InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Laying Down the Law ❯ The Assassination ( Chapter 17 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: The Kouga Lucius Connection 
The girls are confronted by very worried, angry boyfriends and the Reikons are out for blood.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Completed
The girls are confronted by very worried, angry boyfriends and the Reikons are out for blood.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.5K | Visits: 1.7K | Status: Completed
Thanks guys for your immediate and positive feedback on the last chapter! I have exciting news: the story has broken 100,000 words! That's what I get for writing long chapters, I suppose; I mean, we did it in 15. Thats...ridiculous. Lol. Have fun with this one, quite a bit of fluff.
"That was..." Rin murmured from her position at the wheel, shaking her head slowly and trying to find the words.
"Fucking loony, let's never do it again," Shitora quipped tightly, twisting around in her seat to observe the glass lodged in her back. Truly, she couldn't remembering doing something so stupid since she got back from boarding school, where quite a bit of stupidity went on. The problem here was that she attempted to stop said stupidity, but couldn't quite get there in time. And now she had a beer bottle in her back.
Kagome peered over the front seat, trying to make out the damage done to her friend's body. "Are you okay?"
This only provoked a snort from Shitora, who replied, "Just a beer bottle lodged in my flesh, nothing to worry about."
Sango, deciding to settle an uprising before it began, said calmly, "We need to get her treatment; where do we go?"
"How about the hopsital?" Kagome asked, cocking one smooth eyebrow; it seemed perfectly logical to her that, in times of medical trouble, people went to the emergency room.
But Ayame shook her head. "We don't make it a habit to go there; it raises questions and that brings in police, okay?"
Sighing, Kagome sat back against her seat. The way the gang did whatever the could to fend off the police amazed her, even to the extent that it baffled her. Despite their desire to avoid the law, Kagome was almost insulted that they wouldn't spare a moment's time in the hopsital for a hurting friend. Sango could obviously since her distress over the matter for she leaned over and whispered, "Don't worry; everyone knows what they signed up for."
The words were scant, cryptic, and even a bit vague, but Kagome somehow knew what her friends meant; everyone in the gangs knew that, unless they were on the brink of death, hospitals were not an option.
"What about Kei and Nan?" Ayame offered, shrugging her shoulders.
This time, it was Shitora who objected. "No, they'll bitch us out and then tell Sesshomaru. That's a disaster waiting to happen. No, we just need to get this piece of shit out of my back and put some disinfectant on it. I'll be fine."
"Does anyone have bandages that big? Disinfectant? Tweezers?" Rin asked, glancing in the rearview mirror. When the others shook their heads, Rin sighed and glanced at the clock; 12:37. "Well, we can get it at the warehouse. The boys ought to be gone by now."
This said, Rin took a decisive right turn at the next stop light; the Wildcats leader was back in action.
The convertible pulled up on the warehouse gravel parking lot five minutes later, coming to a stop as Rin shut off the lights and killed the engine. Shitora managed to get out of the car, though when she took her first steps, she cried out in pain and fell flat on her face. The other girls hurried to her side, dragging her upright and urgently looking down at her back; with every step she took, Shitora lodged the beer bottle deeper.
Without a word, Sango hefted the girl onto her back and resettled her, nodding at Shitora's whispered thank you. The girls treked across the gravel and arrived at the door, which Rin quickly opened with her leader's key. Inside, the lights were off and the only sound was that of gently humming machinery. From the moonlight through the aviator's windows above the hangar door, the group was able to make out shapes as they glided skillfully around them, vailliantly trying not to muss a thing.
"Ugh, it's creepy in here at night," Kagome said, scrunching up her nose.
"And I think I just stepped in grease," Rin agreed, snorting as she almost lost her balance on one grease covered high heel.
"Rin turn on a light or something," Ayame said irritably as she almost impaled herself on a tool table, keen demon eyes still unused to the clutter.
Immediately, the lights flashed on and Kagome brushed herself off; she'd just run into the dusty door of Jakotsu's old pick-up truck. "Thanks Rin."
"Um..." Rin murmured, drawing the others' attention; she was in the middle of the warehouse floor, several feet from every wall. "That wasn't me."
"No. It was me."
The girls whirled violently around, breath catching in their throats as Sesshomaru stepped grimly forward, flanked by the other boys. The Wildcats cursed under their breath while Shitora slid quietly down from Sango's back, masking her pain with a practiced sneer. The boys looked fit to be tied, every single face tight and drawn. Inuyasha's eyebrows were dangerously low on his face while Miroku looked more frightened for the girls' well being than anything. Kouga and Ranbou held similar expressions of condemnation, which rode heavy in the ice blue eyes, causing Ayame and Shitora to look away from the scrutiny.
"Where the hell were you?" Inuyasha finally demanded, amber eyes coursing with rage and fear.
"We just went out, if it's any of your business," Kagome rocketed back, narrowing her eyes and popping her hip to the side.
"Actually, it is our business," Sesshomaru entered in with a cold stare.
His involvement in this only set Rin off and she took several bold steps forward, high heels clicking eerily on the concrete floors. "Oh yeah? Why do you care what 'simple human' women do?" she yelled, throwing Sesshomaru's cruel words back in his face.
The dog demon flinched visibly, looking away from his girlfriend in a startling display of weakness; he couldn't bare to meet those hateful eyes. In that moment, Rin appeared to genuinely despise him and he just couldn't take it.
"Fuck, the fact that most of you are human has nothing to do with it!" Inuyasha exploded, throwing his arms out to the side wildly. "Human women, demon women, it doesn't matter! You're our women and we don't want your hurt! You don't seem to understand what's going on; with this shit about Salter going down, it's dangerous for you all to be out there without one of us, not answering your cell phones without anyone else knowing where you went! Don't you fucking get it?!"
Following his tirade, Inuyasha clenched his skull with both hands and turned violently away, apparently unable to stay still a minute longer. The girls couldn't bring themselves to utter lame protests like 'we can take of ourselves' and 'don't treat us like children.' Obviously, they couldn't take care of themselves; Shitora winced as she shifted her wait unconciously, the beer bottle digging deeply into her back; she just wanted to get the damn thing out, but she dare not show her back to the boys. Hopefully they wouldn't notice.
As if to spite her, Sesshomaru suddenly wrinkled his nose and asked, "Who's bleeding?"
The girls froze, not even daring to exchange glances; if the boys found out about Shitora's injuries, their fun would be permanently over for the next century. Unforunately for them, Ranbou was already beginning to identify that smell; the carnal sent of blood with a hint of cinnamon. In one quick motion, he took a step forward and whirled Shitora around, dropping his hand at the sight of her back; the other boys gasped and turned deathly pale. In the commotion they'd barely even noticed the scent of blood.
"Who the fuck did this?" Ranbou growled angrily, staring Shitora straight in the eyes; the beer bottle protruded in an ugly display from her back, blood dripping down her pale skin in thin rivulets.
The girl opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to configure her words in a coherent sentence. "I...th...wait, Bo..."
"WHO?!" he roared, voice echoing off the rafters eerily.
"Shitora!" Sesshomaru said forcefully, joined by Inuyasha as they hurried to her side; they obviously wanted to know the perpetrator's name for their own purposes.
"Just some Dragons, okay? I didn't know them," Shitora lied, words rolling off her tongue easily. She knew that her brothers and Ranbou would do something rash if they knew names and, for her own sanity, she decided to keep them to herself. Besides that, Kagai would die eventually; she had a score to settle with him herself.
