Saitoh had stalked off to his room after thoroughly trouncing the moron dozens of times. The boy desperately needed to work on his defense, but with a typical ignoramus attitude he wouldn't do so unless forced. It was amazing he was still alive considering his pathetic skills.
Sliding off the dark navy jacket he stretched out on the cramped bed. His long legs hung over the end slighting, which served to fuel his bad temper. And he had no one to blame but himself.
Twisting his thin lips into a scowl of disgust he reviewed the conversation between himself and Kondo.
'I made a mistake.' Saitoh hissed his lean face set in grim determination. His fists were clenched behind his back and under the white gloves his knuckles were pale.
'Yes, you did. Owning up to it is admirable, however, it has been decided that you require a partner. Do you have any suggestions? I was considering Sanosuke Sagara.' The other man replied calmly. He hadn't missed the dangerous gleam in the wolf's golden eyes, yet he remained unafraid. The Shinsengumi were his to command and he intended to do so with an iron fist. Mistakes were unacceptable, yet they were a fact of life. They happened. The only course of action was prevention. Failing that a swift clean up. Perhaps if Hajime Saitoh had someone to look after his would not be so hasty in completing his missions.
'That moron?' If possible Saitoh's rage just hit a new level. Team up with that idiot? What did he look like, a baby sitter? 'I would rather take Kamatari than that young brainless kid.'
'That, unfortunately, is impossible as well you know.'
Twitch.
'So I am stuck with the responsibility of training such an unresponsive puppy?' Saitoh remarked already thinking ahead. If he was going to play it would have to be by Kondo's rules. Better to follow the straight path that was coupled with his ideals. Aku Soku Zan. So long as the moron did nothing to mess that up there should be no problems.
'Then it is settled. You will take Sagara with you on your next mission and we shall see what happens.' Kondo replied lightly taking a sip of his tea. It was cold, as usual, for he never had time to drink it when it was warm. He had won this round, but he had no illusions. Saitoh was not a tame dog walking calmly on a leash, he was a wild, master less wolf ruled solely by his beliefs.
'Which is?' Saitoh refused to acknowledge his defeat.
Instead of answering Kondo slid a piece of paper across the desk towards him. He picked it up slowly, his sharp eyes assessing. He turned to leaving and Kondo could not help sending out one finally volley, 'How is the girl?'
Saitoh stopped his shoulders from jumping up in surprise. Irritated, after all, why wouldn't the man know about his little stray? He forced a light retort, accompanied by his trademark smirk, 'Doing well actually. Under the care of the afore mentioned moron.'
He closed his eyes and felt his coiled muscles relax. He really needed a better work out to drive the tension from his body. Beating the rooster-head was hardly a challenge. Even when he had practiced his forms with the dull practice blade provided. His own sword, sharp as a razor and well conditioned, lay sheathed in an old case under his bunk. He always took it on missions although he relied of his gun to snipe. Sword wounds were hardly the norm and although they were difficult to trace they stood out as something other than everyday crime.
He had just started to finally drift off when he heard footsteps. They were light and he knew instantly who they belonged to. His room was hardly a secret yet he was surprised the child would purposely seek him out. He was hardly warm and loving. Not even taking into consideration that she had watched him murder her father. She had no reason to like him.
With deadly grace he sat up on the bed and leveled his amber eyes at the doorway.
The crown of her head showed first followed by endearing brown eyes. He stifled the urge to go back to relaxing. This could be important.
"Well?" He snapped and watched as she shrank back, but still hung around.
"Sir," It never struck him as odd that she never used his given name. He knew behind his back that she had followed the encouragement of the moron and labeled him 'Mister Wolf'. The childish nickname neither annoyed him nor amused him. "I...um, can you..."
"What?" He didn't have time to deal with her being timid. Whatever spark had been there before seemed to have smothered once she arrived.
"'Tari told me to find you. There were these bad men and they wanted to hurt me and 'Tari. He told me to find you." She repeated as if it would make her message clearer, urgent.
Saitoh rolled his eyes and sighed. If it wasn't one lack wit it was the other. Then there was a group of brain dead morons running around picking fights. He had a very good idea why Kamatari and Megumi were singled out. Men like those had no honor; no qualms about belittling and demeaning or taking advantage someone weaker than they were. It was a power issue and he felt nothing for contempt.
"You need to help him." Megumi insisted looking truly frightened. She had crept into his room with her back against the wall. He glared and she started to look away before catching herself. Jutting her tiny jaw she looked him square in the eyes obviously ready to order him around. "Help 'Tari."
He smirked, "If I don't?"
She considered that for a moment before narrowing her cinnamon eyes warning of her ire. She stalked over to him much in the manner he tended to stalk around when upset and placed her balled fists on his knees. Her face was inches from his and he was mildly surprised that she would initiate such intimate contact.
"Please?"
He grabbed her wrists feeling her pulse jump in fright. With one swift, flawless motion he was on his feet with sword in hand and child on his hip. Perhaps he would get more exercise if he sharpened his proverbial claws, and his very real sword, on some dense human scum.
With the girl giving him rather concise directions he had little difficulty isolating the brawl. What he didn't expect was to see Sanosuke in the middle of it back to back with Kamatari. The two were grimly outnumbered. Angry bruises were forming on the smaller man's pale skin and he was swinging a heavy chain around slowly. He looked fatigued. Numerous bodies were testament to the metal links' effectiveness.
"What's going on here?" Saitoh asked coolly. As expected the men stopped their assault. No recognition dawned in their mud colored eyes at the sight of him with a sword in hand. He didn't expect it to. His skills were admirable, yes, but not legendary. He was known for his marksmanship.
"What are you doing here?" Sano sputtered with annoyance. Blood trickled sluggishly from the corner of his mouth and his bright red headband lay torn on the floor.
