InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Infatuation ❯ Fight Club ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Applies to past, present, and future chapters. I do not own InuYasha, that right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Special thanks to my new beta, Inukaggrrl06! I appreciate your help so very much! And to my good friend Bri for encouraging me to post this story.

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Infatuation
Chapter Two: Fight Club

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Recap: He saw her posture slacken, her energy quickly dissipating. He knew she needed help.

‘I gotta do something or she’ll be dead.’

“WIND SCAR!”

His attack and her extra surge of power pushed the rogue back into Sesshomaru’s striking distance, and the taiyoukai began attacking in a deadly fury. InuYasha ran to the woman’s side when he saw her drop the barrier and collapse. He knelt beside her.

‘Hey, it’s that bitch who cut me off earlier…’

She looked even more beautiful close up.

Rin began to stir. She saw her downed comrade, and then the inu-hanyou hovering over her. InuYasha could tell she was seriously injured, but Rin stood strong in a protective stance. She pounced, knocking InuYasha back and blocking him from Kagome.

“Leave her alone,” Rin growled, leveling her guns at the hanyou.

“Hey!” InuYasha drew Tessaiga in front of him. “I just saved your pathetic asses.”

‘Who the hell are these wenches?’

“He’s right, Rin,” a weak voice said.

“Kagome? Are you OK?” Rin called over her shoulder, keeping her eyes trained on the perceived threat.

Kagome sat up with a groan. “When the floor stops moving I will be. Where are Sango and Ayame? What’s the status report on those rogues?”

A loud boom exploded behind InuYasha, the sound of massive flesh hitting concrete.

“Two exterminated, one threat left,” Rin reported.

Kagome slowly rose to her feet, crossbow out. She grabbed Rin to steady the slightly swaying Newbie and herself.

“Let’s go.”

InuYasha stopped them, eyes ablaze in disbelief.

“Are you fucking crazy? You can barely stand, much less fight. You’re weak. Leave it to us.”

Rin slipped an arm around Kagome to help her walk.

“No,” Kagome replied firmly, turning with Rin and walking towards the last youkai. “I’m OK, Rin.”

Rin nodded, letting Kagome go.

InuYasha jumped in front of her again, stopping the miko by grabbing her arm. Chocolate eyes met amber.

“Are you stupid or something?” he snarled.

Kagome grabbed the arm that held hers and flipped him onto his back. She ripped her arm out of his loosened grasp. Kagome’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Back off, bucko!”

InuYasha snarled and sprang to his feet. Before he could open his mouth, Kagome turned to her comrades, effectively snubbing the irate hanyou.

“Sango! Ayame! Let’s finish this!”

The two spun around and ran to her, hair flying behind them in the wind. They reached Kagome and Rin in a matter of moments, looks of concern flittering over their features. Kagome waved their apprehension away, and they refocused on the mission.

“There’s something pink glowing in his neck, we need to get that out. It’ll stop him.”

“What are you talking about, Kagome?” asked Ayame.

“There’s nothing there,” said Sango, turning to study the rogue again.

“Maybe only mikos can see it,” Rin offered.

“I need to get in range to hit it. Sango,” Kagome nodded to her.

Sango whistled, and a huge fire cat appeared in the darkened sky and swept down to the street. Kagome took a running leap onto her back and began ascending. The other Slayers covered her, knocking the interfering males out of her path. Sesshomaru’s blades were shot away, Kouga was warned off by a series of knives whipping by his face, and Sango bodily knocked the monk on his backside. The Hunters‘ cries of indignity served as the only opposition to the Slayers‘ interference.

Kagome aimed, charged the arrow with a sizable amount of purifying power, and fired. Her arrow was a success, nicking the pink shard out of the rogue’s neck. Kagome caught the piece and pocketed it for later examination. The scaly black youkai seemed to slow and shrink a few feet. Ayame, Sango and Rin were on it instantaneously.

The boomerang took off a leg, causing the rogue to lose balance and topple over. Its claws came up to swipe down and strike Kagome in the side, but the other three flipped out of the way, Rin shooting poison bullets into the monster’s throat as she moved. The monster grabbed it’s throat, roaring in agony. Ayame seized the extra katana at her side, tossing it to Kagome as the miko leaped off the fire cat. Her pink aura flared, encasing the blade, and in one clean swoop the rogue was decapitated and turned to ash.

“Woot!” Rin cheered, fist in the air.

“Don’t go celebrating just yet,” Ayame growled, eyeing the group of males slowly approaching them from all sides.

