AN: Wow…another update already! So I totally wanna write a Code Geass fic because I absolutely love the show, but I am shipping confused and sadly enough, I am not COMPLETELY familiar with the plot/characters…which, don't worry, I'll figure it out soon enough…it doesn't take me too long to become an expert on a show…well…sometimes. It's just that I prefer to be very familiar with a show…like obsessively, insanely familiar…Hah, anyways, mindless rambling…

A big thanks goes to Jeanniestorm and Neomeneomine for answering my completely ridiculous question about starfishes! THANK YOU! It's just one of the many inane things I think about at night before going to sleep…

ON WITH THE CHAPTER!...oh wait, there's the blasted disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

The Experiment

Chapter Ten: Some Serious Dogpaddling…

Kagome looked up sharply to catch the sight of a young woman approaching them down the corridor. As she came into view, Kagome noticed her black hair was pulled into a ponytail up so high and tightly that it looked like a bun. A small white pin decorated it as well. But what grabbed her attention were the scowling crimson eyes. They held an unapproachable look, and Kagome was feeling slightly nervous around her.

Chancing a glance at the wolf demon beside her, she looked up to see him snarling slightly. His ice blue eyes were trained solely on the woman, and Kagome saw his claws flex slightly.

Turning her head back to the woman, she gave her a quizzical look. Was she a friend or an enemy? She did after all give the code to Inuyasha's cell.

"Kagura," Kouga spat.

The woman, Kagura, shot up an eyebrow with a mocking edge. "What is it, wolf?"

"What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off helping Naraku?"

Kagura folded her arms against her chest stiffly. "Shouldn't that be a phrase saved for you?" She retorted sharply. "Besides, I have no ties to that bastard."

Kouga sent her a mocking smile. "Feeling pretty brave all of a sudden, eh?"

"That's none of your business!" She yelped, losing her formerly cool disposition. "Now open up his cell instead of wasting time."

Kagome rose to her feet and glided a hand over to the pin pad, looking at Kouga for permission. He merely nodded his head, and Kagome punched in the numbers. Immediately the clear cell door rose upwards, lodging itself out of view in the tiny slot in the ceiling. Kagome rushed forward, kneeling beside Inuyasha who had scrapes on his cheek caked with dried blood. Worry shot through her.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

Kagura glanced down the hallway, checking to see if anyone had been approaching before resting her eyes on the girl.

"We'll take him out of here and go down a generally unused staircase. From there, take him out to the caverns –"

Kagome gasped lightly, earning a glare from Kagura.

"Not to torture him, idiot!" She hissed. "We take him there, and there will be a boat ready by the docking area. The cavern is pretty far away from the main department, so it'll be harder for them to spot you. It's dark out anyways."

Kouga stood silent for several minutes before accepting this. He turned to Inuyasha, gently shoving the young girl away. Struggling, he hoisted Inuyasha over his shoulder, wincing slightly from the pressure. His body had already taken a toll no thanks to Naraku's damn flunkies. Kagome followed like a moth attracted to light, consistently fretting around Inuyasha much to Kouga's chagrin. Although, had it been him in this position, he would've admired her loyalty and concern.

Kagura led the way, heels softly clicking against the black, marble floor. She walked with confidence and ease, as if the mere fact that she was betraying her superior meant nothing to her – like a walk in the park.

"Here," she said quietly, pushing open a door at the end of the hallway.

The group silently trudged down the stairs, Kagura walking ahead to make sure no one would appear around the corner. She was right when she said that generally no one used this staircase. It even looked abandoned. Kagome kept glancing at Inuyasha hanging unconsciously on Kouga's back. She hoped against all odds that they would make a clean getaway. They had come so far to just suddenly mess it up!

Silently, Kagura led them down a hallway and soon enough, Kagome began to recognize where they were. They were nearing the staircase that led them to the caverns. She suppressed a shudder, not liking that place one bit. Kouga didn't seem to show any reaction as he nimbly descended the stairs.

