InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Different Always Means The Same Thing ❯ The Chase Is On! ( Chapter 10 )

A/N: Another chapter… this time with an action sequence! Enjoy!

 

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Chapter 10: The Chase Is On!

 

By Kenkaya

 

Kagura watched the Higurashi house with a steadily decreasing sense of duty. She was crouched behind a set of bushes: long silk skirt hiked above her knees and a single sheet of folded paper her only weapon against any creepy crawlies that dared inch up her legs. New (increasingly gruesome) curses accompanied her employer's name every time she felt the need to slap her exposed calves. Kagura hated dirt, despised bugs, but most of all, she hated being ordered to sit in the middle of both without at least the benefit of knowing why.

 

“Zephyr? Come in,” a breathy, feminine voice echoed through her earpiece. The irritated mutant sighed woefully at her completely unoriginal codename before toggling the radio switch.

 

“The girl walked in about ten minutes ago… it's been quiet ever since. Should I head in or would the Grand Master like me to wait some more?”

 

There was a brief pause, then, “no. Stay in position. The time isn't quite right yet.”

 

“And just how the Hell does he expect me to know when the right time is exactly?” the woman hissed, clearly running low on her small reservoir of patience.

 

“You'll know.”

 

Oh, of course! Silly me, Kagura quelled the urge to snap. Their connection fizzled out as she continued to stew. Damned insufferable, all-knowing…

 

Raised voices broke through her thoughts rather suddenly. Kagura looked up to see her target slamming the front door forcefully, tears clearly visible even in the dim twilight. A sardonic smile graced her painted lips as Kagome dashed across the courtyard, disappearing down the shrine steps with an audible sob.

 

“Well... I'll be damned,” she whispered, rising to follow the girl.

 

Peripheral vision registered movement from behind and she ducked quickly. The strange boy (who appeared to have jumped effortlessly out a second story window) showed no sign that he had noticed her. Still, Kagura watched with caution as he rose from his crouched landing and sprinted after the girl. She frowned, a flash of white hair teasing her as he winked out of sight. This did not bode well at all.

 

Kagura had immediately recognized the boy from Kouga's memorable description last week. Though his hat hid what her friend dubbed “those freaky cat ears,” he fit the profile of Manten's killer to a tee. Neither human nor mutant, this creature was an anomaly- a dangerous anomaly.

 

Still, unknown danger paled in comparison to Naraku's anger. The emotional rampage he'd unleashed during Kouga's report was enough to leave her sleepless for days. Even after the storm had calmed, his crazy mutterings of, “he won't trust her… he won't stay” were quite disturbing. She physically shuttered at the thought of what his reaction might be to hers.

 

But she also knew, outstanding fear aside, that she was only delaying the inevitable. Kagura inhaled deeply, reminding herself of the bravery Kouga displayed back then to inspire her own resolve. If a teenage boy could sit through torture with dignity, she could definitely do this. With that sentiment in mind, she flicked the radio switch.

 

“Kanna, we have a… complication.”

 

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Inuyasha was a youkai on a mission.

 

He ran into the city alone, senses bombarded once more by the hustle and bustle. He didn't freeze this time; his focus was far too important to suffer distractions.

 

Kagome…

 

She needed him. Even in this foul, olfactory nightmare of a future, the salty scent of her tears was easy to track. He followed its trail determinedly, weaving between various people, remembering all she had done for him and seething over the exchange he'd just witnessed…

 

“But… you… can't you see its using your motherly instincts against you? You have to fight it!”

 

Inuyasha paused in the upstairs hall. He had just left Kagome's room (where he'd been waiting impatiently before the yelling started) and immediately began second-guessing his curiosity at those harsh words. Ahead, Souta was perched on the top stair, hugging his knees tightly as he peered down through the wood railing.

 

“I won't repeat myself,” Higurashi said, her tone expressing an uncharacteristic lack of patience. “And this is the last time I'll ask you to refrain from speaking that way in front of Kagome.”

