AN: Hello out there! Well here it is, extra long as requested. I hope you enjoy. Just a little side note, my personal soundtrack for the first part of this chapter was 'The Red' By Chevelle.
The Archangel
By: Undecidedlycertain
Chapter 7
The Red
New York City, Financial District
Central Intelligence Agency, New York Headquarters
Sunday, June 19th, 9:05 am Eastern Pacific Time
47 hours 40 minutes until Archangel release
The crisis room went deathly still.
No one moved, no one dared to even breathe, as several pairs of nervous eyes cast helplessly concerned looks at the black lacquered table beneath their sweating palms. The atmosphere had become palpable, alive with a static-like feeling that had every hair on the back of every neck standing on end.
Sesshoumaru Takishima was a dangerous man under normal conditions, an unthinkable force to be reconed with in a crisis, and this was so much worse than anything they had ever dealt with in the past. A code Black situation...and it was personal.
A low growl reverberated off the walls, resonant enough to shake the water in the glass that sat near Sango's trembling hand on the glossy surface of the conference table. No one seemed able to summon the courage to speak, except Inuyasha who kept chanting "son of a bitch" in a quiet, subdued voice.
A nervous tension built in the room as Sesshoumaru's Jaki rose to nearly suffocating levels.
Sango let out a tiny choked scream, causing nearly everyone in the room to jump, as the water goblet crashed to the floor, having danced its way over the edge by the force of Sesshoumaru's monstrous rage.
Miroku looked to Inuyasha, silently trying to formulate a plan should things get out of hand. The monk knew he could not seal the frighteningly powerful Tai alone, and Inuyasha, while formidable, would not be able to subdue his brother if he truly fell pray to his hell born urges.
But Sesshoumaru knew that he was slipping into a blood rage and was trying to garner control.
He also knew that with out the regulator there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
There weren't many demons left that could stand against his bloodline, especially not one in his prime and at the level of power Sesshoumaru had achieved.
He could destroy half the city in his true form before anyone had the chance to even attempt to take him down.
Of course that wouldn't help Kagome, and even if he ripped this god-forsaken city a new asshole, the chances of him finding Kagome in such a way were slim.
With a level of control that was almost unimaginable he clamped down on his instinct to transform - the urge to taste the tang of warm blood in his mouth, and feel the crunch of bones in his teeth.
Eyes still red and a low growl still rumbling in his chest, Sesshoumaru managed to speak in throaty, broken sentences.
"Track him."
"I'm working on it." Shippo said in a near panic as his fingers raced across the keyboard of his ever-present laptop. Right now they needed to do all they could to appease the extremely powerful and extremely pissed off demon before them, and Sesshoumaru felt a mild prickling of respect at the fact that they did so with out hesitation.
In a bold move Inuyasha placed an awkwardly mollifying hand on his brothers shoulder, but quickly removed it when the growl upped a notch.
It wasn't that Sesshoumaru was angry with his brother for the attempt, but anything was liable to set him off at the moment. It was better he was given his space.
Still, it was a matter of pride to him that his brother would so readily stand with him in this.
"What about this Shikon? What do we need to do to get it?" Inuyasha barked quickly, hoping that some answers might quell the beast fighting for release in the raging Tai.
Kaede sighed heavily, pushing her tired old body from her creaking leather chair. "The Shikon is in the central vault in Washington. It has been sealed for (twenty three) years with seven interlinking circles of sutra inside a solid titanium safe and is guarded twenty-four hours a day by a hand picked elite guard of specially trained operatives. The jewel is capable of unimaginable power, and we don't even know the half of what it can do because it was deemed best to seal it after half of the research team went insane simply from coming in contact with it. If the likes of Naraku were to get his hands on it…"
"But if the Archangel is released into the public…" Miroku countered letting his sentence trail off.
"What exactly is the Archangel?" Inuyasha asked the young dark haired agent. "And what about Kagome, lets not forget we're talking about a person here, not just a threat."
"I will get her back." Sesshoumaru ground out.