Kagome couldn't believe their luck as far as not approaching anyone on their way to the caverns. It was as if fate was siding with them for now. And hopefully till the end. Once they entered the caverns, Kagome froze. There stood a man in the standard gray uniform, studying something that she could only assume were papers laying on the small control podium.

"This is annoying," Kagura remarked before stepping ahead of Kouga and Kagome. Kouga paused in walking, gesturing for Kagome to stand still. Watching intently, Kagome saw the way Kagura so boldly stepped ahead, letting herself linger out in the open. Though her back was turned to the pair, Kagome instantly knew what she was planning to do as her arm moved inside of her jacket.

A gun gleamed in the dim lighting before Kagome saw the bullet spiral out and hit the man fatally. She gasped sharply, feeling sick with the way blood leaked out of his wound. The suit darkened as his body fell to the ground with a thud.

Kagura stood frozen momentarily, checking to make sure the bullet really had hit its mark before trotting back over to Kouga and Kagome. Pocketing her gun, she smiled. "I love silencers."

Kouga rolled his eyes before catching sight of a boat and making great haste towards it. Unceremoniously, he dropped the hanyou into the boat, earning a small cry of indignation from Kagome. He easily ignored that, gesturing for her to get in, which she did.

"Let's get out of here before he finds out his precious experiment is missing," Kouga snapped. Kagura stepped into the boat, eyes flickering with annoyance at the wolf.

"Now, we have to be careful. Guards are stationed just outside." Kagome gawked.

"What?! I thought you said no one would see us!" She squeaked.

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Well obviously no one will see us minus the guards." She paused momentarily. "Not that it's a problem anyways."

"Oh?" Kagome raised a brow.

Kagura smiled wickedly. "Don't forget the gun," she said in sing-song voice.

Kagome paled at the mere thought of seeing more people die. She did it so swiftly and carelessly too! Kagome would forever have the guilt of killing people resting on her conscious if she were to be the one shooting. Kouga caught her anxious look while rowing the boat.

"Don't worry. These people are malicious anyways. They don't deserve to go on living for all the shit they've done. Just look at the puppy and myself if you'd like to get an idea."

Kagome nodded, smiling briefly at his attempt to calm her down. Still…

"Alright," Kagura stated, pulling out her gun slightly. "Row a little further until I say stop."

Kouga let out a quiet growl. "Do this, do that," he mocked quietly in a high-pitched voice under his breath. Kagome stifled a laugh.

"Stop," Kagura commanded before aiming for one guard. His eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. He collapsed and toppled into the murky waters. The other guard positioned across from his fallen partner took aim for Kagura. He fired his gun, and Kagura cursed loudly before taking aim and shooting the man. He fell over into the water as well. "Row! Row!" She hissed.

Kagome caught onto the urgency in her voice and immediately felt the trepidation rise in her chest.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Now that he's sounded a shot, others have been alerted. We have to get away quickly before they catch us. Then it'll be a punishment far worse than the caverns," she explained through clenched teeth. Kagome let out a soft moan. This wasn't going at all how she expected…Wait…what were you expecting? To just ask them 'Hey, can we have Inuyasha? Thanks, bye!' Hah. Leave it to me to think up something so painfully stupid…

Kouga continued to row with vigor while Kagura kept an eye out for guards. She suspected they'd arrive within a few minutes. Meanwhile, Kagome kept her eyes trained solely on Inuyasha; she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. It was as if she needed to look at him…make sure that every second he was alright.

"Shit," Kagura cursed quietly. Kagome looked up with a jolt.

"What is it?"

"Guards are coming."

"Why can't you just use more bullets?" Kagome asked, though the very idea of shooting someone sent a lurch in her stomach.

"Because!" Kagura snapped. "I only have so much ammunition with me…besides, we can't take care of all of them."

