NSW -- Sunglasses, Screwdrivers and Swords

[Obi-quiet]

Warning: Bit of a filler chapter, but the climax really starts to build next chapter.

 

xXx

 

Jason watched in a speechless awe as the kid launched himself out of the tree he'd somehow been able to climb in just seconds. The redhead had perfect timing, spinning impossibly before shoving his sword into the egg-thing's back and being jerked along with it for a ride.

 

"What was that?" The Doctor exclaimed, voicing Jason's own thoughts. The assassin had never seen anyone move like that. They both watched, jaws slack, as the two figures rose into the air.

 

Jason saw the kid yank his sword out and swore. He was already running forward when Kenshin fell.

 

"David!" he heard the Doctor yell, and looked over his shoulder. He had his screwdriver-thing out, pointed at a tree. "Climb!"

 

He didn't have experience in the kind of monkey jumping the kid had just displayed, but he could climb. Well. His mind snapped into order-taking mode, and somehow, he'd reached the middle branches when a shudder went through the tree. It had been perfectly stable before, but now it seemed like it wanted to explode.

 

Not good! he thought, not daring to even try and find the source as the kid had almost reached him. 12 seconds in the air...he wouldn't survive hitting the ground. With a grind of his teeth, the ex-assassin grabbed onto the branch above him, swung up onto it, and then turned and jumped just as the tree gave one final, violent shudder, and crashed to the ground.

 

Jason grabbed the kid, ignoring the jar of their collision in mid-air with some effort, and tried to land as softly as he could, hoping that it would be enough.

 

Thankfully, it was the upper most part of the branches and leaves they landed on. It didn't feel pleasant in the slightest, but after several dazed seconds, he realized that they'd both survived. He could see the kid breathing. He also realized that he hurt...all over.

 

"That was brilliant!" The Doctor yelled, clearing a path by pointing the little screwdriver at the tangle of twigs and branches.

 

"T-that thing did this?" Jason asked in disbelief, gesturing to the tree around them. The doctor blinked and looked around at the mess. Then he turned and held the device up.

 

"Sonic screwdriver. Never leave home without one."

 

Jason felt torn between looking impressed and highly annoyed, and somehow doubted either emotion came through. Finally, he settled on angry, glaring at the Doctor. "I told you not to call me David."

 

"Well then come up with a name!" The Doctor reached down and felt Kenshin's vitals. Then he sighed with relief, although even relieved he still looked as if he'd been hit by a bus.

 

A quick check of his own body had Jason realizing that he'd sprained his right knee, his left ankle and both of his wrists, although the right wrist just had a minor twinge that did not restrict movement too much. He also had some fairly deep scratches that would need tending and a dislocated shoulder. Nothing he hadn't dealt with before, but not exactly a desirable state of being either.

 

To his surprise, the screwdriver thing had some sort of healing setting The next thing he knew, his sprains felt fine (although they still looked rather bad), his shoulder had been reset, and he was on his feet.

 

It was about that point that Jason's mind decided it had seen too much and clicked into autopilot as it tried to recover.

 

xXx

 

The sun sank slowly into the west, casting the world into soft oranges and reds. Two figures staggered on their elongated shadows through a field towards the blue Telephone Box situated in the center.

 

At just over five feet, Kenshin probably weighed maybe a hundred pounds, if that, and Jason couldn't help but feel grateful, as he had to carry both him and the boy they'd found in the cavern back to the TARDIS. By the time they'd reached the TARDIS, he was staggering almost as much as the Doctor. Truthfully, he was surprised the alien was still on his feet at all.

 

The Doctor unlocked the door and stumbled in, followed by Jason who walked determinedly past him and off to the side to lay down his burdens, ignoring the deja vous. As soon as the doors closed, the Doctor let out a sigh of relief.

 

"I need a cup of tea," he muttered, running his hand through his hair tiredly. He disappeared into the back rooms for a few moments, returning with a steaming cup in one hand, a thermos with a strap hung on that arm and a second blanket over the other.

 

"Here," he said, walking over to Jason and holding the blanket out. The former assassin nodded and draped the heavy material over the Japanese boy as Jason had already covered Kenshin with the blanket the Doctor had given him earlier.

 

"Don't we need to set it to a temperature or something?" he asked.

 

"Already did," the Doctor replied. "Voice activated."

 

"Hmm," Jason acknowledged, too tired to say or ask anything else.

 

"Want some tea?" the alien held out the thermos by its strap. Jason eyed it, but didn't move. "Come on," the Doctor insisted, "it's just tea. From England..."

 

Jason reached out and took the thermos slowly. "Is that where you live when you're here on Earth?"

 

"Sometimes," the Doctor responded. "Why?"

 

"Accent."

 

"I like it," the thin man shrugged. "It's a good accent." Abruptly his tone changed and he suddenly sounded distinctly American. "Better than this," he said, then changed back. "No style, no class."

 

Jason shrugged, taking a sip from the container. He'd never been a big fan of tea, but the warm liquid felt very good as it slid down his throat.

 

"Alright, you need some sleep, right?" the Doctor asked. "There's a couch through the door, second hall on your left, third door on your right and keep walking to the door at the end of that hall. You can stay there for a while. Right by the bathroom."

 

Jason blinked at the instruction, not quite sure he really believed all of that had been crammed into the phone box as well. The Doctor took out his Sonic Screwdriver, kneeling over Kenshin and lifting up a corner of the blanket to examine the substance that stained his pants. Jason idly wondered if he were just tired or if the stuff actually glowed...

 

"What about you?"

 

"What about me?"

 

Jason let his emotionless mask drop enough to show his dry, unimpressed expression. "You are just as tired as I am," he pointed out. Probably more so, now that he thought about it.

 

"Ah, I'm fine," the Doctor dismissed with a wave of his hand. "All I needed was that cup of tea. Not human, remember?"

 

"Don't care. You're showing more signs of fatigue than I am."

 

The alien shook his head. "No really, I don't..."

 

Jason's still unimpressed and somewhat threatening gaze didn't change, not moving a muscle as he stared the other man down. Somehow he suspected that if the Doctor were really adamant, and Jason wasn't right, he'd have no chance of doing so. This time, however, the man rubbed the back of his head, looking like a child reluctantly obeying a parent's order.

 

"Fine, I'll rest. You sleep."

 

The human glared at him some more before he turned and walked towards the doorway, knowing that was about as good as he was going to get. He didn't even have the energy to wonder what the Doctor meant by "rest".

 

Somehow he made it to the room the Doctor had described. When he finally found it, he stumbled towards the couch. He'd fallen asleep before his head hit the cushions.

 

xXx

 

"Jason-san," a scratchy, tired voice chipped away at his precious unconsciousness. Oh how he wanted to remain in that blissful state. Unfortunately, as always, instinct kicked in, waking him up almost immediately, and he attacked the voice. Anyone stupid enough to come at him in his sleep...

 

A flash of red over wide, blue-grey eyes that all managed to duck his assault caused him to pause.

 

"Kenshin?" he asked. It had been a long time since he had been that deeply asleep. From beside him, the kid stood up from a defensive crouch.

 

"Forgive me, Jason-san," he said, bowing slightly. "I should have known better than to wake you from such a close range."

 

The adrenalin was wearing off, and he relaxed slightly, ignoring the pain now registering in his body. Aches from the different places he'd taken hits in the fight suddenly made themselves known. Apparently that screwdriver thing couldn't heal completely. Or maybe it just took the pain away...?

 

Instead of answering the kid, he just waved the unneeded apology away, a little worried at how easily Kenshin had dodged him.

 

"The Doctor told me you would know how to work the outhouse. I do not understand how there can be an outhouse inside a box that already holds too much, but will accept it if you would show me."

 

Jason raised an eyebrow. That had to be the most the kid had ever said at once. Then he realized just what the boy had said. Oh yeah, this should be fun. Note the sarcasm.

 

Looking around, Jason spotted a door just outside the room with the couch that stood slightly ajar. Inside, he caught a glimpse of what looked like a white, bowl shape. Had to be the bathroom. Shaking his head, he walked over. Actually, he didn't really want to think about how that room and all the piping could fit inside the ship either.

 

"Here," he said. Kenshin followed him, looking warily around at the strange, new room. "That's the outhouse--chamberpot--whatever you know it as. It's there," he pointed to the porcelain toilet. Well, it looked porcelain. It was probably some sort of futuristic thing. Vaguely, he wondered why bathrooms didn't evolve too much in the future. Maybe it was the Doctor being nice to them...or him, at least. Bare minimum or something.

 

"When you're done," he continued, "you...er...push this button, I guess." He went to put a hand down on the button above the toilet on the back wall, but the water started flowing before he'd even touched it. Silently too. Okay, so maybe toilets did evolve.

 

Kenshin's eyes kept growing larger and larger as Jason went on, explaining everything he could. The samurai seemed to be fascinated with the soft paper that one simply threw away. He explained that in Japan, one did not just throw away paper like that. It was considered a semi-precious commodity.

 

"Oh," Jason said as he walked out, "Don't forget to wash your hands."

 

"What?" Kenshin cocked his head. For a moment, the former assassin did not see a fellow killer in the boy. Instead he saw exactly what he should: a child, barely into manhood, trying to make his way in the world.

 

He couldn't help a smile. After a few seconds, Jason reached over to the hovering basin that had to be the sink, even if it didn't have a spout. A stream of water splashed over his hands for a few seconds then stopped. He hadn't seen any soap, but his hands felt surprisingly clean. Some sort of disinfectant maybe?

 

"Why?" the former hitokiri studied the basin for a moment, as intently as he had the toilet paper.

 

"You know about germs, right?"

 

Kenshin thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I believe I do know a little of what you speak of."

 

"Good. This stops them. You won't get sick this way."

 

"Oh," the red head stood and nodded. Then he turned to Jason and bowed that slight nod he usually gave.

 

Jason simply nodded and turned to leave the kid to his privacy.

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin said softly. Jason turned to look over his shoulder. "Thank you."

 

For a moment, he felt a loss at what to say. He'd bet his memories the kid didn't say that often.

 

"No problem," he responded after a minute, continuing out the door and closing it behind him. Now would be a good time to explore this impossible ship, starting with this room.

 

It wasn't very large, maybe 8 x 9 square feet. The couch had been shoved up to one side of the wall, and looked fairly new. There wasn't much else in the room, with the exception of a lamp-table that had a strange, spherical object floating above it. Warily, he reached out. It started glowing at his touch, and he couldn't help but jump back. It looked like a small sun.

 

At the second touch, it turned off. Why would there be a lamp here? He could easily see the rest of the room without it, but couldn't seem to find a light source. It was disconcerting.

 

In the hallway, he found several other doors. One of them, strangely enough, seemed to be a clothing room of sorts. It looked like a department store with all of the racks and shelves and hangers. He couldn't see any female clothing either. Vaguely, he wondered if those were in another room. He doubted the Doctor would not be prepared for such an eventuality as having a woman on board.

 

Most of the other rooms he came across had very little in them, and most of those objects he couldn't identify. Some of them he felt he was sure he didn't want to know (although he knew he would end up asking later anyway, not out of curiosity but caution--assassins didn't have the luxury of ignoring something).

 

He'd almost reached the end of the hall, when he heard Kenshin come out of the bathroom, looking somewhat discomposed.

 

"That was...strange," he said simply.

 

Jason let out a quiet chuckle.

 

"Jason-san," the red-haired teen walked up to him calmly, but Jason could see the slight hesitation and barely tensed muscles that let him know the former hitokiri felt nervous and uncomfortable. "May I ask you a personal question?"

 

Trying not to look too resigned, Jason shrugged. He knew where this one was headed.

 

"You used to kill people for a living." The way he'd said it would have made anyone else cringe. "Why did you stop?"

 

He knew the underlying thoughts there too. One did not get into such business without some serious consideration. One did not remain alive without serious dedication. As such, one did not usually simply leave of their own accord.

 

Jason didn't like to talk about his past. He didn't even like to think about it and shied away from doing so whenever possible. Funny how he'd regained his memories only to wish he could forget again. But something about the pleading look in Kenshin's eyes tugged at him.

 

After a few moments, Jason turned to face his fellow assassin.

 

"I got into it because I thought that was the best way to serve my country."

 

"You were at war?"

 

Jason paused for a moment. "Yes," he said finally. "Although no one really knew it." Politics were war, whether it be with other countries or between members within the same party or even family. They took just as many casualties.

 

Kenshin looked slightly confused, but let it slide in favor of hearing the rest of Jason's story.

 

"I was trained as a part of a secret government organization, and was sent to assassinate political targets.

 

"One of my missions involved a high-profile target from another country. He stayed on a large ship, away from any ports for safety. I infiltrated the ship. He was sleeping. I pulled out a gun and pointed it at his head. It should have been an easy kill..."

 

The Japanese teen looked up again, his eyes flashing. In the light they looked strange. "What stopped you?"

 

Jason sighed. Even after all that he knew, and all that had happened, he hated looking back at that mission. It took him a long time to admit why, even to himself: Shame. He should have been a professional. He should have killed his target. All the deprogramming he could do to himself couldn't seem to erase the disappointment that he couldn't pull that trigger.