"I have no doubt that you will." Miroku conceded. "However it would be prudent to have the Shikon on hand should Naraku prove more devious than anticipated."
"I agree." Sango added quietly.
Sesshoumaru bit back a snarl at the hit to his pride, but deep down he had to agree, it was the logical thing to do. And securing the antidote was every bit as important as retrieving Kagome.
He could feel his Jaki retracting a bit and the blood was starting to fade from his eyes. It was a good thing too, he would be of no use in a blind rage and he had to be on top of his game to find her in time.
Between his tracking skills and Shippo's hacking abilities, he should be able to locate her before it was too late.
"It is settled then." Kaede said with a whip-like snap in her voice. "Inuyasha, are you willing to come back aboard for this? I need someone I can trust to go to Washington and retrieve the Shikon." She gave him a piercing look, trying to impose the seriousness of the situation. "Not that I need to remind you, but once the Shikon is removed from the vault it will be brought out of stasis. We can keep it contained to a certain degree, but the jewel gives off a powerfully alluring aura. It is likely that its power will be detected by Youkai with heightened sensitivity to spiritual anomalies."
Inuyasha cast a sidelong look at his brother before nodding firmly. "I'll take care of it."
Kaede nodded in kind, but her look darkened. "It goes with out saying that it must not be allowed fall into the wrong hands. The Shikon may try to temp you to use its power. It will (indubitably) draw the attention of those with in range who have a weak will and a thirst for (power). You may encounter problems with demons during transport."
"Keh. Like that'd be a problem. I can take out anything that comes my way."
"Let us hope so. If we have to resort to handing it over to Naraku…"
"Naraku will be dead before he has a chance to use it." Sesshoumaru vowed, the blinding rage starting to dissipate slightly though his instincts still screamed for blood. And I will have it, he silently swore.
Kaede nodded, knowing not to oppose him at a time like this. Her look was troubled though, the heavy lines in her face creasing more than usual. "Inuyasha, you and Koga will be in charge of retrieving the Shikon. Everyone else will be involved with the locating and containing of the Archangel."
"And Naraku?" Koga asked. He was clicking his ballpoint pen (rapidly) in his clenched hand – a nervous tic.
"Naraku is mine." Sesshoumaru rasped darkly, enraged that another would dare even insinuate otherwise. The pseudo-hanyou was his prey, and his alone. He would revel in the feel of the man's blood sliding over his hands as he tore him apart.
"Of course." Miroku interjected smoothly before Koga could unintentionally start something he was ill prepared to finish. "I suppose capture would be optimal for any suspected of working with or for him though?"
"Yes." Kaede agreed, adding seriously, "this is not a no kill order, though. Use any force necessary. We also need to set up (stealth teams/sting) to bug and tail the handful of men on our watch list. They could lead us to him if we're lucky."
"Right. Because he's obviously a complete idiot." Inuyasha added snidely, earning a stomped toe courtesy of Ayame, who was sitting closest to the loudmouth.
"Very well, then." Miroku stood and helped Sango to her feet, careful to help her side step the broken glass that still lay strewn across the floor. "I'll take care of the watch list."
"Excellent." Kaede briskly pushed her chair up to the table, a sign for everyone still seated to rise. "Shippo will be in charge of hacking any and all known databases both national and international."
The young genus cracked a wicked grin. "You want me to get in touch with our overseas friends in the surveillance business?"
The old chief nodded. "Ayame, bleed our sources dry. Threaten them. Bribe them. Injure them if you have to, but we need all the information we can gather."
"Got it." The perky red head was all business as she headed swiftly out the door, already pulling her sat-phone to her ear.
"Let's get this bastard." Her team gave a round of determined nods, and Inuyasha added a 'hell yeah' for good measure. She paused as they split up, each team leaving to accomplish their assigned tasks.
You could see in the firm set of her eyes that she believed fully in these people to carry out any task placed before them, no matter how insurmountable. Sesshoumaru sighed, watching her closely, wishing he had the same faith.
