InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wooden Nickels ❯ For the Best ( Chapter 6 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi



For however conscious Inuyasha was in concern with his feelings towards the young girl, Kagome was only that much more oblivious to the whole of these emotions. She felt there was neither a luxury nor any particular trace of logic in thinking on such things as the compatibility between her and her enemy. Her mind was rather more agreeably occupied in useful thoughts for her position as in escape and survival; looking for openings and searching for cracks in which she may flee. Though, despite her slightly different line of ideas she couldn't be so numb to everything outside herself, couldn't fail to see the other sides of her captor. None of them at all to her liking.

It doesn't have to be mentioned that she still found it hard to see the light in this man's declaration of taking her back home. There were no steps being done to reach this, rather continuing upon the path they started. The nature of his whole being hadn't improved on her in the slightest and anytime she would begin to think of him favorably, it would be in choosing the less of the many evils surrounding her. He was violent and abrupt, rash and cruel. Fighting without a will or consequence. Not once had he inflicted her with pain when the moment would seem plausible. He was a reflexive abuser, understandably worse by comparison than those who fought with an actual provocation.

With this reason above the fact that she still felt shaky from witnessing senseless violence, Kagome had kept quite at Inuyasha's side during the short walk from the hotel to another bar. It was with thoughts still wheeling, stomach still queasy, and mouth still dry that she sat in silence on the stool next to him. He had ordered a drink for her this time, and although she was sure her light head was made up of lack of sleep and water; Kagome could only stare at the offering for an endless amount of time.

Again the guests had accounted for Inuyasha's presence, pushing themselves to the back of the room; so that the counter was for the two of them. And just as the last stop, the man heading the place slid down the drink orders from the opposite end.

So many questions had come to her mind, a terrific amount of images and phrases had fogged her thoughts since the basement scene had ended. And now she wanted answers and explanations to what had happened. Such as the absence of authority, the reasoning for the man on the wall and why he hadn't been taken to a hospital; even a word to cease the curiosity in the behavior exhibited by everyone present towards Inuyasha.

And though she wished to ask him, she shrunk from the very thought. Of images of blood and knives, fists and curses thrown at opponents. Never had Kagome bore witness to such a scene and it numbed her into a state where it nearly felt as if she had been watching a movie, not playing a role in her own reality. A part of this fear of revealing an interest was perhaps the knowledge she would gain would be that in which she did not want. Something more than she wanted to know that linked Inuyasha with these men. For, after all, each one had known him by name.

Her face paled at the possibilities of the extent of what Inuyasha could truly be to this underground world.

She figured it came down to this: Was it better to know what she was up against or to be ignorant as not to fear?

After a long drink, in which she took the rest of the liquid to her lips; Kagome cleared her throat and mentioned the scenario in a tone full of a tremor she couldn't brush away.

Inuyasha looked over to her briefly after the mention, then to the empty glass before her. He slid the cup back to the bartender for a refill and took another swing at his own beverage. There was nothing from his breath that would suggest hard liquor, but she decided it had to be at least some class of alcohol from the red hue. If it was she only hoped he wouldn't alter badly from the affects; he was already on his fourth.

Her drink came back and nothing had been said by him to her remark.

Despite her immense dislike for the subject, her annoyance from being ignored couldn't be smothered by it. She pushed the drink away and turned her chair to face him saying:

"Why did you let them get away? Surely, they should be thrown into prison for treatment--" Here, she began to draw tears "--treatment so inhuman. And you let them go! Who's to say that they hadn't gone off to another place to do the same thing once they left? Who's to say there wasn't another poor man killed senselessly from their anger? And what of that man? No one can just walk away after being pierced through with knives. You left him to bleed and die. To--"

"Things turned out for the best"

"An innocent man died!"

