The young man waited patiently for the walk sign to light up before he started to cross. He was careful to look before crossing the street, making sure he had plenty of time to cross. He even started to jog across for some obscure reason. These were all indications of a seeming too-careful regard for life, stranger still for the fact that life was the last thing on his mind.

Half-suicidal, half-maddened with the desire to strike out, he was usually not the most careful with his own life. Yet, this one time, he was cautious. It was as if he could feel something at work, as if he knew that there would be a strangeness that time, that moment at the street.

Somehow, a car appeared over the small hill of the road, not seeing, not stopping. With a true disregard for life, it roared through the relatively quiet, empty part of Tokyo, proclaiming in its deeds an arrogance that was matched only by the rich, young, drunk people inside. It smashed on, the car and people inside one in the childish rampage; delight in destruction.

It hit the young man in a flash of red, knocking him far away from its path. Making no indication of either guilt or recognition, the people sped on, only to hit a tree a mile away. The young man was conscious until his last breath a few moments later, and curiously, nothing was in his mind but a hint of confusion.

It is curious to note how the one time he had been so careful, as if precognizant of his doom, death had come upon him anyway. Aware or not, it seemed that fate had a grudge against one Subaru Sumeragi, now dying on an obscure road in a ward of Tokyo. His last thoughts were wondering, a seeking of his sibling and of his lost innocence. Then, he spared a last moment to his darker half -- his last thought a bitter farewell to the one who should have been his killer.

Duncan MacLeod came out of the bar half-drunk, and relatively sane. That is, unless you counted the fact that he had been in a karaoke bar, and had actually started to enjoy the singing halfway through. When he had begun chiming in to an old, bad ditty that he hadn't even realized that he still remembered, Duncan knew that it was time to get out.

Saying goodbyes to disappointed friends, he let the group sing themselves to oblivion, while he walked out into the brisk night. "Well, that was fun..." His sarcastic remark echoed into the night as he realized then how drunk he really was. Carefully steadying himself against a building, Duncan started to head toward his hotel, only a few blocks away.

Suppressing the urge to start singing old drinking songs well forgotten, Duncan felt the feeling. A buzz, the signal that there was danger, a rival. Another one like himself, immortal, possibly hunting. Duncan knew that he was not in the best of fighting condition right now -- after all, when the ground was moving like the sea on a stormy day, even a drunk man knows he's probably bombed.

Still, there was no use in trying to not fight -- it would be worse if he tried to run. Slipping out his katana from his long trench coat, he looked around. Feeling the buzz getting a bit closer, he realized that the other was probably not 'awake' yet. It was less of the annoying buzz and more like a soft whisper against his mind. Sighing with a certain amount of relief, he put the sword away.

"Well, better a new student than an old rival, I suppose. Now, where could this one be?" Duncan considered just ignoring the buzz, walking on to the inevitable collapse in his hotel room, which would be followed by the demon's own hangover the next day. He started to step away, before stopping. Shaking his head, Duncan knew that in good conscience, he could not let a potential student get killed off before he knew the rules.

In his years of being an immortal, Duncan had come to be able to analyze the feeling to a certain extent. True direction and accurate proximity was not things he could gather, but generalities were within his grasp. He focused, and through the haze, was able to follow it in a westward direction.

It was a young man, also wearing a trench coat. He was waiting at a walkway, waiting for the light to change. Duncan could tell that he was younger than he seemed, and for a moment wondered if he was indeed awakened. But seeing how carefully he crossed the street, Duncan knew that he could not know. Not yet.

Duncan considered all his options. One would be to go up to him, and ask him if he knew that he was an immortal. No, plan one would not succeed- even Duncan, drunk as he was, could figure that out. Perhaps following him until... no, not that either. He knew that since he did not know this person, there was no way to watch over the stranger until he awoke...

