InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Laying Down the Law ❯ 1st Stage: Recon ( Chapter 31 )

And here we go again. Sigh. If anyone read the reviews, I was up for an award from the IY Guild and I lost it because of typos and general messiness (my fault completely). I was at school when I read that and I went "SHIT!" really loud and the debate teacher heard me. And stared at me. I'm so depressed. Like Marvin the robot. I also just had surgery and I feel like I'll never walk again and I'm royally PISSED because I'm missing college scouts for softball as we sit here and BREATHE.

 

But that's good because this chapter is DEPRESSING. DEPRESSION. HAHAHA. EVERYONE SHARE MY BAD FEELINGS.

 

I haven't done a disclaimer in a while: I do not own Inuyasha and any names or characters from the Inuyasha television show/manga by Rumiko Takahashi.

 

*!*!*!*

 

"We have no choice now."

 

Sesshomaru's words hung heavy in the air, adding to the growing miasma of gloom. After a midnight wake up call from Akago, who was now resting, and a frantic rush to the warehouse, the Fangs arrived to find their warehouse reeking with the scent of Dragons. At the news of Kagome's kidnapping, the cores of every gang in the South had gathered and now they stood, many any in their pajamas, looking around helplessly at one another.

 

Rin was quite close to crying, though she was trying to hold out for her pride's sake. Her cousin, whom she had agreed to host in her home, agreed to escort around Tokyo, agreed to protect, had fallen into the hands of those she distrusted most. How hadn't she stopped it? How had Rin been sleeping comfortably beside her boyfriend, not a care in the world, as her cousin disappeared into the night, no one to save her? Rin seemed confident, but she always had a perpetual feeling of self doubt; she couldn't fight like the other Southern leaders could and she always seemed to get into some kind of trouble. She felt like a liability to not only Sesshomaru, but Bankotsu, Ranbou and Akago as well. And now she'd done it again.

 

Sango seemed to sense her friend's discomfort and she put her hand on Rin's shoulder, whispering, "It'll be okay." But Rin continued to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes. It wouldn't be okay. It would never be okay as long as she was weak.

 

"Kidnapping Kagome is a hard crime to pin on them, seeing as though she isn't actually a member of the Southern gangs," Sesshomaru continued darkly, standing with his back to the others; he was smoking almost pensively on a cigarette, eyes partially closed as he made out the moon through the upper most windows of the warehouse. The way the scant light caught his silver hair was mesmerizing, though the group was more focused on his words. Most were staring at the ground, feeling responsible for this tragedy.

 

"But invading this warehouse..."

 

Many looked up, as their leader's voice had grown significantly lower, scratchier, deadlier. "Invading this warehouse is absolutely inexcusable. This is our land and they have no FUCKING RIGHT TO COME IN HERE."

 

Sesshomaru threw his cigarette to the side and lashed out with an unexpected kick, sending one of the bar stools flying against the back wall. It broke into several pieces upon impact, causing a hideous noise to echo throughout the warehouse. The others exchanged glances and Ayame took a step backwards away from a splintering chair leg, which consequently landed some two feet from her foot. Kouga stepped up and placed his arm protectively around her waist, absently running his hands through her glossy red curls as Sesshomaru covered his face with one hand, cigarette dangling from the other. Rin bit her lip as though she wanted to step up and comfort him, but Inuyasha shook his head slowly in her direction. Sesshomaru was far too unpredictable.

 

Inuyasha sighed to himself as Rin reluctantly rolled back on her heels, pulling back the hand she'd unconsciously reached out towards her boyfriend. As another bout of chills racked Inuyasha's arms, he stared down at his boots and closed his eyes; ever since Sesshomaru woke him to tell him the news, he'd felt sick. Sick in a nauseous, rolling, wave-like way. Nauseous like he'd spent the past three days on a stormy sea freighter. He wanted to cry, scream, throw glass, kick rocks, but he couldn't even move. His Kagome. His girlfriend. His everything. In the hands of a madman. He'd heard about Naraku's peculiar fantasies, the strange way he tortured his victims; the male victims ended up without several fingers a good percentage of the time. The females...Inuyasha preferred not to think about it.

 

The fear which had been gripping Inuyasha for the past thirty minutes escalated in a single moment as he imagined Kagome, dead, naked, and burned from head to foot. In a single, swift motion, he seemed to appear at Sesshomaru's side and he screamed brokenly, "Do something, you stupid fuck! Send someone! Tell us to move out! Get a fucking machine gun and go kill the bastard! DON'T JUST STAND THERE, GOD DAMNIT SESSHOMARU! DO SOM-"

 

Inuyasha remembered nothing after that moment for, without a word, Sesshomaru delivered a stunning blow to the back of his brother's head, sending the hanyou crashing lifelessly to the ground. Though the others weren't quite aware of it, Sesshomaru could sense Inuyasha playing right into Naraku's hands. This was his idea all along, wasn't it? By taking Kagome, he accomplished several things at once. He incited the South, gained someone to help him with his mysterious guns, and likewise gained himself a sexual play toy. Naraku was no fool. But neither was Sesshomaru.

 

The Fang leader, ignoring the stunned faces of his friends, leaned down and scooped Inuyasha easily into his arms, depositing his unconscious half brother on the couch as though this were an every day practice.

 

"Se-Sesshomaru?" Rin choked out.

 

After a moment, Sesshomaru turned, facing the group for the first time. A hard conviction flickered in his amber eyes as he said lowly, "We have no choice now. It's all or nothing and we can't sit back on our heels this time. I have a plan."

 

No one said a word as their leader fell silent, meeting the eyes of every single person without fail. He held Rin's for a fraction of a second longer than the others, causing her heart to nearly catch in her throat; in that moment, the numerous reasons why she loved Sesshomaru resounded in her head and she felt the tears nearly dissolve from her eyes. She felt stronger now, for some reason.

 

Without preamble, Sesshomaru said flatly, "Naraku has to die. Whether at my hands or someone else's, any plan will ultimately end in his death. I trust no one has a problem with that." No one did and the room was silent. "In that case," the dog demon continued, "I'll outline the course of action I've decided to take."

 

Before he could do so, however, the familiar sound of car tires on gravel entered through the cracked door, which had been carelessly left ajar by the last to enter. The thirteen teens held their breath, exchanging glances as several released their claws and someone gave a demonic growl. Sesshomaru lifted his nose to the air and caught a familiar scent, finally allowing his muscled to relax as a ghost of a smile graced his lips. The others, seeing this, warily rocked back on their heels as though following his example, but wished they had his superior sense of smell. With the grease and overpowering scent of Dragons, they couldn't smell a thing.

 

Footsteps, several pairs, approached the door until the Southern cores realized why Sesshomaru seemed so unalarmed.

 

"What's wrong with you lot then? Look like you've just seen a ghost."

 

Tobi Skull, flanked by Benkan, Axle, Max and two dark haired girls entered the warehouse confidently, beads and fringe dangling off his Jackrabbit pants as he shook out his hair, which had obviously been encased in a helmet for quite some time. The Jackrabbits had, upon receiving Sesshomaru's word, made a few arrangements at home and jumped on their motorcycles for a road trip.