"Better him than the other. Those guys wanted blood. They'd get it one way or another"

"How can you say that? None of that would have happened if you turned him over to authorities"

He snorted "Authorities. They don't care what goes on down here. It's up to yourself to stay alive"

"That's disgusting"

"That's logical"

"That man's death wasn't" she said coolly

"Not to your ignorant mind"

"My humane mind"

"No. Ignorant" he snapped "That man was hiding those guys, very well knowing what they were up to. Shit like that happens all the time and the way I see it--better him to die; it was quick and painless for him, at least. Where it would have been long and painful for the other. This place isn't your world, princess. Your ideals don't go for shit down here. No one cares about what's right and humane--it's survival of the fittest. You start adapting ideals like that and you're gone. You start caring about anyone but yourself and you might as well go on ahead with suicide to save yourself the pain. No one gets into other's problems"

Kagome's eyes grew wide from these sentences, her thoughts racing from one word to the next. A new fear rose from the possible, most probable, truth of what he was saying concerning this underground. To take her down to a place so filled with---with these people...he must really have it in for her. He assented to be a grave digger, didn't he?

No longer was she prepared to figure out what he was up to, and no more would she wait to see if he would actually live up to his words. She didn't care to know what this Inuyasha person was in this world or the other. The only thing she wanted was to be way from it all.

Half an hour later and she was on her feet. As his look cut through her like a sharp reprimand Kagome stared back coolly with all the superiority one could hold while adorned in torn silk. She lifted her chin as was her wont and looked down at him with a level amount of hatred.

"I have to use the bathroom"

"There's no window to climb out of"

"I don't know how you use the bathroom but 'we humans' " she said icily, mocking his former phrases "use a toilet. As long as there's one, I'll think it just fine"

Kagome was certain he was searching her face for something, but whatever it was he didn't find it. Without another word he lead her down a hall in the back lit by an orange light similar to that which had been used in his apartment. At the end was a single room with familiar characters plastered against the rotting wood. Two characters to be exact--a unisex bathroom.

She cringed "It looks like it's out of order"

"It just isn't used"

He opened the door, revealing a staircase that was fashioned most acutely like the one that had lead them to the basement room. She shivered, taking a step back as the image of the bloody man filled her mind with his limp walk and heart wrenching cries.

"It's not what you think. It just goes down a bit because of smells"

A slight twitch "You're saying I'm smelly?"

"Keh" She thought she caught a smirk "Not you, princess. It's more for the 500 pounders that come through here--Just go and get it over with, will ya?"

She sighed, still feeling the effects of the dancing memories. A tiny step was taken forward, though she turned and laid her hand on the handle before going any farther. He already had his back on her, arms folding casually as he looked out and down the hall like an imperial guard waiting for an attack. This was taken in an nearly humorous light by her, who felt the action contradicted a great deal of what he said and acted upon. Indeed, he seemed to go against himself quite enough. Hadn't he just said that everyone was in it for themselves? And yet, wasn't it this same person who had come to the aid of the tortured man?

She stared curiously at Inuyasha "Why did you help that man?"

No look was extended in her direction nor did it appear he was to answer.

"It really was the right thing to do" she continued in a tone she hadn't used with him. One soft, kind “I think it shows superiority"

After that, not caring to receive acknowledgement, she closed the door on him at last.

The path downstairs wasn't as long or as painful as the one her and Inuyasha had taken to reach the secret apartment. And, despite her doubts and fears, the end of it was the set up of a restroom. Her thoughts matched the reality of the condition of the room though; musty and dark. Orange glow was obviously the mode of lighting in this world, three dangling bulbs being her guide of the room.

As Inuyasha had said, there was no window. Tapping on the stone walls lead to nothing except sore knuckles and one less idea for her escape. Around her there was only a toilet, a garbage can, and a sink with the curved iron faucet lying on the ground before it. Like at the apartment, she felt trapped against unbreakable forces. Again she wished to be of a greater mass, to throw herself against the wall and have it crumble before her. But, the truth was, having not had a bite to eat since her lunch with Yuka there was little reason to believe she had strength for anything dramatic.

Her stomach growled and she ignored it. Standing on the toilet Kagome tried tapping against the stones that made up the middle height of the wall, but received no luck from the act. In her distress, she lifted her head with sigh. When she opened her eyes it was if her prayers were answered. Above her was a hole that seemed capable of once being covered and used for a ventilation system.

Her mind started frantically thinking as well as searching for possibilities, her eyes traveling across the meager objects the room held. And the looking stopped when her blue eyes, wide and dewy with desire of freedom, landed on the rusted faucet. After a quick glance towards the door she hopped down from the toilet for a moment to retrieve the item. It was tied rather hastily to one of the corners of the red blanket that normally rested about her shoulder, only to crumble to pieces when a knot was pulled more tightly about the neck.

