Disclaimer: I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.
Cyancat () (\/)
Let Me Out
Chapter One - Big Beginnings
"Master Inuyasha!"
A little green toad imp hurried down the long corridor, pausing at every door to look inside before scuttling to the next.
"Why is it my job to find that insolent excuse for a demon every time he runs off?" He grumbled under his breath, for fear that someone might hear him. In the past he had learned to keep his words silent if not heard at all. There were too many times that he had been punished for a remark that he had made because dog demon ears reached farther than he thought.
"Jaken!"
He jumped at the sound of an angry voice calling out his name and scuttled to the staircase just a few feet away. Arriving at the top of the staircase, he saw the figure whom had called out his name and involuntarily shivered at what might happen. Sesshomaru stood at the front door, dressed grandly in a suit colored black with just a hint of purple to make it stand out with a tan trench coat thrown over his wide shoulders. His nearly thigh length silver locks stood out while his alabaster white skin framed burning amber eyes, which gave him a look of being in his early thirties. The look on his face was not good and Jaken gulped once before answering his master.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"
"Haven't you found him yet?" Sesshomaru growled out.
"N-no, my lord. He is no where to be found. Please have mercy on this one." Jaken dropped to his knees and placed his head on the floor.
"Gods Jaken." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. He needn't to do that every time. It was getting tiresome. "Fine, I'll go without him. Let the little pest see if I care. When he comes out of hiding, tell him I will be having a word with him once I return. He can't put off these functions every time. We are both expected to be there." Sesshomaru turned suddenly toward the door, his trench coat flaring out in a bold statement. He had just about closed the door, but paused and looked back up at the toad imp.
"Jaken."
He looked up from his place on the floor. "Yes my lord?"
"You do that again and I will kill you, got it?" Sesshomaru stated with a stoic face and closed the door.
Jaken stared at the closed front door where his master had once stood. "Yes, my lord." he stated with a quivering voice and flopped down on the floor.
"That pompous ass finally gone?"
Jaken's eyes popped open at the voice that he knew too well and let out a squawk in surprise. There glowered his twenty year old master, Inuyasha. He was dressed casually in a red shirt and black jeans. Silver hair fell to just below his waist while two ears flicked about on top of his head. Amber eyes, burning just as bright as his brothers, glared down at the green imp while a jesting smirk played on his lips. Jaken quickly stood and accosted his other master.
"Where have you been! Your brother is furious that you didn't go with him! You have a lot of explaining to do, Inuyasha!"
It didn't take a second for Inuyasha to thoroughly bash the imp repeatedly on the head before walking away, leaving the bruised toad behind, convulsing on the floor.
"Like I'm going to listen to some snotty little green turd telling me what to do." Inuyasha chided as he walked down the corridor. Shoving his hands into the back pockets of his pants, Inuyasha headed for his room. His bare feet slapping against the multi-color tiles of the hallway reverberated against the walls, making it sound like more than one person was walking down the hallway. Inuyasha sighed, for once he wished that there was someone else there. His life was so dreary here. It seemed like the only times he got out into Tokyo were when Sesshomaru dragged him out of the house, telling it was for their namesake that they be seen together at those functions.
Those functions, as Sesshomaru put it, were parties put on by business partners and business-hopefuls. At those times, they would both put a spell upon themselves that hid the demon within them, Inuyasha's ears and Sesshomaru's demon markings on his face and arms.
Inuyasha had been to too many to already know what was going to happen. The older men would talk business with Sesshomaru and then their daughters would make a bee-line straight for him. Inuyasha shivered at the thought of it. All those preening, self-important, princess-syndromed girls fawning all over him. Gods, it was worse than any torture made by man.
Arriving at his door, Inuyasha entered his domain. Here was every preoccupation imaginable to man. In his main room, there were game consoles and games of every kind, three computers, five televisions, a hi-fi stereo set complete with blow-out the walls speakers, a basketball net, pool table, a huge weight station, two huge couches, a recliner, and even a mini bar. There was everything and anything there to keep a person preoccupied for as long as it was needed. Inuyasha stared at the amass of items for a moment before turning and heading toward his bedroom. All that stuff was becoming a head-ache.
For as long as he could remember, he had everything that he could ever want as a kid. Toys beyond imagination and games without end. And it wasn't until now that he was really wondering why. He had never questioned his rich lifestyle and had taken it all for granted, but something was gnawing at him. Was there a reason for his brother to keep him cooped up inside the house, seemingly hidden away from the rest of the world?
