OHH SO CLOSE TO THE END!!!!! The next chapter is the last. I just want to
again say that there WILL be a sequel, and I'm really working on it. It
looks pretty bad so far tho *frown*. I'm working hard to fix it. I've been
cutting a lot, and trying to piece together a good plot. What's hard is
keeping consistent with her personality and blah, so yeah. It might be a
while before I put it out, which will bug the hell out of everyone, but I
can't help it. I'm just trying to make it good. So go enjoy the chapter,
and remember that the last chap comes out next weekend.
Disclaimer: To own or not to own? That is the question! I would pick to own any day, but I don't think the current owner would like that. =(
~You act like you don't care, but inside it bothers you. As you fall in the
abyss, the wind licks at your wounds. You wrap your arms around you. So
cold~
I slid on my gloves, and I was ready to go. I was going to wear pants, but I wanted a certain look tonight. So, I was happy with myself for packing 3 different outfits. Hey, a girl's got to have choices. Thus, I ended up wearing this: A black skirt that came to my knees with slits that were dangerously high, a black tank top, my boots (of course), and my black gloves. I wore my normal sword on my back, the knives in my boots, and I had a knife strapped to each thigh. I also had two guns swinging at my sides in their holsters. I wasn't a gun person, but that didn't mean I didn't use them. I was going to hide all my weapons, but what's the point? I didn't care tonight. I put my hair in a high ponytail, and put on some red lipstick. I looked like a killer, I am a killer; let's hope Big J gets the message and releases my parents without me having to do any dirty work. Just as I was about to walk out my phone rang, and the ever-popular Soujiro was the person calling. I walked outside cradling the phone in my hands, and everyone was sitting on the porch as quiet as the dead, they all turned to look at me, and for the millionth time for the night jaws dropped. I think Kenshin's actually hit the floor.
"Sou-san, what's up?"
"I've found Saitoh. Aoshi and I are going to visit him. Do you wish to come?"
"No. I'm busy."
"I thought I told you not to go out much. You must be careful. We don't know when Battosai will show up."
"Look Soujiro, my parents just got kidnapped by Big J, so excuse me for not playing it safe. I have family to save."
"He what?"
"Eduardo told him about me somewhat involuntarily, and so he's arranged a little meeting with me."
"Does he know you're an assassin?"
"No, but he'll know when I get there and shoot him." I smirked. I had never wanted to kill someone so badly. The anticipation I felt was exhilarating, but underneath it there was still fear. Fear that I was being arrogant. That I would not return. I would make sure my parents would, but my life was not a sure bet.
"Kaoru, keep your cover."
"Why? There's no point in it tonight. Him and his 4 bodyguards are going down, Soujiro. Tonight." I hung up on him. He'd get over it.
"Kaoru??? What are you wearing?" Misao stared at me with wide eyes.
"I can move better now, and look like a bad ass. I need to make an impression tonight." I said knowingly.
"An impression? You look more like a slut. I refuse to let you wear that!" Akira said standing.
"Akira, don't call me that again. Got it?" I said moving past him to my car, but my phone rang yet another time!
"Hello." I said as I answered my phone again. Talk about being popular.
"Kaoru." The voice said, and I knew I knew that voice, but I just couldn't remember from where. After a few seconds of silence, I finally realized who it was.
"Ale?" I questioned.
"Arturo told me to tell you not to kill Big J."
"Why?"
"If he dies, then it won't get better, but rather worse. Oye Senorita, when you find out who Big J is, control your temper, and let him live. Once you retrieve your parents run, hard and fast."
"How do you know about all of this? Why didn't he tell me this would happen when I talked to him? Why am I being kept in the dark? And what do you mean when I find out who he is?"
"You'll understand. Arturo sends one more message, tiene cuidado mi amore." (be careful my love)
"Huh?" I said to dial tone. Why does everyone enjoy hanging up on me?!?!?!
"Where did you get such weapons?" Kenshin asked, as I glared at my phone.
"Weapon's R Us." I said sarcastically, clipping the phone onto my skirt.
"Jou-chan you're different from when you went inside. Cold. The hell happened? And who were you talking to? The guy who did this is a guy named Big J?" Sano said asking three-four questions in a row. Maybe if he'd ask one at a time I'd answer. Don't I sound like a hypocrite? I did just asked Ale about a million questions at once.
"Nothing happened Sano. I've just realized that I don't have to pretend anymore. This is the real me. Deal with it." I shrugged.
"This is not the real you. The girl I knew before, that was the real you. The girl I fell in love with." Akira walked up to me cupping my cheek in his hand.