She nearly cried out from the bits of rust and metal in her hands but bit her tongue, bidding herself to remain quite. Instead, she knelt in front of the sink and pulled the cabinet doors open from beneath, hoping for something heavy enough to work to her advantage. What she found was something far better--an escape with less effort. There was no real storage but rather a dark hole that ended in a faded light.

Of what she had been witnessing, of what she had been told of this world from her captor Kagome was not stupid enough to believe all was safe. But in taking the risk to free herself, in knowing not another soul would be willing to aid her, she was prepared for a difficult out. Whatever this tunnel lead to was at least a place in which a choice between freedom and imprisonment laid in her hands, not in Inuyasha's.

With a strong, deep breath Kagome entered the cabinet and closed the mini doors behind the bathroom, the blanket, and her captor.

Past the toilet, up the stairwell, through the termite-ridden door, and into the hall stood Inuyasha, slightly moved from five minutes past, with his back resting against the door's frame. His eyes were closed as if sleeping, but his face was set into scorn from conscious disgust. His nose told him his scent was still within the bathroom, keeping his heart calm and his nerves cool.

Beyond his position he could hear the shuffling of tables and chairs, shifting now that he had left the area for the present time. Too many times had he been scorned in such a way that no longer was there really a feeling to go with the situations. He supposed if he thought on it he could squeeze out a sense of their own pathetic nature, but he had set himself up to believe that they didn't even deserve that.

Against humans and demons would Inuyasha defend his kind, but not for the world would he give them any justice when it was him versus them.

It was perhaps these feeling that ran through his mind in which set up his face into such a scowl that would have outdone any horror figure from a movie. It wasn't until a great deal of time had passed, without him realizing it, that his thoughts began to drift on the girl again. Particularly the last words she had spoken before going into the bathroom--about him being superior. Surely she didn't know the whole situation, but it was rather...rather nice to receive justice for actions that were usually frowned upon by even those whom he saved.

No. She didn't understand and wouldn't want to. It was better to keep her in the ignorant state until he brought her back to the human world. Had he not been positive that Mocco, the ass who had seen the girl, was about ready to run to the police for a nice sum of reward money from his head; Inuyasha would have just dropped her back to the other side where she belonged. Dumped her in a car and looked the other way, never to know her light innocence.

And it would have been better. It would have been logical but not practical for himself. If Mocco turned him in like he thought, it'd be one string after the next of pins in his ass. Not only with the humans but the underworld would have him at last. It wasn't far off now that the one girl had died and information for that crime was still wanting. With all this preventing him, with not only the obvious but the random predators against him; it was the safest, but it was the safer bet to take her with him underground.

He just hoped he would win that bet in the end.

Indeed, it seemed as if he was starting to win. Though she had unfortunately had to bare witness to the dart game, she hadn't seen much else. And she had even started to become less angered towards him, yes? She had taken his hand willingly after all--that had to account for something....

It was with all these thoughts of thinking too highly of him being on top, that he didn't realize he was about to drop faster than the climb. When he opened his eyes and took a glance down the hall twenty minutes had gone by and there was still no sight to the girl. His heart initially speed up, not sure if he was supposed to be concerned or angry just yet.

He could still smell the blanket from within--perhaps she had fainted?

In his mind, there was no need to knock. With a body in the image of a human, but the hidden strength of a hanyou; Inuyasha pulled the door open without an ounce of resistance from the measly bolt. Down the steps he went, never hesitating less she should be using the bathroom. And indeed, there being absolutely no need to when the reality hit that there was no girl to become embarrassed by his presence.

As soon as he saw the blanket on the ground he cursed out loud, kicking the toilet which became distorted from the force. His blood ran hot and cold as he picked up the fabric and looked around. Her scent had still been lightly masked in his and was hard to pick out against his own and the other smells. He glanced above him to see the hole as she had done many moments ahead of him, but saw nothing in which could have helped her. There were no cracks in the wall, no secret doors, no windows!

By a slight pull of the blanket he found her escape. The end was caught in the sink's cabinet and that was all he needed to know. With a racing heart he crawled through the narrow passage, heading towards the light at the end as Kagome had planned on for her escape. Thoughts and endless possibilities, none of which to the human girl's favor, ran through his mind accompanied by a lifeless body and another figure up for his head.

