I don't own Inuyasha or Get Backers.
"Higurashi, Kagome." Ginji turned his attention to his partner. "Higurashi, Kagome. What a nice name." Ginji echoed his partner. He took the photo from Ban's hand and checked it over again. They had both been doing the same thing, meticulously checking the photo, ever since they received it. Why was this girl captivating them so?
Ban proceeded to rest his arms on the countertop of Honky Tonk's, his head propped up on his open palm, and took a long drag from his dying cigarette. Flipping his notebook open he began to recite. "Higurashi, Kagome, she's just a little under 18 now. Born and raised in the better part of Tokyo, resident and miko of Higure shrine." Ginji perked. "Miko? As in a shrine maiden, right?" Ban closed his booklet. "Yeah, those old hags you get that con high school girls and perform flashy dances during festivals. Real con artist these days."
Ginji looked back at the photo. Smiling face. "But the girls at her old school say differently Ban-chan."
"She scary… that sick girl."
"She cursed people she didn't like."
"She was a witch."
"Her fortunes are never wrong. Misfortunes."
"…she needed sacrifices to sustain her body."
"Hmph, like I said. Con artists." Another smoke. Another puff. "Besides, I know a witch when I see one." Ginji looked at the photo again. How could someone like this be anything close to a witch? That smiling face beamed at him. There was no way this girl could have gained the title of a witch. Everything in the picture screamed of a girl who would be well liked in school.
Ban glanced at his partner. "There was another rumor going around saying she had been sick a lot. Sick with a number of unbelievable diseases." Falsities. Ginji's brows furrowed. "But she looks so healthy here. This picture was taken just around six months back. There's no way they're talking about the same girl."
"That's why this case stinks of lies. Something is wrong with that family." Ban took in the last of the cancer stick before stubbing it out in the ashtray. He breathed out the smoke and snatched the photo from Ginji's grasp. "There's something odd about this girl. It seems that she had been involved with school activities up until she turned 15. It's like after that, the records and information on her dwindle away. The only recent photo taken of her is the one Mrs. Higurashi gave us and that's already six months old." Just like Ginji, the picture enraptured him. Enraptured to the point where his curiosity for the case out ruled his want for the money. She was nothing like the women he usually went for but at the same time, he wasn't sure he saw her the way he looked at those women. Not lust. Curiosity. No, she wasn't a woman either. She was a girl. A too-happy girl.
The soft chiming of bells interrupted the duo's conversation. They looked towards the direction of the door. Ban growled. "Fucking monkey-boy and thread spools." An even more impressive growl. "Snake-bitch." Ginji sighed. Inevitable confrontations. "Mah, mah, let's all be friends here. Thanks for coming Shido, Kazu-chan!" The Maruido survivor smiled at the blond. The more tolerable one in the duo.
"That's how you treat the person that helps you get information on a mission? How unprofessional of you Midou, Ban." Kazuki held up a file. Golden information. "We got all the information we could from MakubeX about any unusual disturbances in Lower Town. I'm not sure but I think this might shed some light on your case." The file was more or less tossed at Ban's face, which he peeled of afterwards and went through, grumbling about transvestite seamstresses.
There was silence in the café as Ban read through the file quickly. Ginji looked over his shoulder and scanned it for anything that would be of interest. Shido and Kazuki took a seat beside the blond, finding the brunette harder to bear with and Ginji a pleasant company. They waited. The two former VOLTS members looked at the duo with mild curiosity. The two came to them a day ago, requesting information about the happenings of Mugen-jou. Kazuki smiled at them. "It seems like you guys picked up an interesting case. I hope it's nothing like IL." All jokes in good humor but darkly tinted. Ban kept flipping. "Nothing like that, just a girl gone missing."
This perked the interest of the Fuuchouin heir and beast master. Girls that go missing in Mugen-jou… "Her family will never see her again. Girls that go missing in there, stay there. Dead if they're lucky, alive to be some kind of toy or experiment." Shido looked at them for a reaction. Ban just closed the file and placed it back on the desk, along with the photo. Kazuki took it and looked. How sweet and innocent. "This girl's mother, she came by yesterday personally to find us. She waited three hours and told that we specifically are perfect for the job. I think there's more to this case then what she lets on. Besides, there has been some odd stuff going on in Lower Town it seems."
Kazuki passed the photo to Shido and waited for Ban to continue. Shido glanced that the picture. He smiled. The girl reminded him of Madoka. Same smile. Same laughing face. Madoka. He placed the picture down when Ban began.
