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Blue Side of the Moon by Ravyn

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“Now Yahiko,” Sano said firmly

“Now Yahiko,” Sano said firmly. “The most important thing to remember about cooking is that you can’t allow Kaoru near the seasoning.”

He ignored the towel that hit him in the back of the head. “Even if she tries to kill you. No touching.”

Yahiko frowned, eyes cutting to Kaoru. “But you’re letting her chop mushrooms?”

“Make no mistake,” Sano said. “After years of being a designated chopper, she can’t screw it up too badly.”

“Don’t think I won’t chop you!” Kaoru warned. “Or at least bits of you.”

“Hey!”

“Stupid doesn’t belong in the gene pool.”

“Now that’s just mean.” Sano held his hand over his heart. “Right here, Jou-chan.”

“Or a little lower.”

“I think you’re both stupid.”

“Awe,” Sano teased. “We love you too, you little monster!”

“Don’t burn the onions,” Kaoru warned. She slid the mushrooms off the cutting board and into the designated bowel. She studied the bowls of pepperoni, and green pepper. The bacon was cooling and the chopped beef and onion were cooking. “You do remember how to make a proper pizza, right, Sano?”

“I make the best pizza this side of Mazzio’s!”

“A what?”

“It’s American pizza joint.”

“Because that explains it!”

“He’s been watching too many foreign films,” Yahiko grumbled. “Likes to pick out strange words.”

“I’m so relieved.” She said as she set the knife down. Not looking at the men moving about in the kitchen, she bit her lip.

“Who is Himura Kenshin?”

“Oh shit!” Yahiko yelped. Kaoru turned and watched him shake out his hand, his expression pained. “Don’t ask questions like that when I have something hot in my hands.”

“Like what?”

“Where did you hear that name, Kaoru?” Sano asked, the container of spices held in his hand.

She moved the knife and cutting board into the sink, frowning a little, she starting washing them.

“I met him the night we went to the bar for you to meet Misao,” she said finally. “He approached me again last night.”

“What did he want?” Yahiko asked. His eyes were strangely serious.

“He said he just wanted my name.”

This time, Yahiko did roll his eyes. “Sure. Like Himura Kenshin asks anyone for their name.”

“That’s what I said,” she muttered.

Sano turned, a brow lifted and beckoned for her to hand him the mushrooms.

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s suicidal.”

“I’m still breathing,” she said with a shrug, her eyes curious. “Who is he, Sano?”

“He works as a liaison between the yakuza and Oniwabanshu. Does mostly low key jobs and handles a lot of the money flow, or that’s the rumor. No one really knows a lot about Himura other than he has contacts that are high up the chain.”

She nodded. That made sense. The man had acted as if he was used to getting his way. There had been something about his eyes that she couldn’t put her finger on, something darker than his overall appearance projected to the public. Shaking her head, she finished washing the dishes while Sano popped the food into the oven.

“It could have been worse,” Sano said with a sigh. “You could have insulted Shinomori.”

“Who?”

“Misao’s supposed boyfriend,” Yahiko said with a shrug, his expression settling into familiar lines. “Tell me you have heard of the Oniwanabshu?”

She nodded, wincing. “Yes. The mage police, right?”

Yahiko snorted.

“That’s a pretty damn good explanation,” Sano agreed. “They run things for us the way the police run things for normal people. Just hope you never have to have contact with Battousai.”

Yahiko almost dropped his plate. “Dammit, Sano!”

Sano ignored him. “She needs to know.”

“I’ve heard of Battousai.” Kaoru admitted.

“The pet assassin of the Oniwabanshu,” Yahiko drawled. “Mage killer. Rumor has it he once worked for the government, strictly black list, but changed alliances when they started going after mages.”

Her brows tucked together. "Mages were outlawed thirty years ago."

"They didn't start going after the normal people until the rest of us went underground. Apparently, it was one thing to go after scum with magic, but it offended his morals to go after women and kids."

Kaoru blinked in surprise at the thought. Who would have thought that Battousai would have a conscience? Maybe he had a wife or someone who had drawn the line for him. Shaking off those thoughts, she continued to clean the dishes, ignoring the sounds of bickering in front of her.

No, Battousai wasn't her problem to think through. Her problem was a redhead far too used to getting his own way. Frowning down at the soapy water, she scrubbed harder. What on earth had she done to catch his attention? She hadn't been anything but grumpy or flat out rude when he was around.

Maybe Yahiko was simply exaggerating. He wasn't interested as much as he was bored. Eventually he would find something else that was new and a challenge and leave her alone. She just had to grit her teeth until he decided he liked someone else. The sound of someone knocking on the door halted the argument. Frowning, she turned to look for Sano.

"You didn't say anyone was stopping by."

"Probably dropping off your assignment," Sano said, though his tone was weary. "Most of the time they don't bring them by hand."

"How do they bring them?"

"We have a drop off point at the Akebeko," Yahiko muttered. "Tae calls when someone drops by. Better that way. Want me to check?"

