InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Demon Crest (Rating may change) ❯ =The Calm Before the Storm= ( Chapter 2 )

Story Author: Zanzo

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters, I only own the characters I have made up just for this story.

"Talking"

`Thinking'

[Check the bottom for details]

=Change in POV (Point Of View)=

*Change in Time/Place

If this was a TV series:

Opening: Kana Ueda - Over the Fantasy

Ending: Inuyasha - my will

Demon Crest

Episode 2: =The calm before the storm=

*Outside the shrine.*

The `Genduro' gang went silent as the two figures came out of the shrine, they all recognised them as they're `employers' and wanted nothing more than to skin them alive at the moment but the word from the boss had been spread and instead they waited until the perfect moment would show itself, the two figures looked extremely menacing in light that the campfires created, the tall one, Kessai was huge, muscular and his naked upper body had absolutely no scars in it, he had no hair for some reason so he was bald, yet no one dared to say anything about it… the man's(?) eyes were steel grey and his face had a kanji above the left eyebrow that meant: `Steel', just by looking at him you could tell he had killed dozens of people and enjoyed it, he gave the following expression: Merciless butcher…

The other figure was smaller, dressed in that weird kimono, his skin didn't hold any scratches either and looked almost frighteningly perfect… looking at him you didn't think he was even 18 years old but his face was cold like ice, it held absolutely no emotions at all… he had short, violet coloured hair and in his forehead there was a weird looking black bandana that held weird looking runes all over it but in centre there was a big ring which held a triangle in it, his eyes were… well, they were silver, hollow silver… like a blind man. He looked so beautiful it scared them, even men saw him beautiful… and they were straight, no less… but if you looked at him carefully, there was no telling just what kind of a person he was, he didn't look strong at all and his face was way too calm… a mystery man.

Bason, the boss of the `Genduro' gang walked up to the two of them and asked: "Is something wrong…?" Kall looked as emotionless as ever while Kessai looked like a beast that was only a few steps away from bloodlust… Bason had been a former member of the T.M.F.F so he had seen a lot of things, many that would scare a normal man into insanity but these two… they gave him the biggest goose pumps ever, there was just something… unreal about them… they didn't give the feeling that they were `human'… but something more, more darker…

Kall looked at Bason with his empty eyes, after a moment he replied: "It seems like the guild has decided to take action, the T.M.F.F will arrive shortly…" That made everyone hold they're breath, they all knew how tough the T.M.F.F people were and with they're weapons and skills they were no match against them, especially a whole team of them… Bason merely nodded, he knew this would happen but even with that, there was no way they could fight against them… T.M.F.F people were just too much for almost any bandit group to handle…

Bason then asked: "You should know, my men are no match against them… are we going to withdraw?" To this, Kessai just burst into laughter and said with a mocking voice: "Withdraw?! HAHAHAHAA!! Maybe you useless bunch of mommas boys aren't any match for them… you may be scared shitless but me? I'm looking forward to this…" That comment made everyone just clench they're teeth in anger, even if he was right, how dare he mock them like this? Kall just shook his head, then said: "What my idiotic companion here is saying is that…" Kessai after hearing that brought his `Garador' down on the ground, making a large crack from where he stood to about on meter into every direction, making all of them jump and then look at him with horror in they're eyes, this was the first time they had seen that huge guy use his weapon and least to say, it scared them shitless… he had just made the whole shrine ground shake and tremble…

Kessai picked Kall by his collar and said with a roaring, angry voice: "Who are you calling an idiot you stuck up, candy assed little shit?!" Everyone backed away from them, making Kall sigh in his head, this was just what he needed right now… a gigantic idiot screaming his throat off at him… Kall with an calm, eerie voice said to him: "Are done screaming? If you are put me down, or do I have to punish you?" Kessai just looked at him with angry eyes but after a few seconds he let him down and snorted before turning away.

Bason looked at the whole incident and then thought: `So the big one is physically extremely strong… yet, as he was holding that smaller one, all he did was mention `punish' him and he let go… just like that, why? He could have easily crushed the smaller one into pieces… so does that mean the smaller one is even stronger? What kind of beings are they? They can't be normal humans…' Then he heard Kall continue: "As I was saying before the gorilla decided to interfere (Kessai snorts and says `pansy' under his breath)… we are not asking you or your men to deal with this situation… we will. (Makes everyone start to talk amongst themselves) We are almost done with this place, by sunrise our contract with you people will end and you may do as you please, however, should you attack the town, you must make sure there will be no survivors, understood?" Before Bason had time to reply, Kall was already walking away from the shrine grounds, leaving him with a confused face.

Kessai suddenly put his arm on Bason't shoulder, making him jump from surprise and he heard Kessai laugh before he said: "Don't mind him, he's just too uptight and too serious… He's just saying that get you're men ready to have some fun with the town, but preferably with no survivors. Also, don't worry about those boys and girls from T.M.F.F, this isn't the first time we have had to deal with them…" As he too began to walk away, Bason asked just in time: "What do you mean by that?" Kessai just looked at him over his shoulder and said: "You remember the `Yshelia' incident? Commander Bason?" And with that he left laughing with amusement.