Quickly he made it out to the other end, landing in another secret room very similar to that which he had raided last night. In the center was a table with two men and a gun in between them. The table was splattered with blood as well as both hanyous' fingers and faces. A count had started but was cut off at Inuyasha's appearance. Both glared at him, one reaching for the gun.

Inuyasha glared back "Where's the girl?"

"Girl?" The one without the gun questioned "We ain't been seein' no girl"

"I'm not asking if you're "seein'" one, asshole--where the fuck is she?"

The other stood, drawing himself straight "And what if we don't wanna answer, Inuyasha? Whatcha gonna do? Take us to a fight and kill us off?"

"The girl" Inuyasha repeated

The hanyou held out his gun, pointing it towards Inuyasha and fired. But the target was missed. Inuyasha grabbed the gun, smashing it against the table as it crumbled into a pile of metal and bullets. His fist clenched the debris as his teeth set into a snarl.

"I don't have time for games--where the fuck is she?"

For a moment longer than Inuyasha liked the two men took their time looking between the broken gun parts and Inuyasha's face. At last, as one, the two stepped to opposite sides, revealing a door. As Inuyasha shoved them off on his way out he heard one of them shout:

"Gonna kill her too, mutt hound? We already warned Service--they're on to you!"

Inuyasha ran. With her scent as his guide he took the streets in long strides and searching eyes. He passed so many things in which would have been a problem to her, in which could have gotten her easily killed or injured. But he saw no body and the smell that made up who she was continued on down the road.

About a block down from the hotel was where he found her at last. A group had gathered around her, a combination of small children and woman who were pulling at her clothes and making her cry her way into an alley. By the time he arrived she was on her knees and covering her face from the threats and harassment, from the abuse brought on physically and emotionally.

"Step away" At the sound of his voice all had stopped and looked to him, narrowing their eyes once they saw him "Now"

And that was all it took. Not woman nor child was willing to take Inuyasha on, either in looks or battle.

He pushed past the receding group to the girl whose green silk had become faded and brown from the dust. Who covered her tear streaked face with dirty hands, adorned with little cuts and trickling blood. Slowly he laid one knee on the ground and knelt before her as such. Without a word he pulled out the blanket that had been tucked inside his sweatshirt and wrapped it tightly around her.

His stomach turned uneasily from the smell of blood and tears, of the fear and sadness that claimed every cell of her body. She shook, continuing to cry.

Did she know they were gone?

Was she even aware that he was there?

The situation had him frozen in a rather peculiar state of mind, and he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to be feeling. Indeed, he really wasn't sure if it was smart for him to chase after her instead of letting her go in the first place. Had he not, those hanyous wouldn't have narked him out. They were both stuck, it seemed. He'd have to take her farther with him and get her to someone who could be of use; someone who they could both trust.

She still cried on.

He wondered if he should poke her to make her conscious of his presence. After another minute had passed with nothing, he went for it. Only to get this:

She lashed out screaming "Get away from me! Don't touch--don't you dare touch me!" She cried out louder, bending within herself so far that her covered face touched her knees.

He wanted to grow angry, but couldn't. Not so much from that sense of justice he felt he was constantly exerting, but rather from the sheer pain he could feel from her words. Despite her obvious desire for wishing to stay for the time being, there was reason to believe that neither would be safe to remain in their current spot. And he was nearly ready to poke her again to see if the reaction changed, but it ended in her reaching out to him.

With a strange, nearly strangled sound, the girl launched herself at him. Her thin arms wrapped around his waist and her face pressed deep against his throat, making him shiver from the cool tears that covered her eyelashes. The action brought a rush of heat to his cheeks, a rather unseen look of confusion to his face and he wondered if she was delirious.

She started sobbing and saying "Take me home. Please--please just take me home" And he figured that cry was at least sane, but whether on the brink of insanity or not they had to leave before Service caught a whiff.

Wherever Inuyasha went and what ever he was doing, he never had to deal with the odious task of questions from strangers. And even through a girl cried in his arms as he boarded a bus, still not a look nor a word betrayed anyone's curiosity to the matter.