The Slayers formed a tight circle, their backs nearly touching as they each crouched into fighting stances, brandishing their weapons threateningly.

“We need to make this quick,” Sango whispered loudly. “Kagome’s drained and injured.”

“I’ll be fine,” the miko insisted, glaring at the hanyou from earlier.

She mentally winced at the energy it took just to lift her crossbow with her right arm, gasping at the pain searing in her side. Her left hand reached over to feel the deep gashes.

‘Ouch, these are going to heal nicely. Damn youkai. And if it isn’t the rude jerk on the bike. What’s he doing here, and who are these guys?’

The four males stopped 10 feet away from the women. The monk took a cautious step forward.

“We mean you no harm,” Miroku said calmly.

The fire cat leaped and landed between the monk and the girls, snarling and baring her teeth. Miroku gulped, taking a tiny step backwards.

“Good girl, Kirara,” Sango cooed, laughing lightly.

“What do you want?” Kagome demanded.

“To know who the hell you are,” replied the inu-hanyou.

“Not sharing ‘til you do,” Rin said in a deceptively sweet voice.

The tall taiyoukai looked at her coldly. Rin suppressed a shiver.

“Ladies first,” growled the ookami male.

“Nice try,” Ayame snarled back.

In a flash, Sesshomaru had grabbed Rin, spinning the girl to face her comrades with Tokijin’s blade pressed to her jugular.

“Rin!” the Slayers gasped in unison.

“This Sesshomaru’s patience is tried. Answer now.”

Kagome’s face twisted in anger. She pushed through Sango and Ayame, snatching Sango’s katana and flaring it with purifying energy, whipping it up to the taiyoukai ‘s throat.

“Let her go, or I’ll purify your ass.”

Sesshomaru remained stoic. “She will be dead before you can move.”

Kagome’s threat gave Rin enough of a distraction to kick Sesshomaru in the shin, loosening his grip ever so slightly. While he reacted (in his stoic manner), Kagome shoved her blade through his shoulder, making him drop Rin. Rin rolled away while Kagome flared her energy, creating a nicely sized hole around the blade in Sesshomaru’s shoulder.

Kagome pulled the sword back out, swayed on her feet and dropped, having used the last bit of her energy. The girls surrounded her in seconds, forming a protective circle around the miko.

“We don’t have time for this! We need to get her back to HQ immediately!” Sango urgently whispered, swinging Hiraikotsu out to warn off the hanyou and monk who had edged closer.

“I’ll get her back,” Ayame replied.

Rin nodded, covering the female ookami as she quickly scooped the unconscious and bleeding miko into her arms.

“On the count of three--”

“You’re not going anywhere until we’ve got some damn answers!” Kouga snarled.

“Can’t you see she needs medical attention!” Sango cried. “If you really ‘mean no harm,’ let us go!”

The males said nothing. Sango growled. Deciding not to wait for their permission, she swung her weapon around, knocking the Hunters away. Ayame took off in high-wolf speed with her precious cargo, red pigtails trailing behind her. Kouga shot off to follow her, InuYasha speeding on his bike at his heels.

Rin and Sango raced for the bikes, but before they could hop on they were stopped cold by two interfering Hunters.

“Move!” Sango yelled, pushing at the monk’s chest.

“No,” Miroku replied calmly. “We simply wish to know your names and who you work for.”

“It’s none of your damn business!” she retorted, slamming her fist into the monk’s jaw and bounding on to her bike.

Rin attempted to kick Sesshomaru, but the inu-youkai moved too quickly for her eye, catching her foot and twisting the leg so that she fell to the ground in a cry of pain. Sango rammed her bike into the taiyoukai’s back, pushing him away. Rin grunted, leaping onto her bike and the two sped off.

Sesshomaru snarled, his yoki cloud materialized as Miroku hopped on his own motorbike. The chase began.

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Ayam e decided to use a shortcut through an alley to save on time. She quickly turned into the narrow alley, leaping onto a fire escape and then to the rooftop of an apartment building. The red-haired ookami leapt building after building, rapidly approaching Slayer Headquarters.

She no longer heard her pursuers’ footsteps or the roar of a motorcycle engine. Ayame focused on the roof access to HQ, skidding to a halt on the building’s roof. Pounding the security code into the door’s pad. The electronic lock clicked open. Ayame wedged her foot in the doorjamb to kick it open, but was torn away and thrown to the side.

Ayame fell into a controlled roll, careful to protect Kagome. When she righted herself, she found an old katana in her face, a smirking ookami male behind it.