The Watchers. Duncan considered using Joe's considerable network to keep tabs on him instead, but knew that Joe's reach did not reach this far into the East. At least, not reliably. "Well, maybe I should just get to know him first. Then, I'll see." About to head up to the man, perhaps to ask for directions, Duncan saw the car coming straight at him.

About to yell out, he realized that it was too late. Already, he heard the sickening crack of metal hitting bone and flesh, and he started to run over to the victim. Absently, his brain noted that explaining would not be such a problem now -- it was always so much easier to one freshly dead and alive than one not yet dead...

When he reached the young man, who looked in his twenties -- who would always look in his twenties, Duncan saw that he had already died. Leaving the staring eyes open to the sky, he waited until it came -- the inevitable gasp as the now-immortal took a breath of air, and woke to pain fast diminishing.

Subaru felt a shock, and suddenly, he was awake. How was this possible? He had been hit by a car -- a silly sort of death for one such as him, but an end, nevertheless. He remembered being pulled up and out of his body -- he had recognized the first stage of soul movement well enough. After all, it was part of his job. Had been his job? No, it appeared that he was still alive...

He stopped staring at the pinpoints of light, and noticed a man standing, watching him. A foreigner with long brown hair in a ponytail, he stood as a fighter would -- strong, balanced. Subaru started to get up, and groaned as muscles and bones protested. He felt a hand take his arm and help him up, and once it had done so, let him go. What was this buzzing? It was like a roaring in his head... perhaps it was because of his accident?

Subaru shook his head a little, and then looked at Duncan questioningly. "Who are you? Do you know what just happened?" Horribly rude, perhaps, but it needed to be asked...

"My name is Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, and I can explain what just happened to you." Duncan looked around and saw the blood on the ground, on Subaru's clothes, and shook his head. "However, I think that you may want to get out of here before-" Subaru looked down at himself, at the surroundings, and nodded.

"My apartment is not far from here- if you wouldn't mind."

Duncan nodded gravely, and followed him. "What's your name?"

Subaru remembered the rather forma greeting that Duncan had given, and replied, "Sumeragi Subaru, of the Sumeragi Clan... Is this how people usually greet you?"

Duncan laughed a little. "Well, people don't usually have clans anymore -- I suppose you can call me old fashioned." It was a short walk, even for two unsteady people -- one unusually dazed, and the other partially drunk. When Subaru let himself into his apartment, Duncan gave him a surprised look. "Aren't you afraid of thieves? Even in Japan, leaving your door unlocked-"

Subaru gave him a quiet look. "There is nothing here to steal." As Subaru opened the door, Duncan stepped in and saw that he had been speaking true. The room was bare, unfurnished except for a full length mirror and a couch, with a blanket atop of it. Nothing else, except for large windows covered by a curtain.

"Spartan, aren't you?" Duncan saw the fragments of glass in the corner, as if another mirror had been broken. Giving the young man a careful look, he realized that this was no normal salaryman. As he sat down at the couch, Subaru went to the kitchen, bringing back two glasses of water. At Duncan's look, he shrugged. "I don't drink."

"All right. Now... aren't you curious about what happened? Usually, people-"

Subaru interjected, "Usually?" Duncan gave him an uneasy look. People reacted to this news very differently, he'd found. Duncan hoped that he wouldn't be one of those who refused to believe entirely.

Duncan's voice lost all levity or curiosity as he spoke the words that had started his own immortality. "You are an immortal. One of a few who walk this earth. A person who cannot die by normal means. You will never age, will always heal from almost all wounds. You will never die." Duncan paused for a moment, before he continued. "I am four hundred years old, born in the Highlands of Scotland, and I am not by any means the oldest..."

Subaru put down the glass onto the floor, and gave him a odd look. It was at once both trusting and absolutely cold, and made Duncan pause for a moment. "Do you believe me?"

Subaru smiled gently. "You believe what you say. That is enough for me." Duncan looked at him for a moment, before going to the pile of glass on the floor. Picking up a shard, he placed it at his arm.