"I've changed Akira. You don't know me anymore. Hell, I barely know me. Look, I've got to go. I'll be fine."
"Do you really plan on using those?" He lightly touched the butt of a gun.
"If need be." I drew back from him, and smiled sadly. "If I get hurt then it's one thing, but all of you are a different story. Misao," She looked up at me, "You wanted to know what I do for a living. I'm an assassin. You were friends with a killer and didn't even know. I'm sorry for lying. I've always been too good at lying if you ask me. I just wanted to tell you, so if I don't come back then you'll at least know the truth."
"You will come back Miss Kaoru." Kenshin said; he seemed so sure, so confident.
"I may not. My parents will, I swear it, but I can't promise that I'll return."
"Then I will make you promise." Sano looked just as determined as Kenshin. I felt like saying thank you, felt like giving in to false hope, but I can't make a promise that I know I can't keep.
"I've been doing this for a long time. There is no way to predict what the outcome will be."
"So how do you know your parents will make it back?" Yahiko had finally said something.
"Because they have to. They just have to." I looked away. I was supposed to be the badass assassin, and assassins aren't supposed to cry.
"Yet you don't hold the same confidence in your own life?" Kenshin asked.
"I'm not like you Kenshin. Not innocent and pure. I wish I was, I really do, but I've done too much; seen too much. I can't linger in false hope. I can't lie to myself."
"And this is not lying to yourself?" Kenshin moved towards me, and gestured to my outfit.
"No." I said firmly.
"I don't believe you Miss Kaoru, that I do not." Kenshin reached back into his hair, and pulled it out of the ponytail. He held out the elastic he used for his hair, and waited for me to take it.
"What's this for?" Why did this feel so familiar?
"Promise to return it to me." My hands clutched at the elastic, as the dream I had surged into memory. What does this mean? (A/N: remember when Kaoru gave Kenshin her ribbon...)
"Return it to you?" I said incredulously.
"Promise me you will."
"I promise." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The hell was I saying? I shouldn't be promising him this! Somehow I just couldn't take back the promise, so I turned and walked away. Walked away from the confusion. Walked from confusion to duty because oddly enough, I'd rather face the job at hand then my feelings. Funny how I call it a job. What was personal half an hour ago was now a job. I never noticed it before, but I guess after I changed my clothes I was acting. strange. How did Sano phrase it? Cold?
~I keep turning round. The walls are crashing down. The sound is fading
out. I'm falling to the ground~
~~~PREVIEW: "This syringe in my hand contains a memory eraser. If you allow me to have you then I'll allow your precious parents to live. It's a good trade," Big J looked Kaoru straight in the eyes.
Disclaimer: To own or not to own? That is the question! I would pick to own any day, but I don't think the current owner would like that. =(
~You act like you don't care, but inside it bothers you. As you fall in the
abyss, the wind licks at your wounds. You wrap your arms around you. So
cold~
I slid on my gloves, and I was ready to go. I was going to wear pants, but I wanted a certain look tonight. So, I was happy with myself for packing 3 different outfits. Hey, a girl's got to have choices. Thus, I ended up wearing this: A black skirt that came to my knees with slits that were dangerously high, a black tank top, my boots (of course), and my black gloves. I wore my normal sword on my back, the knives in my boots, and I had a knife strapped to each thigh. I also had two guns swinging at my sides in their holsters. I wasn't a gun person, but that didn't mean I didn't use them. I was going to hide all my weapons, but what's the point? I didn't care tonight. I put my hair in a high ponytail, and put on some red lipstick. I looked like a killer, I am a killer; let's hope Big J gets the message and releases my parents without me having to do any dirty work. Just as I was about to walk out my phone rang, and the ever-popular Soujiro was the person calling. I walked outside cradling the phone in my hands, and everyone was sitting on the porch as quiet as the dead, they all turned to look at me, and for the millionth time for the night jaws dropped. I think Kenshin's actually hit the floor.
"Sou-san, what's up?"
"I've found Saitoh. Aoshi and I are going to visit him. Do you wish to come?"
"No. I'm busy."
"I thought I told you not to go out much. You must be careful. We don't know when Battosai will show up."
"Look Soujiro, my parents just got kidnapped by Big J, so excuse me for not playing it safe. I have family to save."
"He what?"
"Eduardo told him about me somewhat involuntarily, and so he's arranged a little meeting with me."
"Does he know you're an assassin?"
"No, but he'll know when I get there and shoot him." I smirked. I had never wanted to kill someone so badly. The anticipation I felt was exhilarating, but underneath it there was still fear. Fear that I was being arrogant. That I would not return. I would make sure my parents would, but my life was not a sure bet.
"Kaoru, keep your cover."