“Leave us the hell alone!” the green-eyed wolf shouted, kicking Kouga’s sword away with a fan kick.

The silver-haired hanyou leaped onto the roof, coming to stand behind his comrade.

“Wolf-shit, let ‘em go. The girl’s really injured.”

Ayame’s eyes widened in shock, but she took her chance and sprang for the door. She quickly re-entered the code and ran in. She could hear her two pursuers follow in.

“Kaede-sama!” Ayame bellowed down the hallway. “Medics! Ready the Infirmary!”

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“What the hell is this place?” Kouga wondered aloud.

InuYasha and Kouga watched a few women clad in lab coats appear in the hall with a gurney. The red-haired ookami gently placed the unconscious miko on it. She spoke softly to an old woman. Both glanced at InuYasha and Kouga quickly.

“You want me to WHAT?” the female youkai shrieked.

The old woman, obviously the female wolf’s superior, gave her a look, then turned to accompany the medics and the gurney down the hall.

The female ookami walked towards them, looking irritated.

“Look,” she began, “Apparently Kaede-sama knows you and your boss, Myogua. She said to have you come sit in the Briefing room and wait on the others.”

“Kaede? I don’t know any damn Kaede,” growled InuYasha. “I ain’t going anywhere until you tell me who you are and where we are.”

“I agree with mutt-face,” said Kouga.

The red-haired wolf sighed. “I’m Ayame, and the miko that was just carted away was Kagome. We’re Slayers, and Kaede is our trainer and boss. Apparently, we do the same kind of work as you do. You’re in our operating quarters. Now follow me.”

A perplexed hanyou and youkai followed Ayame towards the elevator. InuYasha paused at what he presumed was the Infirmary window, spotting the dark-haired miko laying on a hospital bed. She was surrounded by a pink glow, administered by that Kaede woman, and the other medics were tying off a bandage around the younger miko’s torso.

‘Kagome…’ InuYasha thought to himself, trying out the girl’s name. ‘She looks so pale. Not like that spitfire from earlier.’

A cleared throat brought him back to reality.
“What?” he barked.

“You can drool over my friend later,” Ayame said exasperatedly. “Move it.”

InuYasha had the grace to blush a little, but quickly covered it up by spouting out, “I wasn’t doing anything but surveying the perimeter!”

Kouga snorted in amusement.

“Uh-huh,” Ayame muttered, unconvinced.

They reached the giant elevator and stepped inside, riding down several floors in silence. InuYasha caught Kouga checking out Ayame furtively, but did not feel like cracking a comment at the moment. The doors dinged, and the two Hunters followed Ayame across a polished lobby and through a set of polished metal doors.

“Myogua! What the fuck are you doing here?” InuYasha inquired, surprised by his boss’s presence.

“Sit down, boys, and we’ll wait for the others,” Myogua replied calmly.

“More assholes are coming here? Just great,” Ayame muttered, plopping down in a comfy leather chair. She brought out a knife to twirl in her hands.

“But I want to know what the hell’s going on now!” InuYasha demanded.

“All in good time, InuYasha. Sit,” Myogua ordered, gesturing to the plushy leather seats around the board table.

InuYasha refused, leaning against the wall. He watched Kouga pace back and forth, the male wolf occasionally glancing at Ayame. Whenever Ayame caught him staring, she growled, and Kouga quickly averted his eyes, only to have them wander back again.

In all his years as a Hunter, nothing this weird had ever happened to him. He began the job over ten years ago. Myogua, and old friend of his deceased parents, had recruited he and his half-brother when they were teenagers, shortly before the massive rogue youkai attacks that swept over the city occurred. The Taisho brothers’ parents had been murdered by a vicious youkai, Ryukotsusei, a dragon demon collecting vengeance for an old grievance in blood.

Myogua had been contacted as their guardian. When Sesshomaru and InuYasha got into an angry fight one day over who was to blame for their parents’ deaths, blasting, slashing, and throwing each other through walls, Myogua realized the potential the brothers had. The flea youkai offered to train them to use the swords they inherited from their father--Tessaiga and Tenseiga--and offered them employ in his business of slaying rogue youkai. At the Hunters’ headquarters, InuYasha had met Kouga and Miroku, each newly recruited as well.