He sliced his arm, careful not to bloody the couch, and watched as the wound disappeared with a sizzle of lightning. "Do you see? No more blood coming out, no more wound. Here. You try." Duncan had found that it was easier sometimes just to let the person see. Expecting some sort of argument, Duncan was surprised when Subaru grabbed the glass from him, and sliced his own wrist even deeper into the vein than was necessary.

Subaru felt the pain and welcomed it. Watching the blood course down, he wondered if it could possibly be true, and if it wasn't... would he die like this? Fascinated as he felt the blood escape from his body too quickly for safety, he was rewarded with the sight of his own flesh smoothing over and healing. "So... you say that I am immortal?" This was said in a far off tone, almost ethereal in it's distance.

"Yes." Duncan had a feeling that the young man hadn't accepted it yet, and was ready for almost any reaction. Rage, fear, disbelief- he had seem all those before. However, what he did not expect was Subaru sitting down on the couch, and starting to laugh. It was a rusty laugh, as if it hadn't been used for quite a while, and one which made his flesh shiver.

Duncan remembered hearing laughter like that too many times. Times when he had seen men broken by torture, or just mad -- it had been the same hopeless, mocking laugh of a person who knows too much, who had seen too much.

"No death for me, ever? No death... no need, then. He wouldn't have succeeded... Oh, Neesan..."

Duncan knew the tone of despair when he heard it -- another thing that he would have to work out with his new student. "Well, it is not true immortality. You can die if your head is cut off. And that brings me to the game-"

Subaru's far-seeing eyes returned to Duncan's face. "The game? What game is this?"

Duncan reached into his trench coat and pulled out his katana. "This kind of game -- one of life and death. You're going to have to learn how to use one of these. That'll be a start. The game... there can be only one. There are a number of immortals in this world, and one day, there will be only one left. To that one, there goes a prize. No one knows what it is, but that is the ultimate goal..."

"So you all go around killing each other?" Subaru's voice was distantly pain-filled. "Death, and more death -- is that what being immortal means?" Duncan shook his head. "There will be those who will challenge you, but also ones that will wish you no harm. Many of us don't particularly care about the prize -- all we want to do is live."

Subaru gave him a sharp look. "Why are you doing this? Shouldn't you not be helping me? After all, you are supposed to want to kill me-" Another shaky laugh. "Well, this should make my hunt a bit more interesting, don't you think?" Duncan gauged Subaru's state, trying to see how much of his reaction was stress, and how much was his normal persona.

"Like I said -- some of us don't care about the prize, or about the game, beyond defending ourselves. But you can't try to live away from the game, or else they come and find you. Trust me. If only because they think you've gotten weak, or..." Duncan realized how maudlin he was sounding -- this happened to him sometimes when he was drunk. *Tessa...*

Duncan had been lost in his memories for a moment, and didn't notice Subaru get up and return the glasses to the kitchen. From there, his voice floated out. "MacLeod-san. Please get some rest on my couch -- you seem to need it."

As Subaru put away the cups into the cupboard, he heard the sound of a body falling into the couch. Glanicing almost ruefully into the bare refrigerator, Subaru sighed and closed the door. "This... has certainly been an interesting day..." He sat on the floor of the cold kitchen, resting his head against the now-closed door. "So..." A bitter laugh escaped. "Neesan. There was no need for your sacrifice. There was no need for it all... and yet..."

Duncan heard the muffled sounds coming from the kitchen, and decided to ignore it. People sometimes need time to adjust, or else they didn't survive. Somehow, Duncan knew that this one did not wish to... that would make his job a lot harder. As he drifted off into sleep, he couldn't help wonder how he got himself into these situations...

