Chapter 25

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Yahiko was uneasy. He always felt like there was someone watching him. This was no good. No good at all. Everywhere he went he found himself glancing about himself nervously, but he never saw anyone there. He hadn’t told Sano about his misgivings yet, He didn’t want to worry the guy needlessly if this was just nothing.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a bit of white hair go around the corner in front of him. Enishi? Was Enishi back for Kenshin now? No… Shinta, Kenshin no longer existed. Yahiko followed around the corner only to see the glimpse disappear around another.

Yahiko followed for what seemed like an hour, never catching a full view of what he was after. Finally he found himself led into a dead end alleyway. He looked around, and there was no sign of the person he was following.

“You couldn’t make yourself more obvious” a young voice called out. A body dropped in front of him from the roof, standing up to look at him, pale skin and white hair. It was the boy from the boat! The one that had killed Heishin. “Fortunately for you, I had wanted you to follow me. Or you’d likely be dead now.”

“You..!” Yahiko finally managed to blurt out. The boy laughed.

“Kousetsu” he said, bowing. “I believe I didn’t give you my name before… As I didn’t have one.” The brat grinned. Yahiko was beginning to hate him, his attitude was too cocky.

“What do you want” Yahiko said, trying to hold back the anger in his voice.

“Well, although I did say I would come to kill you, now is not the time.” Kousetsu said, grinning a grin like he’d only seen on Enishi once before. “I was ordered only to watch you this time. I noticed that you didn’t seem quite oblivious of my presence this past week though, and I was wondering if you were getting better, or I was getting careless. So, I led you here”

“So this is a game…” Yahiko said, trailing off. Kousetsu nodded.

“You could call it that.” He smiled. “Well I’ll be off now, good luck in finding your way home” he turned to leave, but Yahiko grabbed him by the wrist. Kousetsu glared down at Yahiko’s hand and then up at his face. “Careful boy!” he bit out. “I don’t like people touching me, and I may just go against orders and kill you if I loose my temper”

“Then why didn’t you avoid it” Yahiko asked. Kousetsu went silent. “There’s something about you that bugs me, Kousetsu, and I’m going to figure out what it is no matter what” Yahiko said determined “You aren’t what you say you are” Kousetsu pulled his wrist away and walked off, disappearing even before he got to the corner.

Yahiko sneered into the spot where the boy had disappeared. He wouldn’t have to worry about that feeling of being watched anymore, now that he knew what it was, but something bugged him… How long had he been watched without noticing it.

Sano slung the baby under his arm as it gurgled it delight. He couldn’t believe it had almost been a year since the cute little brat was born.. Almost a year since Yahiko showed up. And two years since he’d met Wei Li. He smiled over at her as he absentmindedly played with Mai. He was a father.

His mind wandered back to his own family for a moment, and his own father. He’d never gone back to see them, and now that he had a home in china, he doubted he ever would. He wondered if they were ok. His little sister that had helped him pack and sneak out when he joined the sekihoutai… He never would have imagined then that in ten or so years he would be here, like this, with a family.

Mai was taken out of his hands, and he looked up. Wei Li was smiling down at him.

“You’re so good with her,” she said “But I think it’s time for her nap.” Wei Li winked at him “I have other plans for you”

“Oh? Really?” Sano asked, placing his arms behind his head as he leaned back “What kind of plans” He raised an eyebrow at her. She leaned close over his face and kissed a corner of his mouth.

“Good ones” she said simply, sauntering out of the room wit Mai, heading towards the nursery. Sano grinned after him. It wasn’t so bad after all, giving up everything in Japan.

“Good things will come to those who wait eh?” he mumbled to himself “I don’t feel like waiting, I think I’ll just go meet those good things halfway” he said standing and following after Wei Li.

Enishi looked down at the dead body of Khean. The man had foolishly and cowardly tried to run away. He walked over to Mao and pulled him to his feet. Mao unsteadily stood and smiled sheepishly at Enishi. What was with those sheepish smiles? Mao had done that as long as Enishi had known him. Mao stumbled and was caught by Enishi in one arm.

