Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Getaway ❯ Lies ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter ten: Lies

2:45 am

The police arrived to retrieve Yatsuda's unconscious body. Everyone had started to spread phoney rumours about had happened and Arcia was quite relieved to know that. Yatsuda was out for the count so neither did he could prove anything about the occurrences on the second floor. Arcia was too overwhelmed that she could not even think any practical things at the moment.

After investigating the whole crime scene, Aoshi went back to his car, seeing an edgy agent sitting on the car seat. She was wrapped in a coat; the bruises on her face were barely seen since the ointment was starting to heal it. Her hair was in a messy braid and a while ago he had seen one of the nurses placing bandages around her torso. She had been challenged roughly, he thought.

"Is there something on my face?" Arcia was getting uncomfortable around his ogle. It's giving her the creeps.

Aoshi turned his head and allowed his eyes to view nowhere. "Nothing…"

Silence once again delimited around them. Four weeks without any interaction, horrifying apprehension always surmounted the distance between them. "Do you have any idea who's that guy back there?" she could feel her self tremble from the memories of her little encounter she had a few minutes ago.

Aoshi sighed and laid back his head, "His files are all unknown. I have to consult the CIA about this."

"How about my friends? Are they all right?"

"I've talked with Sano and he said nobody was hurt. I fabricated a story to conceal everything."

It was Arcia's turn to stare at him. She was nearly touched from the thought that Aoshi came rushing here after her call. She was so hopeless and completely wanted to seek help. She could have called Enishi although she would much prefer not to let the SCO know any of these snags yet. Her fingers dialled the CIA's number and as if her mouth has its life of its own when she asked for Shinomori Aoshi's presence.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, completely breaking her off from her trance.

Arcia smiled and said, "I'll be okay… I think."

"Don't push your self too hard. Your wounds are still fresh, you have to take it easy just for a while." With that remark, he started to run the engine of his car. Arcia bolt from the blue as she stare crossly at him, "What are you doing?" she squeaked when Aoshi started driving away.

"I'm taking you home. You need some rest."

"No! Stop the car! I have to help with the investigations too y'know!"

"I'll take care of it."

"What? And how are you supposed to do that?"

"I'll put a surveillance on your place… in that way I can observe any unknown danger that may approach you." He knew she would react like this. It's not like everyday you'll be dragged by someone you haven't seen for almost a year.

"But-Aoshi, I'm not working for the CIA anymore. I'm your enemy." The last sentence hurt her a lot. If only she could change that fact, if only she could have destroyed SCO and stayed with the CIA, none of this would have happen.

Suddenly Aoshi pulled over, much to Arcia's surprise. She stared at him as he took a very deep breath before closing his eyes, leaning back to the car seat as he speak, "It's been a year since the last time I saw you…"

Arcia took one draught and slowly sank down to her own seat, "Yeah, so?"

"And all those times I was wondering how're you doing."

Unbearable silence surrounded them as Arcia was left speechless at the moment. She was nervous, terribly nervous when Aoshi started to talk. This wasn't the same snob Shinomori Aoshi who used to handle her in the CIA. If this was Aoshi, he wouldn't talking nonsense and over-sentimental stuff… or would he?

"Aoshi…"

Aoshi smirked at her, which usually causes girls to swoon around, but Arcia was in no mood to be taken away by his manly smile. "And still you are really stubborn." Without a hint, he once again started the engine and drove off.

She scowled at him and almost ready to smack him hard and yet she was quite surprised to hear him let out a joke like that. `That was a first!' she thought as her eyes lazily watched the road go by.

-=0=-

If it wasn't for that blasted sun and Lana's ear splitting screeches, Arcia could have lived forever in nirvana. The soft cushioned bed suddenly started to wobble when a certain thing came in to jump next to her. "Wakie, Wakie, lil' precious thingy! Time to go to school!" a certain voice which was undeniably belonged to Goldilocks squealed at her ear, so near that it could have almost made her eardrums bleed.

"Five more minutes! I need some sleep…" Arcia scowled and took one of her pillows as she placed it above her head, much trying to keep the squeals away from her.

Lana snorted and lay beside her, mischievously turning the frown into a sly grin, "Where were you last night? I haven't seen you since you went off to the bathroom."

With that, Arcia stiffened and quickly faced her roommate with messy hair and lethargic eyes. "I-I left early… the party sucks y'know." A lie would be perfect enough for this situation even if it were quite far-fetched.

"Yeah right, you sneak out without even telling me! It would have been much better to leave that party right before those police came down to destroy everything." Lana spat back.

