Raid: Night of death

[Mibbie.]

(( This thread is mainly about the Shinsengumi going on another raid against Choshu. The Choshu have been making bomb fires a lot lately, and the Shinsengumi plan to stop this, by invading their HQ, and killing each and every one...Don't worry people, this thread is all fake, so don't get confused. I just love doing bloody, angst fight scenes! ^^ BTW, I'll play Heisuke. *Shocker-Shocker*))

" Hey!! More smoke! Jesus Christ, how many places caught on fire!!?"

Cursed a skinny man as he stood, tensed and alert, as he stood infront of a hut. He was breathing hard, obviously he had been running for a long time, trying to help as many people as he could. his eyes were narrowed, and he was holding his blade with his right hand only. His uniform was ripped slightly, but it was still fine. He turned quickly, seeing a few Choshu run up behind him. Those men caught this samurai in a bad mood...

" You bastards!!!"

Cursed the man again, his teeth clenched together as he charged up to the men, his katana in both hands as he charged for them. He easily killed them. One sweep each. Actually, he just beheaded all of them, each just using different moves. Blood splattered on his haori, and on his face. Though, he still didn't care. He turned back around, his sword also dripping with blood as he ran back up to this house. He rubbed some of the blood away from his eyes, or around that area with his wrist as he gazed at the building, contemplating whether to go in and save that family of three, most likly endangering himself, or that he should just fight off more men, having a batter chance to live.

This man wasn't no coward. He would go in, its just that he did have a duty to live up to...He was Heisuke Todo, captain to the eighth unit, and he needed to help his comrades. But still...what should he do?

(( Anyone at all??))

[Umeko]

"MY baby's in there!"

A very soot-covered couple stumbled out of the hut. The woman, about twenty, was hysterical. The man restraining her & stopping her from rushing into the flames was not much older. He was surprisingly calm, depsite having watched a burning rafter crush his newborn's cradle just a few minutes before he managed to drag his wife to safety.

He looked up & saw Todo, covered with blood, cursed aloud and pulled his wife protectively behind him.

"D**M YOU!"

He grabbed a nearby hoe & tried to attack the man, clearly mistaking him for the arsonist. The moment her husband loosened his grip on her, the mother dashed back for her already dead baby.

[Mibbie.]

Heisuke blinked once, with shock as he backed a step, missing each strike the man made. He wasn't going to fight this man back, these people had nothing to do with this fight. Although, Heisuke was more concentrated on the woman running back into the house. He still missed each shot as he swore under his breath, as he saw the woman run in. ' What is she thinking!?' He looked back at the man, his serious self again, and looked kinda feirce, but in a gentle way.

" Look! *misses another attack* Beleive what you want, but I don't have time for this! "

Yelled out Heisuke. Heisuke had to yell becuase the flames were getting louder, the house becoming even more bright with with the fire burning it. It was like this was hell itself. The man missed one more throw, then decided that he better get that woman before she kills herself. He ran past the man, but yelled out something before he did so, his voice angered.

" You shouldn't have let her out of your sight!"

After that, Heisuke made a move that no one would predict, he put his sleeve over the bottom half of his face, to protect himself from the smoke, and ran into the flaming hut...

(( Omg...That is so sad...that poor baby... ))

[Umeko]

((Yes, poor baby... I'm a meanie right?))

The young husband was very surprised when Toudou disappeared into the burning building. Confused by the smoke & chaos, he looked around for his wife.

Meanwhile inside the burning hut, the woman screamed as she saw her baby's cradle pinned under the burning rafter. She was choking on the thick smoke. Ignoring the flames licking at her flesh, she tried desperately to lift the burning wood clear of the crushed cradle, hoping against hope that her baby was still alive. More bits of the burning roof came raining down.

Hearing his wife's scream, the young man finally figured out where his wife had disappeared to. With a loud curse, he charged headlong into the flames after the captain.

Watching unobserved from the roof of an undamaged building was a lone kunoichi.

