(Announcer voice) Previously on Brains and Brawn...
"Who are you?" Kaoru asked as she and Misao took a defensive stand. The woman began taking few steps towards them, making them back up back into the ballroom.
"Who am I? Well, I'm ashamed you don't know, I am the Kamatari, sweetheart, and you don't stand a chance against me!"
"Okay...I give up... just don't hurt Shishio-sama. I have failed him," From under Kamatari's dress, he pulled a small needle, "so I must give my life for him. Good bye sweethearts, you really were a good fight." He began to apply the needle into his temple of his head as Misao kicked his wrist. "Oww! You almost broke my nail!"
"Listen to yourself! I can't let you kill yourself over this Shishio guy! He doesn't care about you! He doesn't care about anyone but himself! He wants to kill our friend, and run off with money made from drugs that you all sold him! THERE'S NO POINT IN KILLING YOURSELF!"
"So..." Usui rubbed his broken fingers smirking at Sano, "your tears will help bring her back?"
"No, they won't, but I'm willing to defeat you to fight for her."
Usui chuckled. "Come." With that, Sano concentrated his energy on the man before him. He charged him, faking left, and then hitting him straight on.
"Futae no kiwami!" Sano yelled.
Usui smirked up, a tiny shaky one at that. Blood was dripping from his mouth and most of his bones were obviously crushed.
"Good job...kid..." then the powerful man went down, body becoming limp.
"Not...Meg...umi..." with her last ounce of strength her frail hand shot out towards the wall there the book cases once occupied. All was silent as her body ran cold, and she was to say no more.
"What...?" Sano said shocked. "She... she's not Megumi?!" He took off her bindings of her mouth and everyone gasped in surprise. The body was clearly not Megumi, but an innocent woman who had similar hair and eyes.
Chapter 11- Unexpected meeting
By: Ochako107
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Megumi began to stir out of her state of unconsciousness. "What happened?" She looked around and noticed the dim room she was in and began to get up. She looked at her wrists, which were cuffed to a railing. "What? Help me!" She tugged fiercely on her wrists, but it just caused her to flinch in pain. "Hello, hello, can anyone hear me?" She brought her face to her hands and tapped her microphone.
"Damn, it's dead." She squinted and finally laid eyes on her red purse a few feet away from her. Megumi whipped her head to the side to remove a few strands of her hair from her face in order to get rid of the annoyance. "Let me just get..." She stretched her leg out, heels clicking on the concrete floor. She dragged it over, hooking the handle of the purse on her heal. Megumi bent over wincing how much pain was exceeding on her wrists, and grabbed the purse with her teeth. With a sigh she placed the purse in her handcuffed hands.
She wiggled her fingers into her purse feeling the cool metallic feel. "Okay... now let's get you guys free." She found the small, marble sized bomb in her purse and using her mouth, pushed the bomb with her tongue inside the lock of the handcuffs, gently as if kissing a delicate infant. It activated, and with a small 'pop' the bomb exploded inside. Megumi freed her hands and massaged her wrists noticing blisters forming.
"I knew those babies would come in handy... ha; hope Ken-san doesn't get mad at me." She crawled over to the side of the wall, peering over. Megumi saw Shishio with his back turned watching the monitors. She crawled back into the shadows, pulling out the box connecting the microphones. It's broken! Okay...well I think I just need to adjust this wire and flip this switch... Megumi rambled quietly in her mind while fiddling with the box.
Meanwhile, Shishio watched the screen with a wide smile on his mouth. "They are almost here... it's so sad my Juppongatana have failed me..." His narrow, malicious eyes shifted to the darkest corner of the room where a mysterious figure loomed. "...all except you. I have you as my last weapon against these hooligans. They obviously don't know when to give up."
"I will do my best for you Shishio-sama." The figure bowed. The sound of the sword clicked lightly against its sheath.
"Good, I assume these idiots will get through the guards so be prepared in the next room."
"I see." The figure turned around to leave the room. "I won't fail you."
"See that you don't...Seta Sorjirou."