"I'll get it." Sano said, moving towards the door. "If I drop dead, run."

Kaoru tensed. Adrenaline hit her system hard as she watched Sano open the door. He bent down and picked something up, but when it didn't burst into flames and he didn't fall over, she was forced to let the breath she was holding out.

"It's addressed to you," Sano said, dropping it onto the table. "They probably keyed it to you somehow, so you better open it. That way one of us doesn't accidentally die.”

Frowning, she reached over for the dishtowel to dry her hands off before walking over to the envelope. Opening the spell tag, and wincing at the electric zap it gave her, she narrowed her eyes.

“Who is Inoue Takehiko?”

Two blank faces stared back at her.

“Sano?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not going out with you on this case.”

Sano frowned. “That’s not right. They don’t change case officers like that…”

“It might not be anything,” Yahiko pointed out.

Sano looked uneasy. “Maybe. Does it give you any more details, Kaoru?”

“Just that I will be working with Inoue-san, and that it’s a minor clean up job.”

“When?

“I’m scheduled to meet him in two hours.”

“Well, we better get you fed then.”

“Hope she doesn’t puke it up.”

“Yahiko!”

….

The pizza was sitting in her stomach like a piece of lead as she waited for her contact to arrive. The address at the bottom of the package had been easy enough to find. It was only a few miles from the apartment she was at. Sano thankfully had enough cash on hand to pay for the taxi ride over to the neighborhood. She was alone, but at least she had her bokken. Rubbing her hands together, it had been strangely cold since she arrived; she studied the building in front of her.

It was rundown and far older than even the building they were in. Supposedly the people inside had been beaten around a little as a message to their bosses, and her job was to simply go in, remove all DNA signs of the fight, and leave. The best part was once she finished it, her salary would kick in, and they needed the money. Even with Sano and Yahiko’s salaries, she was a strain on their income.

Footsteps startled her out of her thoughts and she twisted around, blinking at the sight in front of her. He was taller than she was, but there was a line of fat around his middle that even his well-tailored coat couldn’t hide. He had attempted to hide his receding hairline with some clever brushing, but all it did was show off how wide his forehead was. His head sat oddly on his, short thick neck.

“You are supposed to be in there already.” She blinked at the tone of his voice. Thick brows had bunched together over his eyes, show off deep lines.

“Do not think I’ll take pity. I’ll report you if you do not do your job.”

“My papers did not have a room number.”

He snorted, but walked in front of her. She ignored his mumblings, wincing as they hit the air-conditioning of the building. She had thought these older builders didn’t have any sort of heating or cooling systems. Running her hands up and down her arms for warmth, she marched up the stairs. The room was on the second floor. Inoue-san pulled a card from his pocket, opening the door easily.

“Go. Do your job, mage.”

Reminding herself that she needed the money, she stepped into the room. It was like stepping into freezer. Her teeth chattered with the cold, and she had to shove her hands into her pockets to keep them warm. Taking a deep breath, she froze.

Blood. Not just a little blood, but a lot of it. The air was thick with it, and she was terrified to see why. Taking a careful step forward, she froze as her shoe sunk into something… wet.

“Mage.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Finish.”

The floor shouldn’t be squishing. Not with this job. Not in this cold. The longer she stood in the room, the worse she felt. Like something was eating a hole in the back of her skull, boring into her brain and vibrating. The smell of blood and her headache were making her nauseous.

“Is there a light?”

She didn’t want to turn on the light, but she could feel herself straining somehow. Somewhere inside her chest, until it felt like a cord would snap. There was a silence and then another disgusted noise.

The light flicked on and Kaoru’s stomach rolled. On the bed were… bodies. Or what was left of them. Blood was everywhere. Dripping from the ceiling, splashed onto the walls. She looked down and then cried out; stumbling backwards at the sight of the puddle she had been standing in. There was what looked like… fingers. Covering her mouth, she swallowed violently.

“What is your problem?”

She turned and stared at the man in front of her. He looked unconcerned, as if he couldn’t see the… the… it was hard to breathe. Placing a hand on her chest, it was so tight; she struggled to find the words. The expression on the man’s face was slowly turning red.

“I said, what is your problem!”

She was going to be sick. Not in here. Not with the blood. Ducking around the Inoue-san, she sprinted down the hall, staggering a little on the stairs. She got lucky, making it to the outdoors before her stomach heaved and what she had eaten for dinner came back up.

She felt worse when she was finished. Her head was splitting, and every time she closed her eyes, she saw the room. She heard footsteps behind her and stood up shakily, pushing away from her vomit and reaching up to hold her head. The needle sharp pain had disappeared leaving behind a strange sort of thrumming that was beating in time with her heartbeat, leaving her unbalanced.

A large hand wrapped around her fingers, sharp nails digging into the palms of her hand. She jerked in surprise, eyes lifting upwards to meet furious eyes.

