InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Heaven ❯ Cruel Irony ( Chapter 20 )

Dark Heaven

 

Chapter 20

 

Cruel Irony

 

Hunter slashed the air furiously, a black and silver whirlwind and destruction. Kagome leapt back and fell into a springboard, leaping and knocking Hunter to the ground. The youkai climbed to his feet and spun as Kagome swept for a roundhouse. Hunter grabbed her attack and flung her into a lamppost. Kagome's back hit unforgiving metal, and she slumped back with a groan. Hunter leapt and gouged three deep scratches in the pole. Kagome landed a quick jab on Hunter's jaw and spun into another roundhouse, catching him across the chest and sending him reeling backwards.

 

“You can't win this,” Hunter snarled, diving forward. Kagome didn't move fast enough, and cried out as Hunter slashed her shoulder. She crumpled to the ground, and Hunter clenched his eyes shut. He raised a claw and swiped as Kagome rolled over. Three swift kicks caught Hunter off guard: the first knocked his attack off-course, the second met his chin, and the third slammed into his stomach. Kagome leapt up and delivered another kick. Hunter twisted, caught the kick with his shoulder, and used the momentum to spun and slash.

 

Kagome screamed and fell back, her cowl falling to shreds on the road below. She clutched her bloody cheek and winced. She looked to the side and noticed sirens coming closer. She swung forward on her hands and slammed both feet into the side of Hunter's head. Hunter gave a muffled groan and grabbed at his mouth. He pulled down the red material covering his mouth and spit. His fangs has punctured his lips and drawn blood.

 

“This ends now Angel,” He growled. Hunter stomped forward and raised a claw. Kagome spun around to her feet and aimed a punch. Claw met fist in the same instant. Suddenly, the street was flooded with light, and the two combatants froze.

 

“This is the police. Get on your knees and place your hands behind your head!” One of the officers yelled. Three police cars had skidded to a halt, forming a blockade. “I repeat, put your hands behind your head, both of you!” Kagome and Hunter ignored them. Kagome stood, dumbstruck, as Hunter stumbled back a few steps. It couldn't be…no. A gust of wind caught the wrappings of Hunter's cowl and flung it away, his silver hair blowing out in its wake. Twin golden eyes stared at Kagome in a mixture of shock and horror.

 

“You…” Hunter muttered, shaking his head.

 

“This is your last warning. Drop to your knees, or we shall open fire!” The officer roared. Hunter turned his head and leapt up, past Kagome's head, and vanished onto the rooftops. Kagome followed suit, flapping and flying up into the sky as bullets rained past her.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Why you wanted to return here is beyond me,” Sesshomaru muttered, stepping off the elevator.

 

“You didn't have to come with me,” Kagura reminded, walking down the halls of the Haven Medical Center.

 

“It would be bad form if I didn't. You're under my payroll and protect, remember,” The youkai replied. He cast a glance at the door numbers and noticed his secretary seemed to be heading for Midoriko's room. However, she turned a room before that and slowly pushed the door open. She raised an eyebrow and stepped inside. Sesshomaru frowned and followed her. A young girl, not even twenty years old, sat in the bed, calmly sipping a bowl of soup. An older woman sat on the bed with her, stroking her hair.

 

“Hello?” The woman asked, looking up. Kagura cleared her throat.

 

“I am Kagura Kazega. This is my employer of the House of Taisho, Sesshomaru,” She said. The woman nodded. “Neither of you know me, but I was here not too long ago. I just heard your daughter had woken up.” Ms. Sogen nodded.

 

“Yes, my Rin has returned to me.” She said, kissing her daughter's forehead. Rin snorted and rolled her eyes. Kagura smiled, and Sesshomaru sniffed deeply. He leaned out the door and growled. Kagura turned at the sound as Sesshomaru closed the door and opened a closet.

 

“What is it my lord?” She asked. Sesshomaru tossed a few hospital masks on the bed.

