A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed--I'll get to responses in a moment. I's just like to take this opportunity to rave about the skills of my awesome beta reader. She's very fast with the editing, so everyone say thanks to Cattykit. She's doing a fabulous job and all I can do is grovel at her feet and thank her because I have been searching for an editor!
Kenta Divina: I'm glad you are interested in the story. Here is the second part. Expect the third sometime in the next week or so. Thanks for reading!
gaby (hyatt: I really can't take credit for the idea--it was all cooked up in the brain of my imaginative co-author who is writing too many stories right now to post it under her own name. But I did help with the details and the characters! Anywho, thanks for the review!
tesuka-chan: I must admit that after reading your review, I rushed off to read you fic and hope that we didn't unintentionally copy anything. Truth be told, the original idea was to make this an Inuyasha fic since I am more comfortable with that story--but my co-author told me that it would be an amazing Aoshi/Misao. I did read your story and I think it's awesome! There may be a few similarities between our tales, but our plot has a lot of differences, as you said, especially considering in our fic, Aoshi and Misao have never met. I apologize in advance for any scenes or plot devices that may seem taken from your story--the idea and outline for this story was written back in February, we've only just now begun to write it, so please don't think we copied!
kakashi-fan: Misao and Aoshi will meet in chapter 3, so get ready! I just introduced Aoshi now, at the end of this chapter, but he plays a much bigger part in the next chapter, so never fear! Thanks for the review!
miz: I'm glad we hooked your interest into our story! I always feel more comfortable writing a story in female perspective so the majority of Misao will be written by me. I find her character to have a lot of depth and genuine spirit. I love that! As for her brothers--Jess and I both agree that Soujiro is an incredibly awesome character and a great friend for Misao so he was an automatic--Soujiro and Kamatari seemed to fit pretty well. Kamatari was a hard decision, but the two best of the Jupongattana seem the likeliest of foster families for Misao. Thanks for the review!
Tiian: As a warning, much of the story will appear to be OOC to die-hard readers. The basis of these characters are from mine and my co-author's perception of the spirit of the character. They won't be running around trying to save the Meji government or trying to get Kenshin away from his reverse-blade sword. This is a story, told like any other, but it just happens to use the characters of a well-loved show in a new environment. Because of this new environment, expect adaptations of the characters. Soujiro was never used by Shishio in this story as he was in the real story, so there will be changes in him in that respect. Kaoru is also a little more subdued because I hate when she gets all hot-and-bothered over nothing. It makes her character into an immature child. I'm glad you are intrigued and I hope you don't think I'm lecturing! Enjoy the chapter.
allin656: I'm very happy that you are interested in the story. This will be an interesting one, I guarantee it, so stick around. Here's another chapter, expect the next soon. Enjoy!
Indigochipmunk: Aoshi/Misao is our favorite Kenshin couple too. That's why we decided to make it about them--me being fresh off my popular Inuyasha fic and Jess, my co-author, on an Aoshi/Misao fic. I hope you like this chapter!
Safer On The Outside
Chapter 2: "I Feel Too Small"
Himura Towers--
Soujiro whistled low in his throat as he looked the building up and down. The skyscraper was made nearly entirely of mirrored glass. There was huge lettering written vertically down the side, reading Himura Towers. There was no mistaking the address.
"Looks like the place," Misao said, pulling the sunglasses from her eyes. "Are we on time?"
Soujiro looked at his wrist--the one adorned with three different watches. "Yeah, it's five minutes 'til noon."
"Then let's go meet, Mr. Himura," Misao said with a sly grin.
Since they were meeting a potential client, Misao thought they should look the part. She was dressed smartly, in a strapless black dress that fell halfway down her calves. She also wore a black mesh duster, tied across her chest. Her long black hair was plaited down her back, straight to her hips. You can take the girl out of the streets, but you can't take the streets out of the girl--Misao still wore her sneakers.
Soujiro was plainer dressed, in a buttoned up flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow and a pair of black jeans. He was no longer covered in grease, but his hair was still shaggy and his goggles still hung around his neck.
