The Wolves Apart
CHAPTER 1: Storm
Saito walked along the road, feeling the drizzle of rain begin to settle upon the city of Tokyo. It began to dampen his dark blue uniform. He continued down his route, not minding the light drizzle. It actually lightened his spirits a bit. The streets were bare, no doubt because of the rain, so Saito sat on a bench under a tree.
After a few minutes, police whistles reached his ears. He stood up, then headed toward the whistles wondering what the noise could be about. They began to die down after a few steps.
"Must be a false alarm," he muttered under his breath, wishing that he could be at home and out of the rain. It was getting heavier. Still, there wasn't any harm in checking out what was going on, so he turned the corner and walked down yet another bare street. There was suddenly another wave of police whistles, which also died down in a matter of seconds. Furrowing his brow, Saito hurried down the street to where the whistles had come. The sight that met his eyes could've been part of a nightmare. At least thirty police officers lay dead in the road, their blood creating a river that soaked the street. All of their bodies were slashed and destroyed.
"What happened?" Saito asked himself as he stepped a little closer to the dead men. There was another wave of police whistles and Saito hurried over to them, wanting to know what was going on. There was a loud cry and more whistles. Saito turned down a road and saw three cops lying dead against the side of a house, killed in the same fashion. Five more bodies were strewn across the road, but there was one thing that caught Saito's eye before all of this. A man, not any older than twenty, covered in a black cloak was standing with a smaller figure; their swords still in hand.
"Another cop, Shiki," the smaller figure said to the taller one. The man nodded.
"Yes, he is a cop, Gimmei," the tall figure said. "I will kill him. You stay here." He began to walk toward Saito.
Gimmei, Saito thought. That is a girl's name. The killer is a young girl?! The man flicked his sword, which brought Saito out of his thoughts.
"I will kill you, cop!" the man said. He charged at Saito with fine accuracy and speed. However, being a member of the Shinsengumi, Saito could easily read his movements and dodged the attack with a simple side step to the right. Drawing his sword, he prepared to kill the man, but a sharp pain at the back of his neck prevented him from doing so. He felt the foot on his neck whirl around and slam into his ribs, sending him flying into a nearby building. He held back a cry of pain as his body collided with the wall.
"There are TWO of us, cop," a female voice hissed into his ear. She was close to him, her shoulder nearly touching the end of his nose. But the pain in his ribs kept him from fighting back, and having dropped his sword when he was kicked prevented him from getting a successful hit on the girl.
"I'm fully aware of that," Saito muttered, trying to fight back the throbbing pain in his ribcage.
"Don't bad mouth me, cop," the girl snapped. "I can kill you when I please, and there's no hope for you since I'm sure my attack broke some of your bones." Saito smirked inwardly to himself. She had guts.
"Gimmei, I'll take care of this," Shiki, the man said. Gimmei looked at him.
"Why? We're still on the hunt for Father's murderer, correct? I'll take care of him, then we can find the man we're looking for," Gimmei replied.
"He could know something about Father's killer," Shiki said. "I'll question him." Shiki crouched next to Gimmei.
"I'll start!" Gimmei offered. "Do you know anyone who was a member of the Shinsengumi?" Gimmei asked. Saito thought for a moment. Telling the truth wouldn't help him a bit here.
"No," he sighed. Gimmei gave him a skeptical look.
"Anyone named Fujita Goro?" Shiki asked.
"No," Saito lied again.
"Do you work around here?" Gimmei asked. Saito nodded.
"Yes, I do."
"Then you should know Fujita-san," Gimmei growled. "Now stand up." Saito slowly obeyed, wincing. She handed him his sword.
"We should kill him........." Shiki said, annoyed. His little sister was taking over the entire operation! And he was the only one who had seen the incident when his father was killed! Gimmei wasn't even born yet!
"Watch this," Gimmei ordered Shiki. "You have to watch." She turned to Saito and gestured for him to attack. He stood in the pouring rain, holding an arm across his stomach, but didn't move.
"Attack me, cop! Hurry up!" Gimmei commanded. "Otherwise I'll attack and hurt you again!"
"First, answer me one question," Saito said. "How old are you?"
