenshin began, "understand that none of us want to harm you. But you have people who are very precious to us and we need to know where they are."

Soujirou just smiled. Kenshin quickly stilled the anger in his chest, pushing back the twinges of amber that were slowly emerging in his eyes.

"We could trade him," Sano offered suddenly. "For the women. He is high enough in the ranks that he would prove to useful…"

"The Juppongatana won't play that game," Hiko's voice carried from outside. "They'd sooner kill him then loose an advantage."

"They probably have a remote device to administer cyanide already in him," Okita replied. "They do that with their employees."

"Even you?" Saitou asked.

"Well they tried with me," Okita shrugged. "But I was a bit smarter then to fall for the whole 'Internal ID badge routine'." Something in Soujirou shifted and Okita saw it out of the corner of his eye. Apparently, his double hadn't realized that.

"How long until they activate it?" Kenshin asked.

"He'll have to check in soon, with or without Makamachi-san," Okita paused. "…I think I have an idea." He motioned for everyone to move outside and left Soujirou locked in the bathroom chained to a chair.

Left by himself, Soujirou only had the company of his thoughts to keep him occupied. And they were arguing inside his head.

Impossible… Shishio-sama would have told me! He would have trusted me enough…

Are you so sure about that? Doesn't this fit his philosophy?

The weak die, the strong survive. But… but I am strong.

You were captured. You are weak.

I can escape. I'll get out of here.

You've already compromised the Juppongatana by being caught. The moment they find out…

NO! I won't believe it. I've been with Shishio for most of my life, he wouldn't…

When you worked for the Hiten, you had to call in every day. You had to constantly prove your loyalty.

That doesn't mean…

What does it mean then? If he trusted you then, he wouldn't have had you do that. If he trusted you now, you wouldn't have that ticking time bomb in your wrist.

Soujirou shook his head to quell the voices. No… it wasn't possible. It couldn't be. But there would be only one way to find out for sure.

* * *

"No," Aoshi said firmly. Misao looked at him pleadingly but she knew this was going to be tough. Acting as bait for Soujirou had been hard enough. And it had only been when he had managed to reassure himself that he would be close by. But this…

"Just consider it," Okita stated. "I know we're walking into the lion's den but I can get her inside without anyone stopping me. Most of them mistake me for Seta-san anyway."

"And what good would it do?" Aoshi stated. "They'll separate you eventually and it's not as if she'll be allowed to keep any weapons on her."

"I'll tell them she's clean and besides, she can carry weapons they can't find on a body search."

"I've done it before," Misao added.

"What I don't like is that we will lose her," Kenshin said. "You don't know where they're going to bring her after you've dropped her off."

"More importantly," Aoshi added, "wouldn't Seta-san just bring her to wherever the rest of the girls are? You said that your refusal to have the ID chip limited your access to their areas so you don't even know where they are!"

"We'll skirt around that," Okita said. "I'll tell them I'm being followed. There are two locations in town that I've been using to communicate with the Juppongatana. They have agents there that will take her."

"Then I'll go with them and find the other girls and we bust out of there."

"Wrong," Aoshi replied. "You will have a tracking device and we will follow you in there."

"You can't do that," Okita said. "It'll have to emit a radio signal and they have scanners to pick that up."

"And they don't have metal detector to pick up weapons that she might have," Aoshi replied back.

"We're not going to use metal," Okita replied. "We can use plastic and…"

"Aoshi," Misao said. "Give us another way." Aoshi paused and look back towards the door. "One that doesn't involve separating Seta-san into small pieces."

"And one that happens relatively quickly," Okita said.

Aoshi let out a deep breath as he glared at Okita and nodded.

* * *

"Damn it!"

"Language, Kaoru," Megumi chastised.

Kaoru snorted and then started to laugh. She let her hands fall and ignored the sharp burning that was edging around her wrists from her efforts to escape. "Sorry."

"I told you it wouldn't work," Tokio said. "You really are stubborn."

"I'm just sick of sitting here," Kaoru responded.

"I told you," Tokio replied, "help is on the way."

Kaoru was about to say something more when the door in front of her opened. Two men walked in dragging yet another unconscious woman.

"Misao," she said softly, recognized the long braid trailing behind.

The guards worked quickly and secured her, departing before Tokio could toss a quick retort at them.

"Woo hoo us," Megumi said sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru asked.

"All the years about whining how women can be the same as men and look at us," Megumi continued. "Waiting for our men to rescue us."

"Not exactly," Misao croaked as she came to.

"Misao!" Kaoru said happily. "You're all right."

"Yeah," she said trying to shake the last of the drug out of her head. Well, at least it could have gone worse. But there was something… something she was desperately trying to remember. But no matter how hard she tried, she just could grab onto the fragmented memory.

"…said before you were captured?"

"Huh?" Misao said, missing the tail end of Tokio's question.

"Misao, are you sure you're okay?" Megumi asked.

"Yes… no… wait, I think I'm going to be sick," she cried just before dumping the contents of her stomach on her lap.

"It's okay," Megumi said in her best doctor tone. "It's probably just a reaction to whatever they gave you."