 

"His daughter," he replied, no longer looking at Kenshin or the ship. His eyes glazed over, looking far away, at the little, dark-skinned head and large brown eyes that turned to look up at him. He couldn't take away the innocence from those eyes. "She'd fallen asleep on his chest. The rest of his family was there with him too. I couldn't submit them to that. I couldn't."

 

Kenshin remained silent, listening intently.

 

After a long pause, Jason continued. "I didn't escape. I was shot and fell overboard. A fishing boat picked me up and helped me. I couldn't remember anything."

 

At that, the teen's eyes widened. "Nothing at all?"

 

Jason nodded curtly. "I could still speak several languages. I remembered most of my training, too, but I couldn't remember who I was.

 

"Eventually I traced my origin back to the government of my country. That's when I started to remember things. I re-discovered my line of work, and what I had to run from." He snorted softly, no mirth in his voice whatsoever. "Where I'm from, you don't just walk away."

 

Again, Kenshin said nothing, but he shifted uncomfortably.

 

Jason continued. "It took several years before I remembered everything. They were always there, chasing us."

 

"Us?" Kenshin asked.

 

The assassin knew he didn't have to answer, but he did anyway. "They took her away from me," he whispered, more to himself than to his audience. "I should have died instead. That's when I decided to stop running and eliminate them."

 

Kenshin's face had gone very pale, and at those last words, his eyes widened again. Obviously he knew the feat of fighting a government. "Did you succeed?"

 

Jason shook his head. "Yes...and no."

 

"I see," Kenshin muttered. They stood there for several seconds, lost in their own thoughts before the redhead looked back at Jason and bowed again. "Thank you for telling me this, Jason-san."

 

For just a moment, Jason felt something wasn't sure he'd ever felt before--a kind of pride maybe? The barest twinge tugged at his mouth. He shrugged and turned to look back at the hall he'd been about to turn into. "I'm going to finish profiling this ship."

 

"I should accompany you. It would be advantageous and more efficient if we both search." With that, Kenshin brushed past him and into the hall. They'd gone no more than two steps when a voice called out from behind them.

 

"There you two are," the Doctor said. "I need your help."

 

"Our help?" Kenshin asked. Jason simply raised an eyebrow.

 

"Yes," the alien said, looking rather serious. "I need you two to..." he paused, looking Kenshin in the eyes. "What happened to you?" The Doctor reached out to grab the teen's astonished chin. Jason was surprised he didn't draw his sword to chop that hand off. Alien or not, no one should move towards an assassin like that.

 

Jason followed the Doctor's gaze none the less, and blinked in surprise. The twinge of strange light he'd seen in Kenshin's eyes earlier was now far more visible. His eyes had changed from a bright blue to a harsh amber.

 

The questioning (and somewhat panicked for an assassin) look Kenshin shot at Jason practically begged for an explanation. It didn't take long for Jason to drag out a mirror (he'd always made it a point to carry one) and hand it to him. To the kid's credit, he didn't scream or run or even drop the mirror out of shock. He simply stared with an open jaw at his small reflection.

 

"Well," the Doctor muttered as he rubbed the back of his head. "This complicates things."

 

"It's true. I've become a youkai..."

 

"'It's true'? What's true?" The Doctor asked, sounding strangely curious and giddy for the situation.

 

Kenshin's voice dropped to a whisper, and his eyes glazed over. "They called me a demon. 'The Red-haired Youkai', 'The Kyoto Youkai', I earned many names. The most common was 'Hitokiri Battousai', but they were all names befitting a demon."

 

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he asked, sounding awed and shocked at the same time, as if he'd just found out a legend was really true.

 

"Even you, a man from another planet, have heard of me." Jason really felt sorry for him. He sounded utterly depressed.

 

"Oh," the alien waved his hand in the air, "don't fool yourself. I know because I like Earth. But," he looked Kenshin up and down as if seeing something completely new and yet familiar at the same time. Jason wondered how he managed to pull that off. "To meet a legend such as yourself, even if it only is local legend," he grinned, "that's one reason I time travel."

 

"Okay," Jason interjected, "So what now?"

 

"Right," the Doctor stood up rather suddenly. "I need to make sure these are working." He pulled out a jewel. "And to do that, I need your help."

 

"And what about him?" the assassin nodded towards a still obviously shocked teenager.

 

The Doctor glanced down at the boy, then back up at Jason, eyes smiling. "He's going to help me." Jason deadpanned. "You're a load of laughs," the Doctor muttered. "It's nothing to worry about."

 

"Then why did his eyes change?"

 

"Really, it's nothing."

 

Kenshin's eyes shot up, looking a little too hopeful.

 

The Doctor ignored the silent plea for more information and set a gem in his hand instead. "It's been enhanced. If you can't understand us anymore, then it's working." Kenshin's face twisted in confusion.

 

"It means that the telepathic field generated by the TARDIS is being blocked," Jason supplied.

 

"I was about to say that," the Doctor said, almost pouting.

 

Kenshin continued to look a them in confusion. "What are you saying? You speak gibberish."

 

"Why can we understand him?" Jason asked the Doctor.

 

The dark-haired man seemed like he was ignoring him for a moment as he reached down to pluck the gem out of Kenshin's hand. "The TARDIS is still translating for us."

 

"I understand you now," Kenshin said, eyeing the gem the alien had given him warily.

 

"Right, it's time to go!"

 

"Go where?" Kenshin asked again, standing up slowly, looking utterly confused.

 

That slightly insane grin spread over the Doctor's face. "To save the world. Come on!" He nodded towards the door before turning and running through it.

 

Kenshin and Jason watched after him for several moments before Kenshin spoke up. "We should be mindful of his mental state."

 

Jason didn't answer, but followed Kenshin back into the larger, main control area. Kenshin was right. The Doctor definitely had some mental issues...well, at least according to human standards. The man had a past, and it wasn't pretty.

 

He wondered if the question "What have I gotten myself into?" would ever leave his mind again.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Guest

[Amidala Skywalker]

LOL..."We should be mindful of his mental state." Too true.

 

Only one thing that really stood out to me:

 

Then he sighed with relief, suddenly looking as if he'd been hit by a bus.

 

This sentence didn't make sense. How does sighing make someone look like they've been hit by a bus? I was confused as to what you were trying to say.

 

Other than that, pretty good filler, although I think it was too long. What I mean is that it changed the pacing of the story a ton. Like it was barreling along, and all of a sudden everything abruptly stopped. I mean, what was the monster thing doing while they were sleeping in the TARDIS?

 

Anyway, good stuff overall as always.

[Obi-quiet]

Well, in most of the Doctor Who episodes, I've noticed that it kind of does that. It starts out shooting headlong into everything, and THEN they put the background in either a few minutes or good 20 minutes onto the story. *shrug* These guys needed the downtime.

 

What I meant with the quote is that he sighed in relief because the TARDIS protected him from the whole life-force sucking thing. He'd been going along trying to look strong before (although Jason wasn't fooled which is why he was carrying both Kenshin and the other boy). When they get to the TARDIS, the whole thing suddenly stopped, and that's why he sighed in relief and let the facade drop.

 

Maybe if I took out "suddenly"?

[DarthBrendo]

I enjoyed this post, they certainly did need a break.

 

The awkwardness of the outhouse explanation was very well written too. I got a chuckle from Jason at that.

 

Nicely done.

[Amidala Skywalker]

I don't have an issue with the suddenly, it's more of the being hit by a bus look. It's supposed to be a feel of relief, and the description I think takes away from that. I think what you're trying to say is that he suddenly looked really tired, but I don't think "being hit by a bus" captures that.

 

*shrugs*

[Obi-quiet]

Enjoy the break while you can. From here on out, it's one thing after another.

 

I just really hope the ending isn't a let down. ^^;

 

BTW, Amidala, I fixed that. Maybe you'll like it better now.

[Amidala Skywalker]

Yes, that's better.

[jedi_master_gimpy]

Sorry, the 'backwards' clue has me no closer to the reasoning behind the Delmmefca name yet. Unless it's some combination of "fed calmed?" As in, once it's fed, it calms down?

 

Hmm, this post was quite a bit different. Like you've all been discussing, it offers some relief from all of the action. I don't think it's too long, but it gets close to it. I really like all the added bits of backstory here, from small clues about the Doctor to Jason telling more of his story.

 

I struggled some with the first section of the chapter, but everything after that was smooth. The part about Jason breaking Kenshin's fall was a little confusing to me, maybe my fault for not following well. I was a little confused as to why Jason was climbing a tree, since I hadn't caught on that Kenshin was falling towards near where the tree was until Jason quite literally caught him. After that it was easy to figure out what happened.

 

"Sonic screwdriver. Never leave home without one."

 

"Well then come up with a name!" The Doctor reached down and felt Kenshin's vitals. Then he sighed with relief, despite the fact that he looked as if he'd been hit by a bus.

The first line:

The second... I was a little confused upon reading it...and then I read your comments with Ami back and forth...and was FURTHER confused, because it sounded as though you had edited this part out in your comment but I'm still seeing it in the story? Anywho, I had the same confusion as Ami, as the 'relief' and 'hit by a bus' seem a very strange contrast. Also, at this point in time the Doctor isn't in the TARDIS to be telepathically 'safe', right? Anywho, a little detail there might help clear it up...?

 

Jason's catalog of his injuries after catching Kenshin also seemed a little strange. I mean, he's one of the few people who could identify the injuries and still keep moving, but it seemed like a kinda all-sweeping attack to all of his limbs. I think something minor that would help is distinguishing even just one as not being as bad. I.e. "...and both of his wrists, although the right wrist was just a minor twinge that did not restrict movement." Of course, right after this I then laughed to discover that the famous sonic screwdriver had yet another purpose - limited healing or at least relieving pain.

 

Past that segment, the rest was great. I really liked all of Jason's interaction, we are starting to see the change (or at least willingness to open up more) that the Doctor has been surreptitiously looking for. Jason's insistence that the Doctor rest was one of them, the rest involving his conversation with Kenshin. I thought that interaction was absolutely fantastic - the awkwardness they both have in opening up, Jason offering more details than he usually does, and being more comfortable in doing so (and getting some of that cathartic release in the process) since Kenshin can understand his background to a greater extent than most people. It's neat that by bringing together some of your own favorite characters you've been able to provide a peace to them that could not be achieved without having met each other. Or at least, the start of it. And for Jason, since Kenshin is only freaked out more at the moment!

 

I'm curious about Kenshin's eyes!! I'm guessing that is something from the real series, and you have made a way for it to have somehow happened via contact with the Demmelfca to explain it?

 

"I like it," the thin man shrugged. "It's a good accent." Abruptly his tone changed and he suddenly sounded distinctly American. "Better than this," he said, then changed back. "No style, no class."

 

"There's a couch through the door, second hall on your left, third door on your right and keep walking to the door at the end of that hall. You can stay there for a while. Right by the bathroom."

 

For that first one - that's the impression I get when I hear any Brit talk about almost anything American, I think!

[Obi-quiet]

Okay, the joke is a silly, weird one. I don't know if you've ever seen...oh dang, what's his name...with all the puppets? Anyway, he also has Achmed the dead terrorist. At one point they ask him how he spells his name and he says "A...C...flem..." He always randomly shouts "I kill you" and when the alien started doing that later, I couldn't resist. Kinda silly, I know.

 

The Doctor has been fighting an extremely large mental strain and an alien feeding off of him the entire time. Thing is, he's still worried about Kenshin. That's what the sentence was trying (and failing) to get across. Once he knew the others would be fine, he could relax, despite the fact that he looked horrible. Yes he was safe, but he was still worried, and still far from recovered, so saying that he looked fine would be...well, not good. Does that make sense?

 

Oh, and as for the jumping thing? You go ahead and catch someone who's been in the air for 12 seconds. Did you know it takes 4 seconds to get from the Golden Gate Bridge to the bay below? That kills most people. That's water.

 

12 seconds in the air...running into the ground...at that speed? If Jason would have caught him on the ground, Kenshin's speed probably would have killed them both. However, if he jumps into the air, it might stop just enough of Kenshin's momentum to only seriously maim if they land on something that gives way...something like a lot of bendable branches. I'm sure that would hurt, and they risked getting skewered by a branch that didn't want to bend, but it was the only way they could think of to save Kenshin's life.

 

They were both lucky to walk away with a half-dozen sprains and a few serious cuts.

 

Does that make sense too?

 

Yes, the yellow thing has to do with the series. In the anime, Kenshin is 9-10 years older than he is now (or it's at least 9 years in the future... Don't know if he's actually going to AGE, I mean everyone says he looks young for his age >.> <.< >.>). He's been wandering for 10 years and supposedly no one knows why. He basically did it because he wanted to make up for what he'd done, and he felt he could do that with his reverse-blade sword (which I'll get into in a later story). So he's had 10 years to come to terms with his past, and he meets someone who isn't instantly afraid of him when they find out who he is. She's one of the main characters of the Anime too.

