InuYasha Fan Fiction / Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Space Hanyou ❯ Five ( Chapter 5 )

Inuyasha was stretched out on the couch, one arm curled under his head like a pillow and the other rested easily on his hip. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and regular and every once in awhile one of his ears would twitch to a random noise generated by Bebop's systems. Asleep like this, he looked almost angelic, a sweet silver-haired innocent who had nothing to do with criminal behavior, bounty hunters or one seriously wound up federal marshal. Instead, he looked like he was completely relaxed, enjoying the best sleep he'd had in months.

 

Spike didn't buy it for a minute.

 

Across from the sleeping hanyou, Spike was also feigning unconsciousness. His lanky form was sprawled carelessly across the seat, arms casually crossed behind his head as he leaned back easily, a faint snore issuing from his mouth. Jet stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching the peaceful scene, one corner of his mouth bent in humor. He went over to nudge Spike with the tip of his boot, jostling him until one of Spike's eyelids pried open to look at him.

 

"Your shift's over. You can quit faking being asleep, Spike."

 

His partner stretched lazily before poking an unlit cigarette between his lips. "Who's faking it? I was out like a light."

 

"Bullshit," Jet said, grinning. "You're no more asleep than he is."

 

He looked over at their prisoner who hadn't so much as stirred. Jet had decided he wanted the guy in plain sight, he wasn't willing to risk another breakout, thanking whatever had been listening that the Hanyou had headed straight for their transports instead of a weapons locker. He still couldn't quite grasp how Ed had managed to track him before the rest of them, but he gathered Ein had something to do with it. He looked at the soft white triangle of an ear peeping out of the silver hair and had to shake his head.

 

Spike had gotten up and ambled away, perhaps heading back to his bunk for a more realistic attempt at sleep. Jet flopped down into the recently vacated chair and folded his arms across his chest and shot the prisoner an intimidating glare. "I know you aren't sleeping."

 

"How can I sleep with you clumping around?" the hanyou said softly, still not opening his eyes. "At least the other guy was quiet."

 

He sat up at last, scratching at the back of his head and yawning. "You got anything to eat around here?"

 

"No," Jet growled menacingly. Punk could wait to eat until he said it was time to eat, Jet had no intentions of jumping to each of their prisoner's requests just because they had to let him walk around loose on the ship.

 

The guy fixed him with a stare, his eyes having a faint shimmer in the dimness of the room. "Okay, never mind the food. I can wait. I've been wanting to talk to you anyway."

 

Jet's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What about?"

 

Inuyasha slumped a little on the couch, his finger rubbing around the edge of the restraint collar he'd been fixed with. "You're in charge of this group right?"

 

"It's my ship," Jet rumbled. In charge was a different story, he told Bebop where to go and managed her systems and accounts, but it had been a long time since he'd thought of himself in charge of anything. Just try telling Spike or Faye what to do, he thought sourly. They usually had some kind of consensus on what bounties to go after, but after that, they all preferred to stay out of each other's way.

 

And that's how Jet liked it, he didn't need to be responsible for anyone else's problems.

 

The young man across from his shrugged. "Just a word of warning, you guys seem decent for cowboys so I don't mind helping you out. Watch that marshal, she's going to do whatever she can to screw you out of your bounty."

 

"Oh yeah?" Jet sneered. He didn't need advice from some dog-eared kid that claimed to be half alien. "You think I need a punk like you to tell me to watch out for the fed? Don't make me laugh."

 

"I've seen the type before," the hanyou murmured, looking at the floor between his feet. "Career officer, believe me, she hates you almost as much as she hates me. Local enforcement knows they have to deal with bounty hunters, they don't have the manpower to bring people in. It's a different story when it's the feds that are after you. They don't need help and they don't say thank you. They especially don't pay bounty."

 

"Talking out your ass," Jet muttered, looking away. Most of what the kid said he'd have to agree with. It was exactly why he hadn't released his prisoner to the feds in the first place. They'd never see their money and being left shit out of luck after a run like this wasn't in Jet's game plan.