Bason on the other hand was getting pale and did something no one on his gang ever thought they would see happen, he fell on his ass from fright. As some of them quickly gathered around him to see what was wrong and also to get some answers on what that guy just meant by that…

*After about 10 minutes.*

Bason was now rubbing his temples, he was sitting around one of the campfires and tried to collect his thoughts, the others were around him, all looking at him with waiting faces. As Bason kept thinking: `The Yshelia incident… dear god, what kind of monsters have been talking with? We… we are… lucky to even be alive anymore…' as he kept thinking like that, he wondered how he should tell his men about this… then one of them asked: "Hey, boss? What did he mean by that `Yshelia' incident? What's that all about?" All the others agreed to this and as Bason looked at his men he sighed and said: "Yshelia… was a city at the north-western part of his continent… it was a falling city because of the civil war there, that was… 10 years ago, the civil war there was out of control and all the guilds were trying to maintain the control there, I was with the T.M.F.F at that time and I was there… damn, I always wondered why those people hired us instead of some other gang… now I know…"

There was a moment of silence until he said: "The civil war at Yshelia didn't show any signs of slowing down, it kept getting more and more out of control… but then, suddenly, in one day… it ended… just like that…" One of them said: "Oh yeah, I remember about that, I've heard that the war stopped in that city for no apparent reason, no one really knows why, but they suspect that it was stopped because there was nothing left to fight about since the city is in ruins…" Bason shook his head and said: "That's the official lie the guild issued, they didn't say what really happened there because it was simply absurd… I left the guild after that, I couldn't bare to work with those assholes anymore, I had told them what I saw but they just thought I was insane and pressured me to silence… i started this gang as a way to get back at them and here we are."

Then someone asked: "Boss, what happened there then? Why didn't you tell anyone about it?" Bason shook his head and said: "Even if I would have told someone, no one would have believed me… even if someone would have published my version of it, the guild would simply say I was a nut case and that would be the end of that… and besides, who would believe the word of a bandit leader…?" The others had to agree on that one, the guilds had immense power over everything, even the truth… Bason then said: "It was named as the `Yshelia incident'… but if you ask me, the proper term would be `the Yshelia bloodbath'…"

(I won't tell what happened, you'll have to wait and see)

*Back at the town, about an hour earlier*

The team was going over they're plan of action, two of them were the white screen, going over the tactical marks, one of them was the captain of the team, Kenji and the other was the teams [intelligence and strategic tactics officer], Shippo, a young boy, barely over 16 years old… since I.A.S.T.O members are trained when they are very young, the training starts at the age between 10-12 and ends at the age of 13-15, Shippo started his training at the age of 10 and finished at the age of 11, only one year… he is known in the whole T.M.F.F as the `child prodigy of intelligence'…

Shippo was rather… funny looking, he had a `fox' like appearance so they always called him `fox boy', he kinda liked that nickname… he may be a brilliant strategist but he couldn't hold a gun to save his life… meaning guns and him didn't mix…

Anyway, after a moment the captain began to explain they're P.O.A (Plan of action): "Alright, from what the recon has given us on geological and all that information of the area and from what we've heard just now, here's how we will do it:

Firstly, (Points at the river) Frank and Joseph will use the river and sneak along side it until reaching the shrine, from there you will look for good sniping positions and provide support, make sure you aren't seen, the river is not heavily guarded but if you're careless you will be spotted easily… Shippo?"

Shippo nodded and pointed at a certain point of the river and said: "When you arrive at this point, use your binoculars and watch these points of the shore carefully, if recon is right, there should be at least two watchmen but if there isn't then it means they have indeed changed they're positions… if that happens contact me right away." Among them, two of them nodded and said to one another: "So we have to get wet again?" The other one said: "Damn… I just had these clothes washed too…" This made everyone laugh, after that the captain continued: "Okay, let's continue:

Secondly, (Points at another point): "The assault will be split into two groups, first one will begin moving receiving a clearance from Frank and Joseph regarding the watchmen, after receiving the message the first group which consists of myself, Gina, Ben and Kagome… (Here she is! Our heroine!)" That made of the team members, who was Kagome, look up in surprise, this was the first time she would be working near the captain… she had always looked up to him, she may have had a small crush on him but… there was a reason why it would never work. Kagome herself was the newest in this team, she has been with them for about a year now and was 19 years old, she didn't have a tough personality like they did, frankly, she was sometimes too damn emotional but when it came to the real deal, she could come through… her expertise at this point was mostly her amazing luck, she has been in very tight situations, where the odds of survival without a scratch were 1:100 and she got out without a scratch! Her nickname is `Lucky Lady'… she hates that one.

After everyone wished her `good luck' which she hates by now… the captain continued: "Alright, let's move one:

Thirdly, the remaining three will follow close behind and make sure no one jumps at us from behind and also eliminate any sentries the first group missed.

