Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story. The right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Although, this story is mine and mine only.

I hope you enjoy!

I.

By: Kei Taiho

She ran as quickly as she could. Her heavy breathing echoed loudly in her ears as another howl broke through the night. Fumbling for her gun, she noticed with horror that it was not in its holster.

Running and running, she felt a hot breath on the side of her throat. Stumbling, she dropped and rolled, barely missing the claws that sliced the space she had occupied. Crimson eyes glared viciously at her, fangs and claws dripping with venom as he stalked steadily towards her.

She gulped and tried to control her breathing as she slowly backed away from the beast, aware that if she moved suddenly, he would kill her within a heartbeat.

The beast growled and crouched…She stiffened and froze…He pounced—

Kagome suddenly awoke, her right hand reaching up to grab her gun, an Exo 6.0, from her holster that hung from her bedpost.

Scanning the dark room with blue-green eyes, Kagome focused in on the glass doors that led to the balcony. A shadow moved and a hand slowly slid the glass doors open.

Subtly and cautiously, the young woman shifted her right hand and pointed the gun steadily at the shadow as it inched the doors open.

Just as she was about to shoot, a familiar soft voice said, "Kagome, it's me, Sango. Don't shoot."

The said woman eased herself into the room as she wearily watched her friend lower the weapon.

"What's wrong, Sango? Why are you here at—," here she paused as she glanced at her alarm clock before continuing, "three in the morning?"

"The Rogue is on his way over here."

"Shit!" Kagome hissed.

"You got that right. I suggest you start packing and head down to the base."

Kagome leapt out of bed and ran swiftly to her closet, pulling out two bags to fling onto her rumpled bed. Going to her wardrobe, she grabbed handfuls of clothing and stuffed it quickly into the first bag. Zipping it closed, she tossed the bag to Sango who caught it deftly.

"What's the second bag for?"

"Weapons."

Kagome crouched down by her bed and reached under the covers to pull a box out. Taking out a fully loaded Matrix 4.0, four sets of razor-sharp daggers, and five boxes of ammunition, she stuffed the second bag full. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she grabbed the car keys from the table beside her bed.

"Let's go."

Five minutes later, a silver mustang convertible could be seen racing through the streets.

"How did the Rogue get out of his prison? Why isn't the Master keeping the Rogue under control?

"The Master is gone."

"WHAT!"

Sango gulped as Kagome swerved around a sharp corner. "He was just gone."

"How'd the hell did he get past the security guards set around the perimeter of the city!" Kagome yelled. "How did he fuckin' get away from under our noses!"

"We don't know. We're still trying to figure it out."

"Who were on duty when he was discovered missing?"

"Kanna and Kagura."

Kagome made a face of disgust. "No wonder he got away. Those girls would fall for his charms in three seconds flat."

"Actually, it took only two seconds," Sango corrected.

Kagome sighed. "Why wasn't there anyone else assigned with them?"

"There was. Inuyasha and Miroku were supposed to be with them."

"'Supposed to be?'" Kagome raised an elegant brow.

Her friend winced. "Let's just say they were both found with lipstick smeared over their faces."

"WHAT!" Kagome roared and pressed down on the gas pedal, increasing the speed from 100km/h to 150km/h.

"Kagome!" Sango squeaked. "You're speeding!"

"I don't care!" Kagome cried. "Those men were with fucking prostitutes when they were on duty!" She screamed in fury. "Are they fucking IDIOTS!"

"Kagome! Please! Slow down!" Sango yelped as her friend swerved around another sharp corner. "Please, Kagome!"

The young woman took a deep breath and slowly eased the pressure off the gas pedal. "I'm sorry, Sango. It's just that—," she sighed. "With the Master gone and the Rogue on the loose, the Feds will be on us like a pack of wolves."

"Don't worry, Kagome," Sango patted her friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "It'll work out okay…" she trailed off.

Kagome gave an eerily empty and humourless laugh. "If we're lucky and alive."

ooo0ooo

By the time the girls arrived at the base, Kagome was calm. Too calm. It was the calm before a great raging storm was to begin.

Striding briskly through the automatic bullet-proof glass doors with a nervous Sango, Kagome nodded curtly at the woman who glanced up from her desk the moment she walked in.

"Ayame," she greeted her with a tight-lipped smile. "Please have Inuyasha, Miroku, Kanna, and Kagura in my office at 16:00 sharp." She turned before glancing back with a malicious glint in her eyes. "Oh, please also inform them that if they are late by even a second, they will face harsher consequences and tripled punishment."

Ayame hid a grin. 'Boy, those four are in deep shit,' she thought. Out loud she said, "Yes, right away, ma'am."

With another nod, Kagome turned and walked down a brightly lit corridor, Sango at her heels. This large building was an insurance company called Elantris; however, it was, in fact, only a fraud cover-up for the top secret lap deep underground. The Genetic Research Facility—GRF for short—dealt with the research for the good of Mankind.

In every cell of the human body, the DNA is the superior of all. It oversees the health and reproduction of cell and also is responsible for the functions of the cell. This, in return, enables the human body to move, eat, sleep, talk, a.k.a. live.

Five years ago, from some mysterious source, an unknown plague had swept around the world, infecting countless humans. Most were able to overcome the illness, but some were not as lucky. The symptoms were not as serious at first. Mostly it started out with a cold, but as the plague progressed, the symptoms became highly recognizable such as high temperature fevers and the disability to function lungs properly.

The fortunate ones usually pull out from the first stage of the plague with minor health problems. The ones not as fortunate progress to the second stage where some vital organs fail to function causing starvation, suffocation, and the inability to dispose wastes from the body. Although some do pull out from this stage, it was very rare. The last stage of this unknown plague is the one that humans had yet to survive from. This stage is where the brain shuts down and the heart fails to beat.

The scientists have named this plague Malady. All around the world, these intelligent groups of people have tried fruitlessly to find the cure—a vaccine—for Malady. Even NASA, whose specialty was space, had stopped all launches to fund for the research worldwide.

Although people around the world were working together, not one has been able to find the cure. That is, except the Genetic Research Facility. The GRF had made some serious close breakthroughs, but they had not yet completely succeeded in creating the vaccine. With a little bit of more time, the scientists of the GRF are 100 percent certain that they can find the cure.

Kagome was the one of these scientists who worked at the GRF. Not only that, she was also responsible for the security of the GRF and for the safety of the city and its people. The city and the citizens of Victoria.

Right now though, she was the head of the security and was waiting for four unfortunate souls to arrive.

At exactly 16:00, Kagome looked up from her desk to see a male and two females file meekly into the room. But, there was one person missing. A single male was not here.

Kagome's pale long-fingered hands clenched into fists as a malevolent glint appeared in her blue-green eyes. The other occupants of the room flinched and cowered away from her angry aura and shivered. Once Kagome had that look in her eyes, it meant that someone was going to pay a visit to Hell.

Kagome watched the clock on her wall tick, and at 16:01, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits that promised immense pain as they swept around the silent still room.

"Inuyasha, you are a dead man."

ooo0ooo

This is the end of the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review, it would mean a lot to me since this is my first fanfic ever and I could really use the encouragement. Thanks!