InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Delayed Dawn ❯ The War Dogs ( Chapter 2 )

A Delayed Dawn

 

Disclaimer: Miroku stands holding his staff, eyes closed. roshully stands next to him patiently waiting for him to deliver the message he has received. Miroku opens his eyes to say “it is seen that roshully does not own the characters of Inuyasha.” roshully thanks the monk only to have to smack him a few times for behavior unbecoming of a monk.

 

Previously: After the guilty verdict for a demon convicted of severe crimes against humanity, the demon and human population of the word is divided up into gangs and these gangs are at war with each other. This chapter takes place thirteen years after those events.

 

Warning: This story is posted in the mature section for good reasons. If ideas such as vulgar language, descriptive violence, and sexual situations such as rape disturb you, then you are warned now.

 

 

Chapter Two The War Dogs

 

Sesshoumaru sat in a room filled with computers and books. On his large wooden desk, several newspapers from around the globe were scattered about. Reports of the war and chaos were the daily headlines. The news was never new, only the people and demons involved. The stories were always of some kind of an attack and the article went on to describe the attack, where and when it happened, how it happened and the number of casualties. The news never bothered him anymore. He had grown immune to the stories.

 

He sighed. It was hard being in charge of one of the largest gangs in the world. He wasn't sure how it happened. On that day, that fateful day thirteen years ago, he and some demons that he was allied with joined together. He reasoned that the more demons they had together in a group, the better protected they would be against attacks from humans. Sesshoumaru didn't care if the demon convicted was truly guilty or not, he just didn't want to be killed. Over time, he had allowed humans to join, even though he despised them. The humans did serve a purpose and for that, he allowed exceptions.

 

The number of demons and people in his gang was not really known. Keeping a membership list was not a smart idea. If an outside gang got a hold of such a list, they could conduct assassinations on the members. His job was to protect. And he also wanted to stop this damned war. It was getting rather boring to him. Sesshoumaru did not fight; he organized, planned, conducted research and was the all around leader. That was why it was getting boring to him. He didn't get to participate.

 

The War Dogs. That is what they were called. Sesshoumaru was a dog demon. One of the strongest demons that was still alive in these modern times. It was probably why many of the weaker demons turned to him for protection. It boosted his ego some, but it was a fact that he was aware of. He was strong, wise, and rational and was one of the few demons that promoted peace. Sesshoumaru didn't mind war, if it was just. But the rationale behind this mess was stupid, in his opinion.

 

Being the leader was more than a job, it was a necessity for survival. Everyone depended on him and he would not fail them. Failure was a word that was not in his vocabulary. Since he was a demon, he could stay up all day and night for days on end without requiring sleep. This allowed him to go scour information, to make plans, to find a way to end this. Then, his body would tire and he would sleep for a full day, and then start over again. It was not the life he imagined, and now it was the only life he thought possible for himself.

 

There was a knock on his door. “Enter.” Sesshourmaru spoke without looking up from the file he was reading. The door opened and a man walked in. He was tall, with dark shoulder length black hair that was kept back in a small ponytail. “Miroku.” Sesshourmaru addressed the slender man.

 

Miroku nodded. “The reports of yesterday's activities sir.” Miroku handed Sesshoumaru a folder containing several reports of differing lengths.

 

His gang was run like a military outfit. It was the structure that best suited their needs. Sesshoumaru had read enough about military and warfare theory to have a good grasp about what he believed to work, and what not to work. Being constantly updated was a tactic that worked. Information was ones greatest ally, and he had many people who were willing to risk their safety to bring in information and to verify the validity of the information. It was one reason why they remained one of the strongest gangs.

 

Miroku was a human. He came from a religious family. While Sesshoumaru did not believe in such human nonsense, the other humans in his gang did and he brought Miroku in for spiritual guidance. Sesshoumaru learned that there was some useful and applicable wisdom in Miroku's spiritual guidance, and offered him a position in The Pack.

