InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hanyou of the Future ❯ Hide and Creep ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

AN: Thank you to Isis-Kitty for the beta job!

Hanyou of the Future

Chapter Eleven - Hide and Creep

The underling's eyes followed the trail of ash that fell off of his boss' Cuban cigar. As usual, the lighting was poor inside the office, and the darkness only heightened his anxiety when he could not look into his employer's eyes. Because he couldn't read the emotions on his boss's face, it only deepened his fears, wondering if one little word would set the kingpin off.

"I'm sorry, sir, we failed to eliminate Takeda Oogami as you requested," the lackey spoke in a hurried voice, bowing his head and trying to keep his knees from knocking against each other.

After a moment of silence, his boss blew a cloud of smoke in his face across the desk, and the underling tried hard not to let it bother him, stifling a rising cough.

"Explain,” his boss responded through the eerie silence.

"Well, uh," the underling spoke immediately, and his eyes widened when his boss took a quick puff of his cigar, indicating he was irritated the guy would dare to pause. "There was an unforeseen event. We thought Jinsou-sama would take care of him after nothing was done about his wife, but he was terribly injured by one of Takeda's models."

The boss took a heavy draught of breath and waved his hands. "Jinsou was a fool. I told him not to rely on that photographer to check on his wife. It was a petty endeavor that shouldn't have bothered with in the first place. Jinsou took my generosity for granted. I did not want him using my contacts as a source for his domestic disputes." The boss paused, and his underling noticed a reflected sheen on his slick brown hair, pulled back into a long pony tail behind him. "Jinsou is being taken care of for his mistake, and I trust when you take his place, you will not make the same mistakes." He put his cigar out, half smoked, and the underling nodded at him vigorously.

"Yes sir...I understand!" he replied again bowing.

"Good, now about Oogami Takeda... why was it so hard to kill him? He betrayed my trust, so for that, we must eliminate him."

"Did you find out more information on Oogami's new dealings?" His lackey braved the question.

"I did, and I'm not pleased. However, I am most interested in this certain model that came to save Takeda. What did he look like? How did he manage to defeat a force of skilled men?"

"That's the crazy thing, boss. It was like he wasn't even human. He fended off bullets, and then he attacked us with claws -- like he was some kind of monster!"

"Interesting..."

"Another thing about him... he had long white hair, but I couldn't tell if he was Japanese because he had on a mask."

There was a long bout of silence, and then his boss lit up another cigar, relaxing in his chair with his feet on his desk. He moved into the light, and the lackey could see part of his face, his soft brown eyes shining almost golden as he stared ahead with deep pontification. Then the underling saw something that he'd never seen before, and it was almost frightening.

His boss had actually smiled.

---

As his passengers slid into the back seat, the limo driver clicked a button on his computerized dash, and then began dialing a number. He was sure, given his boss' up-scaled technology, the passengers they were delivering would not hear his conversation.

"Hello, sir, it's Kimikuro reporting in. Yes, I'm transporting them now."

The driver paused, looking behind to his four passengers and squinting to get a better glimpse of the new arrivals.

"No, sir, I cannot confirm if the item is on them. Either it's hidden in the house, or the miko has erected a strong barrier."

There was another pause, and the driver looked perturbed at what his employer was saying to him. He bit his lip.

"Yes, sir. I'll drop them off at the destination and return to search the shrine. Are you sending anyone to help me in case I need a power boost?"

The driver listened, and then he smiled. "Understood."

He clicked the button back on his dash, and then made an announcement through the speaker, welcoming his passengers into the limo.

---

Kagome felt violated.

And she was sure, judging by Inuyasha's disgruntled expression, that he felt even more violated than she did.

As Riho and Takeda had pushed them into the backseat of their limo, Kagome and Inuyasha were immediately accosted by their busy hands. Kagome had never groped so many times by a woman before, and Inuyasha probably had felt the same way about Takeda.

"Oh, that outfit will not do for where we're going. They would throw you out in an instant!" Riho exclaimed, grabbing Kagome's shirt collar and then clucking her tongue in disgust.

