Hey all! Thank you for the reviews on this story! I'm sorry for the lack of updates; however, I've been having some problems with my right arm being sore. I'm hoping its not carpal tunnel, but I won't know till I see the doctor on the 1st. Till then, I've been resting my arm as much as possible. So that's meant little extra typing. The good news is that I've been steadily working on this story. I'll try to update as much as I can. Please bear with me.

'thoughts'

"diaologue"

I don't own, duh.

Better Off Dead

Chapter 2

Kenshin woke with the sun. Within a few moments he was packed and ready to go. Making his way downstairs to the dining room, he was surprised to see Hideo alone. Joining him, Kenshin accepted his breakfast.

"Where is Taka?" Kenshin asked, taking a bite of his rice.

"He is preparing the shipment," Hideo said. "He is anxious to be gone from this town. He's been here too long."

Kenshin nodded. The two men quietly finished their meal. Hideo rose from the table and Kenshin followed. As Kenshin followed Hideo, he watched the man's movements. He was certain that Hideo was a swordsman as well. The innkeeper, Shuji, nodded at the men as they entered the front room.

"I'm here to settle Taka's bill," Hideo said. "Please add Kenshin's room to the bill."

Shuji grumbled to himself and pulled out a ledger book.

Kenshin puzzled over Hideo's actions.

"That's very generous of you, but there's no need…," Kenshin began.

Hideo turned and held up his hand, stopping Kenshin from saying more.

"It's the least we can do," Hideo said. Nodding, he indicated Kenshin's sword. "We may have need of your skills on the road. It is only a small bill; please allow me to do this."

Kenshin bowed and stepped outside. He spotted the shipment. Four carts of boxes were lined up in front of the inn. Taka was shouting orders to men who were finishing securing the boxes. Kenshin watched the men work and was soon joined by Hideo. As soon as it appeared things were finished being secured, Hideo stepped off the porch and walked up to the lead cart. Kenshin followed. Hideo spoke with the driver and gave the sign for the small caravan to begin moving.

Kenshin waited and fell into step with the third cart. There was only enough room on the seat for the driver and Kenshin could see the horse straining under the weight. Walking alongside the cart, Kenshin kept his eyes on Taka and Hideo. The two men were constantly supervising the small caravan. If Hideo was at the lead cart, Taka would be at the rear cart. Each would stop and walk with Kenshin a bit, making small talk.

Late in the afternoon, the group approached a place where a hill had been cut through. Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he felt several ki. Alerting the driver that there could be trouble, he headed up next to Hideo. Telling the man what he sensed, he watched as Hideo called the group to a stop. Taka immediately joined them.

"What's the meaning of this?" Taka asked, coming up alongside them.

"Kenshin says he feels several presences up ahead. It could be an ambush," Hideo said.

"Are you certain?" Taka asked Kenshin.

"Hai," Kenshin said.

"Then we should arm ourselves," Taka said, reaching behind the seat on the lead cart.

Kenshin watched as he pulled out two swords. Holding onto one he gave the other to Hideo. Once both men were armed, they looked at Kenshin.

"Shall we investigate?" Taka asked.

Hideo nodded.

Kenshin felt his body tighten and his senses flare. This was the trap. Cautiously following Hideo, he walked up the side of the hill. Reaching the crest, he directed Hideo toward the presences. Tightening his grip on his sword, he waited. Slowly they crept toward a small hollow. Hideo slid his sword out of its sheath. Sliding up behind a tree, he slowly bent around the trunk. Suddenly he shook his head and steeped out from behind the tree.

"Kenshin, come see your bandits," he called out, chuckling.

Kenshin cautiously stepped up beside Hideo. Looking down he felt surprise at the sight below. Six men sat around a low-burning fire, pelts stacked beside them. They were hunters, not bandits! Kenshin had only a split second warning to react as his senses screamed danger. Throwing his weight back, he avoided Hideo's sword burying itself in his chest. Rolling up to his feet, he felt something slide down his chest-blood. Growling he unsheathed his sakabatou. Launching himself into the air, he called out Ryu Tsui Sen as his sword prepared to hit Hideo's shoulder. Hideo seemed to move in slow motion as he dodged the blow. Kenshin landed and blinked his eyes, trying to clear the darkness at the edges of his vision. Slamming his sword into the ground, Kenshin called out Do Ryu Sen and watched as dirt and debris flew at Hideo. Again Kenshin blinked, but this time the darkness would not clear. Suddenly, Kenshin felt his legs buckle. Dropping to his knees, he was vaguely conscious of Taka approaching before he completely collapsed.