“How long since you’ve eaten, you fool,” Enishi asked him, murmuring.

“I don’t remember” Mao said shakily “I loose track of time.” Enishi made an exasperated sound and handed Mao a bundle.

“Eat.” He stated simply. Kaoru watched the exchange confused. Mao sounded so unsure. He’d been so... certain before. There was something odd here and Kaoru wasn’t sure weather she should be worried or not.

“So how are we going to get out?” Kaoru asked.

“Not by making a ladder out of dead bodies,” Enishi said, smiling. Kaoru stared. She decided that she wanted to see him smile at her like that more often. Enishi looked away and the smile disappeared just as fast as it had come. Enishi started for the perimeter, Mao in tow and Kaoru following afterwards.

Kaoru found herself almost wishing that she were in Mao’s place in Enishi’s arms. But she told herself not to think about it, and Enishi had carried her plenty of times, even though most of those she’d been asleep.

They arrived at the wall three hours later, and Enishi handed Mao to Kaoru and turned away from them searching the wall for something. As soon as Enishi turned around, Mao brushed Kaoru away and tried to stand up on his own. Kaoru glared at him as he fell and she caught him. She had been intrigued by Mao before, but he was starting to get on her nerves.

Enishi seemed to find what he was looking for, as he ran his hands down the wall, knocking on it here and there. He stopped tracing a line like a doorframe, and kicked in. The stone shattered. From what she could tell it had been at least four feet thick. Enishi had a damn strong kick. Kaoru found her gaze wandering, but she looked up when she found Enishi looking at her with an amused expression on his face.

He took Mao once again and headed through the tunnel that had appeared behind the demolished rock. Kaoru followed behind… feeling… well she wasn’t quite sure what it was, but she didn’t like it.

 

Saitoh leaned against the wall. Roosterhead really had gotten himself a girl. They were at it all the time. Saitoh stared up and puffed on a cigarette. How would that Ahou react when he saw him again. Did he still think I died? Saitoh smirked to himself, looking forward to their next meeting, as he pushed away from the wall and walked away.

Fang cursed as he realized Enishi was in the pit. Had he found out about his plans somehow? Or had he just gotten impatient. Why hadn’t he just asked me to open it for him. He grumbled, he’d have to go through a lot of trouble to re-contain the rest of the people in the pit. And Mao, he didn’t want to let go of Mao.

Mao was the figurehead of the pit, the Idol everyone killed in the name of. Even though he just sat there, he somehow inspired some sort of desperation in the people that kept them from giving up just yet. Enishi was taking away more of his toys.

Fang stalked down to the basement. He knew brute force wouldn’t work against Enishi, but at the very least it would stall him for a while. Fang grinned. It was so cliché to keep someone like this in the basement but he just couldn’t resist for that very reason.

He wrenched open the iron gate and continued into the labyrinth. There were two people he needed from here. He only hoped this would work. But he’d found that the most desperate plans often worked better than the carefully laid out ones.

The girl looked up at him with sightless white eyes, seeing more than he wanted to as usual.

“Why should I do this for you?” she asked in that raspy burnt voice of hers. Fang almost shivered at the deliciousness. Every time he saw the frail girl he wanted to hurt her and hear her cry out in pain. “You’ve already sent the other, why do you need me too.” Fang frowned; he hated how she always knew things before he told her.

“ It’s to your advantage to do this” he said. “You’ve been wanting revenge for a while now. And if you succeed, I may just let you go” after I’m done with you, he added silently to himself. The girl smiled knowingly.

“You have no intention of letting me go.” Fang glowered at her, knowing although she couldn’t see it, she could feel it “But very well, the other benefit is reason enough. And I grow bored in this stale air.” Fang looked at her. He knew she’d agree, just as he knew she would know he had intention of letting her go, yet he didn’t know why he’d suggested it anyway.

“Lets go” he said turning around and stalking out the door of her room in the labyrinth. She paused to pick something up, and he shivered, not looking behind him. The appearance of that “thing” was something that disturbed even him, and he didn’t want to see it ever again.