Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Getaway ❯ Caged Bird ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin blah…blah…blah… and I do put my respects to Watsuki-sama for creating it. Now remember, this is a fiction and never happened in the real series. Enjoy! (",)

The Getaway

Chapter one: Caged Bird

Night had always been freight, specifically for the pair of sapphire eyes shining underneath the obscurity of the side street. Arcia Rinslet was in the verge of an assignment where she should redeem a stolen logotype and hand it over to the SCO. Blood was dripping non-stop from her left arm; the filthy odour girdled her whole tang, and she became more stagnant beneath the shadows. She almost failed the mission and now she was fleeting away for her dear life to be saved with these bunches of hoodlums following her trail. Her brows furrowed and winced upon the gunshot on her flesh. She should be a lot more careful the next time she'll be involved to such dangerous chances.

Upon reaching the end of the alleyway, there appeared an unmistakably familiar metallic Lotus Elise sport 190 halting ahead of her. "Get in, now!" a man with unusually creamy-white hair hollered from the open window as the woman in black trench coat reached the previously unclosed door and successfully got in with bullets hitting the car. She thanked the heavens knowing that everything in the car are all bullet proof leaving no one injured, except for her of course.

He hastily stepped the throttle at high speed and auspiciously made a proficient escapement from the target area.

The young dame sighed and plopped down to the car seat, "What are you doing here? Spence should be the one to pick me up…" she breathlessly mumbled, her eyes tightly closed as the pain made to mount her arm.

Yukishiro Enishi started to chuckle with a slight shook of his head, "Your new partner just died. He can't even handle neither a single foe." He felt sorry at that man and definitely was ashamed for Shishio to pick such an agent to accompany their prime mountebank spy. If he hadn't came to save her ass, she'll be able to accompany Spence in hell. "I'll stop over to the next gas station and I'll heal your wound. Hold on alright?" he took a quick glance as he detains his turn to the next lane.

-=0=-

"Ow!" she cringed and smacked Enishi's hand impishly. He looked up and scowled, "Stop being a baby, Arcy. You'd experienced a lot more suffering than this puny one before." He focused on wiping the blood off of her pearly skin, terribly doing his best in finding the blasted bullet.

Arcia nipped on her lower lip, "If you could be more careful, I won't be whining in pain like this!" her eyes kept closed as the feeling of the bullet being taken off from her flesh. "What in damnation are you doing here anyway? I thought you're having a great time in Shanghai with my best friend?" she asked between her gritted teeth.

"My mission in life ended so soon unexpectedly, that's why I returned. Kaoru's my wife now and had been carrying my child for three months."

"She's what?" she asked in disbelief, "Since when did you two gotten married?"

"A month after Himura's death." Enishi nonchalantly answered.

A small gasp came out from her throat as her eyes came to broad too wide in shock; "He's dead? H-how?"

"It was an accident," he then drew the bullet and threw it off outside the window. All at once in the brink of cleaning her wound. "I never thought he'd die like that so easily. Of course, it was enough for me since I finally accomplished my revenge for my sister and also the affection of the person I love." There was a glint of softness within his eyes that quite stir the wits out of her. More to that, a small yet wholehearted smile appeared on his lips, which she had wished that she had brought a camera to take a snapshot of it.

She narrowed her eyes unto him, finding things that would quite amuse her for some reasons. "You do know that battousai's death would cost also your life for the CIA, right?" both were aware that Himura Kenshin was one of the top surrogates around the detective force and may had been starting to search on how his death had occurred. All she had seen was when Enishi shook his head and chuckled, "No one knows about me having a connection with his death. It was a mishap, I already told you about this." he had finally finished binding her arm with the gauze and went returning each and every thing he had used back to the compartment.

Arcia looked down to her arm and was surprised to know that she barely felt the ache. But not before long, she sat back to her posture as Enishi then starts the car's engine. "I never expected this, Enishi. First, you left me for this vengeance of yours which leaded me to hire and exchange such bastard sidekicks every month. Second, you returned here in Japan only to tell me that Himura Kenshin is dead as well as you having a tiny calamity with the CIA. And third… you appeared here in front of me to say that you're married with Kaoru and gotten her three months pregnant without even informing me?"

"Well, expect the unexpected lass. That's the summary of it." Enishi snickered through his driving.

"This is insane! I have to talk to Kaoru!"

