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The Black Hawke--NEW FEB 1	By : Lin Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 19280 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
A/N: This chapter is a deviation from Kay and Hawke. (Ducks low to avoid wildly thrown
objects and rotten vegetables). I thought it was time to check in on our bad guys, as it were.
Enter in Shishio and Yumi–on the run. Now, before anybody goes thermal or starts with the
eyebrow raising, let me warn all of you. I am taking my own liberties with these two characters.
There will be a few similarities to the OVA/Manga personalities, but for reasons of plot
development, and because I just love tweaking character personalities, I have made them what I
want.

            Shishio is a young guy whose taken a few wrong turns in life, and screwed up last second
chance he got with Hawke (we knew that already), and Yumi is his sweet, if not naive, girlfriend
who has betrayed her friends and the one man who tried to give her a second chance (Aoshi) for
the charming guy she’s falling in love with. Dumb girl. Anyway, Shishio was involved in an auto
accident where his car blew up burning some of his face, his neck, and a lot of his chest. These
are not grotesque burns, but the heavy, twisted type of scar tissue, so he’s still quite a handsome
man. He just has a self-esteem problem about them. He is kind of a hot-head and tends to have a
short temper. Yumi is constantly trying to prove she can love him despite his burns, and she is
always trying to help him in someway (sounds familiar), but she isn’t all sweet words and loving
looks like in the series. So, having been duly warned about the changes, lets be off to Manhatten.
Tsuki-san

Chapter Eight

The Rundown

Manhattan Island

Characters:

Yumi Komagata

Shishio Makido

            She walked with quick, staccato footsteps into the parking lot, reaching into the
monstrous bag she called a purse looking for her car keys. Shoving aside the brush, tampons, and
mini-kleenex she finally spotted the multi key-ring conglomeration and yanked it out. Now it was
the process of fumbling through the handful of keys in an attempt to find the one that would open
the door to her dark brown, 1975 Dodge Dart before she actually reached. It was a game she
played with herself every afternoon when she got off work. The quicker she found the right key,
the faster she got on the road, and that meant she would get a better place in traffic in front of
some stupid schmuck who was slower than she. But today something was wrong. She had the
key in her hand, and she was ready to go, but...

            “Hey, where the hell is my car?”

            It was five o’clock and the sun was setting on the New York skyline as the end of another
day came to a close. The bright reds, purples, and oranges of the horizon were bleeding outward
behind the darkening silhouettes of the skyscrapers giving the view an almost two dimensional
artificial cast. It was sad to think that the brilliant colors were created because of the pollution
level in the air, but everyone had to find whatever little pieces of happiness in life they could, and
beautiful sunsets were one of those things.

            Across the bridge a cold breeze was blowing in off Manhattan Bay turning the air frosty
with the dropping chill factor. It wasn’t bad enough that Fall was in full swing and the changing
season had brought with it the change in temperature, but now the winds were picking up and
adding the moisture from the water which added another negative five to ten degrees to the
thermometer. The one good thing about the seasonal change was the leaves along Park Avenue
were changing from their summery lime green to the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds adding a
brisk sense of color to the otherwise miserable conditions. It also meant Thanksgiving and
Halloween were just around the corner. Again, one had to find whatever little pieces of joy were
available to make the bitter cold bearable.

            It was Friday evening and just about everyone was on their way home from work after the
busy week and ready for a weekend off. The traffic was next to insane. Cabby’s were darting in
and out of the smallest spaces in the sea of vehicles and the sounds of honking horns echoed
against the tall brick buildings flanking the streets. Stop lights, cross-walks, and herds of people
filled what space the cars and trucks did not and the struggle for position in the hierarchy of ‘the
inner city commuter’ became the foremost desire in everyone’s thoughts. It was like the great
race for the moment and each driver became the fierce jockey slapping his mount as he fought for
his right to be in the lead.

            It was ridiculous. It was pathetic. It was dangerous and as rush hour fell into full swing,
it became apparent that nothing else mattered but saving whatever few extra seconds could be no
matter how paltry, and the means by which they were saved was not an issue.

            The extra 0.0004 seconds gained when that little old Lady was shoved out of the way in
the subway terminal, or the 0.00263 seconds saved by the sharp cut left-hand turn made just as
the light turned red. No matter that it was done while the one driver gleefully flipped off the other
driver who was angrily flipping him off. What did it matter as long as the time was saved by
someone; someone who could enjoy the victory, small as it was, and savor it like the sweet taste
of a forbidden candy. The same sweet candy that planted the seeds of a boiling ‘road rage’ when
that pissed-off, cut-off motorist decided to speed up and follow the first just so he could give him
a piece of his mind, or his foot up his ass for turning in front of him and stealing away the
precious 0.000026 seconds he saved from the last yellow light he raced through. Ah, the sweet
taste of revenge. So much more satisfying when served cold.

            But, that is just the way the world works. It is a ‘Bite me, I kick you in the face’ kind of
reality when a motorist gets out on the blacktop inside of his automobile, and it is only made that
much worse because it is a Friday night out on the blacktop. On Friday night all of the ‘I don’t
give a shit who you are or who your momma was. Don’t fuck with me! I’m in a hurry!’ people
are out, and one either drives with the flow or gets lost in the shuffle.