 

The appearance of Tobi, Benkan, Axle and Max wasn't completely surprising and the others just sighed, letting out relieved yet irritated breaths. Claws retracted and faces returned to their normal nervous state, though Kouga and Ranbou seemed almost frozen in time. While the others couldn't quite recognize the two dark haired girls, Kouga and Ranbou would never forget them.

 

Kouga found himself met with two pairs of ice blue eyes, the very same ones which enchanted the face of every Ookami in the lineage. He felt several emotions at once, the foremost two being overwhelming sadness and heart-lifting joy. He couldn't quite move his arms, though his fingers twitched slightly; he couldn't decide whether to reach out and touch the girls or fall over in a dead faint. Ranbou was unreadable, if not for his slightly open mouth.

 

Kinanme Ookami felt quite unnerved as she shifted from foot to foot beside her sister, who was silent as always. Though Kina was physically small, she felt it was her responsibility to make enough noise for the both of them. Ranbou and Kouga's eyes were startlingly intense as they lighted on both girls, causing a strange silence in the room that made Kinanme want to scream and holler, if only to break it.

 

Finally, biting her pert little lip in an irritated fashion, she murmured, "Well, you two look good."

 

Despite her good intentions, Kinanme's comment did absolutely nothing to the tense atmosphere, a mere marble bouncing of a brick wall. Kouga could remember every single thing about sisters, every freckle, every smile and every quirk. Yet they had grown up in these past years without him, now beautiful reflections of his mother, standing like ghostly inner mirrors before him. Kinanme had matured in the face and now hosted the typical Ookami nose, a straight and handsome slope, while her dark black hair was unintentionally arranged in the same fringe-over-face pattern as her siblings.

 

Kotone Ookami stood tall beside her younger sister, arms crossed and ice blue eyes seeming curious if anything. She kept her hair in a high ponytail like her brothers and, in that moment, dressed in her jeans and black wife beater, she could've easily passed for Kouga's feminine twin. Her mouth was full in a pretty way, but the rest of her facial construction was identical to Kouga's; no one might ever guess that she was actually a year his junior. Had she possessed the ability to talk, Kotone might've said something cheerful to break the silence, as the smile on her face suggested she felt no sadness or anger. Kotone was always slightly irritated by the pessimism in others for, had she been born with a working voice box, she might've said very pleasant things. But, unfortunately, Kotone had been mute since the day of her birth.

 

Without warning, Kouga crossed the distance between himself and his sisters, drawing them into a powerful hug with one arm around each of their waists. He drew them close and the tension seemed to dissolve as both girls hugged him back, Kotone still wearing a smile while Kinanme just closed her eyes and savored her brother's scent. It was like hers, spicy and wild, but different. Just... so Kouga.

 

"Where've you been?" Kouga murmured.

 

"In Kyoto," Kinanme said, as though this were obvious. Gesturing down to her jeans, she explained, "After we left, we joined up with Skull and Bones. We just needed some time away."

 

Kouga had, by this time, pulled back, and was looking at his sister's with a twinkle of pride in his eyes. "I know. But you coulda, like, called."

Ranbou was still standing stock still, mouth partially open as his tongue grew dry. Kinanme directed her gaze around Kouga and met eyes with Ranbou, who was still unmoving, and took a few tentative steps forward. "Ran?"

 

She drew ever closer, step by step, until she took his in a hug, pressing herself against him as though trying to bring him closer in any way she could. Her head only came up to about his bicep, but Ranbou still felt the love in her arms and remembered, finally, what to do with his own. In a slow motion, he returned the hug and gave a smile, one which caused the others in the warehouse to let out another relieved breath. This was certainly turning into a night of tense greetings.

 

"I'd say somethin' corny like 'wow, you grew,' but...you didn't," Ranbou said almost apologetically, causing the others the chuckle.

 

Kina let loose a full fanged Ookami grin and buried her head even deeper into her brother's chest, replying, "I'm short, just like mom."

 

Though Ranbou still felt a pang in his heart at the mention of his mother, he couldn't help but continue smiling. "Yeah, you're just like mom in about every way I can think of."

 

"Wait, wait, wait...Kina?"

 

Kinanme pulled back from Ranbou and glanced behind him, meeting eyes with a familiar pair of amber orbs, framed by silver hair and little white dog ears. She remembered this face well and she exclaimed with a deafening squeal, "SHITORA?!"

Shitora let out an almost identical scream and the two collided, hugging each other as they jumped up and down like a screeching jumping bean. Several of the boys were forced to cover their ears as the racket continued, trying to speak over it but finding it impossible. Eventually, Ranbou cleared his throat and the girls stopped squealing, continuing on to actual speaking.

 

"Oh my god, where have you been?"

 

"You know, just screwing around."

 

"Ha! You always were a ho!"

 

"Yeah, we'll you're still a slut like always!"

 

The girls burst out laughing, causing the boys to exchange confused glances; wasn't "ho" supposed to be an insult? Before they could ponder this matter further, Sesshomaru interrupted the greeting rather tightly. "However good it is to see both of you again, we have a situa-"

 

But not even Sesshomaru was spared. Kotone let out a gasp, one of the only sounds she could make, and ran forward with a speed that only wolf demons could master. She collided with Sesshomaru, hugging him tightly, a sight which brought tears of a different kind to Rin's eyes. She sniffed as Sesshomaru's face broke into an almost content smile and he embraced his old friend tenderly. "Yes, it's good to see you too, Koto."

 

As children, the Ookamis and Taishos had been inseparable. Seeing one without the other six was rare and the families were considered deeply interweaved, a rarity amongst wolf and dog clans. The Ookami-Taisho bond had, inevitably, brought the Tokyo dog and wolf factions closer, creating an almost unstoppable alliance. For several years in the children's' youth, the wolf and dog clans had been at peace and controlled their areas without problem. With the deterioration of the Ookami family after Sashatori's death, Sashatori being Kibishii's wife, the bond had inevitably deteriorated as well and the clans were now estranged.

 

The circumstances of Sasha's death were unfortunate. It was a stormy night and she'd just gone out to pick up milk at the store. Little did she know that Yakuza hit men were prowling the town under the instruction of their leader; Kibishii Ookami, the best hit man in the business, would soon learn of the immortal pain which would hopefully put him out of business. The pain of losing his wife. They say Sasha didn't even see her killers. She only felt the cold metal piercing her heart from the back, a rapier through her body like a stake.

 

After this tragedy, Kotone and Kinanme refused to stay under Kibishii's roof and left two hours after Sasha's funeral. Kouga and Ranbou had watched them go, tears streaming stubbornly down their faces. They couldn't make them stay and they knew that well; they had to let them go.

 

Sesshomaru cleared his throat as Kotone leaned back from their spontaneous hug, ice blue eyes gleaming brightly. She began communicating quite fast in sign language, hands dancing like marionettes on her wrists and causing many in the room to raise their eyebrows in confusion. Most of them had forgotten their sign language since their days with Kotone, but Sesshomaru certainly hadn't.

