Disclaimer: I do not own the Rurouni Kenshin series or any of its creations. However, I do own Mina, Chanelle, Kenka and Toya. ^-^x
Code Catfight – Chapter 5 – By Cherry Chibi
'Struggles with one'
* * * *
Kaoru's eyes were reddened. Bloody code. Stupid trials. Why did her mother ever decide to enforce it anyway? For the sake of the female gender was her mother's answer one time. 'Well, mum, you can stuff that bloody theory up Persephone's ass. I'm going to get myself knocked out.'
She pushed herself from the wall and walked through the dark alleys. It had been a week or so since she had been here. Being the boss of the place required her to come frequently but because of the code, everything had slowed a bit.
When she reached the Dragon's Flame nightclub, she passed the woman who guarded the doors and entered. The women who were dressed as bartenders, waitresses and other roles bowed respectably to their leader.
Kaoru smiled weakly at them before slumping on the stool at the bar. Music was playing softly in the background. The nightclub was dim. Not a scent of smoke in the air.
"Akurei! What are you doing here?" A woman with waist long black hair and chocolate brown eyes gasped. She was about 24 years old. Kenka eyed her leader anxiously. It wasn't normal for Kaoru to come to the nightclub so late. Something must have happened. Her boss was looking like a half dead corpse.
"Give me a Tia Maria…" Kaoru said. Her voice was oozing with the sense of hurt.
Kenka shook her head. "You can't take alcohol Akurei, I won't allow it, we all know that you're not used to-,"
"Kenka," Kaoru said warningly, "I need to get my head cleared," Being stubborn as she was, Kenka couldn't figure out a way to get out of this mess. Denying her boss, a drink was unacceptable but being her friend, her body guard who made sure her leader was safe, that was extremely not right.
"Then have vodka…" Kenka opened the small fridge under the cash register and took out a bottle that held a raspberry flavoured drink. She opened it, poured it into a glass and placed it in front of Kaoru. "Akurei, I know something has happened…"
"I don't want to talk about it." Kaoru quickly took in a mouthful. It was unnatural for her to take in alcohol like that. Worries fill in many of the Sun members minds. They watched their Akurei carefully as they did their jobs in serving customers. Her fingers twirled the glass around.
"Akurei! Get out of here!" A member shouted as she rushed into the nightclub. "Poison Vixens!" Every waitress, every bartender, every cleaner, worker, anyone related to the Rising Sun drew out their weapons.
Kaoru stood up and unsheathed her sword. Already another fight. How much blood does this code allow? Kaoru felt tired of fighting and weary from the earlier battle but she couldn't leave her gang. Not until she was sure that they would be able to handle it.
"Those bitches are already here," Kenka hissed as she drew out her semi-auto machine guns, "They're going to get it big time." She rushed around the counter. She took out a mobile and dialled a number. "Girls! Get yourselves to Dragon's Flame! PV Attack!"
* * * *
Kenshin heard the sounds of battle as he walked along the cobblestone alley. He picked up speed and drew his sword. He won't let anyone, not a single soul defending Kaoru die this time. She's already lost one too many. Upon entering the nightclub, he thrust his sword into a woman that was bound to pull the trigger at a Sun. Guns changed direction. They aimed straight at him.
Battousai emerged looking extremely agitated. 'Looks like this fight is a continue…' He noticed the uniform that the attackers were wearing weren't made out of the same material as the original. 'Mibu Wolves…' His senses locked onto one person.
* * * *
Kaoru gasped as she dodged a dagger thrown at her. She saw the handle engraving and growled. Akurei emerged. 'Bloody Mibu Wolves think that they can kill me…' She pulled out the dagger and glared at the enemy with amber eyes. "False alarm! Mibu Wolves!"
Kenka nodded quickly and kicked a wolf. "Suns! Get them all!" In a single motion she drew out her dagger and slit a wolf's throat. The doors busted open. Chanelle, Toya and Mina entered.
