Andromeda

The Inner Man – Episode 22 – Rachel

Chiko did not waste anytime and used the sword to force the next door open that the men were protecting. "Come on doc, we don't have time to wait!" He saw more men in the next hall coming at him as he charged onward. "I'm coming Mashiro!" Chiko swung at the two men in the front with the sword taking them down quickly in the black mist. The remaining three backed away becoming hesitant about what they had just seen. However, Chiko did not wait to see what they would do. He charged through to them striking one of them down with the sword spreading blood across the walls and his face.

Chiko breathed heavily as he pulled the sword out of the man that lay limp on the ground with the two others hugging the wall in fear. He did not even bother to wipe the blood from around his eyes as he spun the blade in a circle cutting through their mid-section. As the blade exited more blood sprayed out from the wounds across his clothes and blade. The black sword dripped in crimson as Chiko let it rest at his side blood dripping from the tip to the ground.

The Doctor walked into the hall stepping over the bodies that were spread out across the floor. He tripped over another body; the man's eyes were lifeless startling the Doctor. He fell against the wall choking on the air in his throat. The Doctor looked down the hall where Chiko was standing like a dark shadow with only the white haunting stare of his piercing eyes. Chiko seemed more like a monster or beast with blood covering him than a human at that moment.

"What have you done?! How could you misuse the power that I gave you?" the Doctor yelled leaving Chiko a little surprised. He had not heard the Doctor so upset or angered by anything before.

"But…I…er…" Chiko said hesitanting. He turned away from the Doctor so that he did not have to see what he had to do. The moment that the Doctor pulled him out of the surge he had made him realize everything that he was doing. He did not like it anymore than the Doctor. However, he had to believe that there was necessary measures needed to be taken. If he did not make it to Mashiro in time this would be for nothing. He could not remain debating the morality of what he was doing. "I can't stand around here, Mashiro is out there dying! Stay behind, doc. I'll do what I must to save him. He would do the same!" Chiko ran off down the hall through the doors as his words trailed off.

The Doctor was left behind with his arm stretched out trying to reach towards Chiko and failing. He stepped around the men lying across the floor to try to catch up to Chiko. "I hope I have not made a mistake…" The Doctor ran through the halls to find Chiko, but only finding further bodies on the floor. There was only destruction left in the wake, such was the power that was granted to him. However, the Doctor still could not believe that it was being used in such barbaric ways. He found Chiko in a room with several doors and all of them, but one was cut down. "Careful, you'll make too much noise."

"Last one. They already know I'm here," Chiko said as he cut through the metal door. The door fell inward as it slid down the doorframe. Inside the room was Mashiro with his head down. Chiko could see a lot of blood everywhere around him on the ground. He fought through the images that were coming to him as he rushed to free Mashiro. The sword cut through the steel bindings around his arms and legs. Once he was free Mashiro fell forward to the ground in the pool of blood.

Chiko knelt down to him and turned him over to rest his head on his lap. He could see where he was bleeding out of immediately without thinking about it. "Doc, get over here and help him. He's already lost a lot of blood from the looks of it." The Doctor pulled out his kit of supplies and started to look at Mashiro. Once he got started Chiko left Mashiro to the Doctor to make sure there was no one that was going to disturb them.

He walked out of the room to wait for the next wave of men that would come. Chiko could feel the strength of the body at this moment that it was becoming a little intoxicating. However, every time that he paused or there was not something happening he was reflecting on what he had just done. It was hard for him to focus knowing that he was so casually striking people down without care or remorse. Yet, when it was all finished that was all that he was filled with that he could not escape the emotions. He slid his back down against the wall holding his hands at his head. His mind was overflowing too much; he did not want to do this anymore.

His hands wrapped around his knees, as he looked downward. The floor was cold and hard. There were a few sounds that he could hear through the room, but the metal walls were blocking much of it. It was empty in the room, though not for much longer. The doors opened into the room revealing several more men entering. Chiko did not even look up at them to acknowledge them. He hardly even realized that they had entered the room.

"What's this, a little girl?" one of the men said.

"Where's the guy that was takin' everyone out?" another said.

"They said it was a little girl, didn't they?" a third said.

"Huh? A girl? You mean that little thing over in the corner crying was killing everyone?" the second said.

"Small she is, but don't underestimate her," the third said giving the second a push in the shoulder.