 

Inuyasha leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and gave Jet the most direct look he could manage cold sober. "You'll be lucky if all she does is screw you out of your bounty. Feds are capable of impounding this ship just because I was here. As soon as you turn me over, you could find yourself sitting dockside while they tear your craft to pieces. Then they'll want you to pay their dock fees, even if you can't move this tub for months because of their inspection."

 

Jet's expression didn't change, but he felt sick inside. As a former enforcement officer himself, he knew well the regulations that would permit just such an action. Which was why he didn't like having a marshal on his ship in the first place. All she had to do was start a report stating she was suspicious and every time they tried to make planetfall they'd have nightmares.

 

Customs inspections from hell, mandatory log downloads, even their accounts could be frozen if Major Higurashi wanted to make their lives difficult. And the one to blame for this mess was sitting right across from him, looking innocent as a newborn and talking about trying to help him.

 

"What do you suggest?" Jet asked, mainly to see what kind of plot the hanyou intended to spin.

 

Inuyasha grinned, leaning back comfortably. "I can make all your problems disappear and put money in your pocket at the same time. Don't go to the enforcement center, don't let Higurashi take me in. It's still your ship at the moment, I can tell you where to go. As soon as I get word to my father, he'll be more than happy to pay you for your help in keeping me out of lockup.

 

"Your father?" Jet asked dryly, scratching his chin. "You aren't seriously expecting me to buy that bullshit story that you're the son of Inutaisho, are you? Because I've been hearing tall tales about him for so many years that even I don't believe them anymore. It might get you free drinks in some dive bars, but I'm not about to gamble away a twenty million bounty on the faith that your daddy is going to come get you."

 

The young man's eyes flashed. "I'm not lying," he snapped. "You think I'd waste my time bullshitting a bunch of stupid bounty hunters? I just thought that maybe we could both help ourselves out. My father will pay your bounty, and no, he doesn't give a shit if you believe he's real or not. The money will be real and that's what matters."

 

"Sounds to me like you're just saying whatever you think will keep you out of Higurashi's hands," Jet said, smiling a little. He knew the guy couldn't like having that collar on his neck, he didn't know if he believed the major's story that it would explode if she was too far away from it either. Might be interesting, put the snot in a pod and float him outside, see if he went boom. Be a quick end to his problems.

 

But not the end that would get them paid, so he scratched the idea of experimenting. However, he wasn't entirely unsympathetic, he wasn't an ogre, and figured the fast talking punk was probably just scared spitless of federal holding cells. Couldn't blame him there, Jet wouldn't send his worst enemy to a federal lockup. Not unless there was a bounty involved.

 

"Listen up, kid," he began mildly.

 

Inuyasha looked annoyed. "Don't call me, kid. I'm older than you are, asshole."

 

Okay, forget the fucking sympathy, Jet decided. "Listen up Hanyou, or whatever you want to call yourself. I'm not crossing that marshal for you. I'm surprised that all she did was insist on boarding. I would have thought I'd have five cruisers on my butt by now and her waving a handful of warrants in my face. She seems to be playing straight with us and I'm not going to screw that over your ass. All I want is my money and what happens to you is not my problem. You talk to Higurashi if you want to make a deal, not me."

 

"Excellent notion, Jet," a soft voice said from somewhere behind him. He jumped in spite of himself when Kagome Higurashi came up and let her hand touch his shoulder.

 

Jet glared at her, purely disliking the woman for listening in to the conversation although he knew she had the right to keep on eye on what she thought of as 'her' prisoner. "You would be making a very great mistake to treat me as your enemy."

 

"I'm not planning on making anyone my enemy," he snapped in irritation. "The sooner I've got the both of you off Bebop and looking at twenty million in my account the happier I'm going to be." He stood up and stalked away, let the marshal keep an eye on her boy if she was up and around. He had plenty of other things to keep his time occupied.

 

Inuyasha followed the woman with his eyes as she sat down across from him. Kagome noticed the intent direction of his gaze and sighed inwardly. Such a lech, everything she'd heard about this one was true so far. Including the fact that he just wasn't smart enough to understand what kind of trouble he was in.

