Disclaimer: Oro-chan belongs to Kaoru. Kaoru belongs to Oro-chan. Aya belongs to Ken. Ken belongs to Aya. Capish? The Kanrii Tower and the Kaira building belong to me though :p I just made them out of nowhere. And the criminal that Black Dawn takes down is just a figment of my imagination too~.
A/N: Domo once again to all my reviewers! This chapter took off on it's own as usual _ and it's the longest one that I've ever written so far. I swear even my English essays had less than this! No, wait, that's a *definite* thing. None of my essays have ever topped 2714 words. But then again I've never had much fun writing about Macbeth, The Crucible or Lord of the Flies -_-. Enough rambling and back to the fic! This chapter contains the mission (finally! Yes, jump around for joy! I finally wrote it!) and Black Dawn's meeting up with Kenshin. OOCness abound! Enjoy~
Reviewers' Space!
Neko Oni – Wai! It's omae-san again! J I love getting reviews from you ^^ Hontou? I'm glad to know that at least one person thinks that it's ok for him to get OOC ^^;; I just thought that it'd be fun to have him you know, be more in tune with his Battousai side than how it usually is in other fics; either completely Battousai or having trouble trying to control it. Un~ Japanese rox! ;) Hope you enjoy this chapter ne!
can't-get-enough-anime: Ah ^^ I'm glad you like the story! As to what happens to Kenshin and Black Dawn? ;) Well, you'll just have to wait and see ne? XD hehen~
ewunia – Yeah, I'm still trying to build it up, and hopefully people will like my story enough to read it ne? Will do as much as possible!
Thoughts are in ' '
Speech is in " "
Telepathy is in italics.
Chapter 4: Mission/Meeting – Synchronised
Kaoru crawled stealthily through the air vent, trying to remain as quiet as possible as she made her way to the target's office. She felt drops of perspiration on her face, and thanked the gods that she had pinned up her hair with clips, and that the fringe on her forehead was short enough not to get in the way of her sight. The mask that covered the left side of her face was a trademark of the assassin group. She readied the tranquillising darts that were strapped to her thigh on her outfit as she found herself in the air vent directly above her target. As she raised her arm slightly to throw a dart, she sent a telepathic message to her twin, who would surely relay it to Sanosuke if he didn't receive it (1). A vocal message through the little microphone on the collar of her skin-tight black shirt would have meant that Sanosuke would have definitely received the message, but Kaoru couldn't allow the said target to even have an inkling of their presence in the building, otherwise the plan would be screwed. Mistakes in their line of work often meant death, and when she was this close to the target, it would mean imminent death if he found out she was hovering in the air vent right above him.
Takasugi had come to the house right on time for the meeting, and all of them had been there for the mission briefing; Kaoru and Soujirou awake and alert, while Sanosuke nursed a painful hangover. They had sat around the kitchen table while Takasugi briefed them on the mission about one Kouya Shatori; he was responsible for the rapes and murders of several women around Tokyo, and was a chief of one of the yakuza groups. Kaoru was to tranquillise him, via the air vents, and Sanosuke and Soujirou would take care of the guards, before they reached the room that he was in. A plan of the building was spread out on the table and the group memorised the information instantly.
"Why don't we snipe?" Soujirou had asked.
Takasugi shook his head to the question, pulling a long drag on his cigarette. "The surrounding buildings around Kanrii tower will not be able to give you a clear shot to his room, and the building may have bulletproof glass installed for the room, considering that he's a high-roller. You'll have to resort to using the old methods. (2)"
He continued, breathing the smoke out as Kaoru glared at him. "You know what you have to do. Check the building out in the time that you've got left; the mission's at 2300 tonight. Leave no witnesses; there should only be men in the building; if they get in your way, you know what to do," the grip that Kaoru had on the table leg tightened slightly, her knuckles going white, before she forced herself to relax. "Be on alert at all times; you never know what tricks he might have up his sleeve. Sharpen all the equipment that you need; if you need anything just give me a call. I'll be overseeing your mission from a nearby place. Report to me once you're done. I'll be on the rooftop, waiting." Takasugi had gotten up, and promptly left the house, leaving the three to sort out what they needed for the mission. He had also, refrained from telling them that they would have a 'visitor' during their mission, but well, Katsura had told him not to say anything, and so he kept his mouth shut. Kaoru and Soujirou had then left to check out the building, while Sanosuke caught up on his much needed sleep.
Tenken, are the guards taken care of? Even though the group knew that few had telepathic abilities like theirs, they took extra caution even through the mental link during their missions to make sure that no one knew their true identities.
Done, Bara. We're outside the room you're in now. Are you pulling it off, or shall we? Soujirou answered in a similar business-like manner.