 

“Put those on,” He snapped. Kagura nodded and pulled one on, the two humans following suit.

 

“What's going on?” Ms. Sogen asked. Sesshomaru ignored her and pulled the door open, stepping out into the hall. A purple smoke floated over the white tile floor, and Sesshomaru grabbed his nose at the scent. The noxious fumes were billowing out from the door next to Rin's. Sesshomaru kicked down the door and nearly fell back at the clouds that floated out.

 

“Sweet dreams, my dear Councilor.” Sesshomaru pushed through the smoke. A man in a pristine white suit sat next to Midoriko's bed, smiling and stroking her forehead. A small pot in his lab continued to pour more poisonous smoke into the room. Midoriko's eyes were shut tight, and a cold sweat had formed on her skin.

 

“Who are you?” Sesshomaru roared. He was generally immune to poison, but the smell still nearly overrode him. Mukotsu looked up and frowned.

 

“My my, this wasn't expected,” He sighed. “I expect these fumes are quite irritating, aren't they?” The smoke rose from his pot and curled into a ball. The ball quite literally flung itself across the room. Sesshomaru hacked as the smoke invaded his nostrils and stumbled back. Mukotsu stood and drew a slim katana on his waist. He drew the sword and slowly set his pot of poison on the bed beside Midoriko.

 

“Damn you,” Sesshomaru growled. Mukotsu swung his sword, and Sesshomaru ducked away quickly. He lashed out a hand and swiftly bent Mukotsu's sword in half. Mukotsu stared at the weapon in horror as Sesshomaru punched, sending him sliding across the hall.

 

“What's going on?” Sesshomaru and Mukotsu snapped their heads as Ms. Sogen leaned out the door. Mukotsu wrapped a hand around her throat and pulled her against him.

 

“Back off Sesshomaru!” He snapped. Sesshomaru growled and slowly backed away from Midoriko's door. Mukotsu raised his other hand and summoned an orb of poison. The gas slammed into Sesshomaru and knocked him on his back. Ms. Sogen growled and slammed an elbow into Mukotsu's stomach. Mukotsu grunted as Ms. Sogen attempted to tear herself away from the man. Mukotsu grabbed at the back of her neck and pulled. Ms. Sogen tripped to the ground, the cord of her mask snapping. She quickly began to cough as the poison vapors entered her nose.

 

“Wretched human,” Mukotsu sneered, ignoring the hacking woman. He reached into his pocket and removed a small black box, the size of a hand-held video game. He flipped open a hatch, twisted a dial, and slammed the device on the wall. It slowly began to beep as Mukotsu turned to leave.

 

“Halt!” Mukotsu spun and fired a stream of poison. The attack hit Sesshomaru in the stomach and canceled out his moment. He fell to the floor, and his head heat a limp, pal arm. Sesshomaru looked up over his head at Rin's gasping mother.

 

“Get out of here!” He snapped. The woman moved her mouth silently, and Sesshomaru groaned, climbing to his feet and hauling Ms. Sogen over his shoulder. Mukotsu smirked and held up another ball of gas.

 

“Fujin-no-mai!” The glass along the doors of the hall suddenly shattered as a torrential wind blew down the corridor. Mukotsu screamed as the noxious vapors around his feet blew out the hall and into the more spacious waiting rooms and offices of the hospital. Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder. Kagura stood at the end of the hall, a makeshift paper fan in her hands. She swung again, and bands of white energy shot out of the weapon. Mukotsu screamed as the wind blades tore into his body and slashed apart his limbs. He fell to the ground, groaning as blood poured from his wounds.

 

“Who are you?” Sesshomaru asked, staring down at him. Mukotsu craned his head up and grinned, his eyes looking past Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru turned to see the black box on the wall, his ears picking up a steady beep that was getting faster. He cursed and raced to the box, Ms. Sogen sliding off his shoulder to the floor. The door behind Sesshomaru opened, and Rin slowly peeked her head out.

