Ciao!!!
Chibi signing in with the first chapter of her story… I'm glad you liked the prologue, it wasn't easy to write… Oh, and I changed the rating on this story, as I was told by my best friend that it wasn't as bad as to deserve the harsh rating I gave it… if you are of a dissenting opinion, please, once again, tell me!I also didn't remember putting up a disclaimer- somehow, they're not needed in Germany (don't know why, though it might be interesting to find out), so the one in this chapter applies to the Prologue as well. I hope I have everything covered in it, if this is not so please tell me! I'm not very versed in legal matters (yet)!
What else- oh, yes:
"…." Denotes talking
….. denotes thinking
*~* means a change of scenery (either temporal or local, I think which one of those will be clear) has taken place
Disclaimer: I do in no way own any rights, moral or others, to Rurouni Kenshin, it's characters or plot. Characters other than the characters from Rurouni Kenshin bearing any resemblance to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. I do not intend to make any profits out of this story, it's written for entertainment purposes only and any attempt by persons natural or legal to make money from it in any way is not in accordance with this author's express wishes.
Chapter 1 MeetingsHer hands had become all wrinkly, raw and red from just the first two hours of letting the mud-and-water-mix in the trough before her run through them. She just hoped this harsh treatment wouldn't affect their dexterity- she would hate to return home and find she could not practice kendo anymore because her hands had lost the flexibility necessary to wield a bokken with due precision. Her fingers clenched around something hard, and with practiced ease she extracted the small, round pebble from its muddy surroundings, threw it into a bucket by her side for later inspection and went back to shifting through the dirt. Her long black tresses spilling over her shoulders came dangerously close to the oily surface of the mud water, and she took a second to shake her head to return them to their previous position on her back. If she was lucky the little pebble she had just found was one of the valuable semi-precious stones they were mining…
A bucket full of mud splashing into the trough and spilling part of its content over her uniform and into her face brought the blazing light of righteous anger into her sapphire eyes.
"What do you think you're doing?" She cried indignantly, barely suppressing the urge to jump from her cowering position and bop the offender on the head, even though he was only a small, innocent-looking man in a uniform at least three sizes to big and with hair as red as a spectacular sunset over the Sea. She had put up with so much during the last three weeks… and the week before that, she just wasn't in the mood to keep quiet anymore. She was not a little scared rabbit, not by a long shot… the young woman huffed and continued ranting at the stupid, little, red-haired guy who had thrown mud all over her.
"Ah… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" the man who had brought the new raw material tried to defend himself.
"You can't just throw the stuff in here! You have to be careful!"
She was young, spirited and obviously didn't like the fact that she was now covered in rust-colored mud from head to toe. The agent smiled nervously, his eyes darting from the young woman's angry, yet in some innocent way pretty little face to the other women doing their work while he was absently muttering apologies meant to placate the girl. He needed to find out whether the missing agent was there…
"And why aren't you even looking at me? You should at least have the decency to look into my eyes if you're apologizing!" she screeched, and the agent flinched at the thought that she would manage to get the guards' attention if she continued her show.
"Please, calm down… I didn't mean to splash mud all over you, that I didn't Miss…" He stuttered, frantically waving his hands about and putting on his most innocent face. He didn't know if this would work, but he needed her to calm down!
At last she stopped berating him and caught her breath.
"Huh? What did you say? Miss? Oh, my name… it's Kaoru. Kamiya Kaoru." The agent smiled the best he could.
"I'm sorry to have splashed you, Miss Kaoru, that I am… and I need to hurry, or the guards will catch both of us, that they will… "
He didn't expect her to snatch the handle of one of the buckets he was carrying.
"Oro?!?"
"Wait! You didn't tell me your name!" He definitely felt like he was trapped. He was supposed to keep a low profile, and already every single woman or man in the vicinity was staring at him and the blue-eyed girl.
"Himura." He answered curtly and tried to pull away once more, only to be yanked back by the too long sleeve of his working outfit that somehow wasn't rolled up anymore as it should have been.
"Wait! You mean you don't have a given name?" The girl seemed a little confused as she stared up at him from her squatting position.