Only have the darts tonight; you can pull this one. She hadn't brought her katana with her because she knew that it would have been more of a nuisance, what with crawling through air vents and making as little noise as possible. She had no doubt that her twin could pull the job off easily, and Sanosuke was just as capable (when he was sober, at least).
Open in 5 seconds. Kaoru's arm was a blur as she threw the dart, and was satisfied when she heard the man's gasp, and his ungraceful thud on the floor. The tranquilliser was enough to paralyse his limbs momentarily, but not enough to knock him out cold; it would have been sneaky to kill their opponents like that, and the team did not approve of it at all. Even if they took lives, they would at least do it in a righteous manner. Soujirou and Sanosuke burst through the door, light playing on the masks that they too, wore. Kaoru landed softly behind the man as she jumped down from the exit in the air vent that she had kicked through easily.
Soujirou levelled the tip of his katana at the man's Adam apple, sharp point against the skin. Sanosuke stood right behind him, a menacing shadow in the pale moonlight that shone through the glass windows of the room, and as he clenched a fist, bugnuks snapped out of his gloves to the fore.
"Kouya Shatori, we have come for your life." The pointed tip of Kaoru's dagger mirrored Soujirou's katana, and the man gulped as he felt the cold kiss of steel both on his Adam's apple and on the back of his neck, in addition to the dart that was still stuck into the back of his neck.
Soujirou smiled menacingly from beneath his mask. "Be ready to meet your maker." Without any warning, he plunged the katana into the man's rib cage, skewering him to the floor right through the heart, and jerked it out again, not an instant later. Blood trickled from Kouya Shatori's lips and his body convulsed; Kaoru crouched down by the dying man's ear.
"We are Black Dawn, the ones who bring Heaven's Justice (3)."
She threw a black rose (4) onto the man's body, before leaving the room with her colleagues, shutting the door with a final click behind her.
~*~
Kenshin's eyes slid open, amber eyes alert as he 'watched' the trio leave the room. Katsura had indeed told him to watch the mission as it proceeded, and Kenshin had done precisely that; using his remote viewing (5) at such a close distance was not too much of a task to ask, and he had used it many times before to keep a watch on other targets. It was the easiest way to stay undetected, and yet, still be informed of others' actions at all times. He had kept his ki completely masked, but now he let it out; their mission was done, and as per Katsura's orders, he would introduce himself. Kenshin crouched down in the shadows of the skyscraper that was next to the Kanrii tower, waiting for his soon-to-be-comrades to show up on the roof of the building. 'If they really are as good as rumoured, then maybe…just maybe…they'll be able to detect me up here.' Kenshin smiled slightly mischievously to himself as he crouched there patiently; it had been a long time since someone else other than his shishou had been able to detect his ki, and this was his way of finding out how good the team really was.
~*~
Kaoru allowed her senses to roam as she led the way up the stairs to the rooftop. Takasugi was supposed to be around somewhere, and she wanted to make the report as fast as possible so that she'd be able to get home and wash off the guilt that she felt everytime they took on a mission. Even though she had skimmed the target's mind slightly, and definitely classified him on her 'must die' list, that didn't mean that she was qualified to take his life away. It was like playing God, and she loathed it; she was glad that Soujirou had asked her, and was also glad that he was the one that had taken the scumbag's life instead of her. It might have seemed strange, but she needed to remind herself that she was human too, and not just an assassin who took the lives of others almost every night. She hated herself sometimes; she felt like a hypocrite, being one thing in the morning and another in the night. It scared her too, and Kaoru was afraid that one day, she wouldn't remember who Kamiya Kaoru was, and would always stay as Kuro Bara the assassin.
As Bara, she was a strong, effective, deadly and skilled assassin. But as Bara, she was also cold, unyielding, and killed without remorse. As Kamiya Kaoru, she was as human as she could ever be, and the guilt of killing would hit her like a ton of bricks; she was compassionate, warm, and happy, unlike her persona of Bara, who was the complete opposite.
Kaoru stiffened and stopped suddenly in her footsteps as she detected an unknown, but powerful ki. Soujirou was on the alert in an instant, while Sanosuke snapped his claws out.
We've got company.
She slid the dagger out of the pouch that was strapped to her thigh and turned the doorknob slowly, getting into an offensive stance. The cool night wind was blasted into their faces, but they maintained their caution and wariness. Narrowing her eyes, Kaoru stretched her senses further to pinpoint the exact location of the dangerous ki, and was slightly shocked to note that it was almost exactly above her. She wheeled around and saw the shadow lurking within the shadows of the skyscraper that was next to the Kanrii Tower.
Show yourself! She demanded of the stranger.
~*~
Kenshin's amber eyes widened slightly as he 'heard' a woman's voice in his head.
