Disclaimer: I don't own any of it (unfortunately) so don't ask if you can borrow it. Special thanks to charmedsword for the review and the virtual chocolate…you have figured out the #1 way to get on my best side ;) Anyway, back to the story, and Kenshin's story of just what happened….

Down in Flames

"It was ten years ago…When Saitou and I were both special tactics and operations officers…" Kenshin began, thinking back to what had happened on that day that would forever change his life.

Kenshin strode quickly down the empty corridor purpose in his steps. Today was the day this would come to a head, and this business would finally be over.

Six months, six months this had been in the works. He and his partners, Saitou and Seijuro had worked tirelessly on this job, and finally they would bring down the Juppongatana. The crime ring had become involved in increasingly bigger heists and crimes, bringing the police to the conclusion that something had to be done. So they had sent in the best the department had to offer, Seijuro worked directly with the higher officers, and those within the office and department, Kenshin had been sent in undercover, and Saitou had been his backup.

Kenshin had worked for those past six months known only as Battousai, another criminal mastermind seeking to combine forces with Shishio and his Juppongatana. Seijuro and Saitou had made sure he had everything he needed to make his act convincing, and he had finally gained just enough of Shishio's interest, and trust to become part of his 'inside circle'. But all was not going smoothly, there was unrest among other Juppongatana members, talk of a coup for power, of overthrowing Shishio. Kenshin knew he had to act fast.

He heard a short burst of static, then heard Saitou's voice through a small, well concealed earpiece. "We're moving into position now. We're tracking you, and the target. Keep him there until we can arrive."

Kenshin couldn't answer, but he understood the importance of his job. He just had to hold Shishio, keep him inside for just alittle longer…

He stopped outside a door then after a slight tap let himself in. Shishio himself was behind a desk on the phone. He waved a hand towards Kenshin to acknowledge he'd seen him, but kept talking. Kenshin forced himself to relax, if he just stayed on the phone a while longer…

But it wasn't to be, and just seconds later Shishio slammed down the phone, then looked at Kenshin with his typical, slightly creepy smile. "Battousai… I wasn't expecting you here today."

Kenshin drew out his best acting abilities. "A few more questions came up…about your last offer…" He smiled smoothly.

Shishio narrowed his eyes. "You could have just called."

"You know how it can be…discussing such business over something as…insecure as the phone lines…" Kenshin continued to smile.

Shishio seemed to relax slightly. "Of course." He stood up. "Unfortunately, you should have called first, because I am just about to step out on business."

Kenshin's mind groped for a reason, any reason to keep him here. Saitou's voice rang in his ear. "Almost in position…hold him…"

"This is rather important…just a few minutes of your time?" Kenshin stepped in front of the door, blocking Shishio's exit.

Shishio glared at him. "I don't have the time. Not today." He pushed past Kenshin, out the door.

Kenshin hurried to catch up to him. "After all our other work, 10 minutes is really too much to ask?" he asked, forcing himself to sound completely indignant.

"Mr. Battousai, just what about 'I don't have the time' are you not understanding? I said I have business and I'm already late." Shishio was growing angry at the delays.

Before Kenshin could say anything else, he'd pushed open the back door of the building and stepped out into the alley. It was a cold, gray day, wet and snowy, but that's not what caught Shishio's attention. His head jerked up at the sound of a helicopter, then his eyes narrowed in rage when he saw it was police. He spun on Kenshin who was hot on his heels.

"You! You brought the cops here you son of a bitch!"

He pulled out a gun from seemingly nowhere, and fired at Kenshin, the smaller man just barely missing getting hit, the bullet grazing his arm. But Shishio didn't wait around for a second shot, instead turning and tearing down the alley to where his car was waiting.

This time Seijuro's voice exploded in Kenshin's ear. "Himura, what the hell is happening down there? You were supposed to hold him!"

Kenshin wasted no time in finding his own car and tearing after the fast retreating Shishio. He jerked out the earpiece and turned on the radio equipment in his car.

"What happened?" Seijuro's voice demanded again.

"He didn't go for the bait!" Kenshin barked back.

"You were supposed to hold him!" Saitou's voice growled next.

"What was I supposed to do? Tackle him to the ground?" Kenshin demanded as he took a curve on two wheels, starting to skid on the slippery roads. "I'm right on his tail, if you can head us off we can still stop him!"

He had already messed up, he knew it. But he was sure he could still salvage this, he had to try. He kept right on Shishio's car, though the man tried to lose him over and over again. He sped through the business section of town, ignoring the horns blown in his direction from other cars he'd cut off in his mad chase.

He realized suddenly, Shishio was heading for the interstate, if Kenshin let him get that far, catching him would be almost impossible.

"He's heading for the interstate, I'm going to try and cut him off before he can get there!" Kenshin shouted into the radio.

"We have units moving in on that area now!" Seijuro's voice came back.

Out of the main areas the roads were less traveled and slicker, Kenshin was fighting harder for control of his car, as was the car in front of him. He watched as Shishio's car slid around as well, but the man didn't slow down at all. Both cars skidded around and through the traffic near them at dangerous speeds, and Kenshin expected at any second to loose control.