            The true reality, of course, is everyone is in a hurry, and that is what makes driving in the
city such a challenge and why so many people decide public transportation is a better alternative.
Let someone else take the risk, besides, who is going to run down a bus? You are more likely to
get into a fatal auto accident inside your own vehicle less than 10 miles away from home than a
bus is going to get into an accident from cutting someone off. Buses are expected to cut people
off. It is a known frustration and all that happens is there is a lot of cussing inside the vehicles
behind the bus, but know one ever does anything about it. Buses are immune to the ‘road rage’
problem, and oddly enough, so are cabs. Everyone thinks cab drivers are insane anyway.
Therefore, it is more common these days to see people bustling up and down the sidewalks,
weaving in and out of the crowded sea of bodies on their way to whatever destination awaits
them–usually a cab or a bus stop–but the din of those ten thousand thundering foot steps is still
made insignificant by the swell of the noisy traffic.

OooooooooOoooooooooooOoooooooooOoooooooooOoooooooooOooooooooooOoooooooooO

            “You’re driving too fast. You’re gonna get us noticed if you don’t slow down.”

            “Shut-up. I know what I’m doing, and your pissing and moaning about every little thing
I’m doing is really getting on my nerves.”

            “I don’t care. You’re driving too damn fast. You’re gonna get pulled over in you aren’t
careful.” Her voice was more worried than frightened. It was not that she didn’t trust him, she
just didn’t like looking over her shoulder all the time.

            “No I’m not, now shut-the-fuck-up, will ya. I can’t concentrate with you whining
constantly.”

            “I’m not whining, I just said...”

            “I asked you to shut-the-fuck-up!” Furious cinnamon colored eyes shot quickly to the
right and raked the gap-mouthed woman with a scathing glare. “I told you, I know what I’m
doing so do me and the rest of the world a favor and just shut your trap for the next 20 minutes,
alright? Shit!”

            “Fine,” she spat back at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. “But when you get
pulled over don’t expect any help from me.” ‘As if I’ve ever really been any help to you
anyway.’ A disturbing feeling of inadequacy tugged at her heart and she gritted her teeth trying to
keep it from coming to full bloom.

            “I won’t. It’s not like you’re any help to me as it is anyway.” He shot back . “If it wasn’t
for me, you’d still be stuck back in that fucking warehouse doing books for Mr. Perfect and
making $12 an hour.”

            “Fifteen.” Was her heated retort as his barb struck its intended target. “And I never said
he was perfect.” ‘He’s just the only person who ever believed in me... Why can’t you believe in
me like he did?’

            “Oh no, you just constantly compare me to him whenever you think I need a lesson in
intelligence or something.” ‘Why can’t I ever be good enough for you, Yumi? Why is he always
so much better than I am?’

            “I do not!” Pain filled eyes stared at him and the look on her face clearly said she could
not believe he said that.

            “Yes, you do!” His shout made her flinch. “You are always saying that shit to me. Well,
Mr. Shinomori would never do things like that, or Mr. Shinomori is much smarter than you give
him credit for. Well you know what? You can take your precious Mr. Shinomori and shove him
up your ass because this time, I’m much smarter than he gave me credit for.”

            Yumi sat staring out the windshield of the car her boyfriend had just stolen with a sour,
angry look etched across her usually classic features. Shishio had gotten himself into another one
of his moods that day and she knew there was nothing to be done about it until it wore off. Even
she couldn’t talk sense to him when he got like this so it was best to try and leave him alone.
Unfortunately the way he was weaving in and out of afternoon traffic was giving her an upset
stomach not to mention that it was just the kind of behavior Friday-night cop’s loved to watch
for. He was putting them both in danger. If they got pulled over for reckless driving or speeding
and the cops ran their names, they would be totally fucked. She was sure of it, but Shishio was
not in the mood to listen to her or reason and as a result, the dark, brown Dodge Dart continued
to careen through the dense traffic like a loose cannonball.

            “Whatever, brilliant boy.” She muttered and began to chew on her fingernail as her
frustration with his behavior grew. “But you’re sure acting stupid.”

            “What’d you say?” He barked as he made a swift lane change, flipping off the driver that
honked at him. “Did you call me stupid?”

            “Oh no, sweetie.” She crooned in her best baby-doll voice. “I wouldn’t dream of doing
that.” ‘I ought to call you an asshole... if I dared.’

            “Bullshit!” He yanked the wheel and made another unsafe lane change. “You just have to
keep needling me, don’t you?”

            “Nope. I’m shutting my mouth. You wanna kill us, go ahead. At least it will get you off
the friggen’ road.”

            Shishio said nothing in reply to his girlfriends biting remarks. Instead, he turned and
focused his eyes on the road and vehicles around them. The car they were in was freshly stolen
and he wanted to get it to their hideout as soon as possible before the cops issued an APB for it.
Reaching out, he turned off the radio and then turned on his scanner. The thing was like his
security blanket and he never went anywhere without it.