“I do not appreciate being made a fool.”

‘What?’

“This is your own fault you know. Complaining about it to your friends will not do any good. They will side with me.”

Before she could ask what it was he was talking about, fire erupted along her skin. It melted deep, searing flesh and bone and eating away at her vision. Her ears rang with her own screams. When she came back to herself, she was on her knees, arm curled into her stomach. Her face was wet with tears and she was having a hard time breathing. Her hand felt like it was smoldering, as if she was still holding a hot coal and couldn’t work her fingers enough to drop it.

When she managed to blink her vision clear, she pushed herself up a little. The man was gone, and the streets were still empty. Trembling, she climbed to her feet; she wobbled as she tried to walk. It wasn’t just her hand that burned, but every movement made the throbbing increase. Swallowing the urge to curl into a ball and cry, she staggered down the street.

She didn’t know where she was when she finally stopped, leaning against a wall. She had shoved her hand into her pocket, trying to hide it from herself. It wasn’t working. Every so often sharp tingles would run up her arm to settle at the base of her skull. It was getting a little easier to push her pain aside. At least she was walking in a straight line now. It wasn’t until she had walked far enough to clear the white dots from her eyes that she realized she had lost her bokken. She was too bruised inside to stagger home just yet, and she breathed deeply against the stones of the old building.

Blinking in the hope to clear up the last of the spots, she looked around. Even if she didn’t wish to return home, she needed to know where she was. Her insides felt odd, the foreign vibration still eating at her balance. Pushing it aside, she blinked when she finally recognized a building.

‘The bar. Oh.’

When had she gotten this far over? She started to walk to the bar and stopped. Surely someone in there would recognize why she was staggering like a drunk, and she wasn't certain she could deal with those stares. Her emotions were already teetering on the brink and the vibrations in the back of her skull were making it so damn hard to think.

This is your own fault you know. Complaining about it to your friends will not do any good. They will side with me.’

Her bottom lip trembled, and she bit it. She would not cry. No. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath. There was a faint popping noise in her ears, and the sounds of the city were suddenly loud. Wincing, she reached up with one hand to cover an ear. Too many people. Turning in the direction she thought would take her to Sano's, she ducked around a pole and started walking.

As she stepped around another blur, fingers reached out and caught her good hand, closing firmly around her wrist bones. Those wrong, horrible vibrations disappeared under a wash of something that thrummed along her spine.

"Kaoru?"

"Himura-san," she mumbled, twisting her wrist in an attempt to jerk it away. His grip tightened and she peered up at him through her bangs. His eyes were more blue than violet, narrowed sharply. He really wasn’t just a businessman.

"What happened?" He questioned, taking a step to the side so that he was standing directly in front of her.

"I… what makes you…" her words died as something behind his eyes sharpened. She bit the inside of her lip to keep it from trembling under that look. The new warmth of whatever it was rolling down her spine was making it easier to hold herself together, but she felt at the end of her rope. His eyes scanned her face and then he nodded. The next thing she knew, his arm was firmly wrapped around her shoulders, and she was being led across the street into the bar.

The wash of noise, instead of upsetting her even more, helped banish the rest of that foreign sensation and she could breathe. Kenshin didn't stop at the normal booth, but pulled her into a side room she hadn't noticed before. It was filled with soft, leather couches and had a fireplace. A desk was tucked into the corner and a wall was filled with ledgers and books. He steered her to one of the couches and set her down.

"Let me see your hand."

Her fingers curled in a fist before she could stop them and her elbow went numb.

"Himura-san," she started, and those eyes lifted to her face. Her words died in her throat for the second time that night and she swallowed.

"Your hand, please."

Biting the side of her tongue, she pulled her hand free of her pocket and dropped it into her lap. Her fingers were shaking. There were faint indents from the nails of Inoue. She hoped he couldn't notice. It hurt when he reached over and pressed his fingers into her palm, but not nearly as bad as it had hurt earlier. She had half expected the skin of her hand to be raw and angry, but it looked normal.

"You had an assignment tonight?" He questioned, his thumb rotating across her palm. Sparks danced across her eyes for a moment, but when she blinked them away, her arm felt almost normal.

"Yes."

"What happened?"

She looked away from his face. She wasn't entirely certain why he was asking these questions. She wasn't even sure if she should answer them. Yet… there was a niggling warning in the back of her mind, now that she could think, that told her she wasn't going to get a chance to leave until she told him something.

"Tonight was my first assignment." She said finally. "I was supposed to be assigned to Sanosuke, but a package showed up this morning instructing me to go with someone else."

She peaked out of the corner of her eyes and looked away again. She really couldn't handle that gaze right now.

"When I arrived," she swallowed hard. "The assignment was beyond my current capabilities."

"How far above?"

"I can handle finger prints, basic DNA signatures and maybe bodily fluids," she managed.

"I cannot handle several people being dismembered!”

