HELLO! SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE, GUYS…SO NOW WITH NO FURTHER ADO, HERE IT GOES!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN RURUONI KENSHIN – CHARACTERS, PLACES AND STUFF – ONLY DANTES IN THIS CHAPPIE.
OKINA – 50 + (AGE)
DANTES – 35 +
WORKING UNDERCOVER by Sutefani-chan
CHAPTER 4
Click.
Himura Kenshin turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, shoving himself into the office. Apparently, he made it to the headquarters alive. He made it past the traffic and somehow survived from an accident – sort of. Now a lesson from the mishap had dawned upon him: Never think about anything that isn't related to driving but only to the road ahead of you when behind the wheels. Because of the mission that has been disturbing his mind, he almost crashed into a post! Then as if someone had slapped his head, it was only then that he had hit the breaks and found himself facing a post, bumper three inches away from it.
"You're late."
He looked up ahead of him. Chief Hiko had his back leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Sano was apparently already there, sitting in his desk, reading a manga.
"Gomen nasai, shishou, but it was quite difficult to get here because of the traffic and some… mishap," apologized Kenshin. Hiko went towards Kenshin and whacked him on the head. Hard. Kenshin almost lost his balance but somehow he managed to get a hold of himself. He rubbed the sore part of his head, "Why did 'ya do that for?"
"That's your penalty for arriving late when we should have left minutes ago! Now, get your things and follow me. Heck, we're meeting a deadline, for goodness' sake!" Hiko cried as he went out of the office, followed by Kenshin then Sano caught up with him.
Muffled laughter.
Kenshin looked to his right. Sano was trying to contain his laughter.
Kenshin shot him a brow, "What?"
"Nandemonai," muttered Sano. Kenshin sighed and then shot Sano a glare, "That wasn't funny."
"I didn't say it was funny. I was just wondering – amused – what made you late today? You weren't usually late coming to office or anywhere else. What happened, mate?"
" I told you, it was because of the traffic and some accident, nearly."
Sano raised his eyebrows, "Accident?"
"Well, I sort of went off-tracked and nearly crashed into a pole. And do you know why? It's because of that damn assignment we're supposed to do TODAY. Boy, it had already done some permanent torture on my already suffering brain."
"Hmph, figures."
"The road's jam-packed with honking cars since 8AM. How did you get here early?"
"Dude, my apartment's only two blocks away. I walk."
Kenshin grimaced. As they followed Hiko to the third floor, he made a mental note to find an apartment closer to the headquarters.
"Where are we going?" Sano called from behind Hiko as their boss led them to a gray door. Smirking, Hiko answered, "You'll see." Immediately, he pushed the door open then a flash of light shone upon them, the two shielding their eyes with the back of their hands.
As the two stepped into the light, a strong breeze brushed their faces.
The two's jaws dropped. They weren't led to a room. Apparently, they were amazingly standing on gravel ground, which appeared to them as a helipad. They were on the headquarters' helipad! Before them stood a helicopter, its' elysee spinning furiously creating a strong mass of wind that had sent their hair flying everywhere.
"Sweet," Kenshin heard Sano say as they stood there, gaping at the vehicle they thought of as a 'work of art'.
"What are you waiting for, boys? Hop in!" Hiko called out from the helicopter. It had only occurred to the two that Hiko had already hopped into the copter when their attention drifted to him. Without hesitating, they made their way towards the copter and sat on their seats, buckling their seatbelts. Closing the door, Hiko called to the pilot, "Let's go."
They've finally arrived at their destination as the pilot landed the copter safely on the spacious ground. Hiko opened the door and quickly got out, followed by Sano and Kenshin. If the ride on the helicopter wasn't that much exciting, the place where they were now gave the two more excitement as their stomachs executed more jolts than they've ever imagined. To them, the place was awesome. It was a really spacious area, with nothing more around them except some palm trees from not that far lined up on sides, and the clean gravel ground they were stepping on.
They looked up ahead of them. There, approximately six meters away from where they were stood a massive building. It was large and wide, about fifteen stories high and 3 average-sized (width) buildings glued together. It had large glass windows streaming on every row or floor of the building.
"Follow me," Hiko told them and ushered them towards the building. As soon as they had arrived there before the building, a tall, skinny, old man in a dark blue slacks and coat in a red tie greeted them.
"I know, we're late," Hiko told the man as they shook hands. He turned to the two behind him, "Boys, this is Executive Secretary Okina. He is here to be in charge of the preparation for the mission at hand. Okina-san, this is Agent Himura Kenshin and this is Agent Sagara Sanosuke."
"Pleased to meet you, boys. The president had sent me here to be in his place since he has some other important affairs to attend to. Let's get on with it now, shall we?" And Okina led the three into the building and got into an elevator going up towards the fifth floor. As soon the elevator door opened, it revealed to them a very big room. The walls were crisp white and the room was lined up with tables and chairs and people running about, some talking to their mobiles while others were carrying stacks of paper. Okina led them to the far end where there was another door and opened it, ushering them inside. The room appeared to be a private office. Before them was a desk and two client stools beside each corner of the table, facing the desk. The walls were white also, and window blinds hung at the back of the desk. The floor was also made of vinyl that looks like wood, and the room was fully centralized.