The others were silent as they watched the exchange, wondering what the three boys would decide. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru knew they'd get no more out of her that night and merely sighed, rubbing the backs of their necks. Ranbou, however, still looked fit to be tied. "I'll fucking murder them!"
His eyes began to glow a dangerous crimson and Shitora immediately placed her hands on his closed fists. "Bo, stop, I'm fine. I can take care of myself."
The wolf stared at her through enraged blue eyes, following the path of that smile as it spread across her lips. There was her confidence, her sencerity, her brave facades, and all of them were false; he could see uncertainty shining through that smile and he wanted to know who'd put it there.
"Aya, I'm taking you home," Kouga said suddenly, brilliant smiling completely gone as he placed a protective arm around Ayame's waist and began literally dragging her towards the entrance. In her stupor, Ayame had neither the will nor the means by which to retaliate and only followed dumbly, exiting the warehouse with her boyfriend.
"Same goes for you Kagome, let's go," Inuyasha said forcefully, withdrawing his car keys from his jean pocket. Normally, Kagome would've been angered by the way he called her, as though she were his property, but the thought of being with Inuyasha seemed comforting and safe at the moment; she would rather be safe than belligerent.
On the way out the door, Inuyasha placed his hand on the small of Kagome's back and his very touch dissolved her insecurities. Sighing contentedly, she exited the warehouse and welcomed the clean night air.
Inside, the others were frozen in their own sort of social blizzard before Ranbou said stiffly, "Sukini, come on, let's get that taken care of." Desperate to be away from her brother's searching stare, Shitora followed without question at Ranbou's heels.
"Sango? Do you want to go home?" Miroku asked courteously, less aggressive than Kouga and Inuyasha had been.
But Sango shook her head. "I want to stay with Shitora."
"Sango, go home," Shitora interrupted, shaking her head slowly. "I...I'd rather you got some sleep than watch me..when I'm..." the girl looked away from her friend, blushing a slight crimson. It was then that Sango remembered just how much Shitora despised weakness and, smiling to herself, the dark haired girl turned to Miroku and jerked her head towards the door. Miroku nodded as well and, soon, the two were gone.
This left Rin and Sesshomaru, staring blankly at each other while wondering what the other could be thinking; Finally, unable to deal with the silence any longer, Rin let out a stream of air and turned on her heels, hurrying towards the door; the atmosphere was much to thick inside the warehouse. Part of her wondered if Sesshomaru would come charging after her, but she made it all the way out of the warehouse without the reassuring sound of footsteps behind her. She paused slightly, staring up at the dark skies; and here she was thinking he cared.
Rin was almost to her car when a voice called, "Wait."
The girl turned so quickly that she nearly dislocated her neck and she observed Sesshomaru with wide brown eyes; he was so handsome, it made it hard to stay mad at him for long. Yet his cruel words resounded in her head for the umpteenth time that week. She was a human woman. Nothing but trouble.
Taking a deep breath, Sesshomaru closed the gap between them slowly but surely, looking for all the world as if he were walking easily down the street. "I owe you an apology."
Rin wanted to say something clever, to quip back with a short one liner and drive off triumphantly in her convertible, but that loving part of her just couldn't move from where she stood. When she said nothing, Sesshomaru continued. "We've been going out for three years, four months and sixteen days. You know me better than anyone in this world, I suppose. And knowing that, you know that I'm stupid and judgemental when angry. I say things I don't mean because I can't control my temper...and I didn't mean what I said to you. Rin, if you were a 'simple human woman,' I wouldn't love you the way I do."
There was nothing but complete and utter silence for a moment as Rin digested everything he'd said. An erratic trembling began at her knees, moving up to her fists and eventually capturing her lips. How dare he say such beautiful things to her; she'd been so mad for a week and a half and his voice just kneeded the knots right out of her shoulders.
"Shut up," she said brokenly, voice unsteady and tears collecting in her eyes. "Don't say things like that! You make me want to forgive you!"
Sesshomaru's face actually held a hint of a smile as he took two more steps forward, inhaling the smooth flowery scent of his one true love. In one steady motion, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, never releasing his hold even when she reached up her closed fists and began pounding uselessly at his chest. When she finally realized she was beaten, Rin collapsed in belated sobs, crying out the pain she'd been feeling for the past week and a half. Soon, she was returning his embrace, crying hysterically into his chest as Sesshomaru glanced down at the beautiful woman in his arms. It was strange to think he'd almost thrown away the most perfect girl in the world, all for pride.
"Please forgive me," he murmured into her hair, closing his eyes and allowing her scent to flood his nostrils.
Still racked with sobs, Rin could only choke out, "I already have," before grabbing handfuls of his shirt in her fists and pulling herself even closer, feeling as though she could never pull away.
Inside, Shitora was laying face down on the lounge table, resting her head on her folded arms. She watched Ranbou wash his hands in the sink, trailing the line of his strong muscles with her eyes; he was so strong, the very thought of his power made her shudder with delight. Shitora had always been attracted to power. Finally, Ranbou turned around and observed the girl's back with a slight pain in his eyes. It was one thing to speak of the injury, but actually touching it was quite another. It was a general consensus that the bottle needed to go, but how exactly was he going to do it?
"Just pull it," Shitora said bravely, as though she could read his thoughts.
Ranbou was quiet for a moment before he glanced down at a leather band tied around his wrist. Deftly, he undid the knot and handed the leather to Shitora, saying dully, "Bite this."
The girl nodded slightly, eyes never wavering as she bit down on the leather, inhaling Ranbou's scent from the cloth; it calmed her jittery nerves. Ranbou glanced down once more at the glass in Shitora's back, shaking his head slightly before he reached down and took a hold of it. He was hesitant to hurt her, but leaving it there would be worse, wouldn't it? With this thought egging him on, Ranbou gave a quick, sharp pull, wincing as the bottle escaped the flesh with a squeltch. Shitora gasped, digging her teeth deeper into the leather; that moment was pure agony as she waited for the pain to fade.
"Look at this," Ranbou said, marveling quietly as he showed Shitora the bottle piece; it was covered in a good inch by blood. "That's how deep it was."
Gulping, Shitora closed her eyes and said, "Damn the Dragons," before burying her head in her arms; it still hurt something fierce.
Though the wofl planned to discard the glass at first, he got the sudden urge to keep in and placed it quickly in his pocket with Shitora's notice. Afterwards, Ranbou reached into the first aid kit and removed a can of disinfectant spray. "Bite down on that thing again."
Without another word of warning, the wolf demon sprayed a thin layer of disinfectant over the wound and it's surrounding area, trying to ignore the sounds of pain issuing from Shitora's tight mouth. Finally, the boy set the can aside and grabbed for bandages. "The worst is over."
Nodding slightly, Shitora glanced up from her arms, eyes red from tears; she wasn't crying from fear so much as she was from pain. The strongest men could cry tears of pain, slipping from their eyes unbidden. Shitora was nor different and Ranbou didn't blame her for her weakness. "We didn't mean to seem accusing tonight," the Reikon leader said suddenly as he smoothed a dry gauze pad across the wound. "We were just worried."
This was hardly something Ranbou would say under normal circumstances, but Shitora knew it was just his sense of obligation trying to make up for the boys and their overprotective tendencies. "We know," Shitora said quietly, managing a weak smile. "You know, we didn't even mean to go to the place we did. We just wanted to take Rin somewhere she could forget about her fight with Sesshomaru."