Megumi's eyes widened as she sucked in a jagged breath at the sound of that name. It's that kid from the office! But... how? All this time, I've been giving him our research and he is against us! The little sneak; and he was Misao's friend! She glanced around the barrier for a second time to see it really was that trouble-free young man in the office. Sorjirou turned around to Shishio and smiled that innocent smile. Megumi shut her eyes hurriedly as she quickly turned around to fiddle wit the small package again. Sorjirou walked around a bit then she heard the door close. Shishio's heals echoed as the footsteps became louder. Just as the noise became louder, Megumi's heart beat seemed to grow more and more panicked.
She shoved the box back into her purse, placed it where she found it, and put her wrists inside the cuffs again, though it was still unlocked. She placed herself so it looked as if she was still unconscious. Shishio's footsteps came closer as she breathed evenly from much training, though her heart pounded trying to escape her chest. After a few moments of silence he bent low enough for Megumi to smell the stench of cigarette smoke on his clothing. His repulsive breath lead her to believe he was smirking. He placed a finger on her cheek and turned her face ever so gently. She wanted to scream, yank his sullied hands off her, anything. How dare he touch her ever so gently while he made others suffer with those same ruthless hands? "Those foolish people are coming to get you. But if worst comes to worst, don't worry. I can always use a sacrifice." He chuckled and walked back to the monitors watching Megumi's friends. She kept her eyes closed, but Shishio missed the solitary tear running down her face.
"There's more of these stupid guards!" Sano yelled to Misao, Aoshi, Kaoru and Kenshin. Sano punched them down. "Just stop struggling and get out of my damn way!" He yelled at the poor minion getting the whooping of their lives.
Aoshi pushed them away from Misao using his Kodachis. She tried to exchange blows also, but her side was becoming more excruciating. Suddenly, a guard came behind Aoshi, taking aim with his gun at Misao. She flipped over him, by the pool table, and grabbed a pool stick.
"You guys play dirty." She jumped on the table and hit the guard over the head with the stick. More came after her, as she just kept spinning the pool stick. "Aoshi!" He turned around noticing Misao's movements becoming sluggish. He slashed his way towards her knocking all the men away from the juvenile ninja.
She panted and gave him the thumbs up. "Thanks."
Remarkably, it pained him to see her slowly becoming feeble. She turned away to cover his back as he did the same for her. Why did she have to be so brave? He wanted her safe, plain and simple but this would never happen if she had to jump in the fights and endanger her life. "Misao..."
Kenshin and Kaoru were also taking the guards down. Finally, when they were all defeated, they regrouped. "Okay, we took down all the Juppongatana, all the guards, and evacuated the innocent people. Megumi should be in the next room I hope." Kaoru said. They made their way through the hole Sano punched and prepared themselves for the worst.
Kenshin grabbed Kaoru's wrist. "Wait, Kaoru-dono."
She turned around while Sano, Misao and Aoshi ran past them. His amber eyes swirling with violet looked almost sad. "What is it Ken..."
"That's just it. As you don't like being called Kaoru-dono I don't like to be called Battousai... or Kenshin."
"How about baka?" She joked. Obviously, Kenshin was dead serious when he didn't even crack a smile.
"Kaoru," He took Kaoru's hand releasing her bokotu from her. "I promised to keep you safe and this one will ensure your safety that I will. I am so selfish to ask anything of you but if... if this one dies I want you to do a favor for this one. Just... please call me Shinta if I do pass on."
"Kenshin..." Kaoru's eyes watered slightly as pain surged through her. No physical pain could compare to Kenshin asking her a favor after his death. "No, don't talk that way; it's not over until it's over Kenshin. You and I will live through this. Talk about selfish... and all I wanted was to be with you." She added the last part to herself.
"What?"
She took her sword back from him turning away. "But... yes. I'll keep your favor for you even though I know I won't have to do it 'cause we will live, baka." Kenshin smiled at that, as Kaoru hurriedly ran after her friends not turning back at Kenshin.
"You just don't know what you do to me..." Kaoru whispered to herself. "I think I'm falling for you Himura."
Later once they were at a door, Kenshin's eyes flashed amber. "Someone is in here, but it's not Shishio." Aoshi opened the door as they all ran in.