Her stomach rolled as she tried not to think of that room. Picture it. He nodded, slowly, and then stood. Walking over to a cabinet, he set a blanket down next to her.

"I'll be right back.”

Frowning at the blanket, she wrapped her arms around herself and ignored it. She didn't know how long she sat before the door opened and Kenshin was walking back in, a tray balanced in one hand.

She frowned at him.

"It's just tea," he soothed, answering her unspoken question. "It will help with your hand."

"I need to call Sano."

"Tae is calling him as we speak. I contacted a friend of mine who is looking into the assignment," he continued. "Once we get everything settled Sano can take you home."

"Why are you doing this?" She questioned, ignoring the hand that was offering her a mug of tea. He gave her an exasperated look that didn't have the edge of before.

"Helping?" He questioned. At her nod, the edges of his mouth curved slightly.

"I like you. Does someone really need more than that for a reason, Kaoru?"

"I don't trust you, Himura-san." She told him flatly.

A light burned from behind those eyes, catching the faint yellow flecks around his pupils.

"I can appreciate that. It is one of the reasons why I like you."

"That's ridiculous."

"Either way, I would prefer it if you drank the tea. It will help with your hand and calm your nerves."

She wanted to tell him that her nerves were fine, that she was fine, but lying flat out when he was watching her with that gaze didn't seem entirely wise. Glaring at him for a moment, she gave in and accepted the mug. The tea was hot and slightly bitter, but she could taste the faintest touch of honey.

"Now," Kenshin said, setting the pot back down and sitting next to her instead of in front of her on the floor. She scooted over to give him as much space as possible and she could tell he was amused.

"What rank did they give you when you signed on?"

She stared at him blankly and he tried again. "Level?"

"Two."

He nodded. "The scene you described should have at least required a level eight.”

She frowned. "I don't understand."

To hide exactly how uncertain she was, she took another sip of her tea.

"Every clean up has certain standards. If we know someone is going to go in and kill someone in a way that leaves a point, then we do not send in a new agent with only a level two skill." His tone was cool and she nodded. She wondered if he realized how much he was letting slip, and if he was aware of how each sentence just confirmed her suspicious that he was a lot more knowledgeable than he let people believe.

"You said Sano was supposed to be the agent assigned to you?"

"Yes." Her tongue felt a little thick as she tried to form the word and she frowned.

"So he is handling both you and the witch?"

Witch… Yahiko.

"I think so." Things felt a little fuzzy and she blinked, hard. "Why?"

He shook his head. "Curiosity. Do you know if you left anything behind?" Blinking to bring his face back into focus, she stumbled over the next few words.

"My bokken."

Surprised snaked across his face. It was hard to catch, because everything was starting to blur. Realization hit her, but she couldn’t work up panic.

"You drugged me."

Those words were definitely slurred and calloused fingers caught her hands. The cup was taken out of her fingers as she swayed. A moment later, he was holding her shoulders to keep her from falling face first into the floor.

"I did."

"Tha's no fair." She mumbled. The world tilted along the edges, and she was settled into the soft leather carefully. The blanket tucked around her.

"Someone is going to come by to look at your hand, and removing the curse will hurt."

His voice was soft and difficult to focus on. "I'm not sure you can take much more trauma tonight, Kaoru."

"'ano?" The world was fading into a comfortable, warm blur.

"On his way. I promise, he will take you home once everything is taken care of." Kenshin voice faded away, leaving the faint sensation of fingers brushing her cheek and then nothing.

….

Kaoru glared at her breakfast. Normally jelly filled donuts made her happy. It wasn't often that she was awake late enough at night to get them when they were fresh, but Sano had woken her half an hour ago. Something about not killing him dead. Whatever that was supposed to mean. She wasn't pissed off at him; she was pissed off at the bastard who had drugged her!

"You weren't out for more than ten minutes before I showed up," Sano said finally.

She looked up from her doughnut and glared.

"Idiot." Yahiko mumbled around whatever he had crammed into his mouth. "I knew you were going to do something stupid."

It might have been easier to stomach if she had woken up nauseous or thick tongued, but the only affect that she could tell was a little stiffness from sleeping for nearly a day. She hated having to admit that he had been careful with her. It didn’t make her happy. The ass had decided the best way to deal with the situation was to drug her without her consent or anyone who she trusted there. Grinding her teeth together, she continued to glare at her plate.

"Man, Kaoru, you need to give yourself a break. Kenshin explained the situation. You had a rough night." Sano tried.

"So that excuses the fact that I let him drug me?" She questioned without looking up.

"No, but you should give yourself some leeway. You had to deal with a level eight situation, you were basically tortured, and you have only been here for five days. No one adjusts easily. You just had a really bad night."

Even Yahiko stayed after that. Sighing, she picked up her breakfast and took a bite.

Raspberry. She didn't know how he remembered it was her favorite.

"Do you know what happened to Inoue-san?" She asked finally, a little mollified by the sweet treat.

