InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Laying Down the Law ❯ Blood for the Merger ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Yay, the twentieth chapter! So boo ya, this story is moving along nicely, and I'm trying to incorporate what everyone thinks should go on, while keeping it within a practical realm. I have to say, it's working pretty nicely compared to what one might think. Love to everyone whose with us, making this story possible and all that. Love to Rae Rae and her love for the RX-7...haha. This might be a little sick on my part, but I loved everyones surprise at Gan's predicament, that being her dressing up like a boy. I couldn't help myself...plot twist anyone, with a hint of lime?

Ryuukoytsusei heaved a sigh, staring at the grimy ceiling of the Dragon headquarters; being a leader often came with complications, but this was truly a wrench in his cogs, so to speak. Juu snorted, throwing his lavender braid over his shoulder with a practiced moodiness. "You've been sitting there pouting for almost half an hour, Ryuu. What's time should they be expecting your force to arrive?"

The green haired man snorted and observed his second in command with disdainful crimson eyes. "I still don't get why I have to fucking do this in the first place."

This only provoked a barking, humorless laugh from Juu, who focused his eerie cerulean eyes on his leader's seething red ones. "You're the muscle behind Naraku's brains. What's to get?"

"Shut up, Juu," Ryuu mumbled irritatedly, scuffing his boot sole against the table leg.

"This is your job, you know. I don't understand why you're hesitating," Juu mentioned, mouth twisting into a faint but otherwise cruel smile. "It's just another job to me."

"I said shut up!" Ryuu roared, eyes blazing as he stood abruptly to his feet, chair clattering to floor beneath him. The Dragon demon barred his fangs angrily, unruly green hair only adding to the fierceness of his appearance.

Unaffected by Ryuu's fit of rage, Juu braced his arms against the table, staring down his leader while continually twisting the knife which he had so ruthlessly plunged into Ryuu's chest; guilt screwed up Ryuu's insides, even as Juu's blue eyes sold him lies by the dozen. "You're an assassin, Ryuu, it's what you do. Every job should be just another job to you, no matter who's on the agenda and you should know that by now. We're killers, you and I. We both know what to expect from a murder." Moving slowly around the desk, Juu kept the other man's gaze with relentless strength. "Every single body, human, demon or otherwise, reacts exactly the same. You stab them in one of the eight points and they'll bleed out every drop of blood in their body, guts heaving from holes and brains spilling out their ears. Every single body is the same...so why isn't every murder?"

Without warning, Ryuu reared back his fist and delivered a bone crushing blow to Juu's jaw, broad chest heaving as he followed his second in command's journey backwards. Juu landed with a dull thud on the greasy concrete, skidding a few feet as his jeans and jacket zippers scraped across the floor. Finally, he lay still, coughing slightly as blood poured from his nose and mouth. Ryuu's fist was just the perfect size to bust a lip and nose simultaneously, but Juu had forgotten and let down his guard for the merest moment. Smiling crookedly, Juu coughed up a tooth and mentally chastised himself; he was second in command for a reason and he's forgotten his place. He got what he deserved.

Suddenly, the scarred but strangely handsome face of Ryuukoytsusei was mere inches from his own and Juu's lungs ceased motion for a moment. Crimson eyes tearing the smaller man's mind apart, Ryuu took Juu by the collar and dragged him upwards, holding him several inches above the ground as he spoke in a hoarse growl. "You're a heartless bastard, Juuromaru, and that's why I made you my second. But Akago's a good man in a fucked up world, trying to make it right by keeping his head on fucking straight. That's why I made him my friend. I ain't organizing his assassination; you want him dead, you do it, but I won't have part in it. You got that through your gay ass little head?"

All Juu could do in response was give his head a small twitch, which Ryuu received correctly as a nod. Disgusted by the normally beautiful man's bloody face, Ryuu threw Juu to the ground and stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Juu wiped blood from his mouth, coughing wretchedly as he lay there, heaving, on the cold ground; if he felt correctly, his nose was broken and, most likely, his jaw. Ryuu's strength knew no match.

No matter what happened, Juu had to complete the arrangements for Akago's murder; if the Shark leader remained alive, if only for another day, Naraku would viciously order Juu's head on a platter. Naraku was the kind of man to kill the messenger and was perfectly aware that, without Ryuu's ruthless band of killers backing him up, the Tarantulas had no leverage against other gangs. Juu, however, was expendable. And he knew that.

Pushing himself slowly to his feet, Juu turned towards the door and narowed his eyes; it was time to plan a murder.

The murder of Akago Tsume.

Stark across the quiet morning air, the engine of a well tuned Yamaha R6 roared across the open streets of a sleepy eyed Tokyo. Beneath his visor, Akago glared at the world around him with a vehemence only accumulated through toil and tribulation, eyes which had witnessed many things and most of them hideous. He was already well past the line separating North and South Tokyo, but he wasn't about to let his guard down. If Naraku had, somehow, gotten wind of his plans to betray the North, Akago couldn't afford to even blink. Naraku was evil and disliked, not stupid. Akago only wished, for the merest moment, that Heaven would heed his prayers and grant him safe passage to the Fang's warehouse.