"Whoa, this is going to be one hell of a clean up," Toya groaned, "Alright! That's it! Get 'em!" She drew out her handguns and fired. Chanelle charged forward, quickly counting how many there were.
'15 Wolves against 20 Suns, this is a serious fight, the enemy must really want to kill Akurei, I can't find their leader… who would be that cruel?' Chanelle twisted her body and punched one woman the stomach and snapped her spine. Being a combat specialist, her deadly strength can do almost anything to a human body.
Mina rushed to wounded comrades and tended their wounds while fighting off wolves at the same time. Several minutes passed. Sounds of struggles, dieing breaths, gunshots and metallic clashing filled every second. Furniture was thrown and slashed.
Akurei sensed a powerful ki in the room. "Stop!" Akurei commanded. The Rising Sun followed orders and focused on defending themselves. She felt Battousai in the room. Blood was raining everywhere out of no visible reason, wolves were slaughtered by sudden slashes. It was typical of such a brutal killer. She couldn't exactly pinpoint where he was but there was one thing that was clear… "Rising Sun! Clear the area! Allow me and the Battousai settle things!"
There seemed to be some hesitation. "Now!" Quickly, the Sun members evacuated. Toya and Kenka went out with them but Mina remained. She wasn't very pleased. After giving Kaoru her 'look' she left.
Akurei protected the remaining women who needed to escape. She slit open throats and hacked off limbs. She felt the stench eat away her insides as she finished off her kills. Blood was exploding like fireworks. She couldn't escape the stench, the life force. 'It ends here!' She screamed in her head as she beheaded the last remaining wolf.
She swallowed and her face paled at the sight of her nightclub. She wanted to abandon it then but knew that this was her part-time base as well as a workplace for many of the people in Rising Sun.
"I thought you said that all fights were scheduled," Battousai muttered. He was on the opposite side of the room.
"I said that I didn't need your help." Akurei replied scornfully. "My problems, so I solve them." Her eyes narrowed when Battousai shook his head.
"We're together in this; therefore, it's only common sense if I do my part." Battousai said in his cold tone. He wiped his blade clean and sheathed his sword. "You're futile even when you think you aren't."
"Why you-," Akurei bit her tongue and held in her curses. She wiped her blade clean and sheathed her sword. Her body shuddered and she doubled over onto her knees. Teeth clenched, eyes squeezed shut, knuckles white… Akurei shook her head, 'No, not now…' Sweet pain.
Battousai walked towards her. 'What is wrong with her?'
"Akurei!" Mina charged into the nightclub and rushed to Kaoru. There was a small pager-like object in her hand. "Akurei, you did remember to eat did you…?" Mina felt Kaoru's forehead. She's coming down with a fever. "Akurei, don't tell me that you didn't eat…"
Kaoru shook her head. "I can stand… don't worry…" She stood up unsteadily. Mina wrapped one of Kaoru's arms around her shoulders and balanced her. Battousai had a questioning gesture in his eyes. Mina gave him a signal to him telling him that she needed to talk to him afterwards.
* * * *
Battousai waited in the lounge of Kaoru's apartment. Toya, Kenka and Tsubame were also waiting anxiously. When Mina stepped out of Kaoru's room, everyone except Battousai, were shooting questions at the doctor.
"Akurei will be fine," Mina said briefly, "She needs her rest." Mina sat down on the couch beside Tsubame. "We really are going to have to be extra careful with her, she's very fragile…"
"I thought she was fit."
"Fit, yes. Mentally, no." Mina replied, "Akurei really has been traumatised for a while but I can't figure out why. She should eat a full meal before taking her suppressants for her 'nightmares'… when she doesn't, her body will react sooner or later. Akurei… needs someone who will always be there." Mina said gently. "I'm not saying that we're not but Akurei isn't willing to share her problems with us because she is afraid."
Battousai shrugged and walked towards the door to leave. Mina wanted to talk to him to tell him that? He had better things to do than to hear about people whining over something that wasn't worth anything.
