Dark
Chapter Two
A/N:
Oh yeah, I forgot, I don't own Kenshin, 'cause if I did, he'd stop with his 'Rurouni' thing and actually use that Katana of his. ^-^
Battousai tossed his prisoner haphazardly to his right as he strolled into his apartment. The unconscious girl landed on a large, soft blue couch. He almost smirked as she groaned and regained consciousness. Her black hair had come loose from its ribbon somewhere along the trek to the apartment and now streamed freely down her back.
"Why did you take me?" Her voice was tiny, but clear. It rang loudly through the silent apartment. It was an obvious question. Yet Battousai was surprised at how she asked it. Her voice did not tremor with fear, like a 'normal' kidnapping victim. She stared at him with her crystal-clear azure eyes, waiting for an answer.
Battousai ignored her, instead choosing to take his black leather duster off, folding it neatly. Her eyes followed his every move as he placed it on an end table, straightened, and began fiddling with the cloth belt that held his sword. Finally getting the tight knot to release, he folded the belt, his Sakabatou held under his arm.
He looked up, and realized to his surprise that she was still staring at him. He sighed.
"I was ordered to." He grunted impassively. Kaoru was not satisfied.
"Who told you to sneak into my house, kill fourteen men, and kidnap me?" He glared at her.
"More than fourteen." Her gaze did not waver. She was still defiantly staring into his face. Finally, he voiced his own question. In a low tone, he asked, "Why aren't you afraid?"
"I don't see any reason to be." She responded, finally pulling herself into a sitting position and straightening out her clothing.
He drew his sword, enjoying the slight wince she made when the blade made a slight 'ching' as it left its sheath. "Why."
"Because your orders were to kidnap. You coulda killed me, but you didn't." She continued looking at his face. Suddenly, she was looking at nothing but a sheath hitting the ground. She blinked, and started to move her head to look for him.
A gentle caress of steel on her right cheek caused her to stiffen. Battousai lazily traced the outline of the girl's jaw line, before letting the sword come to rest on her shoulder.
"My orders did not say I could not hurt you, however." He lied smoothly. "And I am an assassin, I know of ways to cause pain you couldn't imagine. Without the respite of death." His voice was soft, but held a promise Kaoru could not ignore. "Do you understand?" She nodded slowly, much less certain of herself in light of his threat.
He dropped back, taking his sword away from Kaoru's neck. He picked up his sheath from where it had fallen, and slid the sword in with a sharp 'click.' Kaoru watched his golden eyes as he glanced at her coldly. And then without moving, watched him walk to a rack on the wall.
Kaoru felt a tiny sensation in her stomach, that told her she recognized the rack. Well, not really. But it looked like a sturdier version of the one in her father's dojo. She'd spent enough time there to know.
There was already one sword there. It was much shorter than the Sakabatou, and Kaoru identified it as the companion sword. She watched as Battousai delicately placed the sword on the rack, and turned to face her.
She was still staring at him, Battousai noted. Her eyes weren't exacty frightened. But they did not carry the same defiant confidence. He continued to study her face. It was delicate, the features gentle and her skin looked almost porcelain. Although it was marred with now-dry blood. And she had a nice body, too, he noted as he looked her over. She noticed, and turned bright red. And then made quick work of studying him in return.
He was not at all ugly, she noted. His face was almost feminine in appearance, but at the same time not at all. It was deceptive. His chin was small but firm, his cheekbones defined. He wore his impossibly red hair up in a high ponytail. Much like her own, she realized. Although she usually kept hers slightly lower. He wore blood-soaked clothes. That realization made her head spin, so she immediately brought her gaze up to his face again. His eyes, a ferocious gold, stared into hers for a moment.
Battousai pulled his shirt off. Kaoru stared. He tossed it onto an armchair and walked over to the door. He typed a series of numbers into the keypad. A lock clicked.
"You cannot leave this apartment without the code, and those eight digits," He tapped his temple lightly with his finger. "Stay with me. The windows don't open, and they're barred anyway. The apartment is soundproof. Not to mention that we live in a building that is owned by my employer and it is solely inhabited by assassins such as myself. The phones, they're tapped." Kaoru got the message loud and clear: 'You're not getting out'.
He noticed that she was suddenly glaring at him. Oh well, what difference did it make? It wasn't as if he cared how she felt about him one way or the other.
"I'm taking a shower." He informed her shortly, striding over to a door on the far wall to Kaoru's left. As he opened the door, she finally asked him a question.
