AN: Sorry about the delay. I've just been so busy with school, friends, family, birthdays, writer's block and so on and so forth. I can't promise that this chapter has too much going on it, but you can be the judge of that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

The Experiment

Chapter Four: Broadcasting

It was the next day when the phone rang, breaking the silence floating throughout the apartment. Kagome jogged out of her room to answer it, Inuyasha not too far behind. His brows were furrowed in annoyance while Kagome held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Make sure it's not wiretapped!" he barked, glaring at her with such intensity she nearly fainted again.

Kagome cocked an eyebrow in his direction before hearing Sango's voice on the other line.

"How's the uh…'puppy' situation going along?"

Kagome eyed Inuyasha looking ready to pounce her as he growled quietly. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "He's alright. Listen!" she suddenly exclaimed, remembering what happened at the restaurant. "I didn't tell you, but remember last night when you told me to go help that couple over at the restaurant? Well, it turns out that they might be the people after Inuyasha!" Kagome paused briefly at the sharp intake of breath Sango took. "The worst part is, the guy was a demon…that means he could smell Inuyasha's scent on me."

There was a pregnant paused before Sango started. "It means we'll have to be a lot more careful then…You'll probably have to think of a way to disguise him. I don't think he'll enjoy something close to house arrest for god knows how long."

"Mm…" Kagome snuck a glance at Inuyasha who had started to relax upon hearing Sango's voice over the phone with his sensitive dog ears.

"How long is he staying anyways?"

"Uhh…" Kagome twirled the phone cord around her finger, silently thinking to herself. When exactly was he leaving? Where would he even go? "I don't really know…I hardly know anything about him."

"That's understandable. Either way, you have to find out. I have a bad feeling about this…your life is in just as much danger as his."

"I know…I know…" Kagome bade her goodbye and hung up the phone, standing still for a few minutes. Her mind was spinning with scary thoughts and her paranoia was really beginning to kick in. What if someone was spying on them right now? She suppressed a shudder and wandered back to her bedroom, sinking into the bed.

It was almost as if Inuyasha was a child left in her care…she didn't know a thing about his past except that it wasn't pretty, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Most people abhorred the thought of demons and were repulsed by their very existence.

Suddenly, she was very keen on finding out who was behind this whole thing. She would find out who was responsible for Inuyasha's situation. She wasn't exactly sure on how she was going to go about doing it, but by god, she'd find a way. Once she was determined, nothing could push her off the track.

-o-

"Are you sure you can't sniff him down?" Kikyou stressed once more. Kouga shook his head for what must've been the thousandth time.

"It wasn't strong enough to get a trail! I've been telling you this since last night, so pipe down." He snarled, flashing his icy eyes for good measure. Kikyou merely pursed her lips and looked away. She was beginning to think Kouga was a mule demon, not a wolf…

"In any case," she suddenly said, "We'll be putting a broadcast on the news. We'll warn Tokyo that a very dangerous, cold-blooded dog demon is on the loose…once we alert the public, it will be so much easier to get leads."

Kouga cupped his chin in his hand. "But then he'll decide to just not show himself to the public."

Kikyou smirked. "Get real. A dog demon, or half I should say, such as him will find it increasingly difficult to stay locked up. He's a fighter bent on revenge that much I'm sure of. He'll find one way or another to get back at us."

Kouga revealed a toothy grin. "Well, you're not so bad after all." She gave a smug smile. "…for a hag, that is."

"I will castrate you."

--

"Look, all we have to do is make up a brilliant disguise for you!" Kagome clapped her hands together, her smile slightly faltering when Inuyasha barely acknowledged her idea. "Come on!" She pouted.

"What's the point?" he bit back. "They'll find out it's me. What disguise could you possibly have that would work for someone as different as me?"

Kagome smiled. "We'll find a way. We can easily get a hat to cover your ears, some contacts for your eyes or maybe sunglasses…"

"The hair?"

"That will take a little more thinking," she sighed. "But we'll get the job done! In the meantime…" She trailed off. Inuyasha gave her a small raise of the brow, not liking the tone she was taking. She seemed like she wanted something…and quite frankly, he wasn't going to tell her anything.

"What…"

"Where exactly did you come from? I mean, you don't have to tell me but…I hardly know anything about you. And I know you don't want to talk about it, but I want to help you – I really do. You're just leaving me to think all these scary thoughts, and I feel sort of sick when I even try to picture what you went through…I'm not going to lie, Inuyasha. You seemed pretty angry that night we met…so just, try, even a little, to open up to me."

Inuyasha gazed at her for a long time, his eyes getting this faraway look. It was as if he were reliving another memory, a time that only he knew. Kagome watched him intently, not even noticing the fact that her body was slowly leaning forward. His eyes swiveled to her direction and he promptly snapped out of it.

"I have no reason to tell you anything…besides, you don't need to get caught up in my problems."

"But I already am!" She protested.

"Then spare yourself some trouble."

"Inuyasha…"

"No." He bit back harshly.