"You cannot meet her. She's still under the SCO's protection group. Their sending her to some place where no one could ever track her down. It'll be possible for the CIA to milk her with a clump of information about the battousai's loss." He then saw her sulk down to her shoulders and made that same old pout which she usually uses whenever she's pissed off. It's been a year since he left and God knows how he had missed her. "It's nice to see you again Arcy." His eyes traveled back to the road where he was driving with a smirk plastered upon his resplendent façade.

Mutual to how he's thinking at the very same moment, Arcia sighed out in vex. "Me too tiger… me too."

-=0=-

Over time working sure tires him up. Shinomori Aoshi sat down to his chair with a Starbucks coffee held from his left hand while scanning upon the files of his PC. Being a daytime deputy and an undercover agent by night quite relinquish a lot of energy in his body. In fact, if it weren't for that commander Hajime Saitou he wouldn't be staying up late here in the office in the first place. He was informed about the CIA hiring him to be involved to some another important tasks around the department. Now, he was inquired to stay put and wait for Saitou's settlement to when he would start discussing the details about this new project.

From the midst of his thoughts, he then heard a couple of knocks upon his glassed door. He glances over and saw Saitou's young aide-de-camp, Soushi Okita, waving at him as if asking him to open the door. Aoshi did so and emerged off from his slothful perch and went to reach the knob, pulling the door wide open to welcome the bustling sounds inside the whole flat.

"Taicho wishes to see you, Shinomori-san." He said with that same soft smile on his face.

"Aa." He nodded, stepping inside to grab his trench coat and went outside to follow Okita's track.

The two stood in front of the Commander's office with Okita gesturing for him to go on and enter. Aoshi stood forth and went to enter the room. As he closes the door behind him, his eyes caught a sight of a pair of amber-eyes looking at his direction. Hajime Saitou was on his stool with a sole cigarette lit up between his fingers. "Good, you're still here." A fume was blown out from his mouth, "Have a seat." He spoken as the raven-haired infiltrator took the offer and sat in front of his escritoire.

"What brings me here?" Aoshi asked smoothly. He wanted this little discussion bound to its end as soon as possible. He felt restless whenever he encounters those sharp, wolf-like eyes.

Saitou took the cue and went to toss a few files in front of him. "You're taking the task of handling a very important client." he watched the younger spy as he scrutinizes the first set of reports in his hands.

Aoshi scanned the article, perceiving that the data sheet was incomplete and there was no picture embodied on the paper in order for him to see his new target's countenance. All he had seen was a name of Arcia Rinslet, nineteen years of age and a SCO spook, one of the finest to be exact. "A client from Splinter Cell?" he asked, the sound of disbelief in his voice was barely heard from his question. SCO or Splinter Cell Organization had been the concealed syndicate, which was hiding beneath the shadows of CIA. For ten straight years, the CIA haunted them nevertheless; no one could pursue any evidence to bring them down.

"Himura had been handling that woman for almost a year from now. But the administrators wanted to preserve her as long as the CIA gets the chance in exterminating the SCO. That's why I called you here, to replace the late battousai. I want you to be her convoy through this whole commission. Her life lays on your hands from now on, Shinomori Aoshi." He stood up from his chair and directly headed upon the draped window behind him, inhaling the thick haze of his cigar. "Arcia's a half French-Japanese agent who holds grudges against the SCO. One of the most important people controlling the Mafia killed both of her parents. At a very young age, she was pulled from her normal life and thrust into the SCO for showing signs of implausible prodigy. After ten years of physical conditioning and warmongering practice sessions, she's a being of a terrifying ability, and accepts any mission with the diamond-pure knowledge that she will be crowned with success- no matter the odds."

"How did she got involved with the CIA?" Aoshi asked. He could not resist the urges of being interested with this new target.

"As what I had said, she hates SCO. She wanted vengeance and directly approached CIA's help. Himura gotten interested in her story and straightway informed the CIA about her situation. November 27, 1998, Arcia Rinslet became a doppelganger agent for the CIA and correspondingly for the SCO."

"Is she informed about the sudden changes?"

"No, I haven't told her yet… but you would." Saitou turned to face Aoshi, "She's studying in Tokyo Daigaku." He took out a velvet handkerchief out from his pod and handed it down to Aoshi's hand. Saitou had seen him raise his eyebrow out in amuse. Who would expect Hajime Saitou carrying a silken cloth with him anyway? "She dropped that yesterday. It would be nice if you could return that to her. She'll be convinced enough that you're from the CIA."