"She looks very strange as well," the first said standing in the front between them. "But is she covered in blood. Guess it must be true. Not my style to be killing little girls." He stepped backwards letting the other two have room. The man sat down on part of the door that Chiko had destroyed earlier.

The third stepped back as well lifting his arms up in a shrug. "I would have to agree." He then rested his back against the wall remaining next to the first man.

The second man stepped forward gritting his teeth together as he stared down across the room at Chiko. "Tch…couple of morons. Since when did you develop a conscience? We've all done worse than killing a little kid." He looked back at them while he said this. Neither of the two seemed to care and he looked forward again. The man walked over towards Chiko with a disappointed expression across his face. "Doesn't look so scary. Hey, kid! If you'd the one killin' everyone stand up and fight me!" The man's face changed as he became annoyed by the refusal of Chiko to respond to him. "What's the matter, answer me!" He then kicked Chiko in the side of his ribs sending him to the floor.

'I don't want to do this anymore,' Chiko thought to himself.

'Chiko! You can't stop right now!' Kohana shouted to him. 'He's going to kill you!'

'I know, but will this end? I don't want to become Mashiro!'

Kohana paused not saying anything to him. She did not know what to say to him. She understood his fears well enough to know what he was thinking. Even with his mind partially blocked from her, she still knew. But she could not let him lie around and get beat around. 'If you don't fight I will!'

Kohana's thoughts began to disappear and change alerting Chiko. 'No! Don't do it!' Chiko pulled himself awake as the man brought down his foot to kick him again. He raised his sword to block the foot giving a surprise to the man standing over him. 'This is not a fight for you…' Chiko pushed back on the sword knocking the man over almost forcing him back to recover his balance. He rose up from the ground then looked over at the man with much of the front of his dress covered in blood. There was a seriousness in his eyes that was not there a moment before taking the man a little off guard.

"Getting serious huh? Its about time, I was getting bored with you lying on the floor and all."

'These men have the intent to kill, you don't have that,' Chiko said to Kohana who could only respond with a silent gasp. Chiko gripped his sword firmly with his hand while the man finished talking. There was little care about what the man was actually talking about to Chiko. His only desire was to end this quickly and keep Mashiro safe until he was recovered enough to move. Chiko dashed at the man quickly striking to end it, but the man was able to move at of the way enough even though he was surprised by his speed. The sword caught on the man's right arm removing it from his body in a clean strike of black trailing.

The man fell down to his knee as he grabbed his stump of an arm with his other hand. There was black mist around the stump that was quickly penetrating through the skin making the surrounding area dark. "Argh! What did you do to me you little b-"

Chiko did not pause after the strike and immediately spun backwards with the sword striking the man in the back cutting off his words. The black mist quickly covered his back until his entire body was convulsing on the floor. The man could barely speak a word through the paralysis that overtook him in moments. Chiko turned to the face the other two that were still resting at the far end of the room unchanged by the quick dispatching of their companion.

"You're the one then. He underestimated you, not a mistake we'll make," the third one said. They both stood up taking an even distance apart staring at Chiko to wait for a move.

Chiko charged at them with the sword firmly in his hand ready to strike. The two remain still as he came at them swing his sword downward at them both. However, they were both gone in an instant. He had missed them swinging only at air as he came to stop at the wall. The swipe of the sword's arc had cut through the metal wall slightly. Chiko looked over his shoulder to find the two at the other end of the room now looking at him. 'So fast, much more than I expected…'

He turned around to face them again. Chiko charged them again watching them more closely this time to see when they were about to move. As he moved closer to them the first one began to move to the left followed by the second to the right. Chiko swung his sword wide to reach out to the first one while he continued on his path to minimize his movements. His sword missed, but it did cut through the shirt of the first one slightly as the man dodged out of the way.

The man slid backwards across the floor coming to a stop as he looked up at Chiko little surprised. 'She's quick to learn.' He looked over at his companion as they nodded to themselves starting to move at Chiko. One came in from the front and the other from behind with long knives pulled out.

Chiko tried to keep up with the two of them as they ran at him. He blocked the one in the front and pushed him out of his way as the other from the back ripped his knife through his side. Chiko had barely managed to avoid a lethal strike, but he was now bleeding himself across his clothes. He was still feeling the wounds he had from the previous fight. The Doctor had managed to bandage him up enough, but he was starting to feel the pain from them.

