InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Red Sun Rising ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Police / Drama / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.04.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 367 | Status: Completed
A/N: Yeah, I've been away for a bit. I'm posting this from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I've been for the past three days. I apologize for not posting sooner, but my hobby of writing has not been facilitated by my situation. This chapter is rather longer than the previous ones, simply because I wanted to get through the backstory and bring in Sango. I'm editing this as I go and will probably be reposting at a later time.
Disclaimer: Yet again, I am disappointed to announce that I own nothing familiar.
Disturbed’s ‘Voices’ was blaring in the apartment. Occasional grunts and groans could be heard, along with the slap of flesh and creaking of chains.
The dark-haired agent followed the sounds until he found the source. The young assassin seemed to be taking out her latest frustration on a punching bag. He watched her for a moment and then decided to speak.
“I thought I told you seven AM,” he grinned when she jumped, startled.
“Apparently no one told you,” she began.
“That you’re never on time,” he finished. She turned to glare at him and he affected a neutral expression. “You’ve changed.”
“You haven’t,” her hands were on her hips now. “How’d you get in here anyway?”
“Busted out a window,” he smirked, but it was fleeting.
“Meaning you used the door. I’ll have to tell Souta to change the locks,” her glare never faded.
“What the hell happened to you?” he moved forward and was walking around her now. “Five years, sixty-eight assignments; you never once frowned. Now I can’t get you to stop.”
“People change,” she shrugged bitterly.
Inuyasha sighed heavily and raised a hand toward her face. The woman seemed to brace herself for a blow. When he brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, she flinched. “You actually think I’d hit you?” he asked gently. “I know we used to kick each other’s ass when we sparred, but I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Kagome stared intently at the floor. “I thought there was a plane to catch.”
“Figured if I told you seven you’d show up before noon.”
“Oooh,” a new voice broke in and both turned quickly. “Passion, murder, and intrigue! It’s a Lifetime movie! So tell me, how long into the picture am I going to have to wait before the actual sex shows up?”
Miroku’s perverted teasing was cut short when a staff was thrown at him. The agent caught it reflexively before turning to look at the source.
Kagome seemed to be having trouble deciding between a staff and a pair of blunted daggers.
“Anything and everything?” Inuyasha asked, now leaning against the far wall.
Twirling her own staff in her hand, Kagome shrugged. “Never know what’s available.”
Miroku looked from the staff in his hands to the one the woman before him was twirling gracefully. “She’s gonna kick my ass, isn’t she?”
“I’ll avenge your pride,” his partner waved his hand dismissively.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” the short-haired agent quipped.
“Enough talk,” Kagome stopped twirling the staff and aimed a strike for Miroku’s head.
His eyes bulged comically but he managed to evade it.
“Oi!” Inuyasha was grinning. “Who said you could go easy on him?”
“Wha-?” Miroku sputtered, dodging a flurry of attacks, blocking a few with the staff. “What do you mean ‘easy’?”
The other agent only shrugged.
Moments later, the staff was flipped out of the young man’s hands and rolled across the floor. Aiming the end of the staff at the agent, the assassin smiled grimly, “You’re dead.”
The song that was playing ended and Sinergy’s ‘The Bitch is Back’ started up.
“Perfect timing,” Souta Higurashi smiled from his place at the door. “Our flight’s when? 12:30?”
“Yeah,” Inuyasha nodded.
“Sis, pack, now.”
Kagome wandered out of the room, grumbling, switching the stereo off as she walked past.
“And don’t touch those weapons, Saishi!”
“Ugh,” Kagome stumbled out of the airport and into the sunlight. She rolled her shoulder to adjust her pack and snatched Souta’s luggage from him. “I hate flying.”
“Yeah, I know,” Inuyasha hefted his bag. “You also hate Naraku, brain-dead heiresses, cottage cheese, and, if I remember correctly, Venezuela.”
“Don’t start with me. That hit was a pain in the ass.”
“He was 76,” the agent pointed out, ignoring his partner’s chant of ‘La la la! I can’t hear you!’.
