Whew! I thought I'd never come up with an idea for this chapter! I
finally got one I liked, though, and I think you'll like it, too.
Disclaimer: I've forgotten this so far in the other chapters, but here it is. I don't own RK. Happy?
History Behind the History, chapter four
Akitaka froze. There was a cold, concentrated pressure on his back that could only be a gun, and there was a very sweaty hand clamped over his mouth.
"Keep your hands up where I can see 'em," a husky voice commanded from right behind his ear. Obediently, Akitaka raised his hands, but the thief (perhaps murderer) needn't have taken the precaution. He couldn't have done much with his hands even if they had been free.
"Where's you money, kid?" The voice continued.
"Ih wah fac hoc-hic," Akitaka answered. The hand was removed from his mouth and he repeated his message. "In my back pocket."
His mouth was bound again, and there must have been an accomplice, because more hands began rifling through his pockets. There were now four strange hands in disgustingly close contact with him. His first thought was eww, but then he fully realized the gravity of the situation. Those strange hands could do irreparable damage if they didn't find what their owners wanted. There was still that ever-present gun in his back, and its bullets could be in his innards in less than a second if the wielder so chose. They had total control. If they decided he would die, he would die. He was utterly helpless. An odd thought came to Akitaka just then. Was this how it felt to have Battousai's sword pressed against your neck, knowing you were going to die in a matter of seconds? Did you sense the inevitability of it before you bit the dust? Probably the second you saw that unmistakable face, you knew you were dead. That's if you got a chance to see it before you started churning up blood. Maybe you never knew what hit you until you were gone.
Akitaka was suddenly brought out of these morbid musings by a hard shove, and then he was on the pavement hearing running footsteps recede into the everyday street noise. A leg crashed into his side and he heard a little 'hmph' of indignation before he could climb to a standing position on the suddenly crowded sidewalk. Akitaka seemed to have lost his jacket entirely, while the pockets of his jeans were simply emptied. He shuffled sullenly home, wondering how he could be so fascinated by such a depressing figure as Battousai.
* *
*
Yet another furtive glance confronted Kenshin as he walked through the halls of the inn toward the room where he'd be spending most of the day. Why did they always have to look at him like that? It wasn't as if they had a reason to be afraid. They were, after all, on his side, were they not? He saw them only through a thick, red curtain of hair, since they were under no circumstances allowed to see him with purple eyes, as he had now. It was either stare at the ground or let him out, and the former was much more appealing. Actually, though, if they were already too afraid to look at him properly, maybe they wouldn't notice. Even if they did, who would be brave enough to ask for an explanation? It would just amount to more rumors, which idea wasn't very appealing either. In any case, he kept them hidden. He began to walk even more slowly when he began to hear whispers accompanied by cautious glances and blatant stares in his direction.
"They say he does it just for fun," one person told another in seeming amazement.
"I've heard he laughs when he kills them," said another.
"Someone told me he's immortal,"
"He'll kill you if you look at him the wrong way,"
"What's his real name, anyway?"
"He probably doesn't have one- he's just Battousai,"
"I've heard he's really stupid- just a puppet that does whatever they say,"
"No way, he has to be lever to be that good,"
"Nah, he's just like a machine,"
"Some people are saying he just wants to become a hero so he can take over the country once it's weakened from war,"
Kenshin stopped when he heard that. He had heard many false sayings about himself, but never that particular one before. He looked into the crowd where the words were still originating and they all shut up quickly. He hadn't meant to threaten, only question, but this was a foreseeable reaction. From what they'd been telling one another, it was a safe assumption that they were wondering if they would die for said words. He decided to ask his question anyway.
"What makes you think I'd want to do that?" He asked, perhaps more menacingly than he intended, because the only person with enough guts to answer him had to gulp several times before doing so.
"Wouldn't anybody, uh, Sir?"
Kenshin rolled his invisible eyes at being called 'sir' by someone twice his age. Truly, he didn't know if some of these accusations were well-grounded or not- perhaps his alternate self really did laugh when he killed. If he wanted to take over the country, well... Kenshin would have to do his utmost to prevent that. He might not be successful, though, since he was having enough trouble trying to prevent him from taking over their shared body.
"Don't call me that, and it's not true," he instructed dismissively while walking away. A fresh bout of whispering erupted, but he didn't even bother listening to it this time. He just walked automatically to his room to be alone again, as always.