*I really am a Boy Scout... Amanda would laugh if she saw me like this.*

Duncan awoke, feeling sunlight on his face, and found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. Opening his eyes cautiously, he scanned the narrow field of vision for an enemy, and for his sword. He relaxed as he remembered what had happened last night, and got up from the rather uncomfortable couch. *That kid is crazy. How can he sleep on this every night?* He looked around for the aforementioned insane one, but couldn't feel him anywhere and found a note taped onto the mirror.

:MacLeod-san, I have gone out on a job, and will be back later. Please stay as long as you want. Also, I wish to speak to you about this immortality that I supposedly have, and about training... I'm afraid that I probably won't have time for such things. Sumeragi:

It took Duncan only a little time to puzzle out the letter, which was written all in hiragana. "Taking pity on the gaijin, hmm? Well, my Japanese is a bit rusty, but it's not that bad." Looking at the empty room, Duncan knew that he had a lot to do. He couldn't help but shake his head at the last comment of not having time for training. "If you don't have time... you aren't going to live."

Ignoring the small headache he had from last night, Duncan grabbed his coat and sword. As he walked out of the sparse apartment, Duncan wondered whether he should even try to look as if he was locking the door. Guarding one's back was something you learn over the years... obviously, his new student had not. He hoped Joe could give him some answers...

Closing the hotel door behind him, Duncan looked around his room. It was an ordinary hotel room, with a bed, two chairs and a little table. Duncan hadn't planned on staying in Japan for long -- jis original plan had been for a quick, ten day stop in Japan, followed by a bit of traveling elsewhere. It had been a long time since Duncan MacLeod had just been exploring.

"A trip without any obligations or problems. A little vacation was all this was supposed to be... I guess not." Going over to the phone, he dialed Joe's home phone number. It should be about time he was home, anyway.

:Hello?:
:Hey, Joe. It's me, Duncan.:
:MacLeod! How are you? Still in Japan?:
:You tell me.:
:Funny, funny. What's up?:
:How up-to-date are your Watcher records of me?:
:What do you mean?:
:You wouldn't have asked if you already knew, that's all.:
:Knew what? What have you done now, MacLeod?:
:I seem to have acquired a new... ward, I suppose.:
:You mean-:
:Yup. Felt it before I saw him, and then he was killed for the first time right in front of me.:
:Aw, man... So, what? You want some info, huh?:
:Yeah. His name is Sumeragi. Subaru Sumeragi... Hhm:
:What?:
:It's been a long time since anyone's greeted me by clan name like he did. Claimed he was of the Clan Sumeragi...:
:Sumeragi... Sumeragi...:
:What?:
:I've heard that before, I'm sure of it. Look MacLeod, I'll get back to ya, ok? I'll try to dig up some records on him -- I'm sure someone had to have been Watching near him...:
:Thanks, Joe.:
:Oh yeah- Richie's headed your way.:
:What!?:
:Don't get so excited. He just wanted to drop in and say hi, get in a few touristy things, you know.:
:Well, I suppose he could be helpful with that Sumeragi kid... When's he coming?:
:He said in a few days.:
:Ok.:
:MacLeod, are you all right? You sound kind of-:
:I'm fine. I just have a strange feeling about this one.:
:Sumeragi, you mean?:
:Yeah. Usually, you can tell what a kid is, by the way he acts. But this one... I don't know. Something's just off... Well, tell me what you got soon, ok?:
:All right. Bye, MacLeod. Gotta get some sleep, man.:
:Yeah, yeah.:

Subaru stood at the park, and took a deep breath. His job today would probably go better if he weren't so agitated. Shaking his head, he sat on a bench below an old tree, trying to get himself focused and centered before he went to his appointment. *It's a good thing I have an hour...* He took out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag.

He couldn't stop looking at his arm. There was no evidence that there had ever been a cut, a cut that he shouldn't have even tried to make. A little deeper... or if it hadn't healed... he was too close to the edge. He could feel his self cracking, fracturing, and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Hugging his legs to his chest, Subaru looked out at the peaceful morning. Now this... some guy claiming that he, Subaru Sumeragi, was not only going to live forever, but that he was going to have to kill people to do it. A sad smile tugged at his lips. More killing, more death. He couldn't -- no, he wouldn't. He had changed, but not in this. There was one thin line between Sakurazukamori and the current him -- Subaru would not kill.