"I had a feeling it was something like that," Ranbou said as he matted the gauze down with medical tape. "You girls don't just run off partyin' for no reason."
"Yeah, partying can be kind of gay sometimes," Shitora said, chuckling a bit. "I'd rather just stay home or work on cars."
It was Ranbou's turn to chukle as he said, "Well, I hate to break it to you Sukini, but you're not really like most girls."
"So I've realized," Shitora joked in return, smile bringing a sparkle to her amber eyes; Ranbou had truly missed that sparkle. The white haired girl sat up, stretching her arms stiffly and cracking her neck. This was a night she'd rather forget, if it were possible.
At this point, Sesshomaru and Rin reentered the warehouse, this time holding hands as they walked purposefully towards the lounge area. Ranbou and Shitora exchanged smirks, knowing the apology and official relationship reparation was complete; now the gangs could rest at ease, if only for a little while. Furrowing her brow slightly, Rin asked, "Shitora, are you okay and everything?"
The hanyou smirked, winking one broad eye in her friend's direction. "Of course, Bo fixed me right up. It was nothing."
"She'll be fine," Ranbou agreed, nodding his head firmly. "She's tougher n'some piece of shit Dragon an' his beer."
Smiling in that reserved way of his, Sesshomaru broke hands with Rin and walked directly up to his sister, ruffling her hand fondly. "She's a Fang after all."
Shitora giggled, swatting away her brother's hand. "A course. I'm good as new."
All the same, Sesshomaru helped her down from the table after thanking Ranbou, preparing to lead her towards the exit to his car. Leaning down, he gave Rin a loving kiss on the lips before saying goodnights and ushering his sister out of the warehouse, Rin and Ranbou watching their retreating backs. Finally, Ranbou sighed and cracked his back, yawning. "Let's go home, Rin. I'm tired as all shit."
Rin chuckled. "Me too. See you in the morning, Ran."
"Yeah, see you."
Withdrawing his cell phone from his pocket, the boy dialed a quick number and listened to the ring as it sounded once, twice, three times. Someone picked up finally, answering in a bleary tone. "Hello?"
"Hak, it's Ran. Get the elite force together and meet me at the Western border of the territory. We got a job to do," Ranbou said grimly.
Recovering from his sleepy state, Hakkaku replied strongly, "Done."
The two hung up the phone simultaneously, Hakkaku hurrying to gather the elite Reikon assassins while Ranbou withdrew a box of cigarettes from his pocket. Lighting one boredly, he took a drag and glance across the cityscape towards the Western border; the wolf was no fool. A quick inspection and scent analysis of that glass proved his theories true. He knew Kagai was the culprit for, before launching the bottle at Shitora, he'd put his hand all over that beer botle. Tonight, Kagai would get his.
Shaking his shaggy head tiredly, Kagai winced as pain shot down his spine; Inuyasha's beating still weighed heavy on his shoulders. Kagai wasn't considered a particularly strong member of the Dragons, but he was quicker than Dragons tended to get, not to mention more clever. Ryuukoytsusei never showered him with praise as he did Juu, or even the racers. Kagai was just one of the underlings, a common thug in the underworld of street racing and drug peddling. During several Dragon assassinations, he was used as a runner between groups, due to his incredible speed. That was all he was good for, though. A little messenger boy amongst the gods.
Truthfully, Kagai didn't harbor any hatred for Shitora or the other girls, not even Kagome. He didn't tend to hate women, as he thought it rather improper; Kagai was a by-the-book sexist who believed women couldn't control half the things they did. What use was it hating someone who couldn't control their actions? It was like yelling at someone with tourettes when they shouted out; it was pointless and just aggrivated the both of you. The boy just wanted somewhere to focus his rage, his hate, and tonight the girls were in his wrathful path. He'd thrown that beer bottle in a white hot anger, not really knowing where it might go. He simply threw it in their direction and, lo and behold, it struck Shitora in the back. Kagai had really wanted it to connect with a human, but what did it matter now? The damage was done. And he didn't feel any better for it.
A sudden shift in the wind caused Kagai to glance up; he could sense several presences surrounding him now, cornering him on all sides, and he began glancing wildly around. Where were they? He couldn't see a single person but himself and, as was natural, he followed his first instinct and went running into the nearest off street, hoping to escape his attackers with his speed.
Unfortunately for Kagai, the Reikon elite assassination force, or REAF, was faster than he could ever hope to be. Only when Kagai glanced over his shoulder did he lose sight of his path and, miraculously, he ran into the rock hard wall of Ranbou Ookami's fist just when he wasn't looking.
Sniveling with fear, Kagai wiped a scruffy arm across his chin, trying to ignore the blood spilling from his now busted lip. "Whadya want?!" he asked rudely, spitting out blood and saliva on the pavement.
Ranbou snorted, leaning down to level condescendingly with Kagai. "I want your head."
"What?! Wait, w-"
But before Kagai could even issue another protest, his jugular vein was severed by a set of sharp claws and his voice box was forcefully ripped from his throat. Ranbou stared coldly down at the damage he'd done, throwing the bodily organs to the side and lifting his claws to observe the blood in the moonlight. "I hate beggers," he murmured, turning to glance over his shoulder at the rest of his elite force.
Hakkaku and Ginta, who were among the foremost of the six, nodded curtly, never daring to smile during a job. Turning to the others, Ginta gave a swift nod and moved to the side, allowing the four hunters behind him to move forward. "Here are the guys who squealed on him," he announced disdainfully, watching as two thin faced Dragons were thrown forward, twitching in fear and whimpering pitifully under the scrutiny of the elite.
Ranbou squatted down to level with them, gesturing with his bloody claws as he spoke. "So you gave us location information on this bastard over here? That was mighty thoughtful of you."
The two Dragons nodded furiously, eyes glittering with terror as they observed Ranbou Ookmai, a veritable angel of death when on the job. Everyone knew that, despite his joking facade, he could turn cold hearted killer in the blink of an eye. The only righteous part of his murders lay in the plot behind them; he never killed for himself and only for the betterment of the South and their peaceful lives there. In this night's case, he was killing to avenge the wrongs done to the girls and, mostly, Shitora. And he wasn't quite done with the Dragons yet.
Straightening back up, Ranbou gave a swift nod to Hakkaku and Ginta, who stepped forward and raised their magnificent wolf claws. Without warning, they both descended upon the Dragon prisoners, cutting their miserable throats in one fell swoop. Hakkaku snorted as he observed the terrified face of his victim, contorted with fear and frozen in his final moments.
"He couldn't even die with dignity," the wolf muttered, wiping off his claws on a piece of cloth inside his jacket.
"You four," Ranbou said, addressing the remaining four elite assassins. "Drop these three off on the Dragon's doorstep. You know how to mark em."
The fighters gave curt nods, gathering up the bodies and hurrying off to do their job. Ranbou and his two officers watched the force retreat with the bodies, flying atop the rooves to avoid interference from the outside world. This was gang business and gang business alone; as the maffia often declared, the Reikons were going to keep their jobs inside the family.
"Good work you two. Go home and get some rest," Ranbou said, clapping Ginta and Hakkaku on the shoulders in a brotherly gesture.
The two nodded, watching Ranbou as he shoved his hands in his pockets, returning to the street and turning the corner casually. One moment, he was a cold blooded killer with the eyes of an unstoppable death angel, the next he was a regular man, walking down the street amongst civilians with a wistful look on his face. Ginta and Hakkaku weren't completely oblivious; they knew tonight's job had been rather personal to their leader. They didn't know the full details, but they didn't need to; any of the Reikons would step up for Ranbou in his time of need for, certainly, he stepped up for every one of them. The elite force didn't question their leader's judgement and simply charged ahead, killing whoever needed to be killed. Perhaps it wasn't their place, but they didn't bother wondering. It only interferred with their job.