            He flipped through the channels until the static disappeared and he found a clear signal
then he tuned it to the Police Radio Band. This was a daily ritual with him. He was obsessed with
knowing everything the cops were doing and he got very ugly if he was interrupted.

            Rolling her eyes in frustrated agitation, Yumi started chewing on another nail. She knew
better than to make even the smallest ‘peep’ at this point, that was if she wanted to keep her head
on her neck and avoid further arguments with him. Sighing, she wished, not for the first time, she
had never let him see ‘The Project’s’ deposit books. If she hadn’t done that, then he wouldn’t
have gotten that harebrained idea and they wouldn’t be here, running from the police–in a stolen
car. ‘And from Mr. Shinomori.’

            Watching the sunset turn a brilliant orange with red and gold highlights, Yumi turned her
thoughts to the past and found herself standing in Aoshi Shinomori’s business office wearing her
best black tweed skirt and red silk blouse telling him how badly she needed the job he was
advertising on Shipley Ave. She could hear herself promising him that she would never be late,
she would never call in sick, and she would always be strictly honest with his books. The
pressure of that ice blue stare was still heavy on her and she remembered fiddling with her hands
and shuffling her feet despite her resolve to be professional and calm.

            “Have you ever been an office manager before, Miss Komagata?”

            “I, ah, no, Sir, I haven’t, but I can learn. I know how to type and file, and I can learn to
keep your books, I know I can.”

            “Did you even finish high school, Yumi? Do you know how to do basic math?”

            “No, I didn’t finish High School, Mr. Shinomori, I dropped out in the 10^th grade, but I
got good grades in math when I was there.”

            “You believe you can keep a detailed spread sheet of bank deposits, withdrawals,
company distribution, and profit margins?”

            “I– I can if you teach me. I think I can figure out the basics and then you can show me
how you want things done for you.”

            He smiled an eerie half twitch in the corner of his mouth and then stood up from behind
his desk. “You want the job that much you are willing to have me teach you how to do it MY
way?”

            “Yes, Sir.” Yumi looked down as he walked around the edge of the desk and approached
her. He was taller than she first thought and much better looking. Butterflies were fluttering in
her stomach.

            “I usually require more experience when I hire someone to run one of my offices;
however, I am also on the lookout for people who really want to turn their lives around.”

            “Huh,” Her wide turquoise eyes searched his features in confusion. “Wh-what do you
mean by that? Turn my life around?”

            “Your criminal record, Yumi Komagata. You have been arrested for marijuana
possession twice, possessions of drug paraphernalia once, and shop lifting at least four times.
The only reason you have not spent any time in hard lock down is because all of the offenses
occurred when you were still a minor.” Aoshi reached behind him and picked up a blue file off
his desk. Flipping it open, he began to shuffle through the pages. “You were in juvie three
times, a drug half-way house for 6 months,” Icy blue eyes rose and locked with her astonished
gaze. “You ran away from there before completing your rehab. You were picked up twice for
prostitution but not booked, and you’ve run away from home more times than anyone really
knows because your parents have finally stopped looking for you. Is that right?”

            “Yes, sir.” She choked and a lone tear slipped down her face.

            “Where do you live now?”

            “I, ah... I don’t live anywhere, at the moment. That’s why I really need this job.”

            “I see, and where are your parents?”

            “They live in Jersey somewhere. I don’t really know anymore. I–I haven’t been home
for a long time now. They–they don’t want to see me anymore.” Her head dropped in shame
and she tried to wipe away the tears that skated down her cheeks. Suddenly a white handkerchief
was pressed into her hands.

            “Here, no one should have to cry because they’ve been forgotten... even if they’ve been
forgotten because they were bad.” Aoshi watched as Yumi’s face lifted and her eyes filled with
an even deeper confusion. “I know what it means to be left behind, Yumi, and I know how bad it
hurts. No one should have to know what that feels like, especially someone as pretty as you.”

            “I–I don’t know what to say...”

            “Do you want to put your life back together, Yumi?” His face hardened and his well-formed lips thinned. “Do you want to take control of who you are back into your own hands?”

            “Yes,” It was a fervent whisper coming from the depths of her heart. “I want that.”

            “Then the job is yours, but only on one condition.”

            “What’s that?”

            “You have to work for everything you get. If you want to turn your life around, work for
it. No one can do it for you, you are the only one who can do it.” His hand cupped the cap of
her shoulder and he squeezed. “You must have the desire to want to be better than you have
been, to be better than you are, and if you do, you will be.”

            He was into giving second chances. That was what he did. It was several months after
starting work for him before she discovered who he was, and when she realized he was the
infamous ‘Black Hawke’, she nearly peed her pants. A wistful smile curled her full lips as more
memories filtered through her mind, like the day she met Sano and Cho, two of Aoshi’s Den
Leaders. They were in a heated argument over whose hair was the worst style. She could still
hear them and it was still funny.

            “Just who the hell are you calling a ‘rooster head’ you sorry excuse for a mother’s
broom?”

            “Mother’s broom?” Cho’s face turned bright red and a sound that resembled a dog’s
growl rumbled in his throat as he started posturing. “What would you even know about hair
styles, Sano? When was the last time you and a brush were even close to each other? Last
Christmas?”