"Probably dead somewhere. They don't last long when they make those kinds of mistakes. You don’t punish a mage for not being able to perform outside their level. Besides, Himura has clout. Sano said he was pissed.” Yahiko shrugged. “Dead and in pieces somewhere.”

Kaoru frowned at the teenager. "What do you mean?"

Yahiko shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Himura owns some property that he keeps to hide the mobs funds. Supposedly he has two sets of books, but no one knows. Anyway, he owns a few hotels as well as the Akebeko."

"He owns the bar?"

Sano nodded.

She sighed. "I suppose you’re not going to take the suggestion to finding a new bar to hang out with well?"

"Not while Tsubame works there," Yahiko said smugly, arms crossing behind his head.

"You're just going to have to deal with it."

Reaching over with her foot, Kaoru yanked on the leg of the chair and watched as he tumbled to the floor. He yelped, glaring up at her once his teeth stopped vibrating.

"What did I tell you about respect?"

"You haven't done anything to earn it!" He snapped.

"Sano, do you think the roof is clear at this time of night?"

"Should be."

"Good." Reaching down, she collared Yahiko and dragged him to his feet. "With me."

"Hey, bitch, what do you think you’re – stop hitting me!"

"My name is Kaoru. I'll even accept a nickname that isn't profane. Next time, I'm washing your mouth out with soap."

"You wouldn't even…"

She eyed him. "Try me."

His eyes flashed at her, but he didn't say anything. She figured if he didn't try to throw her off the roof, then she would be lucky. This probably wasn't the best way to deal with this, but it was at least a start.

"I don't have any bokken," Kaoru sad mildly. "But we can certainly get started."

"With what?" His words were cold.

"You’re weak." She told him. "You need upper body strength and a solid core to do kendo. That means were going to spend the next week working on your arms and stomach muscles, and when I'm satisfied that you can handle the workout, I'll go and get us new bokken."

"You're being serious."

"I bet you can't even do a hundred pushups." Kaoru mocked as they stepped out onto the flat space of the roof.

His eyes narrowed. "I can too."

She shrugged. "Not before I can."

"B—hag."

She sighed. "Well, at least its not four lettered. Lets go, little boy."

"With what?"

"Two hundred pushups should be a good place to start."

He stared at her and she ignored him, settling down to start. Good, clean physical exercise was the best way to work out her frustrations and upsets. Work herself into exhaustion so as not to dream of blood and bodies. She felt a moment of sympathy for how badly Yahiko was going to hurt tomorrow, but buried it. If he wanted to survive with a bokken in his hand, he had to have the strength to wield it.

He sighed and settled down to start.

Hiding a smile, she counted.

….

Shutting the door, Kenshin breathed deeply. The last of her perfume had disappeared five days ago. The potted Arabian jasmine he had ordered wouldn’t be in for another week. Who would have known something as simple as the absence of her perfume would distract him? The edges of his mouth curled. If she knew, she would probably have a few precise, articulate things to say to him. He did love watching the way her eyes darkened with the shift of her moods. Kaoru was adorable grumpy.

He had only seen her once since he had brought her back to his office. She hadn’t seen him. It gave him a chance to study her. She had looked tired, lines around her mouth that spoke of strain, but she had been laughing at something the teenage witch had said. It had taken more will than he had anticipated stifling the urge to approach, to slip his hands along the smooth curve of her waist and breathe in the scent of her hair.

Eyes closed, he savored the mental image, and then let it go. Pleasurable fantasies aside, he had work to do tonight. He would have time to think of her later. If the past week had been anything to go by, he would have plenty of time to think of her.

He turned to the file sitting on his desk. His mouth tightened in displeasure. Jineh Udo. Moving to his desk, he ran his fingers along the manila file. Six months he had been loose and it had only been reported two weeks ago. Aoshi was looking into the lapse of information, so that wasn’t his concern. If anyone was left to kill once Aoshi was through hunting information lines, then he would find out about it. Otherwise, his concern was tracking Jineh.

Patterns in blood. For so many things, Jineh was predictable. He thrived on the hunt, thrived on knowing that he was being hunted in the way so many people thrived on hunting. Jineh wanted to be found by the hunter.

It was just a matter of finding the pieces.

….

Kaoru’s opinion on the bikes was unflattering. Sano didn’t care for the upkeep of cars. She cared about the upkeep of her skull. The two didn’t mix well. At least she wasn’t riding behind Yahiko. All of them were wearing helmets. Police officers would stop them for less. The dark masks also hid any distinguishing features.

The last half dozen ‘break-in’ missions had gone smoothly, due to Oniwabanshu supervision, but smooth none-the-less. The sites had been closer to the inner ring of old Kyoto. The agents she had worked with had been almost fun. Almost.

Right now she was apparently working for the Oniwabanshu exclusively. Once she earned what Sano had called enough points, then her services would be sold out. Expensively. A level two mage would be bought out more often than not, more affordable if not stronger. She was supposed to be making enough money to pay for her salary and turn over profit two months into the job.