"If you idiots read the file, there's been a congregation of thugs going around the east-side entrance of Lower Town. Seems as though there's a murmur in that area. A genius body modifier. That's around the same place this girl was last seen." Truly odd. Where there is a body modifier, there are always test subjects. They all looked at the photo from the corner of their eyes. Smiling girl. Poor girl.
The deduction left a bitter taste in Ginji's mouth. That sweet looking girl, gone from her family to be a lab rat. Cruel fate. "But isn't that odd Ban-chan?" Attention was given to him. "I mean, the younger brother said that she voluntarily went over to Mugen-jou. She just up and left him while walking home together." Why was this case filled with so many blanks and questions? This girl was a mystery. A very innocent, smiling jigsaw. Uneven.
That's right. The girl's little brother. He claimed that while they were walking home she stopped and told him to go home without him. She left him at the side of the street and just walked away from him. Away from him for five months now. No high school girl would ever go near Mugen-jou. It was like a death wish. And the girl did just that. She truly was odd.
Ban already knew that girl had a motive for going there. He just didn't know what the motive was. For now. Ban sighed at his partner. He raised his fist and drove it to the blonde's head. "You idiot. That's what we're here for. Retrieving something is like putting back the pieces of a puzzle." Ginji, despite the throb of his skull, smiled back at his partner. Complete faith in each other.
The two wordlessly stood, tucking in the seats they had just occupied and headed for the door. Ginji stopped for a second. "Thanks Shido, Kazu-chan! We've got enough information now for the job."
Like a fleeting storm, the two left to their car. Shido and Kazuki smiled at their former lord. Truly a wonderful man. Kazuki turned to Shido. The feminine male took a bell from his hair and looked at it. "Shido, did you know? Lately the wind has been restless. It's been singing to me through the thread." Shido looked at his friend. Of course he knew. The wind had been restless. So had the animals. The wind sang.
Raise me
Raise me
Show me your violence
"The cicadas is caught
the children are cruel
rip apart its wings
rip apart its legs
the poor cicadas
nothing but a children's toy."
Her chest rose and fell. Quietly breathing, in and out, in and out. The man came, having cleansed the previous red from his hands. Away with the thin red mask. Walking up to the sleeping girl, he stopped in front of the metal table. It slanted, making it at an angle from being perpendicular to the floor, her wrists hung painfully from its restraints, the force of gravity straining it. Red and raw. Everything on her was caked with red. The once white shirt she had on was now a rusty brown and stiff, oxidation doing its part to the blood. Caked and smeared everywhere. He lifted his hand and touched her cheek. It too was bloody. His thumb caressed the broken skin with care, rubbing away the red to reveal a sallow white. How pretty. She shone in the dank room. Her red shone. Her sallow skin shone. Beautifully revolting.
The girl's eyelids fluttered. He smiled and raised his arms to the cuffs. Click. Click. Her upper body fell to him. Strength was something this girl had gone without for a long time. He leaned down. Click. Click. The cuffs at her ankle were unlocked as well revealing the raw flesh. She was released from her binds. He sat down on the ground, his back leaning towards the metal table she had previously rested on, the pool of red did not concern him the least. Cradling like a babe, an arm around her waist, the other caressing her cheek, like a lover would. Like.
Butterfly wings, her eyes fluttered open slowly. He held his breath. Her eyes, those fierce blue eyes. No, they were empty now. How wonderful. They looked at him though at the same time they looked through him. Blue whirlpools. Gravity would always suck you in. Finally, when her eyes focused on the red orbs on her they widened. Red. Shiver. Fear. So much fear. Her body squirmed to escape. Her limbs, weak from slightly atrophied muscle tissue, tried their best to push the man away. Using the hand that caressed her cheek he held the hands together. She stilled now. Their eyes connected.
He stared into her fear.
She stared at her death.
Her mouth opened. Parched and dried lips cracked. "…-umo…" Tears slipped free. Crystal liquid mingled with the blood. He released her now tired and useless arms and wiped the ears away. He wiped and wiped and wiped. Harder and harder. She whimpered, despite her efforts to stop the sound. Friction did its job and her face began to feel the burning sensation. She began to bleed. Her face became distorted with pain just as his strokes became harder. Rough. Fast. Pain. So fiercely, he wiped her tears away. He wiped the skin away. He wiped the flesh away. Gouge and gouge. Nail and all.
She cried her pain. It burned so much, he just kept ripping away. The pain was unbearable. She tried to muffle her screams. Nothing would reach his ears. It hurt so badly though. She couldn't help but give in to the scream in her throat. And he laughed and laughed.