"What's you name?" He paused for a moment, and looked at her hard. Finally, he decided to grace her with an answer.
"Hitokiri Battousai." Battousai. So he was that guy – she remembered hearing her father yelling about an assassin with a cross-shaped scar on his cheek who he was sure would target him. He'd called him 'Battousai' repeatedly, and she'd thought it was a code.
Kaoru looked at Battousai's left cheek suddenly. Where was the scar? Seeing her sudden scrutiny, Battousai smiled. He rubbed the back of his hand against his left cheek, smearing the stage makeup off.
"Didn't see any reason not to - I wasn't assassinating anyone. And that scar is reserved only for that." Kaoru didn't understand his logic. Sure that the man had gone completely insane, she just nodded. He dissapeared into the bathroom, and after a ten-count, Kaoru heard water running.
As soon as she was sure of what she heard, Kaoru got to her feet, and went into the kitchen. She saw what she wanted. The kidnapped girl took two knives, and put them in the waistband of her pants. Pulling her shirt carefully over them, she went back to the couch. Shaking like a leaf. She relaxed some, the couch was way to soft for it's own good. Then she happened to glance down at the front of her shirt. Kaoru took one look at the blood all over herself, and fainted dead away.
A/N: You KNOW you want the next chapter! ^_- So you see that nifty little button down there? Yup, that one. Now, not the one all the way to the right, silly. More to the left.. right! Now, click on it. Very GOOD! Now review. Go on.. you can do it.. great! My day is complete! (Or. Ah. Night. ^-^')
A/N:
Daine: Thank you!
NewYorkerBabe5287: Wow. I don't think you know how big of a compliment that is to me! Thank you!
Nanikilover/Brukaoru: Thank you so much! ^-^
LadyChrisA: Thank you! And this one is for you, anything with Kenshin on top, 'specially pleases, get my complete cooperation. *Grabs Kenshin by the hair as he tries to run away and smiles innocently.* Hee Hee!
You KNOW you want the next chapter! ^_- So you see that nifty little button down there? Yup, that one. Now, not the one all the way to the right, silly. More to the left.. perfect! Now, click on it. Very GOOD! Now review. Go on.. you can do it.. great! My day is complete! (Or. Ah. Night. ^-^')
Chapter Two
A/N:
Oh yeah, I forgot, I don't own Kenshin, 'cause if I did, he'd stop with his 'Rurouni' thing and actually use that Katana of his. ^-^
Battousai tossed his prisoner haphazardly to his right as he strolled into his apartment. The unconscious girl landed on a large, soft blue couch. He almost smirked as she groaned and regained consciousness. Her black hair had come loose from its ribbon somewhere along the trek to the apartment and now streamed freely down her back.
"Why did you take me?" Her voice was tiny, but clear. It rang loudly through the silent apartment. It was an obvious question. Yet Battousai was surprised at how she asked it. Her voice did not tremor with fear, like a 'normal' kidnapping victim. She stared at him with her crystal-clear azure eyes, waiting for an answer.
Battousai ignored her, instead choosing to take his black leather duster off, folding it neatly. Her eyes followed his every move as he placed it on an end table, straightened, and began fiddling with the cloth belt that held his sword. Finally getting the tight knot to release, he folded the belt, his Sakabatou held under his arm.
He looked up, and realized to his surprise that she was still staring at him. He sighed.
"I was ordered to." He grunted impassively. Kaoru was not satisfied.
"Who told you to sneak into my house, kill fourteen men, and kidnap me?" He glared at her.
"More than fourteen." Her gaze did not waver. She was still defiantly staring into his face. Finally, he voiced his own question. In a low tone, he asked, "Why aren't you afraid?"
"I don't see any reason to be." She responded, finally pulling herself into a sitting position and straightening out her clothing.
He drew his sword, enjoying the slight wince she made when the blade made a slight 'ching' as it left its sheath. "Why."
"Because your orders were to kidnap. You coulda killed me, but you didn't." She continued looking at his face. Suddenly, she was looking at nothing but a sheath hitting the ground. She blinked, and started to move her head to look for him.
A gentle caress of steel on her right cheek caused her to stiffen. Battousai lazily traced the outline of the girl's jaw line, before letting the sword come to rest on her shoulder.
"My orders did not say I could not hurt you, however." He lied smoothly. "And I am an assassin, I know of ways to cause pain you couldn't imagine. Without the respite of death." His voice was soft, but held a promise Kaoru could not ignore. "Do you understand?" She nodded slowly, much less certain of herself in light of his threat.