Kagome gaped, wondering what the hell was wrong with her outfit. Then she turned to Takeda, who nodded his head. "Hrmm... you are right Riho-chan. Inu-chan seems to be dressed okay, but Kagome-chan will have to undergo a serious makeover."

Okay, now she felt insulted. She felt fury rising in her belly, and she balled her fists at her sides. "Hey, whadda you mean serious makeover? How dare you!"

Riho and Takeda only laughed at her anger, and Riho patted her shoulder soothingly. "Now, now, Kagome-chan. We only want to help you. We want to take you and Inu-chan to a nice expensive place to thank you for helping us with those nasty characters."

Inuyasha huffed and leaned back into the limo seat. "We don't want your damn help, so turn this metal monster around and take us back to the shrine." He gave Riho a warning look, a look that prompted her to stop touching Kagome.

Then, Takeda surprised him and tackled Inuyasha, hugging him and begging him to say. Inuyasha became more enraged, and he started shoving Takeda off him, causing the limo to jiggle around. Kagome felt the vehicle wobble too much for comfort, so she screeched, warning Inuyasha to calm down.

"Get off me, weirdo!" Inuyasha barked, barely prying Takeda off him. 'Damn, he's strong for a human.' And that thought lingered through Inuyasha's brain, and in the back of his mind he began to wonder, hoping Kagome's time was not making him too soft on annoying humans.

"Oh, Inu-chan, please don't refuse our kindness! We just want to spend an evening with you and your lovely girl. Please, please, please, please, please...!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha exclaimed, covering his ears. Kagome watched their interaction with mild fascination, wondering how their rapport felt so familiar. Finally, she sat back into her seat and sighed, pouting at Riho and then to Takeda. She knew they had to go with them and endure their unpredictable behavior. She was even sure that Inuyasha still didn't trust them, even with his general annoyance to their presence. Still, Kagome felt there was something 'off' about this limo, and it wasn't until Riho and Takeda showed up they'd been feeling that displaced youki again.

Riho continued to paw her, and Kagome became lost in her thoughts. Takeda had pushed a button, and from the back trunk of the compartment there was an extra storage compartment full of designer clothes. Riho fingered through them, babbling on about the perfect top to go with her 'plain black skirt' and then proceeded to hold several shirts up to her to choose just the right one. Kagome's mind droned off, and she started to get a strange feeling in her gut telling her something was wrong again. She looked up at the limo driver's rear view mirror, and suddenly locked gazes with him. She stared at him curiously, and he nodded his head at her.

Something just didn't feel right.

Kagome doubled over and moaned, "Oh... my stomach!" She leaned over Takeda's lap, who began to freak, screeching like a little girl.

"Ah! She's going to puke! Driver, stop! Stop, I say! These are Louis Vuitton velour slacks; I do not want girl-puke on them before we get to the club!"

The vehicle came to a halt, and Inuyasha jumped to Kagome with concern, pulling her close to him and out of the limo. She doubled over to the ground and then said very softly so his super hearing could hear. "The youki... I think it's coming from the driver."

Kagome faked some heaving, and then Inuyasha patted her back, looking nonchalantly over to the driver, who had come out of the car to check on his passenger.

"You okay?" Inuyasha bent down to her and Kagome nodded. Inuyasha met her gaze, and they shared a silent signal. Inuyasha understood what Kagome said and what he needed to do. He'd find out more about that limo driver for sure.

"Kami, is she alright?" Riho asked with a look of concern on her face. Inuyasha wondered if she really was concerned or if she was just faking it. She wondered if all of them were faking it, and looked suspiciously at Takeda and then to the driver. The driver had gone back to his seat, and Takeda was coming over to help Kagome off the ground.

"I'm alright. I didn't do anything. I just felt sorta sick.”

"Thank goodness!" Takeda sighed in relief. "Now are we ready to go?"