"Himura Kenshin," the agent finally admitted, smiling outwardly but cursing the young girl's insistence (and strong arms) inwardly.
"What is going on here?" The rough voice of the guard that had accompanied her colonna this morning cut through the sudden hushed silence. Kaoru jumped and bowed her head over the trough. Better to act as if nothing had happened… The man wasn't standing next to her anymore either, she noticed, he seemed to have dissolved into thin air.
That was close, the young woman sighed when the guard passed her by with only a suspicious glance at her bowed back. She wondered how that strange Himura Kenshin had managed to get away so fast… but a guard equipped with a bludgeon was a strong incentive to get moving, at least in the mind of Kamiya Kaoru… that Kenshin guy sure adapted quickly, if she remembered correctly he had been among the newcomers arriving this very morning.
The agent breathed a sigh of relief when the guard found nothing out of the ordinary with him trudging back to the mine, his empty buckets clanging against his legs and throwing off his balance. Thank goodness nobody had seen him move from the side of Miss Kaoru- he didn't know how he would have explained his speed. His hands clenched into fists he made his way back to the deep hole in the hillside where another unfortunate colonna of male workers shoveled the mud into the passer-by's buckets. The girl had looked so pale and thin… he doubted she had eaten a real meal for at least a month. She had been small, delicate even- but her spirit and courage could put any man to shame. How she had yelled at him even under the shadow of the guards and their bludgeons…
He violently jerked his thoughts back onto track for his mission. The missing agent had been nowhere in sight, which meant he had to venture further across the trough-covered field into his next searching area. Kenshin cast his eyes up at the sky that had lit up in a mockery of daylight, which, of course, didn't mean it had stopped raining. The pounding of raindrops had instead changed into some kind of fine mist that clung to skin and clothes and weighed them down. He couldn't decide which was more miserable… at least the sight had improved with the small rays of cloud-filtered sunlight illuminating the Tundra.
His load renewed Kenshin started up the slope once more, dragging his feet along as he concentrated on keeping his balance. Glancing down into the dark pit the Regime dared call a mine he felt his anger rise. Sweating bodies, most of them so thin their ribs could be seen where their dirty, wet uniforms clung to their skin working under conditions that would kill any animal, wracked by coughs and diseases born from the unsanitary conditions. Men with eyes so dull they seemed no longer among the living. Men who had long ago lost any hope of escaping that hellhole, men who were only waiting for death to claim them and bring them salvation. Many of them sported dark purple and green bruises, caused by the guards' bludgeons without a doubt. There was nothing he could do, he kept reminding himself, at least not at the moment… but just the thought of being powerless was almost more than he could bear. He felt his mindset shift and clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. His eyes squeezed shut he struggled to stay in control. He couldn't allow the rage to prevail, couldn't lose his cool just now… this was not a time for split-second decisions, this was a time to carefully lay the ground for his plan.
Fighting his inner demon that was trying to lure him into thoughtless action the agent hadn't realized he had sped up his steps, and thus the collision came quite unexpected to the young man.
"Hey! Watch out!" For the second time in about ten minutes he was being shouted at, this time, however, he was the one to have fallen flat onto his back into the mud as a tall man with hair so spiky it seemed like he had recently regrown it leaned over him.
Lacking oxygen the only thing Kenshin managed was a weak "Oro?".
"You OK, buddy?" the tall man drawled, easily hoisting Kenshin up with one arm while balancing his buckets on the opposite shoulder. A concerned look out of chocolate brown eyes took in his rather scrawny form.
"You sure you're not injured?" Somehow, this man had managed to avoid the dress code, at least partially. His uniform's shirt was ripped open in the middle revealing his muscled chest and abs, and a strip of red cloth was wrapped bandanna-like around his head keeping e few of the longer spikes of hair from falling into his eyes.
"I'm alright, that I am, but thank you," Kenshin replied amiably at the man's question.
"Thought you would fall off the path for a moment there," his new acquaintance continued, casting a wary eye around to check for any guards, "but you really did recover nicely. Name's Sanosuke by the way."