 

He could make out her words clearly: I suppose you have some sort of ingenious plan to get us out of this ridiculous cock-up of a mess?

 

He smiled faintly; Kotone had attended a school of sign language run by British emissaries and, as a result, had learned to speak with British words. This resulted in a pleasant mixture of languages and she sometimes signed like a bit of a cockney. Her friends and family found it endearing and many of them had picked up her British twangs when they signed with her.

 

Sesshomaru signed back deftly: Ingenious is one way to put it. Spur-of-the-moment and messy is another.

 

The Jackrabbits read the signs easily, as did Kouga and Ranbou; the lot of them exchanged glances, wondering exactly how "messy" said plan was going to end up being. Ranbou was grinning, as messy plans had always been his favorite, but Kouga's glance unconsciously drifted towards Ayame, who's arms were crossed over her chest as though she were freezing. He just wanted to protect her, but he knew this life came with all sorts of danger. And Ayame knew that as well as he did.

 

"All right then, listen up," Sesshomaru said officiously. "This is what we're going to do."

 

The group sobered and gathered around Sesshomaru in a tighter circle, jaw's set determinedly. They knew that this plan, however brilliant, wouldn't bring everyone away unscathed and they were preparing themselves for whatever perils might entreat them on their way to victory. If victory ever came.

 

Rin's eyes faltered, but a larger, smooth hand grabbed hers quickly, lacing their fingers together in one quick motion. She glanced up at Sesshomaru, who offered her the slightest bit of a smile before turning his gaze towards the others. Rin smiled proudly, as she knew Sesshomaru's time to lead had come; sure, he'd lead the group before, but this was quite different. She knew that Sesshomaru was destined for great things and she would always be there with him. Especially now.

 

And together the group decided on Sesshomaru's plan. Messy, indeed. But...it was all they had.

 

*!*!*!*

 

"This is crazy."

 

Miroku glanced up from his 13-calliber as Sango said this, quietly, faintly, her words almost drifting away in the cold expanse of the warehouse. The both of them were dressed completely in black, as were the others around them, and the clicking of guns and belts had become common place in the past half hour. Sango had been quietly pulling on her boots as Miroku loaded his gun and messed with his utility belt. He smiled quietly to himself as he held up the finished utility belt, seeming to ignore Sango's comment.

 

"I feel like Batman," he said proudly, earning an eye roll from Sango. "Sorry," he said after a moment, chuckling humorlessly. "Yeah, this is crazy. But what did you expect?"

 

Sango shrugged and glanced up through the top most windows at what few stars she could see, shining defiantly against Tokyo's blazing skyline. "I don't know. I didn't expect anything. I definitely didn't expect this. All of this coming down on us at the last minute...so fast."

 

Miroku buckled the belt around his waist, where it hung loosely, and he gave it an almost reassuring pat before he responded, "I'm kinda glad it didn't build up slowly. Then we would've had to wait it out, go through the motions, live thinking death was..around the corner or something. I mean...now its staring us in the face. Isn't that better?"

 

At this display of Miroku's undying faith in all things, Sango couldn't help but smile slightly. "Yeah, I guess that's true. I'm not very patient, anyway."

 

Miroku walked quietly towards Sango, placing his hands on either side of her head and kissing her gently on the forehead. "I know, baby. I just wanted to let you know that even if I come out of this with a leg missing or something, I'll still love you."

 

Tears came quickly to Sango's eyes, but she blinked them away just as fast, slapping her boyfriend's strong arm with little enthusiasm. "Oh, shut up. You're not coming out of this with one leg." In a startling show of strength, Sango stood boldly and shouted, "You hear that?! Everyone's walking home on two legs! Two! Not one! No one's hopping home!"

 

Benkan chuckled as Sango screamed this, turning to Kotone where she stood slipping on a pair of sleek black gloves, preparing for a night on the town, so to speak. He watched her for a moment, admiring this silent girl who had, in her absent-minded way, stolen his heart. He nearly slapped himself in the head; what would the Jackrabbits say if they heard Benkan Bones being nostalgic and cliché? He wasn't sure, but he wouldn't even care if they knew. They probably already did to some extent; it was all over his face when he so much as looked at Kotone and he knew it. But he didn't see anything wrong with that. He was in love. So what?

 

Kotone glanced up and lowered her dark eyebrows, signing, "What are you staring at?"

 

Benkan just smirked and signed back, “You.”

 

This caused the girl to grin, which was her way of showing laughter, and she waltzed purposefully towards him, body defined in a pair of skin tight black pants and matching turtleneck. “This isn't exactly the time for this, Mr. Bones.”

 

Despite this comment, she straddled him easily, legs falling over either side of the chair on which he sat. Benkan's bright eyes smiled as starkly as his lips. Since his hands had since become occupied on Kotone's waist, he murmured quietly, “I think it's the perfect time for this, Ms. Koto.”

 

Kotone grinned once more and was just leaning in to kiss Benkan on the lips when someone cleared their throat rather abrasively. Both Benkan and Kotone glanced up at the newcomer and were startled to find Ranbou standing there, arms crossed and glare stern. “Somethin' you wanted to tell me, Kotone? Or better yet, Ben, you wanna hit that up?”

 

Benkan sighed and ran a hand through his cherry red hair, picking up Kotone easily by the waist and setting her feet firmly on the floor. “I was under strict instructions not to say anything about Kotone or Kinanme, mate, believe me. I was threatened with all sorts of horrible things, you would've worried about me.”

 

The grin on Benkan's face even melted Ranbou's anger, which was wearing thin anyway. If he had to pick a boyfriend for his sister, Benkan was a fabulous choice; he had terrific manners, was heart-breakingly loyal and was well known to be the calmer, more intelligent half of the Skull and Bones partnership. He was also Australian; there was something to be said for that by itself.

 

“Yeah, whatever,” Ranbou said wearily. “I was talkin' about you two and whatever the fuck you are, but whatever. Um, I gotta get goin' pretty soon and I was gonna wish you two good luck.”

 

Kotone's light hearted expression changed immediately to a sober frown and she nervously grabbed Benkan's hand, a habit she'd developed since they started dating a year and three months ago. She was perfectly aware that the first stage of the plan involved her brother and Shitora, but she didn't like to think of it. At least the later stages of the plan involved bigger groups, safer groups, but Ranbou and Shitora would be going alone for the sake of speed and efficiency. They were on recon and had to double-check the layout of the Spider headquarters to ensure the functionality of Sesshomaru's plan. Kotone knew Ranbou and Shitora were the best riders in the business, but this didn't ease her mind any. They were still her brother and an old friend.

 

The girl let go of Benkan's hand and threw herself at Ranbou, hugging him as close as she could. Ranbou smiled a little and held her close; she was some four inches above the ground, but he simply held on, murmuring, “I'll see you in a few hours, pretty bird. Don't get squirrelly.”