He dropped back, taking his sword away from Kaoru's neck. He picked up his sheath from where it had fallen, and slid the sword in with a sharp 'click.' Kaoru watched his golden eyes as he glanced at her coldly. And then without moving, watched him walk to a rack on the wall.
Kaoru felt a tiny sensation in her stomach, that told her she recognized the rack. Well, not really. But it looked like a sturdier version of the one in her father's dojo. She'd spent enough time there to know.
There was already one sword there. It was much shorter than the Sakabatou, and Kaoru identified it as the companion sword. She watched as Battousai delicately placed the sword on the rack, and turned to face her.
She was still staring at him, Battousai noted. Her eyes weren't exacty frightened. But they did not carry the same defiant confidence. He continued to study her face. It was delicate, the features gentle and her skin looked almost porcelain. Although it was marred with now-dry blood. And she had a nice body, too, he noted as he looked her over. She noticed, and turned bright red. And then made quick work of studying him in return.
He was not at all ugly, she noted. His face was almost feminine in appearance, but at the same time not at all. It was deceptive. His chin was small but firm, his cheekbones defined. He wore his impossibly red hair up in a high ponytail. Much like her own, she realized. Although she usually kept hers slightly lower. He wore blood-soaked clothes. That realization made her head spin, so she immediately brought her gaze up to his face again. His eyes, a ferocious gold, stared into hers for a moment.
Battousai pulled his shirt off. Kaoru stared. He tossed it onto an armchair and walked over to the door. He typed a series of numbers into the keypad. A lock clicked.
"You cannot leave this apartment without the code, and those eight digits," He tapped his temple lightly with his finger. "Stay with me. The windows don't open, and they're barred anyway. The apartment is soundproof. Not to mention that we live in a building that is owned by my employer and it is solely inhabited by assassins such as myself. The phones, they're tapped." Kaoru got the message loud and clear: 'You're not getting out'.
He noticed that she was suddenly glaring at him. Oh well, what difference did it make? It wasn't as if he cared how she felt about him one way or the other.
"I'm taking a shower." He informed her shortly, striding over to a door on the far wall to Kaoru's left. As he opened the door, she finally asked him a question.
"What's you name?" He paused for a moment, and looked at her hard. Finally, he decided to grace her with an answer.
"Hitokiri Battousai." Battousai. So he was that guy – she remembered hearing her father yelling about an assassin with a cross-shaped scar on his cheek who he was sure would target him. He'd called him 'Battousai' repeatedly, and she'd thought it was a code.
Kaoru looked at Battousai's left cheek suddenly. Where was the scar? Seeing her sudden scrutiny, Battousai smiled. He rubbed the back of his hand against his left cheek, smearing the stage makeup off.
"Didn't see any reason not to - I wasn't assassinating anyone. And that scar is reserved only for that." Kaoru didn't understand his logic. Sure that the man had gone completely insane, she just nodded. He dissapeared into the bathroom, and after a ten-count, Kaoru heard water running.
As soon as she was sure of what she heard, Kaoru got to her feet, and went into the kitchen. She saw what she wanted. The kidnapped girl took two knives, and put them in the waistband of her pants. Pulling her shirt carefully over them, she went back to the couch. Shaking like a leaf. She relaxed some, the couch was way to soft for it's own good. Then she happened to glance down at the front of her shirt. Kaoru took one look at the blood all over herself, and fainted dead away.
A/N: You KNOW you want the next chapter! ^_- So you see that nifty little button down there? Yup, that one. Now, not the one all the way to the right, silly. More to the left.. right! Now, click on it. Very GOOD! Now review. Go on.. you can do it.. great! My day is complete! (Or. Ah. Night. ^-^')
A/N:
Daine: Thank you!
NewYorkerBabe5287: Wow. I don't think you know how big of a compliment that is to me! Thank you!
Nanikilover/Brukaoru: Thank you so much! ^-^
LadyChrisA: Thank you! And this one is for you, anything with Kenshin on top, 'specially pleases, get my complete cooperation. *Grabs Kenshin by the hair as he tries to run away and smiles innocently.* Hee Hee!
You KNOW you want the next chapter! ^_- So you see that nifty little button down there? Yup, that one. Now, not the one all the way to the right, silly. More to the left.. perfect! Now, click on it. Very GOOD! Now review. Go on.. you can do it.. great! My day is complete! (Or. Ah. Night. ^-^')