InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Torn ❯ Victim ( Chapter 9 )

Hey look, it took me less than three months to update again! (J/K)

Watch out, much evilness to come.

(- Thoughts -)

 

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"Drink this, it'll help with your hangover," Alexei handed over a glass of some foul-smelling concoction.

Scrunching up her nose, Kagome raised her head just enough to gulp it down quickly and fought down the urge to gag. Curling up into her bed, she bit back a moan and allowed tears to slip from her eyes at the soreness all over her body. The night before had been their last chance, Hiko would be meeting with his board members and making his final decision today. There was nothing left to do but wait and hope the man Taikisha wanted to be selected was named his successor. She dreaded to think what may happen otherwise. Seeing how it was their last opportunity to get information and plant certain tidbits here and there, Shinji, Daisuke and Wufei had organized a grand party at the shrine.

Kagome could only wonder what had happened the night before, everything seemed vague and distorted. For a while she thought she'd even seen Inuyasha, if it weren't for her seal on the well, she would be worried. Something was wrong though, her body was not only sore, random shocks coursed through her system, she was sweating profusely and shaking badly.

"What's wrong with me?" Kagome asked Alexei, who was equally troubled by her status.

Shinji answered for them both, "Your body's just in need of more drugs."

"Drugs?!" Kagome's mind spun, her world tilting precariously, "W-What drugs?"

"The ones we had to put in your drink," Shinji leaned against the wall, "We needed you to stop being scared and do your job. Just a small hit was enough, but they usually make a person want more. You certainly reacted well last night, all your customers were left quite pleased."

"C-customers?" Kagome whispered, "Did... Did they...?"

At his shrug, she sat up in bed, shaking her head frantically even though she could feel the evidence of the truth behind his words. "N-No! You promised! Alexei! No! NO!"

"We had an arrangement Shinji!" Alexei grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, "Hotohori-sama himself ordered her not to be defiled!"

"And Nakago-sama overruled that order, he's in charge now and if she had to give that up for the company to get what it wants, who was he to care? OOF!"

Shinji went down as Alexei's fist connected with his stomach, but he didn't say there. Taking advantage of his position on the ground, he shoved up and slammed his shoulder into Alexei's ribs, ramming the man back into the desk. A full-blown brawl was begun, the sounds of flesh hitting flesh, furniture crashing, grunts and a scream brought Daisuke upstairs.

Yanking Alexei off Shinji, he struggled to hold them back and bring them to their senses. It took a few extra shoves and punches but they finally calmed enough to storm out of the room and the house, leaving in opposite directions. Scared, in pain, and overcome by everything that had happened over the last twenty-four hours, Kagome cried into her uncle's chest when he tried to soothe her before punching and struggling against him.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't been so stupid none of this would have happened!"

"I know that! Calm down Kagome!" Daisuke grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly while she kept screaming.

"I hate you! I hate you... I... I..."

"You'll be rid of me soon!" Daisuke shouted, catching her attention. "The word's out Kagome! The official announcement hasn't been given but its already been accepted that Shinomori's taking over!"

"Shinomori?" Kagome whispered, wide eyes staring in disbelief at him, "I thought Taikisha wanted Shishio?"

"Taikisha did want Shishio, we lost," he sighed, releasing her hands since she showed no more signs of struggle. "We lost Kagome, all this was useless, I'll be gone soon. Shinomori's too honorable to do anything that Shishio might have done, he'll probably clean up the company of some of useless guys working there, including all of Taikisha's bugs. He's known who was working with us for some time now, it won't be surprising if he gets rid of them. So anyway, don't worry about me anymore, I'll be gone soon too."

"Gone? Where?" Gulping thickly, she grabbed onto his arm, "What about mama? What's going to happen to her?"

Her uncle shook his head, "Her treatment's over, she'll be getting the news today, they'll probably make something up and advise her to come home."

"But things were going well!" Kagome insisted, "She said she was feeling better! That they were helping! Without them what'll happen?"

"Either way she was going to die," he reminded her, "It'll just happen sooner now."

"Noo..."

Dai touched her hair, "I'm so sorry sweetheart."

"Don't call me that!" Slapping away his hand, she glared, "How dare you? After everything you've put me through?! I was innocent before all this happened! I'd never even been kissed!"

"What about your boyfriend?" Dai asked in surprise.

Kagome scoffed, "Inuyasha isn't my boyfriend! He only seems me as a- a tool! He only wants me there because I can see the shards! He's in love with Kikyo, even though I'm in love with him!"