Kamatari had insisted he come along, no matter how much Misao had protested. He could walk short distances around the house, but on such an excursion, Misao brought out his wheelchair. He was dressed formally, like Misao, in a billowy white shirt, a lime green vest, and navy blue pants. His light hair was elegantly styled around his face, giving him a serious look despite his sickly complexion.
To the casual observer, the woman and two men looked like the normal people who would enter Himura Towers on a call for business. Misao wheeled Kamatari inside while Soujiro held the doors for them. It was Misao who approached the guard desk, her card at the ready.
"Excuse me," she said as politely as she could. Misao had never been that big of a people person. The guard looked her up and down with distaste while sucking on his teeth, making a small hissing sound. Misao bristled. "Miss Kaoru Kamiya told me to give this to the guard at the front desk. We have a meeting arrangement." With that, Misao slammed the card on to the desk and took a step back.
The guard's entire demeanor changed abruptly. "Oh, pardon me miss," he said while bowing his head. "I didn't realize, you see. If Ms. Kamiya is expecting you, by all means, you're welcome here. Just let me call Yahiko and he'll take you right up."
Misao turned to Kamatari and Soujiro with a raised eyebrow and a smug smile. Soujiro took his hands out of his pockets long enough to give her a double thumbs up. Kamatari whacked him in the stomach, then signaled to wheel him over to Misao. That was when a young man, no more than twenty, came up to her. His hair was dark and cropped, sticking out at several angles unintentionally. His eyes were a pale brown and his skin was a light bronze.
"I'm Yahiko Myogin," he said with a smile, offering her his hand. "I'm Ms. Kamiya's assistant. She's expecting you on the top floor." Misao smiled and nodded, ignoring his hand. Yahiko took it back, looking a little put out. "If you'll follow me, we'll take the express elevator."
"Lead the way," Misao said politely. Kamatari and Soujiro were right behind her as she followed Yahiko to a small elevator, then inside it as he pressed a small blue button at the bottom of the panel. Misao reached over and took Kamatari's hand, knowing the man's claustrophobia problem. He hated any space that made him feel like he couldn't escape easily.
Misao had butterflies in her stomach as the elevator stopped on the top floor and everyone exited. The room they entered was large, but sparsely furnished. Kaoru Kamiya sat behind a large marble desk at the far corner, near a pair of frost glassed doors. She looked up when the elevator opened, a smile widening on her face when she noticed who had arrived, and quickly hurried over.
"Miss Makimachi, Mr. Seta, welcome to Himura Towers," she said warmly, shaking Soujiro and Kamatari's hands, but making no move to Misao. The younger woman was a bit miffed. Not at the lack of gesture, but the fact that she didn't offer her hand meant that she had read all of Misao's file.
"Thank you for the welcome," Kamatari said politely in response.
Kaoru smiled in return, then turned to Yahiko. "You can go now, Yahiko." The young man grumbled under his breath as he got back on the elevator and hit the button. Kaoru rolled her eyes, adjusting her glasses as she turned back to the three people still waiting. She smiled tiredly. "Follow me, Mr. Himura has been waiting for you."
They followed her through the glass door and into an office even bigger than the waiting room. It was dimly lit, and held a simple taste, but Misao took an immediate like to the place. A man with bright red hair sat casually behind a large mahogany desk. He seemed to be reading something important because he held up a hand from a moment before looking up. When he did, he snapped the file shut and got to his feet, coming around the desk to meet them.
"Ah, you must be Misao Makimachi," he said with a grin.
"Yes," Misao said in response, humoring him with a smile. He was about to shake her hand, but stopped himself. Misao didn't comment. Instead, she turned to the two men following her. "I brought my team with me, I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," he responded.
"This is Soujiro Seta," she said as Soujiro stepped forward and shook the redhead's hand. "And this is Kamatari Seta," she said proudly, indicating the wheelchair bound man.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," he said cheerfully after shaking Kamatari's hand. "I am Kenshin Himura, and this is my office."
"So we've gathered," Misao said kindly. "I do not wish to be impolite Mr. Himura, but I was hoping we could skip formality and get to what you wanted with us."