Chiko slammed his back against the wall as he paused to take a moment to breathe watching the two men prepare another attack. He was not used to fighting, even more so someone that actually knew how to survive his first strike. This was going to end badly for him if he did not manage to get a killing blow in soon. Chiko saw the two charging at him and he pushed himself off the wall at them as well.

The two men charged together at him, the third in front with the first behind trailing. Chiko did not know what they were going to do, but he was only aiming to strike first. The third man met with Chiko dodging the swing of his sword and struck his knife across his shoulder. Then the first man leapt off the back of the third coming over top of Chiko running the knife across his back. Chiko tumbled over as the third kicked him in the stomach sending to the ground against the wall.

Chiko coughed and bit through the pain as he watched the two come at him for the killing blow. He tried to stand up to block them with his sword, but he was too slow as they were inches away from him. 'No, I can't die now!'

Suddenly there was a gun shot from the room where Chiko was laying. Two bullets ripped through the skulls of the two men that were trying to kill Chiko. The blood sprayed across Chiko's face, as he looked on with surprise the death in their eyes. They collapsed immediately against the walls on opposite sides of Chiko. He looked to the doorway to find Mashiro walking out of the room with a gun in his hand and a trail of smoke from the barrel.

Mashiro pulled Chiko up off the floor getting him out of the blood. He looked up at Mashiro smiling at him; he seemed to have recovered from his wounds already. "You okay?" Mashiro asked.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. How are you feeling? You going to be alright?"

The Doctor walked out of the room wiping his hands off with a cloth. "He'll be okay. However, this is only going to be temporary. The nanomachines are working at an accelerated rate to mend the tissue, but he shouldn't over exert himself."

"Yeah, well I don't know if they'll allow that, doc," Mashiro said looking back over at Chiko with surprise. "I don't recall being rescued by a maid with a bondage fetish."

Chiko's face became red looking over at the Doctor and kicked him in the shins.

"Hey! What's that for, he said it?"

"He'll need his legs to get out of here," Chiko said. "You ready to leave?"

"No, there's something I have to finish," Mashiro said walking to the door.

"But what about your injuries, you aren't going to survive long," Chiko said running up to him. He tried to stand in his way to prevent him from going any further.

"No, I have something left undone and it'll only continue to haunt my shadow until it is finished. If I don't finish this now, she'll just come back again. It ends now." He pushed Chiko aside and walked through the door. Chiko ran after him following him through the hallway until they came to the large open area of the warehouse. There were few things left around in the storage area other than a couple of vehicles. Mashiro walked up to one of the lifters with Chiko trailing behind him.

"What are you going to do?"

"You might want to stand back. I'm going to wake them up," Mashiro said turning on the engine. The lifter coughed up some smoke before settling into an even roar of the engine. Mashiro pushed it forward setting it at full speed before leaping off of it shortly before it crashed into the walls. Chiko and the Doctor rushed over to Mashiro to make sure that he was still feeling all right after the crash.

The lifter plowed through the walls not stopping destroying everything in its path. There were sparks and muffled explosions in the distance as equipment was destroyed. Only the dust remained beginning to settle to the bottom of the rooms left behind. Many of the rooms were already starting to collapse with the weakened structure. The lifter had passed through the entire building leaving the light from the car shining through the hole. All of the settling dust could be seen as well as a figure stepping out of the first hole. There were sparks flying from the side that came from electronic devices.

The light shone around the figure as they approached. Eventually light grazed across the face to reveal that it was Rachel covered in dust and definitely angry. Chiko knew that he had no chance to fight her; Mashiro had a hard enough time that last time. He stepped backwards to give him room. The thought of letting Mashiro fight went against what he wanted, but he knew that this was how it had to be for Mashiro.

She stepped out of the light from the hole staring across at Mashiro. "Back from the dead as well I see. What are the fallen do to now?"

"This ends now Rachel."

"You think you can kill me? You can't without Angel."

"I'm the only one that can kill you. That's one thing he can't do."

"Is that so? Can you do it, kill the woman you loved?"

"You ready to find out?" Mashiro knew what he said, but there was definite doubt in his mind if he could actually do it. In the condition that he was in, he knew that he would not last long against her. He was not even sure if his reflexes were back yet after the bullet he took. Much of his body was still weakened from the near-death state. There were too many questions, but he forced them out of his mind and focused. He had only one task, to kill Rachel any means necessary.

