Ch.11: Facing the Big Boss

"Kagome," I heard Shippo's voice start to wake me, "Kagome!"

"What, Shippo?" I sighed.

"Sango isn't here," Shippo's worried voice spoke back.

I opened my eyes tiredly to look at the empty bed, "She's out on a job."

"B-But, the whole place is a mess."

My eyes snapped open, "What?"

"Come look," he grabbed my hand and tried to pull me off the bed.

I followed quickly through my door and stood there, aware of the cold air sweeping into our apartment from the opened door. Shippo was half-right, but only near the door was there a mess.

Our papers that laid on the desk were now scattered on the floor and the lamp was gone. If I looked close enough, I bet that silver shining outside, lying on the grass was it. The coat hanger near the door looked nearly ripped off the wall and when I looked to inspect it, there was blood coating the brass hanger like someone had grabbed it and forcefully pulled. There were specks of blood on our white carpet. Whoever kidnapped Sango didn't care to leave traces of demonic energy. I could sense it just like inspecting finger prints. Knowing Sango, she had struggled against them. There seemed to be three different energies by the door but only one actually entered the house to grab Sango.

Shippo sniffed the blood on the carpet, "This is Sango's blood."

I walked over to the weapon's room and started packing up. Midoriko's sword, automatic blades, thigh sheaths for daggers. These demons are gonna wish they were dead by the time I was through with them.

I quickly got dressed in a white t-shirt with a black skirt that went down to my knees. Usually, I wouldn't wear skirts for missions but for the thigh sheath, I'd have to. I pulled a sweater out of the closet and slipped it on, leaving it unzipped as I hurried towards the door. Shippo had hopped on my shoulder and clung there, saying he could be of some help. I really didn't care as long as he didn't get me in trouble until we were outside the apartments.

Another aura near the door had shocked me. I gritted my teeth and my hands clenched into trembling fists at my side as I walked passed the aura.

In the next minute I had human Inuyasha, who was by the stairs, getting ready to leave, against the wall. "Where's Sango?" I demanded and tried to keep my wavering voice leveled.

He just stared blankly at me before scowling, "How the hell should I know?"

"Your fucking aura was near my door, you asshole!" I screamed, "What'd you to her?!"

He had flipped us around and covered my mouth so harshly I had to bite back a gasp. "After what happened, where do you think Sango is?" he hissed, "You gave her the rule, she disobeyed it last night during her job."

Job? Oh yeah, she had a job. Inuyasha sent it to her yesterday. Then he turned her in after that. "You set her up, didn't you?" I said in a dangerous voice.

"I tested her along with Miroku, they both failed," Inuyasha replied, "At least Sango knew what was coming for her."

I clenched my teeth and pushed him off me to head for the gates.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked from behind me.

"Where do you think?" I growled, "I'm finding Sango."

Inuyasha scoffed, "Good luck, by the time you find the place and get to the place, Sango would get her punishment and be sent back here."

Shippo grinned, "I could make traveling faster," he whispered in my ear.

"Don't you dare, Shippo," Inuyasha growled the same time I said, "How?"

"I could smell the scents, and I could transform, if you let me."

Well, people already saw the fox on my shoulder, might as well go all out. "Do it."

Shippo jumped down and a cloud of smoke covered him. I tripped over him but instead of landing on the cement, I felt soft feathers.

Shippo had transformed into a huge hawk and took off before Inuyasha could grab us.

I gasped and wrapped my arms around his neck as I looked at the ground going farther away. Inuyasha looked pissed. "Try to go high enough to get out of sight but to still see the buildings, I have a feeling I know where she is," I murmured into the feathers.

"Right." Shippo said and flew a bit higher. I shivered at the cold air hitting my skin but endured it.

This is all my fault, I thought sadly, If only I told Sango sooner. I kept a look out for the familiar building I was eighty percent sure she was in. It's my fault she's in this mess, I'm gonna take her out.

Shippo had circled around when he said they were starting to leave Tokyo. My limbs were starting to feel numb and I was frightened that I might slip unconscious and fall. I finally spotted the building and Shippo swooped down and landed safely on the ground, transforming back.