All were trained to utilize their natural abilities and strengths, as well as were educated in battle tactics and weaponry. They were taught to think quickly and be resourceful. Body and mind were molded into perfect warriors. Although each held the ability to ascend to higher levels of intellect, only Miroku and Sesshomaru bothered too pursue further knowledge. Mostly, Hunters relied on brawn and reflexes to eliminate their targets. They were quite successful: good youkai blood (and a monk for back up) was quite effective in stopping rogues from slaughtering all the citizens of Japan.

Each Hunter had his own specialty: InuYasha utilized the awesome powers of the Tessaiga; Sesshomaru controlled the evil sword Tokijin (a sword he had commissioned when he was disappointed by Tenseiga’s powers) and resurrected a few lives with Tenseiga; Kouga mostly fought with his fists, his great strength in his legs providing for extraordinary speed and deadly kicks; Miroku was a monk and had no youkai strength, but he was exceptionally strong for a human and had full control of his spiritual powers--he also wielded his staff expertly in combat.

They had faced down several rogues in the past years, but never ran across this group of girls. If they both killed rogue youkai, wouldn’t they have at least crossed paths once?

‘It’s not exactly a popular job…’

“I think we lost ’em!” Rin, the girl Kagome had saved back in the battle, exclaimed, bursting through the doors. She stopped short at the sight of two youkai and a hanyou in the room.

“Ah, damn.”

Ayame nodded her head in empathy.

The tall woman with the long ponytail followed next. She looked angrier than a bull youkai.

“What in the name of Kami is going on here? We just got rid of those assholes, and here are three more!”

“Hey!” said Myogua in defense.

“Just take a seat, girls. Kaede says she knows the old balding one and that we’re all going to have a nice talk,” Ayame informed the confused Slayers.

“Does that mean we have to go let the other two in?” Rin asked meekly.

“Of course it does!” sputtered Myogua. “Has Kaede-sama taught you nothing of respecting guests?”

“Hey now, you all are still threats in my book,” growled the tall dark-haired woman.

“Peace, Sango,” interrupted a calm and older female voice. Kaede stepped into the room, followed by the younger miko.

“Kagome!” the three women cried, running to their comrade and crushing her in a group hug.

“Easy guys,” Kagome hissed. “Those gashes are still healing.”

While apologizing, the girls helped Kagome to the seat across from InuYasha. The hanyou and the miko’s eyes met, staring each other down in a battle of wills. InuYasha “Keh”ed, and looked out the window.

“Sango,” Kaede called, “Would you please bring in the two gentlemen waiting outside?”

Sango did an abrupt about face and marched out the door, mumbling under her breath.

Kaede let out a small chuckle.

“Your girls are quite, uh, spirited, eh, Kaede-sama?” Myogua stuttered.

“Aye, that they are,” the old miko smiled.

“Kagome, how do you feel?” asked Rin. “I’m so very sorry I got you into all that mess during the assignment and you had to endanger yourself to bail me out. I’m just a stupid rookie and look what happened. I’m so very--”

“Rin,” Kagome interrupted gently. “It’s OK. Don’t apologize for something you couldn’t help. Besides, you protected me too.”

Rin and Kagome shared a small smile.

“Still, Rin needs some extra time in the Dojo,” Ayame interjected. “Some of your decisions were a little on the dumb side.”

Rin hung her head and nodded.

“I think she did a great job for her first assignment,” Kagome commented, placing her hand on Rin’s arm in comfort. Rin flashed her a grateful smile.

‘Is this bitch serious? Forgiving and defending the girl who almost got her killed?’ thought InuYasha.

“First assignment?” Kouga sputtered. “That chick has never faced down a youkai before? What the hell kind of training do you go through?”

“It’s actually quite similar to yours,” replied Kaede. “Myogua-sama and I did created these programs together.”

“What?” gasped Kagome. “So, it’s true. They’re like us.”

“Only male,” interjected Rin.

“And idiotic,” snickered Ayame.

“Enough,” Kaede interrupted, before a disagreement could erupt.

Sang stormed back into the room, angrier than she had left. Miroku followed, sporting a nasty red mark on his cheek. Sesshomaru floated in and leaned against a wall.

“Uh, Sango? Are you OK?” Kagome ventured to ask.

“That damn lech better keep his hands to himself!”

The girls gasped. The guys--excepting Sesshomaru--groaned.

“Dammit, Miroku. Don’t you ever learn?”

“But I could not resist, InuYasha. While we were climbing the stairs, she was directly in front of me, her nicely-rounded bottom was just so tantalizing, inviting me to--”

“Enough, bouzo,” the hanyou growled.

Sango made a point to sit as far away from the monk as possible, even going as far as to place her katana across her lap. Her fire cat, Kirara, padded through the door and hopped into her mistress’s lap, growling at him too.