Mashiro aimed his gun at Rachel; it was going to be a futile effort. However, he needed to begin this somehow and with the first round fired it did. Rachel was moving quickly through the open warehouse avoiding his shots at her. She pulled out two guns aiming them at him while she was in the air. Mashiro started to move as well now watching her aim. The two moved around the warehouse missing each other, but putting holes in the thin metal walls of the building.

A bullet grazed Mashiro's arm stunning him for a moment as Rachel changed her aim suddenly to Chiko. She did not hesitate in firing two rounds off at him to Mashiro's surprise. Chiko's eyes narrowed as he saw her firing at him. He did not have time to move. "Cosmos Magic Striking Comet Stream!" The sword reverted back to its rod form quickly and a mist crossed the area around Chiko quickly responding to his thoughts. The two bullets were caught in the stream falling to the ground as the mist faded away.

Rachel was left confused by the display as well as Mashiro. Chiko smirked from behind the fading mist. The Doctor patted him on the head, "Good job!"

"I don't need you treating me like a pet," Chiko snapped back.

Mashiro fired off his final bullet at Rachel knocking one of her guns out of her hand. "This fight is between us, leave them out of it!"

"Protecting someone else now. You really feed off that guardian mentality don't you?" Rachel turned her remaining gun back on Mashiro as he tossed his aside. He ran towards her dodging her shots and closing the gap between them. Once he was close enough to her he took a swing at her with his leg that was just a feint. He followed up with his hand grabbing for her gun to take it away from her.

The two rolled around on the ground struggling with the gun. Neither of them had complete hold over it anymore. Rachel tried to kick him in the stomach, but Mashiro wrapped his legs around her legs. They continued rolling over the floor as a shot was fired off blankly into the ground. As they came to rest fighting for the gun Rachel spoke to him. "Haven't been this close since we made love," she said with a smirk. "You really eat up the protector role don't you? Where were you when I needed protection and locked away in a Japanese military prison for two years of my life?"

"It was wrong. We shouldn't have been there."

"That wasn't for you to decide. It was just another mission, we aren't the ones that make that decision."

"I couldn't live with such simplicities anymore."


The memories came back to him even clearer than before. It was no longer a haze or fog in his mind that seemed to be real, but remained as illusions. This was much stronger now unavoidable. His past would no longer stay buried unresolved as it was.

He was the assassin, the one that killed without mercy or care. However, when the assassin begins to have feelings was when his life was put in jeopardy. He had been using the beast in him, Crimson Angel to protect himself from what he was feeling. Rachel had warmed his heart to a point that he could no longer turn it off. His mind was thinking about the future now rather than the present and he could not concentrate. And he hated himself being consumed by the beast that was within him. There was no more control over what he did and he could hardly tell when he was himself.

The mission in Tokyo was going poorly for them, but they were ready to strike soon. But Mashiro had learned something that made him hesitate. He could no longer quietly pull the trigger and not know what he was doing. He did not understand the politics of what was going to happen, but he knew that it was wrong now. What he had seen was too much for him to handle and he had to do something to change it.

He was standing outside a government building in Tokyo where there was several delegates meeting. They all were his targets as he quickly realized. It did not take long for him to figure out what was going on. This was not about some rogue political figure that the Japanese government needed some help silencing. It was the U.S. Government wanting to silence several individuals. They were key figures in foreign companies and governments that were working together towards goals of a financial independence. Most of them relied on the U.S. for one thing or another and the U.S. Government was profiting off of being in their countries greatly. If this were cut off, they would lose their monopoly. It was about money and greed. If they died, it would completely destabilize their countries allowing the U.S. even further stranglehold over them.

Mashiro had not understood all of it at the moment, but he knew enough to know that he could not let it happen. He stopped following the orders that were given to him. A conscience had developed in him that would no longer allow himself to continue down the path that he was on anymore. There was a division with him and his inner self. A fight over who was correct and would remain in control began within him. However, the fight was never resolved. He was too afraid of what the outcome would be if he were not strong enough to overcome himself. So he buried himself away leaving everything undone.

Once he learned what was going to happen he had immediately turned himself into the Japanese Government. He had spent hours thinking it over to himself and it was the only solution that he came up with at the time. The thought of betraying his comrades pained him, but he could not prevent himself any more. After he had explained everything to them they let him go and return back to them so that suspicions would not be raise. Everything would continue as it had, except that he was leading them into a trap now.