            “Oh, that was clever,” Sano jeered, “I’ll bet it’s been longer since you were acquainted
with a bottle of shampoo. There is so much friggin’ moose and gel in your straw mop I bet it
would snap off if you tried to pull a brush through it.”

            “You saying I don’t wash my hair, you shit-eyed rooster’s comb?”

            “That’s what I’m saying, broom-head!”

            Yumi was afraid it was going to come to blood and broken bones, but one well placed
growl from the boss and the two men had ceased all aggressive activities. For the moment, and
although it became obvious they were the best of friends, the antagonism was a source of comic
relief many of the Pack members enjoyed, including herself.

            It didn’t take long to discover that Sanosuke was The Black Hawke’s right hand, and Cho
was his left, and for the next five years she and the two of them headed up The Projects
mainstream business making sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. Sano and Cho were
the ‘Pack Leaders’ in charge of collecting and distributing gourmet coffee to the Pack owned and
operated Java Carts around the city. This carefully constructed network consisted of 178
independent carts located in strategically picked areas of the metropolitan and business exchange
districts where they would get as great a turnover in customers as possible.

            Yumi was in charge of collecting the revenue earned, counting it, logging it in the books
under each specific cart, and depositing it the appropriate bank accounts. There was one account
for The Project’s employees, like herself, Sano, and Cho, another for the Den Leaders for the
specific use of housing and feeding The Pack, and the last for the city. The majority of the money
earned was donated to the city Youth Charities where it helped build youth centers, basketball
courts, fund free health clinics, teen pregnancy and daycare centers, and runaway sanctuaries.

            In short, The Project was a privately run youth rehabilitation program that was funded by
local donations from Gourmet Coffee Houses, Shinomori Enterprises, and private benefactors.
The young pack members were all kids off the streets. Some were runaways, some were ex-gang
members looking for a way out of the life they were living, others were just loners looking for
somewhere to belong. It really didn’t matter who or where they came from, if they had a desire
to change their life and were willing to work for it, The Black Hawke was willing to give them a
chance. And to date, The Project housed and fed 361 teens ranging in age from 13-18 and each
and every one of them had a specific responsibility whether it was helping with the processing of
the product, delivery and pick-up, or selling and management of the Java Carts. No one was
exempt from the process.

            Each ‘den’ had a ‘den leader’ who was in charge of the money and maintaining order, but
if ever a problem broke out that the leader couldn’t resolve, then The Black Hawke was involved
and a ‘court’ would be held to determine the course of action needed. Every den leader knew
The Black Hawke, every pack member knew The Black Hawke, and everyone knew the rules.

            No one is superior, all members are equal and everyone works together for the better of
the ‘Pack’. No one is gets left behind, Betrayal is never tolerated, and if a member lies to the
pack or ‘The Black Hawke’, they are expunged.

            It was that simple, and Yumi and Shishio had broken the rules. Not only had they stolen
from The Black Hawke, they had stolen from The Pack. They had betrayed everyone and
everything The Project stood for and there was no going back.

            A silent sob choked past the lump in her throat and she pressed her forehead against the
cold window causing a steamy outline to appear. The pressure of her guilt was starting to
become almost more than she could stand, and as the days passed since she and Shishio burned
the warehouse, Yumi was not sure how much longer she could keep her silence.

            ‘I’m sorry, Mr. Shinomori,’ she thought as she anguished over what they’d done to him.
‘I never wanted to do anything that would hurt you or the kids, I really didn’t. Oh God, what
have I done? Shishio, what did we do? How could we do this to him after everything he’s done
for us? How could we?’ The fingernail she was chewing on suddenly broke off and Yumi was
forced to spit it out before she swallow it.

            “Dammit,” she muttered under her breath as she looked at the damage she caused. “How
am I ever going to get that fixed?” It was an artificial nail and it wouldn’t be an easy thing to
replace now that it was gone. “Oh well,” she sighed and dropped her head against the window
again. “It’s not like anybody is going to see me.” Her eyes closed as she tried to block
everything out and just concentrate on the ‘thump-thump’ of the tires as they rolled over the
cement sections of the bridge. They would be in Manhattan soon and then she could relax again.
Being in New York was like trying to hot-step over a frying pan without getting burned and her
patience was wearing thinner and thinner every time they ventured into the big city.

            She supposed Shishio’s was too, that was why he was getting so short tempered and
touchy with her. It had not always been that way between them. No, she remembered the days
when he would come into her office, perch a well-muscled thigh up on the corner of her desk,
smile in that special way he had, and then proceed to melt all her carefully erected barriers with
those amazing warm cinnamon eyes of his. Oh, he was a charmer and she had never been immune
to his attention, no matter how hard she tried. He always knew just what to say, and Yumi
supposed that was what started her downfall. Shishio was just the kind of guy she never thought
she would meet let alone the type that would ever be interested in her. He was just too handsome
and way too sexy to want to have anything to do with a loser kid like her, but to her surprised
happiness he persisted and eventually won her over. That was when the trouble started.

            It was Shishio’s idea, and at first Yumi had refused telling him there was no way she
would help him with his plan, but over time his charm and good looks wore her down. Besides, it
was only supposed to be for a little while and then it wouldn’t happen anymore. But she should
have known better than to believe a bullshit story like that. Nothing like that is ever ‘for just a
little while’.