Too many assignments going this easy made her uneasy. The three of them didn’t produce enough luck between them to stay out of trouble. The few times they had been assigned to a rougher part of town, they had ended up in fights. She had taken to carrying a knife for added protection after they had started off a turf war.

The worse scuffle had required taking Sano to a bone healer (a startlingly attractive woman who seemed to know Sano well, named Megumi) to mend his ribs. That one had started because a gang of mage’s with even less power than she had had taken offense to Yahiko.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Kaoru muttered to Sano as the bike engine cut. There was a faint light glowing form inside the home and it was… different.

“Oh great,” Yahiko muttered. “The last time you said that we ended up dodging blood bullets.”

Kaoru winced. Not all mages were mob bought, and the ones who weren’t usually dealt in death magic. Blood bullets were one of those things.

“Well, better safe than sorry.” Sano pointed out, running his hands through his hair. “Do you sense anything out of the ordinary?”

Yahiko frowned, eyes going a little unfocused. Because he was a witch, his abilities dealt with earth currents, auras, and things that Kaoru just didn’t understand. She did know that the temperamental teen was always right about the weather.

“It’s clouded.”

Kaoru bit her lip. “We can’t afford the fine of not completing the job right now.”

Sano sighed and nodded. “Well, let’s go see what’s up there.”

In hindsight, things probably could have gone smoother. Sano had insisted on going first, knocking on the door and putting his hands in his pockets. The door had opened, and a fist shot out, clipping him in they eye. There were the sounds of loud swearing as a pissed Sano had charged in swinging.

This meant that Yahiko ran in right behind him. Swearing herself, Kaoru had stepped in just in time to get hit with something, she thought it had been a chair, and staggered head first into the wall. Once her vision had cleared, she had picked up her sheathed knife and twisted around to find a man coming at her with the chair again. Stepping to the side, she had twisted around him before bringing the covered blade down. The sound of bone crunching was satisfying as both the man and the chair dropped.

Things sort of blurred together after that. She was pretty sure at one point something had clipped her in the shoulder, but she was too busy trying to keep an eye on Yahiko, who was fighting dirty and with a clothes hanger. There was someone else with a knife, but he was clumsy and easy to disarm.

When she dropped the man in front of her, hilt to his head, it was silent.

“I told you she would wipe the floor with you.”

“Shut up.”

….

Kaoru slipped into the booth and pressed her hand to her forehead. Yahiko looked wired, his pupils so large she could only see a ring of his normal chocolate brown.

“Sano went to go get ice.”

“You’re not supposed to put ice on a head wound.” Kaoru mumbled.

“Well, he can stick it on his eye then.” Yahiko countered practically. “I didn’t know you could fight like that.”

She lowered her hand and was thankful that her fingers were clean of blood. Running face first into that wall had hurt… even if she was just starting to feel it now that the adrenaline was gone.

“Asshole deserved it.” Kaoru said flatly. “So did his buddy. It wasn’t my fault that while they were practicing their voodoo spells, they forgot to learn how to duck.”

He giggled. Kaoru blinked at him, eyes widening. Best to change the subject.

“I made Sano drag me to a shop downtown while you were sleeping in the other morning. There was a pair of bokken there I would be willing to shell out the coin for.”

“I’ve been doing the stupid work outs,” Yahiko admitted.

“I know.” She returned. “Kendo isn’t just about how many push ups you can do. Think about it and get back to me. Maybe when my skull isn’t hurting so badly.”

“Most people hit walls with bowling balls, not their skulls.” Sano said as he set several mugs on the table. “Tae assures me that this will make your toes numb.”

Kaoru studied the clear liquid and winced. “I think I’ll just take the egg rolls.”

Yahiko snorted.

“Right,” Sano muttered. “That’s what I told her and she promised she would send the food over as soon as it was cooked.”

Kaoru nodded and leaned her head against the wall. Shutting her eyes, she really wished she had even an iota of skill when it came to healing. Thankfully, the bumps and bruises would heal in a week of relaxation.

The sound of a plate clinking against the table brought her out of her half doze. The normal noises of Sano and Yahiko shoveling food down their throats didn’t meet her ears, so she peeled her eyes open. Yahiko was flat against the wall, eyes wide. Standing next to the booth was an all too familiar redhead.

“Oh what do you want now?” Kaoru complained. She pinched Sano’s thigh when kicked her. She didn’t care if he and Yahiko thought Himura was off limits for sarcasm.

“I was hoping to have a word,” he returned. A smile curved the edges of his mouth, as if he knew something she didn’t. “Alone.”

Kaoru hooked her fingers into the pocket of Sano’s jeans. Just in case he got any ideas about running.

“I would prefer if they stayed.”

Violet eyes sparked with amusement, but instead of ignoring her request, he slid into the booth next to Yahiko.

“Alright.”