For a moment, Kenshin only blinked at the young woman with a forceful attitude. The Seta brothers both smirked proudly at her. Misao was always assertive, even if it was with billionaires. "The answer is simple, Miss Makimachi," he said once regaining his balance. "I wish to hire you."
Kenshin walked back to his desk, taking a seat and offering the two open chairs in front of him to Misao and Soujiro. Kamatari sat between them and Kaoru returned to her desk outside. "You wish to hire the Phantom Rogue," Misao corrected. "But she retired two years ago."
"I was hoping to bring her out of retirement for one last mission," Kenshin said with a sigh. "She would receive a handsome reward sum, if she would be so kind as to get me what I need."
Kamatari, who had always been the one to arrange prices and meet with the clients, took charge of the meeting. "First things first, Mr. Himura," he said calmly. "What is it that you want Misao to steal?"
Kenshin smiled grimly and nodded. "I don't suppose you've ever heard of Lidan Kaito?"
"The sword maker?" Misao asked, blinking in surprise.
"Ah, so you have heard of him," Kenshin said with a smile.
"Lidan Kaito was considered to be the greatest sword smith of all time," Soujiro interrupted. All eyes were on him. "He was half Japanese and half Irish, one who learned the craft of creating both the European broadsword and the Japanese katana."
"But all of his works were destroyed," Misao inserted, "during the wars. All that's left are artworks, cast molds. None of the actual blades survived."
"That is where you are mistaken, Miss Makimachi," Kenshin said with a determined smile. There was eagerness alight in his violet eyes as he passed a file to her from his desk. Misao opened it on her lap and four glossy photographs met her eyes. Picking them up and passing them to her brothers, she noticed they were of four old, but well kept, swords.
"Are you telling us that you've discovered four of Kaito's blades?" Soujiro asked in amazement.
"Actually," Kenshin corrected. "There are five. A set. They were rumored to be Kaito's greatest creations, his Lost Swords, if you will. There is great myth surrounding them. It's said that if all swords are gathered, they can summon mystical forces and call upon ancient magicks long asleep. So far, we've only been able to track down four of the five swords."
"They can't be from the same set," Soujiro pointed out. "Two are broadswords and the others are katana."
"Look at the hilts," Misao pointed out. "They all carry the same design. They are a set, all created by the same artist, if they are authentic."
"They are," Kenshin assured them. "I had them appraised personally."
"The Lost Swords of Kaito," Misao breathed. "If they are publicly announced, there is no way any thief could get at them."
"Which is precisely the reason I want you to get at them now, before they are made public," Kenshin interrupted her revelry.
"You say there are five," Kamatari spoke up. "But you only have the location of four. How do you know the other one survived?"
Kenshin's eyes darkened a fraction and the line of his jaw was set. "A business rival of mine, Makoto Shishio, has seen the fifth sword, before it went missing again. He also has the location of the other four."
Misao's bright eyes suddenly perked. "You want to get them first," she challenged, daring him to tell her otherwise.
"Exactly," he admitted freely. "I needed the best, to counter Shishio's men. So I went to the Phantom Rogue."
Misao smiled crookedly. "You came to me, even once you found out I was a woman?"
"Gender means nothing, Miss Makimachi," Kenshin said honestly. "I care only for skill."
"So," Kamatari interrupted. "You came looking for us once you found out about the swords?"
"When I first learned of Shishio's interest in Kaito's work, I thought it was simple admiration," Kenshin explained, leaning back in his chair. "Then I learned that he began searching for the Lost Swords. It was a divine set created by Kaito after he had vowed never to make another sword. It is said that an angel came to him in a vision and told him how to forge the swords. Two katana, two broadswords, the fifth a combination of both styles, a tribute to his heritage."
"And you believe in this mystical nonsense?" Misao scoffed.
Kenshin looked at her with very serious violet eyes. "When you've seen the things that I have seen, Miss Makimachi, you tend to believe in things."
Misao met his gaze unflinchingly. "When you have seen the things that I have seen, Mr. Himura, you tend to believe in what you can see."