Aoshi looked up to him and nodded slowly. He stood up and placed the soft material to the pocket of his trench coat. "I'll go visit her tomorrow." he attentively professed

"Good luck." He had seen Aoshi's left brow arched with his sudden forewarning; "Arcia is probably not a person you'd like to meet at all. She is, for all intents and purposes… a killing machine." Again, he had received Aoshi's usual nod as he treads his steps outside the Commander's suite. He would do fine with this mission, Saitou had thought although the fact that Arcia's one hell of a headstrong brat and this professional secret agent may get ticked off once he met that exasperating whippersnapper.

-=0=-

A year of trepidation, blaring hullabaloos, armloads of BOOKS, never ending homeworks… and most especially the ambience of her new dorm room. Arcia Rinslet couldn't care less. She plod in, nearly hauling her feet in total despise for the start of her New Year. The fact that her normal summer days were long gone and was replaced by a cruel world of analysis. A good freshman college student at daybreak, and a lethal spy at night.

Arcia set down the heavy package on her bedstead, ensued by the potent contraction of her arms. It was not included in her expectations of walking from her car with valises at hand until she reached the dormitory, cursing her self for almost crashing against two geek Law-students making out on the parking lot.

In one heavy sigh, her hands started to rummage for numerous items inside. More filled with picture frames, certain vestiges as well as various adornments of personal value began to enthrall her attention. "Mom… dad…" her deep azure eyes stared down at a snapshot of her family… her late parents. No one knows how much she miss them a lot.

Her emotional reminiscing was ceased until somebody unexpectedly kicked the door open, revealing a Goldilocks look-alike entrance.

"Hi!" a huge smile to match the girly brat's image. She walked inside carrying only a pouch on her hand, much to say a Giovanni Versache trademark to be exact. "You must be my new roomie!" the cheesy voice made Arcia recoil from its squeak.

And there she found her self-staring into a pair of egocentric green eyes. "Nice entrance." Was all she could mumble or should she say ridiculed, every syllable full of biting causticity.

"Gee, thanks!" no matter how she hides it, it was quite of a hurtful blow Adelle had given. Despite of the inimical attitude Arcia had divulged, the blonde still beamed, burying the embarrassment behind her blithe assertion. "I'm Lana Stratford. Nice to meet you…" she paused while extending her hand.

"Arcia Rinslet." Her hostile eyes stared inimically down at her inviting hand, doing nothing but to daze. Lana sighed and took back her outstretched arm when it became obvious that Arcia wasn't the hand-shaking type. "Rinslet… sounds like a French breed."

Arcia returned to what she was currently doing and unpacked some of her clothes from her baggage. "I'm half-French half-Japanese." She didn't bother seeing Lana's distinct nosy sneer so she continued shuffle through her clothes.

"Well, as for me. I'm a pure British chick who grew up here in Japan. Quite odd, but it's all true, and… oh my God! Are those Mossimo turtleneck sweater, Diesel skirt and parka together with Azria boots you're wearing??" her verdant eyes narrowed, her lips curled into something like a counterfeit.

"No. They're just rip-offs." Arcia felt like her body was subsiding from Queen Perky's incredulity. She's decided to just snub her off to leave her alone. `Lucky me!' she thought.

Lana just laughed and settled down at the bed next to hers. "So Arcia," she was perched on the edge of her bed, observing her nails. "Are you a freshman?"

Arcia froze in the middle of riffling through her duffel bag. `Won't she ever give up?' she thought especially now she had brought the F word. "Yes, I am." She admitted casually as she could, retaining the same nonchalant tone on her voice. "Aren't you?"

"Actually, I'm a sophomore." Lana smiled and outspread her hands to view her freakin' nails. "I took a year off to do a fashion internship in New York, and when I came back here in Tokyo, I got the dregs of the housing pool."

As much as to Arcia's dismay, she grimaced while grabbing a couple of cotton shirts out from the baggage. No wonder why she instantly noticed what label of clothes she was wearing for this woman was also called the Fashionista in the University despite of being the female sovereign of gauntness. Shaking her head out from her vexation, the idea of talking more receded away from her mind that this little chitchat may lead to a very tedious conversation.

"Well… where you went to high school?"

"…"

"Arcia?"

"Uh-sorry?" it's not that she wasn't paying attention to her or anything, she just desires to ignore her… that's all.

"I asked you where you went to high school??" Lana repeated with pointed impatience.