Frowning at him, Kaoru reached over and snagged one of the small egg rolls and dunked it into the sweet and sour sauce that was Tae’s specialty. Yahiko and Sano followed suit, and grabbed their own.

“What happened tonight?” He asked quietly.

“Nothing.” Kaoru said flatly, once she had swallowed. She ignored the way Yahiko’s eyes widened to almost comical proportions.

He lifted the corner of a brow. “Lying isn’t nice, Kaoru.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “It is nothing of importance to you, so it’s nothing, Himura-san.”

“Kenshin, Kaoru,” he objected. “It’s Kenshin.”

“I’m more comfortable with Himura.” She said stubbornly, picking up her second egg roll. She ignored the way those sparks of laughter had lightened into flat out enjoyment.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Kaoru.”

She hated the way he said her name; that soft rolling purr that made her toes curl. The man was doing it on purpose. Frustrated, she chewed rapidly, kicking Sano in the ankle. He wasn’t being any help. Biting the side of her tongue to keep from saying something she would regret, she made the mistake of meeting his eyes.

The violet was awash with yellow sparks; edges were crinkled in what might have been fond amusement.

“Well,” Kenshin said softly. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

She picked up an egg roll and took a large bite, glaring mutinously at him as he slipped away from the table. There was something taunting about the way that long, soft looking tail of hair swayed between his shoulder blades.

Sano reached over, picked up one of Tae’s special concoctions, and downed it in a dozen deep gulps. He shuddered, the air leaving his lungs in a shuddering whoosh.

“I don’t have balls that big, Jou-chan.”

She kept chewing.

….

Kaoru pushed herself up, exhaled, and lowered herself back down. Heat from her push-ups burned along her shoulders, but it was a good kind of burn. They were out of coffee. Until Sano came back with the canister, she needed something to wake her up after the disaster that had been last night. At least the job had been easy enough. Just a fast swipe of finger prints in the room, and they were done.

It was the small chase down several back alleys that smelled like splattered bodies, the horrible crack of bullets chasing them that bothered her. One of these days, they were going to have clearance to fight back against that particular gang. Last night was the first time they had seen something other than a company job in weeks. Since the night she had seen the redhead after the fight. She was starting to pick up on a pattern.

Sano had been on the phone most of the morning, yelling about clearance and safe zones. One of these days he was going to get the point across that the neighborhood equaled blood bullets.

She had had been attempting to coax more than ten minutes of hot water out of the pipes. Sadly, the hot water had run out before she had felt human.

Lowering herself back to the floor, she lifted her head and stared at the door. The knock came again, this time a bit louder. Sano had a key and didn't have enough cash in his wallet to buy the necessary groceries it would have taken to ask for help. Shoving long, sweaty bangs out of her eyes, she pushed to her feet. Her palms itched from the carpet, and she rubbed them down her thighs before peering through the peephole.

She didn't recognize the men standing outside the door. That wasn't unexpected, as the only time she meet new people was at the Akebeko. It was hard to do even that with Himura glaring from some dark corner. The rest of her time was spent on the job. It wasn't exhausting work, but there never seemed to be an end in sight, either. Making sure the spelled chain (they had money for spells, but not for ice cream…) was firmly in place, she opened the door a crack.

"Can I help you?"

Cool blue eyes flickered to the chain and back to her face. "Kamiya-san?"

"Yes?"

"I'm with the Oniwabanshu," he said calmly. "I have some questions for you."

"Do you have any identification?" She wasn't sure they had identification. Still, she wasn't about to let a strange man who smelled like mint and blood into her home without some sort of proof. If he was here to kill her, it was likely he would win, but at least she could say in the afterlife she was smart about it.

His eyes lightened a shade in color. Maybe that was his version of an expression? Long fingered hand sliding into his pocket, he pulled out a rolled document and handed it through the door. It was probably too cliché to hope they had badges. The paper smelled like old magic and it fairly tingled in her hands. Sano had showed her once the symbol that marked the Oniwabanshu, along with some crude words about tattoos. What he didn't say was that the symbol on paper seemed to move across the parchment so that it was hard to look at.

In other words, damn difficult to fake; handing it back to him, she cleared her fingerprints even as she shut the door to remove the chain to let him in.

"How may I help you …" she let the name trail off, wondering if it was rude to expect a name and deciding she didn't care. Two months was not enough time to get used to the protocol that was the underground world.

"Shinomori." He said, moving by her so the ends of his white trench coat snapped against her calves. Kaoru blinked in surprise and tried to remember where she had heard that name before.

"I've recently read the report submitted to our department about the incident two months ago." He said, turning to face her. Those eyes of his were flat again, and she clasped her hands behind her back so that he wouldn't see her knuckles turn white with strain. She felt sick. There was an edge to his voice.

"Okay."

"In the report you mentioned how the room vibrated." The sound of Sano walking into the room startled her. Her knuckles popped with pressure. "Elaborate."

"Do you know how fucking hard it is to find good coffee…" Sano's words died. Kaoru didn't turn around, not needing to see the expression that was crossing his face to know his reaction.

