Shattered Mirror
Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't ask. -sniffs and hugs Ken-chan plushie- Oh, and I'm sssssssoooooooooooooo sorry I haven't updated, but my computer recently crashed. I lost everything, including the nearly finished Chapter Two of this.. -sobs- Orrrrrrrrrrrooooooo!
NOTE: This chapter introduces some new people. It's not as good as Chapter One, but hell, I'm trying my best. And, replies to reviews are at the bottom. Thanks for the great comments, guys!
Chapter Two: Blind Pain
*** *** ***
Sometimes I think I'd rather hear another lie about the world then have to hear the damned truth about what's really going on.
S.E. Robinson
*** *** ***
There were voices. A lot of them. Kamiya Kaoru moaned and strained to open her eyes. The voices were annoying, and she had a headache that could make Pompeii look like nothing. But her eyes wouldn't open. How strange.
She tried again. But felt them lift, but saw blackness once more. Panicked, she blinked furiously, but the process was slow. Was she blind? She screamed, and thrashed, wanting to reach up and tear her eyelids open.
But yet, she remained immobile. There was something coarse and gritty on her hands, wrapped around them, like rough-hewn snakes that had twisted into her sleep. Her feet felt the same. Her bare skin was freezing cold, and she shivered, screaming and twisting. Her violent temper was rising every second, the girl become more and more agitated.
She wanted to tear her hair out and smash every freakin' mirror in the world and see and stop feeling so cold. But Kaoru was contained, confined, a wall of black shielding her from seeing the truth of what was happening.
With a howl, a memory struck her. Last night.
Sano!
The red head...
Amber eyes.
Blood.
And her reflection...mirrors, mirrors, MIRRORS!
She screamed again. Her body was numb, every last inch of it, and it was screaming with her as she stared into blackness.
*** *** ***
Himura Kenshin stared at the locked and shut door. Screams erupted form it. He curled his lip up in disgust, and slammed a shot glass on the counter, breaking it.
She had been screaming for a good ten minutes. Damn, didn't that girl ever SHUT UP? Enraged, he grabbed the entire sake bottle and threw it against the door. The screaming was louder now, and he had a headache. With an agitated sigh, he grabbed his cell phone from the counter, and dialed a number, cursing under his breath.
Shishio's calm voice on the other end only made him madder as the amber- eyed Battousai snapped into the phone, "Damnit, boss, did you have to stick her with me? She's a psychopath, and won't shut up! Why can't Gohei take her? Or Aoshi, or I don't know, someone else but me? My headaches are bad enough without the brat acting like a banshee!"
With a chuckle, the cold-hearted warlord replied quietly, "Think about it, Battousai. Aoshi has enough troubles with his girlfriend right now; she's pissed he's broken off a thousand nights with her to kill for me. Another woman would send him off the edge. And Gohei may be skilled, but he's ruthless and stupid. He'd either massacre her in an instant, or...well, you can guess what he'd do. Anyway, your our last resort for the brat, because you're my most...controlled assassin. And just keep her in your sight and favor. Where do you have her right now?"
Battousai sucked on his bottom lip, "Tied up in my closet. I don't want her to see my face again. I'm not supposed to be seen, aren't-"
"Nope, won't do." His voice was bored.
Kenshin's brow deepened, "But, Shishio, aren't we giving her back?"
He snorted, "You think after that mess you left with the bodyguard and staff we' let her go back? Damn, you're more idiotic then I thought, Himura. Once we get the cash, we're over with her. Burn her body or dump it in the ocean. Why? Do you care?" His boss's voice was a little taunting.
Feeling the anger rising in him, he hissed back, "Like I'd care about that skinny bitch." With that, he slammed the phone on the counter, cutting his hands on the glass from his poor sake cup.
Mumbling curses in 5 different languages under his breath, the Battousai stalked to the sink to rinse away his blood.
Now where was the Advil.