Just as he wished this, Akago caught sight of a painfully familiar motorcycle in his rearview mirror; apparently, Heaven was in the mood for a bloody killing at his expense. Another motorcycle followed swiftly and, one by one, they appeared from the alleyways until six were flanking him, working their way to surround him on the open road. It was just nearing ten in the morning and the roads around the warehouse district were clear and empty for miles; everyone was already hard at work, conveniently out of the way as assasinations and hatred waged wars outside.

Cursing, Akago revved the engine and made as though to escape from the front, though one of the front most riders cut him off. Again, the Shark leader attempted to move away from the circle, but those at the left cut off his route. It was obvious to Akago that escaping this death trap was all but impossible; the Dragons had sent out their best assassins, all eagerly anticipating spilt blood, but Akago was almost confused; he didn't smell Ryuu among them. Surely, his friend would jump at the chance to murder, as it was his rather unappealing hobby, but he was conspicuously absent. Somehow, this made Akago proud and sour mouthed at the same time. At least with Ryu around, it could've been a possible two against five. Now, his chances of survival were slim.

"Pull over!" the rider on his right shouted, jerking his glove hand towards an open field within the warehouse district. Akago sighed and realized he had no other choice but to obey. Nodding curtly, he followed the riders towards the field and drove quietly across the grass, killing his engine and allowing his motorcycle to fall to the ground. This did not bode well.

Once Akago's intentions were clear, the six riders dismounted and removed their helmets, a few unfamiliar faces and one familiar one. Akago smiled wryly as Juu returned the gesture, jaw swollen and nose jammed painfully to the right; he'd obviously been on the receiving end of Ryuu's fist. Only the Dragon leader could do such damage.

"Akago," Juu said moderately.

"Juu," Akago replied in kind, crossing his arms rather casually. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

This only provoked a dry chuckle from Juu, who began closing the gap between them ever so slowly. "You and I both know the answer to that, Akago. The Dragon elite force only appears for one reason. Our motive is no different this time."

Akago narrowed his eyes as the sun intensified, catching his white hair and skin in an eerie glow. "You want to kill me then. Ah yes, I should've known. Tell me this, Juu. How did Naraku find out?"

Shrugging, Jurromaru placed his hands easily in his pockets and replied, "It wasn't the Gun, if that's what you're thinking. Since you'll be dying in a minutes time, you might as well know that we have a few insiders. Insiders very adept in the stealth department, if you catch my drift."

A certain bitterness filled Akago's mouth and he frowned, almost as though he'd swallowed something rank. "Spies. You had spies inside my headquarters. How fitting."

Juu smirked, a completely humorless motion, before replying easily, "So you would think. This is the end Akago." With this, he reached up a hand as shimmering claws emerged from his fingertips, preparing to descend upon Akago's unprotected head. But the Shark leader was much to quick for such a move.

Leaping neatly to the side, Akago released his own claws and stared down his opponents, making it clear that he wouldn't just lay down to die. The other elite prepared themselves for battle, claws and fangs poised for action as they surrounded the Shark leader on all sides. He smirked; it was time to see just how good the Dragon elite really was. With a grunt, he attacked the first Dragon to his left and, with quickness unmatched, tore open his stomach with such intensity that organs began protruding and spilling out on the ground. Akago blinked at this, surprised by the ease with which he'd killed one of the famed Dragon Elite Force, and proceeded to hurry on to the other Dragons, who were apparently not so weak.

As he battled one opponent from the back and one from the front, Akago began fervently working out battle plans in his quick mind. Every option seemed to close as the elite moved in different patterns, skillfully cutting off every escape route. Very good, Juu. But let's see what you do against this.

Hurriedly back flipping away from his attackers, Akago cross his arms over his chest and reached down to his waist band, withdrawing to rapiers from his belt. The rapier sheaths were actually located in his trousers and, unbeknownst to most, he carried them with him regardless of his location or intent. Juu smirked and watched as Akago proceeded to bring the swords town in twin arcs, severing the jugular veins of two more elite before moving on to the two others nearest him. These two gave him a little bit of trouble, however.

The first was able to parry Akago's first rapier thrust with his claws and, faster than Akago could react, plunged all four of his finger claws into the Shark leader's abdomen, twisting them cruelly around in his flesh. Akago felt blood rising to his mouth and he choked, gasping in pain as he managed to bring up one of his swords to impale the attacker. When he fell away, however, the other was no where to be seen and before even the great Akago could sense him, the Dragon, brought his claws down in a sweeping motion and tore them down the leader's back, making four jagged lines from Akago's right shoulder blade to the left side of his waist. This Dragon was dispatched of quickly as Akago brought both his swords stabbing backwards, impaling his opponents vital organs in one fell thrust.

Juu frowned at the skill with which Akago handled his rapiers, not bothering to watch as the last remaining Dragon fell down dead. Shaking his head, Juuromaru murmured angrily, "Never send amateurs when you can send a professional."

