Kon'nichi-wa! Sorry for the wait on this...I had a rather tough time comeing up with this chapter...the long awaited Kenshin fight scene. I just have to warn you that this probably won't be what you expected. You might even want to kill me after this...but I'm hoping the next chapter will be posted relitivly soon.

Disclaimer: WanderingAimlessly does not own Rurouni Kenshin. There I said it...happy now? I don't have any money...don't sue...you won't get anything.

Warning: this chapter contains voilence and some foul language


Chapter 4- Desprate Effort

Kenshin tensed. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation. He had managed to avoid them since his last fight with Enishi five years earlier, but it never ceased to surprise him that someone else was after him now.

He was sick and the only weapon he had was a broom handle. Fighting would mean that Karou would get involved. The odds were stacked against him.

He let go of Karou and turned slowly around.

The group of men snickered at him. They all had swords, some katana and others wooden, as well as a variety of other assorted weapons. He tried to analyze his situation the best he could, but his swordsman senses seemed to be as weak as his legs.

"What do you want from this one?" Kenshin asked, his voice showing how tired he was.

"It doesn't matter, Battousai. We are the ones who will bring you to justice, you monster," one of them said, drawing his sword as he stepped forward.

Damn it, Karou thought.

Just as things were looking better, the revenge seekers and "justice bringers" had to show up.

"This one wishes to avoid fighting at all costs, that he does," Kenshin replied walking away from Karou.

"Well that will cost you your life Battousai," the man shouted as he stepped forward and swung his sword in a perfect arc.

"No!" Kaoru screamed.

Kenshin managed to block the blow by bringing his cane up at the last moment. He swayed a bit from the force of the swing but stayed on his feet.

He was surrounded, and his energy was draining rapidly. In his condition he could just barely defend himself from their blows. He could never get an attack in.

Karou stood away from the group, frozen. Lack of a weapon and the fact she was a woman were all that kept her from jumping in and defending her husband. They were swinging at him, and by some miracle he managed to stay standing, but she didn't know how much longer he would last. Her only hope would be to run for the dojo, find Yahiko, and pray Kenshin would make it.

She turned and began to run up the hill. One of the men saw this and broke off from the group.

"Where are you going missy?" he called after her and grabbing her by the hand. "Why does a pretty little thing like you follow that murderer around?"

"My husband's not a murderer!" Karou spat back.

"Oh, so the Battousai got himself a little whore huh?" he said pulling at the obi sash holding her kimono closed.

"Let me go!" she screamed kicking at her attacker. He grabbed his face and howled in pain.

"Bitch," he spat pulling a tanto dagger from his belt. His right eye was swollen and black.

Her outer kimono was torn now hung open revealing the white under kimono. Her hair was a mess, and her heart beat rapidly, but a fierce determination filled her eyes. At this moment she didn't care about odds. She grabbed a fallen tree branch and swung it at the man.

From the corners of his eyes, Kenshin saw the man and Karou's effort to protect herself.

No good! He thought.

He had to help her. He knew she was perfectly able to defend herself but these men were ruthless. He didn't know what they could do. He gathered some strength and swung his cane at a feeble attempt at battoujitsu.

The swing had more force than he expected and one of the men fell to the ground holding their abdomen in pain.

"Karou run!" he yelled the best he could.

His opponent saw his distraction and swung his sword, slashing Kenshin across the stomach.

He fell to the ground winded, and struggling to get back on his feet. The wound was shallow, but the bleeding and its location near his internal organs was troublesome.

Despite the pain he managed to roll back on his knees and attempted to stand up using the staff for support.

He stood up on one knee and managed to get in a half standing position before another man's wooden sword came swinging at him. He blocked but the effort drained him even further.

He had no time to catch his breath before the blade of another wooden sword came down on his left shoulder, knocking him back on the ground.

He lay on his stomach cradling his stomach and shoulder.

One of the men struck him on the back of his knees with a sickening crack. More pain shot through his body, as an attacker kicked him onto his back and hit his legs again.

More blows rained down on his legs. He could do nothing as his strength was completely gone. He tried to grasp for his cane but one of the men stepped on his hand and kicked it away.