 

Anyway, 9 times out of 10, Kenshin can just do a few fancy flips and take care of trouble that comes their way like that. However, there are a few people that come after him once they find out where he is. Of course, the moment he settles down, his past starts catching up. In episode 6 (one of my favorite episodes) he meets a fellow Hitokiri who never stopped killing, just because he loves to kill. It's horribly disturbing, especially to Kenshin. Anyway, the other Hitokiri wants to fight with Kenshin, but he wants to fight Battosai the Manslayer...the killer that Kenshin used to be. He thinks Kenshin will be stronger then.

 

So he kidnapps the main girl who accepted him. The last picture you see of that episode, his eyes are a bright yellow. During the next episode, he actually says he'll take back his vow to not kill, but his eyes are red/violet until the last second, when they turn yellow. Won't tell you what happens after that, but I will say that every time he reverts to Battosai, his eyes turn yellow. Most of the fandom calls it "amber", but yeah. It's just lighting they had for effect in the series, but it was so extreme that no one would believe just lighting...and then the anime artists took it and ran. Far.

 

He's scary when he has yellow eyes...

 

Really scary.

 

Anyway, this is just me explaining that away in my own little way.

 

Oh, and good suggestion about the wrists, Gimpster. I'll definitely change it.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Guest

[Obi-quiet]

This chpater has not been beta read. I'm warning you now. ^^;

 

---

 

Chapter 6 -- Basic Plan

 

"Doctor," Jason said, walking up to the man as he shrugged on his coat, babbling on about one thing or another.

 

"What?" The man stopped his tirade and looked at the former assassin.

 

"If those things block the TARDIS, how are we all going to communicate out there?"

 

The alien thought for a moment, before his mouth scrunched up, displeased. "Right, forgot about that."

 

"Can you somehow make it exclusive to the TARDIS's signal?"

 

The Doctor suddenly looked indignant. "Oh, listen to you, trying to sound so intelligent." Jason didn't look impressed, but the Doctor either didn't notice, or didn't care. He did, however, continue. "Sorting out the different telepathic signals of any single given entity is nearly impossible given the time frame we have."

 

"So we will not be able to understand each other once we leave?" Kenshin asked.

 

The Doctor grinned, and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. He fiddled with it for a moment, then pointed it at one of the gems. Then he handed the gem to Kenshin. "Can you still understand me?"

 

Kenshin cocked his head. "It is more difficult somehow, but yes, I can."

 

Jason raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was nearly impossible."

 

"It is." The alien just grinned and modified another one before throwing it to Jason, then turned toward the door, grabbing a large thermos. "Come on!"

 

"Wait," Jason started forward. "I need to go get that overcoat and pants from before."

 

"Overcoat?" The Doctor asked. "Oh, the gi and hakama. You won't need that now. We won't be trying to blend in."

 

"And what about him?" Kenshin interjected, nodding towards the boy still laying in the corner covered by the blanket.

 

"I set up a protocol that will warn me if he wakes up. Are you two going to stand around asking questions all day, or are we going to go?" Without waiting for an answer, he ran down the metal ramp and up to the TARDIS doors. He took just a moment to put the gem on the back of his neck and then threw open the doors and rushed outside.

 

Unimpressed, Jason didn't move from his spot, simply watching the man's show of theatrics for several seconds. Kenshin passing him finally drew his attention.

 

"We should follow, Jason-san," Kenshin said, his voice now heavily accented.

 

He nodded once, curtly, to show he would, and followed the younger man out.

 

xXx

 

"What's with the thermos?" Jason couldn't help but ask. They'd been traipsing through the forest (he couldn't help but think 'towards certain doom') back towards the town. Why they couldn't take the main roads was beyond Jason, but it didn't hinder them much, so they just followed the alien.

 

The Doctor shrugged. "Nothing's better for the body than a good cup of tea."

 

Jason couldn't help but look at the Doctor like he'd gone insane. "How long have you been living in England?"

 

"Oi," the Doctor frowned. "It regulates my internal systems. Good for the hearts."

 

"Hearts?" Jason blinked. "How many do you have?"

 

"Just two."

 

"Two?"

 

The Doctor shot the other man a smile. "Better than the Crangalans. They have to have six working just to keep the extra appendages from going numb."

 

Jason decided he didn't want to know.

 

"Okay, then, so what are we going to do when we find that thing?"

 

The Doctor looked down at the same remote-like instrument in his hands that he'd used to find the thing the first time. "Well, I was hoping to run into the Demmelfca on our way to town, but the strengthened inhibitors are creating a thin telepathic bubble that's interfering with this." He waved the device around a little.

 

"Why don't we just go back to the cave?"

 

"After taking a wound like that, it won't go back to the cave. It'll be staking out prey."

 

For the first time since they'd left the TARDIS, Kenshin spoke up, worried. "What kind of prey? The townspeople?"

 

"Oh, I doubt it'll have taken anyone yet. It has very particular tastes."

 

Still looking grim, Kenshin asked, "Tastes?"

 

For a moment, the Doctor looked as if he were considering whether it was worth going through the trouble to tell them. He must have decided it was worth it, because he began to explain. "Every psychic signature, every thought, has a certain caliber””a texture or a taste. Thoughts make up human souls, so every soul has a 'taste' to them more unique than thumb prints. The Demmelfca consumes those thoughts and converts them into energy just like our bodies convert food into energy." He hesitated as they climbed over a particularly large set of exposed roots.

 

"Then what does this one feed on?" Jason asked.

 

The alien paused. "Dependence, or reliance if you will."

 

"What do you mean?" For some reason, Kenshin's voice sounded more unsteady than Jason had ever heard it before. He looked back, noting the kid's amber eyes had fixed with a strange kind of "need to know" look on the Doctor's back.

 

"That's why it went after people who were very old, very young," the Doctor continued, "or mentally challenged, because they would need more support from the people around them. They're more dependent."

 

"I am not dependent on anyone," the hitokiri insisted. Jason almost started. Right, the thing had seemed to like his "taste". The kid sounded way too defensive for that to not have hit close to home, although Jason wondered what on earth someone with his reflexes and knowledge would need. Then again, dependence could mean more than just the physical aspect the Doctor had eluded to.

 

Then, of course, the thing had seemed fixated on the Doctor. Jason had to wonder who the Doctor had relied on so heavily as to attract the thing's almost complete attention.

 

The Doctor didn't answer, nor did he turn around. Jason felt relief flood him when the Doctor didn't take that discussion further. Kenshin was not ready to talk about it, whatever it was. It had to have hurt him deeply, and Jason wondered whether the kid would be able to heal from scars obviously inflicted so harshly on his soul.

 

"Okay," Jason decided to change the subject. "So how did you plan on stopping it?"

 

The Doctor paused and turned around, holding up a fourth Gem, walking backwards as he did so. Vaguely, the assassin wondered how he didn't trip over the uneven ground. "This. It will inhibit their ability to feed as well as some of the higher functions without causing permanent damage. Then, maybe, we can talk."

 

"Wait, you still want to talk with that thing?" Jason couldn't believe his ears. After what it had done to them?

 

The tall alien read the look on his face and scowled, turning to walk normally forward. "It's only doing what's instinctual. If I can avoid killing it, I will."

 

His words struck home. Jason could literally hear the unspoken, "you of all people should understand that" tacked on at the end, and judging from Kenshin's face, he could as well. Then the Japanese teen's face hardened.

 

"But it's just a creature! A harmful one at that!"

 

Jason hadn't realized the doctor could move that fast. He quickly rounded on both of them, his glare easily every bit as hard as Kenshin's. "That thing is not a spirit or youkai from your myths," he turned his glare full on to Jason, "Nor is it some sort of diseased animal that needs to be dealt with. It's a living, breathing life form just in the beginning stages of its intelligent evolution. Killing it could wipe out an entire future race, and I won't do it unless I have no other choice!"

 

In the few seconds after the Doctor had finished, Kenshin looked smaller and more frail than Jason had thought possible. He didn't look 18, or 14. Suddenly, he looked like a young child being chastised by a parent.

 

Jason could suddenly see him thinking 'I can't believe I just suggested that', and suddenly realized just how much the boy regretted his past and lifestyle. It wasn't like he hadn't known that before, but the magnitude of just how badly Himura Kenshin did not want to kill suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks.

 

It seemed some tricks were never unlearned.

 

Jason had gotten out of the business mainly because of the disgust he'd felt when he'd realized just who he was after the amnesia. That, and the fact that they were trying to kill him and his girlfriend. Sweet, innocent Marie. Not for the first time, a thought crossed his mind. If they would have wanted him back, would he have gone? If it would have kept her alive? If it would have meant he didn't have to keep running and hiding? Yes, he hated killing people, and regretted it often, but to an extent where he wouldn't do it again if it meant an easier life?

 

He shied away from the answer to that question, shamed.

 

Instead, he focused on the Doctor's last statement. Least he could do was help the kid out a bit. This boy that he felt such a strange kinship towards.

 

"So you'll let an entire town”” if not the world””die because you didn't want one creature to die?"

 

"Not just one, what about all of its children? There are at least 20 miniature aliens living in that field. Should I kill them too? This is why I hate working with Americans! You all think you're so open minded, but it's all about killing and winning."

 

That hurt Jason more than he thought it would.

 

He was about to answer back, when he sensed Kenshin shift. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the kid. Even with his eyes hidden behind that mop of red-hair, Jason could see that he wanted them to stop arguing.

 

"Jason-san," he said. "Thank you, but the Doctor is right. He's not even apart of this world, so why should he bear the responsibility of taking so many lives to preserve this village? It is unfair to say the least."

 

He looked up, the amber eyes suddenly seemed dull and sad in his otherwise expressionless face. Then he bowed to both of them.

 

"Jason-san, you are also not of this culture, and as such have no cause to do anything. I thank you both for everything you have done for me, and for this village. I shall take my leave now."

 

"Just hold on a moment," the Doctor stepped out, blocking Kenshin's path. "You're not going to just go and kill it?"

 

Kenshin's eyes hardened. "If your talking will not do any good, as we have seen it will not, than someone must bear this. I have done it before, I will do so again."

 

Those words and the way they'd been spoken scared Jason more than the idea of Treadstone and Blackbriar being somehow revived...together. Before he knew what he was doing, words broke away from his mouth.

 

"Shut up, brat." He didn't say it harshly, but it had the desired effect. Startled, both Kenshin and the Doctor looked over at him. "Do you honestly think you're the only one here who has those kinds of stains on his past? You know I do, and I'm betting the Doctor here has had to make some pretty nasty decisions before."

 

The red-head glanced up at the Doctor as if to confirm. The Doctor didn't say anything. "But why would you care about us? It isn't any of your business," Kenshin insisted.

 

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, once again the casual person they'd come to know.

 

Kenshin stared at the man in frustration. "I told you before, you are not of this world! Why would-"

 

"My world's gone."

 

Kenshin's mouth snapped shut, eyes fixed on the Doctor. The way he'd said it, with such a blank face, but a voice so full of sorrow it was almost tangible

 

"Earth is the closest thing I have to a home now, and I'm not going to let what happened to my world happen here. But that doesn't mean we should just kill it. We'll talk to it, again."

 

He was just like them, Jason realized. He wasn't a hired assassin, but he'd at least been the cause of more death than Jason could probably imagine, and he doubted that was only on one occasion. In that moment, his respect for the Doctor skyrocketed, and the alien's actions became more clear than ever.

 

"After that, I'm taking you home," he nodded at Jason, who felt a stab of disappointment. Really, he wondered what he expected. It wasn't like he wanted to stick around for a while in that impossible box or anything. No, he was upset because he'd finally found someone he felt he could trust again, and had ticked him off to a point where he thought Jason was irredeemable.

 

With that, the doctor turned around and began striding purposefully towards town.

 

Kenshin looked torn between following him and killing him, although Jason doubted the kid would do the latter.

 

"Hey," he said, "just because it's your problem doesn't mean you can't have help."

 

"But-"

 

"No," Jason shook his head. "We're here, we're helping, that's that. Got it?"

 

Not even waiting for a response, he turned around and stalked after the Doctor. He didn't miss the grateful expression that washed over Kenshin's face, though.

 

"Jason-san," the kid hurried to catch up with him. "Will you distract the Doctor while I take care of the alien?"

 

Jason felt his expression fall. Really, what kind of society would shove that kind of responsibility on a kid?

 

"Look," he heard himself say. "I think the Doctor needs this. He needs to know that he tried as hard as he could to stop death. Any death."

 

"But why?"

 

The ex-assassin shrugged, watching the doctor's frame as it continued to move on ahead.

 

"Sometimes, just not killing isn't enough."

 

"What?"

 

Jason looked over at Kenshin. The kid watched him with large, fearful, yellow eyes. "You regret your past. Want to make up for it, right?" Kenshin nodded slowly. "Well," Jason nodded towards the tall, thin man ahead. "So does he. So he's looking for a way to try and make sure everybody lives. I think it's his way of trying to redeem himself, in his own eyes if not in everyone else's."

 

Kenshin walked along beside him in silence for several seconds.

 

"You suggest we help him talk to It," he finally spoke.

 

The former assassin shrugged. "This is the first time in a long time I've found I can believe in someone in such a short period of time. I'm willing to fight for that." because he had the feeling that inevitably they would end up fighting.

 

"I see," Kenshin responded, then after another pause, he nodded firmly. "Then I shall too."