"You know perfectly well that we were both supposed to go to that damned function! How are we supposed to keep up the grace of our names, of our father's name, if you don't show your face at these things?" Sesshomaru bellowed at his younger brother. The two stood in a dark den, a desk being the only thing that separated the two.
"You don't have those freaking girls hanging on your arm every minute! I do and you know I hated it!" Inuyasha leaned on the desk, pointing a finger at his fuming brother. "I went to every single one that you wanted me to go to and I didn't complain. Now I've had enough! I can't take it anymore. Let them hang all over you now!"
Sesshomaru stared at his brother for a moment before sitting down in the desk chair and put a hand to his temples. "Look, I hate these things just as much as you do. Do you think I like talking up those old farts and laughing at their ridiculous jokes? With plucky wives on their arm, winking at me every second they can? It's disgusting! But it's something we both must do! Father left the business to both of us and we both have to put up with what comes with it. Alright!"
Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru before slamming his fist on the desk and stalked away from the desk toward a couch and back again. "All you ever say is 'Father this' and 'Father that'! I never even knew the man and yet I have to deal with the shit he left behind! How is that fair?"
Inuyasha began pacing once more through the den. Sesshomaru watched him move about, contemplating his words. He cleared his throat, gaining Inuyasha's attention. "Fine, if that's what you want, I won't make you go to any more functions."
Inuyasha stared in amazement at his brother. "You're kidding. What's the catch?"
"Catch? Did I say anything about a catch?"
"Don't pull this shit with me Sesshomaru! I know you and you don't make deals without a catch! Now what is it?"
"You know me, huh? Fine then, choose one of those girls that keeps hanging on your arm to marry."
Disgust filled Inuyasha's face instantly and he shook his head with vigor. "No-no-no-no-no-NO! You can't make me do that! I could never take being married to one of those bitches, let alone be in the same room with them!"
"No? Then all I have left to offer is this. Since I have already been doing all the work for father's business, sign off your shares to me." Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair, clasping his fingers together. "Then I'll have total and complete control over Demon Industrial Enterprises. That's all you'd have to do and then you wouldn't have any reason to go to any more parties and be surrounded by horrendous girls. Is that good enough for you?"
"That's all I'd have to do? Give you my part of Dad's company?" Inuyasha stared quizzically at his relaxed brother.
Sesshomaru merely nodded his head, smiling to himself on the inside.
As morning broke and awakened the sleeping hanyo, Inuyasha sighed, wondering if he had made the right choice. Sesshomaru's lawyers would be here in a few days to make everything legal and binding, giving Sesshomaru full control of Demon Industrial Enterprises. Stretching out his arms out, he changed out of his sleeping pants to a white polo shirt and a pair of loose fitting black jeans. He exited his room and headed for the stairway and the kitchen were breakfast would be waiting. Passing by Sesshomaru's study, he stopped when he noticed the door was slightly open, revealing the figure of Sesshomaru standing with his back to the door, staring out a window, telephone to his ear. Inuyasha crept closer, his ears twitching to catch his conversation over the phone.
"Yes, I got him to agree to it. It took twenty years to do it, but the company will finally be mine...No, no, he thinks it's in the best interests of the company that I take care of it...Yes, keeping him here at home has helped. He doesn't know how important he really is...It was a genius idea to keep him away from the public eye, now no one will be the wiser...Good, we'll see you in a few days then... Thank you."
Inuyasha bolted away from the door as Sesshomaru placed the phone back in its cradle. What in the hell was going on? He was important to the company? But all he did was stay at home. How was that important? Swiftly he made it downstairs and to the kitchen, where the head cook stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot in irritation.
"Morning, Haruko-baba." He said, sheepishly, knowing he was in some kind of trouble with the old woman.
"Don't you 'Morning, Haruko-baba' me, young man. What did I tell you about using the kitchen at night?" She waggled a finger at him. She was nearly a foot shorter than Inuyasha, but made up for it in attitude.
Inuyasha shrugged. "The toaster isn't an oven?"
"Wrong. I've told you time and time again, clean up after yourself! Do you think it makes my job any easier to find the kitchen covered in boxes, wrappers, and gods know what else! Dirty spoons on the counter, who knows what in the garbage disposal, dirty plates all over, that is if you even use a plate, and you expect me to clean that up every morning! I've had enough of your midnight eating rampages! I'm going to start locking up the kitchen at nights just so that I know everything will be there in the morning!"
