Duncan awoke from his sleep with a fuzzy head, and the feeling that he shouldn't have slept so late. "Richie?" The half-muffled moan from the futon below told him that the red-head wouldn't be up for quite a while. Getting up from the couch, he looked around the sun-filled apartment, wondering where Subaru was. After he had given the apartment a cursory look, he felt almost compelled to examine it a little further. Somehow, Duncan could feel that something was not quite right...

*What are cherry blossoms doing in here? We never left the balcony door open...* Walking around on the empty wooden floor, Duncan could almost feel tension... energy. *What the hell happened here? And why didn't I wake up-* His gaze focused on a note that was attached to the door. Walking over, he saw that it was from Subaru.

:Duncan-san, Richie-san. I am sorry, but I have urgent business that I cannot miss. After my business is over... When I come back, I would like to talk to you more about training to become an immortal... Sumeragi Subaru.:

"Hey Richie! Get up!" Duncan's half-hearted comment was greeted my a muffled affirmative, and the resumption of snores from the futon. As he went over to where Richie was sleeping, Duncan's mind kept wandering back to the letter. *Business... what kind of business? I've got a bad feeling...* Giving the young man at his feet a hard look, Duncan took the futon in his hands and yanked it out from under the red-head.

"Ow! Mac, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Richie sat up, his expression one of major irritation. "I was trying to sleep in a little-" Duncan gave him a hard look. "How much sleep can you possibly need? We have more important things to think about. Subaru's gone to finish up some important business."

Richie looked at him for a moment, and then said in an uncertain voice, "You don't think-" Duncan shook his head. "I'm not sure- he could just be out on one of his magic things, but... here, read this." Richie took the note and gave it a quick glance. "Funny, Mac. As if I know Japanese?" Taking the note back from Richie, Duncan looked at it ruefully. "Oh yeah- sorry, Richie. I'll translate it for you."

After hearing the translation, Richie shook his head. "I dunno, Mac. It could be either way... not that we could do anything about if he did go to duke it out with that nut. We don't know where he is, and he seems like he can take care of himself." Looking around the place, Richie continued, "Maybe we should probably go back to our own place and see how much stuff got damaged-"

Duncan said in a distracted voice, "You go ahead, Richie. I may have something..." Richie shrugged, and grabbed his coat. "Fine- I'll be at the apartment for a while, and then I think I'll go see if there are any good bike shops around. See ya-" Duncan barely noticed his friend walk out, as he tried to grasp at something that he knew could tell him where Subaru was-

"The Watchers! Of course! Joe told me that he was starting to put up the online version of the files..." Getting to the phone, he dialed the number for the US, and more specifically, to Joe's bar.

:Hello?:
:Hey Joe- it's me, Duncan.:
:MacLeod! So, how's the new protege?:
:I have to ask for some more info-:
:What now?:
:How linked up are the Japanese contacts to the Watcher Net?:
:About as well as everyone else- that is, incomplete, but there-:
:Fine- can you link up to it now?:
:Is it really that important?:
:Yes.:
:All right- wait up a sec, ok? I'll switch phones.:

Duncan waited as he heard muffled voices off of the phone. and the click of another line opening. -John, watch the place for me, huh? I'm gonna be a while- The affirmative whispered through the line, followed by the closing of one line.

:All right, MacLeod. I'm in- what do you need to know?:
:Who is Subaru's watcher? And mine?:
:What!? What makes you think that they're going to talk to you-:
:Trust me- I'll make them talk.:
:MacLeod, I can't tell you that- not if you're going to threaten them.:
:I'm not going to threaten them. I just need quick information on the spot, and the Japanese watchers are the only one who's going to have access to that-:
:And why do you want to know yours?:
:That's just for me... watching my back, ok?:
:Still don't trust us?:
:I trust you, Joe. It's just the others that don't really cut it.:
:MacLeod, what are you looking for?:
:I need to know where Subaru headed this morning.:
:That's odd-:
:What?:
:There are discrepancies in the records... Unusual ones.:
:A traitor?:
:No- just a few strange half-ommitances...:
:Well?:
:Huh!? Oh- all right. I'll tell you who your watcher is- he should be in contact with your protoge's, and know better than I do about where he may be...:
:All right- who is it? How would I find him?:
:His name is Masuda Hajime, and you'll have to find him yourself. That's all the info I can give you.:
:Thanks, Joe.:
:You owe me- big time, ok?:
:I'll make it up to you-:

Duncan looked at the phone for a moment before hanging it up. "All I have to go on is a name, huh? Masuda Hajime... Ok. Well, I have to go outside anyway..." Closing the door behind him, Duncan left the building. "It's already one o'clock? Damn- I really did oversleep." Looking around casually, he noticed several people seeming doing inane, unnecessary things.