“He had bodyguards the size of Mount Rushmore!” the assassin whined.
“If you’d gone in the third floor window, like we’d planned, you wouldn’t have had to mess with them.”
“And have my ass stuck on a ledge when the Moron Brigade showed up? No thank you.”
“Don’t knock the Moron Brigade,” he hit her upside the head, playfully. “They’ve gotten better.”
She snorted and swatted his hand away. “Yeah, only five SNAFU’s this year. Go them.”
“Saishi!”
Kagome watched curiously as Inuyasha took a deep breath and dropped his chin to his chest. “Why him?”
“Saishi! Get yer ass over here!” She could see the other man now. Her mind told her that, with his 5’7”, 176 pound frame, she could probably kick his ass.
‘Take that back,’ she mused, raising an eyebrow at the horn-rimmed glasses and pocket protector. ‘Souta could kick his ass.’
“Whaddaya want?” Inuyasha’s typical drawl was annoyed now.
“I’m supposed to take your sorry ass to HQ,” the overly placid look on Inuyasha’s face made it perfectly clear that he was seconds away from decking the guy.
“I figured that,” he muttered.
“See you brought back that ‘specialist’ you went to fetch,” Souta smiled tightly as the guy sized him up. Turning to Kagome, the ‘agent-with-a-deathwish’ laughed, “How cute! He brought his girlfriend.”
Kagome straightened, lips pursed in disgust. “Sorry, asshole. My family doesn’t swing that way. Care to go for strike two?”
Miroku tapped his partner on the shoulder, “Should we shut him up before he really pisses her off?”
“Saishi,” the irritating voice came again. “Would you mind putting a leash on your bitch?”
The grin on Inuyasha’s face was dark when he told Miroku, “No. He has it coming.”
“Fuck!” the misogynistic agent had a meeting with the sidewalk, courtesy of a well-placed sweep kick.
Kagome knelt in front of him, her catlike movements beginning to frighten the rookie. “I’ve killed bigger men than you with a fork and my fist. Don’t assume that you’re safe,” standing smoothly, she kicked the agent with the toe of her boot. “Now, get your ass into the car, like a good little wuss, and drive yourself to ‘HQ’. Capisce?”
He scrambled to his feet, needing no further instruction, jumped into the car and sped off.
Kagome began walking off towards the center of town. “We’re walking, boys!” she called over her shoulder.
Miroku sputtered indignantly, waving at what was supposed to be their ride. “But! Wh- why?”
Inuyasha immediately walked past him, following the assassin’s lead. “Bit warm for that leather, don’tcha think?”
Kagome glanced down at her outfit. Black leather pants, navy blue skintight top, black leather mid-thigh jacket, more black leather in the form of three-inch heel boots. “Maneuverability and maximum damage,” she answered calmly, glancing over her shoulder.
Miroku turned to the seemingly sane member of the family. “Why are we walking?” he whined. “It’s hot.”
“Dude,” Souta patted the top of the agent’s head. “Never move to New Mexico.”
That said, he took off after his sister and the other agent.
“You’re late,” a weathered, but amused, voice noted as they reached the front of the building located at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. “Hayesworth came in twenty minutes ago, screaming that some psychotic woman had threatened to kill him. Know anything about it?” A sharply dressed woman who looked to be about 45 fell in step with them.
“Kids these days,” Kagome smiled brightly, answering for the agents. “Can’t be too careful around them.”
Inuyasha carefully disguised a snort as a cough, while Miroku remained seemingly impassive.
The small group bypassed the ridiculously long queue when Inuyasha, Miroku and the woman all flashed identification at the door.
“Can you believe how many people want in here?” Miroku shook his head. “It really isn’t all that impressive.”
“Oh, my god!” Someone with a ridiculously high voice shrieked. “It’s an agent!”
Kagome, never breaking stride, shifted away from the three agents.
Another voice broke out, “Would you believe what they wear to work?”