Leaping high into the air, Juu placed two fingers to his lips and took in a deep breath, blowing out with such a force that Akago found himself seeking shelter from the burning. A foul smelling purple mist was engulfing the area and Akago could bet it was poison, as Juu was known for his strangely acidic skills. Frowning, Akago decided to live up to his heritage and use his mind reading skills in this dire situation; no doubt, Juu was planning to attack while his opponent was stunned by his poison screen. Akago preferred not to run around reading minds, as it seemed terribly rude, but this was a special case. Juu's mind was screaming attack from behind, attack from behind. This was the only window Akago needed.

Deciding to trust everything on a gamble, Akago turned in the engulfing mist and stabbed his rapiers forward, frowning with grim satisfaction as they entered the solid flesh of something moving at a high speed. It was partly Akago's thrust and partly Juu's momentum which impaled him on the swords, though Juuromaru was too busy choking on blood and fluid to really care about reasoning.

Akago narrowed his crimson eyes, white hair and face smeared with blood as he grunted, "No, Juu. This is your end." And with these cryptic words, Juuromaru breathed his last breath and fell to the dirt floor, blood staining the sand.

Rid of the Dragon elite and their desire for his murder, Akago drew in a sharp breath and clamped a hand to his stomach. He recoiled swiftly, finding his hand painted with blood, and he uttered a foul word; this day wasn't looking up. Knowing he only had one chance of worthwhile survival, the Shark stumbled towards his bike and managed to straddle the seat, leaving his helmet in the field as he gunned the engine; he was only three blocks from the Fang headquarters. Hopefully, the sight of him would be all the reassurance Sesshomaru needed.

"...and the game progressed from there with a win from the Lions. In other news, Tokyo is looking at the longest heat streak in its history, with temperatures reaching as high as 43 degrees Celcius. (111 degress Farenheit.) Senator Rokai has issued a demand f-"

With an irritable flick of his wrist, Miroku flipped off the radio and ran a hand through his hair, which was soaked through with sweat. "43 degrees. Looks like we're going to die young," he commented, earning a humorless chuckle from Sango.

Everyone in the warehouse had long since shed their shirts and, on numerous occassions, Rin had threatened to take off the rest of her clothing. Sango and the other girls had decided to twist their hair up in buns, as it was getting too hot to bother with worries such as that, and many of the boys were coming close to doing the same. If not for their pride, they might've settled for headbands, but this was asking far too much.

"Them boys in Oklahoma roll their joints all wrong," Shitora sang with a small smile, wrenching away at a loose bolt.

Besides her, Ranbou let loose a similar grin and continued, "Their too damn skinny and way too long."

"And I'm a holy roller so I just use a bong," the hanyou continued.

"Them boys in Oklahoma roll their joints all wrong," the two of them finished together, laughing slightly as they sung the ridiculous song and worked lazily away at someone's torn up engine. Race Wars was barely a week away, but the heat made it almost impossible to get anything done. Shitora started shaking her butt back and forth in a comical manner, laughing as Ranbou gave an ironically quiet wolf whistle. The two continued humming the song as Shitora danced around the car, seeming not to notice as Kouga and Ayame paused their work next door to watch with amusement.

Shitora was pretending to lay like a slut against the car door when Ayame's wrench suddenly clattered to the floor and she clamped a hand to her nose. Kouga furrowed his brow, immediately taking his girlfriend by the shoulders and searching her wide green eyes for trouble. Ranbou and Shitora exchanged frightened glances, wondering what all the commotion could be about; it took a lot to get Ayame concerned.

"Aya? What is it, what's wrong?" he asked urgently.

Shaking her head, Ayame replied weakly, "Can't you smell it? God, blood, Kouga. Tons of blood."

Kouga raised and eyebrow and exchanged glances with Ranbou, who lifted his nose to the air and took a tentative wiff. After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and said confusedly, "I don't smell anything, girl. Must be your imagination."

"No," Kouga argued, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Aya's sense of smell is better than yours and mine both. Something's goin-" But before he could finish his sentence, the wolf demon clapped a hand to his own nose and squinched his eyes shut, drawing in a sharp breath. "Hot damn, she's right. Smell that, Ran?"

This time, Ranbou caught the vile scent of salty, metallic blood polluting his nostrils, causing him to choke and gag on whatever air he had left. The smell left a ragged burning in his nose and esophagus, never ceasing even when he erupted in coughs. "Shit," he murmured, trying to will away the scent.

Shitora couldn't understand what her wolf friends were talking about; she smelled nothing, even with her keen Hanyou senses. Of course, she reasoned, it was true that wolves had a keener sense of smell than dogs. She would most likely smell it soon, as would her brothers and other demon friends. As if on cue, Sesshomaru came jogging forward, Shippo, Souten, Bankotsu, Hiten, Hakkaku and Ginta hot on his tail.

"Obviously, you smell that too," Sesshomaru murmured, watching the wolf demons holding their noses with annoyed glares; the initial hit of the scent had done its worst and now it was simply annoying, like the putrid smell of a skunk.

