Chapter Nine
"How is that possible? I didn't even notice?"
Tomoe's brows tucked ever-so-slightly, and her eyes lowered. "It may have been his intention to distract you so you would not notice."
Enishi scratched his chin and nodded in agreement. "He obviously made you mad on purpose."
Thinking back through their brief conversation, Kenshin's scowl darkened. "I suppose he did."
"Fire demons are notoriously hot-headed." The rumor was spoken with a deep laugh. "I'm sure it was easy."
Except being hot-headed was not something Kenshin had been in a long time. The dark lashes of the coal demon blinked as her brother attempted to rile Kenshin up, and Tomoe glanced at Kaoru. Her deep eyes continued to study Kenshin with clear worry on her features. It was much too easy. A deep breath expanded her lungs, and Tomoe ignored the implications by diverting the discussion.
"Do you know any more about this ability, Kaoru-san?" Distracted blue eyes returned to Tomoe once more, and her uncomfortably pinned tongue strained to lick her lips. "Anything at all would help. The more we know, the better chance we have of breaking it."
She appeared pensive for a time, but then pointed at her sloppily written message before slapping a hand over her eyes.
"I think we've established that shadows hate light."
The snide remark was met by a frown from both Kenshin and Tomoe. Looking quite sulky herself, Kaoru narrowed a glare at Enishi's smirking features and then pointed meaningfully at one of her eyes. When she was sure she had everyone's attention, she folded her fingers inward at the same time her dark lashes fell.
"Of course." Annoyed with himself, Kenshin's sigh was a grumble. "It was daytime, and Sojiro's eyes were closed the entire time. When he did open them, it was barely at all, and only for a short period."
One fragile hand gripped his, and Kaoru looked really upset. Her other hand again pointed at her eye. Closing his own, Kenshin squeezed her hand back.
"I guess that's all it took." One look and it was already over? What a dangerous power.
The demanding pull of her fingers wrenched his attention away from his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to find her shaking her head. Dismay still dampened her usually happy aura, and she covered her scribbled words until only hate remained in view.
"She's right." Enishi's solid body had leaned forward to look over Kaoru's shoulder. "I don't think their powers work unless you're actively angry or upset. Like I said, he made you mad on purpose and you fell right into his trap."
"Kaoru-san, has he ever used this power on you?"
Kenshin's chin jerked up to watch Kaoru's reaction, but her eyes were now trained upon Tomoe. Cracked lips parted, dark lashes lowered then lifted, and she slowly nodded. Shifting forward in her seat, Tomoe brushed back the young girl's unruly bangs.
"Did it work?"
One finger lifted in the air, but Kaoru did not seem proud that she had only fallen for Sojiro's deception one time. In fact, she seemed almost ashamed. Briefly, Kenshin wondered what he had done to make Kaoru angry, and what had happened afterwards when she had lost control of herself. Without any clue as to what kind of demon she was, the scene was a mystery.
"You are not currently under the influence of his power. Does it fade, or does it have to be broken or remov…?"
Heavy pressure slammed into Tomoe, as if a bucket of thick liquid had been dropped directly onto the top her head. At the same time, a shiver raced up her spine, and she felt nauseous and dizzy. From the way Kenshin and Enishi both reacted, it was clear that she was not the only one suffering from the side-effects. Someone had just constructed a barrier, and it was powerful.
"What the hell was that?" Enishi was already heading for the exit, and Kenshin stood to follow him. When Tomoe stood as well, however, it caught her attention that Kaoru only seemed confused by their reactions, and the coal demon frowned suspiciously. For anyone not to have felt a barrier that strong was strange. A child would have felt it and known something was wrong.
"Stay here, Miss Kaoru." Gently, Kenshin's hand rested on the top of Kaoru's head before he hurried after the stone golem marching quickly through the lab. Just as they made the exit, the security alarms went off in full force. It was not until they made it to the elevators, though, that they were given a clue as to what, or rather who, had caused the commotion.
