InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Delayed Dawn ❯ Reincarnated Actions ( Chapter 9 )

A Delayed Dawn

 

Disclaimer: All the cool stuff belongs to Takahashi Rumiko.

 

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 Nine Reincarnated Actions

 

Miroku sat in a chair he found in the hallway. It had been three hours, that he could tell, and she was still in her office. He knew that she had locked the door; he had heard the click of the lock. Miroku really wanted to see if the artifacts were there. After reading her report, he found it interesting and even plausible.

 

Every once in a while he would hear a sound from inside the room, the sound of an object hitting something, Kagome's verbal connotations to the object hitting that something, and her high heels pacing back and forth against the cement floor. He never pictured such a beautiful woman being so dedicated to being so studious. It was almost sad.

 

Leaning back in the chair, Miroku was imagining what his report to Sesshoumaru was going to be like: met contact Dr. Higurashi at 9:26 am. Kicked out of contact's office at 9:34 am, conclusion, woman likes to work in secret. He could only imagine the many ways Sesshoumaru would punish him. Miroku had only seen Sesshoumaru attack twice. Once with his claws and the other time a poison whip. It had not been pretty and Miroku winced at the thought of being at the receiving end of one of those attacks.

 

After the phone call, Sesshoumaru decided that maybe there was more to the museum attack. That even though this Gokusotsu group didn't find what they were looking for, if they wanted it, there was nothing that was going to stop them. This meant that the museum would be under another attack, and that this Dr. Kagome Higurashi could be the likely target.

 

Sesshoumaru had feared that others received her initial analysis report and that was how they knew where to find the artifacts. The museum was lucky to have a secret level. Sesshoumaru felt that his father had something to do with that. But that secret could be shared at any moment by someone who was willing to take a bribe, or was tortured long enough. The artifacts were in danger and if they had value to the enemy, then they suddenly had value to The War Dogs.

 

“I know.” Miroku muttered to himself as his stomach grumbled with hunger. He had eaten a very early breakfast, which was hours ago. But he wasn't sure. He did know that it was time for lunch. Thinking that Kagome hadn't eaten either, unless she kept a surplus of food in her office, he thought that offering her lunch would be a way for them to break the ice.

 

Standing up, he knocked on the door. “Higurashi-sensei.” He called out. He cringed at the sound of a loud crash.

 

“Uh, one moment please.” She yelled from inside the room. More crashing followed.

 

“Do you require any help?” Miroku asked. He needed any opportunity he could.

 

There was silence. Then the door was swung open. He smiled when he saw Kagome standing there, her ponytail a bit loose, her face flushed. “Sorry.” She said. “What?” She asked.

 

“Uh. . . “Miroku stuttered, momentarily forgetting why he had knocked on her door in the first place. “Right. I was wondering if you wanted lunch. Seeing how Myouga-sensei won't let you out of my sight.” He added to remind her that if she wanted to leave, he would be there right behind her.

 

Kagome sighed. She hadn't eaten since her ramen last night. And since she had an escort, she might be able to eat something else. “Uh, sure, I guess.” She said softly. “Let me grab some stuff.” Kagome closed the door and Miroku swore he heard it lock again. After thirty seconds or so, she reemerged. Wearing a trench coat, purse slung over her shoulder and thick, ancient looking book in hand, she seemed ready. “Okay.” She said.

 

Miroku nodded and escorted the doctor up to the main level of the museum. He first checked to make sure that no one was around to notice them coming out from such a bizarre place. Once it was clear, he motioned for Kagome to walk out. Kagome sighed. She had done this countless times and never had any problems. But what was weird about it, was the way Miroku had chosen to exit. Like that wouldn't draw attention to them.

 

“Seems clear.” He whispered to her.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes. “And you were wishing it wasn't.”

 

Miroku looked at her with a grin. She was quick. “Now, Higurashi-sensei, you wouldn't think such things of me, would you?”

 

Kagome walked passed him, turned to face him and whispered, “You chose the women's bathroom passage; you tell me what I should be thinking.”

 

Miroku chuckled. So he had helped her out some. He couldn't help it. It was who he was. Easier to accept your true self than to pretend to be someone you weren't. That philosophy comforted him to no end. Nor could he help but smile as he followed her out of the ladies room and into the main floor of the museum.

 

*The Lil' Ramen Shop That Could*

 

Miroku and Kagome entered the shop that wasn't a ramen shop. It was fairly empty, but that wasn't surprising. Restaurants like these were becoming a luxury that many couldn't afford. Kagome figured that it was funded by one of the war gangs. They would stay open and receive enough money to pay for food and help if they cooked for gang members.