"Winterbourne Academy in Paris." The sable haired said, wadding some trinkets away. She turned to the dresser with her back to the nosy blonde and stuffed the garments into the back drawer.

"Reeally??" Lana said in an ominous voice. "Impressive! Winterbourne- that's a very prestigious school."

"You're talking like you've never stepped in a chic educational institution too." Arcia spat. From the way she appears to her, she's quite affluent through how she dresses and that spruce, troublesome manner of her speaking.

Lana chuckled and agreed, "I guess you're right. We're both chichi prep-school brats, eh?" it supposed to be a joke although it seems the other dame didn't got the witticism.

"Chi… what?" Arcia arched an eyebrow with her lip bitten tightly by her teeth. `What a mysterious optimistic this girl could be…' She finally realized she'd never be able to survive her through out the midterms!

-=0=-

A few minutes later…

"Here's me and Clark at the junior prom, and here's me and Clark at the senior prom." Lana held up a silver-framed and a gold-framed picture, both formal portrait shots of her self and a tall, geekily cute boy. "Here we are white-water rafting, and this one was taken last Christmas at his mom's house. Doesn't he look adorable in that sweater? I knitted it for him." goldilocks flipped a lock of her twisted blonde locks off of her shoulder and giggled.

Arcia stared discourteously at the talking Ansherina doll below her. "You make a good couple." She said, nodding. Her dorm mate or should she say Queen Perky roomie had been playing boyfriend show-and-tell since she started to search thoroughly her own luggage's. The floor of the suite was scattered with snapshots and other Clark memorabilia. Lana seems nice, outgoing, and not to forget… way too jaunty. But Arcia wasn't in the mood to be regaled with mushy high-school-sweetheart stories. There are a lot more important things she needed to focus on other than boys.

"Thanks! Do you really think so?" Lana hugged the pictures to her chest and sighed dreamily. Sitting cross-legged on her bed with her white sundress spread around her, she looked to Arcia like a priestess performing some ritual of worship to Clark. "You know, I truly believe everybody had a soul mate, and Clark Kent is mine."

"That's great." Arcia mumbled. She crouched over to open another cardboard box on the floor and started extracting the CD's inside. Hopefully Lana would catch the hint that sharing time was over. If this gush fest went on much longer, Arcia was going to puke all over those maudlin masquerade photos.

"I know what you're thinking." Giggling again, Lana reached over and lightly punched the irked girl's shoulder lightly. "Don't worry- he's two thousand miles away, so he won't be visiting me all that often. And when he does, we'll keep the noise down."

Arcia scowled and made a twisted expression on her face, `How considerate of you.' She thought, stacking her CD's beside her component on top of her study desk. "Long distance," she replied in stead. "That must be tough." She turned to another package.

Lana shrugged and placed the Christmas picture next to Arcia's stereo. "It's hell on my phone bills, but our relationship's really strong, so we can deal." She gazed at the picture for a second before turning with earnest lush eyes on Arcia's. "Sorry, I've totally been babbling about myself. What about you, Arcia? Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked inquisitively.

Out of patience, the sable head stabbed at the box's masking-taped seam with her Swiss army knife. She dragged the knife through the tape, devising a semblance of the pesky blonde's flesh being ripped off by the knife's blade. In one click, she returned to her conscience and unfolded the flaps before responding. "I'm… really emphasizing on my studies right now. Too busy for men." She does hope her effortless answer may satiate her snooping disposition.

"Awww, you've gotta have fun sometime!" Lana wiped dust off the prom picture with the hem of her sundress. "Come on, you're doubtlessly pretty and nice, and you must be supersmart if you really read all those books." She gestured toward the thick physics volumes Arcia had stacked in the built-in bookcase. "I bet there are tons of guys dying to go out with you."

`Okay, that's it!' Arcia didn't respond and started pacing across the room, trying her best to get out without being questioned… which was quite very hard to do with the likes of Ansherina doll.

"Where are you going Arcy-chan? Aren't you going to finish unpacking yet?"

Arcia slightly turned around and urged her self to produce a small, askew beam on her lips, "At the lobby… I have a phone call." She knew she was a bad liar, but she really yearns to breakout from the chamber of the nosy-perky-goldilocks-ansherina-doll. The sole thing to do was to walk away, so far away from her zone.

When Arcia strolled off, disappearing completely from the flat, Lana started to point a finger on her chin, looking up at the ceiling in bewilderment. "Strange… I never heard anyone paging her name from the reception…"

TBC