Kenshin, who was busy wondering how he would ever get the clinging mud out of his long hair, nodded absently. "Thank you, Mister Sanosuke." His senses prickled, and he quickly assumed a serious look.
"We should get moving, that we should," he said. The taller man looked at him in surprise. "Ya mean you seen a guard coming?" he asked. The agent nodded. No need to elaborate…
"Then let's get going, right?"
As he trotted along behind Sanosuke's lanky frame Kenshin wondered how the tall man had survived the Camp with an attitude like his. Somehow even his gait seemed to scream he wanted a fight, and his drawling speech pattern characterized him as someone who had probably spent a good part of his life in the less-than-prosperous streets. Perhaps that was why he could bear the hardships life in the Camp meant… Silently, Kenshin walked into the open field and scanned the cowering women with intense concentration. The longer they were imprisoned the more they looked alike, and since he didn't know when exactly the missing agent had been put into Camp Freedom he had to consider the possibility of her having changed a lot physically.
Once again, he came up empty-handed in his search, and since it would be dangerous to his health if he lingered any longer he started his track back to the mine, joining a longer line of male workers to be more inconspicuous. Truth be told, he didn't feel too exhausted yet, not as exhausted as most of those around him. He recognized a few faces from the truck he had arrived in, their eyes already dulled by weariness, their shoulder sagging under the workload. He knew he was fitter than many, just because it was required of him in his line of work to be in top physical condition, but he was astonished that he was this much stronger. His trainer had always reminded him that he was at best of mediocre strength. Perhaps he had to adjust his views.
He felt a familiar presence and wasn't surprised to see the spiky haired head of Sanosuke when glancing over his shoulder.
"Yo!" The man grinned, and the agent smiled back. This guy seemed to be pretty strong, judging from the ease with which he had handled his buckets and Kenshin earlier, and his friendly nature was somehow reassuring. When push came to shove he was probably a reliable ally, and the agent found himself considering including him in his daring escape plans.
The day was finally done. Working clothes had been washed and hung under a roof to dampen (since they would never become dry in the cold wetness here), the tasteless slobber that was called an evening meal had been wolfed down, the tables cleared, the dishes cleaned. Kaoru felt like she had been disassembled, studied and reassembled while someone had failed to remember to make her forget the whole procedure. The muscles in her arms burned with the buildup of butyric acid, the muscles in her legs felt atrophied and cramped, her back was probably never going to straighten out and not to forget she was shivering from the constant exposure to cutting winds and rain.
Falling onto her cot and covering her small frame with the holes surrounded by a few threads that was called a blanket in the language of the Camp's supervisors she tried to get herself to produce some heat. The stale air in the barrack made her want to gag, yet she breathed deeply in order to warm her hands with her breath. Except for some barely audible whispers the barrack was silent, the guards had not yet completed their evening rounds and speaking was prohibited. Kaoru rolled onto her back and tried to loosen her leg muscles by shaking the appendages. Relief was slow to come, and she had to grit her teeth as she felt another vicious cramp attack her.
"It might help to slowly massage along the muscle with your hands." The cultivated voice was something Kaoru recognized immediately as belonging to the elegant woman she had -in a way- met that morning.
The woman had a lot of nerve, not even bothering to keep her voice down. Kaoru scowled at her.
"I am just trying to get the worst cramps out beforehand," she defended herself.
"Well, you're obviously not very successful, besides, the method you're using is completely useless." The other woman shrugged and tried to settle down more comfortably.
"And you would know that because…-" She couldn't just let that woman be. If there was one thing she despised it was arrogance, and the cool elegant air she exuded made Kaoru feel a little jealous deep down. That woman was a lady while she… well, she was just a tomboy.
"I would know that because I have studied medicine." Kaoru's eyes widened at the unexpected answer.
"You're a doctor?" She asked.
"I think that was what I said."
"Well… I think I will follow your advice then, Mrs..?
"Takani. Takani Megumi."
"Well I'm Kamiya Kaoru. Call me Kaoru."
"In that case call me Megumi."