Kagome sighed, looking around for some sort of escape before feeling the boat rock violently. Looking up, she saw Kouga standing. "What are you doing?!"

Kouga grinned before cracking his knuckles languorously before leaping off the boat and landing on the dock close by. Kagome's eyes widened in horror while Kagura let out an aggravated cry. "You IDIOT!" she shrieked before grabbing her gun.

As if suddenly remembering the other two on board, Kagura turned to Kagome. "I highly doubt they've seen you yet…" she narrowed her eyes. "Girl, do you know how to swim?"

Kagome nodded slowly. Kagura smiled shortly. "Then I hope you can handle a little extra baggage," she sent a look in the direction of the unconscious hanyou. "You'd only have to swim about thirty or forty feet over to the land. Do not get out on the dock like that idiot wolf! Use those trees for shade."

And with that, she leapt off the boat with only the height and strength a demon could have. Kagome cringed as she heard gunshots go off. She couldn't believe surreal feeling that clung in the air…this had to have been one, long nightmare…maybe she had dozed off again at work and Sango had yet to wake her.

When a gunshot rang through the air, Kagome snapped back to her senses. She had to get out of their quickly before they were spotted. With a deep breath and more courage than she really had, Kagome dived into the water as soundlessly as possible. The boat rocked slightly before steadying to its lazy lilting bob. Kagome struggled to tug Inuyasha higher up into a sitting position so that she could drag him downwards.

"Doesn't even help me," she muttered with Kagura in mind.

After several seconds of violent tugging (Kagome fearing she had done more damage than good), she had drawn Inuyasha out into the water. She gasped as his body sunk hers down into the watery depths. Gulping one last bit of air, she glided down underneath, putting herself under Inuyasha's arm to gain leverage. With as much strength as possible, she glided upwards, just barely breaking the surface.

"Urgh!" She spit out some water, struggling to keep her head above. "This…sucks!" she gasped. She twisted her body away from Inuyasha, holding on to his arm firmly. Finally, she moved slightly so that she was resting more on her side, nearly her back. She kicked her legs powerfully, trying to get to land as fast as possible. I should win the freaking Olympics for this!

After several, hard minutes of kicking, readjusting, and swimming up to the surface, Kagome slapped her hand upon the grassy surface.

She hoisted herself up while keeping her grip on Inuyasha's body. Gritting her teeth, she heaved up upwards, grabbing onto his waist for a better grip.

They sprawled over on the grass, Kagome sighing with relief. Shaky breaths escaped her body, and she lifted her head up barely to glance at Inuyasha sprawled a few feet away from her. His eyes were still shut, blissfully unaware of all the hell they had just been through. Typical, she snorted, quickly kicking herself up off the ground.

She could feel her muscles ache in protest as she hooked her hands under his arms and begun to drag him into the dark recesses of the trees. The gunshots had long since vanished, and Kagome prayed Kagura and Kouga had been on the winning side. All was deathly silent, and Kagome, now off of her adrenaline rush, could feel the fear creep back up her spine.

Kagome dragged him for nearly ten minutes, the cluster of trees only thickening. Apparently this place was out in the middle of nowhere. Which would make sense. Anyone who was an enemy of this place would have a hard time finding it.

Feeling the last of her strength drain out, Kagome propped Inuyasha against a tree. They could rest for a few minutes…after all, no one had come after them.

Kagome shut her eyes slightly, shuddering slightly as a cool, night breeze swept through her. Her clothes were soaked and her hair matted against her face. Right now, she was just dreaming of sleeping in her warm, familiar bed.

"Kagome…"

Kagome's eyes shot up and she propped her body on her elbows, looking at Inuyasha. "You're up!" She crowed.

He nodded listlessly, taking a look at his surroundings while his nose twitched. "Where the hell are we?"

"In some wood area by the lab…Kouga and Kagura went off to take care of some guards…haven't seen 'em since."

