InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Laying Down the Law ❯ It Begins ( Chapter 30 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: The Kouga Lucius Connection 
A fight and a kidnapping.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.22.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 10.6K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
A fight and a kidnapping.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.22.2007 | Pages: 6 | Words: 10.6K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
And here we go with next exciting installment of LDTL! Lol, so cheesy. This is an intense chapter and I do it the same way I did Inuyasha's transformation scene in chapter 13, with a flashback that is. Read on!
Tentatively, the Fang leader cracked open one golden eye and examined those around him; Kouga and Ayame were sitting beside one another on the couch to his right, refusing to touch one another in the 107 degree weather. Rin sat beside him, fanning herself as a drop of sweat rolled down her brow. Ranbou seemed to be asleep as Hakkaku, who sat beside his leader, twiddled his thumbs nervously. Bankotsu seemed impervious to the heat and completely unaffected, if not for the absence of his shirt, though Hiten seemed to be struggling mightily as he too attempted to do something more cooling with his heavy black hair.
Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru sat forward and allowed his eyes to roam around the circle for the second time. Finally, he murmured, "Where are Akago and Gan?"
Several glances were exchanged around the circle before Ayame replied, "I haven't seen them since this morning."
Kouga narrowed his own eyes, muttering, "They went out to lunch, said they'd be back in time."
This, however, didn't ease Sesshomaru's nerves; Akago and Gan were never late to anything. Ever. "Someone call them."
Rin shrugged and withdrew her cell phone, only to be violently cut off as shouting erupted from the front of the warehouse. Wrenches clattered to the floor and urgent footsteps sprinted outside, crunching on the gravel, as yelling orders broke the summer silence. Rin and Sesshomaru exchanged glances before rising and hurrying to see to the melee. Kouga gulped; his bad gut feeling was validated. He could barely make out Akago Tsume carrying the limp body of Gan the Gun on his back, blood trickling down both bodies in a startling contrast on pale skin. Obviously lunch hadn't gone well.
"Oh God, are you mixing your macarroni and cheese with your corn now? You are. That's disgusting, Akago, thank you for reminding me why I hate eating with you.
Akago laughed heartily as Gan scrunched up his stately face, violet eyes twinkling even as he made a grunting sound. His pale cheeks had grown slightly red and green around the edges as he watched his leader eating, mixing together everything on his plate without discrimination. Akago's crimson eyes seemed to dance as he took a forkful of the macarroni, corn, broccoli and mashed potatoes, holding it at a threateningly close distance from Gan's nose.
"Look, Gan! Fully four different foods on one fork!"
Gan leaned backwards against the booth, nose wrinkled with distaste. "Ugh, gross! They separate them on the plate for a reason, you know! Congratulations on making a perfectly good meal look like...like...sheep vomit!"
Distracted momentarily, Akago furrowed his brow and replied dazedly, "Did you say sheep vomit? Where on earth did you come up with that analogy?"
Gan was too busy inching away from the outstretched fork to truly bother with his answer. "Well, grass, acids, sheep wool, they're the same colors, anyway."
It was Akago's turn to scrunch up his nose as he replaced his fork on his plate, murmuring, "I think I've lost my appetite."
Gan smirked and allowed his shoulders to relax, shrugging off his Shark's jacket and readjusting his arms inside his baggy black shirt. "That's right, take that! Can't eat your disgusting home-made casserole now, can you?"
Akago smiled as his second picked up his own meal of a medium-rare hamburger, eating it rather daintily with small bites and the dabbing of a napkin. In all the time Akago had known Gan, the boy ate politely and used excellent table manners, a fact which seemed rather misplaced. Of course, Akago knew Gan was polite in absolutely everything he did, save a few moments when he'd taken it upon himself to discipline unruly Sharks with his fists like a street thug. Normally he could silence them with mere strong words, but othertimes he had to resort to common violence. Akago smiled at the irony of his thoughts; he who lived the life of a low class gang leader, was calling himself common and a number of other unsavory terms inadvernantly. Of course, he knew what he was and he enjoyed it. A guilty pleasure, he supposed.
Gan's voice disturbed Akago's thoughts as he blinked and refocused on his second in command, who was chewing thoughtfully as he spoke. "I've noticed a change in Ryuukoytsusei."
The topic was spur-of-the-moment, but heavy, the sort of thing Gan picked out of the air at random to talk about over lunch. Akago was used to these sudden changes in conversation and shrugged. "What kind of change?"
"He's just seemed less like an animal," Gan replied, shrugging his own thin shoulders as he glanced up at Akago with large violet eyes.
Akago seemed to consider this for a moment before he replied, "Well, I've had my own thoughts about that lately. And I don't want to seem ridiculous or like I'm pulling this out of the air, so just go with me, alright?" Gan nodded as he chewed, open to any ideas his leader could come up with. Akago continued, "I think he might be in love."
Gan felt the hamburger turning to ash in his mouth as he looked up at Akago, who was glancing wistfully out the window at the beach. "Ryuu? In love? Akago, that is absolutely the most revolting thing I've heard all day and I wish you'd waited to pop that out until after lunch."
Pretending not to notice Gan's disgust, Akago continued, "He's displaying all the symptoms of love, really. Trailing off in the middle of sentences, growing increasingly un-violent, questioning his personal identity."
"Questioning his personal identity? When the hell did he do that?"
"In any case, I think he's pretty far gone. The question is this: far gone on who?" Akago murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Gan's face was the picture of sourness. "On whom actually and I'm still not convinced that anything 'lovely' is going on in his sick, bloodthirsty mind. What exactly gave you this idea?"
"I told you, he exhibits the symptoms," Akago replied as though it were obvious.
This only elicited a sigh from Gan, who massaged his forehead plantively. "The symptoms. Right." Deciding he wasn't going to dissuade his leader, Gan threw out, "What about one of the Vixens? Maybe one of them?"
"I don't think the Vixens' own parents love them, Gan, that's a ridiculous idea," Akago replied with a snort of derision.
Gan nodded mildly before saying, "Well, one of the Wildcats then? That would definitely be trouble, but just in case..."
"Perhaps," Akago mused before continuing, "Or he could love someone else in the North, not one of the Vixens, but-"
"Hold on, now," Gan interrupted quickly, holding up a hand. "Everyone else in the North is male. Are you insinuating that Ryuukoytsusei is gay?"
"Gay as in happy or gay as in homosexual?" Akago responded with innocent eyes, earning an eye roll from his second in command.
"I'll assume you were being facetious just now and chalk that up to 'gay as in homosexual.' I hardly think Ryuu is gay." Gan's nose scrunched a few inches upwards for the umpteenth time during that lunch period, causing Akago to raise his carefully sculpted eyebrows.
"What, is there something wrong with being gay?" the Shark leader asked.
Gan blinked blankly, leaning unconciously forward. "A-Akago? Are you...what are you saying?"
It took Akago a moment before he was able to follow Gan's train of thought and he immediately burst out, "No, no, I'm not gay, no, that's not what I'm saying you little twit. I was more, um, wondering if maybe...you know...you..." He trailed off here, regarding Gan with expectant crimson eyes, eyebrows creased slightly in the center.
The blush which spread across Gan's cheeks caused Akago to smother another laugh as the boy gathered himself with dignity, replying starchly, "I have not been, am not, and never will be a homosexual. I am straight as an arrow, thank you."
"I was joking, Gan, joking," Akago replied with a chuckle, eyes twinkling to show that it had, indeed, been a joke. Gan blushed even more furiously as the dread began leaving the pit of his stomach. For a single, solitary moment, he wondered if, after years of concealing his identity, Akago might've found out his secret and was trying to confront him about it. That would be awful, if he mistakenly thought I was crossdressing because I was really gay. Then I would never have a chance...not that I have one now or anything, or that I could ever-
Gan found his thoughts violently interrupted as Akago tensed against the table, nearly causing one of the water glasses to tip. The man's crimson eyes, once playful, were now narrowed suspiciously, a few strands of white hair escaping his braid and fluttering across his severe face. Gan narrowed his own eyes in confusion. "Akago? What's wrong?"
It took Akago a few moments to respond and he drew in a breath, replying in a surprisingly level tone, "We're surrounded on all sides by people who wish us ill. They're at almost every exit and entrance in this restaurant."
The blood drained quickly from Gan's flushed face, leaving it a pale white, and he tightened his grip on the table's edge. He knew they wouldn't reside in peace for long and it had already been three days since the previous attack; obviously Naraku was ready to finish the job. Gan knew the Spider leader was bitter about the Sharks' departure, not because of loyalty or something as ridiculous as that, but because Gan was their key to unlocking the secret of their mysterious guns. Obviuosly, Naraku was a victim of the "if I can't know, no one can" mentality. Gan's stomach gave a leap; Naraku's men must be there to kill him.
"Shit. I should've known," Gan muttered to himself.
Akago noticed the look in Gan's violet eyes and said quietly, "The guns. I'm glad we're on a similar train of thought. In that case, we better go quickly because I can't afford to lose you and I mean that on several levels."
Gan's breath caught in his throat as he met Akago's eyes, wondering if such a comment could possibly validate his deepest desire. Yet Akago was up and moving before Gan could truly decode his leader's mysterious gaze and, soon, the boy found his small wrist encompassed by Akago's lily white hand. "Don't freeze up on me, Gan, we've got to move. What's worse, we need to move it away from all of these innocent people."
Snapping back to life, Gan glanced around the diner at the numerous filled booths, some with blithely laughing children, and he gulped; he certainly didn't want these nice people caught up in his fight.
After throwing down cash on the table, enough to consitute the payment and a generous tip, Akago drug Gan towards the back and the two made their way quickly through the kitchen, trying to ignore the outraged shouts of the cook as they ran. Soon, they'd exited the restaurant and were running through the back alley, listening as footsteps followed at their backs. Gan turned momentarily to look behind them and found seven Dragons at their back, all looking ready to initiate and finish a fight. Letting out a curse, Gan was about to face forward when he came to an abrupt halt, Akago's strong arm catching him in the chest. The boy felt his breath escaping in a breeze; there were another seven Dragons at their front.
The Dragons quickly formed a circle around the leader and his second, several of them cracking their knuckles and preparing for a fight. Gan and Akago moved until they were back to back, both noticing the other's inevitably quickened hearbeat. "Gan?"
"Yes?"
"If you have a chance to run, take it. If it get's bad enough, I'll have to resort to Satsu-hakucho. Then you really must leave. Do you understand?" the albino man replied smoothly, a passing ocean breeze ruffling his snow white braid and bangs.
Gan's eyes widened visibly at his leader's instructions and he nearly turned to regard him when he remembered the 14 Dragons surrounding them on all sides. The violet-eyed boy knew quite well what this "Satsu-hakucho" was and he'd only seen it used once. It was the manifestation of Akago's mind reading abilities, which the demon released in the most dire of fights. Everytime he released the Satsu-hakucho, which allowed him to access abilities such as telekenisis and teleportation, his internal organs grew significantly weaker. The strain on his body, though he was demon, was just too much.
"Absolutely not, Akago, you're not using Satsu-hakucho, no matter how bad this gets," the boy protested, teeth gritted as he removed a pistol from his jacket's inside pocket. "I'll kill them all myself."
"Do and I'll dismiss you!" Akago replied harshly, crimson eyes flickering dangerously.
Gan cowered slightly at the words; Akago had never threatened him with such a sentence, but he knew the leader spoke the truth. Quietly, the boy cocked back the gun and said, "Fine. But I won't just leave if-"
"You will do as your told, Gan! This is a direct order!" Akago snarled, shaking his head furiously as he released his claws with a chink. Several of the Dragons exchanged glances, for Akago Tsume was not known to release his claws, as he found it particularly brutal and violent. Being torn apart with demon claws was a terrible way to die, he believed, but obviously this situation warranted strict measures.
"Enough talk," one of the Dragons growled shortly. "We have orders from Naraku to kill you."
"Since when did Dragons take orders from Naraku?" Gan asked confusedly, raising the gun to a ready position as the remainder of the Dragons released their claws and readied their weapons.