"I'm so sorry Kagome."

"Sorry doesn't make things go away!" she screamed, "Sorry won't get my first kiss back or make me forget everything I was forced to learn! It won't erase the memories of the hands on my chest, my wrists or..."

"Stop!" Grabbing her arms, he gave her a shake, "Stop it!"

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Why? Does it bother you? I've wondered about that this whole time. What kind of man stands by and watches his niece get used over and over, handing her over to pay for his own debt! What kind of a weak coward lets a girl get rap..."

"Shut up!" Losing control, he slapped her across her cheek, releasing her immediately and jumping away. "Kami I didn't want to do that, I've hurt you enough already."

"Just leave..." Kagome ordered, "Go away."

Turning to the doorway, he stopped, remembering something from the night before just then.

"What does he look like?"

"Who?"

"Your Inuyasha?" Daisuke asked, "What does he look like?"

"Why?" Kagome asked, touching her burning cheek, "What does he have to do with this?"

Daisuke ran a hand through his hair, "There was a kid around your age who showed up last night, black pants, red shirt, black baseball cap..."

(- No! Oh kami no! -)

"Silver hair?" Kagome asked, moaning when he nodded affirmatively. "It's impossible... how could he get here?"

Getting up out of bed, she felt the air on her bare skin and looked down to see she wore nothing but her mini skirt from the night before, and that was ripped up along the left side. Uncaring about Daisuke watching, she quickly pulled on some underwear, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Shoving past him, she hurried downstairs, slipped on a pair of flip-flops and ran out to the well house.

His clothes were gone, she noticed the pile missing immediately. Jumping into the well, she gasped, landing on her feet at the bottom. "Nani?"

Climbing up a little on the ladder, she jumped again and landed on her feet, crumpling to her knees immediately because of the pain in her legs. "Oh please, please let me through!"

Kneeling there, she pounded the ground, focusing her energy to no avail. She was blocked, there was no getting through. (- Kami-sama I have to get through! -)

Above her head, she heard a set of footsteps and looked up to see Shinji was back and looking down the well. Sitting against a side of the wall, she hesitated about what to do. The decision was made for her when she was ordered to come out. Shaking her head 'no' she nearly jumped out of her skin when the rock beside her head was shot. There was no sound to accompany it but she still screamed, crawling over and climbing up the ladder.

Once she reached the top, she saw he held a shiny silver gun in his hand and nearly fell back in her fright. His large hand clamped down on her elbow and he gave her a push towards the exit. Stumbling home, she was entering the house when a group of black cars came up the driveway, looking like something out of a mafia movie, big fat men in black suits and everything.

At the sight of Wufei she felt her knees go weak and hurried inside to find Daisuke waiting, looking both terrified and regretful. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he came over and despite their differences, she welcomed his hug, realizing how dire the circumstances were, especially for him.

The men entered soon after, a taller, older man accompanied them and Daisuke bowed respectfully to him, greeting him as Nakago-sama. Recognizing the name, Kagome met his cool gaze evenly, with as much of a glare as she dared to give such a powerful man, and scowled when Shinji made her bow.

"A spunky brat, isn't she?" Nakago chuckled, "So Daisuke, I assume you still don't have the money to pay for your debt?"

"I don't," he admitted.

"Well, then how shall it be re-paid?" Nakago glanced around, "A lovely little home, if a bit messed up from last night's revels. The mortgage on this is still not enough."

"You can't take the shrine!" Kagome gasped, "He's not the heir! Grandpa has appointed me as the next in line for it!"

"And your mother owes me for the substantially expensive treatments she's been getting child, not to mention your brother's exclusive camp. However the shrine is enough to pay for those," Nakago snapped, "But Daisuke's half-million..."

"Half a million dollars?!" Kagome gawked at her uncle, "How could you lose so much?!"

"It's not like I'm the first ever to lose that amount," Daisuke shrugged, "Bad luck at high-rolling tables."

Nakago looked around, noticing his son's interest in the girl, "Perhaps your niece could be part of the payment? Wufei certainly took a liking to her."

"No!" Kagome struggled against a couple of guards as she was dragged to the man's side. Kicking and squirming, she was calmed down when a hand clamped down on strategic pressure points on the base of her neck. Cringing in pain, she was barely able to stay on her feet, never mind fighting, her body encircled by Wufei's black-clad arms.

"How much would you say she's worth Daisuke? I'll let you pick," Nakago watched the man struggling against a couple of bodyguards.