It was a stubborn embracing of a principle he'd had in an earlier, more innocent time. Maybe it would be something that would destroy him later. But he could not -- not that. He wasn't even sure he believed in this supposed immortality. Last night, he had humored the stranger who had helped him from his accident. But now, in the light of day, there didn't seem to be any reality to the conversation they'd had last night.

*Sword fights to determine life and death. A conspiracy of hidden immortals that no one knows about. Heads being cut off, a prize at the end of the game... Games- I've had enough of games.* Even the demonstration of MacLeod's supposed immortality seemed explainable in the sunlight. *Healing spells... they're not usually so flashy, but they can be, if-*

He looked at his own wrist again, at the place where -- let's admit it -- for a moment, his wish for suicide had overridden his wish for revenge. A moment when he had truly been ready for death or immortality... *I just can't understand how he managed to heal me also.* After all, the wards and shields of the head of the Sumeragi Clan was not something so easily circumvented, even for a beneficial spell.

Subaru shook his head again, and got up from the bench. If he spent any more time thinking about this, he was going to be late for his job. If anything, he was always punctual -- it was the one last vestige of good manners that had stayed with him. He was almost tempted to put the butt of the cigarette onto his arm, just to see if-

*No. I'm not going to let myself try anything like this again. At least, not until...*

Until what? Subaru sighed and dropped the cigarette butt, grinding it with his heel. Until... he didn't know. And he wasn't going to think about it until after this job was done, anyway.

Duncan had finished rearranging his plans for a longer stay in Tokyo when the phone rang. He picked it up, while browsing through the newspaper, looking for a dojo or a place where a few could train without being noticed...

:Hello?:
:Hey MacLeod- it's me.:
:What have you found out?:
:Surprisingly little, considering... or actually, maybe it's not so surprising.:
:What do you mean?:
:The Sumeragis -- I knew I'd heard that name before, so I started to dig around a little while my Japanese contact were getting back to me. Seems that the Sumeragi Clan was, and still is a big deal family in Japan.:
:And?:
:Hey, I'm getting there! Anyway, seems the Clan's function is to perform exorcisms and magic similar to that -- they've even served the Emperor, and you know how highly the Japanese revere him.:
:So my new student is a wanna-be wizard? Great...:
:Don't be so sure about the wanna-be part.:
:Joe, don't get me started about 'magic':
:Look. You're living proof that the world isn't as simple as you may want it to be. My Japanese contact actually seems to believe in this, and-:
:Anyway, what did you find out besides this mystical mumbo-jumbo?:
:His sister was apparently killed in some sort of accident -- there's not much information there besides the fact that they were twins, and her body was apparently never recovered... Actually, it feels like a cover-up to me.:
:His sister, huh? That explains a bit. So, what is his job, anyway?:
:That's the reason why I don't think you should dismiss magic so easily. He's the head of his clan-:
:Young, isn't he?:
:It doesn't really matter now, does it?:
:I suppose not.:
:His job is performing exorcisms and being a medium for various spirits. He's supposed to be good at it, too -- Don't see any complaints anywhere...:
:As long as he doesn't try to convince me of this nonsense-:
:MacLeod, just be careful, ok?:
:What?:
:He's been involved in some weird things. Just keep your guard up, huh? No one really knows what he does.:
:All right.:
:Oh yeah, Richie decided to go a little early. He wants to see your new protege.:
:So I get to take care of two kids now.:
:Richie's not really a kid anymore, is he?:
:I guess not. Thanks, Joe.:

"Sumeragi-san. Thank you for your time. I know that it's valuable..." The man led Subaru into the dojo, to a sword lying in the middle of the wooden floor. At Subaru's look, the man cleared his throat. "None of my students want to touch this, and frankly, neither do I. Somehow, this sword just feels wrong... Whenever anyone tries to use, they always feel as if-"

"I understand. Is there a history to this sword? Perhaps someone who could harbor bad feelings for this dojo, or for this sword?" Subaru watched as the man thought, and nodded as the man shook his head.