When he had returned back to them there was uneasiness in the air. They were all busy doing something, but with what was hanging over his head it made the silence unbearable for him. Then when it came time to leave to complete the mission he became nervous. Rachel was going with them as everyone was supposed it, but he did not want her to be taken with everyone else. He had tried to convince her that she was not needed on the main infiltration and that she could say back with the rest to monitor the situation.

"What's wrong, Mashiro? I have be there if something happens."

"But I don't want to see you get hurt. This is not like the other missions, it is going to be worse if something goes wrong in there."

"Why are you telling me this now? We both know what can happen. I'll be alright."

"I just…"

"What?"

"I love you, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

"I know…"

"Hey, Rachel, Mashiro come on. We're thirty seconds behind schedule!"

"Coming," Rachel said leaving Mashiro alone to catch up.

Everything happened as they had planned until Mashiro set the trap. Japanese military forces stormed the building and surrounded them before they had a chance to fight back. Two of the members committed suicide before they could be captured, but the rest were detained and arrested before they were able. Mashiro had tried to get Rachel released, but everything that he had given them was only enough to set him free and only within Japan.

When it was all released to the media it created a massive political scandal in the U.S. government. Everyone was being called into question as the organization followed up the change of command to the President. All of the missions that Mashiro had been on were disclosed against his will and created the huge international scandal that broke the U.S. government. Mashiro was forever branded a traitor to the government, but with the eventual collapse of the U.S. government he was never deported. Then he was assigned to work in the Japanese government where he was given the position in Section Three.

Mashiro broke through his memories again as they were still struggling for the gun. He could feel the strain on his wounds, but he continued in spite of the protest. Rachel tried to pull out of his grip that his legs had her in, but failed. She turned him over so that she was now on top rather than on their sides. Her hair fell over his face as she looked into his eyes. He could see the hate that she had for him now that had replaced the love she used to have for him.

"Simplicities? Traitor, that simple enough? You loved me and yet you still sent me to rot in prison being tortured and interrogated."

"I tried, but I made my decision and now I have to live with it."

"Not for much longer," she said as she ripped the gun out of his Mashiro's hands. She bent up to aim the gun down at him, but he slapped it out of her hands quickly. Rachel broke out of Mashiro grip as she threw a stray piece of wood at him. He lost his grip on her in avoiding the object and flipped backwards to regain his footing. They stood over a short distance from each other waiting to see what the other would do now.

Rachel started running to the side and Mashiro followed her matching her moves. She turned and he did as well. When she began to make a circle he did too. Mashiro was keeping the distance and keeping her guessing. He was not sure how he was going to take her down knowing how skilled she was. There were no openings for him to take. 'Let me kill her,' a voice in him said.

'No, I'm not listening to you anymore. You're my past.'

'And so is she. You want me back. I know you do.'

'Never, that is over.'

Rachel charged at him suddenly and his concentration was broken for the moment that he could not react to her quickly enough. He only had enough time to block her kick that came at his stomach. Mashiro was knocked backwards a few steps as he tried to recover himself quickly from the hit. Rachel continued the assault on him though swiping her legs at his ankles, but he flipped into the air to avoid her. However, she was already countering him with a high kick that grabbed him down to the ground. His back slammed into the concrete floor painfully.

She thrust her fist down to hit his stomach that was weak still, but Mashiro rolled out of the way. Her fist stopped an inch from the ground and then sent a kick at his side as he still lie on the ground. Mashiro was up before the kick was finished blocking it downward with his hands. Rachel then grabbed a long length of wood off of the ground swinging at him as he flipped backwards several times. On the final flip he picked up a piece of wood from the ground and parried her swing.

The two exchanged swings with the length of wood trying to jab with it when there was an opening. Neither broke through the other's defense. As the wood clashed dust broke free accenting the impacts. They swung at each other with one hand. Rachel was slowly backing Mashiro against a wall as he fought with his unconscious mind. As they backed up Rachel found another piece of wood taking it into her other hand. Mashiro fended off her attacks with one piece as she assaulted him with a fury of attacks. She rotated her whole body spinning into the attacks to increase the impact as Mashiro was barely keeping her from knocking him off his feet.

'You can't win without me.'

'I can and I will. I don't need you anymore.'

'You'll always need me. You can't do anything without me.'

Rachel slammed the wood in a heavy spin of her body that shattered both pieces of wood into splinters as her second piece cracked into his shoulder. The impact and force knocked him off his feet to the side sliding across the ground painfully as Rachel chased after him.

