Part IX:  Lightning

    "Husband?"  But of course ten years had passed, and if she had thought Kenshin was dead, it was a sensible thing for Tomoe to have married...
    Kenshin froze.  She's married now.  His guard almost slipped.  Tomoe...  Tomoe...  Kuzuyama took advantage and landed a powerful hit to Kenshin's midriff.  The fight had become serious, and even as he fell back Kenshin realized something. That's almost like...
    "Hai.  My name now is Shizukesa Tomoe.  Benjiro and I have been married for nearly six years.  He is very kind to me."
    Both women fell silent as they looked at the two men.  Megumi noticed the slight shift in Kenshin's stance and knew that the fight was almost over.
    "He's serious now."
    Tomoe nodded.
    The rurouni glared at Kuzuyama as they stood opposite one another.  Long red hair was utterly still along his back, but the older man was beginning to tire.  It was obvious in the way he was breathing, in his aura, Kenshin thought.  Yet the so-called businessman had his tricks.  That attack is almost like Sanosuke's Futae no Kiwami.  I can't afford to feel him out this way anymore. And I'm fighting for more than just her happiness now.  It was time to bring this to an end.
    "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Ryu Tsui Sen!"   Kenshin was in the air, aiming down with the sakabattou, a flash of red and silver descending on the startled man.
    Kuzuyama was definitely tiring now.  He had ducked but not quite soon enough -- there had been a powerful impact, though he had avoided the worst of the blow.  His foot lashed out towards Kenshin's knee but the former hitokiri was too quick for him.
    "Ryu Kan Sen!"  This time, the older man fell.  He rose seconds later, clutching his right arm as it hung limply at his side.  Megumi could see at once it was dislocated.
    What she did not see was the pistol he whipped from a hidden holster.
    "Move and she gets it.  Lay the sword down, or they both die."
    Kenshin stuck the sakaba blade into the wooden boards at his feet.  Kuzuyama motioned with the pistol.  "Away."  Kenshin did as he was told.
    Megumi was looking thoughtful as Tomoe whispered to her.  She nodded once to the older woman.  "You know I'm a doctor.  Let me look at your arm.  I don't have my scalpels and it is my duty to heal and not to harm.  You have no reason to suffer a dislocated arm, and I can't very well do very much to you, can I?"
    She rose from the guard who was too terrified to take advantage of his near freedom, and took a half step towards her antagonist.
    "Sit down, bitch!"  The tone changed as Kuzuyama hesitated.  "No.  Wait."  The dumb bitch was right.  She couldn't do very much to harm him, could she.  And even if she tried...
    "I'll do what I can to help, but I can do nothing at all with my hands tied."
    Kuzuyama smiled.  "Let the Battousai do it."  He motioned with his head to Kenshin.  "Go to her."
    Megumi blinked.  "Kensan, would you mind terribly?"  She smiled but did not turn around.  Even if Kuzuyama had been facing her he would not be able to see her hands.
    "He wouldn't dare to hurt you.  He's unarmed, he doesn't kill, and I could shoot both of you as easily before you could think of doing anything foolish.  Get on with it."  Kuzuyama was not taunting anymore, and he was obviously drawing on hidden reserves to fight the considerable pain he must be in,
    Kenshin had already let Megumi see her medical kit.  She had a plan; Kenshin would pick up on it.  He had to.  It wouldn't even surprise her if it had been his idea and she had borrowed it unknowing.
    He walked towards her slowly.  Kuzuyama's face was white with pain as he followed the rurouni with his eyes.  Megumi saw him bite the inside of his lip as Kenshin untied her bonds.  She closed her hand around the scalpel he'd slipped her, slid it up her sleeve as she walked towards her patient.
    "I'm going to have to pull it back into the socket."
    "Just do it, bitch!"
    Megumi braced herself and took hold of the injured arm.  She yanked hard and it slipped back into its socket with an audible pop.  Kuzuyama barked with pain as she flipped out the scalpel while he was distracted, and laid the gleaming point along his carotid artery.
    She wasn't quite fast enough -- the scalpel was against her own throat, and the light of hatred burned brightly in the eyes of the madman.
    "Megumisan!"  Tomoe hadn't seen this coming.  Now the doctor, this devoted woman who loved Himura  Kenshin enough to let him be who he was, was going to die.  It was not right -- she was young, she had a future.  "Take me in her place."
    "No"  Kuzuyama seemed about to continue, but even as he spoke a change came over his face once more.  "Wait.  If I kill you, I might still get that formula, no?  Well, little doctor, I'll let you watch her die, and then you and I will talk."
    Kenshin knew there was nothing he could do even as he edged back toward the blade in the boards.  This was a battle of will.  Tomoe had a husband, she had a happy life.  She did not need to concern herself with him.  But she was right in her thinking.  Kenshin saw her gazing with compassion at Megumi.  The doctor had a future; Tomoe believed herself instead to have a past.
    All these years later and she was still willing to die for him.  But this time it was not for him alone, and this time there would be no doubt.
    "I will take her place."  Tomoe stepped forward.
    "So the cat defends the fox, eh?  Well, well, well.  How touching."  The sneering man tossed Megumi away and grabbed Tomoe instead.  "Shame to cut such a pretty throat.  Ah, well.  No help for it I suppose."  He was all false regret.
    What could be done?  Kenshin could not risk hurting Tomoe, and any move he made would surely result in her death.  There was no doubt Kuzuyama would block any attempted attack using the woman as a shield.
    He pressed the knife against Tomoe's throat, smiling nonchalantly.  The cut grew and the woman began to bleed slowly -- a surface wound but one that could all too easily become so very much deeper.  Through a haze of pain she met Megumi's eyes, trying to send her a message.
    Kenshin saw it too and prepared.
    "No!"  His voice was harsh.
    "Tomoesan!  Stop it, stop it now!"  Megumi screamed as Tomoe slumped in the man's cruel grip.  "I'll tell you the damned formula, I'll tell you."  Megumi buried her face to her hands as she fell to her knees.
    Kuzuyama turned to look at her.  "Good."  And then he did something very stupid.  He let Tomoe drop to the ground.
    "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Kuzu Ryu Sen!"
    Kuzuyama didn't have time to blink as the sakabattou contacted nine crucial points at once.
    His body hit the wall with a satisfying thunk.
    "Tomoesan!"  Megumi ran to the other woman's side, barely noticing her own bruises as she applied careful pressure to the clean wound that was, fortunately, not deep.
    "The artery wasn't cut.  She'll be all right, though she will have a scar.  Kensan... Ken-nii, I'm sorry."
    Kenshin leaned on his sword, kneeling where he had landed after using that potent attack.  It had been necessary, yet...  "You have no need to apologize."
    "Not true.  I know you loved her.  I wish I could make that pain easier for you, but some wounds I cannot hope to cure."
    "I know.  Needono."
    Megumi smiled; it seemed Kenshin had settled on what to call her.
    "How touching."  A lean figure in blue stood in the doorway, with several more uniformed officers charging up behind him.
    "Saitoh."
    "I see you left me the trash to be taken out."  Saitoh Hajime tossed Kuzuyama Tatewaki over one shoulder.  "I think perhaps you three should take my carriage back."
    "Why are you being so nice to us?"  Megumi did not look up from her patient.
    Saitoh shrugged and left as those who ahd been behind him filed in to pick up the guards who were struggling to their feet with beaten expressions.
    Kenshin picked up Tomoe, who stirred at his touch.  "Don't move, Tomoe.  Megumidono will take care of you.  We've got to get out of here now."  He led the way slowly, letting the doctor set the pace as he carried the woman he had once called wife to safety.