The density in the air was their first warning, even before the doors parted to slide open. An ominous crackle was their second. Once fully exposed, the single occupant of the elevator appeared menacing and dangerous as floating fox fires the size of grapefruit hung about her threateningly. The rich red-tint of her irises glowed behind her straight-cut bangs, and her fangs were slightly extended and exposed. When she marched off the elevator, both of the men backed away cautiously, and Tomoe, still hurrying down the hallway after them, froze.
"M-Megumi-sensei…"
"That son-of-a-bitch." Each word was punctuated by a deep growl in her throat, and her chest heaved with repressed breathing. All five tails bristled at her back, and her claws fisted into her palm. "Who does he think he is?"
"What's going on? Was the barrier yours?" Carefully, Tomoe had finished her approach, but Kenshin made sure that he was still partially between them, for safety. Something had obviously angered the fox demon, and he wasn't quite sure what to expect. As long as he had known her, Kenshin had never seen the woman react so passionately.
Gleaming irises shot to her subordinate. "Of course, it's mine!" An angry snort tore at the back of her throat and one nostril. "Get me some damn tea! Before I have to put myself in the freezer!"
"Yes, ma'am." Tomoe bowed, still quite gracefully, before turning on one heel to return to the small lab behind them. Left with a volatile fox demon, both Kenshin and Enishi slowly made room to let her march past them. Making their way back down the hallway, Megumi glanced in irritation at the flashing lights of the security alarm. Flipping out her phone, she barked into it instead of holding it to her ear, and a few moments later the alarm died like the slow whine of air releasing from a balloon.
Up in front of them, Kenshin heard Megumi mumbling to herself before dropping into a chair in the smaller, front room of the lab. Strangely, he thought he heard something about it being his fault. Almost bitterly, he wondered what she was going to blame on him now.
Tomoe returned quickly with a cup of hot tea, and Kaoru wheeling herself close behind. One look at the crippled young ward and Megumi's scowl turned impatient.
"Get her out of here. The grown-ups need to talk."
Kaoru appeared more than offended, but Kenshin jumped forward to help her turn the wheelchair around. Blue eyes frowned up at him as he pushed her back to her desk, and he smiled down at her in understanding.
"I know, Miss Kaoru. I'm not her biggest fan, either. Let us try to calm her down, and I'll tell you what's going on after. Is that alright?" Pink lips pursed in a look between petulance and pensive, and she sighed loudly before nodding her head. "Thanks. Just be patient." A gentle stroke of his thumb down her cheekbone conveyed reassurance, and his smile warmed into something more affectionate before he left her alone. Blinking at the empty door, Kaoru's frown creased with resignation before she directed her gaze over to the spiral notebook Kenshin had gifted to her, now partially hidden by her scattered scrap pages. Drawing helped her maintain focus of her slippery thoughts, and bring clarity to her hazy dreams.
Reentrance into the room the others now filled revealed Megumi accessing the single computer off to the side. The cup of tea was already empty, and Tomoe excused herself to bring back the full pot. Glancing at Enishi, Kenshin jerked his head.
"Do we know what the barrier is for?" He tried to keep his voice low, the same way he would around an angry animal. Truth be told, he was more than a little apprehensive about there being a barrier at all. He would never say so out loud, but it was making him claustrophobic. At the same time that Enishi shrugged, Megumi snapped at him without even turning.
"I'll show you exactly what it's for, and you better be ready to thank me afterwards."
A few angry keystrokes later, and Megumi pushed herself away from the screen to reveal a camera angle of the main room in the lab. Standing deliberately at the center of the picture was Sojiro, smiling directly at the camera. One clawed finger pointed at the screen.
"Who the fuck is that, and why is he in my lab without permission?"
Kenshin's eyes narrowed, and the muscles in his chest constricted resulting in the deepening of his voice. "That's him. He was here? When? What did he do?" Why didn't he try to take Kaoru?
"Him who?" Wanting specifics, Megumi crossed her arms haughtily.
Tomoe came back as Kenshin explained who Sojiro was and what had happened during their meeting three days prior. Upon hearing that a curse was responsible for Kenshin's meltdown, Megumi abruptly stood and grabbed him by the chin. Pushing her face close to his own, she clicked her tongue at whatever she saw and rolled her eyes.