 

Finding a table that Kagome deemed okay, they sat down. A girl rushed out and handed them menus and set glasses of water down on the table before disappearing again. Silently, Miroku and Kagome opened the menus and read over them.

 

Miroku looked over at Kagome as she studied the menu. He took notice of her creamy skin, brownish-blue steel grey eyes and dark hair. The glasses she sported did nothing to subtract from her beauty. Miroku was happy to accept such a job. “Find anything appealing?” Miroku asked.

 

Part of his mission was not only to watch over Kagome, but to get information out of her. He felt bad for having to create a relationship of trust between them only for him to be using her. It was part of the job. No, scratch that, it was his life. His life was the gathering of information, no matter what he had to do to get it. Kagome was no different than anyone else.

 

Kagome nodded. She reached over and grabbed her glass of water, taking a sip. Miroku never had it so tough. Kagome had resorted to sentences that even a three year old could master. It was going to be tough to get anything out of her. He would have to say that she would be his most difficult mission to date. The waitress finally appeared.

 

“That.” Kagome ordered pointed to some dish on the menu. The waitress nodded and jotted down the order. She turned to Miroku.

 

“Vegetarian yakisoba please.” He requested. The waitress took his order, grabbed the menus and left.

 

Miroku watched as Kagome flipped open the book and started to read. Miroku could only watch knowing that he would interrupt her if he asked any questions. She would probably find the questions intrusive. This was all he could do. Watch, hopeful build a trust through the silence, and wait.

 

“Do you plan on following me everywhere?” She asked from behind her book.

 

Miroku looked up at her. “Uh, yeah, that's the plan.” He said glad that she had asked him a question instead of the other way around.

 

“Everywhere?” She reiterated the word. “What will you do when I go home?”

 

“Myouga-sensei told me that you don't go home.” He countered back.

 

Kagome shrugged. “I do go home every now and then. Change clothes, shower. What then?”

 

Miroku picked up his glass of water. Was she this naïve? “Go with you, of course.” He smirked.

 

“Pervert.” She mumbled. Miroku chuckled. It wasn't like he hadn't been called that before. And this may mean that she was starting to get comfortable with him having to be around her for some unknown amount of time. As much as he would like to just come out and ask her about the artifacts, he couldn't because she wouldn't. “So, guard man, when are you going to tell me the real reason why you are following me?”

 

Miroku wanted the Earth to swallow him up right there. How could she . . . ? How did she . . . ? Now he had to figure out how to answer that.

 

But he didn't have to. “If you're only interested in the artifacts, then you're wasting your time.” Kagome put down the book at looked at him. The intensity of her gaze frightened him. “I know that Myouga put you up to this as well as whichever gang you work for. So, I guess the real question is: are you protecting me, or the artifacts?”

 

He had to look away. She was more than just beautiful. In at least three hours she had completely figured it all out. He wasn't sure how to answer. If he told her that he was protecting her, she knew he would be lying. And if he chose the artifacts, she would ignore him. Well, she already said that she wasn't going to give him or anyone else for that matter the information. That was kind of a good thing.

 

Kagome didn't expect an answer. Instead, she lifted her book back up and continued to read. She smiled. She wasn't going to tell him that he had given her information. She hadn't known who was responsible for the attack last night or what they were after. Now she knew both. Who they were didn't matter. What they were after was something of importance. And it was related to her artifacts.

 

The rest of the lunch was eaten in silence. Miroku was still struggling with Kagome's bold and calm reaction to him and the truth that he never spoke of. Sesshoumaru would not be pleased. One of his best, beaten down by a human, a girl. Maybe Sesshoumaru would get a laugh out of it before he demonfied his ass.

 

*New Tokyo Museum*

 

Lunch was eerily quiet. The walk back was just as bad. But now, he was sitting outside her office and he couldn't stop thinking about how he was going to finish this mission. It was to gather information. It was information that she wouldn't give because she knew that he wanted it. He had to laugh at it. Maybe this would make the mission a bit more interesting.

 

Miroku almost fell out of his chair when the door opened. Kagome stood there smiling at Miroku's state. His hand was holding him and the chair up. While he had saved himself from falling, he was now in a state of not being able to actually get up. Kagome shook her head as she pushed the back of the chair up.

 

“Why, thank you Higurashi-sensei.” He said as he stood up from the trap of a chair. Instead of asking her anything, he stayed silent and waited for her to say something. She had to have something to say as she was the one who actually crawled out of her office.

 

“I need to go to the library.” She stated, her smile already gone as she morphed back into scientist mode.