He smiled suddenly. "Touché."
"This is all well and good," Soujiro interrupted. "But what about the swords? And the missing one?"
Kenshin nodded, getting back on track. "I learned earlier this week that Shishio hired a professional thief, and a very skilled one at that, to steal for him the swords he had been able to track down. I have been trying to find someone who could best his thief, and so far, the only name I could come across was yours, Miss Makimachi."
Misao looked nervous for a moment. "Your secretary said that if I turned you down, nothing would happen to me," she said with a dry mouth. "If I refuse, you wouldn't expose me, would you?"
Kenshin shook his head. "I assure you, this is confidential and optional." She looked a little more reassured, until Kamatari butted in.
"I don't think we're interested, Mr. Himura."
Kenshin looked a little upset, the veins in his forehead twitching slightly, but he nodded curtly. "As I said, the decision is yours."
"Just…out of curiosity," Soujiro said suddenly. "For stealing the two swords, how much are we talking?"
Kenshin smirked. To catch a thief, just dangle good enough bait. "I will give you $500,000 cash, upfront. Another $1,000,000 on delivery of each sword. And if you can find the fifth along the way, I'll give you another million."
Misao reached out and grabbed Kamatari's hand tightly. He returned her grip with one as equally strong. Everyone in the room was silent. One of Soujiro's eyes twitched. Talk of so much money always made him daydream of all the parts and electronics he could by to tinker with in his lab.
"I'll do it," Misao said suddenly. Kenshin blinked, a smile spreading across his face.
"Misao, no," Kamatari blurted. She looked over at her brother with a sad smile.
"I'll do it, Mr. Himura," she said while still looking into Kamatari's pale green eyes.
"Fabulous," he said happily. "Everything you need to know about the swords, their locations and security, are in these files," he explained, handing them to Soujiro.
The younger Seta brother flipped through a few of the pages, skimming information, a frown etched across his face. "Um, Mr. Himura?"
"Yes?"
"How is it that you know the location of the swords -- and this Shishio character does as well -- but neither of you know where the fifth one is?" This sparked an interest in all three thieves as they turned their attention to Kenshin. He looked rather thoughtful for a moment.
"Well, that's the strange part. When I began having my people seek out the swords as well, we received anonymous information regarding the four blades including their locations, their owners; that's when I sent my people to investigate. It seems that Shishio also received information, from the very same source. At an attempt to track down the benefactor, we found nothing. A ghost. As far as I know, neither of us have been able to track down the person who sent them, or the location of the missing fifth sword."
"So I expect you want Misao to steal the information from them, then? To stop their little coup." Kamatari said rather tightly.
"No," Kenshin said quickly. "I would not ask anyone, no matter how skilled a thief, to attempt thieving from Shishio. That would be suicide. I am only asking she retrieve for me those swords that she can find, before Shishio's man."
"I take it that you will be paying for our expenses?" Kamatari voiced, looking at some of the locations that they'd have to journey to. He was always a man to focus on the business, and not be taken in by the flattery of clients.
"Naturally," Kenshin said with an easy smile. Kamatari returned it. They shared a looked of businessmen to which money meant little, but the ends were priceless. What did Kenshin care if he had to buy a few plane tickets? He was a billionaire after all. "I also take it that you'll be accompanying them, Mr. Seta?"
Kamatari stiffened a little at the implication of being helpless. He may have been banished to a wheelchair by his overprotective siblings, but his mind was still as clear as ever. If his brother and sister were once more on active duty, there was no way in hell that he'd be left behind. "Naturally," he said calmly.
Misao frowned a little. "Kamatari--"
"It's quite all right, Miss Makimachi," Kenshin said with a smile. "It will all be taken care of." She was about to protest more when Soujiro interrupted. He was still flipping through some of the papers when his head came up again.
"It says in these files that we would need to use equipment that we don't have." He looked a little red, but continued through. "Most of our equipment was sold or destroyed after Misao retired."