 

Jason nodded in acknowledgment. "Oh, and one more thing," he said. Kenshin turned his yellow eyes back on the older assassin. "If anything has to die, you're not doing it."

 

"But-"

 

"No." He said, sending his best glare down at the kid. "Kids shouldn't have to kill. No one should."

 

"I've already stained my hands," Kenshin said quietly, looking down.

 

"So? The point is to not let it happen again."

 

Kenshin raised an eyebrow, looking up at Jason. The expression looked strange on his face, like it wasn't supposed to be there. "Aren't you going to do the same thing?"

 

"I'm older."

 

Kenshin looked down again, this time with a resigned smile. "Thank you, Jason-san," he said softly. They fell into a companionable silence, following the Doctor as the night darkened.

 

When the city lights came into view, the Doctor walked off the side of the road and knelt in the bushes.

 

"What's the plan?" Jason asked as he and Kenshin squatted down beside the alien's thin form.

 

"The plan is you two stay here."

 

Blinking, Kenshin and Jason exchanged glances, then turned back to him.

 

"What?"

 

"The last thing we need is you two popping in, ready to kill everything."

 

"We won't." The doctor looked up at Kenshin's tone. The boy looked at him with a firm face. "We won't do anything you don't tell us to do."

 

"And what if it attacks you again?" The Doctor retorted. "Can you honestly say that you would not draw that sword?"

 

Kenshin looked slightly taken aback, but his face hardened quickly. "I cannot."

 

"There, you see. You two-"

 

"Which is why my blade is reversed. You have my word, Doctor. I will not try to kill it unless you tell me to."

 

The Doctor paused for a moment, looking Kenshin up and down. Then an expression came over his face, making him look like a father who'd just given into a child throwing a tantrum. "Oh, alright. But I have your word!" Then he turned to Jason. "You too."

 

Jason shrugged. "My bullets don't seem to affect it anyway."

 

"Promise."

 

Without hesitation, Jason nodded.

 

"Alright," the Doctor sighed. "It will be drawn towards the largest cluster of people, which is this town. Now we need to skirt the area between here and the cave. If you find anything," he tossed two small objects to Kenshin and Jason, who both caught it easily, "call me."

 

"Cell phones?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

 

"Oi, I was just in the 21 st century. Unlike yours, though, these can call across time and space."

 

Kenshin looked down at the small object. "How?" he asked, looking it over thoroughly.

 

"You just push this button," the doctor reached over and pressed the send button. Kenshin jumped as it lit up in his hand.

 

"It holds fire inside?"

 

"I guess you wouldn't know a lot about electricity," Jason muttered.

 

A look of recognition came over Kenshin's face. "Ah, so this is electricity. I had heard it required enormous towers and much special equipment."

 

"Um, it's refined," the Doctor said. "Future technology. DON'T lose it."

 

"And how do I...'call' you?"

 

"You press 1, and then this button again."

 

Kenshin watched the screen as it lit up and said "calling" on it. Then the Doctor's phone rang out with the Beatles 'Ticket to Ride'.

 

"Seriously?" Jason asked.

 

"Oi," the Doctor said, defensively. Kenshin had jumped about a mile and a half, but the Doctor held one hand out placatingly. "Look, it's just telling me that I got a call."

 

"Oh," Kenshin said, still eying the thing warily.

 

"To end the call, press this button," the Doctor continued. "And that's all you need to know. Now, Kenshin, the locals know you, so I want you to go through the center of town. I'll skirt to the left, David to the right."

 

Jason just sighed, not even bothering to correct the Doctor this time.

 

"And remember, no killing! Or maiming if you can help it."

 

He turned and sauntered off into the night, leaving the two ex-assassins staring after him. Then they shot each other a look, and took off in their respective directions, leaving nothing but the wind blowing in the trees behind them.

 

xXx

 

Kenshin couldn't make up his mind, unsure if he felt more surprised or horrified that he fell back into stealth mode so easily. He flitted through the shadows, across the rooftops and over the alleys of the small town. He almost found himself missing Kyoto with the rooftops clustered together and large buildings to hide behind. Almost.

 

It took him longer than he would care to admit, but he was able to check most of the groups of houses that made up the center of town, and had reached the other side in time to see the Doctor step onto the main road, looking down at the device in his hand.

 

"Doctor," Kenshin said, sliding down one side of a house, launching off of the side and flipping neatly to land several feet away from him calmly.

 

"Do you do that often?" The Doctor asked.

 

"Do what?" Kenshin cocked his head.

 

"The flippy-thing."

 

Kenshin briefly wondered if the Gem had begun to overpower the translator to a point where he couldn't even understand words.

 

"Flippy-thing?"

 

"Yeah, over the roof tops, flipping around in the air."

 

Understanding brushed over Kenshin's mind. "It is common for an elite warrior to know such skills."

 

"I doubt that," the Doctor muttered under his breath.

 

"Did you find anything?" The former hitokiri asked, coming to a stop beside the taller form.

 

"No," the Doctor said, puzzled.

 

"You thought you would," Kenshin stated plainly. "That is why you took the side closest to the cave."

 

"Well I wasn't about to let you two-" Several noises, similar to what had happened when he had shown Kenshin how to 'call', sounded from his pocket.

 

He fumbled through his jacket briefly before pulling out the phone and holding it up to his ear.

 

"Yes?"

 

"DOCTOR!" Kenshin's veins froze as he distinctly recognized Jason-san's voice. "I could use a little help here!"

 

"What?"

 

"I found it! It's attacking an old woman. She's unconscious! I don't know if-"

 

"No, no No NO!" The Doctor said, his voice gaining volume with every syllable. Without so much as a glance at Kenshin, he took off towards the side where Jason had been patrolling.

 

"Doctor! I'm open to ideas!"

 

"Just don't kill it!"

 

"Easier said than done!"

 

"You gave me your word!"

 

Jason-san's voice suddenly gained a sharp edge. "You said if we could help it! If I have to kill it to save her, I will!"

 

"David-"

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin said, coming as close to the Doctor as he could, and hoping the other person could hear him. "The point is to be good enough that you don't have to kill. There is another way!"

 

Jason-san paused for a few moments before he came back over the line. "Fine, I'll figure it out. Just get here so you can talk to this thing, now!"

 

"Where are you?" the Doctor asked, sounding slightly subdued himself, and watching Kenshin with an unreadable expression.

 

"You don't have a homing device or something?"

 

"Satellites!"

 

"What?" Jason-san's voice sounded as confused as Kenshin felt.

 

"Think of the time period! There aren't any satellites and I'm not in the TARDIS!"

 

Kenshin found himself surprised at the level Jason-san's voice reached. "You have superior technology!"

 

"David..." The Doctor's voice warned.

 

"I don't know! It's a house by a large, red gate-like thing!"

 

Kenshin blinked. "I know where that is," he told the Doctor. "Follow me!"

 

"David, we're on our way!" The Doctor said.

 

"Good, because I””WHOA!" And the line went dead.

 

The Doctor looked down at the phone. "David? DAVID?" His fingers flew over the keys, dialing the number that had just called him. It rang, and rang, and rang...and then an emotionless voice answered him, saying something about leaving a message.

 

"What is that?" Kenshin asked, slowing down somewhat so the Doctor could match his pace.

 

"Not good," The Doctor responded. "Come on!"

 

Nodding, Kenshin easily fell into step beside the Doctor as they hurried through the fields towards the local shrine.

[DarthBrendo]

Flowed nicely, though the telephone call took me a few reads to work out it was David calling the Doctor.

 

The pacing is really good now, it feels just right, and the characterisations are really well portrayed.

 

Keep it up!

[Obi-quiet]

I'm so glad it feels better to you! *hug* Thanks!

[Amidala Skywalker]

Nice little cliffie there! I really enjoyed Kenshin and Jason's conversation about deciding not to kill. And they are both very perceptive to pick up all that from the Doctor--about how he's trying to redeem himself and such.

 

I did notice one grammar thing that I'll point out to you, and that is that the Doctor is always capitalized. There are several times where you don't do that, and that refers to just a regular M.D. The Doctor is his name (essentially, lol) and so you always capitalize it just as you would Jason or Kenshin.

 

Looking forward to more!

[Obi-quiet]

I thought I had capitalized it. Darn it. Thanks!

 

I figured someone with a life like that would recongize someone trying to redeem themselves in others.

[jedi_master_gimpy]

Oh, Achmed the terrorist - Jeff Dunham is who you're talking about! Lol, yeah I totally know what you're talking about. That makes sense, it's just such a jump that I didn't even think of it. It's fun to have some inside jokes like that in your writing.

 

Urgh, I don't think I did a very good job of explaining myself regarding the tree thing. The tree itself makes perfect sense in terms of needing to break the fall, and after the fact it was easy to see that it was the reason the Doctor directed him to it. This, coupled with Jason's injuries, is how you kept this plausible. The confusion was more of while reading the start of that sequence rather than getting to the end and understanding it. I think the biggest thing was that until Jason actually caught Kenshin I had no reference to put the tree right under (or within a few feet of) where Kenshin was falling, so that's why it was hard to understand what they were doing. I understood Jason was running in that general direction, but then he changed to the tree... anywho, that the tree was in Kenshin's path was what was hard to understand until Jason actually caught him. Does that make sense?

 

Oh - and the explanation of the eyes adds a lot, thanks for that! I would have completely missed that cool tie-in to the Kenshin series!

 

After the more calm post from last time, we have a steady increase of action here until the cliffie! The pacing and action was good, but what really stood out to me is the way you've brought these characters full-circle in their interactions. At first we saw a lot happening between Jason and the Doctor, then Jason and Kenshin, and now we see all three growing in understanding of themselves and each other. Only they could understand what the others felt or was attempting to do -- pretty cool!

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin said, coming as close to the Doctor as he could, and hoping the other person could hear him. "The point is to be good enough that you don't have to kill. There is another way!"

 

Jason-san paused for a few moments before he came back over the line. "Fine, I'll figure it out. Just get here so you can talk to this thing, now!"

 

"Where are you?" the Doctor asked, sounding slightly subdued himself, and watching Kenshin with an unreadable expression.

I love this part! Kinda sums up all of their personality growth/redemption from the story!

[Obi-quiet]

It didn't escape Jason's notice that the Doctor had conveniently taken the side of town closest to the cave. Truthfully, he didn't expect to come across much, so the distant scream that shattered the night gave him a bit of a surprise. Of course, it only took him a few moments to shake off the minor shock and break into a run towards the distressed.

 

An older woman by the sound of it, she kept screaming "Youkai! Youkai!" and she had to have a set of good lungs on her to reach his hearing from the distance he suspected she'd yelled from. It took at least five minutes at a dead sprint before the building came into view. It had a large, red gate-like archway above a path of stairs leading up to what looked like a normal building for these areas, if a little bigger.

 

However, most of the local shops didn't have a giant, glowing, misshapen orb-like thing hovering outside of their buildings. They also usually tended to be in one piece.

 

He whipped out the phone, pressed 1, and held it to his ear as he bounded up the stairs.

 

"Yes?"

 

"DOCTOR!" he yelled as loudly as he dared. "I could use a little help here!"

 

"What?" Great, two seconds and the alien already sounded like he wanted to panic. Did he really not trust Jason that much?

 

"I found it!" the former assassin yelled into the receiver as he reached the top of the stairs and observed the gruesome scene for just a moment before describing it to the Doctor. "It's attacking an old woman. She's unconscious! I don't know if-"

 

"No, no No NO!" The Doctor cut him off.

 

It didn't sound like the Doctor was yelling at him, more like the situation in general, but Jason still froze. His hand had automatically reached for his guns at the sight, but now they hovered just above the grip as a battle began in his mind. He'd promised he wouldn't do anything, and he had intended to hold to that promise...but at the expense of the woman's life? "Doctor! I'm open to ideas!"

 

"Just don't kill it!"

 

Yeah, that was helpful. "Easier said than done!"

 

"You gave me your word!"

 

What did he expect? Jason was not about to put that thing's life over the woman's. "You said if we could help it! If I have to kill it to save her, I will!"

 

"David-" The Doctor's voice started, an urgency and warning behind it that Jason couldn't quite understand. Did he really put such a violent life form above an innocent one?

 

Then Kenshin's voice came over the other end, interrupting the Doctor. "Jason-san," he said, his voice sounding distant, but clear. "The point is to be good enough that you don't have to kill. There is another way!"

 

For a moment, Jason felt a stab of betrayal. The kid was taking the Doctor's side? Against humans? Why?

 

Then the words Jason had spoken to Kenshin earlier echoed through his mind. This is the first time in a long time I've found that I can believe in someone in such a short period of time. I'm willing to fight for that.

 

He grit his teeth, mentally hitting himself. "Fine, I'll figure it out. Just get here so you can talk to this thing, now!"

 

"Where are you?" the Doctor asked, sounding much calmer. Jason balked at the phone incredulously.

 

"You don't have a homing device or something?" he yelled.

 

"Satellites!"

 

"What?" Jason couldn't help but ask as he finally reached the top step of the short staircase that led to the now ruined building, only slightly winded. What did satellites have to do with anything?