"Damn right we do, who couldn't?" Ranbou shot back, rubbing fervently at his nose as though to dispel the horrid smell of blood. "Where is that coming from?"

"How the hell would we know?" came Inuyasha's annoyed mutterance as he joined the group, wrinkling his nose under the weight of the scent.

Sango, Rin, Kagome and Miroku watched all of this in confusion, feeling almost left out as the others struggled with a smell they obviously couldn't detect. They knew the demons smelled blood, but what was the cause of it?

Shippo, on a whim, looked out across the landscape, blinking as his impeccable fox vision picked up a speck on the horizon. "Hey, someone's coming," he muttered, pointing to the figure.

"Where?" Souten asked curiously, looking over Shippo's shoulder with her adventurous crimson eyes. Wrinkling her pert little nose irritatedly, she continued, "I can't see anything."

There was a silence as the others followed Shippo's gaze, wondering what the fox demon could possibly see so far away. As the prick came closer, growing in size and definition, Shippo's eyes grew grossly wide. "Is that...no, it couldn't be. What would he be doing here?"

"Who, Shippo?" Sesshomaru asked patiently, quite curious who could be infiltrating their headquarters surrounded by the scent of battle.

"It's...it's Akago Tsume of the Sharks," Shippo said quietly in response, brow still furrowed in confusion. "And he's covered in that blood we smell, or part of it anyway. What's he doing here?"

Upon hearing this name, several sets of claws released with a chorus of "chinks," followed quickly by the grim faces of determined gang members. The demons would protect their headquarters at all cost against intrusion, Akago's presence included. Sesshomaru began walking boldly forward, flanked on all sides by half naked but nonetheless intimidating demons, all of whom were irritable for at least three reasons and looking for a way to release their anger. Akago's bad day was obviously going to get a lot worse, or so it seemed.

Akago, however, was too busy worrying about his life to care about the iminant threat of the Fangs and their equally riled Southern brethren. As the Fang headquarters came into view and his bike wheeled easily along the gravel parking area, Akago's vision began to blur and he shook his stained white hair fervently, trying to refocus his vision. It was all for naught and he just managed to bring the bike to a stop when he fell from his perch, hitting the ground with a certain soreness accompanied by the scent of his own pain.

Reaching out a bloodstained hand, which was mangled beyond recognition from a Dragon's particularly vicious bite, he choked out, "Kataki-tetsu, Sesshomaru. Kataki...tet..."

Akago's words were cut off by a violent cough, which racked his body and brought pain to all those within hearing distance. Sesshomaru, who had set out with every intention to kill the man before him, stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of those words: Kataki-tetsu, meaning "enemy peace." The gangs didn't live by much of a code, but certain lines were never crossed by friend or foe. Set up in years long past, the idea of Kataki-tetsu ordained that peace could be kept between even the gravest of enemies for a set period of time. The general grace period was twenty four hours, but most liked to think it was twelve. In any case, before at least twelve hours had passed, neither enemy was allowed to harm his rival in any way, physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. If they broke the terms, they were ejected from the gangs. Permanently.

Sesshomaru had, actually, never been part of a binding Kataki-tetsu agreement for, indeed, no one had ever proposed the idea to him. To hear Akago Tsume, of all people, suggesting the bind had caught him off guard and he was still stumbling around in a metaphorical stupor; the North weren't exactly peace-friendly people. Perhaps Akago's reasons for being here had little to do with fighting at all.

Nodding curtly, Sesshomaru replied, "Recognized, Kataki-tetsu."

The eldest Taisho walked calmly towards the prone figure of Akago, who was still breathing however faintly, and observed the other man's state before leaning down to speak with him. "What are you doing here, Akago? This isn't like you to arrive, half dead, proposing enemy peace."

"I suppose it's not," Akago gasped, wincing in pain as he tried to face the dog demon. He managed to roll over onto his back, wherein he could actually meet Sesshomaru's curious amber eyes. Swallowing a mouthful of blood, the Shark leader managed to continue in a somewhat normal tone. "I can't do it anymore. I, like you, am not a man of weakness, but I refuse to be a pawn. I only stayed for my sister's sake, but even her life isn't worth that of my entire gang. She made her decision long ago. And I was simply to stubborn to make mine. But I have chosen now. I want...need...allegiance, Sesshomaru. I will glady give you any worldly thing, including my own body as payment, just to escape that hell. Please, Sesshomaru. I...submit."

For once in his life, the great Sesshomaru Taisho couldn't find words to respond to someone's statement. He'd always been the smart one, the leader with fabulous ideas by the dozens, but a speech such as this had taken him completely by surprise. The dog demon rolled back on his haunches, staring blankly off into space, before he decided no life changing decisions could be made at that moment.

Glancing down at Akago, who was struggling valliantly to breath, he muttered, "I'll think about it. For now, you need medical attention. And then I need explanations."

Before Sesshomaru could stand, however, Akago said quickly, "Wait." Pausing, Sesshomaru shifted his cold amber eyes back to Akago's crimson ones, which were growing dull with pain. "Three blocks East of here are six dead bodies. They need to be disposed of."

