Chapter 24: Aoshi and Megumi

"They just… EXPLODED!" Katsu yelled, spreading his arms out to illustrate just how big the explosion was.

"That's impossible…" Kenshin said.

"Go see for yourself. That is… if they'll let you in. Saitou-san is checking it out for bombs and stuff."

"Saitou-san?" Kenshin questioned.

"Oh… yeah, Saitou-san works part time as a cop."

"Tell me you're joking," Kenshin said, feeling as if he was doomed if he had to put his trust in SAITOU if he was ever in need of law enforcement.

"Didn't you know?" Katsu asked, trying to scrub the grime off of his face.

"Uh…" Kenshin sweat dropped.

"Sano, do you think that it was a bomb?" Katsu said, apparently not waiting for an answer.

"Doubt it…" Sano said, actually thinking. "I think I read somewhere that there was a vicious hacker on the loose with the ability to blow up computers and stuff…"

"Hey, can you tell me where you found that?" Katsu asked, pulling a pencil out of his hair and a small notebook out of his shirt. "I can put that in the school paper."

"I don't really remember…" Sano scratched his head, staring at the ceiling.

"I'm going to go look," Kenshin said idly as Katsu tried to pry information from Sano's head. He slowly pushed his way through the crowd to see in the windows when he suddenly ran smack-dab into another person. "OW!" He cried.

"Himura…"

"Ah--- Aoshi…" Kenshin said slowly, a fear creeping up his spine.

"I have a good idea as to who did this," He said, passing him. "Don't interfere… I have my own business to take care of with this situation…"

Kenshin watched Aoshi go. He looked angry… more than usual… if that's possible…

Lunch time rolled around. Kenshin headed towards his usual spot by the tree where he, Yahiko, Megumi, and occasionally Sanosuke would eat. He looked along the wall and came to the realization that Aoshi was not there today. He was always, ALWAYS there… but not today.

He raised an eyebrow and continued to his spot. First he was upset… now he's gone… I'm really starting to worry… He glanced at the Juppon Katana, and his left eye ticked slightly. He turned away immediately, then sat down.

"Hey," Yahiko said, moments later, as he plopped down next to him.

"Hello," Kenshin greeted. "Hm? Where's Megumi?"

"Tsubame-chan told me that she went home," Yahiko shrugged.

"Is she sick?" Kenshin asked, concerned.

"I don't know… if not I'm sure that's what she said."

"I do hope she's okay…" Kenshin said.

"If you want, we can go check on her after school," Yahiko suggested.

"I'm coming too!"

"Oro?" Kenshin looked up. "Sano-"

He looked incredibly serious, his form shadowed by the sun behind his head. The wind had seemed to come in right on cue, blowing his white scarf and jacket to the left of him.

"We all know she was fine earlier," Sano said. He looked none-too-happy. "She's up to something. I'm coming too. You can't stop me."

"Er… okay…" Yahiko and Kenshin said at the same time. Sano smirked in satisfaction. Kenshin and Yahiko looked at each other.

Once the school bell had rang, Kenshin hurried in his last period class so that he could meet up with Sano and Yahiko outside. He shoved his books into his bag and threw it over his shoulder, then headed down to where he kept his tennis shoes, switching them out with his school shoes. "Oro…." He said, afraid they wouldn't wait for him. "My class is so far away…"

He closed his shoe locker and turned to head outside when a hand landed heavily upon his shoulder. "Oro?" he turned to look up at who had stopped him. "Aoshi…" He said slowly.

"Mind your business… Stay out of my way," He said firmly.

"-but I---"

"You're about to get your head into more trouble than you need to," He said, shoving his hands in his pockets and sauntering past him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The computers, Himura… the virus that blew them up… Technology itself has become an even more severe weapon than swords and guns. I'm going to stop this hacker… for I must… avenge for my comrades…"

"Your comrades? Wait, who is-"

Aoshi had departed without notice. Kenshin looked around for a moment, considered looking for him, then decided that he had other things to do. Why waste time going after a freaky person talking nonsense, after all?

Aoshi watched Kenshin leave from around the corner, his icy eyes glaring at his back. "Himura… I won't let you fight my battles for me again… I am the strongest… and I'll prove it…" He stalked off down the hall. "I will put flowers on your graves this time."

"This is it," Yahiko said, stepping up to a beautiful, traditional-looking, Japanese house.

"It's way nicer than mine," Sano said, wide-eyed. "I live in the slums."

"I wonder what her family is like?" Kenshin pondered.

"She doesn't have one," Yahiko said, stepping up onto the porch. "Her family all disappeared when she was young. I wouldn't bring the subject up if I were you."

"Right…" Sano and Kenshin said, looking off in other directions, feeling guilty.

Yahiko sighed. "Okay, here goes." He slowly slid open the shoji. "Megumi-san? Megumi-san!" He called.

Kenshin and Sanosuke joined in, looking in rooms.

After about twenty minutes, they had searched the whole house with ease. No sign of Megumi.

"This is her room," Yahiko said, opening a shoji at the top of the stairs. "The one place we haven't looked."

The three men walked in. There was no sign of anyone, but the dresser had be thrown open, and all of its belongings had been removed. The futon had been folded up, and the closet was empty as well. Everything was gone.

"Wh-what?" Yahiko exclaimed, looking around. "Everything's… gone… her clothes… her pictures… her posters… even down to her hairbrush… it's all gone…" He muttered.

"Megumi-san? Are you here?" Kenshin called, worriedly.

"Megitsune? MEGITSUNE!" Sano ran into the room and threw the window open, searching the ground desperately to see if she was outside. "Dammit… Dammit all… MEGITSUNE!"

"Where could she have gone?" Kenshin checked a few more rooms in the hall again. "Where did she have to go?"

"Izu!" Sano screamed, heading down the stairs.

"Izu?" Kenshin leaned over the railing. "Why would she go to Izu?"

"I just know, okay! I noticed she was looking at a bunch of maps and junk on the computers a few days ago, all in Izu. She said it was for a report, but she didn't print or write anything. She's been all worried… and I should've said something then," He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"Sano!" Yahiko slid down the railing.

"Yo', Katsu, I need you to tell me the quickest way to Izu and hurry! What do you mean your computer is busted! Look, this is an emergency! Use your laptop! You don't know where it is… HOW CAN YOU LOSE A LAPTOP!"

Kenshin strode down the steps, looking around curiously. Izu…He reflected on what Aoshi had told him. Computers… Weapons… Izu…. Megumi… Aoshi…

"Sano."

"Eh?" He looked up from his conversation.

"Let's make a pit stop at my house. There's something I need to pick up."

"Sano! I have a laptop that I hid away at the old dojo so I couldn't be grounded from it by Kaoru. We can go there to find a way."

"We'll use my car. Let's split up and meet at the dojo ASAP, okay?" Sano said, hanging up.

"Right," Yahiko and Kenshin said.

"See you then," Sano said, running to the right. Yahiko ran to the left, and Kenshin headed north.

These things… are related… It'd be best if I got my sakabatou… Kenshin thought to himself as he ran. Megumi in Izu… Computer destroying viruses… God, I really am going insane, de gozaru yo.

(A/N: Sorry about the fact that the seperators are gone again. decided they don't like them. Anywho, thanks to all the people who reviewed. I LURVE YOU GUYS! You're the greatest. This is my most popular story, and it wouldn't have gone nearly as far without you. Betcha can't guess who the hacker is... oh, and after this little arc... IT'S THE SCHOOL DANCE! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! cough sorry... lost my cool... heh... ;)