Arcia felt sorry for Sayo and Sano who seem to be quite expecting to have a mind-blowing gathering. "Really? Did something happened after I left?" she asked in false innocence.

"Remember that new guy Sano was talking with?"

"Yeah?"

"He was found bloodied all-over the second floor."

"Oh."

"Oh your self! Enough of this topic!" Lana sat up and gazed at her with sparkling eyes, which made Arcia quite twitch away from her as if she knew exactly the thing that was running inside her mind. "Who's that guy with you last night, huh? He's fetching enough to eat!" Lana was referring to Aoshi who most kindly led her to her dorm room last night. She knew much interrogation was meant to come sooner or later.

"Umm… just one of Sano's friends." She then once again ducked her head on the soft pillows. Lana glared at her with much determination of not quitting this girl talk they were having. It's been a year and now she was on her third year while Arcia was on her second. The two had made a tight bond since her return and Arcia could almost tell that Lana was one of her closest friends right now… including Sayo and the other sorority girls inside the dormitory. Arcia was forced to recite a vow about telling them everything and anything under the sun, which was most likely unfair on Arcia's side.

"Then he's a senior! Hah! Just as what I have thought!" Lana clapped her hands in blithe, "So, how was he? Better? Good? Worst??"

"Nothing happened last night! We just talked to catch up on some things, that's all!" pulling the comforter over her nippy state.

"Aww… c'mon Arcy! Be juicy with the details! A complete gossip freak here essentially needed some more information!" she took off the covers revealing a half-asleep Arcia beneath.

"Lana, for the Pete's sake! Would you mind?? I'm trying to get some sleep here…" and then she finally started to doze off leaving a rather half-annoyed half-angry Lana shooting daggers at her.

With that, the blonde woman stood and started to walk away to her room, not before she ceased her steps and stuck out her tongue onto her, "Thanks for nothing, meanie!" and with that a loud bang of door was heard all-over the hall.

-=0=-

A week had passed since the incident where Arcia was attacked. The assailant was still left unknown and neither the CIA nor the SCO showed signs of waywardness around the case. Meanwhile, Arcia was still in the verge of serving the Evil against the Good without any thoughts of betraying them again. Schneider was still on the CIA and so as some other uncover agents around the department. Aoshi was unusually worried for his ex-cohort's situation and so he did some little researching himself in order to sort the things out. Arcia was quite bothered from his sudden concern… not that she did not wanted it… it was kind of uncanny and embarrassing. Especially knowing they were standing in a very thin line of enmity and amity.

This stack of thoughts played inside her head, completely making her zone-out in the middle of the class. If it wasn't for Ruriko, her classmate seating next to her who jabbed her back into reality, she could have sworn the professor would be mad as hell.

Tapping her ball pen tediously, the classes finally ended. `All I need is a nice cup of coffee!' she thought a she quickly walked out of the hall. Not long did she hear her phone ringing and quickly rummaged on the pocket of her sweater.

"Hello?"

"Arcy, we need to talk."

"What? As in now??"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll be there!"

-=0=-

"Did someone died?" asked Arcia as she stares strangely at the person sitting before her.

"No." answered by a certain ivory-haired man as he sips off at his coffee.

She raised a perfect brow and weighed her head over her right palm, "So, what's with the long face?"

Enishi settled down the cup and looked up so he could stare deeply into her eyes. Arcia could almost feel the uneasiness surrounding Enishi's aura. His verdant eyes were completely covered with mist of anger and despair. Something was definitely wrong and Arcia would never let him keep that thing left secret.

"Arcia…" he called uncommonly as he took her small hand against his, "There's something you needed to know."

This was the time when Arcia felt her spine shudder in the sudden coldness within his voice, "I'm listening."

And with a curt nod, Enishi started, "I'm a double agent."

Arcia's blue eyes broaden so much they almost looked like two huge saucers as her jaw quickly dropped down on the floor. `No he… he's kidding! He's got to be kidding me!' she thought as she tried to convince her self that she had never heard him speak such words. "C-Come again?" she manage to choke out as her hand started to turn cold just like his.

"I know I would get this kind of reaction from you but you do have to believe me. I work for the CIA now…" whispering as quiet as possible.

She managed to get back to her senses and quickly shot him a stagger stare; "They took you as a replacement? Did Schneider got anything to do with this??" half part of her was glad that Enishi finally realized that he was working under the bad guys and yet she felt terrible knowing that he may get into trouble just as what she had experienced being a double agent before.