"Juvenile." Crossing to a refrigerated cabinet, Megumi dug out a small vile and then a syringe from a nearby drawer. Flicking a fingernail against the syringe to remove any bubbles, she jerked up Kenshin's sleeve, swabbed his skin with an alcohol pad, and then buried the needle into his arm.
"There. That should remove any lingering effects, but it won't prevent it from happening again. On to more important things." Kenshin blinked in surprise, as the problem they had been deliberating only minutes before was solved in barely seconds. What felt like a heavy weight disappeared from his chest, and his mind cleared of the fog he had been unaware was clouding it. A long breath of relief released from his lungs, and he felt like himself again.
It was Tomoe, however, that appeared to be the most flustered.
"B-but… how do you even know that will work?"
"Tomoe-san." Pressing the tips of his fingers against his sternum, Kenshin nodded to confirm. "It's gone." The fox demon went on to explain in an off-hand manner.
"It was obviously a hasty curse, and not well-set at that. I developed a counter-curse for such things ages ago. Otherwise, I would have had to waste too much time on breaking them every time a subject, or employee, lost their temper in my lab. It doesn't even matter what kind of demon he is. Really, Tomoe-san, I'm more surprised you didn't know we have an antidote."
"I…"
"Looks like your assignments have been too narrow. I'll have you work on some broader projects from now on."
"…Yes, ma'am."
"Now, my barrier covers the entire laboratory building as well as the parking garage. It should keep him from getting back in, and it will keep me aware of everyone inside of it." A disgusted sneer bared one fox fang. "The fact that he was in here without anyone knowing, and it's been almost three days, makes me feel dirty. I dare him to try it again."
"How did you figure out he was here, Megumi-sensei?"
"I was reviewing the footage of Ken-sama's… temper tantrum. I must say, it was less than flattering, but it did offer some insight. I'm assuming you don't want Kaoru to know about that man being here, judging by the way she reacted to his picture on your phone."
"You assume correctly." Violet eyes lowered, and he tried not to linger on what her fear of the man meant. "I was going to show the picture to you, to see if you might be able to help identify him, but I inadvertently broke the phone."
"Actually, the phone slid up under one of the desks when you dropped it." Turning back to the keyboard, Megumi slid the video clip back to a few hours earlier when Kaoru had wheeled herself into the room alone. "Little miss unknown is the one who broke your phone."
Watching Kaoru slam the screen of his phone into the arm of her wheelchair over and over again was shocking, but also concerning. Better than anyone, Kenshin knew how consuming anger could be, and he already did not want Kaoru to be tainted by it like he was. He liked it much better when she was smiling and cheerful. I need to work harder to keep her that way, instead of making her worry or upsetting her like I have.
"You can certainly tell she doesn't like him." For the first time, Enishi's voice sounded impressed and a touch amused, which earned him a frown not only from Kenshin but Megumi as well.
"I've been meaning to ask, but just who the hell are you?"
Interceding quickly, Tomoe's soft voice worked to soothe Megumi before she fell back into her irritation. "This is my brother, Enishi. You've met him before, Megumi-sensei. Remember?" Red eyes narrowed, but she was too distracted to give it too much thought or care at that moment.
"Sure." Waving her hand dismissively, Megumi swiveled back to the computer. "This Sojiro is pretty slick. He apparently attached himself to your shadow and snuck himself into the lab that way. Even if we leave out the fact that you didn't notice, that he did not trip a single security alarm coming in or going out is impressive." Allowing the video to play out Sojiro's entire trip around the lab, Megumi tapped a finger against the metal tabletop as everyone frowned in concentration. When he knelt next to Kaoru, Kenshin stepped closer.
"What did he do to Kaoru? Do you have another angle?"
"Unfortunately, no. He purposefully put his back in the way, so we have no way of knowing what he did. I'll take a look at her later to make sure he didn't curse her as well." Skimming the video footage forward, Megumi stopped it again with Sojiro holding up his long tweezers. "What I found most disturbing, besides his obvious disregard for the cameras recording him, is that he took your solidified tear. I was going to study it myself, but needed to let it cool off. I thought it would be safe inside my own lab, but now he's stollen it and I am quite put out."