 

Miroku nodded. He still had to play the role of the bodyguard, even if that wasn't his real reason for being here. Kagome locked her door and silently followed her babysitter down the hall again. This time he had chosen the other route from the secret level to the main level of the museum. He was already busted for not being honest with her; the least he could do was be a bit more civilized.

 

The other passage took Miroku and Kagome out through the coat check area. They had to fight their way through several coats that Kagome knew to be there only for show. One, people never visited the museum much anymore as it became a storehouse for things that might be valuable to someone out there. Secondly, with a war going on, no one was interested in ancient artifacts and things that made them think.

 

Kagome gasped at the sight displayed in front of her. The exit they had taken earlier lead them through the back door and hadn't seen this. But now she was seeing first hand the damage the attack did to the museum. Tears swelled in her eyes. It was horrifying. These people just didn't understand what they were doing. This war not only caused them to destroy each other, but by attacking the museum, they were destroying who they were as a human or a demon, cutting themselves away from their past.

 

“Something wrong?” Miroku asked.

 

Kagome shook her head. Yes, there was something wrong, but she wasn't going to waste her time trying to explain it to him. It was information he didn't want to hear. Miroku escorted Kagome out from the coat check, which made it look like he had helped her find her coat. Miroku looked up and saw a familiar face.

 

`Shit.' He cursed to himself. If they recognized him, then his whole operation would be blown. Not that it was going well, but, still, he figured he had a chance, even a tiny one.

 

Kagome saw the person walking up to them. “Sango, what are you doing here?” Kagome asked.

 

Miroku did a double-take. Sango, was here? And Kagome was on familiar terms with her?

 

Sango noticed Miroku but didn't say anything. “Kagome-chan. I was so worried when I heard about the attacks. I came as soon as I could.”

 

Kagome smiled a smile that Miroku had never seen. “Oh, I'm fine. You know me.” Kagome chuckled. She hated making others worry about her. It didn't seem fair to the other person.

 

“Well, as long as you are all right.” Sango added. “Where are you going?” She asked.

 

“To the library.” Kagome replied.

 

Sango thought about it for a moment. “Would you mind if I tagged along?” Sango asked.

 

Miroku cocked an eyebrow. Something was up. He could tell. Sango was here and she was already friends with Kagome. He knew that Sango was with The Miko group. And according to Sesshoumaru, she hadn't been reassigned. He could only conclude that The Miko group was interested in either Kagome or the artifacts.

 

Kagome shook her head. “Not at all. As long as you don't mind him following us.” Kagome referred to Miroku.

 

Sango looked over at Miroku. “Who's he?” She asked.

 

Sighing, Kagome replied, “My bodyguard. Myouga was worried about the attacks and so he hired this guy here to trail me.” Kagome briefly explained.

 

Sango nodded. Miroku's presence meant that he was here to gather information. She had given him plenty of information about her line of work. It was odd that their paths had crossed.

 

“No, I don't mind at all.” Sango said. Sango reached over and took Kagome's hand. “Let's get moving then.” She added.

 

Miroku was suspicious of Sango. She wasn't acting like the Sango he knew. Something was up. But he didn't know what it was. Not yet. And after the loud sound, he wouldn't have to wait for it either.

 

Kagome was forced to cover her ears from the loud explosion that happened right outside the museum doors. The ground shook. Miroku and Sango both had experience with such sensations, and had quick enough reflexes to get into a stable stance. Kagome wasn't as fortunate as she fell on her backside.

 

“Higurashi-sensei, are you okay?” Miroku asked, helping her up and putting an arm over her shoulders. Kagome nodded though she wouldn't move her arms from over her head. He directed her back into the coat check. “The library is going to have to wait.” Miroku reached down to a small device on his belt and pressed a small grey button.

 

“Sango!” Kagome yelled for her friend to follow.

 

Sango didn't hesitate. She ran after Miroku and Kagome into the coat check. Swimming their way back through the coats, Kagome fumbled with the security code to get the secret door open. Sango went in first, then Kagome, followed by Miroku. The door was shut behind them as they ran down the long corridor. They didn't stop until they all reached Kagome's office.

 

Above them, the sounds of the attacks echoed against the cement walls. Kagome unlocked her door and walked into her office. It was the only safe place she knew at the moment since she couldn't make it home. Tossing her purse and coat into the chair, she went over to the little refrigerator and grabbed three water bottles.

 

“Here.” She said handing Miroku and Sango both a water bottle. Each took the bottle silently.

 

“I will be out here, just in case someone noticed us.” He said, attending to his `guard' duties.

