Hello, everybody! Sorry for the wait, I forgot to update this last week, but it's yours to read and review now, so do what you want.
WARNING: The is more torture in this chapter, for some reason, and more Kagome being dangerous and sarcastic.
Enjoy!
BP
Chapter 2: Giving
Sherlock didn't hear from Kagome for several days: she wouldn't answer his texts, he tried going to her apartment, and he even tried calling. Nothing.
What did she mean? Giving as good as she got?
He also had no idea about John. He went to the clinic, came home, watched telly and ate dinner with a cup of tea before going to his room.
Lestrade called them in, something about a body that had somehow gone undiscovered for three days, in plain sight.
"Excellent." Sherlock grinned. "Come on John!" John nodded and put on his coat, following Sherlock out the door. One could say that everything went downhill from there that day.
When they got there, Lestrade once again explained the situation. John was listening and Sherlock was looking around, searching for one particular face, yet also hoping that he didn't see it. To his worry, he saw her talking to a colleague quiet near to the body. She smiled at them as they approached.
"I have a few theories, Sherlock, but I bow to the master of these cases." Sherlock nodded and knelt next to the body with a hint of the smirk.
"I don't think that you should discredit your abilities so quickly, Kagome." She winked, even as the rest of the people in earshot gaped at the two. Sherlock complimenting someone? Was the world coming to an end? Did a snowball finally have a chance in hell?
"Why thank you." She replied wryly. Sherlock then ignored everyone else and focussed on the body. Kagome walked away a little bit, not wishing to be near John. John noticed this and approached her. He didn't say anything for a little bit, just stood next to her and watched Sherlock.
"So…" He said, unsure how to start the conversation. Kagome turned to him with a cool look.
"Yes?" No way in hell was she going to make this easier for him.
"About last night…" He trailed off, evidently wanting her to continue. No such luck - she stayed silent. "Do you think that we could put this behind us?" Her expression twisted with disgust.
"Are you saying that we should just forget about the whole thing?" When he didn't answer, she laughed bitterly. "Typical." She paused. "Okay, lets see how this works out. But I don't forgive you." She glared at him. John frowned.
"What do you mean you don't forgive me? Shouldn't it be me forgiving you?" Kagome's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Oh of course. Please forgive my stupidity!" She snarled quietly. "Of course I should be asking for your forgiveness for doing everything I can to protect you!" She leaned forward, her eyes ice cold. "I'll make sure it never happens again, I promise." John shivered, feeling suddenly bereft of warmth. That sounded ominous. Kagome leaned away again, her face and eyes colder than John had ever seen them. If she noticed his uncomfortable expression, she said nothing.
So Kagome came round more often, slowly being warmer and less guarded, though still keeping a noticeable distance from John. She accompanied them on cases and chases and still went on her own. And when a case landed John and Sherlock, as well as Kagome, in a hot spot, none of them were surprised. Kagome just sighed as they all sat in a little room, chains around their wrists and ankles, keeping them on the floor. The room was dark apart form a tiny candle that leant them a slither of light, just enough to make shapes out with. She heard groaning and shifting around.
"Everyone alright?" She called.
"Fine." Two strained voices called out. She shrugged. She had woken up a while ago, the anaesthetic they'd used to subdue her had worn off quickly due to her reiki. If they were hurt, they'd obviously decided not to tell her about it. Not, she thought acidly, that she'd do anything about John's injuries.
Unsurprisingly, once Kagome's attention was not mainly occupied trying to keep John safe, Kagome had energy to spare in making sure Sherlock was unhurt and the two were growing closer. Of course, they'd never get to the level she and John were at, before the whole torture thing, but they were well of their way to becoming close friends.
They didn't talk while they were in the room, in case there were recording devices inside, but it was a long time before they were seen to in any way, because the candle had run out of wax and had gone out, sending the room into darkness. Kagome sighed and summoned her reiki in front of her in the form of a tiny ball to give them a bit of light and guided it up to the centre of the ceiling. Able to see properly now, Kagome took in the state of her companions health. Both looked ruffled, but were okay. Sherlock's eyes twinkled at her, and she laughed. John, whose eyes were previously closed, looked at her incredulously.