Umeko-san will have a lot to say to her brother & co. in the morning. Nami decided it was lucky the part of town where their Umeya is was spared so far. Maybe Kogoro-san does care for his sister... and maybe he just doesn't want to get on the wrong end of her naginata.

((Yes, I'm giving Nami a chance to get out of the kitchen))

[Mibbie.]

(( Well, at least your being truthful...thats probably what it was like...so sad...u_u))

Heisuke was now walking through the flames. The smoke didn't really affect him since he was breathing through his sleeve, but it did damage his vision alittle. He sheathed his sword with one hand, quickly trying to find the woman. He went on alittle ways, until he saw a foggy figure up ahead. He was just about to go over to it, but just about a foot infront of him, a large peice of the roof top fell, burning in it's ashes, revealing the moonlight above.

The man got scared half to death by this action, bearly almost getting crushed, but he just let it pass, going around it. But now he couldn't see anything, everything was just all smoke and flames. ' damn, where is she?!' Thoght Heisuke impatiently and fearfully. Everything seemed to be happening so fast....

[Umeko]

"Minami!" The young husband choked out his wife's name. He had gone without taking any precautions from the smoke. There was no reply. The smoke was blinding him.

The baby's room... Minami might have gone there...He stumbled into a figure in the smoke.

"Minami?"

No, it was not Minami. It was Toudou.

"Minami!" The smoke parted a little way to reveal to both men a badly burnt Minami. She was still trying to save her baby...

[Gentatsu]

(I'll play Sasaki Tadasaburo, Commander of the Mimawarigumi, the Shinsengumi's rivals!)

Dressed in all black with red triangles on his sleaves Sasaki and troops came to the scene.

Sasaki: We are the Mimawarigumi and we have buisness here! We are the jikisan (direct retainers) of the Tokugawa clan! The Shinsengumi are made up of nothing but dojo owners, farmers and common folk! Someone explain the situation to me!

[Umeko]

Nami watched from the safety of her perch. She was only to observe, not take part in anything. She smiled broadly under her mask at Sasaki's words. True, indeed. If they could get lucky, those dojo owners & farmers might be overhearing, take offence & take on the Mimawarigumi. Let the 2 groups fight it out while the Choushu just kick back & watch the show.

[Mibbie.]

Heisuke gasped as he heard the man's voice, he turned, seeing him. He narrowed his eyes angrily, thinking that these people MUST want to die...running into a burning hut like this. But, I guess people can do unthinkable things for the ones they love...Just thinking that made Heisuke look over at the burnt woman, just then his eyes going wide with shock as he gawked at the horried scene. The smoke was getting thicker and thicker, obviously getting harder for both men. 'Dammit! She's gonna die if she doesn't stop!' Said heisuke, still surprised. Lowering his arm, ignoring the toxic gases, he ran torwards Minami who was a couple yards away, maybe 5.

He almost tripped over rubble, and got smashed by burning pieces of wood a couple times, but he avoided everything. It was getting hotter. It was probably around 120 F right now, so Heisuke had sweat rolling down his cheek and neat, not to mention his palms. The roar of the flames raged on...

[Umeko]

"Minami!"

The young man, ignoring his own burns and the choking smoke, ran over to his wife & grabbed her. She fought back, screaming hysterically before finally passing out. He ignored Toudou as he passed him. He tried to carry his unconscious wife to safety through the flames.

Just as they made it to the entrance, the burning doorway collapsed as did bits of the flimsy hut walls and roof. The couple was gone, buried under the rubble of what used to their doorway.

((Let's see if Toudou can get out of this mess.))

[Gentatsu]

Sasaki: Oh! I guess it is burning in here ! Well that is something! Mimawarigumi, aren't we also the kyoto fire brigade?

Daizaburo: Uh fire brigade?

Nakazou: Uh what!?

Sasaki: Oh never mind that! Secure the perimeter! Make sure that no other Shinsengumi's get in the area!

[Mibbie.]

Heisuke stopped just as the man passed him, seeing that he had his wife, he saw the man run, and run, and soon he faded. Heisuke's eyes were crescent as he looked down. He just 'assumed' that they were safe, trying to find a way to see if HE can get out of this...