 

Sesshoumaru took the report and opened it up. Most of it was the same. Inside were accounts of successful missions, relocations of humans and demons to safe houses. There was also a list of previous attacks by rival gangs. The rival gangs attacked smaller and weaker gangs, attacked human organizations that were allied with gangs with similar beliefs of Sesshoumaru. The rival gangs also had cruel recruiting practices. They would kidnapped and blackmail demons and humans to join up with them. Sesshoumaru found that to be a weak and cowardly practice.

 

“Anything else?” Sesshoumaru asked as he closed the file, not visually acknowledging the human in front of him.

 

Miroku shifted uncomfortable. He wasn't going to lie, Sesshoumaru intimidated him to the core of his body. Talking to the demon lord was like facing his death, he could see his life flash before his eyes. And today was no different. “Actually, there is a matter that needs to be discussed.”

 

Sesshoumaru looked up at Miroku and cocked an eyebrow. “Oh.” He replied. Sesshoumaru had learned that Miroku had a reputation for talking, one reason why he allowed the silver tongue monk into the group, but whenever Miroku came into his office, it was just business. Miroku actually having something to add piqued his curiosity.

 

“Your brother has requested, uh, demanded to be let into The Pack and has asked me to tell you to let him in.” Miroku stated quickly hoping that Sesshoumaru caught his words for he was fearful of repeating them.

 

His brother. Half-brother to be correct. A problem by itself. He would honestly and openly admit his complete distaste and hatred for his younger sibling, however, he would not let personal opinions and feelings get involved in his duty as a leader. His younger brother proved to be an asset to the gang and he could not deny it, even if he tried. The boy was strong, motivated and just too damn lucky. Sesshoumaru liked to send him out on assassination missions hoping that we might not survive. After hundreds of such missions, the nuisance lived on.

 

`So, he wants to be in The Pack,' Sesshoumaru thought. The Pack was a small group within the War Dogs gang that handled top secret information and extremely special missions. His brother was in another group of The War Dogs called The Toukens, the Fighting Dogs. That group was the physical aspect of the gang, which carried out most of the fighting. They were all specialty trained in hand to hand combat, weaponry and certain aspects of military tactics. They were the ones with the bloody hands.

 

Sesshoumaru could hear the quiet sighs that come from Miroku. He was trying to be both patient and polite. “Give me time to think about his request. You are dismissed.”

 

Miroku gave a slight nod and left. It was all he could do.

 

His brother, in The Pack. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. His brother's rash and quick judgments, his big mouth, and his inability to think or reason made him a liability. The Toukens was the perfect place for him. He excelled in the physical and lacked in the mental. But Sesshoumaru had to consider the experience his brother had gained from the years in The Toukens. He could bring a certain field wisdom that those in The Pack lacked.

 

Miroku was the only human in The Pack. Sesshoumaru allowed him because Miroku had a way of obtaining information from humans that others could not. Miroku was a smooth talker, and had a knack for persuading people to talk. He was the last person Sesshoumaru had allowed to enter The Pack. And that was five years ago. Perhaps he needed some fresh faces and fresh minds.

 

The only problem was that it wasn't as simple as him saying it was okay for his brother to join. No, there were rules and procedures to be followed. And of course, the initiation. Sesshoumaru was one that did not agree with the initiation but the others felt that it was necessary, an idea based off of ancient demon law. It was more than just something to do to pass the test; it was an act that showed a person was willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure the survival of the gang. It was also an act that showed that the person was obedient, loyal, and had a willingness to sacrifice. Traits that were needed in The Pack. Also, when they passed the initiation, the initiation was never to talk about it again, which was a trait that was needed, secrecy.

 

The other condition was that they would have to set up the initiation which took time to prepare. Since it hadn't been done in a while, he would have to go back and look up the exact rules and procedures. His brother was not a patient person. `Damn' he thought. Letting his brother into The Pack was becoming more and more of a hassle. He didn't have the time to set up everything, but he was the only one who could do it.