 

"Think of the time period! There aren't any satellites and I'm not in the TARDIS!"

 

No way. Something that simple? Seriously? "You have superior technology!" He heard himself yelling.

 

"David..." The Doctor's voice warned again, but Jason just realized he'd broken the #1 rule of assassination: never let them know you're there. The main body didn't so much as twitch, but somehow, Jason could tell the thing had heard him, and the leftover tentacles suddenly moved in between Jason and the thing.

 

"I don't know!" he said loudly, hoping he didn't sound too panicked himself. "It's a house by a large, red gate-like thing!"

 

Over the line, he heard Kenshin say something, but couldn't quite make it out, but apparently it made sense to the Doctor because he came back on, talking in a fast but strangely soothing voice.

 

"David, we're on our way!"

 

"Good, because I””WHOA!" He barely saw one of the lightning fast tentacles coming at him, and almost didn't dodge in time. It clipped him as it shot by, whizzing past his head at a speed that probably would have taken it off if he hadn't ducked. The phone (and consequently his hand) weren't so lucky.

 

The blow threw his arm back, and he winced at the sharp twinge of pain from his elbow and shoulder. The phone shot off into the dark somewhere behind him.

 

Of course.

 

A weak, shuddering sound from the woman drew his attention. It only took a moment for his face to harden as he reached back and grabbed his gun. Then he pointed it at the alien.

 

This would end tonight.

 

xXx

 

They both heard the echo of gunshots and froze in their steps, standing in the shin-deep water of a rice field. Kenshin glanced over at the Doctor, and took a step back. The utter betrayal on the man's face wrenched at his very soul.

 

This wasn't the first time this man had felt that kind of pain.

 

The image of a diary as blood dropped onto the page from the wound in his cheek flashed through the former hitokiri's mind. The wound hadn't bled for months before that...

 

He quickly shook the image from his head, ignoring how his knees shook at the memory. Thankfully, the Doctor cursing under his breath drew him away from that train of thought, and he found himself scrambling to catch up as the alien took off in the direction they'd been heading again.

 

"No, no, no, no, no," he seemed to chant again, sounding more and more desperate.

 

For a moment, disappointment jolted through Kenshin as well. He'd thought better of Jason-san. Then again, he of all people knew that when one went into battle, they fought as they knew, with reactions and instincts ingrained into them. Still, he'd thought that Jason-san would be able to...

 

They shot up the stairs, Kenshin easily overtaking the Doctor, who had begun to sound rather winded. Actually, Kenshin was surprised it took that long. Normally, only extensive training could keep someone running at that speed for that amount of time.

 

When he reached the top, he paused, taking in the scene. Off to one side, an old priestess lay slumped on the ground next to what was left of the shrine and building. The thing hovered on the opposite side of the clearing, near a grove of trees, its attention seemingly focused on something they couldn't see. An icy feeling of dread began to form in Kenshin's gut.

 

The Doctor finally caught up, and Kenshin decided to take the lead for once.

 

"See to the old woman," he nodded off to the side. A soft click sounded as he flicked his sword into a ready position with his thumb. "I'll go after Jason-san."

 

"Kenshin!" The Doctor grabbed his arm. The redhead looked back, and seeing the look on the man's face, he couldn't help but try to smile reassuringly (although from the Doctor's reaction, he didn't succeed well).

 

"I won't kill it," he said, then took off towards the egg-like alien. Just as he'd suspected, Jason-san had been caught in the alien's dry-looking, cracked tentacles, and hung in the air, almost completely wrapped in said appendages. Kenshin could barely see his face.

 

He used the slow-moving, unused tentacles as a springboard to launch himself in the air, and pulled out his sword, slashing down in a Ryu Tsu Sen with a force that would have cut straight through the thick flesh like a knife through tofu if he hadn't been using the blunt edge of his sakabatō. The creature still felt it, and immediately dropped Jason, backing off to nurse its wounds with a high-pitched cry of pain.

 

Ignoring the noise, the teen knelt next to Jason-san, grabbed an arm, and--with some effort--hefted the larger man over his shoulder. Then he turned and took off as quickly as he could with his new burden. He reached the Doctor and the old woman only to see that the Doctor hadn't done much more than check her over. He gave the Doctor a funny look. Anyone he knew would have at least tried to let her lie more comfortably than in a position where she'd simply fallen.

 

"How is he?" the Doctor asked as Kenshin carefully laid him down.

 

"Breathing," the former Hitokiri responded bluntly.

 

"Doctor?" Jason-san's lips moved, causing both of the other men to jump.

 

"Here I am," the Doctor responded.

 

"Better...appreciate," Jason-san said. "Didn't kill it."

 

The Doctor's expression soured a little. "What were the gun shots?"

 

"Needed...a dis...traction."

 

"Why would it come after you?" Kenshin asked, his voice filled with confusion. "Why would it not finish its meal, even if you did antagonize it?"

 

Jason-san didn't answer him. That's when Kenshin looked at the woman who had barely been touched. She seemed only to be in a deep, peaceful sleep.

 

"He's right," the Doctor said, catching on.

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin said, his voice stern, "where is the gem the Doctor gave you?"

 

"What?" The Doctor's face had gone just a little pale. "He wouldn't. You wouldn't..." he began search Jason for the inhibitor.

 

"Doctor-san," Kenshin spoke softly, holding up the woman's hand. Just inside the palm of her hand, right beneath the thumb, sat the gem the Doctor had given Jason.

 

The Doctor stared for a moment, then looked over at the alien that had stopped writhing in pain. It also had not approached them. Instead, it sat there in an eerie silence on the other side of the stone clearing. Almost faster than Kenshin could watch (almost), the Doctor's hand shot into his pocket, further than should be possible. When he dragged his hand out, he held the four gems they had used earlier.

 

"But those aren't strong enough," Kenshin protested.

 

"Better than nothing," the Doctor commented, looking down at the prone man with an unreadable expression. Just as he was about to place it on Jason-san's skin, the former assassin's hand shot up and grabbed the Doctor's wrist, both to his and Kenshin's surprise.

 

"Don't," Jason-san said, his voice still strained.

 

"Why not?" Kenshin asked, a touch of anger in his voice. "It will kill you, Jason-san!"

 

"Because," he said, opening his eyes and glancing at Kenshin before his gaze shot over to the Doctor. "I'm talking."

 

xXx

 

8 minutes earlier

 

It was only after Jason had rushed the thing and slammed the gem thing in the woman's hand that he realized exactly what the Doctor had planned on doing. He almost kicked himself for not seeing it earlier. That crazy alien was planning on exposing himself to this thing again, just so that he could talk to it. Right about then is when it hit Jason just how much saving these lives meant to the Doctor. And for just a moment, he was able to put his bias aside and see the alien creature for what it really was: just that, a creature. A living, breathing being that needed to survive, and would do everything it could to do so.

 

Jason also found himself able to see the dilemma the Doctor seemed to be in. If he kept the alien alive, it would potentially kill more humans. If he killed the alien, as it was looking after its young, then how many of those lives would be lost?

 

It was just a moment, but for that instant Jason understood just how much life in general meant to the Doctor. As the alien began to scream in that high-pitched shriek it had and thrash around at not being able to finish its meal, he also wondered why the Doctor cared so much. What could he possibly have gone through?

 

The alien dropped the woman onto the ground in a heap, and began groping blindly in his general direction, but it didn't seem to have any eyes, and probably couldn't do much more than feeling around mentally, and from what the Doctor had said, it needed to establish a telepathic link first. Even though it still moved its limbs lighting fast, Jason found that he could fairly easily dodge and stay out of range of the gigantic tentacles.

 

The Doctor would be here soon. They said they were on their way, and he doubted the man would have said that if he didn't know one way or another where he was. Letting himself fall back into old habits, he danced across the square, always just out of reach of the alien.

 

He wasn't exactly sure what made him do it. Maybe it was the sound of footsteps on the stairs, or maybe it was just catching sight of the fallen woman and wanting all of this to stop. Maybe it was the idea that of the man who had saved his life when he'd dragged him into that impossible box putting his own life on the line again while Jason just sat by and watched.

 

Or maybe he was just insane.

 

He didn't dodge. Well, not really. The tentacle shot out, and he only braced himself as it came on. Stepping just barely to the side so as to avoid decapitation, he didn't so much as wince at the sting on his cheek as it shot by his face.

 

Almost immediately, he felt the thing's presence in his mind, heavy and oppressing as it honed in on him. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but this went well beyond his expectations, and he couldn't help but let out a scream of pain as he clutched his head. Vaguely he felt himself fall to his knees as the tentacles homed in on him, wrapping their rough skin around him.

 

He shuddered at the touch, but forced himself to not pull away.

 

You take it away! It said. Well, thought. Jason didn't know exactly how he understood it, as it seemed to think more in pictures and ideas than in an actual language. Maybe it was the TARDIS? Why you take it away? It screamed. Jason winced at the force it projected into his head. You hurt me! I kill you!

 

NO! Jason thought back as firmly as it could. You feed off of us! Did you expect us to just take it? To just let you? Would you do that if we did the same thing to you? Or your children?

 

It shrieked and squeezed the tentacles around him tighter. Somehow he could feel his energy draining into the thing. It wasn't pleasant, but he didn't let it distract him.

 

We will fight you for our survival, and we will win! There are thousands...millions of people out there who will fight you! And they will kill you!

 

We stronger! We better! We win!

 

No, you won't. It might have been the way he thought it, with a touch of sadness and finality. He knew what humans could do...what they would do. They might keep the aliens alive, but he could picture them being put in tanks at testing facilities as they studied the properties of telepathy and the ability to absorb energy through a mental link. He knew how horrible it would be...and that would be the survivors. Humans might not have tanks yet, but it would be less than a century before they did. And they already had cannons, and guns, and swords...

 

No, there was just no feasible way Jason could see that these few creatures could win. He felt a touch of relief at that thought wondering why he hadn't realized that before. He briefly wondered if the alien could see all of his thoughts too. Just as the idea crossed his mind, it started screaming out loud.

 

Pain! Hurt! Again! Hate! It thought as Jason felt his body slump to the ground while alien backed off. Then he felt someone rather slight heft his arm over their shoulder and run away. A few seconds later, he heard the Doctor's voice.

 

"How is he?"

 

"Breathing," the more tenor sound of Kenshin said right next to him as the former hitokiri lay him gently on the ground.

 

"Doctor?" Jason managed to open his mouth with some effort. He wondered why it seemed so hard. Had the alien drained him that fast? His body felt like lead.

 

"Here I am," the Doctor responded.

 

"Better...appreciate," he muttered. Seriously, he hadn't been this out of it since he'd gone through poison resistance training. "Didn't kill it."

 

The Doctor's expression soured a little. "What were the gunshots?"

 

Jason felt a touch affronted. Did the man really think Jason would go back on his word? "Needed...a dis...traction."

 

"Why would it come after you?" Kenshin asked, his quiet voice filled with confusion. "Why would it not finish its meal, even if you did antagonize it?"

 

Jason didn't answer him. The kid was too sharp for his own good. What was he supposed to say? That he'd just stand by and watch as the old woman died? Even to him, that sounded a touch arrogant and conceited.

 

"He's right." And the stupid, human-like alien was too sharp too. Not that he'd expected less.

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin said, his voice stern, "where is the gem the Doctor gave you?"

 

"What?" The Doctor's responded, just the slightest touch of surprise and panic to his otherwise firm tone. "He wouldn't. You wouldn't..." that last part had been directed at him, but he didn't care. The Doctor began to lift up Jason's hands to look them over and turn his head to search his neck.

 

You know you're not going to find it, Doctor, Jason thought.

 

Who that? The alien's presence had never really left, but now it made itself known again. Jason could still feel it seething and burning with anger at the pain they'd caused it, but he could also feel curiosity and confusion at their actions overpowering that hatred.

 

He's the Doctor, Jason responded. You've seen into his mind, so why do you ask?

 

I not understand. He could feel a great deal of frustration from the alien.

 

What don't you understand? Jason felt his own frustration rising.

 

Why? Why he care? He not mother or child. Why?

 

Oh. Jason paused, when he felt a hand reach towards him. He heard Kenshin say something about those being weaker, and the Doctor saying it was better than nothing. Wait, the gems from before!

 

He put as much effort into moving his hand as he could, and caught the Doctor's hand, despite his sluggish movements.

 

"Don't," he said.

 

"Why not?" Kenshin asked angrily. "It will kill you, Jason-san!"

 

"Because," he said as he forced his eyes open and met Kenshin's yellow irises before he shot a pointed look over to the Doctor. "I'm talking."

 

Both of them stared at him, extremely surprised.

 

"You're talking? With that?" The Doctor asked, incredulous.

 

"Jason-san..." Kenshin said, his voice soft and his face unreadable.

 

"If you care so much...about saving every...life that you can," Jason said, hating how weak he sounded, "then I...figured I...could help."

 

You know, he thought to the alien, I couldn't say why this man cares so much, but he does. I know he does. And he did. There was no doubt in his mind at the Doctor's sincerity.

 

"David..." The Doctor said sadly.

 

I not understand! It shrieked aloud as if to accentuate the thought. Jason winced.