 

She crossed her legs and ignored the sly smile when he watched her tidy uniform tighten around her hips. "I have to admit," she said finally, looking up to meet his golden eyes. "You're a bit of a disappointment."

 

That made his gaze sharpen with anger, not liking the dismissive tone to her voice. "Disappointment?" He made himself relax, he could play whatever game she wanted to throw out at him. "I don't see how you could say that, you don't know anything about me. Now if you want to get a little closer, maybe I could..."

 

"Spare me," she said, waving her gloved hand. "I'm not some dockside whore you can flirt with, Inuyasha. I simply meant that I expected more intelligence out of Inutaisho's son."

 

The mention of his father's name made the smirk ease off his face. Sullenly, he looked away and folded his arms over his chest. "Bitch," he said softly. "If you ever met my father you'd know that your human opinion doesn't matter a flying fuck when it comes to what he wants."

 

Her eyebrow raised at his tone. "Really?" she said coldly, taking out her stun wand and tapping it on her leg in an idle gesture. He didn't miss it, or the implied threat. "I was merely commenting that if you wanted to be intelligent about your situation, you might consider cooperating with us."

 

Inuyasha shot her a look that was colder than the deep dark of space. "You must really think I'm an idiot if you think I'd ever betray him. I do want to live, Major. Alive in a holding cell is preferable to what my father would do to me if I betrayed him."

 

"Such a pity," she murmured. "A handsome young man like yourself doesn't deserve to spend decades in prison."

 

He snorted. "I don't age fast, bitch. I can do time standing on my head. Won't be long anyway, my father isn't about to just leave me there."

 

Her smile became sweet. "I imagine you're right about that. Although I doubt it has anything to do with paternal affection when you tell me that. Is it you that he'll come after or just the Shikon no Tama?"

 

He was across the room like a lightning strike, grabbing her by the front of her uniform and hauling her out of her chair. "How do you know about that?" he demanded, his claws leaving rents in her pristine uniform. "Where did you hear about the Shikon?"

 

A sharp tap to his abdomen and a burning sound made him drop her and back off, wincing. Kagome's stun wand slipped back into her belt. "That's better," she grinned, enjoying his discomfort. "You should know better than to manhandle a federal marshal."

 

"Where did you hear about it?" he growled, still defiant. His father was going to have a magnificent rage over this. The Shikon was way more important than he dared admit to and if this federal bitch knew about it, he was in some serious deep shit.

 

"The government has its sources," she said sweetly.

 

His eyes met hers angrily. "You don't know who or what you're messing with, woman. If you're smart, you'll let me the hell out of here and pretend you never heard of the Shikon no Tama. Inutaisho isn't above killing feds to get what he wants."

 

"I know," she said sharply. "And I'm not above killing you to get what I want either. You can tell me what you know now, or you can tell me what you know when I've got you under interrogation. It's your choice. I have access to drugs and methods that will make even a hanyou talk."

 

"Okay," he said, flopping back down and covering his face with his hands. "You don't have to threaten me. You want to know where the Shikon no Tama is, I want it off my hands. If I tell you where it's hidden, you have to promise to let me go. I'm going to need time to run if my father finds out it was me."

 

"Go on," she said, walking over to him. "Tell me what you know and then I'll decide if it's worth it."

 

Inuyasha shook his head. "Not here, they could be listening. Get me off this tub and I'll tell you everything."

 

Kagome tapped her fingers on her sleeve in annoyance. "I doubt if a stupid bunch of bounty hunters could understand what we're discussing. I'm not taking you anywhere before you give me the information I need."

 

He growled lightly, then subsided. "All right," he told her, defeat sounding in his voice as he rubbed his face wearily. God, what a fucking mess. "Sit down," he muttered. "I'll tell you what I know, but it's not going to be much help. I just don't want those damn cowboys getting wind of it. I'm in enough trouble as it is."

 

Smirking, she planted herself next to him, confident that her collar and stun wand would keep him from trying any nasty little tricks. "Well," she said, imperious and demanding. "It had better be the truth."

 

He spun around and grabbed her, pinning her to couch before her hands could reach the wand, covering her mouth with his before she could shout a command. Her wrists were held tight by his hands and he used the greater weight of his body to keep her from struggling away from him.