Kenshin smiled. "That is not a problem either. Now that you have agreed to work for me, Miss Makimachi, I hope you wouldn't object to a few new members added to your team." He got to his feet and pressed down on his speaker button. "Kaoru, please send them in."
"Right away, sir," she replied, and the frost glass doors opened behind them. All three thieves swiveled around to see who was coming in.
The first one they noticed was a tall man dressed causally in white and red. Around his forehead was a red headband and his dark brown hair was spiked, making him look extremely out of place in this suit-and-tie business atmosphere. He was tall, perhaps a little taller than Kamatari, but the hair made him look even bigger. A pair of reading glasses hung from the pocket of his jacket and his dark brown eyes sparkled with a mischief that Misao found infectious.
"This is Mr. Sanosuke Sagara," Kenshin said formally, coming to stand beside him. "He's our resident researcher and hacker. If there is anything you need to know, anything you need to find out, Sanosuke can find it for you."
Sanosuke smirked. Soujiro shook his hand politely and felt a little intimidated by the height of the man, as well as the strength of his handshake. Although height didn't matter much in a contest of strength, Soujiro always felt self-conscious when confronted with a tall adversary. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Sanosuke said in turn. He then shook with Kamatari, who gave him a sort of predatory smile that made even the strongest straight guy feel nervous, and then went to Misao.
She blushed a little as she looked at his hand. "Nothing personal," she said at last. "I just don't like to be touched."
Sanosuke shrugged. "Whatever."
The next person to enter was a woman. She was taller than Misao, even taller than Kaoru had been, with a long fall of silky black hair that was unadorned. Her eyes, dark and beautiful, took in everything around in her the space of a few moments. She was dressed plainly, but the beauty and decorum of her person blazed despite the lack of high fashion. She had a cat-like grace and Misao would be lax in her skills if she didn't notice the foxy air the woman carried in her step. She decided that she liked the woman right then--this was a woman who could handle herself around intimidating men folk.
"Ah," Kenshin said when she entered, happily taking her hand. "This is Dr. Megumi Takani," Kenshin introduced. "She's my personal physician. Well versed in many fields of medicine, I might add. Megumi will be on call to you twenty-four hours a day, Mr. Seta."
Misao grinned in delighted surprise and looked to Kamatari, who wore a small smile despite the shock in his eyes. "Well, that's certainly fortunate, isn't it?" He commented. "I may have to work you pretty hard, Dr. Takani."
She smiled in a sort of amused manner. "I expected no less."
Misao chuckled. She looked to Soujiro and Kamatari. "I like her."
After another round of greetings, and a blushing turned-down handshake by Misao, the doors opened one more time, admitting two people. Misao had to blink twice. Kaoru and Yahiko walked in together, devoid of business suit and instead donning causal clothes that one would use while training martial arts.
"And finally," Kenshin said with a grin. "Kaoru and Yahiko, who will be helping you train Misao."
"I thought you were a secretary," Misao said pointedly at Kaoru. The pretty secretary blushed momentarily but then held her head up.
"I am a secretary," she said calmly. "But I also own and operate a kendo swordsmanship school."
"I'm impressed," the younger girl said with a smile. Kaoru returned it. That was when Yahiko cleared his throat.
"Oh, and Yahiko will act as runner," Kaoru explained. "He's my star apprentice, and can be privy to any information that has to return to Mr. Himura mid-mission."
"You aren't accompanying us?" Kamatari asked, looking to the redheaded billionaire. He looked disappointed.
"Unfortunately no," he sighed. "I have a business to run, and can't up and leave for field work, which is why I'm entrusting you with my best people."
"We'll take good care of them," Misao assured him, getting to her feet. "When do we leave?"
"Immediately," Kenshin said, returning to his desk. "I was informed that Shishio's new pet left this morning for the first sword, located in a private collection in London. I need the team assembled and ready to depart tonight."
"Tonight?" Soujiro exclaimed. "Can't it wait 'til morning?"
"I'm afraid not," Kaoru interrupted, shaking her head. "We have to catch a plane by nine."
"I'll have to call my students and cancel business for a few weeks," Misao said rationally. "What excuse can I use?"