 

“No! I will not stop! Why can't you see that you're letting it win! Please, Rumiko, don't let that thing deceive you. Don't let it tear our family apart!”

 

“From where I'm standing, you're already doing a pretty good job yourself!”

 

Inuyasha suddenly felt stuck in a moment far too personal for his presence, yet all too sickeningly familiar. Against better judgment, he sat down beside Souta. He couldn't see Higurashi at all from his vantage point and the old man was blocked from the shoulders upward by ceiling. Only Kagome, backed up defensively against the front door, was fully visible.

 

“Mama, Jiichan… please stop,” he heard Kagome plead, her voice cracking slightly.

 

“And you! You have no right to speak to my daughter…”

 

“Dad!”

 

“That's enough Rumiko! I told you… I can't just stand here and let it play with your heart like this!”

 

Both boys watched with growing anxiety as Kagome began to cry. The reality of her situation (a reality Inuyasha had instinctively been aware of) was hitting the girl hard. Either she or her grandfather would have to leave. Higurashi was torn, trying to fight the inevitable, the old fool was desperately clinging to his beliefs, and Kagome couldn't change what she was. Their family would never be whole again; a choice had to be made.

 

She made it for them.

 

Inuyasha jumped up as Souta gasped beside him. He didn't stay to see their reactions. He was already crossing her bedroom threshold when the door slammed downstairs. He had already climbed out the window by the time Higurashi started yelling again.

 

After a less-cautious-than-usual scan of his surroundings, the boy began his pursuit: unsure why her self-banishment bothered him so, but too single-minded to care. A long buried inner-voice told him that finding Kagome was something he just needed to do. The simple reasoning was enough for now…

 

He stopped in front of a dark alley, where her scent was too strong to simply be in passing. Squinting through the shadows, Inuyasha ignored the piles of grimy garbage, the rancid puddle that stank of old urine- all he saw was her: huddled on the dirty asphalt. She was sobbing violently. An image of his mother materialized briefly and he wondered why the kindhearted ones always suffered.

 

“Hey!”

 

Inuyasha stepped forward, unsure what to do but feeling like he had to do something. The girl showed no sign of having noticed him. He stood in front of her and tried again.

 

“Kagome.”

 

This time, she did respond.

 

“Go `way,” she mumbled without lifting her head. Inuyasha scowled at the petulant tone but didn't move.

 

“I said go away!” she yelled, emphasizing her point with a puffy, red glare. “I… I just… can't deal with you right now… please, just go away.”

 

Silence seemed to rule the next few moments, punctuated only by an occasional sniffle. One spoken syllable shattered the illusion.

 

“No.”

 

Not another word was spoken as the youkai sat down beside her. Kagome said nothing to him, though he stayed through the awkward silence. Inuyasha didn't move when she eventually leaned her head against his shoulder and continued to cry.

 

Because they were friends. And friends stick up for each other.

 

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A choked gasp echoed loudly off concrete walls as Kagura collapsed, chest muscles still spastic from the shock she'd received. Above her, Naraku seethed in soundless fury, though (she thought sarcastically) his anger was definitely felt by the messenger.

 

“Are you certain, Kagura?”

 

She gaped at him from her position on the cement floor. She had just returned on summons, only to be dragged downstairs into a soundproof basement for Naraku's less-than-stellar welcome. Her correspondent, Kanna, had stood by his side the entire time: watching passively. Neither had uttered a single word from start to finish. And now, after all that, he had the gall to ask if she was certain?

 

“Yes, sir. Very,” she coughed and spat a globule of blood at his feet. Naraku was not amused.

 

“Disgusting,” he drawled, not bothering to clarify which subject he was referring to. “Kanna. Keep an eye on the girl and her… companion.”

 

“Yes, Naraku-sama,” the pale girl said as she sat lotus-style. Her dark eyes flashed white briefly before her posture slackened, a sure sign that Kanna was no longer in possession of her body.

 

“Kagura,” he spoke with the air of one granting a grand favor. The woman in question faced him defiantly. “I shall give you one more chance to resolve this. After Kanna returns, choose a team of three and go retrieve the girl. Do not disappoint me.”