"I'm not going to assign you to any team, Sesshoumaru." She said once the room was empty. "You know more than most what kind of threat Naraku is. If I thought I could I'd pull you from the mission completely. It's too personal and you are entirely too emotionally involved." She looked him dead in the eye, completely unafraid. "But," she conceded, "I know better than to try to bar you. You'd only go off on your own with out back up."
"I don't need back up."
"Yes, yes. Didn't we get past this in your rookie days?" An amused grin tugged at the corner of her lips slightly, pushing the flesh of her face around absurdly.
It made Sesshoumaru realize that she really was getting old. Sometimes it was difficult to notice anything beyond her tougher-than-steel grit and determination. She was, he would have to admit, a remarkable leader.
"Regardless," she continued, her face falling back into its usual down-to-business (set), "I want you in contact with base at all times, do you hear. No excuses. I'm giving you full access to the full arsenal of agency resources. Anything you need, consider it yours. All operatives will be reporting in to Shippo, who will relay everything via Com." She sighed. "I don't suppose it would be prudent to have a new regulator chip implanted."
"It would not." Not that he would have allowed it even if she'd made it an order.
"Very well, then. You've never let me down, boy. Let's not break the record, eh?"
He nodded. He had no intentions of failing. It was not even an option.
His shoulders tensed, fingers clenching against the seam of his trousers as Kaede's wrinkled lips pursed in concern at what she had to say next.
"Sesshoumaru, if the antidote is not recovered with in the forty-eight hours…the host must be terminated."
New York City
Underground Miasma Headquarters
Sunday, June 19th, 11:45 am Eastern Pacific Time
45 hours until Archangel release
Kagome groaned as she pulled her head up from the cold, hard floor beneath her. Good God she felt horrible! She made a mental note to personally kill Eri, Yuka, and Ami for dragging her out last night. Hangovers were so not her thing.
Propping herself up on her elbows she blearily looked around trying to figure out where exactly she'd passed out and why her mouth tasted like moldy cotton. The whole night was kind of a blur, and she had the craziest dream…
Her eyes widened, whole body tensing as she leapt unsteadily to her feet. She was in some sort of filthy cell, complete with iron bars and a cross dressing guard standing across the hall with an impatient tilt to his hip.
Not a dream… She thought horrified. How…how could it not be a dream?
She felt hopelessness creep over her as the events of the previous night and early morning washed over her like a good dousing in cold water. The last thing she remembered was that sicko Naraku dragging her in front of a movie camera and talking to Sesshoumaru, who she could only assume was supposed to be Sesshou.
The man was obviously insane.
But he wasn't a man, was he? Not really anyway. She could sense it when he touched her, even though he had it well masked. He was a demon, or at least part demon, but it had felt tainted and unnatural. His aura writhed like snakes; it felt like a demon, possibly more than one, had been crushed into the body of a man.
Or a man who had a demon's soul…
He had said something about an antidote and 48 hours, but she'd been too overwhelmed to really listen to what he was saying.
What the hell did he pump into her anyways? The spot still burned where he'd stuck her with the needle. Her body ached like she was coming down with a nasty case of the flu, and her head felt like it was caught in a vice.
What a lovely way to start the day. Or night. Hell, she didn't even know what time it was!
She pushed herself up on shaky legs and wobbled over to the bars, blearily noting the lack of luxury they had provided her with. There was literally nothing in the cell aside from her person. No cot, no filthy toilet, not even a flickering light bulb. The only light she had filtered in from the hallway.
"Hey…" She tried to call out to the guard, but all she managed was a broken squeak. After clearing her throat she tried again. "Hey!"
She was surprised at the lack of haughty arrogance in the face of her guard. The angry, irritated individual she seemed to remember from before had been replaced by an extremely nervous looking young man who, even at this moment, was trying desperately to back away from her.
What's his problem? She thought with a frown. An inkling of trepidation trickled into her belly, making it clench painfully, but she tried to brush it aside. It terrified her to even think on it at the moment.
"Hey…can I get some water or something?"
He gave her a speculative look before conceding with out word or gesture, heading out of sight down the hall.