            He asked her to launder money for him and some friends of his. At first it was just a few
hundred dollars here and there, but after a few months it started being larger amounts, sometimes
close to five or six thousand dollars. Yumi remembered trying several times to tell Shishio that it
was becoming too much money to hide inside of the smaller sized deposits she make for The Pack
made, but he just wouldn’t listen.

            When the amounts cleared ten thousand, she knew either someone at the Bank was going
to spot it and start asking questions, or Mr. Shinomori was going to see it on one of his spot
evaluations, either way it was getting dangerous for her, so, in desperation, she tried breaking
them up and spreading them out over several different deposits. The problem with that was it
started getting quite complicated trying to keep track of what money belonged to who, and that
was when Yumi implemented the second set of books. That was when she began working for
both Shishio and Mr. Shinomori.

            As the success of the parallel books became more apparent to Shishio, he soon made it
known to Yumi that he wanted more from her than just hiding his money. A delicate shudder
fluttered through her small frame and she found herself pulling her knees up toward her chest in a
protective gesture. These were not the memories of Shishio she wanted to think about, and she
clamped her teeth together trying to stem the flow of unpleasant images, but it was already to late.

            “Come on, baby, it will be easy, I promise. We can hide the stuff in the 50 gallon barrels
and no one will be the wiser. You can’t even smell anything once you cover it up with the coffee
grounds, so Hawke won’t even have a reason to get suspicious.”

            “I don’t know, Shish, it just doesn’t feel right, doing this to him and all, I mean, after
ever thing he’s done for us. You know...”

            “But he won’t even know, Yumi.” Shishio’s dark eyes pleaded with the woman in front of
him and he reached out to pull her into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin. “We can
put it in the drums that are in the back corner, the ones that aren’t due to ship out for two weeks,
that way there is no chance anyone will find the stuff and we can get it in and out before it can
be found. It’ll be easy, I swear.”

            “But it’s not right, Shishio, using The Project for something like this.” Her guilt level
was climbing higher by the minute. “And it’s illegal. If we get caught...”

            “We aren’t going to get caught.” He stroked her hair trying to comfort her fears. “I
told you I would take care of you, baby, don’t you trust me?”

            “Yes, I trust you, but I’m scared. I don’t want to go to prison for trafficking in drugs,
especially in cocain. That’s 15 to life you know.”

            “Yeah, I know, but I’m too smart to get caught, Yumi, and I won’t let you down. I
promise.”

            “If Mr. Shinomori finds out...”

            “He won’t.” Shishio’s arms tightened around her and he waited until she leaned back
and met the fierceness of his gaze. “He is not God, Yumi, and he isn’t infallible. Now have a
little faith in me, I’m not an idiot. I can do this, and we’ll be rich. So fucking rich you won’t
know how to spend all the money we’ll have.”

            So, just like the money laundering, Shishio eventually talked her into it, and the day
dawned that he introduced her to the world of drug trafficking, and they used the warehouse as
their covert headquarters. Shishio and his ‘friends’ used the big 50 gallon drums of coffee to hide
their cocain, and Yumi kept detailed logs of the fragments deposits with her parallel books. It
was a smooth operation and they had just opened up a dummy corporation account to siphon the
illegal profits into when an unexpected wrinkled in the system occurred.

            Kenshin Himura and his damned ‘Bloods’ came snooping around one night and caught the
whole gang in the middle of a product transference operation. Yumi’s hands clenched into fists
and she started chewing on another fingernail. She could still see the ferocious look on Shishio’s
face as he turned to face the red haired kick-boxer.

            “Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck do you want?” Cinnamon eyes turned into
bloody fire as Shishio sized up the smaller, red-haired man who was standing in the middle of
the warehouse floor. “This is a private business, buddy, and you’re trespassing. If you don’t’
get the hell out, I’m going to call the police.”

            “Go right ahead and do that, tough guy, I’m sure they would find your, ah, nocturnal
activities more than a little interesting. In fact, I’d like to hang around and watch the show.”
Himura crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled; it was a slow, eerie smile that sent icy
shivers up his red-eyed opponent’s spine. “It would definitely be worth watching.”

            “Really, well, so sorry I can’t oblige you at the moment, Mister, but I’m sure we can
come to some other arrangement that would help relieve me of your presence. What do you say?
How about you and me spare off and see who comes out on top, eh?”

            “Nah, I don’t fight armatures, especially arrogant, stupid ones. So, how about you just
tell me what you and your boys are doing here in Hawke’s warehouse at two o’clock in the
morning when it’s supposed to be shut-up tight, and then we’ll discuss our options, eh?”
Himura’s dark lavender eyes carefully watched the larger man and noticed the faint sheen of
nervous sweat that appeared on his forehead and upper lip. The guy was definitely somewhere
he wasn’t supposed to be, that was painfully obvious and the red-head didn’t like the look of the
rest of the men either. He was getting a bad feeling about this, that he was. A very bad feeling.

            “Well, gee whiz, Mister, I happen to work for The Black Hawke, or didn’t you know
that?”

