A/N: Okay, the chapters might be getting a little shorter, but that just means they'll be updated faster. :D I'm working on it. Now, for some irrelevant stuff:

Bonus points go to Sam, the annoymous reviewer, for getting the Monty Python's Holy Grail reference in chapter five...I mean three! xD

"Okay, on the count of three! 1, 2, 5--"

"Three, milord!"

"THREE!"

xD Lawl. Anyway, there's a couple of references throughout this story, both in and out of context, that I snuck in there just for fun. Some are Inuyasha-related, like the oh-so-obvious one in this chapter, while the rest are from various other sources. Can you spot any others? Bonus points for each correct find, you know. FTW!

I just now realized that in all of my author notes, I tend to randomly bold words for no reason. Huh.

And now, before you go off to read this chapter, I have one last thing to say:

OMFG, I have over a HUNDRED reviews! THANKS EVERYONE! I fricking LOVE you ALL!

Platonically, of course,

Zana

XVI.

The dragon darted its long neck forward, its giant set of jaws rushing down at Inuyasha with tremendous force. He jumped to the side at the very last second, narrowly dodging the rows of teeth that snapped for him. The dragon ran its head into the boulders and snarled with pain.

It had been almost three weeks now and there was still no sign of Kagome.

At first, this had put Inuyasha in a foul mood. Seeing Kagome was the highlight of his day, but lately, the only thing he really had to look forward to was lunch and whether or not it would be noodles. He felt as if he had been ditched, forgotten, abandoned even. You don't promise to help someone and then leave them to fry. How could Kagome do such a thing?

And that's when he really started to think about it. Because, first of all, Kagome wouldn't do such a thing. It wasn't like her at all. So then, where was she? Why hadn't she come in so long? Inuyasha was begining to worry himself sick. Did something bad happen to Kagome?

The dragon reared and attacked again, sending rocks flying as it moved about. Inuyasha, claws poised, leapt forward and slashed at its foreleg. The creature roared and swiped at him, but its heavy size made it slow and Inuyasha managed to dodge once more. Jumping from boulder to boulder, he tried to get even with the dragon's head, where it would be more vulnerable to attack.

Or was she still scared of him?

Maybe. Whatever had happened to him that night, it had certainly freaked her out. Hell, it freaked him out. That rage, that power, that strength...where had that all come from? It was almost scary, the way he had lost control like that. The way the sight of Kagome made his blood boil. What would have happened if the cell wall hadn't been in his way? Just thinking about it made him sick.

The dragon flapped it wings in two, powerful beats, sending bursts of wind at Inuyasha. He lost his footing and was sent flying backwards. Before he fell to the ground below, though, he managed to grab onto another boulder and pulled himself back up.

Although he would never admit it, it also fascinated him as much as it worried him. That crack in the wall... No one else had noticed it yet–-it was just a little line–but Inuyasha couldn't help to be excited. From what he had heard, his brother had punched through the glass in his cell, when he escaped all those years ago. Of course, the Facility reinforced all the cell walls after that little incident, but if Inuyasha could put a crack in it, surely he could do it again. The only downside was that he would have to lose control again, to give into the animal inside him. And what if he didn't change back this time? What if he stayed that way forever? Maybe it wasn't worth the risk.

Just as he managed to steady himself, the dragon made another lunge for him.

Risks. Maybe that's why Kagome had stopped coming; she had finally realized how risky it was. Maybe she found out the hard way, by being found out. He didn't want to think about it, but it was the only thing that made sense. Kagome might have been–okay, had been–scared shitless from their last meeting, but when has fear ever stopped her? She had been scared lots of times before, but she always came back. She was stubborn like that. She was forgiving too; Kagome couldn't hold a grudge the same way a squeamish guy couldn't hold his lunch while riding a roller coaster. There was no way that, after three weeks, she could still be mad at him. Even she was, Inuyasha would bet that she would still come back; her sense of justice would make sure of it. After all, she wanted to free everyone, not just him, and they hadn't done anything wrong. So there was only one logical explaination left: they found out. She messed up somewhere and got caught.

He refused to think of what might have happened next.

He didn't have time to think, anyways. The dragon swiped its talons at him and caught off across the shoulder this time. Inuyasha stumbled backwards and his hand instinctively went to his shoulder. He needed to focus. He forced his thoughts away and concentrated on the enemy. At the same time that it zoomed its head forward at him, Inuyasha launched himself off the rocks. The distance between them was closing, and Inuyasha ripped his claws through the beast's throat as he flew by. He landed with both feet on the ground and turned around to face his foe. Although there was no blood on Inuyasha's hands, the dragon's throat was gushing it. It roared once more and then flickered. It flickered again, and then the image distorted, the dragon fading into a billion pixels.

Slowly, the rocky environment that had surrounded him dissolved away too and the floor machines kicked in, rumbling and reshaping the ground back to it's normal, flat surface. Inuyasha wobbled a bit but kept his balance as the former "rock" he had been standing on deflated back into the floor. The simulation room was now back at it's default settings, a huge white room the size of a football field marked with little grey sensory dots at every other centimeter. There was a single door camouflaged to match the inside of the room, and Inuyasha knew that there was a one-way mirror on one of these walls, where a group of technicians and scientists were watching and taking notes.