“Yeah,” the first voice returned. “So kick-ass!”
Now confused, the assassin glanced over at her companions. Slacks, dress shirt, suit coat…How exactly was that ‘kick-ass’?
“Love the boots!” the second voice called.
“Ignore them,” a very amused Inuyasha was next to her now.
The group continued walking past the ‘tourist’ area and into the main part of the building. The woman quickly ushered them into what seemed like a conference room. Hayesworth was already there.
“That’s her!” he shrieked, pointing to Kagome. “She’s insane! She tried to kill me!”
“No,” the assassin drawled. “If I tried to kill you, you’d be dead.”
“Or horribly disfigured,” Souta quipped, not liking this agent at all. “Either way, it wouldn’t be pretty.”
“So,” the sharply dressed woman cut off Hayesworth’s next shout. “Saishi tells me that you are an old friend of his.”
Kagome snorted, shooting the agent a dry look. “Something like that.”
“Why don’t you tell me who you are?”
“I think the actual question here is: who the hell are you?”
“Insubordinate!” Hayesworth screamed.
“Shut up!” three voices sounded.
“It’s alright,” the woman smiled calmly. “I’m Kaede Thompson. I run this circus.”
The reaction was immediate. The assassin snapped to attention and was rattling off her name, unit, date of retirement, and ID code before anyone knew what was happening.
“Thank you for the information,” Kaede continued to smile. “But I assure you, I’m not a superior officer, you don’t need to be so formal.”
“I beg to differ, Ma’am,” the raven-haired assassin continued to stare straight ahead. “Keeping this Bureau running smoothly and dealing with the,” she paused and eyed Hayesworth distastefully, “attitudes I’ve seen from the agents shows me that, not only are you a superior, you have the patience of a saint.”
Liking the girl already, Kaede turned to Inuyasha. “Now, Saishi, why can’t you ever be respectful?”
Inuyasha opened his mouth to answer but Kagome beat him to it, “Ma’am, I don’t believe that term is in his somewhat limited vocabulary.”
“Hey,” Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. “I am a superior officer, Missy.”
“No sir,” the assassin flashed him a brief grin. “Merely a higher ranking one.”
“I get the feeling you’ll be alright,” Kaede laughed to herself.
The assassin watched, amused, as a couple of agents tussled over an assignment. Apparently, the female wasn’t too thrilled about having to wear a bathing suit. Kagome didn’t blame her.
A smooth, faintly Southern voice spoke beside her. “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
“Asimov,” Kagome shook her head. “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”
“Emerson,” he returned. “You are quite the paradox.”
She turned to look at the man. “What are you? The FBI’s personal undertaker?”
He gave her a slight smile. “No, merely a displaced agent.”
“You belong here more than I do then.”
“Quite,” he said simply.
Five minutes later an annoyed Inuyasha meandered into the room. “Your presence is requested on the bridge, m’lady,” he gave a mocking bow.
Kagome rolled her eyes and affected a New Yorker’s accent. “Coming, Dahling.”
“Get over here!” the agent snapped, tapping one foot on the floor. “You and ‘AXL’ can talk later.”
Amused, she turned to the agent next to her. He was frowning. “’AXL’?”
“An unfortunate coincidence in naming, I assure you,” his tone was light.
“Wench,” Inuyasha’s normally limited patience was severely strained. “I’d like to be there sometime this century.”
“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Saishi,” she addressed the other agent again. “Catch you around,” she paused unsure of the man’s name and not wanting to offend him.
“Pendergast is fine,” he smiled. “I rather loathe my first name, and it is quite difficult to spell.”
“Pendergast,” she nodded. “Got it.”
The quiet agent watched as she fairly marched to where Saishi was waiting with his arms crossed.
“Took ya long enough,” Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. “And flirting with him is no excuse.”
“Whatever you say,” the assassin fell in step with him. “And he happens to be an interesting conversationalist. Unlike other people I know.”
When Inuyasha tried to turn his glare on the other man, he was already gone. “Damnit. I hate it when he does that.”