"All right… Megumi." Kaoru grimaced as her hands attacked a knotted muscle in her calf. "Ouch!" she muttered under her breath.
"Oh, and to avoid those cramps in future just stick out one leg at a time while squatting. It helps."
"Th-" Kaoru began, but quickly fell silent as the distinct sound of booted feet reached her ears. Her heart raced as she imagined what would happen to her had the guard heard her talking to Megumi. Becoming only now alert to the soft breathing and snores (with, of course, the occasional hacking cough thrown into the mix) that permeated the room, the young woman realized that she had spent already at least half an hour of her precious sleeping time on muscle exercises and talking. She calmed her breath and lay still as the guard walked around the room, peering into each cot to check whether its (human) inhabitant was sleeping. She somehow had the feeling that she was under closer scrutiny than the others, and she had to concentrate to keep on breathing as her breath caught in her throat.
Only after everything was quiet again did she dare move a muscle. "Good night, Megumi," she whispered, her voice a little hoarse.
"Good night," was the even reply.
Kaoru was so tired from the previous night's lack of sleep and the day's hard toil that she succumbed to the darkness immediately after having closed her eyes. Dreamless slumber claimed her as his own and didn't release her until the waking call at dawn.
*~*
"So he really went?" Amusement could not fully hide the fact that the man who was currently sitting opposite the massive oak desk was concerned.
The agent's superior nodded. "He was not to be deterred. His fixation on rescuing our missing agent was downright scary if you ask me."
"I certainly hope my baka deshi's up to what he's gotten himself into, Katsura." The man narrowed his eyes and sipped on a cup of sake that had been placed before him earlier.
"You know Himura, Seijurou. He's competent."
"That's what I'm afraid of," was the nonchalant reply.
Katsura shook his head. Former top agent of the Agency and quasi-adoptive father of Himura Kenshin Hiko Seijurou always tried his very best to make others think he didn't give a damn about the boy's welfare- in spite of the fact that everyone at the Agency knew how attached he was to the young agent. He had not liked Himura joining the Agency, and he had disapproved of the task they had assigned him, claiming he was not ready for it. Unfortunately, the young man had been the only one who had the skills, so, ready or not, he was thrown into the water and told to swim.
"Anyways, he's been gone for a little over three weeks now. The last report we received stated that he had finished his preparations and was ready to enter the Camp. That was two days ago now. I guess that by now he's already busy looking for Takani, our missing agent."
That last bit of information got him a quirk of the eyebrows from Seijurou. "Takani? As in Takani Megumi, physician?"
"Yes," Katsura replied, "we figured she would be inconspicuous and sent her into Regime territory to gather information on the leaders and their movements. She wasn't inconspicuous enough… or someone inside the Agency betrayed her. What is startling, though, is that they didn't immediately kill her upon discovery but send her to the Camp instead. Why the Regime took this course of action is a mystery to me and the whole Agency as well."
"I think they plan to use her against us," Hiko Seijurou stated after having given the subject a few seconds of silent pondering.
"But how?" Katsura asked. He didn't see how anyone could use a low-level agent like Takani to gain anything.
"I think they want to catch some bigger fish… and they are using her as the bait. They assume- correctly, as we both know- that it is the Agency's policy to fight for every single agent out there. Thus, they can imagine that more experienced, higher-level agents will be sent to retrieve her- and in capturing them they will have an invaluable source of information."
Katsura nodded. "My thoughts have been running into this direction as well- I don't know how they could ever let you go, Seijurou." An arrogant smirk played across the man's sharply defined features. "They didn't have a choice in the matter, Katsura. I was never interested in bureaucratic work, and that's what they would have had me do, ultimately."
Katsura shook his head. How could anyone be so self-centered, conceited, arrogant yet still talented and warm-hearted? Seijurou had been first choice for the position he now held- but instead of accepting promotion Agent Seijurou had resigned and left with the small child he had somehow managed to bring with him as a souvenir. He had virtually disappeared. Even the Agency had not managed to trace all of his steps. It wasn't until Himura suddenly stood at the Agency's gates applying for a job that they had found out Seijurou's whereabouts.
