Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Progress ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Shadow's Assassin: I posted this fic on FF.net and got a reasonably good response, so I decided to try my luck here! ^^ This is my first fic on mm.org, so I'm a bit nervous.

Disclaimer: Ever notice how stupid these things are? Do any of you seriously believe I own Rurouni K? I didn't think so.

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"I'm sorry, Makimachi-dono, but the fact of the matter is that they're after you now, and they'll stop at nothing to see you dead, de gozaru."

"CAN'T YOU GUYS TRY A LITTLE HARDER?!" 'Makimachi-dono' exploded. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST POLICE FORCE IN ALL OF JAPAN!!"

"Ororo? This one's not even part of the police force, de gozaru."

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"Oro? Makimachi-dono, please keep your voice down. This one sees no reason for shouting, de gozaru."

"YOU STILL HAVEN'T ANSWERED MY QUESTION!"

"It doesn't matter, that it does not. Ah, look - we're here."

Makimachi Misao fumed silently, cursing the cruel trick of fate that brought her, a 19 year-old cram school student, to this place. Somebody up in the heavens was probably amusing himself with her life. Typical. She hardly noticed the thick wooden doors they passed through.

"Good evening, Tokio-san!" Her red-haired guide greeted the good-looking woman at the desk. "Is the Captain here?"

"Go right in, Himura-san. He's been expecting you. Have a nice day!" she said with a smile.

The first thing Misao was aware of was the smell of smoke, curling around her nose and making her choke. When her senses cleared, she heard a cold, deep voice addressing her guide.

"Thank you, Himura. I trust you will be back? Battousai will be of great use to us." Ash fell from the cigarette butt.

"This one doesn't know, de gozaru. If it really is that important…"

"It is."

"Battousai?" Misao, who had until now been attempting (not so discreetly) to get a better look at the man's face, half of which was hidden in shadow, piped up suddenly. "Isn't he that famous ex-officer whose skills were so amazing he only handled the most dangerous cases?"

Himura smiled softly, a strange look lighting his startling amethyst eyes. "That's true," he said quietly.

"You are Makimachi-san," the cold voice said matter-of-factly. "You look like a weasel."

Misao sputtered, so angry she forgot every insult that usually springs to mind.

"Now, Saitou-san, there's no need for that," Himura intervened, laughing nervously.

Saitou took another long drag on his cigarette.

"What's with that, you jerk? Don't you know smoking gives you cancer?"

"I'd have to say the idea of any cancer cells surviving for long in my body is laughable."

"Hmmph. Anyway, nobody does that anymore. What are you, some kind of throwback from the 20th Century?"

"19th," Saitou muttered inaudibly under his breath.

"What was that?!" Misao challenged. Understandably, she assumed he was insulting her again.

"Please, Saitou-san, Makimachi-dono, there's no need for that," Himura said again. "Oh! This one forgot to properly introduce you! Saitou-san, this is Makimachi-dono; Makimachi-dono, this is Saitou-san."

Neither paid any attention. Misao continued to shout; Saitou continued to smoke. That is, until the noise carried to the desk outside the office.

Tokio poked her head in, eyes narrowed suspiciously behind her stylish glasses. "Hajime, are you terrorizing your guests again?!" the woman screeched. "And WHAT have I told you about smoking indoors?! There is such a thing as second-hand smoke, as I've told you countless times before. I swear, he'll be the death of me," Tokio winked to Misao on her way out. The entire tirade lasted under three seconds.

Misao gulped slightly - she didn't know a woman with such a sweet face was capable of shouting like that. It was downright freaky.

"Perhaps we should get down to business," Himura offered. "It's getting late; all the other officers are home already, that they are."

"Hm, I suppose you are right, Himura." Saitou pulled a folder from a filing cabinet and flicked through the contents. "Makimachi Misao - 19 years old, 4'10" in height, cram school student in Tokyo, works part time as a journalist. I believe we've covered the basics?"

Misao muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'stalker.'