"What?" She defended. "I just realised how often, exactly, this happens to us." She giggled again. She heard a lock turning in the door and she dissipated the reiki ball. She put on the dullest tone she could as the person opened the door, blinding them all with the bright light that entered the room. "Come to change the candle, have you? We don't need the light, but the minimal amount of warmth it gave was really appreciated." Sherlock snorted. The big bulky man who'd walked in, stalked over to her and kicked her in the side. "Thanks." She said dryly, showing no sign of pain. "I had planned on replacing my kidneys soon." The man growled quite impressively in human throat and was just bringing up his foot to presumably crack or break her ribs, but a smooth voice interrupted him.
"Stop, Gus. We wouldn't want to put our esteemed guests in any discomfort." A male figure, smaller than 'Gus' appeared in the doorway. Kagome smiled a little.
"If this is how esteemed guests are treated, I'd rather be a prisoner - thank you for your hospitality though." The man chuckled.
"Oh, I like you." He walked right to her, effectively ignoring the other three men in the room. Crouching, he asked, "Now, what's a pretty lady like you doing with these two people here?" Kagome smiled sweetly.
"I'm sure you know already, despite the fact that Sherlock and John were your original targets, I'm sure that you look me up as well, didn't you?" She studied him carefully. "I know intelligence when I see it." The man smiled, flattered.
"Of course, Kagome." Kagome didn't let him say anything more, sighing heavily.
"It's just such a shame that it's not being used." Her smile turned lethal as he scowled. "Otherwise you would have thought twice before kidnapping any of us." The man motioned behind him, a cold smile forming on his lips.
"Gus, see that our female guest is taught a lesson in front of the other guests. It would be a shame if they didn't also learn a valuable lesson." He looked at Sherlock and John. "Learn carefully, gentlemen." Then he swept out of the room, leaving Kagome smiling, Gus smiling and Sherlock and John looking at each other in dread.
Minutes later and Kagome was on top of a very low table in a set-up extremely close to one that she herself was using just a few weeks ago on the hanyou, except she still had on her trousers and bra, her top having been removed. She smiled, nostalgia filling her at the remembrance. She looked to her left, seeing the tray of sterilised water and a scalpel near it and smiled even wider. To her right, Sherlock and John sat, watching her anxiously.
Gus came back in, wiping over his hands with a clean towel. "Hello, Gus! Nice to see you!" She said happily. "I've never been subjected to this kind of torture before, though I myself have used it, so please, go ahead." She smirked. "The poor lad I tried it with found it quite painful." She gauged the minions response. No guilt, no hesitance. She smiled widely, feeling strangely excited. He sat down in a chair next to her and looked at her.
"Been exposed to torture before then?" Kagome smiled and nodded.
"Oh yes. But not this one before." She cocked her head curiously. "Some part of me says that I shouldn't be so excited." Sherlock huffed.
"That's probably because you shouldn't be." Kagome turned her head to look at him.
"Oh, don't worry so much. Honestly!" She rolled her eyes. "It's only torture!" Gus smirked.
"You like it?" Kagome rose an eyebrow.
"No." She said seriously, then she sighed. "Doesn't mean I don't welcome a learning experience." Gus shrugged and picked up the scalpel. Kagome watched his movements, riveted. He lowered it to her skin and she lay her head back against the table, feeling the sharp blade tickle her stomach before pressing down firmly just below her left ribs. Her nerves ignited and she drew in a sharp breath, which in turn only deepened the scalpel.
"Ah ah ah!" Gus said chidingly. "Don't move. It'll ruin it." Kagome breathed out again slowly and the blade moved in a straight line below the ribs.
"Sorry." She whispered. Sherlock and John looked at each other. What the hell was she doing apologising to her torturer?
Nothing but Kagome's overly-controlled breaths and the occasional hum of satisfaction from Gus could be heard in the room. Kagome was uncertain what exactly was going on anymore. Her stomach was a mess - she knew from experience - and it seemed like she was out of her body with the intense, yet dull pain. Sometimes Gus would push a little harder or go a little faster and while Kagome had originally been able to control her responses, she couldn't control the pained groans or sharp whimpers from escaping. She wasn't crying, not yet, but she knew that with the evident patience of Gus, she just might.
Eventually, Gun put the scalpel in the water and stood, going out of the room. Immediately, John was looking over Kagome as much as he could from his sitting position.
"Kagome." Kagome looked in their general direction and Sherlock, especially, could have gasped. Her eyes were glazed and her pupils were tiny. In all honestly, she looked high.
"Hmm?" She asked.