"Sorry." Inuyasha ears laid back at the scolding he received as he apologized. It wasn't good, but it was a usual thing from her. Nothing made her happy. Slowly she turned to give him room into the kitchen and he bolted inside, hungrier than ever.
As he ferociously at away at a plate of scrambled eggs, followed by two plates of sausage and bacon, Inuyasha contemplated his brother's words. Then, as if he knew that he was being pondered, Sesshomaru swept into the kitchen grabbing a coffee cup and filling it up at the machine.
Haruko turned to watch him and huffed. "Don't you ever eat? You're going to waste away, drinking only coffee for breakfast every morning."
Sesshomaru looked at the old cook once before turning and walking out of the room, cup in hand. "Coffee is all that I need." He stated and was gone, out the front door.
"By the gods, if I ever see him eat, it'll be the death of me." Haruko remarked before turning back toward the forgotten food on the stove.
"Haruko-baba?"
"Yes, Inuyasha?"
"How long have you worked here?" He asked between mouthfuls.
"Oh, I guess about thirty years or so. I was here to see your father meet your mother, I helped out when you were born, and I was in charge of the kitchen when your father passed away months after. Terrible day it was."
He swallowed a lump of eggs and paused his feeding frenzy. "Do you know anything about the company my father left to Sesshomaru and me?"
Haruko turned to look at Inuyasha, a puzzled expression on her face. "What in the world brought this about?"
"Well, I decided to learn more about my father's company, since he did leave part of it to me. I figured that I had better learn more about it." He said innocently, trying not to raise her suspicions.
Haruko rolled her eyes and pulled up a chair at the dinner table where Inuyasha sat. She eyed him for a bit, then leaned back and heaved a sigh. "Well, I don't actually know how he started it, but once he met your mother, it really took off. You have this house now, thanks to your father, but umm...he never really did specify what his company did. I remember him talking about something that involved you once you were born. Oh how did it go? Something about you turning twenty one or was it about you being a hanyo? Gods, I know I had it... Well, maybe I'll remember it later, hun. Now eat up."
Haruko got up from her seat and tapped Inuyasha lightly on the shoulder, showing him a grand smile. She headed out of the kitchen and into the walk-in pantry. Inuyasha watched her go, seriously mulling over her words. Things weren't adding up. Sesshomaru's phone conversation and what Haruko told him, it was just too little information. There had to be more. And there was only one more person to talk to. Myoga-jiji.
When Haruko took the final plate from Inuyasha's place, he thanked her and rushed off toward the den. Once inside, he seated himself at the desk and started rifling through the roll-o-dex. Sesshomaru called Myoga many times every month for consultations on demon affairs and it had to be the only way that he would get any information. No one else knew anything or else wouldn't say anything.
It took six rings before someone actually answered the phone. The voice was gruff and Inuyasha wondered if it was the right number.
"Who is it?" The voice mumbled.
"Myoga-jiji?" Inuyasha questioned.
There was a long pause on the other line. "Sesshomaru-sama?" Came a quaking voice.
"No. It's not Sesshomaru. It's Inuyasha. Is this Myoga?"
"Inuyasha? Is that really you? I haven't talked to you in years. Wha-what are you doing calling me?"
"I need some information, but you need to keep quiet about this, alright?"
"It depends on the information, young master. Your brother would surely kill me if he knew that I gave you vital information, but I will try my best."
"I don't need your best, I need your word, as a demon, that you will not tell my brother about this. Can you give me that?"
Another long pause drifted through the phone line. "I give you my word, young master. What is it that you need to know?"
"Was there something about my father's business that had to do with me? Either when I turn twenty-one or the fact that I'm a hanyo?"
Myoga began a startled cough which reverberated over the line. "Wha-where did you get this kind of information!"
"Don't worry about that. Look, Sesshomaru got me to agree to sign off my shares of Dad's company to him, giving the whole company's control to him."
"Gods, your father would be furious."
"At me?"
"No! Not you, your brother. I never thought that he'd go this far. You haven't signed it away to him yet, have you?"
"No, no, we're supposed to do that in a few days. Myoga, tell me what's going on!"
"Inuyasha, you need to get out of the house very, very soon. The reason they kept you at home your whole life was because they needed to keep you hidden. If they found out that you know about this, he'll make sure you stay hidden!"
"I'd like to see him try! If he even comes near me, I'll take him out!"
"Stop right there! You do not know what your brother is capable of! He could kill you within the blink of an eye. His power is unimaginable and you can't compete with that, even if you are brothers. Are you listening, Inuyasha?"
"Yeah, I got ya." He said with a deep sigh. "But I still don't understand anything about Dad's company since you haven't told me a single thing!"