The dog demon was silent for moment but then gave a curt nod, knowing this request was not a personal favor but an unwritten law amongst the gangs. When something which could possibly betray the location and goings on inside the gangs threatened their way of life, each and every leader would do what it took to ensure the safety of their lifestyle.

Sesshomaru walked back towards his friends, stoically silent and calm, while they watched him aghast; this whole scene was a bit much to take in and, besides that, the demons could understand every words of that conversation. Kagome, Sango and Rin had hung on Ayame's every word as she relayed the sentences to them, barely able to move her lips from surprise. This whole situation was unreal. But Sesshomaru had a plan and didn't hesitate to inform the others upon his arrival.

"Ranbou, get the elite together; we need sterylization three blocks East of here. Rin, call Kei and Nanashi and tell them to meet us here, prepared for makeshift surgery, in fifteen minutes time. Kouga, Shitora and Inuyasha, arm yourselves with the appropriate weapons and pay a visit to Shark Headquarters. Request the presence of Gan the Gun at a private audience with me, Kouga and Akago later this afternoon, and tell him to bring his written territory agreements and allegiance contracts. Sango, call and cancel all deliveries and pick-ups for today, then close the warehouse door. Once your finished, join Ayame and Miroku in finishing our Race Wars checklist on all available vehicles and bikes, we still have work to do. Bankotsu, take Shippo and Souten to Cobra headquarters and bring the core back with you, prepared for discussion with your own territory agreements and allegiance contracts. Hakkaku and Ginta, go to Reikon headquarters and return with the same. Kagome, come with me, I need your help locating papers in the filing cabinets. Everyone, move quickly."

Stunned by these rapidly fired instructions, a flurry of activity occured almost spontaneously as everyone rushed off to do their jobs, making phone calls and grabbing weapons, charging off into the unknown armed with very little knowledge and only the orders of Sesshomaru at their backs. Inuyasha hurried with Kouga and Shitora towards a closet in the back of the room, from which they retrieved two pistols each and strapped them to their belts. Inuyasha was fiddling with the trigger when Kagome passed him in a hurry, stopping momentarily to speak with him.

"Inuyasha, please be careful," she said quietly, eyes pleading and expression frightened.

Grinning wildly, Inuyasha replied, "I'm always careful."

Smiling weakly in return, Kagome leaned up and placed a soft kiss on the boy's cheek before running off to find Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was frozen in place, hand clapped to the cheek which Kagome had so blessed with her touch. He was flushing a bright red, but he smiled through it and hurried off after Shitora and Kouga, who were calling his name urgently; by the sound of Sesshomaru's orders, they didn't have any time to lose.

Sighing, Sesshomaru took a long drag on his cigarette as he observed the brilliant afternoon, its rays casting a glow over the parked vehicles in the warehouse front. The day had been a blur of commotion and disagreement, everyone running this way and that trying to do their assigned jobs while simultaneously alight with excitement and stress. Inuyasha, Kouga and Shitora had arrived about an hour ago with Gan, who was carrying a thick binder with a grim look on his boyish face. When asked if they'd received any resistance, Shitora replied blankly, "We only busted one cap and it didn't hit anyone, so don't worry about it."

At the current time, Nanashi and Kei were inside fixing Akago's wounds, which was a task to be performed before any negotiations could take place. Sesshomaru decided to take this opportunity and smoke a cigarette outside, away from the hustle and bustle of the warehouse. He was momentarily broken from his thoughts as someone exited through the small warehouse door; as requested by the Fang leader, Sango had closed the hangar door for the day.

Kei walked towards his protege at a leisurely pace, several blood stains decorating his shirt and a drawn look on his handsome face. "Well, he was quite cut up, but he'll live. He fought it valliantly."

Sesshomaru snorted, taking another deep breath on the cigarette, smoke filling his lungs. "I didn't think he would die, Kei, I only wanted him well enough to discuss arrangements."

"Colder than ever, I see," Kei chuckled, taking a seat on an overturned oil barrel. His flaxen blonde hair trailed down his back in a shimmering path, matted with blood slightly at the ends; obviously, it had gotten in the way at least once. "I find his proposal interesting; merging the Sharks with the South? It's never been done, or even talked about. It's fascinating."

"If that's what you want to think about it," Sesshomaru replied shortly. "Personally, I find it rather bold of him; after everything they've done to us-"

"Now wait a minute Sesshomaru," Kei interrupted quickly, holding up one recently washed hand, eyes twinkling. "What exactly have the Sharks done to you? The Tarantulas, I agree, have done you wrong, as have the Dragons. Even the Wildcats have taken a bite out of your tail at least once, but what of the Sharks?"

Sesshomaru was quiet as he digested this proposal, trying to recall a certain instance where the Sharks had done him wrong; truthfully, he couldn't remember one. Altogether, the Sharks were a quiet group who followed the North without sound or question, doing what they were told and never making bold plays of their own. From what he could tell from his dealings with the Sharks, every single one of them was cold and calculative, wise enough to follow the notoriously brilliant Akago. None of them were openly cruel, excluding Gatenmaru who was often brash and hot headed, but the others were devestatingly...silent. What had pushed them to finally seek refuge from the North? What was Sesshomaru missing from this situation?