 

He opened the folder with the reports in them. Sesshourmaru counted the number of attacks by the enemies. This was something he started doing a couple of months ago. After opening a file up on his computer, he entered in the new data. He then studied the numbers. The attacks by the enemy were not only increasing, but they were becoming violent, almost desperate. Sesshoumaru decided that it was time for a change within his gang. Perhaps his brother would be the start of that change.

 

It was decided, he would allow his annoying pest of a brother into The Pack. That is, if he could pass the initiation. Sesshoumaru figured it would take about a week to set up everything. He would have to get the members of The Pack together to be there for the decision of the act of initiation. That would be the first thing. He got on the phone.

 

“Miroku, get the members of The Pack together in the meeting room. We will meet before lunch. Inform me when they have all arrived. However, do not tell him the nature of the meeting.” He returned the phone back on the receiver.

 

No, his brother could not know yet. It would have to be decided by The Pack as a whole. Sesshoumaru knew that his influence would sway the people, and he was interested in what they thought first before putting in his two cents. They might have some ideas that would be convincing enough to change his mind, or they would think that having his brother in The Pack would be a good thing. He could never tell how the members of The Pack thought. It would be interesting to see.

 

*A Few Hours Later*

 

Sesshoumaru entered the meeting room. Inside were a set of oblong tables set up in a square so that each member had a seat and could talk to each other as equals in status. Everyone was already there, and was waiting for Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru had been gathering the materials needed for the initiation if it was decided.

 

Sesshoumaru stood behind his chair as he addressed the members of The Pack. “Thank you for coming on such a short notice. I received word this morning that Inuyasha is interested in becoming a member of The Pack. To remind you, Inuyasha is the current leader of The Toukens. He has carried out all of his missions successfully. Before I share my thoughts on the matter, I would appreciate your input before a decision is made.”

 

Immediately there were murmurs among the members. Sesshoumaru was unable to read their reactions. He gave them time to think it through. It was a difficult decision. Especially since it was about his brother. His brother had a certain reputation, and even though his reputation was fairly accurate it was the only information anyone really had about him, and it was by his reputation that most people judged him by. It was why he added the bit about him carrying out every mission successfully.

 

Finally, someone decided to speak up. “You did say Inuyasha? As in your brother Inuyasha?” The demon asked in disbelief.

 

Sesshoumaru nodded. “Half-brother.” He added.

 

“And did he give a reason?” The same demon asked.

 

Sesshoumaru looked over at Miroku. He never talked to his brother. He relayed any information to his half brother through Miroku and then Miroku reported back. Miroku shook his head.

 

“No reason was given.” Sesshoumaru answered.

 

“Is this a joke?” Another demon asked.

 

Sesshoumaru snapped his glance over at that man and glared. “Does it look like this Sesshoumaru makes jokes?”

 

The demon gulped and shook his head. “No, sir. Sorry sir.” He replied.

 

“Are you asking this because he is your young HALF-brother?” Someone else asked, emphasizing the half part, more too mock Sesshoumaru than to acknowledge that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha shared similar blood.

 

Sesshoumaru sighed. He figured it would turn out like this. No one believed in his brother. His reputation of being a wild card was hurting him here. Inuyasha should have known that it would be a fight for him to even be considered of becoming a member. Then again, Inuyasha was born fighting, this was not going to much different for him, well, and maybe Sesshoumaru was jumping ahead on that thought.

 

He wasn't getting the input he wanted, so he decided that he would have to convince them. As much as he hated his half-brother, as much as he would rather let the bastard do out and die, there was a much larger issue that had to be addressed. “I have been keeping data on the activities from our enemies. I believe that they may be planning something. What it is, I do not know. Inuyasha has an experience few of us have. His addition to The Pack has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. We will have to put aside our opinions and prejudices of him and think about the safety and survival of those who depend on us. Our goal is to stop this war. That is what we must consider.”