 

"Jason-san!" Kenshin said, distressed.

 

I don't either! He shot back. The alien paused at his tone. All I know is that he does, and he means it. He doesn't want you to die any more than he wants me to. He says he can help you find a way, and take you away from this place, then he can.

 

But it not same food.

 

Yeah, the Doctor had said something like that. He said that you feed on dependency or something like that, but is that because you want to? Or because you have to?

 

I not understand.

 

Can you survive on other things? Jason felt that familiar frustration rise again. Things that don't have thoughts like me!

 

It hard.

 

But you can?

 

It didn't answer.

 

So it's hard, Jason thought, deciding to take that silence as a 'yes'. But isn't that better than being dead?

 

Again, it didn't answer for a long time.

 

"David, we need to cut you off from the feeding link," he heard the Doctor say. "You'll die if we don't."

 

Look, they're going to block me.

 

They take you away too!

 

No, Jason wasn't sure why he said that, but he continued with it anyway. No, I'll be right here, but you won't be able to hear me very well. Look, just give the Doctor a chance. He'll do everything he can to make sure you survive.

 

No, It responded in the first sad tone Jason had heard. I die.

 

Wait, what?

 

I not go to next feeding ground. Too cold. I stay, I die. He got the distinct picture of this thing traveling through space, from planet to planet. It must be immensely old.

 

Too old.

 

Jason shook his head in denial. But you made it here!

 

Skin whole then. A picture (well, more of a feeling, but more detached) of something stabbing into it. I not fix it fast enough. Now it never will.

 

The Doctor will find a way around that!

 

For children.

 

What? Jason stopped, taken aback.

 

I know I die soon. But want children safe.

 

"David, answer me," The Doctor broke through his thoughts.

 

"Not yet," Jason said. "I can handle it."

 

"David..."

 

"It's going to die," he said. "When Kenshin...stabbed it. It can't go back...into space. It'll freeze. Skin broken."

 

"I can get around that if it wants to leave," the Doctor said. "I can take it wherever it wants to go!"

 

You right. He care. Don't know why, but it true. The alien's thoughts had taken on a somewhat calm, almost peaceful tone. I not feed more. He take children. Make them safe.

 

"It...She," Jason said, giving the alien a distinction for the first time. "She says...she'll...leave people alone...if you...take the children. Make them safe."

 

"Done," the Doctor said immediately. "But we can still help her!" Jason felt a small smile touch his lips when the Doctor said 'her'.

 

Can't. I not live long now.

 

"She...says you can't."

 

The Doctor stood up, taking the inhibitor off of his hand as he did. Immediately Jason felt the Doctor's mind join the conversation, as if through a distance, but it was definitely his desperate presence there none the less.

 

I can help you!

 

No. The alien sounded rather firm. I try to live to see children to next feeding. That all. Came here to die. Now, you take them. I not have to.

 

Don't give up, The Doctor pleaded.

 

They taste good. It said, in a strangely thoughtful tone. You make them taste good.

 

What? The Doctor asked. Jason got the distinct impression that the larger alien wasn't referring to its children.

 

You promise! You keep promise!

 

Jason found himself somewhat surprised that she knew what a promise was. Then the Doctor yelling distracted him.

 

No! He yelled both mentally, and out loud as he rushed towards the alien, but she didn't listen, shooting herself upwards.

 

No more pain. Also keep promise. Best way.

 

How do you know that? Jason asked, trying to ignore the blackness that crowded around his vision. For some reason, that seemed to be the one thought he could grasp onto, even with Kenshin calling out his name and shaking him.

 

You show me. He show me. Don't understand, but like.

 

"What's happening?" Kenshin asked. Why did his voice sound so blurry? Like he was speaking through a wall.

 

"She's going to kill herself!" The Doctor said, running back. "I've got to do something!"

 

"Why would it kill itself?" Kenshin asked. "What are you going to do?"

 

"I've got to-"

 

"What about Jason?" The Doctor stopped. At least Jason thought it was the Doctor. It looked like him in a vague, blobbish kind of way.

 

"Here," the blob that was probably the Doctor reached down and put something on Jason's forehead. Almost instantaneously he felt better, like he didn't have to fight so hard to stay awake anymore. Funny, he hadn't even realized he'd been fighting.

 

"Go," he said to the human-like alien. "Get back...to the TARDIS. See if...you can do...something."

 

Kenshin looked down at him, his yellow eyes growing soft. "Jason-san..."

 

"Right!" The Doctor said, taking off. "Take care of him till I get back!" He yelled yelled.

 

Kenshin watched the Doctor leave then turned to look back at Jason, completely confused.

 

"Don't worry, kid," Jason managed to get out. "I'll...explain...it later."

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin said, leaning over him. "You should rest."

 

"No," Jason said. "She might die. I want...to be awake...if she does."

 

"Why?"

 

Jason felt a small smile come to his face. "Told you...I'd tell you...later."

 

Kenshin scowled. "You sound like my old master."

 

"Bet...I'd like him," Jason said. Kenshin's scowl just deepened.

 

xXx

 

Okay, so I revised this chapter a bit. Hope it flows well enough. Let me know what you think.

[jedi_master_gimpy]

Woohoo! Action, action, action. I can definitely feel the end of the story quickly approaching! Good stuff, the conversation and change in behavior of the Demmelfca was really believable, and how much Jason also transitioned in his feelings toward it as well.

 

I KNEW he hadn't shot it, the change in character was already in place too much. Still, you did a good job setting it up to go either way. I really like the way you balanced all of these characters. You started with Jason, and despite delving into the Doctor and Kenshin you have remained the most focused on Jason, especially coming into this last bit where he really holds the entire key. I really like how you pulled of his redemption, despite the Doctor being ready to give up on him after this last time.

 

You also added so much to the Demmelfca! Although, of course, the majority of that wasn't revealing more of her character so much as actually getting through to her "higher senses" to change her mind. It could have been tough to do that, considering how instinctual she has been, without seeming to have a higher intelligence outside of animalistic responses, but the basic concepts and feelings got through in a way that really worked. You're just putting in redemption all over the place!

 

This post had a kind of weird ending for me - I feel myself equally pulled between calm, as if we are heading into the denouement now that Jason's dilemma has been resolved, and still in the action climax, waiting for what will happen with the Doctor and the Demmelfca. There's still some to come, even if the story is wrapping up. I think I would be fine with whether the mother Demmelfca lives or dies, but for the Doctor's sake I hope he can save her!

 

"Because," he said, opening his eyes and glancing at Kenshin before his gaze shot over to the Doctor. "I'm talking."

I liked this line a lot.

 

The image of a diary as blood dropped onto the page from the wound in his cheek flashed through the former hitokiri's mind. The wound hadn't bled for months before that...

I'm guessing this is another Kenshin tie-in?

[Obi-quiet]

It's still mostly from either Jason's or Kenshin's part at this point, so I will say that from here on out it's more of a tie in. I can imagine how they'd do it in an actual show, but I can't put that into the words here, so I hope it's not too much of a let down.

 

As for the redemption thing, I'm really glad it worked out like that. I didn't originally plan it. It just kind of...happened. I wish I could have more stories like that--that practically wrote themselves at the end.

 

Originally, I was going to have them realize that the tea the Doctor loves so much was kind of a bane/poison to the Demmelfca, and they were going to threaten the children to get it to leave, then they were going to transfer the children to another planet.

 

No where nearly as good in my opinion. I knew I needed to tie Jason in more, and...well, this happened. ^^;

 

Doctor Who episodes tend to often have really fast endings, or really strange ones. They work for the series though, so it doesn't bother me. ^^; Hope it doesn't bother you too.

 

 

Spoilers to Kenshin to follow (you have been warned!):

 

Kenshin...while he was a hitokiri, he ran into a guy who was persistent enough to actually wound him. Most people died on the first strike. I believe it took three or four with him. In Japan, there's a legend that the feelings of the person who cut you will stay with the wound, causing it to scar or not. It was on his left cheek that he got cut.

 

Every time he killed someone after that, it bled.

 

He was supposed to be secret, so when assassins started coming after him (although he beat them easily every time), they knew there was an information leak. Right about that time, he kills someone in front of a woman. She just looks at him and says "You're the one who makes the rain bleed," and then fainted. He couldn't just let her go (no one was supposed to know about him), but he couldn't just kill her or leave her there in the rain on a bad side of town, so he took her back with him to the inn where all of the Isshin Shishi were staying.

 

She becomes his anchor to sanity. Then, a few months after that, the Samuari and Imperialists decided to crack down on everything and basically killed anyone they thought even had a hint of a connection to the Isshin Shishi. The inn got burned, and everyone had to leave town. Kenshin was told he was married to the woman (Tomoe) and then told they had to leave town. The Imperialists would be looking for a lone man, not a man and his wife. So they were basically married right then and there (when your superior says you're married, you are type thing) and then they went off to live in seclusion in a safe house.

 

They live that way for almost a year when everything falls apart. Tomoe's younger brother comes and finds her, seems particularly harsh towards Kenshin (who has gotten to where he really likes his farmer lifestyle). Turns out, the man who gave Kenshin his scar was Tomoe's fiancée. She found Kenshin and was supposed to get on his good side, calm him down and make him soft so that other people with a vendetta because of the people he'd killed could get him.

 

Thing is, she really fell in love. She realized he wasn't doing this because he wanted to, and so she really got to a point where she understood him and wanted him to be happy. He already loved her, and respected her immensely because she saw past the mask that had become the hitokiri, and saw a hurt, scared little kid who never really had a chance to grow up.

 

She goes to tell everyone it's off, and they kidnap her. Right about then, they come and tell Kenshin that she's the one that's been leaking information (it actually wasn't her, but that's another story). That's when he opens the journal.

 

His wound, that had begun to heal nicely once again started to bleed when he read who she was and how she had betrayed him. Despite all of this, he decides to go after her.

 

Let's just say, it isn't pretty. I won't say anything else about it.

 

End Spoilers

 

Well, I hope that answers most of your questions.

 

P.S. The "I'm talking" line is one of my favorites too. Thank you so much!

[Amidala Skywalker]

I don't have a ton of time, but I wanted to say I loved this last section! Loved the redemptive theme too...much truer to Doctor Who than your original idea. There are so many strong themes of redemption and self-sacrifice in the series. I thought the transitions were jerky, but in a good way. It helped keep the action moving and contributed to the tone.

 

Nice stuff! Can't wait for the finale!

[Obi-quiet]

Shout out to my beta reader Chibivampire1313!

 

Chapter 8

 

It took Kenshin a few minutes to find Jason and the old woman a flat place to lay and rest inside what was left of the ruined building, but he was able to bring the woman fairly easily and help Jason silently. Eventually, he found something to cover them and keep them warm. Kenshin made no small secret of his disapproval of Jason's refusal to sleep, but that didn't faze the ex-assassin much. For one thing, he could still hear the alien and the Doctor in his mind. They were faint (very, very faint) but there, and because of that alone he doubted he could sleep even if he wanted to.

 

The Doctor kept yelling, almost pleading with the alien to rethink her decision, but she refused to respond. Even with the inhibitor on, Jason received a sense of sadness, finality and contentment along with a touch of surprise coming from the large creature. He had the feeling that this alien didn't really know what to make of such a”¦composed feeling.

 

He did something; The Doctor. Jason wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that somehow the Doctor got back to the TARDIS and took off after her.

 

He didn't make it. The Alien seemed awfully resilient to outer space once she reached the higher altitudes, despite her claim, which is probably why the Doctor was able to get up into the atmosphere before she died. He tried. He did, but he undoubtedly felt much more strongly than Jason the cold slowly seeping through her body via the wound Kenshin had given her.

 

It felt almost anti-climactic when the alien's life force simply faded out, just after the Doctor reached her. Jason got another wave of a sad frustration from the Doctor before he could no longer feel either one in his mind.

 

For a few moments he felt empty without either alien in his head. He wasn't sure why that depressed him. The Doctor had hardly been in there and she'd been a harsh, cruel creature (even if she hadn't necessarily meant to be) that fed off of and killed humans. She'd been feeding off of him. He couldn't even stand right now because of her. She would have killed him eventually; probably sooner than later.

 

So why did he feel so much regret?

 

He looked over at Kenshin sitting against one of the still standing walls, sword propped up against his shoulder as he watched both Jason and the old woman. His face had reverted back to a blank state, and his now amber eyes shone eerily in the darkness. Either Jason was too tired to read the emotion in those eyes, or Kenshin had masked his feelings too well. Maybe it was a combination of both.

 

Finally, as he watched the teenager, he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

 

xXx

 

It had been hours since the Doctor had left. Sometime during the second hour Jason-san finally fell asleep.

 

Kenshin didn't.

 

Not only did he have to watch over both of the injured, but he had far too much on his mind. Kenshin had to admit, he felt like he'd gotten in way over his head. Well, he'd known that before, but just how deeply he'd gone hadn't really hit him until now. He'd realized something else earlier that day too, and it had finally sunk in. He had done something he thought he'd never do again, especially in such a short time; he'd become attached.

 

During the height of the Bakumatsu, fully trusting someone could be deadly. As such, he'd never really trusted anyone except Tomoe (he forced his thoughts away from that train of thought the moment it came to mind) and maybe Katsura Kogoro-sama. Maybe the traitor too. That still irked him.