*** *** ***
"So, what your saying is you have no fingerprints from the murderer, no blood from the murderer, not even a hair from the damned murderer?" Hajime Saitoh's voice sounded.stressed as he sat, his back towards the young officer standing nervously by the door. The chief of police whirled around in the spinning seat, and glared, "And no witness? Well, there we go, another case for Unsolved Mysteries. "
"Sorry sir, but.well, we have one witness, but he's hospitalized. He's Miss Kamiya's bodyguard, Sagara Sanosuke."
Saitoh's eyebrows rose into an astounding arc, and he let himself take a long drag on his cigarette, "Hmmm.Sagara. Thank you."
The young man left, and the Wolf smirked a little, and rolled his eyes heavenward, "Trust that rooster to let his job get kidnapped and hell knows what else."
With a soft laugh, he let out a curling stream of smoke to the ceiling, watching the gray form patterns on the white.
*** *** ***
"Damnit, Megumi, lemme outta here! I gotta find Kaoru, I swear, that-that thing is going to kill her, she's going to die!"
Sano's protests fell onto sympathetic but unrelenting ears, as the mansion's physician, a ladylike woman named Takani Megumi, gave him a painkiller shot. She shook her head, long black hair swishing softly.
"I'm sorry, Sano, but you wouldn't be able to do anything even if you could find her. A weeks rest, and you'll be back on your feet, MAYBE. Your lucky, Rooster-By dodging that attack, you just barely managed to save a few of your vital organs."
The bodyguard growled, and clenched his fists, "I don't care, Kitsune! He's got Kaoru, and he'll slice her into a thousand pieces before daybreak. I need to save her! I should have protected her!" He slammed his fist onto the bedside table, smashing it. The doctor frowned, and touched his cheek gently.
"Sano.your upset. I'm upset. Kaoru's a special person to everyone. We will find her. Don't worry. I promise you-"
The moment was broken by a knock on the door, crisp and loud.
The physician sighed, and got up to open it. Two policemen, in matching blue clothing, stood there, one with a tape recorder. The taller one, balding and moustache ridden, took of his hat, and nodded to the lady, "Doctor, if we may, we'd like a word with Mr. Sagara on the accounts of what happened last night."
Megumi frowned, and blocked the door to the infirmary, "I'm sorry, but Sanosuke needs to-"
"It was the Battousai."
The three of them froze.
They all knew who Battousai was.
Sano's voice was hard and had a lethal edge to it, "Yeah, it was him. I didn't see him until he was halfway into Kaoru's room. Bastard waltzes in and says he came for Kaoru and he's gonna kill me. I tell her to run, and she does, before he slices me up like a slab of meat. Last thing I saw was him going after her."
A smile quirked on his lips, "Damn right if I didn't hear him let out a squeal. Raccoon doesn't play fair. Good thing he didn't know that."
*** *** ***
Kaoru stopped her screaming, throat sore beyond belief. She felt insane enough to do it until her voice box burst open (could that happen?) but she felt warmer suddenly, like a shaft of light was on her.
And of course, there were footsteps, but right now, she felt like a victim of hypothermia, and even a degree of warmth made her soak it up.
Then, suddenly, she was in the air, into strong arms. His skin was cold and warm at the same time. Kaoru shivered and let out a little gasp as cold met warm, cold met cold. But, realizing this was a person, and she did not like to be touched, she changed her mind, and did what she did best. Well, what she did almost did best, what she truly did best was break mirrors and rebel.
She fought.
With bound wrists, she swung violently at where she guessed the person's head would be. The Raccoon hit neck, but, hell, close enough. Kicking like a mermaid out of water with her feet, bound as her hands, she managed to make her captor drop her. But, in a last attempt to stop her from falling, he reached out to grab her, it appeared, but missed. The cloth around her eyes was what he grabbed.
It tore.
The sudden rush of air upon her eyes was enough to startle her into blindness. When she managed to clear them enough, the 18 year old gulped and looked up towards the man she had kicked, punched.ummm.kicked.