"I guess you aren't interested in joining again?" He tried nonetheless.
Seijurou chuckled. "Are you that desperate already? I thought you had my baka deshi to help you!"
Katsura grinned. "Well, two of a kind couldn't hurt, could they?" Then he imagined another scary figure like Himura –on a bad day - skulking through the hallways and had to suppress a shudder. What a horrible picture- if Seijurou could skulk, that is. He didn't know the other man well enough to be able to determine that- what he knew so far rather denoted that Seijurou was a person drawing attention to himself wherever he went.
"Do you think they are already onto baka deshi?" Seijurou suddenly asked, seeming almost bored.
Katsura shrugged. "I don't think so. Himura is the best at undercover work, and he speaks the language perfectly. He will be extremely careful…" At least Katsura hoped he would be. Of course, there was always the possibility Himura would show the kind of reckless behavior that had made him famous within the Agency…
"I hope your trust is not unwarranted," Seijurou offhandedly mentioned his doubts.
"I am very careful as to who I trust in."
*~*
Kenshin sat on his cot, one knee drawn up to his chest, the other leg stretched out before him trying to find the calmness he needed to rest. The guard had already passed by and he had aborted the uncomfortable position of lying on his back for his more favored sleeping position. His brain kept analyzing the days' events, transforming them into tactical and strategical data about the Camp. And if he didn't ponder where to turn when escaping his mind kept feeding him images of sapphire blue eyes burning with fire, or twinkling amusedly. Somehow, those images became more and more increasing in their frequency, until to his utter confusion all he thought about was how to make pure happiness shine in them.
Get a grip on yourself! a harsh voice shouted in his mind and a splitting ache raced through his head, from one temple to the other. Steadying his breathing, he shakily tried to cover himself with the too small blanket and stilled his body so far that even his hyperactive mind had to cease working.
Sleep, however, was not so easy to come by in its unperturbed mode. Kenshin's instincts, honed by years of working as an undercover agent and assassin for the Agency kept screaming at him whenever an out-of-the-ordinary sound reached his ears. He jerked awake each and every time one of the 80 men in the barrack drew an especially loud, rattling breath, every time a cough sounded through the room, every time the cot he rested on creaked because one of the other inhabitants of the bunk bed turned around or moved in his sleep, every time a rat scurried by close to his cot. It was unnerving, because his logical mind told him he wasn't in any immediate danger and needed his rest to be able to face the next day. However, his instincts were not to be shut off, else he would lose his edge, which would be more unfortunate than a few nights of little sleep.
He just waited for morning to arrive, and caught every wink of the elusive rest he could possibly catch. He would not die from it, not at all. In fact, if this were happening a year ago he would have laughed at his skittishness… well, a year ago Kenshin had still been a half-crazed, daredevil assassin with a partner he had wanted to become his wife. He should really not compare himself to that version of himself, no, that he should not. Once again, he drifted off, tired to death and a little exasperated. Why wasn't dawn there yet?
When the first tinge of light tinted the sky a lighter gray Kenshin snapped to full alertness. The rain had momentarily stopped, the crisp air sending chills up his spine but perfectly mirroring all the Camp's sounds and smells at the same time. He became for the first time fully aware of how deathly silent everything was before the daily routine started. Watchdogs, of whose existence he had only known because he had read they were there were heard barking, the decaying smell creeping up from the permanently drenched earth assaulted his nostrils, not to speak of the sickly odor of ill, weak and unwashed humans. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and tried to warm himself by wrapping his arms around his body since temperatures seemed to have dropped another few degrees in the early morning chill.
Silence lasted only a few more seconds before it was disrupted by the blaring wail of a siren. This had to be the wakeup call for the guards- or the 'workers', or both. Kenshin dropped from his sitting posture into an imitation of a peacefully sleeping person seconds before boots stomped resoundingly through the barrack and a flurry of activity arose. More than once the sickening thud of the guards' bludgeons meeting unfortunate human flesh could be distinguished among the myriad of wakeup noises, and it took Kenshin some conscious effort to remain passive. He could have taken those guards out in no time, he knew, as his impulsive side still wanted to urge him into motion by feeding him those bits of information. But all he did was clench his teeth, quickly and efficiently make his bed as he was required to and join the line of workers waiting to be led outside and to the eating area.
