Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, all right to the characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi

Chapter One

A young man pulled his dirty long white hair back into a ponytail, his face weary from another sleepless night. The last of his allies were bitten by the undead and dragged away before he could reach them. He had figured he had been on his own for weeks, but to be honest he had lost track of the days, some time back. With no one to trade watch with, he found himself unable to get a moments rest, he was tired and hungry. Determined amber eyes glanced up to the bare branches of a towering oak, he climbed his way up to the upper limbs, before making himself comfortable. Hours earlier he had come across a particially full backpack, now was the time to see if he had actually picked up anything useful. He took another look around, making sure the coast was clear before opening up the bag, and discovered that he was still very much alone.

The sound of the zipper cut through the silence, like a plane taking off, although he knew most of the noise was his own imagination. Inside were a few things that could prove useful, a knife, a few bottles of water, two energy bars, and some beef jerky. The gun that was in it, was out of ammunition, and seemed to be the most useless. "Well, I can't always be so lucky. It wasn't a complete waste to grab this thing..." He had taken up the odd habit of talking to himself a few days prior, if only to keep his sanity. The sound of a twig snapping , had him ridged and alert, as his eyes swept over the forest surroundings once more. When a figure stepped into the small clearing, looking more tense then he, he grew quiet, sometimes humans were just as dangerous as the living dead, if not more so.

The man beneath him had enough weapons to spare, but he doubted the other was willing to share. "You there. What are you doing out here?" The man in that tattered uniform jumped at the sound of another voice, his gun at the ready as he looked for the source. "Show yourself! No surprises or I'll shoot you dead. I'm not playing games." He could tell that the threat was a serious one and knew instantly that he should tread carefully with this one. "No surprises, no games. I can just tell you're on your own, so am I. My name is Inuyasha, in case you're curious. In a show of good will and honesty, I'm above you, in a tree." Inuyasha kept his eyes trained on the man below him as sharp blue eyes found what they looked for, gun trained on it's target. "Okay Inuyasha, get down here before I get you down myself."

Inuyasha lept down from the branches and landed in front of the gun wielding stranger, all the while hoping he hadn't made a mistake by speaking to him "What, no introduction back? I mean I know it's the end of the world, but that's no excuse for not having manners." The man's face didn't change nor did he move to lower the weapon he had trained on Inuyasha's head. "Cut the shit, Inuyasha. This ain't no cocktail party. What the hell do you want from me? The last group that wanted my help, took my guns and threw me into a ditch. You can't be kind in this world, so cut to the chase." This man wasn't playing any games and on closer inspection, his worn uniform was that of the military. His badge was dirty, but he could still make out the name. "I don't want to steal from you, not after all the things you've seen, you can lower your weapon Lieutenant Kotetsu."

Confusion washed over his hard expression, as he tried to figure out how this stranger learned his name. "This isn't a game you want to play with me, I'm not someone to be messing with. You can't just..." His sentence trailed off as his eyes returned to that hard stare, he put his gun away, and pulled out a knife. It barely registered to Inuyasha what was going on, he had only a moment to think that this was how he was going to die. He pinched his eyes shut just as the knife had left the soldier's hand, he could feel it whiz past him as it flew by his face, the thud of a body that dropped to the ground, caused him to open his eyes. "You...you just saved me..." The body of the decayed corpse laid but a few feet away from Inuyasha. "Don't go getting all soft on me. I was only saving myself, so don't go thinking I'm some kind of hero. If I was, the world wouldn't be in the state it's in."

The lieutenant walked past him to retrieve his knife from the skull of his latest kill and Inuyasha couldn't help but notice the trembling in his hand. "You don't have to talk to me Kotetsu, but we really should stick together. We'll last longer if we can rest and you look more tired than I do." There was no response, merely just a short pause in movements, before the strange man continued his walk into the trees. "If you stay quiet, I'm gonna take it as an invitation to follow. So what's it gonna be Kotetsu?" Inuyasha could hear the other man sigh indignantly, as he treked forward. "Do what you want Inuyasha, but just know that if you try to fuck me over, I will kill you. Also, stop calling me Kotetsu, that's my last name." Inuyasha trailed behind him, getting rather irritated with the guy he happened across in the woods. "What else am I supposed to call you then?" The response he was given was frank and short. "Koga."