A gorgeous, but very angry looked redhead, with a swelling bruise on his neck stared down at her, a sword clasped in his hand.
With the damned tip at her throat.
*** *** ***
Kenshin didn't know what to think until she had kicked her way to the ground, except something like 'fuck that hurt!' as he rubbed his poor, suffering neck.
On pure instinct, his sword was drawn with lightning speed, the tip just grazing her neck. He felt his eyes narrow dangerously, a sight that most would tremble just to imagine.
Her reaction was surprising. She merely blinked, and carefully propped herself up on her elbows, "Well.are you going to kill me now? Because I really hate drawing things out."
He stared, surprised a moment, then a sneer broke onto his face, "Who says I'm killing you know?" A hard, angry glare replaced the former expression, "No, I'd love to slice your little throat right now, but the boss says for me to keep you around a little while. No idea why. But don't worry. You can count on death, girl."
She smiled slightly, and the Battousai felt the edge go from his eyes a little. She really was sort of pretty, for a pale, shivering, scrawny teenager.
"Then you are truly my guardian angel. I've been waiting many years for some one to say that. But, who knows, maybe the police will find me and I'll just get more and more depressed. Eventually I'll end up sneaking away from security and slitting my wrists, I suppose. Who knows, who knows."
Poor Himura was confused. Woman facing death did not greet it. They hid from it. But she welcomed it.
Fuck Shishio, he wasn't going to have a suicidal little bitch living in his house.
NEVER.
With a growl, he grabbed her wrists, and grumpily dragged her from the room. He felt a little guilty as she yelped going over the broken glass, but made up for that as she kneed him in the back.
As careless as tossing a coat on a chair, he pushed her into a chair, and snatched a knife from the counter. Approaching her, she did not even stiffen a little, looking almost amused, like this was funny. Needless to say, he was getting a little bit pissed off at her. Her casual about death attitude was like no one he ever met. And Kenshin didn't like change.
He glared at her as he sawed at the ropes. Even he couldn't untie his knots.
"I expect you to be a quiet houseguest, am I heard?" He snapped. She blinked, and cocked her head, "I'm always quiet. Well, unless." She stopped, and seemed to be considering wether to make this harder for it.
"Unless what?" His voice was menacing. Even Kenshin was a little surprised at his harsh tone. Must be from halfway to never talking.
She gave a childish smile, "Nothing, no worries. Gomen for bothering you!"
There was no chance in the heavens that he believed her, but let it slide, and continued sawing on her bonds, "I get bad headaches, and get late hours. But I'm not leaving you alone. I'll get a friend to stay with you. Do you know why, girl?"
She giggled, "Because you think I'd escape!" With her arms free, she examined the rough burn marks, and grinned, "Oh, silly murderer, how could you know so little about your target." She bent her face down close by his ear.
The Battousai felt her breath playfully tickle his head as she gently stroked his hair, and whispered very, very softly.
"You are a deliverance from the gods to me, Hitokira Battousai, shadow assassin. I have waited a long time for the one who would end the my life, the bitter torment I have to face everyday."
And with that, she left him speechless as her lips train from his ear to his cheek, to the scar.
The cross-shaped scar of the assassin.
And she kissed it gently.
*** *** ***
He was being rough, sure, but it would all end the way she wanted it.
Kaoru mentally sighed. Why did things have to take so long. They could just kill her now and bluff to her father. She had been kidnapped by goons who tried the exact plan this red head was doing.
Then it clicked in her mind. Oh Gods.
He wasn't just a normal hit man. He's THE Battousai!
She felt giddy inside, a feeling not felt since as far back as she could remember.
He WAS the Battousai! Her death wouldn't be avoided after all! Her prayers would be answered, and she would be over with the turmoil for so long she had felt. No more scars, no more pain, no more mirrors!
So when the assassin was carefully sawing away at her bonds with a kitchen cleaver, explaining fiercely how to be quiet, she couldn't help but giggle.