            “Really, is that so? I didn’t know Hawke was in the habit of employing idiots. When did
that start?”

            “He isn’t.” Shishio bristled but did not rise to the bait. That was just what the smaller
man wanted him to do, and he wasn’t going to make that mistake. He was in a lot of hot water at
the moment and if he didn’t want it to end up with him in jail, he needed to play his cards very
carefully. “I gather you are aware of the kind of business he does out of this warehouse? The
Java Carts and the coffee?”

            “Um-hum, maybe I am, what’s your point?” The lavender eyes narrowed suspiciously.

            “Well, do you have any idea how long it takes to stock 178 carts for the weekend?”

            “Are you trying to tell me that you’re here getting supplies to stock the Pack carts for the
weekend, and that’s all? You expect me to believe that bullshit?”

            “Yes, I do.” Shishio squared his shoulders and faced down the man before him in what
he hoped was a stance of pure integrity. “It’s the truth.” Behind him he could feel the level of
tension in his men teetering on the edge of explosion, and he prayed that Yumi had enough
brains to get out of sight before the man saw her. This was the best performance he had put on
in a long time, and he was banking on it to work, but it never would if she was visible. Her face
would have betrayed them in an instant.

            “Well,” Himura uncrossed his arms and shifted from one foot to the other. He knew
about Aoshi’s Java Cart business and how much effort it took to maintain and stock, so he found
himself in a bit of a quandary. On one hand, he had the feeling something was wrong with this
whole picture, and on the other, this guy was telling him all the right things and reasons for him
to be there. The trouble was now he didn’t have a reason to stay.

            “Alright, tough guy, I’ll tell you what, I’m going to leave and let you be about your
business, but if it comes to my attention that what went down tonight wasn’t just what you said it
was, you and me are going to have a real problem. You get me?”

            “Sure thing, Mister.”

            “By the way,” Himura turned to leave and tossed the last words over his shoulder. “The
name’s Himura, Kenshin Himura. I’d remember it if I were you. See you around.”

            Shishio had nearly swallowed his face along with the rest of his men. Kenshin Himura was
a name that was almost as well known as The Black Hawke. It did not bode well to get on his
bad side.

            “By the way,” Yumi asked quietly decided to break to code of silence and casting wary
look over at Shishio’s clenched profile. “Have you decided what you’re going to do about
Himura yet?”

            “No, I haven’t.” A quick look in the rearview mirror told him there wasn’t anyone
suspicious behind him so he flexed his shoulders and made an effort to calm down. After all, it
wasn’t Yumi’s fault they were stuck in this predicament. “But it is certain that if he starts making
waves or tries any of his little blackmailing games, I swear I’ll kill him, Yumi.”

            “Kill him?” A shudder quaked through her and her brilliant turquoise eyes went wide with
alarm. “Isn’t that taking this whole thing a little to far, Shish? I mean, killing someone is a real
big deal, its not just pushing drugs, it’s... it’s murder for pete’s sake. Do you want to get
wrapped up in something like that?”

            “I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep us safe, baby. I promised I wouldn’t let anything
happen to you and I meant it.” He charmed her with one of his famous heart-melting smiles and
was satisfied to see her relax. “I know we have our problems, koishii, but don’t I always take
care of you?”

            “Yes,” Her eyes drifted to the scenery passing by the window. “I just don’t want you to
get in over your head. Himura is not just some guy off the street, Shish. He’s the leader of the
‘Bloods’ and he is at least as important around the rougher parts of town as ‘The Black Hawke’,
and he and Mr. Shinomori have known each other for years. It just wouldn’t be a good thing,
that’s all I’m saying.”

            “I know who he is, Yumi, I met him remember.” Dark cinnamon eyes favored her with a
worried look.             “Are you trying to tell me they are friends?”

            “No, not really, but they aren’t enemies either. I’m not sure what they are, but there have
been times in the past when they have worked together to help each other get stuff done. Mr.
Himura has some kind of a fight school he runs, it’s called ‘The Blood Bond’. It works kinda like
‘The Pack’, but that is about all I know about it other than the fact he runs it over on the
northside.”

            “Yes, I know that too. Everybody knows that... at least everybody whose ever been out
on the streets. The guys infamous for his fights.” A worried frown pulled at Shishio’s mouth and
he started to bite his bottom lip. “The man makes me nervous but I think I could take him if I had
to.”

            “Are you trying to be stupid?”

            “What do you mean?” He growled.

            “He’s the best there’s ever been, you idiot.” Yumi threw her hands up in exasperation.
“He’s won almost every title there is in every martial art there is. He does the karate stuff and the
sword stuff. He’s a walking, talking, fighting machine, plus he used to do movie stunts in
Hollywood.”

            “What does that have to do with anything?”

            “He knows how to fight dirty too. You know, street fight not to mention he’s gorgeous,
even with that weird cross-shaped scar on his face.”

            “Thanks, Yumi, I didn’t need to know that last part.” Cinnamon eyes shot her a withering
look. “I don’t need to hear about whom you think is ‘gorgeous looking’ or not, baby. So save it,
Okay? It really didn’t have anything to do with what we were talking about anyway.”