"They've never openly harmed the Fangs. Or the South, for that matter. All we know of them concerns drug traffiking and loyalty to the North. I'm still unconvinced, however; I'm not one to put the South in danger over one false trust," Sesshomaru said finally, eyes glazing over with uncertainty. "I don't know what to do, Kei."

To hear Sesshomaru admit such a thing was a humbling experience for Kei, but he wisely kept the amusement under his hat. Nodding a little, the former leader said, "In times of uncertainty and self doubt, I always ask my woman; I think you should do the same. Think about it."

Standing stifly from the barrel, Kei turned to leave when Sesshomaru said rather abruptly, "Kei, get Rin for me, will you?" Without a word, Kei nodded and walked inside, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Inside, the activity hadn't died down an inkling as phone calls were made papers organized, and agreements looked over. Rin was currently seated in the back of the room at the kitchen table, talking quite rapidly with a tight lipped Gan. Apparently, the two of them were discussing the merge, quite reasonably that is, their voices never raising above a certain level of volume. Kei approached rather loudly, so as not to startle them and stopped a few feet from the table, saying blankly, "Rin, Sesshomaru wants to see you out front."

Rin stopped talking immediately, fixing Kei with an incredulous glance. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Kei replied with a small smile.

Rin gave Gan a curt nod and rose, hurrying towards the door with quick little steps; today she wore a pair of black leather pants and a red bikini top, though she looked quite fiersome in her stilleto heels. Kei shook his head slightly as he watched her go, remarking, "A well mannered woman."

"To be sure," came Gan's dry reply as he stacked his papers rather neatly before returning to his immaculate note taking; apparently, he had a few things to add before their afternoon meeting.

Rin stepped outside the warehouse, closing the door quietly behind herself before focusing her gaze on Sesshomaru, who was leaned handsomely against the warehouse wall smoking a cigarette. His amber eyes remained unmoving on the horizon, leather clad arms crossed thoughtfully before his strong chest, and Rin approached cautiously; he was obviously in deep thought.

"Come here, Rin," he said politely, never one to give her orders.

Rin did so, taking a pert seat on the barrel which Kei had recently occupied. "Yes?"

After a brief silence, Sesshomaru continued, "Akago has proposed a merge, wherin we would induct the Sharks into the South. I wanted to know what you thought about it."

Rin was, to say the least stunned; it wasn't like her proud boyfriend to ask a woman's opinion, though he never treated her wrongly. He was quite respectful but, as in the animal world, reserved certain things only for the men and certain others for the women. Never before had he asked her for an opinion on business matters, unless they were numerical; in that aspect, her smarts in math came in handy. Otherwise, Sesshomaru preferred to act alone. Yet, in his time of need, Rin was determined to help her boyfriend.

"Well, I just spent a while talking to Gan about the reasoning behind this and I've got a story for you: Akago led the Sharks into a deal with the North to overtake Salter to protect his sister. When he realized Kanna wasn't worth it anymore, he decided to get out of the deal before it was too late for the sake of his gang. Northerner or not, Akago cares about his men and doesn't want them caught in the crossfire of all this shit. So he's asking you for help based on a solid devotion to his gang members. I don't think this matter alone is enough to make you agree, though; you need to talk to him, watch his eyes, watch his body language. Those things will tell you all you need to know about this situation," Rin reported wisely, gazing out at the horizon as she spoke.

Sesshomaru was silent for a moment before he pushed off the wall, approaching the barrel and placing a chaste kiss on Rin's lips. "You're a smart woman. It's one of the many things I love about you." With this, he placed a second kiss on her forehead and walked proudly towards the door, silver hair undulating back and forth with his hips.

Once the door had closed behind him, Rin let out a stream of air and smiled, proud to have helped her boyfriend in his time of need. It was fulfilling and made her feel needed. Wanted. Loved.

Inside, Sesshomaru walked purposefully towards the back where Kouga and Gan were sitting at the kitchen table, smoking cigarettes as Akago rested on one of the couches. He was stripped shirtless, bandages practically covering his chest, but he masked his pain with an ambivalent expression; he seemed to be deep in thought. At the sound of Sesshomaru's footsteps, Kouga glanced up and said, "Ready?"

"Do you have the papers?" came Sesshomaru's response; he was hardly in a chit-chat sort of mood.

"Right here," Kouga replied, holding them aloft.

Sesshomaru walked towards the couched and took a seat on the coffee table's edge, a mere foot from the prone form of Akago. The Fang leader addressed the Shark leader directly, amber eyes meeting crimson with a startling connection. "I have my own suspicions as to why you're here, asking for asylum, but I want you to tell me in your own words exactly what's going through that head of yours, Akago."