"Say you're getting married," Kamatari joked. "By the time you get back, they'll still be too stunned to realize it was a lie."
"Shut up," Misao muttered, reddening in front of so many strangers. Kamatari and Soujiro only grinned at her annoyance. "We should go back to the school and pack," she said assertively, gripping the handles of Kamatari's wheelchair. "We'll meet you back here at seven?"
"That sounds good," Kaoru said with a smile. "We'll have transportation to the airport waiting." After that, they parted ways. Misao and her brothers returned to their home in a cloud of anxiety and excitement, preparing for one last great mission.
As for the rest of the team, they went about their separate ways, preparing themselves and their equipment for this rather unusual job. Megumi, stayed behind in Kenshin's office, looking a little unnerved. When the others had departed, she sat in the chair Misao had been occupying earlier and waited for Kenshin to address her.
"You seem a little upset Megumi," he said once he noticed she did not plan on leaving any time soon--without answers at least.
"I have a few doubts about this, sir," she voiced calmly.
"By all means, share."
"That girl, Misao Makimachi, do you really think she's capable of something this important? She's a dance teacher, for God's sake."
"Don't worry Megumi," he assured her with a smile. "We'll be sure to test Misao's skill thoroughly before putting her in the field."
The doctor was silent for a moment. "I also read her file, the one you sent to me." He nodded, prompting her to continue. "She suffers from aphephobia."
"So she's afraid of being touched," Kenshin said flippantly. "Everyone has a quirk."
"This is a little more serious than a quirk," Megumi insisted. "It might affect her job."
"Megumi," Kenshin said firmly. "She's had aphephobia for eight years. It didn't affect her job then."
The doctor fell silent once more, slowly getting to her feet. "I just wanted you to know my hesitations, that's all."
"I thank you for them," he said sincerely. "By the way," he voiced as she made to go. "Did you look over the other file? The one for Kamatari Seta?"
"Yes," she said, pausing in her exit.
"And?"
"It's as you and Kaoru thought. Severe heart disease. He had an operation ten years ago that has deteriorated in the past three years. He's currently on a waiting list for a transplant, but with his rare blood type and added genetic trait, there hasn't been a donor yet."
"In your professional opinion," he said seriously. "How long would you give him?"
"A year, maybe a little less," she responded in a low voice. "Without the transplant, it's just a matter of time."
London Terrace Apartments--
A man sat on a bed devoid of any covering with the exception of a pillow and a white sheet, absently tapping at a laptop that was connected to the extension in the wall. The color scheme of the laptop's monitor reflected colors on to the man's pale face, but he just continued tapping. He was searching for something on the web, and had been searching all day. It was well into the night, but he hadn't stopped to drink or eat in hours. He was on a mission.
Crystalline eyes moved rapidly over the monitor, taking in every fast-flashing web page of information, searching for his objective without relent. Raven black hair hung in disarray across his forehead, long bangs falling into his eyes, but he paid it no mind. He sat Indian style on the bed, a tall form hunching over the small computer with perfect poise. He was frozen in that position as he worked, and nothing could move him from it, save one thing.
There was a cell phone sitting on the bed next to him, the screen flashing neon-green lettering on the tiny window a second before it began to ring. The tune was that of a song--the melody of The Who's Behind Blue Eyes filled the tiny room. The man, never taking his eyes from the screen of his laptop, reached over and flipped the phone open and brought it to his ear.
"Yes?" he intoned in a voice tinged with disinterest.
"Shinomori," a deep, confident voice said from the other end. "How is everything going?"
"Splendid," the man called Shinomori said with heavy sarcasm. "It would go even better if you stopped checking in and letting me do my job."
There was a chuckle from the other end of the phone. "You know, I've had men killed for less than the insult you just gave me," he said casually. "But I put up with you for two reasons."
"What are those?" Shinomori questioned, not really paying attention. His free hand flew across the keypad, clicking at sidebars and continuing his search with purpose.
"The most important reason is simple, you're the best." Shinomori smirked to himself. "And the other is, I like you."
"I'm honored," he commented with the same sarcasm as before. The man on the other end of the phone chuckled again.
