InuYasha Fan Fiction / Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Cracking Utopia ❯ Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 

 

Kagome glanced at her watch for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was half past two and she was still stuck on the same street she'd been on twenty minutes earlier. She'd heard on the scanner that there was a five-car pileup a few miles down the road which meant she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

 

No longer having the patience to wait around in gridlock traffic, Kagome switched the car to flight mode, setting the controls to automatic.

 

“Where would you like to go, Kagome?” Came a feminine electronic voice from the speakers.

 

“2023 Highland Court, East Quadrant.” Kagome answered. She rarely used the flight mode, preferring to take the roads instead, but she had more important things to do than sit in traffic. Since airways were reserved for high ranking government officials and law enforcement, which included Elite, traffic was considerably lighter.

 

Kagome leaned back in her seat, getting comfortable. Elite headquarters were located in the North Quadrant, which was about an hour and a half away from the East Quadrant. She turned her head, looking out at the pristine skyline. The beautiful day belied the impending doom facing the city.

 

“When will it end?” She whispered, hearing the note of pain in her own voice. It did pain her to know that this city was their last hope. If Utopia fell then...she didn't even want to think about the consequences.

 

Kagome knew that not all demons were bad. There was a time, before the First Rebellion, when demons and humans lived together, existing somewhat peacefully. It wasn't until the Demon Alliance formed that things started going downhill.

 

Sesshomaru, Naraku and Kagura were the demons who planted the seeds of doubt. They were the three who influenced an entire nation of demons to rise up and wage a long and bloody battle with the humans. That had been the First Rebellion. Although it ended with the demons' defeat, it was at the cost of not just the U.S., but multiple other countries. Cites, both big and small, were destroyed, left to ruin in the wake of the rebellion. Chaos was a disease that spread to all corners of the earth, leaving no place untouched.

 

Before the Second Rebellion, the U.N. had tried to sit down with the Alliance, to form some kind of treaty, but the Alliance didn't want any part of it. They wanted total surrender and that was something the U.N. would never give. And so the Second Rebellion began, this time wiping out the U.N. and most major established governments. It was during the Second Rebellion that the president of the United States relocated to the newly built city of Utopia, urging all humans to do the same before it was too late. Even now hundreds of refugees from other demolished countries were arriving daily at the Utopian borders, seeking shelter at the last remaining fully functioning city left in the world.

 

Kagome sighed. As much as she wanted to believe that there was salvation awaiting Utopia in the form of Sesshomaru's brother, she wasn't totally convinced. If there really was a brother, why had he remained hidden until now? And why would he put himself on the line for a race he was supposed to be against? For money? Kagome seriously doubted that. She knew that the president was grasping at anything that would help in the fight against the demons.

 

She frowned. This brother angle seemed like a bit of a stretch, though. Kagome had a feeling that the search would turn up nothing, only more dead ends.

 

~*~

 

He slipped into the bar unnoticed. This particular crowd was too rowdy and drunk to even notice if a bomb dropped. It was perfect.

 

He headed straight toward the back of the bar, finding a table that was well away from the crowd but still within sight of the entrance. Once seated, he motioned for the waitress. She was a tall panther demon with tight black curls. Her yellow eyes flashed at him as she offered him a smile.

 

“What can I get for you, hon?” She purred, leaning down just enough so he could get a peek at her ample cleavage. He rolled his eyes, not in the mood for flirting. He had more weighty matters on his mind.

 

“Just bring me a beer, wench.” He growled. She frowned and flipped her curls. “No need for the attitude, hon.” She threw over her shoulder as she sauntered away.

 

“Keh,” he muttered. He eyed the entrance to the bar anxiously, willing the damn idiot into existence. He didn't like to be kept waiting. As if reading his thoughts, the very person he was cursing entered the bar, glancing around until he spotted the dark-haired demon in the corner.

 

“What the hell took you so long?” He snapped, eyeing the other demon with unconcealed irritation. The wolf demon plopped down in the unoccupied seat and glared at his companion.