"Young master, please believe me, it is better that you didn't know for now. Right now, get ready to leave the house, but don't tell a soul about it. You are to be as discreet as possible. Pack clothes and a few necessities, that's all. Now, do you know of a time that Sesshomaru will be out of the house?"
Inuyasha searched his brain. "Well, I think he has another function coming up tomorrow night."
"Very good. Once he leaves, call me and I will send a car to get you. They will bring you to a shrine. Go up the stairs and go straight into the house. The resident miko will be waiting for you there. Stay there until I come for you, understand?"
Inuyasha nodded his head to the phone. "Yes. I got it, Myoga. But are you sure about this? Am I really in this much danger?"
"As sure as my life depends upon it, young master. There is more than business going on here and your brother is the center of it all. Now, get ready!"
The line suddenly went dead and Inuyasha was left staring at the phone in his hand.
The rest of the day, Inuyasha secluded himself inside his room. He had found a small travel bag and packed as many clothes and items as possible into it. Then after stowing it under his bed, he tried to distract himself with his games. It was something for his hands to do. After all, he felt like he wanted to wring his brother's neck and choke the life out of him for what he was trying to do. Hell, he didn't even know all the details and still he was angrier than he had ever felt before.
Thankfully, no one came to check on him that night either, but Inuyasha was sure that Sesshomaru would come in to check on him at least once before leaving for the party the next day. The next morning, Inuyasha made sure that Sesshomaru was gone for work before heading down for breakfast. He was silent as he ate away the six plates of heaping food before him. He knew Haruko noticed his sudden change in demeanor, but made himself swallow his words with his food. If he even said one word to her, she'd figure out something was up even before he knew it.
Then again he spent the remainder of his day in his room, preoccupied with a PS2 boxing game. Over and over he punched the buttons, knocking out his virtual opponent. All he had to do was visualize Sesshomaru's face on the fighter and it was all over. He was so worked up in beating the game, he didn't notice his brother enter the room, until a deep voice cleared its throat. Inuyasha stopped instantly, prompting himself to not look surprised. Throwing the controller down, he slowly turned to gaze at his elegantly dressed brother.
"What do you want now, Sesshomaru?"
"You've got quite a bit of steam worked up there. Anything I know about?" He pointed towards the television screen.
Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah, I'm just getting tired of the game, that's all. Wanted to go all out. What are you doing in my room? Don't you have a 'function' to go to?"
"I just wanted to make sure that you didn't want to go. There'll be lots of young girls there, you know."
Inuyasha made a show with a disgusted look on his face. "No freaking way! I made a deal with you and I'm sticking with it. I ain't going to any more of those functions of yours. Go by yourself!"
Sesshomaru smirked at his brother's reaction. "If you insist, I will go alone."
It took every bit of Inuyasha's strength to hold him back from attacking his brother. He watched with brazen eyes as Sesshomaru swept out of his room, silver hair flowing behind him. He sat quietly as he listened to his brother's footsteps become weaker and weaker, then the front door closing. He let out a rushed sigh of relief and quickly left his room, heading for the den. Once there, he made sure that Sesshomaru was gone, checking out the window for his limo. It wasn't there, good. Fetching the number once more, Inuyasha called Myoga while his ears twitched nervously, listening for anything out of the blue. Again after six rings, the phone was finally picked up.
"Young master, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me Myoga. He just left."
"Good, good. I'll be sending a taxi at once. Be ready at the door."
As promised, a dark blue car pulled up to the front door not ten minutes later. Inuyasha eyed the car warily at first, but acting on Myoga's direction, got inside. The driver took off without a word and made his way onto the highway. Half an hour later, the cab stopped at a tall stair of steps. The driver merely nodded his head toward the stairs. Gulping once, Inuyasha exited the cab and high-tailed it up the stairs taking twenty at a time. Remembering his instructions, Inuyasha turned himself toward the main house and headed toward the front door.
When he was almost there, almost by seven feet, the door suddenly slammed open and an old woman peered out from the brightly lit room.
"You Inuyasha?" she questioned, settling herself in the doorway.
He blinked a few times in disbelief at the old woman before answering. "Yeah, I am. You the miko?"
She stiffened up a bit, straightening her 5 foot height and crossing her arms. "I am, but you are to call me Kaede. For what I am doing, you had better show some respect young man."
She stepped aside and bade him to enter. Inuyasha obeyed, bowing his head to the old woman as he entered the house. It was going to be a long night, he thought to himself.