He didn't stop until she stopped. The screaming stopped. Nothing but hoarse gasps of breath and the occasional sob. The pain was so intense, her salty tears ran into the freshly dug canal. White shone inside the red, her cheekbone could be seen now. He looked at his accomplishment, his breath ragged and tired. His hands were bloodied once again, flesh and blood under his nails. He fed on the moans of pain, his body ached to cause more pain. It was like an itch. He was not satisfied. He leaned in. His tongue slipped out his lips. Black hair, like ink, curtained them from the world. And his tongue dragged through the wound. Through the destroyed muscles. Down to the bone.
He lifted away from her crying form, still cradling her. Closing his mouth he tasted the red. So clean and pure. She was so vulnerable. She was so wrecked. He brushed her matted hair as she sobbed. Never once had she begged him to stop. What a strong child. She solely lived on her pride and will now. Her will to live and her pride of past.
Unexpectedly, with strength that could not exist, she grabbed the lapel of his bloodied lab coat. Her thin wrist threatened to break under the strain of her own sudden strength. She gasped from the pain, tears still falling. She gasped for air and finally she began shakily.
"…-umo…stop the…-mic wheels…" Barely understandable to others but not to him.
And her hands slipped away. She fell limp in his arms, not unconscious but close to it. Her strength was spent now. She was tired from those words, she was tired from her pain. She looked into his crazed and lustful red eyes with her dead blue ones. She saw his grin and she knew her words fell on deaf ears. This man would never stop. It was destiny. They were bound together by fate. A cruel, cruel fate that would not allow her to escape. She would never escape from him. Now she knew, fate spat at her and destiny ruined her. She could never change it. This would be an endless cycle. Like samsara. Suffer.
"They will never stop, Little Kagome. I will never stop. We can never stop." He grinned and sang, "Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage. When will you come out?" And lulled by these haunting words, these disgusting words, she fell into slumber. He chuckled. The white shone in the red. Her beautifully mutilated face.
He lifted her to a cot nearby. She would not wake from this slumber for hours to come. She needed time. Time to revive. Live again. Live. Restart. He left her.
She acted strong in front of him. But she was nothing more then a newborn calf now in the safety of her unconsciousness. She begged to herself in her dreams. She begged.
Raise me
Raise me
Twisted, she begged. Weakened, she begged. Not to anyone in particular. She just couldn't help but beg:
Show me your violence
Twisted.
Restart.
The streets of Shinjuku were as noisy as ever. The boy spat at the streets. Trash. His eyes were a hardened stone. Like hard cobalt blues. His school uniform, neat and pressed fitted his body perfectly. A model student. His demeanor though, was one of a burdened man. A burdened man who could barely breath under the immense weight. Figurative weight, of course. The weight was entirely too much for a young boy of 11 years of age.
Midday was passing by rapidly but he walked. The cackling faces of young girls in entirely too short dresses, their overgrown breasts displayed to the world. Disgusting. Thugs were walking around like they owned the place to themselves. Arrogant pests. He hated them. They were nothing but trash.
Everyday now, his feet brought him back. A map that was burned into his mind. He couldn't help but come back to this place. This dreaded place. Gritty and trashy. He stopped in front of the tower. Mugen-jou. The height of it dwarfed all the buildings surrounding it. A terrifying and ominous tower. He despised it.
His eyes landed on the tower. His lips were a thin line. They moved. Moved and opened. "Bring her back. Bring her back." His murmurs were unheard. He stood there, staring. "Bring her back now." Unanswered prayers. If it weren't for her words he would have already entered the place. Entered it and flipped the place over, tearing it apart. Looking for her. Even if he knew it was suicide, he would have gone inside to look for her. He would, if only she didn't say otherwise to him.
"Souta. There's something I have to do in there." Souta looked to his sister. His loving, brave, strong sister.
"But, that's Mugen-jou." Not a lot said, but the very thought of Mugen-jou itself was terrifying enough already. He heard the stories. Students were the best source of fast information.
She stood there staring at the tower. He looked at her. Soundlessly she placed a hand on his head and ruffled affectionately. His hair flew all over the place. The gel he recently bought for his hair became his enemy.
"H-hey! Cut it out sis!" He mock hit her hand away, looking at her with a frown, but mirth filled his eyes. She smiled back down at him. She leaned to his height and kissed him on the cheek. Souta's face burned up and he sputtered, crying out in embarrassment. She straightened herself up and grabbed his shoulders, effectively ceasing his embarrassed rant. She looked him in the eye, cobalt to sapphire.