What was up with that? No rude comments, no haughty proclamations about evil females, not even a dirty look. Fingers curling lightly around the bitingly cold metal bars separating her from freedom, Kagome allowed herself to slide to the floor. She resting her forehead against the cool metal, forcibly trying to restore order to the chaotic hoard of thoughts rampaging through her aching head.
One thing was indelibly clear though: she had to figure out a way to escape.
A dull ache seemed to thrum throughout her entire body in time with her fluttering pulse. She couldn't help but wonder what she'd done in life to deserve this? Maybe it was that time she accidentally locked Sota in the porta-potty during the little league world series. It wasn't like she'd tipped it over afterwards though, and Sota hadn't been that mad. He'd forgiven her…eventually.
Hushed voices were carried down the hall, the empty corridor acting as an amplifier for the muted conversation.
"She's making me nervous Banko. She don't really look sick yet, but I've seen what that shit does to people. I don't care if Naraku says there's a 48-hour incubation period or whatever. She should still be in a bio chamber."
Kagome's breath caught painfully in her throat, her pulse doubling almost immediately.
"Eh, quit your whining Jakotsu. If Naraku says there's a 48-hour incubation period before the virus spreads, then there's a 48-hour incubation period. If he's not worried about it then you shouldn't be either."
"Yeah, but he's got the antidote. Of course he's not worried."
"Hm, I suppose. Just don't touch her. You'll be ok."
"Easy for you to say, you're not the one guarding her. She was trying to give me 'sexy eyes' earlier." He made a disgusted sound. "It was disgusting."
"Yeah, yeah. You can stand down a whole throng of heat packing cops, but one little unarmed woman makes eyes at you and you fall apart."
Sexy eyes! Kagome snort incredulously. It lacked any sort of amusement though, so it came out more of a phlegmy grunt. As if.
Kagome was by no means a scholar, but she had always considered herself a fairly intelligent person, and the phrases incubation period, virus, and bio chamber rang a foreboding bell that shook her from the inside out.
Her hands trembled where the sides of her thumbs pressed lightly at her temples. She didn't have to traverse any dark paths of thought to realize that they had done something horrible to her. Now there were only questions.
Why her?
What exactly was this virus they pumped into her?
Was she going to die? Would there be pain?
It was faintly shaming that she so numbingly frightened of the last. She shook head to dispel the thoughts. Now was not the time to wallow in fear and self-pity.
Concentrating on clarity, she tried to force her mind into peaceful blankness. She was only moderately successful, but it was enough to help her think. Sesshou had once told her that there was only one way to adequately deal with an impossible situation:
Assess the dilemma with a clear, calm head
Explore all possible avenues of escape logically
When your opening appears, and one always does, no NOT hesitate
All of this was pretty much void if, like her, one was completely in the dark about the cacophony of events sweeping her along like a leaf caught in (case) 5 rapids. In order to fully analyze her situation she needed to know more about what was actually going on. It would help her gain a handle on her ragged emotions. It would help her properly consider her next move. And it would help her understand why she had been dragged into this to begin with.
With a shaky breath and a quick swipe of her hands across her cheeks to wipe away the tears that had left trails there, Kagome stood, resolute in her decision despite the quaking that still ravaged her. Blowing out a steadying breath, and trying on her fiercest face, she turned to face the approaching steps of her guard.
She wanted answers, and she was going to get them if she had to tear this whole building down one piece at a time. Her eyes took on a devilish slant as Jakotsu swaggered toward her, a glass of water held loosely in his manicured hand.
New York City, Financial District
CIA Headquarters, Armory locker
Sunday, June 19th 9:22 am. Eastern Pacific Time
47 Hours 23 Minutes until Archangel Release
The main armory for the CIA was impressive enough, but agents with the kind of rank and security clearance that Sesshoumaru held were privy to the crown jewels, so to speak. At the back of the main arsenal locker was a DNA scanner requiring a finger prick in order to gain access.
Inuyasha waited anxiously behind his brother. He was both nervous and excited about the upcoming mission.
