InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Story of Seven Men ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5- Cooperation

 

Roars of anger rolled through the Band of Seven headquarters as the news of Kyokotsu's death reached Renkotsu. He slammed his fist against his over desk as the reports from various subordinates continued to pile upon his desk. Various body parts of his comrade had shown up at locations all over city for the past few days. The most damning evidence of his death was the package that currently sat upon his desk. A box with his severed head and a note from the Rojo Lobos for having double crossed them.

 

“Insolent bastards.” he sniveled under his breath, as he slammed his hand once more against his hard wood desk, causing the papers to spill onto the floor as Jakotsu moved through the door, supporting more boxes and packages of various sizes.

 

Looking around the stack of boxes, he asked, “What's the problem, Renkotsu?” still a bit apprehensive of his new boss, considering that he'd helped the old one escape.

 

“Those damn mutts from the Rojo Lobos just declared war on us!” he seethed as he saw the packages. “Take those down to the incinerator… the stench is getting quite offensive in here.”

 

“Yes sir,” Jakotsu replied, thankful to have an excuse to leave the office once held by his brother.

 

Turning his attention back to the note in his hand, Renkotsu's steel gray eyes hardened even more as he saw the last line, `death be on you and those that follow your lead.' It was written in blood. Kyokotsu's, he assumed, though he didn't know where Ginkotsu was either. “Why are they doing this? Don't they know not to mess with the Band of Seven?” he ground out between clenched teeth as he looked once more toward the head of Kyokotsu, crumpling the note before throwing it into the fire he kept in his office, warming the sudden chill that crept into his bones.

 

As he watched the paper char and blacken in the fire, warmth once more seeped into his body as the anger at having Bankotsu slipped through his fingers. “Where the hell are you?” he thought, fist clenched as the flames from the fire reflected in his eyes, licking at the declaration of war. Transfixed by the dancing flames as they soothed his anger, he thought, “When I do find you… your life will be mine!” as he doused the flame.

 

 

Sunlight slowly warmed the clearing, glistening off the sheen of sweat that had collected along Tempest's arms as she swung the ax once more, cleaving the log in half as she continued to chop fire wood. Her thoughts drifted back to the events in Austin the week before, the fight with the member from the Band of Seven and seeing Koga again, after so much time. Her eyes blurred as tears rimmed her eyes as she recalled seeing her friend.

 

He kicked the stand out for his bike, removing the black full face helmet to allow his piercing blue eyes to fall upon her beaten and battered frame. A look of sorrow and longing filled his eyes as he quickly moved toward her, wrapping her in his warm loving embrace until she cried out in pain from his crushing hug. He pulled back from her, gazing at the swollen cheek as he asked, “What happened?”

 

Gesturing toward the broken door as she replied, “He just stormed in… knocking the door down before we knew what was going on.”

 

Furrowing his brow, a slight edge to his voice as he asked, “We?? Who else was with you?”

 

Snapping her head back toward his, her eyes full of anger, Tempest replied, “As if it's any of your business whom I spend my time with.”

 

Gripping her arms a bit tighter than he'd wanted, Koga turned her fully to face him as he countered, “It is my business, especially if you're calling me because you're in trouble. I'll make him pay for hurting you!”

 

“It's not like that Koga! Damn… give me some fucking credit,” she scoffed as she pulled her battered arms from his vice like grasp. Moving toward the room, with Koga in tow, Tempest stepped through the broken doorway, pointing toward the curled up mass upon the bed. “There… are you happy now?”

 

Following her arm, Koga's eyes widened in shock at the beaten man that lay upon the bed. “No way!” he thought as he moved toward the man, noting the bandaged limbs, blood soaked linens and tangled mass of hair.

 

Gently he brushed strands of the long black hair from the strangers face, confirming his suspicions. “How?” was all he asked as he continued his inspection of his once rival and friend.

 

“He was lying along the highway a ways from here. I picked him up and brought him here Koga. He deserved a second chance at life, no matter who he is,” she replied quietly, her back turned toward the two men as she sat upon the other bed, her hand unconsciously sought the familiar fur, stroking her beloved companion.