Sighing, Akago allowed himself to chuckle, however much it hurt his wounded chest. He stared defeatedly at the ceiling, sounding for all the world like a beaten war veteran surrending the fight. "I made a bad decision when I decided to join Naraku, but I'm perfectly aware as to why I made it: he threatened the life of my sister, who I thought was worth the effort at the time. I soon came to realize, as all of this monotonous posturing went on, that Kanna was lost and I'd put the lives of my men on the line for an unworthy cause. Before all this Salter business, I preferred to keep a certain distance between the Tarantulas and the Sharks for I never quite trusted him. Something in his eyes is crazy, as I'm sure you've noticed; he's not all there, Naraku isn't. Eventually, he started reeling me in and I knew then that we were headed for trouble. I would understand if you said no, Sesshomaru, because this is my fault. It's my fault we're in this position for, if I'd said at the moment he vied for Salter that all of this shit was not for me, I could've avoided this mess. But I ask you as a fellow leader and one who knows what having a baby sister is like...please help me. I conceede to you because I recognize that you can do what I can not: make the right choice when it counts."

As the white haired man spoke, crimson eyes growing farther and farther away, Sesshomaru saw something in his glance which surprised him greatly. All this time, because of Akago's affiliation with the North, Sesshomaru had pegged him for your every day thugster with an evil heart and cruel ambitions. But as he lay there now, defenseless and nostalgic, the Fang leader saw something in Akago that he'd never seen before: humility. This in and of itself was a rarity in the gang world, as only the prideful joined together with the ridiculous desire to stand on their own. Everyone was there in order to provide an excuse for their insecurities. But Akago was there to help everyone become secure.

Glancing over at Kouga, Sesshomaru said, "Kouga? Thoughts?"

The second in command narrowed his ice blue eyes, black hair falling in a curtain around his face as he thought momentarily. "The way I see it is this: they couldn't double cross us if they tried because our network is too tightly strung. Any word of betrayal would be out before they threw the signal down, so that isn't our issue. Our issue is the sheer morality of joining up with former Northerners who, for all we know, could be cruel hearted killers. Until we know they're not dangerous, a merge would do little to benefit the Fangs."

Smiling slightly at his best friend's always intelligent reasoning, Sesshomaru said aloud, "He's right; for all we know, the Sharks could be underhanded thugs. What's to say you're not, Akago?"

But Akago never got the chance to answer, for Gan the Gun spoke up quickly from his seat, violet eyes shining with conviction. "You could spend a year examining our gang and never know whether or not our hearts were good. This world is all about appearances; there's at least ten bad eggs in the South who you haven't discovered yet and I can guarantee you that. For now, its the shining white appearance which gives the South a good name; all of the North's evil doers are out in the open proclaiming their jail records. They're not exactly secrets in the business. I've been out, I've seen the world, and take it from a man of experience; the Sharks are a cut above. Every single one of them is sharp as a tack, trying to carve their place out with quiet insistence. We inducted each and every one of them for their stoutness of characters for, even in the North, you need to know your men will never betray. They're good, every single one of them; if they thought Akago or I was dangerous, they would throw us out and elect a new leader. That's our way."

Sesshomaru's eyes remained focused on Gan's brilliant violet ones and, truthfully, the Fang leader expected the boy to look away. No one could withstand the Taisho gaze for long. But Gan didn't even blink under the scrutiny, proudly proclaiming the goodness of his gang without a single backtrack. Truly, Sesshomaru mused, Gan the Gun was one of a kind. Perhaps one who could prove a useful ally.

"Alright, Akago," Sesshomaru said strongly. "I accept the merge. But I warn you now; one wrong step and I'll kill you."

Crimson eyes suddenly alight with hope, Akago nodded once, agreeing, "Very well, Sesshomaru. That is quite fair."

Without a smile, Sesshomaru met eyes with Kouga and said, "Summon Ranbou, Hakkaku, Rin, Sango, Bankotsu and Hiten; we have a few papers to sign."

As Kouga did so, calling throughout the warehouse for the other Southern leader and seconds, Akago took a moment to reflect on his decision. He suddenly saw the bright, smiling face of a younger Kanna, splashing around in the kiddie pool, latching on to his legs as he walked around the house. Back then, she'd been so joyous, so full of good intent and vibrant life. Now, she was just a shell of a being, performing dirty deeds and living a life of tainted permiscuity and immorality. He knew she was past saving for, truly, he'd seen it in her eyes. Deep black eyes, their father's eyes, devoid of life and care; she was only there for the sake of continuing on. She had no interest in living. And so Akago honored her wishes; at his hands, she would die.

For once in his life, Akago Tsume was going to do what was right, if only for the sake of his gang members. And he wouldn't regret it for a single day.

Later that night, the commotion had finally come to an end and all was peaceful as gang members packed up, preparing to go home and hit the hay after a stressful day in the garage. As had become his habit, Ranbou opened the door to his F-350, joining Shitora in the cab as he started the engine; these days, he's been driving the hanyou girl home, as both their motorcycles remained in the warehouse for fine tuning. He glanced out the window, noticing one pick-up truck still resting in the driveway; two thin trails of smoke were rising up from the tailgate.