"That's none of your business, Gun," the Dragon replied, obviously uninterested by Gan's confusion.
Without another word, this so-called leader raised his grimy claws and charged forward only to be met with a stun-bullet in his arm. He staggered momentarily on his feet, only to find himself falling forward against the apathetic shoulder of Gan the Gun. The Dragon groaned and fell lifelessly to the ground as the stunning-solution circulated throughout his bloodstream, rendering him paralyzed and unconcious. Gan's face grew eerily pleased, a dangerous glimmer sparkling in his violet eyes as a small smile lighted his face.
"Who's next?"
The other Dragons took this as their cue to charge and they did so eagerly, more wary than their leader had been of Gan's impressive marksmanship. Before Gan could blink, the demons were upon him and at too close range for gun usage; he'd forgotten the many disadvantages to being human. Releasing another violent curse, the boy aimed a swift kick at one Dragon's gut and pushed his momentum into the hit, swinging himself around full circle to catch the Dragon the his right with a foot in the face. Both victims grunted but soon retaliated, aided by the third Dragon, as they all turned on Gan and began throwing their heavy fists weightedly around.
Behind Gan, Akago was fending off the other ten Dragons, who had formed a second circle around him and were eagerly taking turns attacking him in threes. Akago grunted as someone caught him in the jaw with a well executed uppercut and again as a passing leg crashed into his gut. The Shark leader flew sideways, managing to catch himself on the alley wall; breathing heavily, he turned to observe this particular assailant, who grinned sadistically, flexing his arms. By the green tint of his skin, Akago was able to identify this man as Kawazu, the Frog Demon Fighter. Though Akago had never personally dealt with the man, he'd heard tale of Kawazu, who could dispatch of a man with a single kick.
Before Akago could analyze this any further, Kawazu was upon him again, moving with the fascinating agility of his namesake. Akago defended himself admirably, managing to dodge every kick aimed his way. This isn't so bad, he thought to himself, ducking to avoid another deadly leg, I could fend him off for a while, I think.
But it wasn't to be. A startled shout alerted Akago's attention to Gan, who flew backwards into the alley wall with a disgusting "thud." The boy slid downward, cradling one of his arms which was not only bleeding profusely from Kaijinbo's still fresh claw wounds, but also bent strangely near the shoulder. Three Dragons surrounded Gan's fallen body, obviously preparing to finish the job.
"Gan!" Akago shouted, making as though to rush to the boy's aid.
A rough snort interrupted his flight. "Never look away, Tsume."
Fire ripped through Akago's chest as a powerful leg caught him sharply in the upper torso, stealing his breath and ability to move in one fell swoop. Akago gasped, unable to scream as an unbearable pain engulfed him; tears squeezed from his eyes as lay on the concrete, begging the atmosphere for air. He began to cough, a wretching sort of hack, which propelled blood from his mouth, leaving some to drip down his pale white face as more stained the brick of the alley wall. No, he thought blankly as his vision began to fade. He could almost hear someone screaming his name, though it hardly mattered now. I can't die like this. I can't have been made just to die like this. There has to be more for me. Besides, Gan...He coughed again, this time bringing vomit with it.
As Akago threw up on the alley floor, preparing for one of the Dragons to deliver to final blow, he thought to himself, So we were wrong. They can't have wanted Gan, or I would've been fending off three and him ten, not vice versa. They were most definitely after me, if not both of us. Damn, there's so much blood...that kick must've torn the wall of my lung. I suppose this time I really will die. The both of us have cheated death for all these years...not this time. I can still feel Gan's life force pulsing; he's alive and not about to die any time soon. Once I'm dead, he'll just shoot these bastards. I can die in peace without using the Satsu-Hakucho.
As Akago fell to the ground, gasping and coughing with a gross wetness in his throat, Gan felt a scream tearing through his throat. "No! Akago!" Though Gan had thought himself unable to move, a sudden power encapsulated in his legs and he pushed himself to his feet, withdrawing the pistol from his jacket pocket. He knew Akago had ordered him not to kill the fourteen assailants, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Tears sprang unbidden to Gan's eyes as he cocked back the released and delivered three perfectly aimed shots, all into the heart of a Dragon assailant. I won't care if he dismisses me as long as he's still alive.
Gan had no time to observe the dead bodies of his opponents and only turned to the side, holding the pistol shakily in his left hand. With his right hand out of commission, he only had one shooting hand left and his aim wasn't nearly as good. There were ten Dragons surrounding Akago's fallen body and one of them was holding a pistol, preparing to deliver the final shot. No.
The breath caught in Gan's throat as he pushed himself to his feet, running with the force of twenty bullets, all crashing down upon one point in space.
No. He can't...
The strength with which Gan broke through the circle of Dragons could only be attributed to the desperation squeezing his body together, the burning in his chest, the burning red which engulfed his mind, making it impossible for him to see or think.
No. He can't...
Gan was vaguely aware of the sharp sound of a shot as it tore through the alleyway, accompanied shortly by a burning in his lower back; he knew the bullet had impacted the left side of the flesh protecting his spine, most likely striking the Iliac Crest in his pelvic bone. It didn't really matter, he realized, as he fell to the ground, blood flowing freely from numerous cuts on his body, including those on his arm, many on his stomach, and the new one on his back. It might've looked poetic, streaming red against the brick black of the city, but no one who cared could see it.
No. He can't die.
Gan lay there, life draining out of him and taking his senses with it. He couldn't see or hear, couldn't smell or feel. All he really senationalize was that resounding mantra in his head. He can't die, he can't die. If I'm not alive to save him, he'll die. He can't die without knowing the truth. Gan the Gun was never real...this life has been a fantasy. Please forgive me, Akago. I could never tell you...now we'll die together and you'll find the truth in the afterlife.
But Gan found himself cut short. A pulse thundered through his chest, followed by another. It was like a giant's heartbeat, loud, full and enraged, alive in its own right. Though his sense of physical feel was dead, Gan knew another tear had slipped down his cheek as Misaki found her way to the surface, rekindling in death. That pulse could only mean one thing and Misaki remembered it well from the only other time she'd seen it. Akago, you didn't.
Akago couldn't say what took over him as he lay there, watching Gan crash to the ground in a heap as blood streamed out behind him like life strings. He couldn't remember the thoughts which ran through his head, nor the rage and emptiness he felt; feeling had lost its fulfillment and Akago was past self-satisfaction at this point, past the notion of feeling just to seem alive. Thoughts and feelings meant nothing as he whispered, "Hato, chuushin, zouo, chikyuu, seinen...," beginning the incantation to relase the Satsu-Hakucho. If Gan lived, he could die a murderer with blood on his hands at will. The Satsu-Hakucho was cruel, but letting Gan die was much crueler.
"Umi no shio no shinju no sakeme no kizu no chi no tsubasa ha watashi no souchi ni." Akago rose to his feet, body engulfed by an eerie silver light as the wounds on his body began to slow in their relentless bleeding, diminishing to nothing but a mere trickle. The Dragons had realized, at this point, that something in this situation had taken a turn for the worst. Several turned and began to flee, dropping their weapons without a thought, but they didn't get far.
"Kono chikara wo kaihou SURU!"
A pulsing emmited from this last word, sending waves of power through the alleyway and startling the remainder of the Dragons into motion. Kawazu let loose with a mighty jump, which sent him some twenty feet into the air as though he meant to flee. A force seemed to interrupt his flight and he glanced down, wide-eyed, at Akago Tsume, who's left hand was pocketed and right hand was outstretched, fingers clenching as it controlled Kawazu's movements. Without another word, Kawazu the Frog Demon Fighter met his end as he crashed into the top of a brick building, body exploding like a broken garbage bag upon impact.
The other Dragons had begun to run quickly from the scene of the crime, though they were jerked backwards as power clung to their jackets and up through their necks.
"Hijouni atsui shibou."
The eight Dragons caught in this assault spontaneously burst into flame, fire sprouting from the skin and licking their hair, melting the flesh from their bones as they screamed in agony. It was no normal fire which consumed them, but they died in a twenty second hell. As burning bodies fell in charred corpses to the alley floor, Akago turned his attention to the last of the Dragons, who he'd neglected to include in his hijouni atsui shibou.
"Chiri."
The Dragon didn't even utter a sound as his body turned to dust from the head down to his toes, leaving his clothes behind in a crumpled mess on the alley floor. The dust blew away on the wind along with flame and blood, which collected there from Akago's many murders.
Aching had begun to encompass Akago's gut and he realized it stemmed not from Kawazu's kick, but from the extended use of his Satsu-hakucho. "Watashi wo kaihou shinasai."
The pulsing stopped abruptly as the glow began to slowly dissipate, leaving in its wake an Akago stained with blood and pain. The white haired boy felt the organs inside his chest give a groan and he sighed, breath hitching as the severity of the kick inflicted on his lungs returned. "Shit."
He managed to stumble over to Gan, who was immobile and cold as he lay there on the ground. Though Akago knew it would most likely take years of his life, he knew that both their survivals depended on his ability to make it to Fang headquarters. The effects of the Satsu-Hakucho hadn't completely worn off and Akago bent down, clutching his hands around Gan's wrists and managing to half pull him onto his back. Praying to Kami that he still had the power left in him, Akago murmured one last incantation, the incantation of teleportation.
"Hae."
Sesshomaru and Rin stood stock still, staring aghast as Akago barely met eyes with them before collapsing on the ground, blood pooling around both his and Gan's bodies as their lives practically trickled away. Rin found herself practically unable to move as she stood there, blood frozen and mind blank; who in their right minds could inflict such damage on two people like this? It was mortifying the conditions they were in, but she couldn't even manage the twitch of a finger.
It was a mere moment later when Sesshomaru shouted, "Inuyasha, call Kei and Nanashi and tell them to hurry, we've probably got less than half an hour before they're both dead."
Inuyasha had been standing on the outside of the circle with Kagome, both of them covered in grease from a cracked oil compartment. His normally white hair was smudged comically with black, but everything within a ten mile radius seemed to have lost it's humor in that moment. The hanyou could feel Kagome tense beside him as she stared, open mouthed, at Akago and Gan's seemingly dead bodies. He could only grab her hand in his, squeezing it tightly as he withdrew his cell phone and hurriedly dialed that all too familiar number, one which reminded him of suffering and pain.
"Kei, it's Inuyasha. Gan and Akago are here and they're beaten the fuck up, like about to die. They're bleedin' everywhere, you gotta hurry!"
"We're on our way," was the only response Inuyasha got before the line went dead and he relayed the information to his brother.
Sesshomaru nodded vaguely as Inuyasha's alert met his ears and he bent down, examining Gan and Akago's bodies while trying to remain objective in all senses of the word. A gunshot to Gan, along with the assorted cuts and bruises, while Akago seemed to be suffering from not only external but internal injuries. Obviously, this wouldn't be your run of the mill fix.
By the time Kei and Nanashi had arrived, Kagome had realized something very important about this situation; from the look of Gan's shirt, he's been cut not only in the back but the front. This would mean the removal of his shirt and the discovery of his binding bandages, which would then lead to the unwinding of the bandages and the discovery of his womanhood. Kagome knew that, even if such a situation as this, Gan wouldn't want anyone to know; it was his darkest secret and obviously meant to be kept until he was ready to leave Tokyo. As the only one who knew about Gan's true identity, Kagome felt it was her responsibility to help protect her friend from all those who continued without knowing.
In kind, Kagome met Kei and Nanashi in the parking lot of the warehouse when they arrived in Kei's Mercedes, dressed in simple t-shirts and jeans to celebrate their weekends, which were cut short by this incident. Kei's golden hair swung slightly in the wind as he stepped out of the car, green eyes hard with the seriousness of this attack. Nanashi's similarly carefree blue eyes were likewise worried, red curls looking oddly happy surounding the face of someone so sad.
"Kei, Nanashi, I need to tell you something, it's very important. You have to treat Gan away from the others," Kagome said hurriedly, whispering to conceal her message from the demons inside, who would hear her when she spoke at a normal level even from their distance.
Kei paused slightly, prepared to go charging inside the warehouse at any moment. "What? Away from the others?"