He began to walk, wanting to head torward the back where there would be another door closer to him, but before he could take even one step, he winced, falling to one knee. His ankle got burned badly, and it was bleeding. Heisuke looked at the wound, trying to ignore what he felt.

'damn...this was the last thing I needed...I guess-No! I'm getting outta here,...even if it DOES kill me when I get out...'

Heisuke winced again as he tried to stand. He was bale to after a minute or so, but the fire was getting closer to him...and he was slightly suffocating. He saw a kinda clear path ahead of him, and decided that was the way he had to go. Just as he was about to leave, he looked up at the cieling, and saw a HUGE peice of roof about to fall on him. He gasped with wide eyes and quickly moved out of the way, about a foot away, his chest hurting from all this shock.

'Im really gonna die aren't I...no one could survive this!''

He just shook his head, he stood up again, having to have a limp stance. He tried looking up again, but his eyes were compltely blinded. So, he had to leave on pure instinct. Taking in a deep breath, with alittle smoke and heat here and there, he ran. It felt like his ankle was going to just break off at any moment, but he just kept on going. Finally, after what seemed like hours, he reached the back door, but it was covered with only alittle debri, so, he just narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth together as he made a blocking motion with his hands, over his face as he ran at the door, slamming it down with his shoulder hard, luckily, he broke it, falling onto the cold, dirt ground.

He was panting hard, like he wasn't breathing for a few minutes, he got up slowly blinking once as he sat up still sort of weak as he was kneeling on one knee again. But before he looked at his wound once more, he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, and blinked a few times to get his sight back, then he looked at his surroundings. The couple was no where in sight, and eveything else looked like it was burning too, catching from just that one little hut.

Heisuek narrowed his eyes slightly. 'This is bad...'

[Umeko]

Nami was almost leaving the scene when she thought she heard someone inside the burning house call her name. At first she thought it was a figment of her imagination. Then she thought she heard it again...

Nami! The heat's getting to you!

Still, she found iut difficult to leave the burning house. Instead of sprinting over the rooftops to the safety of Umeya, she gently dropped into the alley that ran behind the burning house. That was no way she'd get in through the front door.

When I wake up, I'll hate myself if I do not at least check.

She knew three people had gone into the flames. Was it possible a friend of hers was trapped inside? She was familiar with the alley. But it was risky now the fire is catching. She saw the rest of the house collapse on itself. Then she saw the man standing in the alley.

His clothes were burnt and soot-covered so she could not make out who he was. He appeared not too badly hurt.

He could have been the occupant of the house.

"You better get outta here if you don't want to be toast! It's too late to go back for your folks..." She called out before sprinting to safety through the dark alleys. She knew all the twists and turns that will bring her safely back to Umeya. Umeko will be awaiting a report on her brother's behalf.

"My condolences!" She pulled down her mask & called out as an afterthought, before running off into the shadows.

He looks cute...
Moron! You don't even know him!He may have just lost his wife & kids...
So he's available...
Heartless woman you!

Nami carried out a inner conversation as she ran.

[Gentatsu]

Sasaki continued on, oblivious...

Sasaki: Ah yes! We are certainly the most motivated patrol group in Kyoto! Haha! We have the whole situation under our red triangles!

[Mibbie.]

Heisuke was slightly confused by the mysterious shinobi's words, not having a clue what she was talking about, but he just shook his head slightly, forgetting about it. He looked around him, turning back to his serious self, mad and sad at the same time. " damn, I'll never ne able to stop these fires, or maybe save the people...--!!"

The young man was caught off by surprise when he sensed a Choshu behind him, he turned around, his feet facing foreward as he felt a shock of pain again by his ankle, but he ignored it. He saw the man about to thrust an attack, and Heisuke was completelty exausted from the earlier event. But with a slight growl, and unsheathed his sword, coutering both katana's with the large man, having it be hard for Heisuke, sweat rolled down his cheek again, the flames getting higher and higher, taking more lives...

'It's like we're already in hell...'

Thought the man, a dark thought, as he still struggled with the man, trying to find his weak spot.