His glare was harsher, only making her giggle harder as she carefully explained, "Oh, silly murderer, how could you know so little about your target."
Dropping her head low, black curls falling into her face, she drew her mouth near his ear, and coyly murmured words that came without a thought, "You are a deliverance from the gods to me, Hitokira Battousai, shadow assassin. I have waited a long time for the one who would end the my life, the bitter torment I have to face everyday."
With that, teasingly, without thinking properly, she kissed his cheek.
With that, she leaned back onto the couch, casually examining her wrists, glancing at the red head, as he stared at her in disbelief, and growled, then started hacking away at the ropes once again, till she felt the feeling return in her feet.
A sigh escaped her lips, and she stared at the short killer. Within a minute, he was staring back at her, a glare on his face, "What, girl?"
Pouting, she rolled her own blue eyes, "It's Kaoru. Not girl. And I was just wondering how I was going to be killed, that's all, and how long it'll take."
*** *** ***
Speechless.
This was the first time in history, no doubt.
But it was true.
Kenshin was speechless.
He stared at the girl, uhh, Kaoru, in disbelief, and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently, "You fuckin' idiot! Why do you want to die!?"
His grip tightened on her pale skin, and she cried out. But, it was to late. He was furious at her now. She had teased him, kissed him, and had been casually talking about death. He couldn't take it.
Flashbacks attacked his mind. He felt another migraine coming on.
With a burst of rage, he roared, and punched her in the mouth.
She fell limply onto the couch, a swelling bruise starting on her cheek.
The Battousai stared at her body in shock, and stood up quickly, to quickly. The coffee table knocked over, shattering a pot for a plant that hadn't been green for several years.
Horror enveloped him. He hadn't meant to lose control, but...
Shishio was dead. So, so, so, so dead.
*** *** ***
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update everyone! And thankies for all the reviwers! Phweeeee! I'll reply to them all as soon as I hit 25 reviews, m'kay?
I really hate this chapter. It's terrible, and it's nothing compared to the chapter I had been working on. -mumbles about the computer-
Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't ask. -sniffs and hugs Ken-chan plushie- Oh, and I'm sssssssoooooooooooooo sorry I haven't updated, but my computer recently crashed. I lost everything, including the nearly finished Chapter Two of this.. -sobs- Orrrrrrrrrrrooooooo!
NOTE: This chapter introduces some new people. It's not as good as Chapter One, but hell, I'm trying my best. And, replies to reviews are at the bottom. Thanks for the great comments, guys!
Chapter Two: Blind Pain
*** *** ***
Sometimes I think I'd rather hear another lie about the world then have to hear the damned truth about what's really going on.
S.E. Robinson
*** *** ***
There were voices. A lot of them. Kamiya Kaoru moaned and strained to open her eyes. The voices were annoying, and she had a headache that could make Pompeii look like nothing. But her eyes wouldn't open. How strange.
She tried again. But felt them lift, but saw blackness once more. Panicked, she blinked furiously, but the process was slow. Was she blind? She screamed, and thrashed, wanting to reach up and tear her eyelids open.
But yet, she remained immobile. There was something coarse and gritty on her hands, wrapped around them, like rough-hewn snakes that had twisted into her sleep. Her feet felt the same. Her bare skin was freezing cold, and she shivered, screaming and twisting. Her violent temper was rising every second, the girl become more and more agitated.
She wanted to tear her hair out and smash every freakin' mirror in the world and see and stop feeling so cold. But Kaoru was contained, confined, a wall of black shielding her from seeing the truth of what was happening.
With a howl, a memory struck her. Last night.
Sano!
The red head...
Amber eyes.
Blood.
And her reflection...mirrors, mirrors, MIRRORS!
She screamed again. Her body was numb, every last inch of it, and it was screaming with her as she stared into blackness.
*** *** ***
Himura Kenshin stared at the locked and shut door. Screams erupted form it. He curled his lip up in disgust, and slammed a shot glass on the counter, breaking it.