"Thirteen!" Gimmei replied. "I was born right after the Meiji Government became solid! Shiki is 28! He's been like a father to me!" Saito nodded. She was a little girl, then. He slid into a Gatotsu stance. What did he have to lose? He sprang forward, attacking the arrogant girl with all of the strength that he could find in his aching body.
"Gatotsu........." Shiki whispered. "The leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi, Saito Hajime!"
"You can't defeat me!" Gimmei yelled, tossing her body forward, her sword in front of her like a bullet.
I have nothing to lose, Saito thought as he clashed swords with the girl. I'll go all out in this fight like all of the others. Pride over life.........
"GIMMEI!" Shiki yelled, realizing the danger that she was in. She was fighting an injured wolf! Gimmei didn't seem to hear as she and Saito passed each other, each having used their attack to the best of their abilities. Shiki drew his sword and attacked Saito, whose back was turned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sister fall to the floor, red seeping into her sleeve. Saito turned and saw a blade heading for his head. And in that split second......... he knew that he had to choose life over pride.
"Tokio," Saito whispered, He twisted his body in an odd position, feeling his injured ribs cry out in pain. But the blade of the sword just missed his head, preventing his death from occurring. Saito fell to the floor, pain clouding his vision. He heard Shiki yell to Gimmei, then fell unconscious in the pouring rain.
A/N: Heh. Short. Corny. I don't care. It outlines the story for you. I don't know when I'll update again, but hopefully it'll be soon. And this story IS NOT nearly as good as any of my others. I can tell you now because I've already written most of it. So don't expect too much...
REVIEW RESPONSES (These are for the previous story...):
JadeGoddess: I'm glad you liked my Soujirou part. Thanks for reading!
Kairi7: Here's your sequel! Thanks for reading my other story! I hope you'll come to like this one as well.
MissBehavin: Here's another story for you! It's hard to keep Saito in character, so thank you for thinking he was. And it's okay about the entire late review thing. I'll live. I don't know about you, but I know I will. Thanks for reviewing!
CEEGEE: She's used to using Saito and I guess she doesn't call herself Fujita that much. Ahh, well, I'm glad you pointed that out. Thank you. And it's cool that you're a lefty too! I am on the lookout for other lefties. I found one, too (other than you, that is.). And thanks for reading!
CHAPTER 1: Storm
Saito walked along the road, feeling the drizzle of rain begin to settle upon the city of Tokyo. It began to dampen his dark blue uniform. He continued down his route, not minding the light drizzle. It actually lightened his spirits a bit. The streets were bare, no doubt because of the rain, so Saito sat on a bench under a tree.
After a few minutes, police whistles reached his ears. He stood up, then headed toward the whistles wondering what the noise could be about. They began to die down after a few steps.
"Must be a false alarm," he muttered under his breath, wishing that he could be at home and out of the rain. It was getting heavier. Still, there wasn't any harm in checking out what was going on, so he turned the corner and walked down yet another bare street. There was suddenly another wave of police whistles, which also died down in a matter of seconds. Furrowing his brow, Saito hurried down the street to where the whistles had come. The sight that met his eyes could've been part of a nightmare. At least thirty police officers lay dead in the road, their blood creating a river that soaked the street. All of their bodies were slashed and destroyed.
"What happened?" Saito asked himself as he stepped a little closer to the dead men. There was another wave of police whistles and Saito hurried over to them, wanting to know what was going on. There was a loud cry and more whistles. Saito turned down a road and saw three cops lying dead against the side of a house, killed in the same fashion. Five more bodies were strewn across the road, but there was one thing that caught Saito's eye before all of this. A man, not any older than twenty, covered in a black cloak was standing with a smaller figure; their swords still in hand.
"Another cop, Shiki," the smaller figure said to the taller one. The man nodded.
"Yes, he is a cop, Gimmei," the tall figure said. "I will kill him. You stay here." He began to walk toward Saito.
Gimmei, Saito thought. That is a girl's name. The killer is a young girl?! The man flicked his sword, which brought Saito out of his thoughts.
"I will kill you, cop!" the man said. He charged at Saito with fine accuracy and speed. However, being a member of the Shinsengumi, Saito could easily read his movements and dodged the attack with a simple side step to the right. Drawing his sword, he prepared to kill the man, but a sharp pain at the back of his neck prevented him from doing so. He felt the foot on his neck whirl around and slam into his ribs, sending him flying into a nearby building. He held back a cry of pain as his body collided with the wall.