"What are you on about?" Nanashi replied, likewise confused and irritated that this girl was keeping them from their job.
"Please, trust me, Gan would give anything to be treated in a separate room," Kagome pleaded, voice so desperate that Kei felt inclined to meet eyes with her. Kagome's brown orbs were dull with desire for the fulfillment of this ridiculous request and he faltered, knowing he couldn't refuse her. Not an honest person like Kagome, especially when she asked like that.
"Done," Kei replied shortly. "Go get the storage room ready, Kagome."
Without a word, Kagome nodded and turned on her heels, sprinting inside the warehouse as her loose-legged overalls fluttered around her. Nanashi and Kei didn't even hesitate as they ran inside the warehouse, stopping at the bodies and assessing them quickly. They began issuing orders, which added to the surreal atmosphere as the others scurried to do their bidding, boiling water on the stove, searching for needles, tongs, and clean rags. The warehouse was a flurry of motion, everyone moving in a molasses-slow world as they mindlessly followed orders. Had their lives really come to this? Had they really been reduced to mere violence? What would become of this world they'd created, this perfectly imperfect world?
As Kagome cleared everything off the table in the storage room and laid down blankets in their place, she felt a sort of numbness take hold of her and she succumbed to it, feeling nothing as she ran outside to help carry pots of boiling water back and forth between the storage room and the lounge area, the table of which had been transformed into a make-shift bed for Akago.
Inuyasha happened to catch sight of Kagome's sightless eyes as she ran past, face a picture of apathy. It hurt his heart to see her in such a state, physically hurt him, but he couldn't possibly stop to help; he was in charge of sterilizing tongs in the boiling water and transporting them to the storage room. Everyone had their jobs and they couldn't stop, if only to help a loved one. They were already helping loved ones...
So who would help the rest of them?
He, Kagome and Nanashi were the only ones allowed in the storage room, for Nanashi had spit out some excuse about sterilization and forbade the others to enter. Kagome's eyes had warned him outside the warehouse that her reason for separating Gan was valid, but he'd never expected something quite like this. Not in this situation, anyway; for Kei, this wasn't exactly a surprise.
No one said anything for a moment as Kagome stared glumly at the floor, like a child who'd been discovered sneaking cookies from the counter and Nanashi stared close-mouthed at Gan's breasts, which were still not sexual. Perhaps they were simply un-sexual breasts, though Nanashi was fairly sure the sexuality of said breasts had to do with the fact that she'd never imagined them on a man before. And she'd thought Gan the Gun was a man. But he wasn't. He was a she.
"Oh, fuck," Nanashi whined, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing her wallet; she could already vaguely make out Kei's serene smile from across the table. She held out a bill towards her husband.
"Thank you, dear," Kei said smugly, placing the offered bill in his jean pocket.
Kagome watched the exchange blankly, without a thought in her head, before she tentatively squeaked, "Um...what?"
Kei glanced over at the girl with a twinkle in his green eyes, murmuring, "An age old bet, girl. The minute we met that boy, I popped out, 'he's very feminine. Maybe he's a crossdresser.' And look; he is."
Afte a momentary silence, Kagome said quietly, "Um, he's not a crossdresser."
Nanashi gave a shout of triumph holding out her hand and demanding the money back. Kei sighed and did as he was bid. "I told you," Nanashi gloated, "He was gay, not a crossdresser."
But Kagome spoke up again, hands folded in front as she blushed furiously; this was incredibly awkward. "Um, he's not gay either. I mean, she's not gay."
Kei and Nanashi paused, as though unsure what to do with the money, before Kagome said, "She's just in disguise. I don't know why, but she's got her reasons. She's doing it out of necesity, she said."
After a few seconds of contemplation, Kei beckoned Kagome over to the bedside and placed the money in the overall pocket on her chest, somehow managing to do so in a platonic way. "Then I suppose the money's yours, Kagome. You certainly did right by this girl, in any case. You deserve something. Let's get this bullet out, shall we? Akago's fading out there, I'm sure."
"So...what are we gonna do about...ya know," Kagome trailed off, obviously referring to Gan's identity.
Sighing, Kei dipped his hands in the bucket of boiling water, seeming not to mind the heat, and drying them on a nearby towl. "We'll keep her secret the best we can."
With her demon strength, Nanashi easily turned Gan over and examined the bullet wound, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, baby, I think you can handle this one. I'm gonna go help the Shark outside, 'kay?"
Smiling slightly, Kei nodded and reached over to grab tweezers from the napkin while murmuring, "Okay, Kagome, I want you to get a rag ready. This is going to be a bit bloody..."
Sesshomaru, who'd been contemplating nothing in particular as he stared blankly at the beer in his right hand, felt a sort of vibrating next to him. He glanced over at Rin, who appeared to be shaking as she sat, legs together, bent over her knees. Sesshomaru sighed and placed his hand on the small of her back in reassurance, rubbing it in soothing circles. He knew this sort of violence bothered Rin, but he had little or no control over violence these days. It seemed to sneak up when he least expected it.
The door to the storage room opened and everyone glanced up, watching as Kagome and Kei came walking out of the room. Kei was toweling off his hands with a tired but relieved smile on his face, though Kagome's face held none of this joy. Her eyes were blank, pupils dilated, as she walked rather robotically towards the couch with her hands limp at her sides. Her shirt was covered in blood, Gan's blood, as were her arms. There were even red smears on her neck.
Inuyasha immediately leapt to his feet and hurried to Kagome's side, taking one of her pale hand in his as he wrapped an arm securely around her waist, never minding the blood. He was afraid she might fall if he didn't hold on to her. "Kagome?"
Kagome glanced up at her boyfriend, noting the concern in his voice, as her dead brown eyes met his amber ones. She began to shake, a motion which began at her knees and traveled up to her shoulders, until tears welled up in her eyes. "He...he...who would do that to a person? It almost hit his spine...almost..."
A choked sob issued from Kagome's mouth and Inuyasha realized the horrific nature of Gan's injuries had taken it's toll on his normally positive and cheerful girl. Without a word, he wrapped Kagome's in his arms, feeling the blood from her shirt beginning to soak his as well. Kagome let out another cry into his shoulder as her tears mixed with the blood, staining Inuyasha's shirt in a way that soap and water could never remove. The hanyou merely closed his eyes and held Kagome close to him, feeling a slight guilt enter his conscience as he thanked God the injury hadn't been hers.
"Kei?" Sesshomaru asked warily, standing to his feet as the ex-Fang leader approached.
"Never you mind, Sesshomaru, Gan will be fine. It's Akago I'm worried about," Kei said with a dismissive wave of his hand, glancing over at his wife as she continued her work on Akago's beaten body. "I should probably go offer my assistance."
"Yeah," Sesshomaru murmured quietly, feeling a sort of emptiness as Kei hurried over to assist Nanashi. The silver haired demon finally fell back on the couch, staring off into the distance as he silently thanked the Gods. However apathetic the Fang leader was famed to be, he was anything but. He had a startling weakness for his friends, of which Gan was included. He was glad the boy was alive. Now he only hoped Akago would pull through as well...though the odds were against them.
After almost an eternity of silence, during which couples held hands and everyone yearned for cigarettes, Nanashi came walking over with a tired expression on her normally youthful face. Her green eyes were dull and pained as she adressed the rag-tag group. "Well, I did my best. He'll live, but the recovery is probably going to be long and arduous. God knows I wish I could take him to a real hospital, but he's under enough heat after sellin' drugs to the whole city. In any case, we can't move either Akago or Gan anytime today. They'll have to spend the night and somebody's gotta be here with em. We've already made a choice."
The gang members exchanged weary glances, some desperately wanting to stay and others desperately wanting to leave. Nanashi continued after taking what appeared to be a much needed breath, "Kagome, you'll stay the night because you seem to have a grip on medicine more than the rest of you, no offense everyone. But she did extract a bullet from Gan's back."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, but Kei held up a hand and said sternly, "Inuyasha, don't say a word. Kagome is our choice and the only one we'll allow to stay the night. You may be friends of both Akago and Gan, but we are their doctors and privacy must be kept. Kagome is the only one currently in on that privacy and she will remain as such. Are we clear?"
When Kei used his authoritative lawyer voice, it was decidedly hard to disagree with him and Inuyasha only hung his head, murmuring a few curses as he kicked at the ground. "Fuck."
"The rest of you, go home. Something tells me the next few days will be a test of everyone's strength, physically, mentally and emotionally," Kei said wisely to the others, who exchanged glances before moving slowly towards the front of the warehouse.
Ayame began to part ways from Kouga to start her motorcycle, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. Kouga's ice blue eyes, serious as opposed to their usual playfulness, held her in place as he said quietly, "Stay with me tonight."
Ayame admitted to herself that being alone was a frightening prospect this night, especially with Naraku and his crazed, lunatic followers roaming the streets. She was, in the slightest chance, a danger to her siblings when inside her own house. Shivering slightly, the redhead nodded and took Kouga's offered hand, slipping on a helmet as she positioned herself on the back of his motorcycle. Somehow, not even a motorcycle ride through the city could lift her spirits this time.
Sango watched her friend go and, with a sigh, began wheeling Ayame's motorcycle inside the warehouse. In Ayame's desire to escape the stifling atmosphere, she'd almost completely forgotten her prized Yamaha in the gravel parking lot. The bike was quite obstinate against Sango's arms and she was having difficulty pushing the large bike across the gravel, but the task became much simpler as Miroku's hands appeared atop hers on the handle bars.
The boy managed a smile, however small and pathetic, as they positioned the Yamaha just inside the warehouse door. "If this bike got boosted, I'd die a little inside; I made the engine from scratch."
Sango's smile mirrored Miroku's, tired and sad. "I remember. It rained for a week straight and you barely even left except to get parts. Ayame said she'd owe you until the day she died."
"Yeah, well," Miroku said modestly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd probably do that for anyone in there, know what I mean?"
"Yeah," Sango breathed. "Too bad devotion couldn't put us there to save Akago and Gan."
The two fell silent once more until Miroku wrapped an arm around Sango's waist, walking her towards the car. "C'mon, we could use some sleep."
Kagome watched her friends leave in the cars and on the motorcycles, roaring off into the distance until all that remained was displaced gravel and a dust cloud. She could see Inuyasha looking out the back of Sesshomaru's Saleen, his amber eyes worried and glazed. Kagome held herself tighter until she could barely breathe. As much as she hated to make Inuyasha uneasy, she, Kei and Nanashi knew sitting anyone else in the warehouse for so long by a sleeping Gan would be trouble. If someone had to check the wound, they would undoubtedly discover something surprising, or rather, two round surprises on her chest.
After a moment of silence, Kagome walked quietly back inside the warehouse, preparing for a long night of paperwork. This night would be long and quiet. Or so she believed.
"But Tomo, I thought guns were dangerous."
Ikimasu Tomo glanced down at his stepdaughter, a free spirited girl of seven, and smiled in his quiet way. He was a striking man with stern features, the perfect, level-headed example of a Kyoto policeman. "We need guns Kagome. They're not just weapons; they are also symbols."
Kagome cocked her small head to the side, black pigtails glistening in the sunlight. "Symbols?"
"Symbols of our freedom," Tomo said. A breeze ruffled the trees surrounding the outdoor shooting range. Summer heat from the inlet had set in around the city. "A man without a gun is a subject, but a man with a gun is a citizen."
Kagome looked at the training gun in her hand, a small, black little device with a trigger. It was loaded with bee bees, as all training guns were. "Guns kill people, don't they?"
"A gun is only as good as the man who weilds it," Tomo said, black hair ruffling slightly with another breeze. "You can use your gun to kill or you can use it to protect. I use mine to protect."
Kagome looked up at her stepfather with wide eyes as she held the gun in her small, lily white hands. "But what if you have to kill to protect somebody?"
"I would do anything to protect the ones I love. When you are older, Kagome, you will understand," was Tomo's calm reply. He emanated complete and total placidness, an untouched lake.
Kagome looked down at the gun and back at Tomo, who was regarding the shooting range with a familiar smile. Finally, the young girl said, "Could I have used a gun to keep daddy from dying?"