She had been screaming for a good ten minutes. Damn, didn't that girl ever SHUT UP? Enraged, he grabbed the entire sake bottle and threw it against the door. The screaming was louder now, and he had a headache. With an agitated sigh, he grabbed his cell phone from the counter, and dialed a number, cursing under his breath.
Shishio's calm voice on the other end only made him madder as the amber- eyed Battousai snapped into the phone, "Damnit, boss, did you have to stick her with me? She's a psychopath, and won't shut up! Why can't Gohei take her? Or Aoshi, or I don't know, someone else but me? My headaches are bad enough without the brat acting like a banshee!"
With a chuckle, the cold-hearted warlord replied quietly, "Think about it, Battousai. Aoshi has enough troubles with his girlfriend right now; she's pissed he's broken off a thousand nights with her to kill for me. Another woman would send him off the edge. And Gohei may be skilled, but he's ruthless and stupid. He'd either massacre her in an instant, or...well, you can guess what he'd do. Anyway, your our last resort for the brat, because you're my most...controlled assassin. And just keep her in your sight and favor. Where do you have her right now?"
Battousai sucked on his bottom lip, "Tied up in my closet. I don't want her to see my face again. I'm not supposed to be seen, aren't-"
"Nope, won't do." His voice was bored.
Kenshin's brow deepened, "But, Shishio, aren't we giving her back?"
He snorted, "You think after that mess you left with the bodyguard and staff we' let her go back? Damn, you're more idiotic then I thought, Himura. Once we get the cash, we're over with her. Burn her body or dump it in the ocean. Why? Do you care?" His boss's voice was a little taunting.
Feeling the anger rising in him, he hissed back, "Like I'd care about that skinny bitch." With that, he slammed the phone on the counter, cutting his hands on the glass from his poor sake cup.
Mumbling curses in 5 different languages under his breath, the Battousai stalked to the sink to rinse away his blood.
Now where was the Advil.
*** *** ***
"So, what your saying is you have no fingerprints from the murderer, no blood from the murderer, not even a hair from the damned murderer?" Hajime Saitoh's voice sounded.stressed as he sat, his back towards the young officer standing nervously by the door. The chief of police whirled around in the spinning seat, and glared, "And no witness? Well, there we go, another case for Unsolved Mysteries. "
"Sorry sir, but.well, we have one witness, but he's hospitalized. He's Miss Kamiya's bodyguard, Sagara Sanosuke."
Saitoh's eyebrows rose into an astounding arc, and he let himself take a long drag on his cigarette, "Hmmm.Sagara. Thank you."
The young man left, and the Wolf smirked a little, and rolled his eyes heavenward, "Trust that rooster to let his job get kidnapped and hell knows what else."
With a soft laugh, he let out a curling stream of smoke to the ceiling, watching the gray form patterns on the white.
*** *** ***
"Damnit, Megumi, lemme outta here! I gotta find Kaoru, I swear, that-that thing is going to kill her, she's going to die!"
Sano's protests fell onto sympathetic but unrelenting ears, as the mansion's physician, a ladylike woman named Takani Megumi, gave him a painkiller shot. She shook her head, long black hair swishing softly.
"I'm sorry, Sano, but you wouldn't be able to do anything even if you could find her. A weeks rest, and you'll be back on your feet, MAYBE. Your lucky, Rooster-By dodging that attack, you just barely managed to save a few of your vital organs."
The bodyguard growled, and clenched his fists, "I don't care, Kitsune! He's got Kaoru, and he'll slice her into a thousand pieces before daybreak. I need to save her! I should have protected her!" He slammed his fist onto the bedside table, smashing it. The doctor frowned, and touched his cheek gently.
"Sano.your upset. I'm upset. Kaoru's a special person to everyone. We will find her. Don't worry. I promise you-"
The moment was broken by a knock on the door, crisp and loud.
The physician sighed, and got up to open it. Two policemen, in matching blue clothing, stood there, one with a tape recorder. The taller one, balding and moustache ridden, took of his hat, and nodded to the lady, "Doctor, if we may, we'd like a word with Mr. Sagara on the accounts of what happened last night."