And the Reikons always did their job, no matter who or what stood in their way.
Outside, the skies were overcast and gloomy, threatening to release a torrent of water upon the city. Sango's car ride to the warehouse was quick and surreal as she watched the clouds thickening, casting a greyish pallor across Tokyo's pavement and rooftops; the gangs weren't particularly fond of rain, for it made lousy bike riding weather, though Sango rather liked it. When she arrived at the warehouse, it was just nearing nine o'clock and she was the first female as always. Killing the engine, she hurried inside just as the sky began to send down speckles of rainwater upon the concrete.
Inside, the boys were all present and accounted for, working casually away on their cars while Sesshomaru took care of his usual amount of paperwork in the back. The girl nodded to Miroku as she walked by, sparing him a smile as she went to set her things in the back. The only out of place activity lay in the lounge area, where Ranbou was leaning boredly against the wall drinking a beer whilst Kouga spit righteous fury at him. Sango cocked an eyebrow and watched them for a moment, hesitantly placing her purse on the couch as she caught a snippet of their conversation.
"...and to throw assassinations around is just gay. You've never been caught, Bo, but I swear to fucking god it won't be long with the way you stab anyone who pisses you off! That's not the way the real world works, out there you'll get caught by a little someone called the police or some crooked special forces dipshit. So how about next time you wanna kill someone, you punch me instead cause I'm tired of you acting like a god damn god!"
With that, Kouga turned on his heels and stormed away, ponytail swishing madly back and forth in his ire. Ranbou remained where he was for a moment before pushing off the wall, seeming not to care about his brother's trepidations in the least. On the contrary he simply glanced down at his empty beer bottle and walked towards the refrigerator for another.
Sango walked calmly to the sink where she began to wash her hands, not wanting to get anything foreign inside the machines. Without even looknig at Ranbou, she asked, "Did you make it slow?"
The boy cast a look in Sango's direction; the girl was no fool and obviously knew that, the previous night, a murder had been commited in honor of the girls. Kagai couldn't hide forever, and he'd obviously been found.
Ranbou closed his eyes momentarily, savoring the flavor of the beer. "Didn't have much time for that. But it was painful."
"Good," Sango said simply, wiping her hands on a towel before strutting primly in the direction of Jakotsu' pick up truck; today would be the day she could finally conquer that impossible car.
Smiling at Sango's retreating back, Ranbou walked leisurely towards the table where Sesshomaru was poring over paperwork, which he had to do but considered completely pointless. As the Reikon leader took a seat across from him, the dog demon calculated a percentage quickly before glancing up at his friend, peering over his glasses.
"Yes?"
"How's your sister?" Ranbou asked, taking a sip of his beer without looking away from Sesshomaru.
Sighing, the Fang leader removed his glasses and folded them neatly on the table, leaning back in his chair. "She insisted on coming in today, not to mention insisted on driving herself, so I'd say she's doing fair. Of course we both know Shitora would insist on those things if she were dying of cancer, so it's really no indication."
"Right," Ranbou mumbled glancing down at the bottle in his hand; just like the one he'd pulled from her flesh the night before. Grimacing, the boy set it on the floor and looked away from it, suddenly wishing he hadn't drank it in the first place.
Hiding a smile, Sesshomaru asked, "What exactly do you want with her?"
The question caught Ranbou off guard and he raised his eyebrows nearly into his hair. "Want? I don't want nothin! She's just Sukini!"
"Sure she is," Sesshomaru murmured, allowing himself a smirk before he leaned forward, donning his glasses and attacking the paperwork once more. Ranbou scowled at his bowed head, rolling his eyes and rising to return to his own work; there was a Celica in the corner screaming his name. Normally, Ranbou didn't work on cars, but today the garage was overflowing and he'd agreed to give the Fangs some friendly help on their load.
The boy worked away on the engine for a while, lost in parts and knuts, until he couldn't help but yawn; he'd never gone to sleep the previous night, not to mention had never returned home. Kouga knew from experience that, when Ranbou didn't come home, he was either bedding a girl or killing an enemy. As his brother was most definitely not in a fucking mood the previous night, Kouga was certain it had to be the latter.
"Tired?"
Ranbou nearly impaled the back of his head on the hood, but he managed to duck away just in time. Behind him, Shitora smirked and winked one broad amber eyes at him. "Didn't see that."
The boy snorted, turning towards her. "You doin' alright and everythin?"
"Who, me? Yeah, made o' steel," came her strong reply. "Sides, gotta be ready for Thursday."
At the mention of Thursday nights, Ranbou gave a curt nod and tried not to imagine Shitora and the rest of the Fang core carrying on their business. Even though he knew his own business of carrying out assassinations was worse, car boosting carried all sorts of complications with it and the whole deal made him uneasy. As Shitora was part of the Fang core, she was as much involved in at all as she other four. Ranbou just hoped they didn't get themselves in trouble; anyone could kill a guy and dump him in the ocean, but only a few select criminals boosted cars. And the police weren't that stupid.
"Yeah," Ranbou replied passively to her comment, turning away as another yawn consumed him.
Shitora furrowed her brow. "Did you sleep at all last night?" When Ranbou didn't answer, the hanyou bit her lip and mulled over this information. On nights when Ranbou didn't sleep, he carried out assassinations. And she had a feeling this wasn't your run of the mill murder. "Oh," she said quietly, setting down her keys on the table before reaching for a wrench to help him with the Celica. She moved rather stiffly with a hitch in her step, alerting Ranbou to the fact that she was anything but made of steel; she was obviously in some pain.
"You know, you don't have to work if you don't want to," Ranbou said then, never meeting her eyes. "If it hurts, you can just sit down."
"Naw, it's not in me to sit down just cause of some little cut," Shitora replied with a toothy grin. "Besides, after you went and sacrificed like that for me, what kind of person would I be to just sit back and watch you work?"
Ranbou froze, casting a glance in the girl's direction; he knew how Kouga had decoded the kill, but how had Shitora? Was she just smart or did she have connections? How many people knew now? "My sacrifice?"
Pausing, Shitora turned so that their eyes locked together in place. As amber danced with icy blue, she smiled a small smile. "About that. Thank you."
Both were silent for a moment, searching the other's eyes boldly for justification, before they both turned at the same instant and grabbed for new tools, beginning their work on the Celica with gusto. This was not a day to waste.
And another chapter under the belt. I know there's a lot of ShitoraxRanbou in this and I'm sorry, since I have a feeling they're not really a favorite couple. The next chapter is SangoxMiroku, so get ready for that; I'm gonna try not to make it cliche, but hey, fluff always brings some cliche-ness with it, so whatever. ;) Thanks for all the reviews and thank you Esk42, who astutely pointed out that one does not pull a trigger, but squeeze; pulling makes your shot go wayward. I must admit, I wasn't even thinking when I wrote that; my bad. Much love reviewers!
KOLU
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"That was..." Rin murmured from her position at the wheel, shaking her head slowly and trying to find the words.
"Fucking loony, let's never do it again," Shitora quipped tightly, twisting around in her seat to observe the glass lodged in her back. Truly, she couldn't remembering doing something so stupid since she got back from boarding school, where quite a bit of stupidity went on. The problem here was that she attempted to stop said stupidity, but couldn't quite get there in time. And now she had a beer bottle in her back.