"Kouga and Kagura," he snarled, eyes suddenly fully alert.

"Yeah," Kagome responded.

"Since when the hell did Kagura decide to help? She's always taking care of the dirty business around here…"

Kagome shrugged. "I guess she hates Naraku just as much as you and Kouga do."

"Kouga," he spat. "I can't believe I was getting help from Kouga."

Kagome rolled her eyes, though inwardly glad to have him awake and acting as he normally would. "Look, let's just forget about that right now. We have to find a way to get you and the others out of here."

"Others?" Inuyasha echoed suspiciously.

Kagome beamed. "Of course!"

Inuyasha glared before getting to his feet. He swayed lightly but only for a moment. Looking down at the bedraggled girl, he scowled. "There's one thing I want, and only one," he hissed, "and that's to get my revenge on Naraku and Kikyou."

Kagome stared at him for several moments before sighing. "Whatever. Let's get moving, huh?"

Inuyasha nodded shortly before studying all directions. "We should probably find a way to go to the back of the building."

"Where are we now then?"

"Probably somewhere near the front."

Kagome sighed. She really hated to go back, though she knew it was the right thing to do. The idea of leaving those other demons and people in there was completely out of the question. And she had to know how Kouga was doing…even Kagura, since she had helped them out.

"This is going to be hard, isn't it?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha gave a bemused grin. "You have no idea."

--

Naraku interlocked his hands, resting his chin upon them. A far-off look was in his eyes as he listened to the sirens going off.

Apparently the stupid hanyou had tried to run away…again.

But no…what pissed him off more than the fact that the dog just didn't seem to understand the meaning of 'stay' was that not only did Kouga betray him once, he did it again, and now Kagura. She was always sort of flighty to begin with, but at the same time, she never really rebelled…until now of course. That hanyou was sure setting a trend among this place…

He would not let his lab fall to shambles though – not with such a promising reward splayed out on the horizon.

Unfortunately for him, the only loyal person around here was Kikyou…and she was never good for his nerves. However, he needed her right now to make sure that hanyou and his little human friend didn't run off too far.

Just then, Kikyou walked into his room, a frown set deep on her face.

"I'm sure you've heard the sirens going on," she said in a clipped tone.

"Yes, and?" he responded, still thinking.

"Aren't you going to do something about that?"

"And what do you presume I should do?" He suddenly snarled, crimson eyes glowing with annoyance.

"Shouldn't you…I…" Kikyou glowered before slamming a frustrated palm on his wooden desk. "If you let that stupid hanyou and those lower idiots escape, what do you think is going to happen to you?"

"Don't you think I already know that?" He snapped, rising to his full height.

Kikyou stepped back slightly, still scowling. "I don't understand why you can't take care of this. You should be prepared for these things."

"Thank you for telling me how I should run my business," he quipped coolly before stalking out of his office, a sight workers rarely saw.

--

"What?!" Kagome screeched. "You're joking right?"

"Nope," Inuyasha said, a bored expression on his face.

"But…But…No!" Kagome yelped. "I thought you said we should get to the back entrance! We can't just go in full force!"

"And why not?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Look, I've decided the best way to do this is to catch him off guard. He wouldn't suspect us to just leap out in the open. He probably has his workers searching in the more hidden spots."

Kagome pursed her lips. While that logic made sense, it was far more risky. She didn't want to die right off the bat! There had to be a sensible way to do this while still adding in the surprise attack factor. Naraku couldn't be that impossible to outsmart, could he?

"Just trust me," Inuyasha said, eyes never leaving the building.

"What?"

"Trust me," he repeated, suddenly turning to look at her, a cocky grin on his face.

The grin was infectious.

"I do."

Inuyasha suddenly crouched low to the ground. Kagome stared at him, wondering what he was doing.

"What…"

"Get on," he demanded.