Megumi frowned, and blocked the door to the infirmary, "I'm sorry, but Sanosuke needs to-"
"It was the Battousai."
The three of them froze.
They all knew who Battousai was.
Sano's voice was hard and had a lethal edge to it, "Yeah, it was him. I didn't see him until he was halfway into Kaoru's room. Bastard waltzes in and says he came for Kaoru and he's gonna kill me. I tell her to run, and she does, before he slices me up like a slab of meat. Last thing I saw was him going after her."
A smile quirked on his lips, "Damn right if I didn't hear him let out a squeal. Raccoon doesn't play fair. Good thing he didn't know that."
*** *** ***
Kaoru stopped her screaming, throat sore beyond belief. She felt insane enough to do it until her voice box burst open (could that happen?) but she felt warmer suddenly, like a shaft of light was on her.
And of course, there were footsteps, but right now, she felt like a victim of hypothermia, and even a degree of warmth made her soak it up.
Then, suddenly, she was in the air, into strong arms. His skin was cold and warm at the same time. Kaoru shivered and let out a little gasp as cold met warm, cold met cold. But, realizing this was a person, and she did not like to be touched, she changed her mind, and did what she did best. Well, what she did almost did best, what she truly did best was break mirrors and rebel.
She fought.
With bound wrists, she swung violently at where she guessed the person's head would be. The Raccoon hit neck, but, hell, close enough. Kicking like a mermaid out of water with her feet, bound as her hands, she managed to make her captor drop her. But, in a last attempt to stop her from falling, he reached out to grab her, it appeared, but missed. The cloth around her eyes was what he grabbed.
It tore.
The sudden rush of air upon her eyes was enough to startle her into blindness. When she managed to clear them enough, the 18 year old gulped and looked up towards the man she had kicked, punched.ummm.kicked.
A gorgeous, but very angry looked redhead, with a swelling bruise on his neck stared down at her, a sword clasped in his hand.
With the damned tip at her throat.
*** *** ***
Kenshin didn't know what to think until she had kicked her way to the ground, except something like 'fuck that hurt!' as he rubbed his poor, suffering neck.
On pure instinct, his sword was drawn with lightning speed, the tip just grazing her neck. He felt his eyes narrow dangerously, a sight that most would tremble just to imagine.
Her reaction was surprising. She merely blinked, and carefully propped herself up on her elbows, "Well.are you going to kill me now? Because I really hate drawing things out."
He stared, surprised a moment, then a sneer broke onto his face, "Who says I'm killing you know?" A hard, angry glare replaced the former expression, "No, I'd love to slice your little throat right now, but the boss says for me to keep you around a little while. No idea why. But don't worry. You can count on death, girl."
She smiled slightly, and the Battousai felt the edge go from his eyes a little. She really was sort of pretty, for a pale, shivering, scrawny teenager.
"Then you are truly my guardian angel. I've been waiting many years for some one to say that. But, who knows, maybe the police will find me and I'll just get more and more depressed. Eventually I'll end up sneaking away from security and slitting my wrists, I suppose. Who knows, who knows."
Poor Himura was confused. Woman facing death did not greet it. They hid from it. But she welcomed it.
Fuck Shishio, he wasn't going to have a suicidal little bitch living in his house.
NEVER.
With a growl, he grabbed her wrists, and grumpily dragged her from the room. He felt a little guilty as she yelped going over the broken glass, but made up for that as she kneed him in the back.
As careless as tossing a coat on a chair, he pushed her into a chair, and snatched a knife from the counter. Approaching her, she did not even stiffen a little, looking almost amused, like this was funny. Needless to say, he was getting a little bit pissed off at her. Her casual about death attitude was like no one he ever met. And Kenshin didn't like change.
He glared at her as he sawed at the ropes. Even he couldn't untie his knots.