Kagome peered over the front seat, trying to make out the damage done to her friend's body. "Are you okay?"
This only provoked a snort from Shitora, who replied, "Just a beer bottle lodged in my flesh, nothing to worry about."
Sango, deciding to settle an uprising before it began, said calmly, "We need to get her treatment; where do we go?"
"How about the hopsital?" Kagome asked, cocking one smooth eyebrow; it seemed perfectly logical to her that, in times of medical trouble, people went to the emergency room.
But Ayame shook her head. "We don't make it a habit to go there; it raises questions and that brings in police, okay?"
Sighing, Kagome sat back against her seat. The way the gang did whatever the could to fend off the police amazed her, even to the extent that it baffled her. Despite their desire to avoid the law, Kagome was almost insulted that they wouldn't spare a moment's time in the hopsital for a hurting friend. Sango could obviously since her distress over the matter for she leaned over and whispered, "Don't worry; everyone knows what they signed up for."
The words were scant, cryptic, and even a bit vague, but Kagome somehow knew what her friends meant; everyone in the gangs knew that, unless they were on the brink of death, hospitals were not an option.
"What about Kei and Nan?" Ayame offered, shrugging her shoulders.
This time, it was Shitora who objected. "No, they'll bitch us out and then tell Sesshomaru. That's a disaster waiting to happen. No, we just need to get this piece of shit out of my back and put some disinfectant on it. I'll be fine."
"Does anyone have bandages that big? Disinfectant? Tweezers?" Rin asked, glancing in the rearview mirror. When the others shook their heads, Rin sighed and glanced at the clock; 12:37. "Well, we can get it at the warehouse. The boys ought to be gone by now."
This said, Rin took a decisive right turn at the next stop light; the Wildcats leader was back in action.
The convertible pulled up on the warehouse gravel parking lot five minutes later, coming to a stop as Rin shut off the lights and killed the engine. Shitora managed to get out of the car, though when she took her first steps, she cried out in pain and fell flat on her face. The other girls hurried to her side, dragging her upright and urgently looking down at her back; with every step she took, Shitora lodged the beer bottle deeper.
Without a word, Sango hefted the girl onto her back and resettled her, nodding at Shitora's whispered thank you. The girls treked across the gravel and arrived at the door, which Rin quickly opened with her leader's key. Inside, the lights were off and the only sound was that of gently humming machinery. From the moonlight through the aviator's windows above the hangar door, the group was able to make out shapes as they glided skillfully around them, vailliantly trying not to muss a thing.
"Ugh, it's creepy in here at night," Kagome said, scrunching up her nose.
"And I think I just stepped in grease," Rin agreed, snorting as she almost lost her balance on one grease covered high heel.
"Rin turn on a light or something," Ayame said irritably as she almost impaled herself on a tool table, keen demon eyes still unused to the clutter.
Immediately, the lights flashed on and Kagome brushed herself off; she'd just run into the dusty door of Jakotsu's old pick-up truck. "Thanks Rin."
"Um..." Rin murmured, drawing the others' attention; she was in the middle of the warehouse floor, several feet from every wall. "That wasn't me."
"No. It was me."
The girls whirled violently around, breath catching in their throats as Sesshomaru stepped grimly forward, flanked by the other boys. The Wildcats cursed under their breath while Shitora slid quietly down from Sango's back, masking her pain with a practiced sneer. The boys looked fit to be tied, every single face tight and drawn. Inuyasha's eyebrows were dangerously low on his face while Miroku looked more frightened for the girls' well being than anything. Kouga and Ranbou held similar expressions of condemnation, which rode heavy in the ice blue eyes, causing Ayame and Shitora to look away from the scrutiny.
"Where the hell were you?" Inuyasha finally demanded, amber eyes coursing with rage and fear.
"We just went out, if it's any of your business," Kagome rocketed back, narrowing her eyes and popping her hip to the side.
"Actually, it is our business," Sesshomaru entered in with a cold stare.
His involvement in this only set Rin off and she took several bold steps forward, high heels clicking eerily on the concrete floors. "Oh yeah? Why do you care what 'simple human' women do?" she yelled, throwing Sesshomaru's cruel words back in his face.
The dog demon flinched visibly, looking away from his girlfriend in a startling display of weakness; he couldn't bare to meet those hateful eyes. In that moment, Rin appeared to genuinely despise him and he just couldn't take it.
"Fuck, the fact that most of you are human has nothing to do with it!" Inuyasha exploded, throwing his arms out to the side wildly. "Human women, demon women, it doesn't matter! You're our women and we don't want your hurt! You don't seem to understand what's going on; with this shit about Salter going down, it's dangerous for you all to be out there without one of us, not answering your cell phones without anyone else knowing where you went! Don't you fucking get it?!"
Following his tirade, Inuyasha clenched his skull with both hands and turned violently away, apparently unable to stay still a minute longer. The girls couldn't bring themselves to utter lame protests like 'we can take of ourselves' and 'don't treat us like children.' Obviously, they couldn't take care of themselves; Shitora winced as she shifted her wait unconciously, the beer bottle digging deeply into her back; she just wanted to get the damn thing out, but she dare not show her back to the boys. Hopefully they wouldn't notice.
As if to spite her, Sesshomaru suddenly wrinkled his nose and asked, "Who's bleeding?"
The girls froze, not even daring to exchange glances; if the boys found out about Shitora's injuries, their fun would be permanently over for the next century. Unforunately for them, Ranbou was already beginning to identify that smell; the carnal sent of blood with a hint of cinnamon. In one quick motion, he took a step forward and whirled Shitora around, dropping his hand at the sight of her back; the other boys gasped and turned deathly pale. In the commotion they'd barely even noticed the scent of blood.
"Who the fuck did this?" Ranbou growled angrily, staring Shitora straight in the eyes; the beer bottle protruded in an ugly display from her back, blood dripping down her pale skin in thin rivulets.
The girl opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to configure her words in a coherent sentence. "I...th...wait, Bo..."
"WHO?!" he roared, voice echoing off the rafters eerily.
"Shitora!" Sesshomaru said forcefully, joined by Inuyasha as they hurried to her side; they obviously wanted to know the perpetrator's name for their own purposes.
"Just some Dragons, okay? I didn't know them," Shitora lied, words rolling off her tongue easily. She knew that her brothers and Ranbou would do something rash if they knew names and, for her own sanity, she decided to keep them to herself. Besides that, Kagai would die eventually; she had a score to settle with him herself.
The others were silent as they watched the exchange, wondering what the three boys would decide. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru knew they'd get no more out of her that night and merely sighed, rubbing the backs of their necks. Ranbou, however, still looked fit to be tied. "I'll fucking murder them!"
His eyes began to glow a dangerous crimson and Shitora immediately placed her hands on his closed fists. "Bo, stop, I'm fine. I can take care of myself."
The wolf stared at her through enraged blue eyes, following the path of that smile as it spread across her lips. There was her confidence, her sencerity, her brave facades, and all of them were false; he could see uncertainty shining through that smile and he wanted to know who'd put it there.
"Aya, I'm taking you home," Kouga said suddenly, brilliant smiling completely gone as he placed a protective arm around Ayame's waist and began literally dragging her towards the entrance. In her stupor, Ayame had neither the will nor the means by which to retaliate and only followed dumbly, exiting the warehouse with her boyfriend.