 

“Calm down, puppy boy,” the wolf demon said. “I was having trouble finding this shithole. I mean, could you have picked a place more out of the way?”

 

He was about to tear the wolf demon a new one when the waitress came back with his beer. She sat it on the table and glanced over at the wolf, giving him a wink. The wolf demon grinned at her, blowing her a kiss.

 

“Save it, Kouga! Chase skirts on your own time, we've got more important things going on right now.” He warned. Kouga frowned before sighing and turning his full attention to the other demon. Once again, the waitress was denied. She left the two, muttering about no-good demons.

 

“So what's with all the urgency? When I got your message, you made it sound serious. And what's with the hair?” Kouga smirked, eyeing the jet black locks tied back in a low ponytail.

 

The other demon shrugged his shoulders, not too crazy about the dye job himself. But if his intuition was right, he'd need more than just a dye job to cover his tracks.

 

“I think someone's been following me,” he stated simply, taking a drink. Kouga leaned back in the chair, knowing immediately the need for caution. “What makes you think so?” He asked.

 

“Last week I was over in Reno, staying in one of the abandoned houses. The city is pretty much deserted, save for a few demons, but I noticed this one demon, a monkey demon, that kept following me around. Eventually I got tired of it so I knocked him around a bit and got the hell outta there.”

 

Kouga frowned. “That doesn't mean anything, Inu - ”

 

“Keep your voice down, mutt!”

 

Kouga leaned foward, lowering his voice just enough so the other demon could hear him. “Look, Inuyasha, I really think you're being paranoid here. Just become some monkey demon gets a crush on you doesn't mean you should get your panties in a bunch!”

 

Inuyasha gave him a threatening glare. “Fuck you, Kouga! This is serious! I don't want anyone finding out who I am.”

 

Kouga held up his hands. “Whoa, calm down, puppy boy! I'm sure that you're just overreacting, but if it'll make you feel any better, I know of this place out in the desert.”

 

Inuyasha eyed him warily, wondering if it wasn't some hole he'd dug. Kouga rolled his eyes. “God, Inuyasha, you don't have to look so worried. It's actually an underground military facility that was probably used for nuclear weapons testing, but it's vacant. Everything cleaned out.”

 

Inuyasha thought about the proposal. It sounded like a good idea. It would at least give him time to sort things out. He couldn't run forever.

“Alright,” Inuyasha agreed. “Meet me back here at midnight.” Kouga sighed, still not quite buying into Inuyasha's conspiracy theory. He knew Inuyasha's reasons for keeping a low profile, but sometimes his paranoia got the best of him.

 

“Fine. Here, midnight.” Kouga repeated, his gaze already roaming the bar in search of the waitress. “You know you should relax, maybe get laid or - ”

 

Kouga turned back to Inuyasha but found that he'd already disappeared.

 

~*~

 

“Kagome, what a pleasant surprise! What brings you to our neck of the woods?”

 

Kagome smiled as she returned Miroku's enthusiastic hug. He squeezed her tightly, his hands rubbing her back. Kagome smacked him on the back of the head.

 

“Haven't lost your touch, I see.” She chided. He grinned at her, stepping aside so she could enter the spacious two-story townhome. “What can I say? Old habits die hard.”

 

Kagome couldn't help laughing. She could never really be upset with Miroku. He was too charming to stay mad at.

 

“What was that about old habits dying hard?”

 

Kagome turned to see her old friend entering the hallway from the livingroom. She gave Miroku a knowing look. He gave her a brilliant smile.

 

“Nothing, sweetheart.” He told her, giving her a peck on the cheek. Sango shook her head with a grin before turning to Kagome.

 

“I was beginning to wonder when you were going to visit. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me!” Sango pouted as she gave her friend a hug. Kagome rolled her eyes. “Is that even possible?” She joked. Sango leaned back and gave her friend a mock glare.