.....
Kagome's eyes flashed open as she uttered a small gasp, startled by her recollective dream. She hadn't thought of her father or stepfather for almost the entire summer, yet the appeared together in one dream. Albeit, her father hadn't actually appeared, but his name was still there: daddy. Kagome sighed at her young naivete; a gun wouldn't have stopped her father from dying, though she might've wished it.
"Oh well, I would've needed a gun and a time machine to fix that," the girl muttered allowed to herself, glancing around the warehouse. She'd left the lights on, simply because a dark warehouse in the middle of the night would've led her to imagine all sorts of dark creatures lurking in the shadows. She was, after all, in grave danger these days.
Stretching, the girl glanced over at the kitchen where Akago's makeshift bed had been layed, glancing at the table. Her eyes widened momentarily.
Empty.
The raven haired girl rocketed out of her seat, overalls nearly tripping her as she looked frantically around; a sweat had already broken out on her brow. "Akago? Akago, where are you?" she called desperately, running towards the kitchen to see if he'd fallen off the table in his sleep.
The bloody sheet still remained, as did the instruments Nanashi had used to perform her numerous surgeries, but Akago was no where to be found. In a tizzy, Kagome whirled about and happened to catch sight of the storage room door; it was slightly ajar.
Kagome's blood frozen in her veins as her heart and stomach gave a lurch; this couldn't bode well. The girl crossed the distance between the kitchen and the storage room in less than two seconds and she threw open the door, met with a sight that would remain with her for the totality of her days on earth.
Akago Tsume stood quietly beside Gan's bed, white hair and skin stained with his own blood as stitches gave way and his limbs grew weak. He felt no pain, however, as he stared down at his second in command, crimson eyes hooded and leaking glassy tears in a steady stream. His shoulders were angled in such a way that he might've been mistaken for a scarecrow by an innocent bystander, upright and immobile. There were no thoughts in his normally busy mind, no emotions in his torn heart, no feelings in his battered body. Akago felt nothing as he stood there, staring into the cold eyes of betrayal.
The sheet covering Gan's body had been removed and was folded carelessly to the side. Kei and Kagome had placed Gan on her back, despite her injury, with a donut pillow surrounding the wound, but Kagome could now see this was a mistake. For the second time that day, there were those un-sexual breasts, looking completely unappetizing as they sat there atop Gan's torso, an unmistakable physical characteristic. Kagome's breath stopped for a moment and she wondered if it would ever start again; this was impossible. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. One million other things were supposed to happen before this. Why now? Why this way?
"I was...I was checking the wound," Akago said, voice dry and cracked as he choked out this meaningless confession.
Kagome could barely even nod as she felt tears coming to her own eyes. She suddenly felt ridiculous as she stood there in her overalls and red sports bra, hair messy and disheveled, pale face streaked with the day's pain and labor. None of the pain she felt could possibly compare to Gan's or Akago's. Gan hated keeping her secret, hated lying to the man she cared for the most, but she was forced to do it for some reason, a reason that couldn't be repeated. Akago had only trusted one person in his entire life and now, even he...she had betrayed him. Lied to him. Made a fool of him.
"Akago," came Kagome's tearful whisper. "She-"
"She what." Akago's chin nearly touched his chest and he began to shake, fists clenched in a trembling stiffness. "She WHAT?!"
His shout echoed around the room, breaking the defeaning silence and shattering what little resolve Kagome had left. She placed a hand over her mouth as yet more tears fell down her cheeks, cold and wet and lonely.
"Is it a joke? A big joke on me? Does everyone laugh at my expense, knowing that I walk around every day thinking my best friend is a man?" Akago hissed bitterly, his words bitten and tight.
"No," Kagome whispered brokenly, a sob escaping her lips as she closed her eyes. It was over; Gan's life here was over. "Only I know. Me and Kei and Nanashi."
She couldn't tell whether or not Akago was listening to her, whether or not he had digested any of the information, but she had a terrible feeling in her gut that nothing she might say could help him. He snorted, a soft sound in his throat, as he steadied himself on the side of Gan's bed. "I see. I suppose that you think I'll feel better knowing that."
When the albino man began to sway on his feet, Kagome took a tentative step forward, one hand outreached. "No, I know you won't. B-but please, Akago, please...she told me she didn't mean to stay but...but she couldn't leave...you."
Again, Akago said nothing for a moment. His crimson eyes, however blurry and tearful, could still make out those things, those breasts, the most ridiculous symbol of betrayal he'd ever witnessed. He'd seen Yakuza shoot each others wives, watched gang men steal from wallets, watched brother and sister sell each others secrets for money, but he'd been betrayed by breasts. He felt so stupid and ridiculous, so foolish. Four years, or was it five? How couldn't he have known? How couldn't he have had even the slightest idea?
"This person. This person here," Akago murmured. "Who is she? I know Gan the Gun, a boy, no, a man who kept me on my feet when I wanted to stop this nonsense and give my responsibilities to someone else. I wanted to take my sister to France, just the two of us...but Gan told me it didn't work that way. He told me that responsibility would never disappear and neither would my sense of obligation. And he was right. Gan was my voice of reason, my sanity, the one thing keeping me from turning into the next Naraku Onigumo...but who is this girl? What if my Gan never existed? What if the real Gan is this girl and everything else was just an act? If he was my sanity, does that make me...insane?"
Kagome found herself chilled to the bone as Akago turned to look at her, red eyes innocent and young as they spilled crystal tears. In that moment, Kagome could swear that she was a dead girl standing in the doorway with no blood pumping in her veins, no breath in her lungs. Just like Akago, she couldn't feel.
Kagome and Akago were rudely broken from their trance as the door in the warehouse slammed open, giving way to loud shouts and crashing footsteps. Akago's tears nearly frozen on his face as he took a tentative sniff of the air and whispered, "Dragons."
After her motionless minute, Kagome snapped into action and she narrowed her eyes, ordering curtly, "Stay in here, Akago, and don't leave. Cover Gan, they can't see her. I mean it, don't even think about leaving this room!"
As Kagome hurried out the door, she heard the swishing of the sheet as Akago covered Gan's body from view. Akago clenched his fists as he stood watch over Gan's body, not knowing if he was protecting this girl or simply frozen in place. It was a time of great danger, an infiltration of his ally's headquarters, and Akago couldn't defend himself. He was weak at this time, in all senses of the word; normally, Gan was there to aid him as a crutch in times of weakness. But now...Akago was weak alone.
When Kagome arrived in the main room, she was met with the sight of at least twenty Dragons, all of them armed to the teeth and giving off a rank odor. They were standing in no particular pattern around the back area, obviously uninterested in the cars and motorcycles near the front. Each and every one of the intruders was staring impassively at Kagome, who couldn't deny the fear creeping up in her stomach. But there was something else along with that fear.
Anger.
Red hot fire filled Kagome's gaze as she watched the Dragons, standing in their black jackets, greasy haired and loaded with weapons, encroaching upon Fang turf. It was a bold move, no doubt, and Kagome was almost surprised by their gaul, but she remembered irately that these were the same kind of men who attacked her in the alley. They obviously had little self-respect, or they wouldn't have allied themselves with Naraku and his madness. It was clear now that Ryuukoytsusei was no longer calling the shots for a good portion of the Dragons. Many of them had allied themselves completely with the Spiders.
"Who the hell do you think you are, coming in here?!" Kagome demanded hotly, narowing her eyes at the seemingly apathetic Dragons.
Unfazed, the leader of the group, a dark haired panther demon with waist length dread locks, stepped forward with a six shooter in each hand. "We'll do as we please. You're coming with us."
"What? Like hell I am!" came Kagome's biting reply. She clenched her fists, feeling nails digging into her palms even as she stood there. Her mind was racing as she tried to remember where the nearest gun was, but she realized that starting a gun fight with twenty armed fighters was ridiculous. It would only be a short time before one of them would land a shot right in her heart. Looking wildly around, she realized there weren't exits for at least fifty feet. She would never make it, especially pitted against demons in a footrace.
The leader began walking slowly forward, chains and zippers jingling as he did so. His boot steps were heavy on the floor, almost mimicking Kagome's heartbeat as her mouth grew dry. The only reasons the others had allowed her to stay the night in the warehouse alone was because nothing like this had ever happened in gang history. Gangs simply didn't invade other warehouses. It wasn't done and the very thought was considered extremely bold, at least warranting a murder or two. Intruding on another gang's turf was unspeakeable as it was; who would've ever thought that Naraku would actually order his men to step foot in the Fang headquarters?
"You gonna come quietly?" the Dragon asked, looking as apathetic as ever; his burgundy eyes still held no emotion.
Kagome silently weighed her options. If she made a fuss, it would take longer for the Dragons to leave the warehouse and that was bad. If they lingered, some of them might raise their noses above the grease and smell Akago and Gan, which would just bring more problems. They were too dimwitted to wonder why Kagome was in the warehouse alone at this time of night and none of them seemed to care. They were simply following orders. If Kagome went quickly and quietly, they would all leave with her. Naraku had sent 20 men in hopes that a surplus amount of soldiers would finally do the trick. He was tired of the South evading him.
"Yes," came Kagome's tight reply.
The Dragon stopped momentarily, as though surprised, but he finally murmured, "Lock your hands behind your back and walk."
Kagome did as she was told and, just as she'd imagined, the other Dragons walked in a clump around them, exiting the warehouse through the small front door. Despite her current situation, Kagome felt relieved the minute the last Dragon stepped foot outside on the gravel parking lot floor. The less time they spent in the headquarters the better.
The dread-locked Dragon said curtly, "I'm carrying you. Don't move around unless you want to get thrown off."
Kagome just nodded, displeased by this arrangement but eager to get the Dragons away from the warehouse. The Dragon threw Kagome crudely over his shoulder, refraining from placing his hands anywhere perverted. Kagome was pleasantly surprised, in a wry sort of way, but she felt all sarcasm leave her as the Dragon began sprinting away from the warehouse. Somehow, as much as she wanted to draw these bastards away, Kagome had an unquenchable desire to charge back within the safety of those cheap tin walls. A tear escaped the corner of her eye as she suddenly imagined Inuyasha's handsome face, smiling and winking at her on a warm summer's day. Just thinking about his warm amber eyes made her think of home. And now she was leaving home, not knowing if she would even see home again.
Inside the warehouse, Akago was laying back on the couch, his eyes closed as he waited tiredly for Sesshomaru to pick up his cell phone. The Shark leader, however distrssed at that moment, knew what to do in such an emergency and he had little time to dally with his broken heart. Now it was time to get back to business.
"Hello?" a sleep voice finally answered.
"Sesshomaru," Akago practically choked. "Kagome's been kidnapped."
Woo buddy, this was a long chapter and probably not to your liking; sorry about that. Lots of Gan and Akago, not so much other folk, but God knows I tried my hardest there at the end. There's lots of Kagome, yay! We're getting into some pretty deep shizat now, so everyone hold onto your hats.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and don't forget to send me little profiles if you want to be a character in the next Fangs story. When the summer is over, the other gang members return and we'll meet a few. In your profile, tell me what you look like and which Wildcat you'd like to follow. Each of the core members has a following and you get to pick whether its Rin, Ayame, Sango or Kagome.
Sorry if Akago's stuff was off the wall, but it was kinda badass too. I like writing stuff in japanese, it makes me feel cool, haha.
Translation of Akago's incantation: Wing of dove, blood of heart, scar of hate, cleft of earth, pearl of youth, salt of sea, release this power to my device.
Okay, well I leave you now. Leave a review at the beep. BEEP.