Coming from the other direction Kenshin saw several police cars coming at them, lights and sirens blaring. Shishio tried to pull around somehow, but lost control as he came up over an overpass. He jerked too hard, and running through a red light swerved into the oncoming traffic.

A car in the oncoming lane swerved, trying to get out of his way, but wasn't fast enough. The first car smashed into the second one, sending it skidding with a wild screech of tires into the concrete wall at the edge of the overpass, leaving the second car a twisted, smoking mess.

The first car tried to speed up again, but lost control, fishtailing out again before smashing into the opposite side of the overpass, a short way down the road. The police cars sped to a stop as well, four of them blocking the lanes so no one could come or leave. Kenshin skidded to a stop, and throwing open his car door jumped out, he had to stop Shishio, but there was something about that other car…

A sudden crack and an explosion filled the air, waves of heat and debris everywhere. Kenshin threw his arm up over his face, but when he could look again he was shocked at what he had seen. Shishio's car was in flames. All the glass was burst out of the windows, the back of the car was totally blacked, and flames still licked around the edges, the front almost as badly singed. It would only be a matter of time before the flames reached the gas tank, and the car would go up in flames again, but what had caused the first explosion? From inside the burning mess there came an enraged, guttural cry, like that of a wounded animal. Several of the police dared to get closer as an ambulance and fire truck screamed onto the scene as well.

Kenshin threw a glance towards the other car…and froze. He had been right, he did know that car. The car with it's whole front end smashed into a concrete wall, the glass shattered all over the snowy asphalt. The car she had always wanted…and he'd hated… but gotten for her anyway…

"Tomoe…no!" the words felt ripped out of his chest as the rest of the world ceased to matter. It couldn't be, this wasn't happening. It was someone else's car, it had to be! It just looked like hers!

He scrambled through the slush and the muck to the side of the car, gripping the door ignoring as the shards of glass bit into his hands, leaning into the car praying he was wrong. But he wasn't and what he saw about made him sick. There was Tomoe, slack against the steering wheel, bleeding from a dozen places, her eyes half closed and glazing over.

"No…Tomoe….stay with me! I'm here…you're going to be ok!" Kenshin heard his own voice babbling reassurances he didn't believe while he jerked at the car door that was jammed, desperate to free her, to hold her, to touch her. When the door didn't give he stopped, fighting down frustration, instead reaching through the window, brushing hair back from her face, trying not to choke on his own panic. Her eyes seemed to focus on him for a moment, then she was gone. "No…Tomoe…TOMOE!"

A hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He found himself facing an irate Saitou. "What the hell are you doing Himura?"

"Let me go!" Kenshin spat back, trying to jerk out of Saitou's grip, suddenly aware of a biting pain, and blood on his arm, the aftermath of Shishio's misaimed shot.

"No! You completely made a mess of this…all you had to do was hold him there…and you couldn't even do that. Now you're here…disobeying all kinds of procedures…in someone else's car who isn't even a part of this!" Saitou spoke low but his voice was full of disgust.

"Because she's my wife!" Kenshin spat the words, full of raw pain and distress. Before Saitou could respond Kenshin swung around and with one well-aimed hit freed himself and left his partner with an almost startled look and a sore jaw.

But the paramedics quickly pushed him aside as well, all in vain. As Kenshin had feared, Tomoe had already died, nothing more could be done. But the cruelest twist was that Shishio had lived, just barely, but he had. And he was the one receiving the medical treatment.

As the sky turned gray again, and the snow started to fall Kenshin stood oblivious in the middle of the confusion, watching his world fall apart around him. He had failed, everything and everyone. He'd failed his work, allowing Shishio to get away, and in doing so he'd not only failed at work, but he'd killed his wife. It was all his fault she was dead…all his…

Kenshin looked down for a moment as he finished the basics of the story, he hadn't told the others all the details about his wife, or such things, but just thinking about it was enough to bring up all the emotions again. Saitou finished off the story for him.

"Evidence later showed that someone had planted a bomb within Shishio's car. It was never traced to who, but it was thought to most likely have been some other member of the Juppongatana who wanted to usurp Shishio's position. However, in the commotion of going after Shishio himself, the gathered members escaped arrest, and with their leader in jail they've kept themselves pretty low the past 10 years." Saitou added.

Kenshin looked up again. "So you see now…. why I can't just let this go. Why I can't just let Seijuro ignore the truth."

Sano looked at the others. "So…where do we come into this?"

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Meanwhile, across town Shishio plotted his next move. One more dead, one more piece of his revenge. He wasn't sure which of them had plotted it, which of his trusted people, his 'family' among the Juppongatana had set up to kill him, but if all of them were dead, then it wouldn't matter. They had violated his deepest trusts, and they would suffer for this insubordination! They had probably all taken part, his fevered, addled mind reasoned. And they would all pay the price. But there was one in particular; one killing that would be sweet indeed.

It would be the one ultimately responsible for this, for the past 10 years of his life, of his freedom lost. The man he'd brought into his trust, only to have that trust broken in one of the worse ways possible, total betrayal. But tonight he would taste the same thing; he would taste his own death by flames. Tonight, the one known as Battousai would die.