 

“What about the boy?”

 

“He is of no use to us,” Naraku said, smiling darkly. Kagura suppressed a shiver at the implied message. She succumbed to the urge when a familiar white flicker lit the room.

 

“They were in an alley near Suzushu Station… now heading west,” Kanna rattled off, eyes flashing as she checked out again.

 

“I'll be waiting, Kagura.”

 

“Yes, sir,” then, she added in a whisper, “no doubt about that.”

 

No one noticed the heavy metal door left ajar, or the long black braid that whisked past after Kanna's second departure. Hiten grinned manically, electricity crackling across his heated skin. He was heading toward Suzushu Station. He was going to avenge Manten's death.

 

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“There! Do you see that?”

 

Kagome lifted her head from Inuyasha's now-damp shoulder, and quickly did a double take. The phantom image of a white-haired girl was slowly fading away. She blinked, rubbed her eyes- but only an empty alley greeted her perplexed vision.

 

“What,” Kagome began, her question trailing off as realization hit. “Wait! She's using mutant powers! Is she still here?” Watching us?

 

“I don't know,” Inuyasha answered, his tone apprehensive. “Whatever it is had no scent… like nothing was there at all. I don't like it.”

 

“Me neither.”

 

The boy rose suddenly, almost knocking her off balance in the process. She watched as he stretched (popping a couple vertebrae loudly), eyes fixed intently on the spot where the apparition disappeared. His visible nerves unsettled her even more.

 

“We should get moving,” he said quickly, holding out his hand. “The way I see it, you're always better off safe than sorry.”

 

Kagome looked disbelievingly at the offered hand for a moment. She may have spent most of the last hour crying on him, followed by quiet companionship once tears ran dry, but his simple gesture touched her nonetheless. She smiled shyly and took it.

 

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

 

The two began walking without direction. Kagome, though she vaguely recognized where they were, felt utterly lost; she was just another homeless teen now, with no place to go and no idea what to do. Inuyasha empathized and seemed content to let her wander. He only guided her once, an urgent arm-grab which turned into a dizzying rush down several blocks. She went along without complaint, assuming correctly that he had seen the strange girl again.

 

“We have to decide what we're gonna do tonight,” Inuyasha said once they slowed. He knew Kagome wasn't considering basic survival at the moment, so he had taken the duty upon himself. “We can't sleep out in the open and we need to find…”

 

“What could two corpses possibly need?” a cold, male voice interrupted. “Besides coffins, of course.”

 

Inuyasha swore colorfully and shoved a fear-frozen Kagome behind him. He glanced up toward the source: a thin man standing on top of a two-story building. The intruder's stance seemed nonchalant, but the air crackled tensely around him, setting both their hairs (literally) on end.

 

“Who're you?” the youkai demanded gruffly. The man didn't respond at first. Instead, he stepped off the building ledge, and slid down smoothly through the air. His eyes glowed a menacing red.

 

“I guess it's only fair,” he said once he landed. Asphalt splintered beneath his feet as if under enormous pressure. “Even a murderer has the right to know the name of his executioner. I am Hiten… perhaps you remember my little brother? Manten?”

 

Hiten grinned sadistically at his opponent's confused expression.

 

“No? Let me refresh your memory then.”

 

Without further warning, a bolt of lightening shot out from his pointer fingers, striking the unprepared youkai directly in the chest. Inuyasha flew backwards, the oomph of rapidly expelled air the only sound he made before hitting pavement. The alley reeked of burnt hair and flesh.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome screamed from the ground. The force of Hiten's attack had pushed her flat on her rear. Pebbles dug painful into her palms.

 

“Huh… that was disappointing,” Hiten commented. “I expected the creature who murdered my brother to be more of a challenge.”

 

“Inuyasha,” she repeated as if in a daze. He didn't move. The girl stood quickly, wobbling a bit for her effort, and ran toward his prone form.

 

“Not so fast, girl.”