 

Ranbou had called Kotone “pretty bird” since a morning long ago when he and his mother had sat on the porch, watching Kotone running about trying to catch butterflies. Ranbou's mother had said of her four year old daughter, “She's like a pretty little bird, isn't she?”

Six year old Ranbou scrunched up his nose and replied, “Birds sing and stuff; Koto can't sing nothin'.”

 

His mother only smiled. “Just because she has no voice doesn't mean she can't sing like a bird.”

 

And only in his later years did Ranbou really understand this. Though he and Koto were closer in age than he and Kinanme, he'd never quite gotten along with his quiet sister the same way. She and Kouga were always an item while he enjoyed playing out his mischievous plans with his younger sister, who shared his wicked and playful spirit. Still, he still had his pretty bird.

 

Kotone leaned back and signed forcefully, “If you don't come back, you'll never have all those kids you wanted, so you better.”

 

Ranbou quirked his eyebrow and signed in reply, “Kids?”

 

“Remember? You told me you wanted ten kids and you'd send them all to good schools and get them out of Tokyo. Do you remember?” came Koto's urgent reply.

 

The boy thought for a while and finally smiled, mumbling, “Oh yeah. I remember now. Right, well, I'll be back to have those kids.”

 

“You'll need to get a girl first,” Kotone replied smartly, placing her hands on her hips when she was finished.

 

To this, Ranbou signed mysteriously in reply, “Now when did I say I didn't have a girl? I'll have you know I get my share of goods.”

 

Kotone watched him go, shaking her head at her big brother's crassness but reveling in his presence all the same. Sure, she'd missed Kouga almost everyday, but she still thought about Ranbou and missed his snarky comebacks, his grit-rough attitude. Benkan wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, smiling as she leaned in to him.

 

“I don't think we have to worry about him, love. Ranbou always comes out on top; he's one lucky bastard.”

 

Kotone signed absent-mindedly, “Just like our father. But even he got unlucky once...and it cost him everything.”

 

Shitora pulled on her gloves, finding the cloth between her fingers unenjoyable and formal, just like this task she was about to perform. She and Ranbou were set to ride to the Spider headquarters and check the layout to ensure the plan's success, but she didn't want to do any stupid reconning. She just wanted to fight! But one glance into Sesshomaru's stern amber eyes had reminded her who was in charge and she'd shut her mouth; she would do as her leader insisted and not argue. Still, something in the pit of her gut irritated her, like a hair in her eye; what was so wrong about all of this?

 

“Sukini, you ready?”

 

She jumped slightly at Ranbou's voice and dropped her motorcycle keys, which landed with a small “chink” on the floor. She hurriedly picked them up and began holding them in her impossibly tight grip, replying toughly, “Yeah.”

 

This answer would've fooled most, but one look at Shitora's normally rock solid face and Ranbou knew she was anything but ready. He furrowed his brow, an action which made him more handsome than Shitora was prepared to deal with and he closed the gap between them, muttering, “You alright?”

 

“Yeah,” she breathed, trying to smile but feeling the corners of her mouth failing to respond to her urging.

 

Ranbou placed his hand on Shitora's shoulder and almost recoiled. “Yer shakin', Sukini.”

 

Shitora refused to meet his eyes, stuttering unconvincingly, “I-I'm cold.”

 

Ranbou snorted and said quietly, “It's 98 degrees outside and it ain't even light yet.”

 

Glancing around first to see if anyone was standing near them, which they weren't, Shitora gazed up at Ranbou with wide amber eyes and whispered, “Does any of this feel bad to you? I dunno, ominous maybe? Like a storm is about to come or something?” Ranbou looked confused, so she continued. “You know how when a hurricane is coming in the springtime and the hackles on the back of your neck stand up and you shiver because your youkai is going crazy?”

 

At the mention of youkai, the inner demon, Ranbou nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“That's what's happening to me right now,” she whispered urgently, looking more worried than he could remember seeing her. “My seppanyoukai is, like, screaming at me to not do this; something is really wrong here, Ranbou.”

 

Ranbou's mouth tightened; seppanyoukai, the half-demon's inner youkai, was known to have magnificent instincts. He could never understand as a child why his naibuyoukai, full demon inner youkai, wasn't as good as Inuyasha's seppanyoukai at detecting adults when he and the others were stealing cookies from the countertop, but he began to understand as he grew and heard the elders murmuring about half demons. It was said that, because half demons carried the balance of humans and demons in their blood, their powers were different and, in some ways, more powerful than demons. Their instincts were things of the heart and, due to their heritage, their senses were almost beyond comprehension. If Shitora thought something was wrong, something was wrong.

 

His naibuyoukai remained quiet as he stood there, observing Shitora quietly. Finally, he gave her a strong Ookami grin and said unshakably, “Don't worry, baby girl. We'll pull this off, we always do.”

 

Shitora couldn't help but smile when that grin hit Ranbou's face; she really was a sucker for that grin. “I know...but-”

 

“No buts,” Ranbou interrupted, pulling her gently towards him until they were embracing. She buried her head in his chest, wanting to smell his wild scent of the sun and motors as long as she possibly could. He whispered in her ear, “No matter what happens, Shitora, I'll protect you.”

 

She nodded, feeling empowered by these words and knowing he spoke the truth. “I know.” Whenever he called her Shitora instead of Sukini, she knew he was being serious and to honor anything he said. Everyone knew that an Ookami's word was better than gold in the pocket and they were trusted without fail when they landed themselves in a serious mood like this. Shitora smiled confidently as she leaned back and placed a kiss on Ranbou's lips, savoring their moment of intimacy as long as time would let her.

 

Sesshomaru cleared his throat discreetly, knowing the moment was important but fearing the cost of procrastination more than life. Shitora reluctantly broke the kiss and Ranbou smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb before glancing up at Sesshomaru, eyes steely. “We're ready.”

 

“Good,” was all Sesshomaru said in return.

 

A few of the others had gathered around as Shitora and Ranbou adopted their serious business faces, all traces of pleasure and romance gone from sight. Their steps were nearly synchronized as they placed their helmets under their arms and turned to face the mouth of the warehouse, where the hangar door was just opening. Darkness was still prevalent outside, as it was just now nearing six in the morning, but this was to act in an aid to their plan. Shitora and Ranbou were much safer traveling under the cover of night.

 

The air was hardly cool as the outside, smelling slightly of salty sea and intense city asphalt, permeated the tense atmosphere within the warehouse. Shitora and Ranbou began walking purposefully towards their motorcycles, which were parked adjacent to one another near the entrance. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Kouga, Kinanme, Rin, Ginta and Hakkaku followed the two riders, each face grim and unsmiling as they made the short journey, knowing this was no unsymbolic parting. Everyone knew the risks. Especially Ranbou and Shitora.

 

It was time for goodbyes and good lucks. Inuyasha ruffled Shitora's hair, grabbing her in a tight hug. “You got it, kid.”

 

“Yeah,” she murmured, smiling faintly. She wanted to ask Inuyasha if his seppanyoukai was pulsing, if he felt the warnings as well, but she couldn't cast doubt in front of Sesshomaru. He would probably say something like, `doubt would jeopardize the mission' and make Sango go in her stead. And she couldn't have that.