 

Sango bit her lower lip. She wanted to be alone with Miroku and talk with him, but that would look suspicious in front of Kagome. Instead, she would have to hang out with Kagome until . . . she wasn't sure when. But it didn't mean that she didn't have a job to do either.

 

Kagome took a seat in the chair behind her desk and started to work again. Sango was amazed that Kagome could work like this. The building was under attack again, and she was there taking notes from a real thick book.

 

“Uh, Kagome-chan, are you sure you want to be doing that now?” Sango asked.

 

“Yeah. If I do nothing, then what's going on up there will bother me. Besides, from what Mister Pervert Babysitter out there says, this might have something to do some artifacts that the museum may have.”

 

Miroku could hear her as he left her office door open, to eavesdrop on the two beauties. She was using vague language meaning that she didn't trust Sango enough to share the truth.

 

“I don't understand.” Sango said, sitting down in a chair near the desk.

 

“Me neither. I am not concerned about the war nor should the war be concerned about me. I'm a scientist. Unless politics interfere with my work, I don't care.” Kagome stated as she jotted down some more notes.

 

Sango laughed. Kagome was the only person she met that had such a different attitude about the war or not about it at all. Kagome's priorities existed on a level far removed from everyone else's. But now, Kagome or these artifacts now became someone's priority. Which made her and the museum a target, and that was what was happening outside.

 

After almost an hour of random bombings and more gunshots, Sango became restless and bored. Kagome hadn't spoken much since she started back with her work. Standing up to stretch her legs, she took this as an opportunity to talk to Miroku.

 

“I'm just going to walk around a bit.” Sango told Kagome. Kagome just grunted a reply. Walking out into the hallway, she looked around for Miroku. He was seated in a chair about twenty feet down the hallway from Kagome's office. Sango made her way over to him. She stopped. “Walk with me?” She asked quietly making sure he voice wasn't carried down the hallway.

 

Miroku nodded as he stood up. Sango walked and Miroku walked backwards so he could keep an eye on the other end of the hallway and on Kagome.

 

“What are you doing here?” Miroku whispered.

 

“Same reason you are since I don't need to ask you that question.” Sango quietly answered back.

 

“For who then?” Miroku asked.

 

Sango sighed. “Kikyou.”

 

“The Miko boss, but why?” Miroku continued with the line of questioning.

 

Sango stopped walking. “Some artifact.”

 

“Which one?”

 

Sango shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know.”

 

 

“I know you are here for information, but I didn't think that Sesshoumaru believed in this jewel nonsense.” Sango commented.

 

Miroku sighed. He was facing dangerous territory. If he replied to her comment, he would be discussing secret information that would get him punished. But after all of the other reasons why he could get punished, this one didn't seem so bad. Besides, it was his dear Sango.

 

“Sesshoumaru doesn't know much about the jewel. He's interested in something else. From Higurashi-sensei's report, it is connected with this jewel. However, you may be wasting your time here. As soon as the jewel was mentioned, she denied its existence.”

 

Sango nodded. “But she may be protecting it.”

 

“I know.” Miroku looked over at Sango. “But she didn't say anything about the other artifacts, items that Myouga has seen himself. He claims that there was no jewel turned up in the excavation.” Miroku looked back down the hallway to see if Kagome was looking for him. He started to walk forward, causing Sango to walk backwards. “Even Higurashi-sensei's report claimed that the existence of the jewel was statistically improbably because of the concept of the wish. She claimed that no one, human or demon, couldn't' resist the wish.”

 

“So, someone has already made the wish then?” Sango asked.

 

Miroku sighed. “One wish and this could all end.” He muttered.

 

“The war or existence? If a demon got a hold of it, they could easily wish for the banishment of humans, or vice versa.” Sango added.

 

“One wish, so much power. Perhaps Higurashi-sensei's conclusion is correct. Only the Buddha himself could resist such temptation.” Miroku said with a smirk on his face. The comment made Sango smile. He loved her smile, but he had yet to tell her.

 

The bombing above them seemed to stop. Sango and Miroku figured the attacks to be attempts to rattle the museum bosses, hoping that they will just give up Kagome. Miroku believed that the museum had ties to The War Dogs, but determined it to be through an intermediary. The War Dogs were pretty good at keeping their connections hidden from those who would use it to destroy their network. Sesshoumaru himself would kill Kagome Higurashi before letting his gang fall.

 

 

Author's Note: Sorry about the boring and short chapters. But they must be written before it really starts to take off. And thank you to those who have reviewed. Remember, questions, comments, whatever, send them my way. If not, thanks for reading!