KOLU
*!*!*!*
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch, unconciously twisting his magnificent silver mane into a bun at the top of his head. The heat was absolutely smoldering and he could feel sweat dripping down his back, staining the couch as he sat there. Supposedly, this day set a record in Tokyo history for the hottest day recorded in July, a Saturday no less. Sesshomaru wished it might've come at a different time, as he was currently trying to bring an important meeting to order; the fact that the burning sun would most likely distract everyone was null and void. This was an important gathering.Tentatively, the Fang leader cracked open one golden eye and examined those around him; Kouga and Ayame were sitting beside one another on the couch to his right, refusing to touch one another in the 107 degree weather. Rin sat beside him, fanning herself as a drop of sweat rolled down her brow. Ranbou seemed to be asleep as Hakkaku, who sat beside his leader, twiddled his thumbs nervously. Bankotsu seemed impervious to the heat and completely unaffected, if not for the absence of his shirt, though Hiten seemed to be struggling mightily as he too attempted to do something more cooling with his heavy black hair.
Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru sat forward and allowed his eyes to roam around the circle for the second time. Finally, he murmured, "Where are Akago and Gan?"
Several glances were exchanged around the circle before Ayame replied, "I haven't seen them since this morning."
Kouga narrowed his own eyes, muttering, "They went out to lunch, said they'd be back in time."
This, however, didn't ease Sesshomaru's nerves; Akago and Gan were never late to anything. Ever. "Someone call them."
Rin shrugged and withdrew her cell phone, only to be violently cut off as shouting erupted from the front of the warehouse. Wrenches clattered to the floor and urgent footsteps sprinted outside, crunching on the gravel, as yelling orders broke the summer silence. Rin and Sesshomaru exchanged glances before rising and hurrying to see to the melee. Kouga gulped; his bad gut feeling was validated. He could barely make out Akago Tsume carrying the limp body of Gan the Gun on his back, blood trickling down both bodies in a startling contrast on pale skin. Obviously lunch hadn't gone well.
*!*!*!*
One Hour Prior"Oh God, are you mixing your macarroni and cheese with your corn now? You are. That's disgusting, Akago, thank you for reminding me why I hate eating with you.
Akago laughed heartily as Gan scrunched up his stately face, violet eyes twinkling even as he made a grunting sound. His pale cheeks had grown slightly red and green around the edges as he watched his leader eating, mixing together everything on his plate without discrimination. Akago's crimson eyes seemed to dance as he took a forkful of the macarroni, corn, broccoli and mashed potatoes, holding it at a threateningly close distance from Gan's nose.
"Look, Gan! Fully four different foods on one fork!"
Gan leaned backwards against the booth, nose wrinkled with distaste. "Ugh, gross! They separate them on the plate for a reason, you know! Congratulations on making a perfectly good meal look like...like...sheep vomit!"
Distracted momentarily, Akago furrowed his brow and replied dazedly, "Did you say sheep vomit? Where on earth did you come up with that analogy?"
Gan was too busy inching away from the outstretched fork to truly bother with his answer. "Well, grass, acids, sheep wool, they're the same colors, anyway."
It was Akago's turn to scrunch up his nose as he replaced his fork on his plate, murmuring, "I think I've lost my appetite."
Gan smirked and allowed his shoulders to relax, shrugging off his Shark's jacket and readjusting his arms inside his baggy black shirt. "That's right, take that! Can't eat your disgusting home-made casserole now, can you?"
Akago smiled as his second picked up his own meal of a medium-rare hamburger, eating it rather daintily with small bites and the dabbing of a napkin. In all the time Akago had known Gan, the boy ate politely and used excellent table manners, a fact which seemed rather misplaced. Of course, Akago knew Gan was polite in absolutely everything he did, save a few moments when he'd taken it upon himself to discipline unruly Sharks with his fists like a street thug. Normally he could silence them with mere strong words, but othertimes he had to resort to common violence. Akago smiled at the irony of his thoughts; he who lived the life of a low class gang leader, was calling himself common and a number of other unsavory terms inadvernantly. Of course, he knew what he was and he enjoyed it. A guilty pleasure, he supposed.
Gan's voice disturbed Akago's thoughts as he blinked and refocused on his second in command, who was chewing thoughtfully as he spoke. "I've noticed a change in Ryuukoytsusei."
The topic was spur-of-the-moment, but heavy, the sort of thing Gan picked out of the air at random to talk about over lunch. Akago was used to these sudden changes in conversation and shrugged. "What kind of change?"
"He's just seemed less like an animal," Gan replied, shrugging his own thin shoulders as he glanced up at Akago with large violet eyes.
Akago seemed to consider this for a moment before he replied, "Well, I've had my own thoughts about that lately. And I don't want to seem ridiculous or like I'm pulling this out of the air, so just go with me, alright?" Gan nodded as he chewed, open to any ideas his leader could come up with. Akago continued, "I think he might be in love."
Gan felt the hamburger turning to ash in his mouth as he looked up at Akago, who was glancing wistfully out the window at the beach. "Ryuu? In love? Akago, that is absolutely the most revolting thing I've heard all day and I wish you'd waited to pop that out until after lunch."
Pretending not to notice Gan's disgust, Akago continued, "He's displaying all the symptoms of love, really. Trailing off in the middle of sentences, growing increasingly un-violent, questioning his personal identity."
"Questioning his personal identity? When the hell did he do that?"
"In any case, I think he's pretty far gone. The question is this: far gone on who?" Akago murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Gan's face was the picture of sourness. "On whom actually and I'm still not convinced that anything 'lovely' is going on in his sick, bloodthirsty mind. What exactly gave you this idea?"
"I told you, he exhibits the symptoms," Akago replied as though it were obvious.
This only elicited a sigh from Gan, who massaged his forehead plantively. "The symptoms. Right." Deciding he wasn't going to dissuade his leader, Gan threw out, "What about one of the Vixens? Maybe one of them?"
"I don't think the Vixens' own parents love them, Gan, that's a ridiculous idea," Akago replied with a snort of derision.
Gan nodded mildly before saying, "Well, one of the Wildcats then? That would definitely be trouble, but just in case..."
"Perhaps," Akago mused before continuing, "Or he could love someone else in the North, not one of the Vixens, but-"
"Hold on, now," Gan interrupted quickly, holding up a hand. "Everyone else in the North is male. Are you insinuating that Ryuukoytsusei is gay?"
"Gay as in happy or gay as in homosexual?" Akago responded with innocent eyes, earning an eye roll from his second in command.
"I'll assume you were being facetious just now and chalk that up to 'gay as in homosexual.' I hardly think Ryuu is gay." Gan's nose scrunched a few inches upwards for the umpteenth time during that lunch period, causing Akago to raise his carefully sculpted eyebrows.
"What, is there something wrong with being gay?" the Shark leader asked.
Gan blinked blankly, leaning unconciously forward. "A-Akago? Are you...what are you saying?"
It took Akago a moment before he was able to follow Gan's train of thought and he immediately burst out, "No, no, I'm not gay, no, that's not what I'm saying you little twit. I was more, um, wondering if maybe...you know...you..." He trailed off here, regarding Gan with expectant crimson eyes, eyebrows creased slightly in the center.
The blush which spread across Gan's cheeks caused Akago to smother another laugh as the boy gathered himself with dignity, replying starchly, "I have not been, am not, and never will be a homosexual. I am straight as an arrow, thank you."
"I was joking, Gan, joking," Akago replied with a chuckle, eyes twinkling to show that it had, indeed, been a joke. Gan blushed even more furiously as the dread began leaving the pit of his stomach. For a single, solitary moment, he wondered if, after years of concealing his identity, Akago might've found out his secret and was trying to confront him about it. That would be awful, if he mistakenly thought I was crossdressing because I was really gay. Then I would never have a chance...not that I have one now or anything, or that I could ever-
Gan found his thoughts violently interrupted as Akago tensed against the table, nearly causing one of the water glasses to tip. The man's crimson eyes, once playful, were now narrowed suspiciously, a few strands of white hair escaping his braid and fluttering across his severe face. Gan narrowed his own eyes in confusion. "Akago? What's wrong?"
It took Akago a few moments to respond and he drew in a breath, replying in a surprisingly level tone, "We're surrounded on all sides by people who wish us ill. They're at almost every exit and entrance in this restaurant."
The blood drained quickly from Gan's flushed face, leaving it a pale white, and he tightened his grip on the table's edge. He knew they wouldn't reside in peace for long and it had already been three days since the previous attack; obviously Naraku was ready to finish the job. Gan knew the Spider leader was bitter about the Sharks' departure, not because of loyalty or something as ridiculous as that, but because Gan was their key to unlocking the secret of their mysterious guns. Obviuosly, Naraku was a victim of the "if I can't know, no one can" mentality. Gan's stomach gave a leap; Naraku's men must be there to kill him.
"Shit. I should've known," Gan muttered to himself.
Akago noticed the look in Gan's violet eyes and said quietly, "The guns. I'm glad we're on a similar train of thought. In that case, we better go quickly because I can't afford to lose you and I mean that on several levels."
Gan's breath caught in his throat as he met Akago's eyes, wondering if such a comment could possibly validate his deepest desire. Yet Akago was up and moving before Gan could truly decode his leader's mysterious gaze and, soon, the boy found his small wrist encompassed by Akago's lily white hand. "Don't freeze up on me, Gan, we've got to move. What's worse, we need to move it away from all of these innocent people."
Snapping back to life, Gan glanced around the diner at the numerous filled booths, some with blithely laughing children, and he gulped; he certainly didn't want these nice people caught up in his fight.
After throwing down cash on the table, enough to consitute the payment and a generous tip, Akago drug Gan towards the back and the two made their way quickly through the kitchen, trying to ignore the outraged shouts of the cook as they ran. Soon, they'd exited the restaurant and were running through the back alley, listening as footsteps followed at their backs. Gan turned momentarily to look behind them and found seven Dragons at their back, all looking ready to initiate and finish a fight. Letting out a curse, Gan was about to face forward when he came to an abrupt halt, Akago's strong arm catching him in the chest. The boy felt his breath escaping in a breeze; there were another seven Dragons at their front.
The Dragons quickly formed a circle around the leader and his second, several of them cracking their knuckles and preparing for a fight. Gan and Akago moved until they were back to back, both noticing the other's inevitably quickened hearbeat. "Gan?"
"Yes?"
"If you have a chance to run, take it. If it get's bad enough, I'll have to resort to Satsu-hakucho. Then you really must leave. Do you understand?" the albino man replied smoothly, a passing ocean breeze ruffling his snow white braid and bangs.
Gan's eyes widened visibly at his leader's instructions and he nearly turned to regard him when he remembered the 14 Dragons surrounding them on all sides. The violet-eyed boy knew quite well what this "Satsu-hakucho" was and he'd only seen it used once. It was the manifestation of Akago's mind reading abilities, which the demon released in the most dire of fights. Everytime he released the Satsu-hakucho, which allowed him to access abilities such as telekenisis and teleportation, his internal organs grew significantly weaker. The strain on his body, though he was demon, was just too much.
"Absolutely not, Akago, you're not using Satsu-hakucho, no matter how bad this gets," the boy protested, teeth gritted as he removed a pistol from his jacket's inside pocket. "I'll kill them all myself."
"Do and I'll dismiss you!" Akago replied harshly, crimson eyes flickering dangerously.
Gan cowered slightly at the words; Akago had never threatened him with such a sentence, but he knew the leader spoke the truth. Quietly, the boy cocked back the gun and said, "Fine. But I won't just leave if-"
"You will do as your told, Gan! This is a direct order!" Akago snarled, shaking his head furiously as he released his claws with a chink. Several of the Dragons exchanged glances, for Akago Tsume was not known to release his claws, as he found it particularly brutal and violent. Being torn apart with demon claws was a terrible way to die, he believed, but obviously this situation warranted strict measures.
"Enough talk," one of the Dragons growled shortly. "We have orders from Naraku to kill you."
"Since when did Dragons take orders from Naraku?" Gan asked confusedly, raising the gun to a ready position as the remainder of the Dragons released their claws and readied their weapons.
"That's none of your business, Gun," the Dragon replied, obviously uninterested by Gan's confusion.
Without another word, this so-called leader raised his grimy claws and charged forward only to be met with a stun-bullet in his arm. He staggered momentarily on his feet, only to find himself falling forward against the apathetic shoulder of Gan the Gun. The Dragon groaned and fell lifelessly to the ground as the stunning-solution circulated throughout his bloodstream, rendering him paralyzed and unconcious. Gan's face grew eerily pleased, a dangerous glimmer sparkling in his violet eyes as a small smile lighted his face.