"They ain't goin' home yet?" he asked gruffly, starting the engine with a roar.

Shitora giggled a bit, replying, "Hey, maybe all that time in a tailgate'll lead to some progress."

Rolling his ice blue eyes, the wolf began wheeling the enormous truck skillfully out of the gravel driveway. "Yeah, whatever. I bet Kagome slaps him one before he gets too close to the cave, if you know what I mean."

This comment earned him an outraged slap on the arm and Shitora's face flushed a pretty pink. "Yeah, well I bet you fifty bucks that Inuyasha whips it out at Race Wars."

"You're on."

In the back of Jakotsu's pick up truck, Inuyasha readjusted his shoulders on the cool metal as he took a drag on his cigarette, watching the smoke trail disappear into the darkness. Kagome grinned, blowing a few smoke rings before glancing over at the hanyou.

"So what do you think of this whole merge?" she asked conversationally.

Shrugging, Inuyasha allowed the cigarette to dangle from his lips as he replied, "Eh, I thought for a while that Shomo was off his rocker, but he told me why he did it and I guess he could be right. Out of the other Northern assholes, Akago and his buddies were the least shitty, I guess. He ain't so bad."

Kagome's chocolate brown eyes followed the path of a shooting star as it tore it's way across the sky. "From what I know of him, he doesn't seem like Naraku or Ryuukoytsusei. Like he didn't fit in with the North."

"He didn't really," Inuyasha grunted, smoke pouring from his mouth and nose. "He's pretty classy, like Sesshomaru. They're pretty alike sometimes."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed. She shifted her torso slightly, upsetting her red wifebeater and pulling up the hem to show a bit of her stomach. "Rin said Sesshomaru asked for her opinion today; she looked so happy when she told me. I wonder if he knows how much that meant to her."

"Dunno," Inuyasha replied lazily, half hooded amber eyes taking in the entirety of the Tokyo sky. He felt as though he could just float, as though the world were perfectly on its axis and everything was okay, if only for a second. He knew the battle for Salter was still on, but tonight it didn't bother him; tonight it was just him, Kagome, and the sky.

There was a brief silence between the two before Kagome's mind began dissecting the ifs and buts surrounding their relationship; her mention of Rin and Sesshomaru had sparked her desire for Inuyasha once again. "What are we?" she asked suddenly, laughing slightly at her own, lame words. "What is this? Us?"

Inuyasha felt his shoulders tense at the question as he glanced over at Kagome, who remained completely focused on the sky. Her profile in the moonlight was stunning, the gentle curve of her lips, the perfection of her brow. Sighing, Inuyasha responded, "Well, I know what I wish it was. I don't know what it is exactly."

"What do you wish it was?" Kagome pried, cocking an eyebrow at the absurdity of this conversation; neither of them could come flat out and say what they meant.

"Well," Inuyasha said quietly, "I wish you were my girlfriend. I don't like all those assholes starin' at you when we got to Races and shit. This'll sound gay, but you ain't protected unless you go out with a name on you. Nobody touches Rin cause they know Sesshomaru would pumel em. We already act like we're goin' out...bein' official would protect you."

Blinking, Kagome took in the formalities and insinuations Inuyasha had managed to slip into his proposal. While asking someone out was normally a very romantic, awkward situation, Inuyasha had turned it into a business agreement. Smiling slightly, Kagome realized that this was his world and now, hers. While most girls would find his methods absolutely impersonal, Kagome was flattered; in his gruff way, Inuyasha was trying to protect her. And it made her feel not only safe, but cared for. She liked that.

"That would be nice," she said softly, continuing to smile at the stars.

Inuyasha, afraid he might've heard wrong, turned to face her once more. "Come again?"

"I said that would be nice," Kagome repeated.

After a brief silence, Inuyasha grinned, full fanged, and returned his smile to the sky as well. "Good, cause I wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

Laughing, Kagome leaned her arm over and tried to whack him in the face. "You're so full of shit! You're an asshole, Inuyasha!"

Unable to keep from grinning, Inuyasha fended off her blows half heartedly, allowing her to think she was besting him. Only for you, Kagome; I don't just take hits laying down for any old broad. But seriously, you'll the best I've ever had and I still can't believe you'd settle for a guy like me. I can't handle women for shit; I call em nasty names and treat em like property, but it's only cause I want to protect em...protect you. You're all I think about anyway, can't even fix an engine without stopping to think about you. It drives me crazy...but I wouldn't mind being crazy for you.

And now that we're officially a couple, I'll protect you with my life. Not that I wouldn't have before, but now no one'll question me about it. It helps keep my pride intact, you know? Cause that's what it's all about...right?

Yeah. Right.

Sweet, another chapter done. This one is an important chapter, but not exactly exciting, I know. Apologies for that everyone. But I did my best to make it not so gloomy. I failed. Haha. Alright, here we go. Race Wars and shit is gonna go up soon. I hope you got that little reitteration of one of the earlier chapters at the end. If not...oh well.

KOLU