Meanwhile outside another small town, a young man searched for provisions he could use to survive. His midnight black hair, messy and unkempt fell in front of his indigo eyes, which were still sharp and focused. The farmer quickly learned to take care of himself after his father went out to hunt and never came home. Survival became much more difficult when he was forced to leave his family home and ranch, with nothing more but a small travel pack. Those people had no right to threaten him off his land, unfortunately for him, he was alone and couldn't fight off the group without help. The shuffling sound of feet and low groans brought him out of his thoughts, just as one of the dead knocked him off his feet, and caused him to drop his knife. He mentally berated himself for not paying more attention to his surroundings, as he feared that this was the end for him.

He dragged himself away from the hungry corpse, as he groped for something to use as a weapon. He kicked the soulless body away from his face and moved to keep himself as far from it's teeth as possible. The once living being, bit down near his side, and grasped his shirt between rotting teeth. Panic swelled up and adrenaline kicked in, as he grabbed up the first solid object he could find. The rock made contact with skull as he swung his arm with all the might he could muster, causing blackened blood to splatter on his face and clothes. He shoved the limp and disgustingly decomposed body off of him, then leaned against a fallen tree to calm down before he moved on. That idea hadn't lasted long though, moments later the shrill sound of a young woman's scream pierced the air, and caused another quick jolt of panic. He wanted to just go in the opposite direction of the screams, unsure of whether or not it was just a trap. He was actually just about to start his journey away from the noise, when his mother's voice entered his thoughts. "Just because the world is in chaos, does not mean you too should let chivalry die."

So even though it was against his better judgement, he discovered himself taking his mother's advice, as he turned back to help the terrified young lady. He scooped up his dropped weapon and ran towards the cries, as he hoped he would get there before it was too late. Upon arrival, he discovered the lady up in a tree, her feet dangled just above the undead's reach. He pulled out his knife and crept up on the girl's attacker and plunged the knife into it's head, rendering it lifeless. "You need to jump down, I'm sure your screaming has gotten the attention of these things. So let's get moving or you can stay up there and be on your own." He knew that his words may have been a little harsh, but he also realized that they didn't have much time to be standing around. What he hadn't expected was her jumping onto him, she landed with a thud, which left him pinned down in the grass on his back. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you absolutely crazy? I have a knife in my hand." The girl just laughed as she climbed off of him, that left the young man confused and with thoughts of her being strange. "It's not every day a girl runs into such a handsome guy, I had to take my chances and get a closer look. Hi, I'm Kagome."

She held her hand down for him to take, in a gesture of friendship. He slowly took it and she helped him get back on his feet as the sound of aimless steps resonated through the area. "It's nice to meet you and all Kagome, but if you don't want your pretty little face to get eaten, I suggest we get moving. Okay?" He could tell they were being surrounded so he pulled himself into a leafy tree, in near silence, before he reached down a hand that offered Kagome assistance. He lifted her into the branches with minimal effort, then put a finger to his lips in a sign of silence. Kagome had obliged to his wordless instruction, but remained curious as to who he was. She stared at him as he eyed the undead that wandered around beneath them, in search of human flesh. The distance between them grew, as the undead stumbled further away from the tree the two were concealed in.

Kagome had finally decided to speak out, her soft voice barely above a whisper, her eyes still trained on the kind stranger seated beside her. "Who are you?" He eyed her skeptically, which made his distrust for people quite evident, but his look softened once he recognized her innocence. "You can call me, Miroku. How did you manage to get way out here on your own, with no weapons?" Her gaze broke from him instantly, she was afraid of what he would do when he found out that she had nothing useful to offer. "I was with a group of people, I'm not of much help, I don't know how to fight or shoot a gun. So they brought me out here and abandoned me." Miroku instantly knew he should do the same, but soon realized he didn't have that kind of cruelty in him. "Stick with me, I'll show you the ropes. You have got to learn to protect yourself in this world. First though, we have to make it to my uncle's place. I need to see if his weapons bunker is still there. You with me?" She nodded in relief, happy she had come across someone who was willing to help her, not just leave her for dead.

Koga had been moving through the woods paces ahead of Inuyasha, as he hoped the latter would give up on the notion of following him. "You certainly dislike leisure, you haven't broken your stride for even a moment. Want a piece of jerky? It's not much, but at least it's something." The ex-soldier whirled on him quickly, his face showed every ounce of irritation. "Why the hell are you even still trailing me? Don't you ever give up? I'm better off alone." Inuyasha hadn't been prepared for the outburst, but had somehow kept the surprise hidden, as he instead rolled his amber eyes. "Stop being so stubborn, we're safest in groups and accepting help isn't a bad thing. You don't have to like me or tell me your life story, but we should stick together for the time being. Now take the jerky and shut up." He held out the food to his furious and unwilling partner, who seemed to be reeling back a second tempermental outburst, before he finally snatched the food being offered to him. Koga continued the journey, to no where in particular, as he mumbled complaints under his breath in low growls. "Who died and left him in charge? The arrogant prick, thinking he can tell me what to do. See if I save his ass again..."