 

Sesshomaru came next, placing a gentle kiss on Shitora's head and smiling proudly. “You're a Taisho. Prove it.”

 

“As if escaping boarding school wasn't enough,” she joked, earning a chuckle from both her brothers.

 

Adjacent to the dog demons, Kouga and Ranbou shared a brotherly hug and Kouga said light heartedly, “Don't do nothin' stupid, got it?””

 

“Me? Stupid? You jest,” Ranbou joked in reply.

 

Kotone bit her lips and looked up at her older brother, her idol, the one she'd always aspired to be and wondered why things had to be this way. She and Kotone finally worked up the courage to come back and now their brothers were leaving again. She supposed it was karma, like a kick in the ass from fate; the girls had, after all, left in the first place. But did fate have to have such wretched timing?

 

“Bye,” Kinanme murmured, shuffling her feet sadly; she could barely even meet his eyes.

 

After a moment, during which Ranbou looked down at his sister with his arms crossed amusedly, he reached forward and picked her up from the waist, pulling her close to him while her feet dangled off the floor. “Don't be like that, princess, I'll be back.”

 

“I know,” she murmured into his shoulder, still sounding like a child denied her favorite television show.

 

“Yeah, you better.”

 

Rin gave Shitora an almost tearful hug goodbye and both Ginta and Hakkaku slapped hands with Ranbou, their own little ways of showing good will. Finally, the riders were ready to set out. Ranbou and Shitora donned their helmets, sleek fullheads, and pushed up their visors to await Sesshomaru's instructions.

 

“Alright,” Sesshomaru said formally, assuming the role of leader in a moment's time. “We need the layout, nothing more. Avoid confrontation at all costs but if someone has to die, I'm sure neither of you will have problems with that.” There was mild chuckling at this, from both the riders and the surrounding group. “If something does happen, call. But if something happens and you don't return within the hour, we begin emergency procedures and full scale invasion.”

 

This last bit was sobering and the grim air returned full force. Kinanme unconsciously clung to Kouga's arm and he found himself all to used to this; she'd done it when they were children and, as much as it annoyed him then, he had to say it was almost pleasing now. Like he could actually protect her this time.

 

Ranbou and Shitora both gave curt nods. “Hai.”

 

Sesshomaru nodded in return and said calmly, “Go.”

 

The twin engines roared to life as Shitora and Ranbou started the ignition and the purr of fine-tuned motors echoed throughout the warehouse. Both riders rolled onto the gravel, picking up speed as they pulled onto the road, finally gunning the throttle out of the complex. The others watched them go, wondering what might become of their friends, and Sesshomaru sighed heavily. He didn't like designating roles like this as a leader, but it had to be done. “Godspeed,” he murmured, turning back inside to begin the fretful wait for their return.

 

*!*!*!*

 

The night air was hardly pleasing as Shitora and Ranbou rode through the deserted streets, traveling at speed almost unimaginable to the normal automobile owner. At the straightest points in the path, they hit top marks of 190 mph, but there was little pleasure in adrenaline rushes tonight. Both were quiet and reflected the calm of a lake, though only one of them felt as such.

 

Shitora continually tried to shake of the nagging of her seppanyoukai, which hadn't stopped pulsing since they'd left the warehouse. It was now increasing, like the beating of an erratic heart, and it drove her to distraction. She hissed, though the sound was undetectable with the rush of wind and she mentally smacked herself. This was no time to be doubting. She couldn't go into something like this unless she was completely sure of herself. So what in the hell was wrong with her seppanyoukai?

 

Ranbou could still feel the steel edge of Shitora's nervousness pressing into his gut, almost threatening to destroy his own calm front. He was used to high pressure situations, as a full time assassin, and he really saw this time as no different. For the time being, he was conveniently ignoring the fact that his girlfriend was present. She could take care of herself, so he shouldn't feel the need to protect her. Right? Unfortunately, no one was around to respond to his questions and he brushed them all aside for the time being. More important things were afoot.

 

The two riders were just crossing the Matsumoto bridge into the seedier part of town when Shitora noticed a speck in her rearview mirror. This speck was soon joined by four others until the number had multiplied to eight. Her seppanyoukai seemed to heave an irritated sigh; it had certainly tried to warn her.

 

Ranbou seemed to notice at the same time and he turned to Shitora, who nodded. In unison, they pressed their Nitrous injection switches and rocketed forward, knowing that Sesshomaru's plea to steer clear of confrontation was no idle threat. He gave it for a good reason; they couldn't afford to be caught if they valued their lives.

 

The riders were soon out of sight and both wolf and dog demon gave a sigh of relief; they were out of hot water for now. The most prudent course of action was to return home because those riders were bad news. If they were sent by a paranoid Naraku, they were already atop of the recon plan and it was useless to proceed. If they were simply out for an early morning joyride, they would report to the home base and, once more, ruin the plan. Ranbou veered left and Shitora followed; she knew her boyfriend was well versed in the seedy bit of town, where most of his assassinations were carried out. He could navigate them out for sure.

 

But Ranbou's navigation skills weren't the issue in this instance. Despite the rising sun, the streets seemed to get darker as they rode, growing increasingly dodgier until Shitora half expected to interrupt a cocaine line in the street. She glanced up just in time to see Ranbou hesitating on the throttle, looking full ahead at what appeared to be the most dangerous roadblock possible. Eight parked motorcycles, each handled by a Northern cyclist, were stretched across the way longwise, blocking any possible chance of escape. A jump would be too risky, especially from such a short distance, and Shitora was painfully aware. How had the riders rounded on them so quickly?

 

As Shitora and Ranbou cursed and hit their breaks, knowing there weren't exits for two miles on this stretch, a familiar sound from their backs brought a terrible realization to the front of their minds; it was the sound of engines. Motorcycle engines. Ranbou closed his eyes momentarily, wondering what they'd done to deserve this; the riders in front of them weren't the same eight they'd seen five minutes previously. It was a new set; there were sixteen in all. Naraku had certainly done his homework.

 

Shitora looked over to Ranbou as her bike slowed to a stop, wondering what he was planning to do. He dismounted and removed his helmet, staring fearlessly at the culmination of Northerners before him. Each of them was stone-faced, unshaven and sullen, the kind of attitude he expected from the North, but none of them were unknowns. He could pick out any one face there and list a crime warrant six pages long, most of them for more than just robbing a 711. He knew many of them from the Dragon elite, a rival assassination force, and knew this was more of a sticky situation than he'd even first realized.

 

Shitora removed her helmet as well, her silver hair shimmering like a beacon surrounded by black on all sides, and quickly began dissecting the situation. The eight riders following them had just parked their bikes long ways across the road and were now dismounting, meaning she and Ranbou would be fighting a battle on two fronts. Lowering her eyebrows, she glanced over at Ranbou, who met her gaze strongly. He seemed to be reading her thoughts and nodded, carefully beginning to move towards the nearest wall.