"There is no one I can think of. I'm sorry, Sumeragi-san."

"Then, Tanaka-san. Please keep out of this area while I try to work. I would not want you getting hurt." Tanaka nodded, and sat at the door, quite frankly curious at what this young man was about to do. Subaru bowed his head and quietly set a few wards in a circle around his working area. Satisfied that this would hold, he extended his senses carefully to the sword.

Subaru's head jerked back in shock as he felt the malevolent energies swirling around the blade. "Tanaka-san. I am not surprised that none of you wanted to touch this sword. I would have been more worried if any of your students had been able to use this sword, for I sense great anger and pain around it. Are you sure that none had ever used this sword in anger or fear?"

Tanaka looked at the young man kneeling in front of the sword, and replied, "None that I can think of. Perhaps-" Tanaka's eyes seemed to look inward as he tried to remember. "Actually, there had been a small incident a few weeks ago, but I don't really know if it could generate such hatred. One of my students, Hadana Hikaru, was asked to leave because of his violent behavior. But he never touched the sword, so..."

Subaru looked up, and extended his mind to the whole property of the dojo. There was a thin layer of bad-will that was barely perceptible unless one was looking for such. All of the little angers were feeding into the sword as a focal point. "I don't think he, if Hadana-san is responsible -- I don't think he was focusing on the sword. However-"

Subaru gestured toward the weapon on the floor. "This sword is a weapon made for only one purpose. Killing. Naturally, all the darker energies are going to be attracted to such a thing, and so they focused here, just waiting for someone to use it in malice. Be glad that you caught this early, and none had yet used this sword in anger. If they had, I'm not sure what would have happened, but I do not think that it would have been pleasant."

Concentrating, Subaru pushed his cleansing energies toward the blade which, to his inner eye, was glowing a faint blood red. *Blood has made its mark on this blade.* Speaking the chant used in cleansing spells, he managed to get the taint of the hate off of the blade and from around the house.

As he arose from the spot before the sword, he could feel the darkness dissipate in a sharp snap. The spell had rebounded on the caster, whether the spell had been cast unknowing or not. Subaru could only hope that whoever had set it had taken some precautions. "Tanaka-san. I think that the sword is now safe to use. However, it still a blade full of death, and now that it has already been affected by magical means, it is even more vulnerable to the darker energies. Please think about this and take the precautions necessary."

Subaru paused as Tanaka came up from behind him, picking up the sword carefully. "Sumeragi-san. Thank you for doing this for my little dojo. If you ever need anything from me -- I can't pay you much-"

Subaru shook his head. "Tanaka-san. This was a easy cleansing. Please don't worry about payment, and do try to see what can be done about Hanada-san..." Subaru looked at Tanaka, who had knelt down in front of him. "Tanaka-san, what-"

Tanaka held out the sword to him. "Sumeragi-san, please take this sword. I feel that my dojo is not the best place to have it, even if Tanada-san had not been here. Somehow, I feel that you may need this."

Subaru looked at the man in front of him for a moment, before reaching out and taking the sword. For a moment, he felt a strangeness, the same strangeness that he had felt last night crossing the street. An almost audible *snick*, a rightness that had snapped into place -- that was what he felt when he took the sword. Fate, destiny, whatever it was called, it had put its hand upon him again.

Resisting the urge to start, Subaru looked at the finely worked blade before him. "Are you sure, Tanaka-san? I would not wish to-"

Tanaka rose up from the dojo floor, as did Subaru. "Please, Sumeragi-san. I have a feeling that you will do the blade honor."

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