 

Before that, he'd trusted only Hiko Sejiro. Yes, his history of trusting had turned out fabulously; completely estranged, wandering on his own, practically running from”¦well, everything.

 

He should leave. That thought had always tickled the back of his mind, keeping him on his toes and moving, but now it ran through his consciousness like a madman. With a sword”¦and a gun. He had to keep moving or it would all catch up with him, so leaving was the smartest choice, before he became even more attached. Yes. Yes, that would work the best.

 

And yet, his feet wouldn't move. First of all, Jason-san and the old woman had been entrusted to him. He may be many horrible things, but he did not abandon his duty. Then there was the problem of his eyes. Oh yes, his eyes. He did not want to be a demon, that he did not.

 

He sighed and clutched his sword closer to him. The only person who seemed to be able to do anything for him was the Doctor. So either he remained and put these two men in even more danger than they were apparently already in, or he could live the rest of his life out as a demon.

 

Like it or not, he had the distinct feeling that he was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Stuck here with two men who also hated to kill, but had been forced to do so by circumstance. Vaguely he wondered what the almost naïve Doctor could have possibly done that could be so horrible. He had no doubt Jason-san was right in his assertation of the human-like alien, but it was still hard to see that man as a killer.

 

Maybe that was the point.

 

Kenshin sat in the darkness next to the window, the moonlight catching only the hilt of his sword as it streamed through. It would be dawn soon. They'd have to take the old woman and Jason-san to the healer in town. They couldn't just stay here.

 

The Doctor didn't come back that night. Kenshin didn't move until the sun had almost reached its peak. That's when the old woman began to stir. A little surprised, Kenshin went to her side immediately.

 

She pushed her older body up with some effort and put a hand to her head as she looked around. Her eyes immediately went to Kenshin who knelt, looking at her intently.

 

Upon seeing him, she gasped and jumped back, covering her hand with her mouth.

 

"Are you alright?" he asked as gently as he could.

 

"Y-youkai," she whispered.

 

"It has gone," Kenshin said, looking away. He didn't like the way she looked at him. Her tone of voice gave him a strong suspicion that when she said "youkai", she didn't mean the alien. Of course, having Japanese features on top of red hair and now the yellow eyes”¦

 

He held in a depressed sigh, knowing he really couldn't blame her.

 

"I-I must warn the village," the woman said as she tried to unsteadily gain her feet. "The youkai have started to show themselves!"

 

"You can inform them," Kenshin said softly, "that the problem has been dealt with. "

 

"W-what do you mean?" She stuttered, trying to sound strong and composed.

 

"I mean," he touched his sword, shooting her a pointed look that unintentionally made her flinch, "the situation has been handled."

 

"I-I see," the priestess said. "I will be off then. I thank you for your help." She bowed hesitantly before hurrying off as quickly as she could. Kenshin watched her go for a few moments, then looked over at Jason-san's still form. He felt positive that the ex-assassin would be alright. Now would be the perfect time to leave”¦

 

But instead, he walked over and sat down near the wall, leaned his sword back against his shoulder, and waited.

 

xXx

 

The late afternoon light had cast a golden hue on the world outside the broken temple. Kenshin continued to watch Jason-san's slowly rising and falling chest. How often did an assassin get to sleep so deeply except when healing? Kenshin almost envied him. Almost.

 

That's when the Doctor came strolling in, looking as happy and fresh as ever.

 

"Hello," he said in his strangely accented way.

 

Kenshin simply looked up, watching him almost incredulously. He was sure the man would come back a wreck. Did he really have a heart of steel underneath all of that pretense, or did he somehow just get over occurrences quickly? If it were the latter, Kenshin envied him.

 

"Where is she?" He asked looking around.

 

"The woman?" Kenshin responded with clipped words. "She went to warn the town of youkai."

 

"Well we've taken care of that," the Doctor said, his voice all too happy.

 

"I informed her of that, but I don't believe she meant the creature," Kenshin all but muttered.

 

"I told you," the Doctor rolled his eyes (and his head), "you're fine. You simply absorbed some of the enzymes from the alien. It should wear off eventually."

 

Kenshin tried not to get his hopes up at the Doctor's statement. It sounded far too much like the man had just come up with that to comfort him.

 

"You are not sure of this," he stated, meeting the Doctor's eyes.

 

"Yes I am."

 

Kenshin continued to stare, unimpressed.

 

It worked. "But just in case I'm not, would you like to come with me?"

 

"Come with you?" The former hitokiri blinked, having the distinct feeling that he'd just missed something that he probably couldn't really grasp, but probably should.

 

"Yeah," the Doctor smiled.

 

"To different worlds?" the very thought boggled his mind. He'd only just really grasped the concept of this world.

 

"Not just different worlds," the Doctor squatted in front of him. "Different times. "

 

That one totally blew Kenshin away. "I don't understand."

 

"The past; the future; I can take you back before the world was ever created, or forward to the end of the universe”¦well," he paused as if remembering something unpleasant, "not that far. But close."

 

Kenshin tried to listen, but his mind caught up on the Doctor's words. "The past," he'd said.

 

"We can go to the past?" he asked, for once letting his mask of indifference drop completely.

 

"Well, not your past."

 

The red-head snapped his eyes up at the Doctor again. "Why not?"

 

The Doctor sighed. "I can't take you into your own past. It's”¦against the rules."

 

"What rules?"

 

"The rules of the Time Lords."

 

"Who?"

 

The Doctor stood up, looking none too pleased. "My people."

 

"The ones who died?" Kenshin asked, unable to stop himself.

 

The Doctor scowled. "Yes."

 

Kenshin felt more than a little bit of a sting at that. "So you uphold their memories by honoring their rules," he said quietly, looking down. Apparently the Doctor had not been expecting that, or what Kenshin said next. "Very well, Doctor-san. If you wish, I shall accompany you, but not to my past."

 

The Doctor's grin split his face almost instantly. "Brilliant. Oh, but it's just 'Doctor', no 'san'."

 

Keshin nodded thoughtfully, his eyes on the other assassin lying on the floor. "And what about Jason-san?"

 

"Oh, David?" The Doctor turned and looked down at the sleeping man. "I think I'll extend the same invitation to him as well."

 

A smile brushed Kenshin's lips. He'd been hoping for that. "I thought you would take him home," he commented.

 

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, I think he's proved himself."

 

Kenshin watched the sleeping form for another minute before looking up at the Doctor again. "Why do you call him 'David'?"

 

The Doctor walked over to the American's sleeping form, taking out his glowing screwdriver. "Oh, that was his name before his”¦you know”¦job." Understanding swept through Kenshin's yellow eyes as the Doctor began to wave the screwdriver over Jason's face, lifting up his eyelids and peering in.

 

"How is he?" Kenshin asked.

 

"Probably really hungry," the Doctor said. "And he's been sleeping long enough." Holding up the screwdriver, and flipping little switches on the side, causing the frequency of the sound it made to change several times before he seemed satisfied. Then he held the screwdriver over Jason's head, and began moving it back and forth. To Kenshin's amazement, not moments later he began to stir.

 

He didn't wake up as he normally did; fully awake in moments. No, this time, he opened his eyes slowly and looked around through bleary eyes.

 

"Hello," the Doctor smiled.

 

Jason blinked, not seeming to know either of the two people before him. At first he looked slightly panicked, but then recognition washed over his eyes and he visibly calmed down, settling into a more morose expression.

 

"How can you be so happy, Doctor?" he asked, quietly. To Kenshin's confusion, the Doctor's smile widened. It also seemed suddenly genuine. Kenshin found himself surprised that he hadn't noticed how forced it had been only seconds before. Could that be because the Doctor had been forcing that smile the whole time? Was this the first time he'd seen a real smile from the alien?

 

"What?" Jason-san asked, noting the smile himself. Kenshin agreed with the sentiment.

 

"Kenshin and I are going to go visit the Emerald Mountains of Forlikatropif. You could, you know, come."

 

Jason-san blinked at him for a moment. "I thought you were going to take me back."

 

"Yeah, well I changed my mind."

 

"You trust me?"

 

The Doctor only raised one eyebrow in an amused answer. Jason-san suddenly shared the Doctor's genuine smile, and Kenshin once again felt like he'd missed something. "If I have a choice between bullets or mountains, I'll take the mountains."

 

"Bullets?" Kenshin asked, probably a little louder than he meant to.

 

The Doctor and Jason-san looked up at him. "Oh, we left his time a little fast," the Doctor said.

 

Jason-san rolled his eyes.

 

"Wait," Kenshin asked, suddenly realizing for the first time and kicking himself for not doing so earlier. "You are also not from this time? You are from”¦the future?" He tried not to sound confused, but from the looks on their faces, he doubted he'd succeeded. He'd have to work harder on his mask if it had begun to slip as often and as far as it had begun to in the last few days.

 

"Good for you," The Doctor smiled. "How did you end up where you did when you have a mind like that?"

 

Kenshin blinked at the compliment, unsure of how to respond. His teacher had always called him gifted, but stupid. No one during the Bakumatsu had ever dared call him anything. Most of them didn't even dare get to know him. No one had ever called him”¦smart.

 

"War," Jason muttered darkly. "Does that to countries."

 

The Doctor conceded the point with a quick cock of his head and purse of his lips.

 

"Alright, gentleman," he said after a few moments, grinning as he began to walk backwards, somehow avoiding all of the rubble. "Are you coming?"

 

"I can't even stand up," Jason muttered, then noticed the hand in front of his face and looked up to see Kenshin standing there, arm extended.

 

"Kenshin," he said as he looked up at the teen. "Your eyes”¦they're blue again."

 

The swordsman started, his other hand immediately going to his eyes for a moment. He couldn't stop the feeling of utter relief at the man's words. His reaction could only draw one reaction from Jason-san. He chuckled; a deep, genuine chuckle that Kenshin suspected had not left him in a very long time.

 

Before Kenshin's thoughts could take him any further, Jason-san grabbed Kenshin's hand and used him as leverage to help himself stand. Then, with one arm thrown over the former hitokiri's shoulder, they both stumbled out the door after the Doctor.

 

xXx

 

Epilogue to come!

[Obi-quiet]

Okay, because that chapter feels like a bit of a let down to me, I'm going to give you the Epilogue too. Feel loved!

 

Epilogue

 

Jason watched the Doctor as he rushed around the center of the TARDIS pressing buttons and going on about how the grass on the mountains they'd be visiting had real emeralds that grew into them because the soil was so rich with the gems, but it shouldn't be physically possible because of some sort of biological fact. Then he started on some sort of food”¦at least Jason thought it was a food. Kenshin just kept staring at the Doctor, blinking, probably only barely keeping up.

 

Allowing himself to smile, Jason stretched. He still felt weak, but at least he was standing on his own. The Doctor had apparently already taken the boy they'd found in the cave earlier back to town. He'd make a full recovery. Apparently he'd also already transplanted the little aliens to an alternate planet where no sentient life would ever appear. He'd check up on them every now and then to see how they were doing.

 

Suddenly a shudder ran through the ship, throwing Jason to the ground and causing the other two to grab onto the nearest stable object. The glass tubes in the center of the ship moved up and down with the high-pitched, rather unique sound that Jason doubted he'd ever forget, and then it stopped.

 

"Alright, Kenshin," the Doctor looked over at him then shot a look around. "Where's David?"

 

"Shut up," Jason muttered as he pushed himself to his feet. "And don't call me that."

 

"Then come up with a name."

 

"Whatever," Jason growled.

 

The Doctor turned towards them, full of anticipation, huge smile across his face. "David, Kenshin, how would you like to see the world?"

 

"What?" Kenshin asked.

 

"Really?" Jason's eyes widened.

 

"Go to the door," the Doctor said, gesturing with his head. That stupid smile never disappeared.

 

Jason and Kenshin exchanged glances. Jason moved toward the door, but Kenshin was faster. He opened it and jumped back.

 

"It is true," he muttered, then his mask fell away completely and Jason saw the utter wonder of a child as he looked over and saw the world from an astronaut's point of view; a blue and green jewel backed by a black backdrop and a sea of stars. Jason himself felt his breath drawn away at the absolute beauty of the rare sight.

 

"This”¦this is Earth? This is how it looks from the viewpoint of the stars?"

 

Jason shook his head. "Kid," he said, not taking his eyes off of the sight, "we've got a lot to teach you."

 

"Yes, I can see that," Kenshin said, his voice sounding extremely humble.

 

"So what do you two think?" the Doctor asked, coming up behind them.

 

Kenshin and Jason both found themselves speechless.

 

They were in space. Outer space. Above the Earth. In an alien spaceship.

 

"How can we breathe?" Jason asked suddenly.

 

"Breathe?" Kenshin asked.

 

"The TARDIS is protecting us."

 

"Why would we not be able to breathe?"

 

Jason glanced over at the redhead for a moment. "You can't breathe in space."

 

"Oh."

 

"And how should he know that?" The Doctor asked.

 

Jason shrugged and went back to looking at the Earth.

 

"This TARDIS," Kenshin remarked, "You speak of it as if it lives."