"Who's next?"
The other Dragons took this as their cue to charge and they did so eagerly, more wary than their leader had been of Gan's impressive marksmanship. Before Gan could blink, the demons were upon him and at too close range for gun usage; he'd forgotten the many disadvantages to being human. Releasing another violent curse, the boy aimed a swift kick at one Dragon's gut and pushed his momentum into the hit, swinging himself around full circle to catch the Dragon the his right with a foot in the face. Both victims grunted but soon retaliated, aided by the third Dragon, as they all turned on Gan and began throwing their heavy fists weightedly around.
Behind Gan, Akago was fending off the other ten Dragons, who had formed a second circle around him and were eagerly taking turns attacking him in threes. Akago grunted as someone caught him in the jaw with a well executed uppercut and again as a passing leg crashed into his gut. The Shark leader flew sideways, managing to catch himself on the alley wall; breathing heavily, he turned to observe this particular assailant, who grinned sadistically, flexing his arms. By the green tint of his skin, Akago was able to identify this man as Kawazu, the Frog Demon Fighter. Though Akago had never personally dealt with the man, he'd heard tale of Kawazu, who could dispatch of a man with a single kick.
Before Akago could analyze this any further, Kawazu was upon him again, moving with the fascinating agility of his namesake. Akago defended himself admirably, managing to dodge every kick aimed his way. This isn't so bad, he thought to himself, ducking to avoid another deadly leg, I could fend him off for a while, I think.
But it wasn't to be. A startled shout alerted Akago's attention to Gan, who flew backwards into the alley wall with a disgusting "thud." The boy slid downward, cradling one of his arms which was not only bleeding profusely from Kaijinbo's still fresh claw wounds, but also bent strangely near the shoulder. Three Dragons surrounded Gan's fallen body, obviously preparing to finish the job.
"Gan!" Akago shouted, making as though to rush to the boy's aid.
A rough snort interrupted his flight. "Never look away, Tsume."
Fire ripped through Akago's chest as a powerful leg caught him sharply in the upper torso, stealing his breath and ability to move in one fell swoop. Akago gasped, unable to scream as an unbearable pain engulfed him; tears squeezed from his eyes as lay on the concrete, begging the atmosphere for air. He began to cough, a wretching sort of hack, which propelled blood from his mouth, leaving some to drip down his pale white face as more stained the brick of the alley wall. No, he thought blankly as his vision began to fade. He could almost hear someone screaming his name, though it hardly mattered now. I can't die like this. I can't have been made just to die like this. There has to be more for me. Besides, Gan...He coughed again, this time bringing vomit with it.
As Akago threw up on the alley floor, preparing for one of the Dragons to deliver to final blow, he thought to himself, So we were wrong. They can't have wanted Gan, or I would've been fending off three and him ten, not vice versa. They were most definitely after me, if not both of us. Damn, there's so much blood...that kick must've torn the wall of my lung. I suppose this time I really will die. The both of us have cheated death for all these years...not this time. I can still feel Gan's life force pulsing; he's alive and not about to die any time soon. Once I'm dead, he'll just shoot these bastards. I can die in peace without using the Satsu-Hakucho.
As Akago fell to the ground, gasping and coughing with a gross wetness in his throat, Gan felt a scream tearing through his throat. "No! Akago!" Though Gan had thought himself unable to move, a sudden power encapsulated in his legs and he pushed himself to his feet, withdrawing the pistol from his jacket pocket. He knew Akago had ordered him not to kill the fourteen assailants, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Tears sprang unbidden to Gan's eyes as he cocked back the released and delivered three perfectly aimed shots, all into the heart of a Dragon assailant. I won't care if he dismisses me as long as he's still alive.
Gan had no time to observe the dead bodies of his opponents and only turned to the side, holding the pistol shakily in his left hand. With his right hand out of commission, he only had one shooting hand left and his aim wasn't nearly as good. There were ten Dragons surrounding Akago's fallen body and one of them was holding a pistol, preparing to deliver the final shot. No.
The breath caught in Gan's throat as he pushed himself to his feet, running with the force of twenty bullets, all crashing down upon one point in space.
No. He can't...
The strength with which Gan broke through the circle of Dragons could only be attributed to the desperation squeezing his body together, the burning in his chest, the burning red which engulfed his mind, making it impossible for him to see or think.
No. He can't...
Gan was vaguely aware of the sharp sound of a shot as it tore through the alleyway, accompanied shortly by a burning in his lower back; he knew the bullet had impacted the left side of the flesh protecting his spine, most likely striking the Iliac Crest in his pelvic bone. It didn't really matter, he realized, as he fell to the ground, blood flowing freely from numerous cuts on his body, including those on his arm, many on his stomach, and the new one on his back. It might've looked poetic, streaming red against the brick black of the city, but no one who cared could see it.
No. He can't die.
Gan lay there, life draining out of him and taking his senses with it. He couldn't see or hear, couldn't smell or feel. All he really senationalize was that resounding mantra in his head. He can't die, he can't die. If I'm not alive to save him, he'll die. He can't die without knowing the truth. Gan the Gun was never real...this life has been a fantasy. Please forgive me, Akago. I could never tell you...now we'll die together and you'll find the truth in the afterlife.
But Gan found himself cut short. A pulse thundered through his chest, followed by another. It was like a giant's heartbeat, loud, full and enraged, alive in its own right. Though his sense of physical feel was dead, Gan knew another tear had slipped down his cheek as Misaki found her way to the surface, rekindling in death. That pulse could only mean one thing and Misaki remembered it well from the only other time she'd seen it. Akago, you didn't.
Akago couldn't say what took over him as he lay there, watching Gan crash to the ground in a heap as blood streamed out behind him like life strings. He couldn't remember the thoughts which ran through his head, nor the rage and emptiness he felt; feeling had lost its fulfillment and Akago was past self-satisfaction at this point, past the notion of feeling just to seem alive. Thoughts and feelings meant nothing as he whispered, "Hato, chuushin, zouo, chikyuu, seinen...," beginning the incantation to relase the Satsu-Hakucho. If Gan lived, he could die a murderer with blood on his hands at will. The Satsu-Hakucho was cruel, but letting Gan die was much crueler.
"Umi no shio no shinju no sakeme no kizu no chi no tsubasa ha watashi no souchi ni." Akago rose to his feet, body engulfed by an eerie silver light as the wounds on his body began to slow in their relentless bleeding, diminishing to nothing but a mere trickle. The Dragons had realized, at this point, that something in this situation had taken a turn for the worst. Several turned and began to flee, dropping their weapons without a thought, but they didn't get far.
"Kono chikara wo kaihou SURU!"
A pulsing emmited from this last word, sending waves of power through the alleyway and startling the remainder of the Dragons into motion. Kawazu let loose with a mighty jump, which sent him some twenty feet into the air as though he meant to flee. A force seemed to interrupt his flight and he glanced down, wide-eyed, at Akago Tsume, who's left hand was pocketed and right hand was outstretched, fingers clenching as it controlled Kawazu's movements. Without another word, Kawazu the Frog Demon Fighter met his end as he crashed into the top of a brick building, body exploding like a broken garbage bag upon impact.
The other Dragons had begun to run quickly from the scene of the crime, though they were jerked backwards as power clung to their jackets and up through their necks.
"Hijouni atsui shibou."
The eight Dragons caught in this assault spontaneously burst into flame, fire sprouting from the skin and licking their hair, melting the flesh from their bones as they screamed in agony. It was no normal fire which consumed them, but they died in a twenty second hell. As burning bodies fell in charred corpses to the alley floor, Akago turned his attention to the last of the Dragons, who he'd neglected to include in his hijouni atsui shibou.
"Chiri."
The Dragon didn't even utter a sound as his body turned to dust from the head down to his toes, leaving his clothes behind in a crumpled mess on the alley floor. The dust blew away on the wind along with flame and blood, which collected there from Akago's many murders.
Aching had begun to encompass Akago's gut and he realized it stemmed not from Kawazu's kick, but from the extended use of his Satsu-hakucho. "Watashi wo kaihou shinasai."
The pulsing stopped abruptly as the glow began to slowly dissipate, leaving in its wake an Akago stained with blood and pain. The white haired boy felt the organs inside his chest give a groan and he sighed, breath hitching as the severity of the kick inflicted on his lungs returned. "Shit."
He managed to stumble over to Gan, who was immobile and cold as he lay there on the ground. Though Akago knew it would most likely take years of his life, he knew that both their survivals depended on his ability to make it to Fang headquarters. The effects of the Satsu-Hakucho hadn't completely worn off and Akago bent down, clutching his hands around Gan's wrists and managing to half pull him onto his back. Praying to Kami that he still had the power left in him, Akago murmured one last incantation, the incantation of teleportation.
"Hae."
*!*!*!*
Present timeSesshomaru and Rin stood stock still, staring aghast as Akago barely met eyes with them before collapsing on the ground, blood pooling around both his and Gan's bodies as their lives practically trickled away. Rin found herself practically unable to move as she stood there, blood frozen and mind blank; who in their right minds could inflict such damage on two people like this? It was mortifying the conditions they were in, but she couldn't even manage the twitch of a finger.
It was a mere moment later when Sesshomaru shouted, "Inuyasha, call Kei and Nanashi and tell them to hurry, we've probably got less than half an hour before they're both dead."
Inuyasha had been standing on the outside of the circle with Kagome, both of them covered in grease from a cracked oil compartment. His normally white hair was smudged comically with black, but everything within a ten mile radius seemed to have lost it's humor in that moment. The hanyou could feel Kagome tense beside him as she stared, open mouthed, at Akago and Gan's seemingly dead bodies. He could only grab her hand in his, squeezing it tightly as he withdrew his cell phone and hurriedly dialed that all too familiar number, one which reminded him of suffering and pain.
"Kei, it's Inuyasha. Gan and Akago are here and they're beaten the fuck up, like about to die. They're bleedin' everywhere, you gotta hurry!"
"We're on our way," was the only response Inuyasha got before the line went dead and he relayed the information to his brother.
Sesshomaru nodded vaguely as Inuyasha's alert met his ears and he bent down, examining Gan and Akago's bodies while trying to remain objective in all senses of the word. A gunshot to Gan, along with the assorted cuts and bruises, while Akago seemed to be suffering from not only external but internal injuries. Obviously, this wouldn't be your run of the mill fix.
By the time Kei and Nanashi had arrived, Kagome had realized something very important about this situation; from the look of Gan's shirt, he's been cut not only in the back but the front. This would mean the removal of his shirt and the discovery of his binding bandages, which would then lead to the unwinding of the bandages and the discovery of his womanhood. Kagome knew that, even if such a situation as this, Gan wouldn't want anyone to know; it was his darkest secret and obviously meant to be kept until he was ready to leave Tokyo. As the only one who knew about Gan's true identity, Kagome felt it was her responsibility to help protect her friend from all those who continued without knowing.
In kind, Kagome met Kei and Nanashi in the parking lot of the warehouse when they arrived in Kei's Mercedes, dressed in simple t-shirts and jeans to celebrate their weekends, which were cut short by this incident. Kei's golden hair swung slightly in the wind as he stepped out of the car, green eyes hard with the seriousness of this attack. Nanashi's similarly carefree blue eyes were likewise worried, red curls looking oddly happy surounding the face of someone so sad.
"Kei, Nanashi, I need to tell you something, it's very important. You have to treat Gan away from the others," Kagome said hurriedly, whispering to conceal her message from the demons inside, who would hear her when she spoke at a normal level even from their distance.
Kei paused slightly, prepared to go charging inside the warehouse at any moment. "What? Away from the others?"
"What are you on about?" Nanashi replied, likewise confused and irritated that this girl was keeping them from their job.
"Please, trust me, Gan would give anything to be treated in a separate room," Kagome pleaded, voice so desperate that Kei felt inclined to meet eyes with her. Kagome's brown orbs were dull with desire for the fulfillment of this ridiculous request and he faltered, knowing he couldn't refuse her. Not an honest person like Kagome, especially when she asked like that.