            “Sorry,” she muttered apologetically. “I shouldn’t have said that. I guess I got carried
away just talking about him. It’s just a chick thing... talking too much.”

            Shishio was extremely good looking in his own right except for the large twisted patch of
yellow and red scar tissue that marred the right side of his face and neck where he had been
burned in a car explosion several years ago. The rest of the burn scar was hidden beneath his
clothes, but Yumi knew it stretched out over the majority of his chest and touched some of the
tender flesh along his upper abdomen.

            She tried to talk to him about the scar several times, but he refused to go into it. It was a
painful, tragic memory and he did not want to go back to it. Yumi decided to leave well enough
alone. HE was a fascinating, charming man with beautiful cinnamon colored eyes, light brown
hair, and a smile to die for. What more did she need? Besides that, he was damn good in bed.

            “It’s Okay, I guess.” He fumbled with the steering wheel but couldn’t quite get rid of the
ache that rose up in his chest. “Don’t worry about it. Just try to watch what you say, alright?”

            “Alright. You know I didn’t mean anything by it, don’t you?”

            “Yeah, I know.”

            “Okay. Umm, Shishio?”

            “What, baby?”

            “Is everything really going to be alright? Are we going to make it?” She was looking at
his profile and even in the failing light she could see him clench his jaw.

            “Yes, Yumi. I promised you everything would be alright, and I meant it. One way or
another, honey, everything is going to be alright.”

            “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”

            “Sure, not a problem.” The only problem was, Shishio really didn’t believe it. They were
fucked. It was just a matter of time.

OooooooooooooOooooooooooooOooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooOoooooooooooOoooooooooo

TBC

Review Responses~~~~~~~~

Adult Fanfiction:

Janelle: I hope you were able to go back and read the whole last chapter after I found out it was
only in pieces. And I hope you liked it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

Animefetich19: I like the softer side of Hawke myself. But there is a darker side that is hiding in
there too. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. (I’ll watch for eggs... LOLOL)

AlexaNight: Glad you like it. Hope I don’t disappoint you.

Chibified kitsunes: I love that name. LOL Hope you keep coming back.

Thanks to everyone else whose reading as well. God bless, and drop me a line. I like feedback.
KnT

Catti-dono: Ah, alas, we have finally turned off our air conditioner... but I have now had to turn
on the heater. It’s finally gotten cold in Airizona. What a pooper. ‘Course, its better than 110
degree weather, that it is. Glad you liked the Lemon offering. LOL... hope you liked this chapter,
sorry, no lemon. *sigh

Sepheriss: Dana-love, I am sorry it felt like I was pulling away from the plot. I suppose I did
stray just a tad. :) I love love and everything that goes with it. However, I did delve into the
‘meat’ of the subject with this chapter. I hope it was more enjoyable, as it were, for the plot
hunger in you. God Bless, my sweet friend. I miss you. I haven’t heard from you for so long.

......: That still cracks me up LOLOLOL, what a name. (((((HUGS))))) back to you. I hope you
enjoyed the chapter even though it was without the hot-and-spicy. I love your reviews, and thanks
for your support. It means a lot.

MEGASUPER: Thank you, thank you... I am so happy you love the story so much you read and
re-read. I love this story too. It and The Bad Kid are my favorites. I won’t ever abandon it. The
updates might be slow once in a while, but I won’t abandon it. Thanks for the support and
encourage. People like you are the ones who keep me writing. God Bless.

BelleDayNight: Ah, me Belle... the Aoshi/Kaoru lover extreme. I promise I am working on
‘Saitou’s Ranch’. *wink. I liked the ideas you sent. They were really good.

Thanks for the compliments on the chapter. I’m glad I could make you laugh. I laughed while I
wrote it. I haven’t decided yet when the two of them are going to share their whole names, but I
think soon. They have crossed the major ‘gulp, holy shit’ barrier so they don’t have much to
loose. Maybe next chapter... I’ll have to wait and see where they lead me from here. God Bless,
Jenny.

Twishinky: Twisha, you New Guinia doll... where the hell are you? I haven’t seen you for
months, literally. You haven’t updated ‘Internal Affairs’ for forever, and I haven’t seen you
anywhere. I know, I should have written you a letter myself, but I’m stupid. You’re smart.
You’re supposed to write to me. Tell me what’s going on girly... Oh, BTW–thanks for the
wonderful things you always say about my stories. I love you. I miss you too. Where are you, and
how’s your mom. That’s the last thing I heard from you was you were at your mom’s here in the
states. Waaaaah haaaaa! I miss my twish!

Some Person: Yes, you make me laugh. :D Always. I am happy I wrote something you liked,
and yes, it was a war to end all wars. I had fun writing it. I hope you like this chapter. Sorry it is
so long in coming too. But I think my writers block is finally gone. I’ve updated almost
everything. Woo hoo!