The handful of words that threatened to turn the air blue were enough for that.

Biting her lip, her eyes swung to Shinomori's face. He was staring at Sano with cold eyes and the man stomped into the kitchen.

"I'll make coffee."

"Kamiya-san?"

She licked her lips. "Can we sit down for this?"

He tilted his head before moving to take the recliner. She settled into the couch, picked up a pillow, and dropped it into her lap. It wasn't much of a shield, but it made her feel better.

"What do you want to know, Shinomori-san?" It was almost as unnerving to have him stare at her, as it was to have Himura. Shinomori was doing his job. Himura’s eyes were not even remotely interested in business.

"You said the room pulsed?"

She nodded, working to keep her hands still. "Yes."

"How?"

She frowned, trying to find a way to describe it. That vibrating, thrumming sensation that had started behind her eyes and worked their way through her scalp and down her brain, making her feel sick. Like wrapping her hand around a soft electric current and feeling the buzz go down her arm, but in a pattern that was jagged and broken, upsetting her internal balance. Hesitantly, and with stops and pauses, she described the room.

When she was finished, he stared at her for a long time before he gave a single, sharp nod. Before she could ask him what that meant, Sano walked into her line of sight and handed her a large mug of coffee. Accepting the brew with relief, maybe now the buzzing behind her eyes would stop, she sipped the hot brew slowly.

"What do you want, Shinomori?" Sano asked quietly. "You don't normally bother cleaners."

"She is a huntsman, Sanosuke."

Kaoru paused when she felt the muscles in Sano's body tighten up. Looking away from the mug of life giving liquid, she turned a little.

"Sano?"

"That's not possible." Sano said flatly. "Huntsmen die young."

"Not all," Shinomori said coolly. "Or she wouldn't be sitting here."

"I'm sorry," Kaoru interrupted. "What?"

"Huntsmen," Sano said flatly. "Men and woman who can track a mage down to a foot of their location after 'reading' a spell. Most of their abilities are urban myth. Rumor has it they die young or are killed young. Mage's don't want that sort of tracking ability to make it to puberty."

"What Sanosuke is attempting to say," Aoshi explained mildly, "is that they are murdered. Most mage's operate on some level of illusion or see-me-not spells. Huntsmen can see through those, and sometimes are not even aware that they are doing so."

"Oh," Kaoru said. She took another sip of her coffee. "I can't do that."

"Not yet." Shinomori agreed. "But you will."

Sano sat up a little a straighter. "She told you that she couldn't do it."

Those blue eyes darkened a little. The faint buzzing suddenly burned cold down her scalp and she winced, reaching up to touch on temple and tightening her hold on her mug with the other. It hadn't moved down her spine into her chest yet, and the pattern was subtle, but it was still uncomfortable.

"Kaoru?"

"I'm fine." She said softly, frowning at Shinomori. "What did you do?"

He studied her, "Proved my theory."

Kaoru slowly shook her head. "I just don't think what you are saying is possible."

"Then how did you know it was Jineh?"

Sano cursed.

“Who?”

"Then man whose fun you walked in on.” Shinomori said calmly. "You saw through the illusions to the blood, to the bodies. We did not.”

There was a faint twitch under his left eye that told Kaoru he was unhappy about that. She wondered if things were as stable in the Oniwabanshu as they were letting people believe.

"What does that mean?" Kaoru questioned, fingers clenching around the pillow.

"It means you will receive a pay raise and an apartment upgrade." Shinomori said coolly. "We need to keep you under better supervision so someone doesn't decide that you are an easy target. You will be reassigned to a new partner who has the skills necessary to protect you, and dispatch the mages who you will be helping us track."

She felt sick. "I didn't sign on to kill people."

"You have the power to track killers, Kamiya-san, not to kill them."

"Same thing," Sano snapped. "You know it."

Shinomori stood and leveled them with a look. "Be it as it may, she has signed a ten year contract with us. She may break the contract if she chooses…" Kaoru blanched at the memory of the spells tied to those contracts.

"And be an oath breaker?" Sano growled. "Besides, she signed on as a cleaner."

"She signed on as an employee to this agency," Shinomori corrected. "She is lucky we are willing to let the ten years stand instead of forcing her to extend her contract permanently, since her job requirements have changed.”

Kaoru stared at him, suddenly feeling numb.

"I will send someone to help you move your things to a new place." He finished, moving towards the door. "Don't bother Misao about this one, Sanosuke. She cannot help you."

The door shut softly, but she flinched anyway. Sano's expression was similar to a dog that had just been kicked, and she felt like her insides were alive and wiggling around.

"I'm going back to bed."

Sano just nodded, his expression poleaxed. Knowing he wouldn't be any help for a while, and that Yahiko was still off with Tsubame, she headed for the shower to wash off the sweat from her exercise. Some things just needed to be handled only after you had time to hide from the world.

 



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