"Done," Kei replied shortly. "Go get the storage room ready, Kagome."
Without a word, Kagome nodded and turned on her heels, sprinting inside the warehouse as her loose-legged overalls fluttered around her. Nanashi and Kei didn't even hesitate as they ran inside the warehouse, stopping at the bodies and assessing them quickly. They began issuing orders, which added to the surreal atmosphere as the others scurried to do their bidding, boiling water on the stove, searching for needles, tongs, and clean rags. The warehouse was a flurry of motion, everyone moving in a molasses-slow world as they mindlessly followed orders. Had their lives really come to this? Had they really been reduced to mere violence? What would become of this world they'd created, this perfectly imperfect world?
As Kagome cleared everything off the table in the storage room and laid down blankets in their place, she felt a sort of numbness take hold of her and she succumbed to it, feeling nothing as she ran outside to help carry pots of boiling water back and forth between the storage room and the lounge area, the table of which had been transformed into a make-shift bed for Akago.
Inuyasha happened to catch sight of Kagome's sightless eyes as she ran past, face a picture of apathy. It hurt his heart to see her in such a state, physically hurt him, but he couldn't possibly stop to help; he was in charge of sterilizing tongs in the boiling water and transporting them to the storage room. Everyone had their jobs and they couldn't stop, if only to help a loved one. They were already helping loved ones...
So who would help the rest of them?
*!*!*!*
Never in his life had Kei found breasts less sexual than when his wife unbuttoned the shirt of Gan the Gun and unwraveled the bandages beneath. There they were, two mounds of useless fat, crowned by pink nipples and soft areolas. They weren't abnormally large, in Kei's opinion, but the size wasn't exactly of top priority in this matter.He, Kagome and Nanashi were the only ones allowed in the storage room, for Nanashi had spit out some excuse about sterilization and forbade the others to enter. Kagome's eyes had warned him outside the warehouse that her reason for separating Gan was valid, but he'd never expected something quite like this. Not in this situation, anyway; for Kei, this wasn't exactly a surprise.
No one said anything for a moment as Kagome stared glumly at the floor, like a child who'd been discovered sneaking cookies from the counter and Nanashi stared close-mouthed at Gan's breasts, which were still not sexual. Perhaps they were simply un-sexual breasts, though Nanashi was fairly sure the sexuality of said breasts had to do with the fact that she'd never imagined them on a man before. And she'd thought Gan the Gun was a man. But he wasn't. He was a she.
"Oh, fuck," Nanashi whined, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing her wallet; she could already vaguely make out Kei's serene smile from across the table. She held out a bill towards her husband.
"Thank you, dear," Kei said smugly, placing the offered bill in his jean pocket.
Kagome watched the exchange blankly, without a thought in her head, before she tentatively squeaked, "Um...what?"
Kei glanced over at the girl with a twinkle in his green eyes, murmuring, "An age old bet, girl. The minute we met that boy, I popped out, 'he's very feminine. Maybe he's a crossdresser.' And look; he is."
Afte a momentary silence, Kagome said quietly, "Um, he's not a crossdresser."
Nanashi gave a shout of triumph holding out her hand and demanding the money back. Kei sighed and did as he was bid. "I told you," Nanashi gloated, "He was gay, not a crossdresser."
But Kagome spoke up again, hands folded in front as she blushed furiously; this was incredibly awkward. "Um, he's not gay either. I mean, she's not gay."
Kei and Nanashi paused, as though unsure what to do with the money, before Kagome said, "She's just in disguise. I don't know why, but she's got her reasons. She's doing it out of necesity, she said."
After a few seconds of contemplation, Kei beckoned Kagome over to the bedside and placed the money in the overall pocket on her chest, somehow managing to do so in a platonic way. "Then I suppose the money's yours, Kagome. You certainly did right by this girl, in any case. You deserve something. Let's get this bullet out, shall we? Akago's fading out there, I'm sure."
"So...what are we gonna do about...ya know," Kagome trailed off, obviously referring to Gan's identity.
Sighing, Kei dipped his hands in the bucket of boiling water, seeming not to mind the heat, and drying them on a nearby towl. "We'll keep her secret the best we can."
With her demon strength, Nanashi easily turned Gan over and examined the bullet wound, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Well, baby, I think you can handle this one. I'm gonna go help the Shark outside, 'kay?"
Smiling slightly, Kei nodded and reached over to grab tweezers from the napkin while murmuring, "Okay, Kagome, I want you to get a rag ready. This is going to be a bit bloody..."
*!*!*!*
Inuyasha leaned back against the couch and sighed, ticking away the minutes in his head. Kagome and Kei had been extracting the bullet from Gan's back for the past thirty minutes while Nanashi performed makeshift, albeit impressive, surgery on Akago in the kitchen. When they'd done all the could do, the others took to sitting quietly in the lounge area, drinking beers in silence. They were nervous, awkward, and didn't know how to handle this situation. Perhaps the gangs hadn't prepared them for everything after all.Sesshomaru, who'd been contemplating nothing in particular as he stared blankly at the beer in his right hand, felt a sort of vibrating next to him. He glanced over at Rin, who appeared to be shaking as she sat, legs together, bent over her knees. Sesshomaru sighed and placed his hand on the small of her back in reassurance, rubbing it in soothing circles. He knew this sort of violence bothered Rin, but he had little or no control over violence these days. It seemed to sneak up when he least expected it.
The door to the storage room opened and everyone glanced up, watching as Kagome and Kei came walking out of the room. Kei was toweling off his hands with a tired but relieved smile on his face, though Kagome's face held none of this joy. Her eyes were blank, pupils dilated, as she walked rather robotically towards the couch with her hands limp at her sides. Her shirt was covered in blood, Gan's blood, as were her arms. There were even red smears on her neck.
Inuyasha immediately leapt to his feet and hurried to Kagome's side, taking one of her pale hand in his as he wrapped an arm securely around her waist, never minding the blood. He was afraid she might fall if he didn't hold on to her. "Kagome?"
Kagome glanced up at her boyfriend, noting the concern in his voice, as her dead brown eyes met his amber ones. She began to shake, a motion which began at her knees and traveled up to her shoulders, until tears welled up in her eyes. "He...he...who would do that to a person? It almost hit his spine...almost..."
A choked sob issued from Kagome's mouth and Inuyasha realized the horrific nature of Gan's injuries had taken it's toll on his normally positive and cheerful girl. Without a word, he wrapped Kagome's in his arms, feeling the blood from her shirt beginning to soak his as well. Kagome let out another cry into his shoulder as her tears mixed with the blood, staining Inuyasha's shirt in a way that soap and water could never remove. The hanyou merely closed his eyes and held Kagome close to him, feeling a slight guilt enter his conscience as he thanked God the injury hadn't been hers.
"Kei?" Sesshomaru asked warily, standing to his feet as the ex-Fang leader approached.
"Never you mind, Sesshomaru, Gan will be fine. It's Akago I'm worried about," Kei said with a dismissive wave of his hand, glancing over at his wife as she continued her work on Akago's beaten body. "I should probably go offer my assistance."
"Yeah," Sesshomaru murmured quietly, feeling a sort of emptiness as Kei hurried over to assist Nanashi. The silver haired demon finally fell back on the couch, staring off into the distance as he silently thanked the Gods. However apathetic the Fang leader was famed to be, he was anything but. He had a startling weakness for his friends, of which Gan was included. He was glad the boy was alive. Now he only hoped Akago would pull through as well...though the odds were against them.
After almost an eternity of silence, during which couples held hands and everyone yearned for cigarettes, Nanashi came walking over with a tired expression on her normally youthful face. Her green eyes were dull and pained as she adressed the rag-tag group. "Well, I did my best. He'll live, but the recovery is probably going to be long and arduous. God knows I wish I could take him to a real hospital, but he's under enough heat after sellin' drugs to the whole city. In any case, we can't move either Akago or Gan anytime today. They'll have to spend the night and somebody's gotta be here with em. We've already made a choice."
The gang members exchanged weary glances, some desperately wanting to stay and others desperately wanting to leave. Nanashi continued after taking what appeared to be a much needed breath, "Kagome, you'll stay the night because you seem to have a grip on medicine more than the rest of you, no offense everyone. But she did extract a bullet from Gan's back."
Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, but Kei held up a hand and said sternly, "Inuyasha, don't say a word. Kagome is our choice and the only one we'll allow to stay the night. You may be friends of both Akago and Gan, but we are their doctors and privacy must be kept. Kagome is the only one currently in on that privacy and she will remain as such. Are we clear?"
When Kei used his authoritative lawyer voice, it was decidedly hard to disagree with him and Inuyasha only hung his head, murmuring a few curses as he kicked at the ground. "Fuck."
"The rest of you, go home. Something tells me the next few days will be a test of everyone's strength, physically, mentally and emotionally," Kei said wisely to the others, who exchanged glances before moving slowly towards the front of the warehouse.
Ayame began to part ways from Kouga to start her motorcycle, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. Kouga's ice blue eyes, serious as opposed to their usual playfulness, held her in place as he said quietly, "Stay with me tonight."
Ayame admitted to herself that being alone was a frightening prospect this night, especially with Naraku and his crazed, lunatic followers roaming the streets. She was, in the slightest chance, a danger to her siblings when inside her own house. Shivering slightly, the redhead nodded and took Kouga's offered hand, slipping on a helmet as she positioned herself on the back of his motorcycle. Somehow, not even a motorcycle ride through the city could lift her spirits this time.
Sango watched her friend go and, with a sigh, began wheeling Ayame's motorcycle inside the warehouse. In Ayame's desire to escape the stifling atmosphere, she'd almost completely forgotten her prized Yamaha in the gravel parking lot. The bike was quite obstinate against Sango's arms and she was having difficulty pushing the large bike across the gravel, but the task became much simpler as Miroku's hands appeared atop hers on the handle bars.
The boy managed a smile, however small and pathetic, as they positioned the Yamaha just inside the warehouse door. "If this bike got boosted, I'd die a little inside; I made the engine from scratch."
Sango's smile mirrored Miroku's, tired and sad. "I remember. It rained for a week straight and you barely even left except to get parts. Ayame said she'd owe you until the day she died."
"Yeah, well," Miroku said modestly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd probably do that for anyone in there, know what I mean?"
"Yeah," Sango breathed. "Too bad devotion couldn't put us there to save Akago and Gan."
The two fell silent once more until Miroku wrapped an arm around Sango's waist, walking her towards the car. "C'mon, we could use some sleep."
Kagome watched her friends leave in the cars and on the motorcycles, roaring off into the distance until all that remained was displaced gravel and a dust cloud. She could see Inuyasha looking out the back of Sesshomaru's Saleen, his amber eyes worried and glazed. Kagome held herself tighter until she could barely breathe. As much as she hated to make Inuyasha uneasy, she, Kei and Nanashi knew sitting anyone else in the warehouse for so long by a sleeping Gan would be trouble. If someone had to check the wound, they would undoubtedly discover something surprising, or rather, two round surprises on her chest.
After a moment of silence, Kagome walked quietly back inside the warehouse, preparing for a long night of paperwork. This night would be long and quiet. Or so she believed.
*!*!*!*
....."But Tomo, I thought guns were dangerous."
Ikimasu Tomo glanced down at his stepdaughter, a free spirited girl of seven, and smiled in his quiet way. He was a striking man with stern features, the perfect, level-headed example of a Kyoto policeman. "We need guns Kagome. They're not just weapons; they are also symbols."
Kagome cocked her small head to the side, black pigtails glistening in the sunlight. "Symbols?"
"Symbols of our freedom," Tomo said. A breeze ruffled the trees surrounding the outdoor shooting range. Summer heat from the inlet had set in around the city. "A man without a gun is a subject, but a man with a gun is a citizen."
Kagome looked at the training gun in her hand, a small, black little device with a trigger. It was loaded with bee bees, as all training guns were. "Guns kill people, don't they?"
"A gun is only as good as the man who weilds it," Tomo said, black hair ruffling slightly with another breeze. "You can use your gun to kill or you can use it to protect. I use mine to protect."