Jenni4kl: My sweet jenni girl. It always brings a smile to my face to see your name. Your like a
big ray of sunshine for me. You were my first MM fan ever. In a way, that makes you more
special. I love you, girly. You’re the best. And don’t worry, Aoshi vs. The Weasel Girl... it’s
coming... oh yes, it’s coming. P.S. I think he’s cocky and irrisitable too. He’s a lot like my
husband. Hehehehehehehe. The bad boys are always the best ones to find, especially when the
‘bad’ part is just a big front. *wink

XxSilentDreamerxX: Hey you! It’s good to see you. I have been kicking myself in the butt for
weeks trying to remember to get over and read some of your fics. I guess I’m going to have to
write myself a BIG note and paste it on the computer. I forget, and then I see your name and I’m
like, “oh yeah, duh...”. Thank you so much for what you say about my fic. It means a lot to me
because I consider you to be an excellent author. After reading your offering in ‘Rainy Night’, I
have been wanting to read more. I swear I’m gonna remember. God Bless, my friend.

DarkGoddessAluthri: SO your in love with my story, eh? Kewlness... I think that made my day.
I promise I am going to finish this story. The updates may be slow on occasion, but I will finish.
I’m glad you’ll be sticking around. Hopefully I can write something else that will catch your
attention. I like your reviews, and your personality. God Bless, good luck with school.

Sarcastic Sympathy: WoWsers! What a name! I love it! Totally cool and awesome! So I
inspired you to join MM? I like that. MM is a good archive. It stays online much better than AFF
does. That’s why I have all my Lemon fics over here as well as on AFF. I’m flattered and
humbled that you liked my story this much. I hope you stick around, and even, maybe, read
something else I’ve written. I publish on Fanfiction.net as well. God Bless, my friend.

Just another A/K fan: Great name. Was that you on ‘Saitou’s Ranch’??

Thank you for the wonderful things you said in your review. You actually gave me some really
great ideas for up coming chapters, including Aoshi-Misao dynamics, the relationship between
Aoshi and Kaoru, and him dealing with where she’s from, etc. Thanks! And yes, we will be
taking a closer look at Kaoru’s room as well as the entire house... ewwwwwwww. God Bless,
and take care.

Little me (nsi): Sometimes it the stories you never open that are the best ones. I found that out
myself quite a few times. Thank you for opening my story. I am so pleased you like it. I don’t
write for a living, but I am part of a writers workshop trying to polish my skills so that I can. I
have several short stories in the work, and I have started on my first ‘real’ novel. All of my
fanfictions, I consider novels in practice. I am ‘in school’ as I write them. They are teaching me
to become a better author. Thank you for what you said. You have no idea what it meant to me
and my confidence level. It came at a time when I really needed to hear it. God Bless. I think of
you often.

De Lazy Lime: Sara, my love! How are the late nights? :D I’m glad you liked this. But
remember, it’s not going to be a Kaoru/Kenshin fic. Kenshin is going to have a big part in it, but
this time Aoshi gets the girl. I hope this chapter helped to bring a little more of the plot, and sub-plot into perspective for you. God Bless, you adorable woman. Much love to you always. Thank
you for keeping on track.

Paline: Sorry, dear one, I am not planing on a love triangle, but there are many other problems
ahead for our dynamic duo. Besides, the relationship I have planned for Aoshi and Misao sets her
up as more of a sarcastic little-sister thorn in his side. They love to argue. Hope you enjoyed this
chapter. It explains a lot about what The Pack does, and why Aoshi is more disappointed than
angry.

Land Lady O’ The Universe: Stellar Name! I mean it! It’s a mouth full, but outstanding. It says
a lot about you. It tells me your strong, you’re a visionary, and most likely very straight forward.
Cool name... good qualities.

I sincerely hope you liked this chapter. I have been suffering from the writers block from hell the
last 3-5 months, so I apologize for the length between updates. Hopefully at this moment the
writers block it gone. *knock on wood*. I have had 2 very productive weeks. I updated all of my
fictions (6). They are not all on the web yet, but will be very soon. Thank you for reading and
leaving me a few lines of support and encouragement. It means so much. God Bless.

Razz: ‘Swoon factor’ is good. I’m glad I pulled it off. I was trying to. Thanks for telling me I
accomplished what I set out to do. I want Aoshi to be tough and edgy, but I want him to be the
type that makes you catch your breath when he gets too close. I love that in a man. As for them
calling each other by their ‘real’ names, it’s coming, dear one, it’s coming. I hope you liked this
last chapter. No swooning, but lots of information about what’s going on on the war-front out of
Hawke’s line of sight. I hope to see you again. I am humbled and honored that I rated a review
from someone who doesn’t review. Arigato, my friend. I am deeply grateful, and I will not forget
you.

Animeloca: Aoshi, hmmmmmmmmmmmm... yes, yes. I am an Aoshi lover (I am a dyed in the
wool Kenshin lover, but spice is the variety of life, ne?) Thank you for the review. The things you
said were wonderful and made me feel very good about the story. As for Aoshi and Kaoru being
happy, well..... there are always wrinkles in a volatile relationship like theirs. I don’t really plan
on bringing in any ‘extra’ ex’s to stir the pot, there are enough other things that can go wrong
without dealing with the jealousy factor. Tune in and we’ll both see where the two of them lead
me. After all, they tell me where to take them most of the time anyway. :)
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The Black Hawke--NEW FEB 1