Karou watched horrified as they beat him. She knew if she moved to try to save him, the man in front of her would lunge at her with his tanto. But after a few more strikes she couldn't take it anymore and ran towards Kenshin, swinging the tree branch at the man.

"Fucking bitch!" he yelled grabbing her and pulling her into his body.

She struggled and the tanto grazed her shoulder drawing blood. She elbowed him in the gut causing him to throw her to the ground roughly.

She glanced over at Kenshin sprawled out on the ground, and the group of men surrounding him.

A man drew his sword up prepared to strike again.

"Wait, I got a better way of dealing with him," she could here another of the men say as he stepped toward Kenshin.

He drew out a small pistol from his gi and aimed it directly at the defenseless Kenshin.

Karou's heart beat faster and faster. She tried to get up but the man pinned her down.

"Nothing you can do now missy. That murdering bastard finally is getting what he deserves!"

She lay there pinned, unable to do anything. She couldn't save him, the man who had sworn to protect her, the man she promised to share her life with, the man who had suffered so much. She couldn't do anything but watch.

Kenshin stared up at the man with the gun. His chest was growing heavy, and each breath caused him to bleed more. He couldn't stand up, his legs were crushed.

He couldn't die there. He turned his head, his gaze meeting Karou's.

"Please you don't want to do this," he implored weakly, turning back to the man.

"Why not. You and your stupid government took our lives away! With you gone they'll have one less dog!" the gunman said angrily.

Karou threw off the man and ran forward.

A single shot rang through the air.

She stopped mid step and slowly sank to the ground crying The world became blurry.

At the sound of the gunshot a figure appeared at the top of the hill.

"What's going on?" she could barely hear someone yell. "Look someone's being attacked down there! They have a gun!"

The attackers ran off as a group of townspeople ran down the hill.

She heard the footsteps of someone near her.

"Kami-sama, it's the Kamiya girl and that red-haired swordsman," they said. "He's injured, this looks really bad."

"Go get those cowards!" some one yelled.

"Get the police!" another, exclaimed.

She found it hard to focus. Everything was spinning, and then the blackness came.

At the dojo Yahiko and Megumi sat on the veranda.

"Where could Ken-san and the missy be?" Megumi wondered aloud.

"It's past sundown," Yahiko added. "I'm going out to look for them. They said they'd be by the river right?"

"Aa," she replied. "Be careful out there."

He ran out of the dojo, through the market, to the place by the river they had all been so many times before. A crowd had gathered there. They were all whispering nervously. Some police officers ran past them. His heart started beating rapidly.

Yahiko tapped on someone's shoulder.

"What's going on here?" he asked them.

"Didn't you hear, some anti-government rebels attacked a former Ishin Shishi fighter and his wife. It's really bad."

All the color drained from his face.


Ah yes I'm so evil arn't I? I tried to make it as fair as posible. Kenshin can't always be superman...he has to get beaten some how...

I had a real tough time with this chapie...I got the rough done on tuesday and I handed it to my bf and my best friend for beta and I told them that I was sorry for making it so short...it's just that I don't want this fight to be the focus of the story...I want what happens afterwards too...I'm a big recovery person...but I din't want to make it too short either...so here it is at 4 pages...the next chapters will be longer.

Anyways I'd like to thank all the people that have hung in there for me. My crew at school: my baby Johann-sama, and then Katie-kun (yes I shot him...get over it...I know I'm twisted...we've known that for a LONG time) Christina-chan- stop annoying me or I might never give you money again (freeloader!) Also to Seth-chan (Animegoddess177) for helping to take care of Kenshin...rurouni babysitting is hard! And yes let's go after them with katana and machine guns!

Also to my reviewers: Unicornfan (yes co-admin at The-Oro!) and enchantedsleeper (well ummmmmm...I don't want to give too much away but of course he'll make it!)

Next time in One Thing After Another (dum dum duh) Karou regains consousness and has to come to terms with what's happened. Will she be able to tell the others what went on? Why is everyone being so hush hush? Where's Kenshin?