 

"She does," the Doctor said, sounding slightly insulted. "This is my TARDIS, and she's every bit alive as you are."

 

Kenshin didn't respond as he blinked up at the Doctor. After a few moments, he turned to look back out on the world, obviously overwhelmed.

 

"I”¦don't understand," he said.

 

"That's okay," Jason said. "I thought I did, but now I don't think I do."

 

Behind them, the Doctor smiled. "Well, we have time. All the time in the universe."

 

They continued to stare out of the door to the TARDIS for a few more seconds before the Doctor suddenly ran back to the center of the room.

 

"Speaking of," he said, "who's up for those Emerald Mountains?"

 

Kenshin didn't take his eyes off of the world outside, seeming to struggle to take everything in. Jason smiled at him. He liked the idea of the kid finally finding something that could take down that stupid mask he'd been wearing.

 

"Emerald Mountains," he said, looking back. "Sure. Why not."

 

"Excellent!" The Doctor grinned. "Close the doors! Let's get going!"

 

That seemed to snap Kenshin out of a trance. He nodded and reached back to close the door on his side as Jason did the same. He still looked a little overcome.

 

"Hey," Jason said to him. "You'll get it, don't worry."

 

"I don't know, Jason-san," he said, then turned his eyes up to look at the fellow assassin. "It's just so””what?" He must have noticed the look on Jason's face, because he cut himself off.

 

"Your eyes”¦" he said.

 

"Oh, the color? No problem. It'll wear off." The Doctor said, only sparing a glance at them before going back to rushing around and pressing buttons again.

 

"Just a few minutes ago, they were blue."

 

The Doctor looked up from his control console. "Really?"

 

Just then the ship lurched. Fortunately, Jason already had ahold of the railing, and managed to keep his feet under him. Barely.

 

"You guys are going to love this," the Doctor said. "And it's just us, a bunch of guys hanging out."

 

"You're saying it's just a road trip?" Jason asked skeptically.

 

The Doctor looked at him for a moment, pausing in his rushing around the console. "Yeah," he nodded.

 

The TARDIS started shaking harder, which prompted the Doctor to go back to the control panel. For a few moments that's all that happened, and Jason felt a sense of anticipation he hadn't felt since his last job. Except this time, it seemed”¦different. It took him a minute to figure out exactly what had changed; guilt. He didn't have the slightest bit of the guilt that had always plagued him before. Back then, he'd just shoved it to the back of his mind, but now there was nothing to shove.

 

He liked that feeling.

 

Then the ship lurched again. Hard. And kept lurching. Yet again Jason found himself on the floor.

 

"Is this normal?" he yelled up to the Doctor, who looked like he was having a hard time staying upright himself, clutching onto the console like his life depended on it.

 

"No!" he said. "Something's interfering." He reached over with some difficulty and grabbed another knob, giving it a turn. As far as Jason felt, it didn't do a thing. He looked over at Kenshin to find him looking utterly sick and holding onto one of the bars of the railing like the world was ending. As far as he knew, it probably was.

 

Then Jason noticed something else about the boy.

 

"Kenshin," he yelled out, annoyed that he couldn't keep all of the panic out of his voice. "You're glowing!"

 

The Doctor looked over (somehow) and confirmed that yes, Kenshin had started to glow.

 

His eyes had begun to resemble flashlights, easily the strongest source of light on his body, but the rest of him also seemed to emanate a golden hue.

 

"Doctor?" Jason yelled over to the console.

 

"The enzymes from the alien seeped into his skin," the Doctor explained, his voice shaking with the ship. "It's a reaction because the human body isn't supposed to absorb chemicals like that...but," he looked at the screen in front of him. "The interference...it's coming from him!"

 

"What?" Kenshin asked, now looking paler than ever under the glow.

 

"I know you're not trying to," The Doctor said, pulling himself along the center of the ship and hitting random things, pulling and turning mechanisms as he went. Whatever he did helped because the ship stopped rocking like someone had stuck them in a pin-ball machine and used them as the ball.

 

After a few moments, Jason tentatively pulled himself to his still unsteady feet.

 

"What happened?"

 

The Doctor stuck his hands in his pockets. "I stopped fighting it."

 

"Fighting what?"

 

"Whatever he absorbed is reacting to something. He's being drawn towards it. Because he's in the TARDIS, he's taking us with him," he nodded over to Kenshin, who had also regained his feet and now stared at his hand with a heartbroken expression. "Funny," he continued, scratching the front of his neck and gritting his teeth, "I've never seen such a strong reaction like that to anything but Huron Particles."

 

"What are those?"

 

The Doctor shrugged. "Particles that have been extinct for a several millenia."

 

"Doctor," Kenshin's voice sounded quiet, but the emotion behind that voice (which sounded extremely strange coming from someone who usually masked their emotions so well) caused a knot of worry to form in Jason's stomach. "What's happening to me?"

 

Jason looked away. He'd felt the way he knew Kenshin was feeling right now all too often. Completely hopeless.

 

"Let's go outside."

 

"What?" Jason and Kenshin voiced at the same time.

 

"We go outside and see what it was that attracted Kenshin, and maybe we can draw it out of him. It'll fade eventually, but if we want to travel anywhere else in time, then we have to find some way to nullify it."

 

Jason shook his head. "Where are we?"

 

The Doctor shrugged. "No clue."

 

"Wait," Kenshin said, "you want to just walk outside, into an unknown situation””possibly hostile””for no other reason than to see what it is that brought us here?"

 

Silence fell over the group for a second as the Doctor contemplated that.

 

"Yeah," he said finally, large grin once again splitting his face.

 

"You can't be serious," Jason said. The very thought went against every single survival instinct he had inside his body.

 

The Doctor leaned forward onto the railing. "Why did you come along? It wasn't just to sit on this ship and hide from the universe, right?"

 

"Can't you at least scan it, or something?" Jason asked.

 

"Scan?" Kenshin cocked his head.

 

The Doctor shrugged. "Sure, but where's the fun in that?" Then, before either one could stop him, he bounded past them, down the ramp and flung open the doors. They'd just left an orbit around the Earth; a darkness from Space broken only by stars glimmering in the background and the moon off to the side in the distance.

 

He opened the doors onto a desert. A large, flat expanse, broken only by a few rolling hills and some random cliffs here and there. The wind wasn't blowing too hard, but sand seemed to roll everywhere anyway, and Jason could already feel the heat from the sun.

 

"Well," the Doctor grinned, "this looks promising."

 

Kenshin had his hand on his sword, and Jason would be lying if he said he hadn't reached for his gun. They both stood there, in front of a seemingly empty desert braced for a fight.

 

"What's with you two?" the alien asked, then strode outside. Reluctantly, the other two followed.

 

"It feels strange, here," Kenshin muttered the moment he followed the Doctor out of the door.

 

The Doctor turned around. "Oh, that's the five moons in orbit around the planet. Have a gravitational pull that will take you two a while to get used to." Jason followed Kenshin and immediately felt some strange pull that turned his stomach into even more knots.

 

"How can you tell there are five moons?" Jason asked. "I can only see two."

 

"I just...can," the Doctor said, walking further out and turning around, surveying the landscape. He stopped when he faced the TARDIS, looking behind it. "Oh, hello."

 

Jason and Kenshin both peered around the TARDIS to see a town settled next to some cliffs. Now that he looked hard, Jason could see that they'd landed right by a road that lead into said town, which had to be a good mile away.

 

"I have never seen such a desolate settlement," Kenshin pointed out, matter-of-factly. Jason had to agree that it did look kind of hopeless. Like ruins in Nevada, except a little more western. Maybe more like a ghost town then? Except there were people running around.

 

Then, just before their eyes, a gush of water shot up in the middle of town. Kenshin and Jason stepped to the side of the TARDIS, surprise plain on their faces. The cheers of a crowd meandered over the dunes, reaching them.

 

"Hello," the Doctor said again.

 

"Hello!" A new voice answered. Kenshin and Jason whirled around, both dropping into a defensive stance.

 

"Will you two calm down?" The Doctor said, rolling his eyes. A man with blond hair, dressed all in what looked like dark brown leather stood in the road, grinning over at them. He carried someone over his shoulder.

 

Jason knew immediately that this man was not someone to take lightly. He had an air about him that screamed 'dangerous' to anyone with training. His blond hair stood up straight, like he'd done it up with gel, but also had a sort of mussy quality, like he'd just gotten out of a fight.

 

"Jason-san," Kenshin muttered, "I smell blood."

 

Jason nodded.

 

"Hello," The Doctor repeated for a third time and grinned. "I'm the Doctor. This is Kenshin and David."

 

"Jason," Jason corrected immediately.

 

The Doctor scowled at him for a moment, but turned back to the newcomer, beaming. "Who are you?"

 

"Me?" The blond guy pointed to himself, then grinned sheepishly. "Um..."

 

"And why aren't you panicking about the bleeding man on your shoulder?" Jason asked.

 

The man eyed him for a moment, his face falling slightly. "This is my brother. He'll be alright until I get back to town. I've taken care of that."

 

"Why do you not wish to make him more comfortable as soon as possible?" Kenshin asked. "In my experience, when a comrade is wounded, that is the best reaction."

 

The guy rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you see, I'm kind of nervous to go back to town. They don't really care for me there."

 

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, sounding genuinely curious.

 

"Well, I kind of have a reputation for destroying things."

 

Kenshin's look darkened. "Who are you? We told you our names. It is only polite to reveal yours."

 

The man watched Kenshin for a minute, then sighed. "You're right," he held his hand out to the Doctor. "This is my brother Knives. My name's Vash. Nice to meet you."

 

END

 

Yes, I do plan on a sequel. No, I don't even have it started. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed making this, and for your benefit I will give you a run down on Vash the Stampede.

 

...

 

Actually, no I won't. Here's a link to the series. Just watch the first about 10 minutes to get a hold on this character. ^^;

 

http://www.animefreak.tv/watch/trigun-english-dubbed-online-free I'm warning you now, there's quite a bit of violence, a lot of guns/shooting and such, and a bit of language too. If you decide to watch the rest of the series (which I recommend), then know that there are episodes where the language gets much worse, but the violence remains about the same.

 

Oh, and apparently there are some "jokes" in that first episode that I don't get, but my friend got offended. I recommend getting to at least episode 7 before you judge the series. ^^; It really does have an excellent plot line and one of the scariest villains I've ever come across.

[Amidala Skywalker]

Yay! Nice ending! This was such a great little story....I really enjoyed it!

 

So as soon as Kenshin started glowing, I immediately thought of huon particles too! Your description was spot on. This is right at the end of Tennant, isn't it? So he's already experienced Mrs. Runaway Bride?

 

It worked. "But just in case I'm not, would you like to come with me?"

 

Squeee!! The seven words everyone wants to hear from the Doctor!

[Obi-quiet]

Good! I had the huron particles in my mind when I did this to begin with. I already have the first part of the next story planned out a bit. Hope I can get around to writing it soon.

[DarthBrendo]

I've been away for a while which is why I've not commented on the last few posts, but I've just finished reading what I missed, and I have to say, very nicely done. The character developments were handled very smoothly, the ending was nicely done, with an opening for the next story. Great work

[Obi-quiet]

I wondered where you went. Hope you had fun. Thank you for the feedback! I have to admit, it's one of my favorite stories that I've written.

[jedi_master_gimpy]

Nice ending, OBQ! You wrapped up the characters and situations very well... and just perfectly for a series (or sequel, in this case)! The last chapter had the feeling of an ending, but the epilogue you added had that fantastic transition where you know these characters you've begun to enjoy so much are going to be off to another adventure. It's one of my favorite type of endings in general, resolved but not over, really, with the promise of more to come. Even without your planned sequel, it keeps true to the characters to know they'll be off to something like this.

 

I liked how they all went into the TARDIS together, I'll admit I totally did not see that coming! I figured the Doctor had to leave people pretty much as he found them, which in this case would have been sad since there is nothing for either Kenshin or Jason to go back to. It opens up some questions on the TV show, though - does the Doctor frequently take people with him on his travels? And does he travel to other planets as much as he does to Earth (at different time periods)?

 

Anywho, great job wrapping this up!

 

That said... haha, let the sequels and crossovers continue! I don't have time to research Vash, but my initial guess (confirmed by your brief description) is that he is another character familiar with death, and thus fits into this strange combination of characters. His motivations, however, are as yet unknown! The fact that Kenshin was drawn here seems to indicate that the Demmelfca or something else she "ate" probably have to be related to this new planet as well??

[Obi-quiet]

Gimpy! Glad you could review this!

 

Well, the Doctor doesn't just take anyone. The person who will end up being his companion for a while is someone that impresses him...a lot. Not just anyone gets a tour of the TARDIS.

 

I highly recommend watching the series. You can find them online, and they're very worth it. You can start at the beginning of Series 1 (not season 1), or if you don't have enough time, just start with "Blink". Yeah, just look up "Doctor who Blink" on youtube or just on Google. You'll find it. Really good start up episode.

 

As to your last question, oh yes. Most definitely. There's a big reason why Kenshin drew them here. It will probably be difficult to explain without people having seen Tri-gun, but I'm working on it.