"Let her go! She's just a kid! She's been involved enough already!" Daisuke shouted.

Wufei nodded in agreement, a hand sliding down her side, "Exactly Dai, she knows too much, she'll have to be punished too unfortunately."

"What about my family?" Kagome asked, "My mother and brother and grandfather?"

"Oh they needn't be involved," Nakago shrugged, "If only the two of you know, why ruin more lives? After all, your mother will be dead soon, your grandfather is old and your brother is still a child."

Hearing him speak of her mother in such a way struck Kagome like a fist and she visibly flinched and recoiled. Seeing her reaction, he shook his head and gave an non-chalante shrug, "It doesn't matter to me very much what hopes you might like to cling to, its a fact, and with the flu season going strong in the U.S. it won't be long until she catches it. How long do you think she'll last then? After all, the years battling her HIV have already taken a strong toll, one little cold could very well be the death of her."

With a whimper, Kagome covered her ears, not wanting to hear more. Laughing at the poor girls' distress, Wufei lightly pushed her forward and she quickly complied, running forward to her uncle. While he held her close, she vaguely heard them give him one night to come up with the money, leaving him with the open threat that something terrible might happen to his dear little niece otherwise.

Once the men had left, Kagome released her hold on his shirt and sank into the nearest chair, hands covering her face.

"How am I going to make so much money in twenty four hours?" Daisuke raked a hand through his hair, looking around the living room hopelessly. Glancing at one of his father's antique scrolls, an idea popped into his head and he stood.

"How much do you think these are worth?"

"Those? I don't think they're worth very much, I'm not sure when they're from," Kagome shrugged, watching him gather as many of his father's so-called 'antiques' as he could.

"If we can just find one thing or a few things old enough that are real, perhaps we could re-pay the debt," Daisuke entered the kitchen and grabbed the keys to the storage building. "I'm going to look through dad's collections, there has to be something there."

(- If I could go back through the well, I could get some things old enough! They would be worth a lot! -)

Kagome bit her lip, waiting for him to go so she could try again. While he grabbed up a flashlight and bag, she suddenly smacked her forehead and hurried upstairs, rummaging under her bed until she found the necklace with the shikon shards, which she'd hidden before the party the night before. No wonder she hadn't been able to go back earlier, she didn't have the shards! In her haste, she'd completely forgotten she wasn't wearing them anymore.

Making her way downstairs again, she was just turning into the kitchen when her mouth was covered and she was dragged back, kicking and clawing into her grandfather's room again. With a hard shove, she was thrown to the ground and her head made a dull thud as it hit the tatami mats. Above her stood Shinji and the look in his eyes did not bode well. Raising her legs to kick him, she screamed when he slammed the butt of his gun against her knee, a loud crack following the hit.

"ITAI!" Rolling onto her side, she clutched her left knee with both hands, tears of fear and pain forming in her eyes.

Shinji smirked, grabbing a control from the desk above her and turning on the radio. The music was blaring, obviously intended to muffle any screams or sounds of struggle. Wondering where Daisuke was and why he wasn't coming, Kagome tried to kick Shinji when he dropped down in front of her, screaming for Dai when his fist struck her injured knee again. Hindered by the horrible throbbing, she could barely struggle when he shoved her onto her back and moan when his fist connected with her cheek.

The world darkened for a moment, as she closed her eyes from the force of the blow, the only thing reaching her besides his touch being the haunting rock melody on the stereo.

Laying lost and wounded

Just myself to blame

Have no life and

Being hand-fed pain

"Damnit brat do you have any idea how much shit we're all in?! Daisuke's not the only one who needed to re-pay the family! Except unlike him, I have nothing that might appease them!" Shinji ignored her weak attempts to fight, ripping at her clothes desperately.

"So if I'm going to die tomorrow, I might as well enjoy tonight, and I've been watching you with all those others. I figured why not get some too ne-? After all, we are so fond of each other!"

(- No! Anything but that! At least I don't remember last night but I'll go mad if he forces me now! -)

Head's a crying wasteland

Filled with Shame

Cried for help before and

Nobody came

"No!"

Kagome clawed at his hands while feebly looking around for any sort of weapon. Moaning again when he roughly tugged on her jeans and undies, jarring her knee, she looked to her left and caught sight of a piece of broken glass. The piece was long and rather jagged, but that made it perfect for her task. Reaching out, she gasped when his hands moved from her to his belt and moved quickly, grabbing a hold of it and turning to slash his chest.