 

Kagome fought hard, twisting her face away from his, trying to break the kiss that kept her from sitting him into the floor. His tongue shoved angrily against her teeth, demanding and furious. Kagome couldn't breathe and jerked her head to buy a little air and his lips crushed hers. He suddenly had one of her arms pinned between the couch and his thigh, using his free hand to massage her breast.

 

Then he eased back gently, taking her face in his hand so he could deepen the kiss. Her jaw had unlocked and he was free to run his tongue around the inside of the marshal's mouth, hearing her gasp and twitch under him. Her scent changed slightly and it made him want to laugh. Her arousal filled his senses. She liked it, just like any other woman, this one wanted kissed.

 

Maybe needed kissed a lot more than others, he reflected. For a marshal, she certainly had an unbearably hot body, he could feel the contours of her underneath him and wanted her badly. He was ready to fuck her brains out right here and now, to hell with cowboys or Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha growled softly, releasing her lips to run his tongue down her throat and let go of her trapped wrist to use both hands in removing that uniform.

 

And promptly got an open palmed strike in his face, nearly hard enough to break his nose. The marshal twisted suddenly, throwing the startled hanyou off her as she sat up and let loose a shout.

 

"Sit!"

 

WHAM! He heard his head connect with the metal of Bebop's plated deck. Angry, he pulled himself up, ready to disembowel her.

 

"Sit, sit, sit, SIT!"

 

Again and again he was thrown into the floor, it was unlike anything he'd experienced before. His whole body contracted, viciously propelling itself against the floor and his head started to throb from the repeated blows.

 

"Sit, sit, sit, SIT!" Kagome shouted again, getting to her feet and kicking him hard in the ribs between sits. The hanyou seemed to have lost consciousness, his body flopping helplessly as the repeated sits made his limbs move under neurological compulsion. Finally, she realized he couldn't feel any pain and was beyond the sound of her voice and she stopped, giving him one last angry kick before stalking away.

 

"Pervert bastard!"

 

She straightened her clothing and glared at unconscious man. "You can add attempted rape of a federal marshal to your file now, you son of a bitch."

 

~oOo~

 

Something warm and wet was stroking his face, asking him to wake up. "Go away, honey," he moaned, twitching away. "I'm wrecked, I can't do no more." She moved back, then he heard a sharp yip for attention. His eyes came open immediately and his nose wrinkled as the Welsh corgi's warm breath breezed across his face. Inuyasha looked up at Ein blearily for a moment before putting both hands to his bruised head.

 

Groaning he tried to turn over and fall back to blissful unconsciousness but a face right in front of his darted forward, staring fixedly into his eyes. "Damn it!"

 

Edward sat back, her legs curling under her. "Silly," she teased. "The pretty lady beat you up."

 

"No fucking kidding," he answered, glaring at the girl. He thought she was a girl anyway, the scent was all wrong for a male. He took in Ein's happy panting grin and the stubby rump that was vibrating like it wished for a tail to wag.

 

Irritated, he glared at the dog. "You're a traitor to your own kind."

 

Ed giggled wildly, falling over on her side. "Ed saw the whole thing, she didn't like being kissed."

 

"You're wrong," he snapped peevishly. "She did like being kissed, that's why she hit me so hard." Women, why did he constantly have these problems with women? Why was it that a raven haired beauty could reel him in so easily? First that fucking evil programmer now a federal marshal. He really needed to get his priorities sorted out.

 

He looked wearily at was probably one of his captors, at least this one was grinning instead of trying to suss him out. "Kid," he said easily. "You got anything to drink on this tub?"

 

To his surprise, Edward started jumping up and down in excitement. "Yes, yes, yes! Follow Edward if you want some."

 

The strange girl dashed off, the corgi nipping playfully at her heels. Inuyasha scowled, then got to his feet slowly, a dull ache settling in his lower back. Fucking wench kicked the crap out of him while he was down. No broken bones, but the bruises would be nasty while they lasted. He needed to drown his sorrows and try not to think about the misery his life was taking.

 

"This is the worst day since yesterday.”