Show yourself! It demanded. 'Katsura-san was right.' He thought to himself. 'They really are that good.' He readied himself to leap to the other building, muscles clenching in his thighs. Kenshin held his katana in one hand and jumped. The 3-floor drop from the rooftop of the Kaira building to the Kanrii Tower meant nothing to him as he landed gracefully in front of the trio, trench coat sweeping out behind him. All three assassins surrounded him at once; a katana ready to slit his throat, a dagger poked into his back and three sharp blades connected to a fist at his stomach ready to hara-kiri (6) him if needed.
Kenshin held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Katsura-san sent me."
Soujirou narrowed his eyes slightly. How do I know you're not lying?
Battousai smiled. 'So this is the Tenken.' "You can 'scan' my mind, and you'll find that I'm telling the truth."
The dagger in his back dug slightly deeper. Who the hell are you and how do you know this information?
Kenshin tried to crane his head backwards to see the woman who had detected his ki. 'Bara.' The name registered in his mind. He answered the question smoothly.
"Battousai."
He could see both the men stiffen slightly, and was sure that the woman was doing the same too. Silence ensued for a moment.
"Are you trying to play the fool with us?" Sanosuke's voice was deathly cold. 'Ah, this could only be Zanza.'
"Himura, stop playing games." Came a voice from outside the circle.
All eyes turned to rest on Takasugi; they had been too engrossed in their confrontation and had failed to notice that the man had shown up just moments ago.
"Black Dawn, you can all back down, because he is who he said he is."
Kenshin smiled a not-so-kind smile at Takasugi. "You didn't tell them, did you?"
Kaoru, Soujirou and Sanosuke had grudgingly sheathed their weapons, before giving Takasugi a collective glare. Takasugi grinned at them and shrug the unease off.
"Nope." Was the nonchalant answer.
Sanosuke swore lightly under his breath. "You knew?!"
Takasugi blatantly ignored him and just walked over to the four. "Orders from the chief. You'll all be working together from now onwards, so I'd suggest that you introduce yourselves; you know, handshake and all that. You don't have to worry about anyone listening in; I checked the parameter, and there's no one around, physically or mentally, so don't worry about using your real names."
Kenshin muttered something about 'lousy agents' under his breath before straightening up slightly and introducing himself. "Himura Kenshin desu. Sorry that Takasugi-san here" the sarcasm was evident in his tone "didn't say anything about me meeting up with you. Katsura-san said that I'll be joining your group for an indefinite time. Codename: Battousai; Primary Weapon: Katana; Sword Style: Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu; Ability: Remote-viewing and slight telepathic abilities (7)." He bowed slightly before them. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
Soujirou was the first to offer an apologetic smile to Kenshin as he bowed back politely and pulling his gloves off, offered his hand for a handshake. Kenshin tentatively took it. "Gomen nasai, for pointing a katana at your throat. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have been so rash. Kamiya Soujirou desu. Codename: Tenken; Primary Weapon: Katana; Sword Style: Tenbu no Sai Niyoro Ken, Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu; Ability: Telepath. Dozo yoroshiku."
Sanosuke was the next to introduce himself (in accordance to Kaoru's elbow in his ribs). "Warui about almost giving you hara-kiri." He ran a hand through his hair that defied gravity and offered his other one to Kenshin. Kenshin stared at it warily, not forgetting that there had actually been claws extended from the very same hand that had almost hara-kiri'ed him minutes earlier. Being to blur to notice that Kenshin still hadn't taken his hand, Kaoru yanked it off, and he yelped as the cold wind bit into his skin. Kenshin finally shook the proffered hand and Sanosuke leapt into his own introduction. "Sagara Sanosuke. Codename: Zanza; Primary Weapon: Bugnuks; Technique: Futae no Kiwami and random street-fighting techniques; Ability: (Very bad) Telekinesis."
Kaoru was the last to introduce herself. She couldn't help but notice the crimson bangs that framed his face closely and his imminent good looks and flashing amber eyes. 'He's pretty good looking,' she realized, and then frowned inwardly, 'he also seems really familiar somehow…I can't put my finger on it but…' Her thoughts were cut off as Soujirou prodded her mentally, reminding her of where she was. Her lips curved up into a small smile. "Kamiya Kaoru, Sou-chan's twin sister. Codename: Kuro Bara; Primary Weapon: Katana; Sword Style: Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu; Ability: Telepathy. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." She offered an ungloved hand to him---
Big mistake.
As she grasped his hand, and he, hers, her world exploded into a myriad of colours. The sense of familiarity returned, as her head thrummed painfully, and she gritted out painfully, her eyes closed (8).
"Do I…know you?"
Kenshin was in a similar state of mind, and his hand tightened on hers. Colours were exploding in front of his eyes and he felt something strange about her…almost as if he knew her. "Shit." He swore. "Have we met before?"