Kagome looked up at her stepfather with wide eyes as she held the gun in her small, lily white hands. "But what if you have to kill to protect somebody?"
"I would do anything to protect the ones I love. When you are older, Kagome, you will understand," was Tomo's calm reply. He emanated complete and total placidness, an untouched lake.
Kagome looked down at the gun and back at Tomo, who was regarding the shooting range with a familiar smile. Finally, the young girl said, "Could I have used a gun to keep daddy from dying?"
.....
Kagome's eyes flashed open as she uttered a small gasp, startled by her recollective dream. She hadn't thought of her father or stepfather for almost the entire summer, yet the appeared together in one dream. Albeit, her father hadn't actually appeared, but his name was still there: daddy. Kagome sighed at her young naivete; a gun wouldn't have stopped her father from dying, though she might've wished it.
"Oh well, I would've needed a gun and a time machine to fix that," the girl muttered allowed to herself, glancing around the warehouse. She'd left the lights on, simply because a dark warehouse in the middle of the night would've led her to imagine all sorts of dark creatures lurking in the shadows. She was, after all, in grave danger these days.
Stretching, the girl glanced over at the kitchen where Akago's makeshift bed had been layed, glancing at the table. Her eyes widened momentarily.
Empty.
The raven haired girl rocketed out of her seat, overalls nearly tripping her as she looked frantically around; a sweat had already broken out on her brow. "Akago? Akago, where are you?" she called desperately, running towards the kitchen to see if he'd fallen off the table in his sleep.
The bloody sheet still remained, as did the instruments Nanashi had used to perform her numerous surgeries, but Akago was no where to be found. In a tizzy, Kagome whirled about and happened to catch sight of the storage room door; it was slightly ajar.
Kagome's blood frozen in her veins as her heart and stomach gave a lurch; this couldn't bode well. The girl crossed the distance between the kitchen and the storage room in less than two seconds and she threw open the door, met with a sight that would remain with her for the totality of her days on earth.
Akago Tsume stood quietly beside Gan's bed, white hair and skin stained with his own blood as stitches gave way and his limbs grew weak. He felt no pain, however, as he stared down at his second in command, crimson eyes hooded and leaking glassy tears in a steady stream. His shoulders were angled in such a way that he might've been mistaken for a scarecrow by an innocent bystander, upright and immobile. There were no thoughts in his normally busy mind, no emotions in his torn heart, no feelings in his battered body. Akago felt nothing as he stood there, staring into the cold eyes of betrayal.
The sheet covering Gan's body had been removed and was folded carelessly to the side. Kei and Kagome had placed Gan on her back, despite her injury, with a donut pillow surrounding the wound, but Kagome could now see this was a mistake. For the second time that day, there were those un-sexual breasts, looking completely unappetizing as they sat there atop Gan's torso, an unmistakable physical characteristic. Kagome's breath stopped for a moment and she wondered if it would ever start again; this was impossible. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. One million other things were supposed to happen before this. Why now? Why this way?
"I was...I was checking the wound," Akago said, voice dry and cracked as he choked out this meaningless confession.
Kagome could barely even nod as she felt tears coming to her own eyes. She suddenly felt ridiculous as she stood there in her overalls and red sports bra, hair messy and disheveled, pale face streaked with the day's pain and labor. None of the pain she felt could possibly compare to Gan's or Akago's. Gan hated keeping her secret, hated lying to the man she cared for the most, but she was forced to do it for some reason, a reason that couldn't be repeated. Akago had only trusted one person in his entire life and now, even he...she had betrayed him. Lied to him. Made a fool of him.
"Akago," came Kagome's tearful whisper. "She-"
"She what." Akago's chin nearly touched his chest and he began to shake, fists clenched in a trembling stiffness. "She WHAT?!"
His shout echoed around the room, breaking the defeaning silence and shattering what little resolve Kagome had left. She placed a hand over her mouth as yet more tears fell down her cheeks, cold and wet and lonely.
"Is it a joke? A big joke on me? Does everyone laugh at my expense, knowing that I walk around every day thinking my best friend is a man?" Akago hissed bitterly, his words bitten and tight.
"No," Kagome whispered brokenly, a sob escaping her lips as she closed her eyes. It was over; Gan's life here was over. "Only I know. Me and Kei and Nanashi."
She couldn't tell whether or not Akago was listening to her, whether or not he had digested any of the information, but she had a terrible feeling in her gut that nothing she might say could help him. He snorted, a soft sound in his throat, as he steadied himself on the side of Gan's bed. "I see. I suppose that you think I'll feel better knowing that."
When the albino man began to sway on his feet, Kagome took a tentative step forward, one hand outreached. "No, I know you won't. B-but please, Akago, please...she told me she didn't mean to stay but...but she couldn't leave...you."
Again, Akago said nothing for a moment. His crimson eyes, however blurry and tearful, could still make out those things, those breasts, the most ridiculous symbol of betrayal he'd ever witnessed. He'd seen Yakuza shoot each others wives, watched gang men steal from wallets, watched brother and sister sell each others secrets for money, but he'd been betrayed by breasts. He felt so stupid and ridiculous, so foolish. Four years, or was it five? How couldn't he have known? How couldn't he have had even the slightest idea?
"This person. This person here," Akago murmured. "Who is she? I know Gan the Gun, a boy, no, a man who kept me on my feet when I wanted to stop this nonsense and give my responsibilities to someone else. I wanted to take my sister to France, just the two of us...but Gan told me it didn't work that way. He told me that responsibility would never disappear and neither would my sense of obligation. And he was right. Gan was my voice of reason, my sanity, the one thing keeping me from turning into the next Naraku Onigumo...but who is this girl? What if my Gan never existed? What if the real Gan is this girl and everything else was just an act? If he was my sanity, does that make me...insane?"
Kagome found herself chilled to the bone as Akago turned to look at her, red eyes innocent and young as they spilled crystal tears. In that moment, Kagome could swear that she was a dead girl standing in the doorway with no blood pumping in her veins, no breath in her lungs. Just like Akago, she couldn't feel.
Kagome and Akago were rudely broken from their trance as the door in the warehouse slammed open, giving way to loud shouts and crashing footsteps. Akago's tears nearly frozen on his face as he took a tentative sniff of the air and whispered, "Dragons."
After her motionless minute, Kagome snapped into action and she narrowed her eyes, ordering curtly, "Stay in here, Akago, and don't leave. Cover Gan, they can't see her. I mean it, don't even think about leaving this room!"
As Kagome hurried out the door, she heard the swishing of the sheet as Akago covered Gan's body from view. Akago clenched his fists as he stood watch over Gan's body, not knowing if he was protecting this girl or simply frozen in place. It was a time of great danger, an infiltration of his ally's headquarters, and Akago couldn't defend himself. He was weak at this time, in all senses of the word; normally, Gan was there to aid him as a crutch in times of weakness. But now...Akago was weak alone.
When Kagome arrived in the main room, she was met with the sight of at least twenty Dragons, all of them armed to the teeth and giving off a rank odor. They were standing in no particular pattern around the back area, obviously uninterested in the cars and motorcycles near the front. Each and every one of the intruders was staring impassively at Kagome, who couldn't deny the fear creeping up in her stomach. But there was something else along with that fear.
Anger.
Red hot fire filled Kagome's gaze as she watched the Dragons, standing in their black jackets, greasy haired and loaded with weapons, encroaching upon Fang turf. It was a bold move, no doubt, and Kagome was almost surprised by their gaul, but she remembered irately that these were the same kind of men who attacked her in the alley. They obviously had little self-respect, or they wouldn't have allied themselves with Naraku and his madness. It was clear now that Ryuukoytsusei was no longer calling the shots for a good portion of the Dragons. Many of them had allied themselves completely with the Spiders.
"Who the hell do you think you are, coming in here?!" Kagome demanded hotly, narowing her eyes at the seemingly apathetic Dragons.
Unfazed, the leader of the group, a dark haired panther demon with waist length dread locks, stepped forward with a six shooter in each hand. "We'll do as we please. You're coming with us."
"What? Like hell I am!" came Kagome's biting reply. She clenched her fists, feeling nails digging into her palms even as she stood there. Her mind was racing as she tried to remember where the nearest gun was, but she realized that starting a gun fight with twenty armed fighters was ridiculous. It would only be a short time before one of them would land a shot right in her heart. Looking wildly around, she realized there weren't exits for at least fifty feet. She would never make it, especially pitted against demons in a footrace.
The leader began walking slowly forward, chains and zippers jingling as he did so. His boot steps were heavy on the floor, almost mimicking Kagome's heartbeat as her mouth grew dry. The only reasons the others had allowed her to stay the night in the warehouse alone was because nothing like this had ever happened in gang history. Gangs simply didn't invade other warehouses. It wasn't done and the very thought was considered extremely bold, at least warranting a murder or two. Intruding on another gang's turf was unspeakeable as it was; who would've ever thought that Naraku would actually order his men to step foot in the Fang headquarters?
"You gonna come quietly?" the Dragon asked, looking as apathetic as ever; his burgundy eyes still held no emotion.
Kagome silently weighed her options. If she made a fuss, it would take longer for the Dragons to leave the warehouse and that was bad. If they lingered, some of them might raise their noses above the grease and smell Akago and Gan, which would just bring more problems. They were too dimwitted to wonder why Kagome was in the warehouse alone at this time of night and none of them seemed to care. They were simply following orders. If Kagome went quickly and quietly, they would all leave with her. Naraku had sent 20 men in hopes that a surplus amount of soldiers would finally do the trick. He was tired of the South evading him.
"Yes," came Kagome's tight reply.
The Dragon stopped momentarily, as though surprised, but he finally murmured, "Lock your hands behind your back and walk."
Kagome did as she was told and, just as she'd imagined, the other Dragons walked in a clump around them, exiting the warehouse through the small front door. Despite her current situation, Kagome felt relieved the minute the last Dragon stepped foot outside on the gravel parking lot floor. The less time they spent in the headquarters the better.
The dread-locked Dragon said curtly, "I'm carrying you. Don't move around unless you want to get thrown off."
Kagome just nodded, displeased by this arrangement but eager to get the Dragons away from the warehouse. The Dragon threw Kagome crudely over his shoulder, refraining from placing his hands anywhere perverted. Kagome was pleasantly surprised, in a wry sort of way, but she felt all sarcasm leave her as the Dragon began sprinting away from the warehouse. Somehow, as much as she wanted to draw these bastards away, Kagome had an unquenchable desire to charge back within the safety of those cheap tin walls. A tear escaped the corner of her eye as she suddenly imagined Inuyasha's handsome face, smiling and winking at her on a warm summer's day. Just thinking about his warm amber eyes made her think of home. And now she was leaving home, not knowing if she would even see home again.
Inside the warehouse, Akago was laying back on the couch, his eyes closed as he waited tiredly for Sesshomaru to pick up his cell phone. The Shark leader, however distrssed at that moment, knew what to do in such an emergency and he had little time to dally with his broken heart. Now it was time to get back to business.
"Hello?" a sleep voice finally answered.
"Sesshomaru," Akago practically choked. "Kagome's been kidnapped."
*!*!*!*
Dun dun dun...Woo buddy, this was a long chapter and probably not to your liking; sorry about that. Lots of Gan and Akago, not so much other folk, but God knows I tried my hardest there at the end. There's lots of Kagome, yay! We're getting into some pretty deep shizat now, so everyone hold onto your hats.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and don't forget to send me little profiles if you want to be a character in the next Fangs story. When the summer is over, the other gang members return and we'll meet a few. In your profile, tell me what you look like and which Wildcat you'd like to follow. Each of the core members has a following and you get to pick whether its Rin, Ayame, Sango or Kagome.
Sorry if Akago's stuff was off the wall, but it was kinda badass too. I like writing stuff in japanese, it makes me feel cool, haha.
Translation of Akago's incantation: Wing of dove, blood of heart, scar of hate, cleft of earth, pearl of youth, salt of sea, release this power to my device.
Okay, well I leave you now. Leave a review at the beep. BEEP.
KOLU