An uncomfortable feeling made Kenshin roll his shoulders as Megumi nonchalantly brought up the physical result of his open show of pain and emotion. "What… would he want something like that for?"
"I'm not sure, but we can assume it won't be for charity." The reply was droll, and the video continued.
"What do you think he was looking for in Kaoru's records?" Tomoe spoke up quietly as they all watched Sojiro blatantly display the imaging scans they had taken of Kaoru's body.
"No doubt to know what we know, or rather, how much we know. He makes it look like it's some game to him. He didn't even try to take Kaoru back. I'm going to assume he left her here on purpose, and that does not make me happy."
Kenshin lowered his gaze when Megumi turned hers pointedly on him. "If you would prefer that we leave, I would understand."
"You must be joking. I couldn't be more interested." An almost evil grin bared her sharp teeth, and she daintily leaned her chin into one loosely curled hand. "This kid thinks he can waltz into my lab, throw down a challenge, and then walk out without even looking me in the eye? I'm going to eat him alive." The glee in her voice reflected in her eyes, and a chill ran down Kenshin's spine.
"As long as Kaoru remains safe."
"Pretty sure that's your job, not mine. But while we're on the subject, I should probably warn you that this little counter-curse I developed isn't something you can or should rely on."
"What do you mean?"
"First and foremost, I'm the only one who knows how to make it. Which means, I'm the only one that has any. Secondly, it eventually loses is effectiveness against the same curse, and it's kinda… hit-or-miss, depending on the strength and components of the curse you're dealing with. Otherwise, we would have already marketed it, and it would be a household item."
"Right… and even if it would work, it wouldn't help me in the middle of a fight." Feeling grim, Kenshin settled on one of the metal stools.
"Co-rrect." Reaching into the pocket of her lab-coat, Megumi pulled out her phone again, and then slid a nearby sticky pad closer. Thankfully she had calmed down from her earlier wrathful visage, but the almost cheerful flits of her ears was disconcerting to someone who had at one time been subject to her whims. "Which brings us to Neo-Kyoto."
Red brows curled together suspiciously. "And what's in Neo-Kyoto?"
"Someone almost as old as the Emperor." Peeling off the top sticky note, Megumi offered it to him from one finger. "And with a lot of pull. He asked the Prime Minister's administration to contact me personally… and they did."
Taking the small, yellow note, Kenshin continued to frown at Megumi. "Why are you telling me?"
"Because he asked for you. Apparently, he was not very happy about the spike in temperature. Said it overheated his pots, or something. Anyway, he has offered to help you gain better control of your powers, and from what I was told, that's not only unheard of, it's enough to piss off the military. They've apparently been trying to get him to train their soldiers for years."
Kenshin glanced at the note. Hiko Seijuro. It was not a familiar name.
"I'll… think about it."
I can't just leave Kaoru here by herself. What if Sojiro comes back?
"It's not a choice."
Kenshin's head snapped up to watch the normally playful look on Megumi's face drop back into a serious frown.
"The government isn't going to overlook your loss of control. They've left you alone until now only because you've kept yourself out of trouble. The only reason why they haven't seized you yet is because you have someone as influential as the man on that paper willing to train you. And you know they wouldn't be satisfied with our underground freezer. They'll take you back to the facility they have in the Arctic Circle, and probably leave you there."
"I thought that was a human facility. It was supposed to be destroyed." The stone golem's reminder lurched Kenshin's stomach with a mixture of fear and rage.
"Congratulations. Now you know they were lying." Megumi stood tall from her chair and headed further into the lab. "Don't worry, Ken-sama. While you're getting your ass-kicked by a relic, I'll figure out just how to remove the seal and rip that metal pin out of your girl's mouth. I'm looking forward to hearing all the secrets she can tell."
X
A/N: Super excited for this next character, lol. A little bit of separation is needed to allow the other characters room to develop as well, and I was pretty happy for this when it came to me. This will also give me a bit of space to delve some more into Sojiro, and introduce some additional characters. Of course, Kaoru probably won't be too happy about Kenshin leaving…
Thank you to those that leave a review. You don't know how happy, and grateful, I am for them! Please let me know if you think I should continue on. Be safe!