Don't get the wrong idea, he was worried about Kags just as much as Sess was, but lets face it, hotel security just couldn't hold a candle against the adrenaline pumping excitement of working for the agency.
Inuyasha quit working for the government two years ago, after he lost his partner in a terrible accident. It really wasn't his fault - even the tribunal found him faultless of her death, but he blamed himself regardless. After that he just couldn't see any reason for fighting anymore. He always missed it though and wondered if he'd made the right decision by retiring.
Is it what Kikyo really would have wanted him to do?
Kikyo was one of his closest friends. She was patient with him, taking him under her wing when he was fresh out of the academy and greener than an unripe tomato with an arrogant streak the size of the East River. It had been hard for him, after mother died, and he was left wanting in the ways of a father when his own sunk into an endless cycle of over work and depression. The only real male role model he had was Sesshoumaru.
Not that that was necessarily a bad thing, but by the time Inuyasha joined the agency (on his brothers recommendation no less) Sesshoumaru was already well established in his career and was one of the most well respected demons on the force. Sesshoumaru had a big shadow to stand in, and it made the younger Takishima a bit irritable.
Well, nonetheless to say, during a drug raid Inuyasha made a bad decision, which combined with a bad decision made by Kikyo herself, resulted in a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. It would have been little more than a flesh wound if he'd have taken the hit.
Inuyasha was officially cleared of blame, but he never forgave himself.
Shaking himself of such thoughts he looked around in awe at the shit load of top secret weapons stored, some of them even made there, in the back room of the arsenal. Glass cases adorned the walls displaying weapons he could have only thought up in the wildest of dreams.
Guns, both semi and automatic, lined one wall in sizes from little pea shooters on dainty hooks, smaller even than his cell phone, all the way up to monstrous shoulder-mounted cannons that looked suspiciously like rocket launchers.
A feral grin revealed a pointed canine. That was what he wanted.
On the opposite wall was a case of Youkai blades. They were interesting enough to sway his attention from the varied array of impulse detonators, a personal favorite of the white haired hanyou.
Infused blades were hazardous to both the wielder and the one on business end of those skillfully forged weapons. If the wielder was not strong enough, the dark youki contained with in the sword had been known to drive a man, or youkai, insane.
They were dangerous, lethal, and completely illegal. Inuyasha was in a state of bliss.
He was acting like a little kid, running along the wall pressing his face to each case in turn as if it were a part of the Macy's Christmas display. He also knew that Sesshoumaru was precariously unstable at the moment and would not hesitate to knock him through one of the titanium-enforced walls if he pissed him off, but really, he couldn't help himself.
Youkai blades were prized and coveted, the kind of stuff legends were made of. These had to be practically Neolithic: Inuyasha was pretty sure there weren't any more sword smiths around that had the skill and control to forge them properly.
Man! What he wouldn't give to get his hands on one of those.
As he was opening his mouth to ask about them, a disgusting wet hacking had him spinning on his heels in alarm. For a split second he was afraid that Sesshoumaru had injured himself, ridiculous as it seemed, but what he found was far more disturbing.
An old man, looking to be in at least his ninety's, sat on a small reed mat against the back wall hacking like he was about to cough up a lung. A heavy mallet leaned innocently against the wall next to him. Any comment Inuyasha was about to make died on the back of his tongue as he sent his brother a confused glance.
"What the…how'd you get in here old man?" he barked when the old mans coughing subsided. "This place is supposed to be secured."
"And it is. I built it myself, you disrespectful little whelp." The old man replied.
Inuyasha found himself oddly comforted by his feistiness. If the old man had enough fire in him to sling insults then he probably wasn't dying. At least not right away.
Still. He called him a whelp!
"I ain't no whelp, Jijii." He growled, shaking a balled fist at his baldhead in an empty threat.
"Inuyasha, this is Totosai, Master Sword Smith. Totosai, this disrespectful whelp is my brother." Sesshoumaru introduced with a distinct air of disinterest while unbuttoning his shirt. He crossed to a case on the right side of the room, shouldering a brown leather holster and two lethal looking desert eagles.