I cursed when I recognized Inuyasha's car in the parking lot. He made it before us.

Without thinking, I ran into the building with Shippo on my shoulder and into the maze-like hallways I got lost in before. Now I knew exactly where I was going.

The room I fought in was locked, but I sensed familiar energies beyond it.

"Maybe we should check other rooms?" Shippo asked but I shook my head.

"They're in here," I scowled and pulled Midoriko's sword from my pocket. This door was heavily reinforced but enough power from my sword should open it.

I felt faint from loading all my power into my sword but it had worked. The dented doors opened up easily, giving under the pressure and I ran in.

Lights lit up the whole room to find it was empty of furniture but I kinda expected that, since they used this room to fight. A demon was standing still at the far end of the room. He was almost the spitting image of Inuyasha but he was slightly taller and looked more graceful. Purple demonic markings on his face was another thing Inuyasha didn't have. He also didn't have the cute ears on top his head. He gave off a powerful aura, more powerful than I ever went against.

His eyes were narrowed at me for my entrance but my gaze was on the crumpled forms on the floor. "Sango! Miroku!" I cried, running to them.

"Kagome, stop," Inuyasha demanded.

I turned to him in surprise. His eyes were glaring at me from his place near the door. "Inuyasha..." I said softly, my heart tightened.

His face softened slightly, his eyes pleaded with mine.

"Are you going to listen to your superior?" the demon spoke and I turned on him.

"You," I clenched my fists at my side, "You did this to them."

"Yes," the demon answered calmly, "I did what I have to."

I moved towards the bodies and knelt by them, checking their pulses. Good, I thought, they're still alive.

Shippo hopped off my shoulder and tried coaxing them awake.

They were a bloody mess. Gashes appeared on their body and coated their clothes in blood.

I stood, glaring at the demon, "You'll pay for this."

"Kagome," Inuyasha growled, "Stop and shut up."

I gripped my glowing sword tightly, "No, you shut up and allow me to kick his ass."

The demon looked amused but he wasn't looking at me, "Inuyasha, you allow your slayers so much freedom?"

His growl echoed behind me, "I'm not so uptight, Sesshomaru, but I am starting to rethink."

The demon, Sesshomaru, shook his head, "I will do what you won't and teach this girl where her place in his world is."

Inuyasha growled loudly but didn't say anything.

"Bring it," I said and loaded what spiritual power I had left into my sword and swung, sending power head-on.

Sesshomaru brought out his own sword and easily blocked my power.

I scowled when my blade became useless and threw it aside, calling up my twin blades and blocked his sword quickly. He's fast, I noted with surprise as I threw him off. The unzipped sweater was bothering me so as quickly as I could, I ripped it off me, dodging his attack.

My sweater fell to the floor, I grimaced when our blades connected again, feeling a wave of power wash over me with each clash and it was starting to make me disoriented. He knocked one of my blades out of my hand but I managed to stab him with my right one, missing the heart just by an inch or so and not going deep enough to wound him.

His hand grasped my free wrist and I bit back a scream as burning flesh reached my nose. Pain is just a message, Pain is just a message, I thought and swung my blade, making him let go as well as knocking the powerful sword out of his hands.

I performed a one-handed back spring, abandoning my other sword to land on my good hand to avoid a glowing whip that was attached to his claw.

I was already down to my daggers. I kept them hidden as I dodged the whip once again, rolling to the ground.

I was unlucky and not fast enough, his whip wrapped around my arm and was burning into my skin. Poison, I thought once I examined it.

He pulled back and blood poured from my open wound. He brought his whip down again and I brought my arms up to avoid having a wound on my face, giving myself a deep scar on each arm instead. I sprinted at him and grabbing my dagger and stabbing him.

He grunted and grabbed me by the throat, my mind helplessly flashed to Master Naraku, even as he threw me to the wall.

My back collided with the wall and I slid down to the floor with my head bowed. I tried moving but I was too stunned. The adrenaline that had entered me while fighting quickly left me.

Sesshomaru started walking towards me, his whip retracted in his claw.