Kagome nearly laughed. "Inuyasha, what are you talking abou-"

"Just get on!" He snapped. "We can't have you slowing me down. I'll let you off once we get inside," he added, ignoring the frown on Kagome's face at the 'slowing down' comment.

Kagome huffed before gently lowering herself on Inuyasha's back. She almost screamed when he tore off the ground, the wind sailing through their hair. Her nails dug into Inuyasha's back, desperately trying to keep herself steady. It was almost exhilarating in a way, but her fear kept overruling that feeling.

"Almost there," he announced, sprinting off into another high leap.

Kagome buried her head into his snowy locks, seeking comfort there. She felt like heaving, but she knew only dry air would come out.

After what felt like centuries, Inuyasha's feet touched solid ground and he lowered his back so that Kagome could topple off. She clutched her stomach tightly, wobbling around.

"Woah," Inuyasha caught her upper arm, and Kagome nearly went through another round of nausea when she realized they were up on the roof. "Can't have you falling down and breaking your neck."

"Inuyasha," her bottom lip trembling uneasily. "Why are we on the roof?!"

"Shh!" He slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up, I just wanted to avoid some of the guards down there. Luckily for us, they're just stupid, third-rate demons…they hardly have any instinct. And, just because we're going full force, doesn't mean we can't have a few surprises."

Kagome nodded her head shakily before walking away from the edge. The wind flapped relentlessly at her hair as she stood silently.

Be brave, Kagome…be brave…

Inuyasha nudged her over towards a small building which led to inside the building. He led the way, keeping his senses on the alert for any danger.

Soon enough, they found themselves in one of the corridors, and Kagome gulped. She could tell they were stepping into uncharted territory from here on out…she definitely didn't want to meet Naraku…

Inuyasha soon began to walk down the corridor, Kagome close behind. They passed several doors and glass windows, Inuyasha being extra careful to avoid those. He couldn't let them be seen by any of the researchers working in there. Inuyasha cast Kagome a small look over his shoulder, checking to see how she was doing. Appearance wise, she looked like she had fought hell and the devil himself…her hair was slowly drying out while her clothes still smelled damp. Her face looked pale while her blue eyes were wide with fear, and strangely enough, determination. Mentality wise…she seemed ready to drop.

He'd have to ask her later about what happened while he was unconscious…in full detail, of course.

If they made it out…

At least if I don't make it, she better…which is why I'm not letting her come with me to see Naraku…

Inuyasha stopped one hallway before the one that led to Naraku's office.

Kagome gave him a curious look, ready to question why they were stopping so abruptly.

He turned around to face her, a small, barely there amount of worry on his features. Behind him, there was a door that led to another hallway and through that hallway was a door that led to a fire escape, the one place where guards weren't positioned. Hardly anyone ever used that hallway, and he figured her chances of surviving would be higher. No, he corrected himself, her chances of living are one hundred percent. He didn't know where his fierce determination came from to protect her…perhaps it was because so often everyone thought he didn't know how to thank her…well, this was his way.

"Behind this door, there's a hallway that practically no one uses…Take the last door on the left and go down the fire escape. Keep hidden in the woody areas and just leave."

"What?!" Kagome sputtered before placing her hands on her hips. "There's no way I'm abandoning you after all this!"

"We don't have much time; just go before someone spots you!"

Before she could react, he yanked open the door and pushed her inside, shutting the door once more. Fortunately for him, the lock was on the outside. Kagome heard the telltale click of a lock, and nearly broke down the door in frustration.

"Inuyasha!" She pounded the door repeatedly until she realized he had left her…

I'm all alone now…

AN: Woah…end of this chapter. So, I think the end is coming up soon…hm…we'll see how that pans out. Till next time!

Oh, and for some reason, my email is being a butthead for not sending me review alerts, alerts in general, etc. EVEN THOUGH my account settings say I have them enabled, my email hasn't blocked the mail from ...and even if it did, it should go to my spam folder which I check...grr...sometimes technology is a jerk.