"I'm happy that you are. I'll let you get back to your work."
"Thank you."
"Oh Aoshi, one more thing."
Resisting the urge to close the phone anyway, Aoshi Shinomori relented and replied, "Yes, Mr. Shishio?"
"I was given word today that that idiot Himura has sent a team out to retrieve the swords you're currently on assignment for. Be a good little boy and get them for me before he does." With that, Shishio hung up and Aoshi snapped his phone shut with added annoyance.
Just once, he wished he could tell that guy off. Maybe come out with a well executed 'Bite me'. Alas, as long as he was under the thumb of that idiot, Aoshi had no choice but to follow his edict to the word, exactly, with no mistakes. His irritation abated, Aoshi went back to the subject at hand.
Shishio was never a man to keep his subordinates well informed. All the information he gave was the location of his targets and a free cash flow he needed to make the theft happen. In a span of three days, he found himself hauled off the street, brought to an office, and then put on a plane for Europe.
None of his other clients had ever been so forceful. Then again, none of his other clients had ever been Makoto Shishio. That said a lot. Once more, the man had interrupted his system of working at his leisure. Aoshi was now forced to cross-reference.
At first, he had been focused on the first of four legendary swords, and the mysterious fifth sword. He had been pretty prepared to take it out too, but then Shishio had called to inform him that his business rival, Kenshin Himura, had been given information regarding the self-same swords, the ones only they had information on. Now, while Aoshi had been in the midst of researching the whereabouts of the final sword, his client calls and tells him to steal information off of a team of thieves.
Where was the end to this insanity?
The end was not likely in sight, so Aoshi swallowed his pride once more and began referencing recent expenses taken from the Himura Towers financial accounts. Aoshi was sure that whomever Himura hired had already gotten paid, or was at least being funded for this endeavor. Find the hired thieves, find the target. The computer stopped its random flashing when a set of seven personal files were flagged from the Himura Towers mainframe as just receiving funds.
He clicked off several of the files--Himura's personal physician, his head of the research department, his personal secretary and her assistant--but stopped to study the three files left. The first two were of Kamatari and Soujiro Seta, a pair of brothers who owned stock in an independent studio of the arts. Soujiro Seta was also the owner of an underground robots ring. He seemed to be a part-time inventor as well, and a lot of his work put up advanced firewalls when Aoshi tried to access further. There was only one conclusion here; these two had to be doing something that they didn't want anyone else to see.
Aoshi smirked to himself. He had found his thieves. That was when, just for fun, he clicked on to the unopened file. He was immediately assaulted by an access code that took him a quarter of an hour to fully pull down. Perhaps he had been too quick in judging his thieves properly. It was then, when he was able to freely access part of the file kept on Misao Makimachi.
Eye narrowed, Aoshi read over the file. There didn't seem to be anything worth protecting on this file. All it said was a brief back history on the girl, approximate age and personal stats. She was a dance teacher--why had her file been so protected? Then he noticed something about the photograph in the file. It showed a normal woman in her early twenties, standing absently in front of a studio. What drew Aoshi's eye was the small kunai that was almost hidden in her hand.
Kunai. A female. The intent security of the file. Now his interest was peaked and Aoshi did a few random searches on his laptop, pulling out any information on a female thief with an affinity toward kunai and daggers. He was assaulted with hundreds of minor files of crazies who used them for small robberies or assaults. What caught his eye was an exposé in a New York newspaper from two years earlier--a theory created by a top-ranking detective on the force who said that the infamous Phantom Rogue was actually female.
Aoshi racked his brain. He had remembered the gossip and publicity surrounding a thief called Phantom Rogue. He was a clever one who had evaded capture for nigh five years until a sudden disappearance about two years ago.
"Hello," Aoshi said with a smirk, clicking back over to the files. Misao Makimachi, he read, burning the name into his mind for later use. "I've got you."
A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading. Please remember to review! Also, please check out my co-author's other Aoshi/Misao AU. Riffs & Canvas by Jesse the Wolf Demon. Thanks a lot for all the support!