"Just –" Kagome reached out to touch his shoulder.

Inuyasha jerked away from her with a loud cry, eyes ablaze with fury and what could've possibly been fear. Kagome had sprung back a little, bringing her hand close to her chest, feeling the palpitating beats of her heart. What had she done?

"Don't touch me!" He barked before stalking off into his room.

Kagome stared after him, flinching when the door slammed shut.

Inuyasha heard her sigh out in frustration and gave a sigh of his own while walking over to the window. The faraway look was approaching his eyes again as he became blinded by the image of Kikyou. God, she looked beautiful…her raven hair that always seemed to shine, her lips, her big brown eyes.

But he hated her. Every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to rip apart the pretty picture that constructed itself to be Kikyou. She did nothing but betray him. All she wanted was personal gain, some benefits to better her own life. She took his love for granted and nearly tore his heart apart while laughing in his face.

He crumpled to the floor, head hanging against his chest as he pulled up his knees.

"I couldn't imagine living without you, Inuyasha. It's like you opened a door to a new life."

Inuyasha gave a small smile, a red tint barely staining his cheeks. "Yeah well…I like to inspire."

Kikyou gave a giggle, her breath coming out in soft puffs as the winter air surrounded them. "We make a good couple, don't we?"

"I'd say so," Inuyasha replied, grinning.

"Inuyasha," Kikyou suddenly faced him with a serious look in her eyes. "I just want you to know that I'd do anything for you. I would risk my life if it meant keeping you happy."

"I…I would do the same for you, Kikyou." Inuyasha replied, startled at how serious the conversation had turned. Kikyou simply smiled and wrapped her arms around his body, brining him into a soothing embrace.

"I'm glad."

A bitter look took control of Inuyasha's face as he remembered how naïve he had been to trust her. She had been a pretty good actress, that much he'd admit. For god's sake, she had looked him right in the eye and made such a bold proclamation. And now he knew what she really meant – she was glad he'd risk his life for her…because she could gain everything she wanted by using him as an experiment.

He was hers to command, to build upon, to perfect. And she enjoyed every minute of it. He remembered the stone cold look in her once warm brown eyes, the way she didn't do a thing to stop the men from locking him up in the van. He was lost, confused, and above all, hurt.

He swore to himself that he'd never fall for someone like that again – that was a fool's job. He wouldn't let someone take control of him like that, not now, not ever.

--

It was hours later when Inuyasha reemerged from his room, greeted with the scent of many spices and meat. It didn't take long to figure out that Kagome was cooking. Upon entering the kitchen, the smell hit him like a ton of bricks. His tongue could barely be kept in his mouth as he fought the urge to drool. Whatever she was making, it seemed wonderful.

Kagome turned around, smiling briefly at him. Apparently she had decided to let go of her frustration for now.

"Glad to see you're out and about," she said playfully.

Inuyasha snorted and hovered over her shoulder. Kagome felt her eye twitch in annoyance. She hated it when people invaded her space. She tilted her head to give him a sideways glance as her eyes wandered up a few inches to meet his gaze. "Do you need something?"

"No." He said it quite rudely.

"Well, if it's not too much to ask, can you scoot over?" He was awfully close for someone who had made a scene of her reaching to touch his shoulder…not that she was about to complain. It would make everything easier if he got over his fear of her turning out to be Kikyou or some spy or whatever.

He gave a gruff reply and shuffled a few feet away from her.

Kagome opened the cupboard to pull out two bowls. She hummed a small tune as she lifted the pot and ladled spoonfuls of soup into the bowls. Steam unfurled from the food, making Inuyasha more eager to taste it.

"Sango called again. She said that we have to tune in to watch the news at 7:00. Something major…she seemed to be in a hurry, probably on a date with Miroku," she giggled.

Inuyasha gave a small shrug, wandering over to the bar where a few chairs were placed. He gave a delighted smile when the soup was set in front of him and nearly gulped the whole thing. Kagome rolled her eyes before forcing a spoon into his hand. "Use this. It's a lot more…polite."

He glared at her momentarily before beginning to use the utensil.

Kagome poured herself a bowl before going into the living room to turn on the television. She came back, letting the game show that was currently on run. It was only 6:30 so they still had some time. Kagome sat across the bar from Inuyasha, eyeing every little motion he made. She had barely touched her own portion when Inuyasha looked up.

He gulped quickly before extending his arm out to grab her bowl. "Are you gonna eat that?"

Kagome blinked rapidly before staring at the bowl that was ready to be dragged away by his eager hands. "Oh, you can have it…" She pushed away the bowl, watching him lift it to his lips and tilt his head back to let the liquid slide in.

Kagome took in a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to ask was a difficult subject to tread upon. "Inuyasha…just…just out of curiosity and all…how exactly did you meet this Kikyou lady?"

Inuyasha looked up, suddenly aware at the mentioning of Kikyou. His brows furrowed in annoyance and a low growl rumbled in his throat. For a moment, Kagome thought he was going to rip out her throat then and there before he instead opted for an annoyed huff.