Saitoh shot him a bland look, "I could ask you the same thing moron. I told you to go to the infirmary, not make your injuries worse."
"You stupid asshole!" Saitoh cut him off before he could get worked up with a promising look.
He set Megumi down and she backed up a few paces behind him watching wide eyed. He put her out of his mind and slid instinctively into stance as the first two lunged at him. With ease he evaded their clumsy attacks smashing the side of his blade into their bodies. The first crumpled like foil, but the second remained upright. He swayed dangerously yet like the fool he was continued his assault.
Saitoh twisted out of the way dealing him stinging slap to his back. There was a crack and he fell with a cry. By then the rest, outraged like a rabid pack of curs, had gathered enough courage to charge. They rushed forward and Saitoh regretted that he could not let his steel fang taste blood. Instead he dispatched those dodging flailing fists and disarming wicked knives. This was hardly a challenge at all and he was disappointed. Even the rooster-head put up a better fight than this pack of buffoons.
"Don't move you inhuman bastard!" The leader shouted with a frenzied look in his beady eyes. A small handgun was clutched in his shaking hand and it was aimed at Saitoh's chest. He paused ever so slightly wondering if he could cut down the man before the trigger was pulled. Deciding otherwise he stood still, calculating.
"Now you're going to put down that fucking meat cleaver and walk your fucking self away, understood asshole?" The leader demanded, his wimpy voice shaking as much as his arm. Saitoh gave him a frigid glare before his harsh features lifted into a jack-o-lantern smile.
"Do it now!"
"I think not." Saitoh said casually slipping into the starting point for zero gatosu. It was a difficult maneuver to complete properly, however, what was difficult for him to initiate, was also difficult for the fool in front of him to accurately track.
What Saitoh wasn't expecting was the man to turn the gun on Megumi. She blinked and trembled pressing herself against the wall.
"Don't move you little whore!" The crazed man barked. Apparently all of his minuscule logic had just deserted him. He was now a dumb beast doing his best to tear his way out of a death trap.
The girl froze in compliance to his order.
"Hey man, that's low. If you fucking harm her I swear I will pound the living shit out of you, put it back in, and do it again! Bastard." The moron threatened, too fearful to move in case he accidentally set the unstable psycho off.
Saitoh considered allowing this to go on, yet it wore on his patience.
With little warning he launched forward sword horizontal to his chest with his arm slightly bent storing kinetic energy to make his thrust clean and powerful. This idiot had stepped over the line and his death would be the only thing to appease his blunder.
With a swift slash he cut a shallow blow to the man's wrist. The gun fired before it tumbled to the floor forgotten. Recovering from the slight detour, Saitoh's blade quested for the heart. Twisting between two ribs, cracking them with pressure, it headed on a straight course to its destination.
Blood spurted everywhere drenching the immediate area. Not exactly a clean kill Saitoh mused as he withdrew the long blade from the man's sullied chest. A look of horror and shock plastered the common face making it grotesque. None of that bothered the lanky man however. He calmly wiped his sword clean on an unconscious idiot's uniform before sheathing it.
His eyes flicked around totaling the damage. This certainly wouldn't go over well once everything was reported, which meant one thing: to escape. He did not need to be called off the mission simply because a group of mutts decided to pull a stunt like this.
"Are you okay?" He heard the rooster-head ask the girl. She nodded, completely pale. Sano confronted him angrily, "What the fucking hell were you thinking? She could have been killed! You didn't know that your move would completely deflect the bullet. God, that was like asking for it!"
Saitoh eyed him deciding he had already broken more than enough rules this evening. Why not add another? Pulling out the ever present pack of cancer he daintily pulled out a stick and lit it. Inhaling sharply he enjoyed and savored the relief only cigarettes could bring.
"I was thinking that he needed to be dealt with." He informed the livid young man with a puff. "Her safety was not my concern, ending his misery was."
"Cold bastard." The moron accused as he tried to hand the quivering child over to Kamatari. She clung to his shirt stubbornly with a death grip.
Saitoh ignored them turning his back before calling over his shoulder, "Be ready for the mission at dawn tomorrow."
A/N: *does dance* Stinkey is dead. O__O Okay, getting on my shit list may have you featured in a death scene ^^;; so don't tick me off! Actually, the man was nothing but pleasant to me. It was my aunt and cousin who got the brunt of his nastiness.
Reviewers:
L. Sith: Yup, too bad I suck at orchastrating things. Hopefully this won't be too much of a traffic accident.
Fyyrrose: *humming Freckles* Okay, -.- you just wanted a fight scene! And your last challenge go me in "trouble". Why'd you have to pick those two to fight? *groans* Then again, it can't be any harder than Shinomori and Yukishiro. I think he's just FKB in this one, no CHB. So you want me to post that one-shot? *glares* That would mean I'd have to finish it. And since I wrote in in July *raises eyebrow*.
MissBehavin: Hehe, I won't tell. But let's just say you're warm and getting hotter. Oh, and I picked up two Zane Grey books yesterday: The Border Legion and The Drift Fence. I choose them at random ^^;;
Corri: Thank you! I am twisted, so it follows that my characters/plots would be the same. Thank you again! I try my hardest to keep them IC, but it's sometimes hard. I don't view their relationship as a hating one, so I don't portray it as one.
Kinetic Dream: *laughing* I'm glad I'm doing something right by her. *blinks* If I remember correctly there are 21 chapters and an eppy. So yup a bit longer. It's nice to have one just *written*. TDTI is in the middle of nowhere and BSR has an ending but I'm only a third of the way through it.
Wistful-Eyes: *grins* Math is evil incarnate. Besides, I think you're right, it's hard to picture him doing badly in anything else (expect science, math-based science? I hated Chem and Physics SO much).