“I can’t believe you were flirting with him.”
“Oh, quit sulking,” Kagome rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t flirting. And I can’t believe you call him ‘AXL’.”
“You’ve run into the elusive Mr. Pendergast, have you?” Kaede looked up from her paperwork. “The next time you run into him, if you’d tell him to see me? There’s a situation that needs debriefing.”
“I would,” Kagome sighed. “But Iron Man here,” she swatted at Inuyasha, “may have scared him off.”
“I assure you, it takes much more than Saishi to scare Pendergast,” Kaede had an odd smirk. “Now, on to business.”
“I’m pretty sure you know as much as I do,” Kagome dropped into a chair.
“Actually,” Kaede closed the folder in front of her and removed her glasses. “I think you may know more than you’re telling us.”
Kagome grinned. “Well, aren’t we smart this morning.”
“Miss Higurashi,” Kaede sighed deeply. “This is a matter of life or death for many people. Innocent people.”
“Miss Thompson,” Kagome parroted. “All that will happen when your agents get themselves involved is that they’ll get themselves killed. They have no place in that world.”
“I think you underestimate my agents,” Kaede smiled tightly.
“I think you underestimate assassins,” Kagome shot back.
“I think I’ll go get coffee,” Inuyasha muttered and headed out the door.
Trying a different tactic, Kaede said neutrally, “My agents tell me you have an informant.”
“I do,” Kagome raised an eyebrow.
“And how would we contact him?” Kaede found a sheet of paper and a pen and was poised to write.
Kagome narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “We assassins have two rules for talking with feds,” she said slowly.
The older woman looked at her quizzically. “And?”
“The first one is: Don’t reveal everything you know.”
The director’s hand clenched around the pen. “You are not being very helpful.”
“I’m not trying to be.”
Taking a deep breath, Kaede tried again. “How about this: You watch the agents for a while, put a team together, and you can run part of the investigation?”
Kagome tilted her head. “Saishi and his buddy are in. His buddy seems grounded and I know Saishi, he can think on his feet, usually. I also want whoever’s heading Unit 2887 these days. I’m going to need three of your best computer guys, two chemists, a ballistics lab, and a bomb unit. My brother is in charge of all communication between myself and my informant, he’ll also take care of anything from the team to you. And if I hear of even one attempt to bug anything on this operation, all deals are off. You throw me in jail for whatever it is you want, my brother goes home, and you can catch the bastards on your own time.”
Kaede smiled, “I think I can deal with that.”
“I’ve been doing some research,” Miroku fell in step with the assassin and ex-government-assassin. “This ‘Unit 2887’? It doesn’t exist.”
“They want you to think that,” Kagome smiled tightly. “We’re their little black mark.”
“That’s comforting,” Miroku looked to Inuyasha for help.
“2887 is a specialized branch of the Special Forces,” the agent spoke mechanically. “Nicknamed ‘Angel of Death’. Mysterious death of a terrorist leader? Probably a 2887 operation.”
“Basically,” Kagome took over. “Someone pisses the government off, they tell us, we find, we kill.”
“Sounds right up your alley,” Miroku commented.
“It was,” Kagome nodded. “Until 825 anyway.”
“825?”
“Newbies grew egos,” Inuyasha shrugged. “Bigshots didn’t like it, sent the unit on a wild-goose chase in one of the militant sections of Kazakhstan. The leader there decided that he didn’t want this group of infidels running around, gave a shoot to kill order. Our pick-up site was halfway across the damn country.”
“And in militant sections, word travels fast,” Kagome rubbed her shoulder lightly. “One leader raises the alarm, soon everyone’s hunting for the danger. More than half the unit was killed. Most of the ones left were older ones; they’d been around. The young ones left were fast learners.”
“At least some made it,” Miroku winced as he said it.
The assassin snorted, “You’re one of those annoying optimists, aren’t you?”
“I’ve been called that. Besides, it isn’t so bad. You’re here.”