"Same goes for you Kagome, let's go," Inuyasha said forcefully, withdrawing his car keys from his jean pocket. Normally, Kagome would've been angered by the way he called her, as though she were his property, but the thought of being with Inuyasha seemed comforting and safe at the moment; she would rather be safe than belligerent.
On the way out the door, Inuyasha placed his hand on the small of Kagome's back and his very touch dissolved her insecurities. Sighing contentedly, she exited the warehouse and welcomed the clean night air.
Inside, the others were frozen in their own sort of social blizzard before Ranbou said stiffly, "Sukini, come on, let's get that taken care of." Desperate to be away from her brother's searching stare, Shitora followed without question at Ranbou's heels.
"Sango? Do you want to go home?" Miroku asked courteously, less aggressive than Kouga and Inuyasha had been.
But Sango shook her head. "I want to stay with Shitora."
"Sango, go home," Shitora interrupted, shaking her head slowly. "I...I'd rather you got some sleep than watch me..when I'm..." the girl looked away from her friend, blushing a slight crimson. It was then that Sango remembered just how much Shitora despised weakness and, smiling to herself, the dark haired girl turned to Miroku and jerked her head towards the door. Miroku nodded as well and, soon, the two were gone.
This left Rin and Sesshomaru, staring blankly at each other while wondering what the other could be thinking; Finally, unable to deal with the silence any longer, Rin let out a stream of air and turned on her heels, hurrying towards the door; the atmosphere was much to thick inside the warehouse. Part of her wondered if Sesshomaru would come charging after her, but she made it all the way out of the warehouse without the reassuring sound of footsteps behind her. She paused slightly, staring up at the dark skies; and here she was thinking he cared.
Rin was almost to her car when a voice called, "Wait."
The girl turned so quickly that she nearly dislocated her neck and she observed Sesshomaru with wide brown eyes; he was so handsome, it made it hard to stay mad at him for long. Yet his cruel words resounded in her head for the umpteenth time that week. She was a human woman. Nothing but trouble.
Taking a deep breath, Sesshomaru closed the gap between them slowly but surely, looking for all the world as if he were walking easily down the street. "I owe you an apology."
Rin wanted to say something clever, to quip back with a short one liner and drive off triumphantly in her convertible, but that loving part of her just couldn't move from where she stood. When she said nothing, Sesshomaru continued. "We've been going out for three years, four months and sixteen days. You know me better than anyone in this world, I suppose. And knowing that, you know that I'm stupid and judgemental when angry. I say things I don't mean because I can't control my temper...and I didn't mean what I said to you. Rin, if you were a 'simple human woman,' I wouldn't love you the way I do."
There was nothing but complete and utter silence for a moment as Rin digested everything he'd said. An erratic trembling began at her knees, moving up to her fists and eventually capturing her lips. How dare he say such beautiful things to her; she'd been so mad for a week and a half and his voice just kneeded the knots right out of her shoulders.
"Shut up," she said brokenly, voice unsteady and tears collecting in her eyes. "Don't say things like that! You make me want to forgive you!"
Sesshomaru's face actually held a hint of a smile as he took two more steps forward, inhaling the smooth flowery scent of his one true love. In one steady motion, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, never releasing his hold even when she reached up her closed fists and began pounding uselessly at his chest. When she finally realized she was beaten, Rin collapsed in belated sobs, crying out the pain she'd been feeling for the past week and a half. Soon, she was returning his embrace, crying hysterically into his chest as Sesshomaru glanced down at the beautiful woman in his arms. It was strange to think he'd almost thrown away the most perfect girl in the world, all for pride.
"Please forgive me," he murmured into her hair, closing his eyes and allowing her scent to flood his nostrils.
Still racked with sobs, Rin could only choke out, "I already have," before grabbing handfuls of his shirt in her fists and pulling herself even closer, feeling as though she could never pull away.
Inside, Shitora was laying face down on the lounge table, resting her head on her folded arms. She watched Ranbou wash his hands in the sink, trailing the line of his strong muscles with her eyes; he was so strong, the very thought of his power made her shudder with delight. Shitora had always been attracted to power. Finally, Ranbou turned around and observed the girl's back with a slight pain in his eyes. It was one thing to speak of the injury, but actually touching it was quite another. It was a general consensus that the bottle needed to go, but how exactly was he going to do it?
"Just pull it," Shitora said bravely, as though she could read his thoughts.
Ranbou was quiet for a moment before he glanced down at a leather band tied around his wrist. Deftly, he undid the knot and handed the leather to Shitora, saying dully, "Bite this."
The girl nodded slightly, eyes never wavering as she bit down on the leather, inhaling Ranbou's scent from the cloth; it calmed her jittery nerves. Ranbou glanced down once more at the glass in Shitora's back, shaking his head slightly before he reached down and took a hold of it. He was hesitant to hurt her, but leaving it there would be worse, wouldn't it? With this thought egging him on, Ranbou gave a quick, sharp pull, wincing as the bottle escaped the flesh with a squeltch. Shitora gasped, digging her teeth deeper into the leather; that moment was pure agony as she waited for the pain to fade.
"Look at this," Ranbou said, marveling quietly as he showed Shitora the bottle piece; it was covered in a good inch by blood. "That's how deep it was."
Gulping, Shitora closed her eyes and said, "Damn the Dragons," before burying her head in her arms; it still hurt something fierce.
Though the wofl planned to discard the glass at first, he got the sudden urge to keep in and placed it quickly in his pocket with Shitora's notice. Afterwards, Ranbou reached into the first aid kit and removed a can of disinfectant spray. "Bite down on that thing again."
Without another word of warning, the wolf demon sprayed a thin layer of disinfectant over the wound and it's surrounding area, trying to ignore the sounds of pain issuing from Shitora's tight mouth. Finally, the boy set the can aside and grabbed for bandages. "The worst is over."
Nodding slightly, Shitora glanced up from her arms, eyes red from tears; she wasn't crying from fear so much as she was from pain. The strongest men could cry tears of pain, slipping from their eyes unbidden. Shitora was nor different and Ranbou didn't blame her for her weakness. "We didn't mean to seem accusing tonight," the Reikon leader said suddenly as he smoothed a dry gauze pad across the wound. "We were just worried."
This was hardly something Ranbou would say under normal circumstances, but Shitora knew it was just his sense of obligation trying to make up for the boys and their overprotective tendencies. "We know," Shitora said quietly, managing a weak smile. "You know, we didn't even mean to go to the place we did. We just wanted to take Rin somewhere she could forget about her fight with Sesshomaru."
"I had a feeling it was something like that," Ranbou said as he matted the gauze down with medical tape. "You girls don't just run off partyin' for no reason."
"Yeah, partying can be kind of gay sometimes," Shitora said, chuckling a bit. "I'd rather just stay home or work on cars."
It was Ranbou's turn to chukle as he said, "Well, I hate to break it to you Sukini, but you're not really like most girls."
"So I've realized," Shitora joked in return, smile bringing a sparkle to her amber eyes; Ranbou had truly missed that sparkle. The white haired girl sat up, stretching her arms stiffly and cracking her neck. This was a night she'd rather forget, if it were possible.
At this point, Sesshomaru and Rin reentered the warehouse, this time holding hands as they walked purposefully towards the lounge area. Ranbou and Shitora exchanged smirks, knowing the apology and official relationship reparation was complete; now the gangs could rest at ease, if only for a little while. Furrowing her brow slightly, Rin asked, "Shitora, are you okay and everything?"