"Stop!" Shippo ran in front of me, holding his hands out as if his small body could shield mine, "That's enough, you're gonna kill her!" he cried.

"Hmph," Sesshomaru scoffed as he picked up his sword and sheathed it, "A waste of time."

I heard the damaged door swing closed and slowly brought my head up and crawled to my friends. The pain shot up my arms but I ignored it and collapsed to the floor next to them.

Shippo brushed my hair out of my face, "Are you alright?" he whispered worriedly.

I managed a smile, "Never better. I wounded him."

Shippo chuckled as I fell unconscious.

I felt stiff when I awoken. I was laying down on something comfortable and my wounds weren't painful as I expected but they were dully throbbing. It was hard to see but judging from the amount of light, I guessed a lamp was the only source.

I felt something warm and wet sliding along my arm where my wound is. I managed to turn my head towards the light and groaned at how heavy my head felt.

"Kagome?" that voice. It took me a moment to place it with a face. Inuyasha. His hand gently turned my head back and remained on my cheek, "Are you feeling better?"

I groaned as I closed my eyes, "Where am I?" I asked softly.

"In my apartment," he answered and I felt a cool cloth rest on my forehead, "I brought you back along with everyone else, they're already resting up in your room, Miroku had to sleep in your bed so you had to come to mine."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"You were lucky Sesshomaru hadn't beat you to an inch of your life like he intended," Inuyasha said, "A bit more poison and I think he would accidentally kill you. The poison gave you a fever though..."

"Who's Sesshomaru?" I asked with a grimace.

"He's actually my half-brother, and he's the big boss of demon slaying."

I laughed without humor, "That would've been nice to know before I fought him, huh?" I opened my eyes again, finding my vision much more clearer, "He cut me off demon slaying, didn't he?"

"Actually, that was his plan until I spoke with him, he was gonna just lower it but since you were keeping a demon with you..."

"My rank is lowered dramatically, then?" I sighed.

He smirked down at me, "No, it actually went higher."

My eyes widened, "Wh-What?"

"You're in Group A, sixth rank now," he answered, "He didn't show it, but he was impressed that you were able to inflict that much damage and take that much damage so he thought that you belonged in a higher rank."

I stared, dumbfounded, "I would hug you if I wasn't in so much pain."

He chuckled, "Your wounds are closed, I managed to heal you."

I brought my arm up to the light and found no life-threatening poisoned gash, not even a scar, "How'd you do that?"

He looked away, "You don't want to know."

I sat up, letting the wash cloth fall from my forehead, "I'd love to know how you got rid of these wounds so fast."

He grinned slightly. "You're gonna murder me when I tell you."

"What do you..." I drifted off, remembering that warm and wet feeling on my arm and grimaced, "Oh, you better not have..."

He stuck his tongue out at me, "Demon saliva surprisingly has healing abilities on human flesh."

"Ew! Ew! Sick!" I rubbed my arms furiously on his blankets until the skin turned red, "Gross!" I cried, ignoring his uncontrollable laughter.

"I'm guessing you don't want to know what I gave you to get rid of the poison in your system then?" Inuyasha's laughter died down to chuckles.

I glared, "Either way you're gonna get hurt."

Inuyasha's grin widened and he shrugged.

"Tell me what else you did to me while I was unconscious," I demanded.

"Jeez, you make it sound like I raped you in your sleep," At my pale expression, he quickly added, "I didn't do anything else to you... except made you drink some of my blood," that last part was quieted down.

I covered my mouth with surprised shock, "Isn't demon blood poisonous to humans?"

He suddenly looked indifferent, guarded, "I'm a special case, and I was ninety percent sure I wouldn't kill you."

I slapped him hard across the face, "Then that was for the other ten percent, jackass."

He rubbed his red cheek, looking annoyed. "You'll have to sleep in my room until Miroku or Sango are well enough to move out of bed, which gives us three or four weeks."

I was surprised that I didn't mind. "Why don't you go lick them to make them feel better?" I scowled.

He made a face, "I'm not running my tongue on a guy's cut, besides," he was back to grinning, "I like your taste better."

I slapped him again. This was gonna be a long month.