Saitou ignored her and continued. "Makimachi Misao, on the 8th of September, yesterday, you filed a report concerning the witness of a murder by a man of tall stature, completely wrapped in… toilet paper?" He asked mockingly.

Misao flushed and hurried to defend herself. "It was dark! I couldn't see very well! And besides, they said to record my first impressions - "

Saitou cut her off in a businesslike voice devoid of any previous mocking tone. "It doesn't matter. Tell me exactly what happened, start to finish." His tone left no room for argument or jest.

"On September 8th, I was staying after class…"

Makimachi Misao hurriedly threw her textbooks and notebooks into her bag, checking her watch incredulously. How had it gotten so late? She had stayed after class to discus her paper with the teacher, a woman she knew from creative writing seminars she attended during the summer. The teacher was full of praise and helpful tips for her work, and Misao couldn't have been more delighted. She was so full of enthusiasm, in fact, that she stayed to work on it even after the teacher left for home. By the time she had run out of ideas and checked the clock, it was well past midnight.

Her normally light footsteps sounded unnaturally loud as they rang through the deserted hallways. She rushed out the doors with barely a nod to the night watchman, who nonetheless smiled at her in return. She slowed to a walk when she reached the sidewalk, conscious of the fact that a lone person tearing through city streets at night was bound to attract attention.

The golden pools of light under the streetlamps threw into sharp awareness the fact that there were no other people on the streets. Misao glanced around nervously. Surely all the bars weren't closed yet? Why wasn't anybody out?

Two people passed her, walking hurriedly - a young man and a woman. Misao let out a long breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and walked on.

She was nearing her apartment when she heard muffled sounds coming from a dark alleyway across the street. She glanced over her shoulder uncertainly. There was no one.

Her indecision lasted only a moment. She broke into a jog and was across the street in a few seconds.

"That was either very brave or very foolish, most likely the latter," Saitou interjected.

Misao glared at him and continued with her story. "Anyway, after I got across the street…"

Misao slipped into the shadows, held her breath and watched with horrified eyes at the scene that unfolded.

A tall, imposing man, completely wrapped in what Misao first thought of as 'toilet paper' advanced upon another, cringing form. No words were exchanged. Without warning, a gleam of metal flashed in the night. A head rolled in the street.

Misao didn't scream. She stood rooted to her hiding spot, unable to register what she just saw.

The wrapped man straightened and slowly turned in her direction. Misao felt her heartbeat throb in her ears. She was sure he could hear it; she couldn't move.

He was drawing nearer, inexorably closer. His stance appeared lazy - as if he was sure there was nothing to be worried about. "I have to kill you too now." His voice was gravelly and deep.

Something in Misao's frozen consciousness rebelled. I will NOT die! It screamed at her. Without pausing to think she stood and looked him right in the eyes. Then she turned and fled. Or at least she tried to. The end of her long braid caught on a sharp edge of something as she turned to go. He stood watching her, smirking as she struggled. Finally she got free, though not without wrenching a few hairs from her braid. He realized then that she was going to get away, because he suddenly lunged at her.

Years of track and field in middle school and high school served her well now. Misao didn't know how long she ran - it had to be over fifteen minutes. Soon the sounds of his heavy footfalls faded behind her. Misao kept running, ran until she reached her apartment.

"When I got to my apartment I called the Tokyo Police Station. They came to pick me up, and I stayed the night at the station, even though they didn't tell me anything. In the morning, they told me to go to the Kyoto Force, when I got there, they told me to come to this building, and here I am now."

Neither Himura nor Saitou said anything for a little while after she finished her narrative. Saitou's cigarette, (which he still hadn't put out) emitted a thin stream of smoke. Himura's wide, innocent violet eyes were narrower, and looked troubled.

Saitou's cigarette dropped its last bit of ash and went out. "You see, Himura?" Saitou challenged, obviously resuming some prior argument.

"You were right, Saitou-san - it is true…"

Saitou smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Then do you see the importance of Battousai's skills?"

Himura looked defeated. "I do." It sounded like a death knell.