Kagome stood up slowly, trying to play it out as much as she could. She nodded, and Riho and Takeda followed them back into their seats. Riho continued to pick out shirts for her, and then Inuyasha gave Takeda sour looks as he droned on about what a disaster it would have been if his clothes actually were puked on. Kagome looked over to Inuyasha and could tell in his eyes he was trying really hard not to punch Takeda, and he kept his focus on the task at hand.

They needed to find the source of that youki quickly and see exactly what the demon wanted.

---

"Oh, this one is good!" Riho held up a lacy green spaghetti-strap tank in front of Kagome's chest. Riho nodded approvingly and remarked, "Green is so your color." Kagome inwardly groaned, and then the woman began putting her fingers through Kagome's hair. Instantly, Riho had pulled Kagome's hair up into a fashionable bun, and then she began tugging at her shirt. She turned to Takeda and Inuyasha, who seemed entranced by Kagome's makeover, and then she shook a warning finger at them.

"Close your eyes, gentlemen," she chided, and Takeda rolled his eyes. Inuyasha glared at her, looked away and closed his eyes.

"As if I care what a girl's chest looks like," Takeda huffed. But quickly Inuyasha jabbed him on the knee, earning a submissive squeal from Takeda.

"Alright, alright, I'll look away!"

Riho laughed at them, and Kagome was inwardly glad violence was finally inflicted upon Takeda. Suddenly, in one swift whoosh, Kagome's shirt was over her head, and then Riho squeezed the chic tank top over her and through her raised arms. Kagome looked mildly impressed at Riho's fashion sense, and wondered idly if she could keep the shirt once they were done.

Before she could think anymore, Riho had slapped a large gob of foundation on her face, and then began massaging it into her skin. Instinctively, Kagome closed her eyes as Riho applied her make-up. While working with her, the woman babbled on to Takeda and Inuyasha, who were still bickering about Takeda's continuing inappropriate touches. And when he tried to `fluff' Inuyasha's hair a bit before going to the club, Inuyasha took a swipe at him with his claws and narrowly missed the man's face. Needless to say, Takeda's face was more important than Inuyasha's looks. Takeda ended the conversation with a comment about how the rugged look was in again, and Inuyasha crossed his arms and continued to watch Kagome silently as Riho finished up her make up.

“There!” Riho held a mirror out in front of Kagome's face and beamed with pride. “What do you think?”

“Um…” Kagome couldn't help but grin. Even though Riho was pushy, obnoxious and weird, she did have a great eye for fashion. Kagome had never been so primped and polished before in her life.

“You look the slightest bit couture!” Riho bubbled happily. She waved her hand in the air and added cattily, “Of course, to be completely couture you'd have to have more defined cheekbones to go with that skin color.”

Kagome grunted, giving Riho a dirty look as the woman shrugged it off again.

`Insults must be like drinking water to her,' Kagome mused, and she was sure the intense girl didn't have many friends. Despite having a motive for taking them to this club (for that much was obvious), the arrogant fashion gurus appeared to be having a great time.

`If only we could have a good time as well,' Kagome though mournfully, still feeling her psyche on edge with the rise of youki energy. She figured her suspicions had been correct about the driver since the youki only continued to rise as they spent more time in the vehicle.

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, who watched her intently. She supposed he had some theories of his own, and Riho and Takeda had only been a distraction as they investigated this youki further. And Kagome knew that whatever this youki was, she was positive it had something to do with the Shikon jewel's odd behavior lately.

`There's no doubt someone is looking for the jewel, and they're using me to get to it. I can feel the energy tap into me sometimes, and it's only getting stronger,' she thought, averting her eyes from the limo driver in the rear view mirror. She looked out her own passenger window as Riho abandoned her and began fixing her own make up.

People and buildings buzzed by her view as they drove into the heart of Tokyo. Kagome knew that once they got to the club, Inuyasha would find a way to deal with the driver.

She only hoped he would be discreet.

----

As the limo stopped in front of the loud, bustling dance club, Kagome and Inuyasha got out of the car behind Takeda and Riho, and then looked at the place in awe. People waited in droves for the bouncer to let them in, bobbling nervously and hoping to look acceptable enough to win him over.