 

Koga glanced toward Tempest, the hurt in her voice drawing him away from Bankotsu as he saw the dead body of her beloved dog. He moved to the edge of the other bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as he placed his hand over her's upon Coda's still neck. “I'm sorry about your loss, Tempest. She was an awesome protector, very well trained.”

 

A slight smile crossed her lips as she replied, “Yeah, she did have the best.” She turned her head slightly and placed a chaste kiss upon his muscular cheek. “Thank you.”

 

Returning the kiss, upon her luscious lips, he said, “You're welcome.”

 

A slight flush crossed her cheeks at the memory of the kiss. “Damn… Now's not the time to get distracted,” she thought as she swung the ax once more. The air cooled her heated flesh as she continued to reflect upon her time in Austin.

 

Koga stared at the corpse of Kyokotsu, checking his body for weapons, cash and drugs. “Nice work, Tempest. Your grandfather would be proud,” he commented as he inspected the remains of the monster's shattered skull.

 

A slight smile crossed her lips as she replied, “Thanks.” She turned back toward her task of wrapping her beloved pet in the remains of a sheet, taking care to make the bundle as tight as she could for the trip back to her home.

 

Gravel crunched as two vehicles pulled abreast of her truck. Koga and Tempest jerked their heads toward the door as the silver haired Colmillo brothers moved toward their room. Tempest glared at the brothers before she turned back to her task, ignoring them as they swept into the room like a pest.

 

“Seems like this one forgot that his head wasn't bullet proof,” Inuyasha quipped as he knelt near Kyokotsu's head, examining the gapping abyss of his skull.

 

Turning his attention toward the battered body of Bankotsu, Sesshomaru replied, “Seems like this one took the brunt of the attack.” He probed the unconscious body, assessing at least a few broken ribs and a broken arm before he turned his attention toward Tempest. “Good to see you again, Tempest.”

 

“As if you'd really care, Fluffy,” she retorted. Grabbing up her securely wrapped companion, she headed toward the door, only to be stopped by the massive imposing form of Sesshomaru. “Get the fuck out of my way!” she demanded, her emerald eyes blazing with anger.

 

“Not until you've been looked at. I can tell that you're hurting, and not just mentally,” he replied, never letting his temper flare at her pet name for him.

 

Glaring hard at the stoic bastard, Tempest replied, “I'm fine. Now just get out of the way. I don't want any more of this shit. It's bringing back too many bad memories.”

 

“No,” he replied as he took the bundle from her arms, brushing against her ribs and arms a bit too roughly. Crying out in pain, she dropped to her knees in excruciating pain. Koga rushed to her side, glaring at Sesshomaru as he passed.

 

“You could have been more gentle you ass!!” Koga growled as he eased her against his rugged frame. “If Onigumo were here…”

 

“He would have done the same thing as you are,” Sesshomaru continued as he placed the bundle upon the floor, near Tempest. “He would have made sure that she was okay and berate me for my tactics in finding out the amount of damage done.” He knelt beside the duo as his fingers lightly moved over her blood splattered tank top, confirming that she also had some bruised ribs, maybe a few fractures, though he couldn't tell for sure. Her cheek was pretty messed up as well, having turned a nasty shade of purple that complimented her swollen lips.

 

“Inu,” he called out, drawing his brother's attention from the massive corpse that took up most of the extra floor space of the room. “Take Tempest to our facility and have her fixed up.”

 

Frowning at not being able to continue with his investigation of the monster, Inuyasha moved swiftly toward the trio. As he lifted Tempest into his arms, Koga glared at him as he said, “Keep your paws off her.”

 

A smirk crossed Inuyasha's lips as he replied, “Jealous mutt?” carrying her from the room before he heard a reply from his comrade.

 

“Wait!” Tempest cried out from Inuyasha's arms.

 

His amber eyes looked over her battered face as she motioned toward the unconscious Bankotsu. “What about him?” she asked her emerald eyes filled with pain as she lay in Inuyasha's arms.