Misao blinked and looked down in her lap. It wasn't a pretty sight except…

"Misao," Tokio snapped, "were you hiding something in your stomach?"

"I think so," Misao said. "Yeah, looks like a plastic lock pick."

"You stored something in your stomach?" Megumi demanded.

"It was the only way to get something through," Misao replied.

"Misao, quickly pass the pick over to me."

Misao nodded and leaned down, ignoring the smell as best she could before she cried out in pain.

"Misao!" Kaoru cried trying to see what ailed her friend.

"It's okay," Misao said. "I broke my wrist earlier. It just hurt."

"You can do it," Tokio said firmly. "Try again."

Misao steeled herself and leaned down to her lap, feeling the binding on her hands pull and dig into the shattered bone. Tears sprung from her eyes as she did and she grit her teeth shut to keep from crying out.

Finally she could feel the plastic brush against her lips and she opened her mouth quickly, snapping it shut around the pick. Her head snapped back and she tried to stifle the sobs of pain as she looked over to where Tokio was.

The older woman craned her neck around and carefully closed her mouth on the end sticking out of Misao's lips. Once Tokio was sure she had it, she nodded to let Misao know that she could let go.

"Good job Misao," Kaoru said quickly, hearing her start to sob out loud. "You did a good job."

Tokio would have agreed but she was more concerned in getting her neck to twist around enough so she could get a good drop to her hands. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best, letting the pick fall out of her hands and into her waiting hands.

"Yes," she smiled as she felt her fingers wrap around the plastic. She paused and looked over both her shoulders. "Megumi, I'm going to free you first. I don't think Misao will be able to free us with that wrist."

"But… but I don't know how to pick a lock!"

"I'll walk you through it," Tokio said working slowly on the lock. "And I think Misao's going to need your help first.

Kaoru whipped around and saw Misao had slumped forward in her chair. "Hurry up, I can't tell if she breathing!"

Tokio worked as best she could, struggling to keep all her emotions in check, knowing that sweat on her hands would make her lose her grip. The plastic was obviously special engineered and it barely bent as she shoved it into the lock of Megumi's arm bindings. Her wrists screamed mercy, her fingers threatened to cramp up and just when she felt that she was going to lose her grip…

"Hurry Megumi!" Kaoru said, hearing the shackles hit the ground. "Her lips are turning blue."

Megumi stood up quickly and raced over to the unconscious form of Misao. It occurred to her as she was moving to wonder why the room didn't have security cameras. Wouldn't they want to keep an eye on their prisoners?

And then, as if to answer her, the door opened and reinforcements arrived in the form of Megumi's worst nightmare.

* * *

Misao looked at the table with the glass of water and the plastic lock pick. This was the last step, everything else was good to go. Okita had changed into Seta-san clothes, he was practicing his speech as she sat here.

She reached forward to pick up the device and she watched as his hands came down over hers. She looked up into his eyes and saw something there that she never thought she would. With her free hand, she slowly brushed at his eyes, trying to contain her own tears.

"You have to do this," Aoshi stated firmly as if the convince them both and she nodded. "There is no other way." And she nodded again.

"Then just remember this," he continued. "That no matter what happens, I will come to get you. And… more importantly…I…"

* * *

"MEGUMI!" Kaoru screamed watching as her friend backpedaled at the advancing form. Megumi's eyes were wide open in shock and she sought some escape.

"Well, well. It looks like you managed to escape. That's all right, I've got the perfect place to put you."

Megumi shook her head, watching as Kanyruu moved towards her.

"A perfect little box."

Megumi's eyes started to water. Not again… not at again… any one but him…

"I might not be able to help you face your fears but I can give you a chance to practice your fighting."

"A warm and toasty little place…"

"Practice helps. And facing your fears."

"Where you can relive your mistakes over and over again.'

"That's not about techniques. It's about confidence. It's hard to have that when you're face with something that you're afraid of."

Megumi's eyes snapped shut and when she opened them again, the remnants of tears flew from them. She started at him, Sano's words suddenly more overpowering then anything he was saying. And she saw him for what he was, a small little man.

"Either hit the stomach or the neck. You're a doctor, you should know that."

A small little man who was about to get his ass kicked.

She yelled, not a scream of terror or of anger but of pure unadulterated ki, energy pent up in her body from the years of self torment, of self abuse, of anger and sadness, pain and loneliness and the final realization that this was the end of all that.

Kanyruu blinked once in surprise and then Megumi's fist made contact. Blood shot through his nose and he fell backwards, his head hitting the ground with a resounding thud and knocking him out cold.

"That was for my family," Megumi said staring down at the body.

She turned back towards Misao and quickly checked her mouth, finding something lodged in her throat. It took a second but she freed it and quickly began to force breath into the younger girl's lungs.

"…I love you…" Misao whispered.

Megumi laughed. "Well, I'm fond of you too."

Misao blinked and looked around. "Where am I?"

"You're in a Juppongatana cell," Megumi said, checking the girl's eyes out to see if she was focusing her eyes.

"I… remember…" Misao struggled. "There was something I had to remember."

"The lock pick?" Kaoru asked. "We have it!"