Kagome froze, and she played with the dangling bracelet on her wrist, nonchalantly tugging at the beads and then glancing over to Inuyasha.

They had been together long enough to pick up on each other's signals, and he just knew that she was up to something.

The beads on her bracelet snapped and fell to the ground. Kagome squeaked, “Oh! My bracelet!”

Riho rolled her eyes, and before Kagome could bend down to pick up the pieces that had fallen under the car, Inuyasha stepped up.

“Here, I'll get them,” Inuyasha said, bending down and looking under the car. Kagome stood beside him nervously hoping no one would see that he was up to something.

With a quick flick of his claws, Inuyasha had punctured two of the limos tires. He picked the beads of Kagome's broken bracelet and placed them in her hand. He looked into her eyes deeply, and squeezed her hand before releasing his grasp.

Kagome thanked him, putting the beads in her purse. Suddenly, Riho locked arms with her and dragged her toward the entrance. The woman chattered happily in her ear, pulling her toward the front.

“We're too important to stand in line with these losers,” Riho announced rather loudly, earning a multitude of nasty glares from the impatient crowd. With an iron grip on Kagome's wrist, Riho pulled her closer. Kagome glanced behind her and saw Takeda pushing Inuyasha through the congested crowd. The four of them came up to the bouncer, who looked Kagome and Riho up and down first, and then back over to Takeda and Inuyasha. The bouncer made eye contact with Takeda, and the photography grinned at him with the brightest smile. The bouncer huffed and then nodded.

“Oogami-san, four of you tonight?” he inquired, and it was no question Takeda was well-connected.

“Of course,” Takeda replied with an air of arrogance. He put an arm around an anxious Inuyasha, who was trying to keep his cool around the myriad smells and sounds of all the people. Then, Takeda pushed them forward as the bouncer unhooked the red velvet rope. People scorned and complained as they were let inside ahead of them, and Inuyasha looked back through the angry crowd with curiosity.

The limo was already driving off, but unbeknownst to the driver, the air was slowly seeping out of his tires.

Inuyasha moved out of Takeda's grasp and pushed forward, grabbing Kagome out of Riho's arm and then pushing them aside in the sea of people. Hoping they were some distance away from Riho and Takeda's earshot, Inuyasha bent down to her ear closely so she could hear him.

“I have a bad feeling about that driver, Kagome. I think I delayed him for now,” Inuyasha said.

Kagome nodded, and with a serious expression she replied, “We need to ditch these guys as soon as we can and leave. I have the same fear as you do.”

Kagome looked off through the crowd back to the outside of the door. “Something's not right, Inuyasha. I can feel the youki getting stronger.” And they both looked at each other with concern, as Riho and Takeda found them again through the crowd, directing them through the mass of people toward their private table.

Already uncomfortable, Kagome knew they couldn't stay long. Something bad was going to happen, and Kagome knew whatever this omen was, it was definitely going to affect her.

----

The limo driver cursed as he pulled over to a side street in a residential area not far from the Shibuya dance club. He whipped out his cell phone and eagerly punched the buttons with his fat fingers, awaiting his employer to pick up.

“Yeah, it's me. Listen, my tires were slashed, and I'm stranded in Chofu prefecture.” He paused, listening to his boss on the other line. “I'm no where near the shrine. And changing two flats on this outdated limo will take up a lot of time.”

He paused again, and then nodded to himself. “I understand. I'll be waiting for someone to pick me up and get a tow.”

He pursed his lips and glared at the happy, suburban scenery around him. He knew that his boss couldn't send just anyone to the shrine to look for the jewel, and given his extensive training in averting miko purification practices, it was all up to him. His employer, of course, had other specialists in his field, but none of them could compare to his expertise - especially not since they were going against someone formidable like this particular miko and her legendary hanyou. He sighed, and then told his employer, “I suppose I'll have to check out the shrine afterward. Hopefully they won't be back from the club yet.”

His boss rambled more orders from the phone, and the driver continued to nod. “Understood. I'll call Oogami and make sure he delays the girl and the hanyou even longer.”

To be continued…