"You can't leave like that!" Toya shouted.
"Shut up Toya, Akurei is resting." Kenka snapped.
"We're trying to give you a hint Battousai," Tsubame said frustrated. She stood up and looked seriously at him, "She sees something in you that she doesn't see in us. It took her years to open up to us you know that? It only took a couple of days before you knew almost every little issue that happened in her life." Her short black hair was a mess and her brown eyes were pleading.
Battousai turned his head away and sighed. He could think up of reasons why the girl 'opened up'. She was under the medical drugs, she was totally stressed. No one would ever want to talk to him about their life simply because they thought that they felt like it. It wasn't normal. People feared him. The slightest fear would make them distance themselves from him. He gritted his teeth and opened the door almost forcefully enough to break the handle. He was about to step out until a gentle touch stopped him.
"Battousai, we want to ask you to help Akurei…" Kenka said calmly. "We're asking you to help her…please."
"Battousai, we know that you're the only one who can actually reach into her. We see it, as much as it hurts to admit it, her eyes, they light up every time she speaks to you." Mina said.
"I'm not good with all this emotional crap but I agree," Toya said, "You've got something in ya Battousai."
"Us four and the Rising Sun just want our old leader back," Tsubame said pleadingly, "She used to be so… so… sister like."
There was an awkward silence. He shrugged Kenka's hand away from his arm and eyed the four women standing in the room pleading him for his help. He grunted. "What do you expect me to do? She refuses my help." He walked off, not giving a single sign that he cared.
* * * *
Kaoru slid against the door towards the floor. She was about to go out of the room to get a glass of water. But hearing their conversation stopped her. She brushed her bangs away from her eyes and shook her head in pity. They were always trying to help her, but, asking the Battousai?
If she was younger, she would be weeping. However, now, there were no more tears for her to shed. They were gone. No longer did she feel the need for them. Standing up, she decided that she should get back to bed.
Almost as if she felt a gentle touch on her back, she turned around to face the door. Everything in her life was so blurred. Should she walk out that door and run after him? Kaoru wanted to do several things. She wanted to go after Persephone, she wanted to tell the others that she didn't want them to worry about her so much and she wanted to get to know Kenshin.
The raven haired woman tightened her robe around her waist. Sighing unsteadily, she placed a hand on the doorknob. She heard the door close and the light switches being turned off. They had left.
'I'm too tired… it's late…' Kaoru thought. She let go of the door knob and slowly walked back to bed. She made one decision then. She must get rid of her mother's creation… Code Catfight.
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A/N: Sorry for the late update! My computer had a problem on Tuesday so I missed my chance… well; thank you all for the great reviews! ^-^
Wolfgirl: You love it? That's great! ^o^ I'm so happy that you love this fic! You encouraged me so much.
Val: Thanks for the review! I know, everyone expects Kenshin (Rurouni) to help Kaoru but don't forget that he doesn't know her very well and I'm trying to get more of the Battousai side out. ^-^x
Arizosa: Sure, I would love to read your fics. When I get the time I'll surely check them out. ^-^x BTW, I know that quite a number of the readers love the fight scenes so there'll be plenty more. (o Hiya! *spin kick*)
Hells-angel8: Hope you liked this chapter! ^-^x you'll be seeing a lot of Persephone later on.
Moonlight's Sorrow: Hahaha… well… gang names and people's names… I kinda of get help for gang names whereas I keep a list of female and male names in my help folder… I gradually add to that list… *scratches back of neck* It does help.
MP1: Yeah, Persephone managed to walk out of the battle field. A bloody story this is. There's going to be plenty of blood shed. *evil grin* I just love writing those scenes. And… yeah… Zanza is Sano but Persephone isn't Tokio. ^-^x
Thanks for reviewing if your name wasn't mentioned on top! I'm just feeling lost now. Schooling is stuffed up and sooo unorganized and well, there is so much work that I need to do.