 

Sesshomaru, Koga and Inuyasha looked at their one time rival and former friend, unconscious and bleeding upon the bed as they contemplated her question. They all knew what had happened at the warehouse earlier in the day, as well as the reason for Kyokotsu's sudden appearance at the hotel. Of the three Koga knew all too well that if they were to let him die while under Tempest's nose that there would be hell to pay.

 

Sighing in resignation, he moved toward the mess, grabbing up their rival by the shoulders as he motioned for Sesshomaru to grab up the legs. The group moved toward Inuyasha's black Denali, tossing Bankotsu in the back while laying Tempest gently across the back seat.

 

“That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in the hospital,” Tempest thought as she put her ax down, and began to pick up some of the split chunks of wood. With an armload of the wood secured in her grasp, Tempest made her way to the basement of her mountain home. After shutting the sliding glass door, she stacked the wood near her furnace before she moved toward the basement bathroom. She shucked out of her work clothes, noting the yellowish bruises that still adorned most of her upper body.

 

“He must have weighed a ton,” she mussed as she moved toward the shower, grateful for the warmth of the water as she worked her tired muscles. A smile flickered as she washed off her morning sweat at the fight that ensued between her and the Rojo Lobos upon her release from the hospital.

 

“There's no way in Hell you're taking him with you?!!” Koga practically roared as he pointed toward the still unconscious mercenary.

 

Flames leapt into her emerald eyes as Tempest kept a tight leash upon her rising temper. “You've said so yourself that if he were to stay here he'd be killed in his current condition,” she replied smoothly glancing at the bandaged and cast body of Bankotsu as he lay in a drug induced coma to allow his body to heal. “If the Band of Seven were to get word that he was here, your organization would be hit hard, Koga. I know that Gramps wouldn't have wanted that to happen… considering the rift that's been caused by his death.” She turned her back toward the blue eyed demon, tears streaming down her face at the memory of that fateful day.

 

Without lifting a finger, she'd affectively knocked the wind out of him, succumbing to her view knowing that she was right. He glared at the unconscious man, growling deep in his chest his disgust at the thought of that mercenary under the same roof as his Tempest. But even the others had shown their dislike of his actions by having Bankotsu brought to the Rojo Lobos' headquarters. They'd have rather killed him on the spot after Tempest had been safe in the Denali.

 

“Okay… you win,” he sighed in resignation. Looking toward Tempest's back, he continued softly, “I hope that you know what you're doing. He's a trained killer, Tempest. Once he's back on his feet he'll use you as he did us.”

 

Turning back toward Koga's worried blue eyes, she replied hotly, “As if I don't know that Koga. I'm accustomed to being used and abused by those around me. What's the fucking difference if it's you, Fluffy, or him?” motioning toward the hospital bed.

 

Gently, Koga moved his hand to her jaw, tilting her head toward his as he replied, “I never meant to hurt you. It was the circumstances that got in the way of what we had.”

 

“Yeah, and I still have the scars of those `circumstances' or had you forgotten that I was there when Gramps died?” she retorted as she pulled away from his gentle hand, tears streaming down her face once more at the horrors of that day.

 

Despite his desire to comfort Tempest, Koga turned back toward the mercenary in the hospital bed before him. “I'll go make the arrangements,” he said softly before turning his back on her and walking away.

 

 

“That was the last time I saw him before I left Austin,” Tempest thought sadly as she pulled on a loose fitting pair of shorts and tank top. Despite the cold weather outside, the mountain cabin was kept at a comfortable temperature with her wood burning furnace and radiator heated floors.

 

With a quick toss, to dry her short blond hair, Tempest grabbed up the dirty clothes and tossed them in the washer on her way up to the main floor of the cabin. The early morning workout had caused her to have a massive appetite. Taking the wooden stairs two at a time, she quickly ascended to the main floor of her cabin, and its spacious layout. Within a matter of minutes she had a couple of frying pans on the stove with bacon sizzling in one and some sliced potatoes and onions in the other. The scent of the food wafted through the open area, meandering through the kitchen, dining, and living room combo down the slight hall to the back bedroom where Bankotsu lay upon the bed.