He closed the door and the din outside abruptly subsided. It was quiet in here except for the low hum of indistinguishable noises that trickled in. This was the only place he didn't feel eyes on him at all times. When he was alone, he didn't have to hear his name repeated in low voices like it was a dirty word. For the first time since he entered the building, he could look at something other than the floor. He didn't have anything in particular at which to look, but that was better than the ground. He had gained control of his body in some strange place he didn't recognize, but fortunately after this happened a few times you got to know the city pretty well and didn't have too much trouble finding your way back. By the time he had done so today, most of the people in the inn were awake. Often he was able to get back before this, and could have a peaceful walk in. That wasn't to say the people didn't talk the, too. Most likely it just meant they did it more loudly, not whispering for fear of his hearing them.
He walked immediately to the futon provided with the room and prepared to sleep, having been awake all night unsuccessfully trying to prevent himself from assassinating someone. Once he was under a blanket and in sufficient darkness, he gladly fell asleep before having to begin contemplating what must have transpired while the other half was in control.
***************************************
okay, people, i think i may be able to continue longer than i thought. This will most certainly be fewer than 20 chapters. it will likely be fewer than ten. I don't know, but i don't have enough ideas for a very long story.
Amaya: thank you for the idea. I may use that concept, but i won't be mentioning Kaoru or the oniwaban ppl at all since he didn't meet them until later and this is really about who he was during the war. I may use that to include information on other people though, but i don't know as much about the ppl from that period.
Dreammaster2411: Ken and i both thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!
Hitokiri-san: glad to hear you like Mr. Higo. He is actually a lot like my current history teacher who is amazing. She is actually restoring my love for history after having it destroyed by a succession of very bad teachers. That pesky school does make it difficult to write important fics, doesn't it? I wish we had year round school so i wouldn't have to rearrange my schedule when school starts and stops. You write them in Chinese? Do you have a computer that has Chinese characters on it or what? how do you type it? That sounds so cool, i'd want to read it if i could speak Chinese.
Tomoe2Kenshin: yes, i really do love your name, i am a huge tomoe fan. Thank you for saying my chapter is good! i hope i can keep them good and angsty!
Lucretia Levrai: thank you! i thought it was pretty artistic to combine the past and present, too. i had already written a chapter or two before i really came up with that... i just did it automatically at first. i'm proud of it, though.
Disclaimer: I've forgotten this so far in the other chapters, but here it is. I don't own RK. Happy?
History Behind the History, chapter four
Akitaka froze. There was a cold, concentrated pressure on his back that could only be a gun, and there was a very sweaty hand clamped over his mouth.
"Keep your hands up where I can see 'em," a husky voice commanded from right behind his ear. Obediently, Akitaka raised his hands, but the thief (perhaps murderer) needn't have taken the precaution. He couldn't have done much with his hands even if they had been free.
"Where's you money, kid?" The voice continued.
"Ih wah fac hoc-hic," Akitaka answered. The hand was removed from his mouth and he repeated his message. "In my back pocket."
His mouth was bound again, and there must have been an accomplice, because more hands began rifling through his pockets. There were now four strange hands in disgustingly close contact with him. His first thought was eww, but then he fully realized the gravity of the situation. Those strange hands could do irreparable damage if they didn't find what their owners wanted. There was still that ever-present gun in his back, and its bullets could be in his innards in less than a second if the wielder so chose. They had total control. If they decided he would die, he would die. He was utterly helpless. An odd thought came to Akitaka just then. Was this how it felt to have Battousai's sword pressed against your neck, knowing you were going to die in a matter of seconds? Did you sense the inevitability of it before you bit the dust? Probably the second you saw that unmistakable face, you knew you were dead. That's if you got a chance to see it before you started churning up blood. Maybe you never knew what hit you until you were gone.
Akitaka was suddenly brought out of these morbid musings by a hard shove, and then he was on the pavement hearing running footsteps recede into the everyday street noise. A leg crashed into his side and he heard a little 'hmph' of indignation before he could climb to a standing position on the suddenly crowded sidewalk. Akitaka seemed to have lost his jacket entirely, while the pockets of his jeans were simply emptied. He shuffled sullenly home, wondering how he could be so fascinated by such a depressing figure as Battousai.