After we reach the shrine, snipers will provide support against targets who take shelter or obtain good shooting positions, the first group will storm them from the front and the second group will attack from the right, snipers on the left, we in the front and the rest on the right, we will take them out in a pincer attack… remember, they are armed and dangerous so exercise extreme caution, any questions?"

One raised a hand, that was Gina, one of the older female members of the group, she asked: "Just one, who buys the beers after the missions over?" Everyone burst into laughter until the captain declared: "The one who wastes most ammo, any other questions?" No arms were raised so the captain said: "Alright, we begin in one hour, take a nap, get something to eat and get psyched up… just don't get drunk, I don't want someone firing they're guns because they were too drunk to think straight." Everyone nodded and began to leave, except Shippo, he always stayed behind with the captain.

When they were alone, the captain asked: "Hey, Shippo?" He replied: "Yeah?" Kenji slowly lit himself a cigarette and after taking a whiff he asked with a serious tone: "Shippo, tell me honestly, what do you think of Kagome?" The young boy was startled by the question, at first he didn't respond but after a moment he said: "Well… she's… nice, when I'm around her I feel… it's hard to say, I feel like when I was with my mother… she just has that around her, a motherly aura…" Kenji chuckled and said: "That's nice kid, but what I meant was that do you think that she has what it takes to keep up with this job?" The poor kid was embarrassed beyond belief, the captain always did this… he first breathed out and said: "Oh… well, technically she has the skills but… it's just that… even if she physically has what it takes, mentally she doesn't… she's too kind for this kind of work, you know? Killing people, even if they're bad guys…? Wait a minute, don't tell me that…?"

The captain said with a nod: "Sadly, yes, I too have noticed it… that's why I took her into the first assault group, I must see if she really has what it takes anymore, if she begins to hesitate too much… I might have to kick her out of the T.M.F.F, for her own sake… I know you're attached to her but Shippo, you must understand that if she doesn't have what it takes, she might get killed at some point very soon… if I have to kick her out, it would also be bad for my own sake as well…" Shippo nodded and said: "Yeah, since you were the one who vouched for her and picked her from the dozens of other candidates, if she proves out to be a failure it would mean you're ability to judge people's abilities and skills is getting weak and… well, it would make you look bad in front of the people at higher positions… but captain, you must have seen that she is too emotional during the selection so why…?"

Kenji took another whiff of his cigarette and said with a chuckle: "Shippo, I've seen all sorts of candidates and rookies in my time and I've learned one universal truth: The ones who hesitate on they're first sniper test against a live target live longer than those who fire without hesitation, the fact you hesitate means you know when to fire… shooting a live target just for points is pointless, it's just taking life for sport, Kagome sub-consciously knew this, that's why she hesitated, there was no point in killing a live target like that… also, because she is emotional, she may be a bit more hesitant than others and makes mistakes but that's just it, because she makes mistakes she learns from them, those who make no mistakes at all are always the ones to crumble when a situation beyond they're control appears… but someone like Kagome, because she makes mistakes she doesn't want to make a new one or repeat and old one, they won't crumble in hopeless situations because they know that that is the point where they MUST perform perfectly… of course, I could be wrong…"

Kenji reached for a small photograph in his pocket and pullet it out, in it was a woman with a pretty round stomach, his wife who was pregnant with they're first child, that's the reason Kagome, even with a crush, could never act on it… Shippo saw the picture and asked with a smile: "How long is she now?" Kenji smiled and said: "7th month, man… to think I'll be a dad soon, I was thinking Shippo, I might have to quit being a captain soon…" Shippo looked at him with a shocked expression but Kenji cut him off: "Don't start with me… I don't want to stop being a captain either but… I'm in my late 30'ties now, around the same age my dad was before he died… he was also a member of the T.M.F.F and died on line of duty, I was barely 9 years old at the time and I remember how painful it is to grow up without a father… I knew my own father, so I can't let my kid grow up without knowing his/her father… so you could say that this is my last mission, I want to see if Kagome has what it takes to survive on her own… no, I MUST see if she has it or not… so I can leave knowing that everyone in this team will keep going, you understand what I mean?"

Shippo reluctantly nodded and said: "I can't argue with that… growing up without a father or a mother is painful… don't worry captain, if nothing else, I will look after everyone, including Kagome." He puffed his chest, trying to look tough but captain only chuckled and said: "Well, knowing that, I will leave them in your hands… let's go, I need to wind down before the mission starts…"

To be continued…

A/N: I am sorry, I know I promised to update Demonium next but… I just can't find the inspiration to do it… in other words, I have a writer's block with that one and a heavy one at that… anyway, as usual, please read and review, they make me feel so much better and are great help when dealing with a writer's block, hope you liked this `episode' and if you have questions, review and ask but remember, questions without reviews will be deleted and left un-answered, see ya.

- Zanzo

[I.A.S.T.O]: Stands for Intelligence And Strategic Officer, in every team there is at least one of them, they are always left behind the base of operations during operations and missions and are in charge of tactical information and planning strategies, in other words, they are the one's that always monitor the teams status through a specially designed monitor device they have with them, they always keep an eye on the teams status, locations, surroundings and such… without them, operations and missions would be REALLY hard.