 

“I meant that in a good way!” Kagome said quickly. Sango laughed and motioned her into the livingroom.

 

“So what brings you out here?” Sango asked once they were all seated. Kagome shook her head. “Before I talk shop, I want to hear how your honeymoon is going?”

 

Miroku and Sango glanced at each other and it was clear that they were both floating on cloud nine.

 

“Well, it's no trip to the Bahamas, but we make do.” Miroku said slyly. Sango's cheeks instantly flared up. Kagome bit back a smile, not wanting to embarrass her friend any further.

 

“Glad to hear that,” Kagome said. Miroku reached over and cupped Sango's cheek. “As long as I'm with the love of my life, I'm happy.” Sango melted at his touch, her eyes taking on a dreamy quality. Seeing this, Kagome now regretted her reason for coming over.

 

“You're really gonna hate me after I tell you why I'm here,” Kagome said, bursting their bubble. They glanced at her, their gazes wary.

 

“I knew there had to be some other ulterior motive,” Sango said triumphantly. “What is it?”

 

Kagome took a deep breath and dove right in, beginning with news of the Demon Alliance's plans and ending with the mission. Once she was finished, the room was engulfed in silence, making Kagome feel even worse.

 

“Wow,” Miroku finally broke the silence, his expression a mixture of dismay and disbelief. “I...don't know what...” He trailed off, gazing down at the floor. Sango's reaction was similar to that of her husband's. Her hands were clutched in her lap, her gaze troubled.

 

“So another rebellion, huh?” She said softly. Kagome bit her lip, her heart breaking at the pain etched in her friend's face. It had to be hard for Sango, hearing about another rebellion. Her family had been killed during the Second Rebellion while fleeing Tokyo. Sango had arranged for them to join her in Utopia, but before they could make it to the transport station, they'd been gunned down by a group of demons. She'd never forgiven herself for not being there to protect them, although there was probably little she could've done.

 

“Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you two into this, especially during your honeymoon, so I'll just - ”

 

Sango rose to her feet quickly. “No, don't be sorry. I want to be on the team.” She said sternly. Miroku glanced at her, his expression conveying his concern.

 

“Sweetheart, are you sure?” He asked. Sango gave a sharp nod of her head, her brown eyes hard and determined. “I'm positive, Miroku.” She turned on her heel sharply and left the room. Kagome glanced at Miroku.

 

“I'm sorry,” she said, feeling guilty. He gave her a small smile, rising to his feet. “It's fine, Kag.” He assured her. “She would've wanted this regardless if we were on our honeymoon or not.” His expression turned serious. “She still carries around a lot of guilt about her family, so whatever will help her work through her feelings is fine with me.”

Kagome stood. “Are you sure about this?” She asked, worried about Sango. Miroku gave her a quick hug, trying to reassure her. “We'll meet you at headquarters tomorrow morning.”

 

She returned the hug, hoping he was right.

 

~*~

 

“Hey, puppy boy!”

 

Inuyasha grit his teeth, his hands itching to wrap themselves around Kouga's neck. If he didn't need the wolf demon's help at the moment, he'd gladly give into that urge.

 

“Were you followed?” He asked tersely, eyeing their surroundings. There were a few drunken demons talking loudly outside the bar, but that wasn't unusual considering where they were.

 

Kouga shook his head. “No, I wasn't followed and I think you should take it down a notch.” He pointed at the bag slung over Inuyasha's shoulder. “That all you bringing with you?”

 

Inuyasha nodded. “It's all I need.” He replied. The most important item, however, he preferred to keep closer to him. He felt it's familiar weight pressing against his back, stirring conflicting feelings of reassurance and resentment. It was the bane of his existence, the reason why he would never find peace. He glanced at Kouga.

 

“Let's go.”

 

~*~

 

a/n: well, i hope the chap clears things up. well, hope you're likin the story so far! please leave reviews and let me know! thanks!