Few glances were exchanged between the men; the guards seemed to be extremely watchful this morning. Kenshin tried to assess the extent to which they were armed, but apart from the obvious bludgeons and a large-caliber pistol on their belts he could not see any weapons. Perhaps this was all… but he had his doubts and continued watching guards and workers out of narrow eyes. He had a feeling something was in the air…
Megumi almost dragged Kaoru out of their barrack. The younger woman had slept through the call of the siren and had almost been unable to make her bed in time. Now, she staggered rather sleepily along the well-worn path to the eating area, Megumi guiding her as she was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The tall, brown-eyed woman swept a suspicious glance across her surroundings. She had the distinct feeling that something out of the ordinary was going to take place, and she somehow felt it was connected to herself and the mystery of her survival so far.
Passing by a group of male workers, she noticed one who was set apart from the rest of them by his flame-red hair. She felt her brain tingle with the hint of a memory, something she knew she should know, but also something she couldn't ever hope to recall as it was lying too far at the back of her consciousness. Besides- it was five o'clock in the morning, not even she could think clearly at this ungodly hour.
Forgetting about the strange man she instead concentrated on catching the guards' talk in order to find out what was going on, but this wasn't her day. All she could understand was one of the guards complaining that his dog was down with something akin to the stomach flu. Stomach flu? Hope that beast dies of it! She had only seen the dogs once, but they were ugly, bloodthirsty beasts trained to hunt down and maim or even kill humans. Evil creatures that were conditioned with drugs and trained to obey only their designated master they were, with eyes redder than rubies and sharp, gnashing teeth. No, she would definitely not mourn the death of one of those… things. Having reached the dining hall- a crude building in even worse shape than the barracks- she settled down at the end of one of the long tables hastily made from raw wood, right next to the men's eating area. More guards patrolled there, increasing her chances to catch an interesting snippet of their conversations.
Now if only she knew what all the commotion was about… more guards than normal on duty, and those even more alert… Hunched over her bowl of greasy oatmeal she studied each and every of their moves, but could not detect any clues. I guess I'll have to wait…
The agent's trained eyes immediately picked up the- in comparison to the last day- increased security measures and heavier guarding of the Camp. His mind churned analyzing the possibilities of what might be responsible for that as he shoveled horribly burnt oatmeal into his mouth and tried not to gag on it. At least it was food…
He could not come up with a clear solution, as frustrating as it was. He knew not enough about procedures at the Camp, nor did he know enough about the variables influencing them. Perhaps the women knew more… he had seen some of them stand very close to the guards, and maybe they had overheard some information he could use…. Slowly, he inched across the splintered wooden bench at the end of which he sat. After checking that no guard was directly looking at him he coiled up his muscles and darted over to the woman's table with ungodly speed, knowing he might just be able to pull this off because of his looks, which, admittedly, were a little girly, the way his too-big clothes hung around his frame and his long red hair. Turning to the woman next to him he opened his mouth to whisper a question when his eyes fell upon her face. All he then managed was a really startled: "Oro!?!"
Oh- have I already finished writing this chapter? That went faster than I thought it would, especially since I had a few problems in the beginning… well, I managed to introduce some of the main characters this time, so I actually don't think this chapter turned out that bad… and I got to include Hiko in the fic *dances around happily*. I somehow have to have a scene with him and Kenshin… *grins*
By the way- are those chapters too long? I actually planned on keeping them at 3000 words approximately, but somehow this one got to 5000+, and I don't think it will be much different with the next ones. If it bothers you, I'll cut them in two, so please, tell me if you'd rather have that!
As usual, any comments, suggestions, critic, praise etc… is highly welcome *points at little 'review' button*. PLEEEEAAAAAASE? *imitation of puppy dog eyes*
Cya next time!
Chibi-chan