 

The Northern Force recognized this motion and didn't seem to care one way or the other; the pair could back themselves up against a wall to avoid a two-front fight if they wanted. They were still cornered.

 

Shitora followed suite and soon, she and Ranbou were facing sixteen cold-faced Dragons and Spiders, who were closing in from all sides with murder in their eyes. The one in front, a long haired panther demon who appeared to be the leader, withdrew a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open, beginning a trend which spread down the line. As weapons seemed to appear in hands out of thin air, Ranbou snorted and removed a gun from his belt.

“Don't bring a knife to a gun fight,” he said sourly, anything but mocking as he cocked the weapon and held it outright.

 

The panther demon seemed to look at this gun with a great deal of disdain before he said dryly, “You'll never be able to reload fast enough. A nine shooter. Besides, you know better than that, Ookami. Demons don't die with a bullet.”

 

Ranbou grunted irritatedly and reluctantly lowered the gun; he knew the demon spoke the truth, but he was currently looking for anything that would prolong the moment until the battle began. He was looking for a way out, anyway to escape this situation, but the fight was inevitable at this point. Narrowing his eyes grimly, he replaced the gun in his holster and glanced over at Shitora.

 

“You ready for this Sukini?”

 

Shitora was rather at ease now that she knew why her seppanyoukai was so irritable; this was strange, seeing as though she was currently faced with 16 angry Northerners, but she could probably have remembered worse situations if she tried. Taking in a deep breath, she grinned at Ranbou, fangs gleaming as a hint of bloodlust dawned in her amber eyes. “So ready.”

 

In a flash, it began; Ranbou and Shitora simultaneously launched themselves into the opposing force, letting loose startling yells of defiance. Shitora aimed a kick in the gut of the nearest Dragon, who was surprised by the girl's innate power, and then went on to catch a stunned Spider in the jaw with a right hook. While Shitora reeked havoc on the right side of attackers, who were rather shocked by her abilities and too stiff to move, Ranbou faced a group of capable fighters on the left who knew quite well what they were getting into.

 

Ranbou, as was his way, immediately came out on the offensive with a thunder-shock of a punch into the panther demon's chest, sending him flying backwards as though he'd been struck by dynamite. The next few fighters weren't caught off guard so easily and realized quickly that double teaming was their best option. A snake demon and another demon of indeterminable origin formed a sort of impromptu pincer movement and caught Ranbou from either side. He was able to defend against the snake demon easily, but the other attacker let loose with a powerful claw swipe which caught Ranbou in the meat of his side. He drew in a sharp breath and scowled, punching the demon as far as he could manage while dealing with the others simultaneously.

 

Shitora smelled the blood instantly and, though it wasn't like her to look away from a fight, she allowed her eyes to drift for the merest moment to her left. She just caught sight of blood pouring from three deep cuts on Ranbou's side when a blinding pain attacked her stomach. She'd forgotten the intense pain of a claw cut, which was stinging and vile. It always made her want to throw up, though rage soon followed the pain in a blinding uprising. It did so this time and, as blood collected in a dark red pool at her feet, she knocked out two attackers with a well placed roundhouse kick and dragon punch.

 

Ranbou noticed Shitora's blood as well, but knew her fatal mistake had been looking his way. He couldn't afford to make the same mistake, as he'd only managed to knock out two of his men as opposed to Shitora's three. His were obviously far more skilled and had pitted themselves against him in a show of strength, but he wasn't exactly worried about what kind of opponents he was facing. He was simply worried about annihilating them.

 

A lizard demon who'd been lurking in the back of the crowd found an opening and launched himself forward, attacking Ranbou with the vigor of an arsonist recently released from a mental institution. His claws were razor sharp and flew in twin arcs, causing Ranbou's other opponents to step back as the two of them fought. Ranbou felt slightly more at ease as he directed all of his attention on one fighter and he focused on avoiding the claws while mustering up a counterattack. He tensed his thighs and leapt a good four feet in the air, as only a wolf demon could, and delivered a spinning kick into the lizard's face. The demon fell, dead, to the asphalt with his face a terrible mess of blood and visible bone.

 

On the other side of the battle, Shitora had easily disposed of another fighter and was now facing the four remaining, a hint of red tingeing her eyes. Though she would never let her demon form release in this situation, as getting it back under control before it did damage to allies as well was hardly likely, she knew just how far she could push the line. With an added burst of speed, she leapt, despite the pain in her stomach, which was now pouring blood, and performed the only skilled martial arts move she'd ever been able to master: the split kick. This took out two more of her opponents, who fell unconscious to the pavement below, and Shitora eagerly focused on knocking out the last two. In a stunning move of brilliance, she flipped backwards and managed to land back to back with Ranbou, who had turned at precisely the right moment to ward off an attack from his left.

 

With Ranbou's remaining five, this made their grand total for the remainder of the fight seven. Ranbou wouldn't ever admit it out loud to himself, but having Shitora's back pressed against his during this fight had eased his paranoia considerably; he'd been worrying about actually ever getting out of this mess. Just as he thought this, two of the fighters in front of him came up with a move he wouldn't have expected in such a rag-tag fight. While the cat demon to the right attracted Ranbou's attention with his descending claws, the leopard hanyou on the left used Ranbou's distracted state to come in for a rather stunning double thrust of his claws. The claws, poised together, managed to hit Ranbou in his left shoulder. The result was devastating.

 

He'd been in mid punch, preparing to knock out the cat demon, which left the crown and meat of his brawny shoulder clearly exposed. The claws plunged deep within the open sight, meeting muscle, nerve, bone and whatever else there was to contact. Ranbou's roar of pain was gut wrenching and Shitora felt her heart stop as the scent of blood escalated indefinitely; this couldn't be happening.

 

While Ranbou's problems in this fight centered around the difficulty of his opponents, Shitora's centered around her tendency to get distracted by Ranbou. Two of her opponents simultaneously slashed downwards with their claws, creating an “x” across Shitora's chest as she felt the breath leave her body. The pain was instantaneous, but seemed to dissolve as the feeling nearly left her. She mentally cursed herself as she felt her knees threatening to give way beneath her; she'd done it again. She'd let this wretched “love” thing get in the way of her tough girl facade...but this time it was going to cost her more than personal pride.

 

In Ranbou's own haze of pain, he heard Shitora's small scream, which was short and sweet just like her sensation of pain. He knew this fight was turning sour and he had no other options now; he managed to reach behind him and, in a stroke of luck, grabbed the gun from Shitora's holster as she fell to the ground behind him. Her three opponents had joined Ranbou's remaining three and he was now faced with six. The last six standing of the initial ten.

 

He removed his own gun, hoping the feeling in his left hand stayed with him long enough to finish this. The wolf demon gritted his teeth and cocked back the two nine shooters, narrowing his ice blue eyes as blood streaked his tan face from a cut on his forehead.

 

As the six fighters facing him readied their bloody claws, one of them grunted, “We already went over this, wolf demon. One bullet won't kill a demon.”