He rubbed his shoulder where the dragon had got him. There was no wound, obviously; a computer generated creature couldn't do any physical harm. Yet it still had hurt, almost as if a real dragon actually did cut into his shoulder. He bet it had something with those new armbands they put on him. When he tried to take them off, they wouldn't budge. It felt as if they were wired into his skin almost, like a some sort of super band-aid that if you tried to remove too fast, it wouldn't just take a few arm hairs but your entire upper epidermis as well.

"Now why would anyone want to experience simulated pain?" he growled in frustration. It was such a stupid idea! No one would buy it. But that probably wasn't the point. They probably made it just to see if they could.

Inuyasha heaved a sigh and waited for the guards to come and collect him. He was exhausted, and not mention his shoulder ached from a wound that didn't even exist. He was looking forward to a break.

But when the door opened, it wasn't just guards that came in. There were several white-coats with them, and they seemed to be arguing. Inuyasha, still yards away in the center of the sim room, stood his ground and strained to hear what they were saying.

"...but we had it scheduled since last week!" someone said defensively. "The GVX Team wanted us to test out their newest simulation accessories as soon as possible. Number 7562-03 was the only one in the East Ward available..."

They were talking about him. Number 7562-03 was Inuyasha. He narrowed his eyes as the tiny figures grew larger as they came closer.

"...should of sent a memo," said someone else. "How were we supposed to know..?"

"That's not the point," said another, more authoritive voice. "You didn't even get it approved by a supervisor first. That's sloppy workmanship, you know..."

"Why does the Head want him anyway? I mean, if he's due for a..." The voices suddenly broke off into different branches, the scientists bickering and trying to speak all at once. Inuyasha couldn't make anything out of the ramble of noises, even as they came closer.

Then, when they were just some yards away from him, the lead white-coat held up a hand and the talking suddenly ceased. Motioning for the others to stay behind, including the guards, the man stepped forward and flashed Inuyasha a friendly grin, which immediately put him on edge. In the Facility, smiles are only given when they mean the opposite of what they stand for.

"Hello there, Number 7562-03...Inuyasha, isn't it?" chirped the man. "I'm Dr. Suikotsu, from the genetics department." He pointed to the ID card hanging from a chain, as if to confirm this, then politely extended his hand to Inuyasha. Inuyasha raised an eye brow and made no moves to shake hands with the strange doctor. The doctor's smile didn't flatter, though, and he continued. "I was sent here to inform you that the Head Commissioner himself has requested an audience with you, and that you're to go see him immediately. What a surprise, eh?"

Little alarms were going off in Inuyasha's head. The doctor alone was strange enough; he was talking to him as a person instead of a thing, which wasn't normal for members of the Staff. And the Head Commissioner wanted to see him? The Head Honcho, the Big Man, the guy who was in charge of the entire Facility...why in the world did he want to see Inuyasha for? Surely he had more important things to do than chit-chat with a test subject.

Somehow, Inuyasha got the feeling that this didn't bode well.

"Let's get those bands off you and send you on your way, now," said Dr. Suikotsu. "Don't want to make the Head wait."

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather just go back to my cell," Inuyasha sneered. "Give my apologizes to the Boss man for me, will ya?"

"I don't think you understand," said the doctor, his voice suddenly becoming a lot less friendly. "You don't have a choice. The Head wants to see you immediately, while there's still time. So you must go."

This would be a good time for another escape attempt, Inuyasha decided. It had been a while since he last tried, though, so he might be a little rusty. Oh well, it would be good exercise. And stalling, too. Inuyasha took a breath, then launched himself forward...

...only to be knocked over and pinned to the ground, with someone's foot pressing down on his throat. He expected to see a guard, but no, the style wasn't right. The guards weren't much for close range combat when they could simply shoot at you instead. Inuyasha was surprised to see that the one stepping on his neck was, in fact, the doctor, who had instantly changed from cheerful to enraged, with a side of psychotic.

"Enough!" he barked. "There is no time to put up with your childish games. You are going to see the Head and that's final. I am going to let you up now, and if you value your misbegotten life, then you shall do as your told and allow the guards to escort you to the main office."

The man removed his foot and stepped back, allowing Inuyasha to get up. The guards flocked forward, surrounding him at once and goading him towards the exit. The other scientists and doctors watched impassively as he was escorted out, although a few were staring at Suikotsu with the same shocked expression Inuyasha had just moments before.

"Have a nice time, Inuyasha!" called the doctor as they left, suddenly chipper again.

I'm assuming that means I won't, thought Inuyasha as he was lead out into the halls. After all, when did I ever have a "nice time" in this hell hole?

Then he thought of Kagome and answered his own question.

It was weird. She wasn't there and that kinda hurt, in a non-physical sort of way. Is this what it felt like to miss someone?

--TBC--

(Omake React!)

Doctor: You're going to see the Head, and that's final. Now go!

Inuyasha:

Doctor: I said, Now go!

Inuyasha:

Doctor: Okay, why isn't he getting up?

Guard: I think you pressed too hard on his throat, sir. It looks like you snapped his neck.

Doctor: ...oh.

Doctor: ...sucks to be him, then.

(Fin!)