"Speaking of which," Tokio said. "I doubt that was the last of the guards. And no matter what a mean right hook Takani-san has, I think she's going to need back up."

* * *

Soujirou frowned. He could her them just outside his door. They were making final plans and he could do anything to stop them.

Weak.

Shut up.

You are weak.

SHUT UP!

But it was hard to silence the voice of truth. He needed to get out of here. The door opened and Sano came in.

"Now don't get any funny ideas," Sano said, staring at him. "But I need your clothes."

Soujirou smiled, despite the fact that he was about to be stripped and the fact that a very angry looking Saitou was standing behind Sano with a full loaded pistol. It was difficult to get the clothes off him while he was still tied up so the ropes had to be loosened. He didn't move just smiled as Saitou eyed him critically.

They left with his clothes and not realizing that the ropes were not as tight as they used to be. He felt his broken wrist protest and realized that it was in his advantage. He waited, listening at they shuffled around, making final preparations.

Then Okita and the girl were gone. He just had to wait a few more minutes, to make sure they couldn't call them back and then he could put his plan into motion.

* * *

Sano sighed as he lay back on the bed. "So now we got to wait?" he asked.

Kenshin nodded. "Shisho and Saitou said they would follow Okita and Misao as much as they could. Aoshi is trying to get some of the JIA satellites to do the same."

Sano nodded and tried to close his eyes. "You can sleep," Kenshin said, watching his friend's movements. "I can watch Seta-san."

Sano shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Ne, Kenshin?"

"Hai?"

"Did you ever think you'd end up here?"

"In Venice ?"

"No… well, I mean yeah… I mean… did you think things would turn out the way they have?"

Kenshin looked at the window and smiled slightly. "No. No I didn't."

"All the problems, though, it's been worth it, ne?"

"Hai, de gozaru."

Sano smiled a bit at his friend's trademark expression. "And it will be, ne?"

"Hai," Kenshin said firmly.

Suddenly there was a sound in the bathroom and both men leaped towards the door. Before they could open it, it burst open and Soujirou took off, bounding over them as they fell backwards and crashing through the window.

"Shit!" Sano cried, watching him disappear.

By then, Soujirou was gone.

But so was Kenshin.

* * *

"Shhhh…" Tokio said, staring back at her three women behind her.

"I can't help it!" Kaoru responded. "Misao's heavy."

"Oi," the little girl protested.

"Come on Kaoru, I've had to drag your drunk ass home a couple of time and you're twice as big as her," Megumi said.

"OI!" Kaoru cried out.

"SHHHH!" Tokio cried. "This is not a field trip! This is an escape attempt and…"

Tokio dropped the sentence and moved quickly, a blur of black as she attacked the guard that was approaching them. With a responding crack, she hit the temple on his head and the man collapsed onto the ground.

"…we need to be quiet," she finished, retrieving the gun from the man's belt. "There, that should even the odds a bit."

"Yeah one gun against an entire base," Kaoru said sarcastically. "You should do just great."

Tokio tossed the gun at her. "My hands are my weapons," Tokio smiled. "You can use the toy." Kaoru glared but threw the safety off the gun and checked the chamber. "Besides, we just need to find the exit. We're not going to take down the entire base."

"So we should follow the signs," Megumi said, pointing the red exit sign.

Tokio's head snapped up and she frowned. "Well… of course, that's what I was…"

Kaoru snickered, Misao smiled and even Megumi looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

"Oh shut up," Tokio snapped as she moved forward, strafing around the hall corner to make sure it was clear.

It was almost too easy, Kaoru realized. There was no resistance. No one to stop them. No one even guarding the exit door. She saw Tokio frown and nodded. She didn't like it either.

"WAIT!"

Tokio's hand dropped from the handle and she whipped around, watching as Kaoru mimicked her movement with the gun.

"Okita?" Tokio asked.

"Yeah," he nodded quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Tokio demanded.

"Makamachi-san didn't tell you?"

Megumi looked down at Misao, seeing her brow furrowed in concentration. "I can't… remember."

"It doesn't matter," Okita said, shaking his head. "Just listen to me, we need too…"

"Hell no," Kaoru said. "I know you're Seta Soujirou. He's the one…"

"No, he's not," Tokio stated. "It's hard to explain but…" Misao said. "Just believe me. Okita just looks like Seta-san." Kaoru paused.

She lowered the gun. "Fine," she frowned. "So what's the big hold up anyway?"

"This isn't the way out," Okita said. "But I know where it is. Just follow me."

Kaoru nodded and helped Misao up, walking slowly after her with Megumi on the other side. The only one left was Tokio and for some reason, she couldn't move. Something just wasn't sitting right. She couldn't put her finger on it but suddenly… suddenly she wished she had the gun.

Author's note : Yes, it took way longer then it should. But I had one week lost to Anime Boston and one lost to Easter (I'm Greek Orthodox so my Easter was last Sunday). This chapter ends with a bit of a cliff hanger and the funny part is… this isn't even the one I was planning. If I continued, it would have take another five pages to finish off this chapter so I'll just save it for the next one.

And one more thing: VOTE VOTE VOTE!!

The RK Awards are up and running again :) Go here : to vote for your favority stories.