Chiko looked on from the side with the Doctor holding his hands together hoping that Mashiro would be safe. He could not stop worrying if Mashiro would make it through this fight in his condition. The way that he was looking it seemed as though Rachel was getting the better of him. He was only on the defense, which it seemed unlike him. However, Chiko did not know if he had plan in mind as he always did to get out of situations. "Mashiro…" he said softly.

Mashiro stumbled over a crate as Rachel's kicked smashed through the wood of the container. He used the moment to take an offensive position at her swinging his leg in quickly. There was not enough time to get some strength behind it, as Rachel would have been to fast to react. She barely had her arm up in block as she was knocked off her feet for a moment. Mashiro chased after her as she recovered on her other hand and flipped backwards sliding across the ground on her feet. Mashiro kicked a crate at her position as she jumped into the air. She came down at him with her leg, but he grabbed it.

Rachel turned her body using her leg to turn Mashiro off balance. Mashiro let go her leg before she was able complete the move and thrust his fist at her stomach. His fist hit her, but not before she had kicked him in the upper shoulder of his right arm. They both fell to the side recovering themselves quickly. Mashiro was a little too slow though with Rachel already on top of him again with a crate. She tried to crush him with it, but he bent his legs back and kicked through the crate shattering the aged wood.

Rachel in the middle of the debris threw a knife at Mashiro that he did not see. The knife dug deep into his shoulder quickly bleeding from the wound. As the debris settling he looked to see that it was one of his own knifes. Rachel was smirking at him as he pulled it painfully out of his shoulder. "You're distracted. You would've noticed me grabbing that out of your coat."

Mashiro's eyes narrowed as he knew it to be true. He was constantly fighting with the Angel to keep him from taking control. His mind was divided between the mental battle and the physical battle. He was barely able to keep up with her moves and the internal struggle was slowing down his ability to react. This was going to be over soon if he did not resolve one of the battles quickly.

Rachel continued to beat on him as he could only block her attacks coming at him. She struck his wound in his shoulder making him lose focus. A kick from her went through his defenses cracking one of his ribs as he fell over. Mashiro slid across the ground as he felt the bone stabbing his insides. 'Quit holding back.'

'No, I won't let you come out.'

'You'll die…'

Mashiro stood up slowly getting hit in the face by Rachel again knocking him backwards to the ground once more. He slid across in the dust as he coughed through the pain he was feeling. His stomach was becoming painful again; no doubt his temporary fix was coming undone as he fought longer. Mashiro tried to stand up to return anything back at Rachel, but she was behind him ramming her knee through his back. He fell forward to the ground unable to move from Rachel's foot that held him in place.

Chiko was having trouble still watching as Mashiro had almost completely stopped defending himself. He wanted to turn away or run to help him, but his body would not budge. All he felt was sadness over his entire body and the water drip of tears from his eyes. Chiko and Kohana were crying together.

Rachel submitted him to countless strikes, as he lay on the ground unable to do anything. He had even stopped blocking her attacks after a while. It was hard to tell if he was feeling anything after a while as the only time he moved was when he was hit again. There was still life in him, though it seemed like most of it was drained away now. His eyes were the only things that were defiant anymore and the reason Rachel continued.

'You're at the breaking point.'

'No, I won't let you.'

'I'm you. I'm just the part you can't stomach. The part you're too afraid to admit is your true self.'

'I'm past that. You're my past and nothing more.'

'You can't deny me anymore. I am you. Let go and I will kill her for you.'

'No, you can't kill her.'

'You know I can.'

'No. No, you're wrong,' Mashiro paused in thought as his memories flashed through his mind. He saw reflections of Rachel and himself. He saw the times that they were together and happy. And then something came to him, a sudden illumination in his mind. Then he understood. 'I know you can't. You can't do it. That is why you missed the last time.'

'What?! I didn't miss.'

'You did and on purpose. I know that now…thanks to my memories. I know now, I have to accept. Accept my past, a part of me is still in love with her after all this time. It's been holding me back stabbing me every time. I can't defeat her like this.' Mashiro's eyes widened suddenly as he caught Rachel's foot coming to hit him again. It took her by surprise as it did for Chiko and the Doctor. He threw her off balance pushing her foot against her until she was sliding backwards across the ground.
Mashiro stood up looking calmly at Rachel as she looked up at him. She turned her head quickly to remove the hair from her face as she stared at him questioningly. She could see the difference in demeanor about him his countenance was changed. "Its you isn't? My beloved?"