Inuyasha noted uneasily that his brother chose clips pre-loaded with miko purifying bullets.
"Ahhhh." Totosai groused rubbing his hand over his long, scraggly beard. "So this is the youngest Takahashi. What a shame."
"Oi!" That was it. Old or not, Inuyasha was really going to hit him this time. "What exactly is a shame about me?"
It was an old wound, one he was still sensitive about. No matter how much human/Youkai relations improved, there would still be those who were opposed to mixed blood.
"I expected you to be better looking." The old man quipped with a shrug.
Inuyasha's jaw went slack, flabbergasted at the remark. He had expected…well, it didn't matter what he had expected. The old man was cheeky. Normally Inuyasha had a fine appreciation for well-played cheek, but something about the old man just rubbed him the wrong way.
Better looking, indeed. He was every bit as eye pleasing as his brother, possibly even more so depending on tastes. "Listen here you old…"
Sesshoumaru's irritated growl was more than enough to cease the bickering building between the two. It didn't, however, stop old man Totosai from blowing a silent raspberry (how the hell he managed to do it with out making the noise was a mystery), nor did it stop Inuyasha from bearing his teeth in reply.
Sesshoumaru re-buttoned his shirt, a small gun concealed flat against the skin over his kidneys, while the thick leather straps of the holster for his desert eagles crossed over the back of the white, blood stained dress shirt. Ignoring the other two completely, Sesshoumaru continued to snap, strap, and tie on various weapons saving the most important for last.
Inuyasha could feel the tension rolling off his brother in tangible waves. Oh yes, Sesshoumaru was pissed. Naraku would be lucky if there were enough pieces of him left to fit in a shoebox. He just hoped he had the strength of mind to obtain the antidote before he blew him into bits of sticky flesh.
As far back as Inuyasha could remember, Sesshoumaru had never been anything if not controlled, even in his youth. That was the principle that guided his life; even his relationship with Kagome he held himself on a tight leash, so to speak.
Inuyasha could see it plain as day, having known his brother all his life: Sesshoumaru was in love with the poor girl. Whatever attracted Kagome to the jerk to begin with had to be solid: she wouldn't have put up with him for so long otherwise.
Yup. She'd wormed her way under his skin with her passionately tender hearted ways; it was inevitable that he would fall for her. Now she was stuck with the indelible ass.
Though for an overly egocentric youkai who sees love as a weakness, and sees any weakness as unacceptable, being in love certainly can cause some serious psychosis. Hell, it took him a year to propose to her when he probably knew after being around her for a few hours that she was the one he would take as a mate.
Not to mention the fact that she was human, but that's another psychoanalysis all together.
Poor Kagome, he thought sadly as he pulled a gleaming set of 9mm off the wall. She must be terrified. He checked the chamber, satisfied with the well-oiled slide and metallic click. Not to mention she probably still thinks Sesshoumaru's married.
A rusted katana in a case near the back wall, separated from the rest, caught his eye. It didn't look like much: the blade all nicked and tattered. Actually, it didn't look like it would even cut paper, let alone cause any real damage.
Moving as if drawn to the sword, he bent forward to take a closer look. It was kind of pathetic, and now that he was concentrating on it, he realized that there didn't seem to be any youki coming off the blade either.
What was it doing here? It looked more like it belonged in a museum than a state of the art arsenal.
With deft fingers that seemed to act of their own accord, he lifted the lid and removed the old sword.
"What's up with this?" He questioned waiving the rusted blade around haphazardly.
Sesshoumaru barely sent him a second glance, too occupied stocking himself up like the Fourth of July. Totosai wasn't nearly so preoccupied though, and the old man had a rather interesting reaction to Inuyasha's manhandling of his product.
An ethereal wail built up in the small room, echoing off the walls, and forcing Inuyasha's ears back in effort to drown the horrible noise. Totosai was tugging at his ratty beard and pointing a gnarled finger at Inuyasha howling dramatically.