 

Ranbou spat out the pool of blood collecting in his cheek and retorted brazenly, “Yeah? How bout a bunch of bullets?”

 

The gun shots rang out crassly across the morning light, which was dull and red like a sailor's warning. Ranbou's bullets stuck true in every demon's body, at least two apiece hitting their marks if not three. Those who weren't dead had at least fallen unconscious and Ranbou knew that, technically, the fight was his and Shitora's. The thud of bodies crashing down in puddles of blood was barbaric, raw and disgusting, but he could thinking of nothing more beautiful. As Ranbou gazed at the sun, which was peeking over the ocean horizon, the feeling in his left hand disappeared completely and his body collapsed to the side, directly adjacent to Shitora's. He was, consequently, facing her and could see her amber eyes half hooded; she was awake.

 

Their blood mixed on the ground as they stared at each other, not knowing whether to feel relieved that they'd survived the fight or worried that they wouldn't survive the hour. It all seemed to matter less and less as ice blue and amber danced; at least they were together.

 

“We won,” Ranbou grunted, a harsh sound which almost made Shitora smile, if her lips had chosen to work.

 

“Yeah,” she whispered in reply, chest beginning to give a dull ache as blood poured from her open wounds. “I'm a little surprised.”

 

This provoked a chuckle from Ranbou, whose lungs and chest were working fine if not for the cut on his stomach. He could see that Shitora's trouble breathing was increasing, no doubt from injuries from the “x” marking her chest. He could feel that simmering anger in him, the mad demon possessiveness responding to the harm inflicted upon his girlfriend, but he didn't have the time to act on it; besides, he already had really. They were all dead, if not close enough. He'd done the demon thing. Now he could do the boyfriend thing.

 

“I know I never told ya enough, Sukini,” he murmured as his consciousness began to leave him; the wound on his shoulder was the most severe inflicted during the fight and both of them were aware. “I never told ya enough...that I love ya.”

 

Shitora felt that rare prick of tears in her eyes as she lay there in the street, a mess of blood, grease and silver white hair, strewn across the pavement and surrounded by the bodies of the slain. She cried tears of...was it happiness? Or sadness? She wasn't sure. But she thought it might've been both. “I love you too, wolf boy.”

 

Ranbou gave a small smiled, his ice blue eyes twinkling dimly before he released a breath and they rolled back in his head. He was silent and Shitora felt a coldness grip her insides, one not associated with the lacerations on her skin. That absence, that desperation, the one constricting her lungs now...that was the feeling of losing the one she loved, wasn't it?

 

“Don't take him,” she whispered, a small sound across the pavement, almost like the skidding of a leaf. “He's everything...he's everything to everyone...to me...please...don't...”

 

But Shitora didn't stay conscious long enough to finish her plea to the Gods she'd never recognized. Soon, she felt herself joining the blackness which Ranbou had accepted some seconds ago. Had Ranbou been awake long enough to hear Shitora's make-shift prayer, he would've remembered a dream he'd had two months ago; in his dream she'd screamed those words to a raining sky...but in real life a whisper had meant so much more.

 

*!*!*!*

 

Kagome spat out the blood collecting in the pocket of her cheek and closed her eyes, trying to focus her energy on something happy or inspiring. Her wrists and back ached from their strict confines, though her captor wasn't in to the simple handcuffs or ropes. No, he was slightly more perverse than that.

 

At the current time, she was hanging, suspended, from the wide arms of a large steel cross, made from throwing together junk yard scrap and screws; her feet were dangling below her, in line with the vertical beam, and she could feel blood running down her legs. Of course, this blood was also running down her arms and chest, but nothing incredibly serious had been done to her quite yet. She had a feeling that Naraku was biding his time.

 

After she was taken from the warehouse, Kagome had been transported to Spider headquarters where she was met at the door by a smiling Naraku. He hadn't said much on their way inside, only something vaguely cliché like “I hope you'll be comfortable here.” After that, he'd escorted her through a mess of industrial looking hallways in the back of the Spider headquarters, which Naraku referred to as a warehouse, and into an open main room which resembled the Fang warehouse in design. It was just as large, which made Kagome slightly confused; she'd been under the impression that the Fang's were significantly more wealthy than the Spiders, but she supposed this could be why; it seemed that Naraku wasn't exactly tight with his cash. The warehouse was outfitted with a number of strange looking weapons, guns which fascinated Kagome but were unrecognizable in her mental magazine.

 

Kagome had been rather surprised by the lack of brutality up to this point, but she was soon proven naive as one of the Spiders held her from behind and another tore off her clothes, leaving only her underwear. She barely even had time to think about what could potentially happen before she was suspended on the cross and cut five times with a switch blade, once on each of her shoulders, once at the top of each thigh and once on the skin just below her neck. The cuts were shallow but long, meant to bleed and produce a gruesome effect, which they most certainly did.

 

It had been approximately two hours since then and, at the current time, Kagome was staring vehemently down at a group of drunken Dragons who'd decided to play a healthy game of “peg the prisoner with rocks.” Even drunk, their aim was unfortunately good and Kagome had been struck quite a few time in the face, most notably with a large rock on her cheek bone. She'd always wondered what having a black eye would be like, but she didn't have to wonder anymore; she snorted wryly to herself as another smaller stone caught her in the jaw. She was already bleeding from the lip, which was the main source of the blood in her mouth; she didn't feel so much tortured as she did angered. Perhaps before she'd been exposed to the Wildcats, she might've found this position horribly compromising and she might even be scared. Currently, she was wondering where Naraku had gotten his flair for theatrics (a.k.a the cross and the blood) and why she wasn't embarrassed to be strung up in only her underwear. Probably because you walk around nearly nude in the warehouse, just like everyone else, she thought to herself, smiling a bit. She really had grown fond of everyone; Kagome had never felt so loved in Kyoto as she did here. In Tokyo, everything was...right.

 

As a particularly large rock struck her in the breast and the Dragons below gave a drunken cheer, Kagome sighed; well, everything but this.

 

Before she could think another thought, the door to Kagome's left swung open and Naraku strolled inside, glancing at the scene before him before growling, “Get out, you stupid fucks.”

 

The Dragons scrambled out the door, breaking a beer bottle on their way, and Naraku rolled his crimson eyes, finally returning his attention to Kagome. He was holding a piece of paper in his hands, staring up at his prisoner as what little light there was caught his dark curls strangely. Kagome had noticed before that Naraku was not unattractive, if not for the sick glimmer in his eye; that alone was enough to deter any girl, besides the odd Vixen. But his build almost reminded her of, dare she say, Inuyasha. It was slight but muscular, the right proportions for the right height; he could've been any normal person walking on the streets. It was odd to think that anyone on the sidewalk could be an insane, perverse psycho-killer.

 

“I'm waiting for you boyfriend to get her,” Naraku said coolly, crimson eyes searching Kagome's strong brown ones for signs of wavering. When he saw none and she said nothing in return, he continued. “When I kill him, you'll be my prize. Not that you aren't already.” At this, he held up the paper in his hands. “Do you know what this is?” Kagome could barely make out writing on the page and a line at the bottom, but she only stared back at him. “Well,” he said lowly, “it's a contract. A contract that only works here in the North. One where the signer doesn't have to be willing. Since you're not technically part of the South, if I have your blood on this paper, I can make you part of the North without any say whatsoever. Isn't that interesting?”