“This is no way to act towards your allies,” tsked Kaede.

“Allies? These are the allies you were referring to earlier?” Kagome inquired incredulously.

“Hai, child. Together, the Slayers and Hunters shall eliminate the threat, Naraku.”

“Kaede, could you tell us what this is?” interrupted Kagome, pulling an object out of her leather jacket pocket. “This pink shard was lodged in one of the rogue’s necks. Since he was bigger and stronger than the other two, I hypothesized this was his source. When I knocked it out, he became easier to eliminate.”

“Kami above,” Kaede gasped. “It’s a piece of the Shikon no Tama.”

“It can’t be,” Myogua whispered.

“I’d recognize that damned thing anywhere. It’s the real deal, pops,” InuYasha replied.

Sesshomaru nodded his head ever so slightly, agreeing.

“It, it’s not possible,” stuttered Kagome. “It was sealed inside a miko’s body and disappeared centuries ago.”

“That it did, child,” agreed Kaede. “But apparently Naraku found what he was looking for.”

“Wait, wait,” interrupted Rin. “Why would Naraku want this tiny thing?”

“This is only one tiny fraction of the jewel,” answered Kagome. “You saw what this one little piece could do to a base-level youkai. Imagine a jewel with those powers multiplied by the millions. If Naraku has the Shikon, as it seems he does, he can use the pieces to enhance his youkai soldiers. Or, he could combine the pieces and make a wish that could destroy the world.”

“Very good, Kagome,” Kaede praised.

“Wishes? This thing grants wishes?”

“Yes.” This time it was Miroku who answered. “The jewel was created from the heart of a warrior miko, Midoriko. It has the power to grant one wish to whomever possesses it. However, if the wish is selfish and impure, the taint on the jewel could corrupt and bring desolation to humans and youkai alike.”

Kaede nodded in agreement.

“Miroku is correct,” Myogua said. “This jewel is powerful, and deadly in the wrong hands. The question is--”

“How did he get it,” offered Sango.

“And what he wants to do with it,” finished InuYasha.

“He must not have all the pieces,” Kagome ventured.

“Or else he would have done something drastic by now,” added Ayame.

“How do you know he’s not just waiting for something?” Kouga asked sharply.

“We do not,” Sesshomaru spoke up.

“Exactly,” continued Myogua. “That is why Kaede-sama and myself decided to combine. Together, we can utilize more resources and have more hands on the case. You lot are the best in the field, trained to understand rogues by analyzing their movement, battle style, weapons, etc. to piece together a motive.”

“We will be paring one Slayer with one Hunter, based on personalities and capabilities,” began Kaede. “You and your partner will be assigned to a specific part of this case. We will all be working from this office. Hunters, your files and resources are being brought here as we speak for your use. Now, here are your assignments.”

Folders were passed out. Each Slayer and Hunter began leafing through.

“No!” cried Sango. “There is NO way in hell I am working with that lecher!”

“You wound me, my dear Sango.” Miroku put a hand over his heart.

“I’m going to castrate you if--”

“Sango,” Kaede warned.

The tall slayer growled, slouching in her chair to read through the assignment specifics. Kagome fought the urge to giggle, flipping through her folder.

‘Whaat? I’m working with…him?’

Kagome glanced at the silver-haired hanyou, who caught her gaze. She quickly brought the folder over her face, hiding her blush and forcing herself to continue reading.

“Niiice,” Kouga commented. “I get the fine wolf woman.”

“Oh, joy,” Ayame deadpanned.

‘I don’t give a hoot if he’s hot, he’s annoying as hell.’

Rin’s eyes widened. Gulping, she glanced up at her partner.

‘The youkai that held a blade to my throat is my trusty partner! I’m gonna die!’

“I trust everyone is tired, given the volume of attacks today and that it’s 0100 hours,” Kaede said. “You all are excused. We will reconvene at 0900 hours, and begin Operation: Shikon.”

Kaede and Myogua exited the Briefing room together.

Eight angry gazes glared after them.

“Well isn’t this going to be a fucking party,” InuYasha muttered.

Seven other heads nodded in agreement, then turned to glare at one another.

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A/N: Another cliffhanger. *giggles* Sorry, couldn’t resist.

A big thanks to the following for leaving a review: ochamiko, Inukaggrrl06, angel_of_hope, BloodRedMoon, and Lonely Lady ! I really appreciate hearing your thoughts!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, please leave a review! I thrive on feedback.












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