Enishi placed a finger to her blabbering mouth, "Shhh… I know everything now, Arcy. Blonde-git told me each and every single bits of information of what fucking Shishio did to you and I really felt very bad for staying on his side rather than supporting you. I've come into my senses now and decided to join the CIA. It's the best thing to do right now… and so as to pay you back all the bad things I did to you and your CIA handler… I'm so sorry."

Arcia could feel the threatening tears on her eyes and tried to hold them back as long as she could. "Enishi, you don't have to-I mean I do forgive you already… but somehow, I don't feel so good about this. You might get into trouble… Kaoru and Reikon may get into trouble if Shishio ever finds out!" she would kill her self if something happens with those two.

"No, of course not! My family is safe now and I am quite relieved with that. All I worry now is YOU and your safety. Arcy, I want to help you. Please, let me do this?" Enishi now took both of her hands and forced her to look at him straight in the eye. "I want to tear Shishio down no matter what! I was treated like a toy just to follow his bitchin' orders around and I hate it. I hate it because of all these years; I was one of those people who kill people with no good reason. I need this to change everything… and I need you to help me with this." His voice was almost pleading; Arcia could feel her heart wrench in torment.

"You want me to return to the CIA? Is that what you're saying?"

Enishi nodded and leaned against their intertwined hands, "We can do this, Arcy. You, me… together we can destroy the SCO and put Shishio behind bars. Are you with me?" he once again asked in an insistent tone.

Arcia furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, "No… no I can't." she quickly retrieved her hands away from his and stare off out of the window. Enishi looked at her in dismay, "Why?" was all he could ask from shock.

"This is too much for me to bear, Enishi. Too much… I'm afraid that someone might get hurt, that someone may die because of this…" she then turned to him with tears on her eyes, "I don't want to make the same mistake again."

Enishi made a reassuringly smile and wiped the lone tear that slipped into her flushed cheeks, "You won't, Arcy. And I do trust you on that…"

"How do you know??"

"Because you are strong, Arcy. You are the toughest woman I have ever seen in this entire world and I believe that you won't let me down. You wanted to take vengeance as I wanted to make Justice prevail… and besides, I will not succeed on this… not without you." His words were so sincere and Arcia could have just cried then and there. In stead, a pleased smile came appearing on her face that quite relieved Enishi from all intents.

"…"

"…"

"Enishi… I… I'm sorry…"

"Of what? For being such a wimp?" Enishi teased.

"Enishi!" Arcia smacked his shoulder lightly and both laughed constantly. Enishi then held his amusement and asked, "So, is that a yes?" he appeared like a lovesick fool proposing to a girl.

Arcia smiled and nodded, "Probably-" then her phone started to ring. "Excuse me…" "Hello?" Enishi had noticed her eyes grew stiff and turned to look at him. "Yeah… I-I'll be right there…" after hanging-up, Enishi quickly took her attention. "Something wrong?"

She nodded with a thin grim on her lips, "Someone wants to see me."

"Who?"

"I'll tell you while we get there. C'mon!" she quickly stood up with Enishi following her behind.

-=0=-

They arrived in front of a Psychological sanatorium near the bay. Enishi was quite overwhelmed after Arcia told him about the attack she had a few days ago. Curiosity and anger played inside his head as they walked through the halls of the asylum. Whoever that bastard was, he was too much damn lucky he wasn't there to beat the bloody pulp out of him.

Arcia was particularly running, trying to reach the room that the nurse had lead them to. After turning a few blocks, she finally caught a sight of a tall man with back hair standing from afar. It was Aoshi who was patiently waiting for her outside the room. He glanced over to her direction and once he had seen who she was with, a firm scowl played on his face.

"What happened?" she asked, almost breathless from running. Enishi stood behind her, eyes locked with the CIA agent who had been glaring at him since he had stepped into the scene. Arcia had noticed the uneasiness happening between the two and after staring back and forth of the two young men, she quickly broke the silence. "You probably know Enishi by now… he's one of us." She choke out.

Aoshi nodded without taking his eyes off of the new double agent. "I know. Saitou told me."

"Then, what's the use of glaring?" she shrugged, "Both of you appears to be ready for a cock fight." That was meant to be a joke and yet she forgot she was talking with two fully grown men here. Both stared at her with complete silence and brows raised in confusion. Arcia could almost laugh from the sight yet she felt a little shame for putting the sentence in the wrong way. "Oh C'mon! Cock fights.. y'know, a brawl between two male chickens??" she desperately wanted to dug a hole and hide on it forever. Enishi looked away as Aoshi unwaveringly gazed at her, that blush from her cheeks was evidently seen by his eyes.

"Okay… well, I called you here because your assailant is conscious. I was thinking if you would want to question him right now." Aoshi glanced on the room where Yatsuda lays.