 

The savory scent of the bacon wafted through his nose, triggering his brain to remind him that he'd not had anything to eat in a really long time. Cracking one blackened eye, he scanned the area with his bloodshot blue eye, noticing that this didn't look at all like the room he'd been in with the doorframe in splinters. Groaning, he moved onto his side, following the heavenly scent of bacon. He looked around carefully, taking in the creamy yellow curtains and walls with wood trim.

 

“Where the hell am I?” he thought as he eased into a sitting position, carefully opening his other blackened eye. The lavish bedding suggested a high end hotel, though he knew better then that. This was a homier feel than any stuffy hotel would have offered. Remembering the last time he'd been conscious, Bankotsu looked toward the closet and saw that the doors were full length mirrors. Easing carefully out of the comfortable bed, Bankotsu stood before the mirrors, noticing the tightly wrapped torso, a cast on his lower left arm and bruises of various shapes, sizes and colors.

 

The only thought that came to mind as his eyes roved over his healing body was, “I should be dead.” A whistle from a tea kettle shook him from his grave thoughts as he moved toward the door, only to realize that all he wore were a pair of loose fitting boxers. Not his favorite underwear, but it was better than being naked. He tentatively opened a closet door to see if there was something he could wear, even if it were just baggy sweats. To his surprise, most of the clothes hanging were men's clothes from three piece suits to basic tee shirts and jeans. Finding a pair of sweats and an over sized tee shirt he slipped them on with little difficulty from his broken arm.

 

Carefully, as he was still unaware of his surroundings, he slipped from the bedroom and moved down the hall, noticing that a comfortable looking bathroom with a tub was across the hall. Looking behind him, he saw a single back door that opened out to the driveway. From the small view he was unable to really tell where he was at. Moving once more toward the other end of the hall, following the scent of the bacon, he moved out into the open area, with a vaulted ceiling, and large windows the length of the walls that opened out onto a nice large balcony.

 

“Damn!” he whistled as he moved toward the dining room windows, marveled at the scene that lay before him. Tall lodge pole pine trees lined the edges of the back yard before it opened out to look over a vast canyon.

 

“I take it that you approve of the view,” Tempest called out from behind him, a frying pan in her hand as she slid the bacon onto a waiting paper towel to drain some of the excess grease.

 

Without taking his eyes off the view, he asked cautiously, “Where are we?”

 

Moving back to the stove with the frying pan, she replied, “Far from the trouble that followed you to that hotel in Austin, Bankotsu.” She picked up a couple of eggs, cracking them on the side of the pan before dumping their contents into the hot grease.

 

Turning toward his savior once more he asked, “How do you know who I am? I never told you.”

 

Emerald met blue as Tempest looked deeply into his troubled eyes, “A little birdie told me of your identity. Don't worry; the others don't know that you're here. Gramps made sure that this place remained a getaway.” She turned back to her eggs as she asked, “Care to have some breakfast? It's been about a week since you've had anything to eat… as far as I know.”

 

Moving toward the wooden dinning room table, suddenly feeling a little nauseous he replied, “Yeah… I could go for a cup of coffee.”

 

A slight smile crossed her lips as Tempest moved toward the table, a coffee cup in one hand and the tea kettle in the other. “I'm sorry to say that I don't have any coffee here. But I think that this will go down just as smooth,” she commented as she poured the hot water into the cup, stirring up a cup of hot chocolate instead. “Gramps never complained about my hot chocolate mix.”

 

Taking up the mug, Bankotsu blew across the hot dark brown liquid before he took a sip. As the thick liquid slid down his throat, warming him from the inside, a slight smile crossed his face. Yes… he'd had this mixture before, but he couldn't remember where or when. “Not bad… Um… I never did catch your name,” he stammered as he looked once more toward the scantily clad blond haired woman.

 

Turning once more toward the mercenary, her eyes nearly as hard as emeralds she replied, “Tempest.”