It wasn't as though the other couldn't hear what was being said, he just chose when to pick his battles, opting to let him complain seemed easier than starting a fight. With that being decided, Inuyasha munched contentedly on his piece of dried meat, letting the insults go right in one ear and out the other. "So where did you get all those weapons?" Koga scoffed at the question he was asked, as he thought it to be stupid and the answer to be obvious. "You are a moron. You know what I used to be, what I did. Military personnel are given access to all kinds of weapons, when my battalion was wiped out, I took what I needed. Are you always this clueless?" Having had grown tired of this guy's attitude, Inuyasha had finally taken enough crap. "Are you always this much of an asshole. I'm just trying to make conversation with you. Sheesh, it's not that you're better off alone, more like no one can stand your company for more than five minutes. Good God, you're pretentious." Inuyasha could read body language well enough to know he had pissed the other man off, not that he cared, the guy had deserved it.

"If you dislike my company so much, why don't you leave me alone? I am not forcing you to stay with me, I'd actually prefer it if you would stay the hell away from me. You'll probably get in my way and be of little help." He tossed Inuyasha a gun, which was caught swiftly, his blue eyes flamed with anger, and his mouth was set in a firm line. "That's all you wanted from me, right? Now that you got it, get out of my way." It would be just his luck to run into the biggest asshole on this planet, this time Inuyasha wouldn't hold his tongue. "I didn't want your guns, the noise just attracts more of the undead anyway. I thought we could help each other, get some much needed rest. I was right to call you stubborn, your hard head will get you into trouble, and there will be no one there to help you." Once he was finished speaking his mind, Inuyasha let the quiet linger between them, which allowed his words to sink in. "Do what you want, Inuyasha. I'm not the only bullheaded one in this vicinity, so you aren't exactly one to talk."

The words Koga spoke were entirely true, but Inuyasha had already known he was stubborn, so he didn't argue. "So are we gonna work together and survive this hell or are you gonna die alone? What's it going to be, Kotetsu?" Koga didn't want to admit that he wanted help or warn Inuyasha that if he stayed that he could be in more danger than being on his own. "You can stay with me, but it's at your own risk." The lieutenants warning was vague and odd, but Inuyasha pushed it away and followed after him anyway. "You're gonna learn to like me or at least tolerate me. I'm a pretty good shot, not too bad at hunting, and I'm quick on my toes." Koga glanced over his shoulder, as he tried to keep the annoyed look on his face. "I'm sure you are. I am not doubting your skill at all, you've survived this long for a reason. I also have nothing against you at all and you're right. I apologize for my rudeness, it wasn't intended. Keep the gun and let's get moving, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this place."

Inuyasha fell into step beside Koga, as they walked in silence. He had a lot of questions, but knew it was better not to throw them all at him at once. "Where are we headed?" "My bunker." Koga's response left him more curious than anything else, but he let the silence fall back around them. "Have you happened across any others?" Inuyasha was shocked that the nearly mute soldier had broken the lull in conversation to ask a question. "Just you man, I was beginning to think I was the last one alive. Scary thought to have, lonely too. Wonder if there's anyone else near by that we could trust and team up with." The shrug of his shoulders were a bit stiff and ridged, for the first time since the inu youkai joined the wolf demon, he noticed that the latter was still clutching a weapon. Had he never put the knife away, that was when Inuyasha decided to try and take the blade from the guy's tight grip.

He reached for his hand, the moment he touched the handle, Koga whirled around on him grabbing his arm. The lieutenant spun the unprepared man around and pulled him into a deadly hold, as he pressed the knife to his throat. "What kind of shit do you think you're pulling, mutt? You keep your hands to your damn self or I will destroy you." In one fluid motion, the dog demon flipped Koga, and pinned him down with his foot. "Chill out, wolf. I was just trying to get you to calm down and put the weapon away. You don't gotta threaten me." The shock did register on his face at his current position, no one had ever bested him before. "What the hell were you before all this started?" A smug smile spread across his face, amber eyes bright with pride. "I was a SWAT officer, sharp shooter. You aren't the only hero and badass." Inuyasha lifted his foot off Koga's chest, which allowed him to get back on his feet, and he quietly brushed the dirt from his uniform. "I'm no hero. We couldn't stop this outbreak, we tried, but we failed so terribly. My squad let the whole world down, now look at how bad things got. No, I am not a hero, not at all."