The hanyou smirked, winking one broad eye in her friend's direction. "Of course, Bo fixed me right up. It was nothing."
"She'll be fine," Ranbou agreed, nodding his head firmly. "She's tougher n'some piece of shit Dragon an' his beer."
Smiling in that reserved way of his, Sesshomaru broke hands with Rin and walked directly up to his sister, ruffling her hand fondly. "She's a Fang after all."
Shitora giggled, swatting away her brother's hand. "A course. I'm good as new."
All the same, Sesshomaru helped her down from the table after thanking Ranbou, preparing to lead her towards the exit to his car. Leaning down, he gave Rin a loving kiss on the lips before saying goodnights and ushering his sister out of the warehouse, Rin and Ranbou watching their retreating backs. Finally, Ranbou sighed and cracked his back, yawning. "Let's go home, Rin. I'm tired as all shit."
Rin chuckled. "Me too. See you in the morning, Ran."
"Yeah, see you."
*!*!*!*
That night, Rin retreated home to her bed, never giving Ranbou's dismissive farewell a second thought. Ranbou however, stood outside the warehouse for a moment more than necessary, appearing as though he were prepping his motorcycle as Rin drove away in her covertible. As soon as she rounded the corner, however, Ranbou paused in his habitual motions, sighing and glancing up at the moon; it was new tonight and seemed to laugh down at the entire city of Tokyo. Snorting, Ranbou decided not to give the moon his attention after all.Withdrawing his cell phone from his pocket, the boy dialed a quick number and listened to the ring as it sounded once, twice, three times. Someone picked up finally, answering in a bleary tone. "Hello?"
"Hak, it's Ran. Get the elite force together and meet me at the Western border of the territory. We got a job to do," Ranbou said grimly.
Recovering from his sleepy state, Hakkaku replied strongly, "Done."
The two hung up the phone simultaneously, Hakkaku hurrying to gather the elite Reikon assassins while Ranbou withdrew a box of cigarettes from his pocket. Lighting one boredly, he took a drag and glance across the cityscape towards the Western border; the wolf was no fool. A quick inspection and scent analysis of that glass proved his theories true. He knew Kagai was the culprit for, before launching the bottle at Shitora, he'd put his hand all over that beer botle. Tonight, Kagai would get his.
*!*!*!*
Kagai walked slowly down the sidewalk of a distant street, smoking a cigarette and slumping leisurely along. He couldn't truly say his actions had done him any good, for his mouth was still dry in the absence of something filling. He'd been searching for that missing piece for weeks now, but he could never seem to grasp it, an unattainable feat somewhere in the enigma of time and space.Shaking his shaggy head tiredly, Kagai winced as pain shot down his spine; Inuyasha's beating still weighed heavy on his shoulders. Kagai wasn't considered a particularly strong member of the Dragons, but he was quicker than Dragons tended to get, not to mention more clever. Ryuukoytsusei never showered him with praise as he did Juu, or even the racers. Kagai was just one of the underlings, a common thug in the underworld of street racing and drug peddling. During several Dragon assassinations, he was used as a runner between groups, due to his incredible speed. That was all he was good for, though. A little messenger boy amongst the gods.
Truthfully, Kagai didn't harbor any hatred for Shitora or the other girls, not even Kagome. He didn't tend to hate women, as he thought it rather improper; Kagai was a by-the-book sexist who believed women couldn't control half the things they did. What use was it hating someone who couldn't control their actions? It was like yelling at someone with tourettes when they shouted out; it was pointless and just aggrivated the both of you. The boy just wanted somewhere to focus his rage, his hate, and tonight the girls were in his wrathful path. He'd thrown that beer bottle in a white hot anger, not really knowing where it might go. He simply threw it in their direction and, lo and behold, it struck Shitora in the back. Kagai had really wanted it to connect with a human, but what did it matter now? The damage was done. And he didn't feel any better for it.
A sudden shift in the wind caused Kagai to glance up; he could sense several presences surrounding him now, cornering him on all sides, and he began glancing wildly around. Where were they? He couldn't see a single person but himself and, as was natural, he followed his first instinct and went running into the nearest off street, hoping to escape his attackers with his speed.
Unfortunately for Kagai, the Reikon elite assassination force, or REAF, was faster than he could ever hope to be. Only when Kagai glanced over his shoulder did he lose sight of his path and, miraculously, he ran into the rock hard wall of Ranbou Ookami's fist just when he wasn't looking.
Sniveling with fear, Kagai wiped a scruffy arm across his chin, trying to ignore the blood spilling from his now busted lip. "Whadya want?!" he asked rudely, spitting out blood and saliva on the pavement.
Ranbou snorted, leaning down to level condescendingly with Kagai. "I want your head."
"What?! Wait, w-"
But before Kagai could even issue another protest, his jugular vein was severed by a set of sharp claws and his voice box was forcefully ripped from his throat. Ranbou stared coldly down at the damage he'd done, throwing the bodily organs to the side and lifting his claws to observe the blood in the moonlight. "I hate beggers," he murmured, turning to glance over his shoulder at the rest of his elite force.
Hakkaku and Ginta, who were among the foremost of the six, nodded curtly, never daring to smile during a job. Turning to the others, Ginta gave a swift nod and moved to the side, allowing the four hunters behind him to move forward. "Here are the guys who squealed on him," he announced disdainfully, watching as two thin faced Dragons were thrown forward, twitching in fear and whimpering pitifully under the scrutiny of the elite.
Ranbou squatted down to level with them, gesturing with his bloody claws as he spoke. "So you gave us location information on this bastard over here? That was mighty thoughtful of you."
The two Dragons nodded furiously, eyes glittering with terror as they observed Ranbou Ookmai, a veritable angel of death when on the job. Everyone knew that, despite his joking facade, he could turn cold hearted killer in the blink of an eye. The only righteous part of his murders lay in the plot behind them; he never killed for himself and only for the betterment of the South and their peaceful lives there. In this night's case, he was killing to avenge the wrongs done to the girls and, mostly, Shitora. And he wasn't quite done with the Dragons yet.
Straightening back up, Ranbou gave a swift nod to Hakkaku and Ginta, who stepped forward and raised their magnificent wolf claws. Without warning, they both descended upon the Dragon prisoners, cutting their miserable throats in one fell swoop. Hakkaku snorted as he observed the terrified face of his victim, contorted with fear and frozen in his final moments.
"He couldn't even die with dignity," the wolf muttered, wiping off his claws on a piece of cloth inside his jacket.
"You four," Ranbou said, addressing the remaining four elite assassins. "Drop these three off on the Dragon's doorstep. You know how to mark em."
The fighters gave curt nods, gathering up the bodies and hurrying off to do their job. Ranbou and his two officers watched the force retreat with the bodies, flying atop the rooves to avoid interference from the outside world. This was gang business and gang business alone; as the maffia often declared, the Reikons were going to keep their jobs inside the family.
"Good work you two. Go home and get some rest," Ranbou said, clapping Ginta and Hakkaku on the shoulders in a brotherly gesture.
The two nodded, watching Ranbou as he shoved his hands in his pockets, returning to the street and turning the corner casually. One moment, he was a cold blooded killer with the eyes of an unstoppable death angel, the next he was a regular man, walking down the street amongst civilians with a wistful look on his face. Ginta and Hakkaku weren't completely oblivious; they knew tonight's job had been rather personal to their leader. They didn't know the full details, but they didn't need to; any of the Reikons would step up for Ranbou in his time of need for, certainly, he stepped up for every one of them. The elite force didn't question their leader's judgement and simply charged ahead, killing whoever needed to be killed. Perhaps it wasn't their place, but they didn't bother wondering. It only interferred with their job.