 

His voice was so smooth and yet so gritty that Kagome could barely bear to hear it another moment. She knew what he'd just told her was incredibly bad news, but she was preoccupied with finding a way out of this mess; his villainous threats were of little consequence to her unless he acted upon them, which he didn't seem keen on doing until he got an audience. His theatrical edge was still half carrying him in this situation and Kagome was perfectly aware.

 

“Think about what I just told you and decide who your true enemies are,” Naraku said quietly, though Kagome could hear him well enough. This comment, while enemy propaganda, was also somewhat worth considering; Kagome didn't have the stomach to really think about it, however, and allowed it to drift into the deep, cavernous back of her mind where she'd put so many thoughts lately. Kikyo, her unofficial membership to the Fangs, calling her mother, responding to the University scout who'd contacted her two days earlier. Everything seemed to be in the back of her mind. I should've known that all of this was too good to be true; there was no way I could just get a bunch of friends, a boyfriend and a home in one summer without something fucking up.

 

“Naraku!”

 

Both Kagome and Naraku turned towards the door where an enraged Ryuukoytsusei had just entered, broad shoulder form alive with wrath. His crimson eyes burned so hotly that Kagome feared he might actually burst into flame, but his rage was obviously not directed at her. The emerald haired dragon demon crossed the space between him and Naraku in three short seconds, wrapping one tattooed, clawed hand around Naraku's pale throat.

 

Naraku however, seemed unalarmed by this attack and only stared levelly back at the Dragon leader. “Yes, Ryuu?”

 

“Who the fuck are you to order around my men?! I was just informed that six of my elite are dead because they were ordered by you to intercept some sort of recon attempt an hour ago!”

 

A flame of hope erupted in Kagome's gut and she could swear the room was a single bit brighter as she stared down at the two men, hoping that Ryuu might just kill Naraku off right there. He certainly looked mad enough, though he always seemed rather mad.

 

“How did that go, by the way?” Naraku asked casually, as though Ryuu's hand wasn't seconds away from cracking his windpipe in two.

 

“All but two who went are dead!” Ryuu roared madly, fangs bared and crimson eyes boring holes into Naraku's skull.

 

“But what about the recon attempt?” Naraku probed, looking slightly irritated by Ryuu's insistent talk of the dead.

 

“It failed,” came Ryuu's quiet growl; he seemed unwilling to admit that any part of Naraku's plan had succeeded. “But do you know who one of the recon agents was? Someone I specifically ordered you to never touch. Ever.”

 

Kagome's interested piqued at the this and she furrowed her brow; Ryuu was protecting someone in the South?

 

Naraku chuckled darkly, teasing the larger man, “You're beautiful yet unattainable half demon girl. Like I told you Ryuu, I'll do what I have to to get my way. And if that includes killing off a few of your two-cent fucks on the way-”

 

But Naraku never got to finish his sentence. Ryuukoytsusei let out a howl so piercing that Kagome felt chills encase every single one of her bloody limbs; she'd never heard a dragon's cry before and she hoped she never did again. Ryuu threw Naraku angrily against the wall, which was some twenty feet away, and turned on his heels, storming towards the door with defiance apparent in every single stride.

 

Kagome looked over at Naraku's body, hoping to god it didn't move, though her hopes were crushed as the Spider leader stood calmly to his feet, looking almost unaffected by Ryuukoytsusei's impressive assault. He wiped a trail of blood from his temple, where he'd struck the wall, and smiled rather sadistically. “Did you have something else to say to me, Ryuu?”

 

The man in question, who had nearly exited the room didn't even pause as he snarled curtly, “They're coming.”

 

Kagome and Naraku both knew that “they” meant the South's retrieval mission and Kagome closed her eyes momentarily, thanking the Gods. Naraku seemed just as pleased, strangely enough and, as Ryuu left the room, he walked calmly towards the wall where a great many strange looking guns were anchored. He approached one, which was about the length of a rifle and finished with blue chrome. It resembled something out of a low-budget sci-fi movie, but Kagome had a feeling it was more than just a show piece. Naraku hefted it in his arms, staring down the sight as his fangs glittered in the light.

 

“What the hell is that?” Kagome demanded hotly, speaking for the first time.

 

Naraku glanced up at her and replied proudly, “This is the gun that's going to win me Salter, little girl.”

 

“Is one damn street really worth all this?!” Kagome yelled, finally voicing her true thoughts on the matter. She couldn't understand why everyone was so alarmed by the issue of one simple street, one which barely even mattered in her mind.

But Naraku's look held a good deal more contempt this time as he met her eyes. “If that's all you think of this conflict, then it's no wonder the Wildcats haven't invited you in yet; it's all about pride. I was going to have you help me with this, since you seem to be so good with guns,” the man said, smirking at this obviously intended sexual pun. “But I think I can handle it on my own. All you have to do with this one is point and shoot.”

“You can get pride other ways,” Kagome argued, ignoring his lewd comment and ominous last words.

 

This didn't even phase Naraku, who was standing by the doorway as though expecting someone. “Pride is what it's all about and every gang leader will tell you that. Pride is power and power is in property and money. So therefore, property is what I need.”

 

“I've heard you could use some money too,” Kagome replied smartly, trying to ignore the satisfied grin on Naraku's face...like the cat who'd just caught the mouse. What exactly did those guns do?

 

Naraku let out a sound of triumph as several Spider members began pouring into the room, nodding to him and talking amongst themselves as they retrieved the odd blue chrome guns from the walls, finally leaving it empty. Kagome expected that there might've been twenty of them altogether, though she wasn't quite sure; everything looked strange from her point of view on the cross.

 

“What the hell are those?” Kagome shouted to those below.

 

Naraku just smiled mysteriously as the other men laughed, many catcalling her as they prepared their weapons. “You'll find out soon enough. We're going to go give your friends a nice reception.” With this, he turned to the men and yelled, “Move out!”

 

As they left, Kagome noticed that not a single Dragon, Spider or Vixen was still standing around; she'd been watched by at least four before and visited by countless others, who jeered at her or threw rocks to show their appreciation. But now the room was completely empty. “What, no guards?” she shouted cheekily.

 

Naraku glanced over his shoulder as he ushered the last man out, replying darkly, “No one's going to get this far, princess.”

 

Kagome swallowed thickly, tasting the blood as it went down; this was looking far worse by the minute. And she suddenly had a bad feeling in her gut. A terribly bad feeling.

 

I'm done! Wow! That took, like, everything I had to write that. The next chapter is basically going to drain my life, then. Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers and I would like to answer a very popular question:

 

When is Kagome going to become a Wildcat?

 

Answer: Well, wouldn't you like to know? Isn't that the point of the story? Hahahaha! I leave you in suspense!

 

KOLU