The assassin moved in front of him, turned, and stopped. “Ever dug a semi-automatic bullet out of a 19 year old’s back with nothing but a pocket knife and a sharpened twig?”
“Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure, no,” Miroku grimaced at the image.
“The government killed my family,” she smiled grimly. “I simply return the favor.”
She stormed off, leaving a very confused Miroku to again turn to his partner.
“Unit equals family,” Saishi threw over his shoulder as he followed her.
“It’s like a retroactive soap opera,” Miroku shook his head.
“What have we got, Souta?” Kagome glanced at the com system her brother was tweaking.
“You guys do know that your equipment’s shit, right?” the young man glanced at the two agents in the room. “Complete and utter shit.”
“Yeah, they hate coms,” Kagome cut Souta off before he could start a rant. “Give me some good news.”
“Well,” he flipped open a box and pulled out what looked like a button. “I have enough of these babies patched in to cover the entire team.”
“Button cams,” Miroku nodded. “Nice.”
“No way,” the assassin shook her head. “I’ve told you before.”
“Sis, I swear,” he glared at her. “If you start pulling that ‘Me, Lone Ranger, You, Tonto’ shit again, I will slap you.”
“I’m not using it.”
“May we move on?” Inuyasha had dropped into a chair and was busy counting ceiling tiles.
“Yeah, fine,” Souta gave his sister another pointed glare and continued. “I’ve secured three lines for use. And with Her Royal Highness’s permission, I can arrange the next meeting with our informant.”
Kagome waved a hand idly. “Go ahead. Just scooch over, would ya? There’s a forum I want to check.”
Souta rolled his eyes, but moved. He began to go through the various untraceable lines they used to contact their informant.
Meanwhile, the two agents were crowded around, partially monitoring this ‘forum’ Kagome was checking and partially watching him work.
The forum Kagome was currently checking was used as a sort of ‘meeting place’ for assassins and potential clients. Someone wanted a hit, they posted the details, the assassins bid on the job, and the client chose whoever they wanted to do it. She scanned the new ‘topics’.
“They want the KKK head killed,” she muttered. “Fifth time they’ve posted that.”
“Five minutes,” Souta noted. “That is, if he answers his phone.”
“Hmmm, Green Peace boat. Some people are just sick.”
“Pizza alright tonight?”
“Hit taken?” She clicked the link. “And yeah, pizza’s fine.”
She skimmed the info on the board. “Souta, forget the informant, get me a direct line to Onigumo. STAT.”
“Will do,” he closed out his current task and started over, this time to contact Onigumo. “Find something interesting?”
“If by interesting you mean disgusting, tasteless, and morally reprehensible, yeah.”
“Babes!” The oily voice rang out in the room. “Changed your mind?”
“Cut the crap,” The assassin pinched the bridge of her nose. “Singer hit, details, now.”
“Oh, Babes, I can’t help you there,” Inuyasha was positive that if they’d had a camera on the man, he’d be smiling.
“Come on! African-American senator with a Jewish wife? RaHoWa sprayed all over the place? Neo-Nazi propaganda everywhere? It positively reeks of you.”
“And you say that because?”
“Only you would stoop that low.”
“I seem to remember a certain someone and an incident with a dog.”
The agents turned to Souta. ‘Dog?’ they asked silently.
“Don’t even start that. Those morons were using dynamite. Zed was a retriever.”
There was an odd barking noise coming over the line now. “Boom! Huh, Babes?”
Inuyasha turned to Souta, “Is that guy on something?”
“Tell your buddy there I’m ‘high on life’,” Onigumo chirped.
“Or crack,” Kagome deadpanned.
“Well,” the man sniffed. “If you’re going to be such a bitch about it…” There was a dial tone.
“Who’s a cocky bastard?” Miroku shook his head.
“He knows something we don’t,” the assassin stood. “Souta, see if you can set that meeting up for this Thursday rather than next Tuesday. “
“Got it,” he was already reconnecting with the informant. “Have fun, Sis. Don’t kill anyone.”