Their eyes snapped open at the same time and they stared at each other. Takasugi, Sanosuke and Soujirou were staring at them as if they'd grown two heads.
Kaoru stared at Kenshin and Kenshin stared right back. The pounding in Kaoru's head intensified, and the blurred image of a man with crimson hair and purple eyes synchronised with the Kenshin right in front of her eyes; the combined images and her reeling senses were too much to take all at once and she collapsed suddenly. One word left her lips before her word was covered in darkness.
"Kenshin…"
The redhead quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to prevent her from dropping to the floor and caught her before she reached the ground. Soujirou rushed towards his twin and shook her. "Kaoru! Kaoru? What's wrong? Wake up?" Kenshin was too dumbfounded to say anything as Sanosuke and Takasugi watched on in amazement. Silence rang still throughout the night as Sanosuke drawled dryly.
"Now that is what I call an introduction."
Dictionary
Kuro Bara – Black Rose. Kaoru's assassin codename.
Tenken – er…Sou-chan's assassin codename. It means 'Sword skills given by the heavens'. Thank you to Tenken and InuYasha22 for this!
Ki – Aura
Shishou – master
Hara-kiri – A suicide method that samurais usually used in the olden times. You stab a knife into your solar plexus and twist it upwards into your heart. Instant death. Or something like that. Please do correct me if I'm wrong ^^;
Himura Kenshin desu – I'm Himura Kenshin
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu/Dozo yoroshiku – Pleased to meet you
Tenbu no Sai Niyoro Ken – Something something sword. :p I don't have the kanji to this, so it could mean a million things. Whatever the case, it's just the sword style that Soujirou uses.
Gomen nasai – sorry (formal)
Warui – sorry (male informal way of saying sorry)
Futae no Kiwami – Sano's technique of fighting taught to him by Anji in the RuroKen series. Literally translated as 'The Two-fold Extremity'.
Notes:
(1) Ah, mental links to non-telepaths. Sanosuke's telepathic abilities are not as advanced as those of Soujirou's and Kaoru's; besides, sometimes, even if you *do* send a telepathic message to a non-telepath, they aren't guaranteed to be able to receive it. :p I know it's weird, so just humour me ok?
(2) Old methods as in swords, kunais, darts, daggers, whatever. As long as it doesn't contain gunpowder, it's fine.
(3) Yes, I know that Kenshin uses Heaven's Justice as well. I guess you could call it the motto of the Ishinshishi ne?
(4) Significance of a black rose. It's the symbol that Black Dawn leaves behind after they assassinate someone. Kaoru's kinda the leader at this point, so a black rose is used. As to how on earth they get black roses well… let's not get into genetic engineering right now, kay? Mebbe they used black ink or summat. *Scratch head* whatever. They just use black roses, end of story. J
(5) Remote viewing. In this fic, it just basically means that even though you're not at the incident or event or whatever, you can still see what the hell's going on. I understand that remote viewing involves leaving your body behind, and using your soul to go and see whatever, but well, Kenshin just can do it XD
(6) Hara-kiri. Old method of suicide used by samurais in olden times. They usually resorted to this method if the daimyo that they served was killed. Kenshin stopped quite a few samurais from hara-kiri'ng themselves in the anime.
(7) Ah, maybe some of you have noticed that Ken-chan hasn't mentioned his dreamwalking ne? Why? Well, a) he's just met these people; b) he probably thinks that it's not much use anyway, going into people's dreams and all that; and c) urm …he'd rather not let them no. As for the 'slightly telepathic abilities', he got them the haaard way. What, you say? Well… J that would be giving away the story; hehen~
(8) Anyone read L.J Smith? J if you do, I'm sure you can figure out. If you don't, then :p you'll find out as the story goes along, ne? XD I swear I'm so evil sometimes~
A/N: O_O Yet another huge chapter! I swear I don't know how my stories seem to run off like that _ I sure as hell won't get enough time to write chapters this long once school starts again, and that's like in 2 weeks. *Sigh* I'll just do as much as I can when the time comes, ne? Anyway, back to the fic J mwahhaha XD cliffhanger, no? I just had to do that! Are you all wondering why the hell Kenshin and Kaoru are reacting to each other like that? ^^ Mwahah…time will tell. Well, they finally met anyway; I hope that the chapter was up to your standards, because I had a tough time trying to portray Kaoru's emotions and character. Hard because I've only seen her portrayed as ya know, innocent, the light of hope, all that stuff. It's hard to mould her completely into an assassin because I can't make her be too cold and all that, because that just wouldn't work for her. Anyway, please do leave any comments and suggestions that could help me improve the fic, kay? Do R&R please, and if you have any fan art or anything that you want to send to me, please do ne? I'm trying to draw something up as well, but XD that's kinda far off into the story for one of the chapters XD Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you all in the next one!