 

“What's going on?” Several nurses and doctors burst through the hall doors as Sesshomaru reached for the bomb. His claws had just closed around the plastic when the beeping stopped. Sesshomaru had exactly one second to frown before the device exploded.

 

Kagura was blown back by the fury of fire and wind, slamming her head against the wall. Rin screamed and slammed the door shut, diving across the room as it blew back open to a sea of flame. Sesshomaru roared as tendons and bone snapped, and what looked an awful lot like one of his fingers tore a gash across his forehead as it blew past. The hospital staff ducked for cover as the force ripped the doors to the hall off their hinges and plastered themselves against the wall.

 

The sprinkler system burst on and rained water on the fiery rubble. Kagura coughed and climbed to her feet, stumbling down the hall. Sesshomaru lay against the wall, clutching a bloody clump of flesh and bone that had been his upper arm not ten seconds ago. A few feet away, Rin had crawled over to her mother's body and was staring down at it. The pale skin caused by Mukotu's poison, combined with the blackened flesh of her face, left no dispute to her condition.

 

“Damn it…” Sesshomaru groaned, getting up. He stumbled forward slightly as Kagura caught him, pulling his remaining arm over her shoulders.

 

“We have to go,” She said. Sesshomaru looked at her in frustration and began to reply. “They just saw you reach for a bomb that exploded when you touched it, and there's at least two people dead from poisoning. What do you think the cops will believe?” Kagura snapped. Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly, and he turned to glare at Mukotsu's singed corpse.

 

“Son of a bitch,” He snarled, the perfection of the trap shining brightly. Kagura nodded and began to help her employer down the hall. “No, the window. We'll have to fly, the elevators are probably down,” Sesshomaru reminded. Kagura bit her lip and turned to enter Rin's room. Sesshomaru pulled himself away from her and walked to the window, pulling it open. Kagura reached into her hair, and looked down at the crying Rin, who didn't even seem to notice their presence.

 

“There's nothing more we can do for her,” Sesshomaru said. Rin looked up at Kagura, her eyes watery. The girl must have been at least seventeen, but right then to Kagura, she could have been seven.

 

“Who…who did this to her?” Rin sniffed, getting up. Kagura shared a look with Sesshomaru.

 

“We don't know,” She sighed. Rin nodded and looked back at her mother's body. Sesshomaru grunted, and Kagura walked to the window, pulling a feather from her hair and tossing it out the window. The feather bloomed and grew, and she climbed on. Sesshomaru ducked his head and followed suit. Kagura began to summon the wind to carry them away, and a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned to see Sesshomaru staring through the window. Rin stood there, staring up at them. Kagura sighed and closed her eyes. Sesshomaru nodded and shifted his position on the feather, making room on the back of it while holding out his hand. Rin was pulled onto the feather, and she hooked her hands around Sesshomaru's neck for safety as the feather blew into the sky.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Kagome lay across the sagging cushions of her couch, staring up at the ceiling. She had narrowly evaded the police patrols on the way back to her apartment. It wasn't any easier when she kept reminding herself that Hunter was still on the prowl. She had thought she had him figured out, but then his face had been revealed in the glare of the headlights. She heard a thump and bolted into a sitting position. She calmed down the slightest bit when she saw him on her balcony. She had been wondering when he would show up.

 

At first it didn't make any sense, and after some thought, it still didn't. But just as she owed him several explanations, he owed the same of her. Kagome stood, making no attempt to hide her wings from Hunter's golden gaze. A breeze caught his hair and blew back across his face. A claw came up to pull the silver tufts back as he stepped into Kagome's apartment, his face set in a blank state.

 

“Angel,” He muttered, staring at her. Kagome nodded and waited a moment.

 

“Hunter.” Hunter blinked slightly and took a breath.

 

“Kagome.”

 

“Inuyasha.”