"Are you… okay?" Kagome frowned, like the question didn't quite register, and then she nodded a little.
"Hmm fine… I think." John looked at Sherlock worriedly. Sherlock continued to look at Kagome, frowning.
"Kagome." He asked slowly. "Where are you right now?" Kagome looked confused.
"I'm not sure." She looked around a little, seeming not seeing anything at all. "I can't see shapes and the room is spinning. Everything looks a little dark." She frowned. "But I wanna see the pretty picture." Their eyebrows rose in unison. Pretty picture? But they didn't have time to ask her, because Gus came back, carrying a sheet of paper. Comprehension dawned on Sherlock, though John was a little slower at realising what he was going to do.
He put the paper carefully over Kagome's stomach, making sure to soak up some of the blood, and then pulled it away. Kagome's advanced healing had begun, so there was less blood than there could have been, but even then, the picture was exquisite.
"There." He said. And held it up so Kagome could see. "Isn't it nice?" Kagome looked at it carefully and then a smile crossed her face.
"Beautiful." Gus smiled and without words, cleaned off Kagome's stomach to reveal half of the picture still bleeding and healing. He shrugged and decided to move up a little.
He was just about to cut again, when Kagome gasped out a "No!" Gus paused, frowning.
"What is it?" Kagome blinked several times, trying to get her mouth to work.
"It's not going to work." She murmured. "It isn't that intense and if you're aiming for punishment then this is going a little bit slow." Kagome blinked hard and then focused seriously and intensely on Gus. "You need something sharper. This is too easy to escape." She heard John's quick intake of breath and Sherlock's disapproving tut. Gus smirked.
"Perhaps, but it's hard for you to get your focus back again, isn't it?" Kagome frowned, blinked and then nodded. "Then it's working." Kagome rolled her eyes, coherence coming back quicker and quicker.
"Yes, but didn't you hear your boss? This is meant to be a deterrent! Both for me and for them! How, exactly, is this going to deter us in any way?" She asked smartly. The man paused then, thinking it through.
"True." Then he grinned maliciously. "Wait right here, I'll be with you in a moment." When he was gone, Kagome sighed.
"I'm an idiot." She heard two identical snorts. She giggled a little.
"Yeah, you are." John said. "Why are you giving him tips?" Kagome shrugged as much as she was able.
"I can't stand sloppy torturing." John started to giggle. Sherlock smiled before joining in, unable to resist John's contagious laughter. Kagome didn't giggle - there was no reason to be happy. She was going to be in a lot of pain soon thanks to her big mouth. But it's not like she hadn't gone through it before, she reminded herself tightly, giving herself a little shake of the head to focus herself. She took a deep breath. Idly she wondered what Gus would do next - whipping seemed the most logical choice. Breaking her fingers one by one also seemed like an appropriate choice right now. But to her surprise, it wasn't Gus that walked through the door next, the steps sounded different. Sherlock and John silenced themselves immediately.
"So…" Drawled a familiar voice. Kagome smiled a little.
"Hello again. Come to watch, have you?" The man in charge chuckled.
"No." He said, then with a lecherous look at her body continued, "Not that I mind the view." Kagome rolled her eyes. Honestly. The man was serious now, though. "Decided to give Gus some tips did you?" Kagome nodded.
"Yes, you see, you wanted to make a rather painful example of me that would act as a deterrent for those two over there in case they decided to act up. However, the method chosen wasn't very effective in that way - it wasn't very painful and it was fairly easy to escape. It needed to be sharper otherwise it wouldn't be much of a deterrent." She explained patiently. "Personally, in my experience, if you want a deterrent or example, whipping or breaking their fingers one by one tends to work the best." She smirked darkly. "They scream that way and it terrifies anyone watching." She took a quick look at their captor to see him looking quite impressed, if shocked. Then he narrowed his eyes.
"You've been tortured before." Kagome smiled brightly and nodded. The man ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. Then he snapped his fingers. Gus came in. The man gestured to Kagome's bonds. "Get her out of those and give her back her clothes. It's not exactly warm in here." She blinked. Well. She most certainly wasn't expecting that.
She was untied, given her clothes and the table and the instruments were pulled out the room. Just as she finished putting on her jacket over her red blouse, the man was in front of her again, looking at her contemplatively.
"Why do you co-operate so easily?" Kagome shrugged and winked.