 

Again, the members went back to the murmuring. One member spoke up. “He is a liability.”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded. “I know. However, I know how to deal with it.”

 

“How?” Someone else asked.

 

Sesshoumaru almost wanted to smirk at this. If Inuyasha was here now. . . “He will have a,” he paused as he searched for the right word. “Babysitter.”

 

The members snickered. Even Miroku. Miroku couldn't imagine his friend having a babysitter. It was just too funny.

 

“Laugh now Miroku.” Sesshoumaru added.

 

Miroku's jaw dropped. He should have seen that one coming. Being as he was the only one who considered Inuyasha a friend, and knew him well enough. Miroku just shrugged his shoulders. It didn't mean much. Other than being a bit more careful when out with Inuyasha, their time together would be pretty much the same.

 

“If it is agreed to allow Inuyasha to join The Pack, then we must commence with the initiation as soon as possible.” Sesshoumaru began. “First thing, the choosing of the initiation act.” With this, Sesshoumaru brought in a clay jar that had a lid on it. The lid had a chain on it, locking in the contents inside. “Isamu, I believe it is your turn.”

 

The one named Isamu stood. In appearance he looked human, but he was a bear demon. He had dark ebony skin with black hair and pale green eyes. He walked over to Sesshoumaru and proceeded to take the chain off. Once the chain was off, he opened the lid and reached in. Drawing his hand back out, he held a piece of paper. Isamu handed the paper back to Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru took the piece of paper, unfolded it and silently read the contents. His brother was going to have one more reason to hate him.

 

“If anyone has anything else to say, speak now. Once the initiation process has been set in motion, it cannot be stopped.” Sesshoumaru explained. Everyone nodded, knowing the procedures.

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama, may I ask which act you brother will have to do?”

 

Sesshoumaru inhaled. “Initiation Act Number 21.”

 

Everyone gasped except Miroku. Miroku wasn't around when the initiation act was created so he didn't know about the different acts. But from what he understood, the original members thought of things that they believed would truly test ones character. The ideas they had created were written down on paper and then agreed upon. Once agreed upon, they were given a number at random and placed in a sealed jar.

 

One demon chuckled. “A good one for your worthless brother, eh Sesshoumaru.” It was apparent that this demon despised Inuyasha as much as Sesshoumaru. This demon, who belonged to the beaver clan laughed and joked about the act being one deserving of a filthy half-breed.

 

A majority of the others were just shaking their heads and muttering comments such as `poor thing' and `can't believe we will allow such an act'. Miroku was learning that Initiation Act Number 21 was not any normal act. He remembered his initiation act. He was lucky it was one that did not contradict his moral principles. In fact, he found it quite easy. All he was required to do was to go to the enemy's hideout and steal some information among some other things. Going into the lion's den as he called it. He ended up charming some girl and obtained the information rather easy. It wasn't the act itself but his abilities that convinced the members to allow him into The Pack.

 

“We will meet here in three days to give Inuyasha the task. Until then, secrecy is of utmost importance.” When he said this, he glared at the monk. “Dismissed.”

 

The members started to stand. “Excuse me, but may I ask, what is Initiation Act Number 21?” Miroku asked one of the older members.

 

The member he asked just shook his head. “It is better if you do not know. You will learn of your friend's fate in three days. This way, he will know about it ahead of time.” And with that, Miroku was left alone to ponder the words that were spoken to him. `His friend's fate'. Sounded rather serious. Perhaps it was better if he did not know. However, he did not want to be blamed for anything. Inuyasha had a tendency to get violent rather quickly and Miroku had been on the receiving end of some of his physical outbursts.

 

“Miroku, you may inform Inuyasha that his request has been considered and that in three day's time, his presence will be required here.” Sesshoumaru commanded to Miroku. Miroku nodded and found himself alone in the meeting room. Things were started to change, and he was hoping that they would finally move in a forward direction.