Kaoru backed up behind Kenshin, when a sudden high-pitched ring came to all their ears. "What... what is that?" A crackled voice came into the microphones.
"Guys, it's Megumi! I have important information: there ARE ten to the Juppongatana..."
Suddenly, a door slammed and a figure appeared from the stairway, shadowed from the lights. A light childish tone of a chuckle escaped the figure. "Show yourself!" Kaoru challenged. He stepped into the light, shocking everyone present.
Those wide blue eyes, that friendly grin, now not so friendly anymore, and the cheerful wave of his hand while the other rested on his sword. Quite a sight it was to look so innocent and friendly, but under a mask it was bone chilling... almost as if he was happy to be fighting them. Misao was in shock as she took a step back. Was this her little friend at the office? The one who held friendly conversations and let them practice well after hours? All this time... befriended them all...
"Sorjirou!" Everyone exclaimed.
Megumi huffed in the microphone. "Duh, didn't I just say that? And don't you care I'm alive?! Hello?" But everyone kept silent as the watched in confusion. He took slow, deliberate steps down the stairs, the soft taping of his feet under the steel steps and that soft laughter and smiling expression. He finally made his way onto level flooring with the group of five and put a hand to his sword. They watched the small figure grin and open his eyes to show they were clouded over. Their hearts beat furiously wondering why on earth he, of all people, would betray them.
Sorjirou crouched slightly and spoke seriously to the stunned group. "I serve for Shishio-sama, and will not loose." He unsheathed his sword.
"Come at me, and die."
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thanks again for reviewing and/or reading my fiction. Every one's input counts to me, and I love reading them all! If you don't mind me asking, who do you think will battle Sorjirou? You don't have to say if you don't want to, but I'd like to see what you all think! If you guess right, perhaps you can have a prize (Haha, I'm so weird) And um... to clarify something, the girl who died in the previous chapter was unknown. Sorry! Lol she isn't too important and I didn't want to choose a character like Yumi, Sayo or Tomoe to be the body because... well I have sympathy for those three. In one too many fictions they die, not to mention in the series too. (frown) I thought for once I'd give them a break. Let's presume they are on vacation from death....
Responses!!!
Crewel- Aw, I'm glad you liked it! And you know, there can never be enough Sanosuke and Megumi fans!
Kerruri1222- Hey, Keruri. Thanks for the review again! And the fight scene was supose to be similar to the one in the series, but I'm glad you were the only one who actually mentioned that! And did you ever get around to writting that Hakkai birthday fic? Just out of curiosity. I'll be around and checking out your stories tomorrow after school! Gotta see what happens in Paradise, ne? (When I say 'gotta' it reminds me of Pokemon for some reason... haha)
Anounymus T- Don't like Megumi much, eh? I will admit, at first she rubbed me the wrong way, but after a while she didn't see all that bad to me. Grr! Don't you hate it when the link doesn't show up? I feel terrible because you are so nicely sending me the site, but IT'S NOT SHOWING UP! (Sigh) I'll try and find it myself to see what this site you are talking about is all about. I am truly sorry!!! But I must admit, this Groove Adventure Rave show sounds really interesting, I can't wait to see it for myself that I can't!
Kitsune-Blue- Thanks for the uplifting comment! I'll try my best to keep it up!
DBZ Goddess- Girl, you are sooo funny! And in a sence, Kenshin would be a pretty damsel. He could even wear a pink (cough) I mean magenta dress. Haha, and thank you for that little input about not thinking that Sano or Aoshi could be damsels. That is a GREAT idea for a fic. Megumi and Sano will have a bumpy road, but hey, who doesn't? You are such a cool reviewer, DBZ Goddess-san!
Kelsy- You said, 'thank you for not killing Megumi' So, you're very welcome for not killing the fox lady off! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Jade eyed neko- (Cute name BTW) Wow (blush) you really think it was awesome? Thank you so so so much! Oh, and I answered your nice question in my notes. Thanks, that way everyone has a clarification of who the dead girl was!
Oh, and that little button down there? (points to the lower left corner) If you'd like to ... you could leave a friendly note. See everyone next time! Be safe please!