“Where is she going?” Miroku wondered aloud.
“Same place she always goes,” Souta shrugged. “To kick the shit out of something.”
He spun around to tell the agents about the elusive ‘informant’ but both of them were gone.
“I’m buying bells.”
She hadn’t really been trying to pick a fight with anyone. Honest. These two morons just decided she’d be an easy sparring partner.
Now, not only were they a bit sorry, they were getting their asses kicked. She figured she should feel bad, what with her injuring their pride and all, but they way they telegraphed moves made her decide she didn’t care.
‘Butch is gonna throw a right hook…’ she mused. ‘Now.’
Sure enough, his fist came flying towards her face. She used one of her preferred moves to simultaneously dodge him and throw him off balance. He went down.
“Bitch!” Grumpy yelled, seeing his partner fall.
Kagome nearly laughed at his ‘angry face’. He looked constipated. And he was telegraphing worse than ever. ‘Left, kick, right,’ she could swear this guy was repeating a Tae-Bo film.
Growing bored, she launched a kick at his side, only to find it stopped. She pouted at Inuyasha, who currently had a very good grip on her ankle.
“Spoil my fun.”
The agent shrugged, grinning, “You looked bored.”
Miroku, sensing a golden opportunity, began to mingle with the slowly growing crowd. “Wagers! Place your wagers!” he called out.
Ignoring him, Kagome announced, “You really should teach your agents not to telegraph moves…Or at least to feint.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t bother with them,” Inuyasha smiled lightly in return. “Now, I’m going to let go of your ankle and you’re going to leave them alone. Clear?”
“Crystal.”
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her all-too-innocent grin, but released her anyway. He smirked and leapt back when she immediately tried to sweep kick him. “Nice try.”
Still in a crouch, the assassin grinned wickedly. “C’mere, asshole.”
The ensuing fight forced several of the agents to reevaluate opinions. Kicks and punches were almost too fast to follow but were still dodged. Flips and ridiculously high leaps almost made it seem that a hit would never be landed…And the ‘How’s the weather?’ tone of the simultaneous conversation made the combatants seem almost bored.
“And when did you leave?” Kagome asked, dodging several blows and returning with a high kick.
Leaning out of her range, the agent replied, “Oh, couple months after you did.” He feinted a blow to the right. “Got boring.”
Recognizing the bluff for what it was, she ducked under it. “C’mon, old man!” she laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re getting rusty!”
Arching an eyebrow, he aimed a kick at her side. It connected and she overbalanced with a slight ‘thud’. Crouching next to her grinning, panting figure, he tilted his head. “Old man?”
“Smart ass,” she breathed heavily. Then, showing surprising flexibility, she kicked his legs out from under him.
“Ow,” he muttered, staring at the ceiling. “Alright, I get it. Don’t use your move against you.”
“And don’t you forget it,” she nodded. “These mats are really comfortable. Ya think I could take a nap?”
“They are really soft, aren’t they?” Inuyasha closed his eyes. “A nap sounds good.”
Everything was quiet for a moment, save the twittering of the other agents, before Kagome frowned. “Could you move? Your fat ass is putting my leg to sleep.”
“Colonel Hammond?”
Sango looked up when the soft voice reached her ears.
Captain Michaels immediately snapped to attention and offered a salute.
“At ease,” Sango smiled.
Michaels relaxed.
“What did you need?” grateful for an excuse to leave her paperwork, Sango pushed away from her desk.
“It’s the FBI,” Michaels winced slightly. “Director Thompson wants to speak to you.”
“If she’s trying to recruit again,” the slim woman fairly growled, “you can tell her, with all due res-“
“-She’s not,” the young captain reassured. “It would be best if you’d speak to her.”
Sango narrowed her eyes before sighing. “Fine. I’ll talk to her.”
Michaels nodded and left the room.
Sango glared at the phone for a moment, then picked it up. “Colonel Sango Hammond speaking.”
A/N2: I'll be posting more of this and Siren once I have my own computer back. In the meantime, drop me a line...