Misao's head swiveled from speaker to speaker, her bright, inquisitive eyes trying to make sense of the situation. Why and how was Himura connected to the (in)famous Battousai? Why did he look like he'd been delivered a death sentence? What did any of this have to do with her?

"Absolutely nothing," Saitou said, startling her out of her train of thought.

Misao jumped. So now the cold bastard was able to read minds, too?

Saitou looked slightly miffed. Who knows, maybe he can read minds…

Himura appeared not to notice her. "Ano… Saitou-san, you know how I feel about Battousai…"

"Himura, I fail to see why that affects this matter. You know what you have to do. We have discussed this before. Now may we return to the situation at hand?"

"…" Himura appeared deep in thought. Misao looked at him, concerned. He seemed like such a nice guy. She wondered what was bothering him. For once, though, she kept her thoughts to herself. Saitou looked at her impatiently.

Misao jumped at the knock at the door, but neither Saitou nor Himura appeared surprised when Tokio stepped into the room.

"Hajime, I'm going home for the night. Would that be alright with you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd already gone. Yes, that will be fine."

They didn't resume the conversation until the door was firmly shut.

"Makimachi-dono, I thought so before, but now I'm sure - you're in danger. They know who you are, and they are going to try to kill you," Himura said heavily.

"You keep saying that!" Misao exploded. "But I don't see how! It was dark; he couldn't have gotten a good look at my face! And even if he had, there are plenty of people in this city that look like me!"

"It is not your face," Saitou said. "But those few hairs you left when your braid was caught, as any reasonably intelligent person could have told you."

Misao glowered. It was true. She just hadn't been thinking. DNA testing, of course. But… wait…

Misao surprised them both with her next question. "Who are we dealing with!? Not just anybody has access to that kind of technology!"

"You have a quick mind," Himura complimented her. "Not many people would think to ask that."

"So… he's not just some street thug…"

"Obviously not, ahou."

"Do you think you could stop INSULTING ME and tell me who wants me dead?!"

"Ano… I think we should explain to Makimachi-dono her problem now," Himura interrupted politely, addressing the Police Chief.

"Very well, Himura. Makimachi-san, the person whom we are 'dealing with' as you so quaintly put it, is a man named Shishio Makoto. He originally worked for the Isshin Shishi division of the Police, but eventually the Upper Management grew fearful of him. They knew very well that the only reason he worked for them was because it was the best idea at the time. If something better was to come along, he could be turned against them in an instant - and his skills were not to be taken lightly, even by the legendary Battousai here."

'Here?' Misao wondered, but pushed the thought away. "So… what happened?"

"They tried to eliminate him," said Saitou, "attacked him from behind. They drenched his body in oil and threw him into a flaming furnace, and left him for dead."

"How barbaric!" Misao exclaimed. "Why didn't they just execute him properly and have it over with?"

"No one knows," Himura answered. "Perhaps they thought a painful death would be just retribution for the trouble he caused when they were trying to apprehend him." He closed his eyes and shook his head, leaving no doubt as to his position regarding the matter.

"They were fools," said Saitou, "and we are paying for it now. We first got hint that he may not have died when mysterious murders began to crop up in high places - all the people who died had something to do with his 'execution.'"

Misao let the information sink in. "…But why does he care so much about me? I mean, if he's already killed so many people that you know about, then why does this little one matter?"

"Because," Himura said, "no one has witnessed any of these. They were done with such careful precision that it would have made it impossible to convict him even if we did manage to capture him."

Saitou snorted derisively, showing his opinion on the legal justice system. "Aku Soku Zan," he muttered.

Himura ignored him. "So you see, Makimachi-san, you will become very important if - no - when we apprehend Shishio Makoto."

"Well, can't you do that… DNA testing? If he found out who I was because of my hair, then couldn't we do the same thing?" Misao ventured. She didn't want to contradict an experienced police officer, but she did know some modern technology stuff. "I mean, they're always telling us on the news to be careful with our traces of DNA, because anyone can use it against us…"

"So it appears the weasel does have a head on her shoulders," Saitou smirked. "Yes, in a normal situation we would use the DNA testing. However, this is not a normal situation. Shishio Makoto is by no means a normal man. As we explained before, his entire body was burned to a crisp. No traces of his DNA material remain anywhere that we might find them. He has no fingerprints."