"Bitch!"

Looking down at his blood and then up at the bloody piece of glass in her hands, he snarled and moved to wrestle it away but she brought it down hard into his shoulder. With a scream, he pulled back, punching her hard in the stomach. She brought her hands down but still gripped the glass, the sharp edges cutting into her fingers. Seeing her still holding it, he punched again, striking her across her face, then back on her stomach, then her ribs. She lost count of the blows but he didn't stop until she finally let go of the glass and he was able to take it. Still poised above her, he threw it down beside them, gripping her shoulders fiercely and shouting while he lifted and slammed her against the floor a few times.

Head pounding, Kagome could only attempt to grip his arms and beg.

"Stop! Please stop!"

Her voice seemed to snap him out of it, and he did stop for a second, before focusing again on her clothes.

Her father beats her

No hesitation

Her face left dripping

In humiliation

(- I can't let him do this! -)

Bringing her uninjured knee up as high as she could with her pants down, she somehow got a good hit to his groin and knocked him off her. Unable to get up, she rolled instead, barely avoiding an attempt to stab her with the glass, only to get slashed in the arm. Rolling as fast as she could, she eventually hit the legs of the table she'd been on the night before and brought it crashing down on them both.

Taking advantage of the much-needed distraction, she quickly pulled up her pants, scooting back while he threw the table away, and felt her hand brush against a piece of metal beneath the sofa behind her back. Bringing it up in front of her, she recognized it as one of the needles he'd used while piercing her stomach. Within seconds he was rushing towards her again and she instinctively jabbed it forward, cringing and closing her eyes when she felt it pierce flesh.

Hearing him make an odd, choking sound, she opened her eyes and gasped. Shinji kneeled in front of her frozen in shock, eyes boring into hers for what seemed like an eternity.

As she lies wounded

Her father turns to clay

A frozen statue

Can't walk away

"Wha...?"

Shinji's question went unfinished, as he began choking up blood, falling down onto all fours, trapping her beneath him. After a few more spasms and violent gurgles, he gave an odd strangled sound and slumped forward, crashing down heavily over her.

"Oh kami... oh kami..."

Kagome stayed there for a few seconds, sprawled on her back and trembling. Her knee was throbbing madly, blood dripped from her cut and a few scratches on her hips, and her body was aching with the sting of his blows. Raising one tremulous hand to the man's neck, she searched for a pulse and gulped. Eyes widening in shock, she lay there numbly for a moment, shaking her head while a single thought ran through her mind.

(- I just killed a man... -)

Closing her eyes with a whimper, she felt the stickiness seeping onto her and let out a scream that was muffled by the music.

She was covered in blood.

Shoving him off, she tried to stand and cried out at the agonizing pain in her knee and ribs. Finally, she drew a deep breath, gripped the edge of the sofa and pulled herself to her feet. Her head spun and she felt nauseous, but she managed to fight it down and hobble out of the room. Leaning against the kitchen doorway, she found her uncle unconscious on the ground, a large bump on the back of his head.

Body shaking from the strain of standing, she hugged herself tight while she limped towards the well house, dropping to her good knee halfway there. Dragging herself across the patio, she took no notice of the bloodstains she left on the way and then rolled down the steps when she got inside. Lying on her back beside the wooden structure, time seemed to stop while her head spun, the events of the past twenty-four hours rewinding in her mind. Tears coursed down her bruised cheeks, but she couldn't seem to make them stop.

(- I should just stay here and let them find me. Why involve Inuyasha and the others? They don't deserve to be burdened with my problems... If only I weren't so weak, but I am... I need to see them, just once more. -)

Somehow managing to pull herself onto the well, she gave one desperate prayer to the kami and with a choked sob, let herself fall in. Closing her eyes, she was oblivious to whether or not the well let her through, focusing solely on the pain flooding her in relentless waves.

Head's a crying wasteland

Filled with Shame

Cried for help before and

Nobody came

To see what I can lose again

For being the victim

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- wince -

I've never written anything like that. Violence and action are not my forté, I just hope it wasn't too bad.

On a lighter note

How about that cliffie eh?

- avoids flying objects coming from screen -

So what'd you think? (Besides that I am evil and must die if I don't update soon)

Leave me a review and let me know!

BTW- The lyrics are from Silverchair's `Freak Show' album and originally its a guy being beaten, I just changed it to suit the fic. I don't lay any claim to the song or anything.

Until next time!