* *
*
Yet another furtive glance confronted Kenshin as he walked through the halls of the inn toward the room where he'd be spending most of the day. Why did they always have to look at him like that? It wasn't as if they had a reason to be afraid. They were, after all, on his side, were they not? He saw them only through a thick, red curtain of hair, since they were under no circumstances allowed to see him with purple eyes, as he had now. It was either stare at the ground or let him out, and the former was much more appealing. Actually, though, if they were already too afraid to look at him properly, maybe they wouldn't notice. Even if they did, who would be brave enough to ask for an explanation? It would just amount to more rumors, which idea wasn't very appealing either. In any case, he kept them hidden. He began to walk even more slowly when he began to hear whispers accompanied by cautious glances and blatant stares in his direction.
"They say he does it just for fun," one person told another in seeming amazement.
"I've heard he laughs when he kills them," said another.
"Someone told me he's immortal,"
"He'll kill you if you look at him the wrong way,"
"What's his real name, anyway?"
"He probably doesn't have one- he's just Battousai,"
"I've heard he's really stupid- just a puppet that does whatever they say,"
"No way, he has to be lever to be that good,"
"Nah, he's just like a machine,"
"Some people are saying he just wants to become a hero so he can take over the country once it's weakened from war,"
Kenshin stopped when he heard that. He had heard many false sayings about himself, but never that particular one before. He looked into the crowd where the words were still originating and they all shut up quickly. He hadn't meant to threaten, only question, but this was a foreseeable reaction. From what they'd been telling one another, it was a safe assumption that they were wondering if they would die for said words. He decided to ask his question anyway.
"What makes you think I'd want to do that?" He asked, perhaps more menacingly than he intended, because the only person with enough guts to answer him had to gulp several times before doing so.
"Wouldn't anybody, uh, Sir?"
Kenshin rolled his invisible eyes at being called 'sir' by someone twice his age. Truly, he didn't know if some of these accusations were well-grounded or not- perhaps his alternate self really did laugh when he killed. If he wanted to take over the country, well... Kenshin would have to do his utmost to prevent that. He might not be successful, though, since he was having enough trouble trying to prevent him from taking over their shared body.
"Don't call me that, and it's not true," he instructed dismissively while walking away. A fresh bout of whispering erupted, but he didn't even bother listening to it this time. He just walked automatically to his room to be alone again, as always.
He closed the door and the din outside abruptly subsided. It was quiet in here except for the low hum of indistinguishable noises that trickled in. This was the only place he didn't feel eyes on him at all times. When he was alone, he didn't have to hear his name repeated in low voices like it was a dirty word. For the first time since he entered the building, he could look at something other than the floor. He didn't have anything in particular at which to look, but that was better than the ground. He had gained control of his body in some strange place he didn't recognize, but fortunately after this happened a few times you got to know the city pretty well and didn't have too much trouble finding your way back. By the time he had done so today, most of the people in the inn were awake. Often he was able to get back before this, and could have a peaceful walk in. That wasn't to say the people didn't talk the, too. Most likely it just meant they did it more loudly, not whispering for fear of his hearing them.
He walked immediately to the futon provided with the room and prepared to sleep, having been awake all night unsuccessfully trying to prevent himself from assassinating someone. Once he was under a blanket and in sufficient darkness, he gladly fell asleep before having to begin contemplating what must have transpired while the other half was in control.
***************************************
okay, people, i think i may be able to continue longer than i thought. This will most certainly be fewer than 20 chapters. it will likely be fewer than ten. I don't know, but i don't have enough ideas for a very long story.
Amaya: thank you for the idea. I may use that concept, but i won't be mentioning Kaoru or the oniwaban ppl at all since he didn't meet them until later and this is really about who he was during the war. I may use that to include information on other people though, but i don't know as much about the ppl from that period.
Dreammaster2411: Ken and i both thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!
Hitokiri-san: glad to hear you like Mr. Higo. He is actually a lot like my current history teacher who is amazing. She is actually restoring my love for history after having it destroyed by a succession of very bad teachers. That pesky school does make it difficult to write important fics, doesn't it? I wish we had year round school so i wouldn't have to rearrange my schedule when school starts and stops. You write them in Chinese? Do you have a computer that has Chinese characters on it or what? how do you type it? That sounds so cool, i'd want to read it if i could speak Chinese.
Tomoe2Kenshin: yes, i really do love your name, i am a huge tomoe fan. Thank you for saying my chapter is good! i hope i can keep them good and angsty!
Lucretia Levrai: thank you! i thought it was pretty artistic to combine the past and present, too. i had already written a chapter or two before i really came up with that... i just did it automatically at first. i'm proud of it, though.