*Paranoid... except there actually is someone trying to get me...* Duncan took a deep breath, and decided to take a gamble. He grinned, and then shouted out, "Masuda Hajime!" The head of a man who had been sitting and reading a newspaper at a nearby cafe came up involuntarily. Knowing he had his man, Duncan started to move toward him. *Sometimes the simplest things work the best...*

"Masuda Hajime?" The man looked up at him, and then nodded a bit. "Hi- I'm Duncan MacLeod, and I'm apparently your immortal for my stay in Japan." Masuda stared up at him, and didn't say a word. Looking closely, Duncan could see the shock in his eyes. "I want to ask you a question- let's not make a scene, ok? I know who you are, and you know what I am. Let's assume that we are all intelligent adults here."

Masuda nodded, and the folded up his paper. "MacLeod-san... I am glad that you are taking this so well. Usually, immortals are touchy about who knows-" Duncan waved that away, saying in a serious tone, "We can talk about that some other time. Right now, I need to ask you if you can get in contact with one of the other watchers." Duncan's tone was very calm, but there was an implicit menace in it, heightened by the fact that he was playing with the hilt of his sword.

"Ah- of course, I will try to help you in any way that I can. Which watcher-" Masuda knew that if any other watcher were here, he would be branded as a traitor to the tenets of the watchers. However, he had read up on MacLeod, and knew that Duncan was different... he hoped. Duncan replied, "The watcher of Subaru Sumeragi."

At that, Masuda shifted uneasily in his chair. "Sumeragi... he was a special case, you see. No one really felt all that comfortable watching such a person as he- he is not just an immortal, after all. He is also the head of one of the most powerful occult families in Japan, and he has unheard of power, even for one in his position. And there was whispers of a secret assassin becoming involved..."

Duncan interrupted in a frustrated manner, wanting to know where Subaru was, not hear his life history again. "So, what did you do?" Masuda sighed. "For now, we decided to be extra careful- we definitely did not want to get involved in anything... we heard of what happened in the States and Europe. So, the head of the Japan branch decided to rotate the person watching him, and also kept that secret from any other watcher..."

Masuda shrugged. "I know it's not me, but I couldn't tell you who it could be." Duncan stared at him for a moment, and then sighed. "Of course- that's just my luck." Masuda looked at him for a moment. "What's going on?" Duncan looked at him with a trace of annoyance. "You're my watcher- don't you know?" Duncan gazed up at the sky and shook his head. "I just wish I knew where he'd gone. He's definitely not ready to face that guy, even if he is an immortal. I've never seen someone so hung up on revenge..."

Duncan looked down to hear the sound of paper tearing. "You- you don't mean that he's gone to-" Giving the Watcher a curious glance, Duncan replied, "That's where I think he's gone-" Masuda cursed softly, and then threw the paper onto the ground. "That's not good..."

Looking at Duncan, Masuda took a deep breath. "I suppose you're surprised that a supposedly impartial watcher seems so interested in one immortal." Duncan motioned for him to continue. "Sumeragi-san... he is too important for Japan... his death would be a tragedy. Also, his death and rebirth will reveal to Sakurazukamori that there are such beings in this world- knowledge that some Japanese Watchers have tried to keep from murderers like him for a long time- and vice versa..."

Duncan interrupted, exclaiming, "You guys have been altering your own reports! Why? Aren't you supposed to record everything?" Masuda looked uneasy, and answered in a defensive tone, "We may be Watchers, but some of us also have loyalty to certain things in our culture... We won't let such secret knowledge fall into people who don't understand the significance- what could we do? Do you really think that some Watchers will believe our reports about dueling magicians?"

Masuda sighed. Tapping his fingers on the cheap plastic table in front of him, he looked at Duncan critically. "All right- I can tell you where he probably is." Duncan looked up at him, surprised. "I saw him go in the direction of a small park, which houses a certain cherry tree..." Duncan gives him a surprised glance to which, Masuda replies with a expression full of mystery.

"The Watchers of Japan... they are not the only holders of secret knowledge. Do not think that is the only allegiance some of us have- there are a few who obey others." Then, Masuda stood up. "Sumeragi-san... I think he will still be there, if you hurry." Retrieving the paper from the floor, Masuda drew out a quick map, and wrote down the address. Bowing to Duncan, he said, "Please try to keep him alive, MacLeod-san... he is one of Japan's protectors..."

As Duncan watched Masuda leave, he couldn't help but grin. *I don't think that Joe would be pleased to know that there are Watchers like him around... I wonder if Methos knows about them...*

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