"He put up a better fight than most," Taka said, smiling.

"I would expect as much from the Hitokiri Battousai," Hideo responded.

Taka whistled. "The Hitokiri Battousai? I had no idea. The boss will be pleased," he said.

"Hai," Hideo responded. "Come on, let's get him packed up and go. We're behind schedule."

"Alright. Hey, what should we do with his sword? It's useless with the blade on the wrong side," Taka inquired.

"Give it to one of the men. They did well today," Hideo said, walking away.

Taka bent down and retrieved Kenshin's sword and sheath. Resheathing the sword, he walked to the edge of the hollow.

"Good job," he yelled as he tossed the sword down. "Keep it up!"

Below him in the hollow, one of the men picked up the sword with shaking hands. Clutching it to his chest, he followed the others back toward the village.

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Kenshin slowly became aware of a throbbing in the back of his head. Opening his eyes, he immediately brought up his arm to block the bright light. Moving at a painstakingly slow pace, Kenshin sat up. His head felt like it was trying to rip itself apart. Gradually, Kenshin tested each of his muscles. Everything seemed to be in working order, albeit a bit stiff.

'How long have I been out for?' Kenshin wondered. Glancing around the room, he saw he was being held in a small room with an iron door and shadows on the window, indicating it was barred. He was laying on a lumpy futon that was fairly hard. His sword was gone too. Staggering to his feet, he carefully moved over to the window and slid it open. The sunlight blinded him and he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust. After a moment, he could see. At that moment, Kenshin's stomach filled with cold fear and painful memories washed over him.

Kenshin estimated he was on the third or fourth floor of a large building. His window overlooked a large fenced-in yard. High walls enclosed the grassy area and guards armed with bows and arrows patrolled the tops of the walls. Below, in the field, lines of children practiced with arms of all types. Kenshin felt himself start at the sight of a line of children firing rifles that were almost as long as the children were tall. Looking around the field, Kenshin saw men fitting the descriptions of those Aoshi had gone looking for. They were the ones training the children. The children looked as though they ranged in age from 18 or so, down to 4 year-olds who were being taught to throw knives. The manner of training brought Kenshin back to his time with the Keihitai and he wanted to cry at the sight of these children duplicating an army. Kenshin felt his stomach turn as he watched the children train.

Kenshin was pulled from his observations by sensing two ki coming closer. Turning away from the window, Kenshin cursed whatever drug it was they'd given him. His muscles still felt weak and he doubted he could overtake his captors in his present condition. Kenshin watched as the door swung open.

Standing in the doorway were two people. A man stood holding a rifle, which he immediately aimed at Kenshin. Kenshin stood still and watched as the second person, a woman, entered the room. She appeared young, perhaps Kaoru's age, with long black hair tied in a low ponytail. Kenshin's eyes narrowed as he made out the faint shadows of healing bruises on her face. She was dressed in a plain brown yukata and she carried a pitcher of water and a plate of dumplings and vegetables. Placing the items she carried next to the futon, the girl turned and left the room, her eyes never leaving the floor. The man holding the rifle waited for her to pass, before he lowered the gun. Sneering at Kenshin, he reached out and pulled the door closed.

As Kenshin heard the door lock, he slowly moved from where he'd stood. Making his way to the food and water, he sniffed for any smells out of the ordinary. Carefully he took a sip of water and pondered what he'd seen so far. 'Whoever is behind this is obviously using the village's children. They must be rich judging by the number of rifles I've seen. But why? What are they after? And why kidnap figures from the Revolution? None of their actions make sense. I must find Aoshi. Surely he is here and by now he must have obtained some answers.' Finished quenching his thirst, Kenshin laid down on the futon and closed his eyes. He would need to be at his full strength if he was going to find Aoshi and the answers he so desperately needed.

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Okay folks, I'm sorry this is so short, but my arm is starting to get sore again. I'll try to update again soon.