"Souta, listen. There's something I absolutely have to do in there and under no circumstances do you walk through those doors. Do you understand me? Do not go into Mugen-jou. Ever. Tell mom I'll be home late tonight. I'm not asking this as a favor, I'm saying this as your big sister. Please, don't EVER go into Mugen-jou." No matter what happens to me.
She left out those last words but it was a given. She gave him a kiss again, this time he did not react with sibling disgust, instead he just put his hand to his cheek and rubbed gently. She smiled at him. Her sapphire blue eyes were like the ocean. They held passion as strong as flames but were so kind. Strong and unpredictable. She was his sister. She was so kind.
She began walking away from him, towards the ominous tower. Crossing the street he could not shake the feeling of unease and fear. He felt it. Like if he let her go, she would never come back. Like the well. He called. "Come back soon Kagome!"
She reached the door already. Turning to face him she waved. He couldn't see her face clearly due to the distance and traffic but he waved back. And she opened the door and went inside. Inside for five months. Five months and counting.
Souta's fists clenched. "Tell mom I'll be home late tonight." What a load of bull. He shook in anger. 'Tell her yourself sis… Tell her yourself!' He raged quietly. This tower. This despicable tower. These revolting people. He hated them all. And he missed her. He missed her so much. There was no longer someone to protect her when she went off into an adventure. No golden-eyed savior. No heroic icon he could count on to make sure his sister came back safely. Fairy tails like that don't exist anymore. She only had herself. He wished he had gone with her.
It wasn't until someone bumped into him did he stop the overflowing rage and sorrow.
He looked at the man that walked into him. Blue. Sapphire blues. He gapped.
Ban pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose, looking down at the kid he just bumped into. He could feel it. He knew Ginji could feel it. This kid was burning with anger. "Oi, brat. Watch where you're standing." The boy just stared at him, a bit like a fish out of water. His blue eyes watched behind tinted shades as the boy took a step back and bowed. "Sorry." He took a drag and lightly rapped the boy's skull. They boy yelped in surprise. "That's what you get for dazing out in the middle of the street, brat."
Souta's eyes widened. He watched as a blond fellow walked next to the rude brunette. "You don't have to pick a fight with everybody Ban-chan!" The blond apologized for the brunette who was already walking away from the scene. Souta stood in a daze. It wasn't until he realized the direction they were heading to did he snap out of it. Mugen-jou. He bristled. "My name's Souta! It's not 'brat'!" The two were already too far away from him to hear his yell. He watched as they entered the door. The same door his sister went in. And he watched, as it slammed shut.
Souta stared at the door for second before turning on his heel. He had enough of this place today. He would head home. Head home and think. Those man's eyes. So strong. Just like his beloved sister.
As the steel doors of Mugen-jou closed behind them, Ginji looked to Ban. That kid… "Ban-chan. Did you know that kid?" His partner acknowledged. "Ah, that brat was Higurashi, Souta. The target's younger brother." Ginji nodded. He looked down the winding alleyways of Mugen-jou's Lower Town. Indeed a labyrinth for monsters and scum.
"Let's go Ginji." Ban moved and Ginji followed.
Raise me
Raise me
Show me your violence
Yes, I've finished another chapter and this is a little bit longer than the last one. I think I should retract my statement on this story being slightly dark because the scene I just wrote out was pretty dark in my book. Tell me if you think I should put up a warning stating so.
Just a note, I wrote 'snake-bitch' instead of 'snake-bastard' because I thought it would sound better. Bastard just has too many syllables. For those of you who are not familiar with Hindu and Buddhist religion, samasara is the endless cycle of rebirth all Hindi and Buddhist try to escape by reaching Nirvana. Learned the term in religion class and thought it would fit here pretty well. If you read the manga version of Get Backers, you might be able to pick up where 'Show me your violence' is from.
As for the man with Kagome, people might be able to figure out now.
A shout out to kenjo, ksbaby07, and BadGothicChick. Thank you so much for your kind reviews. They really encouraged me to go with this story. I'm pretty sure all my updates wouldn't be this speedy. I will do my best to keep up with the story. Unlike previous stories I've done, I actually have a plot figured out for this one. I hope I can see it to the end.
Please give any feedback you have. If you find my style of writing annoying to you with it's repetitions and stuff tell me and I'll see what I can do. This style of writing is something that just comes pretty naturally to me so I'm not sure if it's considered 'good' or 'bad' but I enjoy it quite a lot. Just some honest feedback to help me improve please.