And the Reikons always did their job, no matter who or what stood in their way.
*!*!*!*
Sango had always held a gift for knowing when the air was wrong; it wasn't necessarily demonic, for the smell or the state didn't alert her, but she was just rather astute. The morning after her escapades in Dragon territory, she awoke to rather strange feeling air. As she put on her clothes and grabbed her Wildcats jacket, she wondered what could've gone down after her head hit the pillow. Sometimes it was best not knowing.Outside, the skies were overcast and gloomy, threatening to release a torrent of water upon the city. Sango's car ride to the warehouse was quick and surreal as she watched the clouds thickening, casting a greyish pallor across Tokyo's pavement and rooftops; the gangs weren't particularly fond of rain, for it made lousy bike riding weather, though Sango rather liked it. When she arrived at the warehouse, it was just nearing nine o'clock and she was the first female as always. Killing the engine, she hurried inside just as the sky began to send down speckles of rainwater upon the concrete.
Inside, the boys were all present and accounted for, working casually away on their cars while Sesshomaru took care of his usual amount of paperwork in the back. The girl nodded to Miroku as she walked by, sparing him a smile as she went to set her things in the back. The only out of place activity lay in the lounge area, where Ranbou was leaning boredly against the wall drinking a beer whilst Kouga spit righteous fury at him. Sango cocked an eyebrow and watched them for a moment, hesitantly placing her purse on the couch as she caught a snippet of their conversation.
"...and to throw assassinations around is just gay. You've never been caught, Bo, but I swear to fucking god it won't be long with the way you stab anyone who pisses you off! That's not the way the real world works, out there you'll get caught by a little someone called the police or some crooked special forces dipshit. So how about next time you wanna kill someone, you punch me instead cause I'm tired of you acting like a god damn god!"
With that, Kouga turned on his heels and stormed away, ponytail swishing madly back and forth in his ire. Ranbou remained where he was for a moment before pushing off the wall, seeming not to care about his brother's trepidations in the least. On the contrary he simply glanced down at his empty beer bottle and walked towards the refrigerator for another.
Sango walked calmly to the sink where she began to wash her hands, not wanting to get anything foreign inside the machines. Without even looknig at Ranbou, she asked, "Did you make it slow?"
The boy cast a look in Sango's direction; the girl was no fool and obviously knew that, the previous night, a murder had been commited in honor of the girls. Kagai couldn't hide forever, and he'd obviously been found.
Ranbou closed his eyes momentarily, savoring the flavor of the beer. "Didn't have much time for that. But it was painful."
"Good," Sango said simply, wiping her hands on a towel before strutting primly in the direction of Jakotsu' pick up truck; today would be the day she could finally conquer that impossible car.
Smiling at Sango's retreating back, Ranbou walked leisurely towards the table where Sesshomaru was poring over paperwork, which he had to do but considered completely pointless. As the Reikon leader took a seat across from him, the dog demon calculated a percentage quickly before glancing up at his friend, peering over his glasses.
"Yes?"
"How's your sister?" Ranbou asked, taking a sip of his beer without looking away from Sesshomaru.
Sighing, the Fang leader removed his glasses and folded them neatly on the table, leaning back in his chair. "She insisted on coming in today, not to mention insisted on driving herself, so I'd say she's doing fair. Of course we both know Shitora would insist on those things if she were dying of cancer, so it's really no indication."
"Right," Ranbou mumbled glancing down at the bottle in his hand; just like the one he'd pulled from her flesh the night before. Grimacing, the boy set it on the floor and looked away from it, suddenly wishing he hadn't drank it in the first place.
Hiding a smile, Sesshomaru asked, "What exactly do you want with her?"
The question caught Ranbou off guard and he raised his eyebrows nearly into his hair. "Want? I don't want nothin! She's just Sukini!"
"Sure she is," Sesshomaru murmured, allowing himself a smirk before he leaned forward, donning his glasses and attacking the paperwork once more. Ranbou scowled at his bowed head, rolling his eyes and rising to return to his own work; there was a Celica in the corner screaming his name. Normally, Ranbou didn't work on cars, but today the garage was overflowing and he'd agreed to give the Fangs some friendly help on their load.
The boy worked away on the engine for a while, lost in parts and knuts, until he couldn't help but yawn; he'd never gone to sleep the previous night, not to mention had never returned home. Kouga knew from experience that, when Ranbou didn't come home, he was either bedding a girl or killing an enemy. As his brother was most definitely not in a fucking mood the previous night, Kouga was certain it had to be the latter.
"Tired?"
Ranbou nearly impaled the back of his head on the hood, but he managed to duck away just in time. Behind him, Shitora smirked and winked one broad amber eyes at him. "Didn't see that."
The boy snorted, turning towards her. "You doin' alright and everythin?"
"Who, me? Yeah, made o' steel," came her strong reply. "Sides, gotta be ready for Thursday."
At the mention of Thursday nights, Ranbou gave a curt nod and tried not to imagine Shitora and the rest of the Fang core carrying on their business. Even though he knew his own business of carrying out assassinations was worse, car boosting carried all sorts of complications with it and the whole deal made him uneasy. As Shitora was part of the Fang core, she was as much involved in at all as she other four. Ranbou just hoped they didn't get themselves in trouble; anyone could kill a guy and dump him in the ocean, but only a few select criminals boosted cars. And the police weren't that stupid.
"Yeah," Ranbou replied passively to her comment, turning away as another yawn consumed him.
Shitora furrowed her brow. "Did you sleep at all last night?" When Ranbou didn't answer, the hanyou bit her lip and mulled over this information. On nights when Ranbou didn't sleep, he carried out assassinations. And she had a feeling this wasn't your run of the mill murder. "Oh," she said quietly, setting down her keys on the table before reaching for a wrench to help him with the Celica. She moved rather stiffly with a hitch in her step, alerting Ranbou to the fact that she was anything but made of steel; she was obviously in some pain.
"You know, you don't have to work if you don't want to," Ranbou said then, never meeting her eyes. "If it hurts, you can just sit down."
"Naw, it's not in me to sit down just cause of some little cut," Shitora replied with a toothy grin. "Besides, after you went and sacrificed like that for me, what kind of person would I be to just sit back and watch you work?"
Ranbou froze, casting a glance in the girl's direction; he knew how Kouga had decoded the kill, but how had Shitora? Was she just smart or did she have connections? How many people knew now? "My sacrifice?"
Pausing, Shitora turned so that their eyes locked together in place. As amber danced with icy blue, she smiled a small smile. "About that. Thank you."
Both were silent for a moment, searching the other's eyes boldly for justification, before they both turned at the same instant and grabbed for new tools, beginning their work on the Celica with gusto. This was not a day to waste.
And another chapter under the belt. I know there's a lot of ShitoraxRanbou in this and I'm sorry, since I have a feeling they're not really a favorite couple. The next chapter is SangoxMiroku, so get ready for that; I'm gonna try not to make it cliche, but hey, fluff always brings some cliche-ness with it, so whatever. ;) Thanks for all the reviews and thank you Esk42, who astutely pointed out that one does not pull a trigger, but squeeze; pulling makes your shot go wayward. I must admit, I wasn't even thinking when I wrote that; my bad. Much love reviewers!
KOLU
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