 

She turned around, just in time to see Hiten float several inches off the ground and speed through the air. His movements reminded her strongly of a surfer; in fact, had she been in a clearer (less panicked) state of mind, Kagome might have realized he actually was surfing on electric currents. She watched doe-like as he approached, the uncomfortable sensation of static shock sweeping across her entire body.

 

When trying to recall the confrontation later, Kagome would worry herself almost sick over how the next few seconds seemed to disappear. One moment, Hiten was rushing head-on toward her, then, his fingers were clutching her wrist in a painfully hot grip. She never remembered him actually grabbing her.

 

“I'll deal with you later… when I'm done with the thing over there,” he said with a sneer. “See you in the morning, sweet cheeks.”

 

Everything tingled. Blood burned under her skin and florescent shadows tainted her vision. Kagome didn't think: she needed to get away, she wanted to survive… that was all that mattered. Purely on instinct, she tapped into her phasing powers, feeling the shift of her molecules more keenly than ever before. Hiten pumped electricity into her as she slipped through his grasp, setting her nervous system on fire. She solidified briefly while her nerves convulsed. The feel of her molecules bumping unnaturally against his was discerning beyond words. Then, she was stumbling backwards- free, her throat raw from screaming. Self-awareness ended as she became tangible again: the abrupt shift from internal to external focus leaving her slightly off-balance. The whole experience was surreal.

 

“My hand! Bitch! What'd you do to my hand?!”

 

The disoriented girl stared at the limb her aggressor held cradled to his chest. He had stepped back, still yelling, right hand hanging limply from his wrist joint. Her powers shorting out had caused the man internal injury. Kagome suddenly felt weak-kneed and very sick.

 

“Kagome. Get behind me.”

 

Horror over what she'd done was quickly eclipsed by relief. Inuyasha stood behind her with frizzed hair, shoulders squared in a defensive stance. A feral growl completed his dangerous persona.

 

“Up already?” Hiten said, anger boiling over his surprise. “I'll kill you… I'll fucking kill the both of you!”

 

“Kagome!”

 

She needed no further prompting. Hiten continued to curse as she obeyed Inuyasha's command, hands fisting into his shirt in a subconscious display of reassurance. The youkai cocked his head curiously.

 

“Wait for it,” he spoke to her in a low voice. “When he attacks, I want you to make run for it.”

 

“What about you?” she whispered against his back.

 

“I can handle `im,” he snorted confidently. “Now that I know what this bastard can dish out. You just get out of here.”

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome started to argue, but stopped. Deep down, she knew she would listen to him anyway. Adrenaline could only push her so far. “Alright… be careful, then.”

 

He never got the chance to respond.

 

The wind (which had barely been a light breeze until this point) drastically increased, whipping stray hair away from their faces. Hiten, who had begun advancing during their short conversation, suddenly switched tactics. He scrabbled backwards as an unknown force pulled him forward, finally swiping his feet out from under him. Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha before the suction could catch her as well.

 

Then, the wind abruptly stopped.

 

“What the hell?!” Hiten sputtered.

 

A motor revved loudly, causing all three to turn. At the alley entrance, a mysterious man sat on a motorbike: his identity obscured by helmet and long trench coat. Inuyasha tensed as the stranger lifted a gloved hand, raising his visor to reveal a familiar teasing grin.

 

“Hey, Kagome! Inuyasha!” Miroku called out. “Need a hand?”

 

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TBC…

 

An A/N on Kanna's directions… or some more useless trivia: I originally intended to write out street names, until I did some research on the Japanese address system and found out it's WAY different (and complicated as all-get-out IMHO). Apparently, instead of naming streets, each city block has a number and each building on that block has another number on top of that. When giving verbal or written directions, Japanese tend to use landmarks instead for simplicity sake. I tried to mimic that a bit in Kanna's speech. Suzushu Station is a completely fictional landmark I made up by combining the names of the two main characters in Takahashi's short manga Firetripper.

 

As always, I encourage critique. Its been a while since I wrote straight action, so please let me know what you think about the pacing in this chapter.