"There are TWO of us, cop," a female voice hissed into his ear. She was close to him, her shoulder nearly touching the end of his nose. But the pain in his ribs kept him from fighting back, and having dropped his sword when he was kicked prevented him from getting a successful hit on the girl.
"I'm fully aware of that," Saito muttered, trying to fight back the throbbing pain in his ribcage.
"Don't bad mouth me, cop," the girl snapped. "I can kill you when I please, and there's no hope for you since I'm sure my attack broke some of your bones." Saito smirked inwardly to himself. She had guts.
"Gimmei, I'll take care of this," Shiki, the man said. Gimmei looked at him.
"Why? We're still on the hunt for Father's murderer, correct? I'll take care of him, then we can find the man we're looking for," Gimmei replied.
"He could know something about Father's killer," Shiki said. "I'll question him." Shiki crouched next to Gimmei.
"I'll start!" Gimmei offered. "Do you know anyone who was a member of the Shinsengumi?" Gimmei asked. Saito thought for a moment. Telling the truth wouldn't help him a bit here.
"No," he sighed. Gimmei gave him a skeptical look.
"Anyone named Fujita Goro?" Shiki asked.
"No," Saito lied again.
"Do you work around here?" Gimmei asked. Saito nodded.
"Yes, I do."
"Then you should know Fujita-san," Gimmei growled. "Now stand up." Saito slowly obeyed, wincing. She handed him his sword.
"We should kill him........." Shiki said, annoyed. His little sister was taking over the entire operation! And he was the only one who had seen the incident when his father was killed! Gimmei wasn't even born yet!
"Watch this," Gimmei ordered Shiki. "You have to watch." She turned to Saito and gestured for him to attack. He stood in the pouring rain, holding an arm across his stomach, but didn't move.
"Attack me, cop! Hurry up!" Gimmei commanded. "Otherwise I'll attack and hurt you again!"
"First, answer me one question," Saito said. "How old are you?"
"Thirteen!" Gimmei replied. "I was born right after the Meiji Government became solid! Shiki is 28! He's been like a father to me!" Saito nodded. She was a little girl, then. He slid into a Gatotsu stance. What did he have to lose? He sprang forward, attacking the arrogant girl with all of the strength that he could find in his aching body.
"Gatotsu........." Shiki whispered. "The leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi, Saito Hajime!"
"You can't defeat me!" Gimmei yelled, tossing her body forward, her sword in front of her like a bullet.
I have nothing to lose, Saito thought as he clashed swords with the girl. I'll go all out in this fight like all of the others. Pride over life.........
"GIMMEI!" Shiki yelled, realizing the danger that she was in. She was fighting an injured wolf! Gimmei didn't seem to hear as she and Saito passed each other, each having used their attack to the best of their abilities. Shiki drew his sword and attacked Saito, whose back was turned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sister fall to the floor, red seeping into her sleeve. Saito turned and saw a blade heading for his head. And in that split second......... he knew that he had to choose life over pride.
"Tokio," Saito whispered, He twisted his body in an odd position, feeling his injured ribs cry out in pain. But the blade of the sword just missed his head, preventing his death from occurring. Saito fell to the floor, pain clouding his vision. He heard Shiki yell to Gimmei, then fell unconscious in the pouring rain.
A/N: Heh. Short. Corny. I don't care. It outlines the story for you. I don't know when I'll update again, but hopefully it'll be soon. And this story IS NOT nearly as good as any of my others. I can tell you now because I've already written most of it. So don't expect too much...
REVIEW RESPONSES (These are for the previous story...):
JadeGoddess: I'm glad you liked my Soujirou part. Thanks for reading!
Kairi7: Here's your sequel! Thanks for reading my other story! I hope you'll come to like this one as well.
MissBehavin: Here's another story for you! It's hard to keep Saito in character, so thank you for thinking he was. And it's okay about the entire late review thing. I'll live. I don't know about you, but I know I will. Thanks for reviewing!
CEEGEE: She's used to using Saito and I guess she doesn't call herself Fujita that much. Ahh, well, I'm glad you pointed that out. Thank you. And it's cool that you're a lefty too! I am on the lookout for other lefties. I found one, too (other than you, that is.). And thanks for reading!