"I expect you to be a quiet houseguest, am I heard?" He snapped. She blinked, and cocked her head, "I'm always quiet. Well, unless." She stopped, and seemed to be considering wether to make this harder for it.
"Unless what?" His voice was menacing. Even Kenshin was a little surprised at his harsh tone. Must be from halfway to never talking.
She gave a childish smile, "Nothing, no worries. Gomen for bothering you!"
There was no chance in the heavens that he believed her, but let it slide, and continued sawing on her bonds, "I get bad headaches, and get late hours. But I'm not leaving you alone. I'll get a friend to stay with you. Do you know why, girl?"
She giggled, "Because you think I'd escape!" With her arms free, she examined the rough burn marks, and grinned, "Oh, silly murderer, how could you know so little about your target." She bent her face down close by his ear.
The Battousai felt her breath playfully tickle his head as she gently stroked his hair, and whispered very, very softly.
"You are a deliverance from the gods to me, Hitokira Battousai, shadow assassin. I have waited a long time for the one who would end the my life, the bitter torment I have to face everyday."
And with that, she left him speechless as her lips train from his ear to his cheek, to the scar.
The cross-shaped scar of the assassin.
And she kissed it gently.
*** *** ***
He was being rough, sure, but it would all end the way she wanted it.
Kaoru mentally sighed. Why did things have to take so long. They could just kill her now and bluff to her father. She had been kidnapped by goons who tried the exact plan this red head was doing.
Then it clicked in her mind. Oh Gods.
He wasn't just a normal hit man. He's THE Battousai!
She felt giddy inside, a feeling not felt since as far back as she could remember.
He WAS the Battousai! Her death wouldn't be avoided after all! Her prayers would be answered, and she would be over with the turmoil for so long she had felt. No more scars, no more pain, no more mirrors!
So when the assassin was carefully sawing away at her bonds with a kitchen cleaver, explaining fiercely how to be quiet, she couldn't help but giggle.
His glare was harsher, only making her giggle harder as she carefully explained, "Oh, silly murderer, how could you know so little about your target."
Dropping her head low, black curls falling into her face, she drew her mouth near his ear, and coyly murmured words that came without a thought, "You are a deliverance from the gods to me, Hitokira Battousai, shadow assassin. I have waited a long time for the one who would end the my life, the bitter torment I have to face everyday."
With that, teasingly, without thinking properly, she kissed his cheek.
With that, she leaned back onto the couch, casually examining her wrists, glancing at the red head, as he stared at her in disbelief, and growled, then started hacking away at the ropes once again, till she felt the feeling return in her feet.
A sigh escaped her lips, and she stared at the short killer. Within a minute, he was staring back at her, a glare on his face, "What, girl?"
Pouting, she rolled her own blue eyes, "It's Kaoru. Not girl. And I was just wondering how I was going to be killed, that's all, and how long it'll take."
*** *** ***
Speechless.
This was the first time in history, no doubt.
But it was true.
Kenshin was speechless.
He stared at the girl, uhh, Kaoru, in disbelief, and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her violently, "You fuckin' idiot! Why do you want to die!?"
His grip tightened on her pale skin, and she cried out. But, it was to late. He was furious at her now. She had teased him, kissed him, and had been casually talking about death. He couldn't take it.
Flashbacks attacked his mind. He felt another migraine coming on.
With a burst of rage, he roared, and punched her in the mouth.
She fell limply onto the couch, a swelling bruise starting on her cheek.
The Battousai stared at her body in shock, and stood up quickly, to quickly. The coffee table knocked over, shattering a pot for a plant that hadn't been green for several years.
Horror enveloped him. He hadn't meant to lose control, but...
Shishio was dead. So, so, so, so dead.
*** *** ***
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update everyone! And thankies for all the reviwers! Phweeeee! I'll reply to them all as soon as I hit 25 reviews, m'kay?
I really hate this chapter. It's terrible, and it's nothing compared to the chapter I had been working on. -mumbles about the computer-