"Why? There's no point in it tonight. Him and his 4 bodyguards are going down, Soujiro. Tonight." I hung up on him. He'd get over it.
"Kaoru??? What are you wearing?" Misao stared at me with wide eyes.
"I can move better now, and look like a bad ass. I need to make an impression tonight." I said knowingly.
"An impression? You look more like a slut. I refuse to let you wear that!" Akira said standing.
"Akira, don't call me that again. Got it?" I said moving past him to my car, but my phone rang yet another time!
"Hello." I said as I answered my phone again. Talk about being popular.
"Kaoru." The voice said, and I knew I knew that voice, but I just couldn't remember from where. After a few seconds of silence, I finally realized who it was.
"Ale?" I questioned.
"Arturo told me to tell you not to kill Big J."
"Why?"
"If he dies, then it won't get better, but rather worse. Oye Senorita, when you find out who Big J is, control your temper, and let him live. Once you retrieve your parents run, hard and fast."
"How do you know about all of this? Why didn't he tell me this would happen when I talked to him? Why am I being kept in the dark? And what do you mean when I find out who he is?"
"You'll understand. Arturo sends one more message, tiene cuidado mi amore." (be careful my love)
"Huh?" I said to dial tone. Why does everyone enjoy hanging up on me?!?!?!
"Where did you get such weapons?" Kenshin asked, as I glared at my phone.
"Weapon's R Us." I said sarcastically, clipping the phone onto my skirt.
"Jou-chan you're different from when you went inside. Cold. The hell happened? And who were you talking to? The guy who did this is a guy named Big J?" Sano said asking three-four questions in a row. Maybe if he'd ask one at a time I'd answer. Don't I sound like a hypocrite? I did just asked Ale about a million questions at once.
"Nothing happened Sano. I've just realized that I don't have to pretend anymore. This is the real me. Deal with it." I shrugged.
"This is not the real you. The girl I knew before, that was the real you. The girl I fell in love with." Akira walked up to me cupping my cheek in his hand.
"I've changed Akira. You don't know me anymore. Hell, I barely know me. Look, I've got to go. I'll be fine."
"Do you really plan on using those?" He lightly touched the butt of a gun.
"If need be." I drew back from him, and smiled sadly. "If I get hurt then it's one thing, but all of you are a different story. Misao," She looked up at me, "You wanted to know what I do for a living. I'm an assassin. You were friends with a killer and didn't even know. I'm sorry for lying. I've always been too good at lying if you ask me. I just wanted to tell you, so if I don't come back then you'll at least know the truth."
"You will come back Miss Kaoru." Kenshin said; he seemed so sure, so confident.
"I may not. My parents will, I swear it, but I can't promise that I'll return."
"Then I will make you promise." Sano looked just as determined as Kenshin. I felt like saying thank you, felt like giving in to false hope, but I can't make a promise that I know I can't keep.
"I've been doing this for a long time. There is no way to predict what the outcome will be."
"So how do you know your parents will make it back?" Yahiko had finally said something.
"Because they have to. They just have to." I looked away. I was supposed to be the badass assassin, and assassins aren't supposed to cry.
"Yet you don't hold the same confidence in your own life?" Kenshin asked.
"I'm not like you Kenshin. Not innocent and pure. I wish I was, I really do, but I've done too much; seen too much. I can't linger in false hope. I can't lie to myself."
"And this is not lying to yourself?" Kenshin moved towards me, and gestured to my outfit.
"No." I said firmly.
"I don't believe you Miss Kaoru, that I do not." Kenshin reached back into his hair, and pulled it out of the ponytail. He held out the elastic he used for his hair, and waited for me to take it.
"What's this for?" Why did this feel so familiar?
"Promise to return it to me." My hands clutched at the elastic, as the dream I had surged into memory. What does this mean? (A/N: remember when Kaoru gave Kenshin her ribbon...)
"Return it to you?" I said incredulously.
"Promise me you will."
"I promise." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. The hell was I saying? I shouldn't be promising him this! Somehow I just couldn't take back the promise, so I turned and walked away. Walked away from the confusion. Walked from confusion to duty because oddly enough, I'd rather face the job at hand then my feelings. Funny how I call it a job. What was personal half an hour ago was now a job. I never noticed it before, but I guess after I changed my clothes I was acting. strange. How did Sano phrase it? Cold?
~I keep turning round. The walls are crashing down. The sound is fading
out. I'm falling to the ground~
~~~PREVIEW: "This syringe in my hand contains a memory eraser. If you allow me to have you then I'll allow your precious parents to live. It's a good trade," Big J looked Kaoru straight in the eyes.