They weren't alone in the room. Standing there near the desk were two men. One that the two were familiar with was Seta Soujirou, the usually cheerful kid who is mysteriously living with the president. Beside him was someone Sano and Kenshin couldn't really recall meeting with. He was not tall, not short, about five-foot-six and was a bit skinny, but not limpy. He wore a peasant boy's hat (black) under his seemingly slicked back brown hair and has a slick mustache that curls in the edges. He wore a white, long-sleeved polo that is cuffed (his sleeves) up to his elbows, and black slacks for his pants. His polo was unbuttoned to two buttons and on his neck hung a silver, chain necklace.
Oh damn. Please let not be him what I think he would be, Sano silently prayed with a shocked look on his face.
Soujirou and the stylish man approached the newcomers.
"Ohayo, Himura-san, Sagara-san!" he said in his cheerful smile. "Ah! Ohayo, Hiko-sama," he gave a slight full-front bow to Hiko. Hiko bowed back.
"So, we meet again, Soujirou-san," Kenshin smiled at him. Soujirou nodded back, the smile still plastered on his face. "I'm here with Soujirou to supervise the preparation. And, of course, gentlemen meet Dantes. He would be the head and would be responsible for your transformation," Okina said.
Oh, crap! Sano grimaced.
Dantes beamed at the two, "Bonjour, monseiurs! My name eez Dantes. I wood bee yoor stylist and I assure yoo that perfection eez my middle name!" He said as he dramatically waved his hand to his right.
Oh, brother, Kenshin grimaced at the back of his mind.
"Well then, let's not waste time. Shall we?" Okina smiled and he reached for a button under his desk table. Immediately, the wall to the right elevated and what revealed to them was as amazing laboratory. The two's jaws dropped, both have stunned looks on their faces. Apparently, it was a secret passage! Well, somehow.
"Oui (Yes). Let's get started. Follow me," Dantes told them and walked into the laboratory.
"Uh, err, you're not going to leave us alone, are you?" Kenshin muttered as he turned to Okina and Hiko, basically asking for help.
Okina laughed, "Don't worry. Soujirou's there to take care of you." He nodded at Soujirou and then the three of them (Kenshin, Sano, and Soujirou) followed the odd-looking stylist.
"Uh, anou… Soujirou-san. Are you sure HE's safe?" Kenshin mumbled to Soujirou.
"Ah, don't worry, Himura-san. Dantes been working for the Shinsengumi as it's official disguise master," Soujirou laughed.
"You mean like a stylist," Sano said flatly.
Soujirou laughed again, "Yes, well, more like that."
Kenshin looked around. The place doesn't look like a science laboratory; it was more like a beauty parlor, with strange and advance gadgets. Kenshin's stomach gave a jolt. This is not good.
Dantes led them to a row of vanity mirrors.
"C'mon! Vominos!" He was clapping his hands at them as to say hurry up.
"Is he a French or a Spanish?" Sano wondered as they were forced to seat on the chairs facing the vanity mirrors each. Immediately, two women in short skirts and blazers came to their aid.
"Whoa, check them out," Sano muttered as he gaped at them.
"Sano," Kenshin sighed. Soujirou was by their side, trying to contain his laughter.
Dantes examined their hair and physical features. He shook his head. "Wee have too make teengs snapee and seer-yoos-lee… (We have to make things snappy and seriously)."
He turned to Kenshin, "Yoo arr quite a female."
Kenshin's eyes widen, "E-excuse m-me?"
"Yoo arr quite eezee too deel weeth. Yoo have a touch of yoor fe-mee-neen side on yoor face. (You are quite easy to deal with. You have a touch of your feminine side on your face.) But!"
"B-But what?"
"Wee have too doo zome-teeng weeth dat z-carr (We have to do something with that scar)," he eyed the scar as if it was his worst enemy. Kenshin reached and touched his x-shaped scar on his left cheek. Oh, yes. The scar…
Then, Dantes turned to Sano. He frowned at Sano, "Now, wee need too work on yoo HARRDEERR. Yoo are quite a man. Noo matterr what make-up wee doo, yoo steel look like a wrrestlerr. Noo, I teenk a body soot and a mask weel doo the treeck! (Now, we need to work on you harder. You are quite a man. No matter what make-up we do, you still look like a wrestler. No, I think a body suit and a mask will do the trick!)"
Dantes dramatically brought his fingers to his cheek, dribbling it.
"Hmm. Wee coodn't z-tart weeth the make-up now. Noo, noo, noo. Body soots? Maybe later. Ah! Ooh lala!" he took the robes lying on top of one of the chairs and handed them to the two, each. Grinning mischievously, he ordered the two, "C'mon, streep (strip) those clothes off and weer (wear) the robes on. Yoo cood (could) use dat room over derr. Come on, hurry!"