"I'm in a good mood. Plus, I'm not too bothered about torture." She paused for a moment. "Doesn't mean I like it, mind you. I just get it." She frowned suddenly. "I've just remembered something. What's your name?" He rose an eyebrow. "Just a thought, it's annoying to keep calling you 'man' and 'guy' in my head and I doubt you'd like it if I started calling you that out loud. Or, go forbid," She smirked. "'Person'."
"Jasper." Kagome smiled.
"That's a nice name." She heard Sherlock sigh irritably.
"Are you quite done making friends with the criminals, Kagome?" John, despite the situation, laughed before he managed to cover it with a cough. Sherlock smirked. Jasper smiled, a dark look crossing his eyes, as he snapped his fingers. Gus kicked John in the gut, managing to wind him.
"There," He grunted. "No more laughing at the boss for you." Kagome frowned at the treatment. Then scowled as she realised that her instincts weren't tugging at her. So they really had abandoned John.
"What's wrong, Kagome? Don't like it when your friends are hurt?" Kagome shrugged.
"Usually I would have, but my instincts aren't tugging at me at all to kill Gus for hurting John." She frowned. "Not entirely unexpected, to be honest." Jasper look interested.
"How so?" Kagome sighed.
"John and Sherlock discovered me… punishing someone for attacking them the other week. They only had a few bruises, but that didn't stop my instincts from urging me to kill the guy." She laughed bitterly. "John wasn't very understanding, though Sherlock understood, and he expressed a very obvious disgust for my protectiveness." She shrugged awkwardly. "My instincts took that as a betrayal and now refuse to force me to aid him in any way." She barked a laugh. "Then he had the audacity to imply that I needed to ask for his forgiveness." Jasper nodded and then indicated behind her. She look and saw the shackles she was in before. Sighing, she walked over and sat down on the floor, holding out he wrists. Jasper sighed happily as Gus knelt down to put the shackles on.
"I do so love an obedient guest." Kagome smirked.
"My pleasure." Now Sherlock groaned as Gus stood back up, the shackles secure.
"Jesus." He uttered. "If you're going to flirt with the criminal, as least get a room." Wisely, John did nothing. Gus, however, decided that Sherlock needed to be winded as well and gave him a kick in the ribs for the comment. A crack echoed throughout the room. Kagome's eyes widened and her back straightened as the sound reached her ears.
Immediately, a loud and very dangerous sounding snarl rebounded off of the walls. Jasper turned to Kagome. Kagome, who had silver eyes now and a snarl on her face, her hair swaying and fists clenched. His eyes widened.
"That," She growled, "Was not wise." She glared harshly at Jasper and Gus. Baring her teeth, she continued, "I dare you to try that again." A feral smile. "Just try to injure Sherlock again, and neither of you will know what will hit you before I am ripping the skin from your body." She said savagely. Gus turned on her.
"Just who do you think -" She never let him finish.
"I think I am Kagome Higurashi, Miko of the Shikon, Killer of Naraku and assassin extraordinaire. Don't you dare challenge me, you pathetic excuse for a human being!" Her power echoed in her voice, frightening both Jasper and Gus into submission. With her eyes still hardened silver, she whispered. "Now I suggest you apologise to Sherlock and John and let them out of their bonds." When they both hesitated she suddenly shouted, "Now!". They scrambled to do as she said and as soon as they had she said, "You, Sherlock and John, are going to go and return to the flat and relax. And get medical attention for your rib Sherlock. These two will let you pass." John hesitated.
"What are you going to do?" He asked hesitantly. Kagome smiled wolfishly.
"Don't worry John, I will drop them off at Scotland Yard." John sighed in relief. "As soon as I've finished with them." John froze, shook his head a little and nodded curtly. Kagome frowned, her silver eyes glinting. "Don't take issue with it now John. We can discuss this later." John nodded again and then left, Sherlock followed, wonder in his eyes as he looked at her. She smirked at him.
When she were gone, her reiki rose the surface and purified the shackles form her wrists and stood up slowly, smile growing. A small measure of reiki slammed the door shut, leaving them in total darkness until Kagome once again created the little reiki ball.
"Now." She said, smiling darkly, the effect made even more sinister by the purplish light. "Where were we?" Oh, how she relished in their looks of terror.
Well, that went well, I think. Again, sorry for the wait. I should be updating the final chapter next week, so look forward to it!
BP