"Oh…" 'I suppose that makes sense.'

"Therefore you remain our only source of solid evidence against the man, meaning he will inevitably hunt you out."

Misao's pretty ocean blue eyes widened as this piece of information finally managed to sink in. "You're gonna protect me, right? I mean, I can't stay here! I have school, a job, - a life!!"

Saito continued to smoke coolly. "We are understaffed as it is, Makimachi-san."

Misao thought her eyes would bug out of her head. "WHAT?! I THOUGHT YOU SAID I WAS IMPORTANT, YOU BASTARD!!!" she screamed at the uncaring police officer.

"That is your tough luck, itachi."

"Sessha believes Saito-san is just being mean again, de gozaru," Himura interjected with a soft smile. "Of course we will protect you, Makimachi-dono."

Saito rolled his eyes.

"That is why you were sent to this building instead of the regular police station." Himura was serious now, no more de gozaru's at the end of his speech.

"Do you know what this place is, itachi?" Saito asked in his low growling voice.

"Eh…."

"I didn't think so, ahou. This is a laboratory, one of the most sophisticated in the world. It is government funded, government run. It was built to identify DNA to help in the solving of crimes, but over the years its function has evolved."

"AREN'T YOU GONNA TELL ME WHAT IT IS?!" Misao screeched, her temper still frayed from Saito's infuriating… self…

"No."

"YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

"We will show you."

Himura to the rescue, again. The man had the patience of a god.

Misao blinked. "Really? That's great, Himura! Let's go!" She burst out of the room and down the narrow corridor.

"Oro? Misao-dono, you're going the wrong way, de gozaru."

"YYYYYYAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!"

"Misao-dono really does have a lot of energy, doesn't she, Saito-san?"

"…"

"Weasel girl, you have heard of the persocom program?"

"Yeah, everyone has… why?" she demanded.

"You are aware that persocoms are machines, and therefore do not feel emotions?"

"Duh!" It was a fact of life, as natural as hearing babies were brought by the stork.

The heels of their boots clicked rhythmically in the sterile-looking hallway.

"Why are you telling me all of this?!" she demanded again, louder.

"Patience, weasel, is a virtue."

Misao was mature. Misao was above this. Misao stuck out her tongue at the offending policeman.

("Now, now," Himura said.")

"You also realize persocoms have one major liability: their strength lies entirely in their programming. Should that programming fail, the 'com will cease to function. Their 'bodies' are no stronger than those of normal humans. Therefore a persocom's only assets are its superior intelligence and immunity to bribes. This alone is not sufficient to create the ideal soldier or bodyguard. Laboratories across the world began experimenting with persocom models, striving for perfection and fame. Until this one tried a different kind of experiment."

Himura's eyes narrowed; his jaw set. Misao could see that whatever they had done in that lab, it upset her cheery red-haired guide.

"Himura does not believe it ethical, what we did. However, the government ordered us to continue - whoever possessed an army like this would be unstoppable. The strongest superpower."

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Misao screeched, her natural impatience and curiosity getting the better of her.

"Simple. We re-created humans - genetically enhanced to be virtually unstoppable, physically and mentally. And now, we have eradicated the last trace of emotion in these beings, these human persocoms."

Himura's stare grew narrower. Misao's eyes widened, and Saitou pushed open the metal-worked door.

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S'A: eh… so whatcha think? If any of u are familiar w/ Chobits (nope, don't own it!), I'm sure you recognized the persocom thing. Sorry! Actually, reading Chobits gave me the idea to start this story in the first place. I was originally going to make Aoshi a persocom! O.O But then we started learning about genetic engineering in Bio and watching GATTACA (really great movie) and I thought that would be a better idea.

But actually, this is just your average sci-fi AU - I haven't got the talent to make it something more. ^^

REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!