Discreetly, the two stepped out of the room wearing nothing but the robes (with their trousers on – of course).
"Hey, what is this all about?" Sano questioned Dantes.
"Hmmhmm, yoo weel see," grinned Dantes as he walked off, snapping his fingers for them to follow him. They followed behind Dantes, them walking quite a hurry to get past the snickers of some of the employees around them. Kenshin looked worriedly at Soujirou. To him, it seemed quite pathetic for a 22-year old turning 23 to ask help from an innocent – sort of – 15-year old boy but it left him no choice.
Soujirou gave him an assuring smile, " Ah, don't worry. I won't leave you two." He raised his hand, shoulder-level. "Scout's honor."
Dantes led them to a large cubicle that held two long beds. There were people in long white lab gowns, and it was as if they were anticipating them.
As soon as they entered the cubicle, the people in lab gowns closed the curtain doors. There were no windows and no ceiling, and the walls were high enough for somebody to even peek in.
"Take off your robes, " one of the crew said to them. A bit awkward, they still managed to do what the man had told them to do. By that time, Dantes had gotten out to get something.
"Now, lie down on the beds," the man ordered them. Kenshin threw Sano a worried glance and then they lied on the bed each. It seemed to them the beds that they were lying on were experiment-looking tables only with hard mattresses.
Dantes eventually got in wearing a white lab gown too. From the moment he saw the two, he gasped, "SACREBLEAU!"
The two including Soujirou and the people around them, jumped.
"What?"
Shocked, Dantes pointed to the two's legs. "Those legs arr the moost hairee-yest legs I have e-verr seen een my life!"
Sano glared at him, cracking his knuckles as he sat up, "Got a problem with that?"
Dantes winced and said, "Err, noo. Een fact, I have never seen eh-nee-teeng (anything) quite, uh, authentic, such as yours. He he?"
Suddenly, some of the crew was already applying cream on their hairy legs and arms. Yes, even on their chests.
"What are you doing?" alarmed Kenshin at the person who was applying a transparent cream on his chest. But the woman didn't answer him and walked away, this time coming back with a rather large plaster in her hands. Wait, I've seen this one before, he worried. They're going to…
"SANO!" he yelled at his partner. "They're going to wax us!"
"Nani? (What?)"
"They're going to peel off our hair!"
Sano's eyes widened in horror as his face went pale, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He practically bellowed as he sat up, trying to escape. Kenshin was doing the same.
"HOLD THEM!" someone ordered. Immediately, the whole crew came swarming around them and pined them down to their beds, the two struggling to escape from the 'mishap' that was about to happen to them.
"NO! Pant…LET – pant – GO – pant – OF ME!" Sano hollered as he tried to struggle free from their grasps. Without hesitating, the crew quickly covered the parts with the colorless cream with big body waxing papers.
"GET US OUT OF HERE!" Kenshin pleaded. He couldn't take it anymore, and somehow he could already feel the pain of having your body hair being pulled out all at the same time.
"Oh, nonsense. Eet doesn't hoort a beet (It doesn't hurt a bit.)" Dantes grinned at him with a twinge of betrayal in his eyes. Kenshin looked at Soujirou desperately. The boy only stood thee with a look of hope in his eyes. Kenshin's face fell. All hopes were gone.
Sano and Kenshin's hearts were pounding furiously. Beads of sweat started to form on their foreheads. Not long, they would have itchy-red skin – hair-free. Not long, they would be experiencing pain, marking the start of their would-be disastrous future ahead of them…
Some of the people in lab gowns held the tip of the waxing paper each; ready to strip them off any moment.
…There would be a lot of pain – and screaming.
One…
Two…
Three.
"OH! DAMN IT!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES: SO HOW WAS IT? I'M REALLY, REALLY GOING TO HAVE FUN DOING THE NEXT CHAPPIE. CAN'T WAIT!
AWW, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME SANO AND KENSHIN FANS! GOMEN NASAI! AND YES, DANTES IS FRENCH. THE PRONOUNCIATION OF IS NAME IS DAUN-TAY. LIKE DAUNTED BUT IT'S TAY NOT TED.
I GOT A LOT OF REVIEWS – ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVING A COMMENT ON SANO. I KNOW, I'M REALLY CRUEL. AH! FORGIVE ME AGAIN. I KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT MAKE-UP WE PUT ON HIM HE STILL LOOKS LIKE A MAN…WITH ALL THE MANLY FEATURES AND STUFF…
NOTE TO ENCHANTEDSLEEPER: MAY I PLEASE, PLEASE BORROW THE IDEA, 'SANO THE CROSSDRESSER'? PLEASE? YOUR PERMISSION IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THOSE WHO REVIEWED! ARIGATO! I HOPE YOU LIKED YOUR BERTIE BOTT'S! (Again, courtesy of Harry Potter and Ms. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter does not belong to me)
Aldailyn, star, erica6060, kawaiimeeh, enchantedsleeper, royalblueKitsune, Aya45, Nixy-chan and tsumesgirl05.