"No, not anymore," Mashiro said as a serene smile came across his face.

"What? Its similar, but not the same. Who are you then?"

"He has become me as I have become him. There is no longer a line in the sand dividing us."

"Where is the man I loved?" she said screaming at him. "I don't want to fight you?" Rachel threw the nearest thing at Mashiro, a cracked wood board with a few nails sticking out of it. Mashiro pulled out his knife and knocked it aside casually letting the knife continue past Rachel. It grazed her cheek, as she was too slow to dodge the surprising speed of the projectile. Blood slowly dripped down her cheek as she stared at him in shock.

Mashiro did not waste any further time and pulled out several more knives throwing them at Rachel as she tried to avoid them all. They were far more accurate and quick than she could dodge. However, as the knives met their end they were pulled back with a flick of Mashiro's fingers. The knives sped back to Mashiro from behind Rachel cutting her along her arms and legs. She was on one knee a moment later biting through the pain across her body.

She dove out of the way of the next wave of knives to come at her continuing into a roll. All Rachel could do was try to avoid as Mashiro continued a merciless assault on her. The knives would every so often cut across her skin opening another wound that she bled from. Rachel found herself cornered by Mashiro quickly as he threw a final series of knives at her. She jumped forward to try to strike at him while avoiding the knives, but Mashiro flicked his fingers one final time releasing the trap he weaved.

Stray light caught some glimpses of the wires that he was using as they burst upward from their held positions. They were all strategically placed around the warehouse carefully catching on objects temporarily during the fight. Now they were all released in a flurry of thin lights catching Rachel in mid-air. The wires wrapped around her arms and legs then torso and neck. She was held out like a crucifix, but the way the light was caught on the wires it almost seemed like she had wings of an angel.

The wires tightened around her body as her gravity pulled on her. Her skin was slowly being pierced and torn by the wires as blood dripped from every wound on her body. She looked down at Mashiro in surprise now rather than anger and maybe even a longing that she was missing a part of herself. "It really isn't you…any longer. I-I didn't think…you had it in you. Goodbye…"

Mashiro pulled on the wire, he was still holding, tightening the entire trap until it strangled her throat and body. "…my love…" A tear fell down his cheek as he looked up at her still body. Blood slowly dripped down her feet into a pool on the ground echoing through the warehouse.

Chiko felt sad for her even though he knew that she had been trying to kill Mashiro and him. There was a sadness he could feel in her eyes and voice that seemed like something had changed in her as well. He did not know what it was that he felt from her, but he was having trouble hating her completely. Chiko rushed over to Mashiro as he collapsed to the ground. "Which are you, really?"

Mashiro looked up at Chiko smiling weakly at him. "I am both now. The other half is gone forever now. The struggle is over. I've found peace with him."

"Let's get you out of here and back to the house."

"Yes, I'm going to have to completely redo all of the work now thanks to all of your fighting," the Doctor said. "You're staying down this time!"

"Yeah, no promises. And Chiko, you going ever change out of that maid outfit?"

Chiko's face became red quickly. "Hey, be grateful I saved you!" Mashiro laughed roughly through the pain as the Doctor helped him outside. Chiko followed after them with an indignant look across his face. "You're lucky your injured or I'd kick you!"

"Well you're definitely the same."

"Hey!"

The preview for the next episode:

"We finally got you home and safe Mashiro!"

"Yeah, next time I'm driving and the Doctor gets the backseat."

"Agreed."

"Hey! I'm getting better."

"Right, tell that to my heart." An eerie sound is heard coming from somewhere unseen.

"What's that?"

"Hey, I'm injured what you doing grabbing on to me?"

"My heart is racing again. Who's making that noise, it's so creepy."

"I didn't hear anything."

"Come on, it was as plain as day."

"I think your mind is playing tricks on you or maybe Kohana."

"Ooo…"

"Eeeii!!" Chiko screams.

"Ow, ow ow, stop that! I'm in pain here! Ahh!!" Chiko punches Mashiro suddenly. "Hey, what's that for?"

"You're making me forget about the preview. You always do this to me. Come on." There is another eerie noise that interrupts Chiko. "Err-uh...anyway the preview. The next episode of The Inner Man, Haunting."

"Really?"

"Explains a lot, creeping me out like that. I'm going to kick them all in the shins I swear! Oh, better not miss it. Tee hee!!"