"Eh?" He leaned forward, taking in a slow breath through his nose. The old man stunk, but other than his general lack of hygiene he seemed fine. No scent of dilapidating illness, no reek of impending death. Perplexed, Inuyasha shouted over the din "What's your problem, Jijii?"
The old man continued his throaty lamentation. Inuyasha was torn between turning tail and running, and knocking the old fart unconscious. It kind of felt wrong to be so rough with the elderly, but the temptation was strong. Before he could overcome his reservations, albeit small ones, Sesshoumaru took care of the situation.
"ENOUGH!" The Tai bellowed with enough force to make even him tremble, and Inuyasha was used to his brothers temper. Totosai ceased his howling instantaneously.
After a few tense moments of basking in the full force of his terrifying glare, Sesshoumaru dismissed them from his attention and went back to his task leaving his brother and the old smith to start breathing again.
"That is Tetsusaiga." Totosai began explaining, casting a gauging sidelong glance at Sesshoumaru. His weeping had stopped as suddenly as it started and Inuyasha was starting to doubt the old fool's sanity. "Oh, my pride and joy going to such a disrespectful mutt."
"This is your pride and joy?" Wait. "Who the hell are you calling a mutt? And how am I the disrespectful one?"
"I SAID ENOUGH!" Sesshoumaru once again demanded silence, and the other two quickly fell mute. If the elder Takishima felt the need to raise his voice, he likely wasn't far from raising his youki whip as well. "I want the key to Tokijin's locker."
Totosai's face paled considerably. "Are you sure Sesshoumaru-sama? Tokijin has never been successfully wielded before."
Sesshoumaru flashed a glare that spoke plenty about his resolve, and it sent the old man scrambling off his mat and over to a locked steel compartment against the back wall.
An obscenely large metal ring holding an assortment of roughly shaped iron keys jangled heavily in his gnarled hands. Singling out a particularly foreboding black key, Totosai crammed the jagged edge into the lock, paused a moment, taking a shaky breath before forcefully giving it a turn.
The tumblers clicked into place with a deafening set of clicks: Inuyasha found himself tensing with each one.
As the door swung open Inuyasha could feel the jaki in the sword sweep out like a flood. He instinctively took a step back, his senses going haywire with the dark energy coming from the waves.
Then he noticed that the inside of the case was papered with a seriously unhealthy number of sutras.
"Sess, you sure that thing's really safe?"
Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Sesshoumaru boldly wrapped his hand around the hilt of the sword and pulled it from its sealing spell with a spray of blue sparks. Sesshoumaru tensed as the spirit of the sword attempted to tug at the edges of his sanity.
No, he acknowledged. This sword really wasn't safe for anyone any less powerful; but for him, the sword would bend to HIS will instead of the other way around. It didn't take much, but by pushing his youki down through the hilt of the sword he quickly got it to submit.
Tucking the sword through a loop on the side strap of his holster, Sesshoumaru turned and headed out of the armory with out a look back. Inuyasha was at a loss of words. He watched his brother walk out of the room with one of the most powerfully dangerous weapons he'd ever seen with out so much as a tic in his strictly rigid bearing.
He always knew Sesshoumaru was powerful, but this was a golden example of the true scope of his strength.
Picking his jaw up off the floor, he cast a last look at the old goat before heading after his brother. It looked like Totosai had fallen asleep standing up. With an eye roll he snatched up an ankle holster with a small, easily concealed hand gun and turned to leave.
"Don't you dent up that blade boy."
Inuyasha looked from the old man who was peeking at him from one cracked eye to the rusted old katana in his grip. "Keh." He smirked. "As if I could do any more damage to this piece of junk."
Inuyasha heard him grumbling about "ungrateful youth" and "disrespectful whelps" as the door sealed behind him.
Now it was down to business, and God help them if for some reason Kagome couldn't be located soon. Inuyasha didn't doubt for a second that Sesshoumaru would tear the city apart to find her if that's what it took.
AN: Don't forget to review for me! You know it makes me happy!
Until next time
U.C.