"It doesn't matter. All you have to know is that we didn't start out hating each other. Or at least, I didn't."

Kagome's eyes widened in interest. "Wait. Hold up. You mean you guys weren't enemies from the beginning?"

Inuyasha snorted. "No. But everything obviously changed."

"I'll say," she mumbled. "Were you two friends or something?"

"More than that."

Kagome paled slightly. "You mean…dating?"

Inuyasha gave a halfhearted shrug. "Something to that effect…" he trailed off. "Either way, we're nothing more than enemies now. I wouldn't hesitate to rip out her throat."

"Oh…" That's strange. They were dating but now…what could've possibly happened to create such a strong hate? "Well, I won't talk about it if you don't want to."

Inuyasha looked at her for a fraction of a second before shrugging. "It's almost 7:00. Let's see what's so important on the news."

Kagome nodded and quickly washed the dishes before taking a seat on the couch.

Inuyasha's eyes suddenly widened upon seeing Kikyou's face on the screen. Kagome instantly recognized her as the cold lady at the restaurant. "That's her," she whispered. Inuyasha barely nodded his head, leaning forward towards the television. He had to control the strong urge to leap through the screen and shake her senseless.

Her long, black hair was down and flowing past her shoulders. All Kagome could see of her was her head till the top of her shoulders. They were squared, and she looked quite powerful. Kagome nearly shivered at how intense her dark eyes were…almost as if she were looking right into your very soul, past the skin and bones.

"We at the Tokyo Central Lab Department have very urgent news." Her voice was smooth and commanding, much like Kagome remembered. "Just recently we have had one of our 'experiments' escape the building, and we are urgently asking everyone to be on the look out of a half demon dog." A picture flashed before the screen, showing a profile-type picture of the very same half demon sitting next to Kagome. "He is highly unstable and could very well be capable of killing someone without remorse. If you have any information, we beg of you to call us at this number." A number flashed below her face at the screen before regular programming continued.

Inuyasha sat stiff and silent, eyes never blinking once. Kagome felt enraged by the false comments. How dare they even begin to lie about him like that! Sure, he was harsh and obviously a fighter, but at this point, she could only see the lab to blame.

"Don't let her feed the public this crap, Inuyasha! We have to stop her!" Kagome demanded, bringing Inuyasha out of his stupor.

"I'm sure half the population or more knows by now," Inuyasha replied tersely, somewhat wondering where this flame ignited in Kagome.

"But you know what I don't get?!" Kagome continued to rampage. "How will the public listen to her?! Don't they know that this lab or whatever is bad if they're claiming they have experiments? And no offense, but humans don't warm up to demons very well, so what's the public have to do with it? They could just turn on them!"

Inuyasha buried his head in his hand, before looking back up at Kagome.

"It's all very simple. Kikyou is a human who's reporting it to the public. The demons won't care, those who go around living among humans in their every day lives. But the people, the humans who fear demons will cling to every word she says. She is a human after all, a fellow victim. If they see that she is warning them, helping them…well, they've got every reason to believe her. And, just to let you know, the lab is very good at covering up their shit. The government wouldn't suspect a thing from them."

"Then how would they explain that some 'scary half demon' is running around? Wouldn't people begin to wonder then?"

Inuyasha gave a contemptuous snort. "Oh, believe me – they've got it covered. They just claim they're trying to make it so that they can create something better, something that can ward of demons or offer protection or whatever. It's all a scam, a lie given to the public to calm them down and give false security."

Kagome pursed her lips. "So…what do they really want?"

"Truthfully?" Inuyasha paused. "They want to build the ultimate being. By taking the genes of demons that have been infused with regular animals and taking the genes of regular humans, they want to create something so extraordinary, so unique, so powerful that the world will be under their control. Sounds farfetched, but they have the means to do it."

Kagome remained quiet, letting the newfound information soak in. It was so unreal that she had a hard time believing it. But Inuyasha was living proof that these plans were going on. And at this point, she was liable to believe the unbelievable.

"Can't I report it to the government? Isn't there someway to expose them?"

"Oh sure, the government will completely believe you…after how much praise they give the lab. They think they're actually gaining some benefits from this 'project'. Why would they believe some student? Every student wants to be a rebel in their eyes. Plus, the lab is so highly secured that it would be impossible to expose them. And even if it did happen, hypothetically, then they would find some way of convincing the public otherwise."

"I see…quite a fix we're in, huh?"

"Tell me about it."

"It's a good thing I'm one hundred percent ready to do whatever it takes to expose them." She gave a broad smile, while Inuyasha gave her a somewhat surprised and unsure look.

"It's risky, you know. You can't just walk in there and expect to come out alive with all that information…"

"Whatever it takes."

-o-

AN: Yup, that's the end of this chapter. And I just made up a name for the lab, so yeah. If that name actually exists then I don't own it. Tell me what you think!